Christmas Catching Up To Do!

Since my last post, we've been busy (and honored!) photographing families for their yearly Christmas Portraits, and it got me thinking about how I have never had our family portraits done! I was so moved watching all these beautiful families interact in front of my camera, wishing I had thought to do this sooner for my own family. The problem is I am much more comfortable behind the lens, though, LOL! But a post from a friend about the importance of getting IN the picture with your kids convinced me. Now its my turn to do the convincing: Please, if you've never had your family portraits done, GO DO IT TODAY! At least book it today!! Yes, I'd love to be the one you book with of course, but that isn't as important to me as you getting the pics done, however you have to do it! Call a local teenager, go to a quick studio offering specials right now, grab your neighbor and trade for sessions. ANYTHING! Just do it before tomorrow passes and another day is gone without it. These pics, though you may not like how you look in them, will be PRICELESS to your kids and family one day. (Preaching to the choir here!) I am grateful God finally got a hold of me and made me slow down enough to make time to get some family portraits done.

Now if I could just make an extra few hours in the day to catch up on all these Christmas Portraits & prior posts! I will get to them, though, I promise!

On another note, my announcement I promised last time has been put on hold: Many of you know I have a part/semi-full time day job that has been a huge blessing for our family for the past 10 years.  I really enjoy working there, though as each kid was born it became more and more challenging and my heart felt more and more divided. This is why it was such a thrill to be able to turn my photography love/hobby into more, with the hopes it would allow me more time with my family. It looked like seasons were changing and it was time for me to leave my day job and begin pursuing photography full-time. I hoped this would also allow me to improve my turn-around time for getting your pictures back to you, thus allowing me more time to advertise/increase business/and provide special discount sessions and events. However, life happened and plans have been changed, but my commitment to provide affordable custom portraits has not. I am still juggling both careers, but am more devoted than ever to be the best at both. I lost my focus for a while, but God reminded me He is ultimately in control and He has good plans for me.
So I will keep trucking along, doing my best in both worlds. Yes, this is why I get so behind sometimes, but I have to tell you... I have the most patient, loving, understanding clients in the world!  THANK YOU!!! Without you, none of this would even be possible!!
So tell me, is there a time in your life you thought things were going to turn out a certain way, but then did not? How did you get through it? (Or are you in the middle of it?!) I'd love to hear about it as we encourage each other not to lose our focus in life, but instead take it one moment at a time.

Love & blessings!
Dianne

DECS Childcare Fall Picture Day 2012!!

Here's a little peek at what we've been doing... Planning, Preparing, Shooting, Editing, and Emailing proofs for these sweet kiddos and many more!  Here are a few of the ones I already have permission to share with you...

Beautiful Sisters!! Big sis Miss D would look right at me!

But little sis Miss M was a too busy for that! We managed 

to get some smiles, though ;)

Precious Miss J was all dressed up and ready for picture day! She was a little model, posing
and flashing that gorgeous smile that just lights up her beautiful eyes! She makes my job easy ;)

Miss K! Oh my goodness, doesn't she make YOU smile?!  Miss K is always fun

to photograph, playing smily and shy but looking right at me!

Her favorite part was the playground ;)  Made for a fun game of chase!

Pretty Miss H was one of the first of the day, & she made my day start off

on the best note! She was so very smily and cooperative, so fun to photograph!

These sweet siblings are just that - oh, so sweet to each other!

Both smily and a little timid, they light up when they look at each other!

These boys melt my heart! They are so loving to each other! 

Big brother and twin little brothers... A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!!

Sweet Miss E was a little shy, but that just made for some great genuine pics

that truly captured her personality! I love them! But we managed to get a

smile out of her yet ;)   What can I say, I love a challenge!

Oh Miss M! Last year she was so shy, almost hiding her eyes from me,

but this time, I couldn't shoot fast enough! She was posing and smiling

and focused right on the camera! All dressed up and Pretty in Pink,

she was too much fun!!

That's all I can share for now, but hopefully there will be some more I can share soon!  I will also do a post with more details about our shoot later, with more pics of these precious kiddos and their playground pics - my favorite part!  The session on the playground is usually where we have the most fun and their personalities really shine!  Be sure to check back soon!!

Thanks for checking in!!

Dulce Light Update

Wow, Time really does fly when you're having fun! And boy has it been a fun summer! Suddenly, here we are in fall, the beginning of October already! I cannot believe it!!

I started getting calls for fall and Christmas portraits while still completely in summer mode and I was like, "where did the summer go?!" But it only means LOTS of super-fun memories were made and many more captured!! I can't wait to catch up and share them all with you! I've been so busy with my family and yours, that my blogsite had to take a back seat. But soon, that may all change!!...

