Merry Christmas!

Wishing all our friends, family, clients, and colleagues a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It has been a great year, and we are looking forward to what the new year will bring. Stay safe and see ya soon!

- Ang

OpLove Session Scheduling

It is official...I have started scheduling OpLove sessions for all the upcoming deployments. I know that within the next 60 days, there is an entire brigade leaving as well as some others. Normally, pre-deployment sessions have to be done within 30 days of departure, but because of the sheer volume of requests I have been receiving, I am allowing them earlier to ensure ample time to get everyone. For those families that contacted me this summer/fall about their pre-deploy session, I am currently working on emailing you all for scheduling times. If you have not heard from me within the next few days, please contact me again. I have a list of people, but I am human and occasionally prone to error.  :)

For anyone military or that has a military family member about to deploy (or come home from), let me tell you a little about OpLove. We are a national 501(c)(3) non-profit group of photographers that provide free sessions and an album to deploying servicemen/women. There is no pressure or obligation to purchase anything. It is our way of giving something back to the men, women, and their families for the sacrifices they make. For more information, you can visit OpLove's website by clicking this link: www.OpLove.org  To see some of my work for OpLove, visit my website at: www.ABCPhotography.net  In addition to the free session and album, I also provide 2 sets of photo dogtags and an 8x10 print (for the family). All my sessions are done on-location anywhere you want to go.

Here are a few of my favorite OpLove pics from previous sessions.

 

(The photos and other content of this publication do not imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.)

New Site for the New Year!

Yes, I have done it again! I have redesigned my entire website in preparation for the new year. Not only has the layout changed, but the content and photos have been updated also. Some of the major changes include removing the Wedding section, adding a Boudoir section, and adding a Restoration section. And for my wedding clients, please do not fret! I will still be providing wedding photography, however it will be on a much more limited scale. In the near future, I will be adding the Wedding section back into the site with further details on the limited availability.

The new site has only been live for 2 days, but I am already receiving a lot of positive feedback and comments about it. I am still tweaking it and adding photos, so please be patient as it continues to change for the better. If you notice a mis-spellings or any other inconsistencies with the site, please let me know. (I've been staring at it so long that my eyes are crossing.) 

Book Your Valentine's Day Boudoir Session Now!

Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot quickly!

And to answer a couple of common questions I have received so far:
1) Here are a couple of places I recommend for lingerie purchases: Frederick's of Hollywood and Victoria's Secret
2) Yes, you can bring props or other personal items. They add a great personal touch to the session. I recommend basic items - your man's favorite tie, high heels, candles, jewelry, etc.
3) The shooting area is completely private. The hair & make-up artist will be in a separate room. I will leave the shooting area during your outfit changes. A robe will also be provided during the session.

Addy turns 6-months!

I recently had a follow-up session with Jamie, Sean, and little Addyson. Addy just turned 6-months old, and her adoring parents asked me to do a follow-up session. I first photographed them months ago, shortly after Addy was born, as a Congrats gift from Jamie's friends. We had another great time, and I cannot believe how big she has gotten! As before, it doesn't take long to see how much love there is in this family, and how much Jamie and Sean adore their baby girl! The session started wonderfully - full of smiles and playing. Unfortunately, Addy started having some discomfort from teething shortly after we started. Poor girl was trying to put anything and everything in her mouth.  :'(  We still had a great session, and I got some great shots! Here are a few of my favs:

 

 

Oh, and not to toot my own horn, but Jamie bragged about how many compliments she has gotten from our first session pics hanging on their wall. She said that everyone absolutely LOVES them! It is soooo great getting that kind of feedback from clients, and I can't wait to do her 1-year b-day pics. :)

I love my family, but...

I recently made a shocking photography discovery. I love my family, but I have absolutely NO PICS of anyone hanging in my entire house!!! I only have one framed personal photo displayed (in my home office on the filing cabinet), and it is a small 5x7 print of my son and my niece. This really hit me the other day as I was ordering all of my clients' prints. Even though my wonderful husband has been griping about it for years, it just never really dawned on me. How bad is that when a photographer has no pics of her loved ones displayed in her home? To tell the truth, it's not that I just don't have family pics...I have nothing! Not one mountain scene; not one sunset on a tropical beach; not one single solitary image that I have taken. The exception to that being a 16x20 art-gallery mounted print of my limited-edition photo that was the cover of a book, a silhouetted cowboy riding into the sunrise that really almost looks like a painting (which again, is hanging in my office).

As I ponder this mysterious discovery of mine, I realized a couple of things. In my own personal opinion, I do not like personal photos to be hanging in common areas, such as the living room. Personal pics can be in stand-up frames on a shelf or something, but not hanging. Bedrooms, hallways, and other rooms are okay for hanging pics. Another thing I figured out is that I want my freelance photos hanging on the walls. I want awesome landscape-type images with glorious mats or canvas-mounts hanging. They either have to be very bright/saturated in color or a strong contrast, B&W image. And lastly, I think these realizations are probably why I don't feel "at home" in our home, even after living here for almost 3 years. The main thing that I am passionate about is no where to be found other than in my home office. And even there, it is more magazine covers, articles, and awards I have won rather than actual photos.

