Brandi, Robby & Pups in Tow

I first met Brandi during our wedding consult several years ago. I photographed her marriage to Robby on March 10, 2007, which was just amazing! They met in elementary school and stayed close throughout their life. Even the groom's cake had their elementary pics & brief little note to prove their continued dedication. That alone was very unique, but they added a special twist that really hit home to me. One of their official wedding party members was Sonny, their dog. It was the first and only wedding that I have done with a dog in the wedding ceremony. It was amazing how well behaved and disciplined he was. I have two rescued dogs, and they are a mess 24/7 (one is the 105lb rescued Lab "Tucker" and the other is the less than 3lb Yorkie "Brewster"). Brandi & Robby seemed to be a perfect match from the beginning! (And Brandi is such a sweetie with a big heart for critters, like me.  :)

So the point is, I am sooo happy to have her as one of my "repeat offenders". Brandi has started a business for pet sitting & training (http://www.pawsitivepetsokc.com/) and she needs some pics. I am honored that she came back to me for her needed pics. I cannot wait to see what dog she will bring as well as how married life has treated her & Robbie over the last 4.5 years. (WOW, I can't believe its been that long!!!).

 

This first pic (above) is of the groom's cake. It is topped with their elementary pics, a little note, and their pre-wedding pic.

The above pic is on Brandi & Robby's wedding day. Sonny did such a good job during the entire ceremony! Unfortunately a couple years after the ceremony, Sonny passed away. Brandi contacted me to ask for permission to use the above photo for an article/announcement about his death. It was such a touching piece, I cried just thinking about him and my brief encounter with him. He was a good dog!!!

 

 

 This last pic is one that surprised both myself and Brandi. There were about 3 people helping to adjust her dress between the ceremony & reception (she has a dress malfunction, unlike Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl). I was snapping pics at anything & everything worthwhile, but I do not remember taking this shot and she didn't know I was taking it at the time. It was one of those priceless photos that happened at just the right time. She's absolutely beautiful!!!

Okie Dokie...

Alright, my website should start transferring over tomorrow (Wed, March 16th). If you have any probs accessing anything, please email me at angela@angela-wilkes.com. See you on the flip side. :)
- Ang

A Head's Up

If all goes well this week, my website will be transferred from one domain to another. Many of you have noticed that my biz name has changed from ABC Photography to Angela Wilkes Photography. I have tried to make this a gradual and smooth process for my clients and everyone else. Well, it is time for the final transition - to move my everything over to my new domain. I will maintain the previous ABC Photography domain and leave it parked at the site while I complete all the other details (like advertising, forms, etc).

I am unsure what all will be effected, so there may be a slight delay in accessing my blog, forms, client proofs, or even my main website. I promise to work on it 24/7 until everything is back up and running, so please be patient with me meanwhile. I will make an announcement here just before it all starts transferring.

Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!
- Ang

Tips for a Session with Me

I am frequently asked about tips on what to expect or what to wear during my sessions. The first thing I recommend is to understand that my sessions are very relaxed and playful. Expect nothing but the unexpected. Kids may run and play. Parents may get an ornery streak with each other. Geese may chase us all across the park. Regardless of what happens, it's all good! All my sessions are done on-location anywhere you want to go: a video arcade, a park, a church, your home, the local grocery store, Bricktown in OKC, the historic district in Guthrie, a winery, anywhere you can think of. If you need suggestions, I am happy to provide them based on your preference of scenery styles.

Clothing...well that's up to you, but I do have a few suggestions. Obviously OpLove sessions require the service person to be in uniform at least part of the time. Other than that, I strongly discourage busy patterns as they can be distracting from the overall photo. Matching shirts are okay most of the time, but keep them simple. And 100% matching clothing is really only cute on kids. Otherwise, it gets to be too overwhelming. Picking colors that complement each other is the best idea (ie. blues and greens, or pinks and yellows, etc). Basically, I suggest to dress comfortable and realistic: jeans, flip-flops or other comfy shoes, nice relaxed shirt (tee or otherwise), shorts/capris, etc. If our session is at the park, you may find that the best pics are laying on the grass, sitting on a rock, leaned against a tree, or even splashing your feet in the water. In those cases, a dress or slacks is really not the best choice.  :)

Other things to note...for the most part, I do not place you in positions or pose you. I prefer to capture your family's dynamics exactly as you all fall into place. I may suggest to raise your head or tilt it a certain way, but that is more for shadow/lighting purposes. If I posed you and your family, then it wouldn't be natural. And my photography is all about being natural and realistic. I want you to reflect back on the pics later and remember that they show what you all were actually like...not what I made you look like. If you are wanting a formal-type pic with a solid background, and everyone posed perfectly, and with stationary smiles...well I can do that too, but it is really not my style of photography. I prefer to capture the true nature and playfulness and love that is present in your family. If that's the type of photos you want...then I am your ideal photographer!

Lots of Love

On Sunday, I photographed another fun family. Chanda and Kelvin met me at Will Rogers Park for a pre-deploy OpLove session with them and their kids: Chaunte (8), Javin (4), and Trusten (2). The kids had a great time chasing the geese and playing with the turtles. Trusten was obsessed with the water and almost fell in a time or two when he wasn't running all over the place. Javin was full of smiles and didn't mind the camera at all! Chaunte was the same way, with a natural smile that is a photographer's dream. Here are a few pics from our session.

