Hilary Mercer Photography

Ive moved!!

2010-06-22T17:46:00.000-05:00

Hi there!!

I have moved!! Go see my new blog at http://hilarymercer.net/.

Its way more cool than this one is.

Photography contest

2010-06-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

Usually I don't enter contests but I figured "Why not!" I like contests where you win based on your actual photo not on how many votes you can get. But this one combines the two, you vote first to get put into the "judging" category and the people with the highest amount of votes can get put into the winning category from there. Anyway, this is my photo.

So my friends, take a look at the others and see if you like mine better. If so, give me a little vote.

You can vote once per day. :)

You can go here: http://myairforcelife.com/

Or if the link works correctly here, http://myairforcelife.com/contests/photos.cfm

My photo is #597

By the way- if youre waiting to see your photos they will be up soon. Im waiting til my new blog is up to post anything. It will be worth the wait I assure you!

Thanks for voting!

Its good to be home!

2010-06-13T19:39:00.000-05:00

Wow! Ive had an incredibly busy month and its only the 11th! I have been back from my work-vacation in Pensacola for a little under a week and Ive finally been able to relax and get back to normal. Although since Neil was gone as well our grass was unkept and weeds are invading our sad little flower gardens. So I must get to that soon. While I was in Pensacola I was able to meet and spend some good times with a lot of awesome people. Thanks for trusting me in your memories. Here's a little sample of what Ive been doing since the end of May. Also this is going to be one of the last posts on this blog here as I'm having a new one designed especially for me and its almost ready! These will be blogged in order as they are here so keep a look out!

carrie+ryan

ryan+becky

colleen+rick ;) I joked about his name so much now I really cant remember it. joe? jim? ahh im a failure! forgive me?

jessie+david

sean+lorena

isabelle

hannah+berto

christopher patrick

also a few sessions since ive been home:

amy + nick

jenny+ brian and their kiddos

Arwen graduated! {College Senior Photographer!}

2010-05-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

Arwen just graduated from Duke University. She is now a Doctor!! Crazy!! That means this girl is smart! So smart in fact that she wanted to celebrate with photos- the day before she moved STATES! She moved to Cincinnati, Oh for the next awesome part of her life. Congratulations Arwen!

Best photo ever!

Good luck with the next part of your adventure! Hope to see you out dancing soon.

Eileen & Wade are MARRIED! | Birmingham Wedding Photographer

2010-05-24T19:39:00.000-05:00

You might remember Eileen and Wade from their engagement session in the Walt Disney hotels back in February. Well they got married a few days ago in Birmingham, Alabama (Wade's hometown.) I couldnt share her bridals until the big day so that way her dress would be a surprise so here are a few of my favorites.

Now on to their big day!

They got married in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

They had an underlying Star Wars themed wedding.

Her garter :)

Eileen made these bracelets for her bridesmaids

Now for the reception details!

Eileen & Wade- I hope you're having a blasty blast on your cruise! Thank you so much for letting Leslie and I be part of your day.

a little preview for Arwen

2010-05-20T23:25:00.000-05:00

Yay! More will be up soon but I didn't want to leave town without a little teaser for you. Good luck on your move tomorrow!

Im off to Birmingham to shoot a wedding. :)

Jackson! | Raleigh Family Photographer

2010-05-19T22:44:00.000-05:00

Today I got to spend some time with little Jackson and his mom and dad. You might remember him from his newborn session. Well he's 7 months old now and still a super cutie!

Those cute little feet!

Cant wait to see you guys again!

Charleston Lindy Exchange!

2010-05-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending one of my favorite dance weekends in Charleston, SC. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of last years event so this one had quite high expectations. I of course had a ton of fun and got to dance plenty enough. I wasnt feeling the phototaking on Friday night though.. not sure what was up. But it did allow me to dance more on Friday :)

Here are a few of my favorites from the weekend including some cute ones of Neil and I before the night dances. We stopped at South of the Border on our way through.

I found these sweet cheetah sunglasses in one of the souvenir shops. They are AWESOME!

So for some strange reason I made this black & white. Although it was meant to be in color. The theme for CHEX this year was "Its no place like home" and there was a Wizard of Oz themed dance on Friday. I dressed as the yellow brick road and Shawna there was Glinda(and a darn good one too!.) So.. im laying there as the yellow brick road and she's walking.. yeah.. way better in color though..

Obligatory bridge photo :)

Neil took a few photos of me before the dance

and I took some of him :)

The Soloman Douglas Swingtet played an awesome show!

Then Jeremy played "Shout!" and everyone went crazy. Its funny what happens after 3am. :)

and this is one of the last shots we took before heading home, me and some of my favorite Orlando ladies!

For all of the photos from this weekend you can find them on my proofing site. GO HERE!

To everyone that had any part of putting on this weekend you rock!

Joie & Cody are Engaged! | Raleigh Wedding Photographer

2010-05-13T11:01:00.001-05:00

I got to meet up with a super awesome couple yesterday. Joie and Cody are so super cute. As soon as she got out of their car with red cowboy boots on I knew I was going to like them. They wanted something different for engagement photos and I was super excited to shoot that for that very same reason. They are getting married next June and she's planning a wedding while she's in graduate school. I think thats awesome and very stressful all the same. Im not sure I could do it in normal schooling. So... go you Joie!

We met up at the NC Arts Museum in Raleigh. I had never been so it was neat seeing all the sculptures even if they are just random pieces of "art" laying around on the ground.

Cody likes to jump. I didnt even have to ask them to. I love jumping!

They both went to NC State. Isnt that vintage tie cool?

Joie let me borrow her GORGEOUS ring while they were changing outfits.

Oh man! Isnt it pretty.. and huge!?

Cody stuck her ring in a raisin bran cereal box and that's how he proposed. How cute!

The lens flair here was really weird. As I was taking these photos I saw the rainbow-ness in them and thought... this is not normal. Joie had set up the pinwheel and the sun was doing some cool stuff to it.

You two are fun! I like yall. Thanks for inviting me to spend a few hours with you!

Mommas Weekend Mini Sessions!

2010-05-11T19:36:00.000-05:00

I had quite the busy weekend. I hosted a mini session day in Clayton on Saturday and Sunday. We did it as a fundraiser for Neil's squadron.. well the ladies in the squadron at least. It was an interesting day for me having not photographed too too many children. Almost every family had kids. I was pretty nervous going into it because of that. There were some families that hadn't had family photos done since they were married and one family that hadn't had them for ten years. Their youngest son wasn't even in it! That definitely puts the pressure on me. Because who knows.. they might not have another until their oldest sons wedding. I'm kidding Andrea.. but seriously- that is a long time! I was also a bit nervous about not being able to get creative enough. Typically people see my photos and always compliment me on my colors and the creativeness. Its hard to get creative in 15 minutes! I think I managed it alright though. There were also a lot of bribes for these kiddos, most of them were for ice cream or candy but my favorite was a bribe for money. These kids these days have so much power! Anyway, it was so nice getting to meet all those people I wouldn't usually have met and it was nice seeing those I already knew. I very much appreciate everyone coming out in the heat on Saturday and on mothers day on Sunday! Here are a few of my favorites from the weekend.

The older one seems thrilled..

I said "look at the ants in my lens" and he sure did.

Obviously this isnt in the forest. I met up with these two newly engaged cuties in Smithfield before I headed over to the forest.

Two Cherries on Top! | May Mini Sessions!

2010-05-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

Today it got to 90 degress! Ah! Its only May! How ridiculous is that!? I met up with a super cute little family. Angie has two super adorable little girls. They are getting big so quickly. I remember seeing them in the hospital when they were so tiny. Angies mom was in town so she got in on a family photo!

Stella was all about some grass...

Eva... wasnt. Oh well. Next time we'll bring a blanket.

arent they all adorable?

Meredith & David | Wilmington, NC Wedding Photographer

2010-05-04T10:44:00.001-05:00

I feel like Meredith and I are old friends. We got to hang out a lot in the past month which is crazy because she has been super busy! I might have even seen her more than she has seen Dave. ;) She and Dave planned their wedding in 3 months and booked me 3 weeks ago. I'm so happy I was still open as I am so glad I was able to capture their special day! Two of her bridesmaids are pregnant and she planned her day around them because she really wanted them to be able to be there and enjoy themselves. How sweet is she?!?

Maxine got this sweet shot of the dress.

Maxine got this super wide shot with the horns and the whole chapel.

Her grandmother was actually married in this same church! How great is that!?

We took a limo from the church to the reception.

After we had dinner and the first dances we took everyone outside for photos with yummy lighting!

It was super windy out but she still looked stunning! Meredith says shes not photogenic but I think she's beautiful and gorgeous.

For the rings I shot the first one and Maxine got the second one. Love those starbursts!

Once the party was winding down I finally got ahold of the bouquets.

