Many of you know that in addition to my photography business I am a certified yoga instructor, and I teach at a few locations around town.  One of the studios I teach at, Urban Breath, is sponsoring an event this Saturday called Yoga For Peace.  Participants will perform 108 Sun Salutations in Tower Grove Park in honor of the United Nation's International Peace Day.  It is a non-profit event, and a wonderful celebration of St. Louis' yoga community.   I had a wedding booked for this Saturday, but a few months ago the couple broke off their engagement - which means I will be able to photograph the event this year.  If you are interested in joining in, you can find more information HERE.  I'm sure I will be posting photos from the event next week.  Hope to see a few of you there - Namaste!

So after a few months of frustration with Pictage (my current proofing host), I've finally transitioned to hosting on my own website!  Now there will be no more annoying emails and confusing passwords etc.   It should be much easier to manage, and far easier for all of you guys to access your photos.  Those of you whose events have been hosted on Pictage will remain on Pictage until they expire, and all my new events will be hosted directly on my site.  Take a look at the proofing page to see the new link!

Elizabeth is my album designer - isn't she cute?  She needed an updated photo for her new website that is just getting off the ground.  Of the ones we took today in the park, this one is my favorite.  You'll have to check out her site in the next few weeks to see which one she selects (this is where I would insert a link to her site, if I knew what it was!!)  I love Elizabeth because she keeps me from being totally bogged down in album designs - trust me, she does a better job much faster than I ever did!  Thanks Elizabeth :)

So a client of mine recently Googled my name looking for my email address.  What she ended up with was a link to a "nighttime connoisseur," which she forwarded on to me for a laugh.  If you've ever Googled my name, you've probably seen that site, as well as sites for a Tracy Lee that does nude-self portraits, a couple of random designers, and even a burlesque dancer.  I don't come up in the search until - well, maybe never.  I gave up after the 250th result.  I've known about this issue for a while, and clients have even mentioned that they were hesitant to meet with me after seeing a couple of these search results.  Apparently there are a lot of Tracy Lees out there, many of whom are doing somewhat risque things.

Moral of the story:  No, I am not that Tracy Lee. 

I envy those of you with unique names.  I doubt anyone falsely believes you to be an exhibitionist :)

I get asked all the time - "What does the 683 stand for?"  No, it isn't an address, phone number, or random photographic term.  It stands for June 1983.  More specifically, June 19, 1983 - my birthday.  That's right, I'm turning 25 today.  And to celebrate, I finally made my way over to the Cupcakery to have a tasty cupcake (pictured to the right.)  I've heard they are fantastic, and I can't wait to taste one (or two...or three...)  Yum!  So if I don't answer the phone or email today, its probably because I am in a buttercream-induced coma.  I'll get back to you when the deliciousness wears off :)

Ivy Hill is a boutique just opening in the Central West End.  They needed some promotional images for their website and various things, so I basically just played around in the store for a few hours taking photos.  The owner, Hillary, has stocked the place with some cool accessories and clothes and all kinds of fun random stuff.  I couldn't leave without getting myself a t-shirt (it has a yogi on it and says "enlightenment rocks :)" - I'm a sucker for yoga shirts!)  The store is now open off Maryland and Euclid - go check them out!

I realize it isn't even Halloween yet, but the holidays are quickly approaching (if your radio has landed on 101.1FM since October 1st you may have noticed the nonstop holiday music has already begun!)  That said, deadlines are also coming up quickly.  In order to have the following items arrive by December 23rd, they must be ordered by the following deadlines:

Wedding Albums - November 15th

Parent Books and Coffee Table Books - December 1st

Print Orders - December 10th

To have holiday cards arrive by December 15th (giving you time to send them), they need to be ordered by December 1st.  If you haven't already scheduled a portrait session to have photos for your holiday card - what are you waiting for?!  Contact me to schedule one!

So as I am gearing up to make stuffing for my Thanksgiving in St. Louis this year, I am reminded of something.  Last year I was in Costa Rica for Thanksgiving, basking in the sun, drinking a mojito in the pool (pictured right), and playing in the rainforest.

  Sigh.  St. Louis will be just as fun....

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Don't forget - if you are intending to order prints as Christmas presents, they must be ordered by December 10 in order to arrive by December 24th.  So you only have 2 more days - get those orders in!

Is anyone else frustrated at how long it takes to get to Trader Joe's now that Hwy 40 is closed?  Since I live in Lafayette Square, the only thing I really go that far west for is TJ's.  I have a serious love for their salsa, dark chocolate covered almonds, Greek yogurt...and of course that Two Buck Chuck.  I think they should open a location downtown.  They'd do that just for me, wouldn't they?

