Natty J Photography

Amanda Holloway Seminar

2012-02-09T01:13:00.000-05:00

I had the amazing privilege of hearing Amanda Holloway speak on Tuesday evening. If you haven't seen or heard of her, I highly recommend checking out her website. Amanda only photographs seniors and does one heck of a job at it! She's been doing this for just about a year and has grown tremendously. She shoots, does workshops and mentor programs in Texas, and she travels spreading her knowledge; what doesn't she do?! Monday's talk was mostly about marketing, which I think every photographer needs to take some sort of class in. When I was in college for photography, they didn't require even a single marketing/business class, so when I started my business I had no idea how to even get the word out about my work. Seeing how far Amanda has come in such a short amount of time is a huge inspiration. I've gained so much knowledge in the short three hours I heard her talk and I can't wait to start using it! Now, I just need to find the time to sit down at the computer and get things done lol. Also, I loved how down to earth she was. She showed us photos she did from when she started out and how far she's come. It was truly amazing.

I try to stress the fact that there's a difference between a professional photographer and someone that just takes snapshots....it's education. I went to school for photography, that's what I have a degree in. I've also gone to numerous seminars and had various learning opportunities. But then there's photographers who are self taught (which there's nothing wrong with that), but most of them have also done TONS of research into the field and really studied hard to get to where they are. Amanda's work just goes to show that if you work hard at what you want, you can do absolutely anything!!

What to Wear Wednesday | Jackson, MI Photographer

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Coordinating outfits is all about those few select items that just jump right out. You don't want everyone wearing one, but done right and in moderation, it can really make the portrait without looking too cheesy. Below is an example of a semi-muted color palette, with just a taste of something wild. The neon handbag and shoes just add that little umph to send this over the top! Now, I'm not saying rush out and buy everything I just posted, just consider the styling, color combination of the pieces and how a little goes a long way.

Purple with Neon Green2 by nattyjphotography featuring long sleeve silk shirts

New, New & News | Jackson, MI Newborn Photographer

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

There are some things that you just can't resist in life...one of mine just happens to be newborn props. They're just so tiny and cute...and things miniaturized just for them! So of course I had to get some new items for the new year and there's some stuff that I bought towards the end of last year and didn't get to use that often, if at all. That's a whole lot of new :) I won't post pictures of the items until I get to use them, but I'll drop some hints: gentlemen, girly girls and earthy. You'll just have to wait to see what I mean!!

But in the meantime, I've got some pretty sweet news to share...I sold my first piece on Etsy!! I'm sure you remember reading awhile ago that I started an Etsy Store, Something Tangled Studios. In it, I've listed some small crochet pieces and a few of my landscape photographs. Well, yesterday someone bought The Loyal and it went all the way to Washington (I'm in Michigan). How cool is that?! Okay, maybe not as cool to you, but I think it's fabulous lol.

Baby It's Cold Outside | Jackson, MI Infant Photographer

2012-02-02T12:50:00.000-05:00

I haven't ran a contest in quite awhile and I think it's about time! There will be two winners this time, one from each category; newborn to one year old and one year to two years old. What will YOU get?! Winners will receive a portrait session FREE of charge (a $120 value). Prints will be available for purchase, but there is no obligation to buy. So here's the rules:

Your baby must be between newborn (or due in the next month) and 2 years old.
To enter, post the photo of your child on my Facebook wall with their age. If you're pregnant, post your adorable pregnant belly with your due date :)
Photos need to be submitted by midnight on February 8th. Voting will begin on the 9th at noon.
Image with the most "likes" will win. If there's anyone using a like generator you will automatically disqualified.

What to Wear Wednesday

2012-02-01T01:19:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love this, I got the idea to do the What to Wear Wednesday from a photographers group on Facebook. I thought it would be fun, especially since I always get asked the question, "What should I wear for my session?" So here's the first week!! The 2012 Pantone Color this year is Tangerine Tango, so I wanted to start off right by embracing the lovely color. I don't know about you, but I adore orange! Below are some easy outfits (perfect for an engagement or high school senior session) you can put together to make your photos just pop. Now most of the stuff listed might be a little on the high price side (what can I say, I have expensive tastes lol), but you could easily find something comparable to what's in the picture.

casual orange accents by mirapaigew featuring flat shoes

Men's Gray with Orange Accents by nattyjphotography featuring unisex shoes

The Knot | Jackson, MI Wedding Photographer

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am VERY pleased to announce that I am officially listed on The Knot! For those of you who don't know what The Knot is, it's the place to be online if you're engaged. They have TONS of resources for engaged couples ranging from vendors, to inspiration boards, and forums where you can talk with other engaged couples to get their take on things. The great thing is even after they get married a lot of them still go back to The Knot and talk about their experience, what they loved and what they'd do differently. They're an amazing resource all around. Plus, their staff are incredibly friendly and helpful, I think I talked to my area rep on the phone for at least an hour! You need an account to see the full thing, but if you do check out my listing!

The Great Debate

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

There's been a post going around amongst photographers the past couple of days from an upset bride in Seattle, Washington. Here's the original post, I doubt it will stay up for long, but below is what it says in case it gets deleted:

WHY is finding an amazing wedding photographer so difficult? :/

I am a Bride who is getting married this summer and have yet to find a decently priced, exceptional, amazingly talented, fun photographer.

WHY because the word "WEDDING" is involved photographers think they can change you $ 3,000.00 for wedding photos? Oh, because no bride is going to go without so they are going to pay it, because they HAVE to. They are ripping people off for all they have! Why when you want to get married it costs you AT LEAST 15,000 after all is said-and-done? Its such CRAP!! I love all you $ 3,000 photographers out there but i think your prices are WACK. All your doing is hanging out at a wedding taking tons of photos and editing them.. and thats worth $3,000!!! You're making so much money its crazy. I just wish people would be more realistic. I mean the "average" persons salary for 1 freaking month is somewhere around $3000. (Thats making 19$ an hour) So you're going to take someones WHOLE MONTH paycheck for one flippen day of photos? Just because you CAN!!?????? So that maybe they will not be able to feed themselves or pay any other bills they have, right? It makes me SICK!

I know im speaking for more than just myself right now. Alot of brides out there think the same thing. & I bet all you fancy photographers wont even read this. oh-well.
Maybe there are cheaper photographers that will read this and LOVE to take my photos :)

I have to admit when I first read this I was kind of angry, but then I realized why she felt this way; she hasn't been educated on what goes into taking those "amazing" wedding photos she wants. So let's break it down...my college degree is in Photographic Technology, just a fancy way of saying that I am a photographer. I had to pay for school to learn my trade, we'll go on the low side and say about $1,700/semester. It was a two year program so that would be $6,800 (and it took me four years to complete so that number is REALLY on the low side). I had to buy professional equipment so I can take the photos, $2500; that includes a main camera, a backup camera (accidents happen and I don't want to be stuck telling a bride I can't finish her wedding because my camera broke, but that's a whole other post), memory cards, hard drives, flash, and two portrait lenses. I had to buy Adobe Photoshop and even with my student discount it was $300 and lastly a computer $1300. Now if we add that all up that's $10,900 just to get started doing photography!!! I haven't even included ALL the overhead costs either. I've left out the prices of a website, web designers, marketing material, advertising, legal services, insurance, and MANY more. But we'll leave it at what it is, so say I shoot 20 weddings a year, that puts the overhead at $545/wedding.

Okay, so now to break down a wedding. I might catch some grief for putting this out there, but I want to be honest and show that we really don't make what the Seattle Bride thinks. My wedding collection prices aren't anywhere near $3,000, but I'll base it off my prices anyway. So take the middle package I offer, the I Do Collection for $1,500. It includes 8 hour coverage from two photographers, fully retouched proofs in an online gallery, $175 print credit and a 10x10 leather album. I pay my assistant $160, the online gallery costs $145 to run, the album is around $260 and the couple is getting $175 worth of products/prints. So right off the bat that takes the overall price down to $760. Most of my weddings are within a half an hour drive time of my home so that takes $20 in gas. You figure an hour's drive time total + 8 hours of shooting is 9 hours of work, a typical work day for the average adult. Then take out the $545 in overhead out and that leaves $195.

Then what the client doesn't see, the editing part. I allow myself one month to edit the images and post them to the gallery. There's roughly 1500 images to go through between mine and my assistant's images. I look at each one and choose the photos that make the cut. Then I retouch them, ie. color correction, exposure correction if needed, etc...so if I take the remaining $195 and divide that by the 30 days, it comes out to be $6.50/day. Does that really sound like we make $3,000?! I could only dream of making that much. I think the Seattle Bride forgets that we have bills to pay and mouths to feed as well, $195 doesn't go very far these days.

Just some food for thought on this wonderful Friday :)

FEATURED VENDOR {Beck's Flower Shop & Gardens}

2012-01-26T14:09:00.000-05:00

I was first introduced to Beck's Flower Shop and Gardens from their daughter, we played roller derby together. They had hosted the team a couple of times for various fundraisers and I couldn't believe the size of their store. Beck's has an awesome selection too. I love to garden, despite killing almost every plant I've owned hahaha, but they helped me pick out plants even I couldn't mess up and even designed it for me! The photo below is what I went with, I adore succulents and just think they're the cutest little things ever. They're very photogenic so that must be the reason for my love of them lol.

