Leila Hunt Photography Blog

I HAVE A NEW BLOG!!!!!

lhuntphotog — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:07:21 +0000

I was able to change blog providers to get a blog that more closely matches my website, so I am switching things up. So, if you have me bookmarked, then please change to my new blog address. All posts from today forward will be posted there. I will leave this blog active as well, just for the archiving of posts since December 2008. So, if you are looking for new posts and news go to:

www.leilahuntphotography.blogspot.com/

Sweet “O” is 9 months already…

lhuntphotog — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:52:30 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me how time flys. It doesn’t seem like it has already been 3 months since her last session. It seems like yesterday she was in Mom’s tummy still. Sigh, they grow up too fast! We had a little fun indoors today with a very sweet little pink dress and then took it outdoors to enjoy a day with no rain. “O” was an angel as always and loves to clap and grin her increasingly toothy smile. That poor baby had about 6 teeth coming in it seemed. Here is her sneak peek!

The detailing on this dress was amazing!

Patty cake, patty cake

I am always a sucker for these sweet inquisitive shots

Another give away! Providence this is for you…

lhuntphotog — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:53:44 +0000

I have some new advertising coming out this weekend in the Providence Neighborhood Newsletter. So, I wanted to have a little contest for anyone who is coming to visit my site as a result of the newsletter. The first two families to schedule a session with me that live in Providence will receive a $50 print credit on their first order. That is it plain and simple. I look forward to welcoming some new families into my little family! I only have one session left for June, so you better make it snappy if you are looking for June. I am currently taking bookings into September if you don’t have an immediate need. Thanks for checking me out and I hope to get to meet some of you in the coming months. So, please send me an email at lhuntphotog@live.com or you can reach me through the contact page on my website. Good luck! Contests are fun:)

UPDATE!!!

One of the give aways has been claimed by a “mommy to be”. That was fast! So, while I love maternity shoots, the grand prize is getting to see a new little bundle a short time later. In case I haven’t said it lately, I love, love, love newborn shoots:)

So, that means only one more prize left for another lucky family…

Update number 2!

I have my second winner, so the contest has now ended. However, I do have contests from time to time, so please check back. Father’s Day is coming up wink, wink!

Mother’s Day Give Away…

lhuntphotog — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:54:47 +0000

I just wanted to give something special to one lucky Mom out there for Mother’s Day because well I love Moms! The first person to schedule a session with me BEFORE May 10th will receive a $50.00 print credit to apply towards your order. The rules are 1) You must be a Mom, be getting this for your Mom or a Mom you know, or be an expectant Mom and 2) the session must be completed before June 1st (expectant Mommies I will give you until the end of June). That is it. So spread the word if you know a Mom who may like a chance to get some pics of her babes with a sweet little gift thrown in. Gift certificates are available. Please post a comment here or contact me via email at lhuntphotog@live.com or call me at 615-257-1000. Good luck Moms! I will post again when I have a winner… P.S. Already enrolled “Grow with me babies” are not eligible for this contest, sorry! If you want to sign up for a “Grow With Me” package, you can use this print credit during your first session.

UPDATE!!!!

I have a winner! Thanks “M” and I can’t wait to work with your sweet little “A”:)

Scheduling updates…

lhuntphotog — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:10:16 +0000

Hey out there,

I just wanted to post an update about my spring/summer scheduling. It is filling up fast, so if you have plans to see me this spring/summer, get in touch! ”Grow with me” babies, I already have you all on my monthly schedules, so you are safe. I have 1 opening left in May, 1 in June, 2 in July, and 2 in August. If you are pregnant and are thinking about newborn pics several months down the road, please let me know ASAP so I can tentatively place you on my calendar. Also, update on the contest. I didn’t win, boo, but I am still going to be able to attend thanks to a generous offer from the workshop hostess. So, I am very excited to go and have a photography filled weekend and to mingle with other folks who share my passion for photography. Here are a few pics since I know that is why you come to visit:)

