let's talk about the 50mm lens. if you are just starting out in photography, this lens is the number one lens i recommend! especially for portraits. if you're already into photography and have the 50mm then you all know how magical it is. the lower the aperture (f/1.2 for Cannon users and f/1.4 for Nikon users) the more bokeh, or blurred background, you'll get which creates creamy skin tones and sharp eyes. my 50mm is on my camera about 80% of the time. the nice thing about this lens is that it's affordable! if you're debating over the 1.4 or 1.8, it's worth it to fork out some more money and get the lowest aperture for the best bokeh in your images. 

growing up it was a joke with a close friend that we didn't have any "cool" talents. so we decided that our talent was being a good friend. from kindergarten and up, i tried tap dancing, gymnastics, swimming, piano lessons, ballet, volleyball, running track, and art lessons. i was never the best (mostly below average) at sports and i gave up on ballet when i found out it took years to finally get toe shoes. however, i always enjoyed art - drawing, painting, sketching - but never found myself really talented in that area. i went through junior high and high school feeling like i wasn't very talented in anything, i hadn't found my niche. 

my senior year in high school, in order to graduate, we had to complete a senior project. i seriously had no clue what to fill up the required 60+hrs with. i then thought about one thing i recently was interested in, photography. i didn't own a Digital SLR camera so i bought a Nikon D3000 then signed up for a photography class. i learned all about my camera and how to shoot in manual. it was a good start to learning photography, but i was missing one thing: practice!

luckily i had my willing friends and family members to model for me. i had people start asking me about doing their photos and yes, those were my first paid photography jobs. for a long time i struggled with trying to find my niche in photography. what style i wanted. what my photography business name would be. what my logo would look like. it was frustrating and i felt like i wasn't going anywhere with it.

what i've learned since i began photography, is that when you are passionate about something, you shouldn't give up on it. it took me several years to find a passion and something i am talented in. from that, it took me a couple years to truly figure out my style, logo, niche and gain a clientele for my photography business and it has been worth all the patience.

 

ready?


set?


ASK AWAY!

i tried macro photography for the first time a few weeks ago and had to practice on my wedding ring.
love it.

one of my dreams is to shoot with a film camera. i want to learn about film and i want to take beautiful images with film. my inspiration for this dream is from the work of Elizabeth Messina. her images captivate me and i just swoon over each of her frames. i've loved reading her book and i always reference it when i need inspiration.



for my birthday, i was surprised with a wonderful gift from my husband. a film camera (!!!) one that actually will work unlike my collection of vintage ones. it was something on the back of my mind, but somehow he remembered this dream of mine and starting making it come true for me.

i don't know how i got so lucky, but he is sooo incredibly thoughtful.

my next step... i need to start learning how to shoot film! any suggestions of where to start? i would love any advice! 

my sister is getting married (!!!) and i'm so excited to have adam join our family. it's so fun seeing our family grow. our weddings will only be 5 months apart!

here are a couple photos from their engagement session the other night. we barely missed the setting sun, but we did catch some kids trick-or-treating! i couldn't stop laughing about the sumo costume. pure genius

  
 p.s. uhh yeah, notice the new change in my design? i couldn't resist... hope you like it as much as i do!

FALL is such a gorgeous time of the year! i can't get over how adorable these photos are. i love my job and i love getting to know different couples and their love stories.

want to see more? i'd love it if you stopped by and said hello! 

i'm obsessed with practicing window lighting and i love to experiment with different subjects- so i grabbed my older sister to be my model. i'm so happy that she's home (!!!) and she has awesome cheetah sunglasses.

since reading my new book, i've gained so much inspiration and motivation to practice shooting in different lighting situations. today i told my brother to put on his white shirt and bowtie and model for me. he's a natural. he modeled in elementary school and was in the macy's catalog. i think now that he's not in his awkward stage anymore (brace-face, short hair days) he should take up modeling again! although he already gets the ladies looking like justin bieber...

i've been asked many times about the camera i use and what lenses i own, so i thought, why not write a post about it?

i shoot with a Nikon D90-- i've had it for a couple years now and my first DSLR camera was the Nikon D3000 (great beginners camera and affordable!)


i own only Prime lenses- where you cannot zoom, you move yourself. prime lenses are amazing. the aperture can go lower than any zoom lenses which is how you get the gorgeous shallow depth of field (or fuzzy background in photos, for those who aren't super camera savvy).

my first lens was the 50 mm 1.4. for anyone looking to buy a new lens, this one is a must. it is the lens i use about 85% of the time! it is the perfect lens for portraits and my go-to lens.



the next lens i bought was the 85mm 1.8. this one is my favorite for photographing weddings and receptions- great lens for portraits as well. why i love this lens so much is because i can be farther away from my subject, but be zoomed close to them to get amazing portraits.
with the photo below, i was quite a few yards away from the bride (one of my best friends!) and groom, and i was second shooting while they took their bridals. so this lens was great for staying out of the photographers' way but capturing photos as if i were closer using my 50mm. i hope this helps you visualize what i'm saying a little better and makes sense!



the third lens i bought is the 35mm 1.8. i purchased this one specifically in mind for wedding group shots where i needed a wide angle to fit everyone in (and boy has this one been a life saver!) this lens has treated me well while photographing huge group family photos. it's also a great lens for portraits when you don't have much room to work with but want to have good composition (like the self portrait i took--below)
 

if anyone has ANY questions about lenses or anything related to photography, i would gladly lend you a hand! photography is my passion and something i love to help others out with. don't be afraid to ask :)