election day 2008

I was so excited to take Grayben with me to vote today! I remember going with my mom to vote when I was a little girl and the experience of going in the booth and pulling the curtain. I know that Grayben won't remember this experience but I want him to know that he was there! I am always overwhelmed at the opportunity we have to voice our opinions and so grateful to be able to cast my vote. I hope all of you were able to cast yours as well! No matter what, this is a historic day and I am so thankful to be a part of it.

checking in...

Well, as usual I managed to eat way too much candy without doing any trick-or-treating personally. Luckily the older brother of the one trick-or-treater that came to our house took all of the Reese's cups out of our candy bowl so I don't have to worry about that this week. Just the banana Laffy Taffy. Things continue to be crazy around here but it's also really fun in the midst of the craziness. I am looking so forward to the holidays coming up and am so so happy that the season is upon us! I'll be updating the blog this week as much as I can...there is so much to post. Weddings from the summer that still haven't been posted as well as so many fun kids and families that I can't wait to share. We really have the best job ever.

And just to kick off the week, I found this picture on my desktop and thought I'd post it because it makes me laugh. This is a shot from the super impromptu maternity shoot I did of Andy and Kelly in September before baby arrived the next week. Though Andy's smile looks like he knows, they really had no idea that their photo session was being crashed by a certain sweet baby!

friends

Taking pictures of people that you love just might be the most fun thing of all. These are our best friends and their amazing daughter.

sweet girl...and fall update....

Well, things have certainly been crazy around here. And it's barely September! August is actually one of the slower months for our business. I freaked out last August when things slowed down but this year we were kind of looking forward to a few weeks of a slightly slower pace. Because of that, we decided to spend a week at the beach bookended by time with our families and friends. We ended losing almost half of our trip to the rain of tropical storm Fay but it was still nice to have a few days away.
It's clear that going to the beach will never be the same now that we have a baby but as with every part of this journey so far, the joy far outweighs any semblance of sacrifice.

But we're back now and gearing up for fall! We are so excited about all of our upcoming weddings and I can't wait to begin the mania of fall and Christmas shoots. We hope you'll see some exciting changes in the coming weeks and months. One of those will definitely be blog posting on a more consistent basis!

Also, look for the launch of the 2008 Christmas card line soon! Also, if you are interested in booking a session for Christmas cards or just want fall pictures, things are booking fast. If you need a Saturday, please email or call as soon as possible. There are a very limited number of days (as in one each month this fall) that I will be shooting on Saturdays so please let me know if you'd like a session!

Here is a shoot of a precious little princess, Ellison. She is such a sweet girl and I loved spending a session hearing all about Ariel, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. I know she brings an incredible amount of joy to her mama and daddy!

getting cuter all the time...

If this isn't the cutest thing you've seen all day...

These pictures are actually a few weeks old but we have had so much fun with these first smiles. I am amazed at the amount of time we can spend just staring at him! Things in our life have definitely changed over the past couple of months but it's really true that I cannot imagine our world without him here. These were just some snapshots on his changing table one morning. For whatever reason, no matter how tired or hungry he is, the second he lays on that changing table, he just lights up. It is so much fun!

Everyone continues to tell us that he is going to be the most photographed baby in the world. I am here to (sadly) tell you that this is not true! We're working on it, though.

life...

So...from time to time, my mom likes to send me packages in the mail. It's really awesome. Apparently she saved all of the pictures we drew, crafts we made, and notes my brother and I wrote when we were little. For the past couple of years, she will include one of these creations in with a package that she sends to me. The one that I got yesterday made Corey and I both laugh out loud. From the print, I am guessing I was about 6 or 7 at the time of composure. All that it said was this (in all caps and purple crayon):

"No one cares about me. Just my dumb brother."

