The Edge of Life

These are two of my favorites from collection of portraits taken this past weekend.

This photography session was great fun, but I have to admit, this has to be the hardest of all photography jobs. I am often timid about taking over and moving those teeny little body parts where I need to move them to compose a great photo. Luckily, for this shoot, mom and dad were great direction followers and completed the positioning with precision.

The best time to take newborn portraits is within the first week the baby is born. That guarantees that he or she will be sleeping soundly and won't pay any attention to how they are being fussed over. Our little subject was about three weeks old and at times was not at all happy to have us messing with him, so he expressed his discontent by "shooting" a few unexpected surprises our way!

Note to self: "Bring a large drop cloth next time!" HA!

Even though this is a true challenge for me, I am eager to do more sessions like this. It is so rewarding to have captured a moment in time that documents the bond between a parent and child. Children grow into adults so quickly. Freezing those special moments of their life is so important.

Jill

The Sexy Edge

Last weekend I had the opportunity to shoot Boudoir Pics for a very close friend of mine. This is just one of the images from that session. I have to admit this shoot was a blast. It was amazing what letting down your hair can do for a two and a half hour shoot!

My friend is an amazing person inside and out. The pics were a celebration of a new chapter in her life. She has spent the last 20 some years completely dedicated to raising her two children on her own. In less than a month, her youngest child will be graduating high school. These pics were her way of celebrating the fact that she has, through all she's been through, remained beautiful and sexy.

After the shoot, I started thinking about what sexy really is. I have always thought that sexy went way beyond the physical. Outward beauty can be sexy, but it is an attitude and a confidence that brings out the sexiness in a person. For those of you out there shaking your heads and thinking where is she going with this?...Hang on!

Physical sexiness...I am into hands. To me, strong hands on a man is sexy. Eyes...hmmm, those are sexy. My friend has great eyes and I spent a lot of this shoot focusing on them. (When we finally launch our Facebook site, you can see more of them, I promise.)

But I strongly believe that sexy is not full out nudity. For some reason that just doesn't appeal to me. When looking at other photographers and seeing some of the photos posted on their Boudoir Portfolios, I was more intrigued with the images where the women were clad in sexy lingerie that was not too revealing. I was drawn to images that complimented the female form, and hinted at the woman's inner sexiness but only revealed just enough to intrigue. These are the types of images we focused on last weekend and I think they turned out pretty good!

For the most part, I think Boudoir Pics are a great idea for brides who want to capture how young and beautiful they are at the time of their wedding. They are also a great idea for those of us who still have a lot of sexy left and want to share it with our significant other!

If you are interested in having a Boudoir Session, let me know. It could possibly be the most fun two hours of your life (well, maybe not, but I'll bet the images could contribute to a few!)

Jill

The Higher Edge

I am working hard on getting back into running shape, so I went out this morning, turned on my Ipod and pushed myself to run in my neighborhood today. It was an amazing morning to run. A nice cool breeze and blue skies made the perfect setting. In the middle of my workout, one of my favorite songs from Creed (Higher) started playing. I couldn't control myself. I know I looked crazy, air guitaring and lifting my arms over my head in response to Mark Tremonti's driving guitar solo. I was lost in the moment.

I also found myself singing (quite loudly- I couldn't hear myself with my ear plugs in) the words from the song I was connecting with at that moment:

"Up high I feel like I'm alive for the very first time

Set up high I'm strong enough to take these dreams

And make them mine "

I can imagine that you are reading this and feeling somewhat embarrassed for me. That's ok. It didn't last that long. Just long enough for this young teenage girl on a riding mower to stare at me disapprovingly and jar me back to reality.

I had to laugh out loud when I realized what a total goober I must have looked like to her. She had her tunes going to, so she has to have some idea of where I was coming from.

Today in particular, I do feel like I am alive for the first time. I have had several days off from teaching and have been working diligently to revamp my diet with more veggies and fruit. I have decided to stop drinking sodas (diet) and I have dropped bread for awhile. ( I say awhile, 'cause I really don't know how long that can last. I love bread! )

As a result, the past few days, I have felt amazingly clear headed and energized.

I also have adopted the attitude that life is just this big obstacle course where we have to avoid some things in order to reach the goals most important to us as well as form alliances with others who share the same passions. I have several goals I want to achieve. One of which is getting back into shape. There is no turning back on this one. Another goal is to push my limits of creativity. I am feeling so creative lately. I can't wait to see where that leads.

Luckily, my desire to learn more about the art of photography has lead me to find friends who share the same passion for it as I do! I think I will spend my next few blogs, seeking out those friends who are looking for ways to release their creative energy and highlight them in my blogs. It would be great to pay honor to those who not only inspire us, but lift us "Higher" by sharing their talents with those around them.

I can't wait to get started!

Jill