Believe Photography

Yellow is my fave...

2010-05-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

because it is bright, cheery, and like the sun-I LOVE the sun! So of course I had to enter this weeks i ♥ faces-the theme is yellow! It's been awhile since I entered, actually it's been awhile since I have blogged-so no time like the present!

This photo is from my session this past weekend and I love it! Mom is adorable, the children are playing, and the weather is...yellow! Hope you like and I would love to hear your comments!

~Jennifer

The Waltke Family

2010-03-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Ann got in touch with me tight before the weather turned here in Michigan and wanted some family pictures done before her kids all left for other regions of the country, and I happily obliged. They are an amzing bunch, talented and fun, I had a great time with them at their house. Here are my fave's:

Yes, I love sun flare...

Enjoy Life....

Jennifer

The Davis Girls

2010-03-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Some of these girls may be familiar to you if you have been following me for awhile. I shot three of them last summer at an amazing location and had tons of fun. They are scheduled again for this spring and I can't wait! There are 6 girls total and they came from three sons, and these girls are so stinking cute! Here are some photos I took this past fall of the them while one of the brothers was visiting from Georgia. Just look at how cute they are!

Of course that isn't all 6, just a few of my favorites.

Enjoy Life...

Jennifer

☼Friday Fix It #2

2010-02-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

Hey all! I hope this finds you well and looking forward to the coming of spring! I am amped up for the sounds of twittering from trees, the smell of the breeze through my windows, and thunderstorms! Only a couple more weeks and it will be here!

I also have a fun surprise in store for those who read this blog! I am working my butt off to get it ready and decided to take a little break today to do some blogging-I missed you guys!

The wonderful people over @ I♥faces has given me another challenge and this one is not a fun one! It strikes terror in the heart of photographers everywhere. What is it you ask? UNDEREXPOSURE!

AHHHHH! Hee hee, well-it's true! It can be pretty difficult to fix an underexposed photos. Here are my solutions and I don't know if they are any good-but I thought I would try!

Thanks for looking and remember-Never let 'em get ya down!

☼Jennifer

The {Withington} Family

2010-02-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

In November, and I am that far behind on posting my sessions, I had the most amazing time photographing a spectacular family. They were, fun, funny, and willing subjects who came up with a lot of their own creative ideas! The only thing that could have made the day better was a higher temperature....ok and if we would have shot on the beach somewhere, but I am pretty sure that doesn't count! Here are some of the great photos I captured that day. Enjoy and remember- I heart comments!

~Jennifer

Who doesn't love a family that willingly climbs trees?

So Serious!

Or not....

Sibling love

Chris' family

Mark's Family

The Girls

So sweet♥

The little angels..

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Just fun!

Friday Fix It One of 2010 {i♥faces}

2010-02-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

Friday fix it huh? But it is Saturday....YES, I know! lol I have been off the computer almost 24 hrs (gasp) and finally noticed that the amazing ladies down at I heart faces posted a challenge this week, and this is one of my favorite photo group events. This little angel is so cute!

Almost can hear her saying "Surprise!" or "Happy Valentines Day!"

Here are my fixes:

I would love to hear your feedback, any comments are appreciated!

~Jennifer

Lynn & Nick

2010-02-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

Back in October, I had the pelasure of photographing a cozy, intimate reception for the wonderful Lynn and Nick; who were married in another state but didn't want to leave their family here in Bronson, Michigan out of the celebration. It was a fun time where I met and photographed alot of interesting people, but I finally want to share these photos of the super lucky bride and groom with you.

Prints For Sale and some friendly advice.

2010-02-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a couple weeks!

First, I got a job to pay off some bills so I could focus more money on photography, worked one week, and then was told there was no more work right now. Jobs in southern Michigan are pretty tough to come by these days.

Then my computer crashed. First time ever I felt helpless and it sucked, royally! Thankfully, the computer Gods at Ascend in Sturgis, Michigan saved all my files! I only had to reinstall my programs! They are amazing and if you ever need work done I one hundred percent refer you to them!

After that it took me a couple days to get all my programs reinstalled, do some updating and upgrading (CS4 YAY), and I am now ready to go!

I have a new line of photos to share with you. I am so excited about this. As a photographer, it is really easy to get sucked into what everyone else is doing, and lose yourself, your sense of style. As a new photographer, it is even harder because you are striving to learn, create, and take photos like the pro's. In all actuality you should be focusing on the learning and creative parts, the finding of your individual photography style.

