Gentle Giant {Jacksonville Zoo}

My favorite guy at the Jacksonville Zoo is tall, dark and...silver?  The silverback gorilla is one heck of an amazing creature.  This gentle giant had so many human-like qualities, it was astounding.  At one point, he sat in the corner, folded his arms and seemed to contemplate life.  What a curious creature.  And the forearms!  My goodness, the muscles on this guy!  I loved everything about him.  Check out some of my favorite images from my visit with him.  He was truly a sight to behold.

 One of his chimpanzee friends in a neighboring exhibit, eating some lettuce...   Isn't he sweet?

This guy is pretty handsome, too.  Definitely my favorite ape of the day.  :)

Stay tuned to a few more of my favorite animals from this year's trip to the Jacksonville Zoo!

Feathered Friends {Jacksonville Zoo}

This Easter marked our 3rd annual trip to the Jacksonville Zoo.  It was spectacular, as usual.  I recently came across the images I took and realized that I had been so busy since April, I hadn't had time to edit them properly.  So this week, I am bringing you my favorite birds from this year's trip.

I think back on my trips to the Cleveland Zoo as a little girl, and how the bird were "sooooo boring" compared to the lions, tigers and bears.  (Oh, my.)  These days, they're top on the list of my favorite exhibits.  The variety of color, shapes, sizes and, yes, personalities, make these feathered friends such a pleasure to observe and photograph.

 

Check back in a few days for images of my favorite zoo friend, who is tall, dark and...silver?  I got a special up close and personal experience with him this trip, and he was absolutely fascinating.  Any guesses as to who he is?  You'll have to stay tuned to find out!

Shonda + Monster {Baby Shower}

It just can't be helped.  No matter where I go, I always end up in my favorite place...behind the camera.  But when the event is something as sweet as a baby shower for a close friend, I'm more than happy to serve as photog!

Shonda looked absolutely stunning in a yellow dress that seemed to be made for her.  Don't forget the coordinating high heels and nail polish!  Amazing.


English professor that she is, guests were asked to bring a book to donate to Baby Stevens' bookshelf.  The books were to be children's books that had a special meaning to each guest.

Baby Stevens is dubbed Baby Monster by his mommy, as during one of the ultrasounds, he appeared to swipe his hand at the camera.  His hand-swipe action reminded Shonda of the little boy, Max, in his monster pajama's from the book Where the Wild Things Are.  And the nickname "Baby Monster" was affectionately born.

I brought my favorite monster book from my childhood: The Monster at the End of this Book, starring Grover of Sesame Street.  I know she will do the book justice with a dramatic reading to her little one, just like my mommy did for me. 

All in all, it was a wonderful little get together to honor a very special lady and her growing baby belly.  Congratulations, Shonda!  We cannot wait for the arrival of your sweet pea!

Josh {Professional Actor Headshots}

Meet Josh...  SAG actor.  Musical theater guru.  Super awesome friend.  This guy can move you with his vocal talent and make you laugh 'til your sides hurt.  He's the full package.  (I know of what I speak...we recently performed in The Pajama Game together.)  So when Josh asked if I could take his new headshots, I jumped at the opportunity.  Simply put, we had a blast, and the results are purdy darn good, if you ask us.  (After all, photo shoots are collaborations...client puts in half, photographer puts in half...  And Josh + Jen always = awesomeness.  Can't be helped.) 

Here are my favorites from Josh's session.  Can't wait to see which images he and his agent send to print!

And one shot for me...because I am obsessed with this door.  :)

Congratulations are in order!

Congratulations to Morgan Brian, my beautiful, talented client, who was recently named Gatorade's National Women's Soccer Player of the Year!  She was chosen from over 300,000 talented women athlete's to receive this honor.  This summer, she will compete for the title of Athlete of the Year against the other women chosen as Player of the Year in volleyball, cross country, basketball, track & field and softball.

Congrats, again, Morgan!  You've got a bright future and an amazing soccer career ahead!

You can check out Morgan's Gatorade web page HERE and read up on what a fierce athlete she is.