Meredith (and Dave) I have very much enjoyed getting to know you over the last month. I wish you every luck one might wish to newlyweds! You guys are awesome!

Wilmington, NC

Hair: The girls at BANGZ
Makeup artists: The girls at Bobbi Brown
Da Vinci Dress: The Bridal Mart
Florist: Moxie Floral Design Studio

Church: St. Pauls Evangelical Lutheran Church
Reception venue: Hilton- Riverside
Caterer: Also Hilton, Melissa Fallis did an awesome job!!

DJ: Josh Harcus (who according to his card is a magician too!)
Cake: Imaginary Friends Bakery
Second Shooter: Maxine

Jamie & Eric's Awesome Chapel Hill Wedding part2

2010-04-27T10:31:00.000-05:00

If you missed part one, go check it out! It was awesome. The second part was is all about the reception and dancing as there was a lot of dancing going on. At their wedding there were about 15 children there. So in the time when there wasnt dancing or guests were just socializing the kids were living it up. They were sliding from one end of the dance floor to the other- i'm surprised no one got hurt. It was all pretty funny. By the end of it the kids would get to the other side and stay there to make sure I got the shot (how thoughtful of them- the little hams!) Sometimes I feel odd blogging about children I wasnt hired to photograph so I wont this time especially since there are so many cute ones Im not sure I could pick. I could have a blog entirely devoted to those cute kiddos but instead Ill just do one on the adults.

Oh yeah and I forgot to mention this on part one.

The wedding was held at the Barn at Valhalla. It was a super great space I would highly recommend it!

Joseph Wells kept the party going he's with Top Notch Entertainment and DJ Services.

"Walter gave a super sweet toast as Best Man"

The next series of photos was during "Summer Nights"

Then something happened

I dont think she fell but these two def. thought it was funny which is why I dont think she fell.

Im just glad it wasnt on this:

I pretty much watched this couple all night. They could dance!

Your wedding was awesome. Thank you so much for allowing me to come in and capture your day. I had a blast. Yay! You're married!!

Jamie & Eric's Awesome Wedding pt.1

2010-04-25T19:45:00.001-05:00

Jamie and Eric are two very awesome and lucky people. They have found the one thing in life everyone wants- Happiness. They are so happy and laid back. Their wedding was an absolute joy to photograph. I feel like I became friends with all of their wedding guests. Everyone was so nice and just overall awesome. The day was gorgeous even though it was overcast(which is a photographers dream come true.) Everything was perfect. The details in the wedding were awesome and just unusual I thought they were great.

This walkway had photos lining it on both sides.

Her very talented sister Christine did the flower arrangements. They were awesome and gorgeous.

Each table was named after a fruit or a vegetable and each placecard was a packet of seeds. Brilliant!

When I first walked up to the barn I saw this and thought "huh.. thats weird" but it ended up being super cute. Here is Walter and myself being awesome farmers.

Yes- that is bacon on top of that cupcake. Maple Bacon was the flavor and not too bad. Thanks Ryan and Christine for letting me try part of yours!

I dont think that there is any wedding dress more beautiful than a lace wedding gown. So classic and gorgeous.

Gorgeous engagement ring too!

Okay lindy hoppers. I know you read my blog and youre fixing to get excited about this pair of shoes. They have leather bottoms and I fell in love with them before I even knew that. Ah! Amazing.

Seychelles

Walter was all smiles, I think he knew what was up.

Jamie and Eric wrote their own vows. They were probably the most thoughtful vows I have ever heard. I think my favorite phrase was from Jamie "I'm so happy that Walter can have parents.. that are married," that made everyone crack up.

Yay!!

Part two will be up tomorrow!

Meredith & David | Wilmington Engagement Photographer

2010-04-25T11:17:00.000-05:00

David and Meredith are getting married this weekend in Wilmington. I met up with them early yesterday morning at Fort Fisher in Wilmington for a sunrise session. Im not sure if you know about this or not but if you ever go to the beach at sunrise wear bug spray. There were a TON of bugs out. Ones that bite too. They were very frustrating and only on the beach and rocks so we spent the majority of our time in the gorgeous trees. These trees remind me of 12th Avenue in Pensacola although they are completely different. It was a gorgeous start to the day.

See what I mean about the bugs?

I even ate a few.. yum?

Cant wait for your wedding this weekend you two!!

Its peanut butter jelly time!

2010-04-23T00:33:00.000-05:00

Today is the day Ive been waiting for for quite sometime. Its taken me months to decide if upgrading my current camera was the right business move. Because I didn't really need to upgrade it. I wanted to upgrade it. I knew it was an amazing piece of equipment but there are amazing lenses I actually needed. Well after much deliberation I finally hit the checkout button om amazon. I ended up getting it used for quite an awesome deal so that was the main reason for finally going in and biting the bullet. I was so excited when I first got it. Its so funny to see other peoples settings when you buy camera used. Anyway of course my test shots since Neil is still gone on an extended TDY were my cute little furry babies. Jiffy got his hair did today and he smelled sooooo non dog like it was awesome! Perhaps I should purchase some doggy au de toilette. It definitely works for the ladies. Skipp wouldn't stop humping him once he came home. Maybe she just missed him.. maybe it was the doggy Axe. The world may never know ;) I took him to Paws N Claw Grooming here in Smithfield and the lady did an awesome job. She gave him a good shave, made him smell awesome AND brushed his teeth for $45. I think that was a great deal and she was done in less than 2 hours. I will definitely be going back there once more before summer is over with. I love being able to see his eyes but I cant bare to cut near them. Also- I'm not sure I mentioned another upgrade I received in the mail today. I upgraded one of my lenses as well so of course these photos were taken with it.

Jiffy always with his tongue out. He is so hard to take photos of(usually because you cant see his eyes) because he usually comes right up to the camera and .. that just makes life hard. Skippy on the other hand..

is a super model dog.

Jamie, Eric and little Walter | Chapel Hill Family Photographer

2010-04-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Today I met up with Jamie and Eric for a family session. They are getting married this Saturday in Chapel Hill. I'm super excited for their wedding this weekend especially after meeting Jamie and her cute little family. She's so nice and down to earth. And she said I was cute so she gets points!! She and Eric are coming from Washington State but are soon moving to Washington DC for a job. If my memory serves correct he's a doctor? They have the cutest little 5 month old named Walter and he has those dreamy blue-ish green baby eyes.

He was getting a little cranky and for some reason I should it was a good idea to let him hold my camera strap. Which may or may not have been a good idea ;) Straight to the mouth!

Gwen | Goldsboro Family Photographer

2010-04-21T19:52:00.001-05:00

Gwen turned one the day before these photos were taken last Sunday. She a little cutie and has some cute teeth! Here are a few of my favorites from her session!!

This next one seems to be everyone's favorite. I love that little top tooth hanging out.

Matt King :(

2010-04-19T23:09:00.000-05:00

This morning one of my lindy hopper friends was in a bicycle accident and didn't make it.

That makes me super sad.

One day we'll dance again!

My thoughts are with his family. :(

Gabby & Will | Engaged | Raleigh Wedding Photographer

2010-04-16T22:24:00.001-05:00

Will & Gabby are such a fun and down to earth couple. They are up for anything and I love that. Gabby loves to laugh and Will is scared of a lot of random things, like turtles and mountains. I hope its ok I put that Will. ;) We had two mini sessions due to Will's job the first we met up at a park in Raleigh and the next day we met up downtown. They were both great spots but I especially love the field with all the yellow flowers! They are getting married here in Smithfield (my first real local wedding!) in June and I'm pretty excited for their wedding. From all there talking it sounds like its going to be a blasty blast!

Her engagement ring was worn by her grandmother and her mother. I love that!

I love the vibrant colors in that blue wall. This was one of my first photos on the 2nd day and definitely my favorite!

Heather & Steve | The Wedding | Pensacola Wedding Photographer

2010-04-16T13:19:00.002-05:00

Heather and Steve were married in Pensacola, Florida at the Sanders Beach Community Center last Sunday April 11th. I helped shoot this wedding with Skye and Jason of New Horizon Productions. Heather looked awesome and Steve looked dapper. The whole day was gorgeous and sunny. It wasnt even too hot for being in Florida in the Spring.

I showed up while Heather and her bridesmaids were getting their hair done at the Dillards salon.

Heather and her bridesmaid Megan her feeling the curls.

They had a super cute candy bar!

The grooms cake. Steve is a BIG BIG BIG fan of the University of Central Florida.

While Skye and Jason were taking couple portraits of Steve and Heather I took the bridal party away and we had some fun.

Heather & Steve, Thanks for letting me come in and share your awesome wedding day with you. Congratulations and I hope you're absolutely loving Europe!

