savannah ~ part 2

Those of you who read my blog often may remember Savannah from last fall. Savannah wanted her senior pictures taken at the beach, but the weather didn’t cooperate. We shot her first session downtown in a more urban setting. But, Savannah really wanted to go to the beach so we did another session Thursday. The weather cooperated much better this time, though it was a little windy. For anyone scheduling portraits on the beach . . . be prepared. It is ALWAYS windy at the beach. Sometimes there is just a gentle breeze, but far more often there are gusts that will make your hair stand on end!

Savannah is great in front of the camera. I enjoyed spending more time with her. She chose to have her shoot at Surf City where she spends a lot of her free time in the summer. And this time she brought her friend, Jessica, with her. Jessica turned out to be a great assistant for me. She hauled chairs and stools and helped me get Savannah to smile. I tried to get Savannah to smile by talking about graduation which is just a couple of weeks away. My plan completely backfired! When Savannah thinks about graduation, it doesn’t bring smiles – it brings tears, instead.

Here is Savannah’s sneak preview:

And last, but not least, Savannah and Jessica.

We had so much fun that we didn’t get home until it was well past dark. In fact, we didn’t leave the beach until dark. Luckily, I love the beach as much as Savannah so it wasn’t a hardship for me to sit and gaze at the ocean while waiting for the sun to go down a little. And it’s never a hardship for me to spend time with my senior clients. They are so much fun – they keep me young. Well, maybe not young – but younger.

kasie

Kasie has been a very busy senior.  We had originally scheduled her senior session several weeks ago.  But, her soccer team kept winning, so we had to reschedule.  Soccer season is over now – and Kasie’s team walked away with the state championship.  Congratulations to Kasie and all of her teammates!

We did Kasie’s senior session yesterday and it was gorgeous.  By the time we started, it wasn’t too hot and there was a nice breeze.  I can’t imagine a better day to be out and about doing my favorite thing . . . making beautiful portraits.  And, Kasie was wonderful to work with.  Although she’s a great athlete, she’s still a girly-girl.  Kasie has a great smile and was very comfortable with me.  The only thing we never managed to get was a serious look.  Like me, when Kasie tries to pull off serious – she just looks mad.  And then she starts giggling.  It’s definitely hard to giggle and look serious at the same time!

Here’s a sneak preview of Kasie’s shoot.

I had to show one picture of Kasie with her baby, Harlee.  Harlee didn’t like it one little bit when Kasie was getting all the attention, but wasn’t paying attention to her.   And she liked it even less when I got a little too close to Kasie while adjusting her pose.  Working with Harlee was like working with a child who doesn’t want her picture taken.  She tried her best NOT to look at me.  But, I got some cute pictures of Kasie and Harlee together, anyway.

Thanks for a great session, Kasie!

katie + tom

Meet Katie!

I’ve known Katie since she was a little girl playing in the pool at Carolina Sundeck. Katie has always been extraordinary. As a child, she never talked back, threw temper tantrums, misbehaved or embarrassed her mother. In school, she was an exemplary student and she excelled in extracurricular activities and sports. As an adult, she’s an outstanding teacher. In other words, Katie is the child that all parents wish they had. And now Katie has met the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with . . . Tom.

I don’t know Tom well yet, but each time we are together I learn more about him. First, Tom is from cold country – way up north in Michigan. In school, Tom excelled in sports just like Katie. And, he’s a teacher like Katie. Tom is polite and kind – and he treats Katie exceptionally well. So, I love Tom.

Even though Tom and Katie are alike in many ways, in some ways they differ dramatically. First, take a look at them together. Tom is very tall, and Katie . . . well, she’s just not. In fact, Katie is quite vertically challenged.

So, when I did engagement portraits for Tom and Katie, I needed some creative posing to help minimize the difference in heights.

We had a great time shooting their portraits, even though the wind was ferocious. Tom and Katie were such good sports – and did pretty much whatever I wanted to do. That’s the kind of client I love! We stayed at the beach to shoot in the beautiful light of sunset, then after the shoot we shared some Mexican food – my favorite and Katie’s. I’m so glad I had this chance to see Tom and Katie together, and I look forward to their wedding in July.

Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I posted this blog without including a jumping picture! Katie and Tom were working hard to get more air than my best jumpers to date, Nate and Christy. And, they did a good job. But, I think Nate and Christy still hold the record. Better luck next time guys.

And here’s one detail picture we took just as it was getting too dark to shoot anymore. I kind of like the way it turned out.

mini-vacation

jaclyn

Jaclyn, my latest senior, is a girl after my own heart. After graduation she’s headed to Carolina – my alma mater. Hopefully she’ll take some good karma with her so that my Tarheels can win that NCAA championship that has eluded them the past two years!

On Thursday Jaclyn, her mom, Alicia, and I all headed to the beach. I was a little sad not to be able to shoot in my favorite location, but the Marines were doing exercises there – and the beach really is theirs, after all. Jaclyn was a lot of fun to work with. She loved posing and had a good time showing me a number of different looks. Jaclyn’s choice of clothing was different from most of my seniors. She preferred a dressier look which photographed beautifully. Here are a few of my early favorites of Jaclyn.

I’ve been looking forward to blogging her session since Thursday night – but I had to wait until after her prom tonight. We didn’t want anyone to get a sneak preview of her beautiful prom gown! Jaclyn was pleased to be the first senior I’ve shot on the beach in a prom dress – but I’m sure she won’t be the last.

Is it any wonder I love to work with seniors? This job is fun!

weddings

Honestly, I love weddings. I love everything about weddings . . . the flowers, the music, the gown, the details and most importantly – the cake! However, a little over two years ago I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and told that I had to give up wedding photography forever. Fortunately, my health improved quickly and my heart recovered more than expected, so I was told I could shoot weddings on a limited basis. That’s what I’ve doing in 2007 and 2008 – shooting just a half dozen or so weddings a year for very special clients. And, I have been lucky to work with a great assistant and wonderful 2nd shooter. This way, even if I have a day when I’m not feeling quite up to par – there is plenty of back-up and no coverage is missed. It has worked quite well; however, I decided last month that weddings are just too much for me. This business is much better suited to a younger photographer than an old lady Too bad I didn’t realize my passion for photography before I was nearly 50! As much as I love weddings and as badly as I hate to give them up, I’m working too much. I need to simplify my life.

Even after my decision was made, I agonized over it. I just couldn’t seem to let it go. Then I had one of my best ideas ever, if I do say so myself. What if I continued to contract weddings, but hired an associate photographer to actually take the pictures and do the initial edit? I could still form relationships with clients (which I love), take engagement and bridal portraits, and prepare images and albums for delivery – allowing me to be actively involved with weddings but with less stress. Next came the hard part . . . choosing an associate photographer who had the skills, talent, and professionalism to trust my business to. My clients are extremely important to me and I want them to have the very best. When I started my search I found not one but two photographers who meet my high standards. I have known both photographers for several years through online wedding photography forums. When I approached them, I was delighted that they agreed to shoot for me when they are not booked. Both women are successful wedding photographers with as much or more experience than I. Their work is absolutely beautiful and we agree on all of the important aspects of wedding photography. I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them

So, if you have heard I’m not shooting weddings anymore – that is correct. However, if you are looking for a dynamite wedding photography team – give me a call. My associate wedding photographers are Charo Donohue and Lacey Gadwill. You can see their work at www.charophoto.com and www.laceyandjohn.com. I think you will be just as impressed with their photography as I am.

If you have signed a contract with me for a 2008 wedding, don’t worry. I will still photograph your wedding – along with my assistant and 2nd shooter. We are a team that works very well together. I will continue to provide the very best service possible. In the future, I will concentrate on portrait photography. My portraits continue to get better and better and I look forward to continuing that part of the business for years to come.

tyler + elisabeth’s gallery

Tyler and Elisabeth’s gallery is now ready for viewing.  Just go to www.elisebeall.instaproofs.com and click on their gallery.  The pictures are divided into categories to make it easier for you.  In my opinion, the easiest way to view pictures is to choose the slideshow option.  There are a lot of pictures, and I get bored easily; so I set the speed on fast and sit back and enjoy.  If you see something you like, just click on “add to favorites” and you can go back and look at just the pictures that were your favorites.

