I believe there are certain moments in your life when you make decisions that will greatly influence your future. There are the “big” moments, like, deciding to follow Jesus or deciding who to marry or deciding to have kids. Yeah, those are some big ones. Then there are the moments that seem insignificant at the time, but really are much bigger when you reflect on them. These are the moments like: The moment in jr. high when you decided which group of friends you woud hang out with; The moment in high school when you decided whether or not to date “that” guy; The moment in college when you decided if you would party or a study. These moments don’t seem life altering at the moment, but in actuality, they are the ones that make all the difference.

I haven’t always made all the right decsions. In all honesty, I’ve made some pretty dumb ones. BUT, today I want to celebrate a milestone of one of the (ahem) *better* decisions I’ve made in my life. A life altering decision.

One year ago today, I sat in our little apartment anxiously awaiting the UPS man. I still remember checking the order status online. “It says it’s HERE, ERIC!!!” I yelled. Eric went to the apartment office to retrieve my package. He walked in the door with the most glorious brown box I’ve ever seen. Beautiful. I quickly opened my brand new Canon 40D. It was my first DSLR camera. I knew nothing about it. Actually, I knew nothing about photography in general. So, I plugged in my battery to charge, layed on the floor, and read the entire user manual in 2 hours.

That was just the beginning.

Months before that day, I had been praying about where my life would go after college. Praying HARD. I mean, I had 2 semesters left, yet I had no passion, no drive, no desire to puruse any jobs. I mean, Eric had TWO jobs that he liked (Worship Leading and Personal Training) and I didn’t like ANYTHING. There was nothing that I wanted to do for a job. I was envious of Eric and his fun jobs. I just knew I was going to get stuck in some corporate office doing paperwork for 8 hours a day and hating life. That’s totally not my personality, but I was just sure it was going to happen to me.

So I prayed harder. Then I *decided* to buy a camera. Little did I know, it was not me deciding.. All of the sudden I was excited about digital photography. Literally, I knew NOTHING about photography. It seriously blows my mind to even think that I bought a camera. We were poor, newlywed college kids, so buying an expensive camera was a huge thing. When it finally arrived, it was like Christmas in July.

Little did I know, my passion for photography and becoming a “professional” photographer became an intense burning desire in my heart. I took my camera everywhere. Seriously, I think people started to roll their eyes when they saw me and my huge camera walk in the door. I even asked my friends if I could take their picture before we went to go out to eat or to the movies. It was an obsession. I got my first paid gig in September. I remember I was so nervous and fumbled so much behind the camera. From then on, my “business” grew from word of mouth. I don’t know how, but people started calling me and asking me to take pictures for them. I am TRULY AMAZED, HUMBLED, and so so INCREDIBLY THANKFUL to the Lord for directing my steps, answering my prayers, and guiding me in one of the most pivotal points in my life.

So, I’ve come a long way in a year. My pictures are a lot better, I feel more comfortable behind the camera, and I’m finding my niche in the photography world. I start to feel all good about myself…. and then I look at where I want to be. I see so many amazing photographers and their work that makes me drool. I know where I want to be, and I’m SOO not there. I’m a step closer than before, but SOO not there. So, please, continue with me on this amazing journey. Read my blogs. Leave comments. Hire me!

I would also like to say thank you to my amazing husband who has had enough faith in me to never say “no.” He has 100% supported me with every step, crazy idea, and “I don’t know where the money will come from” investment. There is always something else that I’m needing to buy, another place I want to check out for a shoot, and more projects that I (which always includes we) take on. He’s so supportive, encouraging, and imaginative while keeping me grounded, realistic, and determined. Love ya, Cooks.

Here is a post from my first day with my new camera. Here is a post from my first paid gig. Here is a post from my first engagement session. Just thought it would be fun to share.

Michelle is a mommy-to-be that I got to photograph about a month ago. She and her husband, who is also in the ministry, came to Granbury and I got to snap a few shots of the beauty and her pretty belly. Michelle is soft-spoken and has such a sweet spirit and it was such a joy to be around! So here is Michelle, Victor, and Ava.

When Eric took a trip to South Carolina a couple weeks ago, I took advantage of an opportunity for a weekend with my girlfriend Micah. We have a LOT in common and she’s a photographer too, so we always have TONS to talk about. So, we headed on a road trip to San Antonio where we shot an outdoor wedding at a beautiful ranch. We had a slight cold front come in (I think it was actually below 100 degrees…. ha!) so we didn’t suffer too much. Actually, it wasn’t bad at all! Enjoyable, really.

