Images by Jen Photography | Blog

New Blog!

2010-10-11T12:48:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm happy to announce that I have a brand new blog!

It's more user-friendly, has bigger photos for more detailed viewing, and is just plain prettier to look at.

Please update your RSS feed and follow my new blog to receive updates and future posts!!

www.imagesbyjenphotography.com/blog

Thank you for keeping up with my work. You've been so encouraging along the way!

~Jen

Grandma

2010-09-04T21:35:00.005-05:00

I had my camera with me on a recent visit to my Grandma's apartment. One thing I'll always remember about Grandma is all the little trinkets and antique objects that she has laying around. Here are a few of my favorite shots...

And on to some photos of Grandma. She just recently completed several weeks of radiation treatments on her right eye. She's a trooper at 94 years old!

Facebook! Facebook! Facebook!

2010-08-23T23:42:00.005-05:00

Blog posts have unfortunately been less frequent than usual... but that is because most up-to-date session photos, discount announcements, and available openings are posted to my Images by Jen Photography Facebook Fan Page.

If you are on Facebook and would like to receive updates, please "like" me!! Pretty please!

Current status: IMAGES BY JEN PHOTOGRAPHY had to reschedule a shoot... SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 is now available. I'd love to book another session or two while I've still got the awesome lens I'm renting. Contact me on FB or email... mail@imagesbyjenphotography.com to book a session.

Openings are still available, so please contact me!! It would make my heart sad if I didn't have anyone to shoot this weekend!!

~Jen

Self-Portrait, Week 18

2010-08-23T23:23:00.005-05:00

I'm finding out, along with most other photographers, that weekly photo projects are harder to keep up with than you realize. I'm just going to say that my self-portrait project took a summer vacation. An extended one.

Well here's my feeble attempt to get back on track with my weekly self-portrait project. 52 weeks, 52 self-portraits. This one is #18. You can see my previous self-portraits here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Reflective

Thoughts:

I've been renting a fabulous lens (the Canon 50 mm 1.2) and have been shooting as much as possible. I realized it was as good a time as any to start up my self-portrait project again. This photo was taken by my back door at dusk. I had to turn on the overhead light because it was actually too dark already, but I like how the light made my highlights and layers in my hair stand out. (It also makes me happy because my hair is getting long again!) I really liked the colors in my dress, couch, and wall and decided to use my Totally Rad Pool Party Action to give them a more faded look. I also used a Totally Rad Dirty Pictures texture on the couch and wall.

I call this one "Reflective" because Sunday's sermon was rolling around in my head:

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." {Colossians 4:5-6}

Sleeping Beauty | Ozark, MO Baby Photographer

2010-08-23T23:13:00.001-05:00

Babies and Children are my favorite to photograph. It's no secret. I've been wanting to build up my portfolio and experience with newborns, so when I heard that Justin & Tiffany were expecting a little one this month, I was excited to schedule a session.

My goal: to photograph a sleeping baby. Up til now, the newborns I've shot have been WIDE awake. The opposite of sleeping. Hmmm. Little Lily was awake for some of her photos, but I was able to successfully grab some of the shots I wanted... and I'm very happy with the results.

Let's say it together now...

Awwwwwwwww.....

More photos on my Images by Jen Photography Facebook Fan Page.

The Family That Laughs... | Ozark, MO Family Photographer

2010-08-23T23:03:00.004-05:00

The Wilsons are a wonderful family that were referred to me by another photographer who had some unexpected medical issues come up at the last minute. I was able to meet up with the family in Ozark and grab some photos that I hope they will treasure.

As you can tell from the photos below, this family laughs a lot... and Grandma was the star of the show! This session reiterated to me how important family is and how documenting each stage of your family's life is so important.

As always, you may view more photos from the session on my Images by Jen Photography Facebook Fan Page.

100 Photos

2010-08-05T16:45:00.004-05:00

Can't wait to do this with my kids' pictures one day... Check out this blog post: 100 Photos of Baby's Life

They grow up too fast!

Let me help you document your baby's life!

~jen

I Heart Chub

2010-08-02T21:39:00.004-05:00

You may remember this guy from his newborn shoot or from his most recent session... But time flies and he's changed even more. This is one happy kid! He makes so many faces now!

See many more photos from this session on my Facebook Fan Page.

Cowboy Up!

2010-08-02T21:28:00.005-05:00

Who could forget this little face? Check out his full album on Facebook here.

Southwestern Love

2010-08-01T15:41:00.005-05:00

I recently went to Arizona on a mission effort with my church. We were able to stop at a few amazingly beautiful landmarks along the way. Here are a few of my favorite shots...

Flower Power

2010-07-16T22:15:00.002-05:00

I will be unavailable from Saturday, July 17-Saturday, July 24.

I will return any emails or calls as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience.

Until then, a flower for you...

Photo Fabulous

2010-07-15T13:45:00.007-05:00

Don't know what to do with your 8 x 10 photos? Here's an idea for a contemporary photo collage, courtesy of Becky Higgins. Check out her blog post regarding this project... She gives step-by-step instructions on how to set it up!

If you need some photos to add to your collage, and are interested in setting up a summer photo session with me, check out my availability on the right-hand side of this blog and contact me to set up an appointment. Check out my full portfolio at http://www.imagesbyjenphotography.com/ to see if we'd be a good match. I'd love to work with you!

Have a great day!

Biz Cards

2010-07-11T20:16:00.004-05:00

I finally got around to ordering my very first business cards last week! It didn't take me very long to design, and I'm happy with how they turned out. The plan is to switch out the pictures periodically. Who can say no to this face?... :)

Front:

Back:

Cowboy Cutie Teaser

2010-07-11T19:44:00.005-05:00

I know this is cruel punishment, but here is a single sneak peek for you of one of the cutest little cowboys I've ever seen...

Check back this week to see some more of this handsome guy!

See his Facebook Album here...

Discounted Sessions

2010-07-10T19:38:00.003-05:00

In honor of this little guy concentrating so hard to show me his "THREE,"

the next three clients will receive 50% off their session fees.

Just make sure to mention this special offer.

My schedule of availability is listed on the right of this blog,

and pricing information can be found on my website.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Goodbye, Friends

2010-07-10T18:20:00.007-05:00

Erin and I met in college our freshman year, ten years ago, assigned as roommates by SMSU. The day I received the paperwork stating that she was my new roommate, I remember holding it in my hands and nervously pacing with the phone outside. Before I hung up during that first chat, I concluded our conversation with a very important question--"Erin, are you a freak??" She said no and then followed up with the same question. I enthusiastically responded, "NO, I am totally not a freak!" Luckily, she agreed... and our friendship began from there. She was not the pink-haired, tattooed punk rocker I had nightmares of rooming with. Instead, she was a very patient, loving, and Godly woman who I am proud to call my friend and my sister in Christ.

Erin, her husband, Kody, and her two little boys are moving to Texas this coming week, and although I will miss them dearly, I know that God has amazing plans for them. Seminary is in their future, and they will be preparing the next few years to make the transition to living life overseas as missionaries. Erin was a very huge influence in my spiritual life, and I will always be grateful to her for that. I have no doubt that she and her wonderful family are going to be a light in the lives of the people they come across.

I offered to take some family photos as a going-away gift. My hope is that they will be able to look back and remember this transitional time in their lives as the beginning of something wonderful...

Erin, I love you, girl! Enjoy!

*and yes, I am wiping away tears as I type...*

~Jen

As always, you can see more photos on my Images by Jen Photography Facebook fan page.

10,000

2010-06-30T22:04:00.004-05:00

My two year Blog-iversary is coming up in July. And as of this week, I've had over 10,000 hits on my blog. Whoa.

Two years ago, I challenged myself to be a better photographer... To soak up all knowledge that I could, to practice and practice and practice until setting up a good shot became second nature, and to make myself vulnerable by presenting it to the rest of the world via this blog. And I think it worked.

