Your story matters.
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An Overcast Engagement Session in NYCWhat better place for engagement photos for a New Yorker than Central Park and the wedding venue of your dreams, for Camille and Valerio the latter is 632 on Hudson. We must have chatted about a dozen or more locations for the first portion of their engagement photos and in the back of my head I kept thinking Central Park might just check all of the boxes we were looking for. Not only did we want a somewhat private setting, in an ever busy place, but we also wanted to enjoy the shift of seasons into spring. We ended up settling on the North End of the park near Gapstow Bridge to be able to get across town in time for their venue walk through and second set of photos.
We spent the next 30 minutes wandering around the little section I had scouted for us before their arrival and got a variety of spring settings, cityscapes, candid moments of love and had a whole lot of laughs along the way. I always love being able to meet and work with my clients prior to their wedding day because it allows us to get to know each other, see how we work together and even find our own shooting rhythm. |
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The Importance Of Wedding Day DetailsLet me paint a picture for you… you’re engaged and you’re starting to plan THE PERFECT DAY. Maybe it’s a smaller wedding, maybe its a a big one, but you know you want to create a beautiful experience to live in with your guests and you want to set yourself up for the most beautiful photos you can possibly get. Part of that starts with the venue, the time of day to ensure the best lighting, the suits, the dress, and yes the decor. For a lot of couples in the planning process the decor stops at centerpieces, accents for your venue and flowers but what about the small things that will be photographed throughout the day and will ultimately provide the last piece of foundation to create a beautiful and cohesive wedding gallery. I’m talking about the details of your vow books, the little touches of your engagement photos around the venue and getting ready spaces, the color of the ribbon used in your flat lay, a ring box that matches your color scheme, and pieces that we’re intentionally picked to play a part in your day. |
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Branding PhotosDo you ever feel like people have a hard time recognizing the face behind the brand you’ve built? Maybe you’ve heard clients say they don’t quite know who you are or would love to see your face online more? Or maybe you feel like you would like to show up more but are intimidated with the idea of putting your face out into the online world more.
If you connect with any of the above then getting your branding photos done might just be the opportunity you’ve been looking for! Branding photos are ALL ABOUT sharing the face behind the brand, sharing what you’re like outside of your business and of course having fun while representing the brand you’ve built. When Libby first came to for her branding photos to continue marketing herself as a Social Media Manager she wanted to convey the different aspects of the job while being herself and showing off her style! Together we dreamed up posing, prompts and were able to incorporate some props that frequently come into play in her job. From there we worked our way through her outfits and came up with some lovely branding photos for her to use on social media, when conversing with her clients and of course LinkedIn. |
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Baby It's Cold OutsideA cozy in Home Session is the perfect way to enjoy some snuggles and never leave the comfort of your own home. Heck! You don’t even need to wear real pants because this session is all about what feels good for you and your partner. Maybe that’s breakfast in bed, building a blanket fort, snuggling up with your fur baby, cooking a meal together, eating pizza or popping a bottle of wine open together… whatever it is… there are no wrong answers here. JUST A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE.
Now some of you might be saying… but our house or apartment isn’t that cute and I am here to tell you it doesn’t matter. This isn’t about having a picture perfect Pinterest worthy home, its about sharing in a lazy morning or afternoon with the person you love in a place that you’ve cultivated together. I want to help you document REAL moments in YOUR space for you both to cherish for a lifetime. What better way to do that than to celebrate all of the beautiful and messy moments of time spent together in your space. "Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. |
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Hartzell Studios: The MakingI had been waiting for the perfect space to expand my business into for what felt like forever but in actuality it was only about a year. Curating piece after piece that spoke to my creative soul in the hopes that the day was coming soon. It felt fitting that this milestone fell into place on the 5th year of officially being in business, a pretty big high after a wild and unpredictable few years of working to find myself in my business. I don’t talk a lot about the “in between”... and there've been a lot of unexpected, unusual and even unhappy moments to what seems like my overnight success but I think monotonous moments in the everyday experience truly lay the groundwork for a successful business foundation.
If you know me, you probably know I am a sucker for things that have “potential”. When Ryan and I got married, a friend of his offered the use of their property if we were willing to put in the time to get it up to speed… and of course I fell hard for that because I could see what it might just turn into. |
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10 REEL IDEAS FOR CREATIVESI’m sure by now you’ve heard that Instagram is no longer just a photo sharing platform and like a lot of creator’s I’m sure you may have felt some form of dread. As a photographer so much of what I do and what gets me bookings is from sharing my work but I have also seen amazing growth and interaction since starting to use reels. I’ve been making reels on and off but only when time allows but now that we know they're here to stay it's time to jump on board and use it to your businesses advantage. My first reels were painstakingly slow and time consuming but overtime my process and skills have increase, now they take me just a matter of minutes. To help others with the transition I've compiled some ideas for your content making, I hope this helps!
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South Carolina AdventuresI don’t know about you, but this past year has had me aching for wide open spaces and not yet traveled roads. It’s that constant dichotomy about wanting what you don’t have; when you’re constantly shuffling through life on the go you can only dream of the solitude and steadiness of whatever home means to you. Although I love wide open roads I think it’s all too simple to glamorize life out on the open road in my industry to mean success. In my opinion, there is no wrong way to run your business so long as it brings you joy and you find some sense of fulfillment in the work. That being said, I want to talk about travel; it doesn’t always need to mean exotic or far off places. I want to talk about places set right before us that hold a multitude of adventures to be had.
