Jessica Swatts Photography

Contest Winners-The K Family | portrait photography

2011-06-23T07:28:00.000-04:00

I bet you all already forgot about the contest I held back in December, didn't you? Well, I can't blame you. It's only been six months or so since I announced the winner. Things slowed down for me, and for them and we were finally able to get together and create some really great family photos for them last month.

If you remember back in December, this family was on the brink of losing a dear loved one to cancer. By the time January rolled around, he was gone. Kena and Kody's grandfather, Kim's father, Ken's father-in-law. It's never an easy thing to lose someone to cancer. I have witnessed with my own eyes how much pain and suffering they go through. I know how it feels to watch them wither away, hurting, just wanting peace.

And that is why I chose this family as the winner for my contest. The letter that Kena wrote, nominating her mother, Kim, really touched me on a personal level. I am honored to have had the opportunity to capture a bit of sunshine and smiles for this family who has just gone through so much. From what Kena has said, this is something that her mother has wanted for a very long time. I'm so glad that I could help make this happen for her. After all that Kim has been through this last year, she deserves something extra special and nice that will last forever.

I just love these two of Kim and Ken. They were such willing participants when I asked them to take a couple by themselves. I'm so glad they did because they turned out so great!

Kody.

Kena.

Kena just graduated from UCF so she brought along her cap and gown and we took a few to celebrate the glorious occasion!

Kena, congratulations on your graduation! It is quite an achievement!

Thank you, Ken and Kody for being such great guys! I know you made wife/mom happy!

Kim, thank you so very much for letting me into your lives for a brief moment and allowing me to capture all your smiles that, I know, are sometimes hard for you to make these days. Thank you for raising such a giving daughter who wrote such a nice letter to me on behalf of you. And, thank you for the time we spent getting to know each other a little better. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call me!

Love,

Jess

Andrea & Brandon - Engaged! | portrait photography

2011-06-16T11:44:00.001-04:00

My dear friend, Andrea, called me up last year to tell me that her boyfriend, Brandon, asked her to marry him! To say I was excited for her would be an understatement. I was jumping-for-joy-super-duper-thrilled for the two of them! You see, Andrea, and I have been friends since we were twelve. When we moved to Orlando, we moved in right across the street from her and the two of us, despite our completely different families and styles, instantly became friends.

Andrea has always been more of a rock-and-roll girl while I have always been more of a country girl. But we remain great friends to this day. In fact, we call each other sisters just because we have always been that close, for that many years.

It makes me so happy for Andrea to know where she has come from to where she is today. You see, she never really knew her dad because he passed when she was just a baby - the baby sister of four much older than her siblings - and she was raised by just her mom, a woman who was the hardest working and loving mother I have ever met. And her mom, we lost her a few years back too. But, just like her mom, Andrea is a strong and loving woman, and she is now on her way to making her own family, with Brandon.

Yes, I am so very happy for her. For them.

And even happier that she asked me to, not only be in her wedding, but also to take their engagement session photos! We had such a fun day at a secret location of their choice. - It's a secret because the management didn't want any free advertising whatsoever. Oh well, their loss. -

Andrea, you are gorgeous, on the inside and out!

Brandon is such the perfect guy for my dear friend. He is the perfect mix of responsibility and silly fun. Plus he loves all the same music and sports as Andrea, and trust me, that is a very important thing if you are going to be married to my third sis!

And it doesn't hurt that he's a handsome guy, don't you think?

I love the serious photos of Andrea and Brandon, but these ones where they are just being goofy with each other are a much better reflection of the two of them.

Andrea, thank you so much for asking me to be a part of your wedding. Thank you for asking me to take your engagement photos. Thank you for being such a wonderful person, friend and sister.

Brandon, thank you for loving my Andrea so completely. Welcome to the family!

I can't wait until October, you two!!!

Love,
Jess

P.S. Happy, happy birthday dear sis!!!!!

TWINS! | personal

2011-05-17T14:31:00.000-04:00

This is just a short photo recap of the baby shower thrown for my older sis (Brian's sister) and her husband.

Our family is so very blessed this year. We'll be adding not only our little girl to the family at the end of August, but TWIN BOYS sometime in July as well!

It's funny how life works out sometimes. Kim and I didn't necessarily plan on being pregnant at the same time. When I was pregnant with Gracey, me and Brian's other sister, Amy, didn't plan on being pregnant the same time either, yet the girls were born only three days apart! Having come from a family where our cousins are spread all over the country, I can see how really great it is for our kids to be so close to each other. And I know thats only possible because we are all so close.

So many wonderful and crafty gifts!!!

I just love this photo of Kim's belly as she stands with her girlfriends chatting. So cute!

The food was delicious!

Me and Kimmie. =) *Please excuse the fact that the whole point of the photo was to have our bellies in it, and my poor husband who just had teeth removed the day before took it. (Think he might have still been on his medicine) =)

Mommy and Daddy of twin boys! Colton and Reagan, you have two AWESOME parents!

Love you guys!

Love,

Jess

8 Years | personal

2011-05-16T13:16:00.000-04:00

This year marked 8 years that we have been married. In some ways, it's been a loooong 8 years. But most ways, it's gone by way too fast. There have been quite a few speed bumps we've had to travel over, but we've managed to do it together. And, last year we got to celebrate our victory over those bumps (completely unplanned, and a surprise to us both, I must say) by renewing our wedding vows at church the night of our 7th anniversary. It was so powerful for the two of us, and so appropriate.

I can truly say that we are better than we ever were before. After 8 married years, we've still got the goosebumps - holding hands - sitting close - silly giggles and laughter that new couples have, but we've also got the best friends - stand by each other no matter what - respect - and love that only a couple who has been married for so many years can ever have. I feel truly blessed to have found such a relationship.

Truly blessed.

There was so much going on the weekend before and the weekend after our anniversary that we decided to put off our little celebration until the last weekend of April. I'm so glad we did, because it turned out to be a beautiful and perfect weekend out on the water.

Usually, when we go camping, we try to book a camp site ahead of time, or at least know where we are going before we get there. This time, since our little trip was somewhat last minute, we decided to just wing it and find a spot that you are allowed to camp but isn't part of the State campgrounds. We ended up driving about 30 minutes from where we loaded the boat and finding this peak of an island where nobody else was staying. And it was perfect! We had our own little space and the sunset and sunrise in plain view with water surrounding us on three sides. So beautiful!

As we were unloading our stuff from the boat and setting up camp, I was snapping a few pictures of our little island scene. I walked back over to where Brian was unloading the firewood from the boat and snapped a photo of it. When I looked back at my camera screen I laughed so hard! It looks like he was about to get clobbered with his own wood! Who threw that at him??? It wasn't me! I swear!

Isn't it so pretty? The weather was just perfect too. Just enough sun to keep us warm, and just enough breeze to keep the bugs away.

As night was falling, Brian cooked us dinner on his portable grill that Stephanie got him for Christmas. That thing can really cook too!

We decided to go to bed early and wake up around 1am to go shrimping. When the time came, I really did not want to wake back up and get on the boat for another 30 minute ride away from camp, but I'm so glad that I did! I had never been shrimping before and it's quite neat to be out on the water that time of night. Plus, it made Brian so happy that I went without complaining. He just loves doing these kinds of things and it makes him feel good when he gets to share it with me.

When we got back to camp and ready to head back to sleep, we kept hearing this noise and realized the raccoons were getting into our cooler! So, Brian got back up, shoed them away and set his boat battery on top of the cooler so they couldn't get into it. Unfortunately, they had already gotten to our brand new loaf of bread that was meant for our lunches the next day. As he was getting that straightened out, one of those raccoons was rather aggressive and TRIED TO GET IN THE TENT WITH ME! I yelled at him and he ran away, but my goodness, what would I have done if he got in there? Yuck!

After all that excitement, back to bed it was. And man, did we sleep good! It was so nice. Quiet, other than the sounds of the wind blowing the trees and an occasional boat on the water. When we woke up the next morning, it was so beautiful. I actually should have taken video, because my photo of what I saw when I woke up just does not do it justice.

After getting up and dressed into our bathing suits, it was back on the water for some fishing. Brian put a nice Trout in the cooler!

We decided since I wasn't about to eat the rest of the bread that the raccoons left for us that we would drive over to Ponce Inlet and have some lunch at one of the restaurants on the water.

There were dolphin everywhere. Most of the time they were pretty close to our boat and Brian would slow down so I could take a picture, but the little buggers just didn't want a close up.

Brian being silly.

Our only disagreement for the weekend was weather or not we should leave the rest of the bread for the raccoons when we were leaving. My thought was that they didn't deserve it because they didn't ask in the first place, why give in to them? But Brian loves animals much more than I do, I guess. So here's the bread, all spread out for them to eat. I do love him for his kind heart.

Guess I was taking too long getting that photo of the bread. Brian started to leave me! =)

Brian, thank you so much for this little trip. I had such a good time and have missed doing this kind of stuff with you.

Funny, that I was pregnant with Gracey the first time we ever camped together and pregnant again this time when we haven't been camping together in a few years.

Perfect, our little weekend together.

Wonderful, that we are still loving each other like we did in the beginning.

Marvelous, that we are loving each other even better than we did in the beginning.

Thank you for all the little things that you do. Thank you for always holding my hand. Thank you for all the kisses goodbye in the morning, and kisses hello in the afternoon. Thank you for all the support when I start getting crazy pregnancy brain. Thank you for always thinking that I am beautiful.

Thank you for being such a wonderful husband to me.

I love you so very much.

Every.

Single.

Day.

Love,

Jess

Henny's Loves | portrait photography

2011-05-11T12:34:00.000-04:00

You'll remember Jenn and Jayda from this session which was - can you believe it? - two years ago. Jenn, also known as Henny to all her friends, has also been to our boudoir studio a couple times. It was one of her photos that Steph created our logo from. So, ya. Jenn is used to being in front of my camera by now. And I was super excited when she asked me to take family photos for her this year! She has such a great little family and I love them to death!

Not to mention how great looking they are! I am so IN LOVE with the outfits that Jenn chose for their photos! That red just POPS and the contrast with the black is just gorgeous! You all know how much I love color! So fun!

Jenn, I know that you know, but I have to say it ... Jayda is absolutely gorgeous and you and Jeff are gonna be in trouble!

But I can see where she gets her beauty from! Momma, you are stunning!

And handsome dad must be in that little girl too! That eye color is to die for!

I really don't even know how long you two have been together. I think since high school days? I don't know, but I do know it's a long time. That is something to really cherish! Love it!

Silly, Jayda sneaking in a little bit of fun! =)

Gorgeous couple!

Jenn, Jeff and Jayda, thank you so very much for asking me to take your family photos! I really had a great time with the three of you!

Love,
Jess

Andrea & Brandon - Sneak Peek | portrait photography

2011-05-06T16:14:00.000-04:00

Relay For Life 2011 | charity

2011-05-03T15:21:00.000-04:00

I am so proud to say that I was involved with Relay For Life this year thanks to a friend of mine who I have known since high school, Heather Washburn. Heather contacted me last year and asked if I would like to be part of her Relay team. I didn't have a clue what she was asking me to do, but after she explained to me what it was all about, I jumped on board without hesitation. Heather not only had a team to keep up with this year, but she was also a committee member for the Apopka Chapter of Relay For Life. I can't imagine how she managed to handle so much at once!

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society's signature fundraising event. It is very broad in the number of activities that you can do to raise money towards a cure for cancer. Ultimately the goal is for people to join together as teams, in different towns and cities across America, and raise money together in whatever way they see fit for the American Cancer Society. This is a year-long process where each team member sets a goal for himself to raise a certain dollar amount as well as raising money together as a team. Some of the ways that our team raised money this year was through flat donations, car washes, jewelry sales, and pampered chef sales as well as a few others that I can't remember.

You can check out more about what Relay For Life is here: What Is Relay?

The actual Relay event for our town took place on April 16 and 17th. Even after having Heather explain to me what all was involved in the Relay event, I had no idea what to expect. But I was blown away with the whole thing.

The day begins with some announcements, recognitions and speeches by committee members as well as the Mayor of Apopka.

I was so glad that my dad and sister, Crystal, were able to come spend the day with our team.

Here are dad and Brian hanging out, waiting for everything to start.

I think they were also waiting on these guys to get the meat cooked. This is Kevin (left) and Mike (right). Another way to raise money for the Relay is at the event. Each team comes up with something to sell the day of. Our team decided to cook pulled pork and turkey legs. It was a lot of work but turned out to be a great idea! Seems like everybody wanted some of Mike's pork!

The Relay actually starts with the first lap walked by cancer survivors. It is truly amazing to see so many faces, knowing that they are fighting and beating this awful disease.

Dad walked as well when they asked the caregivers to join the cancer survivors who were already making the first lap.

- He was there for you, mom. And I know how much it meant to you because, even though you couldn't talk, you told me several times how wonderful he was. -

Next, the teams make their laps. I made the team banner for Heather in hopes to take a little something off of her plate.

I wasn't able to capture photos all day as I had hoped. Our team needed lots of help at our tent where we were selling lots of sandwiches and sweet tea! Thank you, Crystal and dad, for getting photos of the different things they had going on throughout the day!

These were the guys who participated in Ms. Relay. Basically, they walked laps in women's clothing collecting cash donations people who wanted to contribute.

One of our team members, Debbie, was doing hair-wraps as another way to raise money the day of the event.

We also had a smash car to raise money. There is Brian going to town on it. What a great way to work out some aggression! And, it seems like there were many who needed it because our smash car was a complete success. I wish I could have gotten a photo of it the next day after all the bashing!

Paula also came out to show her support to our team. She has such a great heart!

Gracey in her team shirt.

One of the big items on everyone's to-do list the day of the even was Messages To Heaven. This is where you can write a message to your loved ones in heaven. The message is attached to a helium-filled balloon and all at once everyone releases their balloons into the sky. It was so beautiful, and I saw many tears flowing while this took place, including my own.

