liv jumping on the bed

I had an impromptu shoot with Liv a few weeks ago and am finally getting some time to edit them. These are some of my favorite images I've shot of her because they are just completely her! Messy hair, baby dolls, and lots of jumping. 

I shot these with my D750 with a 24-70 2.8 lens. I stayed right around 2.8 1/500 with my ISO at 1250 the entire time. 

I also shared my editing process in my Moms Who Snap group earlier today and that video is available to watch for the next couple of days if you'd like to check it out!

Ready to harness the power of your fancy camera and learn to shoot in manual? Or want to learn how I use Adobe Lightroom to edit? Check out my Skillshare classes! They are perfect for beginners- http://www.partofmeblog.com/photoworkshops/

Click on either image below to get 2 free months of Skillshare- more than enough time to complete both classes!

the bradshaw family

There are some segments of God's timing that just astonish me. For the past few weeks, the weight (and wait!) of our seemingly-unending adoption has been hanging out in the background of my thoughts. I've been sitting with the restlessness of knowing something is coming, but I can't do anything about when it will happen. And then, God gives me a great gift in my everyday work. The best part is, this story isn't even about me-

The Bradshaws have been waiting for their little one for some time as well- I have been following their infertility/adoption journey online and could relate to so many different aspects of it. So, I could not have been more honored to get to photograph them and their son finally together. Sweet baby Boone is just precious- he cuddled up the entire session and hardly made a peep! In between moments of me gushing over their beautiful home (Sara is an architect and photographer in her own right) and hearing about their adoption process, Boone slept peacefully and gave us the occasional grunt and yawn.

Thank you guys, for the opportunity to photograph you all together- it was like salve to my heart! And congratulations! So excited for your family!

rainy day

It was a grey, rainy day here in Lubbock yesterday- a vast difference from the high 80's we were experiencing just last week- and I wanted to challenge myself to shoot in the darker environment within our home. So, I photographed Liv doing her thing at home for a bit and then when Knox got home from school, we decided we'd better go splash in those puddles! Once we came inside and were warming our feet, my mom showed up with the cutest Valentine's cookies from The Cakery. Turned out to be a pretty wonderful afternoon. 

Here are the images I shot- these everyday moments always end up being the ones I treasure most!

I shared more images and some info behind how I shot these with my private How To Work It Facebook group. If you're interested in learning how to work your fancy camera, check out my online workshop here!

These were all shot with my Sigma Art 35mm lens.

If you are a part of my How To Work It group, just click this image to be fast-tracked to the behind-the-scenes video (you will need to log in first).

In this one, I share my thought process behind how and what I was shooting, my settings, and a few tips on how to make your images better. Hope this is helpful for you!

max sanchez newborn

I got to meet sweet little Max last week- and he was so perfect (and sleepy!) the entire time. I loved seeing his with big brother Ro, who asked if Max could sleep in his room the very night he came home from the hospital! Thank you for letting me capture this time for your family, you guys, and congratulations!

zaya rae • newborn

Little Zaya Rae was so, so sweet during her session. She hardly fussed, and sat wide-eyed while we buzzed around her. I've had the pleasure of photographing her parents and brother for several years now- and seeing beautiful little Zaya- she is such a perfect addition. Thanks for letting me capture your tiny new addition!

Kids in the Sprinklers

After eating at one of our favorite local spots for dinner last night, we got home and it was already 30 min past bedtime. Despite the fact that the kids probably needed to be in bed, we all ended up on the front lawn- the sprinklers were running and that gorgeous golden light was perfect. I don't think Liv had ever really played with the sprinklers, so it was fun to see her explore that and I'm glad I got my "real" camera out to photograph an everyday moment with my kids. 

I really am so thankful that this is our everyday. We are truly blessed!

I thought I'd share my camera settings for you guys who may be interested. I recently purchased a Nikkor 28-70 2.8 lens and I LOVE it. It's not as expensive as it's newer, fancier version, but it's perfect for what I need. I love my prime lenses, but I had a feeling I was missing out on some crucial moments while I spent time changing lenses. So, this lens was the perfect solution. I recently shot an entire wedding with JUST this lens. (Shawn was still working our "usual" lenses the whole time, though). So, I might be a little obsessed. :)

ALL IMAGES:

Nikon Df, Nikkor 28-70 2.8 lens, ISO 400

I shoot in RAW all the time, and had to bring up the exposure in Lightroom at least one stop, so I should have had a higher ISO to begin with- 800 or 1000 would have been a safe place to start, considering all the movement I was capturing and the setting sun.

I also used the VSCO Kodak Gold 100 for the color images and my own B&W Preset for Lightroom on all of these.

Photo info is below each image. :)

65mm, 3.5 1/160, ISO 400

48mm, 3.5, 1/160, ISO 400

28mm, 3.5, 1/160, ISO 400

50mm, 3.5, 1/250, ISO 400

70mm, 3.5, 1/250, ISO 400

56mm, 3.5, 1/200, ISO 400

52mm, 3.5, 1/200, ISO 400

28mm, 3.5m 1/200, ISO 400

50mm, 3.5, 1/200, ISO 400

35mm, 3.5, 1/200, ISO 400

So what do you think? Did you like seeing my camera settings? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!

jeff + becca • lubbock, tx

Oh my goodness, I was so excited to see Jeff + Becca last week! I got to photograph their amazing wedding a couple of years ago, and had the pleasure of shooting with them again while they were in Lubbock last week. This was such a fun photoshoot- these guys just wanted some new, relaxed photos- I think it's a great way to celebrate 2 years of marriage! I love these two for so many reasons- they both have devoted their time and energy to helping kids- Jeff is a coach and Becca is a teacher. And you can just tell they are so. good. at it. Not only that, but Becca is a photographer herself, and has been putting out some pretty amazing work lately. To top it off, they are just cool. They forgot to pack outfits for the shoot (sounds like me!), so Becca shopped at our store the day before and found everything she needed (cough, shameless plug, cough). Here are a few of my faves from our 9 am session.