The cool thing is that my good friend Doug over at Totally Rad Actions has come up with his latest beauty--Lightroom Presets! He showed me a demo the other day and I was absolutely SHOCKED at how amazing they are. He must be some sort of crazy genius to be able to make something that can turn your photos into works of gorgeousness that easily. I'm not surprised though, because the actions have completely revolutionized the way I process my photos--I can't imagine my photo world without them! To snag the Lightroom Presets or the Totally Rad Actions, click the banner below:
Also, just to be clear, I do receive an affiliate commission when someone buys the actions after seeing them on this blog. That is not why I endorse them--there are lots of companies out there offering such commissions that I would never promote. I promote them because I LOVE the way they make my photos look, and that's all. I have a similar program available if you are interested in promoting SHOOTSAC™ Lens Bags or HIpslips because you love them and they has changed your life and the way you shoot. If you're interested, email me here: flamingo@shootsac.com
As for something cold, here's another little ditty from the snowy shoot last week (more coming very soon, I promise!!) This cake is by Melody with My Sweet And Saucy and the shoot itself was styled by Jesi Haack!
I used the Totally Rad Actions on this photo, Yin/Yang, and Pool Party at 30%!
A New Day (With No Mistakes In It) Fri. February 5, 2010 my life
I used to LOVE Anne of Green Gables. I would watch the movie over and over again, clinging to the idea that girls with red hair were a valuable part of the world. The movie somehow gave me hope. My favorite saying in the movie was, "Tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it". I just loved that.
Nobody in my family has red hair, and through a giant practical joke of genetics, my brother ended up tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. Cruel? Yes.
I remember my mom taking me to get my hair done when I was 7 or 8 years old, and I told the stylist that I wanted bangs and a part in the middle of the rest of the hair, just like Ashley, the girl with the perfect hair in my class. I have no idea to this day why they actually cut my hair that way, knowing that my short, curly, un-partable hair would never be that long, straight glossy brown that would hang perfectly in that sort of cut. Instead, I just ended up looking like an unfortunate "Annie", with the worst hair in the whole school.
I grew up, learned to use a blow dryer and a flat iron--I could give Vidal Sassoon a run for his money!
A few months ago, I dyed my hair a dark brown. It was the first time I've ever dyed it, because in my adult years, I came to actually take pride in the fact that I had hair that was different. When you're a teenager, all you want is to blend in, but once I was out of high school, I valued anything that set me apart as an individual. I've always thought of myself as a redhead, even in the bad times. When I look in the mirror now, I like the dark brown hair, but I don't quite recognize myself.
I do somewhat feel like a more dramatic, hotter version of myself though, which is a nice phase to go through. I'll probably keep it dark brown for another few months and try to maximize that feeling!
Although my hair might be brown now, I am still, at heart, a redhead. Always have been, always will be. It's part of what makes me who I am--and what sets me apart.
Maybe it wasn't just a genetic mistake after all :)
Since I don't have any photos of me with dark brown hair on hand, here's a photo from my most recent wedding that at first I considered a mistake. But now, looking at it a little closer, maybe it's not a mistake after all.
**I was actually able to find my 4th grade photo of me with the worst hair ever. you will see that I was not exaggerating. enjoy!**
February 4: Thursday Thoughts With Jessica Claire Thu. February 4, 2010 my life
Happy Thursday everyone! A place where I will recap the events of the past week. However considering I only blog a few times a week, I may relegate Thursday thoughts to the last Thursday of the month henceforth to avoid what happened last week where I didn't do any posts in between Thursdays. That was utterly shameful. SHAME!
Okay, enough shame. I'll start with what's happening today.
You might notice that I never post videos here--I do not like the way I look in videos! However, I will be chatting LIVE today with Becker on The B School Study hall--you can go over there, log in with your twitter name and ask us questions! Here's the skinny:
Don't let me show up there and have nobody to chat with --that would be awkward!
This has been a very interesting week on a few fronts. It's been an up and down week, with lots of highs and lows. It's easy to blog "Thursday Thoughts" on weeks when everything is great, but it's a little bit harder on weeks that take more of a downturn. I could write here all about how everything is pretty and sparkly, but everything isn't all the time, so this is what you get this week :)
I think everyone has those times where things just don't seem to be going our way--it can be big things or little, but it really just amounts to feeling like you're running up against a brick wall. Normally, I would chalk this up to other people being jerks, but sometimes you just have to face the truth--sometimes it is your own fault.
Once you realize this, you have two choices:
1. Pretend that it is somebody else's fault and keep on doing the things that aren't working, or
2. Take responsibility even though it feels like a punch in the face and change your actions to avoid future painful situations
I chose "2" this time. I've been slinking around with my tail between my legs ever since, knowing that my own actions have caused a disruption in my life. I know it was the right decision because I felt better almost immediately and also because I started to see a change almost immediately. Also because I didn't feel a desperate urge to run out and consume as many cupcakes as possible in the shortest amount of time possible.
And because this part of my week was such a bummer, here are a couple of photos from a shoot that make me happy:
As the week progressed, it did improve! My brother & sister-in-law, Michael and Cyndie have gotten really into cooking and made us the most delicious meal last week along with some of our closest friends. The only thing better than knowing how to cook that way yourself is knowing other people who love to cook that way and are willing to let us be guinea pigs. They could probably serve guinea pig and it would be delicious (I know ya'll are adventurous, but please don't!).