Gracey decided to have a go at smashing up the car.

We decorated a few luminary for the Luminary Ceremony which took place later that night.

This first one was ours for mom. The white ribbon is for lung cancer.

On the back I placed lyrics from a Josh Groban song which now means so much to me because Stacy made me a beautiful framed photo of my mom and I with these lyrics. How she knew that mom loved Josh Groban, I will never know.

This is the one we made for both of our grandmothers, Esther Anderson and June Crammer. They too both died of lung cancer.

This one means so much to me because my little girl made it. I wish I could have kept it. She drew a picture of her and my mom holding hands, smiling. It was beautiful!

These next ones I do not know who they belonged to but they were out in front of our tent so I took photos guessing that they belonged to some of our team members.

Crystal and Gracey out in front of our tent.

The three of us girls got matching glitter tattoos. =) Mine actually stayed on for about three days.

After it got dark the luminary ceremony started. These luminary were up in the stands and the first ones lit while a speaker explained each part being lighted as well as what the luminary ceremony was all about.

Then they go around the track and light up all of the luminary. So touching.

Brian and I didn't stay the night but we loaned our tent so that others from our team could. We made it until about 11:30pm or so. Our team was still going strong, selling sandwiches and taking turns walking the track. Gracey ended up staying with Debbie's girls and she said it was so much fun! Apparently there was a pretty obnoxious morning wake up around 6am and something about a pajama lap! Hopefully next year I will be able to participate in that as well.

All-in-all it was a very sucessful event. I was told that the Apopka teams raised over $90,000.00 for The American Cancer Society! That is amazing! And I'm so glad that I could do my part as well as so very thankful to each and every one of you who donated towards my personal goal!

Stephanie Crammer
Crystal Crammer
Beth and Mike Washburn
Cindy Spaid
Tyler Spaid
Krista Sivick
Jeannie Johnson
Heather Griffon
Andrea Horahan
Sharon Lobus
Paula Santullo
John Cash
Marc Gross
Jessica Cooley
Kaye Swatts

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It means so much to me that you all care so much and helped me by making donations on my behalf!

Love,
Jess

2011-04-29T14:06:00.000-04:00

I have tons of things that I need to blog about. My blogging to-do list is getting to be miles long. Really. I hate that I have let it get this way. My poor blog being neglected ... yet again. To be quite honest, I have been swamped with a million other things to do than sit down and write these posts. They do take me a while... And, to be even more honest, I hate sitting at the computer these days. It's just really not comfortable. This chair that I have is not the best to sit in while I am carrying all this extra weight, and after a half hour I can feel my legs start to swell. I can't stand that feeling.

So, I decided that even though this is further down my list of blog to-dos, I am going to blog about it now, because it's an easy one. Short and sweet.

I took Gracey to get her first real hair cut on Wednesday. Here she is before the cut. She looks thrilled right? :

In her whole eight years of existence I have been the only one to ever cut her hair. Her first haircut wasn't until she was almost two, and only because she ended up growing this awful looking mullet that finally had to go. She has always been known as the little girl with the long brown hair. And I've liked it that way. It's been easy to manage in terms of upkeep, trims and such, but lately Gracey has been trying to take care of it by herself. For her, trying to brush all that long hair was hard. She couldn't reach the bottom and just ended up with more tangles.

Another change for us, Gracey with not-so-long hair anymore. We have been through so many changes this last year or so. Even when change is for the better, too much of it can be scary. And this was scary...for me. But I do have to say that it looks good, and I am sooo happy that Gracey is so happy with it.

See how happy it made her? I could tell that she felt like a million bucks! And, I know from experience how great a new hair-do can feel. :

Maybe my biggest fear here is how much she is growing and changing. She is no longer my little plump-cheeked, baby-face little girl. She is my softball playing, helps-me-around-the-house, does-her homework-on-the-bus, brushes-her-own-hair, gonna-be-a-big-sister-soon, little girl.

Makes me tear up just thinking about it all.

Love,
Jess

IT'S A ...... | personal

2011-04-11T13:47:00.000-04:00

It is truly amazing how much can change in just the blink of an eye. To think, just a year ago, how different my life was. I had just lost my full-time job and at the same time we were finding out that mom had lung cancer. Now, mom is gone and we have a baby on the way.

Difficult.

Strange.

Weird.

Sad.

And yet ... Amazing!

... Joyful!

... Exciting!

We let Gracey go to school late this morning so that she could be there for the sonogram. My memories of how things were when I was pregnant with Gracey snuck in to this moment; the smile on mom's face as she watched the monitor, seeing her little grandbaby for the first time; The joy that her, Brian and I all felt as we were told that it was to be a little girl; The excitement mom had when she showed me her purchase of baby girl clothes for our little angel face. All the times that I could ask mom for help through any of it and she was always there. Never having anything else to do than care for her daughter and her grandbaby, because she loved us THAT much.

Happy memories.

Bittersweet memories.

But I can't be thankful enough that she was there through all of that with me. I am so very grateful that I had my mom - my best friend - holding my hand and guiding me through that whole experience.

And I look to those memories now to help me through this next one.

And I watch the excitement in Gracey's face as she finds out that the baby is going to be a little ...

GIRL!!!!!!

Yep, we are having another girl!

Another little angel face. And I look at Gracey now, how big she has gotten, how much she has grown up, and I'm glad to be going through this again. I'm glad that I get to have another little girl. - Glad that I don't have to worry about being peed on when I'm changing diapers! -

More than anything, I'm so happy that she is healthy. All the measurements are right on track and she was kicking up a storm while we were watching her on the screen! So much fun!

And so amazing.

Now, to figure out a name ...

Love,
Jess

The Happy Thomas Family | portrait photography

2011-04-07T10:09:00.002-04:00

Stacy. Oh, how I love this girl. She is my cousin by marriage (Brian's first cousin), but she is mine. All mine. (OK, maybe I do have to share her with a few others). And I can't say enough about how wonderful this girl is.

Because she lives in Alabama, most of our friendship has come about through emails and facebook messages. Over the last few years we have discovered that we are sooo very alike in sooo many ways. She is the one who has helped me learn to write better, and I help her with photography questions ... But, mostly, we just lean on each other for that sincere understanding that only two shy/nice/artistic people could possibly have with one another.

I could just go on and on about this girl. Really, I could. There is so much going on behind those quiet, soft blue eyes. She is a mom, a wife, a crafter, a designer, a photographer, and a caring and thoughtful family member and friend. And, she's a blogger too. You must go read what she writes sometime. She is truly amazing at all that she does.

The Happy Thomas Family

So, was I flattered that she would ask me to take their family photos? To trust me to capture who they are? To allow me to be the one behind the lens while she relaxed and enjoyed a family photo session from the other end?

Oh, yes, I was!

..............

The weather can be like a roller coaster here in Florida sometimes. I've witnessed with my own eyes rain in the back yard while the sun shines in the front. But, that's one of the best things about Florida weather too, because in December, just days before Christmas, you can have a gorgeous morning, perfect for a photo shoot.

And the Portofino proved to be a perfect location for capturing this family that I love so much!

With mom being a photographer and all, Ammon isn't really into having his photos taken too much. So we'd stick him in for a minute and then let him play while I captured Stacy and her husband, Brian (yes, our husbands even have the same name).

I just love how Stacy posed herself on Brian in this one.

Ammon definitely was enjoying testing my capabilities to capture him. These two happened by shear luck that he decided to run towards his grandma right behind me ... and I was prepared for his trickery.

Don't you just love how Stacy and Brian look at each other? I do!

So gorgeous! And handsome too!

Ha! Caught ya again, Ammon! You can't hide from me for too long!

And this face, this look, I just LOVE! In this moment he knew that I was watching him, and he was so good at containing his smiles so that I couldn't capture too many ... but, here, you can see that he was starting to slip ...

Mom with her boy. There's nothing else in the world like this kind of relationship.

Look at those gorgeous lashes!!!

And a little more Brian/Stacy love ...

I've been known to photograph a stuffed animal or two. I mean, they do deserve some spotlight don't they? After all, they spend so much time with the family.

Stacy, you are just super gorgeous! I love you so!!!

Aren't you a lucky girl to have such a handsome guy like Brian?

A little bit of family love ...

And there you have it! I win, Ammon! Caught ya smiling! Caught ya enjoying yourself!

Stacy, thank you so very much for asking me to take your photos! I truly had an amazing morning, and Christmas, with you guys!

Thank you, Brian, for being such a willing participant!

Thank you, Ammon, for letting me at least capture a couple smiles for your mom!

And the best part of the day? When we were back at the house, and Ammon walked by me and smacked me right on my butt hard as he could! Then I knew ... we had bonded!

Love,
Jess

P.S. Here's what Stacy had to say about our time together: Family Photo Shoot

Some Northern Visitors | portrait photography

2011-03-03T17:12:00.000-05:00

We had a nice visit from a photographer friend from Minnesota, Aleah Clements of Created By Me Photography, the first weekend of January this year. We met early last year when she contacted me because her and her family were coming down for a Disney vacation and she wanted to have some nice photos done while they were here. I, of course, was completely flattered that she would ask me to do take their photos and so we met up the weekend they got here at a place out by Disney and had a great time getting to know each other's families a little bit and taking photos.

Here are a few that I took of them:

Aleah's daughter, Cassidy, is just so quiet and sweet and her son, Kane, is the complete opposite and he definitely stole the show.

I set them up for this photo,

And then Kane mashed his mom's foot! Every time I see the looks on Aleah and her husband, Pat's, faces it makes me cringe and laugh at the same time.

Yep, Kane is definitely a character!!!

But it was all fun, and I managed to get a couple of Aleah doing her thing.

And a couple of just her and Pat.

Aleah decided last year that she wanted to come back down without the kids for the weekend so that I could teach her a little bit about natural light ... Again ... I'm totally flattered. So, they made plans to visit us the first weekend of January. I hired my beautiful sister, Crystal, to help us out and be a model for the day ... OK, so I didn't actually pay her, but free photos is great, right?

My turn first.

Then Aleah gets her shot.

I just love her smile! It's infectious!

SUPER gorgeous!!!

After our morning shoot with Crystal, we took Aleah and Pat out to Daytona so they could check it out then we had dinner at one of our family's favorite restaurants, Down The Hatch. -- My grandmother worked there for many years and was working there still while we lived with her in Daytona back in 1989-1990.

Of course we used Gracey as our model this time. =)

Aleah and Pat enjoying the sunset behind the hotels and boardwalk.

And then just a nice shot of Aleah working her camera completes it!

Pat had to get in on the action. Actually, I think he may have taken more photos than Aleah!!!

Aleah and Patrick, thank you soooo very much for coming down to visit us! We really had a great time with you both! I don't know if we'll make it up to MN any time soon (mostly because I am sick and tired of cold weather!) but when we do, it will be you guys that we visit!!!

Love,

Jess

Starting All Over Again | personal

2011-03-01T11:21:00.000-05:00

Why is it that I do so good with my blog posts for a while and then all of a sudden I don't? I know you have been finding me boring these days because I find myself boring. Blah, nothing to talk about. Well, actually, I do have plenty of stuff to talk about but the problem is that I'm no good at talking about things when there is only one thing that sits at the front of my mind each day. And I wasn't ready to talk about it yet. But, I have decided that now it's time, because really, it's something great!

So, the real reason I have been missing so much from my blog and facebook is because I've kind of been in hibernation for the last couple months. And, hibernation is my nice way of saying that I've been feeling like pure crap, tired and sick most days.

I'm happy about it though!

That's kind of strange, right? Well, no. Not this time it's not ...

Here's why:

Yep, that's my little baby you see there!!! I'm pregnant!

We are going to have another little one in the house and the whole family is pretty excited about it, including Gracey.

The back story:
The week before Christmas I started getting suspicious that I might have a little baby in there. We had a LOT going on that week so I pushed off getting a test until the day of Christmas Eve when I knew I would have the house to myself for a little while. It was so close to Christmas that I didn't want to take it sooner and then not be able to keep the secret from everyone until Christmas Day, because really, wouldn't that have been the best Christmas gift EVER??? !!!

And it was. When Brian returned home from bringing Brandon and Sarah back to their mother I told him. He was just as happy and excited as I was and he agreed that we should wait until Christmas morning to tell everyone.

So that's what we did. It just so happened that Gracey asked Santa Clause for a new Christmas bell (you know, one of those bells that you wear as a necklace around Christmas time to show your spirit) and Santa decided that would be the perfect gift to include a nice letter to her telling her about the baby. (We could hear it ring when the box was moved so we knew that one had to be opened last).

The letter read:
Dear Gracey,
I know that you asked for a kitten this year, and you are a very good girl and deserve to have everything that you ever wish for, but your mommy and daddy have a bigger surprise for you than a kitten and they asked me to tell you.

Your mommy is going to have a baby and you will have a new brother or sister!

Because there will be a new baby in the house, there will not be enough room for a kitten too, so don't think that I forgot about your wish. I'm holding on to it for another year, just like the real live horse.

With love,
Santa

When Gracey opened this gift that morning she only read the first couple lines out loud and then wouldn't read the rest to us because she knew it was big ... and all eyes were on her. It just so happened that Stephanie was standing close to her and offered to read it aloud to everyone. While Steph was reading it, she burst into tears and had to read it again to make sure she got it right. At that point, the whole family started crying and every one of us were so happy.

I know I told you before that we had a good Christmas, but now you know why it turned out so wonderful, given that it was our first one without mom.

But, she was there. I could feel it.

The baby is due August 31st so, this is going to be a long and hot summer for me, and Gracey is eight now so it's going to be like starting all over again, but I'm going to enjoy every moment of it. This is truly a blessing that we all needed.

