That's me, up there, with the brood of boys I live with. They're also my source of inspiration, and my partners in crime. The biggest boy is my husband, who also happens to be my business partner and uber talented super 8mm filmmographer. and the two little ones... we'll they're distraction and chaos, but we adore every second of it. We love traveling all over the country to photograph amazing events and milestones... it fuels my soul to see people fall in love with each other, their babies, their lives. The links up above you can check out my maternity series (when I was pregnant with the smallest one), and find out more about the weddings and sessions we photograph for free (under Giving Back), as well as links to older posts and helpful information. You can also read more about us at our main photography website at www.sugarleafphotography.com
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know i really dont photograph seniors. I think mainly because my memory of senior portraits are ultra-posed, glamour-type shots which is not really my style. But, when I have a client come along (and in this case, dina used to be my ballet student) that I connect really well with and am not afraid to break out of the typical senior portrait ‘style’ then I’m more than happy to do them. I knew we’d be right on the same page, and i’m so happy with how they turned out. also- i love photographing dance and dancers. i could photograph dance all day long. and then dream about it at night. dancers are so comfortable in their own skin in their own body sometimes i almost feel like i’m cheating as a photographer, like i’m not having to work hard enough to get great shots. but, everyone deserves a break once in a while, right?
yep. i know. she has a ridiculous amount of talent. and….. this wasnt even my favorite shot of the evening. CAN NOT WAIT TO POST. just had to throw this one little teaser up before i head to bed. so many more to share! keeping you all in suspense ’till i’m back from WPPI in Vegas next week
ps- that dress has feathers on it. love. i think i need a dress made exclusively out of feathers. ok… at least the skirt.
quite possibly one of the most fun and sweetest couples ever. i can not wait to share more of this with you soon! i was so nervous/excited for them that i was shaking harder than when my own husband proposed to me. i get so caught up in the moment!
a side note: sometimes i cant believe how lucky i am to witness the most impactful moments of people’s lives on a regular basis. from births, to weddings, to proposals… those are some pretty momentous events. i get to live everyone’s highest highs for my daily job. it kind of skews reality for me at times… living in this world where everyone is happy all the time… but i LOVE IT! Confession… one time i actually dreamed i was frolicking in a field with puppies and bunnies. mmhmm.
I am so excited to invite ALL of you guys to the regional premiere of When You Find Me- the film that was based on our photograph. It premieres at Citrus Stadium Park Mall 20 (7999 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa, Florida) at 6:30 pm on Thursday February 16th! Here is your official invitation, I’d love to see familiar and new faces there!
if you have been hiding under a rock… let me catch you up.
Last summer i got an email from my sweet nephew, Chet Kruse. he mentioned i should enter my photography in this contest- Canon Project Imagin8ion. Never having entered a contest before, i checked out the rules and regulations and felt confident it wasn’t a popularity contest (vote for me!) but a true and honest collaboration between creatives…. one of those being Ron Howard (director of A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, among others). The project asked photographers from all over the united states to enter photographs that fit into one of 8 themes (Relationship, Mood, Character, Setting, Obstacle, etc) and the winning 8 photographs would go on to inspire the next movie by Ron Howard. Likely, you saw this TV commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-Eesvx8GM0&hd=1
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have my photograph be made into a movie? sign me up. I entered this photograph of a woman in labor breathing through a contraction as her husband supports her. I titled it ‘too much’ – an ambiguous title- so that the Canon team could interpret it a multitude of ways and use their creative minds to come up with a storyline based on that event. it is, after all, called project imagination…
and then made it into the semi-finals. and then into the finals. and then Canon called me one morning to congratulate me on being the winning photograph of almost 100,000 entries, and that my photograph would go on to inspire this film.
