Become a full-time photographer… Check!!!!
A little more than a year ago (September of 2008), I posted this on my blog. Since then we’ve put our heart and souls into both being full-time and having our own business. We’ve been busy – maybe a little too busy – but that comes with starting a business. We re-branded from Allie Marie Photography to The Reason, started a new blog and website(s), and started booking weddings. A few months later, Chris was able to quit his day job and focus only on photography. I had to hang in a little longer to make sure things would work out. I’m EXTREMELY happy to tell you that the day has come! I am officially a full time photographer!!
Since it’s also the Thanksgiving season, I’m writing this to say THANK YOU…
… to all of our brides and grooms. You rock. You don’t know how much your compliments have helped us take steps forward. And for those who constantly spread the word about The Reason, we can’t do it without you.
… to all the bosses and colleagues at all the jobs I had before reaching this point. For the friendships I gained out of it. For knowing what I was working towards and being understanding when the time came to move forward.
… to my friends for being interested and understanding how busy we are. For never giving up on us, always asking how the business is going, and believing in us.
… to my family for being so supportive, believing in me, helping us when things were crazy, and offering advice. I can’t believe I was blessed with such a great one.
… to Chris for being the love of my life. For his willingness to learn something new just to spend more time with me (and being ridiculously amazing at it). For his ability to be great at anything he puts his mind to and for challenging me to be the best I can be.
And also… thank you to our blog readers. We know you’re out there, we have the proof. Thank you for being interested at all, leaving comment love (you know we love it!), spreading the word, and cheering us on.
Annnnnnd… here’s ALL the links you’ll need to stay in touch and up to date with The Reason!
I LOVE MY JOB! 
allie
Holga : Roll 4
More Holga photos came in the mail today! Love it when that happens. These are kind of random.
Max’s adventure out on the deck:
I feel like I need to explain why he has a cone and big blue thing around his neck. He had sores on his back because he was licking himself over and over again. He has healed since then and looks much cuter.
I love owls. My parents got me this to hang in our backyard. cute, eh?
Not sure what happened here… I know they’re Katie’s sunglasses though! Haha.
Love this one of Chris!
My awesome dad! Love this one of him too!
For some reason I love power line towers. Especially the ones that are out in the middle of the woods and make a long clearing up the side of mountains. I really liked the way the clouds looked too.
This little guy lived next to a gas station on the way to St. Simons!
The next two are on the drive to St. Simons.
I’m getting better, woohoo!
allie
Send out your ray of sunshine.
Listen to the song that inspired the name of my blog here. It’s called “Sunshine Song.” I stalk www.archive.org for Mraz recordings (he’s awesome and lets people record and share). This song showed up on one of his set lists at the beginning of the year and I’ve been listening to a crappy recording of it for the past few months. When he played it at the show in July I was so happy! So, now it’s being released on his new Live CD. Yay!
This CD/DVD are definitely on my Christmas List… such an awesome tour.
Silent Inspiration.
I’ve been really inspired by silent films lately. For those of you who don’t know me very well, I have a major in Film Studies. I watched many, many silent films in my film history classes during college and learned to appreciate them. I’ve just recently been reminded how wonderful they are. Because the actors had to use so much body language and facial expressions, I figured the stills of these silent films would be awesome inspiration for my photography. So I Googled, and found this website! Check out these photos (all taken from the site):
So what do you think? Could any of these stills be translated into engagement or wedding photos today?
Did you know you can watch a lot of silent films online? Yep, go to http://retrovision.tv/movies/silent.
allie
Photograph a wedding out of state… Check!
Chris and I just finished a busy weekend, but I got to check off something on my life list! On Friday, we made the drive to Charleston, SC for Heather and Tim’s wedding. Charleston was so beautiful. We had a few minutes to explore downtown and I loved what I saw. Too bad we didn’t have time to enjoy it because we had to leave right after the wedding to make the drive back to Atlanta on Sunday! Here’s some photos I grabbed quickly with my iPhone:
The view from where we ate lunch:
Downtown. It was so windy, and there were a million sailboats… you can’t really see them in this photo. I could’ve sat there for a long time, it was awesome.
