Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the moment you've waited for...

…or maybe not. But, you are here now none the less so why don’t you stay a while? I have figured out recently that writing really helps me decompress and work through some feelings that are hard to process for me. I also think that I like being open and real with my clients. I feel like if you can know me on a personal level, it helps me connect more. There are people in the “Photography World” that would clutch their pearls at this post, and honestly, I am tired of following the rules that everyone feels like I need to follow. There is no magic answer to getting clients, there are 57 thousand photographers to choose from, and I feel like I would rather be my real self than put on some mask of fake positivity all the time and have to keep that up. I am a real person, and to me, being a real person is more important than being an internet famous photographer. (Although, I would love to be internet famous….😂)

So, I decided to an Introduction Post. So you can get to know me, and I can break the ice. Over the course of the year, I am going to try to write at least once a week. Some things will be photography related and some won’t. Some will be Mom related. Some will be emotional. Some will be just about how I suck at being a girl, or a friend, or at adulting in general. Y’all ready? Buckle up, the hot mess express is about to roll into the station!

So first, a little about me personally….if you haven’t ever met me in real life, my name is Brynne Owen. I am from East Texas, and currently live in the tiny town of Brownsboro. Which I love. I have been married to my husband, John David, for almost 12 years. I met him right after high school 15 years ago, and I have been annoying him ever since. He is my best friend, the roots to my wings, my biggest supporter, the Type A to my Type B, my travel partner, and we have such a great time that everyone around us thinks we talk in code. We fight probably as much as we laugh, but that is just who we are as people and we have both come to terms with it! 😂😂 I have three amazing kids- Kenzi who is 11 and in 6th grade, Beckett who is 9 and in 4th grade, and our baby Jensen who is almost 5. I am a extremely proud Allstar Cheer Mom, Baseball Mom, and Dance Mom. They keep me hopping, on my toes, and running the roads. I love it. I am one of 4 kids myself, and I am so close to my family. We have a wild crazy crew and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I have been a RN for 5 years, and I work in Clinical Documentation specialist at a local hospital and I am obsessed with my job. I love it literally just as much as photography-so I am lucky to have two dream jobs that I enjoy.

Some things that I love. I love Jesus…he died for you and me. I love my kids, obviously. I love baseball…but, mostly I love the Red Sox. I love Boston, if I wasn’t so rooted in Texas I would pick up and move there right now. The city, the people, the atmosphere….I love everything about it and we go every year.. I love traveling with my husband. I love the beach….especially the beaches of 30A in Florida. Being by the sea speaks to my soul and calms my spirit. I could sit for hours in the sand and watch the waves roll in. It is one of my many happy places. I love raising my favorite baseball player too. Being at the baseball field in the summer, even when it is hot, even when it is raining, I love to watch Beckett play. Late nights and ballpark lights are one of the great things in life. I love being a cheer Mom. Allstar cheer is such a physically and mentally demanding sport, and Kenzi is all in. She spends more hours at the gym during season, she works so hard, and I love watching her. I have made some pretty great cheer Mom friends along the way and we love going out of town for Competitions and spending the weekend with out girls, the makeup, the hair, the amazing stunts, the dance, the tumbling….I love it ALL.I love fairy tales. I love fantasy stories. I love pancakes. I love my friends. I love going to the movies. I love sitting on my couch alone and binging on Netflix. I love bonfires. I love to read. I am a huge Potterhead and I have read the whole series probably over a hundred times in my life. It never gets old. I love staying up late, I am nocturnal by nature. I love a fire in my fireplace. And, I love my life. I have worked hard to get where I am, and I remember vividly a time when I prayed for what I have now.

