Our First Annual Halloween Canned Food Drive

Halloween is a wonderful time for the kid in all of us, and a wonderful time to make memories. At J Lyn Photography, I am continually trying to find ways to give back to the community and share these opportunities with my rapidly growing family of patrons. Childhood Food Hardship is an issue near and dear to my heart. In Arizona alone, 1 in 4 children struggle with not having enough food to eat. The Halloween canned food drive is a great combination of capturing memories and helping Paz De Cristo in Mesa.

Mark you calendars for Monday October 31st because this event is just around the corner. I will be hosting this event at my home 2762 N. Ricardo Mesa, AZ 85215. With a minimum of one can of food or $1 per person, you will receive a hi-res FB download on our pumpkin patch set. There will be an image of each person and a combined family image if grown ups are in costume too! Our pumpkin patch set will be open from 9a to 6p- no appointment needed.

In addition we will also be previewing our fabulous new holiday goodies (mini albums, ornaments, cards and more) and taking appointments for our Holiday sessions. Don't miss this opportunity, I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Holiday Mini Sessions

As we officially enter the "less than 100 days til Christmas" marker many begin what becomes the endless to do list. The gifts, the parties, baking, shopping....and sending holiday cards.


This year, allow me to help you make that list just a little shorter.


Here are some of the benefits of participating in our mini sessions:
*Session times are 30 min making them easy to fit in on weekday evenings after school or during weekend activities
*Pets are allowed
*Kids get an updated portrait you can share with the grandparents
*It's the perfect opportunity to get a set of great images for your holiday cards
*Pre-ordered holiday cards are discounted (cards must be ordered and paid with session fee)
*Mini-sessions are only good for sessions booked before November 1st so no need to rush orders
*Session fees are discounted because it's only half time time

Create that perfect portrait for your holiday cards

These sessions will sell out quickly!

Limited Edition Pre-Holiday Session Details

Dates: Wednesday's, Friday's and Sunday's Thru November 1st

Where: Anywhere in the Metro Phoenix Area, or Special Locations as advertised

Cost: $75 + cost of cards

Duration: 30 min

If you are interested in booking a Pre-Holiday Session

contact me by email jlyn@jlynphoto.com

These limited edition sessions will sell out quickly, so book fast!

Put down your F'ing camera phone or point and shoot

Here we go, I said it. In all honesty in the heat of the moment I want to SCREAM it, or even smack it out of your hand. There is no way in god's green earth your camera phone pictures are worth blocking my camera. And sticking your arm out when the bride and groom share their first kiss can really kill the mood in their wedding album.

How impatient are you for a grainy image that you can't wait the 3-5 days for mine. Hell, if you plead with me, I will usually email you at least 1 in the 12 hours following the shoot.

Now don't get me wrong, most of my clients will never know there was a guest arm in the way, or them standing in a shot. I crop, I clone and I blend them into the background- but I shouldn't have to do that. It's about being respectful. It's a wedding ceremony, sit and enjoy it. It's likely to be 10 min or less unless you're in mass and then you should be behaving like you would in church anyway.

I think it is RUDE to the bride and groom that you make my job harder so you can twit pic from the wedding. Anyone the couple cares about is already there- save it for the reception.

During family photos, I REFUSE to wait for you to take the same shot I am with your iphone. They will be online for you to right click and post to your hearts content. Be honest, you know you do.

I will glare at you for making my job harder. If you do it often enough, I will even pull you aside and call you out on it. Or even better I take your picture and keep it. One day I might write a book about wedding etiquette (insert evil laugh)

They (couple, family, parent, whatever) HIRED ME to take the photographs. I don't come to your job and sit on your desk in front of your computer screen. I don't stand next to you in your meeting and repeat you word for word. Have some respect and let me do my job.

Phew- I've been dying to get that out for a while now. Fortunately I'm not the only one. See this post here and better photos than mine since I don't keep the really annoying ones.http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding

Buh Bye Starbucks

I've said this in the past before- usually because I was broke a dry dirt or needed to lose some weight before a trip, but I'm really going for it this time. No more Starbucks (insert collective gasp).

I have a torrid love affair with starbucks coffee- buying coffee in high school with Justin made me feel cool and grown up. Then I moved out from my parents house and with the real world in front of me, coffee wasn't a priority when soda was available. Made it thru my first college degree sans starbucks.

Then I started working night shift and attending college simultaneously. I'd have been better off with an IV drip I burned thru so many coffee beans. Something was missing if you didn't see me roaming the halls of the local hospital at night with a cup of coffee, or chugging as I hustled to school. Buying coffee made me friends, made the teachers appreciate me and was a great pick me up for Sarah who likes Chi Tea (blah).

Got knocked up-which doesn't seem fitting if you're married and trying, but away went the coffee. It was easy, I was always vomiting from the pregnancy- the occasional soda while shooting a wedding or chocolate milk during accounting class. I was doing it for Roman and I knew I'd be back.

The last few years drinking coffee from starbucks had become the same as a smoker and cigarettes. It has become the first thing I do in the morning, occasionally on the way to a late afternoon shoot for a pick me up, and a late night must have if I'm marathon editing. Not only was I burning a hole in my debit card, I started putting on weight. Add that to not enough time to exercise and stress and I'm 20 pounds heavier than the day I got married.

It's time to quit!

I know I will never be at my fighting (wedding day) weight again, there's a thin layer of you carried a child fat that I will forever hold onto. But damnit, I refuse to be bigger than a size 10- no way no how not going to happen.

