Snapshots for Soldiers - Janelle

Introducing:

SNAPSHOTS FOR SOLDIERS

Do you or someone you know have a friend or loved one in the troops, stationed overseas? Do you want to do something special to let them know that you love them and miss them? Through Snapshots for Soldiers, Motography is happy to offer free mini-shoots to those with a loved one overseas for the purpose of putting a smile on some faces.

Simply contact me through the blog, Facebook page, or email at Motography2@gmail.com to schedule your free mini-shoot. Feel free to bring any props that will make your special someone smile – do you have a dog that your Marine adores? Does your Army soldier really miss his golf clubs? Maybe your kids desperately want to let their active Air Force father know that they love him and think about him every day. Whatever you think will make your patriot smile is welcome in front of the camera. (Don't worry - I love kids, animals, and homemade props. The louder and messier, the better!)

There is no need to release any sensitive information to Motography. I will never ask you for private information about your loved one, their location, or anything else. When we schedule, I will ask you for your email address. Within a few days, your fully edited photo files will be sent to you through email, and the rest is up to you! Send them as digital files, put together a book of photo prints, or send over a calendar designed through an online site like Snapfish. The photos belong to you and you can use them however you want!

You're probably thinking... how does this work, exactly? Take a look.

To kick off Snapshots for Soldiers, I asked one of my closest friends to give me a hand. Janelle is a true military gal – she has done active duty as an Officer in the US Public Health Service, and works full time for a government agency. But the real reason that she supports the troops is her fiancé, Scott, a Sergeant who is currently out of the country on his third tour in Iraq. Scott received his most recent order to be stationed in Iraq shortly after he and Janelle were engaged, and won’t return until a week or two before the wedding. These two communicate solely through email, Skype, letters, care packages, and rare phone calls. And now, photographs.

Janelle had a special message for Scott.

Janelle wears Scott's dog tags everyday, and shows her support with her military spouse pins on her jacket. The Snapshots for Soldiers "official photo", which you also saw above, features her holding Scott's tags along with her engagement ring - the two items she never leaves home without.

 If you know a member of the US troops that could use an extra reason to smile, please contact Motography through our Facebook page or through Motography2@gmail.com. The shoots are free, and I would love to meet you!

Raven and Amanda

I am very happy to introduce you all to Raven.

You'd never know it, but this beautiful little lady is terribly camera shy. When her owner, Amanda, contacted me, she was a little concerned. "I'm just not sure if she would behave for pictures," she said. "Any ideas?"

As it turns out, there was no problem! Although Raven was a little timid at first, she warmed up quickly and didn't mind the camera nearly as much as we'd expected. Before long, she was showing me around the apartment, pointing out all of her favorite toys and places to sit, and even showing off some of the love she has for Amanda.

(It helps that Amanda is gorgeous, too. I love shooting pretty pairs of girls like this. Makes me look oh so talented! And for the record, this is definitely my favorite shot of the day.)

Raven even let me get some close-ups of that lovely little face.

Finally, Amanda suggested a W-A-L-K (not that Raven was at all fooled by us trying to discuss it stealthily) and we all headed outside. Raven is one of the most active walkers I've ever seen! Poor Amanda pretty much just holds on for dear life while Raven explores everything within a fifteen foot radius!

By this time, little Raven was all worn out. We snagged a few of her looking very sleepy in mama's arms and then headed back home, so she could take her favorite post at the window.

Thank you for shooting with me, Amanda and Raven! I had a blast. It's not very often I get to work with two lovely models at once!

Big changes for Motography!

There are some BIG changes coming to Motography soon.

How BIG?!

REALLY BIG!

The first change, which I am happy and proud to introduce today, is Motography's new logo and slogan. Check out the full logo:

 

And that, of course, is our slogan - photography with heart.  As I was researching how to put together a logo and a slogan, I kept hearing and thinking the same thing over and over again: tell the customer what sets you apart from others in your trade. And for Motography, that is the heart with which the business is handled. It's not just the love that's evident in the photos - it's the care that goes into preparing for each shoot, the careful consideration of props and location, the friendly and positive relationships with clients, and the hours of careful editing that goes into every single group of photos. Throughout the whole process, it is the HEART that makes the difference with Motography.

So after creating that fancy shmancy new logo, I decided to go one step further and really do it up big. And so, here you have it.

Can you see it? Teeny tiny, right down there in the bottom right hand corner? Here it is again, nice and big, for those of you that missed it...

Now when you see a Mogography photo, you'll know it! Every time you see that logo, you will know that that photo was lovingly planned for, shot, chosen, edited, and stamped with approval by Motography.


Another very exciting update? Motography now has its very own FACEBOOK page, which can be located here. Blog entries will still be entered at this address, but photos, updates, news, and fan/user comments can also be found on the Facebook page. Photos will be shared with fans and friends alike, split into categories like Love and Engagement, Children and Babies, and Furry Friends. The going is a little bit slow so far, but I am excited to see just how far Motography can reach with the help of a little social networking boost.


And there's one more big piece of news.... but I can't reveal it yet! Stay tuned to hear about Motography's newest project, which will help to give some of the area's most deserving people a chance to experience some photography with heart.

Anna's Baby Shower

This weekend was the baby shower for my sister and her future little guy. We all packed up and headed to Michigan for the weekend for a party full of love, excitement, and lots of great food. This will be a seriously picture-heavy post, so I'll keep the intro short and sweet. Enjoy the mix of details, candids, and family shots!

The moment Anna arrived was so lovely. She was so surprised and excited to see everyone, and how much love and work had been put into it. Grandma-to-be was almost in tears!

And here we've got a rare shot of me in front of the camera instead of behind it - don't get used to it!

As she opened her gifts, Anna was all gorgeous grins. Shooting the giggles was easy - choosing the best photos from the series was the hardest part.

Little Baby Bean is going to be one seriously stylin' dude.

A beautiful look captured on Grandma-to-be's face while she watches her daughter opening gifts. Can you feel the love?

Both Grandmas HAD to take a turn talking into the Belly-phone!

As usual, I saved my favorite photo for last. This is stunning in color too, but the black and white photo just makes my heart ache, Anna looks so lovely.

Beautiful.