Have you ever felt like when you move a few pieces of furniture around or put a fresh coat of paint in the kitchen that everything just seems so much more refreshing and invigorating?

I’ve kind of wanted to make changes to my branding for what has seemed like foreeeeever. Maybe longer. Changes to make it more me and to reflect who I am. I’m definitely not all the way there yet, but hey, its progress. I’ve always felt torn between all these different cool ideas and color schemes and styles, that when it comes to actually sitting down and actually doing and making and sticking with and getting those changes to my brand done, I think my perfectionist self comes alive and procrastination takes over. Maybe cause my brain is like this electrically wired ball of spaghetti that goes from, Oh, I need to finish the dishes, and Oh, I better weed before it gets too hot out, and Oh, I should list that new cribbage board to our etsy shop, and…and…and I get a TON of stuff done, but forget what I actually started out to do in the first place. I think that’s why I decided I like making lists so much and adding stars and arrows next to the reeeeeeally important to-dos, cause then I actually DO remember and DO do it.

So, here’s basically the before look of my website. I had already changed some of the link names and the type of font the links were before I took a print screen of the old look, but you get the jist of it.

Aaaaaaaaaand here’s the new look! Not a TON of changes but added lots more texture, color, and overall visual appeal. Especially on the about page. The old look on that page was kind of blah and made me think, Who in their right mind would want to sit and read that. It just seemed so generic, like what every other photographer writes about themselves. Aaaaaand I really like taking picturesssss aaaaaand……….made even me want to click back and go to someone else’s website. Photographers are so much more than people who take sweet pictures. They have a personality. Sometimes people just want to know things like, what’s important to you, what are some of your likes and dislikes, and go, Hey, they’re totally weird like me and eat peanut butter with their eggs on an english muffin! Yeah, that would be me that likes the eggs on a peanut butter, english muffin sandwich.

I’ve always been more of a chocolate brown type of girl, but grays have really grown on me this last year. I’ve even been tempted to paint the rooms of our house cool shades of gray, cause I think that would just make the rich wood grains in the rustic furniture just pop out next to it.

Go ahead and click on the picture. It’ll take you straight back to my website where you can feel free to just browse around and see the changes. And if you want to just jot down a comment for me about what you think about the facelift so far, I’d love to hear!

Enjoy!

Love, Alicia

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

We are back from three weeks of commercial salmon fishing in Alaska! Ahhhh, sooo much fun and hard work and crazy hours being in the land of the midnight sun! My first ever trip to Alaska, and let me tell you…its weird not waking up in a loft and walking in my pink knee boots across the sand and rocks over to the main cabin to start the day making food for my hot man and the crew with Mrs. Leman. The Lemans are an incredible family to work for and with  -  hardworking, generous, and extremely kind and hospitable. I so loved experiencing a taste of what Eric has done up in Alaska while he was a bachelor   -  especially that I got to see him so many times a day and that baby and I got to go out in the skiff with him. It doesn’t look like it here in this picture at the beginning of our trip, but baby is about 30 weeks along. Bending over and picking up fish is a little tricky with a belly sticking out.

Before we left for Alaska, I did something that I’ve never done before. And its all because of Bill and Amber. Check out there engagements here.

I always thought that plantations were way deep in the south, like in Mississippi, Alabama, or Lousianna or some place like that. Definitely NOT in Texas. Bill and Amber had been wanting to do a Wedding Dress-Up Session and when they told me they wanted to do it at Dewberry Plantation, its like an unspoken dream of mine had come true! A real live plantation! Yes, yes, YES!!! Ah, such gorgeous architecture and southern charm.

Amber, you are stunning. LOVE the lace. Even though I was dripping with sweat (maybe its a pregnant thing…ha), the evening heat doesn’t even look like it phased you! Oh, how it melted my heart when your kiddos came running out of the car when we first arrived saying, “Alicia, Alicia!!!”

Bill and Amber, THANK YOU for making this happen!!! Enjoy!

Love, Alicia

Come check out my website: www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

I’m kind of in disbelief really.

