Monday Confessions, 2019

Maybe you were like me and were waking up to the first Monday of 2019 with calendars and to-do’s swimming in your head or maybe you too just need the reminder of the sunrise. I was letting the thoughts swirl and then I looked out my window to see this sunrise. It’s a reminder to me that a fresh day is dawning, full of new mercies.

“Anxiety is an expensive habit. Of course, it might be worth the cost if it worked. But it doesn’t. Our frets are futile. Worry has never brightened a day, solved a problem, or cured a disease. God leads us. God will do the right thing at the right time. And what a difference that makes.” ~Max Lucado

So as we have new beginnings for the year and for the day, just remember the creator of it all is here with us. We can set goals or make changes, but he’s meeting us with grace all along the way.

Sweet Summer Evening

"May you grow up to be righteous

May you grow up to be true

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you

May you always be courageous

Stand upright and be strong

And may you stay forever young"

~Bob Dylan

Enjoy this sweet summer evening session of siblings that I shot this last week. I hope it brings a smile to your Monday!

Sweet Summertime! The K Family

"Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."  

~Henry James

This sweet family session was a large multi-generation shoot over the weekend out in Maryland. The warm summer sun and slight breeze made it a perfect evening session. I just wanted to share a few this morning of these cute siblings! R was celebrating his 5th birthday on that day so it made it extra fun to capture him on his actual birthday with his family!

Holding his Grandpa's hand on his fifth birthday!

He's 5 today!

Giving his little sister a sweet hug!

Holding mama's hand

Don't you want to reach in and squeeze her?!

Love those tootsies!

Hope you have a wonderful week! This is moving week for us so say a prayer for us! Not only is it crazy with camps, VBS and life in general, I think the heat index is over 100 degrees the next few days :)

Headshots for Business and Media

     I don't know formal statistics but from people I know in real life, it's very common these days for men and women to be running independent businesses from home. I know friends doing everything from skin care, to fitness, to health and vitamins sales. With the internet, the options for running home businesses has expanded exponentially but the thing that remains is that each person wants to keep a professional online image. Are you in the market for a fresh headshot to use on your business or media? Are you ready to update a resume on online profile and need a new headshot? I am offering headshot packages but on location and in a studio setting if you prefer. Here's a recent handful of images from a happy customer running her online business! 

Headshot packages starting at just $150. Contact me today for pricing and availability, emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com

Groom Details are important too!

   As we roll into a new year and we are in the middle of the biggest engagement season of the year,  I thought I would share some ways to capture the grooms details that are important. Obviously brides get much deserved attention on the wedding day, but the groom has some things he will want to remember as well! As you prepare for your or a friends' wedding day, think through if the groom has special cufflinks, gifts for his groomsmen, a gift or letter from the bride, etc. These are the things we don't want to forget because chances are, they were thought about and planned for just as much as the rest of the wedding day!

Tips for fellow photographers:  Try to keep with the color story of the wedding for cohesiveness in the imagery (helps with prints and albums later) and also look around for masculine feeling textures or surfaces. These will help bring the details to life but be a contrast to the usually feminine and light bride's details. 

These really unique, personalized "beer growlers" were the grooms gift to his groomsmen. The snazzy bowties were a nice touch for everyone!

Sleeks groom's shoes on a whiskey barrel 

The groom getting ready is just as important as the bride! Although admittedly way less stressful usually ;) 

Groom tying his dad's bowtie with a smile. A sweet and memorable moment for both of them I am sure!

All the groomsmen together looking dapper!

   For the record today I am on my third cup of coffee, my kids have only been in school 2 of the last 21 days and it feels like a negative temperature outside. It's Friday and I feel the need to have some sign of productivity and sharing in my life. I feel a little warmer just thinking about wedding season! Images in this post shot by Emily while second shooting for @TracyFleckPhotography in 2017.  If you are recently engaged or might be getting a ring soon, check with me about available wedding dates for 2018. 

