Chronicling A Love Story | February 2012 ASP Winner

A very rewarding aspect of being a photographer is getting the chance to document a person's individual journey.  From a senior in high school to a college grad, from an engaged couple to a married couple, from a family expecting a child to a family enthralled with their new little blessing, all of these chapters in life are worth celebrating, chronicling, and sharing for years to come.  So I was thrilled for the opportunity to shoot this beautiful couple's "engagement" session before I photograph their wedding ceremony!

My favorite part about this session was the fact that the bride is a photographer herself.  Sometimes I am self-conscious about my techniques for checking lighting (hand turning in the air) and my requests for my clients to stand, crouch or lay just so.  I always feel the need to explain my actions, but with another photographer, they understand.  They smile and nod and explain to their spouse exactly why I do the quirky things I do.

They are also parents, which made my wrecked car strewn with sippy cups, random packages of Nutri-Grain Bars, and somewhat sticky toys much less of an embarrassment.  During a break for outfit changes, we grabbed coffee and the Bodega Bean in downtown Belton and talked about the wedding and military life.  Altogether, it was a relaxing session with an amazing, very laid-back couple, and at the end of it I was more excited than ever to be a part of their big day.  Congratulations, Nick and Jenn, for being the very first ASP winners and for your upcoming wedding!

A Different Kind of Warmth | Couple's Portrait

You wouldn't know, looking at these portraits, that it was a chilly 40-something degrees and windy this bright Texas morning when I met my clients in Salado for an R&R photo session.  I attribute this completely to the oh-so-wonderful can-do attitude of this beautiful couple.  Although, really, it is not difficult to be in good humor when you are spending the morning hanging out with your best friend.  Warmth emanates from each frame as a testament to the security and love so evident in their relationship, even to an onlooker like myself.  There may still be several days of separation ahead, but they are together now, and now is what is most important.  Now is a time to be treasured. 

 

Forever Newlyweds | Couple's Portrait

As a military spouse, I know how hard it can be to see the silver lining in certain situations, notably when going through a separation like a deployment.  This fun, energetic couple reminded me of a very unusual and very pleasant aspect of the military lifestyle: You can feel like you are newlyweds for years after the vows are exchanged.  You grow together, change while apart, and have the chance to learn about each other and fall in love all over again when reunited.  The revelation certainly brought a smile to my face, although it would be hard not to smile when photographing this beautiful, fun-loving couple and their adorable fur babies!

And the February ASP winner is.......

.....Jennifer Wenner!

Congratulations, Jennifer!  I will be getting in contact with you today to set up your session.  Thanks for entering, and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

~Megan

ASP - February Edition.....Go! | Freebies

Today is the beginning of the America's Sweethearts program!  Entries will be accepted today (Feb. 1, 2012) through 11 PM, February 3, 2012.  For those who haven't gone over the rules and regs here, I have supplied them below.  Enter, spread the word, and have fun!

~Megan

The Goods:

Couples selected for ASP will receive over $500 worth of products and services, absolutely free.

This includes:

*Pre-session consultation
*1-1.5 hour on-location session
*Low-res disc of watermarked images
*(2) Mini accordion books
*(1) 11x14 mounted print of the couple's favorite image

How To Enter:

Entering is simple.  At the beginning of every month, I will make a blog post to indicate the opening of the program.  Any and all interested parties will then have 48 hours to comment with their name and e-mail.  Spouses may provide a seperate entry, but there may not be more than two entries per household.

Rules and Regulations:

*All entrants must be 18 or older to participate.

*Entrants must be in the Central Texas area to participate.

*Couples who have participated in a registered OpLove session with MMU Photography or any other photography business within 12 months are not eligible.

*Couples can be selected one time only for the ASP.  MMU Photography reserves the right to remove the entries of and/or refuse to participate in an ASP session with prior winners.  This is to ensure the fairness of the program.  I want to reach as many wonderful couples as possible.

*Winners must be willing and able to provide military identification at the time of their session.

