Mandy Mary Photography

The Face of an Author

Mandy — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:29:54 +0000

When you read a really good book do you ever pause and wonder about the author? How did he or she come up with that plot, that twist and those characters? Maybe you go a step further and wonder what the author looks like. I do. I always have a picture in my mind. Of course, what an author writes usually has no correlation with how he or she looks. Often the only picture we are given are the words the author has penned. There is something so revealing and intriguing about seeing the person behind the story.

I had the privilege of photographing author Carrie Nyman. Her current book, Why Aren’t You Sweet Like Me, is engaging, thought provoking, entertaining, and bottom line, just really, really good! Seriously, you need to check it out! She’s just wrapping up another book that I can’t wait to read. I really respect a person who can tap into the human experience, add imagination, and then articulate it on paper in such a way that it touches the lives of those who read it. Carrie is just such a person and author.

Live It Now

Mandy — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:31:43 +0000

In my last post I briefly mentioned the poem below. I think the poem accurately sums up the beauty all around us in the little things…the little moments that we so easily pass by or don’t make time for. Or the moments we miss completely because our priorities are skewed. This ties in very closely to my personal objective in life – “Live each day passionately.” It is hard to be truly passionate if one is overly worried about things that won’t matter in the long run. Sometimes people think passion is all about being loud and fast. But honestly, passion can be lived out just as intensely in the quiet and the still. This quiet intensity was a concept I truly began to understand in acting class in college. It is just as true in life as it is in art.

This poem is the voice of one who has lived life and missed many of these precious moments. The self-imposed lack of freedom to live uninhibited in the joy of the moment is indeed something to sorrow over. To hear one long to go back and relive a life already spent makes me circumspect – if I am not careful I’ll come to the end of my life and have the same longing. So I heed these words now and attempt to remind myself daily…each moment is a precious gift from God that I can never have back. Stop, be free, soak in the beauty, live passionately!

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment, realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more “I love you’s” and more “I’m sorry’s”

. . . but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute . . . look at it and really see it . . . and never give it back.

By Erma Bombeck

Fleeting Moments

Mandy — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:56:09 +0000

Pregnancy is such a wonderful and difficult time all at once. A little human being is so integrally a part of you and dependent on you and yet so much of it is out of your ability to control. It is exciting and scary, energizing and draining, and in the scope of one’s whole life, a fleeting few moments that should be cherished and remembered. I know from personal experience that the days can feel very, very long. But Erma Bombeck so aptly reminds us “that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.” I was honored to take pictures of just such a miraculous time in the life of this beautiful mama. Can’t wait to meet her wee one!

Wild Inspiration

Mandy — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:19:15 +0000

It just wasn’t working. I didn’t have the gumption or motivation. And then I stumbled across just what I needed, the permission of sorts to do what I really wanted to do from the start! You see, I’m a portrait photographer. I love a beautiful landscape, a good macro, or wildlife capture. But people are what fuel the fire of my photography passion. As I mentioned a bit ago, I’m doing Project 52 – a picture a week. I tried to compile themes and words of inspiration for my weekly shot. But it wasn’t happening. And worse yet, I vacillated between not caring or being frustrated. Then I realized my problem, I was shooting objects. And while there has been and will be a place for me to practice certain creative and technical technique on objects, this just wasn’t proving to be that season. I want to take pictures of people! And then I found this site. In their own words, “You Are My Wild is a weekly portrait project that brings together 14 photographers to document how they see their children.” YES!

I’ve loved taking pictures of my little girly. And now I have a little fella that I’m addicted to! I already take a ton of pictures of them so a project of this nature would flow nicely into the current rhythm of my life. A combination of all that I love best! So it is decided. A weekly picture of one or both of my children (or some aspect of their lives) will be the subject of my Project 52. And technically I haven’t missed any weeks (yes, I realize this is the end March) because I’ve been taking pictures almost daily since December.

But there is a glitch. I don’t want to overwhelm you with my motherly exuberance over my two little loves. Herein lies another brilliance of the aforementioned website – 14 photographers equals a lot of kids. Now, say, if I had eight kids this may be a different story. But I don’t…and won’t. And 52 separate posts of my lovelies just seems like a lot. So I will be posting quarterly. Four times this year I’ll show you what I’ve captured each week.

And how does this do anything for me as a photographer you ask? (the perks to the mom side of me are obvious) While photographing one’s own children does have its unique set of challenges and benefits, one can never get too much practice capturing the perfect moment in the lives of growing little ones. As a baby, child, and family photographer I’m always looking for fun and unique ways to capture those precious moments that come and go in those young lives so quickly. So why ignore the two littles I can practice on weekly? They will keep me on my creative and technical toes!

