The Senior Models for the class of 2013!

I am both honored and excited to announce my Senior Guy & Girl Representatives for the class of 2013!

May I present to you:

Mckenna Martin, from Tualatin High School

and 

Kyle McAnnis, from Tualatin High school

Congratulations, and I am so excited to work with you both! 

Pursuing the Light

 Thursday, the 19th, I had the privilege to travel down to Leavenworth, WA to spend the weekend with 15 very talented young women and our group leaders, Katie Campbell and Kristin Wall. 

On the last night, near tears I tried to explain just what that weekend meant to me, but I couldn't speak. 

So I thought, what better way than to write a letter. (: 

Dear Katie, Kristin, Emily Wall, Meg, Kenzie, Alora, Kyla, Haley, Claire, Emily Livingston, Morgan, Kristina, Lauren, Charissa, Corrin, Ashley, Izzi,

I had such an amazing time getting to know each and every one of you! I loved watching as you used the talents that God gave you, learning and teaching each other, becoming a community of followers and sisters. I miss each and everyone of you so much!

I entered the retreat feeling completely alone and misunderstood. I had no idea what to expect, or how I would go about living with complete strangers for a whole three days! I don't know how much time I had spent leading up to the retreat just crying. I needed desperately to be understood by someone my own age. I needed a change, and that's what God gave me.  

I want to tell you girls that you made me feel understood. You made me feel accepted, and loved. You knew what I meant by 'Depth of Field' and you knew what Lightroom was!  I loved sitting at the breakfast table and talking f-stops and D.O.F with you guys. Talking about lighting and reflectors and external flash settings. I believe we all realized how geeky we all are ;) haha I miss it! 

I want to let you all know that you guys taught me new ways to look at life. As artists we are all given a kaleidoscope view on life, a way to see the hearts of humanity in a special way. Surrounded by so many artist, I got a chance to look at life through 17+ different lenses. That is an experience I will treasure for ever.

I know that every single one of you were there for a reason, and that reason is becoming clearer and deeper every day! I can't wait till we all sit in the same room again, praising our Lord and Savior, tossing ideas off each other, and eating some more of that yummy home made bread! 

Until then!

Lots of Love,

Jessica 

Elijah {Newborn Photography}

I had the opportunity to meet this little guy last Wednesday! 

My first Newborn of the year and he was the sweetest little guy (:

enjoy!

Grace: A stylized Modeling Session

For the end of spring break, my cousin came to stay a few nights.

Like we always do on break, we woke up at the crack of noon, 

ate some mini-wheat's and maybe a cookie or two...

And then it was time to get ready for our trip out to the woods! 

She let me do all sorts of crazy things with her hair and make up,

and even tried on the 50 outfits we decided didn't work.

Can I just say she is awesome?

Enjoy!

The Faces of Beauty

“I want to photograph any woman in the world who’s ever looked in the mirror and not felt good about herself at any time in her life. I want to photograph her every year through the changes of her teenage life, through her 20s, through her 30s, through her 40s, through her 50s, and as she flowers into her most beautiful-ness. I want to photograph her every year of her life to watch and celebrate the changes of who she is and what she is, so she can experience how she looks to other people”  
~Sue Bryce {photographer}

When I first heard of glamour photography a couple of weeks ago, I didn't think that it was something for me, but after watching a seminar on Glamour, by Sue Bryce, I began to feel very different about it.

And when she voiced the quote above...I knew that this was something I wanted to do. 
Why? Because I believe every woman is poised, talented, unique...
And deserves to know that they are Beautiful
just the way they are

I know all about hating the face I see  in the mirror, and when I first began photography, it was my 
goal to women that they are worth so much, and that the lies they hear and think when they wake up and look in the mirror are just that
LIES


So for 2012 I am starting something completely new.
I am going to be offering Glamour
and I am so excited!

But you may be just like me, unsure of what Glamour is so let me begin by telling you what it is not...

Glamour Photography is not Boudoir Photography. I do not photograph bums, breasts, bra's, or bellies
I believe that beauty is in modesty...that true beauty comes from inside

Glamour Photography is:

A chance to be elegant and to be pampered
&

A day to embrace the beauty God gave you

Her name is Krista Maffia....

She would be 36 today, my beautiful cousin, Krista Maffia. 

She's one of the toughest, strongest, most loving women I ever got to meet and I miss her like crazy. She, and my other cousin Jerod, would always be the first to play with us younger cousins. They would wrestle, laugh, play, and joke with us. Today I have the chance to be just that to her 3 beautiful little girls. I love every minute I get to spend with those girls, listening to Justin Bieber, eating nutella, watching movies, painting our nails, and singing at the top of our lungs (:

A little faith, A little trust, and a whole lot of pixie dust

After a week of preparation and staying up all night I can now say 

my final assignment for the winter term is complete. 

Please enjoy!

Love,

Jessica