Monthly Archives: September 2010

Why I Blog & A Blue Springs Underwater Bride

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 30, 2010

Lovely blog readers, I know I have yet again been SUCH a blogging slacker this week. This is so not like me! I am very much of the mindset that regardless of how busy I get, blogging is a major priority for me…not just because it’s a crucial part of my business, but also because I just love blogging. I do. I like writing, I like sharing pretty things I find online, I like posting things that inspire me, I like posting photos for people to enjoy, and I like documenting my life. I’ve always been one of those people who has had a journal and written in it regularly, and while I still journal Bridget Jones-style off and on, this blog has really become my journal–my way to document life. Sure, I don’t write EVERYTHING I’m thinking or doing on the blog (trust me, you wouldn’t want to read all my over-dramatic thoughts on this that and the other…we’ll let my real journal deal with all that), but I do try to blog the big things, the important things, the exciting things, the mundane things, and even the not-so-great things. This is life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and I like putting it all out there for the world to see. Ok, so sometimes I feel really uncomfortable opening myself up that much, online to everyone and their mom, giving people the chance to love me, hate me, or just be indifferent to me. I’m learning more and more every day that as long as I’m proud of the photos I take and the blog posts I write, that’s all that matters…because it’s just who I am. So, here I am…opening myself up to you once again! :)

I’ve got a crazy little weekend coming up, but I promise…I’ll be better at the blogging. Not because it’s expected, but because I want to. I’ll have tons of fun things to share in the next week, including more of the Blue Springs Bridal Shoot photos (woo!), photos from the wedding I’m second-shooting this weekend, and photos that just may have antique airplanes and horses in them. Yep, told you it was going to be a crazy weekend! :)

So, to tide you over for the moment, here are a few more photos from the Blue Springs shoot. We took these at the very end with a basic point-and-shoot camera that was waterproof. I wish I could have used underwater housing for my T2i, but alas, to buy one was close to 1,000 bucks, and just to rent was close to 300 smackeroos. Uhhhh…no can do right now. So, we figured since we had brides in dresses in the water, we might as well get a few UNDER the water as well, even if we just used a point-and-shoot. Amazingly, I actually really love how they turned out. Anna was a swimmer back in school, so she had some sweet underwater moves. The photos came out so ethereal and kind of mysterious. Love them!

Posted in Personal, Weddings | 7 Comments

Blue Springs Park, High Springs, FL | Bridal Shoot | Part 1

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 27, 2010

Anna, Yesi and I have been planning this shoot since last winter, when it was too cold outside to even think about getting in the water. So we waited. And then we got busy. And a little busier. And then we realized it was about to get cold again…already!! So, we finally got a date on the calendar when we were all (at this point “all” had turned into two brides, two assistants, and two photographers) available, and we crossed our fingers that the first cold snap wouldn’t mess up our plans.

Well, the cold held off, but the rain wasn’t playing nice. We pulled up to Blue Springs in High Springs, FL with raindrops on the windshield and disappointment washing over our faces, as we thought our lovely plans had been ruined. But we were already there, with two fully dolled-up brides, so we decided to make it happen, rain or shine!

Amazingly, once we got parked and unloaded everything, the rain stayed at no more than an off-and-on drizzle…setting the mood with gorgeous light and raindrops on the water. We shot for over two hours, and Anna and Laura could not have been better sports. The water was FREEZING, which I didn’t realize until I went in at the very end. I mean, I knew it was stinking cold, but I had just been wading around for most of it. Going in deeper was so much colder! And these ladies were fully swimming around for alot of the shoot! Poor Laura’s hands turned purple at one point, and they were both shivering so hard by the end of the shoot.

But we did it. Rain, cold water, and busy schedules aside…this was hands-down my favorite shoot ever. Gorgeous brides, accessories galore, a bright blue spring, willing (wonderful!) assistants, an amazing friend shooting by my side…LOVED IT!

