• I can't decide what part of branding sessions I like better: 1) the opportunity to shoot for and get to know a diverse collection of brilliant, creative minds like @ashlynscarter, or 2) the collaborative nature of my job! I spend the days leading up to each shoot pushing my brain as far as possible to flesh out my shot list (seriously- for Ashlyn's session? I had a list of ideas THREE PAGES LONG), and I often leave with only half the ideas executed because we came up with so many more on the day of the shoot. I LOVE that! The creative back-and-forth that I get to experience is like a caffeine jolt to my artistic tank, leaving me feeling full of inspiration for my next shoot. Brand photographers (current and hopeful!)- the best advice I can give you is to *do your research!* I send an in-depth brand questionnaire to each client a few days after booking (typically 2-3 months before their shoot date), and I use the answers from their questionnaire as the basis for all the pre-shoot mapping and planning I do in the weeks leading up to the session. On the day of, I arrive with a list of ideas, the specific needs of the client in terms of WHAT we're shooting for (upcoming launches, website overhauls, Facebook ads, etc), a detailed schedule, and more, all housed in my Production Binder that serves as our home base for the day. • Grateful to @alisandraphoto for being my extra set of hands, and for grabbing some killer BTS photos!
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    I can't decide what part of branding sessions I like better: 1) the opportunity to shoot for and get to know a diverse collection of brilliant, creative minds like @ashlynscarter, or 2) the collaborative nature of my job! I spend the days leading up to each shoot pushing my brain as far as possible to flesh out my shot list (seriously- for Ashlyn's session? I had a list of ideas THREE PAGES LONG), and I often leave with only half the ideas executed because we came up with so many more on the day of the shoot. I LOVE that! The creative back-and-forth that I get to experience is like a caffeine jolt to my artistic tank, leaving me feeling full of inspiration for my next shoot. Brand photographers (current and hopeful!)- the best advice I can give you is to *do your research!* I send an in-depth brand questionnaire to each client a few days after booking (typically 2-3 months before their shoot date), and I use the answers from their questionnaire as the basis for all the pre-shoot mapping and planning I do in the weeks leading up to the session. On the day of, I arrive with a list of ideas, the specific needs of the client in terms of WHAT we're shooting for (upcoming launches, website overhauls, Facebook ads, etc), a detailed schedule, and more, all housed in my Production Binder that serves as our home base for the day. • Grateful to @alisandraphoto for being my extra set of hands, and for grabbing some killer BTS photos!
  • I remember thinking if I could only get to the "other side" of infertility, I'd finally be happy. Finally have that joy and peace I'd been searching for. As soon as my situation changed, *then* things would be okay, I'd tell myself. Then *I* would be okay. But as months stretched into years, I faced the question- if my situation NEVER changes... does that mean joy is unreachable, too? My grief and empty arms were corroding my soul- I could feel bitterness and anger seeping into every area of my life. Everywhere I looked, I saw women who’d struggled with infertility, only to have their prayers answered with those elusive two pink lines, and they could finally rejoice! But... what if that’s not my story? What if my prayers never result in a positive pregnancy test? Will I be okay? What if *your* prayer, whatever that may be, is never answered the way you want it to be? Will YOU be okay? Our picture perfect, tie-a-pretty-bow-on-it world would have you believe that you must wait for joy, and must wait to pronounce your hopes as “fulfilled” until you get whatever "thing" you’ve been praying for. Friend, you can long for an unfulfilled dream *and* experience contentment and peace at the same time. Your joy, and more importantly, your HOPE, does not have to rest on your situation, relationships, or dreams of the future. There is a better hope, and better confidence more secure than any material thing available to us- “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf…” Hebrews 6:19-20 Things will not always feel this raw, exposed, tender. You will feel joy, the warmth of the sun on your face again- just hold fast to the hope set before you. #springmannjourneytobaby #infertilityjourney
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    I remember thinking if I could only get to the "other side" of infertility, I'd finally be happy. Finally have that joy and peace I'd been searching for. As soon as my situation changed, *then* things would be okay, I'd tell myself. Then *I* would be okay. But as months stretched into years, I faced the question- if my situation NEVER changes... does that mean joy is unreachable, too? My grief and empty arms were corroding my soul- I could feel bitterness and anger seeping into every area of my life. Everywhere I looked, I saw women who’d struggled with infertility, only to have their prayers answered with those elusive two pink lines, and they could finally rejoice! But... what if that’s not my story? What if my prayers never result in a positive pregnancy test? Will I be okay? What if *your* prayer, whatever that may be, is never answered the way you want it to be? Will YOU be okay? Our picture perfect, tie-a-pretty-bow-on-it world would have you believe that you must wait for joy, and must wait to pronounce your hopes as “fulfilled” until you get whatever "thing" you’ve been praying for. Friend, you can long for an unfulfilled dream *and* experience contentment and peace at the same time. Your joy, and more importantly, your HOPE, does not have to rest on your situation, relationships, or dreams of the future. There is a better hope, and better confidence more secure than any material thing available to us- “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf…” Hebrews 6:19-20 Things will not always feel this raw, exposed, tender. You will feel joy, the warmth of the sun on your face again- just hold fast to the hope set before you. #springmannjourneytobaby #infertilityjourney
