spring is filled with senior photos, family photos, and busy busy.. Take advantage of beautiful winter days..!!!
get your mittens on.. Jan winter photo special!
Telling your story through family photos
[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
capture those moments that are slipping by with professional photography
chesterfield virginia family photographer
christmas mini-sessions the debate over digital file release.
christmas photos
So no.. I don’t usually sell or give digital files.and Minisessions? nope .. don’t do minisessions.. well guess what.. I did. My friend who has hired me several times before.. wanted her family photos done for Christmas. She is great at printing, and wanted to design her own cards.. In other words she wanted the digital files. Ugh.. what to do .. what to do…
In very very rare circumstances do I release digital files.. They can be cropped, and edited… and posted online in a way that I would never want to see my photos that I have taken out there.
That being said.. I like it when my clients and friends are happy.. and what’s the use of having a talent that you occasionally can’t just give away.. or gift away. So my mini session was my gift to my friend Allison. The results are amazing… and I know that she has impeccable tastes and will treat her digital files accordingly.. She also has a beautiful heart. .. I just love her.
A very special Thanks To Mrs. Erin Medlin for her help with this beautiful session.. ( my baby girl)
Chester Va Family Photography connie grant photography
a photographer in front of the lens.. or the wrinkle saga
.. In front of the lens..ME? hmm…. Well I expect my clients to be there.. I want them to be there.. I love it when they are there.. and It’s only fair that I be available and open to do the same.So, the tables were reversed recently.
Do you know how important it is that you save your memories? I think I do. That being said.. I expect a lot from my clients..
I expect them to show up with their game face on, to smile, to pose.. to take directions. I ask that they not bring family or a ton of friends to the shoot.
I have to tell you that even one on one, being in front of that lens is very difficult… especially as we age. My friend , colleague, and business partner is Kimberly Tingler Hise. She does absolutely beautiful portraits… and I knew I wanted her to do some head shots for my website for me. Ugh.. Who is that OLD woman in front of the camera. I don’t see her in the mirror.. where did those wrinkles come from?
It seems like yesterday my children we little… They are grown and gone out of my home now for years. How did it happen so fast?
Well .. luckily they live close and I see them a lot.
The point to my rambling is that life goes by so quickly, and moments are fleeting. You should capture your moments and save them with Custom Photography , and choose a photographer that when you look at their work.. you smile. That’s why I chose Kim.
new family photos
So this title can be read a couple of ways.. is it a new family that is having photos done? Or is a family that has been around for decades having NEW photos done.. hmmm… does it matter? NOPE . You should capture your memories when you can, before they are gone, before this moment is lost forever.
In this case, Heather and Rusty are a new family. Newlyweds of just a few months, and happy and cute as can be. I hope that you have many years of success and happiness Heather and Rusty… I really enjoyed working with you.
Fine art photography by Connie Grant
connie Grant photography chester va
Connie grant photography
Connie Grant Photography
Chester Virginia photographer Connie Grant photography
Connie Grant Photography chester virginia 804 908 4516
May the force be with you.. Google, Seo… and all things boring.
So .. I’ve had about 8 photographers call me over the last few weeks asking me how I got my blog to page one on google. You know what? I don’t know. I do have a few secrets.. and I’ll be glad to MENTOR you..
Photographers are very competitive, and rightly so. I really just want to ease into retirement giving people something of good quality for their money. … and saving their memories..
It’s not a race to the top for me.. I don’t want to jump on the Jasmine wedding train. I just want to take photos. .. and take photos I do. I shoot all the time. So when I’m not shooting people .. I’m shooting blue water towers in Baltimore..
Or the beach.. or my grandchildren. I want to compete with ME… and the person I was yesterday. I am the Only person that i want to be better than..
I do love Senior and Family Portraits though. Maybe I should teach a class on SEO.. grandma style….
first you put this in your blog…
then you do this…
then you paste this here
then you attach this to that…
and then… you hope and pray your site shows up..
What .. its not a senior or family portrait
ThomasDale Senior portraits
Our future is in good hands.
Oh I love High School Football games..I’ve been to many Thomas Dale football games over the years.. I’ve sat in the bleachers and cheered on the team. Maiya is Thomas Dale Senior.. and she’s the total package!!! This athletic, cheerleading, scholarly, beautiful young lady…. well.. what can I say about her?
She has already been accepted into several colleges.. because her gpa is through the roof. oh… and did I mention her smile? It brightens up a room… and it’s continuous! Her natural facial expression is a smile. There aren’t many people like that, and I’m not even sure how to do it. I know when I’m thinking or working people will ask if I’m mad about something.. I chew my lip.. frown.. and do all kinds of things that aren’t becoming. This young lady smiles even as she talks to you.. When we first met she walked up shook my hand and hugged me. All of these things mean so much to me. My connection with my upcoming senior high school students is one of the most important things in my photography. It warms my heart.. and it restores my faith that in this country we are doing something RIGHT. I am so tired of all the negative… .We do have something wonderful here people…
Most of my seniors this year are from the public school system.. even at the age of 17 they have plans for college.. Most of them have jobs or they volunteer at hospitals.. or they are involved in things that help other people.. like working at a homeless shelter. How many of us as adults do these things.
