I don’t remember how I met Ashli but she’s the kind of person that brightens your life. I was so honored when she asked me to photograph her maternity shoot. Alex and Ashli have created such a gorgeous home here in Columbus and they’ll be welcoming their baby girl very soon!
But seriously…she’s glowing.
I shot my first wedding on December 28, 2013. Luckily it was my sister-in-law’s wedding so I felt a bit more at ease. I was there for all the planning, I knew the landscape + felt comfortable with everyone in attendance. It was a great first and since then I’ve shot another and booked 3 more! I’ve received about 4 other inquires too so now I just have to accept the fact that I’ll be a wedding photographer this year!
I actually have really enjoyed it so far. It’s a burst of intense shooting for 9-10 hours and yet it’s really fulfilling because it’s a continuous sequence. I’m painting a story and I’m excited to get better at it as the year progresses. Maybe I’ll even get to travel + shoot a wedding!
Here is the story of my beautiful sister + her husband’s wedding from December:
What have I learned so far? Not every wedding is going to photograph as easy as the ones on Pinterest do (I mean, obviously). I realized quickly that being in the Midbest will only allow me a few 100% outdoor weddings. In the winter it’s freezing cold (hence, all indoor) and in the summer it’s sweltering hot (also mostly indoor). I’d spent so much time looking at other photographers’ outdoor work that I forgot that I’d be facing much different challenges.
I have a few goals on how to improve:
Any seasoned wedding photographers out there? Any advice? Or any amazing (or horror) stories about your own wedding photographer? I’d love to hear any tips or things you loved!
That’s me. At an event. Drinking champagne and apple cider bourbon at the same time. Wearing heels and rocking a blowout. Also mid-sentence, I’m sure. But let’s be real, pals. It’s really like this:
OH snap! Check out that lady with crazy hair and her messy house. My life has been pretty consistent lately. I wake up, work all day or have meetings all day, work til 4am, yadda yadda, computer, sit, design, blog, meet, yadda yadda. Then I occasionally shower and get dressed and look like I do in the photo above. It’s just a crazy ass month. Fulfilling…but crazy.
ALSO I’m finally feeling better (no more green snot). Based on some future creative/work plans, I don’t really want to shop anymore (save, save, save!). I am so smitten by all the colors in the trees and on the ground. And I truly love what I do. Hopefully all these crazy weeks will yield relaxing weekends. I can’t believe it’s Friday. More like TGIF.
Here is a bit of recent work/collaborations:
Hither and Thither‘s re-design, a photoshoot for Grandiflora (it launches Monday), Thread‘s holiday lookbook, our great friends’ anniversary shoot.
More to share next month!
On Thursday, I posted this on Instagram sharing how I was feeling irritable, insecure and a bit deflated. Not only was I encouraged – I also realized that I’m not alone.
Lucky for me, we had a roadtrip planned and it was good for the soul. We drive back to Adam’s hometown and spent a day with his family. I sometimes forget how beautiful the open sky can be. How clean the air (except for when you drive by a field that smells like crap). And how good family is. Always.
We celebrated his sister’s upcoming marriage, watched his brother run cross country, snuggled the best dogs and went to WalMart (I never go to WalMart so it kind of blew my mind).
I gotta slow down, people. It’s too important to skip over.
I recently had a photo session with Jessica on the first day of fall. The shoot, for me, was very different than those I’ve shot in the past. I actually spent time thinking about it beforehand. Just like designing – I’m always pushing myself to sketch things out first. To think about it for a few days. To let it simmer.
I did exactly that with this photoshoot. I created a moodboard (below). I sketched out the shots that I wanted. I spent time after another shoot scouting locations. The board below had one purpose – to set the mood. I wanted bright lipstick. An emphasis on her hair. A playful, yet fashionable vibe. I didn’t want to copy the shots but it did inspire the ones that I took.
I like being intentional in all my work. It brings about a better process. And a better result.
See more photos here.
I’ve been pretty busy lately. Mostly juggling the business side of things with creative work. I’ve had a lot of photoshoots and have been learning a lot. I decided to host a pop-up shoot at a local park and charged $30 for a 15 minute shoot with people and their dogs! I used all of the money to buy Adam’s Macbook Air for his birthday. Here’s a collage of shots:
I also shot products for a local Etsy shop Ben & Co (who has the most amazing scrubs). I designed her logo/labels awhile ago and so it was so neat to photograph it all! It was the first time I really shot a line of product and I really enjoyed it. It’s one thing to shoot product on a stark background but it’s another to create warmth and softness surrounding a single item. I was really happy with how they turned out. Here’s a teaser:
Last Sunday, I also had a family session! Photographing kids is always a hilarious adventure. How sweet are they?
I’ve also been shooting for Death to the Stock Photo. Our next pack goes out next week so be sure to sign up! Between all the photoshoots and editing – I have been designing too! We launched two client blogs this week so be sure to check them out! Esther approached me a few months ago about wanting to develop a blog, called The Gluten Conundrum, where she can share all about her gluten-free life. And we’re not talking just diet here. She recommends allergy-friendly hotels, talks about Celiac Disease and all her favorite essentials! I can’t wait to see her content pile up!
We also launched Kincaid Parade! Rachael was on Blogger before we re-designed and migrated her space over to WordPress! She is one of my favorite bloggers. Being able to follow along with her lovely family has been such a blessing! Excited to see her space grow even more!
I’m off to Chicago for the weekend so I’ll chat with you all on Monday!
I’ve been experimenting and playing around with some new concepts while shooting photography lately. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be hosting a “pop-up shop” at a local space where I’ll be photographing kids, families or anyone who wants a unique portrait! I’m pretty excited and trying to figure out the details now before the holidays. If you’re local – let me know if you’d be interested!
*Photography by Allie Lehman
Some snapshots from our weekend at Weapons of Mass Creation Fest. It was awesome. Read what we learned here.
Oh and our friend Brandon KILLED it as a speaker. Seriously proud.
Happy Friday, all. And remember: Be Obscure Clearly.
*Another teaser from my photoshoot for The Blowout Bar
Recently photography has been taking up more of my day than design. I thought I’d share a few teasers from some of my shoots. Can’t wait to share full shots soon!
