Here’s an affordable look (found at Gap, Old Navy, Piperlime) of fun spring colors without the matchy-matchy feeling that is often boring and overused during summer sessions!  Make each outfit your own by personalizing with jewelry, hats, scarves, etc.

What to Wear :: Spring 2012

http://showmyalbum.com/album.html?album=YWd3L2Nhcm9seW4tbWFyY28%3D

BOOKING 2013 WEDDINGS NOW!!  Inquire at agwphotography@gmail.com!  Referrals get $100!

]]> http://www.agwphotography.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=302 0 http://www.agwphotography.net/blog/?p=280 http://www.agwphotography.net/blog/?p=280#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:56:45 +0000 Allyson http://www.agwphotography.net/blog/?p=280 I wholeheartedly believe in the power of prayer.  Daily, I pray that obstacles come my way or doors are made open according to His plan.  I, however, sometimes fall short of praising God and giving Him an outpouring of THANKS for my most dear blessings…the things that actually matter MOST to me.  Instead, I sometimes find myself focusing on much smaller issues that often seem meaningless in life’s overall picture.  Until recently.  And my prayers have shifted to health…family…love.

Back in early December, I was photographing an event for Woodstock Baptist Church and celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Hunt at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Dozens and dozens of pastors and their spouses were invited to this event.  Without naming names, one of the local pastor’s wives pulled me aside, knowing that Lindsey and I were childhood best friends, and asked me to pray for her and her family.  Immediately, I began thinking about her unborn son.  What could be happening?

Lindsey and I had lost touch for many many years (okay…20 years)…I moved, she moved, then Facebook found us again… so I didn’t feel like I could call her and openly ask what I was praying for.  I’m not the best about praying for “unspoken prayers” because I’m a very meticulous person, but I did anyways.  Wholeheartedly.

Days later, I heard the news.  It wasn’t her unborn son, Cohen.  It’s Troy.  Her husband of two years.  His health.  Their strength.  Their love.  Their family.

I went to God with a heavy heart.  In a time of overwhelming emotion, they needed prayers.  But I also wanted to physically do something.  What could I possibly do that would eliminate a single burden from them?  Make them smile through tears?  I was immediately shown the answer.  Newborn photos.  Lindsey had approached me about months prior, but photos no longer seemed a “necessity” with piles of medical bills.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.  Romans 12:6-8

::A Note from Troy::

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

 

Words can’t express how excited Lindsey and I were to find out we were having a baby last summer.  At my age, I wasn’t sure it would ever happen.  For Lindsey, it was the fulfillment of a dream held since she was a little girl.  So we moved forward preparing for the baby. We decorated a room, bought all the gear, and even went on “Babymoon” to Asheville, North Carolina.  Then on November 29, just four months from our due date, we received some life-altering news.  I was diagnosed with colon cancer, something typically found in men much older.  It would require surgery and potentially chemotherapy.  All I could think about was the possibility of not living to meet my son and leaving Lindsey alone as a widowed mother.

 

On December 14 2011, I went in for colon resection surgery.  The surgery was fairly routine and went perfectly as planned until just a few hours later.  While in recovery, my blood pressure began to plummet and I started fading fast.  I was bleeding internally and was rushed back into emergency surgery.  It was the scariest moment in our lives and all we could do is pray!  Thankfully, God chose to spare my life that evening and bring me through the surgery.  On December 22, just days before Christmas I went home to continue recovering.  I went back to work by the first of the year and by the time this photo was taken I had made a full recovery.  There was no spread of the cancer and chemotherapy was not necessary.

 

This picture was taken on March 5, 2012 just days after Cohen’s birth.  After all we have been through, it is dear to us and represents so many things.  While I can’t share a thousand words right now, I can give just a few that are represented in this photo.  The grace of God to spare my life so that we could be together for our first family photo.  The miracle of life in the birth of our little boy. The love Lindsey and I poured out preparing this special room.  And the assurance we have in God’s perfect plan and timing for our lives.

 

Our deepest thanks goes out to Allyson for her generosity in providing these photos as a gift to our family.  Truly you are another blessing God has provided during this difficult time of our lives.  The pictures are beautiful, but even more importantly, they are worth a thousand words!

I’ve been blessed to photograph almost every age in portraiture photography.  And although I have not yet decided to specialize in one area of photography…whether it be children and families or engagements and weddings, I have decided to make a pretty big business decision.

{{my Announcement}}

AGW Photography will not be accepting new clients for newborn photography.

{{Deep Breaths}}

?Why?

There’s no “right” answer but the truth, so here goes…

Most of you know that I work a full time job, and contrary to the belief, I really do like it (Dear Boss, I hope you read my blog!).  I’ve been with my current employer for almost 12 years.  I love the flexibility and the people that I interact with daily.  But nights and weekends, I switch modes…and go full swing into my photography.  But, because I only take 3 to 4 sessions per week/weekend AND I’ve been blessed to fill those spots VERY quickly, my calendar leaves very little room for the unscheduled birth of a precious baby.  And because I love to photograph babies within the first 10 days of life, I’m usually s*q*e*e*z*i*n*g every ounce of my free time together into the best 5 hours that I can give my client within that timeframe.  This can be emotionally draining for me because I’m such a planner, hate rearranging, and mostly…I have a husband and two precious little girls that enjoy time with their wife and mommy, too…especially on weekends.

?In sum…what are you trying to say?

You’ll still see newborn photography from me as long as my current clients are still having babies!  I’ve purchased a new “baby pod”, some awesome new fabrics, fun headbands, and have even started working with another local photographer to help me out with them!  But since my schedule is so tight, I have to limit the sessions that can’t be “scheduled” with a particular date/time.