She’s 17?! Already?!?!

Its not like I haven’t noticed, but seriously?

She’s the baby in our family. Number 10.

When she was little, we gave her a oodles of nicknames that described her perfectly. Slug-bug-motormouth. Tigger. Firecracker.

I think she’s outgrown those nicknames for the most part, but every once in a while, usually when its close to bedtime, she gets the hyper bug. And those names ring true once again.

Bethany and my parents moved down here to Texas from Washington state a few months ago, so my brain kind of wants to take me back to how old she was before Eric and I got married a couple years ago in Washington and moved to Texas ourselves. But she’s not 15. She’s 17.

And smart too. She was the only one in her drivers training class that raised her hand and gave the answer to what those blue reflector lights on the road mean…that a fire hydrant is nearby. WHA?! Even I didn’t know that! And naturally, I know everything.

For Beth’s birthday, we headed out on a drive with no place in particular to take pictures…just with the plan that we wanted to take her pictures.

We stopped in at this acre or so of preserved history, called Camp Ford. It used to be the largest Confederate Prisoner of War camp west of the Mississippi. Hard to believe what actually took place at this now peaceful setting.

I loved our time together that day, Bethany! Lets have another sister date again soon…shalllllll weeeeeee?

Love, Alicia

And he thinks he was sooooo funny. Sneezing his snot all over my camera, then laughing his head off.

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

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As of late, I’ve had a lot on my mind.

Eric. How selfless and wonderfully sexy he is. How he shaved off his beard, and totally looks 16. I call him my teenage husband.

Our baby. So excited its on its way! Thinking about what its going to be like when baby is finally here. Reading all sorts of books about child training. Yeah, like 3 books at the same time. It will be a miracle if I finish one of them. Why can’t all books be picture books?

My belly. That’s definitely been getting bigger. Like way bigger. Eric thinks I stuck my belly out in these though.

Whoa there!!! BIG mama! And I’m only 17 weeks?! Talk about being a beached whale by the time 40 weeks comes around.

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It kind of seems like Alicia Joy Photography has taken low priority now.

Eric and I have been loving building some sweet rustic furnishings together and putting them up in our Etsy shop, Lazer Enterprises. Totally keep our shop and Lazer Enterprises’ facebook page more updated than anything else. Check it out sometime. You know, if you want to see some really cool stuff an’ all.

Like this sweet cribbage board out of a caribou antler shed Eric found while he was guiding up in Alaska.

Or this custom order trestle table that comes apart into smaller sections that make it easy for take down and set up.

Or, this adorable newborn photography prop.

Our life has been an adventure, filled with sawdust, kisses, picnics on the front driveway, and reflecting on the goodness of God.

God’s been teaching us to live by faith. There’s no place I’d rather be.

Love, Alicia

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

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News is breaking out all over, and my heart just wants to BURST with excitement that…WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!!!! Eric and I are sooooo excited that God has entrusted us with a little munchkin! Sometimes I can hardly believe its really happening  -  that a little baby is growing inside of me  -  but the symptoms remind me that this is definitely for real! 9 weeks along, baby!!!

P.S. I hear that being pregnant is the one time in your life you can stick out your belly and be proud of it. O yeah!!

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Tamara and Derek were wed on December 22nd, 2012 in Prestonwood Baptist Church’s stunning chapel, with a perfectly enchanting reception that followed down the hall. I could hardly believe it when Tamara told me that last summer while she was home visiting from college, she did about 2 weeks of planning  -  choosing the colors, the venue, and few others details  – then entrusted the rest of the planning to her mom!!! Seriously, Sharon could be a full time luxury wedding planner. So SO beautiful! Love Tamara’s style and how Sharon helped make it all come to life!

It makes my heart so happy to see such love pour out of Derek toward his bride, and from Tamara to her groom. Derek is so very much a gentleman with both words and actions, and Tamara such a bundle of pure sweetness. I’m pretty sure I’ve said that before, but its so true! To see the way you praise each other in front of others. I hear Derek is quite the handyman. And to see the faces on your parents and family showing how incredibly proud they of you…ah! I’m pretty sure everybody was beyond excited that the two of you were getting married!

