The first time we applied to speak at PartnerCon, we didn't get picked. But we tried again... and the next time we did.
The first time we spoke at PartnerCon, we bombed. Fall on your face, bumbling through the words, fighting back tears, I can't believe this is happening, did I really just tell a "let's go into the darkroom and see what develops" joke...Bombed. I'm just thankful that there were only twelve people there to witness it. :) Because the first time we spoke at PartnerCon, we didn't do a good job at all. But we tried again.,..and the next time we did.
And right now once again, we're in a season of our business and lives with a whole new set of firsts....and a whole new set of "no's." But I try not to worry too much about the no's anymore, because I know that what counts- what really matters- is the trying again part. And that if we will just keep doing that, if we will fall down seven times but always get back up eight, it won't be any time at all before we can say: The first time we tried we didn't get everything we ever wanted.
But we tried again...and the next time we did.
**We are SO honored to be going back to where it all began, and speak at PartnerCon for what will be our fourth time now. There are no words for what PartnerCon has meant to us and to our business. But to put it simply: it was the entire reason we had the courage to go full time and start our business in the first place. If you have never been and you are thinking about going, don't think-just do it. I swear to you that you won't regret it. And if you just so happen to find yourself in our session, I promise I won't tell any lame darkroom jokes. Or at least I'll try really hard. :)
And if you haven't seen it yet, you HAVE to check out this amazing video the always incredible Ron Dawson made from last year's PartnerCon. And after that I know you're going to want to sign up, so head on over HERE to get 'er done!! :)
Bulldog, Arf! Bulldog, Arf! bow-wow-wow, Eli Yale!
Bulldog, Arf! Bulldog, Arf! bow-wow-wow, our team will never fail!
When the sons of Eli break through the line,
That is the sign we hail.
Bulldog, Arf! Bulldog, Arf! bow-wow-wow, Eli Yale!
As many of you may know, Mary and I are both Yale Alums. So I thought I was going to have to be really tactful with this one. Ya know, maybe NOT break out into our fight song before I even start writing the post. But I failed. Because really? We have a fight song that includes barking. And that is just pretty darn cool!! (In my book anyway!)
Um, yeah, moving on... It's that time! Time for the big reveal!
Massachusetts we bring you our latest Walk Through a Wedding with J&M workshop: Something Old, Something New, Something Crimson, and Something Blue! (And something that was way to long to put in the header!!)
We are super excited for this one! Because everyone loves a good rivalry right? And the rivalry between Yale and Harvard? It's pretty epic! The Game (a tradition since 1875!!) is right around the same time as the workshop so we thought we would have a 'lil fun with that!! Add in a dash of preppy seaside goodness and we have ourselves a recipe for workshop success! And we can't wait to get started! We have tons of DIY fun coming your way (just wait until you see what we have planned for favors!) and we have already been antiquing for some props to use for the shoot! We can't wait to see it all come together!! Email us to sign up (It's happening on Oct 7th) because we would LOVE to see you there and just like The Game, it's gonna be EPIC!! :)
Is anyone out there a Crimson fan/alum? If you are please feel free to drop some suggestions. We're a little skewed toward the Blue side of things over here and we might need a little help seeing our shoot from a different angle! ; )
I thought I would kick start this Wednesday with a little short stack of info for you guys! After all, spiced pumpkin pecan pancakes have been running around my mind since yesterday afternoon! :)
I get a lot of questions about what it's like working with J&M. Let's just say, the job I have is a dream come true. Two years ago, I was miserable. I would drag myself out of bed only to drive to work grinding my teeth wishing I were going anywhere but my little gray cubicle in a little gray office. In a complete juxtaposition to my old life, I woke up early on Saturday morning, jumped out of bed, got ready in a flash, turned on the Miley Cyrus station and bopped my way to Saltwater Farms. And I was happy. Scratch that, I was ecstatic. As I was driving along, I reflected on how awesome my job really is. My alter ego ...&J2 suits me to a tee and I couldn't be happier!
