I spent the last few months of m pregnancy preparing for Maxx’s newborn shoot. I had all the little outfits, baskets, hats, guitars,…  you name it I had it!

 In the corner by the window was a little studio setup. The cushion was in place. The Heater on. White noise playing in the background. And I had a 6 day old sleeping baby! I thought it would be a synch since I was successful photographing my niece who was 10 days old. I heard that the younger the baby, the better the session! Let me just put this on record that I am NOT A NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER! It was everything BUT a synch! He was the wiggliest worm! He peed on the cute hats. He refused to go on his belly. And the second that I thought he was in a deep sleep he would wake u crying! I had a minor anxiety attack! No lie! I realized that I don’t have the patience posing babies lol. I attempted it two days in a row and no shebang!

I realized if I was gonna get any newborn photos of my baby, it was going to have to be more of a lifestyle session. A natural environment. So I threw a white onesie on Maxx and a white t-shirt on lil Jack and threw them in my freshly made bed! The moments that I got of my two sons were better than any vision I had imaged id get with him in a basket! (Don’t Get me wrong, I adore the baby in basket photos). Before I share all the photos with you, Im going to show my favorites that I chose for his birth announcements!  So without further ado… here it is!!!

I'M BAAAACK!!!
I wanted to catch up on old blog posts before I launch my new website & my recent shoots! SUPER PUMPED so share them with yall!
 So Im gonna let you in on a very special moment in our lives,
 lets go back three months...
 for the birth of Mr. Maxx Dean!

We arrived at the hospital at 9:30am with smiles, eager to meet the little booger that was beating up my ribs!

Checkout this HUGE MAMACITA!!! :)

The smiles didnt last long...

After 9 hours of being in the hospital our son was finally born!!! I know I shouldn’t complain because some woman are in labor for 24+hours, but I was in sooo much pain I was ready to get him out!!! 

 And here he is... Born at 6:30pm! Look at all that hair!!!

Love at first Sight!

He was born on his actual due date which was pretty cool, Feb. 7, 2013! Maxx weighed 7lbs 15oz and 20 ¼ in long.

Proud Daddy checking out his new baby boy! Thank God he is healthy!

The moment Lil Jack has been waiting for...
 to hold his baby brother!
Love my boys!

Ava came to meet her new cousin! :)

Maxx is so lucky to have an amazing family who adores him already! We love you guys so much! Big thanks to my mama for documenting this special day!

Thanks to all of you that sent your love and support on my instagram & facebook page! You guys are sooo awesome for continuing to follow even after I’ve been M.I.A. for 3 months! I hope to sneak away and blog at least once a week!

Heck yeah, This is the last part of what I learned my first year in photography! There are many more things that I learned but for some reason these are the topics that stood out the most to me :) I hope you enjoyed reading! Ive actually got some sweet feedback from some of my readers that this has motivated them to follow their dreams and I think that ROCKS!

This post is Part 10: Meeting People who follow your blog of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"
Part 4: "Choosing a Second Shooter"
Pt. 5 Wedding Timelines
Pt. 6 How to avoid Drama in the business
Part 7: Wedding Attire -Style vs. Comfort
Part 8: Finding your shooting style
Part 9: Importance of First Look

I might seem a little "out there" on my blog/ facebook, and I totally am like this when I feel comfortable! But in real life I like to get a feel for the environment before I put myself out there. I’m actually more comfortable on a one on one basis, rather than entertaining a large crowd of strangers. I'm more of a people watcher than the center of attention kind of gal :)You’ll probably never see that happening unless I’m trying to get the wedding party formal portraits! But that takes every ounce of courage to pull that side of Janelle out of me! Yes Im annoying i just referred to myself in 3rd person!