  • I'll never NOT love this photograph, even though it's more than five years old! I had come straight from a loooong overnight flight to Paris (note to self- don't schedule shoots for immediately after a transatlantic flight with a questionable layover in Moscow [additional note to self- the layover in Moscow was *not* worth the $200 I saved on the flight]), and I was honestly worried I'd be too tired to be creative. Lesson learned: having a killer team assembled and all the details arranged WELL in advance makes all the difference in the world!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ...And a secondary lesson- than even on two hours of sleep, Paris will never cease to make me come alive! Gosh, I can't wait to book flights again, whenever that might be.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Design & concept- @adayinprovence⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Outfit- @katherinebignon⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Beauty- @victoriafarrmua⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Model- @agathandrieux
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    I'll never NOT love this photograph, even though it's more than five years old! I had come straight from a loooong overnight flight to Paris (note to self- don't schedule shoots for immediately after a transatlantic flight with a questionable layover in Moscow [additional note to self- the layover in Moscow was *not* worth the $200 I saved on the flight]), and I was honestly worried I'd be too tired to be creative. Lesson learned: having a killer team assembled and all the details arranged WELL in advance makes all the difference in the world!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ...And a secondary lesson- than even on two hours of sleep, Paris will never cease to make me come alive! Gosh, I can't wait to book flights again, whenever that might be.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Design & concept- @adayinprovence⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Outfit- @katherinebignon⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Beauty- @victoriafarrmua⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Model- @agathandrieux
  • This is my favorite time of the day! 6:30pm, when everything else stops and Felix and I go upstairs and start bathtime routine in the cast iron, clawfoot tub that takes up most of the space in that bathroom. He splishes and splashes, we sing the bathtime song, and sometimes he'll stand at the edge of the tub like this and simply hold onto my arms. There's nothing flashy about bathtime, it's the same day in and day out, but it's definitively my time with Felix, a time to leave distractions downstairs and simply *be* with my little buddy. I know in years to come he won't need my help anymore and I'll miss those 6:30pm appointments. But right now, I'll simply sit and be thrilled by the times when he holds his arms out, not to get out and dry off, but simply to be close to me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I will never, ever get over what a gift it is to be his mama!
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    This is my favorite time of the day! 6:30pm, when everything else stops and Felix and I go upstairs and start bathtime routine in the cast iron, clawfoot tub that takes up most of the space in that bathroom. He splishes and splashes, we sing the bathtime song, and sometimes he'll stand at the edge of the tub like this and simply hold onto my arms. There's nothing flashy about bathtime, it's the same day in and day out, but it's definitively my time with Felix, a time to leave distractions downstairs and simply *be* with my little buddy. I know in years to come he won't need my help anymore and I'll miss those 6:30pm appointments. But right now, I'll simply sit and be thrilled by the times when he holds his arms out, not to get out and dry off, but simply to be close to me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I will never, ever get over what a gift it is to be his mama!
  • I have these two, in part, to thank for the transition to film photography several years ago. See, I was on my initial consult call with Kevin & Erica and they casually asked about the possibility of shooting film for their engagement and wedding. I'd been slinging a Contax 645 for years at this point and was shooting film for everything *BUT* weddings because, frankly, I was a chicken. I was scared of the change to my process, and scared that I would disappoint both my clients and myself. But that one casual question + some random encouragement from a few photo friends (looking at you, @nataliefranke and @laurenrswann!) and I decided to give it a shot, starting with K+E's engagement session. And you know what? It was AWESOME. Their engagement session is STILL one of my favorites, and we shot these more than four years ago! Their wedding day? FOREVER a highlight of my time as a wedding photographer. I mean, it helps that they're two of the best humans I know, but there's also that element of them pushing me to see through the fear and embrace the potential of something beautiful. I transition to film for weddings beginning in 2016 and have never looked back. Change is hard. And significant change to your business model isn't something to take lightly. But on the other side of that change was a delight in my craft and a discovery of my own potential as an artist that I'm so grateful I didn't miss out on! “There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, And you ask 'What if I fall?' Oh but my darling, what if you fly?” -Erin Hanson (And a shoutout to Laura of @gritandgraceinc and her wizard-like ability to match her clients’ personalities with the perfect vendors for them)
