S. Carter Studios

Well, it’s been OVER a months since I posted. I know, that’s quite unusual but the truth is,  the past 6 weeks have been too! Three dear friends decided to get married within the same five weeks! For Kristen’s wedding I was a second shooter and a number 2 in both Angi and Jenna’s weddings. I love them all dearly and, as those of you whose weddings I’ve had the pleasure of working know, I can’t do anything halfway. I also celebrated my 25th birthday, was asked to return to teach at Liberty & recaptured newlywed spirit with my wonderfully talented husband. I was able to keep our Fan Page updated regularly so some of this won’t be news to any of you who are already fans but we’ve got some AMAZING sessions coming up on this blog! Here are previews of the beauty to come!

Collin & River’s Indiana Wedding

Steve & Breanne’s lovely Lynchburg wedding & Trivium reception

John and Kristen’s Barren Ridge Vineyard wedding

Kent & Alisha’s Roanoke wedding & rooftop celebration

Solomon & Angi’s Avanel wedding

& their wedding photo booth

Emily’s bridal portraits

Daniel & Emily’s challenging & rewarding Phenix, VA wedding

and finally, the icing on the cake, all the way in Alaska!

Lane and Jenna’s engagement session

and Inn at Tern Lake wedding in the rain

Do you feel tired yet? haha. We so look forward to sharing about these events with you!

It’s time for the truth, there’s another man in my life. He’s a little too young for me but that doesn’t keep me from laying kisses all over his cheeks, fingers and toes! This summer I became part of Ezra’s life on a regular basis and I couldn’t be more thankful for the perspective he brings. I knew we’d be busy this summer and the temptation when you’re busy with weddings and editing weddings and looking at other people’s photos from weddings is to get caught up in a world that isn’t realistic and certainly doesn’t encourage any selflessness. So, God hooked me up with the best distraction ever: Ezra. As a secret project for his parents I brought my camera with me a few times to capture his silly faces and little glimpses of his life as a brand new 1 year old.

A normal day: I get there early and we play.

Then, when he gets a little grumpy he crawls up to me and this means its time to eat.

I mean really, look at that face!

Part of the reason I can’t eat bananas like I used to.

Then we get down and do some crawling.

We do this until we get grumpy again and then it’s time for lunch.

I promise, he’s teething, I’m not torturing him but just look at that expression. Have you ever sen anything so sad?

George ( a throwback from his dad’s time) keeps us company.

But the truth is, Ezra is a messy eater.

So somtimes lunch time is also followed by bath time.

Which is followed by nap time.

Nap time is very helpful for renewing.

Just one standard, 1 year photo session shot. Which is now hanging on my fridge.

I’m sure it won’t be long until he can crawl up in that chair all by himself, but until then, I’m thankful I get to be there to help!

The truth is: I worry. I fret. Is my work good enough? Will they have a good time? Does anyone read my blog? I don’t have the same equipment, how can I compete? What will I do if I don’t book any more weddings? Why can’t I be more like that photographer? My head sometimes goes dizzy with doubts and fears. There is an immense pressure to focus on recruiting more brides, bringing in more family sessions. Though I’ve loved the last two weekends off, I felt ashamed to admit that of the hundreds of brides in our area getting married on those dates, though I’d received several inquiries, nobody wanted me. It makes my head dizzy and my heart sick. There’s a problem with all of this. Can you spot it?

The problem is that all of these questions and doubts and fears have ME at the center of them. Me, me, me. I, I, I. That’s what happens when you live in you-land where everything is about you and depends on you and is devastating when YOU aren’t in control or don’t measure up. The real truth is that it’s not about me as the center of things. It’s about the Lord. When I sit back and take myself out of the center of the universe and recognize that in scripture God has told me, Psalm 136, that he has every day of my life planned for me. He knew them before I was even born! That really means that he knows when I need two weekends in a row off, he has in mind exactly how many clients that I’ll have and when I’ll have them. He has created me to be ME and that’s why I’m not more like that other photographer. I hope you can see how very relieving this is! I don’t have to worry because God has provided for me. He’s provided me with this gift, with past clients, and has a plan for every day of my future. And then what is my role? To love Him for it, to thank Him, to honor Him and to try and live in such a way that other people will see Him in my life. Somedays it’s hard for me to remember that, so that’s why I’m putting here, just in case any else reads this blog, lol, and just in case they might need to be reminded too.

God also has a way of reminding me that I do what I do for my clients. Not for the ones that I’d like to have some day. I can’t be about working and trying hard so that other photographers will want to be my friend. I don’t do it so that I can get an ego boost. I do it to be a part of capturing memories, moments and relationships. So my friends, my clients. I’m doing this for you. Thank you for trusting me and reminding me why this is all worth it!