Your First Family Heirloom - The Album

2010-04-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

I finally got my studio sample. Seeing that package at my door kind of made my day yesterday. It is just as lovely as I pictured it to be and I'm super excited to be offering it to my brides. These lovely albums come in two sizes, (10x10 and 12x12) seven different colors and can have up to 60 pages! These albums lay flat! I think thats my favorite thing about them is that the binding lays flat unlike normal books or albums. Which means you can really see the full page spreads. They have 2mm think pages as well which makes them sturdy and durable. Plus instead of a boring box it comes in this cute little bag!!

Also, these aren't just for weddings. They would be awesome to document your babies first year in. I know when I pop em out Ill be making albums for my babies.

Happy Birthday Michael!

2010-04-14T23:07:00.002-05:00

It is one of my very best friends birthdays today.

If you follow my blog at all you know exactly who he is.

He is awesome. He is Michael

I visited him over Easter weekend up in Virginia. I had a great time visiting him and a TON of awesome dances. It was nice to actually dance instead of taking photos. Not that I'm complaining but every now and then its nice. We had dinner at The Boot and danced to The Rusty Doves. By the way, you should really check them out if they come to your town. They covered a Rilo Kiley song and Michael and I got pretty excited about it. Basically during my trip to Virginia we just ate especially on Easter we went from one eating place to the next.

Anyway, while I was there he and I walked around Ghent(which is a super cute little town in VA) and took photos. It was fun and interesting shooting a guy. Which.. I haven't done yet. It was also to see him one last time before he deploys next month with the Navy.

His favorite belt :)

I'm not really a fan of this next photo. I think I look silly but since it was taken that day I figured Id include it over some random good photo of us.

Happy Birthday Michael!

I hope you enjoy your party tonight and your trip to Dallas!

Ashley & Phillip | Maternity | Pensacola Family Photography

2010-04-13T19:27:00.001-05:00

I met my good friends Ashley and Phillip at 6AM Saturday morning. I thought it would be awesome to have a sunrise session on the beach and it ended up that Phillip needed to meet someone early anyway. When I first got there it was still dark but obviously.. as everyday the sun comes up. It was also pretty cold so they were awesome for braving it for these photos! I am so glad I was able to document Ashley's pregnancy. I think she looks gorgeous. What do you think?

Phillip you're cute too.

Ashley is due at the end of May with a little boy they have named Christopher.

Heather | Pensacola Wedding Photographer

2010-04-13T00:18:00.003-05:00

I flew into Pensacola on Friday and excitedly drove to Pensacola beach. We met up at one of my favorite spots to shoot. I love the architecture and the color and all that fun stuff. Heather looked gorgeous and her dress was awesome.

She didnt want to wear her wedding shoes and she wore her chucks instead which made me pretty happy as Im a VERY big fan of chuck taylors.

Isnt she gorgeous!

We finished the day out at the beach! It was such a lovely day out.

Heather, I had such a great time on Friday thanks for not thinking im too crazy with my weird poses. ;)

Chris & Jo Anna | Durham Wedding Photographer | Duke Gardens

2010-04-08T01:15:00.000-05:00

I met Jo Anna a few years ago when we both still lived in Florida at an annual camping trip we call "Gingerfest." Right after that trip she was graduating and moving up to North Carolina to do some awesome stuff at Duke. Flash forward a few years and a few more annual camping trips at Ginnie Springs. I show up at a swing dance in Raleigh and who do I see? Jo! I was quite excited to see her as I love it when non dancing friends join in on the lindy hop fun. The next time I remember seeing her at a dance Chris was there as well. He might have even been there the first time too but I forget. Ive only seen them together ever since. You might remember a few months ago I happened to be at a dance and there was a proposal? Well that was Chris and Jo Anna. We met up at the Duke Gardens which is gorgeous. I had never been there so I was quite excited to shoot there. Jo said she thinks all of the pollen problems are coming straight from that place and Id have to agree. This pollen is awful.

They are getting married in Raleigh in September and I'm super excited for their big day (especially after today!)

Madison | Goldsboro Childrens photographer

2010-04-05T09:42:00.000-05:00

Madison has just turned 2 and shes cute as a button! She was one of my first toddlers I shot last year when I was trying to get more families in my portfolio. She was all about the park we were at and running all over. I guess that's what you get when you try and photograph a 2 year old.

Ooooooph. Beautiful eyes!

She was way more excited about sticks then flowers or paying attention to me..

By the end her feet hurt so she got a piggy back ride from her pregnant momma. That's love ;)

Happy Birthday Drew!

2010-04-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

Dearest Drew,

Today you would be 21. That's a big year although age doesn't matter where you are. First off, Ill tell you that I still think about you everyday. There are little moments that happen and I think "hah! Drew would have loved that" Or I see "Drew" clothes at the thrift store and I want to buy them for you. Its still weird not being able to share things with you or call you on the phone. Every now and then I have this dream where I see you in a store and you act all surprised that I saw you like you were hiding from me. After that I always call Alicia to make sure it was just a dream. I see your mom and dad when I go home from time to time. They seem like they are doing well and I really miss them. I should call more They are completely in love with your niece who Ashleigh and Jon named after you, Drew. She's such a cutie. One of these days Ill get around to meeting her.

I wonder where you would be today. What you would be doing? Would you still dress the same? Listen to the same bands? I like to think you would have changed like we all have and we all do in time but I like to think about you as the same boy I knew too. Hmmm Im trying to think of things that might interest you... My favorite band Cruiserweight is splitting up. I know how much you loved (feel the sarcasm) them so I guess you'll be happy to hear that. Im not longer a vegetarian but I think.. I might go back. Not too sure I can give up hamburgers again, maybe ill just do without fast food. Well except for Taco Bell. Your Nana( and the rest of the family) is on facebook. I think its awesome. She makes me happy and its nice to be able to talk to her and see what she's doing. I'm doing awesome. I'm a photographer now and i'm really glad Ive found something I'm good at. Remember when you got your Minolta for your birthday? You absolutely loved it.

Oh well I'm out of exciting things to tell you. I will let you go. I just wanted to send you a reminder that I miss you.

Happiest of Happys on your birthday Drew

Love,

Hilary

ATLX 2010

2010-04-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

First off, this is going to be mainly a personal blog about ATLX and not one necessarily documenting it like I usually do with my lindy hop blogs. Not because I didnt take my normal amount of photos but because all of my favorites are of personal friends not just through lindy hop(there are a few others I added though). They are still pretty fun though. Thanks to everyone who helped make ATLX possible. It was a ton of fun and I hope we'll be on the East Coast for next year's.

These are two of my best friends Leslie and Michael, he appears in most all my lindy hop posts. ;)

Ashley's glowing!

Rob.. dont hate me.

This cake had the most amazing frosting ive ever tasted. It was sooooooooo yummy,

Flower- Haired Girl Cakes made it. It was awesome!!

Ninjas!

Phillip got knocked up

And just because its something Ive noticed.. I think Im going to put in a few from years past.

ATLX4

ATLX5

ATLX6

and finally ATLX7 we've changed a lot eh? But we like photos with 4 of us..

Yay Bela for letting us ALL stay with her!!

To view everything from ATLX go here. If you're interested in purchasing prints feel free. I also offer digital downloads for a small fee if you want to use anything for online use (facebook, website etc) Email me if you have any questions at mercer.hilary@gmail.com

Photobooth | ATLX

2010-03-31T17:14:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I was asked to man up the "photobooth" at ATLX. I was super excited as I want to start adding this to my weddings. Its a great way for your guests to keep entertained while you and I are shooting your awesome couple shots after you get married. I was a bit nervous though as I usually work with natural light even in my home studio. Im not sure why though. The lights turned out nicely and my only problem was the background was too small and I knew that would be a problem when you get more than 2 people in a shot but it was the best I could do with travel. Plus did you know that background sizes only run in like 4 feet or 10 ft increments? Crazy. Anyway, these are my favorites from the photobooth. For all the images, go here. Feel free to right click and save til your hearts content.

This is probably my favorite out of all of them

So excited to shoot their maternity session next weekend in Florida!

Bela(to the right) was so nice to let us Pensacola folks stay in her casa for the weekend. Thanks Bela!

branding

2010-03-31T01:50:00.002-05:00

Well Atlanta was pretty sweet. I took lots of photos of some awesome dances. Everyone always looks so cute when they are dancing. It doesnt hurt that lindy hoppers are probably the prettiest people on the planet. Anyway, this blog is NOT about ATLX(check later today). Its about my new branding. Ive been quite excited about it for a while. I love it and Im excited about how awesome it is. But this is just the start of changes coming. Soon Ill get a new blog and a lot of other awesome things for my clients. How exciting. Things are coming together.