How do I do that you ask? Well, try different things, learn new techniques, learn how to use your camera, not just shutter speed and apeture, but metering, focus points, ISO, and white balance. If you have to start off in P mode, so be it. Don't let any tell you that it doesn't count because you aren't shooting in manual. You will soon, but shooting in P is easier to learn metering and the other technicalities of your camera. When you shoot in P shutter speed and apetures are figured out for you so you can concentrate on other things.

There are probably some people who are going to say that this is the wrong way to learn, but this is how I learned, by myself, to use metering and focus in my Nikon D60.

So on to my new venture and the reason for this little piece of advice. I found my niche and totally love it! I can't wait to branch out and add more to this. I found that I love to shoot photos and turn them into art by adjusting colors and texturing. I had a few people ask me on my facebook fan page if I would sell these as prints so I am! I am so excited! You can see them at http://www.believephoto.com/ in my still life gallery. I also thought I would share some samples here.

More will be going up as soon as I edit them! Thank you so much for looking and enjoy the journey!

{Project 365} and I am soooo far behind...

2010-01-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I can't believe I am so far behind on posts! I have alot of pictures to post and some cool updates!

First, I finally got a 40 hour a week job! YAY...or not. But it will pay the bills and I will hopefully be able to invest more of my business money into my business! That is a major plus!

Next, I enrolled in online courses at New York Institute of Photography. While I love to take pictures and have pretty much invested my heart and soul into this business, I really have no formal training! Everything I know about photography I learned on my own, from online resources, and from people around me! What I do know, though, is alot more than a whole bunch of people out there who call themselves photographers and that makes me proud. What I don't know truly seperates me from the professionals, and that is what I plan on upgrading my title too!

So let's get it started, ha, let's get it started in here...yes I bust out into random songs at the drop of a hat. My friends and family think I may be a little crazy! hee hee

I am on day...18!

On day 18 we had freezing fog. That's right, freezing fog. It was so amazing! It clung to branches, fences, leaves, cars, anything that it could, and it made southern Michigan look like a winter ice paradise! It was really cool! Here is a picture of it on a surviving leaf.

Day 19

Is just a little picture of my new signature scent that I indulged in over christmas time. It was my little present to myself and if you haven't smelled it, you don't know what you are missing! It is amazing! Even my daughter is sneaking it! She thinks I don't know! Whatever...

Day 20

I cleaned my office because my computer got a new hard drive, so I figured I should welcome it home with a nice gesture! It survived the surgery, is well, and runs great! I love my computer doctors! This is just a little cutey I found where it shouldn't have been and is now hanging in my office.

Day 21

I am starting a Black & White Collection to hang on my walls and will be sharing it with you! You will be able to order the prints from my website and I am taking requests! Here is a little preview

Day 22

Hmmmm...no pictures....

Day 23

I had a fun session with my good friend Jessica, who finally gave in to my begging and agreed to play with me! Our relationship is really quite amazing and I am so glad to have her as a friend! I will miss her when she goes off to play at GVSU next year and I am truly proud to call her friend!

Day 24

I miss the sun.
The big ball of joy in the sky that warms the earth and cause beauty to grow in places where there is only desolation and dirt. Here are some photos from my 4th of July last year that reminded me of sun and warmth and growth.

Day 25

Can you guess what this is?

Day 26

Another missing photo...I should call a detective!

Day 27

This is what it looks like if you stand in the road outside my house tonight and take a picture of the main intersection in my town! No, I did not add texture-it's snow! NOT SUN-snow...

Thanks for looking and any comments would be well cared for!

{Project 365}

2010-01-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

I have been pretty busy this past week, but still managed to grab my camera everyday but one. I call that my 'Rest" day (which translates into "Oops, forgot!")

Here is day 11

Let me explain, my daughter plays a 14u travel softball team out of Sturgis, MI. While at practice she was doing some catching and throwing drills and tore her hamstring. She is pretty tough and dealt with it pretty well until the second day when it ached so bad she asked for crutches. From day 11 until now, and I am sure a couple more weeks, this has been the center of her life. Of course, she also isn't letting it heal (running in school for state testing and sledding) but she is 13 and it is to be expected!

Day 12

Haa haa, this picture makes me laugh! First of all, that is snow my son is lying in and I had to bribe him to do it! Second of all, his face is like that because our dog now believes it is play time and is jumping over him, running around him, and sniffing and licking him-it was pretty comical. Third of all I made him lie there for about ten minutes! Ahhhh the things we make our children do! =D

Day 13

I visited out local waterworks park and photographed some ducks. I love ducks. They are cute and funny...enough said.

