tgif!

All I can say is TGIF! I am absolutely exhausted today. I don't know what it was about this week that has got me this way but whew! So glad it's almost over.

On another note, I finished up Baby B's pics last night. Her momma has already seen them so I should be posting a slide show soon with all the images. Hope you love them Kaley and Preston!

So what's everyone doing this weekend? Any big plans? Since I'm an old married woman now I hardly get out anymore but I have been invited to a get together at a friend's house. I'm so looking forward to it!

Have a great weekend!

jen + tyler....engaged!

My sis and her man of over 2 years have finally decided to take the plunge. They made it official this weekend. You should see her ring, it's gorgeous. Tyler, you did good!

Some shots of them I took awhile back:




So in honor of their newly engaged status, I decided to post some more wedding tips. I seriously wish someone would have been there to share these things with me.


Hints and Tips : Final Wedding Hints
By: Lara

Your wedding day is going to be crazy busy. It's important to have some sort of photography schedule during the day, so that people know where they need to be and when they need to be there. It also gives a limit as to how long the formals can drag on - even the photographer knows that formal group shots are everyone's least favorite part of the day, and keeping them as short as possible makes everyone happy. Along with the schedule, write out a list of requested formal group shots so that two weeks later you don't start to think, "Hey, did I include great-grandma Doris in those...? I meant too....Shoot!"

When deciding on the flow of pictures for the wedding day, consider breaking tradition and doing the formal shots BEFORE the ceremony. While you and the groom will see each other before you walk down the aisle, for many couples the benefits outweigh that negative. For one, everyone’s makeup and hair is freshly done and is looking its best. If anyone is missing or late, or some pictures are missed, you can take a few minutes after the ceremony to grab them quickly instead of tacking more time onto the already long photo session between the ceremony and the reception. It allows the bride and groom to get to the reception faster, which is a plus for everyone and guests will love you for it. A bonus for more reserved couples is that it allows them to get some of the emotion of the day out of the way in private, so they are more composed when hundreds of eyes are on them during the ceremony. Your photographer will be able to arrange a private, quiet moment before the formal shots begin for the groom to first lay eyes on his bride, so the feeling of seeing her for the first time isn’t entirely lost.

Weddings can be stressful for everyone involved. Don't be afraid to ask for a moment - either alone or with your new husband - to decompress. If you aren't doing group shots immediately following the ceremony, you also might consider sneaking away with your groom for a few shots of just the two of you before you're off to party at the reception. If you are taking a limo or trolley to the reception site, consider inviting the photographer along with you. There can be some fun and emotional shots during the ride, and if you have time the group can stop at a fun location to grab some crazy shots.

While it sounds obvious, don’t forget to eat throughout the day! A little food puts color in your cheeks, and the last thing you would want is to faint from low blood sugar on your big day. Be wary of drinking too much - a glassy-eyed, red-faced bride or groom doesn’t make for good pictures. And possibly more importantly, this is likely going to be the most expensive night of your entire life and you definitely want to get your money’s worth by remembering as much of it as you can!

happy heart day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I'm at home catching up on editing my sessions from this weekend. I had an awesome bridal shoot with Heidi on Saturday. I can't wait to show you some of the images but it will have to wait until after her wedding day. :( I also had another shoot with Baby B over the weekend. She is such a cutie! So be looking for some more pics from her session in the next few days.

I also want to say congrats to Brandi + Parker who will be married December 6, 2008. Can't wait to work with you on your special day!

this blows my mind.

Ok, guys. It's almost 2 in the morning and I can't sleep! My hubby is in bed, snoring. But here I sit on the couch web surfing. I'm usually out by 10 since I have a day job that requires me to be up at the crack of dawn. And I am not a morning person!

Anyway, I just found this really intersting thing over on Becker's blog.




Which way do you see it spinning? Supposedly you should be able to see it spinning clockwise and counter clockwise. I only see it clockwise...

get it while it's hot.

Hey everyone, just wanted to announce that Julie Jones Photography will be undergoing some changes within the next month. In order to provide you with better quality images there will be a slight price increase starting in March. If you book any kind of session in Feburary you will still be able to lock in the current pricing. Even for a session in October!