Ive been working with an October bride (who happens to be a designer) for about a month now trying to figure out what exactly I wanted. I know I wanted it to be happy, energetic and vibrant with a splash of cute. Because when I asked friends what they thought of me and my work this is what they came up with. These are also the couples I want to work with so it fits right? Red, yellow and teal are some of my absolute favorite colors. I'm really digging on mustard yellow right now. Its hot! I'm a big fan of lens flares. Not the ones that completely take out your face but the ones that are just awesome. Sheila knows my work and it was her idea to incorporate a flare into it. What a great idea making it into the exclamation point!

What do ya think?

Sheila did a FANTASTIC job so you should hire her for all your design needs!

http://sheilasuarez.com/

Off to Atlanta!

2010-03-24T20:33:00.001-05:00

Lots of changes and new things are coming your way! I am so excited about it.

But its going to have to wait a week or so til i'm back from Atlanta. I leave tomorrow and I wont be back til Tuesday. Im going down there for a lindy hop event where im the official photographer and Im doing a photobooth at the Saturday night dance. That should be a ton of fun! Check it out here: ATLX.org

So here's a few reminders while im gone.

Well, im gone its a mini vacay. So I wont really be around my email so much. So dont get to sad when I dont respond immediately.

As of April 1st

Portraits: $175 for the session fee prints/disc are extra

Weddings: range from $1500-2800

So, book now before April comes!!

Here's a photo from last year at ATLX. The theme was "Nerdy"

Laura the Diner Darling | Raleigh Pinup Photography

2010-03-23T17:03:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I realized that I know some pretty amazing people through lindy hop. Why I had never come to this realization before I'm not sure especially when it comes to Laura. Who knows why I never thought to have her model for me before. But Im sure glad the idea finally popped into my head. I told her my ideas and she came back to me with a TON of places to try. We tried a few spots on Saturday but with spring in the air and the sun out saying hello they were packed! Finally we found a spot we could do it at. This place was closed but there were workers inside so we asked if we could shoot and of course they said yes. SCORE!

So meet Laura. She's awesome.

Laura also sings for The Atomic Rhythm Allstars and they are AWESOME!

She's so cute!

Laura- Thank you so stinkin much for hanging out with my on Saturday and letting me take your pikchas! It was so nice getting to know you better too. Lets to this again soon yes?!

Gavin and Hunter | Las Vegas Childrens Photographer

2010-03-23T10:57:00.001-05:00

When I was in Vegas a few weeks ago I met up with Angie and her two adorable sons Gavin and Hunter. This was one of my first experiences with two younger people it was definitely interesting. I met them at their house and started with the photo taking then we went to a park and saw a lot of animals. There were a ton of ducks and peacocks just walking all around the place it was pretty neat. Angie, Thanks so much for letting me come into your home and meet your adorable family. Ill let you know when I plan on coming back out. :)

What a little stud he is!

Playing daddys guitar.. or beating on it either way its making noise. ;)

He was WAY more interested in the grass at this point than me.

Check out these huge peacocks!

Meet Luke. He's new. | Richmond, Va Newborn Photographer

2010-03-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago baby Luke was born. I got to meet him when he was exactly 2 weeks old. He was the most alert 2 week old Ive ever encountered. So he definitely wasn't up for sleeping! So I worked it best I could luckily I had his Aunt Allison there to help me out.

Also, im trying to make the images smaller for better loading and viewing purposes... but I think these maybe too small. Thought?

I finally got to try out these coccoons my mother in law made me. Thanks Julie!

Baxter is such a good model although he definitly prefers his profile view and not straight on like this ;)

He's a little model already

His Aunt Allison and him

These last two are so precious

I picked a good weekend to shoot Allisons nephew as later on that night there was a surprise birthday party for her!

Mallory and Ryan- Thank you so much for letting me hang out with your little ball of wonder for a few hours. I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed meeting you and the rest of your family.

Victor Sizemore Mentor session | Las Vegas | Destination

2010-03-21T18:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, Ive been wanting to post these since I took them. This was such a fabulous photo session out in the middle of the desert. We took a bus out to this location and it was awesome. Before I show you any goodies Id like to say Thanks to these fine folks because they did a fantastic job

Mentor: Victor Sizemore Photography: http://www.vcsphoto.com/blog

Styling by Summer Watkins: http://greylikesweddings.wordpress.com

Historical Jewels: http://www.historicaljewels.com/

Make Up & Hair: Jill Guin of Darling Bride: http://www.darlingbride.com

Video: Elysium... Productions http://blog.elysiumproductions.com/

oh yeah and the awesome models!

Ok Ill show ya the goodies!

Now on to the bridals, she is absolutely gorgeous and this was her first time modeling! Pfft crazy!

and yes I know this is a terrible photo but I found it to be funny the models were taking a photo of all of us. :)

Im so glad I got to come out. Victor youre awesome!

WPPI: Wow. What an experiance.

2010-03-21T17:26:00.000-05:00

For the past year I have been anticipating my WPPI experience. I was super nervous going into it. I was going to a big city all by myself. Not knowing anyone really except through the internet. I was going to be rooming with three ladies that id never met before. Normally thats ok especially within the swing scene but what if they werent cool like my fellow lindy hoppers were? I wasnt too stressed about my level of photography. I know Im not half as good as Id like to be and I'm definitely not where most of the photographers that were there are. So I tried not to let it affect me. Which is also weird because within the swing scene Im so afraid to dance with those people that I admire most. But there were rockstar photographers I was just walking up to. Anyway, there were so many great things about this Vegas trip on top of WPPI.

I went there to learn some new stuff, find some awesome vendors, find my album company and make some awesome friendships... oh and to shoot some awesome stuff too. I think I pretty much succeeded in all those things. I absolutely love my roommates and I miss them even though I only hung out with them a few days. They taught me a lot. Things I didn't expect like.. how many "rockstar" photographers I'd never even heard of and also a lot of other awesome stuff. I'm so glad they were awesome girls!! Love you ladies! The classes I took were pretty ok too. I took a pinup class that I really wasnt a fan of but everything else was pretty awesome.I went to see a pretty awesome photographer Id never heard of and it turns out she's from Chapel Hill. Sweet and I learned a lot from her too.

Overall it was an awesome experience and Ill be back every year from now on if I can swing it!

Lots of things are changing in the upcoming months and I'm so excited about it! Things are happening and its awesome.

So here's some awesome photos from my trip! :)

Of course some Bellagio Fountain action

This guy was pretty funny and really good.

These next shots were out at Red Rock Canyon while I was shooting my friend Megan and her kiddos.

I think Megan might have snapped this off for me, Thanks!

One of the things I signed up for was a fast track scavenger hunt and these were a few of the "things" we needed to have a photo of.

Spiderman said that he works from commission so to take his photo it cost a dollar! SERIOUSLY! That's what I need to do. Move to Vegas and be a Sandra Bullock impersonator and charge per photo. Genius!

The skies were really pretty

This photo was out in a dry lake bed somewhere in Nevada. About 50 of us photographer took a bus out there for a bridal shoot(check tomorrow!) I took this while we were waiting on everyone to set everything up. A lot of people were looking at me while I was doing this.. I wonder what they were thinking.

Glass from one of the many props used out in the desert

And of course, the last photo I took in Las Vegas. This was at like 2am when I left the bSchool party. Which was the most awesome party I went to the whole trip! It was awesome!

Rylie, Reed and Megan | Las Vegas destination Photographer

2010-03-18T08:48:00.001-05:00

This next session here was actually my third session in Vegas. But the second is a fathers day present and Im not going to post it until after then.

Megan added me on myspace around 4 years ago before she liked my photos. I think it was because I was friends with someone we knew mutually, Neil. Neil and Megan go way back. Megan is Neil's first wives sister. Try saying that ten times fast. So they still kept in contact and all that jazz. I met her and her family the last time I was in Vegas when Neil and I got married. She was super nice and super blunt but I liked it. Anyway, since then Ive really got this camera thing down and she asked if I could take some photos of her and her family. Unfortunately her husband is deployed right now so he couldn't be in them but we still had a good time.

Meet Rylie her daughter. Shes gorgeous right? I wish I could have been that pretty at 12.. or skinny.

and this is Reed. Megan and I started talking to her right before he was born so Ive sorta seen him grow up through pictures online.

It was such a pretty day out!

Yes she got up there with bare feet

He was way more interested in throwing the rocks around than me.

By this time he was a little bit of a grumpy pants and kept saying "no more pictures, thats enough"

But eventually with enough tickling from his big sister he gave in and flashed us a smile

For photos of all three of them he decided he wanted something a little different..

This is Megan and I at our second stop at the very top of one of the mountains. One of my roomies snapped it of us! Thanks Courtney or Jessica!

I just realized that I posted a lot more of Rylie then Reed. Oh well. There were a few more good ones of Reed I promise!

Megan, thanks for feeding me, housing me and letting me borrow your car! Youre awesome!

Jessica & Andy are Engaged! | Lake Las Vegas | Destination photographer

2010-03-17T22:19:00.000-05:00

My oh my it's been a while. Almost 2 weeks since I have blogged. Its been a busy 2 weeks ill tell you that. Well... Ill tell you all about it in a later blog post actually.

