Here it is. THE epicness I've been promising my facebook friends all afternoon, and promising myself since, oh, about 2009...
I've been following "tut.com" for quite a while, receiving spiritual and uplifting emails daily at 4:30 am, and this facebook post today by Mike Dooley (organizer from tut) was yet another sign that it was time to let you in on the epicness. Actually, the signs have been lining up for awhile now. Ultimately, I've found myself drawn to the message of being led by joy, and have found it in photography and the many doors that have been opened through opening myself up to new possibilities and challenges. I've found myself dreaming of the idea of a Rosy Hue studio for a long time. I shared my thoughts with my parents last year and just months later, I had the keys to RHP in my hands. Last year I had the opportunity and honor to shoot my first weddings and made the silent goal to double the number of weddings I wanted to shoot in year two of wedding photography. As of today, I've far surpassed that goal and looking forward to meeting even more amazing couples. I've been blessed to photograph more newborn babies in their first weeks of life, and finding an unreasonable amount of joy in spending Saturday afternoons propping little people up on beanbags. I've met new families, and had the pleasure to watch them grow over the years as repeat clients. I feel like a complete sap, but this year has been a humbling, eye-opening, soul-fulfilling year. While the notion that "my calling" was truly starting to come calling was an awesome feeling, I was also starting to feel the strain of teaching my kindergarteners all day, caring for my family, and editing into the wee hours of the night. It's been a struggle to maintain my sanity some days, and I began to feel an even stronger yearning to be at home with my kiddos, whom I felt were strangers to me on some of the tougher Monday mornings as I woke up early and prepared my lunch for school. Justin and I have spent a lot of time discussing options and alternatives to continue the growth of RHP and the happiness of our family. I am thrilled (and scared to death) at our conclusion: I will be taking a leave of absence from teaching from September through January to focus on my most important love, my family, and my passion, RHP. Some people ask, "Why the 'we' in all your posts, Danielle? Aren't you the only photographer?" Yes, perhaps it is a bad habit, but the "we" behind RHP is so much greater: it's the countless hours that Justin has been home alone caring for the babies during late night wedding shoots, building ridiculous Ikea get-ups for the studio, and answering the constant question, "Which edit do you like better, this one or this one?:"; it's my family who has inspired me to follow my passion and offered physical, emotional and financial support along the way; it's my fabulous friend Elissa who has been my wedding photography partner in crime; it's a conversation with my friend Jen in the back of Borders over coffee when I confessed that my dream was to be a photographer; it's so many family, friends and complete strangers who became friends by calling me up and saying, "Hey, can you come take our picture?"; and ultimately, it's Hou and Lee, my "Rosy" and my "Hue" who pushed me to be the mommy I wanted to be for my babies - a hard-working, creative, passionate mom who followed her biggest dream and made a life for her family at the same time. Thank you for reading and being part of the "we." We're so thankful to have you along for the ride. Peace and Love, Danielle
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We are so excited to be shooting our Spring Mini Session at Kimball Jenkins Estate in Concord! In case you missed the Facebook announcement, we pushed back the date by 2 weeks to ensure some green grass - because let's face it, yellow grass is just not that cute. Here's the details: Mini sessions will be run from 9am-12pm for thirty minutes on the half hour and hour on May 3. Sessions are $99 (you save $50!) and include a link with your edited, downloadable files for personal printing and sharing. I love Kimball Jenkins Estate because there are so many unique, fun areas for shooting. There are gorgeous green wooden doors, brick face buildings, picturesque cobblestone sidewalks, and amazingly large trees. If you book a session, think about which settings sound most appealing for you - we'll race to accommodate whichever settings you prefer! To book, please contact us via the "Contact" link above, or email rosyhuephotography@gmail.com. Last weekend I had the honor of conducting baby Amy's first photo shoot. She was 10 days old and minus about six minutes, she was awake and alert the entire time. We started on mommy and daddy's bed and I took lots of detailed shots of Amy in her sweet dress and tights (I mean, who isn't a sucker for baby tights?) and later moved to the baby bean bag for some naked natural shots. She was such a good sport, and clearly destined for RHP modeling (and rocket science, of course).
Okay, okay… I know what you're thinking: Gosh, this girl posted a blog entry? Are pigs flying? Actually, it's my RHP New Year's Resolution to get better at posting sessions and previews more frequently. If you haven't noticed, we have a hopping Facebook page that tends to get all of the attention, while this poor blog is more like the "middle child" of the business.
I hope you'll enjoy checking out our first newsletter… celebrating just a few of our fabulous clients from 2013, offering some winter specials to warm you up during this record cold snap, and illustrating some great fashion tips for your next session. Let me know what you think about the newsletter in our comments below. Cheers to a new year filled with more love, more color and more fantastic and photogenic memories! Brr! It's cold out there! Warm up with this awesome giveaway from Rosy! Think spring with a $50 gift certificate good toward session fees, prints or digital files! Enter to win below! :) As always, thanks for stopping by!
I think my kids are sick of me. Or my camera. Or forcing them to love each other. I had been on a desperate quest to photograph my two little loves together, looking well... lovey. Here's the thing. My three-year old is kinda over his little sister. First off, I wanted him to hold her. I had to promise him a bowl of chocolate chips, but that's besides the point. Here's picture one: Okay, we need a little direction here. "Okay, Houston... look at Leah and put your arm around her!" Picture two: Getting closer, right? Here's where I started to go wrong... "Great, Houston! Now squeeze her tight like you LOVE her!" Now before you go calling DCYF on me, realize that at this point, even I dropped my camera to save my newborn daughter from her older brother's "love" and I don't drop the cam often. After a little shuffling, another talk about "gentle hands" and a healthy break, we tried one last time... "Okay Houston, just put your head close to your sis, and say cheese." And finally I got this little gem: See? They DO love each other. Just forget the last 3 pictures. Modeling can be brutal for a newborn and a three year old... but they earned their pay in about three thousand kisses, a delicious bottle of milk and a bowl of chocolate chips.
One of the most common things I hear ALL parents after taking pictures of their kids is, "Sorry (insert name here) was so crazy." The funny thing is, being the mom of a VERY active toddler, I never really notice other people's "crazy" kids - or maybe they just don't compare to my own. The thing is, I could probably get my sweet Houston to sit for about 3 seconds and probably even get a half-way decent portrait of him. But I don't really want that. It's not him. It's not real. Some of my favorite pictures of Houston, and my clients' children, are those candid, natural, silly shots. I love this picture of these two sweeties - because it reminds me of my sisters, and how many silly, loving memories I have of them. And isn't that the real purpose of a picture? To evoke some kind of an emotion? I love my family shoots, because they're always sure to make me smile! This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com
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The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters. ~Audrey Hepburn |