Project 52

Mandy — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:29:22 +0000

Last year I attempted to take a picture a day. Not of anything specific or thematic – just a picture every 24 hours. I tried to make it interesting but that didn’t always happen. When it was 11:55 PM and I was so tired I could barely brush my teeth, I did things like slow-the-shutter-waaaaaaaay-down-point-at-a-light-click-and-move. I did find it was a good exercise in challenging my creativity and eye when I remembered to take a picture during human hours! Then pregnancy happened…enough said. So it ended up being way short of 365 days. Way short. I briefly – for only a fraction of a second – considered trying again this year. But the reality of a newborn quickly made me reconsider.

I’m thinking a picture a week is much more manageable but still accomplishes some of the same goals. I’m also thinking that if I am limited to one picture a week that I should have some topic or theme to guide my choice of subject. Here are some 52 week projects I found around the web that I’m considering (note – some of these links are for lists from past years. I don’t care about the year, only the list of ideas):

Here is the 2011 list from MCP Actions:

There are some pretty extensive lists in there so I should be able to pull a few ideas out and create my own list. I will let you know when I get it all compiled and pretty! And because I can’t have a blog post without a picture I leave you with a moment from some fun in the snow!

Here and Gone Again

Mandy — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 22:22:24 +0000

If you’ve been following my blog you might have noticed that some things are missing – like all my posts from 2013! Due to an unfortunate technology glitch outside my control (the love/hate relationship with all things electronic continues to be fueled) all my posts were permanently lost. Instead of spending hours recreating it all (another small glitch – didn’t know I could be backing up my posts) I’m doing a truncated all-in-one summary of some highlights. So here I go…

Like my blog posts, I kind of disappeared for a good portion of 2012 because…

Pregnancy and I don’t seem to get along too well so I ended up being on partial bed rest for a majority of the pregnancy. But every second of it was worth it when our little boy finally arrived – right on his due date!

It is so great being a family of four! My little girly, who no longer seems so little with her baby brother by her side, loves helping out every chance she gets! I now have a permanent burp cloth/pacifier/diaper/wipe fetcher! They are already fast friends inspiring many smiles and giggles in the other.

I am very excited about being able to finally dive back into photography. Of course I take pictures of the kids all the time and they have even inspired a few personal projects. But I’m super excited to be available for my clients again! Looking forward to all that 2013 holds!

Baby Boy Bundle of Joy

Mandy — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:27:17 +0000

My most recent post was a maternity shoot. Well, that little bundle of joy arrived and here is all his adorableness!

Baby on Board

Mandy — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:19:02 +0000

It is always so fun to photograph such a special time in a woman’s life. Pregnancy isn’t always easy (I’ve always been jealous of those girls who feel great and run marathons throughout their pregnancy!). But as Erma Bombeck artfully said, “Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment, realizing that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.” Isn’t that a lovely perspective to have? Here’s a few pictures to celebrate this little miracle on the way!

Beautiful Babies

Mandy — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:19:58 +0000

I’ve been taking it slow this summer…really slow. But I just couldn’t resist popping in and sharing a few photos from some recent newborn shoots I’ve done. It has been the summer of little girls and each one has been so precious!

The Story in the Clothes – Colorado Springs Wedding and Portrait Photographer

Mandy — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 02:06:11 +0000

When dressing for a photo shoot it is easy to feel that you need to “dress up” or put on that outfit you hardly wear – it doesn’t fit quite right but it sure is stunning.

But in truth, while the outfit may be nice, it may not make for the best picture of you and what you are trying to communicate or capture. Here are some things to consider:

Be comfortable! If you don’t feel comfortable in your clothes you won’t look comfortable and that won’t give you the photography results you are hoping for.
Be confident! How you feel affects how you look so feel stunning in your outfit! If you feel like you look good you will look good!
Be consistent! Wear an outfit that is representative of what you would normally wear. Doing a drastic style shift for a photo won’t help you or others remember you as you were.
Be colorful! This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to dress in bright colors and big patterns. It does mean don’t be afraid to shine! Your clothing is a reflection of you and your personality. If that means your big personality likes to wear bold colors, go for it! But it also means if you love neutrals, stick with that palette. An easy way to add pop is through jewelry. An ordinary outfit can come alive with the right accessories! But always remember, ultimately we want the focus of attention to be on your face.
Be considerate! If this is a group photo, you don’t want to be the one person standing out in the highlighter yellow shirt. While that may be “you,” take the whole look into consideration.

Whether you are going for trendy or timeless, there is always a way to feel good, look good, and have fabulous pictures!