I'm excited to see what year three has in store for me...

Here's a shot of a pretty weed that I took out in one of my favorite fields...

View more nature shots on my Facebook Fan Page.

Meet Melanie... Finally!

2010-06-28T01:26:00.010-05:00

Sometimes persistency pays off, and it's definitely true in my friend, Melanie's, case. You may remember her from her brief session from last December. It was very rainy that dreary day. AND it was very rainy on the day we rescheduled a few months later. Finally, on our third attempt, yesterday, we had sunny skies... at least until two hours into the session. By that point, we were holed up in an abandoned garage while it poured and poured outside. But that didn't stop Melanie from workin' her magic...

A little song comes to mind as I post these:

Sugar and spice and all that's nice... that's what Melanie's made of.

Enjoy.

View the rest of her session photos on my Facebook Fan Page.

YouTube Love

2010-06-21T18:46:00.000-05:00

My amazingly talented musician friend, Lee Ellen Starks, asked me to join her on a song for a recent video post. We've sang this one, Many the Miles, around town a few times.

I love us.

You should stalk her YouTube channel. Your ears will thank you.

Hope you enjoy the song... and the outtakes. :)

Moments

2010-06-19T15:27:00.004-05:00

I was recently inspired to write a poem.

I haven't sat down to spill out my thoughts in quite some time,

so I mentally detoxed and wrote this poem,

which just so happens to be about photography.

So I am sharing it with you.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~

.frozen.

my eyes crave
to capture the fleeting,
that which can be invisible

others pass by
with nary a second glance,
too consumed by the obvious.

they are oblivious of its powers.
but oh, it whispers to me;
enticing, alluring, demanding attention

it stops me in my tracks,
takes my breath away.
there before me…

the moment.

it is beautiful.
it is raw.
it is enchanting.

and I capture it.
frozen.
for me.
for you.
that moment in time.

memories fade,
become vapors in the wind,
but to remember
is to embrace time,
frozen
in a photograph.

hold it tenderly in your hands.
see it with eyes of gratitude.
absorb its significance.
cherish
the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are a few recent Moments...

Baby, Oh Baby!

2010-05-22T13:56:00.009-05:00

I was blessed recently to be able to photograph some maternity sessions for two very special couples. I know Garrett & Lauren and Ross & Lauren from church. It was so fun to find out that "the Laurens" were expecting little ones around the same time. I've always loved being in the presence of these two couples. They are so sweet to each other and so ridiculously in love that it makes me feel all mushy inside. *sigh*

For me, maternity sessions are like three sessions in one--a Love session, an individual Portrait session (of the beautiful mommy-to-be), and of course, the Baby Bump itself. I get so excited about these!

~~~~~~~

Garrett & Lauren

I had to admit to Garrett and Lauren that I bawled like a baby on the way to their session. I've grown super-close to them this past year, and they just found out they will be moving back to Oklahoma shortly after their little girl makes her arrival in the next week or so. I guess I was feeling a little nostalgic on the way to meet them for their session. I think you'll agree with me, but Lauren was so gorgeous it took my breath away! Check out some of my favorites...

~~~~~~~

Ross & Lauren

We had a beautiful day for Ross & Lauren's session. We got to start off at a new location downtown that I was excited about, and then we headed out to one of my favorite fields for some softer shots. I think my favorite part of the day was watching their reactions as I continually looked at my camera screen and squealed in excitement at what I saw! So many to choose from! Check out this adorable couple who have a handsome baby boy on the way...

Check out the rest of their albums on my Facebook Fan Page.

"Like" me to view new session pix on your Facebook feed!

Also, see more full-sized images on my new website!

www.imagesbyjenphotography.com

Images by Jen Photography | Official Website!

2010-05-16T22:35:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! So I've FINALLY got my new Images by Jen Photography website together!!

www.imagesbyjenphotography.com

You'll see links to my Images by Jen | Blog and my Facebook Fan Page. But the main attraction is my portfolio, showcasing my last three years of work.

Thanks for keeping up with me and offering encouraging words.

I'm excited to be able to share this new site with you!

Self-Portraits, Weeks 14, 15, 16, & 17

2010-04-30T20:04:00.008-05:00

I'm almost caught up on my self-portrait project. I'm so glad to have my wireless remote up and running again. It makes this project a whole lot easier!

Oh, and as always, you can see the photos larger and in more detail on my Facebook fan page.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chillin'

Thoughts:

I love my bedroom. It was the first room I completed when I purchased my house almost three years ago. I like my furniture. I like my turquoise wall color. I like my decor. I like my comforter set. I like the textures and the details and the shiny fabrics. It's just has "Jen" spelled out all over it. This picture is just of me chillin' on my bed. I read here. I write in my journal here. It's just a happy place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vintage

Thoughts:

So I have to say that I think this may be one of my top three self-portraits of myself of all times. I love everything about it. I intentionally put my hair up for this picture because I rarely have any pictures of me with it up. I admit it... I've never liked having my hair up out of my face. And the reason is because it makes me feel like a chubby-faced boy. I would be one of those girls on America's Next Top Model who would have a bawl-fest if they shaved my hair off. It's a security blanket. And it makes me feel like a girl. But I love it up in this picture, and I guess I still sorta look like a girl??... Anyway, the processing on this one is what makes it so amazing. It's vintage and timeless and classic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contentment

Thoughts:

I love to sleep. A lot. I'm pretty sure I can sleep anywhere. But I prefer my amazing bed with my queen-sized ultra-soft pillow top mattress. It's like sleeping on a cloud. A really fluffy, shiny cloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victorian

Thoughts:

So I really liked this picture although my face wasn't in focus on the original shot, so I had to a lot of sharpening and smoothing in post-processing. Then I got my eyes too bright for my liking. But after I looked at it again, I realized that I preferred it that way. It makes me think of a Victorian painting with overexaggerated bright and smooth facial features. Plus, my shirt kinda sorta looks Victorian, so boo-ya!

~~~~~~~~~~

Alrighty then... So I've talked way too much about myself on this post, which weirds me out a bit. But I might as well say a few more things while I'm at it...

I'll be singing some harmonies along with Kacey Dotson for the fabulous Lee Ellen Starks this weekend at the Springfield Artsfest (cross your fingers for better weather than we're having right now!). We'll be singing at the Coffeehouse Stage from 1:30-2:30 on Saturday and 4:00-5:00 on Sunday. This girl's got some pipes. Seriously. Check out her YouTube channel to hear some of the songs she'll be performing.

Hope to see you there!

Self-Portraits, Weeks 11, 12, & 13

2010-04-29T20:17:00.004-05:00

I have a funny story. Remember the wireless remote for my camera that wasn't working? Well apparently, it needs a battery to "work." Yep. In my defense I had only used it once prior to it "breaking" so why would it need a new battery?

Anyway... here are a few more additions to my self-portrait project, inspired by the fabulous light coming through my bedroom window.

You can see the pictures larger on my Facebook fan page...

~~~~~~~~~~~

Glow

Thoughts:

I was inspired by some photography I saw today that used a lot of texture applications. I thought the colors and the mood of this photo was a good way to incorporate some texture. I really love the rim lighting on my face from the window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Window

Thoughts:

The gold curtains in my bedroom catch the evening light in a really gorgeous way... I've been meaning to get some self-portraits by them, so that was today's challenge. I love the lighting and shadows on this one... Oh, and I like my hand on the curtain. Have I mentioned that I want to be a hand model?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shadows

Thoughts:

Again, I just really love the backlighting on this one.... I like how it makes my facial features stand out, and I like how the lighting emphasizes the texture of my hair.

