I Heart Faces

I don't know when I first fell in love with weddings. I'm not sure if it was when each of my Barbies married Ken (not that I'm into polygamy, and Ken wasn't really the best choice, anyway, but there weren't many fish in the Mattel sea), or if it was when my friends started getting married (first one was at the ripe old age of 19), or if it was when Martha Stewart launched her delicious Weddings magazine, which I started subscribing to before I even had a serious boyfriend. (What is a blog post if it is not to divulge some self-deprecating honesty?) I first experienced the rush of photographing weddings when I was an assistant to one of the finest film photographers I've ever known, Gary Oftedahl, in Rogers, Arkansas, the Norman Rockwell townlet in which I spent my most formative years. Indulge me, patient readers, as I share my photographic roots. When my family moved to Rogers, it boasted a population of 18,000 people and was most known for hosting the first Wal-Mart store and the headquarters of Daisy Rifles. The two seem to go together, don't you think? The town celebrated its heritage with bed races through the historic downtown bricked streets, ice cream socials, catfish frys and jalapeno eating contests. And the weddings - the charming weddings. I assisted Gary with only a few: always at the local Baptist church, at 2 pm sharp, with a minimum of 5 bridesmaids, a reading from 1st Corinthians, and a cake and punch reception to follow in the fellowship hall. Back then, wedding photography was just as formulaic as the wedding: mom adjusting the veil, bride with her bridesmaids, tallest in back!, groom with his groomsmen, everyone point at his watch - it will be funny!, bride with the groomsmen, cheee .. hold it .. flowers a little lower, hon .. cheeeese!, groom with the bridesmaids, check, check, check. All I really remember doing as an assistant was adjusting the bride's train for the formals. That, my friends, was a Very Important Full Time Wedding Job. The bride always changed into a going-away outfit (white, of course), and they were off, under a shower of rice, by 5 pm. These weddings were predictable, but they were absolutely as charming and innocent as this southern town. It was while I was working for Gary that I realized the most special yet simple truth about weddings: Every Bride is Beautiful.

Since then, my love for weddings has only grown. I've been lucky - no, absolutely privileged - to have worked with another of the finest photojournalistic wedding photographers. Under his watch, I've photographed professionally-produced weddings, choreographed to the finest detail. I've photographed intimate vows, emotional grooms, anxious brides, and thousands of orchids under one tented roof. Since my assistant days in Rogers, weddings have certainly evolved (thank you kindly, Miss Martha) but the most amazing part about the modern wedding, I believe, is that couples can finally wear their hearts on their proverbial, lacy sleeves, instead of worrying about posing for the camera. The heavy, medium-format film-munching camera. Today, weddings are deeply personal. And filled with emotion. And why wouldn't they be?

I'm submitting the image above for this week's photo contest at I Heart Faces. Be sure to stop by to check out the fun entries, and send your good wishes to someone in my daily blog list, guest judge Jasmine Star, as she tasks herself with selecting her favorites. (Wait - Jasmine Star - the Jasmine Star - is going to be visiting my blog? I haven't even had time to tidy up!) This photograph, above, was the first one I thought of when I decided to submit. I have seven bridesmaid dresses in my closet, and from that experience, I can hand you a taffeta-wrapped guarantee that this beauty I photographed is positively wearing her heart on her sleeve, too. Doesn't she have a beautiful face? Just perfect for this contest. What a gift photography can be. It is, I believe, the best job on the planet. Cheers to that.

More Perfect

As I sit here editing my last photo session from Oklahoma, it is with more than a little nostalgia. Of course, days before we moved (we moved, you say?? yes - that's what my absentee slip says, actually - but it's a story for another day), I found the perfect location for sessions. It is a 360 degree view of gorgeous Oklahoma meadow: fluffy, organic, gentle grasses, rhythmically rolling in a spring breeze. It seemed as if you could throw a stone and change the ripples. There was a bendy gravel drive, crunchy like granola, leading to a country gate. Then there were perfect purple flowers, and the warm morning sun, and the river, lazy in the distance. And, in the center of it all, there was this girl. Who, despite the sun and the warmth and the glory of a new morning, completely lit up the day. She captivated all of us - her little cheeks squishing up in happy laughter to The Wheels On The Bus Go 'Round and 'Round, to Mom and Dad performing like only parents can, and especially to a certain doll being wildly castigated from the group, because this girl doesn't understand why "certain doll" is blonde instead of brunette.

Elizabeth, she's more perfect than any purple flower. Thank you for inviting me to know her.

Rejoice

If the sight of blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.
Eleanora Duse

Beginnings

Every child begins the world again.
Henry David Thoreau

Beautiful baby Cate. She looks so elegant in black and white, doesn't she? Yes, I've been in a monochromatic mood lately, but spring is here, and it's time to throw open the windows and breathe in some color! But, for now, I'm reserving the photos of Cate's pretty pink cheeks for her baby announcements. But those perfect plump lips? I couldn't resist - just had to show you!

The Picture of Bliss

Baby Cate is here! Oh, happy day!


More to come.

And Baby Makes Four

I love, love, love photographing Anticipation sessions. It's no secret I'm the poster child for sentimentality: I cry at strangers' weddings, when receiving good news, and at the end of every episode of Extreme Home Makeover. So, it likely goes without saying that when I'm photographing someone near and dear to my heart I get all mushy-hearted and usually end up in a big, gooey mess. This time, I was (predictably) pretty soggy halfway through my editing. This Anticipation session had a little twist- instead of focusing solely on Julie's gorgeous curves, we decided to tell the story of the love that shines between mom and daughter, and between the whole family, before baby sister steals the spotlight. But they're ready. Can't you tell? Their love spills all around, just like the light. Baby sister is so lucky.

I cherish photographing these sessions in my clients' homes. Home is where you live your days, where your relationships grow, where your memories shine. Home - as they say - is where your story begins. And what a beautiful story to tell.

Happy Valentine's Day!