Ok wishful thinking.  Guess I'll just have to stock up... :)

I've heard from a few couples out there getting ready to schedule engagement sessions for the early spring.  I've fielded a lot of questions about these sessions in the past, so I thought I'd put out a little advice for those of you who haven't gone through the process yet. 

Location:  This is often a hard one for couples.  The photos I am taking are intended to reflect who you are together, and what you enjoy.  That said, think about locations that mean something to you (where you first met, had an important date, got engaged), or somewhere you like to go together often.  While Forest Park is a beautiful location, if it doesn't have meaning to you the photos won't be quite as special.  I never like to shoot at a location just because "everyone goes there."  How boring!  You should have shots that are unique to you and your personalities.  If you are having a hard time thinking of the perfect spot, just ask.  I have a lot of ideas for places I'd love to shoot that might inspire you.

What to wear:  Dress for the season.  I've had clients wearing outfits that were far to warm in the summer, and far too cold in the winter.  Try to wear something that fits the weather so that you are comfortable.  Also keep in mind that we will likely be walking quite a bit, and I'll probably ask you to climb around or sit on something odd.  Wear comfortable shoes and clothes that you won't stress about getting dirty (ie white pants usually don't work well.)  If you are doing an extended engagement session and have a change of clothes, pick one outfit that is casual and one that is a little more dressy, just so you have options.  And don't worry about coordinating too much - wearing colors in the same family is close enough, you don't need to be twins!

Timing:  To my knowledge, there isn't any set time before the wedding when you "should" take engagement photos.  However, if you plan to use the images as Save The Date cards or as part of your wedding decor, you'll want to plan accordingly.  The images are usually on the website within a few days of your session, and you can expect to receive a DVD within 7-10 days if you choose to order one.

Scheduling:  If you are looking to take your photos on a weekend, it's best to schedule early.  My weekends fill up quickly once spring hits, so it's a good idea to call a month or so in advance.  But keep in mind that winter photos can be just as beautiful as spring photos - and you'll probably have a much easier time scheduling.  As far as time of day goes, the light is generally best before 11am or after 3pm.

What to expect:  Chances are the two of you have never had professional photos taken together before.  Not to worry - your part is easy!  All you have to do is show up, be open minded (sometimes I ask for seemingly odd things, but they almost always turn out cool!), and have a good time.  Relax, smile, smooch a little, and I'll take care of the rest.  Sessions take about 1 hour (closer to 3 if you are doing an extended session), and are a lot of fun.

Engagement sessions really are one of my favorite things to photograph.   If you are planning to have engagement photos taken in the near future, give me a call so we can schedule something!

It's my off season (as you can probably tell by the lack of work on my blog here), and I like to travel in my off season.  So I'm excited that I've finalized my trip for this year - I'll be going to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala for 2 weeks at the end of February/start of March.  YAY!

The photo to the right is from www.lonelyplanet.com.  Doesn't it look pretty?  I'm sure I'll have lots of my own photos to share when I get back!

A few months back I shot some photos of Ivy Hill Boutique in the Central West End.  They've recently redone their website and updated it with the new photos.  Check it out HERE! 

A friend of mine usually teaches this class, but she had a baby just 3 weeks ago - so I've stepped up to do it this year.  Lover's Yoga is being offered at Urban Breath in Dogtown on February 14th.  It's 90 minutes of partner stretching for just $25/couple (trust me, it's cheaper than most places!)  You don't have to know any yoga to participate, and it's going to be a lot of fun.  Check it out HERE, and sign up early.  This class usually sells out quickly.  Hope to see you there!

Their wedding from last October was selected by The Knot Magazine as a featured wedding!  It will appear in the Fall/Winter issue, which will be on newsstands in June.  The Knot people called me today to verify name spelling, but I'm not sure which images they've selected.  I'm sure this one will be in there, though.  Now everyone out there can mooch off their great wedding ideas. :)

Having been completely spoiled by the fresh produce in Guatemala, I have farmers' markets on the brain.  This photo only demonstrates one of probably 100 stands we saw at the gigantic Antigua market, all of which had loads of produce that looked and smelled amazing.  For something closer to home, check out the Farmers' Market Directory.  I think the Kirkwood Farmers' Market is the first seasonal one to start, opening this Saturday.  I usually frequent the Tower Grove Market or the Soulard Market, but this year I think I might try to branch out a bit more.  Yum!