Maiya’s mom is a Registered Nurse who delivers babies. She has four girls, and she works long hours ( trust me I know ) and her kids are wonderful. She went to nursing school with two children and a third one on the way… SO PEOPLE LISTEN UP…. It is what you do at home with your children that matters most. Love for others, Discipline, faith, honesty, integrity, are characteristics that a child has instilled upon them before they even enter the school building. These parents are doing it right… the schools are doing it right.. If you ask any one of my seniors this year if they love school.. they will say YUP!
These kids are the USA…. they make me smile.
Ok I’m off my bandwagon now.. and a very happy birthday to Miss Maiya! I hope you have a wonderful senior year… I loved doing your photos!
They call the wind Mariah. Senior Portraits/ConnieGrantPhotography
Senior Portraits, They are a sign of something good coming our way. Another, wonderfully talented, energetic, athletic young lady is getting ready to enter into adulthood and take the world by storm… And yes.. they named the wind after her. At least that is what she told me, and I totally believe her… she IS a breath of fresh air… a light summer breeze.. and the excitement of a windy day all wrapped up in a beautiful package.
This young lady hopped out of the car at 7 am.. fully dressed and ready to rock and roll. We started our Senior portrait shoot at sunrise for a few reasons. Number one, it was calling for rain in the afternoon, Number two… it isn’t hot… Number three the light is absolutely beautiful as you will see in these photos.
When Mariah’s mom contacted me about senior photos, she told me that Mariah wasn’t shy in front of the Camera, not only is she not shy, she is beautiful in front of the camera. Not many of us as adults can pull off what she did this day. Her portraits are amazing. .. and her smile… OHHH my.. that smile could light a few million cities if the power goes out. Her portraits show a poised, beautiful young lady. What you don’t know is how funny she is. She is hilarious.. always laughing.. always making jokes.
You would think that life is perfect for someone who looks like this wouldn’t you? The truth is Mariah has really had to work hard in school to get the grades that she has managed to pull off. For a lot of students, school isn’t easy, and it can feel defeating when your friends so easily do things that you aren’t able to do without a ton of work. Mariah is able and willing to do the work.. and she has achieved so much. Her parents have a lot to be proud of with this one….. This is her year.. and she is ready to shine!
She will enter college in the fall, and wants to do something in health care to ” help sick people”… That’s a good start Mariah!
After spending just a few hours with her, I felt as though I had an energy infusion of some kind.. that soon wore off and I was tired. Did I tell you this kiddo can lift about 250 pounds at the gym? well… yup she can.
I loved my time with her, and I hope whatever she wants to be.. she will become.
All the wishes for all the success in the world coming at you Mariah! From me to you… I think you will make a great doctor. You go for it. Never ever let go of your dreams… reach up and grab your piece of the sky…. after all. … They named the wind after you..
🙂
Old Town Petersburg Virginia Senior Portrait shoot
High School Senior Photography/Richmond Virginia/ConnieGrant.photography
Beautiful Senior Photography… that’s my goal for the next few months…
Oh That senior year. A High School Senior. This mom has two! With that comes the bitter sweet realization that both of her babies are leaving the nest at the same time. Twins.. they giggle.. they laugh.. they love and support each other. These two are so beautiful and so sweet. This week we have one photo shoot accomplished. This next weekend we finish up with the second. These sisters are both beautiful and their Senior Photography shows their beauty.. Both of them talented in so many ways. Smart, athletic.. Introspective and shy.. outgoing and bubbly. Born at the same time.. moments apart. These two have shared their lives since the beginning. I hope they are always close. It’s been truly my pleasure getting to know this family. Today they made some hard photo decisions, but I think they made the right ones. These beautiful Senior Photos are only the beginning of this blog post.. I think it was SO important for them to have separate photo sessions. You be the judge.. any mom’s of twins out there? Leave me some comment as to how your twins are different and yet alike…. Next week part two! I think that High School Senior Photography and Family Portrait sessions are going to be my focus for photography from now on. I’ve enjoyed so many moments with all of these young people. I feel their parent’s worry, and I am always surprised at how mature and smart they seem. Were we this smart in High School? I’m not sure…
Senior portraits,Chesterfield Virginia
It’s the happiest time of the year.. It’s Senior Portrait Time! This fellow is a cute as he is nice. We met early in the morning.. He was waiting for me at 6 45 am. I decided to try my hand at early morning light. As you can see it works! Not that I am not of lover of evening light.. I am. But, that cool early morning summer air is wonderful. This upcoming senior currently is attending Matoaca Senior High in chesterfield Virginia. He is smart, and funny, and sings. He also attends church several times a week with his parents. He wants to pursue a career in medicine and focus on taking care of children. What’s not to love? A guy after my own heart. Majoring in medicine, with a love of the arts. He will have success no matter where he goes. I hope you have a wonderful senior year Ju’wan. and much luck in your bright future! You were delightful to work with, and your Senior portraits are probably some of my best. Looking forward to hearing a lot about your senior year! As you can tell I love Senior portrait time…so from now until fall, look for me behind the lens!
Senior Portraits, custom, beautiful and unique.