Right now I'm going to tell you about Andy and Jessica. They are awesome and a ball of fun. When I first talked to Jessica about the session she said she wanted it to be as far away from the "Las Vegas" look as possible. Of course I was completely up for it. So we met up at a hotel near Lake Las Vegas. Apparently with the housing market where it is they are closing all of the hotels and emptying out the lake. I guess you can do that when its a man made lake. Who knew!? Like I mentioned before they are so fun. Andy is actually a magician and is going to Switzerland this summer to teach kids magic. How COOL is that!! I think its awesome. He'll be there for a few months then he gets to come back and get hitched!

Also, Thank you two so much for being patient with me. They were my first session out in Vegas and I knew it would take a little longer than usual.

Andy definitely knows how to make Jessica laugh

Did I mention how GORGEOUS of a day is was out? That was a big change especially since the day I left North Carolina it snowed.

Andy is so affectionate

The hotel was pretty neat and had a ton of chairs and waterfalls and even a bed outside.. thats the kicker I know most hotels have a bed inside ;)

So of course what do you do with a bed and pillows?!

You two were awesome!

WPPI Schedule!

2010-02-27T12:11:00.001-06:00

A few years ago when I really started to think this might be what I wanted to do I heard about WPPI. I think Id joined Flickr right after the event in Vegas and heard all the awesome stories and saw all the awesome shots people got from their photo shoots. I immediately was super jealous I didn't have the funds to attend WPPI 2009 (or the skills.) But I knew and was striving to be good so I could make it to WPPI 2010. That might sound weird but that was one of my main goals for 2009 since I already knew I was going to go no matter how much it cost. Anyway, Ive grown a lot this past year and I am most definitely going. Its going to be an absolute blast! Ill be staying at the MGM with 4 awesome people and photographers. I'm super excited to meet and get to know each one of you lovely ladies! Its going to be a pretty action packed trip. This is my schedule as it is now.

Tuesday

March 2

Spring Awakening! @ DPAC here in NC. I havent heard too much about this broadway and i'm pretty excited about it.

Wednesday

March 3

Fly to Vegas 8 hours! ahhhhhhgghhh

Thursday

March 4

E-session with Jessica 3:00pm-5:30pm

Friday

March 5

Photosession with Shelton 11am-1:30pm

Dance at the Aruba! 7pm-11ish

Saturday

March 6

Photosession with Morgans/friends

Sometime in the afternoon

Sunday

March 7

Bob & Dawn Davis Masterclass 11:00am - 1:00pm

Steve & Shelley Harrington 2:00pm- 4:00

Photo Lovecat Happy Hour 6ish

Welcome Reception 7:30-9:30

Airhornes and lasers 9:30- ???

Monday

March 8

Breakfast with KPweddings 7-8

Chris Nelson Masterclass 8-10am

Millers Lab Booth #601 1:30

Jasmine Star 6:30-8:30

Pool Party? 8-10

Tuesday

March 9

Victor Sizemore Mentor session 2:30-6:30

BParty 10:00pm- 1:00am

Wednesday

March 10

March 10- Leaving on a jetplane

See pretty packed. Also Ill be visiting as many booths at the trade show as possible. There are a few i'm pretty excited about. Like most people Id like to see the albums. I'm also there looking for a bag for my camera gear. Yay!

Are you going? We should meet up!

And just because posts are better with pictures, here's one of Neil and I about this time last year.

Brooke & Nathan | Raleigh Maternity Photographer

2010-02-23T13:11:00.001-06:00

Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day out at the beach. We met out at Fort Macon near Atlantic Beach. It was a neat little spot and not too crowded although there were a lot more people than we expected in February.

Brooke and Nathan are expecting a little boy in a few weeks. I'm super excited for them.

Brooke is absolutely gorgeous!

She has some killer eyes!

You two were awesome!

Antonia | Raleigh Model Photographer

2010-02-21T22:28:00.001-06:00

Antonia contacted me last week about updating her portfolio and of course I said yes. For a while she had really wanted do do a shoot with her furniture. Sometimes when people suggest to do things at their homes I'm leery but usually go with it, hey! it worked out here ;)

A lot of the furniture in her home was her grandmothers and it was all awesome. I wish I could have had such awesome heirlooms passed down.

These last three are my favorite!

Sean and Winnie | Orlando Wedding

2010-02-19T00:32:00.000-06:00

Winnie and Sean were married at the Crane's Roost Park on February 1st in Altamonte Springs, Florida. It was a dreary day but Winnie definitely brightened it up with her sweet smile. I have been waiting for their wedding since I shot their engagement session back in July in our hometown Milton, FL. It was actually my first and they were awesome to work with. I won’t put it off any longer, here are some of my favorite pictures from their day, starting with Winnie’s time getting ready.

Flowers | Sunshine Florist

Wedding Dress + Bridesmaids | Davids Bridal

Cake | Melanie Cuartelon

Reception | Cantina Laredo

Hotel | Embassy Suites Orlando North

Ceremony | Crane's Roost Park

Hair + Makeup | Janet Mednick

Officiant | Georgiana Johnson

Winnie is super cute.

I went to the lobby of the hotel and had a field day with all the different things I could do with her shoes, rings and dress.

I loved all those lights in the background!

Soon after Winnie started getting dressed and Sean and I headed down to the lobby and out to the park.

Super cheesy but I love it!

a little kiss and a hug

yay! The Harrells!

Soon after we were done with the family formals it started to rain. Typically I ALWAYS bring an umbrella and this time I didnt. I guess thats how things work.

They still worked it though

Winnie radiates happiness

Congrats you two. I wish you all the best in your marriage and your lives.

Sean keep Winnie laughing. Winnie keep laughing even if his jokes aren't funny. :)

Rachel | Goldsboro Maternity Photography

2010-02-18T13:13:00.001-06:00

Rachel is helping me with a little project since she's soon to be a mommy to a new baby girl. Those photos will be revealed around June 20th when she is due. Here are a few I've taken at the first two mini sessions we had at my house.

In the first few photos she was only 13 weeks. Today she is nearly 6 months pregnant. Rachel thank you for being my model you're awesome. I cant wait til spring comes!

Such pretty eyes!

Bull City Stompede!

2010-02-16T09:57:00.000-06:00

For all the photos from that night go here.

For all the photos from that night go here.

Alicia the smouldering temptress

2010-02-15T21:25:00.000-06:00

Alicia is another one of my best friends. She is awesome! I stayed with her in Orlando when I was there a few weeks ago. I was pretty glad to be able to shoot her while I was there. It rained ALL day and finally around 1:30am-ish it stopped and I thought, "lets go!" So we headed downtown. It was a lot of fun. There werent too many people out and about at 2am in the morning but more than I expected for a Monday night. Here are my favorites from that early morning.

This was the first photo I took and for some reason im in love with it. Sorry Alicia if you hate it ;)

There was another one I absolutely loved but for some reason its not loading for me. I guess it will just be a surprise for you Alicia! You da bomb! Thanks for being my model!!

Pretty Things Peepshow | Raleigh, NC

2010-02-14T20:30:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago Neil and I went to a burlesque show in Raleigh. I had a lot of fun. It was definitely interesting and I liked that they had a sideshow and it definitely added a lot to the show. All the girls did a great job I was pretty impressed. If they come back Ill definitely come to their show again.

You can find all of them here : Pretty Things Peepshow

hah, Neil didnt want me to take his photo.. so he made this face. He looks like an old man!

One of my best friends Leslie came to visit to celebrate our birthdays!

You can find all of them here : Pretty Things Peepshow

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T09:30:00.001-06:00

Neil is fixing to make me heartshaped pink chocolate chip pancakes. Lets see if this works out. :)

sNOW! 2010! v.1

2010-02-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

Ahhhhhh. Those who are keeping up with my life and the blog know that it snowed 2 weeks ago when I was in Florida shooting all these sessions you have been enjoying. Well, I was a real sad person knowing I was missing out on all the fun. cue sad trombone.

Especially since.. I think I'm the only one in NC that wanted it to snow and I know it only snowed because I had been wishing and hoping it would. It did it again! Someone up top knew I missed it the first time. Although, he might have got a little confused because it even snowed in my hometown in Florida. It didn't leave quite the impact there as it did here though. OK, expect lots over the next few days! I took these last night after it had been going for a few hours. Oh yeah, these are for you Abby. I hope you like them! :)

Sheila + Austin | Orlando Engagment Photographer

2010-02-11T10:59:00.001-06:00

Every now and then I have a photo session of my dreams. It doesn't happen too often but occasionally. Those sessions are awesome except for when I get home and I have to pick out the best ones. That's probably my hardest job sometimes. For my last engagement session it most definitely was. Sheila and Austin are awesome. They are one of those couples that if I saw them walking around Target(my fav!) I would give them my card. Pffft.. not like I do that. Only to pregnant women. ;) Anyway, they have happiness and love bursting all over the place.

