Thank You Note

I love receiving feedback from my shoots. There is no better feeling than when you as a photographer like the pictures and then the reassurance of the client equally loving the images soon follows. This is one example. Cinco De Mayo not only marked a great day in which numerous amounts of Corona and Mexican food should be consumed but it also became the day in which Dan and Maureen Anderson declared their love and faithfulness to one another. I had talked to Maureen earlier and she was telling me how excited she was to have these pictures taken as she had never had professional pictures taken of her family before (Dan and Maureen have two beautiful boys Samuel and Jackson). I don't really look at myself as professional, perhaps that's because I can't believe how much fun  I have every day with my job, but I reassured her we were going to have a great time and get some awesome shots. About a day after I emailed Maureen, letting her know her images were up online I received an email back. This one simple paragraph meant so much to me. 

Hi Stephanie,
I was just going to sit down and write you an email and I see you sent one first.   Hope you are doing well.   Wow, the photos are unbelieveable . . . We were so pleased and excited to see that these pictures turn out above and beyond our expectations!   I have to say, I am quite critical of myself (I'm not photogenic at all), yet I was able to find several where I looked pretty good.     The photos of our family are stunning!  I have so say, one of my favorite photos was the one of just the boys on those pillows with blue stripes.   Stephanie,  your creativity and your eye for capturing the moment is a gift.   We were blessed to have found you.    The photos of just the flowers on the piano or of us just holding hands were unbelievable.  Who captures something like that?   Amazing!
Thanks again, you made the time you spent with us even more memorable and fun.   
 Take care,
Maureen and Dan

The Waves Of Life

Let's face it, we all have good days and bad days. There are times in your life where invincibility is all that surrounds you, then within a blink of an eye the reality of humanism comes back to humble you. Love, laughter, sorrow, and suffering is all part of the cycle of life. I try to take each lesson life deals me with a grain of salt. If I can walk away from the situation a better stronger person or have been able to learn something which helps my future than I consider it a success. This morning, I came across this wonderfully written paper on life. Its very suiting that it should come to me today.I hope that it will in turn also encourage you in your life's journey.

 

How to free yourself from the grip of storms? This is the only basic problem in this universe. The first thing is to become aware of it and stop regretting it. Like waves come and go, storms in your life too will subside. No one storm can be there for ever. One storm comes and subsides, another comes and subsides and it goes on. As the storm subsides, you experience that inner cool, soft, delicate aspect of yourself. In that space of calm, all the anxiety, fear, feverishness lose their grip on you and you become yourself again. Love dawns. 

When you stop resisting the storms of life and start accepting them with open arms, they will subside on their own. That is the purpose of all spiritual practices, or sadhana,  and meditation. When you realise that somebody really cares for you, you feel at rest and all fears and insecurities drop off. 

You keep running away from small things -- your feelings, sensations, desires -- and this leads to more feverishness. Realize that like the ocean cannot be there without the waves, storms are inevitable in your life. Every storm touches you somewhere and makes you grow stronger. A storm pulls you out of your likes and dislikes and purifies you. So accept all that comes with both arms open. Even when the storms come, you are still the same ocean, as deep as ever. 

This realization is the culmination of knowledge. When this knowledge dawns, you rise above events; you grow out of them. Everybody in the world goes through crises, insecurities, confusions. It's like drowning in the ocean of life. But the person with the life jacket can survive even the worst turmoil. So keep your life jacket of knowledge handy. 

 Do not be in a hurry to get rid of the storms, be with them. Looking for perfection creates imperfection inside you. If you are peaceful, everything around you becomes peaceful. You are the center of this universe. Wherever you go, you carry your own mind, and wherever you go, you will create your own storms. It may appear to be calm and quiet for sometime but the storm will surface sooner or later. Unless you realize this, nothing will hold. There is no other permanent solution. Don't resist the storms, instead see them as an amazing play of your personality. 
--Sri Sri Ravishankar

Lauren and Steve...One More Post :)

Lauren and Steve 4.26.09

I had an amazing afternoon with Lauren and Steve on Sunday, April 26th at the Don CeSar. Lauren looked absolutely amazing in her 40's style attire. And Steve was beaming from ear to ear the entire day. The ceremony took place out on the beach, with the reception taking place on the Spa roof top. What a lovely location to have a sunset reception. A breeze, music, a sunset gulf view, and delicious food. Here are some of my favorite shots captured from that evening.

Patty and Scott Favorite

Out of 600+ photos to choose from I think this one remains my favorite.

Patty and Scott Take 2

 Here are a few more pictures that I just couldn't let go without posting.

Patty and Scott 4.24.09

It has been a busy for weeks for Stephanie A Smith Photography. April was filled with corporate events, pet photography and a number of really cool weddings( I am super behind in my blogging). The first of which was Patty and Scott. I worked with Patty a while back so I was all too thrilled when she asked me to be her wedding photographer. Scott and Patty planned on getting married at the Don CeSar, on Friday, April 24th. They are such a fun couple so I knew it was going to be a blast. The weather was perfect, both Patty and Scott looked stunning, and the love from the two of them and their friends and family was contagious, you could feel it with every shot. It was extremely difficult picking a top 5 photos, so I will have to do one more blog so I can post a few more. 

Dear Mom,

I feel so blessed that you're my mom. As I look back on my childhood I smile at all the positive memories. Snacks when we got home from school, homemade meals every night, an abundance of hugs, kisses and encouragement in anything Kyle and I did. The older I get, and the more I have to handle on my own, I realize how much you did for me in an effortless manner. Thanks for being an amazing woman and my mom. I love you!

Tulips

I love fresh flowers. My favorite, Tulips. I found these at Publix earlier this week and couldn't resist. It  is a great way to brighten up the home for under $10.00.....I think I have been watching way too much HGTV :)

Yard Sale Find

I am not one of those people who scours the newspaper every weekend in hopes of landing an awesome find at the closest yard sale. I remember what my yard sales looked like when I was a kid. I was getting rid of all my junk. Who would want that? Well, its true what they say "One mans trash is another mans treasure". Check out this super vintage chair I found at a Tuesday afternoon (of all days) Yard Sale. I absolutely love it, and while I have no room for it in my apartment I can see many a photo shoot taking place with this find. AND. It was only $20. Talk about saving money and recycling :)