And remember, there is an Early Bird Special for those who order quickly.  And who doesn’t like to save a little money?

Again, congratulations to Tyler and Elisabeth.

Enjoy!

Damn Yankees Gallery

For those of you waiting to view and order pictures from Jacksonville High School’s spring musical, Damn Yankees, the gallery is now ready. You may view and order pictures at www.elisebeall.instaproofs.com for the next two weeks. The gallery is not password protected, but you will need to enter an e-mail address. This e-mail address will be used to notify you when the gallery is expiring – and that’s all. Don’t worry about getting spammed! Just go to the website and click on Damn Yankees. You will see three different categories: Act 1, Act 2, and Pre-Musical. The easiest way to view the pictures is to click on slideshow. You can adjust the speed so that you can view the slideshow quickly. If you see something you like, just click “add to favorites” and you can go back and make a decision later. Payment is made by credit/debit card at the time the order is placed. You can expect to receive your order approximately two weeks after the gallery expires.

loretta, kendall, tod and sarah

Loretta has wanted to do a family portrait session at the beach for over a year.  But getting her family in the same place, at the same time, when I am free proved to be a difficult proposition.  Sunday was the day . . . and it was a gorgeous day at that.  This was my first beach session of the year and I was excited to feel the sand between my toes.  I wasn’t excited, however, to see the flags flapping as we crossed the draw bridge onto Onslow Beach.  Even though it wasn’t windy in town, the wind was really whipping on the beach.  And to make matters worse, the tide was so high that I couldn’t shoot at the pier – my favorite place.  But we weren’t going to let a little thing like an especially high tide stop us!  We just moved to a better location and started shooting.  It was an absolutely beautiful day . . . clear blue skies and gorgeous blue water.  Add that to a great family and that’s the recipe for a fun session.

First we took a few pictures of the entire family.

Then, as I always do in family sessions, I broke the family down into smaller groups.  I took a few shots of Tod and Sarah alone – then a few together.  Tod was not as excited as I was to be at the beach having his portrait made.  But, he was very cooperative and I even got a natural smile or two out of him.  Sarah was easy – as always.  You may remember Sarah from her senior portraits a bit over a year ago.

To end the session I took a few pictures of Loretta and Kendall together.  We were all a bit windblown by this time and it was getting a little chilly.  I do love this pictures of them though – messy hair and all.

kelly

Kelly’s senior year is almost over – so yesterday we made time to do her senior session that has been rescheduled twice. I love working outside in natural light, but the weather is often a factor. I try not to complain when I get rained out because we need the rain so badly. But I will complain about the wind that has been blowing a gale for most of the past month. What’s up with that?

Kelly decided she wanted to shoot downtown which meant going to some of my favorite places. I shoot at these buildings so often, I almost feel like I should be paying rent (but don’t tell the owners). Kelly was a pleasure to work with. I don’t know how I get so lucky, but I rarely have a client who isn’t wonderful. I think the thing I like about shooting seniors is that most of them really get into the shoot. Unlike some of us older women, they don’t dread getting in front of a camera – they love it. Of course, if I looked like this, I’d love it, too. And Kelly, like most of my seniors, was open to anything I suggested.

Here are a few of my early favorites from Kelly’s shoot. I’m sure there will be lots more when I finish editing this session.

When asked, I always allow my seniors to bring a friend or family member along to be in a few shots with them. Kelly brought her sister, Laura. What a beautiful pair!

After moving her all over downtown Jacksonville, putting her on the hard ground, sitting her near an ant pile and on a splintery bridge, and turning her into a quick-change artist in her car – Kelly still thanked me for taking her pictures. It really should be the other way around. Thank you, Kelly, for being such a good sport.