I ADORE sun flare and all things sun, so I was so excited to see that the theme for this week’s IHF contest was Sun Flare.  What makes me laugh now is that I used to be horrified of the sun, I would cross my fingers that it would be cloudy whenever I had sessions scheduled.  Then I took a fabulous workshop called Finding the Light in 2009 (linked on my Favorites page) that taught me to embrace the sun, and I’ve never looked back.  I love backlighting and killer sun flare is now my best friend.  Honestly, I’m kinda bummed when the sun doesn’t peek out at least a bit during a session.  I had such a hard time choosing which image to submit {my great sun flare shots are some of my all-time favs}, but for me, this image has the perfect combination of flare, haze, and contrast – it just fits so perfectly with my gorgeous senior subject and her expression. 

To see more great sun flare shots, head on over to I Heart Faces!

UPDATE: Voting is now open, so YOU can go vote for this image by heading over to the I Heart Faces page and finding me – #274!  You aren’t required to enter any information, just click vote!   Thanks! 

This week’s theme over at I Heart Faces was favorite February faces.  Now there is NO way I could pick a favorite face image from February, there are way too many gorgeous faces in there.  I decided to submit this one because it was a little different.  Carly was kind enough to indulge me a little in playing with her scarf, and I think the result is jaw-dropping gorgeous.  I love the way her face is framed so perfectly and you are drawn straight to her eyes! 

Make sure to head on over to IHF to see more beautiful faces!

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve entered the I Heart Faces challenge, but I couldn’t resist this week’s theme, especially when I could use a shot of my own little sweetheart!   She was my model for a recent commercial shoot (soon to be blogged), and let’s just say that our sucker saved the day … sort of … I did get this “are you done yet?” face.  Oh well, I still love it!

Head on over to I Heart Faces to see more adorable entries!

I was so thrilled when I saw this week’s theme over at I Heart Faces!  I just wrapped up the most fun session with an awesome couple who LOVES to read.  I was so grateful that they indulged me and brought some of their favorite books to the session.  

For more great entries, head on over to I Heart Faces!

It’s been awhile since I’ve entered an IHF challenge, but when I saw this week’s theme THE DRESS immediately popped into my head.  This was taken back in the Spring, so it’s definitely not a “Fall” image, but when I saw Rachel’s awesome orange dress I was so excited!  We found some beautiful light in this little courtyard, and I thought the image was really calling for a vintage edit. 

To see more great “orange” entries, head on over to I Heart Faces!

Yes, they are!  And I’ve neglected to mention them to my blog readers, so I wanted to sum up some very cool things that have happened over the past few weeks!

1) I was listed among some of my own personal favorite photographers in a Senior Photography Showcase over on the always informative EW Couture Blog!  Seriously, I was reading the article, saw my name at the bottom, and almost passed out.  I’m still wondering if it could be some kind of mistake, but if not, I’m soooo honored to be included along with such talented photographers!  Go check it out! 

2) My I Heart Faces entry for the “Smirk” week, baby Vivienne, was given an honorable mention!  I know they receive hundreds of entries, so I was excited to get a mention.  AND, my good friend Erica May placed #9, make sure to peek at her awesome shot! 

3) We officially launched our Wardrobe Wednesday {where fashion meets photography} Page over on Facebook, and we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response … we had over 1,000 fans in our first 24 hours, and are now up to 2,000 in a matter of days!  We knew that this could be a great resource for both photographers and clients alike, but we had no idea it would take off so quickly.  We’ve got lots of big plans for our little Wardrobe Wednesday project, so make sure to “Like” us!

4) Well, this one I can’t tell you quite yet, so I’m going to leave you hanging and say that I have something SUPER DUPER cool to share with you (hopefully) very soon! 

I don’t know what else to say other than I thank God every day for the awesome supportive people around me and the ability He has given me to pursue this dream.  So, so blessed. 

And since I don’t want to leave you without a picture, here’s something else I’m thankful for …

As soon as I saw this week’s theme over at I Heart Faces, I immediately thought of this shot from Friday’s newborn session with sweet 5-day old Vivienne.  It may be the cutest little smirk I’ve ever seen!    More to come soon! 

Head on over to I Heart Faces to see more great entries!

Well, it’s been a while since I posted an entry for I Heart Faces, so I thought I’d check out this week’s theme. Wouldn’t you know that it had to do with cars! Conveniently, I just recently had an awesome senior session that involved a vintage Corvette! It was really hard to pick a favorite … if you want to see more,  check out Riley’s session here.  Neat story – this was actually his dad’s car when his dad was in high school, and it was restored just in time for his session.  Cool, huh?!? 

For more great entries, head on over to I Heart Faces!

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve been able to join in on one of these contests, but when I saw this week’s theme I knew I couldn’t pass it up!  If you’re a regular reader, I’m sure you’ve noticed that a big chunk of my spring clientele has been seniors.  I LOVE shooting seniors.  One of the reasons I find it so enjoyable is that you can’t be around a senior for long without feeling like one yourself again – they just exude that youthful carefree spirit, full of hope and possibilities.  I know that sounds silly and cliche, but it’s so true!  Maybe all that means is that I haven’t matured past that age anyways, and that’s why I have so much fun, but I can live with that too.   Anyways, Kim was no exception – I think she was laughing in about half of my shots.  Gotta love it! 

To see more great images celebrating teens this week, head on over to I Heart Faces!

It’s been awhile since I’ve entered something over at I Heart Faces, but it seems like I’ve barely had a second to breathe!  I knew I couldn’t miss out on this week’s theme – yellow.  I just love this shot from a recent family session.  I re-edited it to add some summer warmth and some texture too.  What a sweet couple!  

For more great entries, go check out I Heart Faces!