AnnaLisa | Senior Session

2010-04-26T00:39:00.008-05:00

I can't even begin to describe how crazy but fun this senior session was. It was raining cats and dogs during this shoot, and I almost killed myself a few times... Also, poor AnnaLisa had to be seen in public with me running around with an umbrella anchored in my shirt/jacket to protect my camera from the rain... so I hope these photos are worth the experience. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out!

Thanks for being such a great sport, AnnaLisa! You have such a super-sweet personality, and I think it shows through your photos!

See more photos from the session on my Images by Jen Photography Facebook Fan Page. If you like my work, become my fan to see instant updates and sneak peeks from upcoming sessions!

Blog Love

2010-04-12T23:05:00.007-05:00

I love the following photo session from Clayton Austin for the following very obvious reasons:

1. I play piano.

2. I love photography.

3. I love photos of people with random things in random places.

4. I admire photos that have great composition.

5. I'm drawn to photos that have perfect post-processing.

This session is amazing from start to finish. Check it out on his blog. There's a ton more where this came from!

Guitar in Abstract

2010-04-12T21:51:00.003-05:00

I recently took some abstract shots of Miss Lee Ellen Starks' guitar while she was recording at a studio recently. I love abstract & macro photography. It forces me to see things from so many different angles... to think outside the box and be open to what appears in front of my lens...

Here are some of my favorite shots:

Website Sneak Peek

2010-04-12T20:38:00.007-05:00

Yes, I am inching my way closer to finally getting my Images by Jen Photography official website together! Here is another sneak peek of what is to come. This is a sample from my "{love} images" section. Get excited!

P.S. Please note that I changed the header of my blog to incorporate my new logo!

Signs of Spring

2010-04-05T20:30:00.004-05:00

Here's proof that spring is actually here!

Just a teaser photo for some upcoming flowery prettiness I'll be posting soon...

Self-Portraits, Weeks 9 & 10

2010-04-05T19:56:00.004-05:00

Yes, this is just one installment of my attempt to catch up on my self-portrait project!

In honor of the sun that just recently made its appearance, here's me and my shades...

~~~~~~~~~~

Summery

Thoughts:

I like the California-ish feel of this processing. I've never been to California, but I'm sure if I ever visit there, I will feel like this picture--blue and green and sunshine-y all over!

~~~~~~~~~

Rock 'n Roll

Thoughts:

For this picture, I wanted the opposite of California... so I chose a grungy Detroit black and white with a little bit of grain...

Easter Cuties

2010-04-04T21:16:00.005-05:00

Happy Easter, everyone! It was such a wonderful day at church... a celebration of hope and joy knowing that Jesus is alive and that He has cleansed us of our sins. Makes me think of this verse I read last week:

Romans 15:13 ~ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God is good.

After church, I was invited to a lovely family's house for lunch and for some egg-hunting. Since I'm hopelessly mesmerized by these redheads, I of course, brought my camera along... Check out these little faces. (You may remember these two from their family session two years ago...)

Hope you had a wonderful Easter! I know I did!

Baby Time!

2010-03-27T17:07:00.005-05:00

You may remember Asher. He looks a little different than when you saw him at five days old. He's now almost four months old, and just as alert as he was at five days. Today, he entertained us with his baseball skillz, some baby talk, squeals, and a few wails. And although he didn't give me the oodles of slobbery spit bubbles that I was eagerly anticipating, I did manage to sneak by with a few shots...

You can't help but smile...

Have a great day!

Oh, Baby!

2010-03-24T14:32:00.004-05:00

Remember this little guy? He was my first newborn session a few months ago, and we're scheduled for another shoot soon. I'm getting antsy. Like, really antsy. He's super-duper cute. So to tide me over until I have some new pictures to share with you, I will gladly look at these and smile...

See them bigger on my Facebook Fan Page...

and P.S. YES I realize I'm waaay behind (almost 4 weeks) on my self-portrait project. I'll be featuring some new pix soon... My new wireless shutter release I got? Got it to work once. Can't get it to work now. Why, electronics, do you spite me?

Reflections

2010-03-13T20:36:00.005-06:00

I like to write. I've kept a journal since my senior year of high school. There's something about seeing my thoughts written down in my own penmanship that makes me feel reflective and nostalgic. This evening I ventured out to Barnes & Noble to pick out a new journal. My last one, full of three years of The Life of Jen, is nearing its last pages. I read through my last year's entries this week, and they made me realize a few things...

*God is good. My journal is another source of communication with God--it's where I voice my prayers, my hurts, my gratitude, and my dreams. It's very humbling to read back and see how God has answered my prayers and calmed my heart when needed. Sometimes it's too easy to forget His faithfulness. Reflecting on my writing also made me feel a connection to the book of Psalms... The Psalms are about people, their struggles, and their joy of living life under God. It is poetry and prayer to be set to music and worship. (My favorite is Psalm 139.) I hope that if my thoughts and words were set to music, that they would be just as honoring to God as the Psalms...

*Memories fade. In flipping back through my journal, there are several times where I went for months without writing. And it made me mad. What did I miss out on remembering? It bothers me, because I know that I have a horrible memory. My journal and my photographs are some of the few ways I really truly remember special moments in time. One day, when I'm old and wrinkled, and with the help of these precious memory-savers, I hope I can remember exactly what I was thinking and feeling during those special times...

My new journal...

My life in words...

"Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience."

~Henry David Thoreau~

Happy writing!

P.S. Also picked up Crazy Love and Wuthering Heights at B&N (and yes, I will be reading Wuthering Heights in my very horrible, really really awful, British accent just for kicks)... Dreary, rainy days call for good reading...

Through the Eyes of a Child...

2010-03-11T21:50:00.008-06:00

I love miniature people. I love their big, bright eyes, their long lashes, their soft hair, their dirty faces, their tiny little features, their shy smiles, their funny facial expressions, their attempts at saying big words, their uncontrollable giggles...

I love how their minds work, how they smell, how they can see the good in anything, how a hug from them can make you feel loved unconditionally, how they say what they think, how they surprise you with their intelligence, how they can sing off-key and still be cute...

But most importantly, I love their innocence. They make me want to be a better person. To judge less and love more, to believe more deeply in my faith so that I can be a Godly example to them...

I am grateful to be surrounded by so many beautiful children with such beautiful hearts.

Here are a few photos from River Bluff children's choir practice tonite.

I hope you can see what I see...

See more pictures here...

A Walk in the Park

2010-03-06T22:02:00.007-06:00

Today was such a beautiful day. Pretty much my definition of Perfect Weather. I wanted to take advantage of the beautifulness and visit the trails at Sequiota Park this afternoon (as did most of Springfield, apparently!). I mostly walked along the dried creek bed and by the railroad track footings to grab these pictures.

Even though I'm not especially in love with any of these photos, it was still good to get out and challenge myself on seeing something beautiful in everything I saw. Isn't that what it's all about?

I believe that you can find beauty in anything. Sometimes, it's obvious beauty that we're drawn to. And other times, you have to look a little harder... but beauty is there... just waiting to be found.

Self-Portraits, Weeks 7 & 8

2010-02-27T18:12:00.007-06:00

Just a little behind on my self-portrait project, so here are a few pix to catch me up...

Eyes Speak

Thoughts:

I like my eyes. They're a little bit o' green, a tad blue, somewhat golden... otherwise known as hazel... A little bit of every flavor. :) My favorite thing about my eyes is the yellow sunflowers I have around my pupils. Yep. I have flowery eyes. I never noticed until my eye doctor pointed it out a few years ago, and upon closer inspection, I do indeedy have some flowery goodness there. They make me feel unique. But even though I don't especially love sunflowers, I DO love me some orchids.. *hint hint, boys...*

Speaking of eyes, they're my favorite thing to photograph on a person, followed by eyelashes, curly ringlets, and smiles... in that order.

~~~~~~~~~

Daydreaming

Thoughts:

I love to see pictures of people looking out windows... I always wonder what they're thinking. You'll see a lot of bridal shots in which the bride is looking out the window.. and of course, I always imagine she's picturing a new life with the man she loves...

Me, I guess I'm just daydreaming...

