Music Camp | Erin Rachel Photography

As many of you know I also have a private music studio where I currently have 47 students enrolled in piano lessons.

I absolutely love all of these kiddos!

Last week was Piano Camp and we do a ton of fun things! It was a crazy busy week but a crazy fun week at the same time.

Each day consisted of large group activities, team activities, fun, individual worksheets, learning to play the recorder, more fun, eating a yummy snack, painting a "musical" canvas, having fun, naming notes, counting out rhythms, writing rhythms, earning money to spend at the music market at the end of the week, laughing, dressing up for crazy hat day, mix match day, all red day and free day!

I am of the opinion that learning should be fun! Can you tell?!?!??!

I love all of the creativity these kids have! It's amazing and fun:)

Anyway I thought I would share a few pictures! I took as many pictures as I could in between teaching!! It's kind of hard and becomes a juggling act!!!

I think this was the major highlight of the week for all of the students! They worked so hard on their paintings! They turned out fabulous!

Crazy Hat Day- there were definitely some crazy hats! Feathers, watches, hangers, toilet paper, cheerios, glitter!!!

The Last day when the canvases were finished and beautiful!!!

What an awesome group!

A big thanks goes to Leah my assistant, whom is a student of mine! I couldn't have done it without her:) Also a HUMONGOUS thank you to my parents for letting me turn the house into a camp:)

Coffee Table Albums| Erin Rachel Photography

Announcing Coffee Table Albums!!!!!

This specific album was created as a parent album for a wedding I did in April.

I was super happy with the outcome!

So if anyone is interested in a coffee table album let me know!

They are great quality and are perfect for gifts for grandparents!

They are a hardcover square 8x8 and cost $95.00. This includes the pictures, custom design layout, s/h and a little tlc:)

Just to show off a few images:)

Happy Birthday to Granna!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday!

I wanted to say Happy Birthday and so did the grandkids:) :) :) Hannah and my mom's birthday is the same day! We are just celebrating two different times:)

I know everyone's mom is the best to them, but really I hate to tell you but my mom is the best:) hehe

The family got together...the girls cooked...the guys did dessert which meant we went to

Marble Slab!!! Fun Memories:)

Happy Birthday! We love you Granna!

I love her face here! It's like "please Auntie Erin do you have to take another picture!!!"

Cupit Family 2009 | Erin Rachel

May I introduce to you another incredible family?

I mean seriously my "job" really isn't work:)

The Cupit Family was a piece of cake:) They all went with the flow...smiled...looked at the camera...had fun...love each other...and last but not least they are a BEAUTIFUL family!

I think this one is my favorite if I can actually begin to pick a favorite!

This is what grandparents are about! Having fun and love:)

Girls, Girls, Girls! Three Generations!

A.d.o.r.a.b.l.e. (incase you didn't know when I put the periods in there I am actually OVER emphasizing my word!!!!) Seriously this is adorable!

Beautiful kids and so super sweet!

"Princess Kate"

This is another major favorite!

Isn't the lighting quite amazing? I couldn't have asked God for better! He knows exactly what he's doing and when! Amazing light!

Thank you Cupit family for letting me a part of your family time in Destin! I had a great time with y'all and getting to know you. I hope to see y'all again sometime:)

To see allllll of my other favorites you have to watch the slideshow!!!

Speights Family 2009 | Erin Rachel

It was an absolute pleasure to meet the Speights family and to be able to have a photo session with them! They sure are a super good looking family but not only that, their family bond was quite amazing and fun to be a part of!

Isn't Destin awesome!?! The beaches are incredible, in my opinion:)

I so love this picture because it's super typical...Mom and Dad keep an eye on me and the kids are so intrigued and adventerous to what's going on around them!!! Gotta love it:)

A little heart melter for you...

Three generations...so special!

I love this one:)

Little Mr. Photogenic here:)

I love capturing these moments when the kids are playing and they have no clue you're snapping away!

Yep...I'm saving the best for last!

Cha-Cha, as she calls herself:) Isn't she beautiful? Seriously and the lighting here was incredible!

Anyway Cha-Cha wasn't too crazy about me at times but she finally warmed up to me towards the end. I loved the look on her face when I gave her the lollipop! She had the brightest eyes and biggest smile:)

Thank you Speights Family for letting me be a part of your Destin vacation:)

As always I have THE hardest time picking the pictures to post on the blog...so to sum it ALL up enjoy the slideshow.

