2012 new blog, new assistant, new things..

 It’s been awhile since I have posted a new blog, I love my blog, I love writing, showing off new things about my work (photography) and things about my personal life-kiddos. I have taken some much needed time off, re-organizing my home, spending down-time with my family and kids, going to Church regularly, prioritizing my time, and enrolling in College again trying to obtain my degree in Nursing, (have I lost my mind? maybe..just maybe..) so this new year has been a busy one to say the least with the exception of many changes that needed to happen. I have been obsessed with DIY stuff lately…re-panting my walls, re-painting kitchen cabinets, re-doing my laundry room, you name it anything I can DIY I have a plan. I want to add a new section for DIY on my blog, nothing too crazy because this is my ‘Photography’ blog but many of my clients are Moms/clients who enjoy reading about stuff other than photography so we’re excited to share new things we are fixin’ up around the Joyner household:)

-2012 will be an exciting one for J.Michelle Photography, we are close to being fully booked for our 2012 wedding goal, we feel so blessed to be able to do this for a living! My husband Matthew will be my second shooter this new year (he perfers the term second-shooter over assistant LOL) I am thrilled and overjoyed to say the least! I have worked weddings 100% alone in the past and the thought of having someone else (extra set of hands!!!) to help with creativity, capturing images and being my assistant already sounds like a huge brick being lifted off my back. Matt is the one who introduced photography back in 2008 with an old Minolta (film camera, yep that’s right film) he bought as a teenager from a local Church yard-sale. I used that bad-boy so much when Parker was a newborn  until we could afford to buy a (SLR). Matt has always supported my photography, bought my my first Canon, encouraged me when I wanted to give up, pushed me to keep trying despite difficulties or financial issues with being unable to buy/afford everything on my wish list to be the photographer I felt I wanted to be, I will be forever thankful and grateful for that Minolta camera and of course for Matt, they both helped create J.Michelle Photography.

-My blog has had a face lift as you can see,  it was time- I know nothing about creating an eye catching blog…the coding, the design..marketing etc..I was literally in over my head! I contacted some fellow photographer friends on face-book (Lemaire Photography) about possibly re-doing my blog. With a few emails about what sort of style I wanted they got to work right away and in less than a week my new beautiful blog was finished! they are wonderful to work with and I suggest anyone who needs help with a blog face lift to contact them.

-We had family portraits taken this last weekend (also by Lemaire Photography) I try to treat myself to one photography session a year by hiring another photography company. It’s is impossible to get family portraits done with a tripod and two toddlers running from you. After we were done Matt suggested we go take some photos out by our house in a field (we were all dressed up so why not?!) I need a new picture for my blog so people can see who is behind the camera 🙂 I wanted to share some photos Matt took, he’s a natural! and for as picky as I can be (over eighty outtakes later, we had a winner! thanks babe:)  he was able to get a photo I felt confident in sharing with everyone, I am including some outtakes, because this first photo makes my laugh, Parker was playing in a pile of red-ants and I was yelling ‘ Get away from those ants Son!’  Happy Wednesday! and thanks for stopping by!