I have to say, that I felt a wave of memories flood back as I watched the love overflowing out of those Derek and Tamara…memories from when Eric and I got married, one and a half years ago. Not seeing each other before walking down the isle, the calm anticipation of the forever together that is to come, seeing Eric’s beaming face, sharing our day with so many that have invested in our lives…sigh…I am SOOOOO glad I married Eric!!! Seriously my best friend, that I laugh with and admire so much. If Solomon didn’t already have the wisest man title, it would be Eric’s. I am constantly overwhelmed and spoiled with his love. LOVE that man!!!!!

So grateful for my second shooter, Laura, and Eric, helping tote around my gear all day. You guys are the BEST!!!

Aaaaand what a treat to have seen my beloved friend, Anna, who was not only one of my bride’s last year, but she was also one of my bridesmaids! I love you, Anna!

If you haven’t seen them yet, check out Tamara’s bridals. She is simply s.t.u.n.n.i.n.g. Enjoy!

Love, Alicia

 www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

After the dust and congratulations died down, the church’s softball team packed up their mitts and gear. The night was warm, the sun glowing even warmer, and everyone who wanted to stay later and visit headed across the street for ice cream at the cute little mom-and-pop Dairy Freeze. I had just come to watch the game and wanted to soak it all up…my last summer in Washington.

It wasn’t till Anna’s wedding day, one year later, that as the girls were getting ready, I just couldn’t place why one particular bridesmaid looked soooo familiar. I know this girl. But from where?! *Lightbulb* That summer night! One of Anna’s friends from Oklahoma Baptist University had come out to visit, and we all laid out in the grass after the game and ate ice cream and talked the night away. I knew she looked familiar!

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Tamara is such a sweetheart. A true southern belle  -  full of grace, beauty, gratefulness, and charm. She’s like a peach  -  soft spoken and sweet, where just being around her brightens my day.

Coming from the north, I had never heard of doing bridal portraits before. We just don’t do that in the north. But here in the south, its tradition. 

And I have fallen in love with the idea.

Why not set aside a day where you can have a practice run with your hair and makeup, to see what its like to be photographed in the elements, and most importantly, not feel rushed with any wedding day stresses? Not only are engagement sessions extremely important to have with your wedding photographer so you can get comfortable interacting with each other before the big day, but bridal portraits also accomplish the same purpose. PLUS you get some pretty sweet pictures to show for it too.

I love, LOVE that Tamara brought along her mom and sister, Tiffany along for her bridal portraits. They made these pictures look all the more enchanting, by helping fluff Tamara’s dress and help pin her hair that kept being played with by the wind. Plus, I see where Tamara gets her sweetness from.

Side note: if any of you want to find out how to refurbish furniture, ask Tamara’s mom. She. Is. Amazing. Sharon put her special touch to the chair, hope chest and mirrow we used, and they are simply elegant and so masterfully finished. And a big thank you to my husband, Eric for being the muscles in carrying the camera gear and helping move the props around! You’re the MAN! xoXoXO

I was soooo tempted to post all Tamara’s bridal portraits right that night after I took them in October, because they are just so breathtaking. But I waited until she and Derek, the man she has so showered with praise, were wed. Their wedding took place December 22nd in Dallas, and I am so pleased to be posting about it soon! Their wedding book is almost finished being printed, and soon a special package filled with goodies will be headed their way!

Love, Alicia

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

Its completely random how we met.

I was just trying to sell a lens. Make that two lenses.

Last Christmas I upgraded to a 35mm L series lens  – such beautiful crystal sharp lens  – and in the springtime, I decided to sell my 50mm and fisheye lenses. I never really used them much anymore anyways  – not after being exposed to the incredible world of L series lenses, bound n.e.v.e.r. to return. That Canon 50mm lens was the cheapest lens I could find and I really loved using it for portraits. Lots of bokeh, or whatever you call those blurry, round circles of color in the background (I am such a geeky, technical photographer  – ha!). But I got so frustrated with never being able to get tack-sharp pictures, and finally realized it was the poor quality glass, not me that was the problem. And the fisheye was fun for landscapes, but really, who wants portraits that make them look like their nose is the size of a grapefruit and their ears the size of a cheerio. So they had to go.