I think one of the best things about this session was that Austin was just as excited about taking photos as I was. I didnt have to coach him or tell him to kiss his lovely fiance or anything.

Did I mention they are AWESOME dancers? They teach down in Orlando, so if you want to learn go to these two. SHOUT! Swing

I love love love her shoes!

Im getting a little ahead of myself but aren't their children going to be cute?!?!

It was super windy and super cold out. But they've got their love to keep them warm. Okay, I know. Super Cheesy.

RIP cute polka dotted yellow umbrella. It was just too windy for your delicate metal.

I mentioned to Austin that I thought it would be fun to do a spiderman kiss eventually, maybe not with him but in general. And he volunteered to climb a tree to get it. Go Austin!

love all the blood rushing to his head.

Then we headed to downtown Orlando for some more fun. We drove around for a while before finally finding this awesome little place.

Although, we werent the first people to have found this little nook. They were actually standing in someones bed. :( Im glad they werent home.

These night shots were all handheld. I probably should have got my tripod out. Although, I think my hands were pretty steady.

Isnt she gorgeous!?

For these last few I couldn't decide which I liked best so I decided to just post them all. Which is your favorite?

And we finished up the night at a stationary train and another spiderman kiss, although different this time!

Wow! 2 trains went by(although only 1 is pictured, didn't want to "train" you out) and 2 spiderman kisses what more could a girl want besides more shoes?!

You two are fantastic and I am super excited about your 10.10.10 wedding!

Danielle | Orlando, FL Pinup Photographer

2010-02-10T11:15:00.000-06:00

I love lindy hop. It allows me to meet so many really fantastic people. What's even more great is that for the most part were all interested in the same things. A majority of the ladies that are in the lindy scene love all things vintage. They have classes that teach you to make vintage hairpieces, vintage hairstyles a few months ago I even took a Burlesque class. It was awesome by the way. Anyway, I think that it is awesome that so many people are interested in their roots. Danielle is a lindy hopper down in Orlando. I was pretty excited that she wanted to work with me while I was there. I haven't shot too many models and I definitely needed the experience. She was fantastic to work with. Her venue choices were Rollins College or this place and Im glad she chose this place :)

Yes, that is a wine cellar behind her.

She got this mink coat for Christmas. I'm so glad we were able to use this!!

Yay Danielle, Thank you so much for being my first model. Youre awesome. Hope I wasnt too too bad.

Eileen + Wade | Disney Resorts | Orlando, Florida

2010-02-09T12:22:00.000-06:00

A few Saturdays ago I spent a little time with Eileen and Wade for their engagement session, and promised their pictures would be on the blog in a few weeks. I was hoping to get them up a little sooner but I have been so busy since Ive been home from Orlando. One of my best friends came in town to visit to celebrate both our birthdays and while she was here we went to a burlesque show and went dancing. Plus I had to get some sleep since I hardly slept while in Orlando. Anyway, Eileen and Wade are getting married in Birmingham, Al in May. Its my second destination wedding Ill shoot in 2010 and I'm super excited about it!

They thought it would be a great idea to go and enjoy the free sides of Walt Disney World and I agreed. I love Disney. We started out on the Ferry Boat that floats over to the Magical Kingdom. The first boat over was WAY too packed for us so we decided to float back over with just us. Im sure the drivers thought we were crazy.

Then we took the monorail over to the Polynesian Resort. There were even hula lessons going on in the lobby. AWESOME!

We found that most of the resorts had their own beaches. But only this one had a hammock. Hammocks are awesome. I want one.

Then we were off to the Grand Floridian. I wasnt too impressed with it though. Its just not my idea of Disney World. I love the themed hotels and this one didnt seem too kid friendly.

The contemporary resort was less then modern but we still had some fun. Its the hotel that the monorail goes through. It sounds way way cooler than it is. I had always heard about it as a kid and wanted to stay there but now, im not so sure.

Probably my favorite from the whole day.

By this point in the day we were all super pooped.

I had a great time you two. So excited for your wedding!

Oh yeah, Eileen also makes these cute crocheted purses. She even gifted me an Air Force themed one. Thanks Eileen. Check her Etsy store out!

Week Wrapup: Orlando Florida

2010-02-04T14:14:00.001-06:00

Wow. This has been a really fantastic week for me. It started off with my husband coming home for my birthday. Then two friends getting engaged(see my last blog post). Then on the 27th I turned TWENTY THREE! Yipee. Neil and I celebrated by a lovely dinner at Maggianos. Just as a FYI they give you $10 off your meal for your birthday just sign up with them. We finished out the night at the Durham Performing Arts Center watching the touring broadway MAMMA MIA! I absolutely loved it. It was awesome like all the other shows we have seen there. Neil got us season passes for our anniversary last August. Then the next day I started my 9ish hour journey to Orlando. I stopped in Jacksonville for some dinner with a friend and it was awesome seeing him. He's about to get stationed in Japan so it might be a while before we see each other again. Have fun Dave! I miss you already! I finally arrived in Orlando around 12ish1am.

I had a ton of fun while I was there. It was mainly a work trip so I worked a lot of it luckily I love my work. Luckily I was able to hit a few thrift stores and IKEA too. ;) Here's a little sneak peek for everyone.

Eileen's dress is gorgeous!

Eileen and her fiance Wade on a Disney beach

Danielle looking lovely, oh yeah and she did her hair herself. :)Doesnt it look awesome?!?

Sheila and Austin are a bundle of fun wrapped up in a cute little package with a big yellow bow!

It rained on Winnie and Sean's wedding day. They didnt seem to mind though.

Alicia(one of my best friends) is a smoldering temptress. Thanks for letting me crash at your house and your bed.

All of these sessions were fantastically awesome. I am so excited to start going through these as I'm sure you are too. They were totally worth not sleeping for. :)

Also, for my birthday my awesome husband bought me the 35 1.8! I came home to it yesterday! Yayyyyyyy. So expect a ton of shots using it shortly!

"L is for the way you look at me"

2010-01-27T09:25:00.000-06:00

Time for a quick birthday blog!

Two friends of mine got engaged last night!!!

Yay! Congratulations Chris and Jo Anna!

She said yes!

For more photos from the night click here. Also, if you're a dancer in the area I uploaded photos from the HAWT workshop back in November I believe it was.

80's Rolleriffic Birthday!

2010-01-25T12:16:00.000-06:00

I this might shock some of you, but I turn 23 on Wednesday. I know I'm a youngin. I don't feel 23 most of the time, usually its older or younger depending on who I'm hanging out with. Anyway, this past weekend we had a party for me and it was a blast!

We started out at Cook Out. Also, you might not know this but I am absolutely in love with Cook Out. It is sooo yumtastic. Food was yummy and it was a fun meetup before the real fun got started.

Barb gave me this super sweetly wrapped gift. She knows i'm all about being green.

Then we headed off to the skating rink. It was an interesting time. Kind of like experiencing a little bit of Goldsboro. Since I dont live there I dont get to see much. Also, it was a little odd, they didnt turn off the lights until I think.. 9. The skating session started at 7. Kinda weird. Anyway, these are my favorites from the night.

A few folks even brought their kiddos which made me happy. Im so glad you ladies came out and braved it with all of us!

He was all about me that night. :)

Allison, her outfit was rad. And her hair!

This one's out of focus but still cutie.

DJ finally got this move down!

Allison(above with the awesome outfit and hair) made trophies to take home if we were awesome and since I was the birthday girl I got one. Yay!

DJ got hidden talent.

Andrea got Flashback to Flashdance

Oddly enough somehow I also got best hair. Although, Allison's hair was WAY more cool than mine was. Also, I was going for 80's waitress hence my nametag. It was my moms back in the day.

All of the trophies,

and all the recipients :)

That last one there I didn't get a too good photo of her getting it. Her's was the "ill tumble for you" trophy. :)

All of a sudden she was standing there.. then she was gone.

We ended the night with cupcakes. We weren't allowed to bring them in to the rink. How Lame! Thanks Emily for them they are so tasty!!

Also thanks to everyone that made it out. I really appreciated it. You gals are amazing!

these are the ones I took from them. - one I had already eaten.

hello lens...baby!

2010-01-22T00:41:00.000-06:00

I don't think I ever mentioned today that when I got home I recieved a few packages in the mail. It was a great day for parts of North Carolina to flood right? Oddly enough the packages weren't really that wet. I had been gone for the most part of the day.

