Angie Seaman Photography

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-02-14T17:10:00.005-05:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

The Valentine's in our house were packaged up & sent off to school without a hitch today. As a photographer, I've attached photos with each of my children's Valentine's for their classes - for as long as I can remember. Not only is it a cute look for your kiddo's in an effort to help their Valentine cards stand out but it's also a good advertisement for business. And yes, I do include my website address somewhere on the card in smaller print. In this case, it's on the back side of the design. :) I am "that Mom." LOL! I'm always marketing/networking. Always.

You don't have to be a photographer to do this. If you specialize in another field/career, place that on the back of your kiddo's Valentine's next year. Slip in a website address and market whenever and wherever possible. You never know who's watching or whose hands it might land in. :) In the meantime, I hope your love bug(s) made your Valentine's Day very special. Give those who melt your heart a HUGE hug today and remind them how much they're loved. And to all of you...my clients, my friends, my family, my fans, my stalkers...I sure do love you guys! Thanks for always showering me with so much love and support. It means more to me than you'll ever know.

XOXO, Angie

PUPPY LOVE - NAPLES, FLORIDA NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-02-13T17:12:00.003-05:00

In honor of Valentine's Day tomorrow, I thought I'd share this little cutie in one of my puppy love hats (above). This sweet little guy was such a trooper and did so well for his shoot. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and his Mommy.

Aside from the puppy love hat, we also sported him in some traditional stuff too.

As you can see, he was just as snug as a little bug in a rug. Too cute!

How bout' them lips? Love!

Thank you sweet boy for making my job so easy that morning. You were such a joy to work with and your Mommy was the sweetest Mommy ever. Loved you both! :) XOXO, Angie

SYNC SENIOR & YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY CONFERENCE 2012

2012-01-29T21:50:00.002-05:00

Hi friends. I just wanted to pop in and let each of you know that I'm currently away in St. Pete Beach, Florida for the annual SYNC Senior & Youth Photography conference. SYNC is a four day photography workshop with a line up of very talented photographers, speakers, graphic artists, etc. I'm here to spend some time honing in on my craft and to learn new things based on the genres of area I specialize in (high school seniors, babies, and families). I've had a phenomenal week thus far meeting some of my photography mentors in person as well as seeing old photography friends that you only see during these yearly conferences. I've also had a blast shopping for new gear, props, supplies, equipment and so on within the trade show that is located here on the grounds of the hotel for the time that we're here. In a nutshell...I'm in photography heaven. :) I cannot wait to get back to Naples and begin implementing all of the new things I've learned here. I'm amongst some of the most talented and most successful photographers in the industry. To say that I'm humbled is an understatement. I'm proud to be sharing a room with such amazing artists in my field.

For those of you whom have emailed me, please hang tight. I'll be back in the office on Tuesday and will be returning calls and emails at that time. I greatly appreciate your patience while I'm away. Until then, my bed calls. I've spent the last 10 hours in photography classes today and my brain is fried. Literally. Time to hit the sack and do it all over again tomorrow. :) Blessings, Angie

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE - NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-01-23T23:03:00.007-05:00

Even when you know it's coming, death is never easy. Especially when the one who passes happens to be your loved one.

I apologize for my absence over the past week. My Grandmother, my Dads Mother, passed away last weekend. Myself and my two sons hopped a plane back to Indianapolis late Tuesday night. Kenidi stayed behind here in Florida with my husband. The boys and I touched down into frigid and cold Indiana shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning. My father and my step-mom picked us up at the curb and although our reason for coming home was a sad one, it sure felt good to give my Dad a hug and see his smile.

The image above is of my grandmother with my daughter Kenidi just a few short months ago. When this photo was taken, the doctors had already given my grandmother 6 months to live. During our last visit to Indy back in August of last year, we visited Grandma on several occasions. Kenidi was leaning in to give her great-grandma a kiss here and I managed to snap the shot just in time. I remember almost deleting this image from my camera because the lighting was horrible & because of the lack of light...the image was noisy (grainy) and lacked luster in my opinion. As a photographer, it's an image you would normally knit-pick apart in high critique fashion. I held back on deleting it all those months ago though and I'm so thankful that I listened to my heart instead of my photography driven eye back then. I sent this to my Dad via email before my arrival back in Indy and just said..."The power of a camera..." This image is now priceless to me. Priceless. I'll treasure it forever.

We are back in Naples now. Back to the reality of burying my grandmother, saying goodbye to my Dad yet again, and just coping with the chapters of life that we'd much rather skip. The toughest part to my week is watching my father hurt. Watching him in pain over the loss of his Mother. As an only child and a serious Daddy's girl, you just wish you could take away all of his sadness but unfortunately I can't. With all that said though, I'm proud of my Dads strength but also thankful for his sentimental openness and his raw emotion that he shows in times such as this. As a daughter, it's great to see a big, strong, tough Dad by your side but it's even better to see your Father stand before you and not be afraid to share his tears, be open with his feelings, & transparent with his heart. As a daughter, this is so very important! I'm a lucky girl.

We took off out of Indiana Saturday night. There were ugly gray skies and snow on the ground as you can see from the image above. However, seconds after take off, the pilot climbed up and above the clouds. Literally a minute into the flight we went from the sights you see in the above photo to this...

I was in shock. How does the gray cloud cover in the sky look like THAT above the clouds? I immediately thought of my Grandma again and smiled. I knew she was living in that paradise now. In those colors. In that beauty. God is certainly a talented artist and he was no doubt showing off up there. I felt so blessed to witness such perfection for the duration of that sunset and felt such peace to think about how my grandmother was enjoying all of that now full time. She left a dull and gray life. She left a dreary stack of chapters in her earthly book for all new stories that will be written for her in heaven. In seconds her life went from cold and depressing, lifeless and lack-luster, to potent, powerful, beautiful, and full of color. I can hear her laugh in my head as I type. God is great and I know she is in good hands.

In him, Angie

BABY CUTENESS OVERLOAD - NAPLES, FLORIDA NEWBORN, BABY & CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-01-12T17:54:00.005-05:00

What a doll baby this one was. She was a few weeks older than a newborn technically is but boy did she pack a punch in the cuteness department.

Need I say anymore?

The yellow blanket in the top image was something her Mama brought with her. It was a family heirloom that even her Mommy was photographed with as a baby. The patterned pink quilt in the image above is a 1920's vintage quilt that I found at an antique store. I had been dying to use it in a newborn shoot. I paired it with my ruffly prop hat and her ruffly tutu that her Mom came with and it all went together just perfectly. I love the punches of color. So adorable!

The sweater she was wearing here was a family heirloom as well...

She really ROCKED the cuteness scale. Beautiful would be an understatement. Being a newborn, baby, & children's photographer has its perks. Meeting this little girl and her Mama were one of them. :)

Much love, Angie

BEACH BABY - NAPLES, FLORIDA NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER

2012-01-04T21:36:00.005-05:00

Oh WOW! Being a newborn and children's photographer sure has it's perks. I recently had this little princess in front of my camera. She was such a pro. She slept the entire time and barely woke here or there when we'd transition her from pose to pose. When she did wake at one point, I managed to capture those beautiful newborn eyes of hers as she took everything in...

Mom had mentioned that her home was done in beach decor and that she'd really like something to match the environment for her walls. I chose to go with the aqua wrap and some pearls because they screamed "beach" to me. She wore it perfectly well. We then switched it up and did some shots with a few people tones. Gorgeous again. She never even made a peep...

For a final look, we went with my favorite color combo ever...turquoise and red. Can anyone say "BEAUTIMOUS?"

As you can see, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect little client. Congrats to her Mommy and Daddy - she is their first. Mommy was beaming during our session. I loved watching their interaction together. Amazing stuff! A big thanks to this gorgeous baby girl for doing such a fabulous job during our time together and an even bigger thanks to her Mommy for coming to me and allowing me to capture these early day moments.

...Angie

THE "G" FAMILY - NAPLES, FLORIDA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-12-26T15:16:00.002-05:00

I admire Moms of large families. Having three children of my own, I think that a mom of five with yet another on the way should be a Saint. This Mom has a gorgeous family & five children that were the most well behaved & polite kids that I'd ever seen. Mom and Dad are definitely doing something right when it comes to raising these five gorgeous kiddo's.

We had a gorgeous sunset on this particular evening that made for a gorgeous skyline.

This goes without saying...their kids are beautiful!!!

Look at these eyes...

I love the fact that they all looked like something straight out of a GAP ad. They seriously could have all been models for that store. No joke!

When I tell you that I could have photographed these kids all night long, I seriously mean that I could have photographed them all night long. Each and every one of them had their own personality, their own look, and their own sense of style. I loved each one - from the youngest to the oldest - and back.

A huge thank you to the "G" family for hiring me to shoot their holiday family photos this year. I was thrilled and honored all at the same time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you. And good luck with that new baby due to make it's arrival in a couple more weeks. :)

XOXO, Angie

THE "K" FAMILY - NAPLES, FLORIDA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-12-11T20:08:00.005-05:00

This family was such a blast. I met them at their home and we did their shoot in their backyard and inside their development where they reside. It was a gorgeous evening for it with just enough diffused light to make the session perfect.

Everything about this family is gorgeous. They are all just beautiful. The kiddo's were excellent and showed such patience with me which is not always possible with kids their age. I loved them!

They had me laughing the whole time. Such fun!

The Christmas holiday season has been such a busy one for me but I love every minute of being able to work with families like this. They make my job so fun and full of smiles.

Thank you so much to the "K" family for making this shoot such a great one for me. I'm honored to have been able to take your family portraits for you this year. It means more to me than you know.

Much love, Angie

PRETTY LITTLE NEWBORN - NAPLES FLORIDA NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPLES FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-12-02T10:26:00.003-05:00

Thank you all for your patience as I am home and helping my hubby get strong and back on his feet again following his spinal cord surgery. Each day is a new day and we're still praying him through it all. To say it's been rough on him is an understatement. Thankfully he is young and he is strong. Those two combinations help work in his favor during a recovery like this.

With that said, let's forget about how back-logged I am in posting new sessions here on the blog. Let's ignore the fact that I've been slacking and am so behind now that it's ridiculous. However, in the end, priority calls and my family always comes first.

I do want to get back on track ASAP though and therefore I thought I'd start with this little beauty today. I got the opportunity to photograph her a few weeks back and I couldn't be more in love with her sweet little images.

This baby girl was a perfect angel throughout her whole shoot. She rarely made a peep and she stayed asleep throughout each transition as I moved her from set to set or into another position.

Her Mom was wonderful and the two of them together made for an extremely easy newborn shoot.

If you're currently pregnant and interested in a maternity or newborn shoot, please contact me to set up a shoot as early as possible. It's always best to get on my book as soon as you can due to limited availability. I'd be honored to document your little ones first few days of life. How can you not just love images like this???

Oh happy, happy day. I love being a newborn photographer!!!

Have a great weekend, Angie

GUESS WHO'S HOME???

2011-11-27T19:10:00.005-05:00

He's home. Your prayers worked. He's still very nauseated, not himself, and moving very slow. However, he's here - in his own bed again. It's been a long week. Our family is exhausted. In the end though, we are full. Your prayers and constant positive thoughts are seriously what carried us through this worrisome journey. We're glad Brent's surgery is over with but now the eight week recovery begins. Therefore, keep those prayers coming. The doctors have warned him that it's going to be a tough eight weeks. It's already proving to be helldacious. I'm proud of him though and am amazed at his ability to press on and recover in the way that he has thus far. He's determined.

In the meantime, I'm back to work. Booking sessions, shooting like mad, and editing my brains out. It feels good to be back to the grind - back to real life - but it's also a struggle to focus and re-group. It's disheartening to see your husband so sick and in such pain. I just wish I could take it all away for him. :(

Thank you again to all of you who prayed, called, texted, emailed, sent flowers to the hospital, facebooked, and so on. You'll never know how much your love and support means to us. Here's to the next 56 days and the insane amount of strength we'll be mustering to get thru it. Thank goodness for friends like you. We're so grateful for all of you.

Blessings, Angie

THANK YOU GOD FOR THE STRENGTH TO HANDLE THE CRAZY

2011-11-23T21:07:00.010-05:00

As I sit here in this dark and lonely hotel room in Gainesville on this Thanksgiving Eve, I'm grateful that I'm snuggled between two of my youngest littles and have my oldest "little" in the bed beside us. As I reflect on the fact that Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the stress placed on our lives since my husbands surgery took place yesterday morning, I'm reaching, digging, and fighting like mad to remember the many things that we have to be grateful for this year. As I remember those things, my heart wants to inevitably question God and cry at his feet asking..."How much more will you continue to lay on us in this lifetime?" But then...I'm propelled to our beautiful home back in Naples where this new sign (2 weeks new) hangs on our great room wall. It reads..."Thank you God for the strength to handle the crazy." If that isn't ever so poignant right now, I don't know what is. Ironically, the other sign that sits closely next to this new sign is the black one that you see on top of our hutch there. It reads P-R-A-Y. Four small letters that spell out such a powerful instruction. Pray. Just pray! That I am.

I'll start with the good news first. Brent's surgery went better than expected. The surgeon called from the O.R. with great news yesterday. He had been able to reach the tumor, get it all, and confirmed his initial thoughts that it indeed was benign. Praise God - hallelujah! He said that the team was sewing Brent up but that they were able to get all of the tumor without damaging or having to clip any of his nerves. Thus meaning that there was no paralysis, no motor damage, and no sensory damage. Another praise God - hallelujah! Brent was in recovery for about 3.5 hours following the surgery before we were able to see him. When I did see him for the first time, he looked and sounded great. He was pretty alert when he was awake and was making sense with his words. I was on cloud nine feeling like the worst part was over and that he had conquered it all like a champ. Our elation quickly turned to panic through the night last night though as Brent became violently ill due to the anesthesia, the additional medicines he was taking and the fact that he hadn't had any food since 24 hours earlier. There was also question of whether he could turn to his side or not. The doc had told him that he had to lay flat on his back following the surgery due to the fact that they had penetrated his spinal cord, removed fluid, added fluid back, patched the entry area, etc. They explained it like patching a hole in a tire. If you sit up or lift your head following the patching of a spinal cord area, gravity can rush from your brain down to that patch area in his back and burst the corrections they had just made. In turn, he'd have spinal fluid leaking into his body which would not leave him with a fun outcome. We were told he couldn't lift his head for 24 hours at first. As of today, he was since told that he couldn't lift his head or get out of that bed until Friday afternoon. Four full days of bed rest = pure torture for anyone let alone someone like him who is tough to keep down. Brent had violent vomiting throughout the night last night and into this morning. On top of that, he had the night nurse from hell who basically left him to fend for himself while puking his guts up. You see...when you can't lift your head, you have to vomit out the side of your mouth by simply turning your head and then letting it run down your face, neck, into your sheets, and ultimately under your back. Without help...one can feel like their drowning in their own vomit because of the choking from not being able to lift their head. As you can imagine, this created panic attack like symptoms for Brent as he had to endure this all night long and into this morning. By sunrise, his Mom was in the hallway in tears to the point where an unfamiliar nurse saw what was going on and pulled her aside. Debbie filled her in on the nights events and how it seemed as though Brent had been left to fend for himself since the surgery due to his night nurse and her lack of help or compassion. Within an hour, Brent had a new nurse, a nurse manager, and a handful of additional staff that were there in the blink of an eye to help him. They assured him things would be different from that point on and they have been. The nurses since then have been incredibly nice and for the most part very attentive.

The problem is...Brent is still very weak. He's not himself. He's in lots of pain. He's exhausted from no sleep. He's hungry, cranky, and very uncomfortable (as you can imagine). It's extremely tough, as his wife, to see your big, strong, tough husband lying there in pain and helpless. You want to take it all away for them but there is just nothing you can do. You're relying on the nurses, doctors, and the great creator - God - most of all - to pull him through this. Brent has now spiked a light fever and there is worry of pneumonia due to the laying he has to do, the vomiting of fluids, and the low grade temp. Good things can take a negative turn quickly in life, can't they? We were originally thinking Brent would get to come home on Sunday of this week but the doc is now saying it will most likely be on Monday.

To top the story off even more, the tumor apparently threw the doctors a curve ball. The surgeon once again confirmed today that pathology team determined it was for sure benign. However, they revealed that the tumor isn't the type tumor they initially thought it was. It's supposedly a very rare tumor that the surgeon has only seen 4 or 5 times in his entire career. It is also unfortunately a tumor that can mean a rare illness for the carrier. We won't know for sure until sometime after Monday but they are testing the tumor to find out if it is definitely from this line of illness or not. If so, the only thing I know at this point is that Brent will need to undergo consistent MRI's for the rest of his life because these type of tumors can pop up in your lungs, brain, kidneys, etc. at any given moment. WOW! Not something we were expecting or wanting to hear at this point. I can't even remember the name of this rare illness at this moment because my brain is mush. Again, I'm hoping we learn more early this week. My prayer is that it isn't what they are suggesting it is. My prayer is that they are wrong. Pray. Like the sign says...just P-R-A-Y.

With that said, I must take the time to thank all of you who have texted, emailed, called, facebooked and so on with words of support, encouragement and prayer since all of this began yesterday. If you follow me on facebook, you've probably been getting the play by play on all of this as I post on my wall. I've read every single message, every single post, text and email that you guys have sent. I'm grateful for my high school girlfriends whom have stayed by my side and been just a phone call away when I needed them during this. I'm grateful for my friends from high school whom I haven't seen in years yet they have all sent heartwarming messages and prayed for Brent. I'm grateful for my Naples peeps who I've only come to know in the past 2 years since moving there from Indiana. Your friendships and your prayers during all of this are priceless. Seriously! I'm grateful for our neighbors who called all the way from Naples late tonight, leaving me messages offering to go so far as to drive up here to Gainesville and take care of our kids for us as this all plays out. I'm grateful for my photography friends, my photography vendors, people on facebook who don't even know me personally, and my ever faithful blog readers whom have also reached out and added to the power of prayer. I'm grateful for those of you who sent me emails or copies of things I had written to you or told you in your own times of trials or needs in the past. It's extremely powerful, incredibly moving, and yet oh so humbling to read words you've written to someone else during their struggles and now you can put them to good use in your own life. Several of you sent me old cards or letters I had written to you and my heart is full knowing that they left enough of an impact on you all those years ago to keep them and still have them during this trying moment now in my own life. I'm grateful for the prayer chains going around for Brent that were created by people - some of which I don't even know - yet they heard about our story from a friend of a friend and felt compelled to pray for Brent. I'm grateful for all of your churches out there who have him on their prayer lists right now. I'm grateful for all of my photography clients whom have contacted me just to say their thinking of us or to ask if we need anything at all. I'm grateful for my mother in law who stays at Brent's bedside when I have to run back and nurse my son or tend to my special needs daughter and 12 year old son. She has stayed with him through the night when I can't. I'm beyond grateful for my parents whom have been here as best they could from afar and called me or texted every two minutes to make sure I'm OK, that the kids are doing OK, to make sure that Brent is recovering as he should, or just to remind me that that they can hop a plane and come now if I need them to. And just so I don't spare anyone and in an effort to keep this post real and raw which is how I prefer life, I'm also grateful for the couple of people that Satan would prefer be my enemies whom were lead to contact me via email with their own set of prayers for Brent when they learned of the news. The enemy never succeeds in a place where God leads and by golly...God is piloting this seat. Am I scared? Heck yeah. Am I stressed? You better believe it. Am I worrying? Like a freak I am. However, with the help of all your prayers for peace and calm, I'm still continuing to put one foot in front of the other and press on for Brent. In the moments where I feel weak and want to physically crumble, I have all of you pushing me - praying for us - and lifting us up in spirit as we tackle this most recent journey.

