Stunning beauty!

Happy Wednesday! Just thought I would share some pregnancy photos that I took of Jessica and her son and husband Jim this past Saturday. She looks gorgeous at 36 weeks pregnant! I photographed her son about a year and a half ago, so seeing how much he has grown was awesome! Their little girl Ava should be arriving within the next month, so stay tuned for a new little cutie for newborn photos! Here's the link to a slideshow of the images from the session. It was loads of fun and I swear that Jess could be a pregnancy model!

www.cristynielsen.com/Jessica/Jessica.exe

I am currently booking into the third week of June with limited availability on the weekends. I'm also preparing to take a vacation with my family from August 4th - 13th and will not be taking client appointments until August 16th. If you would like to book a session for June or July please contact me to schedule your session as soon as possible.

Congratulations Anna & Gary!

So it's past midnight and I've been up checking out the images from Anna & Gary's wedding today. It was such a fun day! They are the coolest couple and such wonderful people. I also saw Andrea & Scott whose wedding I did last July. It was great to see you Andrea & Scott!

Anna & Gary had a beautiful day even with the 95 degree heat and endless sun! Poor Gary was roasting in his tux, but handled it like a champ! Anna looked stunning to say the least! The ceremony was very touching and emotional for all that were a part. It was an honor to be a part of their big day and a priviledge to capture it and preserve their memories forever. They are headed off to Paris tomorrow for their honeymoon! Have fun guys! Be safe and Congratulations! See you when you get home!

Here's a few pictures from today. More to come!! :0) Cristy

Happy Mother's Day!

Okay so yes I'm a little late, but I thought I'd wish all of my favorite moms a Happy Mother's Day. To my friends... to all the women in my life who make a difference in the world. To all of those of you who I love and respect. I feel bad that I don't keep in as good of touch with you all as I should. It seems life keeps me pretty swamped these days and I feel like I never get enough girl time, or time to just call a friend to chat.

So to Cindy, Christine, Mom, MS, Grandma, Tamu, Teressa, Holly, Suzi, Stephanie, Andrea, Jen, Sarah, Sabrina, Kristy, Angela, Brenda, Lesa, Misty, Leslie, Christina... I love you guys! I wish there were more time for us to enjoy together! I often feel like a bad friend, sister, daughter, daughter in law, for not keeping in better touch. I am working on finding balance in my life between home and work so I can take more time out for all of you!

To all my photography buddies all over this country, YOU know who you are! To MB, JW, KS, MW, AS, DQ, LS, CD, ED, LV, You are all my rocks everyday. You all keep me sane and help me to get up everyday and continue on my venture to capture the big moments in people's lives with my camera in hand. Visiting our special site and my daily contact with you all has helped me more than you will ever know! I have become a better photographer and business woman because of you all and your contributions to my life. When I said in Chicago that we were all of the same blood, I meant it... we are all working towards the same goal. To help provide for our families and follow our dreams by doing something we LOVE! Kudos to all of you for you and your hearts full of passion and inspiration! I have made friends from all parts of the country through my photography. From right here in FL, Salt Lake, Texas, Illinois, North Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, and YES Kentucky, you have all made a HUGE impact on my life and have helped keep me in line from across the miles. Just a big shout out to all my MWAC's...lol. Keep on shootin girls!

Hope you all had a great Mother's Day! I'm getting a bit sappy today and missing all of the women in my life!

The latest...

So I'm in the studio, and have done several sessions there already. It's amazing the difference when I can spread out and move around! I have done two sessions this week with a gorgeous 12 year old named Sunny. Here's a few of the images from her two sessions. We did these for a modeling portfolio and comp cards. She's really great in front of the camera. By far the hardest thing was keeping her looking her age. I ordered up several sets of new business cards with my new address on them, so I'm anxiously awaiting to get them and start passing them out all over town. I also got in a wedding album that I ordered for my clients Ehren and Paul. I created an album for them with their wedding photos and ordered it from one of my favorite vendors. It is STUNNING in print. I gasped when I opened the book and it brought tears to my eyes. Seeing your work on the computer is one thing, but seeing it in print is a whole nother deal. I know they will love it! If you haven't seen it yet, you can view it by clicking on this link www.cristynielsen.com/EhrenPaul/AlbumShowcase .