Needless to say, i was overwhelmed, pulled my car over because i was shaking so hard and crying in disbelief. Ron Howard had seen my photograph. and then….. he had picked it. as.his.favorite. and then he created a little video blog talking about my photograph, why he chose it, and said my name. i was all ‘oh you know. that happens every day. Ron Howard just talking about my work. it really isn’t a big deal…” – ok, that’s a lie. i was floored. i may have peed my pants. just a little. shhh….
it was easily one of the most impactful moments of my entire life, and i am still in a state of disbelief. Lets get real for a minute here… My photograph was probably not ‘THE BEST’ in any of the categories. it wasn’t lit with 20 heafty-duty expensive lights. it wasn’t even edited in photoshop. It was the Raw image, converted to black and white, and submitted. but it was a moment of true emotion, a real moment in the most emotionally charged moments of that mother’s life. It is, in those moments of birth, where a person’s true character shows, and the relationships they have. It spoke to Ron, Bryce, and the Canon crew, and lended a story-telling aspect to the film. you’re left with so many questions- what is going on? is she dying? will she be alright? is she possibly having a baby? where are they exactly? … and i believe it is because of these questions that are left on the table that it was intriguing to them and was used well in the film. photographs that are emotionally charged are the ones that leave the permanent burned image in your mind long after you see it. that is the ultimate goal for any visual artist. They asked us all to talk about our photographs:
meanwhile, Bryce Dallas Howard was busy directing the motion picture already. they had scripted the whole movie around the 8 winning photographs that fit into each one of those themes (mine won the ‘relationship’ category). They created a trailer which kept everyone anxious to see the film at the world premiere. I still get goosebumps when i watch it…
they flew us out to New York (my first time!) for the world premiere of the film and after party and we all felt like celebrities between the red carpet event, the media and press, and the VIP treatment.
The film was then screened at Sundance Film Festival, and will have other appearances and (hopefully!) nominations for some pretty awesome awards ceremonies. So now that you’ve had to wait so long, here is your turn, Tampa area friends, to see the film. I’d love it if you could join us this thursday to watch this creative collaboration and hang out with us! We’ll also be having another premiere in Madison Wisconsin for all our northern followers and clients as well, so stay tuned Wisconsin!
thank you so much for everyone that has followed us on this incredible journey, supported us, and rooted for us. I’d love to see you there!
because i am a cruel cruel person I am only sharing one image of this weekend’s shoot. it is the sneak sneak peek, and i can not wait to share with you all the full post of this amazing dancer! she is seriously so talented and i loved literally everything we came away with.
SO MANY THINGS are happening here, i’ve been MIA on the blog because i have big exciting projects in the works. it’s worth it… trust me
The most common question i have regarding client’s shoot is “what should i wear?”
and although my first response is always “wear what you feel most comfortable in” there are some added tips that can really make a fabulous shoot, just by making some simple choices in wardrobe.
because my style is a more natural approach and much less posed and staged, i LOVE clothes that you can interact with. this means flowy dresses that you can lift up and twirl around, scarves that you can hold and will blow in the wind- anything that will give your hands ‘purpose’.
limp, dangling arms and hands are a photographer’s worst nightmare- it makes the photograph emotionless, lifeless, boring. we want to always be giving your hands purpose, and it’s so easy to do this if you have a big hat you have to hold on to in the wind, or a dress to pull up as you walk across the beach. if your hands dont have wardrobe to interact with, then sometimes we revert to the standard ‘maternity poses’ which are so overdone, staged, and…. well….. fake.
remember Nicole from the maternity session on the beach? her session was such a success because of the wardrobe (and she was such a beautiful mama to boot!) with the skirt, the bare belly, the scarf, and the oversized hat (go big or go home!) her shoot was natural, relaxed, and authentic:
and dont forget, you dont HAVE to wear flowy dresses. i love big oversized sweaters falling off the shoulder, even the image of lace curtains just wrapped around the bare belly below. and of course, this photographer who wanted to have an unpretentious look into what motherhood is really about. i love LOVE stretch marks, oh man i love them so much- i wish everyone could see the beauty in them that i do. these photos of her body have stayed with me in my heart and i hope always will. we’re not all super models, and there is no less beauty in that.
if you want to find your own flowy dress check out these inspiration photos that i’ve gathered from the blogosphere and pinterest!
seriously loving this little inspiration board i found on polyvore the ruffle details would look amazing in a breeze and the look is classic and timeless and totally flattering for a baby bump.
Neutral Classic:
i love this one from polyvore because it could truly fit any location, urban, field, beach, home… anything
Ethnic Bohemian Beauty:
LOVE this flowy skirt and it’s unique pattern. it might be my favorite. i might even want to get pregnant JUST so i can wear it. with that orange scarf. oh, and the location wouldnt be bad either!
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