The Perfect Vacation

Hola Mexico! 

 

Our Room View :) 

 They had the Best Mojito's 

 Swimming with Nala who is 19 years old! 

Thankful for the best guy + the best trip. 

"Vacation all I ever wanted! Vacation time to get away!" Well, now I would just love to go back! Cancun, Mexico you did not disappoint for the a first timer! This trip was the perfect break up during the midwest Winter and now we are making sure to go somewhere each year! We stayed at Moon Palace Cancun all inclusive and it was an incredible experience! We went with Zach's family for seven nights and had the best weather! The resort was so clean, the staff so friendly, the entertainment was great, plenty of pools + you can never be disappointed with an Ocean view! The beach was great but it was high tide the entire time we were there so it was not the best swimming. 

We left the resort twice, once to visit another beach near by that our wrist bands allowed and the other was to swim with Dolphins! It has been a dream of mine to do so + I am so grateful to have experienced it with Zach. A quick back story is that I wanted to be a marine biologist the majority of my childhood but dreams change but swimming with them is something I knew I wanted to make happen! They are still one of my favorite animals and exceeded my expectations in the type of creatures they are. 

Now, this was my first "beach" vacation I have taken in some time along with the longest vacation! Did I over pack? Of course. But I am glad I really only bought swim suits and just wore previous summer clothing in the evening. I could have lived in my high waisted bikini and kimonos the entire time if I had to, then I really only would of needed a backpack for the trip ;) 

I was so reset within my body + brain after this trip. The sun felt amazing and it was the perfect therapy I needed for my mind. I also would love to buy an orange law chair and may be the new color I wear this summer! Spring can hurry on up because I am longing for warmer weather, to be outside longer, sit on patios and have my skin sun kissed all over again! 

XOXO,

Johanna 

New Born Ervin

 

New born life style shoots have turned into one of my favorite things! The moments that mom + dad can just stare at the human they just created! Doing a lifestyle shoot at home is best in my option, they have the comfort for not leaving their house and the space is theirs to feel most comfortable! This lady right above was my nanny for two summers growing up! I think it is so great to see her become a mom again + capture those first few days. Though I am NO expert on new born photography, I know the first 10 days are important for shooting, that way they sleep A LOT and are easy to place :) 

While shooting newborns, its also best to keep a color scheme as well! It helps with making the photos bright + airy which is the type of photography I am striving to work my best at! Another trick is to be in the room with the best natural lighting! Usually it would be a bedroom or the living room. That extra light is SO helping when capturing the photos. 

This blog I want to be an outlet of suggestions + tips that I have learned and that have helped me be successful! I am very proud of myself for how far I have come and can not wait to see where this journey takes me.

XOXO

Johanna 

Summer Family Shoot

               

I have had the privilege of knowing this family for 3 years now! It has been such a joy seeing the kids grow + become my friends too! This family is so beautiful and I admire the love they have for one another. We took the photos at a beautiful state park! The not so funny part about this is we didn't know we needed to walk a mile each way to get there!! Defiantly a memory my feet wont forget as I wore the wrong shoes!! I guess you can say I learn a lesson with each shoot I do!! The railroad tracks were perfect + we had a great night for light! The sisters are true best friends, though 2 years apart I believe they could pull off the whole twin look for sure! 

As we are wrapping up the summer months, which makes me so sad, I can't but be excited about all the shoots I have left to do! I am so eager to shoot and get to know my camera more and more! My hope is that I can take all their senior photos in the years to come :)

XOXO

Johanna 

My Favorite the 4th of July

The best weekend of Summer has come and gone. I truly love preparing for this holiday and typically go all out!! What better way to celebrate American than on a lake with family + friends. I was grateful to have spent it in two places, first, at Zach's family cabin + then in my hometown where the 4th is celebrated to the hilt. 

I grew up on the lake in the Summer and I can not thank my family enough for raising me that way. It has such a calming affect and brings so many people together on the water! I purchased these koozies from the Lake Effect Co and they are perfect for summer! They are also a Midwest company and I love supporting shops like this! Even though at this age Summer weekends can fill up, we try our very best to escape to one of the best places on earth, up North. 

XOXO,

Johanna 

Calm, Cool + Acoustic

This girl has been the real deal since high school. I had the privilege of driving her to school every day our senior year and since our friendship has been non stop. She is so driven and talented in the music world. She already is a lead singer in a band and now her guitar player and her are going to start an acoustic band! During our shoot I even got a little preview of a song and it was awesome. They are so gifted with performance and I can not wait to see where this takes them! They were so comical to shoot and we had a great time! Find Cool, Calm & Acoustic online to host them at your next celebration! 

XOXO,

Johanna