Priester Photography

Delivery of the Mills Family session...

Get it?

Delivery?

And she's expecting?

Yes, I'm a nerd. I don't need to hear about it.

This cute couple is expecting their first child...after trying for a year and a half. I think that makes this session just a little bit special, don't you?

It is. Here are a few of my favorites...

Okay, I have to admit that his gaze is a little intense. I think I'm a little scared of him. :)

Not really...just look at his face here...now he just looks like a little puppy dog.

How sweet! I love this little look they're giving each other. Cute!

This was her idea since they had a wedding picture taken like this (minus the baby bump of course). wink, wink.

Check out that happy, healthy glow this proud mama's got going on! She's rockin' the sexy pregnant look! I love it!

Here's a little slideshow of all of their proofs.
And you can go here and click Mills Family to see the proofs bigger and not in a slideshow.

A Public Apology...

sneak peak first, then apology.

Here is the growing Mills family.

You'll see more of them later. More because I'll be finishing up their maternity session and also more because I'll be doing their newborn session when the little fellow makes his entrance into the world.

Yeah! A new mold-able, flexible, tiny (or not so tiny) newborn to take pictures of!

Stay tuned for that.

Now the apology...

Mrs. Mills (above) informed me during their session that she has the same camera as I do and that she's been told that she's in the wrong field...that she should be a photographer. At which point I went into a lengthy discussion of how I wish I had a better camera and the market is saturated with new photographers because of the digital age, and not everyone can be a photographer, blah, blah, blah. I think I came off sounding very protective of my business and a little egotistical.

Why am I telling you this?

Because I didn't want Mama-to-be Mills to think I was shooting her down...telling her that she can't be a photographer. That's not what I was saying at all. If you want to be a photographer, then do everything you can to be a photographer.

I get frustrated sometimes because people will tell me that my camera takes good pictures. When in actuality my "camera" is just that...a camera. It would be like telling Chopin that his piano makes pretty music or Van Gogh that his paintbrush creates a mean painting. Not that I'm comparing myself to a world class artist...you know what I mean. Right?

People sometimes get the idea that if they have a nice camera they can take nice pictures. And sometimes you can. That doesn't mean that you'll be consistent with it or that you can do it effectively as a means of living.

A fancy camera a photographer does not make.

I may be a slow learner, but it's taken me over 2 years to get where I'm at in my photography knowledge and I still have no idea what I'm really doing. Seriously. The technical aspect is not a walk in the park...particularly the lighting. I sometimes want to quit because of the challenges, but I can't because I love it. I keep shooting because I love it. I would have quit by now if it wasn't for that fact.

So, I apologize Mills family if I sounded haughty or protective of my art or even discouraging or negative. I did not intend to sound that way. If you have a love for photography and a desire to learn then you should give it a try.

I'm all about sharing my love of photography with other people. I know what I know today because other photographers shared their knowledge with me, and I'd love to watch someone else on their journey through the learning process and help if I can. Just don't think it's as easy as point and click because it is so not.

Stepping off of soap box...
B

No Smiling!

Just finished up with little Miss J's session. She did NOT want to smile for me despite the fact that her mom and ma-maw says she smiles all the time.

They all say that.

I must bring out the worst in babies.

But it works for my evil purposes because I don't want my babies smiling in every picture.

I want them to be investigative...

Hands-on...

Colorful...

Sneaky...

or just plain sullen...

I was able to get all of that from this little doodle bug.

There's more pictures of her not smiling in this little video of all of her proofs...and yes, there are some of her smiling...what do you take me for? A baby smile hater?

I think not.

(Click here and go to Reagan Family to see the larger proofs without the slideshow.)

Little J on the loose...sneak peak...

This little booger was everywhere...well, everywhere except where I wanted her to be.

So we stuck her in a basket.

We let her out for a little while on good behavior.

This made her very happy.

But then she got all crazy on us again so we put her in a box.

Book Report...

A friend (we shall call her Nema), lent me a book and told me I had to read it.

She asked me the next week if I'd read it.

I said I hadn't. I was busy with photography sessions. She shook me by my shoulders and yelled, "You have to read it! NOW, woman! Not tomorrow, but now!"