So I quit. I'm four days in and have substituted starbucks for shamrock farms coffee milk- 4oz more, and like 1/3 the fat. I even went into a starbucks today and ordered water. I'm going to make it stick. I'd have lots more money for fun photography things if I wasn't blowing it on a beverage I can inhale between stop lights and I will ultimately feel better.

Even if it means I feel like irritable now. I will still treat myself to homemade coffee- I'm a fan of dunkin donughts grounds, but my passion for the green straw ends now.

Why did I change everything?

It's never really been discussed outside of the few who were 100% bombarded by the grand opening (insert gracious smile here), so I thought I'd put it out there.

There were 3 big reasons behind the change

1. I was tired of being the cheap photographer** There's nothing cheap about me, and I don't mean money honey

2. I believe my work deserves more than to be put of FB. I love FB, I stalk your pages when you post my pics if I need a pick me up and want to feel validated. But for the love of Mary- my work is good, damn good, and shouldn't be left on disks that will one day fail or FB pages that can be hacked.

3. Fortuitously I have seen the lasting value of the few images that have been done up nicely and the impact they have on people. I have been blessed/cursed because quite often I am the last one to take a photograph of someone before they pass away. I'm glad it's me that gets to do it, I feel awful knowing that we live in a disposable society of cell phone images (careful I'm getting on my soapbox) and 4x6 prints from walgreens when they have a sale. We don't have portraits to pass along to our kids when we die and as over-documented as we are thru twitter, FB and other social media. There is nothing tangible- which is depressing.

Here is the push behind the change.

Retired serviceman, husband, father and true intellect, Charles Ferrell passed away 2 summers ago from lung cancer and multi-systems organ failure. I had been shooting for about 2 years, I was just getting out of "P" for professional mode and was at a bbq being held at my grandmother's home. Everyone actually was able to be there, kids, grandkids, etc. As usual, I had my camera- helps with the anxiety and antisocial tendencies- I snapped a few pics of everyone and made sure to get one of "the old folks" as grandma put it.

I sent the photos out via email to everyone and she complained about how old she looked. At this point Charles had had the cancer for a little over a year and we had no idea how bad things were going to get, and how hard he would fight to not let anyone know of the internal battle between his body and the disease. He is a proud man, hard working and a fighter to the end.

Time passed and he had won many fights, but ultimately lost the war. He passed in July 2009 and I had the distinct privilege to document his official military funeral. It was beautiful as much as a funeral could be and very fitting. In the days after his death I took that last photo of the two of them together-the one of the old folks, and had it made into a canvas piece for my grandmother. Who I feared would soon die from a broken heart.

Much to my surprise, the canvas became a comfort to her. It was a great picture and as much as she hated it at the time, it became her connection to him. She was able to speak to him and feel his presence in her time of need. It's been a few years now and she's doing amazingly, she travels, has a social life and is an amazing individual. My grandmother Lea still talks to the canvas print of her late husband when she's lonely, or scared or needs a friend. It is a lasting image that will forever keep him near her.

This is the power of a photograph that went beyond a digital file.

The Girl that secretly wants to be Bettie Page

I adore pin-ups, I especially love shooting models who can create pin-up looks on their own. I can fake my way thru a lot of hair and make-up, but I'm far from a pro. I'm so afraid of clothing that as much as I love the look of corsets, cigarette pants, stockings and all things vintage- I would never wear any of it. My brain would scream at me, "What the hell are you doing, you can't get away with that!"

Luckily, one of my friends is a total pin-up doll. So every now and then I get to pretend when I'm photographing her. I'm including a few from our last shoot, need to promote that whole photography thing I do(smirk). She's amazing; feisty, sexy, hard on the outside and full of heart. One of those girls the guys love and lust and the women can't stand (if you're reading this M, it's TOTALLY in a good way- and I personally adore you)

Maybe if I lose a few starbucks pounds I will find some not so daring pieces to try to incorporate into my wardrobe. I'm adding a few pieces that I'm almost considering. All pieces found on www.modcloth.com

Isn't my model below amazing- (please be respectful and don't take my images) all images copyright of J Lyn Photography 2011

Color me Poser

Here's the no-shame intro. I'm a poser in the best sense of the word. That mishmash of liking lots of things, but never really fitting into a category. Not the cool kid growing up or the trophy wife as an adult. Vaguely stylish outside my home, but I love being barefoot and barely dresses.

I'm a workaholic. Nothing brings me greater satisfaction (beyond my son) than working. I feel like this is my purpose- to work and be somebody. Not sure who that somebody is, but somebody. Maybe even somebody cool.

Since 2005 I've been treating my severe depression and anxiety disorder. Some days are better than others. Luckily, I can get thru most of it and I have meds that get me over the rest. It sucks, it's not easy to understand and well, I'm sure that even though it's being pharmacologically managed, I could be so much more if it didn't hold me down so much.

My son gives me a reason to be. I love him more than the air I breath. It's pretty obvious if you've spent even 5 minutes with me. He is my reason for existing and is a pretty awesome kid. Since I intend this blog to be about the real me under the poser I tend to portray, my work and my life (sorta the same) you will hear about him alot. You may also find some surprises about me along this journey.

So attempt number four at this blogger thing. Let's see if this time, I can get past all the "oohh look at my photography, I'm the next best thing, you should all adore me" crap and just be the (almost) real me