This confirms two things for me, both strangely comforting. One, I love my brother. There is nothing like the connection, friendship, and laughter we share. Two, I tend to be a bit on the dramatic side. I guess that I always have been. I like to make extreme statements; sometimes this is because I really believe them. At times--okay, a lot of the time--this makes me feel like a crazy person. My emotions tend to take over the rational part of me and it's often hard to reel that back in. Sometimes though, I feel like it helps me to just really experience life. To soak it in and feel it really deeply.

There seems to be a lot of emotion to feel these days. Our life feels really full right now. Really joyful and new. Laughter feels deeper and connections to other people feel more authentic than before. I also feel stretched in new ways and some of those make me feel really tired and also very scared. It also feels like there are a lot of really hard things happening around us right now, too. A lot of things that don't seem to make any sense, that seem to be in direct contradiction to what seems so true in our own lives right now. I have been able to photograph some families lately who have been vulnerable with me in ways that have made me connect anew to what I want to do and be as a photographer. For these things, I am very grateful.

My shoot with the Edwards family was one of my favorites that I've shot in awhile. I was able to just let them be themselves and then work to capture that. For many families that I photograph, I think that this is harder than showing up for what they consider to be a typical photo shoot geared up to smile and pose. And yet it is truly my heart as a photographer. I long for families to see the beauty in their children, in their families, in their story together.

Also on that note, we had the chance to watch Steven Curtis Chapman and his family on CNN tonight talking about the dark days their family has walked through this summer. There are really no words but I can promise you that it is worth watching.

the whole world

Here are a few more pictures of our sweet boy. I know they kind of all look the same but he is just so cute and sweet in each of them. He continues to be more wonderful than we ever imagined having a baby could be.

I cannot believe that it has already been one week that he came into our lives.

In some ways, it feels like he has been here forever and in others, it feels like this has been one long day.

In every way, I cannot imagine our world without him.


We have been truly humbled by how many people have been there for us during this past crazy week. We are so grateful and honestly just overwhelmed by the way our friends and families have shown up in these past few days. There have been borrowed cribs and bouncy seats, incredible meals, a gazillion phone calls and emails, friends who have come from near and far, really fun presents, and my personal favorite: blog comments! And all for a precious little boy who has no idea.

I can't believe how much I love him. I told Corey that it is like realizing a whole dimension of love that you never knew existed. I have thought for a long time that I at least had a little bit of a grasp of how God loves us. I know that there is no way that I'll ever really understand that. But what I do know is that if THIS is anywhere close to how God loves us, I really had no idea before now.



Also, I feel like I should say that we are still working in the midst of all of this. Though we were completely surprised by little one's sudden arrival last week, we have known for awhile that a baby would eventually be coming and we have worked hard to structure our work situation accordingly. Please feel free to still call and email us to set up sessions! More than ever, we are thankful for the gift of what we do!

shout out (way overdue)

So, I'm not what you would call an ambitious girl. Not big on the risk-taking, one of those who dreams big but acts pretty small. One who can convince herself she's content when she secretly wonders if there might be more. The truth is that I didn't really know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Who really does? There were things I knew that I loved--kids and their families, art and creativity, being outside; I sure had no idea how all of those things could ever come together in an actual career. I mean, really, surely that would be a little too much to ask for, right? I spent my first few years in Birmingham teaching preschool and kindergarten and I found many of those loves nurtured by my job. Yet I always knew that it wasn't really my PASSION.

Meet my friends, Melissa and Rishay. For the first couple of years that I knew them, they were simply mothers of daughters who were in my class. As it happened, their girls moved up with me through preschool, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten. Our friendship began through chats at school parties and field trips and just simply grew over the years. I have always been in awe of the way they selflessly love their families. As I had dinner with them and their families tonight, I was struck once again by how faithful and encouraging these two women have been to me along this journey. Other than my family, they were the first two people who let me/asked me to photograph their girls. I have no idea why they believed in me or why they gave me a chance at all. All I know is that because they did, I had the courage to actually do something that I'd always dreamed of doing. For that, they deserve way more than a blog shout-out and I wish that I had so much more to give. Thank you, sweet friends, for everything.

really?

