 |
|
Good Reads : Looking For Alaska
|
W e came home from Cancun and hit the ground running. And by running I mean that I wouldn't be surprised if someone sprinted behind me, handed me a baton and pointed to the finish line. Why, yes, I just made myself the anchor in this pretend relay race because SHORT GIRLS CAN DREAM, RIGHT?!
I'm working for a portion of this morning then taking the afternoon off to read. Or train for a 4x400 relay race. Whichever comes first. |
Speaking of reading, here's a list of Good Reads I recently enjoyed and if you carve out time this summer for a literary splurge, I think you may enjoy a few of these...
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. When a dear friend recommended I read it, I was little leery because I'm not into stories that teeter on fairytale fiction, but this was a pleasant surprise. The writing is fluid and the story intrigued me from start to finish, even causing me to forego episodes of reality t.v. I know, RIGHT?! Who am I?! The end left me with lots of questions, but I think it's part of the lure and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I can't express how many people said I should read this book and I'm happy I finally made it priority. It's a simple read, but the premise was profound in the deepest of ways. It focuses on love--specifically God's love--and while I anticipated lots of warm&fuzzy, remedial quips, the questions Chan poses and answers have left an indelible impression. Weeks after I finished it, and I'm still thinking about it...so worth the read!
The Shoemaker's Wife by Ariana Trigiani. My sister gave this book to me for our birthday (we're twins) and it's such a my-sister book. That won't make sense unless you know Bianca, but she's the nicer, softer one in our duo and her book choices reflect it. She was the girl who stayed in bed for days to read The Help and Twilight, so to say our literary choices are different would be an understatement. More like polar opposites. But I'm happy with her gift because it was a delightful story and a quick read. It's loosely based on Trigiani's grandparents' love story and immigration from Italy and I enjoyed the pleasant read.
Looking For Alaska by John Green. And, whoa. This book? I loved it to a thousand pieces. I mean, yes, the story was good, but the over-arching theme deals with struggle, pain, and death, which sounds dark, but it's a teen fiction novel so Green does a great job keep things light yet asks deep questions. As each character works through his or her Labyrinth, their lives change and they're forced to grow up and see life in a new way.
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. I usually only read books recommended by friends, but surfing Amazon.com one afternoon brought me to this book and it had great reviews. On a whim, I purchased it, but when it arrived I was shocked to see its size. It's about 550 pages and though I was a tad skeptical diving in, I'm glad I did. Morton's writing is solid and she does a great job painting the story with words (hence the size), but the way she weaves three different stories into one is delicious. At the end of the day, a granddaughter discovers her grandmother's missing identity and rediscovers herself in the process too. It held my attention through the entirety of the read and though it reads like a chick flick, it was lovely diversity to what's on my bookshelf. Totally enjoyed it.
Happy Wednesday! |
    
|
Laguna Beach Engagement : Becky+Blake
|
I t could be chalked up to the luck of the Irish, a four-leaf clover, or Blake's family who threw epic St. Patrick's Day parties. Either way, Becky walked into the party her senior year of high school and expected nothing more than a fun evening with friends, not to meet her future husband. Blake immediately took notice of the leggy brunette made sure introductions were made. Becky politely chatted and later politely evaded his advances after the party when he asked her out.
After a few of Becky's declinations, Blake shifted his focus that summer on training for his upcoming football season at Azusa Pacific University while she prepared for her freshman year at Chapman University. And then--almost out of thin air--Becky decided Blake was someone she wanted to date. And she did. Becky called Blake and invited him to dinner with another couple and from that night forward, they remained best friends and soul mates.
I'm incredibly excited to photograph Becky and Blake's wedding in September and many thanks to Wedding Chicks for sending them my way...I can't wait for what's in store! |
| Blake and Becky have so much fun together...but every so often, he looks at her with the sincerest gaze of adoration...and I can see why...just look at her! |
| I arrived to Laguna Beach to scope new areas to shoot the engagement session and I passed by this wall I loved...except it was super dirty and in an alley that smelled, well, ripe. I vetoed the idea of posing the couple there for fear they'd think I was crazy, but later Becky pointed it out as we walked past and said she liked it. Right then? I knew we were a duo made in photo heaven...MOVE OVER BLAKE! ;) |
| She drives him a teeny bit crazy...and he loves it. |
| Becky and Blake brought their dog, Bo, along for a portion of the shoot and I think he stole the show... |
| We ended the engagement session along the coast of Laguna Beach and they couldn't have been happier together watching the sun disappear and remain in each others' arms... |
| To see more of Becky and Blake's Laguna Beach engagement session, feel free to CLICK HERE for a slideshow with Amy Stroup music provided by The Music Bed. |
|
The Girl Who Guards the Bags
|
W e spent this weekend in a barrage of airports, layovers, and cabanas. It was a whirlwind trip to Cancun for a lovely wedding for an amazing bride and groom. Can't wait to share more of their wedding photos soon!
In other news, after assuring JD I safely packed our passports and after our cab driver asked if we were in possession of said passports, I raised my eyebrows and huffed, uhhh, yeah.
