More Fall Mini Sessions! // Hampton Roads Family Photographer

Today's post is short and sweet, mostly because I'm writing it at 10pm after a good, but long, day of travel from Texas. Yesterday, my day consisted of: eating eggs Benedict at a cute local breakfast nook, playing paintball for 2+ hours, chowing down on BBQ with new friends at Grapevine Lake, fueling up twice at Starbucks, taking two flights, and rushing back to finish up some work before Sunday came.

But, despite the craziness of this last week, it was wonderful. And one of the most wonderful, and humbling, things has been the amazing response to my fall, Christmas card mini session announcement (if you missed it, click here). So, in response to the AMAZING people who are as excited as I am about photography and adoption, I'm opening up another date! Saturday, November 1, will be round 2 of mini sessions to support our adoption. Here are the details for both dates:

Saturday, October 25 (Windsor Castle Park) 
OR Saturday, November 1 (Sandy Bottom Park)
15 minute session; 5-10 hi-res images
$100 suggested donation (all proceeds go towards adoption)
Email mariagracephotography@gmail.com to book your session

I love all of you so much for your friendship, support, and love! I can't wait to see so many smiling faces on both these dates!

How YOU Can Help with Our Adoption // Hampton Roads Fall Mini Sessions

Since announcing that we are adopting (see post here), we have been absolutely overwhelmed by the kindness of people, some of whom we had never even met. Our friends, family, and even strangers have been beyond kind and gracious to us. I even had the privilege of sitting down with a new friend just last week and talking through adoption in full, as they are just a few steps ahead of us in the process. What an incredible blessing that has been!

One thing that some know and some do not is that adoption through agencies comes with a large price tag. There are pros and cons to going through an agency instead of through the state for adoption, but Nathan and I have chosen to do the former. I have a blog planned soon to detail exactly why agency adoption costs so much - from pre- and post-birth counseling for the mother, to the amazing amount of paperwork and legal processes, it's a time consuming and expensive process no matter which way you look at it!

To offset some of the costs associated with adoption, Nathan and I have looked at a few different ways to raise money, while at the same time helping others and providing something that YOU would want. Of course, my mind turned to photography!

So in light of this, I'm holding Christmas card mini sessions! What that means is I'll be scheduling 15 minute sessions for a lot of families on Saturday, October 25. Once you book the session, you'll come with your family and whatever outfits you'd like to be 'wearing' on your holiday cards this season. I'll shoot pictures, then deliver 5-10 edited images within two weeks. You can download these images and use them on your Christmas cards!

With this set of mini sessions, I'm not charging the normal amount - instead, ALL donations will go towards bringing home our next little Spady! All you have to do is email me at mariagracephotography@gmail.com to reserve your spot for the day. I can't wait to serve you and celebrate our growing family!

Details
Saturday, October 25
9:00am - 5:00pm
15 minute session; 5-10 hi-res images
$100 suggested donation (all proceeds go towards adoption)
Email mariagracephotography@gmail.com to book your session!

Before & After // Personal

Sometimes, if we're being honest, we're pretty hard on ourselves. It's so easy to see your failures in the light of other people's successes. It's easy to see your mess ups, because you live them each day. It's easy to sit and dream of being a better YOU, a more patient YOU, a more successful YOU, and get frustrated that you're not that YOU yet.

I've been there. I am there daily. As a photographer, I am constantly seeking for my work to get better. As a person, I strive to be a better wife, daughter, sister, and friend. As a Christian, I strive to become more like Jesus every day. And I fail. I fail a LOT. (Don't believe me? Here's a recent blog post to prove my point!)

But if I were someone else looking at me, I know I would tell myself to celebrate successes sometimes. To look at the parts of me that have come along way, that are improving, that I am truly proud of becoming. So today, I'm going to celebrate and look back at how far I've come.

In April of 2013, I started this crazy thing I call Maria Grace Photography, and I haven't looked back since. This is my first full year in business, and I have been so beyond blessed to meet some of the most amazing people in the world! As much as it makes me cringe, I want to show (to myself more than anyone) how far I've come since I first launched! And let me say - I'm still so proud of where I started from, and I LOVE my first few clients. Just love them - for trusting me and being so kind. And I'm so thankful that I've only gotten better since then. So here you go...some before and afters!

These were all taken in 2013...

And here's 2014...