Thank you God for the strength to handle the crazy. In times when I want to question the Lord on why...I'm remembering to instead just stop and thank him for the continued strength to handle all of this crazy. So...here I sit...praying Brent is resting back at the hospital and able to have a better night. Here I sit, watching the chests of my littles move up and down as they sleep in these hotel beds far, far, away from our home, far from our normal. Here I sit , realizing just how much I really have to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. We have a new baby this year - a son who is getting ready to turn one. I have a husband who was placed in the hands of great doctors who ultimately found a tumor before it grew to create neurological issues for him. We have a surgeon who is so talented and had such skilled hands that he was able to remove that tumor on my husbands spinal cord without causing him any paralysis. I have a husband who could have been told grave news about this tumor but instead we were told it was benign and not cancerous. We have a slue of friends, family, acquaintances, business colleagues, etc. who are stomping down heavens gate with prayers of a speedy and complication free recovery as I type. Oh yes...the Thanksgiving of twenty-eleven. What a Thanksgiving it will be - even if we're in a hospital room - having to celebrate over jello and broth because of Brent's liquid diet. We really have a ton to be thankful for and I'm just incredibly grateful to have you guys as our cheering section during it all.

Thank you for being here. I wouldn't still be standing if it weren't for all of you and our BIG, HUGE, POWERFUL, GOD above. Thank you Jesus for the strength to handle the crazy.

Until the next update, just keep praying. In him, Angie

PS...Another thing I'm grateful for is the fact that Cracker Barrel is in our hotel parking lot. Even though Brent isn't able to eat, I've been able to stress eat enough for the both of us. Chicken and dumplings (being a vegetarian I just eat the dumplings), mashed potatoes, peanut butter fudge, coca-cola cake, etc. Yeap, thank you Jesus for Cracker Barrel too. :)

DANGLING (PHOTOGRAPHY, PERSONAL)

2011-11-18T13:12:00.006-05:00

Sometimes life leaves you feeling like your dangling in mid-air. Feet like hang-gliders unable to ever touch down. It's at times like those when you have emotions that leave you powerless and feeling helpless. Emotions such as these are tough for someone like myself who tends to find solace when "in control." These past few weeks have been a "stresser" on our family. For those of you aren't already aware, we learned a couple of months back that my husband has a tumor growing on his spinal cord. The tumor is not only on his spinal cord but it's wrapped up and in his nerve cavity. I mentioned this on facebook once when we were finally told that the doctors believe the tumor isn't cancerous. Well...they've given us a 99.9% chance that it isn't cancerous and by golly we are banking on that number. Other than that one mention of it, we've pretty much kept it to ourselves. It has taken us more weeks than we care to count to find a doctor reputable enough to take on the task of this surgery for Brent. The tumor is in such a rare location that these surgeries aren't done very often. Therefore, it was tough to settle on a doctor that we felt was reliable and whom had done enough of them to pull Brent through it all without issue. In the beginning, the doctors scared us to death when they warned us that paralysis was a possibility. We have since been told that Brent might have some loss of motor ability in a foot or leg or maybe loss of sensation to a certain extent in those areas but that with rehab, he should come out OK.

As you can imagine, this ordeal has thrown Brent and our family for an absolute whirl wind. My closest friends and family members knew about it but I haven't discussed much other than with them and my one mention on facebook. I don't like to admit to Brent that I'm scared for him but the truth is...I am. I know he is nervous and full of anxiety over the surgery as are myself and those close to us. I took the image of our son, Kross, dangling from the swings the other day and when I processed them...the first thing that came to mind was how much that image was a true depiction of life for me. It is a great word picture so to speak. It's in moments like these when I crumble to my knees and do the only thing I know how to do. Pray! Even though my legs still feel as though they are dangling in mid-air and are a reminder that I'm no longer in control, I have confidence that God is my swing - our swing - holding us afloat during this time. I love me some God and I know without a shadow of a doubt that he is in complete control. I hear him calming me. Allowing me to pull it together, stay strong, and remain peaceful during the ride...

Thank you to all of our dear friends and those family members whom have called and cared enough to send their prayers and well wishes for Brent. There are no words to express how much we appreciate your support and encouragement during such a scary time. We realize the surgery is risky but we also know you guys are there to lift him up in prayer as well as the surgeons who will be working on him. Thank you for that. Really.

I'll be finishing some shoots for clients over the weekend and then we'll be heading to Gainesville, Florida this next week. Brent's surgery will take place on Tuesday (we're unsure of the exact time as of yet). For those of you who pray, can I ask you to keep him on your prayer lists and in your thoughts that day? For those of you who don't, any positive vibes would be greatly appreciated.

Brent will spend at least a week in the hospital before being allowed to return home. The recovery will be brutal for him as well as the rest of our family. The doctors have told him to expect a 6-8 week recovery time with lots of rehab. As his wife, I'm prepared to do whatever we must to pull him thru this and get him back to new. I'll try to update here on the blog sometime next week after the surgery has taken place. They told us that the first 48 hours after the surgery are crucial. We're praying those will go smoothly and that no paralysis or long-term sensory or motor issues will occur. In the end, like with any other trial or deep trench we must crawl through here on earth, we're confident that God will leave us all thankful and blessed to be able to come out smiling that it's over. I'm faithful that the stress from the ordeal will retreat and the smiles will return. Christmas is coming as well as our third child's 1st birthday. Therefore, we've got some celebrating to do. :) We'll celebrate the birth of Christ, the birth of our son Kross, as well as Gods promises as he pushes us along on this swing called "life."

Thank you in advance for all of your prayers and positive vibes. You'll never know how much they mean to us.

In his grip, Angie

PS...I will continue to work thru this process. I'm taking next week off but will return in full force after that. This is my busiest season of the year and I'm grateful for those clients that already fill my calendar. It's your sessions that allow me to use my camera as therapy during this stressful time. :) Photography is like a band-aid in life for me. I'm blessed.

MATERNITY & FAMILY SHOOT ALL IN ONE - NAPLES, FLORIDA MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-11-10T21:59:00.002-05:00

I got to shoot with this adorable family recently. Mom is expecting a new baby girl soon so they wanted to document the pregnancy as well as their family. How cute are they???

Her belly has to be the most adorable thing ever. She is 30 weeks along here. Thirty weeks. I looked like a moose at 30 weeks. LOL!

The day almost gave us a down pour on this particular afternoon. Thankfully though...Mother Nature spared us the precipitation. We had some gray skies but at least it stayed dry. In the end, the outcome proved to give us some nice diffused light for their shoot.

Is this shot below not hysterical??? Look at the little boys face. Too funny!

I had a ball with this family and can't wait to meet their newest little addition once she arrives. I think her big brother is excited for her arrival as well. :)

Blessings, Angie

MODEL SHOOT - NAPLES, FLORIDA MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-11-02T11:15:00.005-04:00

I get asked a lot if I do sessions for aspiring models. The answer is "Heck yeah!" I offer a comp card package for those individuals in the fashion or model industry wishing to further their dreams or career. I love working with models because they are willing to go along with just about any crazy idea that is thrown their way. This particular shoot was done in an abandoned office building. A building that was several floors high yet the construction had been halted on it. It was completely empty inside with the exception of the random supplies that had been left behind. Needless to say, we put that to good use...

You know how much I love some dirt, some grime, some grunge, and everything in between. Well this location was perfect for the theme of what we were after. At one point, two police officers literally drove into the bottom half of this warehouse/building and sat there for quite a while. Thankfully, they never arrested us for trespassing. In fact, they never even said a word to us about being in there. It was our lucky day. :)

We worked hard for the set up of this reflection shot...

This model knows how to ROCK the poses. She never had to be told what to do or how to do it. In fact, she showed us up with some new tricks...

And the events that went down in order to accomplish these ladder images...well...I'll just let your imagination run wild on that one. Of course the model made it look like a breeze. Such a natural. Lots of team effort to say the least.

This shoot was a great time. I enjoyed every minute of it. It helps when you have a client willing to step out of the box with you and take on a RAD location such as this one which isn't the most "fun" when it comes to the bottom line. It might be an ugly spot but her beauty made it gorgeous. The best part of photography is how you can mix such mediums and end up with a fabulous outcome such as this. The challenge is turning something someone else would consider dreadful (i.e. the location) into something that looks totally awesome when all is said and done.

A big thanks to everyone who helped make this one happen...

Have a ROCK STAR type day. Until the next way cool collection of fun...stay bold and have fun in whatever it is you're doing in life.

"A lack of passion is fatal." ~Unknown

Much love, Angie

TAR-JAY TRIP

2011-10-27T21:57:00.010-04:00

I was recently inspired by another photographer to grab my camera and take it everywhere - yes everywhere. That includes a trip to Target in the frozen food section. LOL! I had gotten out of the habit of bringing my camera along on any random trip lately unless I have a photo shoot that I'm headed to. Bad Angie. Bad, bad, Angie. I know better. So...Brennen had basketball practice the other night and I decided to take Kross and head to the local Target for some much needed groceries. Guess who I also took with us? Yeap, my camera.

I love lines in photography - angles and lines along with color. This arch above him really helped make these shots for me.

As you can see, he was playing with a football in the cart and that boy wouldn't release it for anything. He had a death grip on it. Literally. In the end, it added to the quirkiness of the images I guess. LOL! That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Ha ha!

Did I have some onlookers pass by and glance at me like I was nuts while doing this? Heck ya. I think they thought I'd lost my mind. I was laughing so hard at the whole process though that I couldn't help but get lost in the moment. My giggles surely made them think I was even more nuts. Kross was loving it. I was playing peek-a-boo behind my camera with him to get him to smile. He passed with flying colors. :)

We eventually headed back to the basketball courts and picked Brennen up from practice. It was a gorgeous night and I thoroughly enjoyed hanging with my boys - even though I had to pay a trip to the grocery store which I totally detest. Amazing what my camera will do for my soul - even while grocery shopping. LOL!

Tonight I'm headed out to dinner with my hubby and some neighbor friends of ours. I'm looking forward to the down time with great friends as well as some good ol' fresh Florida lobster. I have a weekend chalked full of shoots which I'm also extremely excited about. Now if that hurricane that just dissipated out in the gulf will stop the rain from heading this way and canceling my shoots, I'll be a really happy girl. I just finished up a newborn session this after with a beautiful 5 day old baby girl. Swoon! Stay tuned for those sneak peeks to come soon. What a doll baby she was. Other than all that, the stone crab festival is going on here in Naples this weekend. More yumminess to add to the calendar.

I hope all of you have a great weekend and enjoy those Halloween parties that might be on your schedule. If you're in the Midwest, start a bonfire and roast some marshmellows for us Floridians, will ya? Oh...and don't forget to take your camera with you on some random and mundane trips. Yes, even to Target's frozen food section. :0)

Blessings, Angie

NEWBORN TIME - NAPLES, FLORIDA NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPLES FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-10-26T10:39:00.006-04:00

I had the honor of working with this adorable little guy recently. Can anyone say perfection?

Photographing newborns can be a tough job in all seriousness. The images for a newborn session are acquired far differently than any other type session. Aside from the 78-80 degree temps required in the area where you're shooting to keep them asleep during the session, you spend a lot of your time praying they fall back into a deep slumber each time you attempt to transition them into a new pose. This little one here was a total pro. He passed this test with flying colors...

I'm madly in love with his sideburns in the photo above by the way.

A HUGE thank you to his Mama for allowing me to document his early days. This time is such a fleeting time - it goes by so very quickly. As a newborn photographer, I'm thrilled to be the one capturing their first days for their parents. Welcome to the world sweet baby. You're absolutely adorable!!!

Until the next post...Angie

SOME REALLY COOL KIDDO'S (INDIANA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER)

2011-10-19T18:29:00.003-04:00

I'm so very behind on blogging sessions from my trip back home to Indiana this summer. Therefore, I'm going to take a slight detour and update the blog with some of those sessions in the next couple of weeks. First up, the "P" kiddo's. These kids were so fun. Their parents were equally as fun. I actually went to high school with their Mom and Dad so it was great to see the two of them after so many years. We won't discuss just how many years that has been. LOL! Geez...I'm getting old. :)

Anyway, back to the cool kiddo's.

This brother tried to act like he didn't adore his sister but these images prove otherwise. This is why I love photography...because of shots like these...frozen in time...

These two had me cracking up the whole time we were together. Such troopers. We had beautiful Indiana light and gorgeous Indiana skies during the session. I won't talk about the 100 degree heat that night though. BLAH!

Can you get any cuter than this??? I think not.

The shoot was mainly meant for little Chloe here but after we finished with her, we just had to add her brother in for some of the fun too. When I say fun...I mean fun. Here is an out-take example...

By the end of the shoot, the two of them were back to confirming just how great brothers and sisters are...

Thank you two awesome siblings for letting me document how much you really do "adore" each other. Again...I love my job!!!

Happy Wednesday. Hugs, Angie

JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY I LOVE MY JOB - NAPLES, FLORIDA EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-10-13T21:02:00.008-04:00

Aside from family and children's portraiture, corporate head shots, and shooting models, I also have the honor of being hired to show up and photograph really cool events at really cool places with really cool people. Just reason number 12,678 why I love my job. I was recently hired to photograph a 40th birthday bash at a beautiful beach house. I got to work with my sweet friends from Detailz Events and Embellish Party Rentals for the evening. I loved that they were there because their detailed additions to the party made for a great canvas for me to photograph.

Many of you might not know that one of my favorite things to photograph are details. I love product shoots and shoots where I'm hired to document the little things of the evening that add up to a whole lot of BIG-NESS for the night. This party was no different. The birthday girl was as sweet as can be and I loved being able to document her evening. Although I'm keeping their intimate images of friends and family for them and only them of this particular night, I did want to share the detail shots and the environment in general.

As you can see, the women of Detailz Events ROCKED the night with their talents. How gorgeous is this set up?

The look of the party had beautiful clean lines. Very chic'! The beach house is located right on the gulf here in Naples - just one block south of the Naples Pier. I will also mention that this beach home is available for rent should you ever have an event that needs a good host home. The backyard views were impeccable - even on a rainy evening...

By the grace of God, the rain stopped at the beginning of the party and the night proved to be perfect for the birthday girl and their 40 guests.

The chef and his crew were phenomenal as well. Look at the starter course that they guests got to devour...love the colors...

As the sun began to set and night fell, the beach home turned into an even more magical place.

As the evening progressed on, I found myself out in the backyard listening to the clammer of the waves hitting the shoreline and the chatting amongst the very happy party goers. I stopped at one point and had to thank God for giving me such an awesome job. It's not a "job" to me. It's my passion. Photography is deeply therapeutic to me. Add in the way cool clients, the way cool locations I get to shoot at, and the way cool vendors/friends I've met while networking at certain events and I suddenly am reminded how fortunate I am yet again. I have a massive list of reasons to be extremely grateful for the job God has laid in my lap. One of the biggest reasons to be grateful is because I'm helping to document beautiful moments for beautiful people such as this client who celebrated the night away with her closest and dearest friends for her 40th. I'm helping to build memories via photographs. I mean...how could you not love your job when it looks like this on the other side of your lens??? The beach house sliding doors were slid open...the DJ playing was playing only 80's music the whole night, the moon and the stars were shining over the gulf of Mexico with fierce intensity, and I had a crazy cool crowd to share all of the beauty with.

Have I mentioned that I love my job???

...Angie

EXECUTIVE HEAD SHOTS - HEADSHOTS NAPLES, FLORIDA PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-10-08T12:53:00.006-04:00

Did you know that besides portraits, Angie Seaman Photography also specializes in executive head shots? We come to you, on location, and work with you to provide the perfect look for your corporate imaging. No more bland & boring, cookie cutter, head shots with the same ol' back drops that everyone else has. You know the kind...the ones that remind you of your elementary school pictures???

As with our regular portrait sessions, we make your executive head shots stand out. We strive to make them unique and different, just like you and your business.

For $125, you get an individualized corporate head shot session that lasts approximately 30 minutes. You'll be given a link to a gallery of edited images where you'll pick your favorite five shots to use in any capacity you choose. If you are in need of an updated set of images for your company website, marketing materials, for a simple avatar, etc., give Angie Seaman Photography a shout out. We'll give your branding such a "likable" look that your customers will feel like their missing out if they aren't doing business with you.

Have a spectacular week...Angie

LEMONADE STAND SHOOT - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-09-25T11:41:00.006-04:00

I had the pleasure of working with this beautiful little girl for a shoot recently. We pulled out all of the stops surrounding a good ol' fashioned lemonade stand. My husband and son built the stand for me as a photography prop that I can use on shoots. It was a gorgeous day here in Florida for it so we brought in little Carina and she rocked it out with all of her great looks.

We had several businesses in the Naples area that had products within our images. The donuts came from Peace, Love, and Little Donuts. The cupcakes came from two different bakeries...Sassy cakes of Naples and Gracie's cupcakes. All of the baked goods added such a fun look to the shoot.

It was so hard not to eat the inviting sweets that were there. I let Carina dive into her own cupcake while I watched with envy. LOL!

Carina has desires to be a model. As you can see, she definitely has the look for it...

The lemonade stand was a huge hit and I can't thank my husband and son enough for making it for me. There spent a couple of different weekends in the rough Florida heat finishing this for me. I love you boys!!!

After the lemonade stand part of the shoot was done, I decided to pull Carina aside and do some shots with a few vibrant colors behind her. I love how simple yet incredible these images look...

Carina, you're a beautiful girl. You're going to go very, very, far with your passion in modeling. Best of luck to you sweetheart!

xoxo, Angie

CAROLINE - NAPLES, FLORIDA SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-09-12T10:24:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite type clients to shoot are high school kids. They are old enough to understand what to do when I direct them and they do it well. They also typically enjoy having their photo taken which makes my job all that much more fun. I recently had the opportunity to work with the beautiful "Caroline." She is such a gorgeous girl and has such a sweet spirit about her. Not only have I come to adore her but also her but also her beautiful mother as well. On the night of her shoot, the rains were trying to wipe us out here in Southwest Florida. However, we won. The rain Gods let up and we met up as planned for her shoot.

We started out by taking some images up front in the clubhouse area of my neighborhood. I love the environment up there and it proved to be perfect for the look I was after with Caroline.

After that, I drove them down to a field around the corner from my house that worked out perfectly for the 2nd half of her shoot. Although the field was muddy at this point due to the storm, Caroline took it like a trooper and trapsed thru that wet field like a pro.

