Angela & Drew | Engaged

Had a lovely shoot with these two! On almost exactly one year before their wedding, I scheduled their engagement/save the date photos. They were the first couple I've ever worked with too to have so many wonderful ideas of places they wanted to take pictures at, poses they were looking for, and just overall excitement was refreshing for me.

And where did they want to theme their shoot around? All their date destinations in downtown Cincinnati they went to!! We shared so many stories, had a lovely picnic (well they did ;D), explored parks, played on a cement slide, and overall just lived the day loving life. All of us.

My husband came along to this shoot as an amazing assistant and when we were done with the shoot, we did a little exploring of the newer parts of Cincinnati [well, new to me! Ironically it was some of the oldest parts!] and then enjoyed some awesome blue slushies from the gas station and had some movie time at home.

To say the least, it was a total success and an absolutely wonderful summer day <3

Brooke


 

Walking to a Fork

 So, I need a rant session to get my thoughts collected.

I have a hard time admitting this to anyone that may be associated with my photography business (future clients, past clients, followers, whoever) that I work a full time job on top of running my business. I work in retail as an assasitant manager in a game store. Sure, most days are pretty easy to run but it's getting to the point now where I'm working myself dry. I have no off days, ever. I worked for a month straight between mid May when I got back from my trip in England until I went on a mini vacation with a few girlfriends of mine down in Hilton Head in mid June. Then, as soon as I get back from HH, it's back to work at the full time job. I'm already working nearly 2 weeks straight with no break again because I try to schedule my shoots around my job which makes it so I never get any off time. And I feel like my life has been that way for the past 4 months now. I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this.

Photography is the way I want to go so, I'm going to need to step down or quit my full time job when the year is up [debt is the only thing keeping me there until then]. I'm working to get an officially licesened LLC up and running again so I can start working full time on my photography and running it the way I've always been meant to because I'm meant to be my own boss, schedule my own life, and be apart of making memories for everyone to cherish for forever. Including myself. It is the only thing that feels right in the direction of any sort of career for myself. I just can't keep running around like a headless chicken for people anymore.

I have no time for myself. I haven't done a creative project since before the holidays of 2011. And if you know me, you know that's devastating. I'm constantly running errands, doing house work, working, editing, working again, taking my laptop to my full time job and editing there during my breaks (which used to be my reading time), meeting up with people that I don't really care to hang out with but I'm a people pleaser at heart. Working again, trying to fit in date nights with the hubby which to me, marriage should come first and shouldn't have to be fit into a schedule. But that's a whole thing in itself [I make a terrible wife these days].

I'm exhausted.

I've taken on this huge amount of workload because I wanted to challenge myself into thinking I can take on the world alone. But, I'm finding that I can't. I need help or if I can't get it, to just stop doing half of what I do. I can't continue running myself into the ground because I'm missing out on so many things that really matter in life.

Reading? Relaxing? Taking a walk in the summer sun? Catching up with some of my favorite video games and new ones I haven't even started? Sharing quiet evenings with my best friend? Having weekends off to visit family events that happen periodically over the year? What is any of this? None of this is a part of my life anymore. I haven't finished a book all the way in nearly 2 years. Nor a video game. I haven't cooked a new receipe in months. I haven't been out hiking, biking, camping? I don't even know how long. Being out in the great outdoors? When did we last spend time together, Mother Nature? Wow...

I'm becoming something I don't want to be and sometime soon, it is going to have to change. And it's not about to be my photography business. I'm going to have to let go of this job I've put nearly 3 years of my life into. But it's becoming a distraction from what I'm really meant to do, which is my photography.

YouTube account and New VBlog

Ok, so one last [last] post about England!

I put together a video blog from my recent trip out there with the hubby and have it uploaded to my newly created YouTube channel. If you do not know already, I now have a channel which can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/btownsendphotography

So instead of  writing everything out to you, I will say it instead!

Have a wonderful week! 

Brooke

Be Original: New Selfie

So, this is a bit different than the one I uploaded to facebook [see here] and I wanted to share this one as well because I had the longest time trying to figure out which I liked more. I basically wanted to create a message for myself, and to others, to embrace all the best parts of yourself. Recognizing what you can give to the world and letting yourself shine those inner beauties.

Life is a battle. Constantly throwing new things at you that test your faith in yourself, the strength you carry, and the wisdom you hold. To grow. To expand. To learn. You inevitably become what you surround yourself with. No matter who you are, what you sink your thoughts into, and what people become a part of your everyday life. Our subconscious is deeper than we all realize and this is why I plaster things that inspire me to keep going everywhere I can think of. Sometimes I use post-it notes in my car on the way to work. Sometimes it's taking nights like tonight to blog out all the thoughts that reside within me. Sometimes it's taking moments like this picture and embracing what I feel is best about me, rather than what I don't like about myself. It's an exercise everyday to look in the mirror and say "What can I take on today?" and from how much more I have grown to love and appreciate my own self from even 3 years ago has come so much farther.

I am alive. I am healthy. I am beautiful.

Happiness is a journey. Not a destination. 

<3 Brooke

Amy & Matt | Engaged

I did an engagement shoot with two lovely people named Amy and Matt towards the end of May. We planned our shoot to take place in the beautiful Sharon Woods but what was crazy was what we came across when we arrived!!

Throughout the entire park they were doing a reenactment of the Civil War. People were dressed up. Shops inside tents set up. A blacksmith, a battlefield, little gardens/farms for growing, and people from all around came here to enjoy the festivities. It made it a little difficult to get certain shots though! Trying to block people out and make Amy and Matt the center of attention. But it added a feel to the photos I wouldn't have been able to obtain otherwise.

It was awesome :) And they were so easy to photograph as well! Especially through the hot summer air we had to get ourselves through. But, we had some awesome things to get some pictures with and they warmed up so fast. I'm so happy with the way these turned out!

 

Until next time!!

<3 Brooke

Model Shoot: Linda

So, I met up with a friend of mine's friend who is wanting to get herself into a little modeling! I told her I'd love to help her start up a portfolio and get a few different looks. It was a really simple shoot and it brought me back to a comfort zone I haven't traveled into in a while! A one-on-one shoot is so personal... its easy to get to know the other person.

Linda is an absolutely lovely girl! So cute, nice, gentle, and quiet. I had fun trying to get her to feel comfortable in front of the camera and help her with different poses she may have never thought about. She seemed so happy by the end of the shoot it reminded me once again why I love doing what I do :)

England (extra pic goodness)

So, here's a few more England goodies before I stop blogging about the trip. A lot of these I haven't posted anywhere else yet :) So they are new. And a lot of them come from my hubby's camera! It's not often that photos get taken of me since I'm usually always the one holding the camera! So, here's some of those.

And some delicious meals I was able to get my hands on!

But alas, this will be my last post about England, at least for a while. So much more coming ahead to talk about! It's even more exciting than lighting striking in the same place twice (which supposedly never happens....)

Brooke

 Sunday Dinner. Roast beef, buttered carrots, corn, yorkshire puddings, some potato slices, some stuffing bites (cant remember what they're specifically called) all topped with gravy. MMMMM.

 

One of my favorite English candies called a Walnut Whip!  And, a bacon, sausage, and cheese baguette. One of the most amazing things my mother-in-law makes!

 Ate at a place called Punch Tavern. This is classic Englishness right here.

We sat here together and watched the swans and ducks play. The world was still. Quiet. Ours. This moment could have lasted forever.