Soooo...last night I ordered lots of prints for my home. I ordered awesome scenic photos for the living room. I also ordered some great prints of several family members (me, hubby, kids, dogs, niece, etc). Since me and hubby are partially renovating our house - new paint, floors, etc - these new pics will be an awesome change for me. I am really excited, and impatient, for them to arrive!!!
- Ang

Anniversary in Sulphur

My wonderful husband and I took last weekend off to celebrate our anniversary (Nov 13th). We slipped away to a cabin between Davis and Sulphur, Oklahoma. It was soooo relaxing and peaceful! We ate like kings, including fresh steak and veggies on the grill. We curled up by the firepit and stretched out in the 8-person private hot tub (I really really need one of those on my back porch). Mike, my hubby, did some fishing and actually caught a few...although it's not the size that matters.  :)   And as usual, I was toting my camera to take pics of anything that caught my eye. I even managed to take a pic of the both of us, thanks to my camera remote and a perfectly located rock, on top of the Bromide Hill. Here are a few of my favs from the weekend. (Oh and BTW...the 4th pic with the rock bridge is called the Lincoln Bridge. It was built and dedicated in 1909 on Abe Lincoln's B-day (Feb 12th), which is also my b-day.)

 

Today is the day...

Want to make a difference today? Thank a veteran! Buy them a cup of coffee, fill up their gas tank, or just shake their hand. Thank them for their support, both foreign and domestic. Thank them for their dedication, to freedom and liberty. Thank them for their sacrifices; "all gave some and some gave all". Thank their families for being the backbone during their trials and tribulations. And always remember, we are the land of the FREE because of the BRAVE!

May God bless every man and woman currently in uniform. May God bless the retired vets that served their country. May God bless every soul that lost their life in uniform serving America. May God bless the wives, sons, mothers, and other family members that lost their beloved. Even without knowing you, each and every one of you are my hereos!! My family and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

A Fun Idea...

I know it's been like 3 months since I have updated my blog. Things went from crazy to complete chaos, but they are starting to settle down now. So, I want to play a game with my fellow photographer friends, clients, and anyone else willing to play. Here is the idea: a photography scavenger hunt. It doesn't matter where you are located and if you are a pro photog or an amateur. You can use your imagination, whatever camera you have on hand, and whatever environment suits you.

The details:
a) Find and photograph things that fits any or all of these 10 criteria:
     01) something yellow
     02) two of a kind
     03) a sculpture or statue
     04) made of wood
     05) motorized toys
     06) past & present
     07) made for each other
     08) naturally grown
     09) opposites
     10) something yummy
b) Please, feel free to think outside the box by using your imagination and creativity!
c) Entries have to be submitted no later than November December 5, 2010.
d) The entries must be your own photo! (I am not responsible for any copyright infringement!!!)
e) To post your entry, join my public Facebook Group "Photography Scavenger Hunt" and post on the wall. Feel free to invite your family and friends to play.
f) Be sure to note which of the 10 categories your photo is for and any other comments you want known.

This game is to help encourage positive feedback between photographers as well as encouraging amateurs on their photos, not to mention the chance to see things thru others eyes. Please feel free to provide feedback or constructive criticism on others' photos (abuse and rude comments will be removed). I don't know about other states, but I know that here in Oklahoma most pro photographers do not discuss thoughts or encourage other photographers. It's as if you need top-secret clearance to even trade ideas, which is a shame! I want to break down those barriers.

I am working on obtaining some small "prizes" for the winners of each category, depending on the number of participants/entries. Nothing is set in stone, but I think it would be nice to acknowledge the best entries. :)  Judging will not be based solely on photography skills, but also on creativity of thinking "outside the box". Please play with me! Good luck everyone.  :)
- Ang

The Tucker Family

In the midst of getting caught up, I realized that I never blogged about the Tucker family. Jamie and Sean had a beautiful baby girl, Addyson, in about mid-May and our session together was a gift from Jamie's friends. We had the session in their home, which was the perfect setting! Addyson was still so small and "squishy" that we could maneuver her into some really cute poses. Here are a few pics from our session...

I am finally caught up...yayyy me!

To all of my extremely patient clients, I have great news! Your orders have been shipped. Yep, every order (with 2 exceptions) has officially been shipped. I have two clients that are deployed, one will be shipped first thing tomorrow as I just got his address today, and the other I am still waiting for his address overseas.

It has been quite hectic with all the recent orders trying to juggle my print lab, the book publisher, and the specialty store that donates the new OpLove dogtags. I appreciate your patience these last 2-3 weeks! You all are the best! And for all my recently deployed OpLove clients, I look forward to seeing you at the homecomings!  :)

Recent OpLove Sessions

I'm still trying to get caught up on my posts. I still have 3 or 4 more session to process/post. However, here is one of my recent OpLove sessions. This session was with Colleen and little Allison since dad is currently deployed. I searched for hours to find a suitable location in the Tinker AFB/Midwest City/Del City area, but I found nothing that pleased me. So, we decided to have the session at Will Rogers Park (I'm beginning to think I may need to set up a tent or something at the park as often as I am there). Allison is about 6 months old, and she is full of smiles! You could definitely tell that Colleen is a proud mom by just watching them interact with each other. Here's a few pics of mom and baby:

Recent Sessions...

