Category Archives: Personal

Irreplaceable Moments

I sit here tonight and I am thankful for this life God has given me. I am reminded sometimes that life is short and we truly need to soak in what we have around us. So today on my way home from my Engagement session at almost 6pm – I stopped at the grocery. I bought filets, veggies, sweet potato fries, and a bottle of wine. I came home, sat at the island in my kitchen while sipping on my glass of pinot, and talked with my husband about life. About how it passes us by too quickly and that I wish I had more time to enjoy whats around me.

I am so in love with my job that it’s often VERY hard for me to tell people no. When I do, I feel guilty. At some point, I will need to make a change and that change is coming this summer. My goal is to only take in 3 shoots per week. To be completely honest – that probably won’t happen for a while considering all the ‘Grow With Me’ children I have booked for 2012. I will only be taking 1-2 more GWM babies this year. I just can’t fit anymore in my schedule. You do the math… 20+ GWM kids that will shoot 5 sessions per year. I want to make sure I keep spots available for Engagement and Family sessions as well.

I am so glad that God put me on this Earth for a reason. Although my impact on people’s lives may be small – I still feel honored to at least make someone happy a few times a week. My clients are so wonderful to me which is the reason I stay addicted to my job, Photography. The sweet emails and hand written notes in the mail, the kind gestures and referrals to their friends is what keeps a smile on my face. How could you not want to stay in this very moment forever?

Tonight I came home from my Engagement session and read this email….. which honestly put things into perspective.

Hey Jen

As you know a couple of months ago you photographed our wedding..all the pictures came out amazing but there was one in particular that has become very dear to me and Danny’s heart….I can remember going over the wedding expenses with Danny when we were first planning our wedding and him saying…”we don’t need pictures… I can remember it all in my head”. I think very often in life we are to focused on the cost of something and not the sentimental meaning it may have..This is something we learned quickly…Danny was very fortunate to have his grandma in his life..they were extremely close as she helped raise him…in the months before our wedding she was in and out of the hospital, but she recovered and was strong enough to be at our wedding. It was a great night and to be able to share with someone he loved so much was a blessing…Sadly a week ago to this day we lost our beloved “Tita” (that’s what they called her). Death is never easy for anyone and Danny has had his ups and downs, but there is one picture that brings him comfort…it is a picture that you took at our wedding..you have a gift that allows you to capture the most precious moments in life and that’s what you have done for him…I think if Danny could go back in time he would pay any amount just to have this picture….we just wanted to thank you for giving us this gift, something that we will always treasure..this pictures says more than words…thanks again.

Sylvia

(Danny & his Tita!)

Sylvia-

I can’t thank you enough for the email – you literally just brought tears to my eyes. I was just having this conversation with my Mom yesterday – no matter what it costs, I don’t mind spending money on quality photos that will document a special time my life.Whether it be marriage, babies or family – at some point in your life you will look back at those images and realize they have way more impact in the present moment than then did at the time you took them. Photographs truly capture the irreplaceable moment. Thank you for reminding me of this. Life is always spinning around us so fast and all of us are guilty of adding too much to our plates. I am looking forward to hopefully slowing down later on this year and not taking in as much work. Life is too short and often times were are reminded of this when we are least expecting it. Thanks again for sharing your heart with me! -Jen

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My cousin Courtney (CoCo) who lives in Sante Fe with her husband and 4 beautiful children suffered from a popped blood vessel in her brain last week. She remains paralyzed on one side and we are hoping with God’s will and some Physical Therapy she will eventually find her mobility again in her limbs. Please keep my cousin Courtney in your prayers. Once again I am reminded how sweet life is. Please don’t let it pass you by. Another reason why this summer…… no matter what the pay cut – I will be cutting back to live a more simple life.

(Me & Co) … scanned in photo so it’s not that crisp. She is so beautiful!!

I took this studio photo of Coco, her husband and 4 precious babies back in 2008!

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And so this is why I stay addicted to you all. I love all my clients like they are my family. Thank you Sylvia for helping to remind me how precious life truly is!

Happy Mardi Gras!!

Allison’s Twin Boy Baby Shower!

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Last week I had the pleasure of helping host a baby shower for my cousin Rob’s wife, Allison! The party was held at my parent’s home last Saturday! We were so excited when we first found out that Rob and Allison were expecting twin baby boys! We kind of ran with the theme of cowboys when we found the perfect invites online. My cousin Rob loved to come over to our house when younger and ride our horses. The cowboy themed baby shower only seemed fitting :) We had a blast making the decorations and getting some inspiration from the wonderful pinterest.com! I wish I had more time to be crafty because I LOVE IT so much!! It’s so relaxing and theraputic for me!

The very first time I met Allison several years back, I was instantly struck by her charming personality. So loving, sweet, sincere and funny! She’s one of those people you truly just ENJOY being around. She’s so thankful for everything you do for her, so positive. The list goes on and on. Anyone who knows her, knows exactly what I’m talking about! Having this party for Allison brought us so much happiness! We are thrilled for the arrival of Henry and James! They are going to be such handsome little boys!

