{Showcasing Your Art} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

Who doesn't love showing off their family? And what better way than with a home gallery wall (or two!)? One of the trends I've noticed is a collage style gallery where you mix photos with art with sculpture. Different color frames, mixing color and black and white photos- I wanted it all! So, after doing some Pinterest research and hours and hours of choosing photos, I was ready to assemble.

Every frame I used was just lying around my house collecting dust. I painted a few for some variety, then laid them on my living room floor until I was happy with the arrangement. hen came the tough part- choosing photos to go in each frame. I had to consider their color, orientation, and content. Like I said, this was a long process, but it all came together and I am thrilled with the result! The perfect mix- snapshots alongside styled portraits with a bit of art prints thrown in! I'd love to hear what you think!



{Erica and Zach} | Gwinnett County Photographer

I love watching a bride on her wedding day. The excitement, the work she has put into all of the little details, and all the fun energy that comes along with getting married! It makes me want to relive mine all over again! Erica was a bridesmaid in Kati and Matt's wedding last Spring, so I was excited to see many familiar faces.

Erica and Zach were married in one of my favorite places- downtown Athens. I have fond memories of that place and I know it holds a special place in their hearts too. We could not have asked for better weather- sunny and 78 degrees, a picturesque Spring wedding day!

Thank you guys so much for allowing me to capture this special day for you! And to your families and friends for being so sweet and treating me like one of the gang! I wish you both all the happiness in the world!

Zach and Erica opted to do a first look. If you are planning your wedding, I HIGHLY recommend it. They still had their special moment, but we were able to get a ton of photos of them together, not to mention ALL of the bridal party photos out of the way before the ceremony even began. This is Zach's reaction to seeing his lovely bride-to-be! 

 

*Just a quick note that I am no longer accepting wedding commissions in order to focus on my studio and senior business. I look forward to capturing my past brides as their families grow!

 

{Live, Laugh, Photograph} | Decoding Camera Ads

A good friend of mine recently contacted me with a number of questions regarding cameras. She was in the market for a camera upgrade and had seen an ad for one that looked good. Problem was- she had no idea what all of the numbers and technical jargon meant. EOS, image stabilization, 15 megapixels....it can all be very confusing to the everyday consumer.

So I thought I might help others who are also looking to buy a new camera, but haven't yet because they don't know what they want (or need!).

The best thing about these camera for everyday consumers is that they can be set on automatic for beginners (just like your old point and shoot) but are also capable of full manual mode as you get more comfortable with the settings. There is also no delay from the time you press the shutter to the time the photo is captured (no more backs of heads!).

Other common photog terms that you might run across:

Live view- means that you can see the image in the screen as you are composing your shot. Most DSLRs do not have this feature and you must look through the camera to see your shot before snapping.

SD/CF cards- the format for the memory card. Any good store employee can direct you to the proper card for your camera. Most Canon and Nikon DSLRs take CF cards. The more megapixels your camera is, the larger each photo file will be. You may need a card with lots of memory to hold a decent amount of photos. (Think of it as film for your camera)

f/3.5-5.6 or simliar next to lens info- this is the aperture for the lens. Remember in our Live Laugh Photograph post where we discussed aperture? The two numbers here mean that the lens will have an aperture of 3.5 when set at the smallest focal length and 5.6 when zoomed all the way in.

Hope this helps you decode all of those letters and numbers and finally make the move to shooting with your own DSLR! Feel free to email me any questions- ashley@hugghinsphotography.com

{The Hardest Job in the World} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

It is a bit cliche, but being a mom is the toughest, yet most rewarding job in the world. The long hours, the demanding boss(es), the responsibilities... oh, and it's all unpaid. But at night, when the house is quiet and you've just finished your third first glass of wine, you can't help but sneak into those messy rooms, over the piles of Legos and Barbie shoes, and simply watch them sleep, knowing that you have the BEST job in the world!

Happy Mother's Day to those brave souls who believed others when they said,

"It's not THAT hard!".

And thank you Lord for these two little hams that make my life interesting!



{Pretty Baby Bowtique} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

I love all things pretty! I will admit that my addiction is probably due to the fact that I only produce little boys, so I must live vicariously through my clients! I had two little princesses in the studio to help me showcase some of the newest creations from Pretty Baby Bowtique. If you haven't already, go Like them on Facebook. I use them on newborn as well as baby shoots and they are even prettier in person!

To see all of Pretty Baby Bowtique's gorgeous headbands- check out their Etsy Shop! (but beware- you'll want to buy everything in the store!) 

{Party of Three} | Gwinnett County Portrait Photographer

I first met Michelle last Spring when she was pregnant with her sweet little baby girl. I was thrilled when she called to ask me to document her daughter at one year. This little babe wasn't so sure about me, so Mom and Dad did a great job of keeping her happy and smiling and we were able to capture some amazing shots showing their love for eachother! Such a sweet and playful family!

{Happy Easter!}

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter weekend! Ours was filled with family, egg hunts, and of course, TONS of candy (so much for working on that bikini body!)

This photos also serves as proof that even photographers can't get their kids to look "un-goobery" in photos. They were ready to go find their baskets I guess! Good grief! ;)