A few days ago I finally decided on what to order with my rewards from my credit card. I knew I wanted it to be photography related but.. what? I had been trying to decide for months and finally came to the conclusion. A lens baby. I even spoiled myself a bit and bought the macro kit and the wide angle/telephoto kit as well(ill practice with those outside tomorrow). I still have 6000ish points left even. I would have liked to get a more useful lens but the ones I wanted I would have to be saving for quite a while.

anyway, this lens will take a lot of getting used to. Ive been doing a bit of research and it says to just practice making things infocus in the center. so.. here's my practice shots.

my doggies decided to join in on the action.
meet skippy. she doesnt doo much but look up and fart.

I like the black&white as well.

I was going after her right eye here.. well her left eye technically. its kinda out of focus but not too bad.

This is Jiffy.
He really likes photos. He just doesnt understand the whole 50mm thing. Its easier with wideangles with him. Also, he is shaggy so you cant see his eyes. I wonder if that bothers him?

Then i did a few ring shots. Nothing special..

These were all shot with ISO 1250. The noise isn't too bad. I kind of like it even..

I'm really hoping to be able to bust this lens out during a few sessions next week in Orlando. So ladies.. and gents be prepared to stand still for a few minutes while I attempt to get it right.

Also, Ill be in Orlando(like I mentioned above) next week from the 28-3rdish. If you would like to have a session with me send me an email!

Helping Haiti

2010-01-18T11:56:00.000-06:00

We all know what happened last week in Haiti right?

Ive been wanting to give money I just haven't. Ive been lazy and ya never know who its going to go to. Anyway, Ive decided to help out. With every print ordered I will donate $1.00. This applies to the few orders I woke up to this morning. Also, thanks for that it made my morning. :) Ill make my first donation to the telethon on the 22nd. And if I keep getting orders for prints I'll continue donating. Ill donate all this month and Ill cap it on February 18th. So order anytime between now and then!

http://hilarymercer.smugmug.com/

Anyway, this mainly only applies to Lindy Focus photos(since that's all that's up besides the few newborns that are there). However, if you know you want a print from something else email me at mercer.hilary@gmail.com and Ill work it out and get that print for you!

if not from LF you can view more options on my flickr site. There is a mix on there from macro flowers to landscapes to other lindy hop events.

If you're not interested in prints from me, head over to Craft Hope. They have some really awesome stuff in the shop.

Its Lindy Focus time!

2010-01-17T23:59:00.001-06:00

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYY OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

Here's a post to follow up to my last post about Lindy Focus.

It was awesome. The competitions were great. The performances were fantastic.. esp the Killer Dillers. We know how partial I am to Sharon Davis though. ..le sigh...

Anyway, Jaya, Michael and Sosh threw a great event. So, Thanks you guys!

Here's a few of my favorites from the week in Asheville.

Im a big fan of the lens flare :0

Sharon and I after her performance

It was sooooooo cold there for a few days. It even snowed. Not enough for anything though.. :(

This is my favorite photo from the week. I love love love how his eye is in focus. Crazy!

oh and those are bloomers not her bum. :)

Laura, Michael and myself

Neil actually competed and made it to the finals in the novice Jack & Jill. Im so proud of him. My little baby is growing up!

Sadly this is the only good photo I got from Sharons performance. :( That's ok though I got a ton of good ones at Southern Belle!

I love these faces. This was during the "only charleston" comp.

Morgan is probably a close 2nd to Sharon Davis. That's saying something eh.

Yes, I know I need to return your email, I haven't forgotten. I will this week. :)

They came to dance.

Michael and I. This was about 5:30-6 AM... i think.

Sharon is such a ham. The second she saw my camera she turned a gave me a smile :)

Rob finally got some sleep. Rob you did a GREAT job during the week. You're awesome and my favorite. I'm also glad we got to dance a lot more this year than last.

I think this photo got delayed until around 7:45 AM ish. So.. ALL these people stayed up til at least then on New Years Day.

This was my second year in a row staying up for this photo.

For the rest of the photos go here http://hilarymercer.smugmug.com/ After ILHC I had several requests to purchase prints. So.. this will help me. You can order them there on my site. If you don't want prints there is an option for downloads. Also, if you order anything you will receive it exactly as it is edited and my watermark will be removed. If you have any questions email me at mercer.hilary@gmail.com

I hope you like them :)

Cabbage Patch Baby | Durham Newborn Photographer

2010-01-13T14:30:00.000-06:00

Drake is literally a cabbage patch baby.

See?

I walked into his house and his mom was all ready for our session. She had a ton of awesome ideas and a ton of props. This was the first place I didn't feel like I was moving into. Thank you for being so excited about our session!

Have you any wool?

Drake was born on the third of January. 7lbs 9 oz and 21 inches. He's a tiny little guy.

"It wasnt me!!"

Look at that sweet face.

His parents are some pretty people too!

Chief homecoming! | Air Force Homecoming

2010-01-09T11:59:00.000-06:00

Some of you might know that my husband flies the F-15E Strike Eagle for the Air Force. So, from time to time my photography post will be about military related things or photos of some sexy jets. I happen to think the F-18 is sexier than the F-15 but that's because I'm from Pensacola and have grown up seeing the blues fly all my life. I think maybe if there was an F-15E painted blue it might be sexy.. maybe I just like the paint job on the Blue Angels. OK, anyway one of the flying squadrons came home this week. They are the guys that took over for my husband when they left overseas. So yay! I only know a handful of people from this squadron but I tried to get everyone in there.

If you want to see any news coverage check it out here and here. Valerie is actually in both clips. :)

The first set of photos is the first group that came in on a tanker Wednesday and the second are the pilots and WSO's that came in yesterday. In the first the sunset was gorgeous!

Military homecomings I have found are quite difficult to shoot. There are SO many people and it goes by so quickly. It was a very neat experience not being the one who's husband is coming home.

My friend Valerie got interviewed quite a few times..

a lot of the wives were wearing boots.. the rest were wearing totally hot green heels!

It was freezing down on the flight line! I think I may have a bit of a sore throat.. :(

This little one was born on Wednesday!

More news for Valerie and her family :)

I love how he couldnt stop smiling. They got married right before they deployed.

Here's Jay! I missed him.. even though I didnt get to see him too much before he left. He's a witness on out marriage certificate! :)

Of course I had to get one with Neil. He was an escort to a few of the families to the jets.

He looks happy to be home doesnt he?

Yay! Im so excited for all the families to be home

Kenny & Alex | Pensacola Engagement Photographer

2010-01-07T23:20:00.000-06:00

First off, let me explain. They aren't engaged. I'm just labeling it that way for marketing purposes. So don't go getting too upset you didn't know. :)

Alex is one of my bestest friends in the whole world. Ken is also pretty high up there in the friends category. So I suppose its only natural they are together. Awesome people gravitate towards me.

Like I mentioned in the sneak peak a few days ago of them Kenny is gone. He's a pilot in the Coast Guard and just got stationed to Puerto Rico. Alex just graduated from the University of West Florida and is going to PA school, matter of fact she is at school interview's right now in south Florida. This was one of their last chances to be together for a while and I'm so happy they let me tag along and take their photo! You guys are awesome and beautiful people.

We took these all while wandering around downtown Pensacola. Its so pretty! Although it happened to be around a not so pretty time in the year.

Apparently this tree looks like a hand..

As we were coming back up from the watery area it got super foggy!

I love you guys too!

Baby Thomas! | Goldsboro Newborn Photographer

2010-01-07T21:10:00.000-06:00

Thomas is one week and a day old, well he was yesterday. He was so super sweet and really hungry. He ate I think every 30 minutes. I had a good time talking to his grandma while his momma fed the little cutie. I think after all these newborns recently Im sortof getting the hang of it. Now if I could just be a better baby poser!

For a while there he wasnt wanting to sleep.

Look at that face!

He was such a good baby. Thanks momma and daddy for letting me come in and spend some time with your little one.

Alex & Ken | Pensacola Engagement Photographer

2010-01-06T07:20:00.000-06:00

While I was down in Pensacola I also had the pleasure of having a session with my good friends Alex and Kenny. Kenny is leaving .. well he's there now but at the time he was leaving soon. This is just a sneak peek because Ive been terribly busy editing other stuff, living and doing the craft thing. Enjoy and more will be up later on in the week..

<3333333

Faircloth Family | Pensacola Family Photographer

2010-01-04T09:30:00.001-06:00

WARNING: This is a really long post. But with a ton of cute photos!!

When I went to Pensacola for a few weeks over winter break I stayed with one of my best friends Leslie. So first off, Thank you so much for letting me stay with you (and Precious and Jay.) Youre all awesome. A few times she watched her nieces and since I cant resist taking photos of cute little people I of course had to.

First up is baby Isabelle. The last time I saw her she was barely crawling.

She has gorgeous eyes!

Can you tell they are related?

Next up was a few days later with her other niece Kinsley. She wasnt even crawling last time I met up with her. She is so big now!

Later on after babysitting, I got together with her parents before their families Christmas party.

