Outdoor Fun | Jacksonville Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

As most Jacksonville residents know, this morning started out very chilly. Thankfully, it warmed up enough this afternoon for me to get some play time in with Koufax and Reba (not that they would have minded either way - they have fur coats). Little did we know that we were being watched.

 We had so much fun just running around the yard. As dark drew near, we heard a very interesting sound coming from the trees above. This fellow was spying on us the whole time. :)

Lillian & Yu are Married | Florida Wedding Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

Lillian & Yu had a traditional Coptic Orthodox wedding in Jacksonville on June 11, 2011. Lillian was such a sweet bride and Yu was a character of a groom. Many happy years to the two of you!

The Knot Wedding Specail | Jacksonville Wedding Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

We're celebrating going live on The Knot today! We are now listed as one of the photographers serving North Florida and beyond. Be sure to go to The Knot to view our new profile and check out our reviews on The Wedding Channel. In celebration of this big step for Shining Moments Photography, we've got a wedding special JUST for brides who use The Knot. Send us a message via our Knot Profile and request The Knot Wedding Special. It's that easy!

Perfect Wedding Special | Florida Wedding Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

Today, we partnered with the Perfect Wedding Guide, a free planning publication for brides. In celebration of this partnership, we are offering the PWG Wedding Special. This special is amazing! We are offering your choice of either $200 off your custom or gemstone wedding collection - or - a FREE upgrade from our Modern Art Album to our Elegance Album (that's a $700 upgrade)! This deal is so good, it's only available if you book your wedding by June 30, 2011. So call today and ask about this amazing deal! Visit our Facebook page to see the added bonus available with this offer.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Yesterday, I took some time away from my editing schedule to tend to the little 4' x 6' garden my husband and I had planted earlier this year. And boy, did it need it. As I sat there, pulling weeds, harvesting green beans, and cutting lettuce, I thought a great deal about my grandfather.

He was the one who first taught me about vegetable gardens. I can remember spending the summers with him. We would go for a four mile walk, have a breakfast of beagles with honey, and then spend all day tending to his garden, which was about half as wide as a football field and about thirty yards long. He would teach me about planting, weeding, watering, everything to make the plants grow. And when they were ready for harvesting, we would go through and he would show me why each vegetable was ready and how you could tell it was ready to be picked. :) He used to scold me for eating all the peas as I picked them, telling me that others couldn't enjoy them too if I kept them all to myself. I learned about plants I had never heard of before, like Kohlrabi, as well as ones I had grown up despising (cooked peas, go figure I loved them when they were raw). As I learned about vegetables and making them grow, he would teach me about other things. We would have long discussions about the ways of the world. He was the one person who never sugar coated anything. He has this saying about wishes, which is a little inappropriate so I won't repeat it here, but it boiled down to you've got nothing if you keep wishing. You have to go out and make those wishes come true.


In essence, my grandfather taught me to recognize a lot of things about life through those simple hours in the garden. Things that only now as an adult I have a true understanding of. Those lessons in the garden have taught me how to tend to many things in life, including my business. A business may not need water and sunlight to grow, but it needs time, effort, lots of TLC, to be known by the outside world, the list goes on. And the only way to make the dreams and wishes of a business come true is to get out there and make them come true. There is no sitting and waiting.

As my business grows each day, I look forward to the new fruits it will bring, the new people I will meet, and the lives I will touch through it. I have my grandfather to thank for many things, but mainly, for teaching me how to tend my daily life as I tend to a garden. Giving it the things it needs to blossom and keeping it safe from the things that would hinder it. And so, I leave you with this final thought, "How does your 'garden' grow?"

Branching Out | Wedding Photography Special | Shining Moments Photography

Today, I learned how to maximize my marketing potential. In previous years, I had only concentrated my efforts on online advertising at sites like Wedding Wire and SnapKnot. Yesterday, I branched into bridal shows by registering for one in August. I also joined The Knot and my new ads will be up on June 2nd. Today, I branched into print and even more online advertising with the Perfect Wedding Guide. With all of these new advertising opportunities, I decided it was time for new business cards, post cards, and a small banner. So what am I doing while waiting for all these great opportunities to begin? I'm offering all of the brides out there a great opportunity. Book your wedding with Shining Moments Photography by June 1st and receive a free upgrade from a Basic HD Slideshow to a Deluxe HD Slideshow with any collection purchased. That's 150 images in your slideshow instead of only 50. Hurry in, this deal will only last the next 24 days!

Andrea & Terry are Married! | Ponte Vedra Wedding Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

Today (4/16/2011), Shining Moments Photography was there to preserve the memories as two wonderful people joined their lives together. Andrea & Terry were married at the Crosswater Hall at Nocatee in the Ponta Vedra Beach area. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful ceremony and reception. Our prayers that the rain would hold off were answered. Here are a few images from Andrea and Terry's 1930's inspired wedding. Andrea and Terry, I wish you all the best and many many happy years together!