When we arrived to the front of the airline check-in line, I panicked. I FORGOT JD'S PASSPORT AT THE HOTEL. It happened in slow motion, but I turned to him and said Please don't be mad...promise you won't be mad...swear? It was like he knew--he just knew I forgot--so he turned on his heel, sprinted like mad man, and hailed a cab for the 30 minute ride back to the hotel. While I filed my nails...read a magazine...ate my weight in guacamole guarded the bags, JD went to fix my mistake.
This was just one of many this past week, but I'm just happy I have someone in my life who can deal with my complexities. And, really, nobody guards bags better than I do. Really. |
Here's JD hard at work...nobody adjusts a veil like that man.
Speaking of adjustments, if you'd like to make changes to your business, I announced my upcoming workshop for June! To get more information, check out JasmineStarWorkshop.com!
Happy Monday! |
|
The Wedding Photographer + Planner Experience
|
© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
|
A few days ago, I had a great conversation with a wedding planner in Los Angeles. What I thought was an interview to see if I was good fit for her potential clients turned into a genuine opportunity for my to express my opinions. Here's why: She asked me how I work best with coordinators. She flipped the switch on me and provided the opportunity to be heard.
I sat dumbfounded for a second, then thanked her for opportunity to hopefully work together for the benefit of a bride. Here are few ways a photographer and wedding coordinator can work together to ensure everything flows smoothly...
1. A timely timeline
I understand solidifying a wedding timeline is difficult, especially far in advance to the actual day, but a perfect scenario would be for the wedding photographer to see a loose breakdown three weeks in advance. Yes, I know this may seem crazy, but when a photographer is asked for her opinion, we can work together as a team to give realistic approximations as how long pictures will take and how much time I need to capture details, family portraits, and bridal party photos. Sometimes just a brief conversation can radically improve the layout of a wedding day and getting a sneak peek helps a ton!
2. Day-of timeline
Occasionally I have the pleasure of working with a wedding planner who prints 2.5x3.5 cards of the timeline for the creative team. Of course, she sends the detailed timeline a few days in advance (including the floral load-in, guest count, contact info, etc), but when the actual day arrives, the abbreviated timeline on the small card keeps everyone on the same page and where we need to be...I LOVE it!
3. Assisting family portraits
The best coordinators surround themselves with a powerhouse team. I believe this is the key to a stress-free and awesome day. One of the benefits of working with a team is the luxury of the main coordinator leaving an assistant to help manage family portraits. This is, of course, not expected from a photographer's viewpoint, but by the time family pictures happen on the wedding day, the planner's team has interacted with the family in a greater capacity (the planning process, the rehearsal dinner, etc). This often allows the assistant to personalize the process as well as help expedite it.
(An added bonus is that the sooner the photographer completes family photos, the more opportunity he/she has to document the reception and cocktail hour details, which helps showcase a wedding planner's hard work)
4. Connecting the creative team
I love when a wedding coordinator will send a list of the entire creative team in advance to the wedding. It helps knowing who's involved with the wedding day as well as provide a great resource for listing the contributors when blogging the wedding at a later point in time.
When I first started in wedding photography, I didn't know how to voice what I needed from a creative team. Now that the business has matured, I hope this offers insight on how to leverage the opportunity working with a wedding planner and making the experience beneficial for everyone involved and ensuring the bride is happy.
And because every post is better with a picture, here's a sneak peek of an engagement session I photographed this week... |
S he came out and admitted she was afraid to tell me. And I was shocked. I sat across the table and asked what she meant, but deep down I knew. My sweet friend Gail and I sat with a grilled artichoke between us and she said she was worried to tell me her decision for fear of my reaction.
Right then I felt like Large Marge from Pee Wee's Big Adventure...was I really that scary?
A while back, Gail and I discussed the balance between her photography business and full-time job and I asked when she was going to become a full-time photographer. Months later Gail worked up the nerve to tell me she wasn't. She wanted to keep the full-time job she loves as well as foster her photo business on the side. I was thrilled to hear of her decision, but it wasn't until last Saturday that I realized Gail was afraid to tell me.
It's just so black and white with you, she said. And there you have it. Black and White. |
For as long as I can remember, I forced my world into black and white decisions, opinions, rules because it helped me move quickly and form ideas outside of my emotions. I've been like this since I was a kid. I speak ardently about following your dreams and pursuing your passion, but what I don't clarify is that it isn't black or white. And it doesn't come in one form. My path to success is my own, so forgive me if it comes across as if it is The Only Way.
Sometimes I push, push, and push for people to pick a side, defend their stance because it helps formulate what, exactly, it is they want. I paint the world in black and white, but I know the details painted by others will be a shade of grey. And that's totally fine. It's perfect, really. Your path to success, happiness, and fulfillment will be entirely your own...and I'll be on the sideline cheering you along.
My goal has only ever been to push others, encourage them to outline their goals, and then set a route to achieve them. So while it may appear black and white, I truly know every path is painted with a different stroke. Regardless of what success looks like for you, I'm just happy knowing you took a stance, defended it, and pursued it like it was your last chance at happiness. |
2013
|
|
|
2012
|
|
|
2011
|
|
|
2010
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