Shaylee is doing well, getting ready for the summer to begin. I am still trying to find some sort of summer camp to keep her busy for the summer. Last Friday night she and John went to the Dad N Me night at her school. They had a great time enjoying arts and crafts and making me a moms day gift. It was supposed to be a surprise, but we all know Shaylee can't keep surprises so I got the angel pin that she made for me when they got home. She's been swimming every day and has learned to dive and do flips in the pool. Her latest challenge has been learning to swim underwater. She is turning into fish girl!

We booked our vacation tickets to Maine for the first week of August last week, so I'm excited for some much needed time off! We haven't taken a vacation in two years, so this is a welcome break! My cousins who I love so much and hardly ever get to see will be off the same week and we will all spend time together at camp. I'm going to be doing my cousin Kyle's senior portraits while there on vacation... it will be very weird for me to do that, as I have been away for most of his growing up years and still think of him as a little guy... his sister Jessica just called me last week to tell me she's pregnant! Congratulations! My dad will also be taking time off to spend some time with his kooky granddaughter. She is VERY excited to see her Grampy, Nanee and Uncle Scotty!

John has been doing his thing, working and golfing, more work than golf, but he's been enjoying the time he does get to spend on the course. He's registering soon for the Florida Amateur tournament, so keep good thoughts for him to do well at that event. Friday night he went and played at his monthly poker league. The tournament is coming up and he's in good standings, so he's excited about that. The weather here has been wonderful, although we haven't gotten rain in about two months now, and we are desperately needing some moisture!

I'm getting antsy about the TLC show that will be airing in July. I know I have nothing to hide and am no different than most of the wives and mothers in this country, but I'm just getting nervous about everyone seeing us on television. The producers have said that the show is very touching and heartfelt, so I can't wait to see what they have done with it. We truly enjoyed the whole experience and are ready to see the final outcome of editing!

That's about all for now... I'll try to update more often!

:o) Cristy

Lots going on!!!

It's been a bit since I posted so I thought I'd jump on and share my latest news. It's official! I am IN a studio! I met a great lady in Winter Park who has been a photographer for 26 years and she has invited me to join her and share her studio. This is an amazing opportunity for me to spend some time with a photographer who has seen the changes in the industry and she has great knowledge and has already helped me so much! I am thrilled to have this chance to bring my business to the next level in a studio. It's in the downtown Winter Park area so it will be a great location as well.

I did my first session in the new "digs" on Tuesday. It was for Will, one of my favorite baby clients who just turned one! Happy Birthday little man! We had a great time and his mom and I were laughing hysterically through most of the session...he is quite a little ham! Here's some photos from his session... blue eyes that make your heart melt! And he was VERY happy to be having at the birthday cake his mom made for him. Some of the cake images are hysterical... talk about man on a mission! I always love taking pictures of Will...he's so cooperative and always seems to be in a good mood.


For now I will be in the studio on the days Shaylee is in school and evenings and weekends. At some point I know I will be increasing studio hours or have to book out several months in advance. As it is now, the phone has been ringing like crazy and I'm trying to fit people in where I can. It will be so nice to have a place to have my clients come where I can spread out, not be in my home, and also be able to leave work at work. I will still have office hours from home, and eventually that will all end up going to the studio as well. This is HUGE for me and I am so excited for the opportunities this presents. I will be having an open house at some point in the near future to invite all of you in to check it out and have an evening of fun. I am beyond thrilled with this new chapter in my business and can't wait to share the success with you all. Thank you for your support of my work and my art. Everyday I realize more and more how my life is turning out just the way it should. Stay tuned for more updates!

Happy Belated Easter!