I posted them on craigslist with a link here, saying that these two lenses were responsible for taking all of these shots. Actually, I had been using just those two lenses for all my portraits the two years leading up to putting them on craigslist.

I opened up my inbox one afternoon to find an email from my website from this Bill guy, saying he found my website in a roundabout sort of way, really loved my work, and wanted to know if he and his fiance could meet up with me to talk about shooting their engagement session and wedding. Wha?!!!

Eric and I met with Bill and Amber over frozen yogurt and crazy thing…he found out about me through craigslist! Totally did not expect craigslist to be responsible for our new friendship.

Bill and Amber so fun. They’re up for anything and are willing and ready for new adventures.

They wanted to bring Amber’s two little kiddos along, and I’m so glad they did. SUCH little personalities! Gunner came running up to me when they first pulled in and all excited asked, “See my new shoes?!”

I had found this cool old abandoned grocery store in Tyler, with cobblestone out front. It was perfect. Bill and Amber brought along some fun props, and I grabbed the green trunk that Eric wanted to throw away.

What I love about Bill is that, if I hadn’t already known that he and Amber were engaged, I would have thought he was Dixie and Gunner’s real dad. He treats them as his own and the kids love him to death. It so cute to hear them call him, “Kid.”

They plan to wed at Stone Oak Ranch in May, and I’m excited for their wedding next spring!

Love, Alicia

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

Somehow I missed blogging about some of my favoritiest peoples in the whole world. Yeah, a portrait session all the way back from when Eric and I were in Washington in July. I could make excuses…some really good ones. But I’m going to bite my tongue…and hard.

I came across something last week. Katelyn James, an absolutely amazing photographer, challenged me by this post she wrote about a couple years ago. She challenged me to shoot a wedding (or portrait session), edit EVERYTHING in one day, then blog about it before the end of that next week. That’s ONE day to edit. ONE DAY!!!

Are you kidding me?! It takes me weeeeks to edit a wedding! But, if she can do it…so can I.

I’m trying out some of the tools Katelyn uses to help maximize her workflow process. Its definitely a new learning curve, so its going to take some time getting the hang of it, but I am ready to take this challenge – head on.

Getting to the end of the year has been great, because its given me a chance to step back and evaluate what I’m doing and why, and how I can better serve my clients in a way that they want most.

I realized that my clients are dying to see their pictures after their session and can’t wait to share with their family and friends across the oceans.

I realized that for a bride to see a slideshow of 30-40 pictures from her wedding day THE SAME DAY  – that night during the reception  – for her guests to compliment her on the beauty of her day and how perfectly everything came together  -  would not only be the biggest compliment to witness, but also would reassure her of her decision on why she hired me.

So, I’ve been brainstorming. Thinking. Thinking about updating my brand. Making some big changes.

I’ve realized that I have been trying to be some big photographer who takes all these amazing pictures, but I’m really not. I’m just a photographer. And anybody can be a photographer. But nobody can be me. That’s why people hire me…because they like me. They like me for who I am.

And boy, am I such a people pleaser. I want people to like me. I like to be liked. But not everyone can like me. And that’s a good thing. Its a hard thing for me to realize, but I’m learning to accept it.

And here’s another thing you’re going to see some changes with. More personalized information about me on my website, and more pictures of me everywhere. That totally sounded vain. Honestly, I could care less if I had a picture of me…anywhere. Actually, I’d rather it be that way. But people want to know me, what’s important to me, who I am. That way if they don’t like me, they can go find someone else they do. And if they do like me, hey hey! Lets go get us some frozen yogurt together!

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Back to my favoritest peoples.

