Monica June Photographers

Today… this makes me smile:)

Monica — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:01:59 +0000

The image below (and the b/w version of it) is for me and me alone. Well, ok, you too, if you need a smile. I was shooting a family session and we heard squeals of delight… squeals that could only come from a little girl having the time of her life. I turned quickly to see and this is the image I caught. Daddy looked on protectively with a smile on his face, watching his princess dance and play to only the music of the water and her imagination. For me it speaks to innocence and purity, the unabashed joy with which children play. These have only been slightly adjusted (I think I like the color one better than the black and white), but it made me stop as I was editing and smile.

So… today… when the wind is howling and the weather would lead me to believe that a storm is on the horizon, these images make me smile. The little girl reminds me of my own little girl (who isn’t really so little anymore) and the joy that little ones find in simple things. Simple things like playing in a fountain even if you’re not wearing a swimsuit, of putting your face straight down into the water and letting it blast over your cheeks until they’re numb, of soaking up the sunshine and of wearing pink, because that is just what every little girl does. Today, there is something about these images that make me want to abandon “adulthood” and go jump in the fountain with her, running and jumping and playing , until the water washes all my cares and worries away.

Today, I hope you run and jump and squeal and dance. Let the water rush over you. And, of course, wear pink.

Michelle and Scott – A Wedding

Monica — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:26:05 +0000

Sitting at a Christmas party, a friend asked how my photography was going. We were quickly joined by another lady – “My daughter is getting married in a few months and they don’t have a photographer yet. Can I give her your information?” Ummm… let me think… SURE! Thus began a new friendship - I met with Michelle and Scott a few weeks later and instantly liked them. They are very down-to-earth, genuine people and Scott clearly absolutely adores Michelle – he was as into making sure I was the right photographer for them as she was. I love it when grooms care that much about the details! Anyway… I knew their wedding would be fabulous, and it was! They deserve a much longer post (and it is coming), but in the meantime, here are a few of the fabulous Michelle and Scott…

With a setting like Rainbow Lodge, a groom this handsome and a bride this beautiful, there is no choice but for a wonderful wedding!

I love it when couples choose to do a “First Look” – the moments following their first look were some of the most tender I’ve seen. (I have to confess that I got a bit teary-eyed just watching him look at her!)

See what I mean about tender and teary-eyed?

I love, love, love this image – the flare, the gold overcast of the sun, Michelle’s smile – love.it.all!

The handsome groom again

Seriously… I can’t pick a favorite!!

Ok, I lied… this is one of my all-time favs – the sun gives the perfect glow to this image.

Scott and Michelle – it was totally my pleasure to be able to capture this day for you! I hope you love your images as much I loved being a part of your day!

Sneak Peek for Amy and Peter… An E-Session

Monica — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:57:32 +0000

A few months ago I got an email from Peter to save the date… the occasion… his proposal to Amy!! I hid in the bushes like any crazy photog would and captured some of the sweetest moments ever – Peter even had Amy’s parents fly in for the occasion! They are such an incredible couple with incredible hearts – for each other and for others! It has been such a joy to be part of their story and I can’t wait for the wedding.

Anyway… about a week ago was their e-session. Talk about global warming. NOT! It was 33 degrees outside and so cold! Amy and Peter were totally troopers – we started at the Sculpture Garden in the Museum of Fine Arts and then made our way to the Houston Zoo. Enjoy the sneak peek of a few of my favorites! With Amy’s red hot shoes and warm donuts for “The Donut Man” from Shipley’s, it was a fun time!!

Amanda and Bill…

Monica — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:21:51 +0000

Amanda and Bill met at church, at a campout. Over the next few months they would cross paths several more times. One day, Bill asked her on a date and the rest, as they say, is history. A story of sweet redemption and second chances. Starting over and blending families. Their wedding ceremony was a worship service and the reception was an intimate gathering celebrating all that God has done in their lives and believing for all that He is going to continue to do.

{On another note, between insomnia and an ongoing sinus infection, my blogsite has fallen to the wayside a bit. I am trying out this slideshow format – not sure what I think – I would love for it to be larger. As a Pictage client, this is their new slideshow offering. It is still in beta, which I understand means all of the photog clients are trying it out and a new version will be released in time. However – I am so excited I put a slideshow on my blogsite – html and copying and pasting makes my eyes cross and my head hurt – so this was no small feat. Woo-hoo for me!}

A Mom and Her Girls…

Monica — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:00:48 +0000

Mali has a smile that lights up the whole room – from corner to corner – seriously! Her laughter is infectious and it carries over to her girls! Their smiles are just the same as is their penchant for laughter! What a joy to spend the afternoon with these three sweet ladies – the weather was a bit frightful with gray, misty skies, but their smiles, oh their smiles! I think you’ll see what I mean! Mali and girls… thanks for letting me document your smiles:)!

Amanda and Bill

Monica — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:15:45 +0000

When they met, Amanda and Bill were both single parents with hearts looking for a new home. Short conversations at a church campout and then on a church cruise, led to longer conversations and then he came over to help her install a ceiling fan. That led to a date, which led to another date and another. They quickly realized that their hearts had found new homes – each other’s! Amanda is one of my dearest friends and it is has been with tremendous excitement that I got to watch all of this unfold. Photographing their wedding is definitely one of the hardest that I have done – it is pretty hard to see through tear-filled eyes. They were tears of joy most definitely! Here is a sneak peek with more images coming soon!

