Richmond Walk Now for Autism Speaks | Hampton Roads Walker

Hi!

Yesterday was a pretty awesome way to spend a Saturday; you see, yesterday I got to participate in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks in Richmond at the Richmond International Raceway!

I have a friend whose youngest son has autism and when he told me about the walk I jumped at the chance. I don't have statistics for this but in my experiences I've found you will be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't know someone touched by autism. It is "estimated that 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States" (www.autismspeaks.org).  From the Autism Research Foundation:

"Autism is a developmental disorder that is defined by behaviors including impaired social interaction, delayed and disordered language, and having isolated areas of interest."

If you ever meet someone diagnosed with autism you may find that he/she does not make eye contact with you and may be sensitive to touch or loud noises. According to Autism Speaks, autism :

"can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances."

The parents of children diagnosed with autism are some of the most patient, understanding, and loving individuals I've ever met. They have acceptance for all and a beautiful approach to living life with an understanding that things are not always as they seem. 

The walk in Richmond was so neat and a great thing to be a part of. We walked for Michael, my friend's son, and joined hundreds of other families as we circled the track to raise awareness and money for autism research. I was honored to be a team member of "Michael's Magnificent Marchers!" *please ignore the quality of photos- taken by point a point and shoot digital camera; not my regular DSLR*

The awesome team we got to be a part of! Go Michael's Magnificent Marchers!

For more information on autism spectrum disorders, Walk Now for Autism Speaks, or how to donate to autism research head to:

http://theautismresearchfoundation.org/resources/about-autism/

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

Best,
Sarah

C. Family: Red, White, & Blue, Patriotic Inspired Picnic | Hampton Roads Family Photographer

Hi!

Military family + 3 super cute kids + red, white, and blue outfits = one really sweet patriotic themed session!

The C. family is one of my oldest VA friends and I couldn't have been more flattered when they contacted me to do their family photos. I had made a comment MONTHS before about wanting to do a patriotic themed picnic so when mom contacted me about their session she already knew exactly what she wanted to do- the patriotic picnic! So of course I was TOTALLY down for it!

When they showed up in their red white and blue coordinated outfits I absolutely fell in love. We had hit the jackpot of cuteness and they seriously nailed the look. Don't you think?!

A special shout out to little guy as he was celebrating his first birthday that month!

And of course I can't not take pictures of these two together ;)

C. family, thank you for being so wonderful. Thank you for your service and sacrifices as a military family. Thank you for being my friend. It was truly a pleasure to get to work with you all and I can't wait to do it again!

Best,
Sarah

"Hey Stella!" | Hampton Roads Business Consultation

Hi!

Last night I had one of those experiences where it has all the potential in the world to be totally AWKWARD, painful, embarrassing- the works! It even had the potential where you could slip up and admit you know way more about the person than you should- that's right, I met someone I've only ever spoken to ONLINE.

You know those people on facebook you follow and comment on their things like you're best friends? No? Well that's totally what I do. I have a thousand best friends- they just don't know it! The problem was I then won a FREE sounding board mentor session with this person- now I was stuck. I had to meet them! The meeting was only through Skype since Stella, the business mentor, consultant, and marketing guru of the awesome Ask Stella, lives elsewhere- but still! All I kept thinking the whole week leading up to it was: "Ok, Sarah, don't make a fool of yourself. You're not best friends."

But it was SO awesome! Off the bat Stella was welcoming, friendly, humorous, and completely approachable. Awkward silences? Nope! No joke, one of the first things I said to her was "Hi! I don't really know how to do this..." How embarrassing, right?! I was totally UN-COOL! But she seamlessly took us in to the good parts of conversation (you know the kind that flows and feels natural?) and I forgot completely that I didn't "know how to do this."