Now that I've got that off my chest, look forward to more frequent blog posts from me. I will be working on resuming the Rising Stars interviews as well!

Love,
Jess

Adelina, Chuck and Maddox | portrait photography

2011-02-10T13:22:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful December afternoon when I met up with Adelina and Chuck at their lovely home to capture moments between the two of them, and the belly bump where their baby boy, Maddox, resided. They both love each other very much and the love they showed for this unborn baby in my presence made me almost well up with happy tears.

And, Adelina did try to make me cry. She said her favorite book for baby Maddox is "Love You Forever", that its a real tear jerker, and she was going to make me read it before I left that day. Lucky for my already near-tear eyes, I got out of there without. But I will read it someday soon, Lina! I promise!

So much love. Such a gorgeous couple!

I'm so happy to say that Maddox was born on Tuesday! He missed my birthday by just one day! I'm so very excited for this lovely family and I know that Chuck and Lina are going to really enjoy this next step in the journey of parenthood.

I can't wait to meet you, Maddox! I've already seen some photos and you are one handsome little guy!
Adelina and Chuck, congratulations to you! I am so happy for both of you! Thank you so much for the opportunity to photograph these special family moments!

Love,
Jess

San-2-Lo | portrait photography

2011-01-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

The first week of December, I had the pleasure of finally getting a chance to photograph their entire family and it was so much fun! (Last year I took photos of just Paula and the kids as a surprise for Wade). I can't tell you enough how much I love this little family! We met when they moved in across the street from us about five years ago and we have been great friends ever since. (Even though they have since moved to another neighborhood - Boo!!!)

Wade is a northerner, and embodies all things that go along with that. He does have a little bit of Florida guy in him too though. Paula always jokes that he thinks he is Mafia. Really, he is no where near being like that, he just likes to think he is! Truly, he is one of the sweetest guys I know and he loves Paula, Asia and Niko so much! Oh, and don't let me forget Casper (I think Casper is secretly his favorite of them all).

Paula is one of my best friends. Somehow between listening to her broken english (she is from Brazil) and eating her delicious Brazilian foods as we talked about life, family, friends, our husbands, and step-kids, we became very close. And I wouldn't trade her for anything! She has such a big heart and loves anyone who comes into her life so much, including me! And I think that is awesome!

It was a gorgeous afternoon at the San-2-Lo residence! A perfect day for photos!

Paula and Wade, thank you so much for the opportunity to take photos of your fun family! You guys always make me laugh with your silly jokes! I love you so much, and I'm so glad that you got to spend the whole month of December with all of the family from Brazil! What an amazing thing!!!

Love,

Jess

Happy 2011 | personal

2011-01-04T10:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome back blog readers! I was MIA for a couple weeks, wasn't I? Well, we had a nice Christmas and New Year break over here. I'm sorry I didn't exactly announce that it would be that way. I actually wasn't planning on it to be that way, but it was really nice just to take the time to unwind and spend lots of moments with the family.

It was a very busy Christmas for us this year. We had two gift exchange nights with Brian's family as well as a major gift exchange Christmas morning with my family.

It wasour best and worst Christmas ever. It was the best because we decided that, although it's nice to not worry about buying each other gifts and only worry about the kids like we have done for the last few years, it's also kind of sad ... and we didn't need any more sadness this Christmas with mom being gone.

Not having her here with us made it the worst.

So we did our very best to make it as enjoyable as possible. And each one of us shared something with the rest that mom would have done if she were here. Her presence through each of us made it the best Christmas it possibly could have been.

-----------------------

I was able to cook some side dishes that mom and I usually do together to go along with the smoked ham that was so kindly given to dad by one of his good friends. ... homemade mac & cheese that my brother always requests, and the stuffing casserole recipe that mom and I created together a few years back, along with the best mashed potatoes I've ever had made by dad, and gravy ....

In between thanksgiving and Christmas my dad was going through slides and film that he hadn't seen in years and ran across this photo that he took of me and mom:

I asked him to print it out for me so I could put it in my kitchen. And somehow, having this photo there with me while I cook has helped to heal whatever pain that had been keeping me out of the kitchen these last few months.

I love having it there. It makes me feel like she is there with me.

-------------------------

I received more gifts than I have since I was a kid this year, and I certainly did not feel like I deserved everything that was given to me, but I am so very thankful for each. and. every. thoughtful item that was presented to me.

We also have a new family member : My sweet Rebel was so very good to me for almost two years. I love her so and depended on her through so many things, but alas, it was time to move on. I was really starting to feel her limitations and so ... the new addition.

The Canon 7D

I am so excited to have her, I don't know what to do with myself! We are going to be great friends, I just know it!

So, yes, a very good Christmas indeed.

I hope that you all enjoyed your holidays as much as we did!

Happy Tuesday! Happy 2011!!!

Trimming The Tree | personal

2010-12-16T15:30:00.001-05:00

We finally went out and bought our tree. Although I love the price and convenience of buying a real tree from Home Depot, it took us all of five minutes. Five. To walk in. Pick out a tree. Pay for it. And leave. It was actually kind of sad that it went so fast. I mean, isn't going to pick out a tree supposed to be one of those treasured christmas moments that you do as a family? Isn't it supposed to be some kind of fun event that creates a few hours of holiday family time? Every year I envision us walking up and down isles of trees, taking in the wonderful scent of them, finding that perfect one that says to us, "I belong to the Swatts Family". But somehow it doesn't happen that way anymore. There is something to be said for the good old days when life was slower and the things you wanted were not ready in just five minutes ...

Brian must have felt it too because he suggested that next year we find a nice tree farm where we can cut our tree down ourselves. Now that will be a wonderful holiday adventure to look forward to!

After getting our tree and bringing it back home, Gracey and I spent the rest of the night decorating it, and I must say, I am very pleased with how it turned out. Her and I make a great tree-decorating team.

All the details:

And a few more decorations in the entryway:

Ok. So the bible isn't a decoration ...

Our tree topper (as shown above) was made for us last year by Sarah. I love it! It's perfect for our snowflake and star covered tree, plus, added bonus, it's super lightweight so it won't be bending the top and falling over. I just don't get the way they make the tree toppers these days anyway. What is with that spiral cone? It doesn't keep the darn thing put!

The tree skirt I purchased a very long time ago before I ever had my own house, before I ever met Brian, before I ever even had my own tree. It says around the bottom, "No Peeking, No Poking", and although its spot clean only, and getting rather dirty, I can't part with it. - The first year Brian and I had our own tree, I opened it up out of the package and laughed. out. loud. at those little phrases written on it. Because, you see, Brian, my wonderful darling husband, is a sneak. He doesn't like to be surprised, not because he doesn't like gifts or surprises, but because he can't stand the wait! So it's a very fitting tree skirt for our little family.

Anybody else wait until just a week and a half before Christmas to get their tree like we did?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love,
Jess

And The Winner Is ... | contest

2010-12-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

The day has finally come. It's time to announce which letter I have chosen as the winner of a family portrait session with me.

First of all, let me say thank you to everyone who sent in nominations. My ultimate goal by holding this contest and setting it up the way I did was to give people a reason, and a way, to reach out to someone in need, someone deserving of something special. And a photo session with me is something special ... because I do so much more than just snap some pictures of you and hand you a cd. This isn't just a session at the local discount studio, this is an experience that will make you and your family feel great and make you look at having your photos taken in a completely different way.

So, for those who have nominated others ... bravo! You got it. You understood what I wanted to do with this. This world needs more people like you.

The family I have chosen to give a session to was nominated by Kena Bracy!

Here is what Kena wrote to me:

Kena, thank you so much for telling me about your mom and what she has been through. I hope that our family photo session together will help her to have something to cherish forever, and I'm certain that she is going to be so proud of you and thankful to you for thinking of her in such a selfless way.

I will be contacting you about the rest of the details and I have a special gift card for you to give to your mom.

For everyone else who sent in nominations, I will be contacting you too, I have something for you as well. =)

Merry Christmas!

Love,
Jess

Beauty + Handsome x 4 | portrait photography

2010-12-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

Handsome, handsome, handsome handsome and beautiful. That's what this little family is made up of. If there ever was a woman who was meant to have three children, all boys, it was Courtney. Such a strong beauty. She is one of those women who works hard to provide all that she can for her sons, and loves them with all of her soul. And she's got a pretty great guy in her life, helping her along the way, sharing in all the things that make having a family worth the while, and enjoying every fun moment that a house full of boys can possibly bring!

It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning at the park. A bit early for the older ones, but that's ok, they did a great job regardless!

Courtney and Carmine:

Corey: such a handsome young guy.

Chase: another handsome young guy.

Justice: my goodness, you are handsome too!

A little bit of boy-tude. I just love how Justice can hardly hold the "serious" face!

Courtney, you are just beautiful!

And look at you smiling with just your eyes! That's not easy to do!

Courtney, thank you so very much for the opportunity to photograph all this handsome-ness and beauty! I can't believe the boys are as tall as they are now! I hope you guys have a really great Christmas!!!

Love,

Jess

Christmas Cards | personal

2010-12-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

I'm so proud of myself! I've finished all of this year's Christmas cards. They are ready to be mailed and it's only the second week of December!!! - Usually I don't get them all out until close to Christmas. - Why is that, you may ask? ... well, because we mail out sooooooo many it takes forever to prepare them! And every single year the list grows.

This year there are 100.

Yes, 100. And I hand wrote every single address!

Now. I know that there are many of you who will be passing on sending out Christmas cards this year. Because it does cost money ... and time. Believe me, there have been years when I have just wanted to skip it too. ... But, when I see Great Uncle Frank, and he walks me into his office to show me where he hangs our photo christmas cards every year, and tells me how much he loves getting them ... and Dad hears from his old friends, Ron and Dana and they tell him that it is so nice to get a card from us every year ... that makes it all ... well. worth. the effort.

Because, after all, family is so very important to me and I want them to know that even if we live on opposite sides of the country, or life gets in the way and we haven't had time to go see them, I still think about them all the time and love them dearly.

Love,
Jess

A Quick One | portrait photography

2010-12-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

This isn't my normal type of lighting situation but I just had to share because, after all ... photography is all about the light.

Gracey watching A Charlie Brown Christmas and lit solely by the t.v. and fireplace behind her.

f1.4 1/20 ISO 1600

P.S. This is our first fire in the fireplace in over a year. It's brrrrrr .... cooold in Florida right now!

Love,

Jess

RISING STARS - Candice Lawrence | photographer interviews

2010-12-06T09:31:00.003-05:00

Good Monday morning!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a very sweet "budding photographer" (as she likes to call herself) and I could tell right away that she was someone who I definitely wanted to share with all of you!

When she first contacted me, we had such a lovely back-and-forth through facebook and I wanted to share that portion with you first because I feel like she did a very good job helping me get to know her better. So, you'll be reading that first and then on to the interview questions. - Yes, I know it's kind of long, but I couldn't help it, she's just so sweet and wonderful, I wanted to include it all! -

Internet world, meet Candice Lawrence ... Candee

Photo by: Hazelnut Photography

Candee is 24 years old and located in Southern California. Her website here: Love, Candee

This was our first correspondence. I think it will really give you a good idea of who Candee is and what she is about:

Me: Hi, Candee. Thank you so much for contacting me! Actually, I'm not being selective on how far along you are with your business. In fact, I think that every one of us has something to offer to the rest of the world. Even if you don't know much about the photography business yet, I bet that you know something that could benefit others about some thing in some way.

I do need to get an idea of what I should be asking you though. The best way to do that is to get to know you better. So, to start with, can you tell me a bit more about yourself? Your family, your background, schooling, and why you have decided to become a photographer?

Thanks again for contacting me! I can't wait to get to know more about you. =)

Candee: Awesome! Thank you so much! My story might be a bit long, but i'll do my best to cut it short without leaving details. lol

Let's see. about me, I'm Candice but my family & friends call me Candee. I am the youngest of 4 and the only girl and i love it. i didn't always though haha

Just this year i married my best friend and my biggest supporter. We have a dog named Lola. i laugh a lot. like a lot. in person and in writing and i have a loud laugh lol <-- no pun intended ha.
i love, love to help people in any way i can and i think that stems from my parents because my parents have hearts to genuinely help people.
I'm a girly girl but i do love sports, just not playing them lol.
My family. As i mentioned i'm the youngest of 4 and the only girl. My brothers and i are super close with each other and my parents, we are a tight-knit family. I have 2 nephews, 2 nieces and 1 "unknown" on the way lol we'll find out in December what my sis-in-law is having.
My background. After high school i fully intended on going to college for cosmetology and photography, the two things i loved the most but let certain myths get in my head and i kind of put them on the back burner and went straight to work full-time at a transportation company.
After a year of that, i decided to go back to school but this time for court reporting. I continued working full-time and enrolled for full-time court reporting. Put a lot of time into it and finished the 4-yr program in 2 yrs. Got right to work as a court reporter while planning my wedding.
Why i've decided to become a photographer.
When it was time to look for a photographer for my wedding, i fell in love with photography all over again and i fell hard! I wanted to eat, breathe and sleep wedding photography.
My old passion for photography was rekindled but i knew i couldn't start a new hobby with work and wedding planning so rather than buying a dslr then, i just read. everything and anything i could get my hands on. i read books for different cameras, i read reviews, i read about lenses, i read photography books as though i had a camera in-hand, only, i didn't.
Fast forward a bit, we got married, went on our honeymoon and a day after coming home from our honeymoon i ended up in ER really sick and had almost a 3week stay in the hospital. I was in ICU for 5 days and at one point the doctors weren't so sure i'd make it. But i did make it and i'm here on a second chance and i decided if God gave me a second chance here, i'm going to make the most of it and make a difference. I just didn't know how yet.
The doctors said i can't work [court reporting] for a year and that's when my husband and i both thought hey, now's a perfect time to take up photography as a hobby. it will give me something to do with all of my time.
So i got my dslr and a few lenses, i had already done plenty of research for the year and half leading up to that day and as soon as i got them, i started practicing right way, every day, non stop.
I had a personal blog that i started making public, posting pictures on there and soon after, people were inquiring about "my services" so what was just a huge love and hobby for me very quickly turned into right now a business in it's earliest stages. I have so much to learn still, so much i'm working on, it's all still so very new, but i love it already, this is something i wanted to do to begin with and to know this is actually forming, is all surreal. everything's happened so fast, so many changes in so little time but in the end i see it as a blessing because who knows if i would have ever got into photography had i not even gotten sick. So
it's really a blessing in disguise.

