by Amy | Oct 27, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Everybody, meet Sam. He is my second-to-last senior of the season. He’s smart, and witty and was polite {and game} enough to oblige me as I had him trek from one corner of his family’s gorgeous property to the other. Those are qualities I always treasure in a senior client. I’m being very honest when I tell you that this guy is a true gem and I had an absolute blast taking these very country, outdoor senior portraits.
When Sam’s mom told me he was a big time reader, I was so excited to pull my stack-of-books stool out of hiding and into the open air. Not to mention that I really dig the jewel tones of the books next to those orange pants! Seriously, how cool are those jeans?! You might recognize the books {and a few other props} from a photo I posted to instagram {you should follow me @theartoflivingproject}. I know quite a few of you were curious when I showed you a trunk filled with oversized books, suitcases and chalkboards.
Sam comes from a big family. {One of his sisters married into the Rogers clan I showed you a couple months ago. If you like these photos, you should go check out that one too! See it here.} While we were taking his senior portraits, siblings were popping in and out of the house, an adorable dog was trotting through the yard and delightful smells were wafting out of the kitchen window. While that might be distracting to some photographers, I’m so happy Sam decided to have his portraits taken at his family’s property–it was a blast to be around such a busy, fun household. I love seeing people in their element, and at home, in this beautiful yard, he was very much at home.
Now. Let’s talk suits. You know I love suits at senior sessions…but this one just took the cake for me.
Okay, so I guess technically it’s not a suit. But, it sure is classy. Very European. These photos remind me of Ireland for some reason. Whatever it is, I love this suit and these photos are magical.
As you can tell, I had a great time with Sam! Thanks for hanging out and fighting the wind with me {did I mention we almost got blown over a few times?} I hope you love your photos, I know I do!
Remember to go over to the Art of Living Facebook page to vote B&W or Color in Sam’s photo contest. If at least 40 people chime in, he’ll win an 8×10 of the winner. And, if you like what you see here, I’d love it if you liked the page and shared it with friends so more people can start mastering the art of living.
xo
Amy
by Amy | Oct 14, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
This is Patrick. He’s graduating. And he let me have the good pleasure of taking his senior portraits. I can’t speak for him, but I can tell you that I had fun times a million while shooting his session. We hit up some of my favorite, rustic locations in Minot, then took a drive out to that trestle in Burlington that I’m so very crazy for.
He put up with my many awkward comments, he climbed and sat and was patient as I got just “one more shot…” And while, that line might actually mean “Let’s do a whole bunch more…” Patrick was totally willing and good spirited through my long list of ideas. I think it paid off, and I think you will too.
One of my most favorite things about shooting senior boy photos is that they usually bring a mom along. {I think I might have mentioned this before.} Patrick’s mom is awesome. I had a great time chatting with her while we waited on wardrobe changes. And–she gets to take full credit for showing me this awesome wall! What could be more perfect for a senior photo?
Seriously, friends, I cannot imagine a more perfect day to take in the fall colors of Practically Canada. The hills of Burlington were simply lit up with colored leaves. An ideal backdrop for gorgeous photos.
Thanks for an awesome night, Patrick! Happy senior year!
by Amy | Oct 13, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Gymnast Senior Portraits
Just a heads up, it’s going to be a senior photo kind of week here at the blog. Several weeks ago the perfect storm of senior sessions happened: Four senior sessions in one week. For me, that’s a whole lot. But there are simply no words for the amount of fun I had getting to know these upstanding young people. We walked balance beams, traveled to the rail road trestle, hauled a drum set into an open field and rode a four-wheeler to remote corners of a family farm. It was an amazing week and I’m excited to be showing you three of those four sessions this week.
Tonight, meet Jenna. She is gorgeous, an amazing gymnast, giving, fashionable and compassionate. I’ve had the pleasure of having her in my youth group small group for two years now–and I count myself lucky for it. She’s the kind of person who just makes you happy when she’s around.
Okay, enough bragging on Jenna. You all know how much I love seniors. I could go on all day. Instead I’ll start showing you these amazing images. Like this one that we all drooled over when I first posted it on the Facebook page last week.
The results are pretty amazing, but I’ll admit, working with balloons in an open field in North Dakota proved to be a difficult task. Let’s just say many minutes were spent waiting for the wind to die down before we snapped a few good ones.
Oh, and earlier when I said she was athletic, I meant to say…she’s a brilliant gymnast. {Which explains how she gets so mad high on those jumps and how her toes stay pointed.}
She even let me come to her gym to see her in action. For good measure she brought alone a sample of the medals she has earned over the years…I told you–she’s amazing.
Congratulations, Jenna! Thanks for hanging out and making me just a little cooler in the process.
by Amy | Oct 7, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Expecting | A Baby Announcement With Dogs
Something very exciting is happening to the Allender clan. Well, technically it’s the Kennedys. But since Erin was originally an Allender, I’ll still claim it as a victory for our team.
They are expecting! Which is just fabulous, because I myself love kiddos, but am still on the terrified side of actually carrying a baby and being a mom…however I have absolutely no qualms about being a zany aunt. I’m very, very excited {as are our parents–obviously}. I know the Kennedy foursome–Sis insists on including her dogs in everything–will look lovely as a fivesome. I’m so excited to show off this one-of-a-kind baby announcement with dogs.
