Amy Wenzel Photography

I'm still alive

You all probably thought I went camping and just never returned.  I thought about it... =)    I just came back to a slammed week and now fly out again in the morning for Florida.  Camping was relaxing once again.  I came home with an entire suitcase full of clothes smelling like bonfire smoke and a head full of fun memories.  I am a little sad at how fast this summer has flown by.  So until next year, we've got our polaroid pictures laying in random places around this house to remind us. 

This session was from several weeks ago.  Man, I have some serious blogging to catch up on!!! 

This one is so cute, but its hard to see very well unless you click on it. This is my one complaint about typepad- the horizontal pictures are so small.  =( 

I really loved working with these kids.  They all stole my heart with their cute antics and unique personalities.  I hope they had as much fun as I did.

Well, the car is all packed up to go camping for the weekend. We leave tomorrow when David gets home from work.  The only thing left is for me to finish up MY work before we go.  I REALLY didn't want to be working tonight, so I had to bribe myself.  I broke into the camping junkfood stash and I am now happily eating Nerds, Prinlgles and trail mix.  I think it may just satisfy me enough to get me through this final push.

On a side note, I got my hair cut today....for the first time since March!   I felt totally unkept having gone so long without getting it shaped or anything.  I think I just never noticed because I put it in a pony tail almost every day.  Anyway,  I'm really excited about how she cut it- it kind of angles down toward the front.  I'll have to post a picture on here. I haven't done any self-portraits in ages!  For my college photography classes I was always doing self-portraits. 

One more thing before I move on to the picture sharing. I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who reads this blog and for all the awesome comments you guys leave for me.  It's so encouraging to hear positive feedback on my work and to know that people have fun reading.  Okay, now for some pictures-  I really had a great time working with this family.  It was one of those things where the kids were so goofy and funny that I really didn't have to do much at all besides position them where the light was good and then snap away.  I especially got a kick out of all the interaction with the dog.  This was one of those dogs that is so sweet and compliant that I kept hallucinating a halo on its head.  Another dog I would gladly kidnap and take home with me.  It was fun seeing how much the kids love the dog too.  It is such a neat bond between child and pet.  I remember loving my dog that much. 

So full of Life

As you can see, she was vibrant and glowing for the photo shoot.  When she showed up she was a little nervous as most people are before their senior pictures, but as soon as she was in front of the camera, she said "This is fun!"   And seriously, she had nothing to worry about because you can NEVER go wrong in a red dress. 

Please!  Keep the senior sessions coming.  I'm lovin every minute of it!!

She was such a BEAUTIFUL dancer.  I'm still bitter I never got dance lessons as a child.  If not a photographer I would have tried to take over the world as a ballerina. Or maybe I just want legs that look like hers!

I have to give her props for dancing in the 90 degree heat and about sweating all her make-up off.  She was a trooper.

If you've seen my video you can only imagine why I like these shots....=)

And of course,  here's the slideshow. 

YAY!

Jump for joy!  My hubby agreed to go camping again next weekend!  I'm so excited.  I made a list of everything I will need to accomplish in order to escape scott-free for the weekend.  Unfortunately I'll be working like a dog for the next week, but I think I can pull it off.  Last night I worked late and then I just could not wind down.  I think I ended up sleeping for around 2 hours before I had to get up for a session in the morning.  Its amazing what your body can do when you are running on adrenaline.  I didn't even feel the lack of sleep at the shoot even though it was 4 kids for 4 hours.  However, I am feeling the lack of sleep tonight.  Reading other photographer's blogs lets me know that I'm not the only one working long hours on little sleep- =)  Luckily I love my job.  This month has a lot of travel lined up. I leave for Detroit Saturday morning, and I'll also be heading off to Florida and DC in the next month...as well as up North for the camping trip.   One great thing about being up in the night is the wildlife show that appears from 12-2am within 10 feet of my office window.  Mr. Skunk, Mr. Raccoon, and Mr. Possum all make nightly appearances.  They  come sniffing around our trash canisters and they mosey around in our grass.  Me and Pegasus like to spy on them in the wee hours.  I'm always terrified I'm going to startle the skunk and he'll spray and the fan will suck it right in here. 

Pics from a shoot up at this family's cottage in Harbor Springs....(what a darling little town!)

Well, since you asked...

I got him PRADA sunglasses. 

"We love the photos.."

It's so great to hear that after showing the parents the proofs.  As photographers we work so hard to create beautiful work and really make our clients happy.  I love it when Mom's write me to tell me they are happy with what I've created for them.  Makes my job so much fun! 

I can't believe it's mid August.  I'm trying to talk my husband into another mini-camping trip so that I can enjoy  one more little smidget of summer before its long gone!   I'm considering doing some traveling during the winter months.  I'd like to go to some warmer climates to do photo sessions, so please feel free to email me your city if you would like me to come to your area in the months of January through April 2008.  You can join the campaign to get Amy out of the cold!  Also, it looks as though I'll be in the Boston, MA area toward the end of September doing photo sessions.  If you are from around there and would like a session with me I have several spaces still available. Thanks!

Someone should write a book on "how to get a 2 year old boy to look at you when you are taking his picture."  It's an art form I tell you.  Some of my perferred methods are songs, animal sounds, train talk, shrieking noises, whatever works!   

She's all grown up

When my cousin Becca was 3 years old I took this picture of her with my dog Sailor (who is no longer with us, may he rest in peace). 

This was about the age I remember I started really getting into taking my parents camera and burning all of the film.  I was 14 years old I think.  Anyways, she's all grown up now and I had the privilege of doing her senior photos.  She came to Grand Rapids with her friend and my Aunt to do the  session. Becca was really interested in doing a beach session which is about 45 minutes from me however for the year book she had to have a classic headshot with a screen background only.  Thems the rules.  So we started out downtown at the studio for that shot and then we were going to leave to go to the beach.  Well, we ended up going outside downtown for a few as well.  So this session ended up being totally crazy because we combined the studio, downtown and the beach, (which is a new record for me...well besides that one senior shoot that lasted 7 hours)  and something that should probably never happen again in a realistic terms!    Its hard to believe that  I knew her as a baby and she looks like this now!

And my newest love....making slideshows!!  I'm totally addicted - thank you David Jay.  =)
So for those of you with a few spare moments on your hands who love 80's music as much as I do- this one's for you. 

Peaceful....

Thats all I can think when I look at this image.

Tomorrow is supposed to be 92 degrees outside. Not looking forward to that one so much. I was already sweating today (we don't have air conditioning) and Pegasus (the cat)  kept climbing in the refrigerator every time I opened it because he was so hot too.  So I'd stand there eating a handful of blackberries I'd just snagged  from the cold shelf asking him to please get out of the refrigerator so that I could shut the door.  He'd just lay there looking at me like "You're gonna have to make me."