Oh, and kind of a side note…while this is technically a “trash the dress” shoot, I realllly don’t like the phrase “trash the dress.” I mean, whether a bride is slinging paint on her dress, rolling in mud, or just swimming around, I kind of doubt she feels like she is “trashing” the most important dress she will ever wear. I prefer to think she wants to a) wear her dress again and b)get photos with a little more artistic spin than the ones that can be captured on a wedding day, when protecting the dress is of utmost importance. So, all that said, I am taking suggestions for a new phrase to describe this kind of shoot. I’ve been thinking about it, but I just can’t come up with a phrase I like…the current “bridal shoot” isn’t cutting it, but that’s all I’ve got for now. So let me know if you can’t think of something better!

Super huge thanks go out to the following people for making this shoot happen:

Anna and Laura: Beautiful Brides

Yesi and Alicia: Ah-mazing Assistants

Jacquie: Fabulous Photographer Extraordinaire

Blue Springs: Lovely Location

Thank you ALL!! I couldn’t have made this happen without you. :)

Many more photos to come…I jsut couldn’t choose!! Stay tuned…

Posted in Just Because, Weddings | 4 Comments

Blue Springs Park, High Springs, FL | Bridal Shoot | Sneak Peek

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 26, 2010

It’s past my bedtime, but I couldn’t resist…one, just one…

Ladies, you are lovely.

Many many more to come…

Posted in Just Because, Weddings | 3 Comments

The Ultimate Relaxation

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 26, 2010

It’s Sunday afternoon, and my day is about to get busy…and FUN! I’ve got a really unique shoot in a couple of hours, but you’ll have to check back to see the photos. I’m not giving anything away! :)

I’ve been insanely productive this weekend, and I’m so happy I can start this next week with everything in order and checked off my to-do list. Well, I don’t think there will ever be a point where everything is checked off my mental to-do list, but it’s all checked off the one for this weekend. Woo!!

So, while I’ve been running around like a maniac being productive, Lexie has been supporting me in the only way she knows how…

By relaxing like a pro. Seriously, can someone make me a chair that is big enough that I could curl up on the cushion like that? It looks like the ultimate relaxation. But the relaxing will just have to wait…there are things to do and photo shoots to get to. Have a lovely Sunday! Take a tip from the Lexster and relax. :)

Posted in Personal | 1 Comment

New Props in The Shop!

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 24, 2010

Hello blog reading lovelies…man oh man, it’s been one of those weeks! Busy busy busy, at home, at work, in life…you name it, it’s probably contributing to me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I feel like I’ve been neglecting my poor blog. Only one post in a week?? That’s just silliness. Did you miss me? I missed blogging for sure. Don’t worry, I won’t always be such a blogging slacker…but sometimes I just have to step back and get some other aspects of life back under control.

So, with things getting checked off my to-do list left and right today, I finally had time to post some new props in The Prop Shop! I’m telling you, I’m having to restrain myself from acquiring too many props for my tiny little apartment to hold. If I had unlimited space, plus a truck that could move big pieces of furniture…well, that would be AMAZING. I looove that show American Pickers…which might explain my fascination with props. But for now, it’s just me and my little apartment and little car, so I’m trying to only get things that I can either display in my apartment or fit in the giant steamer trunk in my living room. I think I’m reaching capacity on bigger props, so I may have to stick to accessories for awhile. Ah well…someday I will have more room!

Check out the new stuff (plus all the other stuff already in The Shop), and if you’ve got a shoot with me coming up, don’t forget to let me know what you want me to bring to the shoot. Recent requests have included the Brick Red “W” and  the Yellow Frame…can’t wait to see how they turn out! And don’t forget that you can bring your own props too! The Prop Shop is just the place to start, but if you look around your house, you’ll probably be amazed at how many things would look amazing in a photo shoot.

Alright, that’s all you get for now. :) Sorry if this post was a bit rambly…I’m pretty tired from all this to-do list checking off that’s been going on. I might have to hit the hay pretty soon so I have the energy to tackle the list again tomorrow. Goodnight all!