I love photography…like, really love it. It has been something that I have loved from a really young age. There was hardly a time from about 7th grade on that you never caught me without a disposable camera in my hand. I took SO MANY PICTURES. I love looking back at them now. In high school, I took photography from an amazing teacher who helped me learn how to develop my own film and how to work in a dark room. It was amazing. I shot everything with a 1970s Minolta and it was the best. I started doing photography as an adult when I was a poor young married Mom who couldn’t afford to go have pictures taken as much as I wanted. I started with my Mom’s Canon Rebel and I sucked. 😂 BUT, it was a start. And from there, people started to ask me to take photos for them, and sent their friends to me. I kept taking photos of my own kids. My business was born and I hit the ground running. I had to learn a lot, I changed a lot, I made a lot of mistakes, and I shot a LOT of sessions. I grew, my business grew, and then……….I got stuck. Stuck in a place feeling like I had a job. Stuck in a place feeling like I was taking jobs that I didn’t love because I needed to make money. Stuck in a rut creatively. Stuck where I never shot my kids any more. Stuck where my editing list was so overwhelming that I put everything off until the last minute. Stuck in a place where I wasn’t happy. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck. I wasn’t happy. I was short with my kids. I was short with my husband. I was never home. I constantly had messages and texts and calls. I was miserable and I came VERY close to throwing the towel in and being done. I cried. A lot. I prayed. I talked it to death with my husband. And then……I changed. I started shooting things that made me happy. I started shooting my kids again. I started bringing all the magic things I see in my head to life. And all at once, I was happy again. I am so proud of my growth over the last year. And that whole story will for SURE be a blog post soon. Because, it deserves it’s own post. It’s a good one, I promise. :)

But, along with doing this blog once a week, I am going to incorporate my 52 week project, so I will be posting it along with it-whether it’s related or not! <3 So below, is a photo that I took last week that I am super proud of. Honestly, even if no one likes it, it speaks to me so much. <3

Again, welcome to my circus. I am excited to start this project-and thank you to all 4 of you for supporting and reading my blog! 😂

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All the Things Your Photographer Wishes You Knew💖

Let me start by saying by how much Photographers love being your photographer. We chose this profession to capture the precious memories, the snuggles, the kisses, the families, the growth, the chaos, and LIFE. It is one of the most rewarding jobs there is…and that is straight from my heart. But with that said, there are so many things that we, as Photographers, wish you knew. It’s easy from our side to get frustrated, irritated, hurt, and worried…..this is also a hard job. The world we live in is so very different from the one that most of us grew up in. Since the onset of social media, the world has become an instant gratification driven, sometimes selfish, and stressful place to live. Also, with the price of entry level cameras coming down, and the market being so saturated with photographers pretty much everywhere…..that just makes it that much more difficult for us. BUT, we persevere. :) I am a member of several photographer groups on Facebook, we share our images, we give each other critique, we answer questions, we help with problems, and we use it as a safe place to vent. So, I polled my friends to figure out what would be some things that they wished their clients knew….both about photography as a whole, and also about sessions/what to expect during them and after them. These are some of the things. Not all of these have happened to me, but a lot of them have, and some of my personal experiences. SO, please hear me out, take my words with a grain of salt, know that I am NOT trying to step on any toes, but I AM trying to educate people who may just not know the ins and outs. Buckle up kids….it might get a little bumpy…..

  1. First and foremost, I want to express just exactly how expensive it is to be a Photography Business Owner. Notice I said Business….not hobby. When you are a legal business, you must be registered. You must pay your taxes. You must pay for your business licenses. Photography equipment is borderline outrageous. I am not talking about a entry level dSLR. I am talking about professional level equipment. And, it always needs to be upgraded. Serviced. Cleaned. Calibrated. Then, there are computers that are powerful enough to run the programs that we need to run, the programs themselves, backup hard drives, off camera flashes, modifiers, wardrobes if you keep them, gas to and from sessions, I could go on and on. That doesn’t even begin to start to cover the cost of education. There is a very, very big difference from your friend down the street who is “getting into photography” and a professional photographer. It is so much more than just “pushing a button.” We spend so much time learning and evolving our craft constantly. So when you say, “Oh man, your camera is SO NICE and it takes SUCH NICE pictures!” That is like me coming to your house and eating your food and saying, “This is SO good, you must have SUCH a good oven!” Tools sure can help, but they aren’t everything.

