Sing Photography Untucked

Nate the Great!

I had such a great time spending the day with Nate and fam! Read again here about the cool stuff we are up to with Nate and his family on May 3rd. I am really excited about the fun offer we have put together at Sing Photography for your help in the Autism Speaks walk. Now is the perfect time to sign up for a photo session. Be sure to send this on to all of your photography loving friends as well. I am ready to be totally booked with these sessions and happily gifting to you all some gorgeous custom storyboards!!!! 

And on with our day! I am always so tickled when friends choose me as their photographer. Makes me happy and a bit nervous as well. Because I want to go into the session open minded and ready to capture my subjects as they are, and I don't want any ideas I have to get in the way. I love to just go with the flow. So, anyway, I hung out with Tina, Nate and Sam to capture them a they are right now. Nate is loving life and super busy. We read books, ate pancakes, played Candyland, made a tent, took a bath, I could go on and on. We are making a 10x10 custom album from this session. A Day in the Life of Nate. At the age of 3 1/2. I am currently designing the album and will definitely show you here when it arrives. Can't wait to get it in my hands! Enjoy a small peek into our day......

Nate is such a happy dude! In the second shot, we were playing peek a boo.....

I wub this series below so much.......

And below, Nate was caught in the act. Tina said everyone had been wondering how books were making their way off the shelves after bedtime. Well, mystery solved. Nate pulls the bottom shelf out, climbs on the dresser, gets back on the bottom shelf and jumps across to the bed. Pretty sneaky.....

Cuddling with mommy and daddy......

Happy Easter!

Enjoy your day!!! xoxo, Amy 

  

Spring Breakin'

Happy Spring Break folks! I am signing off here for about a week and wanted to say bon spring before I go. I will be checking email a couple of times while on break, but no blogging, no computer and gonna step away from the t.v too. I need the detox and am looking forward to it. I am pretty much caught up on editing and client orders have been sent or processed. Yippee! This break happens to coincide perfectly with The Artist's Way group I am in. As there is a week where a complete media break is suggested. Even a break from books as reading can sometimes be a form of escape in the same way as tv, computers, email, etc. The premise is that with all of these someone else's words, thoughts, images and ideas are being put in our heads. And we can get to where we aren't listening to our inner thoughts and ideas. I'll let ya know how it goes and if I come up with anything insightful. I'll admit, at first I pretty much became somewhat irritated, restless and angry at the thought of it. But, now that it has had a chance to sink in, I am excited. And have had some fun ideas and plans and projects just at the thought of it. 

I enjoyed my camera this morning as I walked around our yard to welcome spring. I tend to live in the big ideas part of my brain, so stopping to notice details can be pretty good for me. From the looks of the weather forecast, looks like today may be the only glimpse of spring we see for a while. And a nature photographer I ain't, but here are a few from my wanderings........

Ahhh! Moss growing on garden accents makes me happy.......we have kind of an English garden motif going on around here.......

Irises are lovely.....

As is dew on grass....

And these....these are lovely too.....

I love that life is so big that it can burst through concrete. Here is a bit of green pushing it's way through cement.....

Ok. Gotta be real here. After such a wet, cold and yucky winter. Which came after a hot, and draught filled summer. We have some garden projects cut out for us. Can't lie. We really have kind of a Boo Radley yard motif going on. Here we have the flower bed at the mailbox. Weeds have taken over. Time to get to de-weeding and planting. Not gonna this week. Just spring breakin.....

And lots of algae and muck to clean from everywhere after all the rain......

Enjoy your week! Let me know what you are up to. Peace and love! Amy

Autism Awareness Day.......

Today, April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. Recently, my close and long time friend Tina and her family were told their almost 3 year old little boy, Nate, has autism. Tina's grace, spunk, sense

of humor and love for her family since the diagnosis has not waned a bit since then. Tina's courage struck a chord as my youngest sister, Lindsey, was diagnosed at a time when we didn't know as much about the condition.  Every year advances are made in autism diagnosis and treatment, helping not only the children but also their families. One organization that I believe in which makes positive strides is Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Tina asked if Sing Photography and my family would support them in  Autism Speaks - Walk Now For Autism , without hesitation, I said YES! The event is at Atlantic Station on May 3rd, we all will be part of Nate's Warriors - our team of over 30 walkers. 