In the end, the only thing that put an ever lasting damper on the shoot was my first run-in with the Florida fire ants. Yeap, they got me - and they got me good. As I crawled around down in that field, they apparently got up into my clothes, my rain boots, etc. and in true to fire ant form...left me miserable for a week following that escapade. When you have a shoot as gorgeous as this one though and a client as stunning as Caroline, even the fire ant incident is worth it. It all comes with the job, eh? Better than a Florida gator or snake in the field with us. Right? LOL!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to work with you Caroline. I'm honored to have done this shoot for you. :) Enjoy, Angie

TRIPLETS - OH MY... (NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER)

2011-08-31T03:12:00.003-04:00

I recently had the honor of photographing a set of adorable triplet boys when I went home to Indiana last month. I always love a good challenge and boy was this shoot a challenging one. It was tons of fun but these boys kept me on my toes, lemme' tell ya. LOL!

I truly commend their Mom and Dad. They had more energy in their little pinky fingers than I do in my whole body. :)

Unfortunately, this shoot took place on one of the hottest summer nights Indiana has seen thus far. The heat is always challenging for little ones - especially at 8pm at night (an hour and a half before sundown). I met the family on the North side of Indianapolis at a beautiful park near their home. The setting was fabulous and the boys loved the trails and the wildflower fields.

I struggled to keep them all in one place at the same time. Their parents were usually running and chasing at least one of them while I tried to hold the other two in place. It was a hoot. Their blond headed beauty didn't care for my camera at all - not one bit - so I had to capture shots of him when he wasn't anticipating it.

The other two appeared to be fine with my camera though. Loved the smiles I got with them...

Brotherly love...

How could you ever resist a face like this...???

I pulled out every stop or idea known to man to keep the three of these little guys all together and in one place. I even got out the bubbles thinking that might help.

When all was said and done though, the only real shots I managed to get of the three of them together looked something like this...

And of course this...

Challenges are good. Keeps you on your toes. This shoot was no exception. I truly loved every minute of it and I adored this family. A huge thank you to them for allowing me to document their little angels. I couldn't have picked a cuter trio of clients if I'd tried. Good times!

Until the next post...Angie

KROSS, OUR LIL' BEACH BUM (NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER)

2011-08-17T14:40:00.004-04:00

In the hustle and bustle of our travels back and forth to Indiana, I realized this week that I hadn't taken any photos of Kross for his 8 month anniversary. So...I we headed out the door last night to watch the sunset at the beach and to snap some "beach baby" shots of Kross. Needless to say, Kross was stoked. As always, I thought I'd share some of the images with all of you. I'd love to know what he was looking up in the sky at in this top image and what he was thinking at that moment. If he could talk, I believe he'd be saying "Power to the surf" in this shot below...

Beings that Kross was born with the love of the beach running thru his veins, there is no doubt that he is a certified beach bum by DNA association due to his Mother being a beach bum at heart. So when he began sugaring his hands and toes in the sand the moment he got there...I knew he felt right at home. What I would have given to have grown up on at the seashore, on the coast, in the warm gulf waters with the wicked white surf.

It's a good darn thing a little sand ingestion never hurt a kid before because Kross ingested enough last night to feed a small army. Well ok...maybe a small bucket load anyway. LOL!

As a friend of mine said, he looks like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar here...

Like..."Who me???"

I love this boys smile. He can light up a room in an instant with these looks...

I think one of my favorite parts to the evening were these shots though...the blackmail shots of the future...

He was waving to passing beach-goers in this shot below. They were cracking up that he was "nek-ed." He kept on smiling and just kept waving to all of them like it was no big thang. :)

OK...I lied. My favorite part of the night was this moment...when Brennen was swimming with his baby brother...

God is good!

Until next time...Angie

THE "W" FAMILY - NAPLES, FLORIDA FAMILY BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-08-02T22:38:00.006-04:00

I got the wonderful honor of working with a family for a shoot on the beach a couple of weeks back. They were actually visiting family in Venice beach, Florida but made the trek and hour and 40 minutes South to Naples where I reside. I was so giddy to work with this family because they were nothing short of fantastic. Can everyone say ADORABLE??? The fact that they drove that far South for a session with me made me love them all that much more. Brownie points. Lots of them. LOL!

Their children were perfection. They were the best clients. They did everything I asked of them and then some. I love those type of sessions. Cute kids who obey the photographer...SCORE! :)

The evening we did their session was so quirky. One minute it was cloudy and wanting to rain and the next minute it was sunny. I prayed and prayed that Mother Nature wouldn't rain us out that night beings that they drove so far to get to me. Thankfully, we had a gorgeous backdrop on the beach. No rain whatsoever. Just beautiful golden light and bright vivid colors.

Moms...take note. I get calls all of the time with questions on what to dress their kiddo's in for a photo shoot. I am constantly telling parents...BRIGHT COLORS! Bright colors make the shoot pop and really add "life" to the kids as well. This particular mom nailed it. I told her I loved fuchsia and turquoise together. She heeded my advice and wa-lah...there is amazing color throughout their entire session. I couldn't have asked for better clients. Really!

I loved working with you guys. Thank you Michelle for allowing me the opportunity to meet your family and share in such an awesome photo shoot with your gorgeous kids.

I had a blast with you guys!!!

If you'll be in town visiting the Southwest Florida area for vacation or are a local and would like to book a beach session for your family, look me up. I'd love to work with you as well. To book a shoot with me, you can email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com

Blessings, Angie

FAIR TIME WITH THE FAM - INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-07-27T20:23:00.001-04:00

Despite the helldacious heat here in Indiana, we decided to brave it all and head out to the county fair a couple of nights ago. Ironically, the heat wasn't so bad and we even found several pockets of shade to stand in as we stuffed our faces with the FAB fair food that graces the concession stands there each year.

Of course I was there armed with my camera and managed to snap some very simple but oh so colorful shots of our surroundings. We even saw the typical crazies. You know...the ones who ride those ridiculous rides like these...

The crowd was down considerably because people are willing to tackle the heat here this year. So...it left tons of room for us to roam. I am always amazed at what types of foods they come out with each year. This year...the shocker was deep fried kool-aid. Yeap, you heard me. Kool aid. Come again???

There is deep fried everything at the fair. Even deep fried cookie dough. Now we're talkin'...

My favorite part of any fair is just all of the colors. There is so much color in life if we are just willing to look for it. At the fairs though, they throw it in yo' face. Like here..."Take some pink! Take some purple! Oh and how about some orange and bright sunny yellow too!!!" POW! POW! POW! Color is everywhere there and you never have to "search" it out. You'd have to be blind to miss the vibrant punch of the color wheel at any fair.

Lovin' these old school shades that I stumbled upon at a random table for sale. They're makin' their come back. ROCK ON!

Of course we all had to win Kenidi every stuffed animal under the sun during our journey there.

It's comical to me that I participated in that considering how many stuffed animals I pitch on a yearly basis out of my kids rooms. Kenidi has this set of baskets at my Dads that they keep stocked with toys and coloring books for her. Every hour on the hour...she dumps it all out. And every hour on the other hour...my Dad and I pick it all back up and place it where it all goes. You see...I get my OCD issues from him. He has always taught me that everything has its place. Therefore, when there is stuff laying out all over the floors...it makes me shake with distress. Almost darn near convulsions really. I told my Dad the other day that I wished I had a video camera of him and I picking that junk all back up and putting it away every two seconds and then Kenidi just returning the favor by getting it all back out again. It's a constant game to her. So...not only does my poor dad have the usual sprawled out all over his floor now...he also has cheap ol' fair toys dumped all over the place too. To know him is to know that it's silently killing him inside. However, he'd NEVER say it. LOL! He just keeps picking it up and putting it all away again. Speaking of my dad...check him out...this was at the fair the other night too...

Love that man!

Both him and Brennen played some games while there. In the words of my dad during this moment below..."Gimme' some dddaawwwggg!"

Kross did exceptionally well in the heat that night. He was obsessed with our water bottles. The pictures say it all...

Love that shot of Brennen and Kross with my step-mom Cathy. Kross is trying to be sneaky and steal her water bottle there. Too funny! I love his face in this shot below...

Kenidi Grace loved the sights. She played skee ball (sp?) and threw the balls in the fish bowls. My aunt and Brennen both won fish so now my Dad has two new family members in his house as well. LOL! Kenidi also played the water duck game and loved that. It's great to see her being able to participate in the stuff we all do.

I caught Brennen in the middle of his corn dog (BARF!). He wasn't very happy about it either...

It's hard to believe half of our trip to Ind is already over. We only have another week and a half here before we head back to Naples. I've enjoyed lounging around the pool with my best girlfriends, dinners and daily vegging with my Dad and Cathy, and shooting my photography sessions that I've booked while here. It's been a FAB trip thus far. I've got a girls night out planned with my friends this Friday and several more shoots to do before I head out. I'm soaking up all of the goodness that Indy has to offer before I have to say my "until next time's."

Speaking of until next time...until the next blog post...keep smiling, look for the color in life, and enjoy these summer nights. I'm off to go consume some more cotton candy.

Much love...Angie

CHAD & SHERRY, KEY WEST DESTINATION WEDDING - FLORIDA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-07-20T01:28:00.007-04:00

I traveled to Key West, Florida a couple of weekends ago to shoot a destination wedding. It was actually my first ever trip to Key West even though I reside in Naples, Florida now. The bride and groom were stunning as was their location. The wedding was held on the rooftop of their hotel, the Crowne Plaza Resort. I found that such an enjoyable change from the typical beach wedding in this area.

The rooftop made for stellar backdrops as it picked up every gorgeous landmark around us.

The brides shoes deserved a photo shoot all of their own. LLLLOOVVVEEEE!!!

I loved the details and the story behind her something borrowed, something blue articles...

This couples love was just beaming throughout the evening. I love how photography captures such raw and real emotion and just freezes it in time...

The day proved to include every beautiful detail that a wedding represents...

Thank you for the opportunity to document your special day Chad and Sherry. It was a true honor to have been there. Congratulations again!!!

Blessings, Angie

GABRIELLA - A RUSTIC NAUTICAL SHOOT (MARCO ISLAND, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2011-07-12T10:54:00.007-04:00

I worked with a beautiful girl a couple of weeks ago on a rustic nautical themed model shoot. It was a blast to say the least. We did an early morning shoot near lots of water in very humid heat. In turn, we got ate alive in a very short time period by "no-see-ums." (basically like mosquitoes here in Florida) Those suckers can attack you in mere seconds and before you know it, you look like you have the chicken pox EVERYWHERE! They're bad! Even with the dreaded bites, the shoot ROCKED! Gabriella needs no introduction. She is clearly stunning...

At times during the shoot we had an overcast cloudy sky but at other moments...the sun was out in full force. No matter what the sky gave us...we made it work.

The location I chose for this shoot worked out perfectly to fit the nautical theme. I had never been to this spot before this day - it was referred to me by a friend. I'm so thankful she lead me to it because it was GRAND with a capital "G!"

I adore these close ups of Gabriella. Did I mention how beautiful she is??? If I didn't, have a looksie for yourself...

Thank you for allowing me the time to work with you Gabriella. The session was FAB!!! Keep in touch as you travel back to Colorado. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer.

Big hugs, Angie

PS...I apologize for the "soft" looking images here on blogger lately. For some reason blogger is having issues again with making pictures looked blurred once uploaded onto their sites. It drives me crazy. Please bare with us. Hopefully the problem will resolve itself soon. Rest assured, these images are crisp, sharp, and clear in real life. :)

THE "L" FAMILY FROM NEW YORK - (NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER)

2011-07-09T15:07:00.007-04:00

I had the great pleasure of working with a family from New York a couple of weeks back. They were such a fun trio and their daughter was nothing short of a blue eyed doll baby. Can anyone say adorable???

She was only two years old but she had the personality of an old soul - loved her smile and her subdued looks as well...

We had a little fun on the pillars near the beach and boy did she jump when her daddy told her to "jump!"

She also partied up there like she was on top of the world. What a personality she had...

A huge thank you to the "L" family for allowing me the opportunity to work with them on a family session while they were vacationing here in Naples. I had so much fun with you guys.

Blessings, Angie

KROSS - 7 MONTHS OLD (NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER)

2011-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

I like to show you guys pictures of our new little guy each month - just to share how much he's changing. He'll be 7 months old this Saturday which is just astonishing to me. It feels like it was only yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital.

Now he's sitting up, eating baby food, has two bottom teeth, and smiles at just about everything you can possibly imagine. He is an incredibly great natured baby. My husband and I always say that God must have known we couldn't handle anymore exhaustion or chaos (we have a a daughter with special needs as well) so he gave us Kross - this meek, mild mannered, very happy, baby boy. We also have our 12 year old healthy son, Brennen (shown below)...

Both Kenidi and Brennen adore their baby brother and he adores them. Kenidi doesn't understand her own strength sometimes with little Kross but we know she loves him with every fiber of her being. She is our ray of sunshine when skies are gray. (she is shown below)

Kross fits right into our crazy, chaotic,and oh so loving family.

We love you beyond measure Kross. Thank you for bringing so much joy to our lives...

Happy 7 months little guy!!!

JESSICA - NAPLES, FLORIDA MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-06-27T15:18:00.003-04:00

Boy am I behind on blogging, eh? It seems like forever since I had the chance to sit down and blog a session update. After my laptop went out last month, everything suddenly came to a screaching halt. I'm finally back in the grove and working off a brand new laptop thanks to Best Buy and their replacement program. YAY! I was going into convulsions there for a while. LOL!

With that said, let's get back down to business. I had the honor to do a session for Jessica a couple of weeks ago. Jessica is a beautiful girl whom I met at an expo event that I did recently.

We chose to do her shoot at a very busy location but it worked out just devine in the end. The backdrops at this spot were perfect for what we were after.

Jessica has killer legs. I'd give anything to be long and lean like that again. LOL! Needless to say, she had no problem attracting an audience during our shoot that evening. You can clearly see why. :)

It was so hot on this particular evening but Jessica rocked out the session like a pro. I couldn't have asked for a better client.

Thank you so much for allowing me the time to shoot with you Jess. I had a ball. I look forward to working with you and your daughter soon. Oh yes, she even has a daughter. It's ok to hate her. HA HA!

For those of you wishing to book a session with me, I'm booking all the way into mid August at this point. If you find yourself down here on vacation, feel free to look me up. I always try to adjust & leave time slots open for tourists when their in the area. I'll be back to blog more sessions soon. I'm wayyyyy behind!

Much love, Angie

LINDSAY - MODEL SHOOT (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2011-05-24T10:26:00.006-04:00

I got the wonderful honor to shoot for this gorgeous gal the other day. She is a stunning beauty from Indiana who was in town here in Naples when we did her session. We were after an urban grunge look for the back-drop. I'll let the photos do the talking here instead of me rambling. There are no words needed for this shoot. It was spectacular!

This was one of my favorite shoots ever. A huge thank you to Lindsay for allowing me to capture her beauty. Another HUGE thanks to David Frohmberg of Faces by Frohmberg for his artwork on Lindsay's make-up and to Sir Daniel at Salon International for his talents on her rockin' hair style for the shoot. You guys are UH-MAY-ZING! Love you both!

Should you wish to book a session with me, feel free to email me directly or visit my website for details. I'd love to work with you on all of your photography needs. Much love, Angie

You're GOR-JUS Lindsay! Just GOR-JUS!

WHAT IN GOD'S NAME HAS HIT THIS HOUSE???

2011-05-19T03:30:00.001-04:00

It's 2:40am and I'm up - wide awake - with a 5 month old sound asleep on my lap, an almost 8 year old princess in the bed asleep with Daddy (keeping my spot warm for me) and a 12 year old in his bed, sick yet again. It's been a helldacious week here in our household and it doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Kross's face in the above photo gives way to the feelings were are spewing in our house these days.

Brennen was home sick on Monday. High fever and vomiting. He went back to school Tuesday feeling somewhat better. Tuesday afternoon while holding Kross on my tummy during my eye-brow arch at the salon (he likes sitting up on my belly when there), he rared backwards, arching his back and hyper-extending his arms as I clutched his little hands. He rared back with such a quick forceful movement that it immediately resulted in this God awful sound. I heard a POP! Not a good POP either. I knew right away what had happened. Two hours and several hundred dollars later, the doctor at the Emergency room had popped his elbow back into place like a pro. It took all of 2.2 seconds which is good considering how Kross was NOT happy about it. Can you blame him? They call it "nurses maid elbow" and I know it fondly because the same thing happened to Kenidi when she was a toddler. She was holding my hand as we stepped off a curb together. She pulled one of those "I'm gonna drop to the ground and make Mommy carry me" stunts as she was stepping off the said curb. By doing so, she went down and I was still holding her hand - which resulted in that same familiar POP. While at the ER with her that time, they told Brent and I it was very common in babies thru toddlers. I guess it happens a lot as their bones are growing and locking into place. The doc here in Naples told me the same thing when we were there with Kross on Tuesday. It was awful. This child never screams but that day - he whaled. I felt like the "suckiest" mom on the face of this earth. There goes my Mom of the year award. :(

Once his elbow was back in place, he was a happy camper again - instantly.

I wish I could say that our night got much better from there but it didn't. While in the ER with Kross, Brent calls to tell me that Kenidi's school had been trying to reach me at home. She was apparently in class vomiting. Needless to say, she came home sick. High fever just like with Brennen the day before. I was supposed to go out with my photography friends that evening but began questioning whether I should just stay home at that point. I got home and no sooner did I utter the words..."Boy I hope Kross doesn't get what you guys have" did little Mr. Kross himself puke all over me. I knew then that it was God's way of telling me..."STAY HOME ANGIE!" And so I did. I couldn't bare to leave Brent home fighting that fire with all three of them sick. I cuddled with my sweet babies and prayed that God would heal them both. Today was a better day for Kenidi. She seems to be on the up and up. Kross has some congestion and a runny nose but no more vomiting. However, que the 1:30am wake up from Brennen as he is making a mad dash to the bathroom because he is vomiting again. WHEW! I'm clueless as to what bug has taken over my kiddo's but I'm praying it exits our household FAST!

I have two of my girlfriends coming in from Indiana this morning. I pick them up at the airport at 9:30am. It's 3am now and I'm still wide eyed and awake. Go figure. It's the Mom in me that can't sleep. I keep going in to check on Brennen and make sure he's ok. Amongst the chaos this week, he's learning how to swallow pills for the first time ever. When he has a headache or has been ill in the past, we always gave him tylenol melt-a-ways. Well they've apparently taken those off the market now. It's no fun trying to co-erse a sick 12 year old to swallow tylenol pills while they are in the middle of being so ill. I tried all kinds of tricks. In the end, he broke them in half and chewed half of them on the way down. Gross!

I'm hopeful that the lysoling I've done and disinfecting I've embarked on will be good enough to rid our walls of the germs before my girlfriends arrive. I definitely don't want them (or me) getting sick too. No. no. no. Speaking of the sickies, my laptop is in the shop because it has the sickies too. It's been gone for a week now and I seriously feel like my right arm has been removed. It won't be back for another week to two weeks so I am basically going into convulsions as I wait on its return. Talk about torture. This is one of those times in life when you really find out what you're made of and how strong you really are. LOL! Just kidding! Ok maybe I'm not. :-) Either way, I need the next two weeks to cruise by so that my laptop can come back home to Mama realllllllll quick! I have photos similar to this one to edit...

Mama likes editing best on her laptop instead of my desk-top even though I realize it's a no-no. Since when have I ever been one to obey the rules anyhow?