Day 14

is in no way an advertisement for this product.

That being said, I began this products thirty day challenge and so far so good! It is fun and challenging and I feel it working! It's great!

Day 15

REST...AKA The Forgotten

Day 16

I had an amazing senior session with the beautiful Ashley.

Day 17

I had a couples session and a family session. It was a busy day but I loved it! This is from my family session with the gorgeous Brooke and her lovely mother, Carmen.

I hope to keep up to date with this, if not, at least I am shooting the pictures and not falling behind! Let me know what you think!

{Project 365}

2010-01-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a couple days late posting this, but better late than never, right!?

Day seven is this photo

I love this photo of the snow collecting in the rustic fence. I am a country girl at heart, and the older I get the more I realize that while I do love the luxury of an amazing purse, the scent of designer perfume, and a fantastic pair of heels-I love more being able to walk out my back door into the woods, catching a butteryfly flutter by quietly, and seeing the sunset with out any obstructions. The song "Cowboy Take Me Away" by The Dixie Chicks had been a long time favorite of mine and the one lyric that always gets me is:

"I wanna walk and not run, I wanna skip and not fall

I wanna look at the horizon, and not see a building standing tall

I wanna be the only one, for miles and miles

except for maybe you, and your simple smile"

Yes, I love this song! Which leads into picture two

Day 8

is a barn picture because I have this fascination with rustic structures!

The grain look is not really a grain look...it is snow! It was snowing pretty hard when I took this and I made my husband pull over so I could snap this picture. I love the red door!

Day 9
is me! On day nine I cut off all my hair! Over 10 inches of it just because it felt so...dead. Of course, that is because it is, but it had over stayed it's welcome and it was time for it to go! So, I have another three years of growing to get long hair again, but who knows what I will do to it next...well, Jolene, my beautician does but she is the only one!

Yes, I am cheesin' for the camera, but you can do anything in your self portraits!

Day 10

is a headshot of my long time friend Brooke. I did some headshots of her for publicity and I hope that all her endeavors take off for her! She has come along way! Watch for this chica, she will be famous soon!

I played around with some unusual textures I had to see what I could do with it and came up with this.

Ok, so there it is, whew! It is like keeping a diary! I will be able to look back this year and remember all the things I did! Can't wait to see what is to come and until then enjoy the journey!

Happy Birthday i ♥ faces

2010-01-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are just following me I am an avid fans of the i ♥ face site, a website based on creatively photographing faces. They have amazing tips, themes, give aways, and they have my favorite- Friday Fix it. Click the logo to find out more and to enjoy the fun!

This weeks theme is "Best Face" and the photo has to have been taken in December of January, it also has to dominately be of a face. I had a hard time deciding which picture to post here because I love every picture of my children and I have just done an amazing session with one of my really good friends from high school. In the long run this picture of my son wins.

I took this picture in December right before christmas, after we got our first real good snow. I had been waiting very unpatiently to take my children out into the snow and was so excited when I finally got the chance!

If you want to know how I got this look, message me! I will gladly share! I would love to hear your thoughts and until next time, enjoy the journey.

{Project 365} Day 6

2010-01-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

Today has been weird day for me, the kind where I feel like I just kinda floated through it with no purpose what so ever. Tomorrow will be different, I vow to have a goal, a drive, and great picture for you! Ok so that said, here is my day six picture:

This is my beautiful daughter, Caycia, (pronounced Ka-sha) who not so patiently sat to be photographed. What is so special about this picture is I took it in manual under my dining room lights. I do not own a good low light lens yet so the photo is actually grainy and I almost deleted it! I hate grainy pictures! BUT, (insert drum roll here), I wanted to see what I could do with the picture, so I used the new action set I invested in today-it is very awesome from Flora Bella and is the Cosmopolitan action from then Color and Haze set. I then topped it off with a FREE texture from an amazing artist, Jerry Jones, at his site Shadowhouse Creations a must see for all texture lovers! So what do you think?

Thanks for checking and enjoy the journey!

{Project 365} Days 4 & 5

2010-01-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know today is day 6 and I still have a picture to take but I thought I would go ahead and share my unposted captures.

Day 4

I wanted to do an outside shot but everything was white or brown, so blah! Then I spied this in my back yard. This crate was used as a stool and got stuck to the ground before we could get it inside! So, here it lies, a beautiful red in a world of white, white, white-I love the contrast!

