A Quick Before/After - Home Style!

Hello friends!

It’s been only a month-and-a-half since my last post - a new record in consistent posting!

I’ve been busy lately, but not with photo sessions. 2 weeks ago, my husband and I bought a new house! So today I’m bringing you a short before and after of my kids’ rooms in our new home, since they are the rooms that we focused on painting first.

So this post isn’t technically photography related, but I myself LOVE a good before & after and thought I would share for others who like them as well!

The rooms aren’t completely styled yet, as I have some furniture to refinish and more things to hang on the walls. Without further ado:

Before move in / process photo

G’s room - photos taken during different times of day. In the early morning her room just GLOWS with peachy/golden light.

It’s probably my favorite room in the house so far!

For both kid’s rooms I wanted to do a fun accent with paint. For G’s room I lightly marked the corners and the highest point of each scallop, but I painted them freehand. Same with T’s yellow below. I wanted the accents to have a whimsical feel, and I think that if I had taped and stenciled, the lines would have been too sharp and stuffy.

Before (Listing photo) - these walls took so. much. paint.

Progress! I wanted a very happy/sunny room and I think I achieved that.

T’s room - western/desert themed

On a philosophical note, why do so many people love before & afters? What makes them so satisfying to our inner psyche? I think for a lot of them, no matter what type they are (appearance, home, clothing, furniture, etc) they show that things CAN be changed, oftentimes even easier then we think. It is interesting to see how what you have can be made totally brand new. Please let me know your thoughts on this topic! I’ve been thinking about it a lot the past weeks as we have been working on our home. Join the conversation below!

Sunshine in Las Vegas & An Easy DIY

As a child, autumn was always my favorite season. Something about the brisk, chill air made me feel alive. Now, as I’m getting older, I reaaaally appreciate being warm. Thankfully, last month I got a break from this PA winter by going to visit my parents and siblings in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I had had a photo idea percolating in my head for some time that I was excited to try out during our trip. I love the look of light leaks in old pictures. Of course, there are many photo-editing apps that one can use to get the same effect, but I wanted to try another way, and cellophane popped into my head almost immediately.

I had used some cellophane in a craft with my son, so I had plenty of extra sheets to use. What I did was cut several sheets of cellophane into little pieces and strips, and then held the strips in front of my camera lens to achieve the look that I wanted. I could have taped the cellophane to the lens instead of holding it, but I wanted the option to quickly remove it for some shots.

I also knew that I wanted an urban location for the shoot so that the colors of the cellophane would really stand out against the neutrals of the cityscape. 2 of my siblings agreed to help me as my models, even though it meant waking up before sunrise to beat the traffic that would have been around during the Las Vegas sunset.

If you also like the light leak effect, I encourage you to try the cellophane method! It’s a super easy way to add some color and interest to your photos. It is something that I may be incorporating into future shoots where it would complement the overall feel, such as senior sessions.

While it was wonderful to have a Vitamin D break from the real world, it has also been nice to get back into my routines here at home in PA. Now I’m just hoping for more sunny days on the horizon!

Best of 2019

Well, here we are again. Not only at the end of a year, but at the end of a decade. It is also time for one of my favorite types of blog posts, “Best Photographs of 2019”! These are my own personal favorite photos that I took during the year.

In May I photographed my sister Katie’s wedding in Colorado. I don’t usually shoot weddings, but doing Katie and Jesse’s intimate family-only wedding has made me consider adding elopements and intimate weddings to my offerings. Look forward to a full blog post from this wedding sometime in the new year!

Also in May, I took some prom pictures for the classy Malorie.

Summer was the time for lush outdoor family sessions.

Winter has seen new babies arriving into the world - I’ll also be blogging about this sweet baby sometime next month.

A few more favorites from the year:

Unfortunately, 2019 was not a big year for personal projects.

Besides taking pictures of my siblings and working at a photography studio in the mall (oh boooy), shooting self-portraits was how I learned about photography. I really got to work on lighting, posing, creative ideas, and photo editing. I basically lived in my bedroom, listening to music and scrolling Flickr for inspiration. I don’t have nearly the same amount of free time as I did in my high school/college days, but I still plan to make time in 2020 to make some concepts a reality.

A Cozy Session At Home • Lehigh Valley Lifestyle Photographer

Love it or hate it, winter is cozy season! I am a warm weather girl for sure, but the cold air has its benefits:

1. Stylish layered outfits

2. Snuggling without getting overheated

When I heard that my friend Brianna was expecting a baby in December, my mind jumped to cozy cuddles by a Christmas tree with a swaddled baby. I was honored when she reached out to me to have me take pictures in their home of their precious new baby boy, Hayes.

I have been honored to take Mat and Brianna’s pictures since they were pregnant with their first baby. They are loving parents who absolutely adore their children. It’s been so fun to watch their little family grow!

It was difficult to “force” big sister Piper to interact with Hayes, but she actually gave us several very sweet spontaneous moments of loving on brother. Mat & Brianna were very relaxed about the session, which helps to get those perfect in-between moments!

Mat & Brianna - enjoy this cozy winter season with your sweet boy! Looking forward to our next session together. :)