Wow, I am soo far behind on posting about my recent sessions! So, I'll do a little blurb about a few of them and throw in a couple pics. Here goes:

Let's start off with Amber, Justin, and J.J. (who is an adorable 4-year old). We had Justin's pre-deployment OpLove session at their home in SW Oklahoma. I gave J.J. one of my flags for some photos, and he had a blast with it. I ultimately let him keep it since he seemed to enjoy playing with it so much. We even got their family dog in on some of the pics. Here's a couple of my favs from their session:

Next is my couple's session with Sheri and Will. Sheri is related to an OpLove family of mine, which is how she came to book me. Her and Will are long-time friends who have found each other after many years. We had a blast at Will Rogers Park during the session. They were very relaxed and fun-loving. Will is a retired military, bronc-rider, horseman. It was great getting to know both of them and hearing their story, which is closely related to my own experience with my husband. Here are a few pics from my session with them:

Let's see...Jacki and her family would be next. This was another pre-deployment OpLove session, and we had it in Medicine Park, Oklahoma. It is definitely a tourist town, yet quaint in its own way. Kayden was intrigued by the geese and wanted to get closer to them, but Jacki was not a fan of them at all! Here are a few pics from their session:

And one more for now, my session with Brandy Woodley and her family. Brandy is the Editor-in-Chief of Army Wife magazine that I mentioned in a previous post. She wrote an article about me and my participation in OpLove. They are such a cute family! There's Brandy, her hubby Johnny (J), and three little girls: Nakiya, Jordyn, Jaelyn. The girls were absolutely adorable in their little dresses! And although it was extremely hot and humid, everyone was in good spirits and smiling. Here are a few pics from their session:

Okay, I think that's good for now. :)  I still have a couple more sessions to post, and one I am still processing, that I will get to this week. Sorry to all my clients that looked for their blog post about our session and didn't find it. :(  I've been super-swamped and have been more focused on processing pics than keeping up with my blog. I'll try to be better from here on out.

Personal Venting for a Minute

You know, I don't get too personal or opinionated on many "public" issues. However, I just can't keep this one to myself! As an avid supporter of our military men & women, especially those who are deployed, I have a right to voice my opinion. Personally, I was not allowed to join the services because of my own health reasons, but if I could have I would have. However, I believe to my inner-most core that America's Commander-in-Chief should have served in one branch or another prior to being elected! How can you be the Commander-in-Chief if you have no experience from which to draw from? Advisers...they just advise and recommend based on the current standings of things but you still have nothing to base your opinion/decision upon. And if you don't like what someone says about your decisions, tough. Their opinions are guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. It's not like the soon-to-be-released article actually has any direct quotes defaming the President! He's just pissed because a high-ranking officer who is serving in a war-zone does not publicly approve of every decision his office has made. So what does he do, fire him. Um hello...if I could "fire" everyone that I disagreed with, there would be a lot more unemployed people in the US! And in his speech, he states, "it undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system". He further says, "it erodes the trust that is necessary for our team to work together to achieve our objectives". So with that being said, how exactly does refusing to salute the American Flag come into play? Doesn't that undermine the core of our democratic system and erode the trust for "our team"...the Commander-in-Chief refusing to acknowledge the American flag.

Again, I'm not trying to create controversy here or force my opinions upon anyone else. I don't care if you believe in the war or the politics behind it; however, I do believe that you should support the men and women (and their families) fighting it! This recent firestorm of rash decisions based on someone's comments of disapproval are totally beyond being unnecessary. It is disgusting!

Army Wife Magazine Article

I mentioned several weeks ago that I was interviewed by Brandi, the Editor-in-Chief of Army Wife Magazine about my participation in Operation: Love Reunited (OpLove). The online article was released in June's issue. Here's a link to the article. The article link is about 1/3 of the way down on the left side of the page of the home page.  Thanks, Brandi, for the publicity and help in getting the word out about our organization!!!

Also this last Saturday, I had a session with Brandi and her family in Medicine Park, OK. I'm still processing their photos, but be sure to check back later this week to see some of their pics!

Amanda, Jay, & Boys

I did another session with Amanda, Jay, and their boys last week. I did their first session about 3 years ago, and have had a few since then. I just finished up the latest pre-deploy session with their family at Will Rogers Park. Jay is shipping out for the 7th time. :(   We (especially Lance) had fun at the park checking out the fish, climbing on rocks, and playing with baby Liam. Liam is their newest addition to the family, and he is such a cutie!!! I recently found out that they are moving to Michigan until Jay returns, so I probably won't get to capture the homecoming. But I truly wish the all the best in their new endeavors, and I sincerely hope to see them again soon!!!