*Military uniform is not required.

*Entries will be processed through Random.org to choose the winner.  The winner will be announced on the blog and will be notified privately.  Once notified, the winner has 72 hours to respond.  In the event that the winner does not respond, another name will be drawn.

Disclaimer:

*ASP is not affiliated with OpLove.org.  Any and all adjustments and enforcements of the ASP rules and regulations are at the sole discretion of MMU Photography.**

America's Sweethearts & Senior Rep Programs | Freebies and Discounts

It is long past Christmas, but my desire to give has not gone with the holidays.  I had a lot of time to think, plan and coordinate my ideas for business and marketing during the move to Oklahoma, and I am excited to announce the creation of two new programs in the MMU Photography lineup: The America's Sweethearts Program (ASP) and the Senior Rep Program.




The Senior Rep Program is not an original undertaking.  Many, many senior photographers have similar programs to get the word of their company out at the local high schools.  Rules and commitments vary, but the main principles are the same: The student gets a free session and something to show off at their school, the photographer(s) get recognition and the potential to book more clients. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, and one that I am thrilled to start up.  For more details or to apply to be a Senior Rep, please visit the Senior Rep tab, or click here.






The America's Sweethearts Program, unlike the Senior Rep Program, is a product of my love for couple's photography paired with my appreciation for the strength of military spouses who are going through, have gone through, or are faced with separation.  Growing up in a military family, I thought that I was prepared for life as a military spouse.  I didn't understand the toll the months apart take on husbands and wives alike, I only saw the chasm from the perspective of a child.  It is a different kind of pang of separation, a different kind of longing, and, when they return at last, a different sense of relief when it is your spouse who is serving.  And so, to honor those wonderful couples who stand strong through thick and thin, I came up with the idea for America's Sweethearts.


America's Sweethearts is an interview and a photo shoot all in one.  There will be one military couple featured every month on the blog, sharing their unique love story paired with images of the couple.  These sessions will be fully customized, and are available to all ranks of active duty military.  For rules and details on how to enter, please visit the America's Sweethearts tab, or click here.

And that's it for announcements this Monday!  I am working hard to get content out to everybody, but please be patient with me during the slow winter months.  Have a wonderful week!

~Megan

Red Thread Sessions | Giving Back

You may have noticed a couple of new icons at the bottom of my page.  One is the icon for OpLove, an organization providing free photography sessions for military families going through deployments that I have been a part of for several months now.  The second is for Red Thread Sessions, an up-and-coming non-profit introduced to me by the wonderful Carolyn Spranger.  Red Thread Sessions is a free session program, geared toward families who have or will adopt children.  They cover the biological mother's birth, a child coming home to his/her new family, or a family session with the new son or daughter (or both, in the case of twins!).

When I announced to my husband that I would be signing up for another non-profit, I did not quite get the, "Yeah, go for it!" reaction that I was looking for.  Instead, I got a quizzical stare and an "Okay?"  I knew what that "okay" really meant.  It meant "why?".

I can't really explain what drew me to Red Thread Sessions.  I am not typically a child photographer and I am not adopted and/or related to anyone who has or is currently looking to adopt.  But, the more I look at the photographs of children in the arms of their parents for the first time, or happily playing with their new siblings, the more I think of what drew me to OpLove.  What drew me to photography at all, really.  It is (as cheesy as it may sound!) the thrill of capturing for others the moments that take your breath away, of creating memories that will be framed, displayed in a beautiful album, or stored away for future generations to relive the milestones of those that came before them.  Welcoming a child into one's life, loving them, providing them with a stable home and a promising future, this is certainly worthy of being immortalized.

If you are in the Central Texas area, have adopted within the last 3 months or will soon be welcoming a new member of your family, and are interested in booking a session, I would love to work with you!  If you are not local to MMU Photography, there are several fantastic photographers who are volunteers for Red Thread Sessions all over the country.  You can find a directory of them here.  If you are a photographer who is interested in participating, you can find more information here.

~Megan