The new Mr. and Mrs... CONGRATULATIONS!!

Happy New Year!!

Monica — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:52:50 +0000

Happy New Year…

We celebrated by enjoying some great food, (Carribean Black Bean Soup and Taco Soup) lots of friends, fireworks, and fun!! We didn’t all make it to midnight, but the neighbors woke us up every so often with fireworks and hooting and hollering as they ran up and down the street!!

A new year is such a gift – a chance to start over, to make new goals, to do things differently, and to move forward cherishing each moment!! As I mentioned in my previous post, I try to have a theme each year. Last year was so crazy that I couldn’t tell you my theme if my life depended on it, which, thank goodness it doesn’t! This year, however; my themes are focus and living intentionally. I love to be busy and have lots of things to do, but I have allowed myself to be pulled in many, many directions. While none of my activities are bad things, they are not all moving me toward my goals, assuming I have goals and actually remember what they are (can I get an amen – anyone else there??). So… this year… as part of focus and living intentionally, I am committing to writing down my goals, measuring each activity against those goals and determining what needs to go away!! While I am still doing a bit of, um, soul-searching to narrow down my goals, (I’m thinking that if focus and living intentionally are my themes for the year, probably having 57 goals isn’t a good thing!), I do know that developing laser beam focus for my business is in the top three! I am splitting my brands and will have a children/family division called “Little Yellow Lemon Tree” and my main brand, MonicaJune Photographers, will be devoted to weddings and events. Be watching for a blogsite makeover and new logos and new packaging and more… I’m so excited about the upcoming year!!

Another reason that I am excited about this year is WEDDINGS!! I love weddings and almost fully booked for the year – there are a couple of spots left in the summer and a couple in the fall, but other than that, I have my hands full with weddings!! I.LOVE.WEDDINGS. Seriously! In a big way! And speaking of weddings, I’ll be shooting the wedding of this couple tomorrow…

2010… A Chance to Begin…

Monica — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:21:11 +0000

Yes, that’s a picture of my carpet. Over the weekend I got this crazy idea that it wouldn’t be so bad to steam clean my own carpet. Yes, I know. Totally.Completely.Crazy!! But now I’m done and it is such an amazing feeling – I keep walking over the carpet and I think to myself – “There’s where I got that big spot out.” “Oh there’s where Wyatt spilled red gatorade - look, it’s gone now!” However silly it may sound, I actually feel really proud of myself! So, what does carpet have to do with 2010?? So glad you asked…

Each year, internally, I like to come up with a theme. Something to give me focus, to reflect back on and measure how far I’ve come. Well, 2009 has come and gone as though I were a set of bowling pins and a champion bowler sent a bowling ball about 100 mph down the lane and got a strike. Seriously. I feel that blown away by the last year. An introspective old soul, I have asked myself, “What did I accomplish this year?” “Did I do well as a mommy?” “Did I do good for those who needed it?” “Did I love my family and friends freely and unconditionally?” I think you get the point. Well, this year. Ummm. I know it came and went. Fast. Too fast! I didn’t enjoy life the way I should have. I’ve been so anxious for the new year to start! A chance to start over, to regroup, to collect my thoughts, my dreams, my goals and move forward. A chance to say goodbye to the messiness of 09 and begin…

My carpet looks brand new. Ok, well, almost brand new. 2010. A brand new year. A chance to set new goals, to wipe the slate clean, to reach farther and higher, to love more freely, to dream bigger. 2010… A chance to begin.

long time, no post…

Monica — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:41:42 +0000

While I have been capturing weddings, children and families for over six years now, I am new to the world of promoting my business online. Sometimes keeping everything balanced… motherhood (and all that goes with it) and photography (and all that goes with that) is daunting to say the least! I am in a tremendous learning curve as far as streamlining my workflow, improving my shooting and editing skills, marketing and growing my business and more. Reinventing the wheel is not what I am after – “borrowing” from others is definitely my first choice. Imagine my joy, yes JOY, when I discovered www.thesavvyphotographer.blogspot.com.

There are links to workshops, templates, and soo… much more. I haven’t had a chance to dig in really deep and find all the goodness that is there, but… I can’t wait to do just that!!! So… if you are into photography, you really need to check them out!!

And because a post is just boring without a pic… here’s a favorite from a recent session…

I love her curls and her eyelashes and just the simplicity of this image - she is just delicious!

Totally Rad… A Little Secret

Monica — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:53:25 +0000

I have a dirty little secret, well, really it’s not dirty, but I use Totally Rad actions (http://gettotallyrad.com/blog) on my images to tweak them, you know, add just a little extra. Well… the creator of Totally Rad Actions has a new set coming out -”Dirty Pictures” and I want to win the set! Don’t worry, I don’t really want truly dirty pictures, I just want the actions that will add a little summin, summin to my pictures. Soo… the contest goes like this – create a blog post showing how I use the current actions with a link to the Totally Rad blog and I could be chosen – i.e. I win the “Dirty Pictures”:)!!!

Take a peek at some befores and afters of a sweet little one that I captured this weekend…

The after is shown first - notice how the color just pops right at ya - sweet, huh?

Before is on top, after below - the eyes sparkle and the black and white just pulls your eye straight to her eyes!

This image is fine just like this - great color, composition, decent lighting, etc...

But look at it now - I increased the contrast while it was still in color, ran "Lights On" and then "BAMF - B&W) - isn't it gorgeous now?