Alyssa {Bridal Portraits}

It's really hard for me to even think of anything "happy" to write on this post. My sister got married on the 2nd of this month, and I must say I have already cried a good 4 or 5 times for her. The night before the wedding it felt like she had died or something. It was horrible. Most of those feelings were because I was at the end of a very long day and sleep was long overdue, but nonetheless I was still hurting at the thought of her moving so far away.

Recently, my dad made the comment, "Yeah, we will only see her a handful of times each year..." And the whole harsh reality hit again (as if it hasn't hit enough times!) "You mean to tell me that I will be lucky to see her a twice a year!?" This person I've spent nearly everyday of the last 18 years with... How sad! But people have already been giving me so much encouragement to help me through this though, and that has really helped. :)

 

Oh, how she loved her poor cat. Sadly, she wasn't able to take it with her, though. I mean, who really wants to travel on their honeymoon with a bawling cat. :P

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe"

I guess the handkerchief counts as Something Old and Something Blue... maybe? :)

I think this is my favorite of her. I love how her eyes match the chair!

Home. I'm glad someone suggested for us to take a picture in front of our house. Yes, I'm being very, extremely sentimental, but of all the beautiful backgrounds, I like this one with our house the best! ;)

Her engagement watch and flowers Marty brought her when he came out for the wedding.

Um, excuse me while I go cry some more. JK! ;)

-MarLeahJoy

Vintage Style Wedding

Last Sunday was another lovely, happy wedding that I got to attend {and of course bring my camera along as a guest} So I got some shots from my seat that had people's heads in them. But hey, I'm okay with that; there can be a certain creativity and perfectness in the most un-perfect situations in photography.

When I first walked up to the front doors of the chapel I saw this most adorable old car and I exclaimed, "Oh, that looks just like Kariann!" They were going away in a '61 Cadillac! How cool is that?! Of course, I do have a certain pull to old cars now that I drive around a retro one everyday :D

So, I've made a little video for you that shares just what my view of the wedding was like as a guest. The song was "I Walk The Line" that Dusty sang to Kariann during the ceremony. It was just terribly sweet! :)

Dusty and Kariann {October 6th 2013} from MarLeahJoy on Vimeo.

During the ceremony, Alyssa leaned over and whispered for me to take a picture of "him". Well, I happened to be looking at the photographer at the moment and so I swung my camera up and was about to take a picture of the photographer doing his job, when Alyssa was like, "No, the little boy!" I was like, "Oh. Haha!" She told me that I was waayyyy to ready to take a picture of the photographer. ;) Well, all I can say is... you know where my mind is: on photography (the man was using a really sweet lens, btw) ;)

The adorable couple...

As you can tell from the video, all the food was even vintage-y. Like the old-style coke and root beer bottles. Well, I'm not a fan of either of those products, but I had to get one just because I loved the old glass bottle it was in. ;) It turns out I really should have got root beer! Blah! I forgot how completely nasty coke was. :P

Have a wonderful, wonderful Saturday!
-MarLeahJoy

Stylized

I'm editing wedding pictures... Yay! :)

I just had some fun with this image, not necessarily to give to my client, but just a very stylized edit of my friend (bridesmaid) getting ready.

I kinda wish I had instagram or something so share more of these fun images... but alas! A blog post will have to do.

-MarLeahJoy

Pre-Wedding Excitement

I went to the rehearsal for the wedding I will be photographing tomorrow, and I am so, so thankful that the wedding will be outside, and not in this chapel. I dislike the warm colors that are so hard to correct.

I wanted to post some pictures just because I've been working with them, and thinking about what I should do, etc. But I must say I have a list of disclaimers that you must keep in mind if you even peek at the pictures below, lol ;)

Disclaimers

1. At the wedding tomorrow my f/stop is going to stay on f/4 or higher unless I am taking a portrait of the bride or details in the wedding... so none of this out of focus business you see going on in the pictures below ;) (I was just desperate for more light in the chapel)

2. I had my ISO cranked wayyyy up. So yeah. They are pretty grainy. (Again, I needed more light) Tomorrow, ISO 100! nothing else :)

I love this girl; she is so photogenic and sweet:)

Sweeties

Oh, Karissa, you look gorgeous! (really you looked the best of everyone for such a candid shot!)

Isn't she the most adorable-est :) I'm so excited that she will be in the wedding.

We have already bonded in a way :)

Yeah, it's going to be so cute at the wedding with 11 children going down the aisle :) So cute!

-MarLeahJoy

btw, this is my 100th post :)

Steven and Ashley {Wedding}

This is my cousin's wedding that I attended back in June.

I was all excited to just take some pictures as a guest, until I arrive

at the wedding. Turn on my camera. And it doesn't turn on. 

Yep, no battery. It was happily plugged into the wall.

I, on the other hand, about had a melt-down.

Okay, not really. But I was pretty disappointed.

One of my sweet cousins (yes, I know I have waayyy too 

many cousins) ;) heard about it, and she gave me 

her camera to use for the day. Thank you so much!

So I attached my Lensbaby and shot away.

There's more to the story:

I didn't have a way to get the pictures from her camera

that day, so we arranged to get them during our national

camp meeting. So, they just got dumped on my computer at

the most busy time, and I really had no intentions of even editing them

or doing anything with them. (horrible, right!?)

But...

I made another purchase. (If I don't slow down on making purchases,

I'll probably go loopy from all the excitement of all these new things! Ahhh!)

I got Pure Presets Set 2 from Pure Actions for Photographers.

And...

I needed something to test them on, of course.

So...

My lovely sister :) 

And now my "lovelies" ;)

Yes, and the people who keep me good company...

...and remind me to stay fashionable. ;)

Ashley's grandpa is such a loving man and so grandfatherly!

...warms my heart to see this cute little girl with her daddy.

I snuck this of them while they went off to sit in the shade during

the ceremony. 

This makes me miss the bright colors of summer. 

Why are people already wearing darker colors?!

And they had a delicious reception! ;)

My cousin and me :)

-MarLeahJoy