 

Morgan {Senior Pics}

Meet Morgan, a recent graduate from Frederica Academy on Saint Simons Island.  Don't let her natural beauty and sweet disposition fool you - on the soccer field, she is one heck of a fierce athlete.

Morgan was the nation's number one soccer recruit this year (yep, I said nation) and recently signed with the University of Virginia.  She was a member of the U.S. U-17 Women's National Team and was PARADE'S 2010 Girl Player of the Year.

Congratulations, Morgan, on your recent graduation, and best wishes to you for an amazing soccer career at UVA!  It was an honor to photograph you!

 

 

How to Photograph Kids: Rest Breaks and Outtakes with the Lemons Kids

When it comes to photographing kids, I think I've got a good handle on how to operate an hour-long session and still keep everyone's interests alive.  Today's session with the Lemons kids was no different.  With a wide range of ages (6 up to 14) and with 3 out of 4 kids being boys, I went into today's session with a game plan.  I give you my plan of attack, with corresponding images from today's rest breaks and outtakes.

1) Changing locations constantly keeps things fresh and attention alert. 

2) When photographing the kids one-on-one, I photographed the youngest kids first.  And while the older ones were being photographed, I gave the younger ones an artwork assignment, which lead to this:

3) Take lots of mini breaks to loosen up and have fun.  In this case, everyone decided it would be a good idea to throw some old soft vinyl tile pieces at a brick wall.  Why not?!

4) Incorporate the kids' ideas into the shoot.  Mr. J really liked this white bench, and although the backdrop  wouldn't have made this bench work for a group shot, I still took 3 seconds to take his photo while he laid down on it.  The result?  Look at that smile!

5) Allow...even encourage...silliness.

6) My favorite and most important tactic for photographing kids: tell the kids the session is over 15 minutes before it really is.  All of the sudden, those who were fading fast during the last few pictures snapped, spring wildly back to life.  This is the best time to photograph kids, as their personalities are on fire!  Upon announcing today's session was "over," there was...

Karate practice (all four kiddos take karate!)

Gymnastics competitions...

Bench stunts...

And great big genuine smiles...who wouldda thunk it?  (Me!)

So there you have it - some thing to put in your pocket the next time you have to photograph a bunch of fabulous kiddos, as I did today.

Thanks, again, Lemons kids, for having fun with me this morning!  I hope you has as great a time as I did. 

I love what I do!!! 

The Lemons Kids

Today I had an wonderfully fun time with my 4 new friends, the Lemons Kids.  Could they be any cuter?  The hour flew by, as we hiked around downtown Brunswick and even completed an art project!  The results, well...judge for yourself.

To see more of the Lemons' sneak peek, visit Jennifer Leigh Photography on Facebook!

Click on the image to enlarge, back arrow to return.

 

Markisha & Maurice {Engagement}

Markisha is a bride after my own heart - she is all about vintage, just like me!  When she emailed me her wedding photography inquiry for her vintage-style wedding in September, I jumped out of my chair with excitement.  (No joke!)  She and I hit it off instantly, discussing vintage wedding ideas for the ceremony and reception, and a few hours later, it was a done deal - she reserved me for her wedding date.

The time finally arrived for Markisha and Maurice's vintage-themed engagement shoot in historic downtown Jesup, Georgia.  Despite the heat wave, we had a blast capturing the images in the style Markisha had envisioned.

I'm not quite sure who is more excited about their wedding - the bride and groom...or me!  I can't wait!

If you would like to see more images from their session, hop on over to Jennifer Leigh Photography on Facebook!

Shannon & Anthony {Wedding}

I recently had the honor of photographing the wedding of the new Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, held in the beautiful Howard Gilman Memorial Waterfront Park in historic St. Mary's, Georgia.  This couple went all out to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in their life together.  Angela Height of Angela's Touch and Design and her staff did an amazing job with the decor design and wedding coordination.  Everyone who attended had a wonderful time. 

Best wishes, Shannon & Anthony, for a life filled with much happiness and love!

Click on the image to enlarge, back arrow to return.