Family owned since 1946, the Beck's know their stuff! They have fabulous customer service and go out of their way to help out their customers. A friend of mine was getting married and didn't have a bride's bouquet, I went in the day before the wedding and ordered one. They had it ready to pick up the next day before the wedding and it was beautiful. I also had the pleasure of photographing one of their daughter's wedding and it was by far one of the most beautiful weddings I've seen. As you can tell by the images below their arrangements were stunning. I'm pretty sure that bridal bouquet weighed almost 8lbs!! But totally worth the workout because it photographed so well (but I might be a tad biased lol).

I would highly recommend going to Beck's for all your floral needs, from floral arrangements to outdoor plants. And don't forget Valentine's Day is right around the corner, you can get that special someone in your life a gorgeous bouquet and see their amazing customer service for your self!!

2322 Lansing Ave.

Jackson, MI 49202

(800) 211-7871

www.becksflowershop.com

Facebook

Oh the Places You'll Go | Jackson, MI Photographer

2012-01-16T18:56:00.000-05:00

It's only 16 days into 2012 and I've been working on some pretty BIG things for the business. Once everything is done I will launch it all at once, but for now you've got some time to book at the 2011 prices. I've restructured my prices to meet everyone's needs, I have to thank you if you participated in my Facebook questions. I really took those into consideration when I did the prices. I've gotten rid of some products that weren't so popular and added some new things that I think you'll like! After designing a wedding album for one of my clients last year I've decided to add an album to almost every wedding collection. I am so excited about that one!! The albums are gorgeous and people swoon over them, the client I did the album for last year said all of her friends and family LOVE their album.

I've also reworded my contract, I'm getting with a lawyer soon to have them go over wording to make sure everything is legit. They're prettier (the perks of going back to school for graphic design) and laid out more effectively. Plus, I've added a "first contact" questionnaire to get to know you better, so I can focus my photography to be more suitable for your needs.

My website is under reconstruction as well!! I've pretty much looked at every aspect of my business and have given it an overhaul. The site is designed out already, now I just have to do all the html code for it...aka the hard part. It shouldn't be too bad, but in the meantime the old site will be up so you won't see any difference until it officially launches. It's going to be SO pretty (once again, the perk of being a design student), I wish I could post it right now, but coding takes a decent chunk of time, so unfortunately I can't. But trust me, I will make sure that everyone knows when it's finally done :)

Now for some AWESOME changes to Natty J Photography...I'M OFFICIALLY A REGISTERED BUSINESS!! Which means a lot more paperwork for me, BUT I'm SO excited about it. It was always my dream to own my own business growing up and now it's finally true :) Call me a nerd, but I can't wait to get my tax ID in the mail and file taxes and do all the business things. I've also got a Square so now I can take payments or deposits via credit or debit cards WITHOUT having to go through Paypal. I've had way too many issues with them and I don't want to put any of my customers at risk so, that's why I've choose to go with Square. They sent me a device so I can swipe cards right from my phone, or I can punch in the numbers for out -of-state clients. The last business item I've updated is my business cards. I ordered them from Moo.com, an amazing company with ultra cute items and GREAT customer service. Keep an eye out for the new ones :)

Lastly, I don't know if you've seen them, but I've seen lots of posts on Facebook lately about families getting their portraits done and one parent losing their life shortly after or they didn't have photos done and a family member's life was cut short leaving them with outdated photos as their only memories. It happens way too often and I don't want that to ever happen to me, so throughout last year I made both sides of my family do a family photo. And I had Shawna from Shawna Gerry Photography, do a family photo for my boys and I. I'm only 25 so I don't have a "family" of my own yet, but I do have my two dogs (which I'm sure you've seen before) Niko and Piglet. I adore them more than life itself. I've had clients in the past tell me that their family photos made them cry tears of joy and I didn't quite grasp it since I'm not technically a mother, but as soon as I saw the photo Shawna did, I understood.

This is my mother's side of the family, taken in April 2011. There's three generations pictured here :)

Unfortunately, this was at my Grandma Bell's funeral, I encourage all of you to get photos with loved ones while they're still here. Even if it's not professional, just do it.

Here's my dad's side of the family. Three generations in this one as well. There's other family on that side, but they weren't in the state at the time.

And here's my family picture!!! I absolutely adore it :) It's perfect in every way.

Baby Derby Zebra | Jackson, MI Newborn Photographer

2011-12-09T12:10:00.000-05:00

Congrats to BipolarBeatdown Barbie and Rolling Steady on their baby derby zebra!! He is seriously such a cutie and completely chill. He barely fussed the entire time I was there. AND, see that Santa hat?! I made it!! I'm finishing setting up my Etsy store, so look out for that in the near future!!

Christmas at My House | Jackson, MI Photographer

2011-12-08T15:13:00.001-05:00

First and foremost, I have an extreme love for Biggby Coffee. It's so incredibly tasty and their barristas are always chipper. That little jingle they have is a very true statement for me, Biggby Coffee is my happy place! If you haven't seen/heard the song here's a link to the YouTube Video.

So enough of my love for coffee because I love my two boys, Niko and Piglet way more than any cup of coffee! Plus, they truly are my favorite models to work with because they know exactly what to do when I bust out the camera. Must mean that I trained them well :) Plus, they're pretty cheap to hire cause they work for food and kisses. I had a friend of mine give me some backdrops and I haven't had the time or the room to use them yet, so the other day I was really sick of staring at a computer screen (it's the end of the semester, plus crunch time at work, plus holiday season for photography is always crazy busy) so I needed a break. I wanted to try out some fun stuff with the boys and do semi-holiday themed photos and this is what I came up with. I am totally in love with them and really want to get big metal prints of each of the boys!! I love BIG photos, I wish more people would really that they really aren't that big. My smallest photo in my house is a 5x7, but it's part of a six photo 36x26 collage and my smallest solitary photo is a 16x20 AND my walls still seem bare!!

Anyway, off my soapbox...I really like the backdrops and I can't wait to use them in the future. I have a newborn session this evening and I'm going to use a similar treatment for some of his photos.

50 Reasons NOT to Date a Photographer

2011-11-17T14:36:00.001-05:00

I found this really funny blog post while browsing the net and thought it was hilarious enough to share with all of you.

They rather hold their bulky camera, than hold hands with you.
On a romantic date, you’ll watch the sun go down and think “Wow this is gorgeous” and they’ll go “mirror lock, tripod, and stop down f/8 at 1/125.”
You’ll never be able to enjoy TV, movies, or magazines because they’ll point out all the visual flaws.
They like to sit in obscure coffee shop and voyeuristically watch people for great lengths of time.
If you’re taking a walk outside and you come across some “interesting light” they will make you sit/stand/pose in public so that they can take a photo.
You’ll never get to enjoy freshly cooked meals because they’ll spend 15 minutes taking 20 variations of the same dish with their iPhone.
They get angry when your friends go up to them and say “I am interested in photography, can you recommend a good camera for me? Nothing professional I just want to take pretty pictures.”
You’ll wait longer for them to finish analyzing art in a museum than you’ll wait at the DVM
Same goes with old used bookstores.
When you think they’re giving you their undivided attention, they’re really wondering how they could fix you with a little Clone Tool and Patch Tool.
Or they are actually using you to not look so creepy as they people watch everything going on around you.
They rather drop $1,000+ on new glass than a purse for you.
You can’t take a photo with them without taking at least five more.
If you ask them if you look fat, they’ll say “don’t worry I can Photoshop you later.”
They’ll never Photoshop something simple for you if the content is not up to their “standards.”
That photo they randomly took of you yesterday? Good luck getting them to send it to you.
They spend all their time on the computer (and not for porn.)
They can’t have a normal conversation with throwing acronyms and random numbers.
They still use film cameras.
They spend a lot of time with people cooler than you i.e. models, actors, musicians, successful rich people.
They’ll be fussy over the position of a common household object, like a coffee cup.
They won’t return your calls or text messages, but you can bet they’re still posting pics on Instagram.
They like watching old films that you’ve never heard or will ever understand.
They like looking at weird things in general.
Instead of having penis-envy, they have camera-gear-envy.
If there’s a natural disaster in a far away land, they’re already on a plane going over there.
Everything is watermarked.
They think everyone else’s photos suck.
They want to color correct a lot of scenes from Twilight and Jersey Shore.
They hate rainbows, especially ones spinning in a circle.
Whenever you’re in a group talking and the conversation goes deep, they’re taking notes in some form of Moleskin.
They use over priced Moleskin notebooks.
They like trespassing into old abandoned buildings filled with health hazards.
They always want to show a new photo they took, but don’t really care if you like it or not.
They hate your n00bie friend’s new artsy profile picture.
Bright, sunny days make them sad, but cloudy, overcast days are apparently great!
They’ll take you into places that have “culture” as well a high chance of getting mugged.
Your birthday present will be a portrait that they’ve taken of you.
You can’t go anywhere new without them stopping to take a photo of everything and anything.
They will always bug you to be a test subject.
Nothing can ever be naturally pretty, everything must be fixed in Photoshop.
Bringing their camera means, bringing 50lbs of equipment.
If you break any of their things on accident, you’ll owe them thousands of dollars.
You can’t get them a birthday/Christmas present without spending at least $500
They are natural hoarders, collecting and keeping piles of old newspapers, packaging, magazines, and other things that “inspire” them.
They are weird and geeky.
They have hard drives of photos, but probably have printed 10 images.
They are always secretly judging your creativity.
If you’re ever in auto mode, they laugh at you.
They orgasm every time they learn a new lighting technique.