Sweet Autumn Engagement, Middletown, DE

       Dinaker slowly realized that there was another roommate in the friends house he kept visiting. Once he realized who this other roommate was, he started paying attention. Eventually though it was Rachel who suggested "hanging out sometime" and it all began there! I love stories like this, where the couple met through friends unexpectedly and slowly simmered into their own love story. Dinaker and Rachel are looking forward to a gorgeous January wedding so we took some time to get in those peak fall colors while we still had them for this session! 

Fall Senior Session, Wilmington, DE

      Fall of senior year is a super exciting time with college applications, football games and that slight taste of freedom coming with college ahead. Hannah is a sweet spirit with an artistic side and she's exploring her options for art programs in college. I have had the privilege of photographing her family over the last few years and this year it was her turn for a special session! Here's to the class of 2018!

Summer Maternity, Newark, Delaware

"Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy’s inmost nook."

- Summer Sun by Robert Louis Steveson

      I am excited to share this special maternity session with you, knowing that this sweet couple has been waiting for this day! I not only had the privilege of photographing their wedding day almost 3 years ago, but we returned to the very same spot under a setting summer sun to capture their maternity session. I am thankful to be in the business of capturing memories, to be a part of capturing a family's visual history. These moments are like little time capsules, reminding us how we felt at the time. I pray that Jess and Mike are able to look back on these and remember all the feelings leading up to the day that they will become parents! Congratulations and I cannot wait to meet little Miss :) 

Their faithful pups, Wesley & Alden joined us for a few shots as well. It only made sense, they're a part of the family too!

Under this tree was the very spot they said, "I do!"

Summer family session, Smyrna, DE

 "The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last for ever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year – the days when summer is changing into autumn – the crickets spread the rumor of sadness and change." 

―E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

It's August and I am starting to hear those crickets chirp...

   Photography has been such a great way for me to both meet new people and keep in touch with old friends. When I got a message from Brandon, an old college friend, to come photograph his family, I was excited to see them all. Brandon and Hannah have not only a beautiful family but a lovely home that's more of a farmette. They are able to have some animals to keep them busy along with their kiddos. We were so lucky to have some of the milder August weather last weekend to have an evening session. I have to say, it was really enjoyable and the kids hung in there!  They may or may not have been smiling for candy :)  What's not to love about summer white outfits, sunshine and family?!

Greg & Anna, Summer Outdoor Wedding, Chadds Ford, PA

     Do you knot the old saying that goes something like you like a man even more when you meet his wife? Well this story goes a little something like that for me. Greg was actually the first one I got to chat with on the phone because he and Anna were planning their wedding long distance. They are now Texas residents but their families are still living in Pennsylvania, which is where the wedding was going to be held. I enjoyed chatting about wedding details and made arrangements through Greg first, but then I got the pleasure of meeting Anna. She was so easy to like and I obviously could see why Greg fell for her! She is warm and can light up a room with her smile. She's an elementary school teacher, which makes a good fit with her bubbly personality. Greg is a little more reserved but as soon as he's with Anna, it all just makes sense. Their friends teased them during toasts about their differing personalities, but I can see that opposites attracted here but in the best possible way!

  All the details came together beautifully for this warm, July outdoor wedding at the Gables at Chadds Ford. The rustic details and textures paired beautifully with the simple elegance of the rest of the wedding. Greg & Anna had also planned our photo session at Longwood Gardens, which was of course beautiful! It was quite busy on a summer Saturday afternoon but it was the perfect backdrop for their first look and all those formal group shots. Somehow we made it all work and didn't melt! Warning: cuteness overload coming from their flower girl, she loved the camera and it loved her right back! Here's to Anna and Greg's beautiful wedding day! Congrats! 

Can't you just eat her cuteness up?!