For now, I'm off to snuggle with my boys while my princess is resting peacefully. I'm trying to be quiet so that I don't wake everyone but of course we always become a total klutz when we try to traipse thru our houses like mice. Don't we? You know, tripping over the sick 12 year olds shoes and backpack. Dropping silverware in the sink even though you tried to place it in there gently and ever so softly. Let's face it - being up and wondering around any house at 3am is never good for the additional occupants in your home. I'm thankful I have a fan club here and that they forgive me - a lot!

Have a FAB Thursday! Much love, Angie

MEGAN'S PHOTOGRAPHY HEADSHOTS - NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-05-08T11:22:00.000-04:00

I had the special honor of photographing one of my B/P/F/F the other day. That stands for "Best Photography Friends Forever." It's a fun term that one of our other fellow photography friends coined for our group. This particular photography friend shown here today is one of two who came and photographed Kross's birth for me at the hospital when he was born. Megan is a dear friend, a sweet soul, with rockin' style, and an edge for creativity that is like no other. We share the same photography passion and therefore we have a bond that only few understand. LOL!

Meg is gorgeous and has a fabulous personality. I love how she constantly goes out of her way to welcome others and to make them feel like she has known them forever in their first meeting together. She has a great way of taking the edge off of situations where you'd typically be somewhat nervous. Love that!

Megan needed some professional head shots taken for her photography business. She wanted to use some of the shots within her website. I was honored and humbled when she asked me to do the session for her. Once reality set in though, I began to shake in my boots. I get nervous enough just photographing people who know nothing about photography at all let alone when it comes time to photograph a fellow photographer, a friend, a peer.

Needless to say...as the day drew closer to our shoot together, I got more and more nervous. When you photograph another photographer, they know what you are doing, why you are doing it, how it should look, etc. I wanted to make sure I found the perfect locations for what she was after and I wanted to make sure the pictures ROCKED for her.

Thankfully, Naples has lots of great nooks and crannies that went along with the theme of what Megan wanted. Because we live in paradise everyday, it wasn't hard to find some beautiful locations that were pleasing to the eye and sophisticated in appearance.

I took a ton of shots but these were some of my favorites that I quickly went thru and edited to share. Beautimous Meg! Beautimous!

It's such a priceless gift to have found friends here in Naples whom you can share your same passion, business, and so on with. We are able to bounce ideas off each other, share secrets of the trade, teach one another and learn from another. It's such a valuable relationship that all of us have and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Don't you just love Megan's blue hair??? There are only a select few people who could pull that look off in a classy way and she has done it.

The year round colors in Naples are nothing short of amazing. Everything is gorgeous in the back drops here. As much as I love color in photography, the scenery in Naples really helps add to that must have color that I always search for in my shots.

I had a blast shooting this session for Megan. Lots and lots of laughs were shared. I've got some FAB out-takes of her too. Good times! :)

Thanks for including me in this experience with you Megs! It meant the world to me. Really!

I hope some of the shots will work perfectly for your website project and the goal you were after.

Love ya to bits girl! Thanks for being such a dear friend to me. Hugs, Angie

A CUTE FEDORA & AN EVEN CUTER LIL' BOY - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-05-02T11:35:00.004-04:00

Every once you a while, you get a client who gives you a challenge when it comes to collecting smiles during a session. With that said though, every once in a while when that happens, you can still make the best of shoot because said client is just so adorable that smiles don't even matter. This particular shoot recently played out just like that. We met the family downtown for an urban grunge shoot and found the best stand alone building for our backdrop. It couldn't have been anymore perfect. Following those shots, we headed across the way to a perfect little alley that offered up some great lighting and shaded areas due to the taller downtown buildings. Little Z-man here was so cool and so adorable that him not wanting to smile didn't affect his images at all. In fact, he gave me a more RAD look to work with by not smiling. I love how these turned out given the lack of smiles. It's something about the awesome hair, big gorgeous eyes, pouty lips, hole in the jeans, and the rockin' skateboard that played a significant role in his overall look. Such a heart breaker already even though he's only a mere five years old.

If you have a little one that you'd like to embark on a fun urban grunge session with, feel free to contact me. I've recently located lots of cool new locations that I'm just dying to try out.

Happy Monday! XOXO, Angie

A BRAND NEW LOOK!

2011-04-21T17:26:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to announce the new look and new branding of Angie Seaman Photography. I spent a great deal of time with my web designer over the past couple of weeks re-vamping my website, blog, twitter page and adding a new facebook fan page to the Angie Seaman Photography collection. I poured my heart and soul into this new look so I hope all of you like it.

I wanted a fresh and colorful new look that represented my style. Crystal, my web gal, did a phenomenal job, (as always) in regard to bringing my visions to life. Thanks Crystal. I love ya girl!

Feel free to drop by our new facebook fan page and "like" our page. I'll be doing a big contest there starting tomorrow with a FAB give-a-way. Jump in on the fun. We'd love to have ya.

As a side note and FYI...I'm also offering a $100 print credit included in any session fee when you book a shoot with me. That is a limited time offer in celebration of the new branding so get in on it while the gettin' is good. Feel free to email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com with any questions.

Lastly, this is the last week to sign up for my online beginner photography class and my online beginner photoshop class. If you'd like to register for either one of those classes, you can do so by going HERE and clicking on the "classes" page. Good times! Until the next post, have a ROCKIN' week! Much love, Angie

PS...Blogger has been giving me fits lately. My account is acting up and not letting me publish posts here on the blog. I've had to go to alternative measures to get it posted. I'm hoping they get this glitch fixed soon but blogger never seems to fix anything fast. Boo! I'm also missing blog comments that come through. Some of you have emailed me asking if I got your comment here on the blog and apparently I'm not getting all of them. Another BOO~! Again, I'm hoping all of these issues receive some attention quickly. In the meantime, thank you for your patience. Love you guys! :)

PRODUCT LINE - ANGIE SEAMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, NAPLES FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-04-18T11:33:00.005-04:00

Did you know that Angie Seaman Photography offers a wonderful product line for all of your photography needs? When you book a session with us, not only is your experience top notch all the way around but the products we offer to our clients are top notch as well. We've searched high and low for the best vendors and suppliers in our market. We've researched and sought out the best of the best when it comes to album designers, custom labs, etc. All of that makes your experience with Angie Seaman Photography even that much more enjoyable and exciting.

Our studio offers custom padded photography albums that are so exquisite and so gorgeous that you just never want to put them down. You'll find yourself thumbing thru these albums time and time again.

Not only do we offer these spectacular items but our turn-around time on getting the order back to you is like no other. We are known for being the best around regarding superb customer service with lightening fast turn-around times on your products. If you're an impatient individual like myself and want things that you purchase, like yesterday, then Angie Seaman Photography is the studio for you. If you'd prefer to order a custom photo covered hard back book filled with your images over a custom padded photo cover album, we've got those too.(see first photo above) Same great quality, just a tad different look and feel. I like to joke and call the custom "albums" the Rolls-Royce of albums. But then I also joke and call our hard cover books, the Ferrari of all hard cover photography books as well. Point being...both look elegant, sleek, and high class. Both are totally eye catching too. It's merely a matter of personal preference. When you purchase a slide-show of your session or a disk of your session, we also offer custom photo covered DVD and CD cases. These small but statement making products leave your memories tucked away safe for years to come and they do it in a fun and oh so personal way. Love! If you're looking for a photographer to help turn your memories into treasured pieces of art, I'm you're girl. We are offering a $100 print credit with all session fees for a limited time. Schedule your session with us ASAP and get in on this current and very rare special. Have a FAB week. We look forward to working with you. Much love, Angie

ISABEL - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-04-11T10:47:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing an adorable little girl named Isabel this weekend. Her and her Mom drove all the way over to Naples from the East Coast of Florida for our session together. Isabel is seven years old but in a photographers world, she is wise and mature beyond her years. She ROCKED the shoot and was such a natural. As you can see from her images, the child is gorgeous!

It always helps too when you have a Mother who knows how to ROCK out her little girls outfit choices too. Isabel's Mom was a real pro at the style part. Way to go Mom! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Christina and Isabel and am so honored that they would drive all that way for a session with me. I can't wait to work my way thru the rest of the session with Isabel so that I can see the rest of her amazing images/looks. We changed outfits three times during her shoot and her hair changed as well - thanks to her Mom who knows how to ROCK out some hair styles too. I could have shot with her all day had we been blessed with the time. :) Thank you Christina and Isabel. It was great spending the morning with you. Isabel, thanks for making my photography work look so beautiful. You are gorgeous sweetie! :)

xoxo, Angie

EXPRESSIONS NOT PERFECTION - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-04-05T14:50:00.007-04:00

I truly live by the rule in photography that it's not about capturing "perfection," but instead...it's all about capturing "expression." This really rings true for kiddo's. I don't like the posed and fake look that comes along with making a child "behave" during a photography session. Instead, I believe in letting them have fun and be themselves. It's not the perfect posed and fake smiles we will look back on and remember one day. It's the expressions that were soooooo "Johnny" or ssoooooo "Lindsay" as they were growing up.
I went back home to Indiana over Spring break to visit friends and family. While in town, one of my best girlfriends from highschool asked if I'd come by and snap some quick shots of her son and new little baby girl. Sure thing! I was all about it. When I got there, Z-man (Zach) wanted me to take some shots of him outside in their backyard. So I did. He was such a trooper and really worked his smiles. I loved shooting with him because he was such a natural at it. I can't wait to go back in the summer and do a real session with him and his new little sis. :0)

In the meantime, he is my perfect example of what I mean by just allowing the child to be themselves during a shoot. Although as Moms we might not want the cheesey grin or the squinty eyes, it's who they are and it's who we know them as. It's their signature look that we'll treasure when we look back on their images someday down the road.

I let Zach run the show with these shots and in turn, I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out. He totally ROCKED it! What a Rock Star! He's such an adorable kid!!! And his little sis Lia, well she is just too precious for words - even though she hated my camera on this day. LOL!

Thanks Z-man. I had so much fun with you and Lia. Get your game face on because I'll be back in July to do a real session with the two of you. :)
XOXO, Angie

ALLYSON & FAMILY - NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-03-28T11:56:00.008-04:00

If there is one thing that intimidates me as a photographer, it's groups. Groups of people for a session. Beings that I live in a tourist area where the beach is the location of choice for photography backdrops, I end up with "groups." Many times, just like the family shown here, you get calls from a large family wanting images which include their mom, dad, brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc. When I get those calls, my body starts to shiver and shake with not only excitement but also intimidation. Shooting groups of people, especially with children involved, is tough. Very hard to say the least. Everyone has to be looking your way at the exact same time and you have to get all eyes open at the exact same time. Add the harsh sunlight coming in over the gulf waters on the beach and you've got your mind made up before you ever arrive to do the job that it could be a potential disaster waiting to happen.
Thankfully though, once again, I didn't allow my negative thoughts to win and instead...this particular shoot turned out to be a blast. Que Allyson and her family. She wanted images taken of her and her siblings as well as their children for their parents. Their family ROCKED! All of them. They knew exactly what they wanted, how they wanted it, and didn't mess around when we were attempting to achieve it. Allyson knew when to quit, when to push on with the kids, and when to call it a day. I absolutely loved working with her and the rest of her clan. Not only was this family gorgeous but everyone was a ton of fun too.

Allyson's family is from Miami but they were in town in Naples for this session. Her two boys look like something straight out of a Gap ad. And her sisters little one was too cute for words. What a happy baby - full of smiles.

The above shot was a candid, spur of the moment shot, between a Mother and her son. LOVED IT!

Above Allyson is with both of her boys. Such little studs! :)

The entire family was gorgeous. I couldn't have taken a bad image of them had I tried.

This last shot shown below was one where their entire family was trying to get Allyson's one little guy to smile. I love how relaxed yet energetic they all are here. It's probably one of my favorite shots of their session. Very candid and very real. Family is a gift and this family is truly blessed.
A huge thanks to Allyson and her family for the opportunity to work with them. I had a ball with you guys. :)

Blessings, Angie

CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHY - NAPLES, FLORIDA NEWBORN AND CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-03-17T10:33:00.003-04:00

Did you know that Angie Seaman Photography offers newborn "grow with me" packages for your little ones first year? The package includes three sessions for $550. The sessions are held when they are a newborn (up to two weeks old) as well as at 6 months and 12 months. This is a perfect way to capture the growth that your little one will make during their first year.

If a "grow with me" package is not what you are looking for right now, we also offer baby and children's sessions at the regular cost during any age range you prefer. Please call or email our studio for details. We'd be honored to work with you and your little bundle of joy.

Blessings, Angie

THE LAUNDROMAT SHOOT - NAPLES FLORIDA ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-02-28T13:23:00.002-05:00

I have had this "dream" of shooting in a laundromat for a very long, long time. I've yearned for the look of beat up old vintage dryers and the rows and rows of washers in the backdrop of one of my shoots forrrrrr-evahhhh! When I moved here to Naples, I couldn't get over how many old and rustic laundromats were around in the off beaten paths - the uncharted areas of town. I began my search several months ago for a laundromat that would allow me to shoot there. Unfortunately, a lot of the owners were all men and had no desire to participate in a having their establishment as the backdrop of a shoot. It wasn't until we stumbled upon an owner who happened to be a female that my luck changed and she approved the shoot. Que Maria, the owner from Suds and Duds here in Naples, Florida. I owe her my right arm for helping me make my dream of shooting in a laundromat come true.

Thankfully, I also had very willing clients. No, they didn't meet in a laundromat. There are actually already married to one another as well. This was just a fun location that was different and unique, out of the box, and totally out of the norm. I was fortunate enough to find such willing participants for this idea. Que Brandon and Angela. They live here in Southwest Florida, in the Ft. Myers area actually. Angela was all for making the trek from Ft. Myers down to Naples for me. We hooked her up with Maray Delgado, a make up artist who worked her magic on Angela for the afternoon. Maray's website can be found HERE. I've lucked out recently on having the men in my shoots be extremely cooperative. Brandon ROCKED this session with Angela as if they had done this all their lives. Like they were professional models or something.

Angela and Brandon were married just this past November. Therefore, they are true Newlyweds. So....when we said "kiss one another," they had no problem tackling that mission. LOL!

Yes, this laundromat even had the old school "rollie carts" as my friend Megan likes to call them. Fun stuff!

Something a lil' steamy... :)

The lighting inside this location was gorgeous - as you can tell by the shot below. There was so much natural light beaming thru the front window of the laundromat that it could have been deemed "criminal."

I absolutely love how Brandon is gazing at Angela in the image below.

And this shot...the shot where she is grabbing his shirt and pulling him closer all while he carries that wonderful grin...priceless! Their laughs throughout this session were sooooooo amazing. Nothing looked forced - they have such great body language - great chemistry together!

This shot above??? Let me explain. I stepped outside the laundromat to check out the lighting from outdoors if I were to shoot from there into the inside. They didn't realize I was still shooting so in turn...I captured this totally off the cuff and candid moment between the two of them. It is one of my favorite shots from the whole session. I love how you can see the inside as well as the reflection of the outdoors on that one window.

They look like something out of a magazine in the shot above.

ABOVE: There is that chemistry again. :)

Such a HOT couple! My girlfriend said the image below looks like an ad for Sunglass hut. :) We broke out the alien bee light kit for those shots and totally canceled out that harsh sun on their faces. Amazing!

And this next picture below, I was standing inside the laundromat, they were outside. I took the shot from in between the "Suds and Duds" lettering on the windows.

At one point I walked around back and found an old bike with vintage handlebars. I knew right then that we had to find the owner and put her on the handlebars for a photo. Thankfully the owner was inside the laundromat and agreed to let us borrow his bike for the shoot.

I snapped this one thru the foggy dryer door...

And this last one...well it was taken outside as well. The sun was beating down and I was trying desperately to find a spot on the wall of the building which would show both of their shadows together. Thankfully with Brandon's help, we found a large enough light spot and pulled it off. How cute is this???

I loved everything about this shoot. The location, the clients, the final images. It all was pure RADNESS as I commonly like to say. Thank you to the laundromat owner, Maria, to the make-up artist, Maray and to the clients who helped make this happen. Good times! Good times!

Much love, Angie

EVENTS, PARTIES, & PICTURES - NAPLES, FLORIDA EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-02-23T15:42:00.005-05:00

Do you have a party or event approaching that you would like to have documented in photographs? Don't have time to travel the party and take photos yourself because you're the host? Do you prefer to enjoy yourself and relax during the party or event instead of having to snap pictures the whole time? If so, then you need Angie Seaman Photography.

Angie will travel to your location and photograph any and all respectable parties, events, fundraisers, charity functions, etc. For details, availability, and pricing, please visit Angie's website by clicking HERE. A huge thanks to my clients Elise and her husband Dave for these images that I took at his 50th surprise party recently. Great couple, great party, great fun! It was a real pleasure working with you guys as well as your friends and family in attendance.

Much love, Angie

CHRIS & ROCHELLE - NAPLES, FLORIDA ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-02-14T20:59:00.002-05:00

I had a boat load of fun photographing fellow photographer and friend, Rochelle and her fiance, Chris for their engagement session recently. They had me cracking up the entire time. And the best part, her soon to be husband ROCKED this session like a real pro. If there is one thing I detest, it's when I photograph men and they whine like babies during our session together. Ninety percent of the men I work with hate getting family portraits taken. You generally have to beg them to smile or at least fake it as best they can. It's extremely frustrating! However, with this shoot, Chris and Rochelle laughed together and genuinely had a great time with one another. It was so refreshing compared to the normal mans reaction. So...big kudos to Chris and his superb attitude during the shoot. :)

The location where we shot the session was crazy busy. There were people all over the place. People walking, people driving past us, people looking out the windows in restaurants, etc. We didn't have any privacy whatsoever. You can imagine the onlookers when the shot below played out in the grass. We gave them something to talk about - fo' sho'!

The awesome thing about the southern tip of Florida is that it is warm and colorful here year round. Case in point with the flowers behind them below...GAW-JUS!

Living in a tropical climate and being able to shoot year round AND have your clients lay in green grass any month of the year is da' bomb!

We were loosing light fast here in the shot below but it still made for a cozy image...

This corridor with the lights at this particular location just ROCKS!

Oooohhhhhh the smooches! :)

I'm known for never leaving a photo shoot without at least one shot of the shoes. These red mama jammas were no different. They were begging for "their" moment. As my friend Megan said, I owed it to the shoes to photograph them. LOL!

Love that her Rock and Republic jeans were stitched in red to match the shoes. Can someone say total RADNESS???

A little dippity doo and some more laughin' too! One of our photographer friends coined this laugh below the "JC Penny ad laugh." When we are trying to get someone to smile, we tell them to do the JC Penny laugh. Once we explain it to them, it eventually works like a charm. Ha ha!

Rochelle and Chris are a gorgeous couple. Stunning is more like it. I couldn't have taken a bad photo of them had I tried. Not possible. Totally adorable!

Thank you Chris and Rochelle for being such troopers during our time together. I know without a shadow of a doubt that your wedding is going to be beautiful! :)

If any of the rest of you out there have a need for a photography session, call or email me now. My schedule is booked out like crazy and continues to keep filling up like a spreading wild fire. Spring break dates are going, going, .....

xoxo, Angie

EXECUTIVE HEAD SHOTS - NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-02-11T13:56:00.004-05:00

Executives now days need head shots for marketing material, blogs, websites, etc. Are you in need of a good set of portraits to use in your day to day business? If so, please contact me for more information. An executive head shot session takes all of 30 minutes and costs only $99. From there, you choose the image files you prefer to purchase & use from your own edited private portrait gallery. Turn around time on the final product is 2-5 days.