New Look | Jacksonville Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

If you've been to the SMP website in the last few day, you'll notice we're looking a little blue...that's because in our Facebook poll, the new blue logo was preferred over our old yellow one 8:1. So, considering that blue is my favorite color, we've decided to change our logo and website colors to blue. This transition will take a few days to iron out all the changes, so please bear with us if you see yellow font anywhere that hasn't been switched over yet. Thank you to everyone who have their opinion on the new logo!

I Got Married!

I have some very exciting news, that may be a little old for some of you out there, but things have finally calmed down enough now that the holidays are over, that I have a few free moments to post this. I GOT MARRIED!  :)

On November 20, 2010 I married my best friend Jason at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jacksonville, FL. It was a beautiful ceremony and the reception was so much fun! We loved that so many of our family and friends came to share the special day with us!

A very special thank you to all our vendors, especially our photographer and friend Olis Garber.

We want your opinion!

So I was playing around with the Shining Moments Photography logo and came up with an alternate version that I think happens to be very pretty. Now, I don't know which logo I like better; the original in yellow, or the pretty blue one I came up with. As a result, they are both posted below. Which do you prefer? The Yellow or the Blue?

Merry Christmas!

We Were Featured in the Snapknot Blog! | Florida Engagement Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

Great news! We were featured in the Snapknot Blog yesterday! Take a look at Amy & Elijah's Engagement Session at Talbot Island and the great things Snapknot said about the shoot at the link below.

http://snapknot.com/blog/

Vote for Me on Snapknot!

Hey everyone! Snapknot is a bride's resource for finding wedding photographers and they have a weekly contest on their Facebook page. Go take a look at my entry and "Like" it. Feel free to leave comments too! You have until 12:00 PST this Friday to vote/comment. You'll need to "Like" the Snapknot page in order to vote, but you'll enjoy looking at all the great photos they highlight. Check it out at the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=180175529181&view=all#!/photo.php?fbid=532123284026&set=o.180175529181

The Knot Throws a Great Party!

A few weeks ago, I was invited by The Knot to join them and several other vendors for a wedding networking night tonight at the Sawgrass Marriott. I met so many great people there and I really look forward to working with them in the future! We had cocktails, lots of great food, and amazing desserts! The only thing I'm really really bummed about is that I didn't get a gift bag (shame on the vendors who took more than one). I was looking forward to the spa certificate in there too since my wedding is only 30 days away! OMG! 30 days and that's it! In 30 day's I'll have to change all my profile stuff. Looks like I'll need to print up some more business cards too.

Lauren & Greg are Married | Destination Wedding Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

I'm 200 images away from completing the edit of Greg and Lauren's wedding and I just couldn't wait to share this shot with everyone. They are so cute together and I love how the flare shoots down right on top of them in this image. More will come once I've finished editing those last 200.

Great Offer for Photographers!

Fellow photographers, ever want to go to seminars or conventions and for one reason or another, not have been able to? Not a pro photographer, but want to learn more about turning you hobby into a professional business? If your answer is "yes" to either of these questions, you'll want to check out Photovision. I've been receiving the Photovision DVDs for the last two years & they have SO much information in them! You will see photographers on actual shoots, lighting techniques, great composition ideas, & tons more! They cover everything from studio, on location, children's portraiture, maternity and newborns, seniors, weddings, printing and products, business techniques, marketing ideas, and the list of topics keeps going on and on and on! You'll learn what other pros are doing that's helping them survive this tough economy. It really is one of the best investments I've made as a pro photographer. Click on this link http://fansof.photovisionvideo.com/Sarah/044541 & use the code PVFAN to get a full year for only $39 (regularly $149)! It's like having a personal photographer trainer on demand, any time of day because the DVDs are yours to keep and watch any time you like. Feel free to share this great offer with everyone you know! They'll thank you for it!

US Airways is NOT My New Best Friend...

So, I'm trying to get to Ohio for a wedding this weekend. My flight from Jacksonville was delayed at first because the place we were supposed to be on was late arriving. After it arrived though, we boarded at 8:00 PM (originally a 7:55 take-off) and then sat on the tarmac until 10:00 PM when we were finally able to take off. Why the long wait? We were flying in to Charlotte, NC and apparently a storm there was preventing anything from taking off or landing there, so they were not letting planes whose destination was Charlotte to leave their original airports either.