  

But what is a sounding board session you might ask? I didn't know either at first. I like to think of it more as a mentor session-that helped me to wrap my head around the concept a bit more. In this case the mentoring focused on branding and how to tie the Sarah Elle Photography brand in to everything- specifically packaging. As you probably know by now my brand focuses on mustard yellow (inspired by my obsession with my mustard yellow camera bag), a deep blue, and gray/silver. But how do I bring that in to everything? We're talking website, blog, thank you cards, business cards, rep cards, facebook, appointment reminders, session guide, session prep guide and on and on and on!

 Stella helped me to see how to accentuate my brand and bring out a sense of who I was AND who Sarah Elle Photography is. We discussed "feelings" and goals for the business and how I felt I wanted to be represented and how to tie that in to attracting my goal market. She SIMULTANEOUSLY skyped with me AND linked me to tons of websites, companies, and other resources to show me the different options out there that SPECIFICALLY FIT Sarah Elle Photography! How awesome is that?! It wasn't simply, "Oh, here's a company I like to use" it was "Here is a great company with high quality products that have boxes that match your brand and here I've linked you directly to that box!"

Stella not only knows her stuff she knows exactly where to find it, too! I'm the type of person who, if given a blank slate of options, will get totally overwhelmed and lost in the pretty colors. Stella linking me directly to examples that fit Sarah Elle Photography made it easy to envision those products in my life- and I didn't get distracted or overwhelmed by the rest of the BILLION OPTIONS on the sites.

After my session with Stella I am now BEYOND excited to pump up my packaging and highlight who Sarah Elle Photography is.

(For example I LOVE this digital paper pack from Sassy Designs she introduced me to- doesn't it scream Sarah Elle Photography?!)

 It's time to dig deep and bring everything together to help truly enhance each person's experience- from the first glimpse of the facebook page or website to the ribbon that ties together your box of images from your session- I want you to feel Sarah Elle Photography. I want you to enjoy each part of your time with me- not just your session day. I want each moment to be a new and exciting experience. And I want people to see a mustard yellow sweater in a Target commercial and immediately think of ME. Thanks to Stella and our first (yes, first, because I KNOW I'll be chatting with her again in the future) sounding board session I know just where to start to make it all happen!

And for those who were curious about my "best friends" comment from earlier you'll be happy to know Stella and I truly are best friends now! And she'll know as soon as she reads this blog post ;)

Best,
Sarah

*for more information on your own sounding board session or all of the awesome products/services Stella offers be sure to check out her website: www.stellareynoso.com

"Life: As it is" Part I - Lauren | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Hi!

Tonight's post is a little different but I am really really excited about it! Tonight's post includes the very first installment of my personal project, Life: As it is. If you're not sure what that is feel free to check it out here before reading further- it will help give you a sense of the whole reason for this shoot and blog post.

BUT the whole point of this post is to feature Lauren; so instead of talking more about the project lets get to it, shall we?!

This is Lauren.

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL?!

Lauren was nominated for Life: As it is by her mother, Marie. Marie has three daughters, including Lauren, and wanted to give Lauren a chance to shine in the spotlight {as anyone with multiple daughters or sisters can tell you that is often something you have to fight for ;) }. 

Marie also wanted to give Lauren a chance to have some POSITIVE ATTENTION as Lauren was born with CH1q25.3-32.1 del. Does it sound familiar? Probably not; as it is so rare that Lauren and her family have yet to hear of or meet ANYONE ELSE who has it! As Marie explains it, CH1q25.3-32.1 del "causes cranial facial abnormalities, bilateral radioulnar stynosis (the bones in her forearm are fused), an autism spectrum diagnosis, and mild ectodermal dyspasia." This affects, among other things, her speech and her abilities to interact with others and pick up on some social cues.

When you are with Lauren all you will see is a gorgeous girl who appears to be a bit shy. She is incredibly smart and could name every single type of dog that was at the park- even the different types of terriers who frankly (other than Charlie Dog) all look alike to me! She is friendly and strong-willed: able to speak up for herself when she was not comfortable with a pose-like standing in high grass with the possibility of lots of bugs. But perhaps most impressively she took direction for posing better than most adults I've worked with (it's a fact)- it was truly a pleasure to get to work with her!  

