2013 Year-in-Review

I can't believe that 2013 is coming to a close! God has been good to me this year: plenty of good times with family and friends, success at work, and lots of growth for Uninvented Colors. In addition to new adventures in engagement, wedding, and family photography--and a new website and logo--my Etsy shop is still going strong with its best year yet! (I know I said that last year, but it's true again!) These prints found new homes in 18 states and two foreign countries this year.

I am so deeply thankful for my customers. Their (your!) patronage fuels my creativity, which brings so much joy to my life. Most people think Etsy (or even photography in general) is a hobby for me, but it is so, so much more. Because my work as a therapist is so often abstract and ambiguous, I need something visual and tangible to cling to sometimes. It brings me stability, and clarity, and peace, and hope. When I capture a lovely image, I am reminded that God's creation is beautiful and sacred. And since the crowning glory of His creation is humankind, then my therapy clients, regardless (or because?) of their "issues," are beautiful and sacred, too. These reminders keep me inspired to connect to them--to explore the depths of their minds and hearts and to work through all the messy stuff that has to be worked through to bring healing. Because it's worth it, because it's sacred, which makes it beautiful.

It's hard to put this into words, so no worries if this makes no sense to you. But know this: if you've bought a print from my Etsy shop, or hired me to shoot portraits of your family, or even clicked "like" on Facebook or Instagram or Flickr, then you have not only helped me to become better artist, but a better therapist. Which is to say, a better person.

From the bottom of my Christian-photographer-therapist heart, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And if you wouldn't mind, please keep it up in 2014. :)

Happy New Year!

Lucy & Tom: Ocean Springs Engagement Session

It has been such a pleasure getting to know Lucy & Tom. Not long ago, at church, Lucy started asking me questions about wedding planning because she was expecting a proposal. (After a whispered squeal of delight, I, of course, referred her to my husband, who did all the real work of planning our wedding. Lucky me, I know.) Fast forward a few short months and a few after-church lunch conversations, and now I'm their wedding photographer! It is thrilling to play this role in their love story. Lucy (a teacher) and Tom (a salesman) are both so kind, down-to-earth, and charming in the way that only true Southerns can be. They love the Lord, their families, and their work. And I love watching the way they love each other. Especially through my viewfinder on this perfectly overcast Sunday. Their gorgeous engagement shoot is probably my favorite session to date. I'm sure you can see why. :)

I'm so looking forward to May! What a beautiful and joyful wedding this will be!

More Tony Family Portraits

I love that so many of my portrait clients are also my friends. It is so much fun to capture their growing families. I have photographed the Tonys twice before--first when they were expecting their son, and then again right after he was born. It was a special treat to create yet another set of portraits for them a couple of weeks ago. Nathanael is now almost two and has a little sister on the way!

Fall

There has been Christmas music playing in the lobby at my office for the past week, and it is driving me nuts. I love Christmas as much as the next guy, but... it's mid-November! Which is not Christmastime, or even Advent, or even Winter. In case, like the radio station, you're confused about what season it is, I'm offering this very important public service announcement: IT'S FALL! In case you need a visual aid, here are a few of the photos I took on a recent trip to the North Georgia mountains.

It was a beautiful, playful, refreshing trip. My husband and I took a scenic train ride, sampled local wine, roasted s'mores, and even made an apple pie with the apples we picked ourselves! It was wonderful fall fun.

"Sunlight on the Bayou" on the Etsy front page!

This summer, my friend Larissa invited me to an event celebrating Nature Photography Day (which I didn't know was a thing) at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. We had so much fun exploring! A few of my photos from that day are in my Etsy shop, and I especially love this one of the sunlight reflecting on the bayou water. Don't those flecks of light look like sparkling diamonds? Or stars? (Which reminds me of this fabulous book you should read, but I digress.) Imagine my delight when I saw this photo on the front page of Etsy today!

It was part of this stunning collection curated by Pearl Sturtevant of GrayDecember. Don't you love this rich color scheme? Thanks, Pearl!

A First for Me: Wedding Photography!

Exciting things are happening in the world of Uninvented Colors Photography! I've been daydreaming about wedding photography for ages now, and I finally gathered the courage to contact my favorite wedding photographer, Wendy Wilson Photography, to ask for help getting started. Boy, did she deliver! I was thrilled to join Wendy (and her fabulous second-shooter, Kathleen Clipper) for Kate and Matt's gorgeous October wedding at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama. It was incredibly valuable hands-on experience, not to mention a lot of fun! Since I was the 3rd photographer, I was pretty focused on staying out of the way, but I still managed to get some great shots of details and guests (and a few of the bride.) See for yourself!

I am so thankful that Wendy gave me the opportunity to get my feet wet. And I'm pretty pleased with my work. Not bad for a wedding photography virgin, right? Good thing, because I've already booked two weddings for Spring 2014! Yikes! Hooray! ;)