Well, how do you start a post about your dad? I’ll start with telling you some exceptional things about my father. He can spin pizza dough in the air and behind his back. He’s been to a home game of every ACC basketball team and at one point had visited every major league baseball park in the country. He is one of the best in the country in his field. He really likes UVA and has four kids that he’s very proud of.  These are my favorite photos of me with my dad.

Photo by AJ Chan

Photo by Jenny Erdman

I can also tell you some things I’ve learned from my dad. The lyrics to at least half of all of Jimmy Buffett’s songs. How to easily manage air travel. The value of impromptu adventures and vacations. What it looks like to run your own business. How to see the good in others. How great it feels to use your talents to help other people celebrate and feel special. How to entertain three small children in an airport during a crazy layover. That nobody is more important than your family. He’s taught me about hard work and honesty. That the customer is always right and should be happy after your conversations even if they came in angry. What forgiveness looks like. He taught me brand loyalty to Toyota! That Poptarts can in fact be bought by the case. He’s taught me so much more than that but we’ll save that for future Father’s day posts! Happy Father’s day dad, you’re wonderful and we appreciate you!

I grew up in Seattle, WA. I’m a proud fan of recycling, Mariner’s baseball, beautiful snow capped mountains and Ivar’s clam chowder. When I was in high school my family relocated from Seattle to Ridgeland, South Carolina. Two BIG words : Culture & Shock. There were a lot of differences and accommodations to be made by the locals as well as our family BUT I had the opportunity to make wonderful friends and truly learn how to appreciate a little rest and relaxation. I go back to South Carolina about every six months or so to visit some great friends I have there. This time I decided to try and mix a little business with pleasure. Enter: Lauren. I’m going to give Lauren the biggest fan residing in the great lowcountry award. She all but spearheaded my trip down there and rallied the troops to try and get as many sessions as possible! I loved working with her, her brother and a best friend, Jennifer. Here are some photos from our mini sessions!

Lauren and her younger brother Jeremy took photos as a gift for their mom!

Gotta love those Carolina pines!

and mother to be Jennifer (with baby London coming soon) and her daughter Rylynn.

We finished with a few of the ladies together.

We’ll keep you posted on possible mini sessions in Ridgeland, SC, when we plan our next trip!

This is my mom. She’s wearing a clothespin on her shirt because the photo was taken at one of my bridal showers. Don’t be fooled, if she wanted to make a clothespin cool, she totally could. I have to credit my mom, she was dedicated to her education so with one baby on the hip and one on the way (with the help of my awesome dad) she got her nursing degree. She always had the right answer about what to do when I was scared on the first day of school, how to treat my many illnesses (always get some sleep and drink water), and what to consider when buying or renting a house for the first time.

We’re pretty good friends. Probably because she never makes fun of me when I bust out my camera for a picture at some ridiculous time and she’s always up for a Gilmore Girls or Harry Potter marathon. She shares her books with me because she reads faster than anyone I know and she always makes the best food. She can even make a better peanut butter and jelly sandwhich than anyone I know. Here’s evidence of how awesome she is…

Seriously, do you know someone who would do this just to humor her kids? By the way, the kids are 19, 23 & 24. Yeah, we’re often asked if we’re sisters. So thank you so much mom for everything. I love you and hope my some day children will love me as much as I love you!

There are some other wonderful mothers in my life and I’d like to send some Happy Mothers Day love their way too! Josh’s lovely mother Cindy.

And his grandmother Betty.

and my mom’s mother Jane.

Finally, a bitter sweet mother’s day as my dad’s mother Beatrice is not here but I know she’s being celebrated in the hearts of her many great grandchildren, grandchildren and children!

Angi grew up in Poplar Bluff, Missouri with her mom, step-dad, three brothers, a sister, and a dog.  Solomon grew up in Nonthaburi, Thailand with his parents, two brothers and a sister. How in the world would these two end up meeting, becoming friends, dating, falling in love and finally preparing to be married? Well, Liberty University played a key roll as did soccer, ministry, thai food, thai language & Global English school. She helped him through heart break and he helped her through a broken toe. The rest is three and a half years of history! Angi and I became true and wonderful friends while she spent the year in Thailand. She was there the day I got engaged and I was so thankful to be there when Solomon popped the question to her! I love how he makes her laugh, how he takes such great care of her & really anyone else who happens to be around him. I love how she makes him feel special, loved and important and how she cooks thanksgiving dinner for him, even in April. They are a pretty good pair if I do say so myself, so Josh and I couldn’t help but go all out on their engagement photos! This is a long one so buckle up, but enjoy photos from their 3 part engagement session!