Not really. She's actually quite a mild person. However, she was politely insistent that I read it soon.

I finished it last night.

I now understand her insistence at my reading it.

It was amazing.

It's "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier...

Just amazing. It will forever be one of my favorites.

I had a new experience with this book as well. Though I frequently purchase my books from junk shops and garage sales I must say that I have never read a book with this much wear.

Just look at it! It was actually falling apart in my hands as I was reading. I was covered in little bits of paper and maroon thread.

I think it added very much to my whole reading experience, especially considering how the book ended (which I won't give away for those of you who haven't read it).

I wasn't sure I was going to like this particular book. I admit it. I wasn't sure I'd like a book that was disintegrating before my eyes and that had no cover telling me what I was to look forward to.

Just a blank, waiting book. No expectations. It was pretty nice.

Then when I opened it and began reading I knew I would be amazed.

Particularly when I got to this page....

This paragraph...

And this sentence...

I love this. I love happiness. I love that the author/subject thinks this way. It makes me happy.

*It's photoshop...I did not mark in your book, Nema.*

I cried several times throughout this book (yes, I cry). It was very much an emotional rollercoaster.

This particular part was very touching, real...something I think of often, of the elderly...

She knew how Maxim's grandmother must have looked when she was young with a nipped in waist and sugar in her pockets for the horses...

What was she feeling now? Did she feel she was being called on as a duty?

Did she realize that people spoke to her in the way they did? Had she grown accustomed to it?

Where was the young woman with the chestnut hair, the nipped in waist, and the sugar for the horses?

Marvelous! Moving! Wonderful words.

As I read this book that I somehow have never heard of, by an author that I somehow only faintly recall, I was thinking, "This would make an awesome Hitchcock movie".

Well. It is. From 1940. And they're currently filming a new one which I'm sure will be nothing like the book...or as good. They never are.

If you're a reader...read this book.

If you're not a reader...start reading...with this book.

Then come thank me (and by extension, Nema).

My Most Favorite-ist...

Mary Poppins. Sort of.

These shots may not do anything for you but I love them, adore them. They make me smile.

For many reasons...

1. Who doesn't love Mary Poppins?
2. Vintage red umbrella!
3. This idea was in my head and I was able to bring it to fruition.
4. I used my new battery pack and lights outside and attained a usable picture with it.
5. I did NOT photoshop these shots to make them look this way.
6. and it REALLY looks as if they're being pulled away!

To me it does anyway.
Oh. My. And a suitcase too.
I love that her eyes are closed in this one. Beautiful!

So. Was it worth the anticipation? The build-up? Was it a total disappointment for you?

If so. Get over it. Life is full of disappointments, this being but a small one.

Same location...Different poses...

I have now arrived at editing my favorites from the day. Here are some of them...

This pose was Merna's idea. We tied a piece of string to her wrist with the balloon tied to the other end. This way she could act as if she were chasing a runaway balloon but we didn't have to keep replacing balloons (not to mention pollute this beautiful farm with a hundred renegade balloons).

I'm happy with the results.

This one is supposed to be blurry.

Texture!! Yummy.

This one is my attempt at making it look like a watercolor print. It's a little hard to tell with the small image though.

Another watercolor attempt. I'm framing this one.

My absolute, most favorite-ist, mind-blowing, earth shaking creation coming up in the next post.

Can you bear the anticipation?

Location #3

I got a little crazy with the textures but I couldn't help myself. Forgive me.

I'm really adoring these shots, but once again I will refrain from speaking so much about each one and let the images do the talking for the most part.

In no particular order...

This reminds me of Little House on the Prairie....meets Gone with the Wind after Tara's desolation.

This is one of my favorites. I love the lighting and the dreamy look to it.

You may not be able to tell with this small image, but this has a painterly look to it and a canvas texture. It looks really awesome viewed larger. At least in my humble opinion it does.

I realize that Ashley will want to murder me after she sees this but I had to post it. It's so cool! We weren't trying to achieve a creepy look...she was just waiting for me to figure out my lights (yet again) and when I saw it later I thought..."CREEPY, I have to edit this to make it look creepier!" So I did. It makes me think "girl escaped from insane asylum". Sorry Ashley.