  2. We can’t control the weather. We know that you have been looking forward to your day for pictures for a long time. We know that you took off for this. We know that your husband leaves back out for work in two days. We know that it throws a kink in your plans. We really do. But, the weather, especially in Texas, isn’t predictable. Sometimes, it rains. And as much as we would love to be able to have a quick conversation with God about turning it off and bringing back the sun….he doesn’t normally care about our plans. Also, please understand that we cannot shoot in the rain. Our very expensive camera equipment isn’t water proof. Mist/rain/water no matter how hard can ruin our gear. Not to mention, rain does NOTHING for your hair. Please don’t ask us to shoot in it anyway, and please don’t get angry AT us when we have to reschedule. There is really nothing we can do about it, and even if we were to shoot in it, it would not be our best work. So it’s a rock and a hard place for us….if we make the decision to call it, KNOW that we have talked and talked and talked to ourselves about it. We have checked the weather 4738978937492 times hoping it will change. And, we might have pulled out all our hair in the process. We don’t cancel lightly.

  3. Pinterest. How we have a love/hate relationship with it. We love to pin and get inspiration as much as the next girl. But, here’s the thing. Photography on Pinterest is a collection. A collection of a whole bunch of amazing photographer’s very BEST shots. It may be that particular photographer’s best shot of their entire career. You will hardly find two shots from the same session on there. Photographers are artists. Each one is different from the next. Copying is not something to be proud of in our world. But, more than that, when you bring us printed out shots from Pinterest that you want to try to replicate, you take all the artistic liberty out of it. Also, if you really look at most of those images, the locations are things that might be impossible to find in your area. Not the style of your photographer, the light might not be the exact same…etc. When you are picking a photographer, look through their work, their Facebook, their website…..then, pick someone who blows you away with THEIR work. Their style. And leave the Pinterest for recipes and wedding planning. Bringing 54 Pinterest shots to a session is really, really setting yourself up for disappointment. Pick a photographer that you trust to make amazing images. Photography is art.

  4. Be on Time. Please, please, please be on time to your session. While we understand that things happen and they might be out of control, please try your best to arrive at the time arranged. We schedule sessions according to light, and the later you are, the less we have to work with light wise. This is even more important if you are attending a Mini day. Minis are usually around 15 minutes long, and are back to back. So, when you are late, you cut your time short, and also possibly cut into someone else’s time that was on time. If you ARE going to be late, let us know as soon as you realize, so we can plan accordingly. It’s a good idea to try to be a tad early, to give yourself some extra time.

  5. Come with and Open Mind and Realistic Expectations. You know your kids better than we do. No matter if they are a camera show off, a runner, a crier, what have you….more often than not, you will know how they will be before we get started. Don’t get me wrong, my very favorite kids are the wild ones. Anyone will tell you that! But, if you know your kiddo is iffy with new people, they don’t like strangers, or they take a while to warm up-know what type of session to book. More than likely if you book a Mini Session with a kiddo who hates new people, they will cry the whole time, you will be frustrated, and the photographer will be left feeling like they failed you even though there is nothing that we can do if a baby doesn’t like like them. 15 minutes is a really short time. And sometimes, they cry anyway. It just happens. To be honest, I love crying pictures. Because one day, they will be big, and you will be left loving to look at those crying pictures and remembering how small your baby was. But, make sure to let you photographer know ahead of time that you little one isn’t sure of new people, so we can prepare ourselves.

  6. Wardrobe Matters. And it really can make or break a session. If you are having trouble, reach out to us, we LOVE to help you style the perfect outfits for your session! As a rule, try to stay away from busy patterns, matchy-matchy colors, and neon. Try to coordinate your colors as best as you can. Try to stay away from wrinkly clothes and clothes with stains on them when possible.