Seriously, it feels like it was just a couple of months ago that I posted the picture of Corey and me at the Cubs game on our four year anniversary. I'm not sure a year has gone by quicker in my entire life. I just cannot believe we've been married for five years. This past weekend we shot a wedding in Memphis, my hometown. It was the wedding of an old friend and there were so many people there that I had not seen since before Corey and I were married, some of them since we began dating. I feel like I have been Erin Nolen for so long now that it becomes a weird feeling to be recognized only by my maiden name again. There is comfort in it and yet it makes me realize how different I am and how different my life is because of Corey. I am thankful for that. So, anyway, I think I said this last year on my fourth anniversary but I still can't figure out whether it feels like it's been a long time or not. All I know is that I'm grateful for another year together.

Also, I have been asked who takes the picture of the photographers. This picture was taken with the timer as the camera was propped up on the back of the Volvo. In our driveway.

whirlwind.

Wow. It has been a whirlwind these last few weeks. I know that I have not been blogging well at all! We have had weddings and shoots in Gulf Shores, Huntsville, and Chattanooga in less than two weeks. We have slept in 4 different hotels during that time as well as had a ton of family and friends in town over this past weekend. And I am heading back out of town tomorrow! We knew spring would hit like this but it is still hard to catch up...

We were so honored to have our dearest friends and family in town for a baby shower over the weekend. We still can't believe that they were celebrating us! It all feels pretty surreal especially as we have no idea how long our wait will continue to last. Our sweet, sweet friends and family threw the shower for us and it really surpassed any possible expectation. I wish I had pictures to show but for once, we were on the other side of the camera! I will try to post something soon. For now, here are some shots from our impromptu session hanging out in our front yard.

Salem is walking around like such a big girl!

Little Isaac is three months old already!And, finally, some proof that I don't work ALL the time. This was one of the most fun weekends I have had in the longest time.

Blog post script: Casey came through with some great pictures from the shower! Here is one of Corey and me. Also a fun one of the diaper changing relay. Thanks, Aunt Casey!

back.

we are back from shooting a wedding down at the beach. we were able to spend a couple of fabulous days in destin before the wedding festivities began. we are learning the hard way to always plan the vacation days AFTER the work days rather than the other way around. still, it was a great few days. the wedding was incredibly beautiful and we had a blast meeting so many fun people and making new friends. i've got a TON to post so look for those this week...

wish i had some pictures of our trip to post! as usual, i've got nothing except pictures of other people!

celebrate

Once you start documenting every major event in someone's life, they start to get kind of comfortable with you and your camera. For us as photographers, this is an awesome thing. It means we get to push some boundaries and try some different stuff. We took these pictures on the night of Beth and Raja's wedding reception in downtown Birmingham. I knew that the minute Corey saw their sweet hotel room (I really mean sweet though it did also happen to be a suite...the presidential suite at that), he would be full of all kinds of creative ideas. Beth and Raja looked amazing for the big event and we were so excited to have an impromptu photo session with them. Here are just a couple of pictures from that. Though you may doubt it from these pictures, they actually were really happy to be celebrating their wedding this night. They were just nice enough to appease us with their best serious faces.

snow day

Okay, so it's the Alabama version of one but Attie and I were really excited to wake up to snow this morning. (Corey wasn't quite as excited.) My family is all in Memphis and Nashville and they keep sending me pictures of how much snow they are getting. I was starting to feel left out. Snow makes me miss people I love even more than usual because it's just not as fun to play in it by yourself. So, my mom, brother, and I have been exchanging pictures of our dogs in the snow. Here is possibly the most loved dog in the world.

Also, we have a wedding today! Our last wedding was on the cruise...what a switch.

way down here...

I like this picture of us in Mexico. If I didn't have these pictures to prove it, I might not believe we were even there.

five...