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    I have these two, in part, to thank for the transition to film photography several years ago. See, I was on my initial consult call with Kevin & Erica and they casually asked about the possibility of shooting film for their engagement and wedding. I'd been slinging a Contax 645 for years at this point and was shooting film for everything *BUT* weddings because, frankly, I was a chicken. I was scared of the change to my process, and scared that I would disappoint both my clients and myself. But that one casual question + some random encouragement from a few photo friends (looking at you, @nataliefranke and @laurenrswann!) and I decided to give it a shot, starting with K+E's engagement session. And you know what? It was AWESOME. Their engagement session is STILL one of my favorites, and we shot these more than four years ago! Their wedding day? FOREVER a highlight of my time as a wedding photographer. I mean, it helps that they're two of the best humans I know, but there's also that element of them pushing me to see through the fear and embrace the potential of something beautiful. I transition to film for weddings beginning in 2016 and have never looked back. Change is hard. And significant change to your business model isn't something to take lightly. But on the other side of that change was a delight in my craft and a discovery of my own potential as an artist that I'm so grateful I didn't miss out on! “There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, And you ask 'What if I fall?' Oh but my darling, what if you fly?” -Erin Hanson (And a shoutout to Laura of @gritandgraceinc and her wizard-like ability to match her clients’ personalities with the perfect vendors for them)
  • Happy Halloween from Gus Gus and Cinderella! Please swipe to see how things deteriorated the longer I attempted to take photos 😇. Lesson learned for next year... do Halloween portraits in the MORNING when Felix is in a better mood! 🤪 Even though we'll be staying home and won't have anyone to show off our costumes to, it was fun to put these together! Sewing that tail + ears took a bit of jerry-rigging, but it was worth it- he looks so dang cute! 🐭 #disneyprincess #disneystyle
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    Happy Halloween from Gus Gus and Cinderella! Please swipe to see how things deteriorated the longer I attempted to take photos 😇. Lesson learned for next year... do Halloween portraits in the MORNING when Felix is in a better mood! 🤪 Even though we'll be staying home and won't have anyone to show off our costumes to, it was fun to put these together! Sewing that tail + ears took a bit of jerry-rigging, but it was worth it- he looks so dang cute! 🐭 #disneyprincess #disneystyle
  • Happy #WorldBalletDay (one day late)! From the first and last time I'll ever take a ballerina in a full-blown stage tutu to the Tidal Basin during cherry blossoms... PANDEMONIUM. I knew @peytonlilly would turn heads, she always does whenever we shoot together! But this time, we had more than one person come and shoot over my shoulder with a legitimate DSLR cameras (and then one SUPER strange dude shooting 7-frames-per-second bursts with a long zoom lens from further away). 😳 Ahh DC, you always know how to keep things interesting! #abbygraceballerinas Tutu by @tutu.comofficial
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    Happy #WorldBalletDay (one day late)! From the first and last time I'll ever take a ballerina in a full-blown stage tutu to the Tidal Basin during cherry blossoms... PANDEMONIUM. I knew @peytonlilly would turn heads, she always does whenever we shoot together! But this time, we had more than one person come and shoot over my shoulder with a legitimate DSLR cameras (and then one SUPER strange dude shooting 7-frames-per-second bursts with a long zoom lens from further away). 😳 Ahh DC, you always know how to keep things interesting! #abbygraceballerinas Tutu by @tutu.comofficial
  • The one thing that could make me post a "smile at your laptop!" photo: my WEBSITE! I love, LOVE my website. My designers, Jen & Jeff of @tonicsiteshop, they just get me. With each new round of updates this baby only get prettier. They're the ONLY ones I trust with my website, and if you're a Branding Foundations student, you'll know Tonic is also the #1 place I send students who are ready to up-level their online home with a killer website template! @tonicsiteshop just launched a brand new template along with a collection of six new SALES pages!! And all the course creators said "amen!" And their new Links page add-on- I LOVE it. It was so fast to customize with my photos and links, no more Linktree for me! Tonic has *the* most strategically designed templates on the market today- as Jen & Jeff always say, your old website is already jealous. You can save 15% on ANY of their sites this week with the code "ABBYSENTME"- personally, my favorites are Martini (if I'm aspiring to a more je ne sais quoi version of myself) and Vieux Carré (for a dose of effortless feminine chic). Link in bio (check out that new, on-brand Links page of mine!) to explore! #tonicfall2020
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    The one thing that could make me post a "smile at your laptop!" photo: my WEBSITE! I love, LOVE my website. My designers, Jen & Jeff of @tonicsiteshop, they just get me. With each new round of updates this baby only get prettier. They're the ONLY ones I trust with my website, and if you're a Branding Foundations student, you'll know Tonic is also the #1 place I send students who are ready to up-level their online home with a killer website template! @tonicsiteshop just launched a brand new template along with a collection of six new SALES pages!! And all the course creators said "amen!" And their new Links page add-on- I LOVE it. It was so fast to customize with my photos and links, no more Linktree for me! Tonic has *the* most strategically designed templates on the market today- as Jen & Jeff always say, your old website is already jealous. You can save 15% on ANY of their sites this week with the code "ABBYSENTME"- personally, my favorites are Martini (if I'm aspiring to a more je ne sais quoi version of myself) and Vieux Carré (for a dose of effortless feminine chic). Link in bio (check out that new, on-brand Links page of mine!) to explore! #tonicfall2020