A week in the life....

Fall is notoriously busy for photographers. Families are looking to have this season of their life documented. Why not take advantage of all those beautiful, fall leaves that we get here in the Midwest. Smithville lake is one of my favorite places to explore during Autumn. The leaves are changing every shade of red, orange, yellow and purple. They line the vast array of trails that surround the lake, and something about the light in Fall is just that much more golden and lovely.

Photoshoots in the fall are usually one of two things....blazing hot, or freezing cold. We never know in Missouri do we? It's not unusual to have lots of cuddly sessions just for sheer warmth at the beginning of the week and then trying to fend off the sweat at the other end. It can be difficult, even comical for sure, but it always leaves room for excitement and a need to be willing to roll with the punches.

When I started booking this October and November I knew I'd be busy, but I've never been quite this busy with my business before. It's exciting and incredibly gratifying to see the work I've put in over the last 8+ years grow into a thriving business. And I'm just loving it. I have met new families, worked with previous clients, and cherished each photoshoot and editing session. It's been a season of revitalization and new processes for me. I've learned so much and figured out the places I still have to grow and learn.

As a photographer I started the season with lots of new equipment. So far so good!! I'm especially loving my new 85mm lens. I have been using it without a hood and the lens flare have been bonkers, beautiful. Below is a great example of such a lovely sunflare. The 85mm gives a lovely bokeh background and shots that are more pulled in and concentrated on the subject.

I've also been working with something that's less a piece of equipment and more a prop. I recently bought as I stated in a previous post I purchased an antique yo-yo quilt during the summer and I have used it for more than half of the photoshoots I've done since then. It's just the perfect prop. So versatile. It's a queen sized quilt so it can take up lots of space or very little. I recently did a photoshoot with a couple little girls that I've have taken photos of since they were both very small. We used my sons pickler triangle, the quilt, and a couple of other props to create a little fantasy quilt. SOOO CUTE! See for yourself below.

I enjoy every photoshoot that I do, but some are more marked than others. I did my first morning photoshoot a week or so ago. It was so much fun! I'm not normally a morning person, but it was exhilarating to be up that early, in the middle of a sunflower field, on the morning of a really thick fog. The effect was beautiful. Here are a couple to enjoy.

It's been a busy month and we're just getting started!! I'm looking forward to all of the family photoshoots I have scheduled at the end of October. They're going to be amazing!