Posted in Announcements, Inspiration | Leave a comment

Hello | And My To-Do List

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 21, 2010

It’s 10:00pm, and I am headed to bed, but I just wanted to say hello! I have been a blogging slacker this last week…I don’t really have a good excuse either. The weekend was pretty packed because I was home in Malabar (more on that later), but other than that it’s been business as usual. I guess sometimes I just have to step back and recharge the creative batteries. I’ve been working on some longer blog posts and doing lots of brainstorming in between living in a cubicle and putting ointment in Lexie’s eye (more on that later as well)…so plenty of fun things to come. Oh, and I have acquired some excellent new props for The Prop Shop, and they shall make their appearance hopefully this weekend. My weekend to-do list is getting kind of out of control, but I am fully confident that I will accomplish all of it. What the hey…I’ll share it with you!

Wendy’s Weekend To-Do List

1. Get oil changed in my car. (Absolute must. My car has been flashing an angry light at me for two weeks now.)

2. Prepare auction item for Noche de Gala. (Stay tuned for more info on this…kind of really excited to be part of this!)

3. Choose a photo shoot location for a mid-morning family shoot. (Mid-morning means less-than-perfect light, but this family sounds awesome so it will be totally worth it. Just gotta find somewhere super sweet with lots of open shade…oh, and it can’t be somewhere near roads, because there are little ones involved. Any suggestions?)

4. Post new items in The Prop Shop!

5. Shop for a new phone. (I’m stepping into the digital age…smart phone here I come!!)

6. Take old prom/bridesmaid dresses to Sandy’s Savvy Chic Resale Boutique and make some dough to buy new clothes. (I have amassed a collection of formal, floor length dresses that rivals Katherine Heigl’s 27 dresses. 5 times a bridesmaid, 4 times a prom date, and throw in a few other dresses from various occassions….yeah, that adds up fast! Oh, and if any of the lovely ladies who I was a bridesmaid for are reading this…don’t worry, I loved each and every one of your dresses, but sadly, I do not fit in said dresses anymore. Sad, but true. Considering two of them were from when I was 19, I’m going to choose not to feel too badly about this fact. No one is the same size as when they were 19…right??)

6. Go to Forever 21 and buy pretty hair accessories (maybe this or this? or what about this?) for a shoot this weekend with TWO, count ‘em, TWO brides…and a lot of water. (Can you say EXCITED??)

7. Cheer on my Gator boys as they kick some Kentucky arse on Saturday. (Well, cross your fingers on this one…they might need it…)

8. Edit photos. (This one is a given and is on every weekend’s to-do list these days. Definitely not complaining. Just sayin’.)

Phew! That was kind of exhausting just typing it all out. BUT…and that’s a big but…it’s all good stuff. (Except the oil change. That’s just necessary.) I’m loving everything going on with the business these days…the trick is just finding the time to do everything! Eh, it always manages to work itself out and I somehow get everything done. :)

And with that, I’ll leave you with a photo from my trip home this weekend. (Many more to come!)

Posted in Personal | 1 Comment

Addicted | The Prettiness

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 16, 2010

I have an addiction…a consuming, overwhelming, have-to-have-my-fix-or-I-just-won’t-make-it-through-the-day addiction. This thing that has taken over my life, crawled into every crevasse of my mind, and taken over my thoughts. It’s something my mind turns to constantly throughout the day, waiting for the moment when I will get my next fix. If I had to go a day without some form of it, I might go crazy.

Hello, my name is Wendy and I am addicted to prettiness. (Had you worried there for a sec, didn’t I? Hehe. Mom, you can stop panicking. It’s allll good. :) )

I’m addicted to prettiness in ANY form…and sometimes the things I consider pretty seem odd to you, but I’m using a loose interpretation of pretty.

  • A castle in the Swiss Alps is pretty (in the Cinderella sense of the word).
  • The fabric covered corkboards all over my cubicle walls are pretty (in the I-must-have-something-lovely-around-me-at-all-times sense of the word).
  • My beta fish Finny is pretty (in the flippity floppity sense of the word).
  • My dog Lexie is pretty (in the she’s-so-pretty-she-almost-looks-human sense of the word).
  • The clothes I’m wearing today are pretty (in the purple sense of the word).
  • Photographs are pretty (in the beautiful moment sense of the word).
  • Anything crafty is pretty (in the how-in-the-world-did-someone-make-something-that-lovely-with-their-own-two-hands sense of the word).
  • Fog settling over an open field is pretty (in the mysterious beauty sense of the word).
  • A killer pair of heels is pretty (in the art-for-your-feet sense of the word).