Derby Wifey & Her Fam | Jackson, MI Family Photographer

2011-11-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

Family photos make me so happy and I was über excited when my derby wife asked me to photograph her family. For those of you who aren't involved in roller derby, a "derby wife" is pretty much your best friend in derby. So here she is with her brother and her daughter. Seriously you don't get cooler than this girl!!

Aww mommy & daughter :)

Becky + Ben | Jackson, MI Wedding Photographer

2011-11-08T16:09:00.000-05:00

Halloweenie Kids | Jackson, MI Children Photographer

2011-11-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

Seriously these two are darling! K had just turned five so mom wanted to do some photos showing how much she's grown and came up with the cute idea of the tutu and the letters. K is such a ham too, posing for every picture and being an awesome big sister to B. She was such a good helper getting B's attention and making sure he was looking super cute in his pictures. And how can you get more adorable that B and that pumpkin?! I couldn't have asked to work with better kids!!!

The Witches of Ypsilanti | Jackson, MI Photographer

2011-10-31T12:26:00.000-04:00

Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday. I just adore everything about it, the fall weather, picking and carving pumpkins, apple cider, dressing up, and of course PHOTO SHOOTS!! Of course Taryn (ToughLove MPD) and I had to do it up right this year. We'd been wanting Bonnie to model for us for quite awhile now and we finally got the opportunity. We will definitely be working with her again because she's amazing. She's über comfortable with her body and how she moves and doing crazy looks. It's awesome!! Anyway, I'm super pleased with how these photo came out <3

Shoots for a Cure | Jackson, MI Photographer

2011-10-23T14:13:00.000-04:00

Natty J Photography is excited to announce a partnership with Shoots for a Cure (formerly known as Think Pink Photography). Think Pink Photography was founded in October 2007 to support individuals and their families who have been touched by breast cancer. We are a charitable organization that serves two main purposes – celebrating life and supporting the cause. Recently, we changed our name and our support. We now want to support ALL cancer patients, not just breast cancer.

Through our professional photographer network, we are helping cancer patients to celebrate life with charitable photography sessions. Individuals may choose to document their fight against the disease before or during treatment, or prefer to capture their victory by scheduling a session within 12 months after treatment is completed. Photographers world-wide are now available to donate time and talent to celebrate life and support the cause. There is no cost or obligation to the cancer patient. Clients participating in a Shoots for a Cure session will receive a complimentary photo session, as well as a set of prints from the session (3 - 8x10's, 3 - 5x7's, & 16 wallets). They will also receive a 10% discount on any additional portraits they wish to purchase, although there is absolutely no purchase required at any time. Non-cancer patients can participate too!! If you mention the Shoots for a Cure charity when booking your session 15% of your session fee will be donated.

To support the cause, we donate and fundraise for The American Cancer Society and the Susan G Komen Foundation. All funds generated through donations and various fundraising efforts are paid directly to The American Cancer Society, the Susan G Komen Foundation, in our name, or used 100% for marketing and awareness of our program.

Please subscribe to our blog (on the Shoots for a Cure website) and tell your friends and family about Shoots for a Cure. Awareness is everything and we can’t be successful without you.

I encourage you to view our website, make a donation, or hire a photographer that supports Shoots for a Cure! If you hire me, mention Shoots for a Cure and I will make a personal donation to the organization. If you, or someone you know, would like to schedule a Shoots for a Cure session, please contact me for details.

I am very proud to be a network photographer with Shoots for a Cure, and am anxious to get the word out about this amazing program. For more information, you can contact me, or you can visit the Shoots for a Cure website at http://shootsforacure.com

Fall Beauty | Jackson, MI Senior Photographer

2011-10-16T12:44:00.000-04:00

I absolutely loved every single image from this session!! The locations they choose were stunning and I normally only choose three images from each session to display, but I had a REALLY hard time narrowing it down for this one. Rachel and her family are the sweetest people ever, I felt like I was one of their family doing their photos instead of someone they hired lol. It was incredible! We had originally rescheduled the shoot because it was a gross day and I'm SO glad we did because everything about the weather and the lighting of this day was perfect. Oh and I'm totally in love with Rachel's coat in the third photo :)

Holiday Sessions

2011-10-08T12:28:00.000-04:00

Tired of the same old holiday photo cards where everyone looks like they're being tortured? I've got the know how to capture that perfect family moment or the most darling picture of your little one that the rest of the family will just fawn over. Now is the perfect time to book your holiday session before the rush of the season!! To ensure that your order is in before December 25th, the last day to photograph your session is December 1st.

Vacation in Denver

2011-10-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

I just got back from my mini vacation in Denver and had an absolute blast!! I kept a travel blog so if anyone is interested in checking out some of the photos from my trip feel free to hop on over there.

My Familiar Pillow

Down & Derby to Princess Bride | Jackson, MI Wedding Photographer

2011-09-25T13:18:00.000-04:00

Ellen (aka Lala O'Rage) tied the not to Mr. O'Rage!! Ellen and I play on the same derby team so to see her all dressed up and getting married was a complete 360 from the usual. It was such an honor that she asked me to photograph her wedding, I was completely stoked about it!! She said that her ceremony was going to be held in her grandmothers yard next to their family owned greenhouse, Beck's Flower & Gift Shop. I knew going into it to expect gorgeous flowers because they were obviously doing their own wedding, but I had NO idea the arrangements would be SO stunning!!! They were hands down the BEST floral arrangements I've seen at a wedding and I highly recommend using Beck's for any floral service (not to mention again that they're family owned and local...always a plus!) Both Ellen and Clive's family were so sweet, they are definitely surrounded by the most loving people. It's amazing to see two sets of families mesh so well. Everything about the day was special and the video below doesn't even begin to touch on the love Ellen and Clive share, but every time I watch it I still tear up :)

Vendors

Flowers: Beck's Flower and Gift Shop

Cake: Clive's mother (also the BEST wedding cake I've ever had)

Catering: Marchand's Catering

(517) 769-2840 (amazing as well)

Reception Hall: Our Lady of Fatima Church

Great Fall Family Adventures | Jackson, MI Photographer

2011-09-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

Are you looking for something fun to do with the family in the next couple of weeks? Well, I've got some great (and low cost) ideas!!

Cindrella's Brawl - Saturday, Sept. 17th
First, The Jack Town Derby Girls!!! Okay so I might be biased on this one because I'm part of the team, but still. They're Jackson's ONLY roller derby team and they have a bout (what a game is called in derby) TOMORROW! Tickets are only $10 in advance ($12 at the door) and kids 10 & under are FREE, limit two per paid adult. But that's not all, if you bring in an unwanted prom dress you'll get your ticket for $9. The doors open at 6p and the action starts at 7p. Be sure to get there early to get a good seat, you won't want to miss the action as they take on the Killamazoo Derby Darlins. Below are the important links to their bout.
Pre-Bout Tickets
Event Page
Facebook

Ella Sharp Museum
The Nature of Dogs
September 17 - November 26
Perfect for the animal lovers out there! There's a FREE lecture tomorrow at 1p by the photographer, Mary Ludington. She's shown dogs in the AKC ring and has photographed nearly all 180 recognized breeds!!
The Nature of Dogs Info

Glimpses of Everyday Life Photographs by Jennie L. Green
May 21 – October 8, 2011
Donated to the Museum in 1984 by an heir, Ben Green, these photographs taken by Jackson resident Jennie Lovan Green capture a glimpse of her everyday life. This exhibition of just of few of the more than 300 photographs in the Jennie Green collection will be on exhibit in the Pyron Gallery.
More Info

Michigan Theater - Saturday, Sept. 17th
FREE family movie night!! The Michigan Theater is showing Hoodwinked Too! (Rated PG), which has humor great for kids and adults. Doors are at 5p and the movie starts at 6p. Admission is FREE..you don't get any better than that!
Theater Website

Flavor Fruit Farms - Sept. 17th-18th
It's animal weekend at Flavor Fruit Farms, come get your photos taken with baby animals that include foxes, kangaroos, and tigers!! Also meet Laura the Elephant (seriously how cute!!) They're open from noon-5p (weather permitting).
Flavor Fruit Farms webpage

Jackson Family Fall Festival - Sept. 23rd-25th
This event is FREE admission AND parking!! It takes place behind Jackson Catholic Middle School and there's something for everyone...Dinner Tent, Craft Tent, Bake Sale, Bingo Tent, Entertainment (Adults) Tent, Teen Entertainment, Midway Carnival Rides, Nite-n-Reno, Fireworks, PLUS Wine Tasting, Childrens' Entertainment Tent, and The Classic Car Show!
Event Website

Celebrating Labor Day | Jackson, MI Photographer

2011-09-05T13:40:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Labor Day and have a day to relax, myself and a friend of mine went to the Renaissance Festival in Holly, Michigan. And of course I can't go to somewhere that has that many amazing sights and not bring my camera. The costumes are so ornate and beautiful, if it wasn't for the Black Plague and the horrible way women (or anyone that wasn't of royalty status for that matter) were treated, I would love to live back then. But that's neither here nor there, here are a few of the photos I took.