So it totally threw me off when I was at a friends party and these two sweet young ladies approached me and asked if I was Janelle Marina! I was totally caught off guard… I know thats my business name, but noone has ever referred to me as Janelle Marina!  They introduced themselves and said that they read my blog! They were chatting with me about my family and business as if we had known eachtoher for years! I gotta tell you it was pretty trippy to meet someone who you know nothing about, but they know all kinds of stuff about you. At first I felt a lil strange... they had the upper hand of the conversation, but then I realized that this is exactly why I started my blog… to connect with others!  I was totally honored that these woman followed my journey and were sweet enough to introduce themselves! Ladies if your reading this, thank you so much for approaching me, for being so sweet to me and for reading my blog! You proved to me that all my gibberish is not for nothing :) Ya’ll are awesome! Hit me up when you need a wedding photographer :)
And thank you for those of your that continue to check my blog, and are super kind enough to leave comments! I love and appreciate your feedback!
Thats a wrap on my first year, cant wait to see what this year has in store for my family & my biz!
Signing Off :)
-Janelle

This post is Part 9: Importance of First Look of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"
Part 4: "Choosing a Second Shooter"
Pt. 5 Wedding Timelines
Pt. 6 How to avoid Drama in the business
Part 7: Wedding Attire -Style vs. Comfort
Part 8: Finding your shooting style

Oh gosh there’s so much I can say about having a First Look (also known as seeing each other before your ceremony).

Did you know that not seeing your groom before the ceremony is an old tradition, but not a very romantic one!  It originated from arranged marriages... they were not allowed to see each other until the ceremony because they wouldn't have a chance to back out once they saw eachother. This was usually the first time they were meeting, that's why they covered the bride with a veil to hide her until the big "I Do!"

Welp times have definitely changed and I don't think we get many runners since marriage is a mutual choice now! So I think we should ditch this tragic tradition and make more time for romantic moments! 

Your wedding day is full of craziness with people running around trying to get everything perfect for the big moments. You go through your whole day without a second for you and your fiancé to be alone and breathe it all in! This is why I feel that making time before your ceremony is a perfect way to allow you both to just soak up the moment of what brought you two lovebirds here together in the first place, before all the madness of the day begins! And the photos that we get to capture are the most raw emotions you can get! It's wonderful! 

This can also help to calm your nerves when the time comes to walk down the aisle! Since you already experienced that special moment with your love, all the stress seems to go away! Your able to soak it all in and pay attention to the details that you spent forever planning and ENJOY the ceremony! Be in the moment! It won't be just a blur! 

Another reason why first looks are awesome is we get to bust out your wedding party portraits before the ceremony while everyone is still in the mood. It seems like after the ceremony everyone wants to go mingle & enjoy themselves with a cocktail, so it's hard to gather them back up, which can waste alot of time and to keep their attention is another challenge. 

Another important factor is lighting! If you plan a gorgeous sunset ceremony your not leaving enough time to get some beautiful sunset portraits because by the time your ceremony is over the sun has gone down. And fun group shots are just not the same in the dark! So a "first look" allows you to get all the portraits done before so you have plenty of light, and then your able to enjoy your sunset ceremony if that's what you wanted. 

If after reading all this and your still not convinced then no worries, as long as you plan your wedding earlier in the day to allow at least 2 hours of daylight after the ceremony for all your portraits :) I've also seen a cute idea where the couple decided not to see one another but they wanted to give each other gifts so they exchanged gifts with a wall or tree hiding them. It was a cute way to capture some sweet moments with you together, but not! That's what I call working with whatcha got! 

Here's some cute photos from a First Look experience :)

This post is Part 8: Finding your shooting style of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"
Part 4: "Choosing a Second Shooter"
Part 5: Wedding Timelines
Part 6: How to avoid drama in the business
Part 7: Wedding Attire -Style vs. Comfort

When shooting sessions youll find which poses, cropping, lighting, & techniques work for you. After trying everything and anything, you’ll begin to notice patterns in your work. Maybe you like to crop or edit certain ways. I think that These become your signature looks. 