Well, the storm delayed or canceled every flight in Charlotte. So when I touched down in Charlotte in terminal A, they told me that my flight to Cleveland was currently boarding in E, if I ran I could make it, and they would call to let the gate know I and two others were on our way. So I book it through A terminal, past B, C, and D to E, run all the way down to E26 only to see no attendant at the gate, the door closed and locked, but people still boarding through the plane door. By this time, I am hyperventilating from the run through the entire airport. I start banging on the door, people are telling me I need to sit down and breath, and all I can think about is how I need to get through that door. At this point the other two people arrive and we're all standing in the window, banging and waving, trying to get some one's attention as they all board the plane. After the last person boarded, the plane sat there for another ten minutes with the cabin door wide open and the bridge still in place. After the bridge pulled away, it sat there for another five minutes with the cabin door wide open. That's when the gate attendant walked back through the door.

This whole time, I'm still hyperventilating. She looked at me and said, "Cleveland?" between gasps, I answered, "Yes, that's my flight! I've been here for the last 15 minutes and I was banging on the door." Her only response was, "I didn't hear you." She then looked down at the computer and started typing away. Two minutes later, when she realized I wasn't moving, she finally asked, "Didn't they put you on another flight?" Me between gasps still (my chest is killing me at this point) "No, they did not. They said I would make this flight." She then asks for my last name and I hand her my boarding pass because I can't talk at this point.
"Tomorrow at 7:50 PM is the earliest flight I can confirm you on." I managed to ask if there was anything else she could do to get me there sooner. She said all she could do was put me on standby for the whole day, but my bag would be on the first flight out. At this point, an anxiety attack kicks in and I'm heaving like an asthmatic during an attack. She looks over my shoulder and asks for the next person. I move to the windows and sink to the floor, trying to call my mom and my fiance to let them know what's going on. At the same time, I can tell that my iron level has dropped dramatically and I start to get ill.

After about ten or fifteen minutes, I got up to ask the gate attendant where I could find a first aid station because I just couldn't breath and my whole body was starting to shake. She told the people waiting for the next flight that is was delayed and then walked right past me before I could ask for help. So I told myself to forget her and go find someone who would listen. As I was walking a stranger stopped to ask if I was okay and he walked me to the next attended gate where he asked where the nearest first aid station was so I could get some help. The gate attendant promptly called the medics. When they arrived, they put me on oxygen and took my vitals, which were racing for obvious reasons. It took about a half hour for them to get me back to normal, and they wanted to take me to the hospital since the airport clinic wouldn't be open until 8AM. Knowing there was nothing more they'd be able to do for me at the hospital than they had already done, I refused to go.

So now I'm stuck in the airport (they wouldn't put me in a hotel because the delays were weather related) until 7AM when I might be able to catch a Continental flight from here to Newark to Pittsburgh, where I'll have someone waiting to pick me up and drive me two hours back to Cleveland. Meanwhile, my chest is burning and my throat feels like it's on fire from all the heaving I was doing. Needless to say, I will not be flying US Airways in the future. Oh, and I did report the neglectful gate attendant to her supervisor.

The Last Roll

Still have Kodachrome film lying around? Think you know a little bit (or a lot) about photography? Watch this video.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Helping America's Hardest Working Father

Everyone knows someone in their life who is a hard worker. The person that gets up every morning and goes to a job that may not be that great, that sticks with that job for more than ten, fifteen, twenty years. The person that gets home from that job, eats dinner, and then heads off to their second job, which pays less than the first, then comes home, gets a few hours of sleep, and wakes up the next morning to do it all over again. That's my uncle Mark.

Despite all his hard work, he always made time for his loving wife and three kids. He was always there for his family. No matter how tired he was, he always wore a smile. And in the early stages of his cancer diagnosis (which was caused by his work), that is what he continued to do.

My cousin Andy has created a video about my uncle and entered it into a contest for a chance to win $100,000. This is money that is desperately needed to help him with his cancer treatments. Please, take two minutes of your time to view the video and cast your vote, and know that in doing so, you are giving a family hope.

http://einawccxukm.mitchumhardestworking.com/

Help the Gulf Coast | Fine Art Photographer | Shining Moments Photography

We here at Shining Moments Photography are just as appalled with the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as the next person. I can't even look at images of the spill anymore because it breaks my heart. Before I found photography, I wanted to be a Marine Scientist. I love everything about the ocean and when I see things like this oil spill, I want to go out and rescue all the creatures affected. Unfortunately, no one person can do it all lone, and as we've all seen, even together, we can't save all the creatures that call the gulf home.

We're not just going to sit idly by an do nothing though. We may not be able to go out to the gulf and help clean things up, but we can certainly help by providing funding for the resources to do so. That's why we're offering a very special limited edition print. Deadly Beauty was captured in Nassau, Bahamas in January 2010. Only 100 prints are available and 100% of proceeds will be donated to the National Parks Foundation Disaster Recovery Fund, which will be sent directly to the parks along the gulf coast. So show your support of the National Parks' efforts and get your limited edition print today! They're available in three sizes: 8x10 ($40); 11x14 ($60); and 16x20 ($75). Signed prints include a white mat and certificate of authenticity.

Visit our website to get yours today!