maternity boudoir

I'm a Pessimist, But I Don't Want To Be

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I'm a pessimist.

It's plagued me my entire life.

I've always thought, "I'm just never going to look at the world in a positive light. I'm always going to be negative and assume the worst."

I'm sure it's contributed to my (at times) crippling anxiety and (at times) depression.

I've been listening to podcasts about the studies on optimism and pessimism and it's been nothing short of eye-opening and inspiring.

They are learning that while it can be an inherited outlook, you can actually train yourself to be more optimistic.

The Happiness Lab has an interview with psychologist Marty Seligman (a self-proclaimed pessimist) on his studies on what makes people happy. He's quite literally changed his thinking to be optimistic.

Why am I writing this? I'm writing this because I know I'm not the only one who suffers from a debilitating mindset that affects everyone around you, including your family. I know that I'm not the only one who wishes that everything hard that happens isn't "the end of the world" or "worst thing ever".

I know I'm not the only one who has cried actual tears over the way their brain works, but hasn't wanted to know the actual answer of if it can be fixed because what if the answer is, "This is just who you are"?

I'm finding that it doesn't have to be. I can nurture the things that are good in my life and the strengths that I posses, instead of nurturing what brings me pain.

The first photo of me pregnant shows what motherhood has felt like for the most part.

The second photo is how I long to feel most days.

I'm going to nurture the good in my life so that I can be more of the woman in that second photograph. I deserve it.

Life Photographer

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Life Photographer

If you asked me what the highest honor of my career is, I would tell you it is when I get to photograph repeat clients. Yes, beautiful photography is important, but more important than that is the experience. I want the people that stand in front of my camera to want to return to it year after year. I want their photographs to line the walls of their homes. I used to love looking at the family vacation photos that the Kennedys had taken every year they traveled. Real moments. Raw moments.

Krysten is someone who I’ve photographed through all of her huge life events. We were new friends when I photographed her wedding and now she is like a sister. We’ve built a trust around my camera and she allows me to fully create art. When new life events come up we already know I’m going to be there to photograph it. We create mood boards and talk locations. She’s hired me to photograph her engagement session in Tallahassee, wedding in Jupiter, maternity photos in Atlanta and Miami, boudoir in Tallahassee, and travel to Oregon. What an incredible ride.

I love travel, I love photography, and I love documenting real moments in people’s lives. I hope to be many people’s “life photographer” during my career.

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Maternity Boudoir Photography

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Maternity Boudoir Photography

To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow. —Maya Angelou

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What It Means When Someone Invests In Me

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What It Means When Someone Invests In Me

“Support small businesses”. This is something you see posted a lot on social media, or talked about in social settings. It really is every single client that keeps a small business owner afloat. Sarah Beth is one of those clients.

I’ve known Sarah Beth for several years. She first hired me to photograph a boudoir session of her, then her wedding, and again when she was pregnant with her second child. I got to witness her marry her loving husband and photograph her when she was carrying their child. Sarah Beth is a hair genius and has a lot of connections. I know that she could have very easily hired someone else for those events, but she chose me. She believes in my art and wants to make sure I flourish. This type of relationship builds my confidence, keeps me in business, and solidifies my decision to do what I do for a living. Not only that, but it allows us to build a trust. I’m able to show up and create art because I know that Sarah Beth believes in what I do, as she has hired me for three huge life events. She has become completely comfortable in front of my camera, and let’s face it, she’s a goddess (I mean, just view the photos).

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Why Maternity Photography Is Important

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Why Maternity Photography Is Important

Krysten and Andrew are expecting their second baby (the photos bellow are from their first pregnancy, with their daughter Vada). I wanted to ask Krysten some questions as to why a maternity session was something that resonated with her. Also, why she chose to do more of an intimate maternity session, as opposed to the traditional.

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