Thank you for reading, thank you for understanding, and thank you for the continued support!

After chatting with Courtney maybe…umm….100 times about her wedding, I knew it would be a blast!  And I was right!   Our day (or morning actually) started off at the Hilton Garden Inn Perimter.  Later we headed off to the beautiful church, St. James United Methodist Church, and then on to the reception at Villa Christina.  A beautiful wedding day it was…and with 100% chance of rain, it even held off for most of the evening!

Without further ado, I introduce Ben & Courtney Worley!!  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Lens Cap Strap Holder

 (http://photojojo.com)

Although I’m stuck with the worst Android phone ever (until mine accidentially decides to submerge itself into water and drown…hahaha), I found this for my next phone!  Possibly the iPhone 4 or 4s.  We’ll see!

(http://www.etsy.com.  Shop frabhaus)

Cheers to the New Year!!  Would’ve been awesome to have these screen printed glasses!  Just sayin’!!

(http://www.etsy.com.  Shop vital)

And for the Shutterbug-in-training, I thought this was cool!!  A 3mb camera!!

Here’s my story of Christene and Scott…

Christene and I had never met in person prior to this day.  Christene contacted me after one of my biggest fans, Angela (we went to middle school together), sent her my way!  After several calls and emails, Christene and I clicked and I knew this wedding would be nothing short of amazing.  I headed four hours south to Augusta, GA for the beautiful (but somewhat chilly) weekend.  Traveling Friday, I was up early on Saturday morning to get my day started.  I met Christene’s now-husband, Scott, first.  After seeing pictures of him on Christene’s Facebook page, I was sure that I would be able to spot him right away with his long hair.  But to my surprise (and eventually Christene’s as well), Scott had cut his hair…SHORT!  He looked very handsome (even noticing a bit of Brad Pitt in his jawline…hahaa) and he couldn’t wait for Christene to see him as she walked down the isle.  Supposedly, his new haircut was an unspoken request that he knew would make her smile =).  After photographing Scott and his guys, I finally met Christene.  She was beautiful and glowing…and not a bit nervous!  Christene was flawless in front of the camera, and later, I came to find out that she’s had her practice in pageants!   (How cool is that!?!)  And so the day continued on…and it couldn’t have been more perfect!

I’m sure Christene and Scott chose Perrys Landing for more reasons than I know; however, two are for certain.  Christene’s maiden name is Perry (although no relation, yet quite fitting) AND Scott loves planes and dreams of flying one day soon!  This venue couldn’t have been more perfect!!!  (and the lighting was breathtaking!)

Special thanks to Scott Greene Photography for your time, talent, and travel.  I look forward to working together again in 2012.

Enjoy the sneak peek from their session!

1.  Q :: Did you go to college to do photography and which one did you go to?  A ::  I actually graduated from Georgia Tech in May 2001 and earned a BS in Biology, specializing in Microbiology on the track to becoming a doctor.  I didn’t take any “creative” classes because I thought it would be wasteful if I was going to be delivering babies one day.  Long story short…I graduated, got married, and put my medical career on hold.  It wasn’t until my first daughter was born in 2006 that I embraced everything about the camera and the beauty that I captured with it.

2.  Q :: How did you really learn to take such great photographs (classes, mentor, self taught, lots of practice, etc.)? Any advice to taking your photos to the next level?  A :: To answer honestly, I will say that for the most part, I was self taught.  With that being said, I read alot of magazines, watched alot of videos, and also met alot of great people in the business who were willing to share their knowledge.  I’ve never taken any classes, but have attended a few seminars that concentrate on the business aspect of photography rather than the technicalities.  For a beginner, I suggest the subscription to Photovision .  It’s inexpensive and a great starting point.

3.  Q :: What is a good camera for the up and coming amateur photographer wanting to take pictures of kids and animals? Of course DSLR is the way to go but can you point us in the direction of some cameras you  have used or know to be easy to use under $1,000?   A :: My first DSLR camera was the Nikon D40x.  I actually still have it, although I’ve passed it along to my husband and set it to “automatic”.  Hahaha.  It was a great beginner camera for me.  One of my dear friends started with th D90 and still raves about it’s awesomeness!  My brother bought the D7000, and if I was in the market for a backup camera, I would likely chose it.  In case you are wondering, I shoot 95% of the time with the full frame Nikon D700, and my backup camera is the Nikon D300.

4.  Q :: What is your favorite lens to use on babies/kids that will give you crisp/clear photos that won’t break the bank…something other than 50mm 1.8?  A :: Hmmm…tough question because I would’ve answered 50mm at whatever f/stop that you could afford.  I LOVE my 50mm f/1.4!  The lenses in my Shootsac include the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, Sigma 50mm f/1.4, and the Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro.  I have a few additional lenses, but they stay in my backpack for backup with my backup camera.  My best advice would be to stick with the 50mm f/1.8 and save for another GREAT lens with a wide aperture….maybe the 85mm f/1.4?  (P.S.  That may…just may…be my next purchase!)

5.  Q :: Have you chosen someone to mentor for this upcoming year?  A :: I put a “feeler” post out there on FB awhile back about mentoring beginner photographers who wanted to learn to take better pictures.  Although this has not yet come to life, I hope to offer one-on-one sessions by mid-2012!  As for those who mentor me (even though they may not think they do), I’ll give a shout out to my local favorites (in no particular order)…Karen Baker Photography, Scott Greene Photography, and Perky Bird Photography…thx for everything!

Bonus :: Kerry Owen…you’re my favorite Tech bio partner!!  I wouldn’t have survived our sketchy senior professor (who had beer where we grew our microrganisms) without you!  Muah!