A lot of people ask me how it works, being the third person to such a dynamic duo. Just where exactly do I fit in when we are shooting? The short answer is, I look for a different angle. Wether it be getting ready, the ceremony, or portraits, I make sure I am not standing next to either J or M and I also make sure I am not in their shots! When all three of us are in the same place at the same time, we really do look kind of like a tripod! We move around each other pretty effortlessly creating what I like to think of as a 360 degree view of a moment. I try to keep in mind which lenses they are using and look for a shot they might not be able to capture from their angle or with their lens. I often take shots of "slices of life". Meaning the small moments that make up a bigger scene. A shot of the groom's hands as he hugs his new wife or the way her veil blows and catches the light. I really try to think outside the box. If Mary is shooting the bride sitting in a chair, can I grab a shot of the way she is crossing her ankles? What does the scene look like from behind the chair? I spend a lot of my time trying to see the scene in a different way. I test myself to find a beautiful angle that is different from the one Justin and/or Mary are shooting. Which quite frankly is not always easy!! But definitely rewarding when I see all three of our perspectives come together to tell a story.
Before I go to a wedding I try to get myself psyched up to find that different angle! Here's a checklist I go through in my head on my way to the wedding and as the day goes on!
1. Change perspective. I get low or higher up. I look for a balcony or stairwell I can use to grab a different angle.
2. Move. A lot! I move away from Justin and Mary so that my view of the scene is completely different from theirs. That way, I'm not tempted to shoot over their shoulders and grab the moment that they already have covered!
3. Be ready at all times. Some of the best moments happen when someone doesn't know they are being shot!
4. Keep an eye out for what is going on beyond the main event. Are the flower girls watching wide eyed? Are the groomsmen grouped together in an interesting way? Are mom and dad teary eyed as they watch their daughter take bridal portraits?
5. Don't be afraid to try something different! Shoot through something to set the scene. Are you at a vineyard? Try shooting through the vines. At a crowded cockatil hour, shoot through people to make the image more interesting!
6. Does a close crop convey emotion? Are the bride's hands telling their own story? Take the shot!
7. Ask questions! Sometimes, I'll ask J&M about what angle they would like to see covered that they can't quite get! At a recent wedding, Justin positioned me outside the doorway as the bride was getting ready. If I hadn't asked, we wouldn't have gotten that angle! And now, I'll always remember to consider that option!
8. Above all, have fun! I used to be nervous about handing over raw files if I wasn't sure the composition was good or if the lighting was a bit different than the typical J&M style. I am learning, slowly, to trust my judgement! The more I experiment and have fun, the more I learn about myself as a photographer and about light and how my camera works!
Here's a recent example from Becky & Tay of finding a different angle and working it! :)
Check back in this afternoon! Because we are ready for the big reveal of our design board for the Massachuttes edition of Walk Through a Wedding with J&M... and we are psyched! :)
I love waking up to the cool crisp scent of Fall. Love walking out to the car and feeling my cheeks flush and prickle as the wind rushes against my face. Love the crispy leaves that crunch under my feet when I work in the yard. And raking? Raking is my favorite Fall activity! I love forming gigantic piles all over the front yard and then scooping them up and into bags. I have to fight the urge to jump into them yelling at the top of my lungs! Ahh, Fall. Kinda makes me wanna go buy a new backpack, marble notebook and some number 2 pencils!
And as I sit here, in the sweltering 85 degree weather I can't help but dream of Fall. Of ordering a steaming hot caramel coffee instead of an iced cold half caff. Of going for a run without being accompanied by a dull heat headache. Of putting the Air Conditioner back into the basement and fighting playfully over the thermostat. Yea, right about now, I am dreaming of a cozy and comforting Fall. Full of oversized sweaters, spiced pancakes, and decadent scarves.
Here's my picks for must have comfort this Fall!
1. Gorgeous jacket from Anthropologie! Somehow it manages to be sophisticated and whimsical all at the same time. Love the shearling collar!