Then after we got home we went down to Cascade Falls Park to watch the last fireworks of the season. I LOVE taking photos of fireworks, they just turn out so awesome. I was actually quite impressed with these because they were taken at a shutter speed of 1/15th and typically you can't handhold anything slower than 1/60th without getting camera shake. So here are my favorite ones...

My Little Sister is All Grown Up | Jackson, MI Senior Photographer

2011-08-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

If someone would have told me when I was eight years old that I would be photographing my baby sister's senior pictures one day, I would have thought they were crazy. But here I am seventeen years later, my little sister is going into her senior year of high school and I just photographed her senior pics. I have to say it's definitely a little weird, not only do I feel old now, but for once in our lives we will be in the same stage...college. I am pursuing my second Associates degree in Graphic Design and she'll be working on getting her Associates as well. Since there is an eight year difference between the two of us, she'll always be that curly haired little girl that I grew up with, but looking at these pictures I realize that somewhere along the way she grew up and now she's an adult. Congrats for making it this far Jess! I know you'll do great this year and I can't wait to come to your graduation.

It's a Shore Thing | Jackson, MI Senior Photographer

2011-08-26T14:53:00.000-04:00

This was by far the longest senior session I've ever photographed, but I had a blast doing it! She's my cousin so I kind of got to have a mini work vacation. We did her photos on Lake Michigan so I got to spend the day at the beach, hanging out with family and photographing her senior photos. This girl should SO model, I barely had to give her any direction at all and I'm in love with practically every photo I shot. Narrowing it down to these four was almost impossible :)

Also while I was up there, we decided to do a spur of the moment family photo because they hadn't had one since their son was three years old!! Even my own family's guilty of not doing a regular family photo, I really can't stress how important it is to get them done (and I'm not trying to drum up business either, go to whoever you want, I just want you to have them done). You're never guaranteed tomorrow and I know I would feel absolutely terrible if my family didn't have anything recent to remember me by. Okay, getting off my soapbox now lol.

Gosh this session makes me feel old, I remember when they were born and now Nicole's a senior in high school...that's just crazy!

Anthony - Class of 2012 | Jackson, MI Senior Photographer

2011-08-25T12:52:00.000-04:00

This had to be one of the most unique senior sessions I've ever photographed. Anthony plays on his bowling team and wanted to do photos at the bowling alley, which of course I LOVED the idea. I really enjoy when people come to me wanting something completely out of the norm. I talked to the alley to make sure that me being there photographing was going to be okay and they didn't have anything going on at that time. Everything was a go! I learned SO much stuff about bowling that I would have never known, it was really awesome. Did you know those lanes aren't just polished, there's actually a layer of oil on them?! Me either until I walked barefoot down one haha.

Sandy Puc: Creative Edge Kids Tour

2011-08-24T14:51:00.004-04:00

This was the fourth tour of Sandy's that I've been to and they never cease to amaze me. You'd think that she'd run out of things to teach us about, but no...every time I come back with an abundance of new knowledge that I am anxiously waiting to implement. This time the tour was about how to create AMAZING children's portraits with a focus on newborns to toddlers.

But that's not the only thing she talks about, she also helps photographers build their business to help them become more successful. She has an online "university" with video tutorials and a site called Certify with Sandy, which pretty much helps you step by step get certified as a Master Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America. This is a BIG deal because not many photographers take the time to do it and you're tested. It's like taking the BAR exam for lawyers, but in photography.

She's such an incredible person, I can't believe how she does everything that she does!! She's like Super Photog! She's got a pin-up tour coming around in September (but it's not coming to Detroit so I'd need to go to Chicago) and I'm hoping to catch that one as well, but if I don't she'll be back in the summer of 2012 so I'll be at that tour.

On a completely unrelated note, on the way home from the tour there was an amazing storm that was rolling through. So I pulled off on a country road and sat there for two hours playing with my camera and capturing lightning images. I adore storms, there's just something about them that calm me down, but I LOVE taking photos of the lightning. If you've ever tried to do so you know it's not as easy as it sounds. Here's a few of the successful ones...

Back 2 School Bashing

2011-08-21T14:09:00.002-04:00

First of all, if you missed this game you missed probably the most intense game you would have ever seen. The entire game the score was only separated by a couple of points. One minute Jack Town would be up and the next jam Little Steel would take the lead. The halftime score was 71-72!! It came down to the very last jam with Vicious Velma defending the Jack Town Derby Girl's and scoring the last two winning points, ending the bout with a nail biter.

Final score of JTDG 128 - LSDG 126.

I really hope you don't miss out on the rematch against the Killamazoo Derby Darlings on September 17th. For more information check out the Facebook event page!!

A Lullaby Moment

2011-08-20T13:53:00.000-04:00

I have been crazy busy lately photographing bundles of cuteness every couple of days!! I think I'm starting to get baby fever...with all these little ones, how could you not?! There's just something about how perfect each and every newborn is that just makes me melt. I could definitely just photograph newborns all day, every day.

Keep checking back because I will be running a discount for the Baby Steps Collection coming up in November.

Fall is for Family

2011-08-12T00:16:00.006-04:00

I did this last year, but I've decided to switch things up a bit for this year. I was at a Sandy Puc seminar and she talked about how she managed to raise $10,000 for a cancer charity in Colorado. As amazing as it would be to raise that much money, I'm just not at her level of clientele, so I've set my bar a little lower...$1,500. Relay for Life was literally just last weekend, but I really want to get a jump start on the fundraising for 2012. So this is what I'm doing for this year's Fall is for Family: A mini, 15-minute session and one 11x14 print of your favorite image for only $80 (Typically $125). Additional prints will be available for purchase. Session will take place at Ella Sharp Park in Jackson, MI on October 8, 2011. Please bring printout to the session. All of the proceeds will benefit the Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. Only 20 spots available, so buy yours early because these will go fast!!

Please call Natty J Photography to set up your appointment time. Appointments will run every 15 minutes between 2p-7p.

P: 517.499.9380

E: nattyjphotography@yahoo.com

W: www.nattyjphotography.com

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR PORTRAIT VOUCHER

*No refunds will be issued if you do not show up at your scheduled appointment. Event will be reschedule for inclement weather.

Ben + Rebecca | Jackson, MI Engagement Photographer

2011-07-31T15:01:00.002-04:00

You might remember Rebecca from last year when I did her campaign photos. Well now she's engaged to a great guy and here are some of her engagement photos. I am so excited to photograph her wedding. Number one it's in November!! Not typically a popular month here in Michigan, so it should be really fun to shoot in a different season. And number two, their reception is on a train car!!! I've got ideas running though my head already with that one :)

Omar the Rottweiler | Jackson, MI Pet Photographer

2011-07-20T11:21:00.001-04:00

I was super excited when Omar's mom called me to do a photo session with him. I adore big dogs, anyone that knows me knows that I'm a "the bigger the dog the better" person!! Usually when I show up to pet sessions I never know what to expect because you never know how much training they have and whether or not they'll cooperate. But Omar was a doll to work with. He was SO well behaved, it was like working with one of my own dogs. He did exactly what he was told and gave the cutest expressions!! Look at that second picture...seriously how could you not love that face?!

Ego Boost | Jackson, MI Portrait Photographer

2011-07-07T11:11:00.001-04:00

It's been quite awhile since Taryn, ToughLove MPD and I got together and did some photos, so this session was LONG overdue. Not to mention she's been working her butt off to loose weight and she looks amazing! Taryn's always looked good, but now she's taken it to the next level of hotness :)

Monkey in the Oven | Jackson, MI Maternity Photographer

2011-07-05T10:43:00.001-04:00

This is one of my really good friends, Anna. I was SO excited when I found out she was pregnant with her first child!! She's going to make an amazing mother, she's so nurturing and patient. Unfortunately she lives in Arizona so I don't get to see her that often, but she made the trip back to Michigan and we opted for this opportunity to shoot her maternity photos, since the next time I see her, she'll be holding her little monkey.

Summer E-Session | Jackson, MI Engagement Photographer

2011-06-27T11:15:00.004-04:00

Baby Love | Jackson, MI Newborn Photographer

2011-06-14T13:31:00.005-04:00

I've been doing so many newborn sessions lately!! I've completely fallen in love with these tiny humans. They're so cute and cuddly. Here's a few from two different sessions.

This is Baby J, he was so good and he has the best big brother in the world! Take a look at that second picture of him and his family...how could you not fall in love with those boys?!

Baby M definitely did NOT want her photos done, I was there for three hours and there was probably 10mins total that she was calm. Oh the life of a newborn model is so tough :) But the one's we got were SO cute! I just love her little, chubby cheeks.

2011-06-14T13:19:00.001-04:00

Howdy Everyone!
I recently upgraded my phone and am testing out a new feature where I can post from my phone. I hope everyone is doing well!