It was the last golden hour of that summer night  – the sun making its way below the treeline so it could go back to sleep. Eric and I wanted to get to DeCorsey Park early to walk around and find some good spots before everyone got there. We drove into the parking lot, and everyone was there  -  relaxing’ in the car, throwing a football around, and chillin’ on walkers.

I’m not talking just a couple people…TEN people were there before we got there early. That’s what I call serious punctuality.

Lisa, in the blue, did a great job coordinating and getting all the aunts and moms and brothers and sisters and grandmas and kids and husband there. She asked me to take pictures of their family while we were in town, and said they hadn’t had family pictures of just their immediate family since their youngest son was a baby. A baby. That’s like, 15 years. Now that’s a long time.

We figured the easiest spot for everyone would be to take the pictures right there in the middle of the parking lot. Yeah, super easy  -  except that every 30-some seconds another car would drive into the park. I’d give a smile and wave a hand, thanking them for being so patient while I got out of their way. Did this park somehow just become the most popular destination in America that Wednesday night?

One of the many things I love about the Frisingers and all their extended family, is that they are so chill. They are some of the most genuine people ever. And wanna know something else? They hosted the coolest thing ever right in their own backyard: mud volleyball.

Love, Alicia

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

Just this last August, my beloved friend became Mrs. Rosenkranz.

Its funny to think how you, Anna, have been there at almost every major event in my life. Like the time we were about 5ish and got flooded out of our tents in the middle of the night, thus starting the inevitable tradition of getting soaked whenever we’d go camping together.

Oh, and remember that one time, I mean, times we would be out back in the forts playing Little House on the Prairie so sweetly together when our brothers would tie us up, lock us in, threaten us with smoke bombs, and leave us there until your mom called from the house and said it was time to go. Great bonding moments.

You gave me my first private lesson on how to walk in high heals.

You persuaded us to go to Walmart at midnight one night and pick up ice cream…in our pajamas. I mean, who does that? That was the moment I had to seriously evaluate our friendship. Well, that time and the one when you painted my nails a darker shade than clear. Big no no.

I am so proud of you and grateful for our friendship…a friendship that has drawn me closer in my walk with Christ. 

I am honored and blown away that you would say, “Ever since you first started photography, I wanted you to photograph my wedding.”

You are beautiful, my dear Anna. I am thrilled to have witnessed the love between you and Luke grow and blossom into a love for a lifetime.

Love, Alicia

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com

There’s something beautiful about a mom and dad who love each other even more than they do their kids.

When mom and dad ignore the “Ewww, that’s gross!” and keep on kissing in front of their kids, its great.

When mommy tells them, “Your dad is sooooo strong and such a hard worker. Look at his muscles! Wanna help me give him a back rub?”

Or when dad catches little man trying to squeeze in between mom and dad on the couch when he’s putting his arm around her, “You can sit on my lap or right next to me, but I’m going to sit right next to your mom because I love her so much!” 

Kids thrive when they see their parents loving on each other.

Nathan and Ive are incredible. They purposely set their alarm clock 1 hour before their kids wake up so they can work out and read the Bible together. Pretty soon their kids started waking up earlier and earlier and wanted to join in, but Nathan and Ive had them go into play or read in the other room so they could spend time together. Just the two of them.

Nathan’s a captain in the United States Army, and Ive is a stay at home mom who homeschools the little kiddos. Whoot whoot!!

And boy, do they love their kids. Nathan and Ive are continually investing in them  -  spending time with, praising, teaching, and training. And they have some smart kids. When I asked the 2 year old, “What does your dad do at work?,” he said, “He shoots bad guys.”

Their 4 year old is one of the sweetest and happiest little boys I know. It doesn’t phase him that he’s in a wheelchair, though I’m sure there are times he wishes he could run like the other kids. He has the biggest heart, cutest little giggle, and most active little mind.

After the session, when my husband and I were walking back to our car, he concluded, “That was a most joy-filled session. I can tell that Nathan loves his family.”

Love, Alicia

www.AliciaJoyPhotography.com