Don't be left in the dark ages with an unprofessional photo to represent yourself in business. Take some time and a few dollars to invest in yourself and your business. People like to see who they are doing business with now days. Why not give them a professional executive portrait to see and ultimately help make their decision in regards to using you or your company?

Email or call me today to schedule your executive head shot session.

Blessings, Angie

KIMBERLY - NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-02-01T13:41:00.002-05:00

I recently had the honor of shooting with Mrs. Kimberly. Kimberly was a beautiful client and was extremely easy to work with. She came to me wanting shots of her alone and so we ran with some cool poses and utilized our location to the fullest.

Kimberly's husband joined us and was able to watch the shoot take place. Both of them are incredibly nice individuals with whom I had a lot of fun with for that evening. A sweet, sweet, couple to say the least.

As you can tell by the images, Kimberly was a natural in front of the camera. She made my job a breeze. She was up for anything I threw at her which I always find refreshing when on a shoot.

Thank you for the opportunity to work with you Kimberly. I had a great time and look forward to future sessions with you and your family.

Happy Tuesday everyone! Blessings, Angie

BAND SHOOT - FT. MYERS, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2011-01-25T15:50:00.004-05:00

Per the words of my friend Megan..."This was a band shoot with four awesome guys and one clever concept. This endeavor was a true collaboration and lots of fun. Band member Josh, came up with the idea/look of having tea in a field." Not your usual thought when you think of a band image but it turned out great. These are a couple of out-take images from the shoot.

I have to admit that I was a bit concerned when the band requested a table in a field and tea time. LOL! I was scared to death on how it would turn out. In the end, their idea and their props helped make this shoot a real blast. I'm honored to have been able to work with them. If you live in the SWFL area, be sure to check out "For a Season." They play reside in the Ft. Myers area and play in and around the Southwest Florida area.

My days and weekends in the coming months are filling up exceptionally fast. After having been away on maternity leave and now back taking appointments again, my calendar looks like a war zone. I'm so very thankful for the business and all of your word of mouth referrals. It means the world to me.

Should you have a photography need, don't hesitate to let me know. I'd love to work with you.

Much love, Angie

WELCOME KROSS ANTHONY SEAMAN

2010-12-30T15:23:00.003-05:00

Yes, he is here. Finally, eh? Kross Anthony Seaman arrived as planned on December 2nd. That makes him 4 weeks old as of today. Crazy to think a month has already gone by. He is our Christmas blessing and we couldn't be more happy. This year was truly our best Christmas ever. :)

I wanted to post and let you all know that I'm still alive and that the birth of our 3rd child went beautifully. It's been a month since I've posted here on the ol' blog and I figured I'd better jump on here and let each of you know that I'm feeling GREAT and ready to get back to business. As of this moment, I'm officially off of maternity leave - much earlier than I could have ever anticipated. I've recovered very well since my c-section and am totally ready to start shooting again. Therefore, if you have a photography need, hit me up. Do you have a newborn you want photographed, a family session for the new year, an engagement session, children, maternity, a graduating senior or even any event photography? If so, I'm your girl. My calendar is quickly filling up for the first half and even into the summer of 2011. Now is the time to get on my book.

I also wanted to give all of you a HUGE thanks for helping to make this year so special for Angie Seaman Photography. My business is nothing without my clients and their word of mouth which helps to spread the word about my business not only in Florida but also back home in Indiana as well. And speaking of Indiana...we are going to be traveling back home to Indy on Spring Break (approximately March 20th-27th) as well as the latter half of July on into August. If you reside in Indiana and wish to book a session with me during that time, please let me know ASAP. I plan my trips back home way in advance due to my time there being so "tight." With visits amongst family & friends and scheduled sessions with repeat clients, my time back home fills up very quickly.

And lastly...now that I'm off maternity leave again, my online beginner photography classes and my beginner photoshop processing techniques class are set to start again at the end of January. If you are interested in signing up for any one of these classes or even some one on one mentoring time with me, feel free to visit the "classes" page here on my blog or visit my website (on the "classes" page) itself for more details on where and how to register. If you have a new camera you are looking to learn how to use, if you are interested in pursuing your passion for photography, or if you are a new photographer wanting to learn how to process images from point A to point B in photoshop, these classes are definitely for you. Again, they start at the end of January. Sign up now while seats are still available.

In the meantime, thanks to all of you whom have written, called, and emailed regarding the birth of our new little guy. We appreciate all of your love and support during this joyous time within our family. God has blessed us beyond belief! :)

XOXO, Angie

COURTNEY - SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPLES FLORIDA

2010-11-29T19:46:00.006-05:00

Of course I had a ton of shoots right before leaving on maternity leave last week. And now that I'm "officially" on leave, I've had a massive amount of calls from clients wanting to book sessions before the end of the year. It kills me to have to delay sessions for people due to my current state of being 9 months pregnant with a c-section scheduled in just 36 more hours. I feel so out of commission and it drives me crazy not being able to control all of that. I love my clients and I want to work them in as much as possible. However, I've hit that spot where it isn't an option for at least the next 3-4 weeks. Grrrr! The good news is though, in return for my hands being so tied with business, I'm fixing to get a newborn placed within them that will help keep my mind off the business I'm stalling. :) What a gift! I'll take that exchange any day.

I had the honor of photographing Courtney a week or two ago and thoroughly enjoyed my shoot with her. We did a bright and early sunrise session at 6:45am and the lighting couldn't have been anymore gorgeous at that moment.

It about killed us to get out of bed and start that early but boy was it ever worth it in the end. Amazing isn't a strong enough word for the gorgeous sun rays that beamed down at that hour.

I love the above shot. I love it soooo much that I've decided after I have this baby, I'm cutting up a cute pair of jeans and working some magic on them as Courtney had on her own. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Her jeans were to die for.

During the session, we ironically stumbled upon some very cool backdrop items for that gave her images a grunged up feel. I was in heaven. Bring on the beat up lockers, the trash, the old broken down chair, etc. It really added that much more character to the location. So fun!

Again, the early morning sunshine/rays ROCKED our socks off.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to work with you Courtney. I had a blast. Can't wait to do it again sometime.

...Angie

OUR LAST 4 NIGHTS AS A FAMILY OF 4

2010-11-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

Kenidi has been exceptionally clingy in the past week - more so the past couple of nights. I'm convinced that she senses his arrival is very near. Brent commented last night on how she had fallen asleep with her arm around my big ol' pregnant belly and her face tucked snugly right into my chest. She was belly to belly with me and I couldn't bare to move for the longest time. I didn't want to alter her position. I've always said that she is my "cuddle bug" - sometimes we say "snuggle bug." She knows it too. Kenidi is definitely our affectionate child - to the extreme. She gives hugs and kisses throughout any given day as if she was getting paid for them. It melts my heart in ways I can't even begin to describe. Since being pregnant and growing this huge belly of mine, she will kiss my belly a 1000 times a day and say the babies name as she pats me there. (Yes, we chose a name that she can say easily) It is the cutest thing ever. Little does she know just how much her world is about to get rocked once this baby arrives.

I got all emotional the other day thinking about how hard Brennen took "her" arrival when we had her. He had been our universe for 4.5 straight years. When Kenidi came into this world, it rocked Brennen to the core and he went into a withdrawn spell for a couple of weeks following her birth. He eventually snapped out of it and fell in love with his little sister but it left me broken hearted initially. He didn't take her permanent placement in our family well at all in those first few days. We worry with Kenidi even more. Given her special needs issues, we can't talk with her about her feelings the way we did with Brennen. She will only see this new baby getting all the attention and become frustrated at the thought that she is lacking some of it now. I plan to work really hard on making her feel just as included and loved as ever. In my heart of hearts though, I know that there is no way to protect her little feelings completely. She is my baby girl. Always will be. Even though she is 7, she functions more like a three or four year old verbally. Therefore, Brent and I always have a hard time remembering that she really is seven years old. She still seems like our baby girl even with her growth and beautiful accomplishments as she ages. The picture above is one I took of her last Fall when we still lived in Indiana. It's amazing just how much she has changed in that short years time. It's proof that they grow so very quickly. This new baby will do the same. The time will fly by just as it has with Brennen and Kenidi.

My heart is aching for the effect this new little one will have on Kenidi but then again, I know God had a plan when it came to the creation of this baby. Baby Seaman #3 is coming for a reason. His entrance in our lives is something God feels we need and is purposeful. I trust the good Lord above completely and know without a shadow of a doubt that he'll help us conquer this new journey and the transition with Kenidi and her new baby brother just perfectly. I'm not naive to think that the first month or two isn't going to be tough. However, I'm convinced, like Brennen - she will love her baby brother with time and eventually not be able to imagine her life without him.

In the meantime, as we relish these last four nights together as a family of four, I intend to squeeze her tight and take advantage of the love she gives unconditionally. As I type, she is fresh out of the bath, smelling like a new baby herself with a hint of coconut scent to her. (her shampoo) She is huddled up next to me, on my right arm, yawning as she watches Edward and Bella in Twilight on our master bedroom TV for the 600th time. Kenidi enjoys repetition. She thrives off routines. Cuddling with her mama is part of her nightly routine and I will soak that up for as long as I possibly can. In a few short days, she'll be snuggled up next to me as I nurse her new baby brother. I'm looking forward to those new connections amongst the two of them as well as with Brennen and his baby brother to be. That boy is pinging off the walls with excitement. He cannot wait for this new little ones arrival. I'm eager to see their expressions the first time that Brennen and Kenidi meet him. Be still my beating heart...

Thank you God for this unexpected blessing we learned about 9 months ago. Thank you for the beautiful daughter you gave us 7.5 years ago. And thank you for the handsome son you gave us almost 12 years ago. I'm so proud that you chose me to be their mother. Thank you for your continued gifts in life Lord. You take such good care of us all. I know you are watching over this baby as he spends his last few nights in this tummy of mine. I know you will work your magic thru the hands of the doctors in the operating room come Thursday morning. I know you will protect our 2nd sons arrival and bring him into this world happy and healthy. I know that you will give me the calm, the peace, and the strength to endure this surgery and the recovery that comes along with it. Bottom line, I'm confident that you are here. Here with us. Here helping us prepare for the journey that we are about to embark upon. Chapter 3, 524 is about to begin and I can't possibly imagine how we'd write that chapter in our book without you Lord. We owe all of the glory and all of the thanks to you.

In your grip now more than ever, Angie

BLACK FRIDAY PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS SALE

2010-11-26T09:57:00.004-05:00

It's black Friday and I'm in the mood to give some cool deals on some rockin' classes. As most of you know, I officially went on maternity leave as of this week. My c-section to deliver our 3rd little one is this coming Thursday morning, December 2nd. Therefore, my online beginner classes as well as the photoshop classes I teach are on hold until January. I figured that would be enough time for all of us to get thru the holiday season as well as time for me to recover before teaching engagements begin again.

So...if you are at all interested in the online beginner photography class that starts January 24th, click HERE and go to my "classes" page for details. The class is normally $159 but due to it being Black Friday, I'm offering $20 off the class price making it $139 for the 4 week course. If you want to sign up/reserve a spot in the class, shoot me an email directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com and I'll send you a pay pal invoice requesting payment.

If you are interested in taking the next LIVE beginner online photoshop techniques class, I'm offering $10 off the normal class price of $99. Thus making the price $89 for today only (until midnight tonight). That class is a one night class that takes place on January 26th. If you'd like to register for it, email me directly at the above email address and I'll send you a pay pal invoice for the $89. You can read about details surrounding that class on my website - on the classes page.

Please note: These discounts are only good thru midnight tonight (11/26/10)

Therefore, get in on the deals while you can. Each class is limited to only a specific number of students. Reserve your seat in one of them or in both of them before they sell out. Happy shopping!

Blessings, Angie

MISS "C" - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-11-16T09:15:00.004-05:00

I've had the honor of photographing this beautiful girl twice now. She is not only stunning on the outside but is also a beauty on the inside. Very polite. Very well spoken. Just a true beauty all the way around.

These images were taken inside an old train car. The lighting was horrific inside there so we sat by the window to catch as much natural light as we could. Who would have ever guessed that we would get the color and the lighting we did in the end? It was gorgeous. And this girl...beautimous! It was the perfect flow of yumminess!

I love to focus on the eyes. The ol' cliche' that the eyes are the window to ones soul seems to always ring true. Miss C. has absolutely piercing eyes - jaw dropping gorgeous.

Watch out boys - heart breaker on the loose - for sure. :0)

I'm blessed to have crossed paths with Miss C. and her Mom during my photography endeavors. I'm so thrilled to know them and look forward to when I can shoot with this young beauty again soon. Thank you to "C" and her Mom for everything. They are truly a great family!

Blessings, Angie

S-L-A-C-K-E-R

2010-11-15T17:12:00.005-05:00

Nope...no baby Seaman yet. We are still here - big, HUGE, and moving reaalllllyyyyy slowwwwww. It just dawned on me that I haven't blogged in a week. I'm such a slacker. You can tell I'm a little busy getting ready for our new little guy to arrive, eh? We have 16 days until he makes his grand entrance into this world so needless to say, I'm a bit frantic at this point. I've been working my tail end off with photo shoots and events so that I can stay busy and keep my mind off the nervous jitters. With each shoot I do, my feet and back pay for it royally because of how far along I am. I shot for a charity event this past Saturday night and must have looked miserable or just "bad" overall. I had some lady walk past me and go..."you poor thing." I didn't know whether to feel good about her sympathizing with me or be hormonal and ticked that she clearly felt like I looked like some "poor thing." LOL! I laughed with her and moved on but it haunted me the rest of the night. Every 10 feet someone stopped me and would say things like..."You are having a baby, right?" I would answer with..."I sure hope so!" :) If not then I'm getting ready to give birth to a small country of hippo's. You can tell they are scared to ask in case I'm not really pregnant. One of these times I'm going to get brave enough to joke with them and tell them "No" when they ask if I'm expecting. I'm dying to just see the follow up look on their face if I were to tell them "no." Yes, I'm mean and hormonal. It's a good thing I only have 2.5 weeks left or my practical jokes could get real bad. Hee hee!

I have a couple more magazine shoots to do in the next two weeks and then another creative shoot this Saturday at the crack of dawn. After those, I should be able to take it down a notch and just wait out the big day. I want to keep moving because in the back of my mind I know I'm going to be home bound for several weeks - unable to drive or get out at my leisure as I normally would. So...I'm taking advantage of being able to run around like a chicken with my head cut off and am totally relishing in how great my abdominal muscles feel right now considering how they are about to be sliced open - end to end - in 16 more days. Gross I know. The thought of not being able to get up and down out of chairs and/or my bed on my own for a bit after the c-section makes me cringe. The idea of having stitches in that spot again makes me sick at the mere thought. Having to look at the incision site for the first time following the surgery is always the worst. It takes mental preparation for me. Lots of it! I'm asking all of my prayer warriors to please just pray for me regarding a safe surgery - a fast recovery - and of course a very healthy baby. We are down to the wire friends. I still can't believe how fast these past 9 months have gone. The staff at Starbucks is fixing to miss my morning drive thru visits for oatmeal and an iced carmel machiatto every morning. LOL! They know my order like the back of their hand. Decaf, nonfat, and 2 brown sugar packets with my oatmeal. They too finally got brave enough to ask if I was expecting the other morning. I've only been going there EVERYDAY for the past 6 months. My oatmeal craving has been too strong to deny and they've got the best. It took them this long to finally ask me if I was pregnant. I explained that yes...I was...and they've helped soothe my cravings during my past two trimesters. According to one of the staff members, I'm known as the "brown sugar lady." I guess there could be worse names in life, eh? :0)

This week is set to be a busy one. (what's new?) It makes the days go by so much quicker to stay busy so as I said...I'm totally ok with this schedule. I can't believe I haven't run this kid right out of me yet but he clearly likes his womb. And I like him staying there until December 2nd because I want my parents here in time for his arrival. It's awesome to know that my Dad and Cathy will be here before I know it. They come in on the 1st of December and I'm so ready to see them and spend those next couple of weeks with them. My Dad is even bringing me some boxes of coco wheats from good ol' Indy. For some reason, the Florida grocery stores do not sell coco wheats here. Criminal I say, Criminal. Brennen and I have been craving coco wheats for a year now. And yes, speaking of a year, can you believe that on the 20th of this month - this Friday actually - we will have lived here for one year already? Crazy how fast that time has flown too. 12 months, 9 months, man a lot has happened in that short little time frame. God's plans are amazing aren't they?

Happy Monday evening everyone! xoxo, Angie and baby Kr_____

(only 16 more days and you guys will finally learn the name of our new little guy to be)

FAMILY BEACH SESSION - NAPLES, FLORIDA FAMILY BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-11-09T17:10:00.001-05:00

I know I said that I was going to try and keep my photography blogging separate from my personal blogging but sometimes it is just too tough. Sometimes you have sessions that you just "have" to share because the families or clients were so great to work with. This family beach session that I did in Bonita Springs a couple of weeks ago is no different. They were a great looking family with an adorable little boy that was such a hoot to watch on the beach. He loved the sand and the water as do all other kiddo's his age. These are just a handful of my favorites from the session...

I loved these images so much that I decided to order some sample canvases of them as well as update my business cards with a couple of them.

As you can tell, it was just another beautiful night here in sunny southwest Florida when we did the shoot. The beach was stunning as always and made for a gorgeous back drop.

By the time I was done with the shoot, I truly looked like I had just had an accident in my pants. I had been sitting in the water and sand - right at the break in the shoreline - in order to capture these adorable smiles from this cute little boy. I wouldn't have had it any other way. He made my job so fun that night.

Mom and Dad worked well together when it came to getting these shots. What a team!

When I was going back thru my images from this particular session, Brent saw the above shot of the Dad with his little boy running toward the birds and said..."That is such a cool shot!" And again last night, Brent reiterated how much he loved that one in particular.

And this shot below...I just fell in love with it. I don't know why but I have. I adore the way he is hanging on to his Mommy & she is there to protect him from falling into the waves. Something about it just really symbolizes the love, loyalty, and protection between a mother and her son.

And the sunset in the image below...WOW! Paradise everyday!

There is something so captivating about family sessions on the beach. Some of my own personal favorite family photos were taken here in SWFL on Sanibel Island at the beach.

If you are traveling to this area and would like to schedule a session with me for family beach photos, feel free to email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com

If you are local and would like either a beach session or a shoot done on location elsewhere around town, look me up. I'd be honored to work with you and your family. I travel to Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Sanibel Island, & Naples of course. If you are outside of those areas listed, shoot me an email and let me know where you do reside. Sessions outside those locations are an option for an additional traveling fee.

A huge thanks to the "R" family for allowing me the opportunity to capture some of their family memories on the beach. I had a ball working with them!

Blessings, Angie

CREATIVE SHOOT - NAPLES FLORIDA FASHION MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-11-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

Nothing fuels the creative juices like shooting with fellow photography friends.