  7. Which brings me right into my next point….don’t come into a session with something that you KNOW you will be expecting to be photoshopped out. The phrase that probably makes me cringe the most ever is, “You can just photoshop that right??” or “Okay, now make me 30 pounds lighter!”. Literally, cringe. Because right there I already feel like I am not going to be able to meet your expectations if you don’t like the way you look. Believe it or not, I am not a photoshop wiz. I know some things, and I have learned a lot over the last year-but as far as REALLY manipulating the way something looks- I can’t really make it work. Or, it takes me a really long time. Basically, everything is not a super easy fix in photoshop believe it or not. Some things are, but some things just aren’t. Me personally, I try to fix anything in the shot I need to to prevent me from having to fix it in photoshop, most of my images come out of my camera pretty much looking like I want them to. Photoshop is for enhancement, not to fix things, as a rule. So, just keep that in mind.

  8. Guys, this one is right at you. We know you don’t want to be there. Your wife knows you don’t want to be there. I am pretty sure everyone in three counties can hear you griping about being there. But, a little secret? The quicker you cooperate and do what we are asking, the quicker the session is over and the happier your wife is. Follow instructions with no griping and I promise I will treat you like a King and get you home in front of the ballgame on TV before you can say, “I don’t wanna be here.”

  9. Under no circumstances is any real professional photographer going to give you “All the Unedited Files”. The RAW files. It’s not gonna happen. Each image that we make is a work of art. Would you go to a restaurant and tell them to just give you the raw ingredients and you would just go home and cook a gourmet meal for yourself? NO! You are paying for the final product. The same goes here. We market ourselves as a finished product. An experience. A piece of art where you are the star. So, please don’t ask us. It’s hurtful, and makes us feel like you don’t trust us as your photographer. And if you don’t trust us, you need to find and hire someone that you DO trust to capture your memories. That person is out there, even if it isn’t me. Or whoever you go to. On the same note, no, you can’t go through all the unedited photos and pick which ones you want us to edit. I know some people work this way, HOWEVER, this is not the norm. So, please don’t expect it. Trust me, we are not hoarding beautiful images from you to keep for ourselves. We aren’t keeping anything. I hear it all the time, “But there might be one that you think is trash, that I will love!” Not true. If I even remotely think you might like it, it’s going in the gallery. The only ones that aren’t included are not properly exposed, they are blurry, eyes are closed, etc. There are no secret hoard of images. I promise. Pinky swear.

  10. Don’t compare us with other photographers. But, also don’t badmouth other photographers to us either. Surprisingly, not a lot of people realize that most of the photographers in an area know each other. Most of them are friends. They all talk. So, more than likely, you are talking about their friend to them. Each photographer is different, has a different way of doing things, has a different price point, and so on and so forth. There is so much variety you can pick from. But, don’t go to one photographer and expect them to do things exactly like your last photographer. I promise they don’t do the same thing. It’s a tough business to be in without all of that. There is enough cut throat-ness, cattiness, and ugliness without pitting us against each other. We all try to band together as best as we can, so its a weird place for us.

  11. For a LOT of us, this is our second job. Some of us do it full time, or get to be stay at home Moms…but a big majority of us, we still work Monday-Friday. Just because we are a business doesn’t mean that we are available 24 hours a day. Not even 7 days a week. We are one person shows. Be patient with us, because we have work and kids and activities and places we have to be just like you do. We wear a lot of hats, and juggle a lot of things. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. And just because you see us posting on Facebook doesn’t mean we are available. Especially, really late at night. There is nothing worse about getting a message about pictures when you already can’t sleep because you’re stressed out and are mindlessly scrolling at 3 am.

