Summer Vacation | Wagner Style

I know it sounds crazy, but this is the first time I've taken my real camera gear on a personal vacation. It was after our trip this time last year, I got home and downloaded all of our images from Europe and realizing "oh my gosh the quality sucks!". It was right there and then that I promised myself I would no longer 'save the good stuff' just for clients. 

I guess I had to learn the hard way that capturing my family, our trips and memories are just as important as capturing others's. I would never bring the bare minimum of equipment or my smaller camera body body to a client session, so why bring it to my highlights in life? This year on our vacation to Cali I did it up right and brought along my Mark III and a few choice lenses, and I am so glad I did. 

Ricky and I had an amazing time in Newport thanks to some good friends who let us use their beach house for a few days ( Thanks Johnny and Alyssa!!) We spent time together on the beach, boogie-boarding, ridding bikes around town and just relaxing. It was some much needed down time after a crazy spring. 

Here are some photos from our trip! 

Also, on our last day there, Ricky said we could 15 minutes of photos. "15 minutes?" you ask... my hubby hates photos, being in them, taking them, its just not his thing. ( lucky him to be married to a photographer, right? : ) 

But during our trip he agreed to take some casual photos to remember this great phase in our life. Thanks babe!

So a word of advice, bring your camera. Capture the memories you don't want to forget. 

I'm so glad I did. : ) 

www.jenn-wagner.com

Slowing Down the Crazy Train

This has been one of the hardest years of my life. 

I've been working full time in marketing and also running a photography business. 

And can I just be real honest? 

I love what I do; but its wearing on me. 

__

You always see these inspirational quotes on places like pinterest and facebook. 

and...

Short quippy statements that make you want to get up and go to the gym. 

They look so energetic; an inspiring shot of caffeine in a quirky fun font. 

But I know the truths about working hard to get where you want to go quite personally...and it doesn't always take the form of clean and stylized typography. 

Its messy. 

Its hard. 

It looks like scheduled shoots months in advance and missing last minute family get togethers. 

Its getting up before sunrise to pack your camera gear in the car and head to a shoot. 

Its working Monday through Friday and then shooting three session on the weekends in my free time. 

It means doing taxes, learning software and taking notes. 

Its running from an 8 hour workday, to a shoot, downloading, culling and then making client calls. 

Its sacrifice in the form of time with my husband, friends and personal downtime. 

Lately its kind of turned into a crazy train doing all of it. 

Its been 2 years this month that I started Jenn Wagner Photography.

I've put my mind, heart and energy into capturing the memories of others

And I. have. loved. it. 

Through the toil and the stress, its been an amazing experience. 

The work is starting to pay off. 

And I have some exciting news; news that makes calm feel calm and sleep deeply at night. 

In two weeks I'll be going part time at my marketing position so that I can focus more on my photography, my passion and my family.

Just typing it, getting it out there, feels like such a breakthrough!!

Because its time.

Time to slow down the crazy train.

Time to sort through priorities and find balance.

I've enjoyed building up this business, but I can't lie, those quirky quotes are totally right; 

Its been some really. hard. work. 

- Jenn 

Here husband let me just crouch over your back really awkwardly like im about to open up my mouth really big and eat you. | Our Christmas Photos

Oh sure. 

We look composed,  happy, smiling. A bundle of fall joy.

But I'm actually a hot mess under that adorable yellow peacoat. 

Because behind that relaxed smile is a girl that had to set, compose, frame and then run frantically into the shot, *then act *like she was naturally walking along the creekbed with her husband who just happened to lovingly throw his arms around her right when a photographer jumped out from behind a bush. and Snap! 

Perfect photo.

yeah. freaking. right. 

Let me tell you friends.

I will take your crying kids, tantrums, running out of fruit snacks and meltdowns over taking my own christmas photo every time. 

nuff said.

___

For your own enjoyment, here are some of our outtakes! 

I gave up and didn't even make it in the frame this time. And he looks totally inebriated. (love you babe)

Oh and this one. 

Here husband let me just crouch over your back really awkwardly like im about to open up my mouth really big and eat you. cool? okay yeah lets do that. 

(Ps to my future clients, when I ask you to do the hunchback-vampire pose, this is what i'm referring to... take notes).

 Hello perfect christmas photo... oh wait, *its totally blurry*. 

< Insert angry groan and stomping of cute fall boots on the leaves >

So irritated. and sweaty. 

 My husband suffered through it, patient and collected as always while I re-adjusted the tripod, stumbled over rocks running back into the shot and made him sit, stand, sit back down, quick! Its blinking go! Don't move! No lean here! Get on that rock! Hold me! Hurry hug me! 