So… South Carolina ended up being the first state we travelled to for a wedding. Thanks to Heather and Tim for bringing us there! Next year we’re already booked for Oklahoma, Colorado, and Alabama! So excited!
allie
Open Mic.
Last year, I wrote this post. I figured I’d do it again because there’s some new songs and artists I’m in love with. It’s all about the girlies this time.
Ingrid Michaelson singing Be Ok. I love pretty much all of her stuff. Also check out “Far Away,” “Keep Breathing,” and “The Way I Am.”
Nataly Dawn. I found her through another photographer’s website and think she’s as cute as a button… and her voice is magical. This is a cover of Seven Nation Army, but she also has some really cute original songs on her YouTube page.
Priscilla Ahn playing I Don’t Think So. She plays guitar, harmonica, ukelele (“Find My Way Back Home”), AND kazoo (“The Boob Song” – very funny!)… therefore, I like her.
Aaaaaaand…. Mraz plays I’m Yours for the first time ever in 2006. It’s fun to see how it’s evolved over the years. If you’re interested in all the different versions, let me know. I might send you some and let you know what my favorite one is.
allie
Drew
Ask me who my favorite actress is and it varies from season to season. But Drew Barrymore has always been high on my list. A couple things I love about her:
* She’s been through tough times, but has fought through it
* She makes the best out of being in the spotlight
* She’s down to earth and always herself
* She has the cutest personality ever
* She’s not the best actress in the world, but she’s pretty captivating on the big screen… no matter what movie she’s in.
I recently saw this article online and thought I’d share it with you. It’s Drew and photography combined – what could be better? Click on the photo to read the article and see the photos she took with a film camera.
:) immediately
Time for me to share a page out of my inspiration journal (and post some of my recent holga photos)!
Ever realize how some things – no matter how foul of a mood you’re in – make you smile immediately? I realized this one day as I was driving home from work and a little frustrated with things. As I was passing by Daddy D’z BBQ Joint, the smell of the best BBQ in ATL (according to their website) put the hugest smile on my face. Immediately.
So I started making a list every time this happened. Then I sat down and asked myself, WHY do these make me smile immediately? Looking over them inspires me. I encourage you to make your own to look at from time to time. I’d love to see it!
Here it is. My list of Things That Make Me Smile Immediately!
the smell of bbq and fires
it reminds me not only of fall, but a plethora of memories as well. memories i might not exactly remember, but that left a nice impression in my brain. when the smell hits my nostrils it makes me breathe it in deeper, let out a big sigh, and then smile enormously.
swinging
when i see a swing, i have to be on it. i love the feeling of swinging really high and the wind on my face. if that doesn’t sound cheesy, i don’t know what does. maybe it makes me feel like a child again?
hearing chris speak dutch
it’s so weird to think my husband’s first language isn’t english. he speaks it so well. when i hear him speak dutch it makes me smile – and it reminds me of how awesome he is.
vanilla coke paired with salt + vinegar chips
if you’ve never tried it before, you have to! when you put the two together it makes the coke a lot more vanilla-y and the chips more vinegar-y. Mmmmm.
the smell of green tea face lotion
once again this smell brings back so many memories that I can’t remember. i have no idea what that means… i put it on my face, breathe in, and smile. i know it makes me remember something… but i can’t place it.
the first chords of “i’m yours”
and only the first chords. not that the whole song doesn’t make me smile, but there’s something about hearing it from the very beginning on the radio and being lucky enough to have been in the car when it came on. i also have about 7 different versions of the song (because it’s actually been around for a few years) and the first chords of each version are all the same. it also makes me proud to be a mraz fan. i’ll stop there – i could keep going.
