Jennifer Williams Photography Blog » Photography

Senior Class Portraits at the Junkyard

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:17:03 +0000

This weekend I shot senior portraits for four best friends. We decided to use the famous junkyard as our backdrop. The girls were fearless, climbing on old cars and various other scraps to get some amazing photos. The giggle fits that would occur in between, and even sometimes during photos, made for a fun and light-hearted day. It reminded me of the foursome of girlfriends I belong to at that age, and made me want to go back in time and do a photo shoot like this with them. Time really flies by, so capture those memories while you can!

Sophie, Sheyda, Naomi and Lyndsey have a wonderful senior year!

McFly Syndrome

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:35:50 +0000

I love this photograph because it was an accident. Sometimes in photography the planets align and we get these totally accidental jems. Timing, lighting, location, moment… Click! And you have your own little masterpiece. However, besides these occassional treasures not a lot about what I do happens by accident.

Where am I going with this? Well, the other day I was having a conversation with Brad about not trying something because of fear of failure or criticism. Cue nerdy movie reference from me…
Me: It’s the McFly syndrome.
Brad: What?
Me: You know, how Marty and George were afraid to go after their dreams because of fear. Like Marty with his music and George with his si-fi stories.
Brad: Nerd.

Ok, so Brad is right. I am a total nerd. But I definitely think I was on to something with this. In fact, I think it was pretty gosh darn clever. Recently, I have been reminded how competitive this business is. What makes it even harder is putting your heart, soul, body and mind into something, and hearing it critiqued. I wish I was tough enough to turn to that person and say, “Oh yea, well what did you create?” And if it’s the Mona Lisa, ok, I’ll hear you out. If it’s nothing… well then for lack of a better term: suck it. No matter what, critique is tough, but no matter what we have to keep creating.

What we do as photographers is done with intent and purpose. The beauty of this, is that when you know what you are doing, you can change what you’re doing. You can grow, learn, evolve and most of all improve. I have to remind myself daily that what I have isn’t luck. My amazing clients and my photos are all products of me taking action. First you have to try. So, no matter what your passion in life, go after it. It could be your density!

oh and that reminds me….

Fellow Photographers of All Skill Level!
The Micro Gallery and Shutter Clique are hosting a Critique Night. All the details can be found here and it will be held in the most constructive spirits. I personally never get tired of hearing how my work connects with people, and if it is being perceived with the intent it was created. Join us! We’d love to have you.

Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6pm!

Townson Kids

admin — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 06:20:25 +0000

My good friends Coy and Jen Townson let me borrow their children to take some photos with their longboards. Coy, a photographer himself, shoots with me a lot and often uses his family as subjects for his own work. I could tell instantly that these children grew up in front of the camera because they were totally comfortable. Children of photographers are so much fun to shoot. The kids even set up a few shots for me all on their own. I loved having the freedom to not just take the basic portraits, but to capture the moments of the experience. These kids are so gorgeous! I really appreciate them loaning their beautiful faces to me for an hour, and giving me the opportunity to take some creative chances.

Seeing Red

admin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:03:32 +0000

So I always joke that I have a “thing” for redheads. I just so happen to have a redheaded beau and I’m a fan of Conan O’Brien. Yet, in reality, I have never sought them out, they just happened to find their way into my life. In fact, a lot of my subjects this year have had vivid ginger locks. I thought this was a funny coincidence, especially when Wikipedia informed me that only about 1-2% percent of the world population has red hair. I am beginning to think maybe it’s the redheads who have a thing for me!

Taylor

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:50:23 +0000

Taylor is a senior in high school. She is beautiful and poised, yet funny and goofy. Girls like Taylor just radiate light and have a smile that makes you smile too. It was my privilege to capture that for her senior portraits. Taylor is also an aspiring photographer, she loves bright colors, and riding around on a beach cruiser with her best friend Stephanie. Of course we incorporated all of this in our shoot, after all, a best friend is always the perfect accessory.

The Taylor Family

admin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:12:41 +0000

Today I photographed this beautiful couple as they get ready to welcome their first baby in the world. They have a beautiful home, an adorable dog, and just look at them – soon a gorgeous little baby girl will be added to the mix. Congratulations Erin, Clif …and Meatball!