  12. Respect our Editing timeline. Most of us will give you a round about time that it will take to get your images back. If your photographer doesn’t, ask them. They know what their turnaround time is running then. Don’t start messaging before that time is up asking about them. I promise, if they were done, you would have them, Me, for one, I love to get if sent off as soon as I finish it. I like checking it off of my to do list. So, if they aren’t in your inbox, they aren’t done yet. As soon as they are, you will have them. Editing is a process, it’s not the same as slapping an Instagram filter on it. And speaking of filters, DONT ADD THEM OVER OUR IMAGES. We spend hours getting them just right, and when we see a Instagram filter thrown on there, it’s like a slap in the face. It feels like a lot of work for nothing. I wish I had a good example to make you understand, but I can’t off the top of my head. It just hurts our feelings, so just don’t do it.

  13. Don’t just NOT show up for your session. If you need to cancel, please let us know as soon as you know you won’t be able to make it. If you wait too late, we won’t have time to fill that spot, and that is literally the worst. For some, that is taking money directly off of their table. We understand that things happen, because they happen to us as well, but it doesn’t take very long to shoot us an email or a text to let us know. And even more, PLEASE don’t sign up for a Mini Session spot unless you are 10000% you want to go, and are able to. Having a day of Minis planned and then having 5 people drop out 2 days before is a super bummer and there is no time to fill those spots in two days. We want you to be there, but just make sure you can before you commit and take that time spot from someone who might really want it.

  14. Don’t try to talk us down on pricing. I know that there are a lot of photographers that advertise 100 pictures for $25. I know. I see them too. I also see the quality of work they are putting out. Which is fine. Everyone starts somewhere. I get it. But, real businesses(you know, those legal ones we talked about at the beginning?), cannot make a profit off of that type of session. Photography is a business. And to be a successful business, you must be making money off your sessions. You can do all the free sessions you want, and be an artist. That’s fine. But, this is a business for me as well. I also feel very strongly that those said photographers have made people as a whole expect photography to be “cheap”. It’s not cheap. Good photography isn’t. You 100% get what you pay for. That all aside, don’t go to a photographer and ask for their pricing then tell them they are too expensive. Just because they are for you, doesn’t mean they are for the next person. Its okay for you to not want to pay what they are charging, but just tell them Thank You and move on. Don’t try to tell them “Well, so and so down the street will do it for $xyz…” If that is the price you want to pay, you answered your own question. So and so is the photographer for you….. You have to decide quality over quantity. And trust me, there are umpteen photographers around of all price points and all skill levels. You can always find someone for you. But, don’t ask someone to lower their prices. They are priced the way they are for a reason, based on their cost of doing business. Don’t expect your friends to give you a discount just because you are friends. Please. We love you, but if we gave all of our friends a discount, we would be back to making no money.

  15. We are human. Just like you. We get sick. Our kids get sick. Our cars break down. We have deaths in our family. Please don’t take it as a personal attack if we have to reschedule for things that happen to everyone. I know it’s not convenient. Trust me, It’s not convenient for us either. But, stuff happens. And it’s out of our control. Sometimes we go over our timeline for editing by a couple of days. Sometimes we forget to message or text or email you back. Sometimes we don’t post your sneak peek quick enough. Sometimes we fall short. But, I do ask that you extend some grace our way. Because I promise that Photographers put every bit of their heart and their soul into their job. This is why it is so hard. This is why we get hurt so easily. This is why we are so defensive about certain things. This is why we get frustrated. Sometimes, all we ask is a little (or a lot) of Grace. We are doing the best we can.

  16. Give us feedback! I can’t count how many times I send a gallery off and never hear a word back. Then I see them 6 months later and they tell me how much they love them. It is agony as a photographer to not know if you like your images or not. Even if it’s just a quick note back, give us feedback!

  17. WE LOVE OUR CLIENTS. So much. Literally, without you, photography wouldn’t be possible for any of us. We are thankful for you. We love being with your family. We love loving on your kids. We love embarrassing your teenagers when we ask you to kiss their cheek, knowing they really secretly love it. We love capturing all the most special moments in your life. We really do. You mean the world to us.