Now, about the dogs. Erin loves her dogs. Loves them. You might think you love your pets. But she really takes it to a unique level. Unique–not totally crazy. {It’s a fine line.} So, you can imagine my surprise and delight when she told me their household was going to expand by two feet…not four. Because of the deep rooted love for the dogs {Jillian is the big one, and Penny is the little one} they obviously had to be part of sharing the good news.
For me, sometimes the most fun part about sharing photos with all of you is being able to tell the story behind some of them. These were taken at my parent’s house, when I was home to Indiana. You might even recognize the chair from the family photos we did in July. About half way through her short session my mom said she “had and idea,” and would be right by. I think as she walked away she said something about knowing, “just what we needed.”
No more than five minutes later she had returned to the yard carrying two baby bonnets. One from each of us sisters. Two minutes after that, they’d been strapped to the dogs’ heads. I love our family.
How she produced them so quickly is a mystery to me. It takes me longer to find Scotch tape in the drawer than it took her to find and deliver two bonnets that haven’t been used since the mid-80’s. And as you can imagine it was a pathetic sight to behold. Jillian didn’t even seem to care. She doesn’t care about much as long as there is a squirrel to watch. Penny, on the other hand was really embarrassed, but I am so SO glad that I got this close up of her.
It’s safe to say there are a lot of things about this first Allender pregnancy we will never forget. Congratulations times a million to this brilliant couple. Thank you for letting me shoot your baby announcement. It was a night I won’t soon forget. And I pray luck upon those dogs, because they are in for a shock when the baby arrives and starts hogging their attention.
xo
Amy
by Amy | Oct 2, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Today I have a very special family session to show you. It’s especially special because it’s my actual family. While I was home to Elkhart last month, I did some fall family photos for my family. The reason I love doing sessions for my own family is two fold. Firstly, I love taking photos. Secondly, it forces them to spend more time with me.
And I love spending time with the fam.
Since I’ve disclosed to you that this is my own flesh and blood, it’s safe to assume that I might be a little bias…but I’ll tell you anyway–I think these portraits are the bomb. I think these kids are geniuses. I think this family is the cat’s meow. The only thing I don’t love about this is the fact that they live in God’s country {northern Indiana} and I live in Practically Canada {which is also lovely…but not quite as amazing as the Michiana area.} So enjoy the photos. Perhaps you can glean a little inspiration for you own family portrait session.
Now, I’m going to take a moment to point out something that this family totally nailed: Clothing choice. Sometimes that can be the trickiest part of photo day. I get asked all the time: What should we wear? Well, when it comes to fall family photos, you can take a lesson from the Bredenkamp clan. Solid colors are always a winner. It’s also a good idea to put everyone in jeans for cohesiveness, then mix up the shirts. The orange and green lend some color and look amazing with the fall backgrounds. The kiddos in gray and white are perfectly neutral.
I also advise folks to steer clear of trendy clothes. That way when you look back at your portraits, you’ll remember the amazing day, the lovely weather and the family. If you go too trendy, you’ll likely be distracted by your atrocious clothing, hit yourself in the forehead and ask yourself, “What was I thinking?” {Also, that sets you up to be made fun of by future generations.} Now, enough clothes talk. Let’s get back to the session.
If you are wondering where this lovely setting is, let me tell you. It’s Cobus Creek, one of Elkhart County’s newest parks. While it’s been around for a few years now, there are still lots of folks who haven’t heard of it. Let’s just say I came out looking pretty cool when I introduced them to this awesome location.
Okay, that’s one fam session down. I shot two others while I was home. Be on the lookout for those. You’ll especially want to see the one with a goofy Boston Terrier wearing a hat. She looked so embarrassed. I’m telling you, it’s worth a look and a laugh, so stay tuned!
by Amy | Sep 22, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Art, The Art of Design
I love ideas. I just think ideas are the cat’s meow. So I’m always excited when a friend comes to me with an idea that I can help with. I’m count myself blessed to have a quirky little skill set that can make lots of artistic/crafty/designy ideas come to life.
So when my friend Kait came to me with an idea for some adorable bridesmaid thank you cards I was chomping at the bit to make her vision a reality.
Before we go further, let’s meet Kait. I don’t know how I’ve lucked into such cool friends. I mean, look at her. She gets football, she’s a nurse and she loves Mumford and Sons. She’s awesome. {This photo is stunning. Yes, I know. But I did not take it. It’s from the talents of Briana Moore Photography. If you are in the Boston-ish area and need photography…you should totally check her out!}
She’d seen something similar, but wanted a look that was a little more custom and a little more wallet-friendly. {And what is more wallet-friendly than a girlfriend willing to be paid in chai-tea lattes? It’s my pleasure.} What she had seen was a paper-doll-ish card that could be customized to look like her own bridesmaids. Blonde, brunette, dress color, flower color, skin color…you get it. Here’s the finished product. They fold on the elbow and have an adorable shape. Cute, yes?
