This precious little boy just had his first birthday and so I had the privilege of documenting his sweet family in celebration! We played in the park, learned that having your parent's 'swing' you is one of the greatest thrills and we ate lots of puffs :-) I love seeing the simple joys of life through the eyes of a child and sweet Bennett is full of joy. Enjoy some of my favs from this precious family session!
I can still remember the first blog I started and how incredibly nervous I was to even put my work out there because woah, what if people didn't like it?!? Yet, my friends kept nudging me to be brave and start a photo journal of sorts to share my thoughts and my images with others. As I've been working on this new project of mentoring other photographers and business owners, I began to remember that first blog and how it was nothing fancy or special but oh, how it remains special to me. It was a monumental risk that I took, one that required so much courage, and it proved to be one of the most defining moments in my career.
It's crazy to think about but I started Mary Fields Photography over five years ago. In those five years, I have learned a LOT (through both my successes and failures) and it has been a roller-coaster of learning what it looks like to be a small business owner. You might say it has been a wildly imperfect adventure but oh, has it been fun. In those five years, I have been asked numerous times to sit down with aspiring photographers as well as business owners and share my knowledge and experience. Let's be honest, it can be super scary to launch a small business but having people to chat with who have braved that road ahead of you can prove to be incredibly helpful. In fact, I had those people when I first started my business and I am still so thankful for their investment. Well, over the last few years and through my time with these aspiring entrepreneurs, I have stumbled upon a new passion: teaching the art of photography and small business. I love helping people find their voice in their industry and learn to confidently take each new step while staying true to themselves. What a privilege to be able to share what I've learned and to hope that it helps others as they walk their own journey.
We walked through the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Rome, gazing at countless numbers of stones that though now crumbled, were once built to show off the power of the dynasty they represented. Stones littered the ground, many of them etched with ancient writings that I could not make out, giving the whole place a strangely eerie yet majestic feel. You could tell that at one time, these stones were layered to form the most beautifully jaw-dropping structures and that the people who once graced their steps would have felt like they owned the world. In many ways, they did. Being part of the Roman empire at that time would have meant being a member of the greatest empire in the world. They would have been at the pinnacle of civilization at that time. Yet, walking through those ruins, I found that that was exactly what they were. Ruined.
For the last week and a half I have been touring the beautiful country of Italy! This trip has been planned for about a year and half because my husband and I were supposed to take an Italian honeymoon. However, if you remember, I had a little accident before our wedding and broke my foot. So, my doctor wisely advised us to post-pone until I was healed. So, a little over a year later and we are finally HERE! I'll be posting a full review of our trip when I get back but for now, here are just a few snapshots of our time here so far. EEEK!! I may never leave!
It was a day of pure joy. These two were all smiles as the day began and those smiles lasted until they got in the car to drive away. Lindsay beamed from ear to ear as she put on her dress and looked over at her bridesmaids with a face that said, 'This is the greatest day.' As the processional for the ceremony began, Scott stood at the end of the aisle, anxiously awaiting his bride. As the doors opened and she walked out, arm in arm with her dad, Scott's face said it all. The sun began to set behind them as their guests looked on and watched these two vow the rest of their lives. I love all ceremonies but there is just something about the outdoors that makes a ceremony even more lovely. It's peaceful and the hues of the day cast such a beautiful glow and an ever-glowing couple.
He has always been my champion but over the last few weeks and really months, my sweet hubby has outdone himself. He has graciously kept our sink empty of dishes, folded our laundry and ran all kinds of errands for me. He has photographed two weddings by my side. He has chauffeured me literally all over creation. Seriously. He has spent countless hours reviewing my website and giving me helpful feedback. He has calmed me down when I felt overly stressed and helped me keep perspective. He has celebrated with me in the joys of the last few weeks and been patient when I was distracted. He has been my champion and through it all, he hasn't complained.
This beautiful lady got married a couple weekends ago and I had the privilege of documenting it. I can't wait for it to hit the blog soon! Until then, I'm so excited to finally be able to show her beautiful bridals. It was a perfect spring day and we had a blast walking around the trails of Arlington Hall capturing her bridal beauty. She even brought her two cute pups along which made the session even more fun!
