Fall Portraits

Believe it or not, the leaves are already starting to change in some areas, and it will domino! Call me to set up your fall session now. My September time slots are starting to fill with various sessions. Don't forget you get an awesome deal for fall. Click here to check the specials out!

Miracles and Courage | Utah Family Photography

Do you have a tissue?

No really, I'll wait while you go find one.

Got it? Good thinking.

Have you ever wondered what you would do, how you might react, if you ever came face to face in battle with the unknown? It's something I consider from time to time, but like most people think that the really scary stuff isn't likely to happen--to me. And maybe that's true. I try not to concentrate on it because I don't want to have unnecessary fear. Fear that I might not react the right way. Fear that I might not be able to endure. Fear that I might really be a coward.

But how many of us are already facing battles? Lost jobs, poor health, losing love? How many of us have entered the unknown and come out of it? And how many of us have learned from it and become better because of it? How many of us have fallen flat on our faces and not known where to go from there? How to stand up and try again? How many of us are letting the fear of the unknown freeze us?

Let me tell you about Jenny. Jenny moved into my neighborhood when I was just a girl. She was new, and she was the novelty, and we became quick friends. I remember adoring her for so long, and loving the time I spent with her. I still recall sleepovers, prank calls, and lots of laughing. Jenny always had a great smile and a great laugh. As we grew older we went our separate ways. Jenny had trials like anyone, some of them similar to mine, yet different. As I'd run into her mom and old friends from time to time I'd ask after her, hoping she was well. It seemed Jenny was very happy and I felt so comforted knowing that she'd gotten through a hard patch in life and moved forward.

Fast forward to a few months back when I attended a meeting where I ran into Jenny's mom. I was so excited to see Jen's little sister with a big, round belly. I was even more ecstatic to find out that Jen was due with her own little girl soon thereafter. Jen was having a baby! This was significant to me in many ways that I won't talk about here, but I will tell you that I was so happy for her. I hoped to be able to see her someday soon.

The day came for Jen to go in for her c-section. I know the nervousness and the excitement that comes along with this. I can only imagine Jen felt the same way as she went through the prep work to meet her new little girl. She was wheeled into the OR where her surgery would take place and a miracle would enter into her life. Little did she know the miracle would be much more intricate than the meeting of a new life. It would be one where a life would be saved: hers.

Jen's blood pressure dropped while she lied on that table and the doctors gave her medication to bring it back up. But when her mom came to visit her in recovery, Jen was as white as a ghost and couldn't speak. Her mom knew something was wrong and immediately called the doctor. Her quick actions led to a scan that showed a deep hemorrhage in Jen's brain. They immediately life-flighted her to another hospital where surgery was performed deep into her brain where they were able to remove the bleed.

Jen spent two months in the hosptial. Two months. Can you imagine the fear she must have felt in not being able to speak? In not being able to move half of her body at all? In not being able to mother her daughter in the way she assumed she would? Here was the battle.

I am so proud to say that my friend came face to face with one of the biggest fears you can imagine at such a young age. At such a pivotal point in her life. And she is overcoming that battle one step at a time.

I loved spending time with Jen and getting to photograph her sweet little girl. We talked and we laughed. And we laughed more. I adore Jen even more than I did when I was young, because I respect her for stepping up and moving through. And I hope that I provided something to cherish at this time in their lives, because it all really starts here.

6 months old | Utah baby photographer

This has got to be one of my favorite ages to photograph: one where they are wide-eyed and adorable, almost sitting or sitting, but not crawling away. It doesn't get much better than being six months old.

JoLynn and Brad | Utah Family Photographer

When you are a teenager life can be confusing. It's filled with ups and downs and friends that come and go. It's filled with crazy stunts as you explore your growing independence, and you learn lessons that mold who you will become. But above all you learn to love in a new way, a deeper way, then you ever had before.

JoLynn is someone who went through that time of life with me.She was one of my best friends. As it happens I wasn't the greatest friend as I got caught up in boys and we explored different sides of our individual lives, but one thing that never changed was the way I felt about Jo and how I've always held such a special place in my heart for her.

We've had the opportunity to see each other here and there throughout the last several years and I've always been grateful. I remember when she got married how beautiful she was, and how she beamed when I hugged her. I remember when she was sealed how amazing I felt as I sat in the room with her and her family, just knowing how right the world seemed at that moment. She cried when I hugged her and I hoped she'd held onto a little light of our friendship, because I knew it was part of me and part of who I'd become.

I was blessed to reconnect with her recently and was so excited to see how her family has grown to include three gorgeous children who are so full of life. I was ecstatic to see what incredibly strong people she and Brad have become, and how much they still adore one another after ten years of marriage.

Love you Jo!

Help Needed

If you are a hair stylist or a makeup artist and looking to get some work for your portfolio, please contact me ASAP at joannataylorphotography at gmail dot com.

3 things | UT baby photographer

Three things:

1- I will be gone for the weekend on one last family trip before school starts. If you need me, please leave me a voice message or send me an email. I'll be in contact Monday or Tuesday.

2- My schedule is starting to fill up for Fall, so if you want a session, be sure to contact me asap. I have only a couple of dates left in August and am booking into September. To see my fall specials, click here.

3- I can't leave you without a picture of sweet Miss M. whose adoption went through and who was recently blessed. Isn't she adorable in her blessing dress?

Photog Get Together

Every once in a while I get the opportunity to hang out with some of my photographer friends. One came in from Arizona and several of us decided to get together and shoot some bridals for fun. The lovely Kate and Tesha were our fabulous models for the evening. It's always a good time getting together with others that do the same thing as me; we bounce ideas off one another, "talk shop" and try out new pieces of equipment (see the dreamy blurry shot below, shot with a friend's lens baby...and I know I didn't get it right, but I still had a lot of fun with it;).

Fall Specials!

I can't believe how quickly summer passed. Now we are getting ready for back to school (and some of you are already there!) and getting serious about schedules and life again. I see my own kids growing so fast and reaching new milestones in their lives. These are moments that I will never get back, and though it saddens me, I look forward to these new important stages in their lives that I will, hopefully, help them navigate with success.

Along with back-to-school comes the fall season, my favorite! I love the smell of the cool air, the colors of leaves as they change, and the warmth of sweaters and hot cider. I also love fall pictures! They make a great Holiday gift for family members, holiday cards to send to friends, and a great way to get custom back to school portraits of your little ones. I look back with fond memories of my own family pictures growing up. We laugh about how we looked, or smile about the memories made during the sessions.

And I want you to have great memories too! I have a many options for you to choose from this fall, to help you save a buck, and get some incredible pictures.

First, if you are interested in earning a free session and free prints/packages, check out my Portrait Parties here. Hostesses earn a free session and 10% of sales, and you get to entice your friends and family with a deeply discounted session and deeply discounted prints. Sessions can be held at your home, a local park, up one of the canyons, or at my studio. Portrait parties are perfect for custom back-to-school portraits of your children, quick family portraits, a girls night out, and more! Contact me for more information.

If you'd prefer just to schedule your own custom portrait session instead, I have some great deals for you too!

Contest Time!

It's contest time! I'm giving away a complimentary session and a free 8x10, but to enter you need to be my Facebook Fan! You can find my fan page here. Click on 'become a fan.'

Fall specials coming soon! If you want fall picture for holiday cards, or yearly family pictures, the time to start thinking about this is NOW! My schedule is filling up, so consider some dates. I'll be announcing my Fall specials within the week, so stay tuned for more info!