The kids are officially back to school which has given me some free time to get back to catching up on photos. Last year I decided I wasn’t going to put the added stress on myself to get the photos cranked out right away after taking them. It’s been a blessing and a curse. I’ve really enjoyed going back through them after some time. I’ve been pulling out the big camera more often because of it too. Phone photos will always have their place but it’s been a great learning opportunity for me with different lighting situations and helps build my confidence. I have half a mind to offer mini sessions this fall after editing some of these. Anyway…
I love Florida. Like, really love Florida. And when it comes to travel my family knows the drill. Sunrise and sunset times are reserved for mom for photos and or beach yoga. Did I mention I love Florida? Beach yoga is next level. We decided to change things up this Spring Break (and it was Kate’s first official kindergarten break) so we went to Destin. We didn’t realize until this summer that it seems everyone from around here goes during summer break because it was WAY too cold in April. It was beautiful though. I haven’t gotten to the rest of the photos from the trip yet and have been doing some picking and choosing on editing because I’ve got another project in the works. I bought frames for the stairwell finally after mulling over an idea I’ve had for a couple years now. I just need photos printed to fill them. Another blog post once that’s complete.
Anyhow, one of the nights I requested we do photos since we hadn’t been able to the rest of the trip. We got dressed up and drove down Miracle Strip Pkwy and saw an access point we’d seen on our way in. I believe it was Princess Beach. It was completely secluded with no one in sight, and the most beautiful white sand beach. We danced, twirled, got so dizzy we fell, chased birds, ran along the shore, walked into the water and ran out as the waves chased us, wrote our names in the sand, and of course played with monster trucks. Beck still isn’t the biggest fan of taking photos but is getting a lot better. Kate enjoys it or at least knows how much it means to me. I had found this stunning peachy pastel tulle dress that was just lovely. Full confession… I actually have a drawer in both of the kids dressers that is labeled Florida. All the pastel beach things that I find, typically on clearance, that I just know will look wonderful on the beach on our trips. I’m a weirdo, I know.
I’ve really been challenging myself on photography too. It’s funny because I stopped doing it as a business mostly because I couldn’t achieve the style that I loved and for other reasons. And that was after spending a pretty penny on multiple education courses. Then one day at home I messed around with some tools and with the right lighting I got it. It’s also taken some adjusting to going warmer but I really love the look of it. I still save the photos with and without grain so I have options when printing. I’ve also tried to do creative cropping. My favorite being the close up of Kate gently holding her dress with the water looking crystal clear and glistening, hair blowing in the wind. When I was pregnant with Kate, Justin had come home one day and needed me to listen to a song he heard. At this point, he didn’t know the gender and wanted it to be a surprise for when our baby was born. I can’t operate like that and need to plan and shop, ha! So I knew. Well, he plays this song and hormonal, emotional, can’t keep a secret, has no poker face, pregnant me starts bawling. So he knew without me telling him we were having a girl. When I see her at the beach or them walking in the sand I play that song in my head and lose it every time. You try listening to it and not crying. One day, probably Kate’s graduation or wedding day, I’m going to make a music video like that of our trips to the beach.
I’m biased, but my kids are beautiful and it’s really hard to narrow down photos. I probably won’t post them a whole lot. I don’t like the idea of them being out on the internet so much anymore and have removed a good majority of their images from my other social media accounts. They are my whole world though so it’s hard to not have them every once in a while or more-so if their face isn’t showing/out of focus for privacy.
xoxo,
Andrea