People ask me all the time about how I got started in photography. There are a lot of answers to that question, some more reflective than others. If you want a short answer among all of the longer ones, see the pictures below. A frequent visitor on the blog, this is our niece Alex. She is smart and sweet and funny and kind and sassy as can be. I adore her. I started taking pictures of her the day that she was born and pretty much haven't stopped since. Here are the pictures we took when she was turning five a few months ago.

and...we're back.

wow. i am way overdue to start blogging again. funny how you can really miss doing something but then the longer that you don't do it, the harder it is to start doing it again.

the truth is that i am excited to be in a new year that feels so ripe with possibility, both in life and in business. we really did have a wonderful break... full of all the people that we love the most. i feel like i got to do all of the
things on my pre-christmas wishlist plus a whole lot more. had some really good family time. played a lot of board games--some more fun than others but all good for future laughs. saw some fake snow at the zoo. ate a lot of really yummy food. stayed up late talking night after night. and...i actually read an entire book. it was fabulous. not even the book so much (though it did have some really beautiful parts) but the actual act of reading a book from start to finish and finding myself so lost inside of it. i discovered this really obvious thing about reading. as life has gotten crazier and crazier over the past year and into this latest season of
Christmas pictures, cards, and a new home, i had really convinced myself that i had no time for anything else. that somehow the best thing for all of the things that needed me (my home, my husband, our business, my own self) was for me to not
do anything else except work. and honestly, i am not sure there were really any options during the months of november and december. but i’m cool with that IF i can remember this: reading makes me better at the other things that
i do and it makes me especially better at being a photographer. so does listening to great music and taking some time to write in my journal. engaging with other types of art helps me with my own art.

it’s like i connect with the parts of me that remind me who i am and what i love. connecting with those things makes me feel alive in the same way that i feel when i’m taking pictures of families and people in love.corey and i have talked a lot this break about writing and what a gift that it is. here is what i love about it: i love reading something and feeling like i want to exclaim outloud, “yes! you’re exactly right. that is exactly the way that i would want to explain that thought or feeling or experience or whatever.” but the coolest part is that i didn’t even know that’s i would have described it until i read it. and it’s a connection. to me, it’s a feeling of being known, a feeling of not being alone, of being understood.

maybe--okay, really probably--this is a stretch but i feel like i have unearthed
what it is i hope photography will be in our lives and in the lives of others. that it will connect people to other people they love in ways that they had not even realized existed. so that when people see pictures that we take, they feel known in some way that they didn’t feel before. people tell me a lot that the pictures they end up loving of their children or their wedding day are the ones where they’re not smiling. it’s the ones where they see something else that is so familiar that it’s like they’ve known it all along. but they never could have descibled it until they saw it. Like I said, a stretch. And maybe just my excuse for trying to wiggle in a little extra time to read more often this year. Anyone have any good suggestions?

aside from my rambling post-vaction thoughts, there are some really exciting things coming up in the next couple of months. corey and i have been spending a lot of time planning and dreaming and we are really looking forward to telling you all the things we have in store. one of those things is a real committment to this
blog. i know that i have not been faithful in updating it but i’m asking for a new chance this year. i hope you’ll visit often. that you’ll let me know what you like and what we oculd do better. that you’ll let me know the information that could be more accessible to you. i’ve said this before but sometimes i think i’m a little too
accessible on this blog. i go back and forth about how much to reveal, how honest to be and whether i should just shut up and show my pictures already. but, for now anyway, i think this is all i know to bring. thanks for reading and happy new year.

things to look for this week on the blog:
-a special deal
-a cool, new kind of session
-the pictures from some fall weddings
-maybe one other announcement but you'll have to check back and see...

also, we gave my mom a family photo session for christmas. here are just a few fun ones from the day. it was cold and rainy but we really wanted to do it while we were in town. we literally had to cover the cameras and run to the car after the last one but it was worth it. how beautiful are my mom and sister-in-law? and the boys in my life are pretty cute, too if i do say so myself...

merry christmas!

