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Top Professional 8 in 2008
Posted on December 29, 2008
Now it’s time for me to highlight some of my favorite professional photos I took throughout 2008. I spent this year really growing and learning as a photographer, so some of these were taken of family members, but because of the amount of knowledge I gained from the photoshoots I’m still considering them professional, since they helped me on my professional photography journey so much. I am a lot better about highlighting the professional images I capture on my blog so that my clients can have a sneak peek from the session as soon as possible, so several of my favorite images I’ve already posted here. I didn’t want to simply re-post older images that had already had their time in the spotlight, I wanted to find a few new ones, ones that I loved but for one reason or another I hadn’t posted. So enjoy these Top 8 images for 2008!
1. Timeless Elegance {January 2008}
This gorgeous girl is my sister. I took a trip out to visit my family for a couple months last winter with the plan to REALLY focus on photography. She is by nature a bit of a tom boy, or at least that was how I’d remembered her from when I’d moved away the year prior, but she sure had grown up and grown into a beautiful girl! I put her in this faux fur coat and heels and she totally found her inner elegance. We took this photo in my parents front yard by some cool weeds near their pond. One of the few decent backdrops I could find in the dead of winter in Oklahoma. LOVE that she and I kinda learned together. Me learning how to pose, find backgrounds, shoot in manual. Her how to let me pose her, rock her awesome expressions and overall just find the timeless elegance within.
2. All Grown Up {January 2008}
This is my kid brother. It’s so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that he’s all grown up! He’s not the little guy who used to be my constant playmate, my sweet little buddy who used to comfort me if I fell and scraped up my knee, the creative brother who used to help me figure out the best way to hang a tire swing up on a tree, my musical genius brother who used to sing 1970′s rock with me to the top of our lungs as we jumped on our trampoline. The comedic brother who made (and still makes me) laugh so hard my stomach hurts. Love him so much. I adore this image for several reasons. I love the catchlights in his eyes, love the expression he has, love how it’s so crisp you can see each hair on his beard so clearly, also this is the first picture I took of him where when I was later editing it the realization hit me like a ton of bricks, “He’s a man now”, makes my heart hurt just a bit that our wonderful childhood is over and we’re both in the throws of adult life. But he’s grown into a really cool man. Someone who is interesting, a hard worker, entertaining, fun, intelligent. I’m proud of my baby brother and look forward to seeing where his life leads next.
3. Blissful Family {February 2008}
This is by far one of the most genuinely loving families I’ve ever met. These parents love their son so deeply! There isn’t a doubt in my mind that they fully appreciate each sweet moment they have together as a family. This sweet little man was a little tired of picture time and wanted to run off and play with his football, but a little tickling from mom and dad cheered him right up. This image isn’t technically perfect, but MY GOSH I love it. Overall my favorite images are the ones where the subjects don’t seem to look like I’m there. I love when I can click the shutter button and freeze a moment of how people are when they go about their daily lives. Love natural shots!
4. Glamour {March 2008}
This is my other sister. She’s been a natural model since day one, so I wasn’t that surprised when I took her out for some photo shoots and she rocked it each and every time. What did surprise me is how once we got started it felt like we’d gone back in time. You see I was ten when she was born and I used to take my little living, breathing baby doll into my room and dress her in random things and take pictures of her with a little Kodak throw away camera. Fun times. She was only 1-2 years old at the time and my knowledge of photography was…well non-existant, but I had a blast anyway! So now that we’re older and I have a better camera and she has some rockin’ awesome hair and makeup skills it was so much fun to pick up where we’d left off 14 years prior. Love this image because it sums up a couple things I always strive for all my photos to be – crisp, clear and colorful. Love that the girl captured here is my beautiful baby sissy too!
5. One Year Wonder {October 2008}
This sweet little girl turned one and I got to take some photos of her to document her bit first birthday! This image rolls up so many things I love – babies, baskets, autumn weather and COLOR! I love the bright pink hat and sweater, love the gorgeous autumn leaves, love how amazingly she just sat there posing for me and letting me take as many photo of her as I wanted. Such a sweet little princess!
6. I Love, LOVE! {October 2008}
You know how you meet certain couples and their chemistry is undeniable? Well if not…just check out these two images and you’ll see what I mean. They love each other so much! Just check out the way he’s gazing at her…awww…this is the stuff movies are made of people!!! And I was blessed enough to get to capture them with my camera. During this session I had nearly endless images that I adored of these two alone, but I finally chose these two, cause they felt the most natural, the most un-posed, the most real. You see I love, LOVE, and these image just ooze with it!
7. Passionate {November 2008}
This is my most requested pose EVER. I have yet to do a couples shoot or family shoot without the client always requesting this pose, and with good reason, hello, it’s hot stuff! As I went through all the clients I photographed this year I came across this same pose again and again but I finally chose to highlight this particular photo for a couple of reasons. For one thing I love her hair…wait, that really has nothing to do with anything other than my own jealousy at how gorgeous she is! Hee-hee. Okay, let me start again. I love this gorgeous stone wall. Love that it’s literally in their backyard and something that is so personalized for them and their stay here in Germany. Love how really beautiful they both are and how sweetly they love each other. I guess you could say they think each other is pretty darn swell, no question about it! :)
8. Bubble Bath {December 2008}
I don’t post any images from the boudoir sessions I photograph because of their private nature, but since this particular shot doesn’t show the client in anyway I had to include it. I’ve had this concept of including some bubble bath photos into a Boudoir session for awhile now, but this was the first time it worked out and I LOVED taking these images! Boudoir photography is seriously one of my favorites! I love that I can play a small part in making a woman feel good about herself! To present her with gorgeous images of herself that she can then give to her husband. Love to make a woman who might feel like just an average wife and mom feel completely glamourous for a day! So here is an image from a shoot conducted in a bubble bath (and for my grandma who might be reading this…no worries my client had on a bathing suit underneath the bubbles, I PROMISE! Hee-hee).
So there you have it, a small glimpse into some of my favorite professional images from this past year. For all of my clients who gave me the opportunity to capture you and your families, THANK YOU. I appreciate each and every one of you. I look forward to hopefully working with all of you again.
Happy 2009!!
Love all the pictures!You left me wanting more! LOL!
I feel so honored that one our pics hit top 8!!! I absolutely love that pic!!! Its hanging in the living room and I look at it everyday!!! You’re AWESOME!!!
My family is visiting and when I saw your top 8 the other day, I grabbed them and dragged them over to show them how talented my friend is and then AGAIN when you posted these. They are all wonderful.
The next time you come to Oklahoma for a visit, can you do our pictures pretty pretty pretty please? We’ll come to you!! You have a natural eye and talent that is missing from many “professional” photographers that I know. You go girl.
awesome annie! its amazing that you have only been doing this for a short time. your work is unreal.
we loved working with you! you are so fun and laid back.