Lens Flare Photography

Hello! I know it’s been a long span between the last Moms post and this one. May has been such a busy month and that’s a wonderful thing, but I get behind on blog post. I have so many exciting things going on all at once that I can barely keep my head on straight! This next Mom is near and dear to my heart. I told you a lot of these ladies will be people I know because I couldn’t find all strangers.lol I have a few strangers coming up in the line up and funny thing is after I photographed them..we’re no longer strangers.lol I love meeting new Moms!

Just some things I have been thinking about lately…..If your a Mom out there that feels like you can’t ever accomplish a goal you may have set out long before your kids or you have this awesome talent you feel will never be noticed. Well, I can tell you from experience that you can do anything you set your mind too. Don’t let anyone tell you different. Having the title “Mother” is one of the greatest honors, but Moms still have goals and dreams to fulfill. Don’t count us out because we may have a baby on one hip and a toddler running around behind us acting crazy, but don’t underestimate us! We pretty much rock!

Beth blows my mind with her many talents. Not only is she an excellent cook, but she can bake some pretty awesome cakes! I have watched this woman go from making roses to sculpting cars! Like really? That’s a God given talent. What I love most about Beth…she knows that and lets everyone else know that she is extremely blessed. Gah! Love this woman to pieces. This is Beth making a cake for her friend…all of her love and time goes into everything she makes. This is my Beth…she is a beautiful woman and a wonderful Mother.

Ash and Dan…doesn’t that just sound right? It does and it feels right too. Ash is a very good friend of mine and Dan doesn’t know it yet, but he is kinda stuck with me now. When I got a call from Ash that she met this super great guy…I of course asked her 21 questions and he basically got my approval. Even the tone in her voice was different. I can’t explain it, but when you fall in love and you know it’s right…you get giddy. She was like a giddy little school girl. If she had a notebook… Dan’s name would be etched all over it with hearts.lol Ash and I chatted over lunch a few months back about her plans for the future. Dan and Ashley are expecting a beautiful little baby girl this summer and I can’t be more excited for them. Life happens right? You don’t always plan everything out, but I believe God allows things to happen for a reason. He blessed Dan and Ash with this super awesome gift and it just so happens they wanted to spend forever together. So, I threw around some crazy idea to get married before the baby comes and of course Ash just giggled at me.lol

Well, when she contacted me to photograph her wedding!!! Uhhhhh! I was shocked and of course I shrieked a few times. I can’t  take all the credit for putting any ideas in Ashley’s head for  these two crazy kids to get married, but I just laid it out there for Ashley and told her what I thought. He loves you….you love him…let’s go buy you a dress and go get married under that tree.lol That’s what friends do…they tell you the truth and they don’t waiver. A real friend extends their hand out to you and says “hey ..this is what I think and no matter what you decide..I love you…oh and I get to photograph your baby because I love babies.”  I’m so funny. Laughter has always brought us together so we joke around a lot and please excuse my dorkyness.lol  I love that girl a lot and from the very moment I met her I knew we would be friends. She is just a happy stinking ray of sunshine when she enters the room. EVEN when she is having a bad day..she sucks it up and still puts on a smile. I know that she knows that  this is her fairytale coming to life and it’s funny how sometimes you never feel you will have your fairytale. You will. This is what you dream and hope for…this is the kind of love Ash deserves to have and Dan is the perfect guy to give it to her. I couldn’t be more happier for her and Dan. This wedding made me smile and cry at the same time. I don’t even know if words could express the love that I felt during their ceremony. I won’t get all descriptive on how the wind so perfectly blew her hair as they professed their love to one another or how Dan cried during his vows. Nah! I won’t go there because I find that a little cheesy to go that in depth with detail.lol I will say that lump in your throat that rises when you feel the love between two people and your heart smiles for them…I believe everyone felt that. Gah! I am in tears while I write this sappy blog post. Okay..moving on. I will let the photographs below show you the sweetness of this day. Congrats Ashley and Dan!

He is singing to her…sooo sweet.

Ash and Dan from Sheena Ratliff on Vimeo.

I decided that today was the perfect day to start my 30 Moms…30 days project!  Happy Mother’s Day! I thought it was also very fitting to have the first blog post be about my Mother! Now, these photos may not be of her in her element so I didn’t follow the rules. Her element would be in the garden or driving along the beach in her convertible. You could also find her in the backyard playing baseball with my son CW or bouncing little WL on her knee and singing to him.  If I can capture one photo my Mother would actually like of herself then I need a medal because as beautiful as my Mother is to me…she hates being photographed. So, with a lot of crazy faces and a lot of laughter…I finally captured a few photos I know she will love.