Great shot by @MatthewTroutman

Another shot by @MatthewTroutman

The fountain restoration at Longwood Gardens is fantastic

Vendors:
Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Gables at Chadds Ford
Florist: Jennifer Lawn, JL Original Designs
DJ: East Coast Event Group
Cake Artist:  Kim Withers at Liberty Lane Bake Shoppe
Bridal Gown Shop: Bijou Bridal in Ardmore, PA,in house designer
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridal Jewelry: Kendra Scott
Bridesmaids Gown Shop:  Azazie
Groom’s and Groomsmen Suits: Jos.A.Bank
Wedding Stationery Designer: Britni Willis from Paperpeonies on etsy.com
 

6 months Sweetness, Wilmington, DE

    I am always thankful for photography to allow me to meet new people and make new friends. It's the best when clients and friends refer me to other new families! I was asked to come do a six month session for a sweet little man and I had such an enjoyable time photographing him along with his family. This adorable family included a big puppy as well as a baby so how could I not love it?!! The hardest part here is for me to choose what to share from the session and not just want to share the whole session. The nursery was perfectly styled and practical as well! I loved all the details! Sweet B-man rocked this session from his gummy grin with 2 bottom teeth all the way to the drool between he and puppy Solomon! As always, what a gift for me to be allowed into the lives of families to capture their memories!

Collective "awwwwww".....

Fairwind Farm & Stables, Northeast, Maryland Wedding

   Hannah had a friend that said, "you should meet my brother" and that is where it all began! Hannah met Caleb and their love story began. As the drizzle came and went on the last Sunday in May, nothing could dampen the excitement Hannah and Caleb had for their wedding day. The beautiful details like peonies and rustic farm charm had this wedding feeling like a dream. Their sense of fun and humor was in each detail, even things like the groom's cake topper that read, "I love you like a fat kid loves cake!" We had to duck in and our of rain showers to do some outdoor portraits but I think we were successful! 

Hannah's dear friend Brenda grew and created all the florals! They were just gorgeous!

Such a sweet moment as his bride comes down the aisle...

Cakes by "I have a Confection to Make" - www.ihaveaconfectiontomake.com

Congratulations you two! 

Wedding Season Tip: How to prepare your "getting ready" area

Are you engaged or going to be a part of a wedding this summer? I've been photographing weddings for over a decade and in those years, I've learned a few things about what works. A special time of day is the bride getting ready. It's a sweet combination of joy, nerves, excitement and preparations! Generally the bride is surrounded by close friends and family, getting ready to walk down the aisle.  In my experience as the photographer, I wanted to share some ways that you can make the space great for both the bride and the photographs. 

1. Have at least one window available for natural light: Natural light is usually the most flattering and is a great option for helping to light the portraits of the bride getting ready. As you choose the space for the bride to get dressed in, make sure it has at least one window! 

2. Clear the clutter: I know getting ready time is hectic. Usually there are bridesmaids and moms and everyone else all prepping in the same space but when it's time to get the bride dressed, you don't want large amounts of stuff strewn across the room. It's hard for a photographer that has to both clean up the room and style/photograph the bride. 

3. Make sure details are close by: Everything from flowers to rings to invitations need to be ready to go in the prep room. The reason for this is that the details are a huge part of the story of the wedding day and every photographer wants to make sure they're a part of the photographs. If all of these things are close by and ready to go, it makes the photography go smoothly, as well as the mood for the bride. There's nothing like realizing 5 minutes before bridal portraits that the shoes are missing or on one grabbed the bride's bouquet yet. These are important things to be ready with! (True story: 20 minutes before a wedding a bride realized her specific underwear for the dress was not in the dress bag like she thought it was. Talk about frantic and embarrassing to try to get someone to go retrieve that for you!)

4. Temperature: This is pretty self explanatory but especially on hot wedding days with lots of people in the room, everyone is going to feel better if it's not smoking hot in the room. If you can get there early and crank down the AC a few points, even better! 

5. Great attitudes: Every wedding day has its drama whether it be personal or situational. The best way to keep the environment drama-free and a good vibe to leave that stuff at the door the best you can. It can be tricky with so many emotions at play, but it's important to surround the bride with positivity as she prepares for one of the biggest days of her life! 

A beautiful naturally lit room, free of clutter was the perfect spot to slip the bride into her dress with her bridesmaids help!