So, if you have made it this far…..gold star for you.⭐️ I know it probably wasn’t easy to read. But, I have figured out over the last year that communication, transparency, and education are SO IMPORTANT. Some people do things and don’t even realize that they have done the “taboo” because they just don’t know. So, I decided that I was tired of seeing people just gripe about these things in Photographer groups, behind closed doors. So, per my norm, I am throwing it all out there. If you have questions, feel free to contact me directly, I would love to explain anything or talk with you.

I love y’all. You are the best. You are loved. You are magic.

Love, Brynne✨

Why I took the word "Cheese" out of my vocabulary...

Good afternoon you guys! It's been a couple of weeks since I dropped the Price lecture on you, so I took a little break. Actually, let's be honest, I am not sure if anyone even reads my blogs...however, I love being able to use this as an outlet and a way for you to get to know me better. It also helps you understand some of the business practices I have, why I do them a certain way, and maybe why I have changed things recently. My shift in branding threw everyone off a little, including myself, and I am finally finding my feet again on solid ground. Going from trying to be an exclusive wedding photographer to exclusively a children's photographer is a HUGE leap. It's a big difference in money, it's a huge difference in shooting....it's just different. But kids are my happy place, and capturing a magical childhood feeds my soul, and makes all of the time and effort worth it to me. That passion that I have truly shines through when I am shooting things I love.

So, what does the title of this blog have to do with all of this you ask? I am about to tell you! <3

As long as I can remember, I have said, whispered, screamed, and chanted the word "Cheese" during my sessions. "Say Cheese baby!" "Cheeeeese" "Cheeseburgerrrrr".....because everyone wants that perfect smiling picture of their kiddo looking at the camera and sitting just right, RIGHT? Maybe. Or maybe they just think they do. But, let me tell you what they really need, and they don't even really know it. They need pictures of their kiddo being THEIR kiddo. Playing, rolling around in the grass, exploring, doing that precious little face that they make when they are thinking too hard, crying, and yes, laughing. But, saying cheese, or trying to force a smile out of a kid definitely doesn't accomplish that. I cannot believe that it took me 9 long years to really realize it. Kids are kids. They are really gonna do what they want to do, and if you try to force them to do what YOU want them to do, all while forcing a camera in their face and screaming at them.....inevitably they are going to cry. And then it starts all over, with a red blotchy face, and tear stained cheeks, and tear filled eyes. And that causes frustration in parents, and anxiety in babies. They don't understand, and they are SO overstimulated and they have NO idea who to look at or what to do. So, they cry. And understandably. 

So I decided it was time to try a new approach. Let them be little. Talk to them, interact with them, play with them....and magic happened. Since I have started that, I try to start every session by telling Mom, Dad and kiddo..."I am NOT going to ask you to smile." Sure, I get some weird looks, but I tell them to trust me. If I get smiles, I want them to be genuine. I want them to be real. I want them to emulate childhood joy and laughter. Because when you tell a kid to smile, that is NOT what you get. When they are older, grown, in college and you look back at the pictures on the wall of them looking curious, or running, or rolling around, or even CRYING...you are going to feel your heart clench up a little bit. And I promise you won't be upset that they weren't sitting perfectly, with the perfect outfit, in the perfect position, with the perfect smile. Because childhood is anything but perfect. It's messy, and crazy , and chaotic, and happy, and perfectly IMPERFECT. And those memories that I get for you, will be the ones that you look back on and smile and say...."Do you remember that time...?" Parents, relax and enjoy the ride. Childhood is gone in an instant, and the next thing they are grown with children of their own. Enjoy each season of their lives. Because you only have so many days with them. 

I have also tried my best, and WILL continue to enforce a "50 foot rule" for my parents. This simply means, stay back, observe from a little ways back, and let me interact with your baby! Sit back and relax. Take it all in. I promise I have a method to my madness, but when there is 4 people standing at all angles behind me all screaming "SMILE!!!", they really have no idea who to look at, and they get frustrated. I will give you amazing memories. Trust me to do that for you. Let me be the one to give direction, and don't worry if they are running all over God's green creation....it's part of the job description being a baby/kid wrangler. It's my favorite part actually. 😍 

As we move into summer...I find my calendar more full than it has been in a very long time. It makes me humbled and blessed that so many people trust me with their memories. I cannot wait to see what comes of each one. Also, there are LOTS of fun themed sessions coming in the Summertime, so be on the look out. 