Me: That is certainly an amazing story, Candee! My goodness, our interview may end up being a long one because I feel like everything you just told me should be shared with everyone.
So, next question... in terms of photography what do you know? What is something thatyou can share with others that may help them?

Candee: In terms of photography, i'm still learning a lot about lighting. i want to be a natural light photographer and i'm working on getting familiar with natural reflectors and off-camera flash and also how to perfect on-camera flash. It's just rocking out what you have and making it work for you. Right now i feel i'm at the point where i've read a ton, i know a lot about my camera and diff settings but now it's about practicing, practicing, practicing what i know and perfecting my skill and i'm happy with my results thus far. my goal is to perfect my images in camera as much as possible and only enhance a tiny bit if need be and for the most part, i'm becoming more and more pleased with my images sooc and i'm still working on perfecting it.

of course there's still the business aspect of photography i still have a lot to learn about haha.

what i do know, there's been so many valuable lessons i've learned already. I do know photography is NOT all about photography! What i mean by that is you can have all the "pro" equipment and even the technical knowledge but if you don't have the art or the heart for it, your images will be just that. strictly images rather than a fond memory or something more meaningful to your client.

hmm, i know i love to shoot wide open, i shoot with primes only, that's not to say i haven't shot with zooms, but primes are my preference.

i think back button focus has helped a TON while shooting.
practice, practice, practice!! i've documented since day 1 my shooting and i haven't been shooting long but i can see a huge difference in my images just in months and it's all owed to practice!
i totally prefer shooting manual and i challenge other photographers to do the same, it's so good to fully know your camera and challenge yourself in that way.
METERING! soooo important i can't stress that enough! I would definitely tell other aspiring photographers to make sure to understand in-camera metering.
umm, also, this is something i wished i knew earlier on because i shoot primes and because i love to shoot wide open and i've had a few people ask me about this.
at first i would find my sweet spot and keep it there, but the problem with that is there's no variety and you're constantly moving. in 1 case, i ran into a serious problem i didn't know how i did it, or how to not do it again but my focus's face was soft/slightly blurred in almost all the pictures. I was like how did that happen if i'm focusing on the eye and i'm steady and i'm shooting wide open, etc, etc, etc. but what i didn't know about shooting primes is that sometimes if you're too far from the subject, it backfires and you don't get crisp images you get soft images. When you start to back away from your subject too much, you have to go to f/2 or maybe even f/3 to get them clean and crisp. it seems so simple now and it's one of those "duh" moments but i've had seriously quite a few photographers ask me about how to get that crispness in shots that aren't close up and them not know about it and heck, i didn't know it either! I definitely think there are other people out there doing the same thing, having the same problem but don't know what it is so they can't fix it.
i hope those answer your questions, i hope someone can learn from my mistakes. =]
aw thank you! i'm so excited to be doing this, you truly are awesome for doing this for so many upcoming photogs!

See? Isn't she wonderful? !!!

Now, on to the interview questions. Some of it may be redundant if you read through our correspondence above. But, that's OK. I love it!

Where can people find you (location, website, blog, and when you aren't taking photos)?

I'm in sunny Southern California. It's December and it's still in the 80s where I'm at lol. Currently I don't have a website, I'm working on creating a brand and logo that best represents me. In the meantime, I'm using my blog as kind of a blogsite and you can find it here.www.lovecandee.blogspot.com and I just created a Facebook fan page. You can find that link here http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Love-Candee-Photography/181134865233933

When I'm not taking photos, you can find me at one of four places. 1) Disneyland. I'm there almost every Friday night with my husband and sometimes our nephews. 2) With my family. There's always a bbq or birthday party or something going on. 3) At Forever 21. Ooh, I just love that store. I think more than normal ;) and 4) Hiking. Jared and I just started hiking and we love it!

I feel that our family and friends are important in helping to shape who we are and who we become. Can you tell me a little bit about yours?
I have 3 older brothers, 2 sister-in-laws, 2 nieces and we just found out my brother & his wife are having a baby boy!! so that will make 3 nephews! and the starters of course, my mom & dad ;). I'm a newlywed married to my best friend, we have a dog named Lola and you'll find she makes an appearance on the blog often!

I definitely agree with you and my friends and family have all played a part in who I am today!

Can you give me three words that describe you and your photography style?
Okay, I've thought long and hard about this question and I'll be completely honest with you. I'm still forming my style. I don't have 3 words for you, but I know I love to capture love and life in it's most simplest and truest form. I love real images.

Editorial images have it's place in my heart as well. I'd love to incorporate a few editorial style images in each session. I'd love to make someone who feels like "the average person," feel like they can be on a cover of a mag. If my image can give someone confidence in who they are, that'd be amazing and that's my ultimate goal.

What type of camera and lenses are you currently shooting with?
I shoot with a Canon 40D and my 3 amigos the 85mm 1.8, 50mm 1.4 and the 28mm 1.8.

Are you currently shooting all natural light or do you use artificial lighting as well?
Currently I use all natural light. I am still educating myself about on/off-camera flash and how to best utilize it, but I haven't had a need for it yet.

How have you learned lighting, exposure and composition? Did you take courses or are you self-taught?
I am self-taught in a sense, but it was with the help of online resources and the local book store. Reading and practicing! I read every article I could get my hands on online and would also go to a book store or the library and just read and then go practice, practice, practice. I can't say it enough. =]

What excites you about photography? Life in general?
Sheesh, so much excites me about life & photography. I love, love that no client is the same. I get to capture a different laugh, a different personality and that in and of itself is exciting! I think what excites me the most is having someone be just as excited as I am about the images I've produced for them. I love the feeling I get when I've just captured someone in a deep laugh -- ohh, i love that feeling and when my client sees the images and can't stop raving about them, that makes me want to counter my inner 5yr old and go jump on my bed lol.

I'm sorry, this sounds so cheesy and I've tried to come up with this really thought-out answer but really it comes down to just capturing a moment that's going to mean so much to someone.

(It most certainly does not sound cheesy!)

What area of photography are you pursuing?
Ultimately I'd lovelovelove to become a wedding photographer while still maintaining portrait photography so that is where I'd like to go. I'm definitely enjoying all the portrait photography I'm able to do right now, I love the one-on-one and getting to know my client a little better!

Do you have any favorite photos that reflect your photography and style that you would like to share? Please tell me details about each photo that you are sharing in regards to the back story and the technical details.

The first image is one of my favorites. This image is more on the editorial side of my photography and It was just before sunset, which is one of my favorite types of lighting, we were in Los Angeles and I used a building to block the sun's direct light on my client. I wanted to capture the feeling of the image with including just enough to notice him looking off into Los Angeles without giving the full picture. If interested, you can see more from this session here http://lovecandee.blogspot.com/2010/11/aaron-senior-portraits.html

The second & third images are so fun. In the first one he was chasing his mom to throw leaves on her and he couldn't catch her. His laugh is so genuine. And the second image just makes me happy. You can't look at this image and not smile, his laugh is so contagious even through an image and this is what I strive for. To capture my client in their truest form. If interested, you can see more from this session here http://lovecandee.blogspot.com/2010/11/elijah-portraits.html

Can you tell me a little bit more about “The Gift Of Love” and why you chose that particular charity?
When I was a little girl, maybe 5 - 7yrs old, a homeless man was across the street slowly walking. I wanted to help him so bad, but I didn't know how so I got an apple and my mom walked me across the street and I gave it to him. He smiled -- with no teeth -- and thanked me more times in that minute than anyone could. I was a child but in that moment I knew I hadn't never felt anything before like what I was experiencing. My mom explained that the feeling I was experiencing was as a result of giving love.

That feeling never gets old and The Gift of Love is a way for my clients to experience that feeling together with me -- the feeling of giving love and changing someone's day, week or life.

For every session booked, Love, Candee donates 10% of the session fee to a charity of my clients' choice and there's a list of charities to choose from on my blog.
In what aspect of your photography do you feel that you excel? (What are your strong points?)
This is just my opinion, but I feel confident in the way I'm able to make my clients laugh and capture my clients as they truly are and in the moment and technically speaking, I'm confident with the images I get sooc. I still work on perfecting my images but I've worked hard and I'm seeing it pay off.

If you could teach one thing to another photographer that you have had to learn for yourself, what would it be?

I shoot wide open all the time. It's what I love and it gives me the images I'm confident in producing, but when I first started shooting primes and researching on forums etc, what I didn't know about them and what I never saw on forums was they are only crisp if you're within the limited distance between you and your subject. If you're up close, shoot 1.4. If you're backing away, shoot 2.8, etc. It sounds easy and it makes sense now but when you're just starting, it's a learning process.
And in-camera metering!! learn it, understand it, it'll change your images!

If you could teach one thing to anyone about life in general, what would it be?

LOVE. So many people, myself included, forget what love is and where it comes from. I truly believe that love conquers all. True selfless love. The kind of love Jesus has bestowed upon us.

What areas of photography and business are you still learning? Where do you feel like you still need improvement?
I feel I could improve on my positioning/posing of my clients.

If you could ask one question to anyone right now what would it be?
I don't want this to come across as I feel like I know it all because I SURE DON'T and I have A LOT to learn! I've thought about this question over and over and I just don't know lol. These past few months I've spent wondering why and how and truthfully, I've found I kind of like the mystery. Even when it comes to learning. I've always been the type to not want the answer given to me, I want to work for it.

Is there anything you would like to include that we have not already talked about?
I tell myself this often especially because I'm in the beginning stages of my business. Don't be afraid of failure, it makes you stronger and without failure, there is no success. And success by definition of you!

Jessica! You've been a doll to work with through this entire process! Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity such as this! May God bless you, your family and your photography!

Candee, thank YOU for the opportunity to interview you! It was so very nice getting to know you better! You are so very sweet and caring and I just know that you are going to be a great photographer!

To all who are reading this: Candee is such a nice person and I'm sure that if you have any more questions for her she would love to answer and help you in whatever way she can!

And the same goes for me. Please don't ever hesitate to contact me if you need anything!

Love,

Jess

Horses | family

2010-12-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

My sweet girl loves horses ... Loves them!

Here are a couple from our trip. More to come soon!

I ordered this one larger to hang in her room. So sweet. =)

Rocky, Bear and Chloe | pet photography by Gracey

2010-11-23T08:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend proved to be a very busy weekend for us in regards to photography. I had a family session scheduled for Saturday morning and a boudoir session for Sunday, and when our dear friend, Rachel, told Gracey how much she loved her pet photography and then hired her to get some great photos of her furry family members, we decided we better get on over there and let Gracey work her magic!

So, we went over to Rachel's house Saturday evening and watched Gracey work her wonders with the animals. It's really no question that she can get such great photos of pets, because she is most certainly an "animal person". Why, just last night, on our way to church she wanted to stop and save the lizard that was clinging on to the windshield wiper for dear life. She spent the entire 20 minute ride alternating between watching him to make sure he was ok and searching all in the truck for something she could carry him home in. When we got there and told her that a plastic bag was just going to kill him, she found a nice little home for him in the grass. (Church parking lot, you have a new family member. Be kind to him for he is loved.)

Yep, that's my animal-loving girl. And I'm so proud of her for every bit of her huge heart!

Rocky, Bear and Chloe, it looks like you were wonderful clients for my Gracey. Thank you so much! Woof, woof, and meow to you!

Today, we are packing up for our trip to SC. We are so excited to see Brandon and Sarah, and to spend some quality time in the country with our family.

Happy Tuesday!

Love,
Jess

Win A Free Session | contest

2010-11-19T13:27:00.003-05:00

Good Friday afternoon, Everyone! Today I'm skipping the "What I Have Learned This Week" post to announce an end of the year CONTEST!

Soon it will be December and the season for giving and sharing. In light of that, I have decided to give away a photo session for January 2011. This session will include the following:

1-2 hours individual or family session {up to six people}
Approximately 40 fully edited and retouched images to choose from
One 11x14 wall portrait

I am all about helping others, and as you know, I want you to do that too. So here's the deal:

I would like for you to nominate someone that you know, who you feel would be deserving of receiving a photo session as a Christmas gift from you this year. This person must reside in the Central Florida area and be available for a session sometime in January.

The way you can nominate that person is by sending me an email describing them and why you feel that they are deserving of this gift. (I will be sharing the winner's story with everyone, so please make sure you keep that in mind.)

After you have sent me your nomination email, please come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me that you have nominated someone. Your nomination will not count unless you have received a response email from me stating that I have received your nomination.

The deadline for your entry is: Friday, December 10, 2010

I will be announcing the winner on Monday, December 13, 2010

Please send your email nomination to: contest@jessicaswatts.com and write "Contest" in the subject line.

I look forward to reading your entries!

Love,

Jess

Regarding Interviews | rising stars

2010-11-18T08:38:00.003-05:00

I've had some thoughts during this last month about the interviews I will be hosting here on my blog. After the first Rising Stars interview with Damaris Mia, things changed a little bit in regards to what I'd like to see happen.

My original intentions for the interviews were just basically to give others a chance to talk and tell the world who they are and where they are going, and then, the week after I posted Damaris's interview, I had another photographer contact me about the possibility of participating in an interview with me. As I replied to her, it became this big long message, and I was saying all these things that had never occurred to me before until that moment. It was like something else came through me that was putting those words down. I didn't end up sending that entire message to her because I realized it wasn't meant specifically for her but for myself and everyone else to read and know.