Monday Confessions

          Rain on a Monday should not be allowed! It's hard to be motivated with a rainy Monday but that's where discipline kicks in. I have found myself in the middle of many tasks today but all along listening to the rain. I sat for a minute earlier and just watched it fall from the sky. It's good to just stop and take life in! I confess I've been hurried and busy and guilty of being addicted to productivity. It's a constant learning curve for me!  Im the middle of my addiction to productivity though, I've been forcing myself to slow down, even if for just small bits of time.

    One of my rest activities (I know, oxymoron right?!) is reading and I have started back in on the Anne of Green Gables series that I liked as a kid. An excerpt I read last night was Anne gathering flowers among the fields in May and she says,

" I'm so sorry for people who live in lands where there are no Mayflowers."

I fully agree as I take in the beauty of these peonies from my mother-in-law's garden! I love their beauty and their scent (the ants I accidentally brought in, not so much :) So even as it pours today, I have some reminder of how the April showers do indeed bring the Mayflowers! Have a  beautiful week friends!

Monday Confessions, It's May!

        It's May this morning and I hear the birds singing! It looks like a warm day ahead here in DE and I'm hoping the fog burns off to see the sun. Are your Monday mornings full of a  to-do list that sometimes feels daunting? Mine usually are. So here I sit, with my warm cup of coffee and just taking it one thing at a time. Here's whats on my mind to confess...

1. If you've known me for some time, you know that I swear big earrings can make an outfit (or distract you from a boring outfit or a tired face :) I am currently loving the leather earrings from Nickel and Suede  and I just wore these champagne shimmer earrings over the weekend. You know I also love supporting small, family run businesses which this particular business is!

2. I am currently listening to XM Radio's channel 61 called Y2K country. Don't laugh, it's amazing! It's all the songs I used to listen to in college and there's nothing like driving with the windows down singing Wave on Wave  by Pat Green. You should try it!

3. I confess that I am not always a huge fan of our fast paced technology driven world but I have been cracking up this week as my 21 month old climbs up on the couch and says "Lexa.." to try to give our echo dot Alexa some directions. 

4. I confess that chasing my 4th toddler in 8 years has been challenging lately. He is oh-so-cute but oh-so-feisty! It's a tricky time of him trying to insert his independence and explore his surroundings all while having no real sense of danger. It's been nice to get outside to play but chasing this kiddo is wearing me out!

5. I confess we are really missing having a dog in our family but I am trying to be realistic about the amount of living things I can take care of under my roof. I keep torturing myself looking at puppies available or dogs for adoption. I am just hoping that the right thing will eventually come along but we are just not in a position to rush into getting a pet. The kids definitely know how to get to us, like our kindergartener telling us, "We were talking about the pets we have at school and I don't have one any anymore." Knife to the heart right?! Ha.....

Well my lovely friends, I hope the week that lies ahead is a good one for you! Hope you see some sunshine today! 

Monday Confessions

Hello friends, welcome to a new week. Is it possible that we are already into the last full week of April 2017?! Our house has definitely been dragging this morning a bit. Benjamin decided to just lay on the kitchen floor as soon as he came down stairs. I sort of feel the same way after a full weekend! I've already had a full morning as well with a photo session and wrangling my beloved toddler (thank goodness for friends who help you with your kiddos so you can work)! 

Inspiration image from the most recent Magnolia Journal

You ready for my confessions? Here we go...

1. Saturday was rainy and plans were canceled so we spent and entire day cleaning out our basement! I know this is probably horrifying to some of you because how could people need to clean a basement for an entire day, right? Well for the last 5 and half years, the basement has been a collect all. I apologize in advance to our garbage collector and the earth but I feel SO much better with a lot of things gone. We took a truck load to goodwill as well! Whew!

2. I heard a quote recently from Winston Churchill that resonated with me, "America always does the right thing, after exhausting every other option." That is a lot of us right?! Trying to do the right thing but checking out all of our options first. (Anyone else watch the Crown on Netflix?!)

3. What good books are you reading friends? I just finished Freefall to Fly by Rebekah Lyons. It was a good read! Book review blog post hopefully coming soon...