the sight of airplanes
this is weird. one of the best things about living near the airport is that there are always a dozen planes in the sky above our house. on a really nice, blue-skied day it makes me smile when i can see all of them in the sky at the same time. how they work baffles me, but high above you they’re little, shiny, and fun to look at. maybe it’s just me…
the airport and flying
most people hate to fly. on a day that i’ll be visiting the airport, i wake up smiling. something about it makes me feel like i’m in a film or that i’m important or that i’m a grown up and know how to navigate the busiest airport in the world. it also means i’ll be leaving atlanta, and that makes me happy.
watching 50 first dates
everything about this movie makes me smile. the actors, the story, the soundtrack, and the ending. l-o-v-e it. i could watch it everyday and not get sick of it.
the beach experience (?)
maybe you guys can help me out here. i was a little confused. originally, on my list, i had written “the beach.” but i had to stay true to things that make me smile immediately. it’s not just the beach that makes me smile. it’s the whole experience. the feel of the sand,sun & wind, the sound of the waves, the sight of the water, the smell of the salt. when all of those senses are triggered at the same time… that’s when i smile immediately.
sailboats
i’m pretty sure my obsession with sailboats began when my mom read “the lion’s paw” to me as a kid. since then, the sight of sailboats make me smile. when i met chris, one of the first questions i asked him was if he knew how to sail. and he did! this made me smile, too. it’s one of my favorite things in the whole world to do.
owls
i’ve loved owls for a long time. way before they became a popular fashion trend. my friend, sara, used to call me owlie. (get it? it sounds like allie). the sight of these furry, wise creatures makes me smile – living, drawn, or worn around the neck.
the first warm day after winter and the first cool day after summer
this should be on everyone’s list. who doesn’t smile when you walk out the door after a hot, humid summer or cold, bleak winter and it’s cool and refreshing or sunny and warm respectively?
walking barefoot in grass
especially my parents’ grass. yeah, i know. real original. but it’s true. puts a huge smile on my face.
I’m sure I’ll add more to the list as I keep smiling.
allie
Keep an inspiration journal… underway.
Inspiration is everywhere. Lately, I’ve felt it tugging at my heartstrings rather harder than usual. I’m not really sure why – maybe the people I’ve met, places I’ve seen, and ideas I’ve come across the past few months have really settled in my memory and are begging for me not to forget them. One of my life list goals is to create and keep up with an inspiration journal. Of all times, I figured the best time to start would be right now. Since an amazing journal my parents got me has been collecting dust since Christmas, I wanted to put it to use. It has owls on it, and they inspire me – so it’s perfect. Here’s a photo :
He looks pretty excited to get started, don’t you think?
I’m setting a few rules for myself so that I can ensure dedication to this journal of mine :
1. Carry it with me everywhere.
2. When anything inspires me, write it down and collect as much information as possible.
3. Don’t write something and forget about it – keep reading what I’ve written.
4. Put the entries in motion – be creative with the inspiration that comes.
5. Share with others.
6. There’s no boundaries!
Following Rule #5, I’ll be sharing certain entries with you lovely people by way of this blog which I’ve renamed Ray of Allie. Why? Because, according to some of my favorite lyrics – “there’s a light in everybody / send out your ray of sunshine.” So I’m sending out mine – a little ray of Allie. I hope you enjoy – or maybe get inspired yourself.
allie
Do you keep an inspiration journal? Leave me a comment – I’d love to get some ideas about how you use it!!
Old becomes new.
Do me a favor.
Take a moment and really look at the photos below.
Believe it or not, these were taken by Mervin Joseph Pius O’Gorman in 1913 with an autochrome lumiere. I’m in love with the way photography has pretty much come full circle – people try to adopt this look using Photoshop. Maybe it’s my love for the whole toy camera look, but there’s something about these photos that makes my head turn with ideas – the textures, locations, composition, model, poses, and wardrobe. Hmmmm…..
I’d love to know your thoughts – pretty, please?
allie