Read on below for your own opportunity to give to a great cause and get something cool in return......

Book your photography session between now and May 3rd and $100.00 will be donated in your name to our Nate's Warriors Autism Speaks Team. Also, sessions booked by May 3rd will be gifted by yours truly.... a 10x20 storyboard from your shoot. ($225.00 value). To get in on the donating love, your session should be purchased by the May 3rd walk deadline. Email amy@singphotography.com to get booked! These special sessions have until 7/1/09 to be done. Feel free to forward this post on to anyone you feel would be interested!

And here is a photo from a recent session I had with Nate and family. I'll be blogging more soon. Love this shot of Tina attacking Nate with some tickling. This pretty much sums up their silly and funny selves....

 

NAPCP

That's right! NAPCP folks!!!! This is the online place to be and be seen if you are a portrait or children's photographer. Our industry so needed a place such as this and I know they will be integral in setting standards, raising the bar, helping to answer questions, making friends and so much more! I so wish NAPCP had been around when I was just starting out. Heck, I've been a member for about a week and have learned a great deal myself. If you are a child or portrait photographer, or are in the process of starting your business, you have to join. Simple as that. Head over there and say hello. The forums are friendly and way informative. Besides all the forum learning you get, NAPCP will be hosting image competitions and will be keeping you informed of all of the up and coming workshops available and anything else in our industry you would ever need to know! 

Alicia + Dorian = Engaged!

Oh man! Did I have an amazing time with the gorgeous Alicia and Dorian! We got together recently for an engagement shoot lovefest and they really brought it. Alicia and I hit it off with a bang from our initial emails and phone conversations. I love that! Alicia and Dorian are such an easy going, graceful and unpretentious pair. Their wedding is really going to be such an intimate and stylish celebration. I am looking forward to photographing it and am honored to be capturing their big day in September. Really hard to pick for the blog here. I am just closing my eyes and choosing....... Enjoy!

So, Dorian is a really creative and talented videographer. He had some amazing input and ideas for shots and I loved his thinking. But, that also means he is used to being on the other side of the lens. Alicia and I had all kinds of fun getting him to warm up for the camera. And he really did......

I just happened to love these shoes Alicia had on. And they were a gift from her mom.....

Alicia will be such an amazing bride. My job will be easy.....

change in plans....

causes me to torture the dawg. These rainy weekends are bringing about quite a few photo session switcheroos. The session on the books for this morning was moved to tomorrow. In the meantime, the change in plans had me just wandering around trying to decide what to with the day. I will edit a few sessions sure, direct Marty while he hangs some pictures, play with the boys and maybe organize a closet or 2. But, I just spent part of the morning enjoying my favorite past time. Aggravating Lulu. Lulu has lots of places around the house she loves to curl up in. Recently, we have been finding her staking claim to the boy's bottom bunk. It's Garrett's bed. He loves to find her in it. At 10 years old, it's perfect for her. The mattress of the bed actually rests on the floor so she won't throw her 10 year old Basset Hound back out jumping on or off of it. Here is what I found during my morning wandering.....

Awww, all asleep and cozy listening to the heavenly sound of the rain on the roof......

I don't have to explain this look do I? She has spotted me and knows I am there to annoy her.

But, she is used to it and just goes back to sleep. Those scars on her nose are from a vicious dog fight she was in. Did you see it? It was on that FOX show...."When Bassets Attack." Not really, it was from her putting her nose where it doesn't belong. She was bitten by a spider. It was horrible. She is sensitive about it now. It ended her modeling career.

I like to position her ears just so.....

Sometimes I try out different arrangements. Lulu is very happy the scrunchie is no longer in vogue. I used to pull her ears back in a scrunchie. She looks cute in a bandana too.....

Ok, I'm leaving now. But not before I adjust her ears to my liking one last time....

