The Queen's Gambit Inspired Photoshoot

To say we loved the show, The Queen’s Gambit would be an understatement. Now, before you start JUDGING, please know that my daughter did not watch ALL of it with me and only saw a few parts – enough to make her think Beth Harmon was the coolest, smartest chick on the planet. As soon as she watched a bit of the first episode with me, she asked me to chop all her hair off. So we did. Then, the next time she watched some with me, she asked for a Chess board, so I bought her one.

Now she is hoping to become a Chess prodigy….and the verdict is still out on that one.

Anyway, one day as we were playing chess and the light was hitting her JUST RIGHT, I came up with the idea to document her as Beth. She was totally into it.

My settings for all of these shots were f/1.4, 1/4000 and ISO 640. I was using my Canon 5D Mark iii and my Canon 35mmm 1.4L lens. I will show you a few of the images I had to put together below to create the one image where the chess pieces are falling all around her. I used Photoshop to put the images together.

Below you can see that I used a few images to create the final image where the Chess pieces were falling around her. I took one portrait image of her as my base and then added others on top to get the Chess pieces. We started by having her throw the pieces up in the air, but it was too chaotic and I couldn’t capture them all in the frame together. So then, I asked my husband to drop them over her head, gently. This seemed to work best. I also had her step out of the frame for a few and asked him to drop them but we found the ones with her present worked best when putting them all together. It allowed me to stay at the same distance as the original portrait image and get my dimensions correct.

To learn more about composites, please join me over at Unraveled Academy, where I teach!

Delaney in a Field, Edited with the Flora Pack Lightroom Presets!

Every now and then, Delaney and I run off into a field for a photoshoot. On this particular evening, we were attacked by a group of swans and ran off screaming, so it was one that neither of us will ever forget.

She is wearing a dress from Little Auguste and I edited all of these images with the Flora Pack Presets which I created with my partner Elise Meader. Check them out HERE.

Quarantine 2020

Never in a million years did I see this coming. A pandemic was never on my radar.

This Fall, my baby finally went to Kindergarten. All four of my kids were in school from about 9-3 every single day. I was finally able to give my business the time and attention it needed. I have had at least one kid home with me for the past 14 years and have always struggled with balance.

This Fall, as I watched my little girl step onto her school bus, I let out a huge sigh of relief. I did it. I finally had the balance I needed and longed for. I worked my ass off during the hours they were at school and then was there waiting for them as they got off the bus each day. Ready, refreshed, caught up and willing to give them my attention for the rest of evening. It was glorious.

Then came 2020 and Covid.

The worst part so far has been my daughter’s 4th grade Math work. Luckily, my 8th grader doesn’t ask for my help. The best part so far has been our time together. We have been able to create together and just exist together. It has allowed me to really see them and realize how much they have grown. I have raised four beautiful, incredible kiddos. I don’t always give them enough credit, man. I don’t always stop to just stare at their awesomeness. Without the pressures of activities, sports, playdates and endless to-dos, we have found a rhythm that I am grateful for. We have found a deeper appreciation for each other. I am a firm believer that you have to LOOK FOR the good in order to SEE the good.

Here I am, seeing the good through March and April 2020.

Lemon Spring Shoot!

Quarantine has been interesting with four kids, to say the least. My least favorite part is my fourth grader’s Math work. Fractions are my nemesis. My most favorite part is this right here. When we can be creative together. Take pictures, paint, draw, make tiktoks and just create.

This is a fun little shoot we did with my new colored backgrounds, some fruit we had on hand and their new bathing suits.

We were also working on a Creative Challenge for Unraveled Academy where we were focusing on embracing color.

Thanks for checking it out!

Portraits of My Daughter.

Ever since I started learning photography, Delaney has always been my muse. At first it was because she was my only cooperative model and I just needed practice. But, over time, she and I have fallen in love with creating art together.

When my camera is pointed toward my daughter, I literally get lost in her. I become so entranced by her beauty and my love for her that it almost feels as though I blackout or that I'm in this dream-like state of euphoria. She IS my art (I did create her after all, so I mean that in more ways than one, I suppose).

There is pretty extreme irony in all of this though. Atticus said,

"never the way she looked

always the way she was

I could have fallen in love with her

with my eyes closed." 

THAT is exactly how I feel about my sweet girl. Her beauty transcends so much deeper than her looks. She is witty, bold and daring. To top it off, she is the funnest chick I know and  beams with happiness even on her worst days. She is sunshine. I love how confident she is. More than that, I love how she never feels awkward letting her weird hang out. She will dance, throw  peace signs, pop a hip and pierce me with her eyes. 

So, some may think that I am raising a girl who will be self-conscious and too focused on her looks by putting her in front of the camera so often, but I could not disagree with that more. I am empowering her. I am allowing her to be fearless and free. I would like to think that I am teaching her to be humble enough to know she is not perfect but also confident enough to say, "screw it" and know that she can do hard shit.  

The truth is, people often fear the fire in life, but I have no doubt that Delaney will become it. 

So,

here's to strong women

may we know them

may we be them

may we raise them.