 

They brought along their dog, Penny!

Easily the second most important person at the shoot tonight was Bow-Wow (who also, for the record, takes posing directions like a champ!).

A very big THANK YOU to Lauren for her willingness to work with me and another big THANK YOU to Marie for the nomination. It was an honor to get to meet Lauren and to learn a little bit about her Life: As it is right now.

Best,
Sarah

*Hair and Makeup by Rylee Spencer

Life: As it is Part II can be found here. 

An Introduction to Charlie Dog: Puppy Extraordinaire | Hampton Roads Puppy Photographer

Hi!

If you follow any other photographer's online (and I'd be willing to bet you do- I know I do!) you'll probably see a number of them talking about their kids- and rightfully so! Kids are an incredible gift and a HUGE life lesson and experience and joy and journey and so many other things that I know I can't even describe. That's because (as you've probably guessed by following me for a little while now): I don't have children...yet. 

But I do have Charlie Dog. And Charlie Dog is pretty wonderful, too, if I do say so myself :) Charlie Dog is incredibly important to me and to be honest I'm not sure what life would be like without him. You see, Charlie was a gift from my mother in-law when I graduated college. No one besides me (not even my boyfriend-now husband) thought it was a fantastic and stupendous idea to get a dog right before I moved to a new city to start grad school. Good thing no one but me got to make the decision, right? ;)

I mean really, who could turn down that FACE?!

So Charlie Dog and I started our journey together in a small apartment in Ohio where I quickly learned what the teenage years of a puppy were like: frustrating, spiteful (on his part)- he once peed ON MY LAP just because I took a toy from him- oh yea... he often found himself in trouble.

But he also met me every single day with TONS of kisses and jumping and tail wagging. Without fail he would be excited to see me. And we're talking the "ohmygoodnessithoughtyouleftmeforever" kind of happy. It didn't matter what kind of mood I was in, what time I came home from practicals or my 5-9pm class (yea...that's not a typo- it was a 4 hour class), or what season it was: he would ALWAYS be happy to see me. You can't buy that sort of love.

He made being in a new city where I knew only a very small number of people, starting a whole new chapter of life, a lot easier than I could have hoped for. He made coming home to a quiet apartment actually enjoyable. Simply put: he made life better. He was my cheering section throughout my two years of being alone in Ohio rooting me on with puppy kisses.

So whenever I post about him, whenever I plaster photos of him all over the page: I hope that now you understand a little bit about the "why." He's my Charlie Dog. I worry about him when I'm out of town- I have irrational fears about the air conditioning system breaking while I'm away during hot summer days and him having to sit in a 90 degree home for hours- and yes, sometimes, my husband and I even let him share the bed with us.

What can I say? Other photog's have their kids- I have Charlie Dog.

 Thank GOODNESS he's really patient with me because i LOVE to dress him in ridiculous outfits.

Can you BELIEVE he was so tiny?!

Trust me, when you meet him one day you'll fall in love with him just like I did :)

Best,
Sarah

p.s. Little known Charlie Dog trivia: His real *official* name on his papers is Charlie Pavlov Chaplin. And he owns both a tuxedo and a life jacket. Fact.

AFRC Hearts Apart Shoot | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer- Military style

Hi!

Did you see on facebook that I got to participate as one of 5 photographers for the local Airman and Family Readiness Center (AFRC) Hearts Apart deployed families photo session day?! These sessions are for the local Air Force families whose loved one is or will very soon be deployed. It's meant to give them a chance to have a little fun during the deployment while getting some super awesome photos done to send off to mom or dad as a surprise while they're away. 

I can't tell you how much of an honor it was to get to work with these families. FIRST off it was an honor to be asked to participate! I was so humbled when Dawn contacted me to see if I was interested. Was I interested? Heck yes! Being a military spouse myself I love love LOVE working with other military families. Throw in the fact they're going through something only a military family understands (the "d word") then double heck yes count me in!!

Here are just a few previews for the families before their galleries go up live on the AFRC Hearts Apart website in a couple of weeks! 