One of my favorite things to do is get out and shoot with my photography buds here in Naples. It keeps the inspiration going and keeps your creativity fresh. Yesterday was no different.

Four of us got out and shot together - pulling in a 1920's theme for the day. Melinda's brother in law loaned us his 1929 Nash vintage vehicle as a RAD photography prop for the afternoon. It made for a great backdrop and had people walking up off the street to get a closer look at it. It definitely drew some serious attention. Well that, the 4 big alien bee lights we had set up around the car and and of course the beautiful model we had as well.

I love the fashion girls who know how to move without being told what to do. They are naturals at this modeling thing and they move with ease, grace, and pure confidence when on a shoot. Mariana behaved in this same way yesterday. She was UH-MAY-ZZZINNNGGG!

The two male photographers we had with us in our group kept calling her a contortionist. She could pose and get into positions that didn't seem humanly possible yet still make them look like she was meant to be that way. Crazy cool!

Mariana ROCKED that 1920's theme but toward the end, her hair came down and she ROCKED it yet again...

Her coat matched the car perfectly. It was a must use. (even though we have gorgeous palm trees overhead in the background. LOL!

Loved the gritty 1920's processing of this one. It was the perfect "action" for what I wanted to convey in the photo. It nailed that era in a dramatic way.

A big thanks to fellow photography peeps Melinda, Matt, and Alvaro for helping to make this such a rockin' shoot. I can't wait for the next one. A few of us have actually pulled a group together that will meet once a month for creative shoots like this as well as to help further our learning of photography together. With so many master minds in the photography world here in Naples, I'm just thanking God I landed amongst all of them. They are a huge support system to me and many of them have become great friends of mine since moving here. Our first meeting together is this Thursday evening and I'm hosting. Figured I'd better volunteer to host first before Baby Seaman arrives in the next 23 days. Speaking of baby Seaman, his crib arrived on Friday and is now beautifully put together. Brent tackled that job on Saturday and did a fine job of it if I do say so myself. I've ordered some custom bedding and was assured it would arrive before he does. Therefore, I'm on pins and needles waiting to get it in the mail within the next 3 weeks. I can't wait to see what it looks like once we get it all in the crib. We have the mattress in place and the new angel care baby monitor ready to go. My hospital bag is packed - aside from make up and things I use here at home everyday - which will go in at the last second. His diaper bag is packed and ready to go as well. The car seat and stroller arrived last week too. We haven't put the car seat in the car just yet because like the crib, Kenidi thinks it is hers and that she needs to climb into it all the time. We knew that was coming though. LOL! Laaawwwwdddd help us! When this baby does arrive, we are all in for a really nutty few weeks until she gets used to him being around for good.

Until the next post, enjoy your Monday.

xoxo, Angie

SHOSHANA - SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPES FLORIDA

2010-11-03T11:46:00.004-04:00

Because there is absolutely zero graffiti in Naples, Florida...this graffiti wall was specifically made for this senior shoot event. It was painted by a talented artist here in the area and used solely for the purpose of this shoot.

Shoshana is gorgeous in every way and really knows how to ROCK the graffiti wall with every pose and every movement.

I've had the honor of photographing Shoshana on a couple of different occasions now and she never dissapoints. I love working with her.

Her candid smile that was captured here says it all. Thank you for another great shoot Shoshana. You are gorgeous girl! Blessings, Angie

MR. FOOTBALL - (SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPLES FLORIDA)

2010-10-31T13:25:00.006-04:00

I had the great honor of photographing Mark at a senior session with him last weekend. He was a breeze to work with and handeled his session like a pro would.

It was a beautiful day that afternoon so we managed to capture a some great shots outdoors.

These are just a couple of sneak peeks for Mark and his family.

Thank you for allowing me to work with you Mark. It was a pleasure.

If any of you are in need of senior portrait photography, please let me know. I'd be honored to work with you on a different and unique set up that reflects you and your senior year in high school.

Blessings, Angie

NEED AN EVENT PHOTOGRAPHED? (NAPLES, FLORIDA EVENT PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-10-28T20:27:00.005-04:00

Do you have an event or function that you need photographed? A birthday party, a charity ball, a baptism, etc.? Ever had a want for a "photo booth" at your event? Well if so, hit me up. Not only do I specialize in family, children, maternity, seniors and engagement photography...

I also specialize in event photography as well. If you have a party or event of some kind that is quickly approaching and would like to have a photographer on hand to capture all of the "fun" and "candid" moments from the day/night, I'm your girl. :-)

Email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com with your photography needs. Details and pricing for my event photography sessions can be found on my website at http://www.angieseamanphotography.com/. I'd be honored to come shoot for your special party, charity, or function. Blessings, Angie

MY SON, BRENNEN (PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY)

2010-10-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

Last night we hit the beach. Just Brennen and I. I love those one on one moments I get to spend with him. They are far too rare these days. I took him to run some photography errands with me this weekend and then we stopped off at an impromptu dinner at Chili's. I love how he opens up to me when it is just the two of us. Not to mention the chocolate molten cakes for dessert that get us both pinging off the walls. :)

I took these shots of him while we were at the beach last night and I can never get enough of his eyes and eye lashes. Those things are lady killa's. No joke! They are the window to his soul and just so happen to be gorgeous all at the same time. When I posted this photo of him on facebook, a friend wrote and said "WOW! He looks like a little James Dean here." I hadn't noticed it but now that she said it, he does. Of course when I told him that, he had no idea who in the world James Dean was. I tried explaining that he was the "Robert Pattinson" back in the day. That helped a bit I believe. LOL! However, I went googling old vintage photos of James Dean and stumbled upon this one that has always been one of my favorite ones...

He is one handsome young man if I do say so myself. He is also one very excited big brother whom is counting down the days until his baby brother finally arrives. Brennen has begged and pleaded for a baby brother since he was at least 5. It's been a long time want of his and it's finally coming true. He is so excited that he keeps a countdown tracker on his iphone with how many days we have remaining until baby Seaman's birth. As of today...we have 35 days exactly. Five weeks to go. Thirty five more sunsets until life changes drastically for us yet again.

When I look over these images, it's hard to imagine that one day soon he'll have a little brother to frolick in the sand with and teach how to surf/boogie board in these beautiful Florida waves. One day soon I'll be taking photos of not only Brennen and Kenidi but of a new little guy together with them as well here on the white, sandy, shores of Naples.

In the meantime though, I'm going to relish in these one on one moments with Brennen like the dinner out this weekend, the photos at the beach last night, the funny times in the Halloween store as we shop for his little sister a costume and the life size "Jason" from Friday the 13th scares him to death. Again, he had no idea who "Jason" was. Friday the 13th, "Freddy" from nightmare on Elmstreet and the "pinned head" Hellraiser dude were all long before Brennen's time. It's just one more confirmation that I'm getting old. Really old.

Brennen is actually helping me out with a photo shoot this evening on the beach. I have a scheduled client/family that I'm doing a beach session for in Bonita Springs tonight. We'll be back on the beach together again - only this time - he is my helper - positioning reflectors and such where I might need them. The boy has an eye for photography. He really does. He impresses me when on shoots together because he sees things and opportunities that even I have yet to see. I love his extremely creative mind. He has always been that way too. Creative with everything. This morning, after getting his little sister on the bus, we hopped in the car early and headed down to Starbucks together. We had breakfast there, jammed to a little bit of "Bruno Mars" tunes and then I drove him to school. It's mornings like this that I enjoy so very much. I'm thankful that he comments on how he likes doing it as well. In a few short years he'll have his own car and be driving his own self to school. Those early morning breakfast dates out with my handsome son will be non-existent. For that reason, I'm soaking them up like a sponge in the sea. I'm treasuring those little dates just like I do the gorgeous Florida sunsets. You can never have too many. You will never tire of them - no matter how many times you've been present within their beauty...

Thanks to my stud of a son for entertaining me with his presence this past week. I love you dearly...with all my heart...to the moon...to the sun...and back.

Love Mom.

THE "C" FAMILY - NAPLES FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-10-19T16:06:00.005-04:00

On Sunday I had the special priviledge of photographing a family of five here in Naples. We shot at "The Estuary" Country Club and boy was it beautiful.

Meet the "C" family. Their children are just too adorable for words.

Photogenic is a word that best describes them. Actually that word is an understatement.

And here is one sneak peek of a quick family shot. They were a phenomenal family to work with.

Big thanks to the "C" clan for making my job so very easy.

Much love, Angie

THE "G" FAMILY - NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-10-18T16:46:00.004-04:00

I was able to photograph this adorable family a few days ago here on the beach in Naples. This is just a small sneak peek for the Mama. LOL! I absolutely love this shot of her and her husband pictured above...

And this last shot was a candid one that I took as we were done with the shoot and leaving the beach. I give the kiddo's suckers at the end of my sessions and his blue eyes just lit up like the stars here. I had to capture their brilliance as the catch lights hit them. :)

Thanks to the "G" family for allowing me the opportunity to work with them. What a great family!!! I look forward to seeing you guys again when you come back into town in the future.

Also, I've had a ton of emails recently asking me if I'm still taking photography sessions due to my impending maternity leave. The answer is yes. I hope to keep working all the way up until the end of November before giving birth to our soon to be new little on on December 2nd. With only 6 weeks to go until my maternity leave, session openings are filling up fast. Feel free to contact me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com if you'd like to book a session with me. Sitting fee pricing can be found by clicking HERE.

Enjoy your week, Angie

BRIDAL - TRASH THE DRESS (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-10-15T05:07:00.000-04:00

Meet Mrs. M. Love her! I know "M" from the photography group we both belong to and on this occasion, I got to shoot her in her wedding gown shortly after her wedding to her beau in Romania. "M" is from Romania and she is such a sweetheart. As you can see, she is also a true beauty to boot.

I'd kill for those blue eyes of hers. Soooooo not fair!!!

This old banyan tree made for a fantastic back drop on this day. What character this ol' tree has. "M" only enhanced its beauty.

"M's" dress fits her perfectly. It is stunning on her! Of course I don't have to tell you guys that though. You can see it here for yourself.

This last shot below was a candid moment that I captured. Love her smile here and again - her eyes. So fun. So beautiful.

Thank you "M" for allowing me to photograph you on this day. I had an absolute ball with ya as did everyone else. CONGRATS again on your recent nuptials.

Blessings, Angie

BEGINNER ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

2010-10-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

Looking to learn how to use your camera better? Want to learn how to take better photographs of your kids? Do you want to get off the little green "auto mode" on your camera and learn how to shoot in manual instead? Does learning how to get those creamy/buttery/blurred backgrounds like the pros interest you? If so, look no further. I'm once again offering the next round of photography classes via Angie Seaman Photography. This is just a reminder that the next class begins October 4th, 2010. Registration is still open with a spots remaining. If you are interested in taking a beginner photography class that teaches you the basics of beginner photography, how to better use your camera and its settings, etc., then this class is for you.

The course is done online. There are no specific times each day that you must check in for class. You'll be given private access to a forum/discussion board where you can log in at any time throughout the day - as much or as little as you'd like. You make your own schedule. Some people check in everyday, others just check in a couple of times of week. We have one lesson a week that is posted on a certain day. Once posted, you are then given an assignment to do which pertains to that weeks lesson and what we've learned thus far. All questions and notes will be posted on the forum for everyone to read so that we all learn together. It's a very laid back atmosphere with zero pressure. You can participate as much or as little as you prefer. Of course the more you participate in the class, the more you learn. You have one week to turn in each assignment. I then "constructively critique" your assignment and let you know how great the shot is and/or how you can improve for next time. I'm on the board/forum everyday so I'm always there when someone has questions or needs additional help. As for what I'll discuss or teach during the 4 week class, here is a list of just some of the topics that we'll learn:

1) Getting tight and close with your images
2) Uncluttering a photograph
3) Framing your images in camera
4) Composition (rule of thirds) when shooting
5) ISO
6) White Balance
7) Changing up your angles
8) Aperture Priority Mode
9) Avoiding and forcing the flash
10) Your cameras highlight warning & what it means
11) Learning your histogram
12) Exposure compensation
13) What is burst/continuous mode?
14) Shutter Priority mode
15) Getting those soft creamy/blurry backgrounds like the pros 16) Graduating to "manual mode." ...and many other topics along the way.

Here are just a few of the comments and feedback I've received from past classes:

"This class has been amazing! I used to consider manual settings as impossible and scary but now that's my 'go to mode' and my camera is constantly set on it! All of a sudden my camera can do so much more than I ever realized it could... and that's all thanks to Angie! She is an incredible teacher, she's so encouraging and was willing to help whenever I had questions. I am so much more confident when using my camera now, and I finally know what all the numbers mean! I can't recommend this class enough, it's SO worth it!" ~Caroline

"Simply stated, this class was priceless. Angie has a unique way of explaining photography terms in everyday language that is easily understood. She is open and honest in the way she approaches photography. And she is encouraging and extremely "hands on" through out the entire class. The class forum is unlike any other I've ever been apart of. It's simple and easy to use. Angie invites questions of all sorts and answers them completely for each student. Angie Seaman is very gifted and artistic. She loves art, she loves life, and she loves sharing with the world through her pictures. Above all else, I've learned that "beauty is in the eye of she who holds the camera!!" ~Amanda in Texas

"This class ROCKS, as Angie would say!!! I have a Nikon D60, and have for the last year, I learned more about the options/menus of my camera in the first week, than the entire time i owned it!! I was able to tackle things, that I would have not tried, and really enjoyed it!! Angie is a great teacher, she is easy to communicate with and speaks in "human" terms, when it comes to teaching.. I was very happy taking this class, it is has been a great experience and very rewarding!! I am even more addicted to my camera than I was before, and I actually know how to use it, now!! Haha!" ~Christina in California

"Angie Seaman really knows her photography! She is a passionate teacher who is able to connect with all of her students. The forum is well organized and easy to use. I highly recommend taking this class. It is truly a gift that I have given myself. I encourage you to give yourself the same gift and sign-up for Angie's photography class! You are an amazing teacher and I love how you take complicated topics and turn it into manageable chunks for beginners to understand. I enjoy reading your writing and your personal photography is beautiful. I love how this class was organized as well. You can tell that you put a lot of time and effort into this class. Thank you very much! I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone. Plus, I can't wait to take other classes that you offer. I will continue to be a loyal reader of your blog and I am always available to give feedback to potential clients or customers." ~Bernie in Maryland

"I don't know if I can sum up how wonderful this class was in only a few sentences...I'll try. This photography class was hands down amazing! I was a little hesitant to sign-up for an online class thinking, how much can I really learn through the Internet?, but I totally proved myself wrong with how much I have walked away with. Before I was terrified of every button on my DSLR and now with Angie's stellar lessons and consistent feedback I feel more confident in capturing our life's important moments. Thanks again Angie...please keep me on your e-mail list if you should do a next level up class (okay you have to do another...no pressure)." ~Meg in Texas

"I am a busy mom of four kids. My lack of knowledge with my camera prevented me from trying anything other than point and shoot situations. Time is of the essence and I also needed someone I could trust to show me the ropes (not someone trying to sell me products or with their own "spin"). Enter Angie Seaman photography classes! Through Angie's class I learned what makes a photograph great, how to read all the settings on my camera (this was BIG for me) and it also took the intimidation out the huge manual for my camera. This class is easy to understand and simple to follow. I recommend to anyone wanting to sharpen their photography skills in a short amount of time. Thanks Angie!" ~Kristin

If you are ready for a basic, beginner, photography class...go HERE to sign up. From there, you can walk thru the registration process. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com. Don't wait...only two days left to register. We'd love to have you join us. Blessings, Angie

TRASH THE DRESS - PART 7 (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-09-26T18:23:00.003-04:00

I had the great honor of photographing this beautiful girl for a small smidgen of our Trash the Dress shoot out a few weeks back. I loved her style and her trendy way of standing out. Her converse tennis shoes were my favorite part of her attire. :)

A huge thank you to Miss "S" for allowing me to photograph her during our shoot that day. She was totally adorable!!!

I apologize for slacking on the lack of blog posts here lately. I've been working on some shoots for a local magazine here in Naples and therefore some of my normal blogging routines have been put on the back burner in the last week. Bad Angie! I hope to be caught up by the end of this week. Thanks for hanging with me in the meantime. :)

Much love, Angie

BEGINNER PHOTOSHOP POST PROCESSING TECHNIQUES CLASS

2010-09-22T11:07:00.003-04:00

Ever wanted to be able to take a photograph like the one on the left and edit it to reflect an even better image such as the one on the right? Many times we take great images that can be made even more stellar with the help of photoshop. If you've had an itching to learn beginner photoshop editing techniques, you've come to the right place.

If you find yourself a newbie in the world of photography wanting to learn how to implement/use photoshop more with your images, we have the class for you. On October 13th, I'm offering another "watch me work" LIVE photoshop post editing class. The class is held LIVE via a webinar from my computer to yours. You will be able to watch me take images from point A to point B in the post editing process. No software is required for this class but if you have a version of photoshop or photoshop elements, you'll be taught techniques to play around with once class is over. (I'll be using Photoshop CS4 to teach the class) During the class we will discuss such techniques as eye popping, color popping, cropping, curves, layers, masking, opacity, tools/tool bar, brief color correction, sharpening, work flow, and so much more. You will also be given links to discounts for such things as photoshop programs, actions, and textures, overlays, and so forth once class has ended. The discounts alone are well worth the cost of this class. Speaking of cost, it is $99 per person for the two hour LIVE class with me. Date and time are October 13th from 7-9pm Eastern Standard time. If you'd like to purchase a seat for this class, you may do so by going to my photography website HERE. Click on the "classes" page once there and register/purchase via pay pal.

PLEASE NOTE: This is the last class of this type that I will be offering this year. I'll be taking some time off and on maternity leave thru January/February of next year. Therefore, please get your seat in this class while you can. Only a select few spots left. Seats are going fast because everyone knows I'm taking the end of the year off due to my pregnancy. Should you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to email me at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com If you are seeking a beginner photography class that discusses the basics of photography as well as how to use your camera, we also offer beginner photography classes online that run for 4 weeks. To sign up for it or any other class, visit my website and click on the "classes" page. All details and registration can be found there.

Looking forward to having you join us. Blessings, Angie

WHAT TO WEAR - SEPTEMBER ISSUE

2010-09-21T11:00:00.001-04:00

Here is a quick installment of my "what to wear guide" for the month of September. Fall is upon us which means all of the warm fall tones are a must. No need to be all matchy-matchy when it comes to family photos now days. This line up is a perfect example of how to coordinate yet avoid looking like the Bobbsey twins. LOL!

Much love and happy shopping... Angie

IN THE STUDIO - NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-09-20T10:51:00.005-04:00

I had the fun opportunity to shoot with a young girl in the studio the other day and here are just a few sneak peeks for her and her family.

Can someone say "knock out eyes?" Awesomeness!

Miss "L" was extremely nervous for the shoot but she knocked it out of the park...

And you know how much I love "color," right? Therefore, when she walked out in this adorable little number, my heart was happy. The colors in her tights were so perfect! And beings that my favorite color of all time is turquoise, she really had me jumping up and down with joy. :)

A huge thank you to Miss "L" for allowing me to work with her. We had a blast!