~~~~~~~~~

Here's another outtake from today. I like how the focus is on my eyelashes and the fine details on my eyelid...

Timeless Beauty

2010-02-25T23:27:00.011-06:00

On March 1, my Grandma Alverta will be 94 years old. My mother organized an early surprise party for her last weekend, since my brother, my sister-in-law, and I were in town. Before we left, she said it was her favorite birthday ever. It was not an extravagant party, but it was special to her because she was surrounded by those she loved... and because she got cake and ice cream and flowers!

I've written several posts about my grandma and about her dear 97-year-old sister, my Aunt Nadine. I just think they're beautiful. They don't quite understand why I always have a camera in front of their faces... I just tell them that I think they're supermodels, which makes them giggle.

Here are some of my favorite images from the afternoon... Grandma is the cute lady in the scarf with the 5 silver hairs (She hates having dark hair. She wishes she had a full head of white hair, so she would look like all the other older ladies. Silly Grandma.)

I'm blessed to be able to witness what 94 and 97 looks like...

And I'm grateful that I have my camera to capture it.

A Flowery Photo Walk

2010-02-14T19:32:00.008-06:00

Last Sunday I met up with members of the Southwest Missouri Camera Club on a Photo Walk at Wickman's Gardens in Springfield. We had free reign over the greenhouses.

Here are some of my photos from the day...

Visit my Images by Jen Photography Facebook Fanpage to view more photos!

Self-Portrait, Week 6

2010-02-13T22:24:00.006-06:00

80's Queen

Thoughts:

So I went to a Valentine's 80's-themed party at church. I instantly knew that I had to be a rocker chick. I mean, I am in my church's band, but you probably won't see me sporting this on Sunday morning...The huge star earrings, a load of jewelry, some bling-bling, leggings, a fun skirt, and some black pumps... and tons of makeup. The party was fun (and I did end up being the 80's Queen for evening... woot!)...

Just a few observations about the 80's in general...

*I would be broke from the amount of makeup that is required to achieve the 80's look.

*I would have to add an hour to my pre-bed routine to wash off the layers of the aforementioned makeup.

*My hair is too fine to be "big," and despite hair spray, hair gel and more hair spray, the "big" look was not effectively achieved. My hair would sadly be classified as an 80's failure.

and my last thought about the 80's

*People just plain looked scary. What were they thinking?!

Valentine Blooms

2010-02-13T21:36:00.003-06:00

I love flowers. I'm drawn to them for so many reasons...

They are

strong yet delicate...

They are

beauty without words...

They are

delightful to the senses...

They are

a gift...

They are

lovely.

Hope your Valentine's Day is just as lovely...

~Jen

Before & After Thursday

2010-02-13T20:38:00.003-06:00

A Perfect Pear.

I've held on to this photo for several months... Someone brought pears by our office one day at work, and they were just so gosh darn cute and perfectly shaped that I had to snap some pictures of them.

POST-PROCESSING

Totally Rad Actions

*Dirty Lovin' @ 100%, removing texture on the pear

*Green With Envy @ 100% on the grass

*Select-o-Sharp on the pear to bring out the pear's texture

*and a general boost to the contrast

There's not a huge amount of difference between today's before & after, but just enough to make it pop.

*My laptop's hard drive is now cleaned up and back in good health, so I'll be catching up on some blog posts this week.

Happy Pre-Valentine's Day!

Spring is Here... Kind Of

2010-02-08T09:58:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, I got a taste of Spring... and I loved it.

I went on a photowalk with several other local photographers to Wickman's Gardens in Springfield. We had free reign to take photographs in the greenhouses and the gift shops. Of course, I was drawn instantly to the beautiful flowers.

I love photographing flowers. They are so naturally delicate, and in the right setting and with the proper lighting, you can create artwork from them. Taking flower photos at a greenhouse is magical, because the greenhouse acts as a natural softbox, letting in soft, diffused light for perfect pictures.

The photo below is SOOC (straight-out-of-camera), meaning it is unedited... and lovely just the way it is! I love how the colors blend into each other, just like a beautiful oil painting. The vibrancy of the pink tulip makes me crave Spring even more.

Hope you love this one as much as I do!

More photos will be coming soon. I unfortunately have to clean off my laptop's hard drive again... I can't even open Photoshop right now because the HD is full. Organizing photos on my computer is one of my least favorite things in the entire world. This year, I vow not to let the hard drive gremlins steal my joy. Back off, gremlins!

Birthday Girl

2010-02-06T11:55:00.005-06:00

So today I'm 28. I think it's going to be a good year.

Here is one of my birthday gifts to myself... Only the most amazing chocolate chip cookies in Springfield. If you want some, contact this dude. His wife sells them. John was my lender when I bought my house. All his clients receive a box of these scrumptious cookies when they close... My first memory with my new house was sitting in the middle of my living room floor and eating one of these cookies. They're a little nostalgic for me... :)

Random Jen Facts:

*I was 10 lbs 3 1/2 ounces when I was born. All weight was stored in my cheeks. I looked like a chipmunk preparing for winter...

*The first thing the doctor said when I was born was, "Put her on the floor and let her crawl to the nursery!"

*Some of my nicknames, thanks to Dad... Jennifer Jump-Up and Fer-Fer. To this day, he still calls me Fer-Fer.

That's it for now... Responsibility is calling my name; i.e. I forgot to renew my driver's license and I have 50 minutes to do so...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!! I am uber-blessed!

Before & After Thursday

2010-02-03T18:13:00.012-06:00

Today's Before & After has required no Photoshop editing... hmmmm...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So how did I do this in-camera, you ask? Well, friends, let me give you a small lesson on color temperature.

Kelvin is the scale for measuring temperature. It basically helps you measure how blue (cool) or orange (warm) the light is. Our eyes are good at judging what is white under different kinds of light, but our cameras are not. Cameras usually take a pretty good guess at determining a white balance (as shown in the first picture), but in this photo, the white snow does not appear pure white as it should be.

In order to give these pictures an artistic "cool" winter feel, I manually changed the Kelvin setting to 2500K to achieve the blue-ish tint. If you are a photographer, learning to control your white balance is very important. It helps save time in post-processing, and it can also give you an artistic edge if you wish to manipulate it yourself.

Here's a good site that goes into more details about white balance and color temperature. Happy learning!

Here are a few more of my favorite shots from my 5-minute mini-session with the snow, my pitcher of water, and some wine glasses... If my neighbors ever watch my impromptu photo sessions with inanimate objects in my backyard, I'm sure they think I'm a little loopy... but they should be used to it by now. :)

See my neighbor's upside-down house and trees in the pitcher of water? Neato!

Check out the granules of ice and snow at the bottom...

Winter, you've been wonderful...

but God, bring some sunny warmness my way, pretty please... I'm slowly going insane!!!!

Self-Portrait, Week 5

2010-02-02T17:34:00.005-06:00

Classic

Thoughts:

I love black and white photos. They are classic and timeless. On this picture, my main focus was to capture my fabulous earrings. They are sparkly and dangly and elegant and just plain mahhvelous. And I don't know how it worked out the way it did, but I love the wispy strand of hair on the left... Yay for good hair!

Upcoming Adventures:

I'll be going on a photo walk with some other photographers this coming Sunday afternoon at Wickmans Gardens. Can't wait to finally get out of the house and shoot something interesting. Photos to be posted next week!

Inspirations

2010-02-01T19:53:00.009-06:00

So I pretty much have amazingly talented friends.

Some can sing like angels. Some can play the guitar like a madman. Others can write beautiful music that comes from deep in the soul. Some friends can take something ordinary, take its picture, and turn that little bit of nothing into something extraordinary. And even though some friends may not feel as though they are amazingly talented in any specific area, they all have one thing in common...