Day 5

I waited until the last minute to shoot this one. I was walking through my house last night and it dawned on me that I hadn't done my 365 project yet! So I grabbed my camera and ran around my house trying to find something that caught my eye. I saw my daughter's new Chucks on the floor under the coffee table and thought "BINGO."

The hard part about getting this shot was the lighting. It was dim in our living room and the only light was coming from one lamp that was not positioned all that well, so I figure what a great way to practice shooting in Manual in low light. I started off holding the camera while sitting on the floor, pic came out blurry. So I layed down and steadied myself on my elbows and that was a little better-BUT what did the trick was actually resting the camera on the floor and using my lens to get a good angle shot, then cropping in CS3. Whew-it was tough but I learned from it and that is what this project is all about!

If you want to know how I got the rest of the look just message me and I will share my small wealth of knowledge with you!

Until later - Enjoy the journey.

Nick

2010-01-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Nick's senior portraits and what fun it was! Again we shot on a beautiful fall day and Nick was a great sport! To see more of his shots go to Believe Photography and checkout his gallery.

I hope you enjoy this visually stimulating presentation (hee hee) and until next time-enjoy the journey.

{Project 365} Days 2 & 3

2010-01-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

So, I have been thinking about this Project 365 thing and I came to realize that while I am doing this I may as well learn more about photoshop (I have version CS3) and different ways to spice up my post processing. I also thought "Why focus on just one thing at a time? Why not try some action photography too?!"

So my day two photo is a series of pictures I took while out walking with my 2 year old lab Savannah. She loves to go for walks and loves the snow, so this was fun! I also decided to do my first real storyboard. For those of you who don't speak photography a storyboard is just a canvas you put multiple pictures on to basically tell a story. I got this story board for The Coffeshop (check out her link under my indulgences) and it was free! What do you think?

The next picture is may seem kinda simple but I had a heck of a time getting it and I am STILL NOT HAPPY WITH IT! Let me tell you though that shooting icicles in 10 degree weather, with no gloves on, in MANUAL is probably a little like walking up hill to school-BOTH WAYS! The sun was reflecting off of them and then I would get shadows and then I had to change my iso and lower my settings, then raise my settings! Here is what I got, not happy, but what do you think? Oh and I added the blue tint in CS3 during post processing.

Thanks for checking and see you in a couple days!

2010 365 Project

2010-01-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

So, one of my 2010 resolutions is to REALLY learn my camera and lenses. Not that I don't know alot about them now, but there is always something more to learn! One of the ways I resolve to do this is the 365 Project. Basically, it is a project to help photographers get more in touch with their cameras, creativity, and style by shooting a photo each day. So, I am going to post my pictures that I take on my blog for you to see. Probably not everyday though, I may have to do weekly or bi-weekly posts too. The point is that I swear to pick up my camera every day and try a new shot.

Here is today's picture

This is a picture of my dream car...okay so it is a Hot Wheel, but have you ever priced a real Woody? Pretty salty for my budget at the moment so I bought this one to tide me over until I win the lottery, or the HGTV Dream Home...which ever comes first!

I would love to hear your comments and for you to join along! If you need any tips just message me! I would love to help! If you decide to take the challenge-let me know, I would love to set up a blog roll for it!

Until next time~Enjoy the Journey

Baby Drew

2009-12-29T22:58:00.000-08:00

I want you all to meet baby Drew. His grandmother, Candy, was the winner of one of my facebook contest and I was thrilled when she said she wanted her session to be of him! He was so stinkin' cute and simply loved my umbrella, plus the fall weather was absolutely amazing the day of his shoot! You feel so blessed to have fall days like this in Michigan and I am glad we got to enjoy it at the park!

Thank you again Candy for allowing me to have such a fun time capturing memories for you!

New Year, New Blog, New Beginnings, and a New Family!

2009-12-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

I am so excited for this new year to begin! I have such high hopes for 2010, all the great things that will happen, and all the newness that this amazing year will bring! Please bear with me as this blog is still under construction! I hope to share with you all my exciting sessions this year, my wonderful photographic finds, and maybe some designs of my own!

I am starting off this blog with a bang! I had the opprotunity last fall to photograph the most fun family yet! The Withington family was so happy to all be together and were really into having a good time and capturing such candid moments! I really hope I get a chance to photograph them again in the future!

The whole family was really funny and were cutting up...with a little baiting from their photographer!

Thank you Mark and Diana, Chris, and Tara for rounding up the family and letting me capture yout time together.