This is Dawn. Oh! Did I mention she's pregnant and expecting a little baby girl- her first girl! I am just a BIG fan of Dawn's so I am beyond excited for her and her family. Isn't she beautiful?!

 

And one of the other photogs, my super bubbly and sweet friend, Tianna, of T.Y. Photography is pregnant too!! Couldn't help but snag a shot of their double bump ;)

I can't even decide which one makes a cuter pregnant lady!

If you're an Air Force family in Hampton Roads you should totally check out the AFRC! They have a ton of events and activities for the Air Force families- especially during deployments- and will help with anything in any way that they can. If they don't have the answer I know they know how to find it! Plus you'd get to hang out with Dawn and some other pretty wonderful people!

You can check out the AFRC facebook page here!

Best,

Sarah

The BIG FOUR : A Session Prep Guide Cheat Sheet | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Hi!

If you've had a session with me or are about to have one you've probably taken a peek at the pre-session prep guide I sent out a few weeks prior to your session. It's got a ton of info, right?! I send this out to each of you because I want you to have the best session possible- and being the best version of yourself is the way to make that happen!

The prep guide isn't my rules of hard lined do's and don'ts for a session; but it is my way of *hopefully* helping to answer a lot of the big questions you might have prior to your day. And if I hit on some things you never even thought of before then that's pretty awesome, too!

But I realize that not every one of my followers lives in my area and for those that do I also understand that sometimes my style or our schedules are not always the best fit for everyone; so with that being said I wanted to highlight some of the BIG points to know in order to bring the best version of you to your session- regardless of who you work with!

And now, for the BIG FOUR session prep guide cheat sheet (cue the trumpets and drum roll):

1. Notice how I keep saying "the best version of yourself?" This isn't a typo but it IS my attempt at not very sneaky subliminal messaging. Being the best version of yourself is truly what portraiture photography, at least the kind I specialize in, is all about. My goal is to capture you as you are and bring out the best parts of you- not the best parts of someone you want to try out for the session. Your portrait session isn't the best time to try a new hairstyle/color, a new "look," or those awesome 7 inch heels you purchased that just so happen to also KILL your feet. Your session is about highlighting your gorgeous smile, your sparkling eyes, or the way your significant other looks at you when you're laughing that genuine, cute, laugh you have after he tells a joke. When you book your session do so with the intent of capturing the best version of YOU.

  2. Wardrobe

This is the biggest topic I get asked about before a session; and I'm glad! Being particular about what you wear for your session is a GOOD thing- it means you want to look your best, you want to feel great, and you care about the final product. When choosing your outfits be sure to choose something COMFORTABLE. If your dress is too tight or the shoes pinch your feet you will be uncomfortable; and if you're uncomfortable it will show in the pictures. Trust me ;) Pictures are supposed to be fun! So pick your outfit based on what you can move easily in and something that makes you feel incredible. How you feel goes both ways: if you feel beautiful then that confidence will shine through in your images.

Think she could have moved like that if she was uncomfortable in her dress? ;)

I do, however, recommend steering clear of anything dirty, torn, ripped or anything with large words or logos (this distracts in the image).

I could write a WHOLE long blog post about wardrobe but for the sake of keeping this one short I will save all that chatter for a later date. I will say, however, it never hurts to accessorize! It adds dimension to your outfit and can also provide you with something to work with/incorporate into a shot!

3. Nails, teeth, and tan lines.

This is the nitty gritty of session prep- those little things we all tend to forget about until the night before when we're rushing around trying to get everything in order. Suggestion? Take your time and plan these out a week or two ahead of your session date. This will make things less stressful AND ensure you bring to the shoot that "best version of yourself" someone keeps talking about ;)

 Nails: If you are someone who paints their nails, a fresh coat of polish will make a world of difference in your photo shoot. Pick a neutral color that won't distract from your shoot or clash with your outfits. If you don't usually paint your nails consider adding a clear coat of polish just to give that nice shine and even tone to your nails. Simply freshen them up the morning of the shoot, then be careful not to scuff it while prepping. :)

Teeth: If you want to brighten that gorgeous smile of yours it is best to start your treatments about two weeks before your shoot. Teeth whitening treatments are definitely not a HAVE TO for your session, though, so if you're not interested in it don't worry about it!