I could go on and on…so many things are pretty!! I need prettiness around me all the time…which is why I decorated my cubicle with lovely things…why I am constantly crafting things or buying things to make my apartment prettier…why I love reality shows like America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway…why I shop too much…why I visit so many creative blogs every day…why I love Europe…

…and why I fell in love with photography.

I get to capture the pretty. I get to share the pretty. I get to experience the pretty, and then I get to ride the pretty high for days after. It allll makes sense now.

So today, I’ll share my pretty fix with you lovely people. These are a few things I just think are pretty today (in the obvious sense of the word). I’d love to hear what you think is pretty. Post a link in the comment section to something that gave you your pretty fix today. Then, when I’m craving the pretty, I will know where to go for more!

Photoline

Isn’t this clothesline of flower photos just lovely? It was part of the decoration at a Canadian wedding shot by Jamie Delaine. Check out more of this wedding where it was featured on Ruffled.

Mixed Patterns | Blue & Green


Photo by Candice K, via Style Me Pretty

I love mixing and matching patterns when I decorate. Stripes and polka dots side by side? Yes please! A little baroque pattern thrown in for good measure? Love it! I also love love love the colors blue and green together. That combo is totally “preppy pretty,” and it puts me in the mood for my pearls and Sperry’s.

Succulents

Photo by Jasmine Star

Ever since my friend Laura said she wanted to use succulents in her wedding last year, I’ve been fascinated with these kind of weird but totally pretty plants. I wasn’t really familiar with them before, but now I feel like I notice them everywhere. I’ve seen them used a bunch of different ways for wedding decor, but in a bouquet? What a gorgeous, unique touch!

Posted in Inspiration | Leave a comment

Baby Katherine | Gainesville Photographer

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 15, 2010

I love this family! I took Katherine’s 2 month old photos, and I was so excited when Matt and Ann wanted me to do her 6 month photos as well. However, the combo of busy schedules and a poorly timed cold turned it into a 7 month old shoot. I actually am kind of glad we got to wait an extra month, because with babies, every month adds a new expression to their face. I mean, just look at all the fun looks Katherine was shooting my way. It’s like she new I was taking photos and wanted to give me some variety! Smart kid…or future model. ;) 

Other fun things to note about this shoot…I got a few of these photos using some lovely window light streaming inside, and then we got the outside family photos done with seconds to spare before some crazy rain hit. So, alot of the shoot was inside while it was dark outside and raining…which means there wasn’t much window light coming in. But, we got creative with the light we had and made it work (Tim Gunn style!). Take that, crazy rain! You can’t mess up my shoots. Ha!

Posted in Babies, Family | 6 Comments

Sneak Peek | Baby Katherine | Gainesville Baby Photographer

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 14, 2010

Oh baby Katherine…she is SUCH a happy baby! I didn’t stop smiling once during her shoot. Could she be any cuter?? I’ve only got this one sneak peek photo (I know, such a tease), but there are many more coming!

Posted in Babies, Children | Leave a comment

Moat Wedding Part 2 | Gainesville Photographer

By Anwen Elizabeth Photography | Published September 12, 2010

 As promised, here is Part 2 of the Rich and Matthew’s lovely wedding. I hope you’ll forgive the brief written part of this blog…it’s late Sunday night, and I’m so tired from a very busy weekend that I’m debating going to bed before the VMAs end. Yeah…I’m that tired. I really want Lady Gaga to win Best Video of the Year (or whatever it’s called), but I might not be able to keep my eyes open long enough to see it happen. So far it’s been a relatively drama-free VMAs anyway (and the drama is always the best part of this awards show)…so unless Kanye comes running on stage in the next two minutes, this is one girl who won’t be staying up much longer. Goodnight, lovelies! Or, I should say good morning, because you probably aren’t reading this tonight.  :)

Third-shot this wedding with Lindsey Tropf.

Posted in Weddings | 2 Comments