Happy Saturday everyone! Hope you are enjoying a lazy rainy day. Stay dry, take a nap or enjoy a book! xoxo, Amy

The Incredible Beck Family

Aaahhh, the Beck family! What to say about these 3 that their photos can't already tell you??? We met up on the most lovely spring morning for our session together. They showed up ready to have fun and up for anything. So, pretty much how they show up every day in their lives. There was all kinds of connecting and trust going on in our session. I came away renewed and refreshed just by hanging out with them. Thank you Wendy, Mike and Devin for spending your morning with me. Hope you love your portraits as much as I do. Here are a few for now...the rest will be ready soon......

Devin has to be the coolest almost 6 year old I know. And really handsome too. And full of personality. And very expressive......

I don't think I've ever mentioned it here, but I had been on brick wall hiatus. I decided to bring the brick wall out of retirement because the Becks looked so darned great in front of it......

Wendy's name for Mike is "tasty". This is what I got when I called Mike "tasty"......

Wendy is just as gorgeous in person as she is in her photos. On the inside too. I wanna be like Wendy when I grow up. She teared up when I was photographing Devin. You get extra bonus points from me if you are so caught up in the moment you tear up during our session. 

I love photographing Devin. He loves the inside of my lens.....

Then he and I hung out and talked Legos for a while. And it was a pretty serious discussion......

They still got it.....

Mi Famiglia

Because a full weekend of rain caused photo session rescheduling, there is an interruption in the normal client session updates. Here are a few of my own family snapshots for ya......

The killer springtime weekend Atlanta had a week ago of course found us Hunsingers dying to get outside and about town. And, of course I had my camera with me and I am tickled at how we came away with our own family photo session of the day. We hit some of our favorite places. Started out by grabbing sandwiches and picnic goodies at Belly General Store, then hit our favorite park (The Cunard Memorial Park), and after the park, headed over to get ice cream at Jake's at The Irwin Street Market. 

Picking out goodies at Belly....

Then to the park....

This shot below makes me all kinds of happy. Self family portrait with camera held out in front by me thanks to the 16-35mm 2.8 lens.

And after park time, some ice cream. I had red velvet cake. Looove Jake's!

Garrett enjoying his iced animal cracker flavah....

Both boys love my camera. Garrett took these next 2. He is currently in his extreme close up phase...

Thank you Jack for the photograph below.....

And thanks to Marty for catching these of me torturing Garrett with kisses......

Cool Quote.....

Happy Sunday! Hope all is well and right with you today. Our inspirational minister this morning during church used a quote that made me sit up and smile. Now, I ain't trying to teach, preach or anything else here. I simply dig when words speak to me and kind of propel me forward a bit. I love quotes and how the right ones seem to pop out at me at the right time in life. Coming upon one is always a great way to reflect on thoughts or feelings in a way that maybe I couldn't say myself. This quote is from Helen Keller......"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved." 

These words caused me to breathe in deeply today. Now, seriously, there isn't any trial and suffering going on over here at the moment. Been there, sure. Will be there again, we all will. But just for today the trial and suffering part speaks to me in a way of living out loud. Not staying safe or in "ease and quiet". Like being messy and making mistakes. Becoming active toward a crazy goal or dream that has felt too scary to mention. Really listening to small inner voice ideas that feel perfect but may not be the way the neighbors or others would go about doing something. And doing it anyway, just because it is right for me or me and my family. These kinds of realizations are so cool because they make me less judging or critical of how others are going about their own lives. Also, that when I do go for it and live authentically, people are really loving and accepting. I often am my own toughest critic.

Now, I also don't have any big ol' earth shattering or crazy news to tell ya to go along with such a dramatic post. I am on class 2 of The Artist's Way class this evening and am headed there in a bit. It is a 12 week course that is a journey in getting rid of blocks, listening to your authentic voice and on and on. It is a course that is perfect for me this springtime! I am noticing a theme running through my life lately of dusting off the cobwebs and listening to myself and getting out there and going for it. Whatever it may be. Messy mistakes and all. Here's to developing character!