Beautiful little lady

Exploring the forest

LOVE this face

Boys will be boys

I am sooooo giddy…

lhuntphotog — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:53:07 +0000

Well, coming off a sad day yesterday I got some FANTASTIC news today. My favorite photographer, Marianne of Marmalade Photography, is having a contest to attend one of her amazing workshops for free. I entered the contest and found out today I am one of the finalists!!!!!! This means so, so much to me because I adore her work and she inspires me both as a person and a photographer. I can still remember the first time I stumbled onto her website. I sat there literally speechless with my mouth hanging open. I have looked at literally hundreds of photographers websites, and have never had this reaction. Don’t get me wrong, I have seen some great stuff out there, but Marmalade Photography is in a class by itself. I can only hope some day that my work will touch other people, the way hers has touched me. So, that being said, I need YOUR help. The way the contest will work is that other photographers have to vote for me to win. So, while I know most of you are not photographers, I know somewhere out there you know some photographers. I don’t care if it is your Aunt Flo down in Texas, your sister’s boyfriends cousin, heck call your wedding photographer, anyone you know who is a professional photographer. If they can tell their friends, etc. that would be great. I can’t do this on my own, so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE help me!!!!!!! If you are my clients, this will help you out long term b/c I will bring back all the technical knowledge, inspiration, and business savvy to give to you as my wonderful clients. I am racking my brain for every person who has ever said to me, my brother is a photographer, etc. If you don’t know me and are just coming here after seeing my entry to see who I am, I would greatly appreciate your vote too This opportunity means the world to me. Even if I don’t win, I am really and truly honored to have been selected as a finalist and to know that Mare has seen my work and made me a finalist is pretty incredible and a little scary too:) It is literally having the person who you respect most in your profession, evaluating your work. If they like it, the biggest high, if they don’t, the biggest low. I know photography is art and you have to work to please yourself to be truly happy, BUT, having other people like your stuff is good too. So, thanks Marmalade Photography for giving me the chance to participate! Voting has started and will last through the weekend. Fingers crossed I can rally the troops on this one… Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Please visit http://www.seethelightworkshop.com/blog/

All your photographer friends have to do is click on my picture and enter their website or portfolio link to prove they are photographers. That is it, quick and easy!

Tribute to my Daddy…

lhuntphotog — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:16:57 +0000

Today is the one year anniversary of my Daddy passing away. He was only in his mid 50′s so he died too soon. It has been a sad year in regards to that and the tears still come at random times, but it is getting better. I can think about him now without crying, so I think I have made progress in the mourning process. His illness was pretty short from what I knew, though he did hide it from me for awhile. I know he did this to try and protect me because he didn’t want me to worry and perhaps some denial on his part that he was actually sick. I understand it to some respect being a parent myself, but on the flip side I feel saddened b/c I think I missed out on that precious last year with him. The distance between us, he still lived in Texas, provided a shield for him to hide behind but also robbed me of being able to be with him as much as I would have liked. I only found out about his illness in December when he was hospitalized and he passed away in April. So, the few times I got to see him where bitter sweet b/c it was time with him, but was only with a weak and frail version of the vibrant man I once knew. The last trip I made down to Texas was for the end. By the time I got there he was no longer able to speak and was just a body with no life left it in. That was a really hard week b/c I knew the end was near and had to deal with the fact he would be gone, but also I just wanted him to go soon b/c he was suffering. He was a very proud man and I know he would not have wanted to be that way. Being an only child I was left to deal with all this myself which was difficult as well. Having to try and make the decisions medically while grieving was tough. His dear friend Sandra was a big help to me through this whole process and I will always be thankful to her for the friendship she gave to my Dad. He was very lucky to have her. The last day I left him at the nursing home and they called a few hours later to say he had passed. Of course, then I think I should have stayed a little longer, hugged him a little harder, talked to him a little more, but it is too late at that point. I know he would not have wanted me to be there those final moments and would not have wanted me crying over him. No parent likes to see their children in pain. I am sure most people who lose someone always feel like there is something that should have been different. At his service a friend of his spoke about him and said something that resonates in my mind quite often. He said that Ruben would always be the person to give you a hand up when you were down and pat you on the back when you had done good. There was kind of a child like innocence in those words spoken by a grown man, but I think his friends did look up to him as kind of a father figure. Simple words that really summed up my Dad’s heart. He was a good man and a good friend. He was always helping out with fundraisers for people in need and helping his friends out with work and such. He was a free spirit and lived his life by his own rules. I can honestly say I think he lived his life exactly as he wanted to. He loved to dance, drink beer, to sing karaoke, and he was a true ladies man Don’t worry he and my Mom divorced when I was eleven, so it was okay to be a ladies man. My Dad and I were different kind of people but I loved him for who he was and tried not to judge him for the choices he made. I loved for him to call me “pumpkin head” and I can hear him say “Hey baby” when I would call him on the phone. I fear the most that I will lose the memory of what his voice sounds like saying that. It is kind of a vulnerable feeling losing a parent, like you have lost a protector. You always know that if things go bad you have your parents to take care of you, so losing that support is hard. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband and mother who I know have got my back Okay, this is rambling on for way too long. My public service announcement for the day is take pictures of your family, lots and lots of pictures. As parents we always focus on the kids pics which are mostly for you, and they will appreciate that, but the pictures of YOU are the ones that will mean something to them as they get older. Get pictures of you hugging your kids, kissing your kids, get pictures of your parents with your kids. Get pictures of you sitting at the dinner table together, playing ball in the yard. It is pics of those every day moments in life that are going to mean the most to your kids some day when you are gone. Moms, give the camera to your husband and make him take your picture too! Some how I don’t have but one picture of my Dad with my son and none of him with my daughter, I do regret that. I guess the distance is partially to blame. So, learn from my mistake. I wanted to put up a few pics of my Dad and me. These pics are all scanned and are terrible looking, but they are special to me none the less. Go hug your parents if you can or call them to tell them you love them. I love you Daddy and I miss you terribly! This has been cathartic, thanks for “listening”.