Thanks!
Natalie

Mr. Smiles

2011-05-30T17:17:00.000-04:00

Meet Mr. Smiles aka Baby Acelind. He was such a doll to work with AND he kept smiling for me!! What more could a photographer ask for?!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T12:19:00.003-04:00

First of all, I want to thank all the men and women that have served in the armed forces fighting for my freedom. And second I wanted to somehow give back to these amazing people, so what better way to do it than to take photos of their loved ones to send to them. Enter adorable, 11mo Amaya. BOTH of this little girls parents are on active duty and stationed overseas, so she's here state-side with family. I couldn't even fathom having to leave my child for such a long time at such a young age, but I am SO grateful that they are willing to make that sacrifice so that I can be free. Thank you again for serving your country.

These were also 1 year old photos, but little Amaya didn't want to look like a princess, she definitely enjoyed the tutu a bit more. Just like the song goes It's my party and I'll cry if I want too! hahaha

Local Musician - Alejandra O'Leary

2011-05-27T17:01:00.004-04:00

I was super excited to photograph Alejandra in Ann Arbor. Musicians are great to work with, they're laid back and creative people like photographers are so the sessions tend to go really smoothly. We had fun walking around A2, stopping to take pictures here and there. These are a couple of my favorite shots from the day.

If you'd like to check out her music feel free to visit her website:

Alejandra O'Leary

Buy/download her CD

Oh Baby!

2011-05-14T00:35:00.005-04:00

Meet seven day old Keaton Robert. He was such a cutie, but like most infants they hate me and my camera (it's the strobe). I tell them it's all in the name of good photos, but they don't care :) So after putting up a fight, he decided that I wasn't all that bad and we got some pretty great photos.

Highlight of the session: I don't have any children of my own yet so babies without diapers are a whole new animal to me, and if someone tells you being a photographer isn't a dangerous job...don't believe them. I was nearly peed on and pooped on, but it was TOTALLY worth it to photograph this little guy!!! I mean how can you do anything, but laugh when something that cute is doing it :)

Except here, where he was back to hating me lol.

The Best Way to Dress for Portraits

2011-05-09T20:48:00.011-04:00

"What should I wear for the photos?"

I get this question all the time so I wanted to share a few ideas with you.

Formal or casual style of clothing - First you want to start with whether you want a casual portrait or something more formal. Mixing styles is never a good thing to do (ie. dad in a suit and son in jeans and a t-shirt). Think of the location you're planning to have your photos done and choose accordingly. Formal attire is usually reserved for the studio and more casual portraits generally take place outside.

Pick a color scheme - Look at what colors are popular for that year (this year is honeysuckle, vintage wine and citrus yellow). It's usually easier to find clothing in the colors that are in. Also, think of denim as a multi-tasking color like black or white, it goes great with anything. If your doing a group portrait of any kind think of going with a base color and then you can use variations of it. Uniform shades draw equal attention to everyone in the image. Or you can choose a color scheme and then have everyone pick their outfit to revolve around that color scheme, like the sample below.

Avoid sharp contrast or matching clothing - For instance if everyone is in black shirts and khaki pants...not good for photos. Not to mention if everyone is in the exact same outfit the eye tends to focus on the clothing and you loose interest in the people. You could do those colors, but think of maybe switching it up, have some people in black pants and a khaki (or off white) colored top; or maybe a patterned black and white shirt. Don't forget you can use different textures to add contrast (ie. a button down cotton shirt on dad vs. a knit sweater on mom) Not to mention if everyone is in the exact same outfit the eye tends to focus on the clothing and you loose interest in the people. Below is a great example of how they choose a color scheme and used different shades and a pattern to break up the monotony of having the same colors.The squint trick - Lay out the clothing that everyone plans on wearing for the photo and squint. Ideally, you want the colors to blend well and compliment each other. If there's any one piece that stands out, swap it out for a different piece of clothing that blends well with the others.

Don't forget your shoes! - They will show in some of your images so make sure that they coordinate with your outfit.

Avoid writing or logos - These will immediately draw attention directly to that area of the image.

Other random tips for picking out clothing:

Darker colors are more slenderizing than lighter ones.

Be festive - if you're celebrating a special occasion coordinate colors based on that event.

Be you - if you're the more laid back type, don't try a suit and tie for your photo. You're going to take a much better image if you're comfortable in what your wearing.

Keep it simple, classic, and timeless!!

Sunsets and Best Friends

2011-05-07T11:51:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a typical Michigan spring day. It started off nice and sunny, but a little chilly. Then it down poured with some tiny hail, and by the evening it was sunny and gorgeous all over again. I didn't have anything to do, so I packed up the camera and Piglet and went to the park for a walk. If you haven't noticed by now, I have more pictures of Piglet than I do any of my other dogs...that's because Pig is an excellent model. He's cute and sits still as long as I tell him too, and I can drop the lead without fear of him taking off. I still get images of Niko and Phantom, just time and quality are limited with their short attention spans :)

After we were done playing Piggy and I sat and watched the sun go down. It was the perfect ending to a spring day.

Day's Last Breath

American Past Time

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

Newest Addition

2011-04-29T17:56:00.003-04:00

So here's the newest addition to the pack. He's a little, eight week old, Maltese/poodle/chihuahua!! He doesn't have a name as of yet, my future mother-in-law bought him for my fiance's birthday and he's at work right now, so it'll be a great surprise when he comes home and there's this little cute ball of fluff waiting for him. He's gonna love him!

And while I was taking pictures of the cute pupness, the ratty's were looking rather adorable too so I got this one that looks like he's praying :)

May the Road Rise to Meet You

2011-03-28T15:45:00.002-04:00

My cousin has gotten engaged and I couldn't be happier for her. It actually happened around Christmas, but she wanted to wait until the weather was nice to do photos. Since she was getting ready to send out her save-the-date's she needed a photo for them, so we got together for a quick mini engagement session (we're going to do more later). But here's what we came up with and then the save-the-date we designed. I'm totally in love with them and I can't wait to see them once they come in!!

The Greatest of Thank You's!

2011-03-25T10:46:00.005-04:00

If you told me in high school that by the age of twenty-two I would have started my own photography business, I would have laughed in your face. I'm twenty-five now and wouldn't have my life any other way. But it didn't start out this way, I had, had plans of being a forensic psychiatrist and was going to move to New Orleans to start my practice after college. I was accepted at Eastern Michigan University and soon realized that I didn't want to wake up everyday as a psychiatrist. Many of my friend's were "art majors," ranging from painting to graphic design and it seemed like they had fun. They were always being creative and their homework consisted of "design an event flyer," not "write a eight page paper on the Freudian Theory." I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do instead and I remembered that I had won 2nd place in my high school's art show for a photo I'd taken, and since I didn't have any creative tactile talent, I transferred to Washtenaw Community College and pursued an Associates of Applied Sciences in Photographic Technology...just a fancy way of saying I officially know how to produce a photograph.

I had always known that I wasn't meant to work for someone else (just ask my father), I wanted to dance to my own drummer. I'd photographed a wedding and a couple other sessions in 2007, but in 2008 I photographed my first paid senior session, thus launching my career. Now after many, many business names, countless logo redesigns (I couldn't come up with something that sounded professional and looked professional at the same time), and three years of learning how to run a small business, I have a growing business in a struggling economy (don't ask me how I managed that one, I'm still trying to figure that out lol). But none of this would be possible without very loyal and awesome clients. I LOVE everyone I've worked with and I truly mean that. Each year I gain more and more business, I get presented with new opportunities I would never dream of having and I am so grateful for the chance to make a career out of something I adore doing.

So to all my new, old and future clients:
Thank You!!

From the bottom of my heart,
Natalie

Jack Town Rollers v. Flint City Derby Girls

2011-03-18T23:59:00.003-04:00

Last weekend the Jack Town Rollers hosted the Flint City Derby Girls for their 2011 home opener. Now the last time JTR played Flint they kind of had their butt handed to them (the score was +300 to 40 something...or close to that). But we've had a year to practice, to build our strength and perfect our skills. While we still lost (145 to 99) the difference was night and day. Our girls skated hard and strong, and put up a great fight!

Photographer's Dream

2011-03-16T17:15:00.004-04:00

Besides having my own personal bucket list, I have a photographer's bucket list as well. I'm sure I'm not the only photographer to have this, but it's just a list of images that I would love to capture. Just thought I'd share some of them, it's constantly changing so I might update it later on down the road.

tornado
celestial body ie. galaxy, nebula, star cluster (but I want pics like what Hubble captures)
~~rainbow in Ireland~~
a famous band I like
underwater ocean life
Egyptian Pyramids
a "National Geographic" or "Time" moment (a photo that's worthy of being in those magazines)
huge fashion show like Fashion Week Milan or something
Berlin Wall
Yellowstone
whales
one of America's Next Top Model's shoots
a volcano or lava river

The Emerald Isle

2011-03-11T16:27:00.002-05:00

I just want to keep everyone updated, yes I'm still here, just kind of the slow season for me, but I took a vacation last week to Ireland and had the time of my life. It's definitely as gorgeous as the pictures you see. If you want to read about my trip here's the link to my travel blog. And I leave you with a photo of a rainbow over the Giants Causeway. I swear Ireland's magical!