I would love to hear from you what you think about this blog, leave a comment to let me know! Maybe I will realize that I am not speaking into the great vast unknown with no one listening! 😂😂😂

As usual, I love you guys! And I will leave you with some pictures that I didn't say Cheese on....

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Finding Light, even in the Darkest of Places...

Most of you have seen a pretty abrupt change in me in the last few months. And to be completely honest, if you would have asked me back in the fall if this is where I saw myself....I might have told you you were completely off your rocker. I was a wedding photographer. That is all I thought I wanted to do. And then, just like that.....I quit kidding myself, and made a change.

I didn't really tell anyone at first, it was slow, and pretty much testing the waters....but, each day, I got more intense, more excited, more passionate, and more clear about the exact path that I was supposed to be on. Slowly I started telling a few of my photographer friends about it. I have quite a few photographers that I am really close with, they are my biggest supporters, my biggest cheerleaders and some of my best friends. They kick me in the tail when they know I need it. They are my ear to vent to when something photography related has me frustrated and my husband just DOESN'T understand. We all bring something unique to the table. Some of them are super amazing newborn photographers, some are literally the BEST wedding photographers I know, some have been doing this a lot longer, or a lot shorter than me and they blow my stuff out of the water. Some of them have light and airy styles, some are more dark and moody like me. Some things are the same for us business wise. And yet, we are all different. One by one, I talked with them,( or they called me and told me to SPILL IT😂), and I realized that I have SO many people behind me. They have so much supported me while I have been finding myself, developing my style, and trying to find something that is undeniably me in this world of cookie cutter. Helped me start to develop a brand that hopefully at some point in the future will need no introduction, that the work will speak for itself, and that people will be able to point out just by my shooting style as a "Brynne Owen". That would be the coolest thing. This is truly a great community to be a part of. We all have those people that inspire us. All of my friends inspire me, and hopefully I them in some ways. Even if I am just the one they can call when they need to vent (Heyyyyy E!). They have listened to me cry, scream, flip out...but they also have made me laugh, take me on coffee dates, sometimes they just sit with me....not even talking about photography because we all need a mental break.

Most people don't realize all this about photographers. They don't realize that we are all friends, (for the most part...let's face it that I am not everyones cup of tea on a good day*shrug*), and that we all talk to one another. There are few people in this world that truly know what you are going through in life, when you are facing something hard. Something that you really don't wanna face because you know it will just cause unnecessary drama, a situation that won't change pretty much any way you approach it because people are people, somethings that are tough as a business owner, separating friendship and business (Man, that one is a HARD one.).....these are my sisters that support me through all these things. They keep me off the ledge. They read through RANT posts and tell me how great it is, but that I should just delete it and go on. They keep me sane. They make me laugh when I really need it. They take me to lunch and let me blow off steam when I am so frustrated that all I want to do is scream. They text me to check on me when they can tell I am in my own head. They message me to make sure I am good. And quite frankly, they help me resist the urge I always have to get a little tacky on Facebook from time to time....(don't act like you've never wanted to get tacky😂). And I am so thankful for them. So thankful for them. My friends. My sisters. My tribe. Trust me, you know who you are....especially over the last few weeks with my extra vent calls and text sessions. 

Don't get me wrong, I have friends basically in every aspects of my life, but these girls get me....and I say all that to say this.....