This past month I took on a booking in South Carolina. The wedding took place at a local camp where the couple had originally met. The camp overlooked Table Rock State Park located at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Pickens. Although Pickens is relatively inland, and just barely over the North and South Carolina Border, I was beyond thrilled to book such a sweet couple in a state I’ve come to love. You see, two years ago my husband (Ryan) and I took our Honeymoon on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and I viewed this as a great way to celebrate our second anniversary. |
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5 Takeaways from Attending a Styled Shoot
Get Funky: Styled shoots help take the pressure off from being in front of a paying client, which can sometimes lead to photographer's block (also known as drawing blanks on what to do next for your posing and prompts). This should be a welcoming space to explore new ideas, find new poses that lean into your particular style, all the while giving you the freedom to just find your groove. Don’t be afraid to try something different from the pack, you just might love it. Engage with whoever you’re shooting just like you would any client: Talk it up with the couple or model you’re working with! Photography finds new heights when you build a genuine connection with someone and find out what makes them feel alive, inspired, and excited. If it’s a couple ask how they met, what their favorite thing about their partner is, how they are feeling about modeling it up in front of all of these photographers. If it’s a solo model find out what they like, how they got into their line of work, most importantly make them feel at home with you! |
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2021: Investing in MyselfWhen I decided to go full time into my photography business it took a lot of work, a lot of self control, a lot of alone time to work through my goals, and A LOT OF INVESTMENT. If you're a photographer, designer, planner, or artist of any kind then I am sure you know what I mean. Being in business for yourself is amazingly freeing and amongst many other things it becomes the core of your being, your thoughts, your mindset and habits. Over the last few months I have invested more financially, physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually then I ever imagined I could have. I can’t quit, I won’t fail, and I am betting on myself by investing in every way I know how.
I alluded to this above but this investment goes beyond how much money I spend on gear, or how much time I invest into my business. It’s about creating joy over and over in my business, continuing to grow and challenge myself, finding ways to connect with people like you, and doing what I love. 2020 WAS A LOT… and 2021 is filled with a lot of anticipation but I know what my priorities are and I am going to continue doing the work. |
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How Networking Changed my BusinessI've technically been in business since 2016, but to be frank I don't think I've been truly successful until 2020. So what changed? The short answer is: I did. The creative world is filled with so many talented artists/content creators/videographers and bloggers that it's EXTREMELY overwhelming at times. As a new/young artist and creator I think we all know that it's intimidating, and sometimes it even feels threatening to be venturing out on this path for the first time. I think it's only human nature that we compare ourselves to others, but what if instead of comparing our work to each other we could rally around each other and celebrate our differences? In 2020, that's what changed for me. I decided that yes, I may have my bad days, I may feel overly critical of my work, and play the comparisons game, but I WAS NO LONGER LETTING THAT CONTROL HOW I RAN MY BUSINESS. I actively decided that engaging with other photographers, sharing the insights given to me from my own experience and senior photographers was something that was important to me, and I was ready but even more importantly… I was willing to share it.
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Adventure is Out ThereIt's been one HECKA CRAZY YEAR, there has been a lot of good, and a whole lotta bad but I am thankful for the things this year has put into perspective for me. I'm not sure I would be where I am today if it weren't for the unpredictable circumstances of this year, so I'm thankful. To be honest, it took a complete shut down for me to realize I wasn't happy, I wasn't pursuing my dreams, I was just sitting stagnant. That was a harsh reality to be brought to light, but suddenly I had all this time on my hands to invest in myself, and in my dreams. So I hit the ground running, it's been a journey but definitely one of lives most amazing adventures yet... and that brings me to a little day trip adventure I recently had with some friends.
Confession, sometimes I get stuck in my own head, stuck in this mundane routine of having no energy left for myself, and just following the pattern of eat, sleep, shoot, edit, repeat. It can be a huge challenge to manage my time, let alone dedicate time for myself and things I want to do beyond photography. Photography has shown me many an adventure, yet when I have the free time to go on my own adventure I'm usually very hesitant. |
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10 Reasons To Do a Boudoir SessionOver the last few years I have done A LOT of different kinds of photography, but it wasn't until recently that I ventured into the Boudoir Photography realm. I've had quite a few inquiries about doing boudoir sessions but never had the space or honestly the interest in doing them... until I got mine done. Let me just say, I WANTED TO SHARE MY PHOTOS WITH THE WORLD. I didn't know I could look like that, or that my husband might see me in that way. I saw those photos and I felt inexplicably good, I felt confident, I felt sexy, I felt bold, I felt like I needed to start showing other women they could feel this way too.
I want to clear the air a little before I dive into "THE WHY". I believe Boudoir photos have A LOT of misconceptions about them so I wanted to take a moment and tell you my approach. You only have to show as much as YOU WANT. These photos are tastefully done and catered towards your wants/needs. These photos aren't just about having some sexy photos to show off later on, they are about feeling good and happy in your own skin. I will encourage you, I will pose you, and I will let you know that YOU, my friend, ARE ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. |