They inspire me.

I crave inspiration. I want to soak it all in--the good, the bad, the beautiful, the sad, the perfect, the imperfect--and mold that inspiration into something that is uniquely me. And sometimes, just sometimes... my vision can inspire others, and by that I am humbled.

My friend and former coworker, Emily McGee, is an amazing artist. She has been immersing herself in sketching recently, and she has been producing some pretty stunning portraits.

She was inspired by a photo I took of my friend's little girl, Baileay, awhile ago.

Here's the original photo...

And here is Emily's drawing...

Pretty amazing, huh?

Here's her sketch from start to finish:

The outline:

The face (the hardest part, in my opinion!)

And the rest...

And finally,

Emily's drawing vs the original photo.

Yep. I'm inspired.

What inspires you?

Self-Portrait, Week 4

2010-01-31T17:56:00.005-06:00

Retro

Thoughts:

Tonite was my first time playing around with my new wireless remote shutter release. I'm definitely going to be addicted to that thing! I went flea-marketing this afternoon for some photog props for an upcoming shoot and was in the mood for a retro photo.

I couldn't decide between the two, but ended up choosing the first as today's fave.

I'm getting extremely antsy to get outside taking photos again on a regular basis, but my under-construction website is begging for some attention.

P.S. I apologize for no before & after last thursday, but I was out of state for a funeral. This week's shall be fabulous to make up for it!

New Web Site ~ Sneak Peek!

2010-01-30T11:59:00.003-06:00

So I'm just a tad bit behind on my timeline for launching my new website... It seems that I've been having some technical difficulties along the way that I wasn't anticipating.

Anyway, just wanted to give you a sneak peek of what I've been working on... This new site will be the hub for my Facebook page, my Website, and also my blog. I'm now shooting for a February/March launch to coincide with some nicer weather and just in time for scheduling some spring photo shoots!

**Drum roll please...**

TA-DA!!

Let me know what you think!

Broken-Hearted

2010-01-23T20:08:00.006-06:00

Mourning the loss of a dear friend today.

Big Chuck, you loved people more than anyone I've ever met.

I know the angels in heaven are singing at your homecoming,

and because of your passion,

you've given me the opportunity to love the country of Brazil and its people...

You will be missed, but never forgotten...

Sua irma em Cristo,

Jen

Feelin' Vintage

2010-01-22T11:54:00.005-06:00

I wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite photography sites, Simply Bloom Photography. Today's blog post just blew me away. It was an engagement shoot full of Coca Cola, cupcakes, and overall awesomeness. Here's one of their cupcake shots...

I love Simply Bloom's post-processing style, and they've inspired me to do some of my own more vintage-esque looks. Be on the lookout for a vintage-inspired session or two in the next few weeks!

Before & After Thursday

2010-01-21T17:31:00.006-06:00

Editing photos is fun. I've always loved art, and in a way, Photoshop is like my paintbrush. I can add texture and color and special effects to make the mood of the photo appear the way I see it in my head. But at the same time, some photos don't need a whole lot of editing. If they're taken correctly in-camera (meaning that I've set all manual settings for light and shutter speed correctly), then they should only need a few tweaks to create a WOW factor...

Case in point, this little beauty below...

BEFORE

AFTER

POST-PROCESSING:

I punched up the saturation to make the colors more vibrant, and then focused mainly on the eyes to make them pop. With a few tweaks here and there, and a crop at the end, I think this picture shows off how flawless this little face really is :)

Doesn't it make you smile?

Self-Portrait, Week 3

2010-01-17T17:16:00.003-06:00

Curls

Thoughts:

I curled my hair this morning for church. Curly hair makes me feel really girly. I'm especially drawn to photographing little girls with curly hair. I adore their tiny ringlets and the softness that they bring to a little face.

There's nothing too exciting about this week's portrait... Just wanted to use the natural lighting from my back door to highlight some features. And I wanted a camera angle that looked down, because I think my eyelashes are pretty long-and-luscious-challenged and I wanted to help them out a bit. Mission accomplished. :)

Before & After Thursday

2010-01-14T18:59:00.008-06:00

I sifted through some old flower pictures to grab today's Before & After. I never loved this picture, but I liked it... and after I looked at it again, I realized what it was missing.

It needed to be vintage.

BEFORE

AFTER

POST PROCESSING:
Totally Rad Actions

*Select o Sharp 100% on flowers and stems

*Get Faded (Autumn) @ 100%

*Dirtie Birdie @ 100%

*Wish You Were Here @ 100%

*Antique Tone @ 100%

*Crystalniqua Delicious @ 100%

*Grandma's Tap Shoes @ 51%

*and a crop at the end

View the larger photo here.

I miss warm weather and flowers and green grass!

Soon, dear camera, soon!

Self-Portrait, Week 2

2010-01-13T22:39:00.005-06:00

Praying for Haiti

Thoughts:

Just listening to the news while working on my self-portrait... I didn't really know where I was headed with this week's photo, but when I heard more news about the destruction in Haiti, I knew that I should do a reflective portrait using candlelight. I had more plans for this photo with some texture and other added effects, but apparently my laptop's hard drive is getting full again, so no fun stuff like that in Photoshop tonite, anyway. Maybe next time.

My New Logo!

2010-01-08T07:11:00.014-06:00

So the New Year is here and I'm getting closer to completing a big project I've been working on... my new website! The new website will be the hub for my photography, showcasing my portfolio and providing the links to this blog, as well as my Facebook fan page.

One of the first steps was to get a logo designed that reflected my photography. I had a few things in mind...

*I wanted the logo to reflect my favorite colors--burnt orange and dark turquoise

*I wanted it to be circular like a stamp

*I wanted it to look pretty intricate, but not too frilly,

*I wanted it to have a "J" in the center.

*and I wanted the words to be a lowercase, sans serif font

and here is the official Images by Jen Photography logo....

Chris from Austin Creative (You may remember him from a recent photo session...) worked diligently on getting the logo together for me. The logo was inspired by the aperture of a camera lens, like the picture below. You can see how the cursive "Js" surrounding the center of the logo look like they're spiraling inward. Clever, eh?

I'll be sharing a screen shot of my web page soon... I'm excited!

Let me know what you think!

Before & After Thursday

2010-01-07T06:46:00.005-06:00

I ran into one of my fabulous friends, Lee Ellen Starks, at the park several months ago while I was waiting for some clients for a session. Lee Ellen had brought her dog, Tolmi, out for a romp in the park. I snagged a couple pictures before they headed off. I gave this finished photo to Lee Ellen for Christmas, since she loves her "Tolmers."

BEFORE

AFTER

For the processing on this one, I used Photoshop Mama's Sketch Tutorial on YouTube. Then I darkened the black areas around his eyes and mouth. If you're able to view it large, my favorite thing about the picture are the teeny tiny bubbles of spit on his tongue :)

This is a two-fold post. I'm here to plug my amazing friend Lee Ellen because she's an incredible songwriter and musician. Check her out her next gig at Heroes Coffee on January 15.

Also check out Lee Ellen's YouTube channel and MySpace page and blog.

View pix from our photo shoot here and here from over a year ago!

Self-Portrait, Week 1

2010-01-06T20:48:00.007-06:00

One of my New Year's resolutions is to do a continuous photography project for 2010. I finally decided to do a 52-week self-portrait project... one self-portrait a week for a year. Not only is it a project that focuses on creative composition, but it will allow me to showcase what I am learning in post-processing and Photoshop.

Self-portraits are unique in that they force you to look at yourself from many different perspectives. In my pictures, you won't always be able to see my face, or my eyes, or my hands, but every photo will be a reflection of me... my moods, my views, my faith... everything that makes me Jen... one photo at a time.

Here is my self-portrait for 2010: Week 1.