Willow Ranch Calendar Girls

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:42:15 +0000

Willow Ranch Restaurant out in Buttonwillow not only has great food, but also happens to have a lot of beautiful girls working there. I was asked to photograph a calendar for them featuring their staff and the restaurant with a vintage twist. It was so much fun! Spending the day at the restaurant with a great group of ladies and eating some good food, what more could a photographer ask for? I was hesitant to blog these photos until the calendar is available, but I got the ok from Willow Ranch and just couldn’t wait! So, if you like what you see be sure to head out to Willow Ranch, (right off I-5) say hi to one of these ladies, order some killer bbq and pick up a Willow Ranch Calendar featuring my photographs.

Big thanks to Willow Ranch for asking me to be a part of this project! Brad for assisting, he will be sharing his perspective of the day through video soon. All the lovely Ladies – Mandy, Angela, Ali, Erica, Keisha, Marissa, Stephanie, Amber, Tarrah, and Chelsea. The Way We Wear, by Shauna Lofy for loaning us her beautiful vintage apron creations. Carie McKay and House of Colour for the amazing job on creating the retro hair styles. Each girl had such a cool and unique hairstyle! Chelsea Edge for doing make-up for several of the models.

Tiffany and Luke’s Wedding Day

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 21:41:55 +0000

The second coolest thing about this wedding was the shoes… The first coolest thing was the people. I was at Pine Creek Gardens this Saturday to assist Patrick Ang photograph a wedding. When you second shoot, the wedding day is often the first time you meet the people involved. Throughout the day I got a chance to learn more and more about Tiffany, Luke and their loved ones involved in the wedding. From the moment we arrived at the salon I could tell Tiffany was going to have a fabulous group of girls standing next to her. The guys had some killer custom Nikes – such a unique idea for wedding shoes! And for all of you considering seeing each other before the ceremony, I must say, the moment Luke turned around to see Tiffany as his bride for the first time was my favorite part of the wedding day. Tiffany and Luke are every bit as cool as they seem in the photos. It’s always a good day for a wedding photographer, when you show up to a wedding and it is as wonderful as this one.

“Intern Sara”

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 07:10:12 +0000

How long does it take to make a friend? Well, in the case of Miss Sara Dawn from South Dakota… it was nearly instantly. She has spent the last three weeks with me as an intern for The Shutter Clique and I am sure everyone else who got a chance to meet her also instantly liked her. I am so happy to be a part of her future in photography. She came to us with photography skills that were already so solid, and I hope she left with better understanding of the industry and of course, a little inspiration. Sara, I hope you enjoy your 1,699.75 mile drive home. California will always has a place for you when you come back to visit.

Patrick Ang and I took Sara out for her very own photo shoot today. Here are some of my favorites.

Don Lucas Jewelry

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:40:46 +0000

No two brides are a like. The more I get to know my brides for this upcoming wedding season the more I find out how very personal a wedding is for each couple. Everyone has different styles and a different visions for their wedding day. As a wedding photographer I am honored to help them capture those memories of a day they spent so much time planning. It’s the individuality I see in each of my brides that inspires shoots like the one.

Don Lucas Fine Silver Jewelry has a reputation for creating absolutely beautiful and unique pieces. These collections feature southwestern style designs to contemporary formal pieces. Don Lucas designs are anything but ordinary and neither are my brides. So, with turquoise being the color of the year and coral being a personal favorite of mine, it is the vibrant colors in these pieces that inspired this shoot. With the help of a gorgeous bouquet from A House of Flowers and the talented hair/make-up/modeling from Chelsea Edge, I set out to capture Don Lucas Jewelry for the modern bride looking to add a pop of color to her style. Personally, I don’t think a diamond tennis bracelet would capture my personality quite like a Zuni Style Rosette Cluster Cuff Bracelet. Let’s face it, no two brides are the same and we can’t be defined by shades of gray. The term bridal is being re-defined by you, and so many talented craftsman are out there to help you do it!