Somedays youre pleasantly suprised

Some days I worry and adjust and adjust some more.  I dont think I have ever had a session that just totally didn't work but I have had ones that contrary to all my worrying and fretting I get it right.  This day was one of those days!

When I arrived at the meeting place to follow this couple to his farm for their engagement pictures I assumed (yeah you know the definition of that one haha) that his farm was in our little town but I quickly realized that wasnt the case.  We drove and we drove and we drove some more.  And the further we drove the more I began to worry that we were not going to have enough time to do all the things she and I envisioned for this session.  When we got there I told them we were really short on time and we would have to double time it to get the session in before sunset.

We started in a wonderful pine thicket that had a road made of pine needles.  The light trickling thru the trees was awesome!  I gave them my little "act like I am not here taking pictures and just look at each other lovingly" speech and we were off.  He was a little unsure as to what to do but you certainly cannot tell it when you see the images!  They were so stinkin' cute and such fun to work with!  We moved from the pines over to the barn with some pretty cool farm equipment and found the most glorious light as they leaned on some pieces of equipment that I know not the names of!  We rushed off to the side of the lake and at every turn the light took on a life of its on.  I was too stressed to fully appreciate the beauty of what God was giving them (and me) that day I just wanted to be sure to get all the things incorporated into their session that she wanted and deserved.

We came back up to the barn to do some shots with one of the big hay bales and for them to change into their hunting gear.  Once the sun starts setting it doesnt waste any time nor does it wait for anyone.  We got some sunset shots in but not as many as I wanted to I told them to hang tight for a second as I ran to the car and got a new piece of lighting equipment I had just gotten and wanted to try out to see if we could finish the session up or if we had run out of light.  Well, the new softbox changed the look and mood of the images and we shot for about 20 more minutes of such awesome sunset shots and I was dancing and singing (some of you will know what that means haha!!).

It wasnt until I got home and uploaded the images and starting going thru them to find my first sneak peek that I began to realize just how wonderful the session truly had turned out.  I put up several sneak peeks but I have wanted to share more of the session ever since I completed all the edits.

The following are my favorites from the session and I truly hope you enjoy!  I wish Katie and Shane all the best in their future lives together and hope I get to "shoot" them again!!

You can just feel their sweet love for each other in each picture!!  Thanks for viewing <3

Every now and then you get it right

This is my life.  Right there in that picture above these words.  My reason for existence and my reason for breathing.  Noone ever told me you could love with such depth.  They never explained that you can have the highest highs and the lowest lows (usually all in the same day).

Whenever you are young you are just simply clueless.  You can't wait to grow up and be an adult so noone can tell you what to do.  You think your parents are complete idiots and you just want to be your own boss.  I wonder why that is?  Because when you reach the age of enlightenment and you figure out that the times you thought those thoughts you would give anything and I do mean anything to just go back and be that age again.  Everything you thought you knew are laughable now and you just wish you could be that carefree kid again with no worries about a mortgage, a job, a constant cloud of worry and doubt all hanging over your head.

Enter Tim & Dawn pushing a baby carriage.

First came love, then came marriage, you know the rest.  Enter those 3 beings pictured above.  Exit sanity, solitude, funds, and my heart.  Never would I have guessed I could experience this feeling and much less be blessed with it 3 separate times.  3 different (completely) kinds of love.  Each of them has a different relationship with me and I feel completely different about each one but none is more or less than the other.  I simply cannot imagine life without them.  Period.

I am writing this intro completely from the heart.  The depth of emotions is immeasurable and the range is vast.  There has been love, joy, peace, completion and that is following swiftly by fear, sorrow, failure, doubt.  Never a truer statement was made than whomever stated "they don't come with instructions".  Ha!  You ain't kidding.  I have failed so many times and there is nothing worse than feeling you failed as a parent.  I just hope and pray they don't feel this about me.

My three reasons for living are almost all grown now and time is swiftly approaching that they will have their own lives and that may or may not include me.  I must learn to accept that and I must learn to do and be something without them.  I pray I can be a part of their lives.  I wish we could be closely knit forever but that's up to them to decide.  But for now I am savoring the last 2 months of my youngest's senior year of high school and his final sport of that 12 year long career.  I repeat the same thing he and I said before his football season began last August..."If it doesnt begin, then it can't end".  Could it never end?  Could I just stop time?  No? Ok then I hope the next chapter is worth the sorrow of the last one here.  I have cried alot of tears this year for sure.

I have watched my youngest finish high school, saw my oldest reconnect with her high school sweetheart and get engaged then married and move over 800 miles away and is now expecting my first grandchild.  My middle has started on a path of her chosen career and it's been bumpy but she is hopefully on the road to a fulfilling career.  So many changes.  My husband and I met and started dating 30 years ago this month.  You seriously dont realize how fast 30 years goes by until its gone.  Geez.

This year is guaranteed to bring so many events our head will swim.  I see lots of travel in my future.  I have pictures to take people!  I cant wait to see her belly start to round and see the love bloom in her eyes when she realizes the love I discovered 24 years ago for herself.  I expect to watch as the middle one learns her new purpose in life and I will see the youngest find his next step in life either with or without his beloved sports.  Only time will tell in all counts but I cant wait to experience all these changes.  Oh and never fear I expect to capture all this as I love to do best (on digital).

I am after all, a photographer!

Thanks for joining me in this journey called my life.  Stay tuned to posts about exciting and memorable sessions that I have that I would like to show you a grouping of images and maybe tell you a little story about them at the same time.  I will throw some of my personal life in there too I am sure and every chance I get I will show some behind-the-scenes and I love to show some real-life bloopers too so beware I love to capture funny moments!!

enjoy! -dawn