Thoughts:

What better way to start off the new year than to celebrate God? The new life verse for my church in 2010 is Psalm 19:14. I memorized this verse back in college, and I loved how familiar the words were when Pastor Scott shared them with us. I decided to incorporate it into my first self-portrait... I wanted the words to appear where my mouth should be, to accentuate the essence of the verse.

And in case you're wondering... that's not a rug on my head... it's a fur hood. :)

Sisters

2010-01-05T18:48:00.005-06:00

My dad's mother, my Grandma Alverta, is 93, and her sister, Nadine, is 97. They are best friends. It seems like every time I see them, they are holding hands or whispering to each other. I treasure every moment I get to spend with them, and the older I get, the more I realize that my photos of them are an extension of my memories with them...

Time is short. Photos last.

Winter Snow

2010-01-03T17:32:00.005-06:00

We had such a gorgeous snow here in Springfield last night and this morning... Today, the sky dropped huge, beautiful flakes all day long. After church, I created a snow coat for my camera out of a plastic baggie and some hair ties (to prevent any moisture from the falling snow from damaging it).. then I layered up and headed out to my favorite place in Springfield... the Missouri State University campus.

The campus has the most fabulous trees that just happen to look amazing with a little bit of snow on them. I wandered around for over an hour and came up with some shots I am really happy with. The best thing about today was that it was fresh snow... and no one else was on campus except me! (and the security guard who kept following me.. I looked menacing?). Walking through fresh snow makes me feel like I am an adventurer... and it makes me excited to explore and find new and beautiful things.

Enjoy!

You can view the rest of today's snow photos on my Facebook fan page!

Before & After Thursday

2009-12-31T15:27:00.009-06:00

So I've done a handful of Before & Afters on my post-processing using Totally Rad Actions.. Well this past week, I received a nice surprise. Totally Rad Actions tweeted on their Twitter account that they were loving my before and afters... and as a result, I have had over 400 hits on my blog! I was totally stunned, but also very humbled.

So in lieu of a Before & After today (I don't have one prepared because of the holidays!) check out these Before & After recipes on the TRA site...

Happy New Year's Eve! See you in 2010!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T20:53:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you've been able to take a few minutes out of the busy-ness of the holidays to remember why we are celebrating Christmas... because God loved us so much that he sent his son in the form of a sweet, innocent baby to influence our lives and to teach us how to love.

Love someone today.

Before & After Thursday

2009-12-23T22:44:00.008-06:00

I was inspired by a visit to Silver Dollar City on Sunday for today's Before & After. I've always liked the vintage saloon photos and wanted to give the same processing to some buildings I photographed in downtown Springfield on a photo walk this summer.

Happy Christmas Eve!

BEFORE

AFTER

POST PROCESSING:

Totally Rad Actions

*Oh Snap! @ 100%

*Grandma's Tap Shoes @ 100%

*Old Skool @ 83%

*Crystalniqua Delicious @ 44%

*Destiny Starr @ 39%

*Get Faded @ 16%

You can view a larger photo here.

See recent Before & Afters here and here and here.. and check out the blog for this past month to see other photos using TRA processing...

Thanks for looking!

Jenn & Justen

2009-12-19T14:45:00.003-06:00

Jenn is a friend of mine from college. She contacted me to do a quick one-hour session with her boyfriend, Justen, for some Christmas presents for family. Luckily, I had today available... and despite the 30-degree weather and a flurry of snowflakes, we managed to get the following pix at the MSU campus. Jenn & Justen were troopers!

The MSU campus is actually my favorite place in Springfield, believe it or not!... I graduated from MSU, so I had four years to admire the campus! My favorite place is by the fountain in front of the library on summer nites. So pretty! I've been wanting to do some couple's pix on campus for awhile, and when Jenn contacted me about pictures, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them.

Enjoy!

P.S. I apologize to Jenn & Justen for having to be seen with me today... With shoots on cold days, I layer up... and I wear my non-matching scarf, headband, and my gloves with the end cut off. I pretty much look like a hobo. But at least I'm warm!!

See the rest of the album from today's session on my Facebook page!

My Brazil Pix on the New OakStar Ads!

2009-12-18T11:35:00.011-06:00

I was contacted recently by the president of a local ad agency in reference to purchasing some of my 2009 Brazil photos for a new OakStar Bank ad campaign. The theme of the campaign is "personal passions."

Remember Charles? Charles Hachtel is the Vice President of Commercial Lending at OakStar, and his personal passion is the mission work that he has been part of the past several years in Brazil through our church and a great organization called Christian Missions Unlimited. I have been to Brazil with Charles and this group four times in the past five years and can attest to the life-changing impact it has on the person who is there to work and lay bricks, as well as those who are on the receiving end.

Charles passed on to the ad agency that I was quite a shutterbug and may have some photos available of him that would work for the campaign, and they took the bait! Here are a few of the photos that were used... Five were used altogether.

And here is the final ad, "What Sweat Taught me About Banking." You'll be seeing this ad rotated in the Springfield Business Journal for the next few years!

Be sure to contact Charles at 417-447-9559 if you have any questions about OakStar!

Before & After Thursday

2009-12-16T22:12:00.006-06:00

Charles and Alice were one of my first engagement sessions back in 2008. With my point-and-shoot Canon Powershot S5IS, I got the shot below. I didn't have editing software at the time, so I thought I would take another look at this picture today and see what I could come up with since I have the tools now.

BEFORE

AFTER

Using Totally Rad Actions
Punch-Out!!! @ 100%
Shadow Separator ~ lighten 100%
Troy @ 57%
Crystalniqua Delicious @ 57%
Then a crop at the end

P.S. If you've picked up a Springfield Business Journal this week, Charles may look familiar to you. More about that on Friday's post!

Clifton & Jen.. It's Christmas Time!

2009-12-13T18:17:00.006-06:00

Today I grabbed some pictures of my best friend, Jennifer, and her husband, Clifton, for some quick Christmas card pics. We wanted to incorporate some pictures of the beautiful house they recently bought. I just adore these two.

Clifton's the king of funny faces...

Just because it was fun...

And a family pic...

Dad...

Mom... (so beautiful!)

and child, Bingo!

He wasn't really digging the HO HO HO shirt or the cute necktie. He was kinda pouty.

This reminds me... 11 Days til Christmas... and -1 presents bought (don't you hate it when you buy the perfect gift for someone, and then you decide you need it more for yourself? Sorry, Erin! My new scarf is lovely!) :)

Santa Baby, Asher

2009-12-12T22:46:00.008-06:00

You've met Asher before... He was featured in mom, Tegan's, maternity pix last month, in the form of a baby bump. He officially made his entrance on December 7, which makes him 5 days old for these pix. His daddy, Kevin, is my coworker. I predicted Asher's due date twice and lost. Kevin got it right on the dot.

Asher was my first newborn shoot... I honestly didn't quite know what to expect.. but this little guy was pretty much wide awake the entire time, showing us his pretty blue eyes. He wasn't a huge fan of being scantily clad, and he repeatedly shared his high-pitched squeal to let us know he wasn't overly thrilled about the idea. But it was adorable, nonetheless.

I'm happy with the results, and as you can see below, I had a really hard time choosing some favorites, so you get to see a lot!

I don't know what song he's snapping his fingers to, but I like the sound of it :)

He has SO MUCH HAIR!!

Since Asher's daddy, Kevin, works at American Family Insurance,

he received a gift of a stuffed teddy bear which was wearing this AMFAM shirt.

It turns out that the shirt looks pretty adorable on Asher. (even if it is a little short!)

We've decided that putting this picture on Kevin's desk will help his sales tremendously. :)

And lastly, if you're ever having a bad day, come back to visit this last picture.

You can't help but smile.

This is the only time in a person's life in which a double chin is adorable.

THE END

Melanie - To Be Continued...

