I moved to Gilbert, Arizona soon after getting my first DSLR camera and having just decided I wanted to be a photographer. But when you move to a new place, and don't know anyone, where do you start?
Lucky for me, I had one friend here. One friend who let me photograph her beautiful family for free in exchange for posting the pictures to a yardsale group and saying I was offering a deal. I was offering killer deals back then! I said--Valentines Special $25 for a session. Two people jumped on that deal. And Shelly was one of them. I'm sure she knew I was a newbie. What photographer in their right mind would charge $25 for a session? But she gave me a shot--for which I am so grateful.
Well, she must have liked me, because a few months after her maternity session, she called me to take pictures of her new little one! And since then has sent a couple friends my way. She has been one of my greatest supporters and advocates! I'm so grateful for her and I love the friendship we've built through this medium.
About a month ago, Shelly told me she really wanted a rustic barn for her photos. If you're from Mesa or Gilbert then you might get this. It's REALLY hard to find a rustic barn around here! It's the city for one, and two, everything is pretty new. I was a little nervous we weren't going to make it happen. Thank goodness for friends because google wasn't getting me anywhere! If you ask enough people, you're bound to find something!
We found this old pink barn that happens to belong to a friend of mine in my church! And, it happens to be less than a mile from my apartment. It was well hidden! When I heard pink, I was a little nervous. But Shelly trusted me and we made it work! Needless to say, it went wonderfully. We even got ambushed by some cows towards the end. With the beautiful morning light (my favorite!) and this gorgeous location, it made for a pretty magical session.
Hope you felt a little of the magic too!
xoxo,