Part 1: Cute & casual

Part 2: Ode to soccer roots

Part 3: Cuddly & Cozy Picnic…inspired by one of their favorite and frequent dates

a plate full of this month’s DIY, button flowers!

We waited a long time for this bling!

Can’t you just imagine how great looking their kids are going to be? Seriously.

That’s all for now but it’s surely not the last you’ll see of these two as we prepare for their end of July wedding!

Well, I suppose Angi really doesn’t need an introduction. If you’re a regular then you’ve seen her engagement caught on film &  slideshow, a slideshow from her shower’s photobooth, and a Hand Picked project created for the shower. I thought it was about time for me to share other shower details! I’ve been dreaming of being a bridesmaid for a few years now, I know it sounds silly, people don’t usually look forward to spending upwards of $400 or more to be involved with a wedding but I just think a bridesmaid is a very special person there for the bride to depend on and to help her accomplish the wedding of her dreams! So, I loved that part of my bridesmaid responsibilities included planning and executing a bridal shower! The theme was spring time, especially since it was primarily planned during a particularly cold and snow winter, and we were able to have 4 of the 9 bridesmaids in attendance! That’s a pretty impressive feat seeing as how we’re spread out over the world, literally!

Jimmy Cakes created the perfect cake! Funfetti & strawberry, her very favorites.

She loved it!

and cut it with a big scary knife.

Thanks to Jenna for grabbing some pictures of me, evidence that I was really there!

Angi & Solomon are moving to Thailand shortly after their wedding so we had a Create A Date themed shower where guests brought creative date ideas and the funds to make them happen! Here are some details!

We stored the ideas in the little album and she read through them all during the shower.

We also created a bouquet made of advice for her!

and tried to make things a little easier on her by filling out names and addresses on envelopes for thank you cards!

I really truly enjoyed pulling it together, with the help of some lovely ladies! I can’t believe how fast her wedding is coming up. Oh, and a heads up that some of her engagement photos will be posted on the blog soon! Here’s a sneak peak.

I met Warrick before I knew Abi. He would come over and “do homework” and eat free pizza while we watched our friend Jenna’s nephew on Wednesday evenings. Warrick made a lot more sense when I met Abi. I know that they say your spouse completes you but it’s completely true with this couple. She brings out the very best in Warrick and I think you can tell from the photos that he’s able to accomplish the same. They’ve been through some hard times in the past few years while away from home (England for her and South Africa for him) but are finally getting ready to bust out of this town and cashed in Abi’s birthday gift of a photo session! Josh and I will miss them greatly but have plans in the works to visit them in the next few years! Enjoy some photos, a little of the story of our adventures that day, and finally a video showcasing their AMAZING accents!

A note: This is a very Lynchburg session because it’s a tribute to their time here! So we hope you enjoy spotting the places you’d see if you walked down Mainstreet or ventured over off 5th!

Abi’s birthday was on Wednesday so we did what any good friends would do and celebrated with Cupcakes from Taste Selects! Warrick icked a bran muffin, I had the truly tasty Carrot Cake and Abi, after much debating, chose the Chocolate Ganache. The cupcake was too cute not to take some photos with so we did!

We shared treats and then wandered up and down Main Street for the rest of their shoot!

Abi tried the serious shot, for Warrick’s sake, I think she did pretty well!

This was too funny not to share. “On the count of three make a ridiculous face at the other…1….2…3!

Take a listen to see how Warrick pronounces his name! Also, understand why you can’t help but smile when you talk to them. So jealous of their accents. I’d try and perfect them if Josh wouldn’t kick me out of the house for assailing his ears!

Warrick and Abi – Post Shoot Interview from sabrena deal on Vimeo.

You will both be greatly missed but I’m so thankful to have gotten to know you while we were on the same continent! Love you!

Josh and I live in the house of love, aptly named by my friends who know that while we were engaged everything was the __________ of love. It made perfect sense that when we bought our first home that it would be the house of love. The house of love has been absolutely perfect for us, the most common term to describe it has been, “Cozy.” It’s true! We love to celebrate and share with friends and recently we opened the house of love to one new member: Charleston “Charlie” Deal. We rescued her from the Lynchburg Humane Society on Friday and have spent the weekend loving on her and spending great quality time with each other. Quality time can be hard to come by for a husband who works mandatory 10 hr days, 5 days a week and a wife who battles an “obsession” with being connected to the internet. But, by God’s great grace, we make it work. So I hope that you have had a wonderful, beautiful Valentine’s day celebrating the people in your life that help you understand how very loved you are, whether they are family members, friends or lovers! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Here are some photos of me and my valentines! (Photos of Josh and Me by my beautiful sister Rebecca Carter, Photos with Charlie taken by us with my Canon Powershot SD880 which almost bit the dust in a water bottle incident but lives on, that’s right CANON!)

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