Cody and Kim were such troopers throughout the day. Even though they got quite warm, they were so sweet and kind to allow us plenty of time to shoot their after-wedding shots and stretch our creative eyes. The whole wedding was a big party and so fun. Micah and I had a great weekend (even if we did take about an hour “detour” on the way up there… and had to leave super early the morning after the wedding because her car was acting funny…. haha). Good times with a great friend doing one of my favorite things in the world. Love it. Here is Cody and Kim’s Wedding!

Isn’t her dress gorgeous?

The handsome groom.

I love how she’s looking at Cody. So sweet.

I think they are equally in love. Aaaahhhhh…..

The flower girl had better things to be doing. Naturally.

And of course, shout out to Micah!

Mikka told BJ about her dream to one day build a house on a beautiful hill in the country where she grew up. Not that she was hinting at anything, since they started dating in high school. Several years later, before Mikka headed out for night with the girls, BJ asked her to show him the exact spot she wanted to build the house of her dreams. In her high heels and dressy clothes, they treaded through the high grass to get to her dream spot. “Okay, here it is. Can we go now???” She asked him in a hurry.  BJ got on one knee and asked for permission to spend the rest of his life with her, hopefully one day in a house on that very hill. I think the evening with the girls was probably cancelled.

BJ and Mikka, it was so good to see you both again. I can’t wait to spend the day with you in October as you exchange your vows! Thank you for trusting me to capture this time in your lives! Enjoy your sneak peek!

I just love the way he’s looking at her in this one.

They showed off some of their dancing skills for me!

I think it’s so sweet how he can make her giggle and laugh.

Don’t you love BJ’s look? It’s like he’s saying “I am SO lucky.” And you can tell, she’s totally into him. Love it.

Special thanks to The Inn on Lake Granbury for allowing us to shoot on their property. I would HIGHLY reccommend this bed and breakfast to anyone looking for somewhere to stay while visiting Granbury or if your looking for a romantic getaway. In fact, this is where Eric proposed to me a couple years ago! Maybe I’ll share our story on our anniversary! So, check them out!

Today I’m devoting a special blog for clients. I think one of the neatest parts about photography is that there are so many aspects to it. Lighting, exposure, composition, relating with your clients, post-processing, handling the “business” side, etc. It really keeps the job passion interesting. I seriously LOVE what I do. All of it. Some more than others, but you get the point.

What many people don’t know about photography is that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes after we do a session together. Let me explain my post-processing work flow.

1.) Upload the pictures to my computer (30 min - 1 hour)

2.) Back up the pictures (15-30 minutes)

3.) Rate the pictures (1 is trash, 2 is a keeper, 3 is a major keeper, which I’ll probably blog) (30 min - 1 hour)

4.) Open all the keepers in Camera Raw and fix the exposure, temperature, etc. (1 hour)

5.) Edit the major keepers and blog a sneak peek (1 - 2 hours)

6.) Upload the proofs onto my online photo gallery (30 minutes - 1 hour)

7.) Edit the images my clients choose (varies depending on how many images are ordered (usually between 2 - 5 hours)

8.) Burn disc of digital negatives for client (30 minutes)

So that’s typical for EVERY client’s session. The time varies, but I spend usually between 7 and 12 hours just post processing one session per client. (That’s a 1 hour session, not a wedding…. I chain myself to the desk for hours on end to process a wedding… haha!).

The reason I’m blogging this is because I want every client to understand the difference between an edited photo and a digital negative. The reason I do not edit every photo I take is because it would take FOR-E-VER and I want to keep my prices reasonable. I do include digital negatives with every session. Why, you ask? Because I’m just that nice.

So what is the difference between a digital negative and an edited photo? Well, I’m glad you asked.

(SOOC - means Straight Out Of Camera)

And for funzies, a before and after pic of my niece in a pink dress that my sister and I both had our portraits made in when we were 3 years old. Now it’s my sister’s daughter’s turn! Isn’t she sweet? I hope I have a little girl one day that can carry on the tradition!!

So as you can see, there is a big difference between SOOC, the digital negative, and an edited photo. SOOC - no corrections. Digital Negative - Improved exposure and temperature. Edited - Makes you look like a rockstar (well, more so than you already are).

I hope this little Insider was helpful!!!