Please Pray for the Rodrigue Family | Erin Rachel Photography

I have a quick prayer request for you all, if you would. One of my students from last year, David Rodrigue 16, was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning. Please pray for his family as they are going through this hard time. Also his two friends (which are brothers) that were with him are in critical condition and on life support, as of last night. Pray for the Crawford family.

I know these two families will covet your prayers!

David and I had so much fun during lessons. We always ended up chatting alot about life situations and sometimes had some great meaningful conversations. He had a God given talent when it came to playing piano.

I grabbed these two snap shots from the Christmas recital of last year.

When Life is Crazy | Erin Rachel Photography

I just wanted to say HELLO!!!

You know those days...weeks...months when it seems life is super crazy and will never ever slow down...that's been my day!!

When I look at my to do list and I mark things off I feel accomplishment!

Then I add to my to do list and it seems overwhelming!

Then I look at my to do list and I think oh well it will all get done eventually!!

I have been working on a to buy list which is fun in some ways! In some ways it's not because I have to spend the money:) haha If you know me even a little bit you know that I am a huge money manager:) So you'll be informed when the new fun things arrive!!!

One thing I am still working on is my website. It is coming but it is coming slow! I was on a tele conference last night with Showit Web and for anyone that is looking for an awesome website you should check them out. BUT!!! They are letting you host a website for FREE! Yup for free of course there are some restrictions but oh my for starting out it is so worth it! Go check it out though!!

This is just a screen shot of my computer and what I'm working on...just a sweet little sneak peak!!!! My website is through Showit Web.

This weekend takes me to Destin, Florida to a beach get away with my family! I can only stay for 2 days but I'm still super excited. I have two photo shoots while I'm there so keep an eye out for those!

Hugh | Senior Portraits 2009

I always love the photo shoots where you know the client isn't exactly sure what to expect...doesn't know what to think about it all...seriously has no clue why they are doing this...besides the fact that mom has asked us to...yeh all of the above!!

Then all of a sudden you start to see them

smile

have fun

enjoy it

realize this isn't torture

and doesn't think it's quite so bad after all!!!

sheesh can I just say this is super sweet!!!!!!!

And yep this happens to be one of my favorite in his "spiffy" clothes!

Hugh just remember what I said at the shoot--"If you make it big one day--remember me"

I honestly think this picture is sooo like "bandish" (if that is a word) and fits him!

Needless to say while we were on the tracks we made a deal

"Hugh I'll watch your back...If you watch my back!"

We kept our ears open for a train comin' through!

So fun!!

Man the lighting here is so awesome! I love love love it!

I was braving this one...I was trusting Hugh that he could keep the bow pulled back long enough for me to take some shots!! Thank you very much Hugh for staying strong! ha

Congratulations Hugh! Best of luck to you as you start college!

Enjoy the rest of the show!!!

Ballerina | Erin Rachel Photography

If this won't melt your heart I don't know what will!!!

I am pretty excited about the way these images turned out!

Enjoy the slideshow!!!

Mini Ballerina Sessions coming soon!

Keep your eye out. If you are interested let me know!!!!

F.A.Q. | Erin Rachel

Happy Wednesday!

My week is flying by I don't know about yours. They say the older you get the faster time goes BUT when you have kids it really goes by fast! Well I can't even begin to imagine, because as it is I feel like life is a blur some days!

Anyway I've had several emails, facebook messages and text messages lately asking a few questions so I thought I would share the answers with everybody! I do NOT claim to know much but I am sure happy to pass along what I do know!!!

Q: What editing software do you use?

A: I use Adobe Lightroom for some basic quick editing. When I edit a wedding or a photo session I use Adobe CS3 (CS4 is the latest version). Before the next question comes up about that...YES that will cause a brain freeze so warning!

Q: In Adobe Photoshop CS3 what actions do you use?

A: I am super thrilled because I just recently started using Jamie Delaine's actions. They are super sweet so if you don't have them, take a quick break and go buy them! You won't regret it! I love every action in her set!

Here's some show and tell:)

This is the picture Sarah took straight out of the camera

This second picture I used Jamie Delaine's Brighten My Day 42%

This third picture I used the Dark BW action and then adjusted the curves in CS3

These were just some examples I put together really fast!

Q: Do you have/use any presets for Adobe Lightroom?

A: Yes I purchased a set from Kubota Image Tools. Most of them I really really like. I like it too because they compliment my style of photography as well as editing. Sometimes you have to find what fits YOU and your photography the best!

As more questions come in I will be happy to post them just to share with everybody. I am all about passing on information I know, to help the next photographer! This is the way I have learned so much and then shooting a ton of pictures...which in reality my camera has become my best friend! lol (another words I shoot like crazy!!!!)