I love to research and look through magazines to find photos that inspire me and I’ll try to reenact them at my sessions. Most of the time I don’t get the EXACT pose that I wanted, because maybe I talked them into the pose a different way than the original photographer did. Or the “romantic” moment got interrupted by my corkiness and so instead I might of ended up with a cute laughing photo instead.(which is all good cuz i love those!) But dont be disappointed that you didn’t achieve the look, check out what it is that you shot & see if its more your style! Sometimes we put our own little twist on things without even knowing it! Just remember every shoot is different, every client is different, so you’re going to get different photos from each session. Finding your shooting style definitely doesn’t come overnight… and it can always evolve overtime. But I think that if you embrace your signature looks, it’ll benefit you in the future because people will be able to identify your work! Im still working on finding my signature style, I finally found my editing techniques, and in cropping style, but I cant put my finger on my signature style. I really try to capture the simple natural moments between a couple. At the same time I place them in situations where they'll  give me some real sweet moments. Then I gotta top it off with some stylish poses! I love to bring out your inner fierceness out to get those magazine looking photos!  
Hope this can help someone out there :)

This post is Pt. 7 Wedding Attire -Style vs. Comfort of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"
Part 4: "Choosing a Second Shooter"
Part 5: Wedding Timelines
Part 6: How to avoid drama in the business

Of course you want to look cute! It’s a wedding Duh!!!  But you have to remember that your not there as a guest, your there to hustle your butt off to get the photos that they want! Sometimes that means you’ve got to squat, crawl, lay, and even climb to get thee shot! You definitely cant do that in high heels! And if you can then please share your tricks, because I can barely walk in heels! Comfort is key! Your on your feet for 8+hours so avoid the mistake of going with the stylish shoes that give you blisters and go with the comfy shoes that may not be that cute, but they'll get you through the job! Or start off with the cute shoes then switch into comfy flats. Most importantly choose an outfit that is discreet. You don’t want to bend over and give everyone a free show…that counts for the front and the back  -if you know what I mean :)

It helps to discuss the details of the wedding with the bride to find out how casual/dressy the wedding is so you can dress accordingly. I shot in mary janes at a sandy beach themed wedding and I had to deal with sand and rocks stuck in my shoes for the whole day/night, while everyone else were in cute sandals! Not fun at all!
Shoes can definitely make or break your day!

...and since blog posts are better with a picture, here are some shots of my lil booger comfy cozy in my bed!

Look at those lashes!!! I wish i could borrow them :)

Gotta love my lil cheeseball!

Enjoy your tuesday :)

This post is Part 6: How to avoid drama in the business of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"
Part 4: "Choosing a Second Shooter"
Part 5: Wedding Timelines

Avoiding drama is hard because the world is full of dramatic people! But a way to avoid it in both life & business is to Ignore it! Im just speaking on what works for me! I used to be the one comfronting every little thing & that doesnt change anything but just gives you a bigger headache! You have to pick & choose your battles wisely! This is something that my husband has been trying to teach me for the past 8 years and I’m finally starting to practice this! :)

This means:
- Don’t go looking at your enemies pages to see what they’re doing or if they’re writing about you!(yes... Ive been guilty of this too!)
- If you don’t look for it and don’t listen to the drama that crosses your path then most likely you wont care anymore about it!
- I even had to block people who I have bad blood with, not to hide myself from them because hello I have a blog so obviously I cant hide, but to hide them from myself! I am human and have a little hot headed temper sometimes, & I get the temptations to respond to the nonsense, but by blocking them its way too much work to go through the process of unblocking to even bother and you avoid getting angry!

Sometimes you get the Dramatic people that stock you and send people your way to trick you into friendship -just to stay in tune with what is going on in your life or even your business, so just be careful who you really trust.

-Dont worry about what everyone else is doing or thinks about you and just focus on your goals, business, and the people who love you! When you really FOCUS on how to improve yourself or biz you’ll find that you have no time or energy to even think about drama.