A few minutes later she was just not a happy camper so we went inside where it was more warm.

adorable

Leslie and her papa

and her momma

Leslie with her brothers. One of them is deploying soon. :(

Smiling babies are so fun

Thank you so much for inviting me in for your Christmas party. I had a great time and it was awesome to meet everyone.

Leslie, congratulations on your job in Nashville! I would say I am going to miss you but I already do since I dont live there anymore. :) But I hope everything works out for you and that you love what youre going to be doing.

Ava - Two weeks | Raleigh Newborn Photographer

2010-01-03T11:03:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago a little cutie named Ava was brought into the world. I first met her in the hospital but then I had to run off to Pensacola for a few weeks. Pensacola was a blasty blast but I knew as soon as I got home I had to see this little one again. She seemed much bigger during my absent two weeks.

Kisses for Ava!

Her Christmas dress.

Im so upset at myself for this photo being out of focus. I still love it though. What a little cutie!!

Ava and her daddy.

She was not even thinking about going to sleep. Wide awake for most of the session. I only caught her snoozing a few times.

Love her expression here.

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-02T14:47:00.001-06:00

If you have been following my blog for the past week or so you know for New Years Neil and I spent the week at a dance camp in Asheville called Lindy Focus. We had a fantastic time and a ton of awesome dances. The performances were awesome and of course filled with some Sharon Davis loveliness. If I could be any one besides myself, I think it would be her. This years camp was so much better for some reason for both Neil and myself. He got re inspired to dance and is now sad that due to several predeployments and deployments he will be missing out on basically every BIG event we had planned to go to, including ATLX which we have been to every year since we started dancing. I very much enjoyed the classes. I felt like I actually learned something in them whereas with most classes I typically forget everything. So, hopefully I can implement those new moves or ideas into my dancing to make me a better follow. Anyway, I took a lot of photos around the 11:45pm ish mark and figured Id blog about them before they get too dated. ;)

Neil and I with Emily's? traveling gnome.

Lindsay is gorgeous. No?

Karen and Lindsay! They are both awesome.

Kara and Danielle!

Michael and myself. You will see him a lot in my dance posts. He is full of awesomeness.

Neil and myself. Thanks Michael for snapping these off for me!

Caroline and myself. She is also awesome. And she happend to be my second kiss of the new year.

At this point is was 10 minutes until midnight..note the sign.. :)

Mock wedding photos.

Michael and Laura, who is also awesome.

Flash flares are awesome at finding my camera.
Cheers!

Neil decided he wanted to get photos with all his favorite follows.

Ok, well this wasnt one of Neils favorite follows but he does look like one of our friends David. His beard is sweet.

Top 9 of 09!

2010-01-02T04:18:00.001-06:00

My goodness. My new years was quite fantastic. I spent it dancing with 500 friends. I absolutely loved seeing everyone and meeting all the new folks I did.

2010 will be an exciting year I'm sure. Thank you all for being so supportive with everything. I really appreciate all the kind words you have given me especially those this week. You guys all mean a lot to me. You are all the most awesome people ever. To my 2009 brides and grooms, Jenny and Josh, Sharon and Tony, Crystal and Harlan, Patricia and Jose, Giselle and Matthew, Stephanie and Steve and Amanda and Andy THANK YOU so so so much for having faith in me. I appreciate each of you and I want nothing but the best for your marriages and lives. Thank you so much!

So here's my big list of my favorite 9 shots of the year.

In no particular order:

The family jet photos of course, its not every day a photographer gets to use an F-15E as a prop. ;)

I really love fire hydrants

When our guys left for Afghanistan

Right after the "Snobama day" last January. Im a true Florida girl eh?

Best sunrise photo.

My second engagement session with Bela and Leandro. So excited for their wedding in September!

My favorite photo I think for the year.

This little guy was so super cute the whole time!

Here's hoping your 2010 is just as fantastic as my 2009 was!

2010 is going to be a big crafting year for me. If you'd like to follow along in my daily craft projects read on here: It's gunna be fun!

Off to Lindy Focus.

2009-12-26T19:12:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I know Neil and I did. It was small but fun except for all the rain.

Now were off to Asheville for a dance event called Lindy Focus. It should be a lot of fun. Hopefully.

Here are a few photos from last year.

Of course there's this one. They used it on their website of course without photographer credit. :(

Im not bitter at all.

Neil and I on New Years

My first photo in 2009. Right after the late night ended along with the workshop.

Liam | 4 days old | Goldsboro Newborn Photographer

2009-12-10T22:35:00.000-06:00

Today I met another baby and his name is Liam. He is four days old. Liam is going to be the last baby in his family and his dad is quite happy about that. He finally got his boy! He was so sweet and I had a lot of fun with him and his family. Brian and Jenny, Thanks for inviting me in and spending some time with you guys today. I really need to get a MAC. ;)

He's actually in a Christmas stocking here, I think he is a GREAT present!

Jenny wanted a photo like this with Brian. Once we understood what she was talking about it made complete sense and of course I love it!

"YAWN"

By the end of the session is opened his eyes.

Welcome baby Ava | Goldsboro Newborn Photographer

2009-12-10T16:10:00.000-06:00

Ava was born two days ago and left the hospital for her new home a few hours ago. I was lucky to come to the hospital and catch these of the sweet little newborn. You might remember her parents from their maternity session about a month ago. I think I placed my bets on them having a girl and I was right!

She wasnt all too happy during my time there,

Yay for family. Congratulations you two, she is gorgeous!

Christmas Party(s) !

2009-12-08T21:08:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Neil and I got invited to two awesome Christmas parties. I didnt take too many photos at the first one. Neil didnt get off work til later so we were late. Barbara hosted an awesome Christmas cocktail party and definitely filled up my martini glass WAY too many times. Those apple martinis were yummy though. Here are a few of my favorites from Friday night.

Emily hosted an Ugly sweater Christmas party. To my surprise most everyone dressed up for the event! Its hard to believe some of those were even produced though..

The goodies, she had food in every room in her house!

Opening the wine,

chapstick. pretzel. carrot.

the ladies and myself

Would it be a party without jello shots? Boy were they strong!

Yes, that's a tree skirt. The winner of the sweater contest. :)

Neil is ready for Sherlock Holmes to come out. ;)

Aweeeeeeeeeee, were cute.

Yes, she made this sweater herself and it even lights up. Barbara is amazing. Meowy Christmas! I figured my mother in law would love this sweater and she is the number one cat fan!

Barbara's husbands sweater lit up as well.

The whole party!

Mister Camden! | Raleigh Newborn Photographer

2009-12-08T20:18:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine invited me over to help with 7 week old(tomorrow) Camden. When we got there he was wide awake and ready to go.

Isnt he a cutie!?

We had moved and changed him a few times by this time. I call this photo, "take that! Block!"

a few minutes later he was out, sleepy baby.

I love taking photos of pets too. Isn't this little one sweet?

Thanks for inviting me out Corey!!

Jaina | Raleigh Childrens Photographer

2009-11-30T22:33:00.000-06:00

First off,

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know mine was pretty awesome even though I missed about 24 hours of sleep during the 4 day holiday.

I have been wanting to take photos of my niece for ages now it seems. Every time we make time to do so it just doesn't happen. Well, this time it did. Her mom and dad came over from Kentucky for Thanksgiving and it was the perfect time to do so. I guess it was nice seeing them too.. ;) They knew all I wanted was to get my camera on their little cutie. She is three and a half and will turn four in June. She is getting big so quickly. Ive hit the "old stage" in my life where I now know people since they have been alive. Not people that are just a few years younger than me knowing ya know? Makes me feel old and I'm only 22. Anyway, prepare yourself for the cutest kid ever( and such a ham for the camera!) And I don't just have to say that because I'm her aunt! :)

Her dad just got home from Afghanistan. I was glad to get him in a few shots even though he was not.

She does this cute little wink. ;)

Like my hat?

That's all folks!

A Jazzy Christmas | Goldsboro Event Photographer

2009-11-30T12:49:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine Laura Didier is a Jazz singer and was putting on a Christmas show at the Paramount in Goldsboro, NC. She asked if I could come out and get some promo photos for her actually performing. I was delighted and really excited to hear her sing. All I had heard before was the recordings she has on her website. It turned out to be a great night and Laura and Jim did a great job. They had never performed with the guitarist or the drummer before and I just love how no matter where you go you can always find someone and make music, or dance or anything. Its great that all over this great world of ours is such talent!

Laura Didier - http://www.lauradidier.com/
Jim Martinez - http://www.jimmartinez.com/
Venue - http://www.goldsboroparamount.com/

The whole group after the show

Jim and Laura

Here are a few shots I took before the show while walking around downtown Goldsboro! :)

The inlaws.

I saved the best for last, Neil's "Edward" pose. He totally loved New Moon even though he says he didnt. ;)