Love is in the Air

2011-02-14T20:41:00.004-05:00

One of my good friends got married today. She had a fairly small and private celebration, it was incredibly lovely. Everything had an warm elegance to it so it made for some pretty amazing photos. I have too many awesome pictures from the day but here are six of my favorites!

Day 21 - Beauty in a Jar (Colorful)

2011-01-21T16:16:00.002-05:00

Day 21 - Beauty in a Jar

Knocked off "colorful" on my 100 word list today!

Pots full of Coastal Scents gel liner at work...I have yet to discover the proper application of this, but for now I think I'll stick with the felt liner. I'm still in love that that stuff :D

Day 7 - Winter Cleaning

2011-01-07T19:01:00.009-05:00

Today the snow was falling in ginormous, fluffy flakes and feeling a tad nostalgic I wanted to go play in the snow. Since I don't have any snow pants, the next best thing is a spur of the moment photo walk at Ella Sharp Park. I found a trail and walked around for a minute coming across this treasure. I love how snow just washes the landscape and come spring everything starts anew.

This image knocked "white" off my hundred word list. Three down, ninety-seven to go :D

Here are the rest of the images from my little snow adventure...

Day 4 - Laundromat Beauty

2011-01-04T23:23:00.004-05:00

Day 4 "Laundromat Beauty"

Clean - This image is part of a week-long theme of peacock for my other job at makeupgeek.com. It's going under the word "clean" because we photographed this in a laundromat just around the corner from the makeup artists house.

1. White
2. Reading
3. Flowers
4. Candy
5. Children
6. Shopping
7. Mischief
8. Good Samaritan
9. Colorful
10. ~~Underexposed~~
11. Trees
12. Liquid
13. Ice Cream
14. Urban
15. Danger
16. One Hundred
17. Nighttime
18. Sacrifice
19. Smoke
20. Tattoo
21. Money
22. Traffic
23. Garden
24. Hinge
25. Clock
26. Abstract
27. Silver
28. Hat
29. Electricity
30. Door Knob
31. Cheese
32. School
33. Paper
34. Front Door
35. Scar
36. ~~Clean~~
37. Television
38. Pie
39. Flat
40. Bank
41. Tire
42. Ice
43. Grass
44. Square
45. Wild Flower
46. Baseball
47. Mail
48. Leaf
49. Pepper
50. Screw
51. Truck
52. Fountain
53. Eyes
54. Glass
55. Small
56. Rock
57. Salt
58. Storm
59. Triangle
60. Shoe
61. Silk
62. Open
63. Bird
64. Chain
65. Popcorn
66. Circle
67. Fast Movement
68. Death
69. Fork
70. Plate
71. Cup
72. Oven
73. BBQ
74. Sidewalk
75. Spin
76. Shadow
77. Smile
78. Road
79. Neon
80. Carwash
81. Control
82. Simple
83. Pink
84. Hook
85. Checkerboard
86. Bridge
87. Eating
88. Father
89. Commute
90. Late
91. Breakfast
92. Grooming
93. Lunch Break
94. Bokeh
95. High Noon
96. Safety
97. Portrait
98. Half
99. Cylinder
100. Macro/Close-Up

Day 1 - Underexposed

2011-01-01T13:11:00.001-05:00

Today marks Day 1 of my Project 365. I wasn't going to post the photos on my blog, but I think I will post the photos that represent one of the words from the list on here; just to keep everyone updated and show that I'm really sticking to my goal.

This one is "underexposed."

A double meaning...yes it is on stage during Emogene Nightingale's Dreamtime Burlesque performance so the lighting is obviously going to be less than ideal. But also she has no clothes on with the exception of pasties and panties, however since you can't see that because of the fan she is too "underexposed."

1. White
2. Reading
3. Flowers
4. Candy
5. Children
6. Shopping
7. Mischief
8. Good Samaritan
9. Colorful
10. ~~Underexposed~~
11. Trees
12. Liquid
13. Ice Cream
14. Urban
15. Danger
16. One Hundred
17. Nighttime
18. Sacrifice
19. Smoke
20. Tattoo
21. Money
22. Traffic
23. Garden
24. Hinge
25. Clock
26. Abstract
27. Silver
28. Hat
29. Electricity
30. Door Knob
31. Cheese
32. School
33. Paper
34. Front Door
35. Scar
36. Clean
37. Television
38. Pie
39. Flat
40. Bank
41. Tire
42. Ice
43. Grass
44. Square
45. Wild Flower
46. Baseball
47. Mail
48. Leaf
49. Pepper
50. Screw
51. Truck
52. Fountain
53. Eyes
54. Glass
55. Small
56. Rock
57. Salt
58. Storm
59. Triangle
60. Shoe
61. Silk
62. Open
63. Bird
64. Chain
65. Popcorn
66. Circle
67. Fast Movement
68. Death
69. Fork
70. Plate
71. Cup
72. Oven
73. BBQ
74. Sidewalk
75. Spin
76. Shadow
77. Smile
78. Road
79. Neon
80. Carwash
81. Control
82. Simple
83. Pink
84. Hook
85. Checkerboard
86. Bridge
87. Eating
88. Father
89. Commute
90. Late
91. Breakfast
92. Grooming
93. Lunch Break
94. Bokeh
95. High Noon
96. Safety
97. Portrait
98. Half
99. Cylinder
100. Macro/Close-Up

Project 365

2010-12-28T14:49:00.007-05:00

So as a way to keep things interesting and motivate my creative thoughts I've decided to take on the Project 365. The way it works is I will post a photo for every day of the year, it can be something I've done for a customer or something I did just for fun, but there has to be a photo. I didn't want to bog down my blog so they will be posted in the Project 365 Album. Feel free to check them out starting on January 1st. I'm super pumped for this resolution and think that this might be one that I actually stick to! And to add a little challenge to it I will also be going through the following list and taking a photo representing each of the following words (in no particular order)...

1. White
2. Reading
3. Flowers
4. Candy
5. Children
6. Shopping
7. Mischief
8. Good Samaritan
9. Colorful
10. Underexposed
11. Trees
12. Liquid
13. Ice Cream
14. Urban
15. Danger
16. One Hundred
17. Nighttime
18. Sacrifice
19. Smoke
20. Tattoo
21. Money
22. Traffic
23. Garden
24. Hinge
25. Clock
26. Abstract
27. Silver
28. Hat
29. Electricity
30. Door Knob
31. Cheese
32. School
33. Paper
34. Front Door
35. Scar
36. Clean
37. Television
38. Pie
39. Flat
40. Bank
41. Tire
42. Ice
43. Grass
44. Square
45. Wild Flower
46. Baseball
47. Mail
48. Leaf
49. Pepper
50. Screw
51. Truck
52. Fountain
53. Eyes
54. Glass
55. Small
56. Rock
57. Salt
58. Storm
59. Triangle
60. Shoe
61. Silk
62. Open
63. Bird
64. Chain
65. Popcorn
66. Circle
67. Fast Movement
68. Death
69. Fork
70. Plate
71. Cup
72. Oven
73. BBQ
74. Sidewalk
75. Spin
76. Shadow
77. Smile
78. Road
79. Neon
80. Carwash
81. Control
82. Simple
83. Pink
84. Hook
85. Checkerboard
86. Bridge
87. Eating
88. Father
89. Commute
90. Late
91. Breakfast
92. Grooming
93. Lunch Break
94. Bokeh
95. High Noon
96. Safety
97. Portrait
98. Half
99. Cylinder
100. Macro/Close-Up

Photo/Word Blocks

2010-12-19T16:04:00.005-05:00

These are my favorite new product that I'm offering, photo/word blocks! They can be made in any color combination to say whatever word or phrase you choose. They are $4 each and here's a few samples of orders I've made so far.

These ones are the 1.5in block.

These are the 2in. blocks that I painted black first.

Armani the Tuxedo Cat

2010-12-13T15:27:00.001-05:00

Armani was as high stylin' as his the designer he was named for and this big kitty did not want to have his photo taken (cats rarely do), but I managed to get a couple good shots of this cutie.

Santa Paws is Coming to Town!

2010-11-24T17:26:00.005-05:00

Santa Paws showed up early this year at Mantis Pet Supply in Ypsilanti here's a couple of the awesome shots we captured!

Lucky & Beethoven

2010-11-11T17:08:00.003-05:00

These two cuties and their mother stop by for almost every holiday event that I hold at Mantis Pet Supply, but they want a change of pace and we did an outdoor session for their holiday photos this year. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day considering it's the middle of November.

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T18:42:00.001-04:00

What's better than Halloween?! Doing a family session on Halloween!! I made a journey out to Grass Lake to photograph this family. They were such troopers, it was definitely chilly out that day and they fought through the cold and took some really adorable photos.

New Years Looks for MUG

2010-10-26T18:38:00.001-04:00

Wondering how to do your makeup this New Year's, well look no further!!! Check out these fabulous looks from MakeupGeek.com!!!

Fall Frolic in the Park

2010-10-22T17:24:00.001-04:00

Seriously, how cute is this family?! Parker and Kermit were the creative minds behind their shots, they knew exactly how they wanted to be photographed and I just went with it (there's no arguing with a two year old hahaha). It was more of a play session then a photo session, but we got some really great images in the gorgeous fall weather.