As I began to understand all of this on a conscious level, I felt this overwhelming feeling that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. That I'm on the right track. I'm moving in the direction that was meant for me.

Actually, from the moment I realized that photography was my passion, what I wanted to do and be, I have had amazing things happen to me.

I am being guided on this journey.

I know it.

My intentions for the interviews are actually so much more than I even imagined. And I want these interviews to be so much more.

So, for all of you who are interested in reading or participating in my interviews there is something I want you to know:

I'm not being selective on how far along you are with your business. In fact, I think that every one of us has something to offer to the rest of the world. Even if you don't know much about photography or the business yet, or even if you do, I bet that you know something that could benefit others about some thing in some way.

I have a strong belief that, in life, we should all try our best to love and help one another succeed. So if you decide that you know enough about something ... anything ... that could you share to benefit someone else then it would only be fair that you are willing to follow up and answer questions about what you know to help others after we finish your interview.

A "pay it forward" kind of thing.

My reason behind this is simple. I would love, love, love to help every person that I possibly can! I want our interview to benefit you. I want people to recognize you for who you are.

And I want you to recognize others for who they are as well.

As long as you feel like you do have something to offer, then please contact me about getting your interview set up! And I am most certain that all of you have something to offer!

If you don't want to be interviewed but would like to ask questions or need help with something please send me an email! I would love to help you in any way that I can! ...

... Because that's who I am. And it's who I want to be.

I do it for my mom, and for Him.

Love,

Jess

What I've learned This Week | personal

2010-11-15T13:45:00.000-05:00

So I was supposed to be doing these every Friday. I had full intention of doing that but then when I posted Damaris Mia's Rising Star Interview two weeks ago, I decided to leave it at the top of the blog for a week to give others a change to see it. I couldn't tell you what happened last week other than life getting in the way.

So anyway, on to the new post...

Every Friday I'm going to write a post about what I have learned about photography and life in general. It's mostly for me to start keeping track but it's also for others. Maybe somebody else can learn from something I've learned, who knows? And, by the way, they are in no particular order. Just random.

Week three and four ...

Photography related -

*I'm reading another one of Michael Freeman's wonderful books on photography. This one is called "Perfect Exposure". I'm almost halfway through and its proving to be a good read. It goes into more detail about histograms and what they represent as well as camera metering. A lot of it doesn't necessarily apply to the kind of photography I do but it never hurts to know as much as you can.

*I think I've finally come up with a simple logo that I am happy with for now. It looks really good on the website that is getting close to being complete. I'm excited for it to launch but I keep adding a bit more content so it's taking longer. Yes, the hold up is still me.

*I learned how to make my own bag from poster board paper because i couldn't find a white bad big enough for my client's photos. I think it turned out pretty good.

*My new email address is up and running. This is the one that runs directly from my website. Feel free to shoot me a hello! jessica@jessicaswatts.com

Life in general -

*I am such a procrastinator sometimes. This week it was telling the teacher I would bring chocolate chips for their crafts and then putting off going to the store to get them until 8am this morning on the way to school. Oh, well. It worked out ok.

*Gracey had an awesome last game on Saturday and we are so sad that season has already ended.

*I HAVE NO CLUE what to buy my husband for his birthday anymore because I know that all he really wants is a boat, so until that day comes, nothing will compare!

*That being said ^ ... He really loved the blog post that I wrote for him and that makes me so happy.

*It's been two weeks and I realize after typing all of this out that I really haven't learned that many new things while I wasn't posting. =)

Here's Gracey at the end of her last game. Please note that the ball she's holding says "Home Run". This was her prize for making one of the three home runs on her team the last game.

And this is me. Crystal took this photo as we were watching the game. I was keeping score.

Did I ever mention that I don't have time to take pictures during the game because I also keep score? Ya, Coach handed it to me the very first game and asked me to help out. I've never kept score before in my life, so I kind of got thrown to the wolves, but she says that I do a good job. And I must because she had me keep score every. single. game. !!! I really don't mind it though. It helps me to pay closer attention than I normally would. I guess it's a good thing my dad raised me knowing baseball so well.

Happy Monday, everyone! Hopefully I will learn a ton more in the next four days so I can have something interesting to talk about on Friday. =)

Love, Jess

Nine Birthdays | personal

2010-11-11T15:12:00.001-05:00

Dear Brian,

Today marks the 9th birthday of yours that I have shared with you.

I know you don't like to think about that because it makes you feel old ... but I do ... because it means so much to me to know that we have made it this far together. Sometimes when I think back on the first birthday of yours that we celebrated together it seems like it wasn't that long ago. I remember how I was just getting to know you, and you told me that you didn't like people to make a big deal out of your birthday and buy you things. I couldn't just not get you anything so I went and bought you some new clothes, because I knew that you needed them, and instead of wrapping them up and making you open them I just shoved them at you as I walked into your mom and dad's house and said, "Here ya go. Happy Birthday." I remember the look on your face when I did that (it was quite funny). And I remember how nice it was to spend that day with you having dinner at your parent's house and just being together. Looking back on that memory now and knowing that you actually LOVE for people to make a big deal and buy you gifts (even though you will never admit it) it makes me smile.

Nine years is a long time. And if I thought I was happy then, I'm even happier now.

I love who you are. I love that you are such a good dad and that you work so hard every single day to provide for your children, and for me. I love how easy it is for us to have fun and laugh together. I love our little family. I love that you get so excited about fishing. I love that you love the coast and boats so much, and I love that we share that in common. I love how we can sit and relax on the beach together, and we can do that just as well on the couch too. I love to watch you with the kids and how patient and caring you are for each one of them, and I love to see how happy you are when we are all together. I love how we both love each other's families so much. And most of all, I love how you make me feel so loved by you.

Happy Birthday, my sweet, kind and hard-working man. I look forward to sharing so many more with you!

I love you always!

Love,

Jess

Pet Photography | personal

2010-11-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

I spend quite a bit of my time at the computer these days. Writing these blog posts, responding to emails and facebook messages, editing photos. I was doing just that when Gracey came in and asked if she could borrow my camera. Uh, what???

While I have the strongest urge to tell her no, because that's how I was raised around a camera,

-- you just did not touch dad's camera, for any reason, whatsoever --

I also want her to know how to handle the camera and have respect for it. Plus, I'm just a sucker for my little girl's big brown eyes. So I showed her what she was allowed to do and not do and then let her go off and take pictures for a few minutes.

I do have to say ... not too bad! She must be picking up on something when I'm pointing that thing at her all the time.

Happy Wednesday!

Love,

Jess

Halloween | personal

2010-11-09T18:26:00.004-05:00

So, I'm only blogging about Halloween over a week later. My excuse? I didn't want to compete with every other Halloween blogger who blogged the day of, or the day after.

Ok, ok ... that's not the real reason why. But it sounded good, right? I'm late. Its a common thing that happens on this blog.

We actually had a pretty quiet Halloween this year. It was somewhat sad for us because our neighborhood is usually buzzing with tons of costume-clad candy lovers. We didn't get too many Trick-Or-Treaters to our house although there were quite a few out and about. I guess, bad housing market = half the neighbors there once were participating in the festivities.

Gracey had the idea that the three of us should be police officers this year. But ... I procrastinated on making any firm decisions. Then it got to be too close to Halloween and piecing together two adult police costumes and one child police costume was just going to be too much work. So, Brian and I settled for being Gracey's prisoners.

And she was all for it! What kid wouldn't want the chance to lock up her parents?

As we walked around the neighborhood letting Gracey gather her candy we got lots of compliments on our costumes. I guess we did kind of make a funny sight to those people who answered their doors to find that the cops were the ones banging ... and an even funnier sight when they looked out and down their driveways to see two prisoners handcuffed and waiting on their captor to get candy. So, needless to say, even though it was a lot quieter around here on the 31st, it was still fun.

And we have waaaayyy too much candy left over.

Hope you all had lots of fun at Halloween too!

Love,

Jess

RISING STARS | photographer interviews

2010-11-01T13:56:00.001-04:00

Hello, Blog Readers! Today marks the start of something new that I'll be doing here on the blog ... interviews with photographers. But not just any photographers. No. New photographers. Photographers who are still trying to establish themselves. Photographers who are still learning the ins-and-outs of the business and their own photography.

I've had the pleasure of meeting quite a few other photographers in the last year through many different avenues. Most of them on facebook. Others through mutual friends and such. I always have so many questions that I would love to ask each of them but rarely do. And so ... I started thinking, wouldn't it be wonderful if I could just interview them? Feature them on my blog ... Give them a chance to tell the world who they are ... Introduce them to my family and friends and anyone else who might stumble across my posts? I decided that, yes, it would be a wonderful opportunity! Not only for whoever I might be interviewing and myself, but also other photographers out there who are just like us, trying to make a successful business out of our art and passion.

If you'll notice the title of this post, I named it such in honor of the wonderful Jasmine Star who is teaching so many of us how to be better photographers ... and better people. One of the many things she has done is create a place where photographers can all communicate and learn from each other. I would like to continue that open communication myself through these interviews.

You can find Jasmine's little community on her Facebook Fan Page.

Speaking of Jasmine's fan page, that is actually where I met a fellow photographer based out of Orange County, California, who also frequents the discussion boards there just like me! She started hosting these interviews herself, just this year, so I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for her to be interviewed, and I asked her to be my first.

She graciously accepted my request.

And, I'm glad, because she is so wonderful and amazing!

Internet, meet Damaris Mia:

Damaris is 23 years old and really starting to make a name for herself in her own little world of Southern California.

I asked Damaris a few questions that I thought would help us get to know her better as a person and as a photographer. Here's what she had to say:

Damaris, I feel that our family and friends are important in helping to shape who we are and who we become. Can you tell me a little bit about yours?

I am married to the most amazing man in the world (we will be celebrating our first year anniversary this coming November). We don’t have kids yet but we do have two dogs that we adore. I come from a family of 8 and am the oldest of 6 kids. My family is my everything. I have two of the most hard-working parents I know. My siblings are all so smart (and good looking, hehe). I have a brother who is currently serving the Army in Afghanistan and we’re all praying for a safe return home. My family and my husband mean the world to me. Without them, I would be nothing.

Can you give me three words that describe you and your photography style?

Hm.. I would definitely say that my photography is fresh. I like to keep my images as natural looking as possible with some enhancements. Fashion-inspired is another word(s) I would use to describe my style. While I like more natural and candid shots, I do like to twist some fashion and couture poses. For fun. And the last word I would use to describe my photography would be fun. I want my clients to have fun. I want my clients to laugh and be themselves. Candid photos are some of the best photos.

What type of camera and lenses are you currently shooting with?

I shoot with a Canon 7D which I absolutely love and I currently shoot with the 50mm f/1.8. That is the only lens I own along with the 28-135mm but I hardly ever pull that one out.

Are you currently shooting all natural light or do you use artificial lighting as well?

I shoot only in available natural light. However, if I’m shooting an event and flash is needed, I will use it. But I try to use all the natural light that is available.

How have you learned lighting, exposure and composition? Did you take courses or are you self taught?
Everything I have learned thus far I have taught myself or have been taught by my peers. I have not taken a single class but would eventually like to take a class or two. Or three. I learned by researching online. If there was something I read in a photographer’s blog that I didn’t quite understand or if I came across a function on my camera that I didn’t know what it did, I researched it. I like to try to learn things on my own first and then get help from others if I wasn’t able to find the answer I needed. Also, I learned by practicing and trial and error. Read, learn, practice. Then practice, practice, practice some more. With anyone or anything. How else is one to learn?

Are you currently pursuing your photography career full-time? If not, what is stopping you?
I am currently pursuing photography full-time, however, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a full-time job yet. I’m still in the early stages of building a photography business, getting my name out there, building a strong portfolio, and getting clientele on a regular and consistent basis.

What excites you about photography?

What doesn't excite me about photography! It amazes me how you can capture a moment with the click of a button and transform that image into something so memorable. I love the photographers I've been meeting in this industry. I've made some great friends who have been supportive of all that I do and for that I am thankful.

I love your welcome tab on your facebook fanpage! Can you tell me a little bit more about it? How can we all get one?

I will actually be answering this question in on my blog once my new blog-site airs. I want to save all the juicy details for that :) But all I can say is that it's pretty easy to do!

FYI: Her new site airs today!

You are so open and honest on your blog. I think so many of us new photographers can really relate with this post that you wrote back in April: http://www.damarismiablog.com/2010/04/throwing-myself-out-there.html Have you learned anything new since you wrote it? Have you had the opportunity to second shoot? If so, how did it go for you? Are you booking paying clients yet?

I've learned so much since writing that post. I've definitely learned a lot more about photography. Back in August I was given a chance to second shoot a stunning wedding in a private estate in Malibu. It was such a wonderful opportunity. And yes, I am getting paying clients now :) It's pretty nice.

I love the colors and the natural look that is in this photograph of yours:

Could you please tell me more about it? What is the back story on it? How did you light the subject?

I like to shoot and produce natural images and this image does a wonderful job showcasing that. This particular shoot took place in the downtown area of a city a couple hours before noon. I typically like to shoot either early in the morning or a couple of hours before sunset because I shoot in natural, available light and have found that the best light where I live is during those parts of the day. My goal is to get the image right in the camera and do as little post-processing as possible. Any editing I do is to enhance the image. So this particular image was taken in an alleyway behind buildings and used only natural light. You can view more from this session here: http://damarismia.blogspot.com/2010/05/naomi-portrait-photo-session.html.

This is also a beautiful photograph! Can you tell me more about it? How did you get that sun flare looking so gorgeous?

