Carrie and Brad for Eternity

Here are my favorites from the wedding I photographed last weekend! You can view more photos of this couple here or here.  

Lately

A bunch of phone pictures!
1. From my mom's graduation (I actually stole this one from my sister). 2. On Mother's Day we went to pay a visit to my brother's grave. He lived for 5 months and would be 29 years old if he were still with us. 3. We were treated to dinner in honor of Ryan's graduation! 4. Breakfast for a couple of sick people. 5. We took a trip to Arizona to look for an apartment and check out the area. Chandler has a lot of flowers, which is nice. 6-8. The Gilbert, AZ temple. I didn't realize how LARGE it is! My heart was pounding as we drove up to it. It's the most beautiful building I've ever been in. Palace status. I'm so happy that we will live so close to it. 9. After our session in the temple we went to eat at Kneader's Bakery and Cafe. Yum! 10. Hotel selfie: ready to look for an apartment. We may have found a place to live! Cross your fingers that we get it! 11. We got back into town just in time for my last shift. It was really nice to have a job again, if only for 3 months. 12. After work I was on the road again to Thatcher, AZ for a wedding. 13. Made it to my destination and had to get a hotel...alone. First time! I accidentally rented a suite for the night. Whoops. #treatyoself 14. Snapped this while the bride was getting ready. 15. The Gila Valley temple, where the couple was married. Two temple visits in one week was awesome. 16. Friends. 17-18. At one of the gift shops on our drive home. Melissa and Colin (peeps in 16) drove back home with me. 19. Wedding decor. 20. Can you see the bee in this photo?

If you don't already follow me on instagram, here's my username: @beverlopolis Go on, click it.

Bumpdate: 23 weeks

How far along are you? 23 weeks 

Total weight gain: 15 lbs (Baby is the size of a papaya/8in/1.5 lbs) 

Maternity Clothes? Mostly. 

Stretch Marks? None on the belly. 

Sleep: Gooooood this week.

Best moments: Visiting our future home. I'll make a separate post about that this week! 

Missing anything? Sleeping on my tummy. 

Movement? Yes, mostly while laying down. 

Food Cravings: Nothing in particular.

Symptoms: Forgetfulness!! I never wanted to believe that "pregnancy brain" was an actual symptom. I denied it, but it happened. 

Belly Button in or Out? So shallow! 

Happy or Moody? Happy! We (may have) found a place to live once we move in a couple of weeks! It's all becoming so real. 

Looking Forward to: Doing all the New Mexico stuff before we leave. 

Bumpdate: 22 weeks

Can you tell that I didn't feel like taking pictures today? Ryan and I both got pretty sick this week. We're at the end of it (hopefully), so there are lingering sniffles and coughs. It's still no fun. I just feel so dumb for not getting a flu shot when my doctor highly recommended it in my first trimester. I NEVER get sick, so I thought it wouldn't be a problem. Plus, by the time he recommended it, flu season was nearing its end. Being sick and pregnant is the worst. All I wanted to do each night this week was take a big dose of NyQuil, but that is obviously not recommended to pregnant women, along with many other medications that I wish I could have taken. This week was full of tissues and soup and cough drops and lots and lots of vapor rub. (Did you know they've invented tissues with the scent of Vicks on them?? Best invention in the world.)

So the lesson this week: "Don't have sex, because you will get pregnant and die... of the flu."

Nah. Just get a freaking flu shot when you're pregnant! Even if you never get sick and you hate shots. It's not worth the worry if you do happen to get sick and find yourself panicking, reading things on the internet about how dangerous the flu is to pregnant women. It's not worth it.

How far along are you? 22 weeks 

Total weight gain: ? (Baby is the size of a spaghetti squash/8in/1lb) 

Maternity Clothes? Mostly. 

Stretch Marks? None on the belly. They just seem to be everywhere else.... 

Sleep: Terrible this week!! 

Best moments: Receiving a bunch of baby clothes from my mother-in-law :) The woman loves to shop for grandbabies. 

Missing anything? NyQuil.

Movement? A little more this  week. Ryan can now feel her too, sometimes :) 

Food Cravings: Lots of sweets.

Symptoms: General uncomfortableness. And getting the flu. 

Belly Button in or Out? In, but getting more shallow. 

Happy or Moody? Very moody: this stupid sickness and worrying about whether or not Ryan passed one of his classes. I was a wreck thinking about it! I shouldn't have worried so much, because he ended up with three As and a B+. Typical. So excluding this sickness, I feel pretty awesome and happy about our future. 

Looking Forward to: Photographing a wedding this coming weekend :) 

Bumpdate: 21 weeks

Happy Mother's Day! It's the first year that I received a little gift from Ryan. 

Ryan and I had the privilege to speak in church today about mothers and I was lucky to have my mom come listen. I learned a lot about parenting in the gospel as I prepared my talk. I mostly enjoyed listening to Ryan speak on the subject. He shared with the congregation the good memories he's had with his mother and made us all chuckle. He also shared some things about parenthood that I otherwise would not have heard him say. It made me realize that I am very lucky to have him as my partner. I know that he's going to be a thoughtful parent. 