I am so happy that Kenzi has found her tribe in her Cheer Sisters. Her girls. Her people. I am so glad I got to use all of them to do a little fun project for myself to further my practicing on both shooting, and editing, as well as get to do something fun with them that we will have forever for them. They helped me bring something that I had been picturing in my mind for a very long time, to life. They are her listening ears, her support system, her sounding board....and I love listening to them talk. I love watching them laugh and joke and dance, and do muiscallys. I love watching them grow up together. Don't get me wrong, they fight like sisters sometimes...because, let's face it, there is SO MUCH SASS that I cannot even. And they all get it from their Momma's.  And I know the next thing I know they will be grown, and leaving for college...and I will be crying. But for now, I will enjoy this moment of chaos. And take it all in. Because, babies don't keep y'all.

Also, if you're in the Tyler area and are looking for a great home Cheer gym. Spirit of Tyler is our second home. We love our Hive, and SOT is the place to be! 

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Writing from Neverland...

Y'all. For the last several weeks I have wondered if this is my real life. Have I really been having as much fun shooting as I have? Or was I going to wake up and it was all a dream?

Words cannot really express how I feel these days. Joyous. Excited. Passionate. Enthralled. They all seem to fall short of how I feel. Since the beginning of the year, and the time that I decided to start making my own destiny again....life has been so much brighter. 

"Stop doing things that don't make you happy."

Seriously. It really is that easy. And it is also really that hard. It's hard to turn down money when you know you are trying to pay for your big shiny new house, and your kids extracurricular activities, and all that extra mess. But, at the same time it is absolutely LIBERATING. There is so much power in the word "No." Not a malicious no...a no which really means yes. Yes to spending more time at home. Yes to being able to make ALL practices and games for my kids. Yes to going out of town for a competition and not having to worry about having to miss for a wedding. Yes to being present in my kids lives. My husband's life. Heck, even my dog's life. It's saying YES to being able to go to Sunday lunch at my Grandmother's to spend time with my family and not having to rush off. Sometimes these yes's are so much more important than the one that would be agreeing to do something that I didn't really want to. And, for once in about 5 years...I am finally in such a happy place. I am ridiculously enamored. 

It has and IS somewhat scary making a leap of faith. Taking your business into a whole new realm...deciding to do something that really isn't offered in this neck of the woods. Something different, and out of the box of the photographers in the area. Not better, or worse, just different. The photography community here in East Texas is strong, lots of amazing photographers, lots of beautiful artists. And every single one of them is different in one way or another. But, when you kinda lean in a whole new way....ie darker more moody edits, more colorful and rich than your peers....you worry people will not like what you have to offer. Worried that they will not book, and they will not like your work. Because, as much as we all preach that we don't care what people think about it, we still do...somewhere deep down. I love making art that speaks to me and makes me happy, but there's also an air of worry that people will not understand, or think it's terrible. All my photog friends know what I am talking about when we don't get validation through comments on our stuff! Don't lie, you know you feel the same way! 😂

I used to be a "prop snob". And I hid behind the "I think they cheapen the photograph" and "I think they take away from my subject" excuses for a long time. Well, those excuses are both valid...and they can both happen...however, props done RIGHT can make magic. In the best way. Don't get me wrong, I do still love a simple portrait. I love capturing those. But, I am glad I decided that because some photographers in the world think it's stupid to do themed minis, or use props, or edit like I have been, that I don't HAVE to follow their rules. They are meant to be broken, and sometimes they completely hold you back. Sometimes being crazy is way more fun.

So, I have spent a lot of time photographing my girls, my friends kids, and some people willing to take a chance lately. This time of year is kinda slow, and I am hoping that is the reason people don't want to do my fun Minis 😂 But, I have even ventured out into trying a lens that I said I would NEVER use for portrait photography, and called anyone who did CRAZY. And, I am literally obsessed. It has taken my shooting to the next level. And I am so glad I decided to do something that might not work, and let it work it's magic on me. Cheers to growing and learning as a photographer and an artist for the rest of 2018....I can't wait to see where I am in a year. 

And for making it that far....here are a few of my recent faves with my new fave lens....😍😍👍🏻

 

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