I am very thankful for my Mother and everything she does for me and my little family. When I need her to watch the kids she is right there to lend a helping hand. When I am running out of formula or diapers…she has always supplied me with extra without me asking. She always says that when you become a Mom you never stop being a Mom. This is true. I may have never understood it till my first born, but I get it. Even though I am across town and taking care of my own family now…she doesn’t ever stop mothering me. She is a constant encouragement and the only constant I have had all of my life. When other’s have failed me…she has not. I won’t say that we have always had the perfect relationship because we have had some moments through life where we drove each other nuts. I think that’s pretty normal when it comes to Mother and daughter relationships.   I have to give credit …where credit is due. I am the person I am today because of the love and support my Mother has given me.  My kindness and giving nature comes from my Mother. I am my Mother’s child.

My Mother bought me my first amateur camera in hopes I would use it to photograph my kids one day. Well, we didn’t know it, but just a few months later I found out I was pregnant. I loved my little canon rebel and I NEVER imagined being a photographer. NEVER. I just had a blast taking photos of all my friends and family. When I started my business and was considered a photographer…I didn’t even want to utter the words. I was very humbled and still in disbelief that I could have such a title. To me “Professional Photographer” is HUGE and not a title for just anyone. I paid my dues and along the way had the encouragment of my Mother to keep at it and she even helped me purchase my first professional camera body. Was this really happening? God has blessed me with this gift and now I get to bless others with it. Amazing! I still get teary eyed thinking about it.  It all started with my Mother wanting to buy me a nice camera and for that I am so grateful to her.

Thank you Mom for not only being a wonderful Mother to me, but also my friend. I love you.

I am sitting here at the computer snickering over what I am about to post. I’m such a dork, but that’s okay because these new favorite dorky friends I have… totally get me. Basically Allison begged me to photograph her wedding in Orlando this November and after I told her to get up off the ground because she didn’t need to beg…I said “Yes!” Okay, not really. I am so very funny and she is laughing out loud over my last statement.  I have one common bond with these folks that stands out above any other and that’s The Office. Do you need anything else in common with someone? No. Do I need to explain why I enjoy their company so much. No. The Office. Bam! That’s all you need to know.

I think I might just narrate while you view these images. I think it’s very fitting to do so and so we shall begin. Enjoy!

PS. To enhance the story I will be fabricating on a few details, but nonetheless it’s a true story.

Scott picked Allison up at Publix. He was the Assistant to the Regional Manager. She was just a lonely cashier.

After Scott swept Allison right off her feet and into the cart. He took her to his trailer down by the river. He promised he would fix up the place and build actual stairs to their future love nest. Allison was in after that and fell madly in love.

Scott was sure to warn Allison that once she was his woman..she would have to bleed blue blood and they would have to wear matching jumpsuits.

Allison went through vigorous training to become a baller..shot caller. Scott was impressed and so he proposed.

They ate lots of ice cream and frolicked on the beach. To be continued November 2011…..

I  bet your wondering what is up with that title?  Some pretty exciting stuff ! I love to look around at other photographers blogs and check out what’s happening in their area. Well, I came across Justin Hackworth’s blog about a year ago and loved what I saw! He started a project called 30 Strangers that was inspired by Bill Wadman’s365 Portrait project. Seeing that I just had a second kid last year..the idea was nice to think about , but nearly impossible to do pregnant or with a newborn at home.

Well, this year I believe will be the start of a pretty exciting project!  The people that I truly can identify with at this stage in my life is other Moms. Moms that maintain the house and make sure dinner is on the table every night. Moms that even go off to work and face all of the challenges of taking care of children when they come home from a long day. This is reality for a lot of us…don’t you agree? Who is with me!?  I want to come right where you are or you can meet me at the produce stand! I want to come to your house or meet you at the park with your kids and photograph you. Yes! You! That’s right Mama, your beautiful and strong. Your the glue that holds the family together. You make this world a much better place. 

 I am not looking to take glamour shots… so no feather boas or flashy clothes are involved, but if you do housework in that attire..I am gonna say your pretty sassy. If your kids happen to be running around in their underwear with a cape on( I have no idea who would ever let their kid do that!?)  then I may grab a few photos of them as well. I will post up a few portraits at a time and explain how the session went. You have to be willing to let me post these photographs for the public. Not all of them will go up, but I will say two for sure unless I capture so many amazing images in that 30min session that you become just one blog entry.lol  So…you getting excited yet? Details below!

I need 30 Mom’s to volunteer to have their portraits made and my session fee of $150 will be waived. The only catch is that I am asking for a $35 dollar donation to be made to Jenny’s Light. I will be happy to mail in the check for you or if you want to go online and donate… I can give you that info.

I want to launch this project May 1st in celebration of Mother’s day coming up! I know that I won’t be able to get away with booking all complete strangers, but please don’t be upset if you see a few Mama’s that I am tight with grace the pages of my blog. You may even see my beautiful Mama posted as the first entry! You never know! Just know that I am VERY interested in booking Mama’s that I don’t know too.  If you know anyone who is interested send them right here to this blog. If you are interested! Email me Sheena@lensflarephotos.com. Not everyone will be chosen, so please do not get your feelings hurt. Alright Ladies…..spread the word!