He had no idea what was going on. And its starting to stress me out all over again just thinking about this experience. 

So lets just look at some of the successful shots! 

Ahh...

 In the end it was all worth it. 

It always is. 

Happy Holidays Friends! 

My New Website; The Process!

Meet Liz. 

She designed and helped me launch my new website.She is fantastic and it was seriously so much fun to sit and talk about what would be. During our first meeting, we talked about designs, colors  and the feel of the site.

Between the first and second meeting, Liz was hard at work implememnting the ideas we came up with for my site. She would send me screen shots and color schemes along the way to make sure we were both on the same page.

On our final meeting, we sat for a few hours, plugging in photos, working out transitions between pages and filling in little details to make sure my branding was consistent.  

The amazing Liz, hard at work. (okay we may have taken a few coffee and tea breaks : ) 

If you are thinking about getting your site designed, I highly recommend her. She is great from concept to launch time! You can check out her other work here: www.byjoyfuldesign.com

I love love love the work that she created and the easy user interface for my clients! I am so proud of my site and actually excited (for once) to give out my cards that point people to my web presence. 

Check out a few screenshots of the work she did! 

I am also very happy to join a community of people that foster creativity and sharing! Our motto is: Unique, United, Free. 

If you haven't hear of Showit, you need to check them out! http://showitfast.com/

Update! The site has officially launched! 

You can check it out at www.jenn-wagner.com

2012 Women's Leadership Conference

This last year I was able to be a part of the Women's Mentoring Program through the Tempe Chamber of Commerce. I got to meet some amazing women and learn more about what kind of businesswoman I want to be.

Fast forward to August when I got a call from Linda, the sweetest woman who helped create the Mentoring Program (standing next to me below). She and Jackie had two sponsorships spots open from Southwest Airlines to attend the 2012 Women's Leadership Conference In Las Vegas and they wanted me to go! I felt so honored and worked out details so that I could attend!

The conference was put on by the MGM Foundation. It was two days and was such a blessing to hear from some amazing women and the trials they have persevered through. There were keynotes, mentoring sessions and breakout workshops on everything from speaking with confidence, to learning how to be a better coach in our leadership.

I think the best part was really the women that I got to attend with; each one coming from different organizations and doing amazing things in their respective field. After each breakout or session we got to all talk about the things we were learning about ourselves and our approach to business. We all took away such different things from the conference for both our personal and professional lives. I personally left with a clear outline of my goal for the  next six months of life and how to make it happen. I feel so motivated and ready to rock!

Jackie works for Southwest and is an amazing woman. She made it possible through the sponsorship of Southwest for us to attend the conference this year! Thank you Jackie! 

My awesome roommate Magda! : ) 

Thank you Linda, Jackie and Southwest,  for allowing me the opportunity to attend!

Book your session at www.jenn-wagner.com

It may not seem like much; but to me, it holds my childhood, my present, and my children's future memories.

I want to take you to a place.

It may not seem like much; but to me, it holds my childhood, my present, and my children's future memories. All at once. They are seperate, yet entangled.

You can only get there, if you know the way.

And even if you knew where it was, you may drive right past it without second glance. The paint is chipping and the cushions are worn in... but to me... i like it. I like that its  old. I like that my great-grandparents spent months every summer building and painting. These four walls hold something magical to my Gill- born- heart. And they do to my brothers as well, I can feel it when we are all there together, like something magic in the universe has happened to bring our paths to cross again at this ancient stomping ground.

A place where things treasured, may not seem like much to someone on the outside, but hold meaning and value.

Its a place where aunts and uncles, learn how to be moms and dads.

Its the place we brought our boyfriends and girlfriends and went on walks together to make-out in the woods... and the place we return as spouses after a walk down the aisle.

This is where 8 used to be an adress to your fancy tree fort in the woods, where you made waffles in an ice cube tray out of pinecone debris, and coffee for the boys from rusted cans. The cans are still there and the fact that they are still there, out in the woods, all year long in our little fort brings me back to my childhood faster than any family movie.

 This is where dad taught you to use a hammer and nails... and then trusted you not get hurt as you built your way up a tree.

This is where stories start with a simple hike and end with police and search dogs and possible starvation...  they are over-exaggerated ... but we love them all the same. Cause we are Gills' and we over-exaggerate when we tell stories.

Its a place where every time you come, you see and experience something new... 

And its the place that was passed to us, and we continue the tradition by passing it on to the next generation.

This is my family cabin.

And these are the people that I continue to build summer memories with.