Themed Shower Decorations: http://www.bigdotofhappiness.com/

Cake from Chez Rurene Bakery: http://chezrurenebakery.net/home.shtml

So, here’s the fun part, the photos! I loved all the details! Here’s a little documentation of our day…

Some of the food, just a little sampling of the healthy stuff ;)My godchild Reed!! :)Allison with her sister, mom and grandmother!Allison with her sister and cousins… all expecting!!Me and my Mom! Crazy how much we are really starting to look alike!Allison and her Mom!Allison and my Aunt Nancy, Mother in law :)Me and Allison!Allison with her the 4 ladies who helped host the party! Me, Mom, Aunt Lyd and Ms. Paula :)

The Amato’s :: Family

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So much to say about this session, where do I begin! This is my beautiful family that lives in New York. My cousin Tre married a girl named Jennifer and they had two gorgeous children. Yes, her name is Jen and she makes the 3rd JEN AMATO! ;) There’s myself, my sister in law, and then the Jen that lives in New York! We are so thankful to get to see them 2-3 times a year when they visit us here in Louisiana. Usually over the summer and then again at Christmas time! Tre & Jennifer’s kids are always so sweet and truly are a joy to be around. I was so honored to photograph their family while they were here in town for the Holidays. Jen always looks amazing with her cute little New York fashion, Alice is always in her pretty dresses and Tre & Jen joke about how little Jacob only wants to wear his sweats! Thankfully, he dressed up for his shoot and looked quite handsome!

I really enjoyed photographing my cousins while they were here in town, it was such a beautiful Friday! Tre, Jen, Alice & Jacob – thank you for allowing me to capture such a priceless time in your life. The precious bond between Tre & Jen as parents and the love for their children really shined through in this session. Alice & Jacob are at such a tender and innocent age that it makes me want to tear up! They have such a great sibling bond! While editing I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face, I would share every single photo if I could, I loved all of them!

Once again, I am reminded how blessed I am to be able to capture life on camera. A gift that I could never tell God enough how appreciative I truly am. My career has opened my eyes to so much within this big old world. Photography is what has help mold me into who I am today. I see life through a different set of eyes now, I’m so thankful for the little things.

As always, here are some of my favs:

2012 :)

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I have so much to reflect on tonight as I sit here and realize the importance of a brand new year. A fresh start always feels good, doesn’t it? My favorite number is 12, its the date I was married back in June of 2010. So I’m certain that 2012 has some special things in store!! Twenty Twelve! It has a nice ring to it. Last year I really learned a lot about myself. Anything is possible if you just stay focused. Sometimes working alot gets hard, but the rewards can be so sweet. I constantly remind myself that nothing comes easy! If you want to succeed, then sometimes sacrifices need to be made. After I got married, I remember saying how much I wanted to dive into my career. I did that and accepted all I had hoped and prayed for in 2011. I wanted to see what I was made of, I learned my strengths, my weaknesses, and everything in between. This past year was the busiest of my life. I photographed 26 Weddings and nearly 200 portrait sessions. There are days where I wanted to crawl under a rock and there were days where I felt like my heart was going to beat out of chest I was so excited, proud and happy.

I honestly think you have to go through certain life experiences to see what you are made of and what you really want in life. What makes me feel alive and what are the things that make me wish I had done things differently? I have hundreds of blogposts from 2011 that can put a smile on my face at any given moment. I have no regrets from 2011, I’d rather call them experiences that have helped mold me. As I sit here and reflect on what I want for myself in 2012 and the years ahead… I see the world a bit differently. Looking forward to slowing down and being able share more of myself. I want to spend more time with my loved ones in 2012. This means giving up some control and learning to listen to my heart. Sometimes you have to sit still long enough, then it’s loud and clear. I want to travel more, love more and take care of myself more. I want to FEEL. You ever just have the craving to FEEL life and experience it with every ounce of your being? Bliss, God’s Grace – whatever you want to call it! I find this in the simplest of moments. Being kind to strangers, laughing til I cry with my girlfriends, the way my husband looks at me sometimes, when my dogs are happy I’m home and when clients tell me they have tears in their eyes after viewing their photos. These are just a few examples of how I feel this feeling. There are days where I need to remind myself that I am more than just a photographer. Over the next several months I’m really going to try and concentrate on the simple things in life. I hope to share some of my experiences here with you. I have struggles just like many of you out there.

I am so appreciative of the support of my clients over the past year, the relationships I’ve made are priceless. Thank you to the clients who send sweet words after viewing your photos, who still follow the blog, who hire me as their Wedding photographer then again as their baby photographer, for the trust you have in me, the list goes on and on. You all hold a special place in my heart. I am so happy to have you all in my life. You are the main reason why I can still call myself a photographer after almost 5 years of business. Without you all, there would be no business. As each new year approaches, I still wonder how things will go and if people will continue to hire me. I sure hope so. If not, “God will provide in my time of need.” I feel like I say that to myself ALOT. It usually helps vanish any kind of fear of the unknown. No matter what, he will take care of me. There is a reason I go to mass every Sunday, I truly believe its gives me my strength for the week. Being human, I have doubts. I realize this could all be taken away tomorrow. I don’t have a boss that I clock into everyday. I am self-employed. As a self-employed person, the only logical thing to do was make God my boss. He’s where I find comfort and direction when I’m not sure what to do!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to each one of you. My clients, my blog readers, my family and friends. I will continue to grow over the upcoming year and learn a little more about myself and about this beautiful thing called life. I will continue to go through ups and downs, but as long as I have God’s strength I can do anything. I wish you all a happy, healthy, memorable 2012! I look forward to sharing my journey who you all ;)