Jessica Riehl Photography

On Being Photographed...

I should have written this blog post last Thursday or sometime between then and now, but I just couldn't. It meant that I had to accept that my hubby was off on his latest Navy adventure...but, now that he is gone, I can move forward and tell you about my amazing and profound experience from last Wednesday.  Just to reassure you, he is off at school in Rhode Island. No deployment or scary assignments for us yet, though we do have quite a history of Navy separations.

While I was on vacation and was going through my photos, I realized since I was the photographer, I have great photos of everyone but me.  The photos of Jim and I are a few and far between and mostly limited to our self portraits.  And the ones others take are never that great.  Because creating great portraits takes practice, lots of practice. So...I decided it was time for us to have our own amazing photographs.  Especially, since Jim was leaving and I desperately need visual reminders.  Talking on the phone is just not enough for me sometimes. I need big reminders of our love, how handsome my hubby is and how well we go together.

I have a confession to make...a bad confession!  We didn't hire a professional photographer for our wedding. Gasp, I know. Tell me about it. I hired a guy who knew how to work a camera, or so I thought. Well, he didn't load the camera with film. The best photos from my wedding are by my mom's best friend with her point and shoot. Never again will I leave my precious memories in the hands of an amateur!  I will never be cheap about my memories again!

So, I hired Paula, from PRB Photography , to photograph us. I have to tell you, we are one goofy couple in front of the camera. Laughing, making faces, kissing, being dumb...we definitely gave Paula a creative work out.  Our session was in downtown Portsmouth...I just love High Street and there aren't too many people about to stare at us. Or, in our case laugh...yup, one guy actually laughed at us. Loudly and he didn't try to hide it.

When I saw my preview photos on Paula's blog...I just knew that with all my heart I would be forever grateful to Paula. She captured us. Just us...in our favorite clothes doing what we do best...being in love.  After 11 years, we've still got it. Yeah, baby.  I love my photos. If I never had to see the rest, I would be satisfied. I can not wait to blow these photos up and hang on the wall. Is it vain...no, its not. Because, I need these reminders right now and through out the rest of this journey. So that when I am home alone, I can look up at the wall and see Jim giving me a kiss or a hug. I'll smile, tear up a little, remember what that hug feels like and go on my way.  I'll send a kiss on the wind and hope that it finds him. And when we see each other...we'll make the most of every single moment, live fully and cherish it all.  That's what they mean when they say a photograph is worth a thousand words.  This is the power of a photograph.  This is why photographs are so important.

Paula...thank you! A million times over.

To see the photos go here.

Cheers,
Jessica

Gordon Parks

This past week I went with a couple of friends to see the Gordon Parks exhibit at the Chrysler Museum.  Gordon Parks was born in 1912 and was one of America's ground breaking photographers.  He worked for the Farm Administration, Life, and Vogue to name a few.  I was very struck by his photographs...they are emotional, stark, and at times hard to imagine the situation. 

Where Has Jessica Been?

Off learning!  The week before last I was at the Virginia Professional Photographer's Association annual convention all kinds of wonderful photographers and learning first hand from some of the best photographers in the business. I can't believe how many talented photographers live in Virginia! I can't wait to learn from them.

The convention also hosts a print competition, which I entered. Wow! The entries were amazing...mine were slightly less amazing than about half the entries. The system is rated on a blue, red, and white scale. I received five reds and a white. Pretty good for a first timer I am told!  I am shooting for all blue next year!

I also attended a workshop in Raleigh with the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep organization. Another set of amazing photographers with hearts the size of Texas.  We went through a box of tissues as we learned how to photograph these sessions. For more info on what the organization does, click below to watch The Today Show Special on NILMDTS.

Today Show Video of NILMDTS  (The Jessica in the video is Jessica Person, not me.)

Cheers,
Jessica

My Life On A Bumper Sticker

This weekend while we were out enjoying a little bit of paradise (snow, for me) and I found this bumper sticker at Ben and Jerry's and it is my motto. It just says exactly what I want out of life...to have fun. Bottom line.

I realize how lucky I am to be able to do that. It is a blessing to wake up every day and be excited about my job, to completely love what I do.  It's not just the photography that I love, I love meeting new people, going places, learning something new, helping you remember life's little moments, playing in the sand and observing how much you love your family.  These things bring me joy, the kind of joy that makes me smile and go to sleep peacefully every night.

Sometimes my job is frustrating, but it is mostly the growing pains of owning a business.  Every now and then, I'll go to bed nervous that you won't like your photos, those nights I stay up forever. Those frustrations ease every time I get a phone call or email telling me how much you love your photographs.

Thank you for making my job such a pleasure and your kind words of encouragement, they mean everything.  With out you...I might need to find a new bumper sticker!

Cheers,
Jessica

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!  It's been a while since I posted...the holidays were wonderfully hectic.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is back in the swing of the new year!  I know I am...with all the happiness of the Christmas season now just a memory and a photograph, it is time to look forward.

I'll be hard at work over the next several weeks to bring you the new and improved Jessica Riehl Photography!   I will be adding a few new products, updating my pricing, and doing a makeover on my website. I am excited about the new year and hope you are as well.  Stay tuned...

My "photographic" resolutions for the new year...

The Value Of A Photograph

I've recently been thinking about the value of a photograph.  Can you place a value on it? To me, the photographs I have of my grandmother several days before she passed away are priceless. The 100 year old photograph of my great grandfather...priceless. The photos of my mom and dad reassure me that they are there for me, the photo of my brother reminds me that if I want to laugh, I know who to call. And, the photograph of my husband...it is absolutely necessary to keep me company when he goes away on deployment.  I really can't imagine living with out these photographs.

My friend and fellow photographer, Emily Deisroth,  said it best below...

"It wasn't until I had kids that I really began to appreciate how much photography meant to me...realizing how fleeting moments, time and life can be.  Photos are the only connection we have to certain times in our children's lives...to particular facial expressions and nuances that we forget about a year or more later when we are all consumed with our daily lives.  My kids love to look back through photo albums, over and over and over again...and looking at those photos makes me appreciate them and my time with them even more.  Parents are so busy and consumed with day to day living that they forget the moments that have gotten them to that day.  Taking a photograph is like bottling a memory and keeping it for a rainy day."

~Jess