2009-12-12T12:35:00.003-06:00

Meet Melanie... I've gotten to hang out with this gorgeous girl over the past few years, and she's beautiful inside and out. I offered a long time ago to do a quick session for fun, and finally had some free time to fit it in the schedule... but the rain had other plans for us this morning. We had to improvise and do these shots inside Melanie's apartment next to the sliding glass door to grab the natural light. Hope you enjoy the few that I was able to get today... and if they leave you wanting more, don't worry... We'll be rescheduling for an outdoor shoot as soon as the weather permits!

Check out these blue eyes!

The Faces of Brazil

2009-12-09T21:17:00.004-06:00

These are the last of the Faces of Brazil for 2009. I think it's true when they say that a person's eyes are the windows to their soul. Just look at these eyes...

Little Faces

2009-12-08T20:02:00.004-06:00

I never get tired of looking at these precious little faces from Brazil. Their eyes say a thousand words. Here are a few more...

In Front of the Camera

2009-12-08T18:42:00.009-06:00

In preparation for 2010 and the launch of my new Images by Jen Photography website in January, I decided it was important to get some professional headshots for my bio page.

The beautiful and talented Tiffany Kelley of Hollister, met up with me on Sunday and we roamed around the Branson/Hollister area on a cold, windy December afternoon so she could grab these shots. I met Tiffany on Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual Worldwide Photo Walk in downtown Springfield in July. We had lunch together with some other local photographers, swapped business cards and went our separate ways. I contacted Tiffany shortly after that and we've gotten together several times to hang out and talk photography.

I warned Tiffany that I feel like a big goober in front of the camera, but despite this fact, she managed to capture me in a way that's truly me... and that's what makes a great photographer! Thank you, Tiffany!!

Here are some shots you may see in the near future on my site... Please click here and here on Tiffany's blog to view them larger and in full detail.

Which one is your favorite? Let me know what you think!

I've always wanted a shot of me in a field like this next one. Yay!

Beauty Queen

2009-12-06T20:49:00.004-06:00

I couldn't take my eyes off of this little girl. She is another little face that I saw daily on my recent mission trip to Brazil. She was so solemn and never cracked a smile...

until I tickled her belly... and I got this...

Conclusion: Tickles, as well as smiles, laughter, and tears, translate in any language.

Missing Brazil today.

View larger pictures on my Flickr account.

Before & After Thursday

2009-12-03T22:50:00.008-06:00

Here's a photo I snapped from our van when we were rolling through Miami this past August, the day before we headed to Brazil on our mission trip.

Here's the straight out of camera (SOOC) shot...

BEFORE

AFTER

Processing:

Oh Snap! @ 100%

Big Blue @ 20% on the building and sky

Yin Yang @ 20% on the building and sky

Pool Party @ 100%

Queenie Madison Dirty Texture @ 87%

and then I cloned the upper right corner to get rid of the building peeking in from the right.

See the larger and much more glorious picture here on my flickr account. Click on the view sizes option at the top to see the various sizes.

These are the kind of awesome buildings I wish we had in Springfield... architectural delights :)

Before & After Thursday

2009-12-03T17:32:00.010-06:00

Since I've recently gotten some new editing software and some time-saving Photoshop actions for post-processing, I thought I would start showing some Before-and-Afters just for fun. And Thursday is the special day.

Here's one of my favorites from Curtis and Natalie's engagement session: (as I mentioned before in a previous post, I LOVE to cut people's heads off!) :)

BEFORE

AFTER

Processing:

Totally Rad Actions

Old Skool (Standard) @ 100%

and some tweaking with Yin/Yang for the lights and dark textures.

This small picture doesn't do it justice... to view the bigger picture and the beautiful textures, view it larger here on my flickr account. You won't regret it!

Come back on Thursdays to see more transformations... You know you want to.

New Year Checklist

2009-11-30T12:24:00.006-06:00

There will be some changes starting in January for Images by Jen. Here's a bit of my crazy schedule lately:

1. Order domain name. Check! www.imagesbyjenphotography.com coming in January!

2. Order website template. Check!

3. Write copy for website. 40% check.

4. Wait patiently for logo to be designed. Check! (Is it weird that I dreamed about my logo the other night?)

5. Go through the last two years of pictures and pick my favorites for website. Totally do-able, but not quite done yet.

6. Order Canon Speedlight 580 EX II flash. Check!

7. Download Adobe Creative Suite 4 onto my laptop. Check! I now have Photoshop at my fingertips. Finally!

8. Download Totally Rad Actions. Check! Sooo excited about these! (Is it weird that I also dreamed about these? I really need to not be on the computer before I go to bed!)

9. Learn how to use Lightroom. Hmmm. Definitely not checked yet.

10. Prepare for my photo shoot. Check! Yep! I'll be having my own photo shoot on Sunday, courtesy of the beautiful and talented photographer, Tiffany Kelley. I remember how incredibly awkward I was for my senior pictures... Hopefully things will be different this time around!

11. Finish editing November sessions. Almost check.

Well this isn't the entire list, but I feel like I've accomplished something by at least typing this. No wonder my head has been spinning lately!

And not to have a post without some pictures, here are some photos of my doggie-niece Sammie, from Thanksgiving day:

Am-I-In-Trouble? Sammie:

After-Turkey Sammie:

December Sessions

2009-11-23T21:18:00.003-06:00

I will not be booking any more sessions for the busy holiday month of December. If I've already spoken with you regarding your tentative December session, please contact me to confirm your date and time.

Thanks!

P.S. I would like a Shootsac and this cover for Christmas. Thank you in advance, Christmas elves.

Baby Bump Continued...

2009-11-23T21:05:00.004-06:00

A few more from Tegan's session... The little guy will be here before we know it!

The blanket that matches Asher's nursery...

Newborn pix coming soon!

Graham Family Sneak Peeks

2009-11-22T22:41:00.008-06:00

I know the Graham family from church. Janet contacted me to do family photos while the whole family was in town... all 5 kids and the grandkids! We had a perfect, overcast November day at the park for our shoot.

We did some group photos...

Some individual family shots...

A horse race in the park... (I surprised the kids with these stick horses. They loved them!)

And then some candid pix of the grandkids...

I grabbed some flower pix in the garden before I left the park...

Another great day at the park!

Stephen Part Deux

2009-11-18T22:37:00.003-06:00

A few more from Stephen's session:

Just Let it Go...

2009-11-18T07:16:00.002-06:00

This is how I feel when I worship...

Free!

Join us at Psalmody, a time of praise and worship, Friday night, 7:00 pm at River Bluff Fellowship.

Come worship with us and be free.

November Flowers

2009-11-17T17:38:00.004-06:00

I took these pictures at Phelps Grove Park Saturday afternoon. I didn't know such pretty flowers were still around in November! Even the dead ones are still gorgeous...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Children's Choir

2009-11-16T08:50:00.005-06:00

We have a children's choir at River Bluff Fellowship called Origins. Kacey Dotson had the heart and vision to start this ministry for the children... They've been learning what it means to lead people in worship. They sang a few songs yesterday for us, and they were stinkin' adorable. I make a brief appearance, trying to keep one of the little ones from making a nose dive off the stage. :)

In this video, they sang Hosanna by Hillsong.

New Song...

2009-11-16T00:55:00.004-06:00

I'm super-excited about this new song we're planning to sing on Friday night at Psalmody (you should come!). It's been in my head and heart all night, so I wanted to share it with you.

Lead Me to the Cross

by Hillsong

Savior I come

Quiet my soul. Remember.

Redemption's hill

Where your blood was spilled

For my ransom

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as loss

Lead me to the cross

Where your love poured out

Bring me to my knees

Lord, I lay me down

Rid me of myself

I belong to you

Lead me, Lead me to the cross

You were as I

Tempted and tried

You are

The word became flesh

Bore my sin and death

Now you're risen

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as loss

To your heart

Lead me to your heart

Christian Tube

Mas Sarmientos!