Tan Lines: Lets face it: we live on the coast with a bunch of beaches to choose from. Chances are you've been in the sun a few times before, right? That's ok! But if you plan to specifically tan for your session do so at least a week beforehand and try to avoid getting burned. The REALLY IMPORTANT part: be mindful of clothing tan lines, sunglasses tan lines, hat tan lines, etc. etc. etc. Photoshop does exist but trust me when I say it's a lot better/easier if you try to avoid any visible tan lines prior to the shoot.
 

4. Undergarments (this is for all you gals out there)

Be sure that whatever you choose to wear during the shoot it is something that will cleanly conceal your undergarments -especially consider whether or not your outfit will have any risk of a bra strap or two slipping down your shoulder. Also, if you're changing outfits during the shoot double check that the undergarments you wear work for your other outfit choices, too; if not, be sure to bring ones that do work!

 See how different Lindsey's outfits are? Planning ahead helped to keep the focus on Lindsey!
 

So there you have it, my BIG FOUR prep-guide suggestions to help bring out the best version of you for your session. Gosh darn there's that expression again! But no, really, I mean it- the goal is to have a fantastic time, create an awesome new memory, capture this beautiful moment in life, and do it all while bringing out the best version of YOU.   

 Best,

Sarah

 *For those who book or have recently booked a session be on the lookout for my entire prep-guide a few weeks prior to your session. Even more goodies are in there with info on breakouts, moisturizer, hair, glasses, bloating, make-up, and lots more!

Vacation Unplugged | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Hi!

I'm back! It feels SO good to be home in my own bed and to see Charlie Dog again; but I won't lie- being on vacation was FANTASTIC! We officially dubbed this trip our "HONEYCATION" because we never had the chance to take a honeymoon but 2 years after the fact seemed to be a bit of a stretch- so we decided to name it our "honeycation!"

I'll admit it: it was a little difficult for me to completely shut my mind down and relax for this trip- I realized that I am always thinking (aka WORRYING) about something that hasn't been completed or isn't perfect yet. My husband had to ask me (more than once) to not talk about work since somewhere along the line I had "AGREED" to no work talk- or something crazy like that. But once I got the hang of it I realized what a beauty shutting off your mind and enjoying the very moment you are in can be.

 The view from our room (did i mention we went to JAMAICA?!).

Some beach shots.

 Me and husband day 1. Notice the old Yorktown Beach tan lines? This picture was my official start in my quest to get rid of them! :)

Officially my most favorite place to be. :) It was like lying on a bed and made reading the two and a half books I completed pretty easy!

 Yes, that coconut came from THAT tree. HOW COOL, right?!

Ok, but lets be completely honest here: I HAD to do SOME activities or else I would have driven myself insane just lying out in the sun for 7 days watching the water lap back on forth on the shore. 

We started with SNORKELING!

If you know me you know heights are NOT my thing but due to it being our honeycation I figured I'd try my best to get over it: with zip lining!

  Notice my "fake excited" face.

The scream you hear at the beginning? That's me.

Truth? It was AWESOME! (Can't say I'll do it again but super glad I can say I did it!)

And then, of course, there were super wonderful foods, some crazy animals, and the most gorgeous sunsets I've ever seen. 

For the record: my husband ate the entire plate of sweets (above) all by himself ;)

In short, our honeycation and the decision to go "unplugged" was the best thing my husband and I could have done for ourselves. Having realized things went on just fine without us while we were gone I now have a new appreciation for my lack of control over life and the realization that sometimes it's ok not to have the answers just yet and to go on with life regardless.

If you ever have the chance to go completely unplugged- DO IT!

I'll leave you with this song they sang to us before we left :)

Best,

Sarah