Well I'm a bit late with my easter wishes, but Happy Easter regardless. This past week has been a bit nuts, trying to finish up some orders in process, taxes...need I say more? We spent lots of time in the pool this weekend as the weather was soooo nice here! Funny my SIL called from Reno and it was 38 degrees there, meanwhile we are swimming and basking in the sun! I tried really hard not to rub it in...lol. Our Easter tradition has been to plant flowers around our home. I wasn't feeling too hot this weekend, so John ended up doing most of it himself. We did pinks and whites this year as Shaylee wanted, such a pink girl she is! I now have a few different places to do sessions outside our house that are all done up with pink flowers...gotta love that! Thanks to my hubs for knocking that out this weekend! It looks GREAT!

Easter morning was quite funny in our house. Shaylee was sooo excited to find her eggs and her basket. I searched all over looking for a regular wicker Easter basket, but could not find one so I ended up with this funky My Little Pony one for her...which she ended up liking better as a hat...go figure! It was really cute to see her get excited on Easter...here's a picture of her Easter basket hat!

Last Thursday I attended a photoshop workshop that blew my mind. The power of that program just continually amazes me at what it can do. I learned how to give myself purple hair! I shared to a few of you...it wasn't fitting me so I pulled the image from my photography group and Yahoo, but it was fun while it lasted. The class taught me that there are several ways to ultimately do the same things in photoshop. We really dug into some new techniques that I am really working on perfecting and getting ready to jump into the DVD program that I got there. Amazing, just when I think I can't learn any more it smacks me in the face with how much there is out there to learn. It's endless...as technology grows and changes, so will my knowledge.

Hope you are all doing very well! I've got a lot to do today, but just wanted to jump on for a quick hello!

Whew...weekend over!

It's Monday and I'm getting back to normal biz after spending the weekend finishing my website. I have done a ton of work on it over these last two weeks and I am finally feeling like it is DONE! I'm sure I'll have a few minor tweaks here and there, but the bulk of it is done. I also finally got my first newsletter out today which was very exciting! I'm going to be doing these monthly to keep my clients up to date as to what is going on with me and my promotions, specials, new products, etc. This months Limited Edition is Puppies in the Park. I will have families bring the dogs and kids to get photos together in a park. You don't have to tell me I'm crazy for allowing dogs...I already know this! I plan to have lots of treats on hand to keep em sitting pretty!

It is 90 degrees here today! I can't believe how warm it got in such a short time! Our pool is 85 degrees and we have spent many hours in it already this season. We're getting ready to head back out there in a bit. Shaylee loves playing in the pool. We've been swimming in the evenings as it's a great thing to get her tired out and ready for bed. Here's a few shots of her doing her thang in the pool. She's grown so much and can now touch the bottom!


John spent his weekend golfing. The weather was great and he enjoyed spending some time on the course with his buddies from Twin Rivers. He is already getting his golfers tan from his golf shirts and ankle socks... I keep reminding him to wear sunscreen! He's also enjoying spending time at our neighbor Chad's house. He build himself a pool table and has a regular "bachelor pad" next door...kegerator and all!

Off to do more laundry, and hop in the pool with Shaylee!

Been a while...

So yes I am now officially a slacker...as if I wasn't already. I've been so busy with work, and trying to keep up with a blog is hard. I have had a lot going on over these last few weeks...

For one I turned 30 last Thursday! As odd as it is, it's quite liberating too to move into another decade in my life. John took me out for a night on the town in Orlando and we got a hotel room so we could just spend some quiet time alone. We had every intention of going out to the bars and partying like rockstars, but never quite made it there. We slept in the next day and John got up and went and got us some bagels and we ate our bagels and coffee on our patio at the hotel. Then we went to the Home and Garden show...which was complete chaos and people everywhere, but we got some great ideas for improvements we've wanted to do to the house.