I didn't take this image with the hopes of getting a sun flare in the shot. I was originally on the other side of the couple with the couple facing the sun but didn't like how harsh the light was on their faces so I moved to the opposite side with the setting sun acting as a backlight and voila! This image was produced. One of my all-time favorites. You can view more from this session here: http://damarismia.blogspot.com/2010/03/maria-felipe-couples-session.html

Do you have any favorite photos that reflect your photography and style which you would like to share?

Those are gorgeous, Damaris! Thank you!

You started interviewing other photographers yourself this year. How do you feel this has benefited you? How do you feel it has benefited others?

I found I enjoyed reading interviews of successful photographers and business people but felt that photographers who are starting out should be recognized. I want to help other photographers get their name out there and what better way than an interview posted on a blog? Talk about free exposure! I've learned a lot from photographers I have interviewed and I know it has helped others as well.

In what aspect of your photography do you feel that you excel? (What are your strong points)
I think I've become very good at getting my images right in the camera which came with a lot of practice. This has helped me do very little editing which in turn has helped produce the images that meets my style.

If you could teach one thing to another photographer that you have had to learn for yourself, what would it be?
In camera metering. It can do wonders if you know how to use it. And photoshop basics. I've come across many photographers who are afraid to use photoshop and would love to help them out!

If you could teach one thing to anyone about life in general, what would it be?
We all know this but I can't help but put a strong emphasis on it: Life is way too short. Sometimes we worry about things that take away from living and we forget to enjoy the moments we have. Don't do tomorrow what you can do today or could have done yesterday. Life is too short to live with regrets and thinking about what you could have done or should have done. James Dean once said: “Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." Powerful and meaningful. Take it and live it.

What areas of photography and business are you still learning? Where do you feel like you still need improvement?

I've learned a lot this past year and am pretty happy where I am in my photographic skills. I am still learning to improve to be better and not just settle for average.

One thing I feel needs improvement is the business side of running a photography business and this is something I am learning myself and others as I go along.

Are there any websites, blogs, or books that you feel could benefit others?

You know, I highly recommend befriending other photographers because you can learn so much from one another, share ideas, and have someone to talk to about photography. Forums are another great tool (Opensourcephoto.net). Digital Photography School is pretty awesome. Check them out!

Is there anything you would like to include in our interview?

I am honored to have been selected for this interview. Jessica, thank you so much for taking the time and for wanting to interview me. To all who read this interview, thank you! You are all awesome!

Thank YOU, Damaris! It was such a pleasure hearing your responses to my questions.

For anyone residing in Southern California in need of a good photographer, go see Damaris! For anyone in need of some photoshop advice, please contact her! She is not only great at taking photos, but a wonderful person as well, and I know she will treat you good!

Her blogsite (which just launched as of today!) is: www.damarismia.net

You can also find her on facebook: Damaris Mia Photography

And twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/damaris_mia

And if you would like to see even more of her, the old blog is: www.damarismia.blogspot.com

Damaris, I think I can speak for the rest of us when I say that, we are all really looking forward to seeing what you have planned for yourself and your photography! Good luck in your pursuits! If there is anything at all that I can ever do for you, please let me know! And, congratulations on your upcoming one-year wedding anniversary!

Love,

Jessica

--- I'm headed over to check out her new blogsite right now! ---

What I've learned This Week | personal

2010-10-29T10:52:00.000-04:00

Week two ...

Photography related -

*Be careful while editing photos not to push too many wrong keys on the keyboard. I have no idea which key I hit, but it changed my brush and I had to re-edit about ten photos. Whoops.

*I'm sadly going to have to change the way I watermark my photos. I always put it at the bottom so that my clients can see themselves instead of my watermark but I guess some people don't understand the concept of the way that photography copyright works. I'm learning most of my lessons the hard way. =)

*The Creative Live with Tamara Lackey event will be November 19-21. I may end up missing some of it because I have some sessions scheduled that weekend but I'm still looking forward to catching as much of it as I can. Check it out if you can. It should prove to be a great learning event.

*My website is taking a bit longer to complete because I'm having a very difficult time completing the write up portion of it. I sure do wish it was easier for me to talk about myself. It would come in pretty handy right about now.

*If you know specifically what you are trying to acomplish in photoshop but don't have a clue how to do it, google will get you the answer pretty quickly and the internet is a very generous place when it comes to others sharing their knowledge!

*I printed a chart out for my own reference on the focal distance for each aperture setting. I plan on using it until I have my sweet spots completely memorized.

Life in general -

*We are headed up to South Carolina for Thanksgiving this year. I feel like it might make it a bit easier for me if we got out of town. Thanksgiving has been bonding time for me and mom for many, many years now and it's probably going to be a hard weekend for me. At least this way I won't be in the kitchen, so I won't be in there without her.

*Never chop at your bangs when you are having a bad day. Ha! Ya, I've had to learn this lesson over and over and over. Learned it again this week.

*Mom and Dad Swatts have a new pop-up and it is super nice! I bet they can't wait to use it.

*Oh, and I learned that Gracey had a project that was due last week. But I didn't learn about it until this week. ***sigh*** I'm really going to have to be more thorough about going through her backpack every day. Spending five hours in one night on a project was NOT FUN!

I'm missing being out in the sun already. Gracey doesn't have school today so maybe we'll try and get some somewhere. But for now, here's a photo of our last beach trip that never made it to the blog.

Happy Friday!

Love,

Jess

Mike, Beth and Dee

2010-10-27T12:13:00.000-04:00

Beth and I have been friends for a long time now. 15 years. Almost sixteen. I always know how long because her and I became pretty close when her daughter, Deanna, was only a couple months old (and she's going to be sixteen in February). It's kind of funny that Beth and I have remained such close friends for so many years. On the outside, we really are nothing alike.

She is loud. And funny. And short. The baby of her family.
I am quiet. And shy. And tall. The oldest of my siblings.

But we get along well because on the inside we are the same. We both have huge hearts. We both care about people deeply and we both love our big families like crazy!

I feel like a pretty lucky girl to have had Beth as my friend this long. I also feel pretty lucky to have the opportunity to watch her little baby girl turn into an amazing and wonderful teenager. I'm so proud to say that I have been through so much with Beth, and her with me. Standing by each other's sides for so many years through so many different stages of life. We were just young teenagers trying to figure out who we were and where we were going in life when we met. And now we are both married moms trying to figure out who are kids are and where they are going in life.

I love this little family so much! And now they are expecting a boy! I'm so excited for them!

Beth has raised such an amazing girl. And they have a really great mother daughter relationship. It reminds me of how close me and my mom were.

Did I mention that Mike is perfect for Beth? Ya, he is. Upon first meeting him you would think that he is a quiet and laid back guy who just lets Beth be Beth, but no, he's not like that at all. He matches Beth toe-to-toe in her humor and sarcasm. It is so funny to watch them together. And he loves her. A lot. That makes him doubly perfect for her in my eyes.

Mike is such a great dad to Deanna. A perfect balance of spoil, love, protection and discipline.

Beth, you are super gorgeous! I love your beautiful smile, but I also love this look that you get when you are watching people and thinking.

Just look at those blue eyes! Wow!

You two are so stinking cute! I love this one!

Mom and her baby girl. Love.

Between you and Mike, baby Ryan doesn't stand a chance of having any other eye color than some gorgeous blues!

You two are so funny! I love the looks you give each other.

Handsome Mike.

Gorgeous Dee. Your eyes are pretty darn beautiful too!

Deanna has been cheering for quite a few years now. She's a sophomore cheering varsity this year!

Mike, Beth and Dee, I love you guys bunches! Thanks for such a fun time taking your photos and thank you again for lunch! It was a great time.

Beth, I am so glad we have been friends for so long. We've been through so much together and this year marks moving on to yet another chapter in both of our lives. Thanks for always being such a great friend. I can't wait to meet Ryan in February!

Love,
Jess

What I've Learned This Week | personal

2010-10-22T19:34:00.003-04:00

I've got a couple new things I'm going to be doing on the blog here soon. One of them is this post. Every Friday I'm going to write a post about what I have learned about photography and life in general. It's mostly for me to start keeping track (I kind of wish I would have started this sooner) but it's also for others. Maybe somebody else can learn from something I've learned, who knows?

So here goes for week one ...

Photography related -
*Remember to stop down (change aperture to a higher number) when photographing more than two people. Out of focus eyeballs on one person while everyone else is in focus drives me nuts!
*Tree shade is not always my friend, even when it's dense. Pay extra close attention to possible light spots on faces and arms.
*CreativeLive is hosting another learning event coming soon and I'm pretty excited about it!
*There are many other photographers out there who are at my level but it's rare that we put ourselves out there on the internet like that, so I'm going to ... just to be different.
*I've had the chance to meet a few amazing photographers this week!
*I'm going to a Dave Ramsey seminar on November 5. I'm pretty excited about that as well!

Life in general -
*P90X and I have a love/hate relationship but I will soon have that P90X butt I've been dreaming about! "Get rid of all that goo!" as Tony says.
*I inherited a super amazing and wonderful cousin through my husband. Ok...so I've known this one for quite some time, but I felt like it needed extra recognition again this week. =)
*Grandma Kaye put money towards Gracey's lunch money. Twice now. And I am so very thankful to her for that! Mom Swatts, if you are reading this ... THANK YOU!
*Me and store-bought Halloween costumes do not get along. At all.
*No softball for Gracey this weekend. We are disappointed, but it's actually a nice little break. Next game is Tuesday!
*Brandon made a sweet tackle at his football game last night! Undefeated! Woohoo!
*I wish so much that I could have been with Sarah for her birthday this week. Love you bunches, sweetie!
*I still miss my mom. A. LOT. But I know she's been proud of me and I can feel her with me every day helping me reach my goals. I love you forever, mom.

Gracey went to her first ballet this week. It was the 2nd grade field trip. I wish that I could have gone with her but there wasn't enough room for parents to tag along. She said she had a lot of fun. I'm glad!

So, all-in-all it was not too bad of a week. I'm actually pretty tired from all that learning but I sure am looking forward to our annual Halloween party tomorrow night, store-bought costume and all!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Debbie And Her Girls | portrait photography

2010-10-20T10:16:00.002-04:00

To know this little family is to be completely impressed. Not only are these four girls beautiful, smart and talented, but they are an amazing little bunch.

Debbie makes her daughters her life ... and she does it in such a way that each one of them has their own style and personality. They don't have to fit into any mold that someone else has made for them. And, even though they are each so different, they are so close. They love each other so much ... and it truly shows.

I don't usually change my photos to black and white unless a client asks me to. I love color so much, but this one was different ...

I love this series of Debbie with each of her girls alone. You can really see how they each have their own style and how Debbie loves them for just who they are.

The girls were so great while we were taking photos! This one was actually their idea.

................. Kaylen

................. Jordyn

................. Madyson

There is something to be said for a woman who has the ability to raise her children this way. It takes a lot of strength ... and patience ... and love.

Debbie, you are amazing! Thank you so much for the opportunity to capture such a beautiful crew!

Miranda, Roland and Rollie | portrait photography

2010-10-19T14:31:00.002-04:00

The moment they got out of their car and started walking toward me I thought to myself, "Gorgeous!" And then I said it out loud to them ... and immediately added, "and Handsome!", before the boys killed me for calling them gorgeous. But I meant it. They are a gorgeous family and in the time I spent with them I could also tell they were a very loving family. I love it when people share that part of themselves with me.

The park was just beautiful. It's beginning to feel like fall around here. I've heard on the news that the weather is changing earlier than it usually does. It makes for wonderful photo weather, that's for sure!

There were peacocks everywhere in this park, and they definitely weren't afraid to walk right up to us.

See??? Just gorgeous I tell ya!

Such handsome boys!

Isn't Rollie such a handsome little guy? And he really did such a great job for me even though he did not want to be taking photos when there was a playground right within his view! But, can you blame him? That's kind of torture to a kid his age, right?

A little bit of tickling kept the smiles coming...

Super gorgeous mama!

This is my favorite kind of photo...little moments between people that they don't even know you are capturing!

I think mom's and dad's should always take some time to just be a couple!

Roland, you are one handsome guy!

And, Miranda .... just stunning, girl!

Miranda, Roland and Rollie,
I had such a great time taking your photos and I really enjoyed our little picnic afterwards! But, my favorite part of the whole day ... when Rollie hugged me really tight like four times and wouldn't let me go! That was when I knew my job was complete.

Thank you!

Weekend Recap | personal

2010-10-18T12:30:00.001-04:00

Well, I sure had a busy weekend! An early morning softball game, a family portrait session, a studio portrait session, and a couple other gotta go do's. Then a boudoir session, some puppy time and some quality chit chat time with Rachel on Sunday. Whew! I'm tired this morning!

Saturday morning began with waking up as early as possible to get ourselves ready and get Gracey to the softball field by 8:15am. Her game was great! The Luna-chicks won again even after loaning two of our players to the other team because they didn't have enough girls to play.

After her game I had to head straight to a family portrait session for one of my best friends. We've been friends since high school and she has a 15 year old daughter (I still can't believe that sweet thing is that old already). She's married to an almost perfect man (yes he gets deductions for turning my friend into a Gators fan), and is pregnant with a little boy who I can't wait to meet in February (maybe he'll have my birthday). It was such gorgeous morning. The weather was perfect and we got some really fabulous photos of them! They were so sweet and treated me to lunch at Moe's. Yum! - Thank you again for that! -

When our lunch was all finished I headed on over to my sister's to meet up with one of her website clients, Wanda Novak. (You may remember me talking about Wanda before when I was telling you how I designed her book quite a while back.) Stephanie is making a gorgeous website for Wanda and they needed some studio portraits for the home page so I brought my lights over and got some fun and serious shots of Wanda. She is such a character! You just can't help but be captivated by her fun and unique ways. Her book is being reprinted as a second, better, edition. You can check out her website at Neversaycant.net. It's still in the works but I've seen a preview of what's to come and it's wonderful!

