Sugarland Barn Wedding // Friday Frames // Maybe it means a bit more

"Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!" ~Dr. Suess

Christmas isn't about gifts, We hear it all the time. Truth is, Christmas has been about gifts all along. The gift of family, friends, and people who cross your path on your journey through life. The gift of togetherness, gatherings and celebrations. Those little wrapped boxes under the tree are simply a bonus, a surprise, a way of showing someone you care. I love giving gifts and I know Christmas doesn't come from a store and I know it means a whole lot more. But the spirit of giving is special to me. One small meaningful gift can make someone feel so good, so special. 

Remember these two, Jennie & Travis Braga an AMAZING couple who have made me feel extremely special since the day I met them. 

They sent me this and my heart is warmed by this special and unexpected surprise. It's one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever received and I truly love it and them. I am so blessed by the couples who choose me. I am so thankful for this gift of photography, it has brought me countless, priceless gifts, so many I can't even count. 

So, Christmas may not be from a store, but the spirit of giving and making people feel warm and special and loved is something very real and wonderful. I can only hope all of you feel the same this season. 

Friday Frames // Deep Breath

It's no secret I have a lot on my plate, I always worked better under pressure for some reason, I used to work in an Operating Room at a hospital and I would hand over supplies "stat" and I thrived during those times, the downtime is where I struggled. So it's no surprise that I find a balance for work-life, home-life and photography-life.  I know I am a broken record when I say, you find time in your life for things you love, but it's true. If you love something you'll find time whether it's a person, a hobby, a sport, work, party, etc. We're all busy in life but we find time. This year has been probably my biggest year yet, but I never felt out of control (minus October,damn you)  I found a good balance but I had to subtract something I like to do to continue something I love to do. I cut out family & senior sessions to shoot weddings. You can imagine it's not an easy week to work all day and then rush to a family session, shoot it and get home by 6-7pm to spend very little time with your children before bed. It just didn't fit anymore. Traveling miles one way to a 30 min session just stopped making sense to me. (When available I do still travel for engagement sessions when you book a wedding with me) I have had a lot of interest in sessions and it really pains me to let past clients down or see them go elsewhere.  My response to them is "I do limited sessions, at my home and as available".  No more travel and no more scrambling my family around. Once a year I do hope to add mini-sessions to the schedule, like I did this weekend. I have a full schedule Saturday & Sunday! 

Thank you all for your support, for following my work, for your "likes" and commenting and feedback (I can't express enough how much I love feedback) thanks for sharing my page with others and recommending me and most of all for understanding that I can't do it all , as much as I would love to be superwoman ;)

I took the day off the other day to take a deep breath,  do nothing and shoot my very favorite subject at the apple orchard, scored some yummy honey crisp and pumpkins. These two are the reason for the reduction in sessions. As you can see these two are my whole life, the cutest boys on earth and I love them more than my next breath. 

Photographer Q & A

Oh My Gosh! you guys, I have been getting so many dreamy inquires this week! So many that if they were to all book me I would be darn near full for 2015!  A girl can dream right?

So, with all these inquiries comes questions and I thought it would be something my blog followers/ readers would like to know, if it doesn't interest you, there are pretty pictures to look at! 

Client: How many years have you been shooting weddings?
Me: I shot my first wedding solo in 2008, I worked under other photographers for about a year before that.

Client: What is your favorite venue?
Me: There are so many! I would say my favorite "type" of venue is one where the ceremony and reception can be in one place and there is room to roam for photos and no strict restrictions that limit creative photos (such as church policies, etc). 

Client: How would you describe your style?
Me: Natural and genuine, I do not like overly posed or unnatural photos, they have to come naturally for me.

Client: What is your most popular wedding package? 
Me: 6 or 8 hours are definitely my most popular, I offer 4,6,8 & 10 hour packages to fit most budgets but hands down my 6 or 8 is most popular. 

Client: What is your favorite part of a wedding day?
Me: The getting ready photos! the last moments before you get married, the anticipation and excitement gets me every time. 

Client: Do you edit all the photos?
Me: Yes, every photo is edited. 

Client: Do you use photoshop?
Me: Actually no, I have photoshop, I know how to use photoshop but I edit my photos in Lightroom. There is a myth about photoshop, it's not magical. I can't make the changes that most people believe I can, and I wouldn't want to. I want my photos to be naturally imperfect. 

Client: How many weddings do you shoot a year and how do you choose?
Me: I usually cap at 15 weddings per year, this year 3 more squeaked in, the couples were too adorable to pass up. I choose weddings based on #1 availability, #2 connection with the couple and #3 venue (as a natural light photographer some venues are not a good fit for me.) 

Do you have a question for me? Shoot me an email! danistephenson@hotmail.com