This world is soooo doggone small your always going to run into someone who rubs or rubbed you the wrong way, but instead of getting all upset and let it cloud your head… try to stay positive and treat them as you would treat any stranger. If your nice to strangers and that’s too hard to be nice, then just ignore them lol!

Cattiness is everywhere and in every business/ industry… even when you have your own home business lol You’d never think huh!

So we spoke about drama in life and in your own industry and how to avoid it but I think its worse when it happens on the job!

Whats difficult to handle is when you get disrespectful guests who tell you that “you’re in the way of their camera or view” with total attitude!  I was shocked to have heard that someone spoke to my second shooter this way! But you have to breathe and be respectful! Im not really sure what the "Correct" (picture me using air quotations) response is, but I think that if you nicely explain to them that you were hired to get this shot and as soon as you do then you’ll kindly move so they can get theirs, then hopefully they understand and leave you alone!

My point is stay focused on your job and try not to mix drama with business! Dont bad mouth people on your blog or facebooks. It stirs up the pot and can make you look unprofessional! Try to keep things positive so your life can be as positive as it can be in this crazy world! Hope this helps :)

I hate ending on a negative note so Heres a lil funny to lighten the mood! :)

Sorry Ma for my inappropriate sense of humor! But this is wat happens when your brought up with a bunch of guys! ;)

I joke with my husband that he needs to treat me like a dainty flower  but he loves to remind me that there isnt anything dainty about me! Maybe my pinky toes! :) This is probably why God is blessing me with nothing but boys!

This post is Part 5: Wedding Timelines of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"
Part 4: "Choosing a Second Shooter"

Its great to ask the bride for her timeline 2 weeks before the wedding date. But usually you can count on some major changes to the timeline with those last two weeks and your very lucky if they update you! But realistically they are NOT! The photographer is not the first person on their mind to update. I had an experience where the bride and groom were not at the locations that they had given me so I had to send my second shooter off to look for the hotel that the groom was at. Which totally gave me a minor heart attack!  You & your second shooters gotta be ready to roll with the punches because there will be plenty of blows! 
Vendors will be late.
Timelines will be way off.
Ceremonies will start later than expected.
There will be car accidents blocking your only route to the area the couple chose for photographs.
The sun will go down leaving you with no light (which could pose a problem for “Natural Light Photographers”).

These are all real situations that I've actually been through! Sometimes you have to improvise and fill in the gaps to squeeze in some portrait shots to make sure you get everything the bride wants! Its craziness but I love it! Ive learned that timelines change and we def. have to WING IT! Open communication is everything! I'll even text my brides when I’m on my way to their house the morning of the wedding to put them at ease that I'm coming :) I remember my photographer did that to me on my wedding day and it really made me feel good!  

So Brides if your reading this... try to be as detailed as possible with your timelines and please keep us in the LOOP if their are any changes :) And Photographers if your reading this... The timelines are not set in stone! Dont hold it against the Brides for anything that doesn't go as planned! So just roll with it & work it out!!!! :)

Prego Update:

I had my 37th week doctors visit and she said that I'm as big as a house in other words of course! I've already out weighed my first pregnancy with Lil jack and I still have 3 weeks to go! Holy Moly!  I hope this kid isn't a 10 pounder! It's gotten to the point that I can't even put my own socks on! Haha! Pathetic  I know! 