I met up with Brian after Wanda's photos. Gracey made plans to stay with a friend for the night. We had a couple more things on the list of to-do's and then we called it a night around 11:30pm.

Sunday morning began with Brian making me the tastiest veggie omelet I've ever had! - I guess he was watching some cooking show last weekend and got some great tips on how to make them perfect. - He sure learned quick because it was good!

After breakfast with my hubby I headed on over to Rachel's house because we had a boudoir session that afternoon. I helped her get the finishing touches done on cleaning and played with her house guest a bit. She's dog-sitting a teacup chihuahua, and this little dog is the cutest thing you've ever seen! She has little white paws and a white tip on her tail while the rest of her is a light brown. Her name is Bambi, and I can see why... she looks just like a little deer!

It was another amazing session that afternoon followed with some nice chit-chat and catching up with Rachel. By the time I got home I had enough time to eat some dinner and head to bed.

Whew! What a weekend! It was long and tiring but fun and rewarding at the same time!

Here's a photo of that cute puppy I was telling you about:

Isn't she precious? !!!

More stuff to do next weekend. October is proving to be just as busy as September!

Halloween party next week...anybody have some cool costume ideas for me? I'm really out of ideas ...

Luna-Chicks | personal

2010-10-14T10:02:00.002-04:00

So, Gracey started playing softball last month and we are just loving it! LUNA-CHICKS. That's the team's name. It's been so much fun so far...Of course, we are on a pretty good team. The coach is just amazing with these girls, and we have some pretty great parents in the stands too! We've only lost one game so far, out of seven. That's pretty darn good, I think. I feel so lucky that Gracey got picked for this team because, with this being her first-ever season of softball, I can see that all the team spirit and positive attitudes have really made her want to succeed at it.

This Tuesday night was no exception. The team did an amazing job making plays and hitting the ball! Gracey just happened to have quite a fan base in the stands too! Mom, dad, Aunt Kimmie, Leann and David, Aunt Stephanie, Grandma Kaye, Uncle Jack and Pop-pop. We were only missing a couple family members, Grandma Linda being one of them, for sure. (As much as my mom was not the sports type of girl, I think she would have been so proud of Gracey and enjoyed watching her out there on the field).

Here's Gracey during warm-ups before the game. Yes, I made her wear the bows in her hair and no, she doesn't like them. But, doesn't she look so cute? !!! And this way, there's no mistaking her when all those fans are in the stands trying to figure out which one she is. =)

I'm so proud of my girl! Happy Thursday!

Holiday Mini Sessions | portrait photography

2010-09-16T19:07:00.004-04:00

I took a poll on facebook and it seems that many of you would be interested in getting photos done for the holidays so I came up with some dates and a package price for Holiday Mini Sessions. Please let me know if you are interested and which spot you are interested in grabbing so I can mark you down on my calendar. If you are looking for a package other than what I have come up with let me know and we can work something out to fit your needs.

As of right now I'm still deciding on locations. It will probably end up being whatever is central to all those who will be participating.

I look forward to hearing from you all soon!

Love, Jess

Jasmine Star: She Rocks! | portrait photography

2010-09-13T11:16:00.001-04:00

A couple weeks ago I was so very lucky to attend an online workshop by Creative Live featuring the super fabulous photographer, Jasmine Star. I was completely blown away by how much she taught me in such a short amount of time about the photography business, branding and myself. It was a huge eye opener for me.

One of the things she said to us was that you should have photos of yourself on all of your websites so that clients will know who you are. I thought long and hard about myself, my business, and what I want to portray to my clients about who I am.

So, who am I? Well, I'm a work in progress that's for sure. But who isn't, right? More specifically, I'm a girl who likes to have fun. I love my cut-off jeans and flip flops. I love living in Florida and the long summers we have here. I could care less for the humidity, but I realize it's all part of the package and I don't think I could ever live somewhere where the beaches are more than an hour drive away. I'm actually a California girl. I was born there and I love that state too, even though I haven't been there since I was very young.

I'm really nice, too nice sometimes...so others tell me anyway. I love people. A lot. But, I'm not naturally a "people person". I'm shy. It takes a lot of effort for me to not be quiet, but I'm OK with that because it makes me a good listener, and I'm a very good listener. I'm one of those people who can find something good, and something I like, about every person I meet. I worry about others... all. the. time. Sometimes this drives my husband crazy. He says I worry too much, but I know that he loves me for my big heart just the same.

People never think that I am as old as I am. I'm 32. I like that they think I'm younger because I love youth, the innocence of being young, the natural happiness that younger people, especially children, have. It has nothing to do with looks, but, really...what girl wouldn't mind that they still get carded all the time when they are 32? I'm not complaining.

I'm a country girl. A beach girl. An urban girl. A daughter. A sister. A wife. A mom. A stepmom. Well, I like to mix it all up. I'm a little bit of everything. I don't believe in all or nothing. I think, for me anyway, it's better to have variety so you don't get bored.

So, how in the world could I incorporate all of that into a photo that says something about me? Easy. Just drive down to my sister-in-law's house that's in the country but twenty minutes from the beach. Spend the entire three-day weekend on the beach. Get up the morning we are headed back home, throw on my favorite cut-offs, walk outside of her gorgeous house into her beautiful yard, set the camera, hand it to my sis-in-law, Kim, and tell her to snap some photos. Done. Piece of cake.

She did a really great job too. Thanks, Kim! I love you!

So, this is me. Jessica. Jess. Jessi. Whatever you prefer I like them all.

Guardian really wanted in the photos with me. It was funny.

This is one of my favorites.

And this one.

I liked this one on the swing too. I never see myself from this angle.

Thanks for listening to me talk about myself. I'd much rather know more about you though. My sister is working on My Website so it's under construction but you can find me on My Facebook. I'm always there, or email me, jessicaswatts@gmail.com. Or, just leave a comment below.

Talk to you soon!

Jess

Blues | personal

2010-08-30T12:52:00.002-04:00

Have you noticed how blue the skies have been this month?

Every day when I look up I see these gorgeous blue skies that I haven't seen in years, not since I was little. I've always noticed that the sky was never as blue here in Florida because I missed those crazy saturated colors that used to appear over the mountains where we lived in Arizona when I was a kid. Usually the skies here are a hazy white-ish blue color. But not lately. And every time I look up and see all that blue it makes me think of mom.

Blue was her favorite color. The color of her beautiful eyes. The ones that you could look into and see a gentle and kind soul looking right back at you.

I miss her every single day. When I wake up in the morning the first thought in my head is always, "She's gone. My mom is gone." Sometimes I don't even have the words to describe to myself what I am feeling.

Deep sadness.

She was truly my best friend. Who else in my life will ever love me as unconditionally as only a mother can? I feel like we were so close, and yet...I also feel like I wasn't close enough to her. She was taken from us...from me too soon. Much too soon.

So, when I look up at those blue skies each day, I try to imagine that she is there, smiling back at me, just like before.

Bright blue eyes shining, gentle and loving.

A New Momma | portrait photography

2010-08-29T22:52:00.003-04:00

Friday marked Adelina's fourth month of pregnancy and she wanted to capture how she looks at this moment in time. Sure, most people wait until they are further along, but I love her idea of having them done earlier, and again later in the pregnancy so she will be able to look back on them and remember not just the heavy end but also the best time of pregnancy when the morning sickness has just gone away and the baby is just starting to really show. Just such a wonderful idea!

It was super hot out, and she did such a great job despite all the heat! And did I mention that she is absolutely gorgeous? !!!

Stunning!

I just love how gorgeous she is when she's laughing!

Hello, little 4 month in-the-belly-baby! You are so cute and tiny right now!

Thank you so very much, Adelina, for the wonderful opportunity! I'm looking forward to our eight month session!

Sneak Peek | portrait photography

2010-08-27T16:45:00.000-04:00

A little sneak peek from a mini maternity session this morning: Enjoy!

Short Recap of Mom's Celebration | personal

2010-08-26T14:04:00.004-04:00

We are taking it day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute these days.

Mom's Celebration of Life gathering was a success. We still aren't sure how many people actually came by, but it was a lot. My sister got in contact with Kaleigh Baker, she was so generous to come by and sing for us in the afternoon. It was beautiful...and heart wrenching at the same time. Such a bittersweet day for us. While it was so wonderful to see how many people care about mom, it was so sad to know that they were there because she is gone.

We seem to be hanging in there. Dad has been busy trying to get all the paperwork side of things handled. I don't know how he does it, I would be a complete mess trying to handle all that. In fact, I have been a complete mess lately. I can't seem to remember anything that I'm supposed to be doing. Even this post has taken me three days to get to because I get sidetracked too easily.

Crystal has been busy going through interviews for a promotion. While I know that she has been very stressed about whether she's going to get the job or not, I have full confidence that she will. She's just good like that.

Stephanie is back to school again. One of her classes is requiring her to build a complete website so she told me that means I'll be getting mine soon. Woohoo! I'm so very proud of her for doing so well in all of her classes. She is just so smart, that's probably why she got so bored in high school.

Jack is continuing to work as a security guard in the mall. It really is the perfect job for him. He's such a big and quiet guy, it suits him well. The last couple days he's been dealing with a pulled back muscle. I'm not sure how that happened but I'm hoping that it will get better for him soon because it looks pretty painful.

School started back for Gracey this week. It was so nice to be able to sign up as a volunteer for her classroom a couple days a week. I've never been able to do that before and not having a full time job has allowed me the opportunity this year. I really don't know if I'm going to be putting too much on my plate by trying to help out the teacher. To be quite honest, I just found out this morning that Gracey has been getting to class late every day this week. Whoops! Sorry, Mrs. Cooper! I've vowed to change all my clocks forward a few minutes tonight.

My sweet, wonderful Brian has been working his butt off all week in the heat. I really don't know how he does it, but I am so thankful that he does. It was so amazing to me to see how much effort he put into cooking all the meat for mom's celebration. He started Friday night at our house, setting his alarm to go off every hour from midnight to 4am so he could put more wood in the smoker and turn the meat, then he loaded it all up the next morning and continued cooking at mom and dad's house. It was well worth all that effort though. The smoked pork was excellent and it seems to be a favorite for most all who attended. It just dawned on me that I didn't get any photos of him cooking, or the spread. Bummer.

I continue to think about my mom every single day. That's nothing new, the only difference now is that I can't hug her when I want to anymore. That hurts more than anything, and it seems that dad has the same thoughts as me on it, so we give each other hugs. Most days I wish I could just be there with him all day and night, but I can't. I have my own little family I have to take care of.

Here are some photos from the celebration. We will post more to mom's blog soon. I need to get the photos that dad printed out from all the years on there first.

We had a few bottles of red wine available in case anyone wanted to have a glass on mom's behalf. She liked a nice glass of red wine on occasion.

These flowers were sent from mom's brother, Bryan, who lives on the other side of the US and was unable to attend. They are beautiful and still blooming pretty as of today. I know mom would have loved them.

These were flowers brought to us by mom's work friend, Jill. They are so very pretty and we are so very glad that mom had such a wonderful friend's at work.

This was the memorial wall of photos that dad worked so very hard on. He spent hours over the last couple weeks searching through all of our family photos to find the very best to be included here. I think he did a marvelous job, even if it is hard for me to look at sometimes.

Dad and his brothers. So very glad they could make it down. He was smiling the most while he talked with them that day.

This is mom's sister, Sharon. Our beautiful, kind and sweet Aunt Sharon. How would we have made it through all of this without your help? And, mom's brother, Johnny. Dear, sweet Uncle Johnny, it is so amazing that you were able to make it all the way here and we are so very glad that we were able to spend the weekend with you! And by the way, thank you so much for my gift. I will treasure it forever!

Kaleigh put on quite a show for us. Thank you so much, Kaleigh!

And thank you, Nate for the beautiful sax music. We are so very lucky to have had you with us this day.

Thank you to all of our friends and family who attended. It really means so much to us that each of you were there celebrating our sweet and kind mom.

I've Been Idle | portrait photography

2010-08-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

I wrote a post earlier today describing what the last few months of my life have been like. I hope that you all will understand after reading it why I haven't responded to emails, phone calls, texts and facebook messages as much as I normally do. I've been in a fog. Please forgive me.

To those of you who are waiting to see more photos: I will be back soon to post some. Although I have taken photos the last few months, there haven't been that many and I haven't had the energy to post them. If you are friends with me on facebook, I did try to update there a little bit, but it's been hard.

To all of you who have sent me loving messages, texts, phone calls and emails: Thank you so very much. Not a single one has gone unnoticed. It means a lot to me how much love and support I have through each and every one of you.

I'm not over this mountain yet. Not at all. And unfortunate as it can be at times like these, photography is most certainly an emotionally involved occupation.

A Loss So Dear To My Heart | personal

2010-08-14T17:40:00.003-04:00

How can I even find the words? This is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to write about, and ever since she got sick, I’ve been at a complete loss of what to say.

Around January this year she started having some pain in her neck and a slight cough that wouldn’t go away. She went to the doctor numerous times trying to figure out what was going on with her body. She even went to the dentist at one point to make sure she didn’t have a bad tooth causing her symptoms. By March she missed work three days in a row. That was so unlike her, and we decided to take her to the emergency room at a hospital where we knew someone who works as an RN. I left work early that day to drive her and my dad there. There was just something in my dad’s voice when I talked to him on the phone that afternoon that told me I needed to drive them both. It scared me the way he sounded.

She stayed a couple nights at that hospital getting everything checked in her chest area. There was talk of the possibility of tuberculosis, and a lung surgeon from ORMC/MD Anderson joined the team of doctors who were examining her. He did a CT scan and found a tumor in her chest. From that moment it seemed that time flew by.

On April 1^st she was scheduled for a biopsy to determine what kind of tumor she had growing on the outside of her left lung right next to her heart. How scared I was the day we took her to the emergency room didn’t compare to how I felt this day.