Yes, some exciting changes are coming... I will let you know as soon as I can :)  Till then, keep checking back for more updates, sweet portraits as I catch up on posting past sessions, and some super fun seasonal pics as they start rolling in as well!!

Thanks for checking in!!

ADORABLE.BABY.BUNNIES!!!

How would YOU love to have your cute kiddos photographed with these ADORABLE.BABY.BUNNIES?! 

I know this is really short notice, BUT, this is an opportunity I could not pass up! This sweet, sweet family has offered to bring their bunnies, baby bunnies and BRAND NEW NEWBORN BABY BUNNIES (Just born 2 weeks ago!) over for truly special, one-of-a-kind shoot! So I'm thinking:

Mini-Session Bunny Bonanza!

If you would like to bring your kiddos (or your whole family!) to my house in West Cobb  this Sunday, April 29th from 2-5pm 
and have your portraits made with these adorable bunnies, let me know!  (You can email me, Facebook me, call/text me, message me, whatever! Just let me know ASAP!!)  If we don't have enough interest we will have to postpone, but will try another time. However, the newborn bunnies grow fast, so they won't be as tiny and cuddly! The bunnies pictured above were about 8 weeks old. Their 6 little brothers and sisters were born just days before this pic was taken, and have just recently opened their eyes!

You know you want to come play with them!! 

So why not let us capture that precious fun with some timeless portraits?!

We will schedule each family in 20 minute sessions, starting at 2:00 and the last session being at 4:40. Then, you will arrive dressed & ready to play with these adorable baby bunnies while we will take as many pictures as we can in those 20 minutes! You will get a CD with all images captured, which is sure to result in at least 20 super fun candid images, and/or 5-10 truly magical, once-in-a-raretime portraits of your kids and/or family.  ALL this for Just $50! (Mini Sessions are normally $75, so this is a deal!! PLUS you get to PLAY WITH BABY BUNNIES!!!)

Wanna see how much cuuuuuuter your cute kids will look playing with these adorable bunnies? Check these out:

She's looking for the 3rd bunny!

This is one of my favorites. She looks like she is in HEAVEN!!

So HAPPY!!

Now those kiddos were pretty cute all by themselves, but then, add the bunnies and you've got CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!!!  OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I could just scoop them up and squeeze them all!!

Can you IMAGINE your kids with these bunnies? Not to mention their 6 newborn bunny brothers and sisters? 
OH I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

Be sure to call/email/facebook/text/message me ASAP and let me know which time slot you'd like!! (You'll get address with confirmation of your booked appointment). Look forward to hearing from you!!

Mission- Totally Possible!

ALL my life I've heard about missionaries. After I started going to church as a teen, I began to learn about them. As an adult, I began to get really curious about them. How do they do it? I understand the why... definitely understand they why, but the how? Not so much. Then I remembered,

All things are possible with Christ! 

Then it get fascinating... the more you learn the more you want to learn!

SOOOO, let me tell you about one...

Zach Peters went on a mission trip in 2005. That's when it all began for him...

FIrst he thought he was just going on a 1 week mission trip. He had a great job, went to church, felt like he was doing what he was supposed to do. But, little did Zach know, God had bigger plans for Him! During that first trip to Honduras, Zach fell in love with Honduras and its people.  That's how it starts... God tugs at your heart and you know there is something more, and you feel it deeper and stronger than anything else before. He couldn't get Honduras off his heart or mind.

So, in 2006, Zach went on another mission trip, this time for 2 weeks.

Then, in 2007 he went again, this time for 6 months. 

He was done. He knew then that short, or even long mission trips weren;t enough anymore. 

His hearts desire, planted by God Himself, was to do it FULL TIME.

He's been there ever since, yep, 4 years later, Zach still lives in Honduras, ministering to the people there  every day, all year long. He's supported by and works with Good Samaratin Baptist Mission, but that doesn't mean he has it easy. However, the sacrifices are worth it to him. They have a church with 37 regular members, some who walk an hour an a half to attend services each Sunday. There is also a Christian School whose students are supported via sponsorships in the States. (For info on sponsoring a child in Honduras, click here! You could even go on a mission trip to meet them!) 

Yes, Being in Honduras full time was his calling. But God wasn't finished yet. 

While on mission, Zach met the love of his life... in Honduras!! The sweet and beautiful Rina became his wife, and in 2012 they became parents!  Zach and Rina traveled home to Alabama to have the baby and getting some much needed, well deserved rest during recovery. 

