I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Hope is a little ray of sunshine.
Lately, I have been trying to push my work in ways I’ve never pushed it before. You can see glimmers of this in Stephanie’s bridal session, Charlcee’s bridal session, and in tidbits scattered all over the rest of my recent work. I have never wanted to be a photographer who photographs the same thing over and over- I want to be a photographer who photographs personality and love. While it definitely works for some photographers (and, let’s be honest, can kind of be an awesome business model), the last thing I want to do is photograph three couples in the same park three weeks in a row or four brides with the same bouquet or seniors posed the same way in the same three locations or families wearing polo shirts they’ve never worn before and will never wear again. I want my photographs to breathe life- real life, the kind that you want to touch out and feel when you see a photograph- and, because of this, I am constantly trying to push the envelope in ways to capture personality and emotion. I love images with soul and, because of this, I lately realized that I needed to push myself more, take new chances, and become the best photographer I can be- not just technically, but creatively. I’ve been striving for this for years, of course, but late last year I realized that, as happy as I want to make my clients, I need to make myself happy, too. Otherwise, the long days would not be worth it (and, trust me, photography comes with some whoopers).
Which brings me back to Hope.
I first met Hope in November of 2013. Andrew and I had decided to move to Kansas City (Spoiler! We changed our minds!) and, because of this, I worked with five different (and gorgeous!) models from a Kansas City modeling agency to test out new locations. It was a crazy week and, while I loved all of the girls I was privileged to meet, Hope just sparkled.
So! When we went to Kansas City a few weeks ago, I decided to try something totally out of the box- a butterfly release!
Naturally, I asked Hope if she wanted to model for me.
And the butterfly release? I won’t go into details, but, as a whole, it was nothing like I expected. While some of the photographs (that you’ll see in a second!) turned out beautifully, reality and my vision barely even connected. I share this not to complain but just to say that, sometimes, as artists and individuals, we push and we push and we push to capture magic and, often times, that effort falls flat. But! Despite this! It’s still possible to have an amazing shoot.
And my shoot with Hope? It was perfect.
Sure, the main aspects of my plan failed pretty spectacular but everything else was perfect. The weather, the location, the time of day, Hope’s outfits, the easy way that Hope and I worked together, and the overall session? It was all perfect and, even though I didn’t capture the photographs I planned, I am overjoyed with these photographs and I am so thrilled to share them. And that butterfly release? Well, I’ll just have to try again for it later.
Here is Hope! She is the most amazing girl and I am so excited to share her with y’all for the second time!
Weddings | Engagements | Seniors | Families | Personal
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* Lissa Chandler is a creative portrait and wedding photographer in Northwest Arkansas who specializes in senior portrait and wedding photography. Lissa is known for creative and unique senior photography and currently lives in Fayetteville with her family: a husband who is currently putting up with a Scandal marathon (I can’t stop watching!), a three-year-old who brought home the cutest homemade ABC book ever made by any preschooler ever, and a one year old who thinks it’s cool to climb rock structures twice his size. Lissa photographs weddings and portraits primarily in Fayetteville, Rogers, Springdale, and Bentonville and is available for travel nationwide. *
These photos are stunning!!!