I went to Chicago for a Photography Convention that was hosted by my online photography forum. It was SOOOO amazing! I spent 5 days with women (and men) who I have known online for about a year. It was really nice to see them in person and hear the voices behind the type that I see everyday. I have bonded with some really great women who like me are moms and photographers trying to get through the struggles of balancing both of those things. We had classes everyday on different photography topics, and I spent lots of time picking the brains of several photographers whose work I admire and respect.

I did a great session for a little boy named Weston last week. You can view his slideshow at www.cristynielsen.com/Weston/WestonWebshow.exe . He was just too cute and so serious most of the time. I think he'll be a lawyer or doctor when he grows up...he has that really calm, serious demeanor.

I also updated my website to a flash website. I have been working on the design for months, and finally unveiled what I have done so far yesterday. Feel free to check it out and give me
feedback! www.cristynielsen.com .

Shaylee is doing well, it's been cold here the last few days, but she was swimming in the pool the week prior. Hopefully we'll get some warmer weather so she can get back in the summer mode again! She did great hanging with her daddy while I was in Chicago. I think I probably worried about her more than was necessary, but it was my first time leaving her for more than a night. We had the help of a few friends while John was working, so THANK YOU to Lesa, Bambi, Angela and Tamu for helping to care for her while I was away.

I'm adding a few of my Chicago pictures... it was such a cool city to photograph. Next time I'm there I'm hoping it will be in the spring and not so darn cold! I'll schedule some more time in the next time I am there to capture some of the sights of that city. It really is hugely overwhelming with all of it's sky scrapers and amazing architecture!

My modeling job went well. You can view the video clip at www.cristynielsen.com/DailyBuzz .

I'll try to do better about journaling... It's hard to find the time, but yet I find it such a release to talk about what I'm up to. Helps me to process what I have and still haven't done...lol.

Till next time...

A New Post...I've been a slacker...

So I started this blog with the intent that I would journal everyday. This has yet to happen. Mostly because I have been swamped with work. I have done two weddings and a birth in the last two weeks and they have completely wiped me out. It has been a lovely time though, lots of good positive people and energy in my life right now.

I have taken on a new idea for my business. An idea that was brought to me by a famous photographer Gary Fong. I attended a seminar that he held here in Orlando on January 30th. His basic premise is pre-design albums. What does this mean... it means that I will be pre-designing albums for my clients for every session I do from here on out. They will view their pictures this way and have the ability to purchase the books from me. I will also be purchasing books of their sessions for display to my potential clients. This is a great way for me to establish a large portfolio of my sessions and do it in a really nice way. Check out the one I finished yesterday. http://www.cristynielsen.com/EhrenPaul/AlbumShowcase/

I also got a modeling job for Friday. Funny I'll be in front of the camera, not behind it. I'm doing a Lane Bryant segment for The Daily Buzz on the WB. Should be fun. Hope you are all doing well.

Goodnight for now...

:o) Cristy

What a day...

WOW! Today was hectic. I had computer issues, uploading issues with my lab, and my canvas prints were withheld by UPS because they damaged them. I'm bummin about that. I am supposed to be going for a moms night out tonight, but I doubt that will happen since I spent so much time dealing with problems and not working today. At one point I had tech support on the phone, another tech support on instant messenger, the doorbell ringing, Shaylee getting up from her nap and needed lunch, and laundry going all at the same time. I often wonder how I can get more done during the day. It's days like this that remind me of how hectic it can get sometimes... I'm seriously considering hiring someone to help me with the day to day administrative stuff, because I'm overwhelmed and overloaded with back end work that has nothing to do with taking pictures. It's very frustrating at times to have too much to do and not enough time...

Until tomorrow!

:o) Cristy

My first post

This is me... I have decided to start a blog as a way for me to vent, share my feelings, and hopefully help others in my journey to help myself. Please bear with me as I learn to blog...I'm a newbie to this one. I will use this to allow me to document my days and hopefully give me some insight and understanding of my life and where it takes me everyday. I am a work in progress and will be sharing my successes and failures along the way. I hope you enjoy following my story of a Day in the Life...