We all know the economy is a little....wonky....right now (I’m an optimist, that’s as negative as I’ll get.)  As a result, some of my clients have started wondering if they should be saving their money rather than spending it on “luxury” items such as portraits. 

But photography isn’t about vanity and luxury - it’s about celebration.  Even in tough times it’s still important to celebrate your life by documenting your family, photographing kids before they grow up, and capturing those newborn moments you can never get back.  It makes me sad to see people struggling between saving money and having good photos.  So in the interest of spreading some love around (and slightly increasing my own good karma) I’m holding a special one day marathon of mini-sessions at a special price.

Here’s the deal.  On Sunday May 3rd I’ll be dedicating my day to doing mini-sessions for family/kid/baby portraits.  Each session will be 45 minutes long, and everyone will get a DVD of all their high resolution files from the session (with copyright consent to make prints.)  Morning sessions will be held at Forest Park for the nature lovers, and afternoon sessions will be in the Lafayette Square neighborhood and park for the urban dwellers.  The fee for the session and the DVD is only $100 - less than half of the normal full session price.

This is a one time thing, so if you’re interested, call or email me ASAP to get the time you want.  I’m looking forward to it!

You know who you are:  you saw the album pre-design I sent you the week after your wedding (last month?  last year?), and you may have even made mention of a few photo switches you wanted to make.  But then you buried that email in your inbox and never looked back.

Look back!!  Your album needs you!!  If your design could talk, it would be begging you to be printed on photo quality paper and bound into the gorgeous book that you already paid for.

I know you all are busy, and I'm usually pretty lax about getting albums finished.  But I sent Liron (who was married on June 7th) a pre-design for her album yesterday, and within hours she had given me her changes and approved an updated draft.  I'll order her book tomorrow, which means she'll get it within 3-4 weeks of her wedding.  Liron, you are my hero!  She has inspired me to, ahem, inspire you all to get your albums together.  So stop procrastinating and email me!

Urban Breath Yoga is sponsoring free yoga in Forest Park all summer.  I'll be teaching this Sunday at 10am - bring a mat and some water and join me!  We meet in front of the Visitor's Center in the grass (and shade.)  Class is an hour, and is for all levels.  See you there!

Yes, I'm going on vacation again - YAY!  I'm leaving the 24th of this month for Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.)  I'll be back August 6th.  Just a heads up in case you need something taken care of before then!

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for my trip to Scandinavia, and I'm in good spirits.  So it seems like a good time for a contest!

Here's my inspiration: I was having dinner with a friend the other night, and any time I mentioned a couple I either knew personally or was working with she would ask me "How did they meet?"  I found it really cute because my friend is currently single, and it seemed kinda like she was looking for ideas.  But it also got me thinking about all the cool ways people tell me that they've met.  I've heard some good ones in the past - summer camp sweethearts that reconnected years later, a couple that survived a carjacking together, and one that met while running on a trail in Forest Park, just to name a few.  I love a good story.  So here's where the contest comes in.

I want to hear the story of how you and your fiance (or soon to be fiance!) met, or what caused you to start dating.  You don't have to write a 6 page saga (unless you're creative), but give me all the fun details.  Even if you think it's kinda lame, send it anyway - it could be better than you think!  If your story is the best, you win a free engagement session and an 8x10 print!  Email your story to me at sixeightythree@gmail.com.  I'll read through them all when I get back from my vacation on August 6th and choose a winner.

The only rules are that you must be available to have your session during the month of August, and you must be willing to take photos that are a little out of the box (the session will be more like a date, less like sitting in front of something in Forest Park.) 

I'll share the winner's story when I get back - and hopefully some cool vacation photos!!

I've decided to extend the deadline for the Engagement Giveaway (posted below.)  You all now have until August 25th to send me your stories.  I'm also broadening the scope to include proposal stories.  So send me your best!  At the request of the "single friend" I mentioned in the post, she will be helping to judge the winners, so I hope to have a good variety to share with her.  Can't wait to read them!

I don't like having my photo taken.  I believe this to be a common ailment of photographers, but I can't be sure.  I need a new photo for the About section on my (new and improved!) website that will be launching soon.  The one I currently have was taken at a workshop in Seattle, and I've never really liked it.  Thankfully Katy, who has second shot with me a few times, was willing to take some new shots for me even though she knew I'd be a bit of a pain.  This one is my favorite.  I now understand why some of my clients don't choose some of my fav images from their shoots because their hair looks weird - why are we all so picky about our hair?  Weird.