2009-11-16T00:08:00.005-06:00

Surprise! I had more time to edit tonite than I thought... Here are some more pix from the Sarmiento's session. I am in love with little Alejo. I offered steal him and take him home with me, but my offer was rejected. Maybe they'll settle for free babysitting??

I did my happy dance inside my soul when I got this shot...

One with the whole fam...

Little moments like these don't last long...

I think Alejo was a model in a past life. He loved the camera!

Such a handsome little guy. He's gonna be a heartbreaker!

Au natural...

Kisses for mommy...

Deep in thought...

Just having fun on the playset...

Another favorite...

I love miniature people. They make my heart happy.

Tegan's Maternity Session Sneak Peeks

2009-11-14T19:19:00.005-06:00

Today was just an all-around fabulous day. I got the pleasure of starting off the morning with my first maternity shoot ever. My coworker, Kevin, is going to be a first-time daddy in a few weeks, and I had the pleasure of having a maternity session with his stunning wife, Tegan. Isn't she the cutest little pregnant lady ever? Their little boy, Asher, will be making his grand entrance shortly, and we are all so excited!!

Tegan has gorgeous eyes!!

I adore this one!

I think I did my happy dance after this one. I get a little excited sometimes... :)

Meet the daddy... Kevin just had shoulder surgery a few weeks ago, but he was a trooper and joined us for the session. You can't even tell he doesn't have the ability to move his arm very much yet.

As I mentioned several times during the shoot, I like to cut off people's heads :)

A baby bump silhouette...

These blue balloons made me smile. I had this picture stuck in my head all week!

There are tons more from this session to sort through. How am I ever going to choose my favorites? Can't wait to share more!

Thanks Tegan and Kevin for letting me be part of this special time in your lives!

Sarmiento Family Sneak Peeks

2009-11-14T18:49:00.005-06:00

Today was a fabulous day! I got to photograph this little guy, Alejo. His father, Luis, is my coworker. Luis and his beautiful wife, Tiffany, met me at the park today for a workout--I mean a photo session. (A photo session that felt like a workout, anyway. This active little guy below loved to run and run and run and run!)... and all while smiling the whole time.

This picture was captured after Alejo realized daddy went to the car to get his "soccy" (soccer ball). How adorable!

And after tickles...

Just being handsome...

I'm envious of lashes like these...

A gift for me... a leaf that he promptly tore apart... It's the thought that counts, right?

The little guy in action... (I saw a lot of this!)

A tender moment...

Hope you enjoy these! More to come!

My Garage Band...

2009-11-12T21:00:00.007-06:00

...consists of me. And only me.

I like to sing in my garage. Very loudly. It has amazing acoustics. And I thought it was somewhat inconspicuous... until I finished a song this evening before I left the house, watched the garage door slowly creep up, and instantly saw my neighbor across the street standing rigidly like he had just heard a drowning cat wail its head off. And he was staring straight at me.

I'm pretty sure I blushed. And I stubbed my toe as I hurried to jump in my safe-from-weirded-out-man car.

In honor of my one-woman garage band and my many fans(?), here are some photos from worship practice last night. We'll be preparing this week for Psalmody, a night of praise and worship at my church, River Bluff Fellowship.

Psalmody will be held Friday night

November 20 at 7:00 pm

at River Bluff Fellowship

on Evans Road near Ozark.

See the Psalmody fan page on Facebook for more info.

Join us if you can!

Chris & Sarah - A Few More

2009-11-10T21:45:00.005-06:00

Here are a few more of my favorites from Chris & Sarah's photo session. I think they're stinkin' adorable! (as if you couldn't tell... see my new blog header?) :)

Welker Family

2009-11-10T12:14:00.007-06:00

I met up with this family on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I learned that the boys are definitely skilled players at the laughing game, that it's exciting to find an ant hill full of crawly ants, and that in order to make little boys giggle, you have to mention the word "poop." :)

Boys are fun!

The boys found ants!

Ready for Winter?

2009-11-04T21:15:00.002-06:00

... I'm not, but these girls look like it. You might remember these gals from their family's recent session.

This shot was too cool not to post. They were definitely working the camera!

God, it's okay not to make it snow anytime soon.

Your sun-loving, warmth-embracing friend, Jen.

Amen.

Chris & Sarah ~ Sneak Peeks!

2009-10-31T18:21:00.008-05:00

I've known Sarah since college. She and her husband, Chris, are super creative people. We decided to swap some of our talents to help each other out. They have a design company, Austin Creative, and will be creating my Images by Jen logo, in exchange for a photo session. I'll be rolling out the new logo and a few other changes in January 2010. Can't wait! Turns out that they've never had engagement photos, so hopefully, these photos will fill that void!

They showed up with props, fun outfits, accessories, and best of all... a fabulous attitude and a willingness to do anything!

P.S. they both have great "serious" faces (gotta love that!). Check 'em out below!

Check out this fabulous dress. It has pockets!

...and an outtake from the shoot... Chris's reaction to a really large *wink* spider floating by his head and Sarah coming to his rescue... :)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T22:41:00.004-05:00

Stephen ~ Senior 2010

2009-10-29T18:48:00.003-05:00

There's no doubt about it. Stephen's a stud. He's a musician, athlete, he likes to cook, and he's just an all-around good guy! We grabbed some photos downtown by some nearby train tracks and also got some shots with his djembe. More photos will be uploaded soon to my Facebook page in Stephen's album.

Facebook Love

2009-10-28T14:09:00.004-05:00

Since I've had a lot of fall sessions lately and have been updating the blog and my Images by Jen Photography Facebook page like crazy, just wanted to remind you to click on the link here or on my Facebook link on the right of my blog page if you would like to become my Facebook Fan!

Any new sneak peeks or blog postings will show up right in your news feed!

Have a wonderful day!

PS Tuts for Photographers

2009-10-28T12:36:00.006-05:00

What's a tut, you ask? "Tut" is short for tutorial... and there are tons of Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials out there... Just to name a few:

Tutvid.com
Deke.com
Photoshop Tutorials
Photoshop Star
Yanik Photo School

and the list goes on... but these are a great start!

I ran across this one recently at PSD.TUTPLUS.COM that is going to come in handy for future post-processing. If you're not already doing this, it will save you some time and energy!

What are some of your favorite sites for tutorials? Let me know!

The Cutest Pumpkin Around!

2009-10-26T14:09:00.005-05:00

Here is miss Baileay making another appearance.. This time as an adorable pumpkin! More from the family's shoot coming soon!

Happy (almost) Halloween!

Happy Camera

2009-10-23T08:43:00.002-05:00

I went to Lawrence Photo last night so that they could ship my camera body off to Canon for repair. When I was explaining what happened, Jerry took off with it and came back a minute later with words that were music to my ears... "There's no need to ship it off... it's fixed!"

He straightened up the mirror that had gotten misaligned and ended up saving me some moolah. Gotta love that. If you haven't checked out their store, you should. Lots of goodies that you need. And printing services. And camera and lens rentals. And they host classes for photographers. Check out their site.

The only bad thing for me is that the store is dangerously close to my house. Hence, my new purchase last night of some light reflectors and diffusers. Who knows what the next visit holds...

More Cuteness!

2009-10-22T17:13:00.004-05:00

You may remember these little ladies from a past post, and as promised, here are a few more final shots. Don't you just wanna pinch their cute little cheeks?!?

Adam & Claire ~ Lovebirds

2009-10-20T11:41:00.007-05:00

My coworker, Adam, recently married his beautiful bride, Claire. Here are a few shots I grabbed at the ceremony:

and the textured version:

the bride and her proud father... just look at his face!

beautiful fall colors...

a kiss through the leaves...

and they lived happily ever after...