Not a cute pic of me in high school, but I love him hugging me tight

Daddy's little girl

I love the way I am looking at him in this one

Love how he is copying my face. Gotta love that 70's hair!

Sandra and my Dad, love the genuine happy smile in this one

More 70's action

Sweet Baby D…

lhuntphotog — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:05:58 +0000

I finally got to meet baby “D” today. I did his Mommy’s maternity pics several months back, so it sure was good to meet him today. He was such a great baby and didn’t cry a peep during the whole shoot. Awesome! Here are his sneak peeks.

Sweetie pie!

Love sleeping babies

Mini Session Sneak Peeks…

lhuntphotog — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:47:50 +0000

I had some Spring/Easter mini sessions today. I got to work with baby “P” who I get to see every 3 months for her grow with me package sessions, but Mom decided to join in on the Easter minis as well. That poor kid, I bet she is tired of looking at me:) Ha, see you in 6 weeks “P”. I got the most hilarious picture of her today which is posted below. I also got to see baby “E” which was great b/c she was a tiny newborn last time I saw her. She is almost 6 months old now. I can’t believe how the time passes. She has these hypnotizing blue eyes and with the gorgeous red orange color of her outfit and the green grasses, wow, her eyes looked incredible. I did not edit the color of her eyes at all, that is all her! Here are your sneak peeks guys and your sessions should be posted by tomorrow evening. Thanks for coming out to see me today!

Miss "P" telling me what she thought of the chilly morning I think

P's first Easter pics!

Love these colors!

So serious, she was watching the kids on the playground, soon enough "E" you will be big enough

Success at last…

lhuntphotog — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:11:48 +0000

Today I finally got around to updating my splash page to match my website (those little details totally annoy me when they don’t match). I opened up my background “paper” and decided to mess with it awhile and low and behold, I think I finally created a permanent look for my site. Joy!!!!! I have been obsessing about this for WAY too many weeks, so to finally feel like I am content with it is a good feeling. I will think about it long and hard before I decide one day to casually change up my website again as I did over a month ago (Feb 18th to be exact). I had no idea it would be such an ordeal. I guess I should know myself better than that b/c if it is not exactly what I want, there will be no peace:) I really wanted to have avocado/kermit the froggish green, damask, a splash of purple for interest, and some black and white details to match my font colors and tie it all together. I think I have succeeded in meeting all my criteria! So, check it out if you get a chance. I will have more sneak peeks Saturday evening, so stop back by. Thanks.