The Grammy's: Don't care. Except how did Taylor Swift win for album of the year?! I think she's so pretty, and a good singer, and a talented writer especially for her age, but album of the year? Really?
Favorite new website: WWW.WHERESTHEDOUCHE.COM. Absolutely hilarious, and I love that submissions are requested. One girl sent in a pic of her stepdad--I'm just waiting for someone to send in photos of someone that I actually know!
One of the things that Jeff and I love to do with friends is play games! A few times this past week we had dinner with friends and then played games until our eyes hurt. My new favorite game is Rummikub--it requires just enough brainpower to make it interesting but not enough to make me want to throw the tiles off the table. It's a fine line!
My favorite thing that I did this past week was a shoot up in the snow. This shoot will be featured on SMP next week so I can't post it just yet, but I will share one of my favorite photos. Special thanks to Jesi Haack for pulling a fab team together for this shoot, which I will tell you all about in a full post. For now, here is a shot I love:
Thought of the week--what is the best color combination for a spring/summer wedding?
Preston + Teresa: The Wedding (2004 repost) Wed. February 3, 2010 i do
A wedding before my 50 1.2, 5d, and trusty Totally Rad Actions (what did I ever do without them???)
Wow, it's crazy how many of you remember Preston and Teresa from the Knot chat boards back in 2004! Due to a quite overwhelming response, I have decided to dig through the archives and rustle up a few of their wedding photos.
I shot this wedding in Cabo San Lucas in 2004 at the Marquis Los Cabos-an absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous location. It was brand new back then, and this may have even been the first wedding there. Becker shot this wedding with me and some of the photos below might be his--there's no way for me to go back and tell at this point!
Anyway, enjoy!
Preston and Teresa, six years ago:
The ceremony contained Jewish and Spanish elements to pay tribute to both their cultures:
The breaking of the glass:
First kiss:
This is one of my favorite shots ever. I think that the coming back down the aisle photos are some of my favorites of the day more often than not!
Some beachy portraits:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one! What a gem--I had totally forgotten about it, but the colors are so refreshing:
Teresa may or may not have been a backup dancer for Prince at one point--that is a rumor I cannot confirm or deny:
We did a day after session--it was the first one I ever did. I have no idea if anyone else was doing these back then, this was before blogs and forums were really popular, so I thought I was being terribly daring. Here's one that Becker shot of me shooting:
And the resulting image:
Looking at these photos, while I have always and still do love them, I can't believe how far I've come both personally and professionally. It's hard to see those differences day to day, but looking through this wedding brings 2004 back to me like it was yesterday. I wasn't even living in California yet!
Preston + Teresa = Grayson Tue. February 2, 2010 people
I get asked this question all the time:
"How do you get into shooting Destination Weddings?"
My answer?
"You need a couple like Teresa and Preston."
Back in 2004, I was still living in North Carolina, had just started my own business, and was determined to make it. I got a call one day from a coordinator who told me about a client she had who was considering flying me to Cabo for her wedding! Needless to say, I was extremely excited, and jumped at the chance. This couple, Preston and Teresa, turned out to be the single most instrumental couple in my whole career.
After shooting the wedding in Cabo, Teresa immediately got onto The Knot destination chat board, which was very new at the time. I think she was one of the first brides to bring a photographer with her to her destination wedding, and when she posted the photos, the other girls on the board were really excited that such a thing would be an option!
That same day, I probably got 50 inquiries for destination weddings.
And that is how I became a destination wedding photographer :)
Now, that was six years ago, and a lot can change in six years. Moves from North Carolina to New York City, and to Connecticut. Teresa now has her own interior design business (you should check out her blog, The Stamford Wife--she's amazing.
More importantly though, Preston and Teresa have added a gorgeous, smart, adorable little boy to their family! On my trip to New York a few weeks ago, I was able to meet up with them to shoot a few photos of their family in the city and the parks of Manhattan. We had a blast, even with the freezing cold (now I'm a spoiled So. Cal girl).
We started off at a coffee shop, where I was introduced to the star of the show, Grayson:
What an adorable little monkey!
We decided to shoot inside for a bit, so we cruised over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where what Gray really wanted to do was ditch the stroller and walk around:
And fly. Of course he also wanted to fly:
I love this series of Preston helping to teach his son to work those stairs:
Seriously, he could not be any cuter:
But, alas, it was time to head outside:
Teresa, you are even more stylish than you were six years ago as a bride, which I didn't think was possible:
Bye bye!
Grayson loves to be up high!
And is very curious about what Mommy and Daddy are doing down there...
This little area of Central Park was so cute with its swings! While Jeff and I walked to the shoot, it was SO STINKIN' COLD, but bu the time we got back outside, the wind had died down and it was really nice out:
I hope that they will look back on these photos and love the feeling of them:
This was Grayson's first try in the swings! He was a bit dubious at first...
Not quite sure what was going on....
...But he LOVED it!
With mommy:
Seriously, he was begging for more! the kid might have a bit of a daredevil streak:
We decided to steal just a few more minutes outside, even though the cold was starting to return:
Only a few more months till they'll be running after this guy:
He is just so much fun!
The cold was starting to get to his little cheeks, but he didn't mind:
Off on his own:
Preston & Teresa, you have the most beautiful family! Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your lives :)
**If you are interesting in having jessica claire shoot relaxed, casual family photos in your city or in orange county, california, please shoot us an email at clients@jessicaclaire.net
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