Another OpLove Session

I know it's been like 2 weeks since I posted last. I got a new computer and a new camera...dun dundah dunnnn! So I've been busy playing and installing junk in between sessions. Yayyyy!!! I am way behind on posting, but I just finished the initial processing of another OpLove session with Keeley, Joseph, and their boys - Dakota and Kaden. We met at the Rose Gardens at Will Rogers Park. Even in Oklahoma winter, the park still has a lot of scenery to offer for sessions. Dakota was quite the young gentleman and very cooperative and spirited. Jaden was a little shy and reserved to start with, but as soon as he found out about the candy in my pocket, he opened up quickly! They were a great family to work -  full of spirit and the love between them was very obvious. Upon leaving the session, I felt very fortunate to have had the chance to meet and photograph them. Here are a few pics from their session.

I have decided...

No More Weddings! Yes, after much consideration and deliberation, I have decided not to book any weddings for at least a year. It's not because I am tired of all the happy newlyweds or even the stress of shooting a wedding. It is mostly because of the physical demands of properly photographing a wedding as well as the time investment to prep, shoot, and process everything. As most of you know, I started off my business many years ago shooting weddings and quickly booked every weekend from April to September with at least one wedding, and more often two or three. And during the week, I was doing corporate sessions for a magazine contract. This left little time to really truly develop and promote my own portrait photography. So, I am shifting my attention to portraits - families, kiddos, seniors, boudoir, and military. I am also working on a new idea for a new kind of portrait session. Hopefully, I will have the details hammered out in the next week or two.

I am excited about this decision and what will come of it. I look forward to what the upcoming year will bring and the many new people I will meet. Over the next couple months, I will be offering numerous exciting specials, discounts, and even a few freebies to attract new clients. Be sure to stay updated to take advantage of the opportunities!

My Sweet M&M (Makayla Malia)

Yes, anyone that knows me also knows that I am the very proud aunt to my sweet, ornery, and beautiful Makayla. She actually calls me Agggiee (pronounced by the letter...a-gee-e), which is closer to my name than "Geeee" that she was calling me (not that I care one little bit)! I actually got to spend some time with her recently but only brought my camera on one day. When we weren't playing drive-thru Sonic with my tator tots, she was in the tub...which she loves just about as much as eating my Sonic tots!!! So of course, I snapped a bunch of "naked baby in the tub" pics. The funnel was hilarious to her, and she had a blast funneling water onto her tummy.

I am a stickler about not posting naked baby pics that show any private parts that could be used in an inappropriate way by inappropriate people, so I do not post anything of the sort online to be accessed by the public, whether it is my family or a client. However with my sister's permission, I edited out a few things that were inappropriate for public viewing, and I kinda played with some new cartoon-effect actions. Here is my final result...and yes, feel free to oooh and awww over her cuteness as much as I do.  ;)

Tell me about your Special Day

I have just reinstated the "Special Day" feature on my blog. Please tell me about your special day: a birthday, an anniversary, or something else that is important to you. If your special occasion fits our criteria, you will receive a FREE GIFT from us in honor of your day. The gift may be a free session, free prints, or likewise - and is redeemable for up to 60 days. An email will be sent to you on the 1st day of your occasion month with the details of your gift. Please note that any and all gifts are non-transferable, not redeemable for cash/credit, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions, discounts, or special offers. You have nothing to lose, and a lifetime of precious memories to gain. So sign up now by visiting the "Your Special Day" page on this blog (link at the top center).

OpLove...OpLove...and More OpLove

Wow, it has been an interesting week with OpLove! In the midst of transferring our main website to a new host, several key elements crashed. Luckily, as of yesterday, everything is back online except for one thing which is on the photographer's side. From all of us at OpLove, we thank everyone for their patience and understanding (and help) during this transition!

To all you Okie clients, we have several new OpLove photographers in the area that are ready, willing, and able to accept your sessions. Please be sure to check them out on the photography finder at www.oplove.org.

Last, but most certainly not least, I had a recent session with Vanessa and her clan. Both Vanessa and her hubby are active military about to deploy. We had the session at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (formally the Cowboy Hall of Fame). I hadn't been there in years! As soon as I walked in the door, the staff confiscated my tripod. Grrrrrrr. Then, they handed me a map of areas where photos were not allowed, were allowed with flash, and allowed w/o flash. As we walked thru the museum, it was...horrible at best. Not the museum itself, but the photography aspects of it. Flash was only allowed in areas that were irrelevant for photos. Flash was not allowed in rooms that were so dark, you couldn't get a pic w/o a tripod if your life depended on it. Luckily, we headed over to the Kids Corral area to snap a few. The rest were all taken outside. Luckily, Vanessa and her family were more than eager to work with me on what looked good and what didn't. Her kiddos were great too! Here are a few pics from our session.

Mitchell Family

I met the Mitchell family at the Oak Tree Country Club for our recent session. They were great to work with, even outside in the blistering cold wind! Luckily, we wrapped up the session in front of the fireplace, so we were able to warm up again quickly.  :)  Here are a few pics from our session.

It's not hard to see that she's a "daddy's girl".

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.)