4. I confess that I'm digging these light gray jeans with the open hem bottom for spring. What do you think?

5. Speaking of clothing, I am SLOWLY but surely getting back into smaller sizes so I am in a big need of a closet organization and spring is the perfect time. I'm going to check out the latest Magnolia Journal with Joanna's tips on closet organizing (Can't I just trade my closet for hers?! :)  Nothing would fit me but her jewelry but I would love to try ;)

Here's to a great week ahead friends!

Eastern Shore Sunset, Salisbury, MD

Silk Ribbons by @tornandtied (on Instagram)

Details and set up by @mandaweaver and @littlerustyshop (on Instagram)

       This image was just a week ago as I arrived at Providence Farm, Salisbury, Maryland.  I was there for the Seasidebride Workshop hosted by Manda Weaver and a handful of others. It was a great time to get away for the night, make new friends, shoot some styled sessions and think about business. It's hard being both a creative and a business person. I can't speak for all creatives but sometimes the "business" part can suck the life right out of me. I have a long business to-do list, including the update of this very website. In the midst though of all the thoughts about what I need to do though, it was good to just shoot for the sake of being creative. I'm still editing much of what we worked on during those couple days and some things are under wraps awaiting submissions but God gifted us all this beautiful sunset as we were leaving last Wednesday evening! It reminded me of the original creator and how we are in his image. 

"When you're taking on creativity, you're taking on soul work. This is not about what we do - the is about who we are."

- Brene Brown on Magic lessons podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert 

Sunset on the Eastern Shore, April 5, 2017

Monday Confessions, Apple of Your Eye

    I was trying to get in some morning reading yesterday before the morning chaos but it just wasn't happening. I got the kids settled and my first cup of coffee made, only to come across this quote from exactly a year ago on my phone. I don't know who to give it credit for but it was absolutly the most timely words I needed to hear. 

"If you’re running yourself crazy trying to be more and acquire more, to the point where your children are a distraction rather than the apple of your eye, is it worth it?

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. (Ecclesiastes 4:6) "

     I've been thinking this over for the past 2 hours and it's hitting me hard. It's a longer story than a blog post, but wrestling with motherhood, calling and priorities has been a constant in my life over the last 8 years. Even getting away overnight last week to the Seasidebride Workshop, I was wrestling with these questions. The above bible verse seems to be giving me some clarity, in that it is better to have a little less (insert material things, success, etc) than it is to have more of those types of things and be constantly stressing. The whole idea that I could be treating my kids as a distraction instead of the main subject is pretty convicting. It is my prayer this week that I can start to see ways in which I allow this mentality to creep in and pray that I would be shifting more to a heart posture of keeping my family the main focus. I think it's even more meaningful that this is Holy Week, the week of the year where we remember Jesus' last week in human form on earth.

     Obviously all the other things I am responsible for are really important as well, like teaching and this very photography business, but I need to make choices to keep my time well spent and my sanity in tact. Busy mom friends, how have you found ways to keep the correct focus? (I won't even dare say "balance" because I don't think that exists!)  

       Here's a cute iPhone shot from yesterday's egg hunt and Easter bunny visit! (I had all 4 kids there by myself so there was no chance of me having my big camera and chasing!) Hope you have a beautiful week! 

Eater Bunny visit 2017

Odessa, Delaware Family Session

Remember this beautiful wedding couple from 2013? They're old friends of mine and I adore the opportunity to photograph their growing family any chance I get! They're expecting a baby boy in the next month and we had a family session to celebrate. Their sweet Della is preparing to be a big sister and will turn two this summer. How cute is she?!

Newborn Baby Girl, Townsend, DE

"She is loveliness itself." -Jane Austen, Emma

    I am always honored to be asked to photograph a newborn baby. The miracle of a precious new child is not lost on me. I think the more I grow in age and wisdom, the more I know that it is truly an honor to get to be a part of this moment in a child's life.

    This past week, I got to meet sweet baby A and photograph her in all her pink, cuteness. As a mom, I know how fast these moments fly and how fast the baby will change. In a newborn session I seek to capture all the little details of the newborn, as well as the story of the family. This sweet family even included some fun, furry members and we didn't miss out on including them in the session! Sweet baby A was just 5 days old here!