Also, in case you were not aware, if you refer someone to me and they book a session you will get a free 8x10 from your last session!

ok.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a gorgeous newborn, Miss B. She is about 3 weeks old (Kayley correct me if I'm wrong!). I have been itching to edit her session and get a sneak peek up for her parents but I just haven't had a chance.
Saturday after our session I raced to Circuit City to pick up my brand new laptop. Well, when I got home I had to start the process of transferring Photoshop to the new computer, so no editing. Then Sunday I realized that I was going to have to exchange my new baby. It had some bugs in it, wouldn't shut down and then wouldn't turn back on! So after spending about 2 hours in Circuit City and finally convincing them that I needed to exchange that bad boy, I was exhausted. Then, last night I came home to no power at our house. We had some really strong winds that caused some power lines to go down. Ugh! Tonight will be the night! So be on the look out for Miss B. She is too cute!

new do!

I have seriously needed a haircut for awhile now but haven't had a stylist. The one I have gone to since high school had some health problems and is unable to cut hair any more. So, finally I think I have found a replacement. After my trip to the salon I ran home to do some self portraits.

My new do! What do you think?

getting to know me.

With the new year and all I have decided that I am going to try really hard to post more often. I thought a little get to know me post would be a good way to start things off. So here goes:

Mac or PC?
PC for now. But I have been dreaming of getting a Mac!

Music in my iPod…
I listen to a little bit of everything. Right now I'm a little sick of the radio. Everything seems to be over played. But on my iPod you might find Blue October, Paramore, Trapt, Breaking Benjamin, pop stuff, and girls belting their hearts out.

Morning or Night?
Definitely not morning! I hate getting up early.

My guilty pleasure is…
Chocolate ice cream. Love it!

My weakness is…
See above.

My strength is…
My hubby. He really is my perfect match. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful man.

On my day off…
I'm usually in front of the computer. I'm so obsessed with pictures. I'm either editing them or getting inspiration from other photographers.

One of your top 100 to do before you die?
Oh gosh! There are so many. I want to own my own home, have children, have a successful photography business, travel the world...

Favorite homemade meal?
Just about anything my mom makes. She is the BEST cook. And she knows it too! Her homemade strawberry cream cheese cake is to die for. Her pumpkin pie is amazing. Gumbo...yummy!


And just what is a post without a picture? Here is a sneak peek of a shoot from yesterday. This little 4 month old was so adorable!

airbrush boy.

Yep, that's my hubby. The airbrush boy. I just have to take a minute to brag on him. Last week he airbrushed this awesome car. The opportunity just kind of fell in his lap and he ran with it.

I believe this is a '65 Mustang. If you look closely, on the side view, can you tell what that is? The flames turn into a mustang. Now, I already know my hubby is an awesome artist, but he never ceases to amaze me. I was pretty impressed when I saw what a great job he had done on this car.





Well, I hope everyone had a happy new year! To tell you the truth, I didn't make it to midnight. I was out by 11:30! Getting old sucks!

meet my kiddos!

This is Giger, the oldest.



And this is Lexi Lou. My baby.



Last year while my hubby was in North Carolina for the summer, I adopted Giger as a birthday present for him. Eric has always wanted a miniature weenie dog and when I saw a picture of this guy on PetFinder I knew we had to have him!
After about a year we decided Giger needed a little sister to play with. So we found Lou. It was rough at first. Giger didn't talk to his dad for a week or two. It took some getting used to but now they love each other!
These two truly are like our kids. I never thought I'd love a pet so much.

This is Giger when he was a puppy:



It was the ears that got me!







They sure grow up fast!

blog overhaul.

I don't know if anyone has noticed but I have slowly been giving my blog a face lift. I'm still not quite done so please bare with me while I undergo all this construction! I'm still trying to figure out all the functions and layout of blogger. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on what I should add or take away please feel free to share!

In the mean time, what's a blog without a picture? Here's what I've been working on this past week.






These kiddos are my co-workers. They were too cute and an absolute blast to photograph!

the calm after the storm.

Last weekend after a little rain shower I stepped outside and this is what I saw. All of the fall colors and the leaves blowing every where were just absolutely gorgeous. I had to take a few shots. I just love this time of year! Just not the cold part...

jen.

My sis and I had a little adventure shooting in this old house last weekend. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

coming soon...

Photographybyjuliejones.com will be here soon! Yea! I couldn't be more excited. I purchased my website today so my new project will be under way soon. Be on the lookout!