If you follow me on Instagram {I’m @theartoflivingproject} you just might have seen this image floating around a while back when I was in the design stage of these gems.
The process was so fun. I started with sketches, then picked my favorites. Added some fine-tip Sharpie {a must for almost all my hand rendered designs} and finally digitized them by using my handy-dandy scanner. Once on screen I digitally colored them. I love the effect of the hand drawing with the digital color. Ahhh, the sweetness of 21st century art.
Her wedding has come and gone, so I figured it would be safe to share these with the world now. I haven’t heard if they were a hit or not…I hope they were. I think they are adorable and wish that I had thought of this when I was getting married. But alas…that was years ago, when I used actual notebooks instead of Pinterest and my best ideas came from a tangible copy of Martha Stewart Weddings. *sigh* But alas, I’m thrilled to be able help friends realize their Pinterest dreams and spread the wealth of my artistic skillz. {Yes, the kind with a “z” at the end.}
And, just in case any of you are wondering…I really am planning to resurrect my Etsy shop–or open a shop page here on the website. Once that happens {current opening date is set for the end of this month} these will be listed, so you and all your marrying friends can have some for yourselves.
Have I told you how awesome you are lately? Seriously. Thanks for reading and liking and supporting. I love you guys.
Amy
by Amy | Sep 17, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
This is Allene. In case you haven’t noticed…she has aqua hair. Which, automatically makes her about 30x cooler than I’ll ever be. Sure, she may hail from small-town, Practically Canada, but she’s edgy, urban and has a do-what-I-please attitude that makes me smile. Oh, yeah…and she loves her mom–who joined us on the session. It was her mad texting skills and random comments that caused a lot of these adorable caught-me-off-gaurd smiles.
What follows here are some of my favorite images from her senior portrait session. But, there is one prized gem that you won’t see here. Remember the contest I ran for Andrew? It was such a hit, I’ve decided to run one for all of my remaining senior sessions. If you missed it, let me refresh your mind.
I’ve posted one of Allene’s best images on the Amy Allender: The Art of Living Facebook page. There are two copies–one color and one black and white. Go on over and “like” your personal favorite. If 40 people share their two-cents, Allene will receive a free 8×10″ print of the favorite. Not to mention, it’s super fun to see the battle of color vs BW rage on! So check out this post, then go vote!
I love a session that includes a few props that give a glimpse into the personality of my subject. That said, you can imagine how excited I was when Allene told me she’d like to bring some books along. I mean, books in the park…with those eyes and that awesome hair?! Yes, please.
I was so excited about her bookworm tendencies that I took things a step further by getting the okay to shoot a few inside Minot’s public library. I wasn’t sure if she would think this was a good idea or totally lame. Lucky for me, Allene was up for trying anything my crazy mind could come up with. And I’m so very pleased with the result. {Also, isn’t that dress amazing?!}
And, since the sunflowers were still blooming, I obviously insisted we take a trip to the edge of town for a little vibrancy.
There’s an time just before sunset when the light is perfect and soft–when colors melt into something totally luscious and portraits take on a magical quality. Photographers call it the “golden hour.” We just so happened to be in the wheat field when that hour rolled around. Like the time of day…I think these are pretty magical. So I’ll leave you here. In the wheat, in the golden hour.
Now, before you leave completely, don’t forget to go over to the Facebook page and vote! Allene needs 40 people to share their opinion to win the complimentary 8×10″ of the favorite photo!
PS–check out more Minot Senior Portraits here.
by Amy | Sep 10, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Say hi to Andrew. He’s smart, kind and has mad evangelical skills. Seriously. The guy knows how to integrate Christ into a conversation. During his session we came across a drifter, and this guy–this one right here–struck up a conversation, read a Psalm, and explained the plan of salvation. Right there on the street. I can’t make this stuff up. I’m so proud to know him.
Below you’ll find a sneak peek of his portrait session. BUT–you should also go over to the Amy Allender Facebook page for an extra special contest I’m running. I’ve posted my fav-or-ite photo from Andrew’s session. In color and black and white. Go over and “like” the one you like the best. If 40 people vote, Andrew will get an 8×10 of the winner. So, you should go over and vote. And like the page. And tell your friends to like the page….so we can do more fun things in the future.
I love that senior sessions often involve a mom. It’s particularly true for guy sessions. Probably because boys don’t care as much about senior portraits as girls do. But either way…I love moms and I love when they come along. Like Andrew, his mom is a gem. This session was a blast not only because, he {being on the very photogenic side of the scale} made my job easy…but because between takes and during clothing changes I got to chat with Trish. Nights like this, clients like these…they really make me love my job.
Oh, and I must say…I’m a huge fan of the suit portraits. Girls laugh and wonder why guys always have a senior photo in a suit. This. Is. Why. Totally dashing. Girls really have no equivalent. A dress? We wear dresses all the time. A portrait of a girl in a formal dress? Nope. That’d seem weird. But a guy in a suit. Pure class.
Okay, we’ve come to the end. Join me in wishing Andrew a happy senior year. And don’t forget to go to the Facebook page and vote!
I’ll see you tomorrow…and I’ll be sharing photos and stories from the Badlands.
Amy