On a side note, these next couple of weeks are the last 2 weeks to sign up for my online beginner photography class. It will be the last online beginner class I offer for this year due to my upcoming maternity leave. Class begins on October 4th. I won't be offering this particular class again until 2011. There are some seats remaining if you'd like to join us. Feel free to visit my website for more details. (click on the "classes" page) XOXO, Angie

SUNSET SESSION - NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-09-10T12:40:00.001-04:00

Last week I got the honor of photographing a young girl for her modeling portfolio. This was the first time she had ever done photographs for a modeling spread. However, you'd never know that by looking at her images here. She seemed like a natural and could have fooled me. If you were watching her, you would've thought that she had done this 1000 times over again. She didn't seem nervous or stiff to me in any way, shape, or form. In fact, she was very footloose and fancy free in my opinion. That type attitude always makes for a very laid back and casual session with no pressure. Her relaxed demeanor plays out big time in these images...

We went to my favorite spot here in Naples...what I call Secret beach. Secret beach is near the location that my friend Lacey gave me a heads up about when we first moved here last year. Her parents live here in Naples so she had told me about a spot far out of the way where little to no public traffic is present. When you go there, there are usually very few people. And when you walk farther south, you run into the end of the coast line and it opens up into nothing but vast ocean. It's a great place to go and feel God's utmost presence. It's just you, him, and the sea. I absolutely love it there.

On this particular night though, "Miss A" had a stalker. LOL! I chuckle about it now but at the time it really wasn't funny. Long story short, we were approached by a very strange man on the beach who started out inquiring about why I was taking photographs of her. He tried to pull the "Oh yeah, I majored in photography" card so that he could continue chatting a bit longer. He moseyed on down the beach for a bit but came back to us a short time later. "Miss A" was changing her clothes and while she was away, he approached us again and this time asked if he could "join in on some shots with her. If so, he said...I can position my knife I have on me to be hanging out of my mouth during the shots with her." He also mentioned something about getting in the "bushes" and taking some shots with her there and so forth. Needless to say, we were quite spooked at this point. Luckily we had another male photographer who had joined us for the shoot that night and therefore, we weren't alone with this idiot. After explaining to him that his ideas weren't an option, he eventually left but not after having stood there for what seemed like forever - just not going away. UGH! For Naples, this kind of individual was a rare breed. I've not encountered anything like that before while here. He clearly reeked of alcohol and was not from around here. By the time I got to my car that night, darkness had completely fallen and I found myself repeatedly thanking the big man upstairs for keeping us out of harms way. That could have turned into a really scary event had someone not being watching over us.

Aside from that ordeal at the end of the night, the beach was as beautiful as ever during this session. If there is one thing I can be sure of, it's that we live in paradise everyday here in Naples. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm so blessed to be able to call THIS my "office."

And I'm even more blessed to photograph clients that know how to work it...like this...

As I listen to everyone we know back in the Midwest talking about how the temps are cooling down and Fall is approaching...I find myself remembering that this is why we moved here. It's this time of the year that Florida is known for. From October thru May, it is the place to be. And here "we be." I'm so looking forward to Florida's Fall temps and the weather cooling down a bit. It's good to know that we'll be far far away from the snow and ice of the Midwest this again this year. Being on the beach during this shoot that night reminded me even more of why I love the shoreline so very much. How could you not love the beauty of the sand and the sea?

And for the end of this particular session, we broke out some paint. Yes, paint. This client was up for the challenge and totally ROCKED the paint idea. I mean can you get anymore gorgeous??? Just look at her...

I had a ball! Thanks Miss A. for allowing me this opportunity to work with you. I just hate it that you don't live here in Florida so that we could plan more sessions on a regular basis - minus the scary weird dude of course. Ha ha! You were way too much fun!Let me know if you are ever back in the area and want to hook up for some future sessions.

As for this evening, the "hubs" and I have dinner plans with some friends. I'm off to go conquer some errands before we head out tonight. Tomorrow, I have a fun job in another city within Florida - shooting at a Pirate Festival. I can't wait to see what kind of fun images come from that event. Then, I have a family session scheduled for this Sunday morning. Lots going on. Good times ~ good times! Hope all of you have a spectacular weekend. Until Monday, tu ta lou! XOXO, Angie

TRASH THE DRESS - PART 6 (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-09-08T12:43:00.001-04:00

This beautiful young girls shoot was toward the end of our day. By this point, we were really "trashing" the dresses as we photographers like to say. No more staying clean, prim, and proper, it was time to get down and dirty. And when I use the term "dirty," I mean that literally...

My bride for this shoot rolled around in that bug ridden mud like it was cotton candy or something. She had no fear. No worries whatsoever about getting dirty or bit by anything running rapid on the ground. To say she was stunning is an absolute understatement. Beautimous...

We have a very large Banyan tree at the front of our neighborhood like this one below. I love them. Totally perfect for a picture spot. We utilized it and another one near the shoot to the fullest extent when at this location.

The only problem was...just about 1/2 way through this session, we noticed that the bride had tons of ants crawling up and down her feet and legs. The ants here in Florida are potent. Most of the time they are the red fire ants which bite and hurt like you know what. They attack with a vengeance. Our crew panicked. The bride never flinched even so much as flinched though...

Thankfully, we looked around and low and behold we found a garden hose nearby. The initial thought was to spray the ants off her legs with it. But one quick glance at the hose, the dirt, her, etc. and all of a sudden...the garden hose became a photography prop. A quite awesome one if I do say so myself.

Love those impromptu images. Love love love them! They are the REAL moments on a shoot.

A massive thank you to Miss B. for allowing me to photograph her on this day. You were such a trooper girl. I couldn't have asked for a better client. :) Another set of thanks to Michele Galuppo and Nancy Joseph for their hair and make-up magic with this bride. Awesome job yet again ladies.

It's about 12:40pm on Wednesday and I'm now off to tackle the rest of my to-do list before a family shoot I have tonight. I'm slowly but surely making my way through the 'must do' tasks for this week. Maybe one of these days I'll wake up with a free day with absolutely nothing to do, eh? Nah...prolly' not! :( Wishful thinking I guess.

Much love, Angie

BEGINNER PHOTOSHOP POST PROCESSING TECHNIQUES CLASS

2010-09-04T14:13:00.005-04:00

(Gorgeous "before" photograph taken by the talented Angie Seaman Photography student, Allison Pete. "After" image post edited by Angie Seaman.)

Ever wanted to be able to take a photograph like the one on the left and edit it to reflect an even better image such as the one on the right? Many times we take great images that can be made even more stellar with the help of photoshop. If you've had an itchin' to learn beginner photoshop editing techniques, you've come to the right place.

If you find yourself as a newbie in the world of photography wanting to learn how to implement/use photoshop more with your images, we have the class for you. On October 13th, I'm offering another "watch me work" photoshop post editing class. The class is held LIVE via a webinar from my computer to yours. You will be able to watch me take images from point A to point B in the post editing process. No software is required for this class but if you have a version of photoshop or photoshop elements, you'll be taught techniques to play around with once class is over. (I'll be using Photoshop CS4 to teach the class) During the class we will discuss such techniques as eye popping, color popping, cropping, curves, layers, masking, opacity, tools/tool bar, brief color correction, sharpening, work flow, and so much more. You will also be given links to discounts for such things as photoshop programs, actions, and textures, overlays, and so forth once class has ended. The discounts alone are well worth the cost of this class. Speaking of cost, it is $99 per person for the two hour LIVE class with me. Date and time are October 13th from 7-9pm Eastern Standard time. If you'd like to purchase a seat for this class, you may do so by going to my photography website HERE. Click on the "classes" page once there and register/purchase via pay pal.

Looking forward to having you in class. Blessings, Angie

TRASH THE DRESS - PART 5 (NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-09-03T11:53:00.001-04:00

Many of you might remember this beautiful girl from one of my sunset portrait shoots on the beach back in April of this year. I fell in love with her look at that shoot and love her even more so now. Miss "M" was part of the trash the dress event as she wore her prom dress for the day. The blue of his dress really just radiates her beauty even that much more. It is a great color on her and goes wonderfully with her hair and skin tone.

Miss "M" is just a teenager but she has the maturity level of an adult. She too, climbed right into this swamp water for this shoot with no issues whatsoever. Brave girl. Very, very, brave.

Her look is one that is a force to be reckoned with. She looks like she should be on the cover of Vogue magazine or something. Stunning girl. Absolutely stunning!

There were three other young girls who participated in the prom event as well so I snapped this shot of the three of them while out in the water. The gal wearing the ivory dress is the one who ended up with the HUGE water spider on her dress while photographing a different image that day. Ewwwww! All three girls were beautiful and exuded total confidence while out in that murky water.

I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with miss "M" twice now and hope that one day our paths will cross yet again. Thank you to her and her family for allowing me to photograph her during this shoot. I had a ball! Another shout out to Michele Galuppo for the magnificent hair on miss "M" for this event. You can find Michele for your wedding style needs by going to her website HERE.

I'm off to lunch with a FAB girlfriend of mine here in Naples. Hoping everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend. Until part 6...

Much love, Angie

TRASH THE DRESS - PART 4 (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-09-02T20:27:00.002-04:00

I'm slacking on getting my blog posts up for today. Bad Angie! I attended a PTO meeting at Brennen's school this morning with a neighbor/friend and then came home to edit some images from a sunset beach session I had last night with a beautiful young girl. (more to come on that later on) Aside from that, I've been trying to edit other sessions from my Indy trip in between these most recent ones and also keep up with my current beginner photography class that I'm teaching while planning for the next ones in October. It is a crazy busy time but I found myself thanking God for the busy schedule today. I am so blessed to have met so many new friends and new connections here in Naples. It is through those new friends and networking that my business has really picked up and is taking off. I am so thankful and appreciative for those willing to help spread my name and refer me to others. Word of mouth is the most important marketing tool in photography as far as I'm concerned. Therefore, those who are referring me to others they know are scoring some serious brownie points with ol' Angie here. LOL! I always knew Florida would be a great place to plant my photography business year round and that it would just take some time and patience. That patience is really paying off now. I realize that all of this - all of the new friends - all of the connections - all of the new and wonderful clients, etc. all have to do with God's hand. He had this planned well before I ever complied with Brent's decision to move here. It was all in the works already. I'm constantly finding myself thanking God for the blessings in my life that are so not deserved yet are bestowed upon us anyway.

With that said, I'm back to sharing part 4 of the Trash the Dress sessions with you guys. This is Mrs. V. Mrs. V's hair was done by the FAB Michele Galuppo again from Wedding styles by Michele. Her make-up was done by the great make-up artist, Nancy Joseph. These ladies are some serious dose of talent and can ROCK out the hair and make-up department like nobodies business.

A massive thank you to Mrs. V herself for allowing me the opportunity to work with her. She was another perfect bride during the shoot. I'll be continuing the posting in regard to the rest of the sessions over the coming days. I have two or three more to share just from this one event alone. Then...on to some sessions from this week including the beach session from last night which involved lots of different colored acrylic paint being squirted on our subject for the shots. Oh yes...stick around. Those shots are a must see as well! :0)

And last but not least, I've gotten several emails recently from many of you blog readers asking me how I'm feeling regarding my pregnancy. I can't thank you ladies enough for caring. So far everything is progressing as one could expect. I'm praying that God continues to allow this pregnancy to progress in an uneventful and very healthy manor. Other than feeling like Shamu, I'm doing good. The heat likes to give me a run for my money every now and again but I carry constant water on me - especially during my on location shoots here in Florida. Last night during my session, I ran out of water. (Yes, I drank all that I had brought with me up to that point) So...I made a quick call to Brent who was in the area with the kids. Him, Brennen, and Kenidi ran me some HUGE bottles of water over to my shoot on the beach along with a massive cup of ice. I was in heaven. It's amazing how much water can allow you to keep going when you feel like you might not be able to. Sitting down for a couple of minutes at a time helps as well. Thankfully the no-seeum bugs have left me alone and I've managed to avoid getting eaten alive while outdoors during the sessions. Thank goodness for the Avon skin so soft bug spray that I can use safely while preggo. Love that stuff! As for my weight gain, I'm keeping it down as well. I've gained a total of 12lbs thus far and am almost 7 months now. I'm totally OK with that amount and hope to continue to keep it low. I'm doing way better at this point than I did with Brennen and Kenidi. With Brennen I gained 60lbs. total and with Kenidi I gained 40lbs in total. Needless to say, I didn't need that kind of extra "fluff" with this pregnancy. Shame it took me three pregnancies to figure out that eating for two is really just a mental misconception. LOL! Although a great excuse to eat, I gave up that mind set this time around and am so thankful that I did. Praying the scales remain good to me as I enter this last trimester.

The next question on everyones mind is "Do we have a name yet?" No. Not really. Well...maybe. Ha ha! We are leaning toward one name in particular and it wasn't any of the options I originally posted here on the blog. So, if we go with it, it isn't one that you guys will have heard before. I'm keeping it tight lipped because I don't want anyone trying to sway my opinion of it at this point. If it works for us, I want to keep it that way without hearing why it reminds so and so of so and so or why they'll call him this if we name him that, etc. Thus why if we do decide to run with this particular name...it won't be shared until he is born. You guys know how much I love dragging out secrets and surprises here on the blog anyhow. Right? Soon. Very soon.

I'm off to get the kids in bed now and gear up for my train wreck of a show, Jersey Shore. I can't believe Brent and I watch this junk but we do. We aren't right. I realize that. There is something fun about being "not right" though. HA! Enjoy your night. Until tomorrow... Angie

TRASH THE DRESS - PART 3 (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-09-01T11:08:00.001-04:00

If I would've had a photographer look at me and say "OK, now it's time to get dirty - let's head into the swamp pond," you would've seen me take off running like a bat out of hell. No joke! However, this bride was ready for what was dished out to her. She climbed into that muddy swamp - alligator/snake/fish pond - like it was just another tub of bath water she was climbing into. As her feet hit the squishy mud, I never heard a "I can't do this! or OH gross!" Nothing. She just walked right into it and then worked these images like a PRO!

Many of you have emailed me or posted on facebook regarding how scared you were for these brides being in this environment. Trust me...no one was more scared for them than me. Ha ha! I had my eye out the entire time for anything that even so much as moved a millimeter within that water. Aside from the baby tadpoles and the one gigantic water spider that was on one of the brides at the end, all went down without any trip ups.

Mrs. C's make-up was done by Gabby Verderamo from Salon International here in Naples, Florida. Another awesome make-up artist, clearly! And her hair was done by Daniel at Salon International as well. Such great talents!

I'm still amazed at how these make-up artists and the hair stylists got these brides to look so great after 3-4 hours in the hot Florida sun. Their make-up never ran, their hair never faltered. The rest of us present on location however, looked like a crew of fireman had just hosed us down from head to toe. Literally! There is something to be said for the work these creative masters did with hair and make-up during these sessions.

Another big thank you (again) to my Naples Photography girlfriends for holding my reflector over Mrs. C's head in some of these images as I captured the shots. I couldn't have done it without you Megan and Jennifer. You girls ROCK!

On a side note, my last set of photography classes that I'll be teaching for this year are up on my website and ready for registration if any of you are interested. The last beginner photography class of the year begins October 4 and runs for 4 weeks. If you have ever wanted to learn how to use your camera, what all of the functions, bells and whistles are about as well as learn the basics to taking better photographs, this class is definitely for you. I'm also offering one more photoshop post processing class on October 13th. This is the class where you watch me work LIVE on images straight out of the camera. We take those images from point A to point B in the post processing editing stage. If you are new to photoshop or have photoshop elements and would like to learn beginner editing basics, jump in on this class with us. There are only 10 seats available for it. Seats are going fast in both classes because everyone knows they are the last ones I'll be offering until next year due to my up and coming maternity leave. YAY! 26 weeks this week - only 13 more weeks to go before baby Seaman arrives via c-section on December 2nd. Can you tell that I'm excited? LOL!

So...if you are interested in any of the above classes or even some one on one LIVE photoshop training that is conducted privately between you and I via computer, click HERE for more details or to sign up. If you reside in Florida and would like to spend a mentoring day with me one on one, I offer private training for photography, cameras, and editing during my mentor sessions. There are plenty of options for everyones needs. I'd love to have you join me in any of my classes for last half of this year. Until tomorrows part 4 - "Trash the Dress" post - enjoy your hump day.

Blessings, Angie

TRASH THE DRESS - PART 2 (NAPLES, FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-08-31T10:52:00.001-04:00

And here we have part 2 of the "Trash the Dress" sessions. Mrs. R (featured here on the blog today) had the most beautiful skin ever. It was literally flawless in every since of the word. I ended up with great lighting in this particular area where I photographed her. I have my fellow photography gals to thank for that whom assisted in holding my good ol' reflector for these shots of her while I clicked away. Teamwork at its finest! LOL!

If you could see right behind where she is sitting in these pine needle type things above, you'd see that there is standing water here and there around her. I was sooooo afraid that a snake or something was going to come crawling out from underneath this thick nest of needles. I sat down there at one point to get low and shoot but then quickly got back up because the thought just gave me the heebie jeebies. HA! Again though, this bride never complained. Just like the others, she did exactly what was asked of her with no qualms whatsoever.

This woman's beauty made my job so very easy. She was a natural. Of course I don't need to sell you on that part. You can see and feel it from these few sneak peek images here.

Need I mention the gorgeous back drops once more? The area was so lush and so beautiful that when I look back on these images, they almost look fake. Trust me...they weren't. And the brides who had to crawl thru this stuff can confirm that. LOL!

I wanted to give a big shout out to Michele Galuppo of Wedding Styles by Michele. She did Mrs. R's hair for the event on this particular day and totally ROCKED it. You can find Michele here in Naples, Florida via her website HERE. When Michele isn't working on one of her own brides for a wedding, you can find her doing hair at Salon Mulberry (also in Naples). And speaking of ROCKIN' the look, Mrs. R did her own make-up for the shoot. Can you believe that? She looked spectacular. A HUGE thank you to Mrs. R herself for allowing me the opportunity to work with her. You are beautiful and I was truly honored to shoot for you this past weekend. :)

Until tomorrows part 3, enjoy your Tuesday everyone. I'm off to tackle some laundry that has been calling my name in the dryer. BLAH!

Much love, Angie

TRASH THE DRESS PHOTOGRAPHY - PART ONE (NAPLES, FLORIDA LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER)

2010-08-30T11:27:00.004-04:00

I'm still alive. No worries. It's been a while since my last blog post but I'm really here - just way bogged down at the moment with my kids school events, photography sessions, editing, feeling like dog crap due to a horrendous sore throat and cold like symptoms, etc. However, the positive in all this is that I'm still moving.

With that said, I'm going to be sharing some really cool photography shoots with each of you over the coming days. I had the "RADDEST" day ever this past Saturday when I shot 6 different brides and some prom girls for a few "Trash the Dress" sessions. If you are unfamiliar with what "Trash the Dress" photography is, the new fad now days is to get married and then do a photography shoot where you literally "trash" your wedding gown for the fun of it. Some old school brides cringe at the thought of this but the younger women of today want to ROCK out their gowns one more time and put it to good use on a separate day other than their wedding day. I personally wish I could have had that experience back when I got married. My dress sits in a beautifully wrapped storage box with my coordinating vail and has been there for almost 16.5 years now. It's just sitting in there - doing nothing but collecting vintage time. I've had it out of the box twice in that entire 16 years. What a waste. Therefore, I think the Trash the Dress brides are awesome and totally cool for wanting to destroy their threads even after spending thousands of dollars on them in today's age.