It was a pretty awesome day at church. All of us ladies received chocolate cupcakes once Sacrament meeting was over and those of us who serve in the Primary took a break and had lunch with the rest of the ladies in Relief Society. Yeah, the Bishop's wife prepared a bunch of food for us! Hands down the best Mother's Day. 

How far along are you? 21 weeks 

Total weight gain: ? (Baby is the size of a spaghetti squash/8in/1lb) 

Maternity Clothes? Mostly. 

Stretch Marks? There are some new ones on my thighs, none on the belly.  

Sleep: Generally good. 

Best moments: I don't know if you'd consider it a "best" moment, but yesterday at my mom's graduation, my dad and sister both mentioned how big my boobs have gotten. Ha! A little weird, but mostly funny. 

Missing anything? Sushi. 

Movement? A little. 

Food Cravings: Crepes with Nutella, bananas, and strawberries. Sooo good. 

Symptoms: My hips began to ache after a long day of standing at work. 

Belly Button in or Out? In, but getting more shallow. 

Happy or Moody? I'd say happy :) 

Looking Forward to: Taking a trip to Arizona to find a place to live before we officially move. 

Child of the Internet

I don't know how many of you have seen this. I just want to say that I think it is ridiculous and I don't really agree with the message. While I think that this video is good in some ways I think that the argument being made is very one-sided. There are obviously so many good things about social media that this video doesn't acknowledge; people meet other people, make lasting friendships, fall in love and the like, all because of social media. It's actually pretty amazing! And what's so bad about updating your status or sharing photos with people? Everyone gets so pissed about selfies and self promotion. I could write another post just on the subject of selfies, but I'll spare you. Instead I'll leave you with a couple of quotes. The first is from Ezra Koenig, the singer of Vampire Weekend:

“I’m definitely pro-selfie. I think that anybody who’s anti-selfie is really just a hater. Because, truthfully, why shouldn’t people take pictures of themselves? When I’m on Instagram and I see that somebody took a picture of themselves, I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ I don’t need to see a picture of the sky, the trees, plants. There’s only one you. I could Google image search ‘the sky’ and I would probably see beautiful images to knock my socks off. But I can’t Google, you know, ‘What does my friend look like today?’ For you to be able to take a picture of yourself that you feel good enough about to share with the world – I think that’s a great thing.”

I posted this quote to Facebook a couple of months ago and it was pretty nice to change some people's opinions about selfies. A friend of mine responded with this genius comment:
 "I really don't understand the hate for them. We spend all this time telling people to 'be who you are' and 'be different' 'believe in yourself' and the moment that someone tries to show the world what their own definition of them self is they get hated on for it? What other medium do you get to demonstrate to the world so easily, 'this is how I define myself, not how others define me'?"

Ok, so I know that some people abuse their selfie privileges, and others need to spend more time away from a screen, and kids need rules about when and how they should use electronics, but when you get past that, ain't nothin' wrong with passing the time scrolling through your phone while you're on the bus or waiting for class to begin or on your lunch break. And even when you're with friends/family I think it's A-OK to whip out your phone to document, as long as you're not being completely anti-social. It bothers me when people automatically assume that someone is completely disinterested if they're on their phone when out with a group. Usually when I'm with friends/family we're showing each other photos or videos or games when we pull out our phones, so it can be a really neat tool to strike up conversations. This commercial is spot on. 

Anyway. I'm obviously a child of the internet and I love it. 
How about you? 

Through another lens: Violet Short Photography

(Hey there! I'm jump-starting a new feature on the blog where I interview other admirable photographers. It's darn right helpful to get advice from other photographers and I'll need all the help I can get if I plan to reboot my business once we move next month. Today we have Violet of  Blythe Ponytail Parades.  Recently, she has been a very influential photographer for me. I love her work!) 

1. Introduce yourself: 

Hello, my name is Violet Short and I am a full time photographer and blogger in the Indianapolis area.

2. Did/do you study photography or have you had any special training prior to starting your business? How has this helped you? 

I actually went to college for Graphic Design and studied fine arts all through my life, but I didn't study photography per se. I did take classes about 4 years ago to really learn how to take full advantage of my camera. But other than that, I was self taught and helped by my friends. I think photography is one of those things that doesn't necessarily require a degree, but requires countless hours of dedication and trial and error to get it right. Of course having a degree is very helpful, but that can only get you so far. The real hard part isn't learning how to shoot, but mastering your on hand shooting.

3. Why and when did you start photography? 

I started photography shortly after my own wedding and seeing how beautiful my photographs were. I couldn't get over how much I loved them and at that point, I already loved photography and really wanted to delve in more. But my wedding is what gave me that extra push. Funny thing is I said I wasn't going to shoot weddings back then...oh well ;)

4. What type of sessions are you most confident photographing? What sessions are you still uncomfortable photographing?

I'd say I'm most comfortable with seniors or portrait sessions just because it's a lot less to think about. Posing one person, examining the light on one person, etc. is just a lot less complicated than multiple people. BUT, I do LOVE photographing couples. I would say I am very uncomfortable photographing young children or babies just because it's not something I do frequently and I have a harder time maintaining control of the situation when I am working with children. It's much more stressful and my hats go off to so many newborn/children photographers I know. You guys are amazing!

