Neil + Violet = Engaged

I’ve been really excited to blog about this engagement session. Violet and Neil are the type of couple that a photographer wishes for. They were so loving and naturally affectionate with one another, even when I didn’t have my camera in their face. Actually, it was almost difficult to get them to just look at the camera and smile for more than a shot or two at a time! I told them this, and Violet responded, “Well, you told us to treat it like a date, so we are!” (Wow, I need to use that one more often!) hee hee. At one point, I turned my back for one second, and turned around to catch them in the middle of a very serious game of thumb war

They have such a beautiful story, too! They met on eharmony, and  ”clicked”. They met at a local Starbucks on January 2^nd, 2010. From that moment, they hit it off, and Neil proposed to Violet in June. They went to the beach and while we they were walking around in the sand, he asked her to “turn around and don’t peek!”.  When he asked Violet to turn around, it said “Will you marry me” in the sand. 

Violet and Neil are a unique couple, so I wanted this engagement session to be unique to their relationship. Some of the locations were selected based on where they met and where Neil proposed. Neil plays guitar a lot and sings, so he brought his guitar, and I was lucky to hear him play one of the songs he wrote. It was beautiful! They pamper each other with lots of love notes and flowers, so we hung some of the notes in the background of some of the shots, and Violet likes to go  muddin’  in her truck, which we had to include as well! She told me that her truck is her 3^rd baby (Neil, her cat, then the truck). Oh! And the quilt in some of the pictures, was her baby blanket

I enjoyed this session so much, and I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding in August!

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Summer Mini Sessions

It’s the first day of summer, and I’m excited to offer summer mini sessions! Spaces are limited, so email me at joni@jonigirvanphotography.com to secure your session. If you cannot make it to any of the dates listed below, I am still booking limited regular $200 summer sessions through the end of August, even on some weekday evenings, and I’d be happy to include a disk of the images with your session.

I’ll be doing some more mini sessions in the fall, just in time for holiday cards! If you aren’t already following my blog, please subscribe to receive updates of mini sessions, discounts and other fun news And please feel free to pass this along to friends who might be interested. I’m looking forward to photographing your family this summer!

Update about Jamie

First, I’d like to thank everyone who has been praying for Jamie as well as those who have made donations so far. It is so amazing to receive responses from people who don’t even know Jamie. Thank you so much. I’ve been keeping up with Jamie’s Caring Bridge website, and here is the latest: Tomorrow will be four weeks since the accident. This weekend, Jamie spoke for the first time since the accident. She said “mom”. It was said softly, but she said it. She is also able to say “yeah” and “Molly” (her dog). Molly got to visit her over the weekend. Jamie was pretty excited to see her. She still has her feeding tube, but hopefully that will be out soon because she is moving her tongue and swallowing, which is the key to eating food again. Right now, she’s able to eat mashed potatoes, Jamba Juice, ice cream, as well as a little bit of cupcake (for those of you that know Jamie well, know that she’s obsessed with cupcakes!) Jamie’s doctor said that the kind of brain injury that Jamie has is the “best kind” of brain injury. Please continue to Pray for Jamie. If you would like to help Jamie and her family, you can help in a variety of ways:

1. There is power in prayer. Please keep Jamie and her family in your prayers.

2. If you would like to leave her a note or an encouraging message, I would be happy to pass it along for Ty to read to her. Days can be long at the hospital, so I am sure she would love to receive letters, even if they’re from complete strangers.

3. If you would like to help her family with the medical costs, I have two ways you could help. I have set up a PayPal donation link below, and you can donate any amount, large or small. Please include your name and email address, so I can pass it along. All proceeds will go directly to Jamie’s family.

4. For the next month, I would like to offer 100% of the proceeds for all prints purchased from my photography album. My hope is that you might find something that you would like to hang on your wall, and contribute to a very worthy cause at the same time. If you would like a print size that is not listed, please let me know.

http://purplehippophoto.smugmug.com/Photography/Purchase-Photo-Art/4668606_ZsdLf#1250416904_rmYgs

Thank you for your support. On behalf of Jamie and her family, we appreciate you keeping her in your prayers.