2. Yummy boots also from Anthro! How cute are those bows?
3. Flannel pajama bottoms from Arie by American Eagle. If I had my choice, I would never take them off! Maybe I'll have to talk to J&M about having a REALLY casual Friday :)
4. When I was in elementary school we LIVED in oversized men's sweaters! This year, I'm bringing it back! Who's with me?!? This uber cute one is from J.Crew 5. Definitely on my wish list! I found this Marc Jacob scarf on Piper Lime 6. I VOW to have a working fireplace this year. The glass has been broken on ours for almost three years now! Yikes! I like the clean lines of this one from Home Depot 7. Ummm, Spiced Pecan Pumpkin PANCAKES!?!? YES PLEASE!! From Williams-Sonoma 8. This is sort of an October pick but I'm so excited I can't leave it off the list!! Mike and I go pumpkin picking at Jones Farm every year! We go all out, drink cidar, eat donuts, ride the tractor... we DO IT UP!! And I can't wait!!
9. LOVE a comfortable beanie. Add a touch of sparkle? It's double nice!! Roxy makes this cute little number!
So what is your go to Fall comfort wear?!?
Do you like me? Do you want to be my friend? Check yes or no
It's me, Julia, checking in while J&M are off "coasting" their way to relaxation. While they are off taking a well deserved rest at Cedar Point, I thought I would start the day right- with a full recap of the Nashville edition of Walk Through a Wedding with J&M. We brought you a sneak peek right after we got back and now that Style Me Pretty has featured it, we're going to go ahead with the big reveal!
Ever since we took Justin & Mary's "Spread The Love" Tour through Nashville, TN last February, we have been looking for a reason to go back. Then, when J&M worked on the Style Me Pretty wedding with Chase Rivers and Sarah True this Spring that sealed the deal: The next "Walk Through a Wedding" workshop HAD to be in music city!! And it HAD to feature biscuits from The Loveless Cafe. We started our design board with biscuits in mind and after brainstorming a few more ideas, Mary had an epiphany. In the movie, Stranger Than Fiction, Mr. Crick (an IRS agent) brings Ms. Pascal (the baker)... flours. And our theme was born!! I mean come on, how cute is that? He brought her FLOURS!!! A design board quickly followed.
We love a detail oriented weddings, so we made sure to plan out everything for this one!! We thought our theme was coming together pretty nicely and were pretty psyched for our workshop. And then, the first day we were in Nashville, we stopped by Cedarwood Mansion. And I‘m not going to lie, Justin, Mary, and I, all three of us walked around gasping, pointing, and just about fainting, because Cedarwood? Yea, Cedarwood is perfection personified. We couldn’t have dreamed up a better location for the workshop we had planned. Linda & Karen at Cedarwood are amazing and instantly started throwing ideas into the mix. And just like that we weren't just psyched, we were bursting at the seams!!
Thank you to our fabulous attendees! You guys blew us away with your enthusiasm and genuine willingness to learn!! We feel blessed to know you! Next time we're down in Nashville, we'll have to get together for some biscuits at The Loveless Cafe!! : )
We love putting these workshops together but we can't do it alone!! A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring our vision to fruition!
Karen and Linda put together this AHHH-mazing alter for us as a surprise! How awesome are they?!? And the vintage truck? Cedarwood seriously has everything!
We used whisks as place cards and stuck them in a vintage crate full of flour. The recipe garland and mason jars added to the festive mood we were setting for the rest of the "reception". Cute little whisk tags courtesy of Invitations Ink!
We love to have our bridal parties do something unique. So we put together this photobooth to have something to play with! We also put together a table nearby, utilized the truck and had a few props like bowls of flour and utensils for the bridal party to have fun with!! It instantly made the images just a little more fun!!
A few scene setters and a delicious head table covered in flowers by the phenomenal Chase Rivers!!
More gorgeous details. The hanging mason jars were already there!! How beautiful is Cedarwood?!? More flowers by Chase!! GORGEOUS! And our aged recipe cards cards hung with care! And um, Tiffany? You are STUNNING!!!
A different perspective of the head table set in Cedarwood's beautiful barn!!
Loveless biscuits!!! A sweet dreams table with cherry cobbler served in jars and jam for the guests! Cute little tags by Invitations Ink! They seriously came through for us with less than two days notice!! We can't thank them enough!
Sigh....
Our favor table! Pick a flour! :) And Jonathan looking every bit the dapper groom!
If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out the behind the scenes video by the amazing Eugene and Heather!
Also be sure to check out the rest of the images Here!!
We had so much fun working on this one, we can't wait to show you what we have up our sleeves for the next one!!
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