I apologize for not being on top of my blogging A-game, things have just been so crazy over here with trying to get everything together before our world is ROCKED with another life. And even though I'm “technically” on maternity leave I've still been busy with business. Responding to wedding inquiries, for when I return in May, that can’t be left unanswered. Im soo not complaining… I’m super grateful to even be getting these inquiries -so keep em comin! Its just super hard to totally step away from business because its kinda like my baby too! I have to feed it! On top of that I'm sooo behind in my blogging, Im really trying to complete this series before the baby bean is here! If you notice that Im am M.I.A. from the blog AND facebook for awhile, then its safe to assume that I had my baby or I'm in the hospital :) You can follow me on my Facebook or Instagram @Janelle_Marina, where Ill be posting little life updates here & there, until I get back in the groove of things :) 

It’s been really hard for me to sum up each topic because I really planned on elaborating more on each part. But I've been told that I tend to ramble on, so hopefully I took out all the ramblings and got straight to the point on these topics. Jack likes me to start my stories backwards starting with the end! This way he’s sure to get the point of the story because I tend to setup a story and get sidetracked with another topic and never get to the point of the first story! Pfft!  Whats wrong with that!? I like to give you a visual and enough details so you can get the FULL experience! :) 

This post is Part 4: Choosing a second shooter of the “What I learned in my first year” series.
Click on the links if you would like to read more parts:
Part 1:”The Investments”
Part 2: “Getting Published”
Part 3: "Facebook Contests"

First things first... Do your RESEARCH! Make sure that you’ve seen enough of their work to know their shooting style and then determine if their photos will flow with your photos, because it all goes into the same gallery. You also want to make sure that you get along with the second shooter, if you’ve never met then maybe arrange to meet with them before the wedding day to get on the same page. You must find someone that you’re able to Trust! You want to make sure that they are there not only to build their portfolio, but to represent YOUR business & brand! This is the reason why you have them there in the first place, to help you out. Ive had a few different second shooters and for the most part I knew everyone and their shooting styles, so I had an idea of what I was getting myself into. 

I also realized that I have to be more upfront with my second shooting rules because sometimes people don’t follow them probably not on purpose but that can put you in a sticky situation. Do you comfront them, do you let it go, how do you say it without sounding like a beeeyotch! Im actually currently working on creating a system/packet for my second shooters, including details of what it is that I need them to cover on the day, rules and so on. Can you say " Control Freak” !  I swear I’m not that bad, but as much fun that we have we also have to remember that this is business and we are expected of certain things by the clients so I have to make sure we are able to present them accordingly!

I know that I've mentioned this before but Sometimes I just wish that my hubby could just be my full time second shooter so that I can have my trusted teammate, build a solid system, and not have to re-explain how to do it over & over again with each 2nd shooter. Its good to create a list of people who you know that are solid, just in case your main 2nd shooter isn’t available! I think its always great to have an assistant there as well… you’re not depending on their photos like you are the 2nd shooters, but your giving another person the opportunity to gain experience and whats better than helping others out! Its always a plus if they are able to give you a few awesome photos too :)

When Abbey Lunt said that she would take our family/maternity photos I was so thrilled! I knew that we would have a great time with her because she has such an easy going personality! Its so easy to be yourself around her! But it had been a while since I had been in front of a camera, so I aint gonna lie I was nervous!  But once Lil Jack started acting his goofy self it definitely eased my nerves! He actually doesn’t like taking pictures, but he’s so doggone photogenic! I just don’t understand it!

These boys are my WORLD!!! I know that I probably shouldnt call Jack a boy, but we met when we were just teens, so to me he's always going to be that 17 year old boy with a huge backpack and crip slips! Even when we're old and wrinkly!!!  

I cant thank Abbey enough for capturing these real moments of our family! This kid is our form of entertainment! He’s always doing something to make us laugh!

I had prepared all of these little fun props that would match our baby shower theme, because my plan was to display these photos at the shower. Abbey hustled her lil prego butt off to get a batch edited in such a short period of time! You ROOOOOCKKKKK!!! Click here to see our baby shower.

If you dont know who this stud is... let me introduce you to Thee Love Of My Life!!!

After 9 years he still gives me the butterflys or maybe thats just the baby moving around!

You have no idea how hard it is for me to pretend  to be serious!

Have you met my little Super Hero Stud Muffin!

and he's off to save the daaaaayyy!!!!
Thanks Abbs for the cute cape! It was a huge hit!