{This beautiful photo of Jamie and my nephew Ty, was taken by my talented photographer sister, Jessiey Ranck}

Please Keep Jamie in your Prayers

As some of you may know, my nephew’s girlfriend, Jamie, was in a serious car accident just over two weeks ago, leaving her in critical condition. She was on the way to meet some friends for lunch. As she was leaving her neighborhood, she was struck by a car, which caused her car to spin and roll completely over, landing back on her tires. FVPD Officer Rick Nilos responded to the accident within 15-20 seconds. He could see Jamie slumped over in her car and could tell she wasn’t breathing. After failing to break Jamie’s window, the officer crawled through the back window of her Ford Focus coupe and pulled the lever of Jamie’s seat so she could lay flat. After adjusting her jaw, Jamie began to breathe. She was rushed to UCI trauma center. She suffered three fractures to her pelvis and a bleed in her brain, and was put in a medically induced coma.

My nephew, Ty, was training for the Army when this happened, so he was unable to be with her in the hospital until this last Monday. He is home now, and Jamie is aware that he is with her. She seems to be doing better and better with each passing day; she has opened her eyes a number of times, and is able to do limited sign language. An MRI showed some damage to the back of her brain, but we won’t be sure what the effects of the damage are until she fully wakes up. She has been moved to a rehabilitation center where she will receive physical, occupational and speech therapy. She has a long recovery process ahead of her, so I would like to ask you to keep Jamie, her family and my nephew, Ty, in your prayers.

This is such a tragic thing that has happened to a beautiful, loving 18 year old girl. It breaks my heart to think of her in the hospital. In the words of my nephew, “She is a country music addict and can’t get enough of it. She loves the Angels baseball team and one day wants to be a nurse. She is just a fun loving person who would do anything to help someone in need.” She has been on my mind nonstop, as I could never imagine going through what she has gone through these past few weeks.

She has such a wonderful support system. Her best friend wrote the nicest letter to the officer that saved her, and some of her friends will be doing raffles and other fundraisers to help with the hospital/ rehabilitation costs. If you would like to help, here are a few things that you could do:

1. There is power in prayer. Please keep Jamie and her family in your prayers.

2. If you would like to leave her a note or an encouraging message, I would be happy to pass it along for Ty to read to her. Days can be long at the hospital, so I am sure she would love to receive letters, even if they’re from complete strangers.

3. If you would like to help her family with the medical costs, I have two ways you could help. I have set up a PayPal donation link below, and you can donate any amount, large or small. Please include your name and email address, so I can pass it along. All proceeds will go directly to Jamie’s family.

4. For the next month, I would like to offer 100% of the proceeds for all prints purchased from my photography album. My hope is that you might find something that you would like to hang on your wall, and contribute to a very worthy cause at the same time. If you would like a print size that is not listed, please let me know.

http://purplehippophoto.smugmug.com/Photography/Purchase-Photo-Art/4668606_ZsdLf#1250416904_rmYgs

Thank you for your support. On behalf of Jamie and her family, we appreciate you keeping her in your prayers.

Cowboy Vintage

I am sure I say it every time I post about this family. But it’s true. They’re my favorite. Not only were they my first “real” client, but they have been loyal to me ever since. I have the honor of photographing them a couple of times per year, when I visit my family in California. It has been so much fun seeing the kids grow up. The little ones (they’re twins) are at the age where they can follow directions, but still add a little of their own personality into every shot. Gabi, their older sister, is by far, the most mature and helpful fifth grader that I’ve met. Alan does a great job of making everyone laugh just at the right time, which gives natural emotion to the photos. And Randi… She is just the best at putting everything together. She does such a wonderful job with everyone’s outfits and props. It goes to show that with a little planning, you can really turn a regular family portrait session into a fabulous one. The other thing about this particular session, is that a lot of the clothes that Randi selected hold sentimental value to her. Randi’s boots were her moms from about 35 years ago. The girl’s outfits were made by her mom about 30 years ago, and the quilt was made by her great grandma over 50 years ago! You will see the quilt in all of their photo sessions – I just love that. Randi also ordered the most beautiful hair pieces for all of the girls from Love Crush Bowtique.

Okay, are you ready to check ‘em out? Enjoy the pictures of this beautiful family!

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