For these sessions, we were granted permission to use a sanctuary type area behind a local church. The sanctuary consisted of a marsh type area with lots of wooded swampy paths. Total snake territory but thankfully the only snake I've heard of was the one in my garage - UNDER my car - last Friday night. Brent claimed he killed it once he got it "shooed" outside into the driveway. However, 20 minutes later, that "dead" snake found life again and was gone. Yes, I'm paranoid that he is now plotting revenge and looking for a way into my house at this point. So much for my snake killer husband. Epic fail! LOL!

Anyway, back to the shoots...the first hour we kept the brides "clean" and didn't do too much trashing. The images I'm showing you today are of one of the brides who stayed pretty clean for the most part. The dirt will come in the shots I share later in the week. And when I say dirt, I mean mud and alligator infested type swamp water. Oh yes...we got down and dirty in some of these shoots. Today's images were shot in the marshy type area off the beaten path. By the time I was done with this session, I had blood rolling down my legs and had sucked down two bottles of water. The blood was from the wild plants in the foliage we kept climbing through and the heat was so intense that this 6.5 month pregnant Mama was about to kill over and die. I think someone said the heat index that day was 105 even in the shade. You should have seen how sexy I looked by the time I got home. Covered in mud, blood, swamp water, and sweat. Oh yeah...I was a real beauty. The stuff we photographers do for a shot. I tell ya'!

The backdrop for these shots was incredible. The whole property was a photographers dream. I was in total heaven - even while fearing a snake would come hissing out from underneath a log or that I'd go home with some parasite from swamp water after all was said and done. Yes, I've watched one too many episodes of "The Monsters within me" on cable. Ha ha! The fear was transferred into an absolute rush in every sense of the word. I was on a complete high throughout the whole experience. The event has had me pinging off the walls for the past 2 days.

I commend this bride for climbing on tree logs and through marshy areas barefoot. She never complained and her make up stayed perfect in that heat. It was amazing. I looked like a drowned rat from how much I was sweating and here she sat - beautiful and untouched from the elements. In a nutshell, Mrs. A ROCKED this session to the fullest extent.

A huge thanks to Mrs. A's make-up guru, David Frohmberg from Salon International here in Naples, for his time and energy that afternoon. He did a fantabulous job. I'd kill for eyes like what he gave Mrs. A. Stunning! And Carol from Salon International did her hair. Beautimous! Beautimous!

Aside from the heat, the day was spectacular. There were a few times where my eyes glossed over and went all spotty - just like you see the moment right before you pass out. Each time that would happen, I made it a point to go sit down in the shade with some water and regain my composure before shooting any further. I knew I had to take it easy with baby Seaman in my tummy. Thankfully, I got thru all the shoots without any mishaps. An hour after getting home and re-showering, I felt like I was coming down with the flu or something. Immediately my brain went to a parasite embedded in my scalp or something. LOL! Actually, it has just knocked me back a few steps with a really bad sore throat and chills, etc. I'm praying it makes its exit in the next day or so. I'm over feeling so blah and yucky.

In the meantime, stay tuned for the remaining "Trash the Dress" shoots to be featured here on the blog this week. Thank you to Mrs. A for the opportunity to work with her. Such a fun shoot!

Much love, Angie

URBAN GRUNGE SESSION - INDIANAPOLIS CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPLES FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-08-17T12:07:00.004-04:00

I had the privilege of photographing 3 adorable little boys last week while I was in Indy. We used the graffiti buildings my Dad and I found as their backdrop. I was craving an urban grunge shoot while home beings that I don't get that opportunity here in Naples due to the clean, modern, and new environments here in the SWFL area. There are a couple of hundred shots from this shoot so it was very difficult to narrow down the sneak peek shots. However, here are a grouping of my favs from that evening.

The above blondie made my job very easy. Although I didn't get many full blown smiles from him, he is clearly very photogenic and doesn't take a bad photo. Such a cutie!

Here are some shots of his awesome older brothers...

Needless to say, I had a ball photographing these boys. Brent and Brennen came along for this shoot with their Mom and I to play security and photography assistants for us. We weren't in a great part of town and were definitely glad that we had Brent there as a male figure to help us feel more safe during the two hours that we traipsed around the ins and outs of these old buildings in this run down neighborhood. With the amount of locals that passed us though, no one ever bothered us or even came close to acting as though they would. It was a perfect location and I couldn't have had better clients to ROCK out this backdrop.

If you reside in the Indiana area or in the Southwest Florida area and would like to schedule a future shoot with me, I'd love to work with you and your family. Whether you are after a family beach session or an urban grunge session, we will make it happen. I'm still taking appointments up thru the beginning of December for as long as I can or until Baby Seaman decides to make his appearance. Right now they have my delivery date tentatively set as December 2nd. It will be set in stone at next months appointment. Therefore, my goal is to work right up until that date - God willing. The doc reminded me yesterday at my 6 month appointment that I only have 15 weeks to go. Only! LOL! I can't complain though, it seems to be flying by. I hesitate to say that out loud in fear that I'll jinx us and slow things down but this pregnancy really truly is cruising along. Now, if we could just decide on his name, all would be well in the universe. Wink wink! :0) For now though, I'm going to keep shooting and keep working. So email me or give me a call directly should you like to book a session with me. Thanks again to the three "E" boys for being such natural rock stars during our time together. I can't wait to order some more sample wall canvases using their images.

Much love, Angie

FAMILY SESSION FUN - INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA PHOTOGRAPHER, NAPLES FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

2010-08-13T11:58:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of photographing my friend Kari's family while in Indiana this trip. The session was sure to be a tough one because we had a larger group and harsh mid-afternoon sun. However, we had to make it work because that was the only time of the day we could squeeze in a session together. In the end, her large group number in attendance and the harsh sun were no match for the adorable family that they are. They all nailed the session like they had done this 100 times before. As you can see, they are such a great looking family which always makes for incredible images.

These are just some quick sneak peek shots that I promised her until I can get back to Naples and finish editing all of the others this coming week. The images above and below are of their absolutely adorable sons. They totally have Kari's eyes. I'd kill for eyes that looked like theirs. Soooooo not fair! And then you add in their golden sun kissed tans and you've got even more unfairness. LOL!

A HUGE thanks to our friend Lori for allowing us to use their backyard as a back drop. It was gorgeous out. We had to fight that notorious dappled light with a vengeance but with a few extra very helpful hands, we managed quite well.

I'm still working on editing the images from my urban grunge session I did the other night with three adorable little boys. They too, ROCKED it, and I cannot wait to share their images with all of you. It's about 12pm in Indy right now and we are planning to get back on the road and head out - toward Naples again - around 6pm this evening. I am not excited about the 18 hour drive back given that my pregnant feet and ~~cankles~~ legs are already swollen up like shamu from the time I spent shooting in the heat over the past several days here in Indiana. Oh the joys of pregnancy in the summer heat. Until now, I've never had to experience this because both of my other pregnancies were grown throughout the winter season. Between the charlie horses in my legs and the swollen extremities, I'm over it!

Please help us in praying for safe travels as we make our drive back to Florida over the next two days. Our departure tonight is bitter-sweet. Reality has hit and it's painful. This will be the last time I will see my Dad until baby Seaman is born come the first of December. It's going to be a very long 3.5 months. :(

Until Monday's post...be safe and have a superb weekend. I'll be updating from the road via facebook again. Much love, the Griswald's (a.k.a The Seaman Clan)

PURPOSELY DROWNING REALITY

2010-08-06T13:10:00.001-04:00

As most of you know...we are back in Indiana enjoying two weeks of visiting with friends and family before heading back to Naples. We are doing a little bit more of this today. Chillin' by the pool - in the wide open sunshine - like ducks wading in water. The rafts are out in full force. The sun tan oil is lathered on nice and thick and my Step-Mom's homemade chicken salad has filled the tummies quite nicely. Baby Seaman is the newest lover of Cathy's mad skillz' in the kitchen. Oh yes, my tummy is happy this week. I'm sure my OB won't be though when I step back on her scales come next Monday. I'm quite positive that I'm in for the lashing of my life. :)

My Dad just came home from his office to grab a quick sandwich for lunch but is now headed back into work. It's just the kids and I again. Lucky for us, Dad and Cathy will have the next four days off from work. Although the kids will be with their other Grandma tomorrow evening and I will be with my girlfriends for a much needed and anticipated sleepover until Sunday afternoon, we'll meet back up with my Dad and Cath on Sunday evening so that we can enjoy their days off with them. I hate that they miss work on the account of us but I have to admit that I'm so appreciative that I have parents who care enough to want to spend every little waking second with us that they can. Brennen will be taking off this evening to go camping into tomorrow but Kenidi and I will be hangin' with my Dad and Cath until we all head off our separate ways tomorrow evening. I love the down time and the no-stress, no drama, life when I'm home with them. You can cast all your worries away into the brilliant blue waters of the pool and just float carelessly away on bright, yellow, sunny colored noodles all day.

Real life? No. But for the moment...I'm sooooo pretending that it is. In three weeks, my kids go back to school and reality hits hard again. You better bet your heiney that I'm relishing in this vacation time with my family until the day to day routines of middle school and 2nd grade set in again. Early mornings wardrobe fights, school bus pick ups at the crack of dawn, homework, sporting events in the heat, etc. are all floating on the bottom of my Dad's pool right now.

Drowning.

I have no intentions of trying to save those tiresome events either.

A HUGE thanks to all of you who've made this trip so grand thus far. You each know who you are. I'm so thankful for such incredibly awesome people in my life.

Lots of hugs from Hoosierland...Angie

THE URBAN-GRUNGE BACK DROPS I SO DEEPLY MISS

2010-08-04T00:21:00.003-04:00

When everyone hears me mention the urban-grunge environments that I miss so much when it comes to shoots/photography in Indiana, this is a perfect example of what I mean. These type of graffiti-ridden environments are non-existent in Naples, Florida. My Dad and I actually found this location one day when we were headed back to his house for something one day last Fall. I've been dying to get here and shoot ever since. I couldn't wait to come home to Indy and utilize this spot for the backdrop of a photography session (which you will see soon). These are just some images of the area itself and how overly cool it is.

I love art and I love color. Therefore, it is a no brainer that I'm infatuated with an urban-esque style setting. The run down old buildings that have been here for years and the neighborhoods in general cannot be replicated. You know the type - they are the areas where you really shouldn't be because technically they are quite dangerous parts of town. For me though, that rush or the adrenaline is what makes a shoot like this so much fun. You are off the beaten path, out of your comfort zone, totally out of the box in regard to your normal world. With those qualities, the shoots come alive and provoke so much creativity from behind a lens. When I scout and find locations like this, they truly make my heart skip a beat as I pull up on them. They inspire me in ways like nothing else can.

I've got a notorious reputation as a photographer for jumping/hopping fences, being run off private property, etc. One of my favorite photographer mentors is Tamara Lackey. I remember her saying to us in Atlanta last year that if we haven't been run out of somewhere yet as a photographer, then we aren't in the right locations or we aren't doing something right. I laughed when she said that because I sooooo agree. When you hear me joking about how I hope I don't end up in jail when I'm out location scouting, this is why. I have a tendency to push the envelope a tad bit when it comes to finding really cool backdrops. Today was no different. I went back to the area that my Dad and I found last year and scouted out my plan for my upcoming shoot there. I was startled by a few "where did you come from" individuals that popped up out of alley's or from behind buildings without me expecting it. Dangerous...yes. Fun...heck to the yeah! I know, I know...I have issues. Either way, these spots are why Indy runs deep in my veins when it comes to photography sessions. I can't get this look in Naples and quite frankly...it ticks me off. A girl needs some dirt, some grunge, some old, some rustic, some scary - every now and again. Naples is so daggone clean and new that it has me wanting to vomit it times. I want nostalgia, history, and buildings that have literally seen hell and back. I want the scary, "don't you dare go there alone" areas.

The old abandoned lots are the best. When I see a "no trespassing" sign, my brain instantly says..."ooohhhh, let's go in there." It's like how Tim McGraw sings, "I need you like a needle needs a vein." Well, I need graffiti and grunge like I need to oxygen.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not at all saying that I'm all like 'she-ra' or like some total bad a_ _ that thinks she can take on a gang that might meet me behind one of these buildings or in a dark alley some day. I will tell you that I pray like a crazy woman every time my feet hit the concrete in these areas though and I KEEP praying until I'm back in my car with the doors locked again. God is my 'homeboy' though and I have total faith that he can whoop a whole lot of gangsta's. I don't care if you are in the crypts, the bloods, or the east side mafia. God has to watch over me like Edward has to Bella in New Moon. I'm constantly provoking an onslaught of total stupidity when it comes to scouting. LOL!

Like this shoot I did for a young girl last summer, I'm always "misbehaving."

Needless to say, I'm having a ball back home in Indiana. Aside from the fun of scouting, it's been great to hang out with my Dad each day, wake up in their house to great food and tons of love, chill by their pool with the kids, see my dearest friends, frequent my favorite stores and restaurants in town, etc. I'm hitting the North side again tomorrow as I am scheduled to take Mr. Popular, (a.k.a Brennen), to another one of his friends houses up there. That kid has me on a tight leash these next two weeks while running him here and there all over kingdom come to see his pals. While on the North side again tomorrow, I'm having lunch with my gur-fren Karen and then the two of us are hitting my favorite cupcake shop for dessert. (Holy Cow Cupcakes) Good times! Good times! There is so much I miss when I'm not here in Indy so I'm trying to soak it all up while I have the time. We won't be back to Indiana again until next year sometime after our new little one/baby Seaman is born. Therefore, I'm making the best of this trip while I have the time. :)

Until my next post... ~Angie

PS...All photos without the young girl in them were taken with my iphone 4.

WHAT TO WEAR GUIDE - JULY 2010

2010-08-01T12:01:00.001-04:00

Some of my clients love help with "what to wear" for their photography sessions. Here is a quick updated version of some outfits/pieces that would coincide together and make great colors within a family image. These fashions are all from the Gap, old navy, and piper lime shoes.

Blessings, Angie

DISNEY FUN

2010-07-28T19:45:00.000-04:00

It just dawned on me recently that I forgot to share some of our personal family photos here on my photography blog of our recent trip to Disney. I shared the images on my AGD design blog but forgot to do it here. Therefore, here are just some simple "sneaks" at our time within the most magical place on earth...

I LOVE COLOR! There was color everywhere. It truly makes my heart skip a thousand beats when I see life that is full of color...

I grabbed this shot of the rustic water tower for house of blues because it made me miss the beat up, old, run down, urban settings I like to shoot at back home in Indiana. Since moving to Naples, we just don't see "old" here like we did in Indy. I miss those urban sessions in a bad way. My camera lens and my soul is craving some artful graffiti and some dilapidated old buildings. :)

This shot of the fireworks below was taken with my iphone camera. Not the best quality but you get the point...

And finally...I slowed my shutter speed way down on my camera to capture this shot of the Disney electric parade. Such fun to get 'funky' with your camera. LOL!

Hope all of you are having a great week. Until next time... ~Angie

BEGINNER PHOTOSHOP POST PROCESSING CLASS

2010-07-27T17:56:00.001-04:00

BY POPULAR DEMAND!

After a full year of being asked to offer a post processing techniques photoshop class, I've finally taken the leap and decided to schedule one. So many of you take my beginner online photography class and then want more. I've been asked to conduct a level 2 photography class as well as the post processing techniques class. For now, I'm going to embark on the post processing request and see how it goes. If this class is received as well as the beginner photography classes, I hope to continue offering it in the future (schedule permitting baby Seaman's arrival - and for those who've asked...no...we still haven't agreed on his name yet. LOL!) Anyway, the first photoshop post processing techniques class will be offered LIVE on the night of August 18th from 7:30pm-9:30om. What does LIVE mean? It means that you will log onto a site and watch/hear me walk thru photos and post process them right on your computer screen. You will need either a phone or a set of headphones with a mic (preferred option) for this class. I use the headphones which Brent got for me from Radio Shack one time and I love them. They allow my hands to be free during the classes. For an hour and a half (maybe a bit longer given how the class goes), you will get to watch how I would post process images. You will be able to see my computer screen LIVE and hear me in real time as I teach you the process of going from point A to point B with a photograph that came straight out of the camera.

Each student in the class will be asked to submit 5 photos of their choosing. I will select at least one image from each student - maybe more - time permitting and edit those images in front of you via our computers. The cost per student is $99 for that 1.5-2 hour class. I am only allowing a maximum of 15 students for this class. I know it is a much smaller number than we normally offer for the beginner photography course but the reason being is time. I want to be able to answer all of your questions and get thru as many images as I can so I intend to keep the class # low to stay on schedule that evening. If you are interested in the class, feel free to sign up HERE. I have already had numerous students ask for me to hold them a spot. I cannot hold spots until payment has been made. Therefore, act quick! This class is and always has been in high demand.

Minor details...yes, you can join us if you only have photoshop elements. Some topics discussed won't be an option for your software program but they are still good things to learn for when you make the upgrade to the full photoshop program. We will also be learning things that DO pertain to what you can do in Elements. If you have an older full photoshop program like CS or CS2, you can still take the class as well. Also, you do NOT need to have gone thru my beginner photography class in order to take this one. We welcome you either way. However, if you've taken my beginner class...this class will be that much easier to understand. For those still wanting to land a seat in my beginner photography class that starts online this coming Sunday evening, you can also register HERE for that class too. We have a few seats remaining and intend on those to sell out before the end of the week this week.

Lastly, here are just a few of the topics we will discuss/touch on in the post processing photoshop techniques class (geared toward beginner photoshop users)...

1) Tools/Tool bar
2) Cropping
3) Curves
4) Layers
5) Masking
6) Opacity
7) Opening/Saving images
8) Color correction (we will briefly touch on this topic)
9) Sharpening for web & prints
10) Workflow11) Hue/Saturation12) Popping colors13) ...and so much more

I will also give you a link to a particular website that has great discounts on Photoshop programs at the end of class. I'm also hoping to have a couple of other photographers donate a discount code for some of their textures/actions that I will be using in the class. In the meantime, please let me know should you have any additional questions about this class. Register HERE...now!

Looking forward to having you in class, Angie

BEGINNER ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

2010-07-18T09:01:00.004-04:00

Looking to learn how to use your camera better? Want to learn how to take better photographs of your kids? Do you want to get off the little green "auto mode" on your camera and learn how to shoot in manual instead? Does learning how to get those creamy/butter/blurred backgrounds like the pros interest you? If so, look no further. I'm once again offering the next round of photography classes via Angie Seaman Photography. This is just a reminder that the next class begins August 1st, 2010. Many of you have already registered and I've confirmed your seat in class if you have. Registration is still open with a few spots remaining. If you are interested in taking a beginner photography class that teaches you the basics of beginner photography, how to better use your camera and its settings, etc., then this class is for you.

Here are just a few of the comments and feedback I've received from past classes:

If you are ready for a basic, beginner, photography class...go HERE to sign up. From there, you can walk thru the registration process. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com. Every single one of our classes in the past have always sold out. Don't wait...we'd love to have you. Blessings, Angie