5. Tools of your trade:

I shoot predominately with my Nikon D800. I LOVE it and the lens that stays on my camera body 99% of the time is my 35mm 1.4. LOVE that lens. One of my best purchases ever! I also love my 85mm 1.8. Photoshop is my go to software for editing.

6. What have proven to be the best methods to advertise your business? 

Honestly, not much. I haven't spent a TON of money on advertising, but newspapers, magazines, etc are just not working out for me these days. Social media is the reigning king amongst advertising right now. So I'd probably have to say advertising through Facebook, my blog, & Instagram are my best bet.

7. What important tips do you have for other photographers who are thinking of starting a business?

Don't start with one photographer in mind to mimic. Start fresh and get your own style. Trust me, a photographer that looks like all the rest will just blend in with the crowd. Stand out and try something new! I'd also say, don't get too caught up in buying the very best camera body. Invest in lenses first. And lastly, shoot often and shoot in different lighting. Honestly, the best way to get results you want is to practice, practice, practice. So grab any willing model and start shooting. Everyone has to start somewhere!

  

8. Talk about a time that you had to deal with a difficult photo client. How did you resolve the conflict? 

I'm honestly pretty blessed with some great clients, but one issue that I run into from time to time is someone who will constantly try to get more and more out of you and overstep their boundaries. Be firm with people. Tell them what to expect before you do a session/wedding. Make sure you are sending contracts out to any potential brides so that there is no misunderstanding later on what they will be getting. Stand your ground and stick to your word.

9. Show us one of your photos that you're really proud of: 

Gosh, people have asked me that before and I am not sure I am proud of any of them but I do have some favorites. I really want to keep learning and never allow myself to be completely satisfied or content with where I am because I want to keep growing. With that being said, this shot is a definite favorite. It was taken at a wedding I shot in Japan back in 2012. The funny thing about is that there were so many problems with this image to start with. There was a couple of people standing in the background, there was a cord someone dragged across her dress at the last second, someone was standing outside the window, etc. And about 2 hours of photoshopping later, it was all cleaned up. Anything for the shot right?

10. Who are your favorite photographers right now? 

My mom (Jean Loper Photography) is my partner in weddings and she is always amazing. You can find her on facebook here. If I was getting married tomorrow, you better believe Shannon Miller would be my wedding photographer. I never cease to be amazed by her work!

See more of Violet's photography: 

website // blog // instagram 

p.s. I just discovered this hilarious video she made recently. I'm surprised at how hard it made me laugh! Love the ending. 

Bumpdate: 20 weeks

(Who else is tired of seeing these tan bricks as my background? I know I am. It's just convenient to take these photos at home right after church.)

How far along are you? 20 weeks 

Total weight gain: 12 pounds. Baby is the size of a banana. (Weird comparison, huh?)

Maternity Clothes? Mostly. 

Stretch Marks? No.  

Sleep: This week was a little tough, but I've had a couple of really good naps. 

Best moments: Ok, there are sooo many this week. 1) I have immensely warmed up to the fact that we're having a girl. 2) Holly and I talked about baby shower ideas. 3) She helped me register for baby stuff at Target. 4) She also lent me a bunch of her maternity clothes (including this denim dress). So nice! Shout out to Holly! 5) At our last ultrasound they inspected every body part of our girl and she's perfect. I loved seeing her spine and ribs- they look so cool. 

Missing anything? Not this week.

Movement? A little. 

Food Cravings: Chile relleno burritos. 

Symptoms: My back! I know this is just the beginning of back pain and all of you who've already gone through this are probably thinking, "Just. You. Wait. You have no idea what back pain is." 

Belly Button in or Out? In, but if I stand for a long time it gets more shallow. 

Happy or Moody? Moody.... 1) Monday was just annoying because I was tired and ache-y all day at work. 2) I'm still ashamed of this, but I was less than thrilled to find out we're having a girl. (Sorry, baby, I still love you, obvi.) I was more upset with myself for feeling down about it. 3) Ryan and I argued a little about the idea we'd use for the gender reveal photos. I could have planned it better, but it resulted in a sticky mess involving a flavor of ice cream I don't like and an annoyed husband. Ha. I'd say that the Best Moments outweighs all that, thankfully. And the photos turned out pretty cute, so. 

Looking Forward to: Baby shower preparations. I'm not too sure if we'll have it at the end of this month or the beginning next month- I'd like to have it before we move away! 

Gender Reveal

We found out today that we're having a little girl! Honestly, I'm still letting that information sink in. I hate to admit that I had a preference, but we were hoping for a boy. Does that make me a terrible person? Once we got home and reconsidered baby names, I started to get excited. It looks like we're keeping up the tradition amongst Ryan's siblings of having a girl as our first baby. Plus, a couple of my friends have baby girls, so automatic baby friends, right? I'm sure once I look through baby girl clothes on Pinterest I'll become even more excited :)