Pink Pumps in the Night

2010-10-21T18:30:00.004-04:00

I love when seniors go for the Senior Style Collection sessions because they are SO much fun! It really makes a difference when they feel good about how they look and who doesn't like to get a makeover?! With Taylor we ventured over to Ann Arbor for her session and she brought the cutest shoes...neon pink high heels!! Not to mention glitter silver high heels too! I'm glad I didn't have to walk around town in those, but they sure looked great.

We got together in the evening so naturally as we shot the sun got further and further down in the sky and eventually it was dark. We kept on photographing anyway and they turned out awesome!!

Happy 1st Birthday Annora!!

2010-10-18T17:10:00.001-04:00

Well it's been a full year since I first photographed Annora, I've watched her grow leaps and bounds through my camera lens. She's turning into quite the inquisitive little girl enjoying the wondrous world around her. And I'm so excited that we did her year old photos where her parents did their engagement photos. What a great idea! Now they can look back and see the evolution of their family. I have to say this was a bittersweet day, I'd made the trip to see Annora and her family every three months for a year and now it'll be a whole year before I see the cutie again, but I can only imagine how much she will have grown by her two year old birthday.

Happy birthday Annora!!!

Howl-O-Ween Pet Photos Pt. 2

2010-10-17T21:31:00.005-04:00

Meagan (my amazing assistant/dog wrangler) and I had SO much fun yesterday!! There's nothing better than taking photos of super cute dogs in Halloween costumes. The turn out was absolutely amazing and for the most part, the dogs were cooperative :) Sometimes they got a little distracted, but nothing a couple of treats couldn't fix. Not to mention I had the cutest "dog handler in training" there to help out too! Here he is...

Jackson's helping out with three of his siblings: Penny, Titus and Sophie

These BFF's are Kendra and Harmony!

My Crew

2010-10-16T13:13:00.005-04:00

Since I am at Mantis Pet Supply in Ypsilanti doing my Howl-O-Ween Pet Photo event, I decided to get in the Halloween spirit a little early and take some fall pictures of my pooches.

Fall Family Portrait Day

2010-10-12T19:34:00.004-04:00

This was the first time I had done this, set up shop at a local park and invited everyone to come out for a fall family portrait to get ready for the upcoming holiday season and let me tell you I had a blast!! The leaves had all changed color, but it was about 70 degrees outside, slight breeze. I don't think there's been a more perfect day all year! Here's just a few of the fab families that stopped by...

Howl-O-Ween Pet Photos

2010-10-06T12:48:00.005-04:00

OooooooooOOOOoooowwwww!!! It's that time of year again when all the pet lovers out there dress their cat, dogs and even some birds up in costumes and head on over to Mantis Pet Supply for a day of Halloween fun! I will be there from 9a-5p on Saturday, October 16th taking photos of all the beasts big and small. There won't be any tricks here, only treats and LOTS of them. So stop on by and bring your favorite furry friend.

There's NO session fee for these events and photos start at only $5!! Children in costumes are welcome too!

Cowboy Boots, Pumpkins and Home Brewed Beer...

2010-10-04T01:17:00.018-04:00

...made up this absolutely stunning fall wedding. Erin + Topher truly are the definition of love and everyone made me feel like I was one of the family, instead of the photographer! The weather decided not to cooperate with the plans for an outdoor ceremony, however the indoor ceremony was beautiful. Tears filled Erin's and Topher's eyes as they read their vows and were smiling the whole time. For the reception guests were fed incredible Mexican food, cheesecakes for dessert and the Smith family brew to wash it all down with. This is one close family with great traditions that I hope never end!!

Lovely Assistant Photographer

Tabbatha

Ceremony & Reception

Woldumar Nature Center

Pro DJ's

Photobooth

ShutterBooth

Catering

El Azteco

Cheesecakes

Sweet Little Paws Cheesecake Co.

Bartender

Susan Shider - 517.526.1575

Been Chillin' at the Holiday Inn

2010-10-01T13:57:00.007-04:00

One of the managers of the new Holiday Inn in Jackson approached me about doing a large image to hang in their lobby across from the service desk, I thought this was a great idea, not only because my work would be displayed, but also to have it on such a large scale would be incredible!! I was thrilled to take the job. So we decided to go about this two ways: either images of nature or images that represent Jackson. For the nature images I headed on over to the Dahlem Nature Center for a photo adventure. These are a couple of my favorites from that day:

Later that week I took a trip downtown to see what festivities I could find and came away with this bunch. There's more photos at each location, but these were just my favorites:

Makeup Artists and Photographers Need Love Too!

2010-09-17T13:29:00.002-04:00

Every once-in-a-while I need to just let go, get a mini makeup and be a little vain for a couple hours. Every girl's dream! So that exactly what Taryn, owner of ToughLoveMPD and creative director for MakeupGeek.com and I did the other day. Taryn did my makeup and she just naturally looks gorgeous all the time, and took some updated photos of each other. Not to mention I really needed some new ones because I chopped about 14" off my hair so I deserved it! Here are the fabulous results, starting with Taryn...

Taryn expects nothing but the best from her models and often asks them to jump in heels, most of the time they do it, but sometimes there's some resistance. So to prove that she understands how it feels to pose this way, she jumped in heels! Something I could only dream about doing! Grab the reins models and go for it!!

And lastly for good measure the two of us together.

Another BHS Senior

2010-09-16T13:00:00.001-04:00

Samantha's good friend, Brittney also needed senior photos done so they came into the studio on the same day and did some together besides their individual shots. We haven't finished Brittney's full session yet because we are waiting for the leaves to change, but check back shortly for those photos. Here's a couple we captured in the studio!

The Whiskey Pilots

2010-09-06T00:02:00.003-04:00

This was a day long photo shoot in Ann Arbor for up and coming band, The Whiskey Pilots. We spent most of the day wandering around to random places throughout the city taking photos. However, as laid back as the shoot was, I have to say this was one of the most interesting sessions I've been on. From hanging with the graffiti alley Michael Jackson impersonator, to the basement of Ashley's and finally a car robbery (someone hit about ten cars in the parking garage our vehicles were parked in and unfortunately one of them being the band's car). But despite the tragedy they remained in good spirits and finished out the day on the top of the Maynard St. Garage.

Check them out, you won't be disappointed:

Facebook or on Myspace

From My Alma Mater

2010-09-03T23:45:00.004-04:00

I watched Samantha grow up, see she was my neighbor when I lived with my parents. Time has come full circle again and six years after my own graduation, she is officially part of the Brighton High School senior class of 2011!! GO BULLDOGS!!

My How You've Grown!!

2010-08-24T00:09:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe how big Annora's gotten over the last four months...we missed her 9 months photos, so we did 10 months. She's starting to crawl now and still as curious in the world around her as ever! Did I mention she has curls to die for?! I'm definitely jealous!

Heir! Sitz! Platz!

2010-08-23T23:22:00.004-04:00

There's nothing better than a well trained dog, except a German Shepard trained "auf Deutsch" (in German)!! Enter Ruger, this guy started off great from a reputable breeder and ended up in the hands of someone that couldn't handle him. Then he went to an amazing home that took the time to work with him and train him. This dog is the most well behaved dog I've ever met and trust me, I've met a lot of dogs!!

MakeupGeek.com & ToughLove MPD

2010-08-22T20:26:00.005-04:00

I was lucky enough to accompany the two incredible ladies behind MakeupGeek.com and ToughLove MPD for a day long session that included four models, hair, make-up and wardrobe for Halloween looks. The tutorials will debut on MakeupGeek.com in early October, but here is a sneak peek of the four looks.

Step Right Up!

2010-08-18T19:25:00.006-04:00

The Jackson County Fair was in town last week so naturally I had to venture down and do a photo session there. I couldn't have asked for a better location, the lights, the smell and the rides made for an incredible backdrop. The marvelous Taryn and Amanda were my models and we had a blast. We rode the Merry-Go-Round, ate some delicious corn dogs and of course took some amazing photos.

Camille Grace

2010-07-31T10:15:00.001-04:00

I met the Svoboda family while volunteering with a pit bull rescue group. They are such an amazing couple! They own a local dog daycare, volunteer, own and foster dogs, and still found time to squeeze in the cutest, most content baby I've ever seen! Camille Grace. She just turned a whopping 3 wks. young, she's already had her studio debut, but now it was time to break out into the world with an outdoor session.

CooLHeadS First Official Photo Shoot

2010-07-29T23:50:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure of being introduced to CooLHeadS awhile back when I was asked to photograph their runway debut. Since then they have come quite far and are now working on their website, that's where I came in. Being a Michigan based company they wanted to shoot in locations that represented Michigan. It was a two day photo extravaganza, traveling to Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and ending in Detroit today. Everyone was incredible to work with and I couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather!! CooLHeadS are sure to be the next big fashion craze with their dual purpose of looking CooL and keeping CooL at the same time.