While in the States, we had the privilege of hosting Zach and Rina one Sunday as our guests at our church, and Zach preached and updated us on his mission in Honduras. It was a wonderful day. 

Especially the end of the day... where I had the honor of photographing their sweet baby for his first portraits and their first family portraits as well!! We didn't have much time, as they had to get back on the road, but we squeezed in as much as we could in a short 45 minute little session... here's a little peek at this super sweet, special family!!

Thank you Zach & Rina for all you do!  You will be daily in our thoughts and prayers! God bless you as you begin this new season in life, as a missionary family now ;)  We hope to work alongside you soon!!

Sweet Six Months

I love, love,  love photographing repeat clients! It's like getting to watch them grow up over night! We first met Miss C in her mommy's tummy!  Then we had the best time at her 3 month session, and now she's suddenly Six Months Old! My how they grow fast :)

She was even more fun to photograph this time! Hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

We took a little break and let her play on her jumpy, she loves it!

I love catching spontaneous smiles! 

This one happened as she and mommy had a pillow fight while we were trying to get the ring shots on her toes on the bed.

Who. Is. She?!

All of these were shot in their home, using backdrops consisting of their own walls, furniture, floors and decor. This is why I love Lifestyle photography... the opportunity to photograph a beautiful, loving family in their own home is priceless, making the portraits and memories captured that much more meaningful, special and unique. I am so grateful for my photog mentors and friends who helped me learn this! As a way of "paying it forward", I am about to begin a series discussing what I've learned about shooting Lifestyle Portraits, how the creative process works from start to finish and tips about photography in general sprinkled throughout. I hope you will enjoy this new topic and will let me know if it helps you!!

See you back here real soon!! ;)

Playing at DECS Childcare | Acworth Preschool Portrait Photography

.

OK... Now that it's finished, I have to admit, I was sooooo nervous about this "Session"!

Shhh... honestly, I get nervous before every session!

(Yes, even awesome repeat clients like Miss C - 

whose 6 Month portraits you will get a sneak peek at in a few days, by the way!) 

But this was no ordinary session... I had committed to photograph over 50 kids in 1 day! Was I CraZy?? I was the sick-to-my-stomach, couldn't-eat-dinner-or-breakfast, almost literally shaking all over kind of nervous!! I had no idea how we were going to pull this off, but their amazing Super-Director (& my sweet friend), Julie Reynolds, kept assuring me it would work out fine.  And then, my incredible sister, Alex Knight offered to come long to help! Suddenly, I thought, maybe we CAN do this!!

Guess what?...

It was soooooooo much FUN!!!

I could not believe how well it went! Julie had each kid & class scheduled, and Alex was there to think (and almost breathe!) for me! So I just got to play with some really Cool Kids & go crazy shooting! IT WAS AWESOME!!!

We took a group of about 4-5 kids and brought them out to the front of the school where we had a bench set up with Spring flowers and took some shots there while we told jokes and talked about the kids' favorite toys, movies, or shows. Then we photographed them in front of the columns, (or trees later on - the sun got too bright in front of the school!) THEN, we went to the playground!! And I just followed them with my camera as they'd yell "Look at me!" and "Take a picture of me!!"

Overall, it was such a great experience! And I learned so much from this as my first "school portraits" shoot. As nervous as I was, I'm glad I went through with it. It was the best-learn-as-you go experience ever. My wonderful photography mentor & friend Joy Wilson told me that the best way to learn photography was just to shoot, shoot, shoot, as much as you can. That's why I accepted the job. Never learn if you never try, right? Yep, Joy was right, again! (as with everything she's taught me about photography ;) Did I make some mistakes? Yep. And those families are being compensated. But did I get it right, some, too? I think so. This adorable family was happy with their proofs.... take a look:

So I guess the moral of this story is to Go For It! Whatever your dream, aspiration or goals, just GO FOR IT! You'll never succeed f you never try. And failing is part of the learning process. (I'm toying with the idea of posting some of my "fails". Because I learn SO much more from those than I do the "right" ones. Let me know what you think...) But if I had let fear hold me back (because when she first asked me, I really did tell her "I have to think about it!" and I almost told her I just could not do it.)  But then I would have missed out on meeting these 3  A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E   BOYS! and all the rest of the precious kids at DECS Childcare!!!  And I would still be without all the amazing stuff I learned while on the shoot that no text book or lecture could ever have taught me. I'm grateful my husband encouraged me to do it, and I'm grateful for Julie taking a chance on me and allowing me to do it. 

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into our Picture Day! There may be more to come... (depending on parents' ok)  Till then...

GO CHASE YOUR DREAMS.... and remember to FOCUS ON MOMENTS during the ride!