I went to work like normal because, with the construction industry being as slow as it is, and our company not having had any jobs all year, now was not the time for me to be missing any days. While I was there I felt this overwhelming sense that I should be at the hospital with the rest of my family. I wanted to get there before she went into surgery. I needed to be there to give her a kiss and tell her that I loved her but it didn’t work out that way.

I called my boss to tell him what was going on and ask him if I could go. He asked me to wait there because he had some things he needed me to do. By the time he arrived to the office, and ignored me for about a half hour, I was very upset with him and at the situation. Finally he called me back to talk with him, and after a long talk about my situation and about his company, he let me go. I mean, I was laid off. What a blow! But I didn’t care. I just wanted to get to the hospital and see her as fast as I could.

I got there just in time to go in with dad and see her as she was waking up. The surgeon had already come to see the rest of the family and tell them that the tumor was malignant.

Cancer.

It would be a couple days before they could tell us what kind.

When dad and I went in to see her and get her ready to go home, we asked her if the doctor had come back to talk to her. She said he had not. Dad told her about the tumor with tears in his eyes. I felt like I wasn’t even in the room with them as they looked at each other, upset, scared, and my heart ached as I heard her ask him if she was going to die.

Her follow up appointment came a couple days later.

Lung cancer. Lung cancer that had formed in a tumor on the outside of her left lung.

From that day on she never fully recovered. Her chest hurt. She was coughing all the time. And she lost her voice. The day she lost her voice, I felt like I had already lost her. It was so very painful for me to go back and see her throughout the following weeks. I have always thought of myself as a strong person who can handle anything that is thrown my way, but not with her. Not her.

She started radiation treatments that were supposed to shrink the tumor. There was no way surgery could be done because it was too close to her main organs. She opted against chemo because she just didn’t have the strength for that.

I went to see her a couple times a week. Stayed in the hospital with her one night at the end of April while she was there because of blood clots in her legs. Oh, how hard it was to watch her unable to really get herself out of bed and walk around. How painful it was to see her so frustrated because it hurt her too much to try and talk. How dreadful it was to see her barely eating anything.

But she was so good about her new diet. My dad did all the research. He purchased books, scoured the internet, read up on every report he could to try and find a way to beat this thing. Stay away from sugar. Sugar feeds the cancer. Stay away from anything that turns into sugar in your blood, like pasta. Eat lots of vitamins. Drink lots of water. He bought her a special water to drink that you can only find in Chamberlin’s. He put her on Poly MVA which was supposed to work with the immune system to help fight off the cancer cells. It was expensive.

She skipped the vitamins sometimes. They got too hard for her to swallow. The Poly was her lifeline. She said that it made her feel better. She could feel it working.

But I saw her looking worse when I would go visit. It scared me so much. My dad and the rest of the family stayed pretty positive, so I stayed away more. There was no way that I wanted to scare the rest of them by my being so scared. And there was no way that I wanted to bring any negative energy into that house.

After seven weeks the radiation was finished, and on Monday, July 19, she went back for another CT scan to see how much the tumor had gone down. At her follow up appointment the next day, Tuesday, the doctor told her that the tumor had not gone down and there was a small mass formed on her right lung. He said the scans were foggy because of some inflammation in her lungs. There was talk of starting another kind of chemo as soon as she built up enough strength for it. He changed her medications because she was in more pain than before. They thought it might have been from the last doses of radiation, which were more intense.

When I heard the news I went straight over there to spend some time with all of them. When I got there, she was sitting up in her new chair with the rest of the family in the family room. She loved that chair. As I sat there with all of them in that quiet room, watching her play Words With Friends, I could see that she was scared. I was scared for her. I stayed around until she was tired and wanting to go to bed. She was feeling anxious so she took one of the anxiety pills that the doc had prescribed her before going to lay down.

As she got up from her chair and walked herself into her room with dad following closely behind, they passed me in the foyer and I noticed that she was standing almost six inches shorter than me. I never did grow to be as tall as her, so looking down at the top of her head as she passed was shocking to me.

The next morning at around 9:00am I got a text message from my dad saying that they had to call 911 and rush her to the emergency room. She had overdosed on her new medications. Not because she took more than what was prescribed, but because her body couldn’t handle the doses.

I won’t talk about the next two weeks that passed except to say that they went by fast. Too fast. And she never made it back out of the hospital.

On top of the overdose...pneumonia, and the cancer spread like wildfire through her lungs.

Her body gave up the fight, and she left it on July 31^st, 2010. A day that changed me and my family forever.

She was 63.

She’s not in pain anymore. I am so very thankful for that.

I miss her so much.

My mom.

I miss her so, so very much.

Please feel free to visit our site dedicated to her: My Mom, Linda

Catching Up...Again | portrait photography

2010-05-25T20:14:00.000-04:00

I had the wonderful opportunity last month to photograph an amazing couple. Meet Patrick and Nina. Patrick is one of my best friend's little brother. He and Nina have such a fun happy relationship and it really shows in their photos! Thank you so much for the opportunity, Pat and Nina!

Sneak Peak | portrait photography

2010-03-11T09:27:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful session yesterday afternoon with two of my very dearest friends. We had such a fun time! Here's a little sneak peak. More to come soon.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2010-02-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

A special post just for my beautiful mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most beautiful woman I know, my best friend, my support and my encouragement...My MOM!!! I love you so much and wish you the best day EVER!

Although she will always deny she's ever had talent, it's never been a wonder to me where my creativity started from. I think she forgets that she's the one who taught me how to use a sewing machine when I was very young so that I could make dresses for my barbies. :)

Thank you Dad, for taking so many photos of her even though she never wanted you to!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Little Black Portraits | Boudoir Photography

2010-02-23T14:53:00.001-05:00

Another new post at LBP...

And So Begins 2010...

Little Black Portraits | boudoir photography

2010-02-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

So, I'm starting something new on my blog. Because I know that a lot of family members might not really want to see the other photography work that I do, but also because I know that a lot of you do want to see them...I have a new blog started for my Little Black Portraits and any time I have a new post on that blog, I will annouce it here so you guys can see it if you want to.

Here goes...new post. Click on the link below. :)

2010 Session Favorites

Happy Tuesday!

Aubrey | portrait photography

2009-12-14T08:34:00.000-05:00

We attended Billy and Kelli's annual Chili cook-off a couple weekends ago for some chili tasting and judging. Congrats to Billy for winning this year! Great job on a more traditional chili. Yum!

Kelli asked me if I could take some photos of her daughter, Aubrey, so she could have some nice ones to hand out for Christmas. We got there a little late and the sun was going down so I grabbed Aubrey really quick and snapped a few. She's a natural at modeling!

Hope you love them, Kelli!

Krista and Family | portrait photography

2009-12-03T09:25:00.001-05:00

We met up at Cranes Roost on a Sunday afternoon when the weather wasn't looking so great. Krista has such a beautiful little family and Kaydon is such a ham! The rain held out just long enough for us to capture some great moments.

Krista, I hope you love your photos!

Neglect | personal

2009-11-19T14:35:00.000-05:00

Ok. So I've neglected my blog again. I was totally planning on gathering all the photos of Gracey's birthday party and all the stuff I made for it and blogging it back in ummmm....September. :( Sorry guys! it never happened and I'm a little overwhelmed with how much I would have to write in order to catch you up to speed on what's been happening in my life these days. So, I'm just going to make a list to make it easy on myself, and so you don't get bored to death! :)

Gracey started first grade - fun stuff!
Gracey turned 7 - also fun stuff!
We went to South Carolina to visit for Sarah's birthday (she just turned 11) - more fun stuff!
Went to an awesome Halloween party hosted by Paula and Wade - we're really having fun now!
Halloween! Gracey dressed up as Hanna Montana this year. We celebrated with DeeDee and Chris - so much fun!
Moved Gracey's room to our side of the house - she sleeps in her own bed now! fun! fun! fun!
Three photo shoots - totally amazing and fun!

and the latest and greatest...

Rachel and I have started a business together!

We joined our talents (she's a hair and makeup artist) and created...

We are so very excited about this! You can check out our new Blog or become a fan on Facebook to get more information! We hope that you love this as much as we do!

Hope everyone is safe, healthy, happy....and having tons of FUN!!!!

Nichole V Photography | portrait photography

2009-11-12T09:16:00.000-05:00

Nichole V is a photographer that I have been following through her blog for about a year and a half now. I found her through googling "natural light photography tips" (or something similar to that anyway). When google took me to This Post I was thrilled. This was exactly the kind of simple information I was looking for to help teach me more about photography and how to achieve that special kind of lighting in portrait photography.

I spent hours looking through her blog posts and finding more and more information that she was so kind to share. I don't know if she really knows how much her posts like This One and This One have helped me (and so many others, I'm sure) learn more about portrait photography, but I'd like to thank her for taking the time to write them.

------Thank you so much Nichole, for every effort you make to help others find their way in portrait photography! And, thank you for helping me. Your posts helped me to see the light at a time when I was struggling so hard to understand it.--------

Nichole has her own workshops. I've always wanted to attend one, but haven't been able to. Recently, she released her workshops as a package you can purchase called {life as art} Workshop In A Box. Oh, how I wish to have this! After following her blog for so long and seeing how talented she is, I know this is going to be good! So, check it out! She's giving one away. How cool is that?

Again, thank you, Nichole! And good luck to all who participate in her contest!

Blogs I Follow | personal

2009-10-08T15:33:00.004-04:00

I follow quite a few photographers blog's. Some of them I visit more than others. Sometimes it seems like they all take a break from new posts at the same time. So if I'm in the mood to feed my brain then I start finding more blogs to read and pour over the photos. Today I decided to count how many I know have in my list...There are 70! Whoa!

Here are some of my favorites:

Jasmine Star

The Modern Type

Jessica Claire

Tara Whitney

Mom*Tog

And I just added these two to my list:

Gail Werner

Jose Villa

I'm surprised my brain hasn't crashed from all that information yet!

Our New Family Member | personal

2009-10-05T16:02:00.003-04:00

Meet our newest addition to the family, Montana Skye. We just call her Skye for short. She is the sweetest little Catahoula ever! But don't ask Scout about that...she's left quite a few little teeth marks on his neck from them playing together! She was born on July 4th and was given to us as a gift from our sis and bro! Thank you! We love her so much!

Here she is the weekend we went down to Sarasota to pick her up:

And this is her just yesterday:

Welcome to our family little one. You will have many spoiled years to come!

New Header - Again | portrait photography

2009-10-01T13:34:00.003-04:00

Well, as you can see, I changed my header again. I think I just get bored when I have to look at the same thing over and over again! I'll probably be changing it yet again within the next few weeks. Oh, well...

On to other fun stuff. Stephanie and I created a video for the Annual Halloween Party. I laugh every time I see it. If you listen closely, you can hear my laughing. I couldn't hold it while we were filming!

If you have a facebook, you can check it out here: 4th Annual Hallween Bash

I'll be posting the photo's we took for it here soon. I still have to get caught up here again before that. I haven't even posted anything from Gracey's birthday party yet! Soon...

1st Grade | personal

2009-09-10T13:22:00.002-04:00

Gracey is in first grade this year. We were lucky. Her kindergarten teacher decided to move up to first grade and Gracey has her again! How nice is that?!!

First day of school:

We love you Mrs. Veltmann!!!

My Assistant, Gracey | portrait photography

2009-09-10T12:10:00.004-04:00

So far Gracey has accompanied me on all of my photo shoots and she has been such a great assistant being silly and getting our models to smile. I love this little girl so much!!!

I snapped this during Kim's shoot in Montana. :)

Kim's Special Package | portrait photography

2009-09-10T12:05:00.005-04:00

A couple weeks after our session I mailed Kim's portrait package to her...

I hope you like it, Kim! Thank you!

Kimberly | portrait photography

2009-09-10T11:09:00.004-04:00

Kim had been wanting her own photo shoot so we took the opportunity to do hers while we were in Montana. I'm so glad that we did! What a beautiful place for photos!!!

Kim, you were a wonderfully beautiful model! Thank you!

Victor, Montana | personal

2009-09-10T10:11:00.005-04:00

We went on vacation this summer! Our parents own a cabin in Montana and brought the kids with them on their drive out the beginning of July. It was a whole three weeks from the time that they left until we arrived out there and I was so nervous about Gracey being gone away from us for that long!

Our plane landed at noon Montana time. We were greeted by the family with tight hugs, big kisses and Montana leis. Brian's lei was a bone necklace made from bones that Chris and the kids collected from the cabin property and my lei was Moose Poop!!! Well, they really made it from chocolate covered raisins not real moose poop, but it was very cool!

We started our vacation by heading straight to Famous Dave's for some yummy BBQ lunch that is a must have if you ever visit Montana. Then we headed back to the cabin for them to show us around. After we changed our clothes we headed up the mountain to see all the views.

We spent the rest of our week hiking, shopping, fishing, visiting family, being lazy, eating late dinners, playing spades, and sitting on the porch enjoying the view.

We just loved it there so much are all ready to go back soon!

Here are a couple of my favorites from our trip...

This is the view of the valley from the cabin porch. We were above the clouds one morning!

You don't see many new vehicles driving around Victor. The people that live there just keep everything running and fix it when needed. Definitely not a "if it doesn't work throw it away" mentality. This truck is Great Uncle Reid's. I don't think it was running but it sure looked cool!

Dad was so funny walking around with his western holster on his side. He's showing us he's a real cowboy. :)

Here's the family. A few of these are Montana residents. They have it made being able to live in such a beautiful place!

The kids loved the plane ride home. Movies and M&M's...who wouldn't?

Words cannot describe how beautiful this place is and we are so very thankful that the kids had the opportunity to spend traveling with their grandparents. Mom and Dad, thank you so much for everything you did to make this possible for us! We can't wait to go back!