Rescue is the Best Breed

2010-07-14T23:33:00.001-04:00

Meet Niko. I adopted him from the Michigan Humane Society in Detroit in April 2006. He was a stray and around 3mo. old. I first seen him on petfinder.com and he was SO incredibly cute I couldn't resist. I had been looking for a dog and Niko was just what I wanted, so here he is now, four years later living the high life of a spoiled dog with his own personal photographer =)

What Photographers Do On Their Off Days

2010-07-12T22:17:00.001-04:00

Take photos of their own children...duh! Piglet and I decided to go on a little photo adventure downtown Jackson this afternoon. Any time I want to get pictures of one of the dogs we usually head over to the park where it's nice and open, but this time I wanted to go urban to test both Piglet's obedience and myself working in a new environment. We went to a location I had been wanting to photograph for sometime and then took a stroll through the back alley's where there are some very beautiful walls and textures.

When Life Gives You an Engagement, You Make Coconut Lime Cake.

2010-07-11T23:51:00.007-04:00

Cat is very classy lady and her bridal shower was a very classy affair. The wedding colors are lime, black and white so what better than a coconut lime cake?! All the food was homemade by my good friend Slava, mostly vegan recipes and incredibly delicious!

Relay for Life - Ann Arbor

2010-06-29T00:13:00.007-04:00

Once in high school I had participated in Relay for Life, it was a blast, but in the years after that it just didn't fit in my schedule to devote the time needed to the event. That was until this year. The Ann Arbor Relay Committee asked me if I'd volunteer to photograph their event. I agreed and spent last Saturday and Sunday watching the day's events unfold.

It always amazes me how so many people from different walks of life can come together and fight a common cause. They put aside all differences they might have had and walked side-by-side. To say the least it's an incredibly moving experience. And if you have never been to a Relay for Life, I strongly encourage you to check out one. I had a hard time fighting back tears during the Survivor ceremony and the Luminaria ceremony. Trust me, crying makes taking photos pretty difficult. But all the emotions are totally worth knowing that I am helping a cancer fighter somewhere celebrate their life and live to see many more birthdays.

My grandfather had passed away from cancer and both of my parents are in remission, so cancer has had a played a big role in my life. I want to give back, so while I was at Relay Ann Arbor I pledged to myself that I would make a difference...thus the forming of team Natty J Photography. I found out that Jackson has not held their Relay yet and I was thrilled that I could start a team and help contribute monetarily to the ASC (American Cancer Society)!! Come say hello to the Natty J Photography team on August 6th-7th (6p-6p) and see what an incredible community can do when we all work together. You won't be disappointed. Promise.

Keep checking back as I will be announcing fundraisers to help my team reach their goal of $1000. If you'd like to donate and can't make it to any fundraiser please visit the Natty J Photography team page.

2011 Senior Model Representative: Nia!

2010-06-16T22:50:00.005-04:00

This girl is mind-blowingly beautiful and incredibly sweet. Taryn (owner of ToughLove MPD), Nia and I got together today to do a senior session like southern Michigan has never seen before! I believe we succeeded to say the least. We trekked through the woods, hopped on a motorcycle and checked out an auto museum all to get that "perfect" shot.

Keep checking back, the male representative will be announced soon...

Biggby Coffee and Natty J Photography

2010-06-14T17:10:00.003-04:00

Awhile back I went into Jackson's Biggby Coffee and talked to Matt to see if I could hang up some artwork in their foyer. He said that would be fine and just bring them in. Well, I finally got around to getting my pieces hang-able and put them up today! They look amazing if I do say so myself. So if you get a chance stop by the Biggby on Wisner in Jackson and see them for yourself!!

Kicking the Summer off with a BANG!!

2010-06-11T18:25:00.004-04:00

Summer is one of my favorite times of the year so I want to jump start the season with a THANK YOU to all my loyal fans (new and old)! So, any portrait session that takes place from now until July 7th will receive 10% off their entire print/product order! Photos are done at locations of your choice and portrait sessions start at only $35.

Call to book today, dates are filling up fast!
517.499.9380

Democratic County Commissioner Candidate

2010-06-09T19:55:00.005-04:00

Democratic candidate for County Commissioner, Rebecca Livingston asked me to help with some campaign photos, of course I agreed! I never pass up an opportunity to broaden my horizons. You never know, maybe politician photography could be my niche. So we spent the day photographing all over Jackson; industrial areas, speaking with young adults, relaxing at a local coffee shop, playing with her dog in the park, etc... It was by far the longest portrait session I've had to date (and I'm not counting weddings), but I had a blast! I learned a few new things about the office she's running for, plus I learned about the anodizing process from Great Lakes Metal Finishing!

Rebecca and her rescue dog Chase.

Second Runner Up

2010-06-08T02:25:00.004-04:00

For those of you who don't know, I am a multi-talented photographer and in my spare time I'm on a roller derby team, The Jack Town Rollers! It's a brand new team started up in January so we were invited to take part of the annual Rose Parade here in Jackson. Being as competitve as all of us girls are we set out with the goal of winning Best Float, and we sure came close...third, but not bad for our first time float building!!

Your Love is My Drug

2010-06-07T23:40:00.004-04:00

Stephanie and Jared are the most hilarious couple I've met. They had me cracking up the entire session, I think I laughed more than I took pictures! And they are absolutely adorable together, this is what true love is really about.

Annora Faye

2010-06-01T00:17:00.001-04:00

She's six months old now and has quite the personality. She's constantly taking in the world around her with a very contemplative look upon her face. Plus, I was there for her second trip in her pool! She was a little concerned with the idea of her legs in the water and kept her hands together in the cutest little pose, as you'll see!!

Get Awesome Hotel Rates and Help Make-a-Wish Foundation

2010-05-23T00:52:00.003-04:00

Through my schooling at Washtenaw Community College I met a lot of truly talented and amazing people, but Rachel is one of the best. Every year she does a 3 day, 300 mile bike ride to help raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. For those of you who don't know who what the charity does, you can visit http://www.wish.org/, but in short they grant wishes for terminally ill children; whether that be being a police officer or going to Disney World or whatever the child desires. I'm always trying to make a difference in the world even if it only effects one person. I can't change the world, but I can change someone's world. So if you are reading this please repost; for every blog the banner below gets posted in, Rachel will receive $20 towards her fundraising. Just let her know you did it. This is her blog...http://www.andinabreath.blogspot.com/ and you can leave her a comment with a link to your blog in it.

Thanks for helping!!!

I recommend HotelsCombined.com and sent $20 to Make a Wish!

You can shout and help too.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

2010-05-21T21:28:00.004-04:00

Graduation season is upon us all and I love it! I can honestly say it's one of my favorite times of the year. I love designing open house invitations, each graduate is so different and I strive to make each invite reflect that person's personality. Here's just a sample of one that I've done recently.

Father's Day Collection

2010-05-13T14:45:00.004-04:00

In honor of all the wonderful and amazing father's out there, Natty J Photography is offering a Father's Day Collection for $150. This includes the session fee, a portrait session at a location of your choice, password protected online gallery for viewing all the proofs and a ready to hang, framed 11x14 print of your favorite image. Additional prints or products may be purchased separately. Mom's this is a great way to update the family portrait and have a gorgeous framed work of art to hang in your home, plus a nice way to bring the entire family together.

Don't procrastinate until the last minute, give dad an early gift and call to book your family session today.
517.499.9380

They Say the Rain is a Blessing

2010-04-25T11:09:00.002-04:00

Remember the bridal shower I photographed a couple weeks ago...well yesterday was that wonderful couple's wedding and despite the scattered showers, one of the most amazing weddings I've had the priviledge of shooting. Bailey and AJ were more than willing to perform the various circus acts I asked of them, resulting in some pretty stunning images. Not to mention they were so calm and collected all day, definitely makes for a very smooth running wedding machine :)

Sandy Puc' Family Tour 2010

2010-04-21T14:29:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a very eventful day for me. A fellow photographer and I went to Sandy Puc' Family Tour in Grand Rapids. I gained SO much knowledge I can't even begin to tell all of you. All I can say is to expect big things out of Natty J Photography this year in the way of family portraiture. Last year I attended the Tots 2 Teens Tour and did a record number of infant and children portraits, but I'm always trying to broaden my horizons and families will be on this years agenda!!

Also, I will be developing a new business along with J. Lynn Imagery strictly for our fundraising events. Rather than explaining to every person that walks in who is Natty J Photography and who is J. Lynn Imagery, we will be one. Now all we need is a name, feel free to input your opinion on this!!

Lastly, enjoy this dazzling weather we have stumbled upon today!

EMU's Exposure 2010 - CooLHeadS

2010-04-17T14:31:00.007-04:00

I was asked by the owner of CooLHeadS to come photograph their runway debut at Exposure 2010 held on Eastern Michigan University's campus in the Quirk Theater. I have a feeling that they are going to be HUGE, just wait! They received the loudest applause and won the Most Innovative Design. Congrats to the CooLHeadS team and good luck in your future ventures.

http://www.getcoolheads.com/

80's Flashback

2010-04-16T13:43:00.002-04:00

Another collaboration with ToughLove MPD, this time we went back...way back to the 80's with these two lovely country singers.

Sun-Eyed Girl

2010-04-15T13:16:00.001-04:00

Well it's more like a sun-eyed family with this bunch! This trio were such cuties and natural models. What a great way to spend a gorgeous April day!

Tattoos and Spice and Bruises on Ice...

2010-04-14T12:53:00.001-04:00

...that's what these derby girls are made of!

Two of my derby sisters were kind enough to let me go wild with their portraits and I'm pretty sure I laughed more than I took pictures.