Wishing everyone the merriest of Christmases. We are headed out of town and thus, erin nolen photography and all of its employees (all 2 of us...3 if you count Attie) will be taking a little break for the next week or so. Catch you on the flipside!

Love,
erin

beyond measure...

Okay, so my husband informed me tonight that it has been nearly a month since I posted on my blog. Wow. The truth is that we have been buried under Christmas cards, photo shoots, moving boxes, slideshows, uploading, downloading, and still more Christmas cards. It has been a whirlwind of a month! It would not be true if I did not acknowledge that there have been days when I really did not think it was possible to get it all done. My husband has worked countless hours on photography orders and editing all the while preparing a place for us to live. And though we are still trying to figure out why the plan was to move at exactly the height of our busiest season, we are more thankful every day for the home that God has provided for us and all that is ahead for us and our family to be. (That being said, no real adoption news to report. My fingerprints did finally arrive--awesome news--but now we are waiting for a couple of other things to get wrapped up. The chaos has definitely helped the waiting and I am grateful for the grace in that.)

So, I think that is the update on where I've been. I am excited to tell you that I am excited to launch "erin nolen photography's 12 days of blog posts" in anticipation of my favorite holiday of the year. I originally thought I would post for 12 consecutive days leading up to Christmas and though that is still my goal, I have decided to let this mean that I am vowing to post 12 times before Christmas. That gives me a little extra wiggle room and I am working hard these days to give myself a little more grace (is that sentence completely contradictory?).

I really want to enjoy Christmas this year. I always love it...I can't help it, I just do. Here are a few things I'm really looking forward to...

*Having our first fire in our new house.
*Finding the perfect present for someone. (I seriously have NO good ideas this year, which is really not like me. But I am hopeful that the flash of inspiration is yet to come. After all, I have not even begun my shopping.)
*Decorating the gingerbread house with Alex. (If you have ever bought a gingerbread house for a 5-year-old and then told her she has to wait to decorate it...just be ready.)
*Having people over to our new house. And being okay with the fact that it's not decorated exactly the way that I want it.
*the Andrew Peterson concert at church. I have been waiting to see this show for years. Literally.
*Going to see the Nutcracker with my mom. It's been a long time since we've been together and I cannot wait.
*Looking at Christmas lights.
*Just enjoying being with people that I love. I am so thankful for all that this year has held. I know it's cheese and cliche' but when it all comes down, it's just true. Our year has not been what we expected. There have been some tough spots. But when it all comes down, we are blessed beyond measure. Way, way beyond measure.

appliances?

So...yesterday was our 4th anniversary. Four years. What a weird number...is that a long time or not at all? I can't figure it out. I think that, for now, it does not feel like four years is a very long time. Life feels so new these days. Having a photography business--and together of all things--is definitely not where we were when we met 9 years ago or really even when we married in 2003. These days everyday, even it's chaos and busy-ness, feels like such a surprise that we're really getting to do this. I feel like I am always learning so many new things about Corey and as I learn those things, I realize that I love him even more than I thought that I did. I am a big fat scaredy cat and I know that I never would have taken the chances that I have without his encouragement and faith in me. I have seen him be so willing to sacrifice for me and to serve me when it's definitely not the easiest or most convenient thing for him. Also, he totally puts up with me when I come home overwhelmed and freaking out. And he listens and tells me that it's going to be okay. And also, he has been incredibly kind about the fact that I have not cooked dinner in about 8 months now. Anyway...there are definitely really hard days and it always seems that just when I'm feeling so good about how awesome and fun my marriage is, we have the hugest fight of the century. So, yeah, it would not be true to say that it's never hard. But I would not trade it for the world. For the whole wide world.

All that to say, we went to Atlanta last night to see the Cubs play the Braves. Anyone who knows my husband knows that he loves the Cubbies and loves to see them play. It was a beautiful night for baseball and we had a ton of fun using our zoom lenses from our way up high cheap seats. All in all, a great 4th anniversary. And we both love our new appliances. (Which is a weird choice on the anniversary gift list, by the way.)