Jessica | JJ Horton Photography

January 10, 2011

Caribbean Vacation!

In light of the lovely winter weather we’re having here in NC, I thought I’d warm up a bit with memories of our first anniversary trip to the Caribbean in October. We flew down to Miami a few days before heading out to Key West & Cozumel. Here’s just a few of my favorites from the trip…. warning, this is a long post! Goodbye Miami & South Beach! Hello, Key West! Then there were the lovely street musicians…. Then it was off to Cozumel…. We rented a Scoot Coupe for the day with about 10 other couples. These things are SOO MUCH FUN!!! (although we decided we felt like we were part of a scooter gang…). We also drank Mexican Coke. It was just like regular Coke…. only I couldn’t read the can. At one of the beaches, sea turtles had hatched the day before…. their were several men walking around and checking the nests for any remaining ones, he found a couple and I grabbed a quick shot of it. Why you don’t take photos of people (up close) with a wide angle…. you’ll have crazy hulk arms, and a tiny head.

January 7, 2011

Where to Begin?

Having just been a bride, I know how daunting it can be to plan a wedding. I was engaged for almost 13 months, and I worked on our wedding the entire time…. researching, planning, reading, crafting…… I frequently see newly engaged ladies wondering where to begin… so I wanted to write a little about it from my experience. 1. Decide how elaborate your affair will be. AKA: How many people do you WANT there, and how big is your budget. This will dictate ALL your other choices. 2. Where do you want to be married? A church, a park, a courthouse…. Vegas? Of course how many people are attending & your budget are very important to know in this situation.Where you want to be married will heavily influence your wedding date. So many times I see brides fixated on a date (10.10.10 for instance) and will only get married then…. but popular dates come with competition. If you like it, chances are someone else does too… which means competition on everything- photographers, venues, coordinators, ect. The earlier you can book the better. Within a month of being engaged, I already knew the photographer I wanted…. and guess what? She was booked over a year in advance for my date, I couldn’t change my date to have her due to other commitments (and the fact I wanted an October wedding), so I had to continue my search for a photographer. 3. Decide on your vendors. Does the venue require you use their catering, or can you pick an outside caterer? Florist? Research the type of flowers you want, if you want to stay within a certain budget, find out what flowers are in season during your wedding. What kind of photography do you want? Traditional or more journalistic? Get an idea of what these services cost, and then decide what you’re willing to spend on each of them. 4. Now’s the fun part. You secured your vendors and all the biggies are out of the way. Now start thinking about buying that wedding ring, and all that glorious decor that will make your event spectacular. If you’ve hired a coordinator, they’ll be key in helping you find all the little goodies you want on your big day. I’ve listed below some wonderful places to look for inspiration….. Etsy.com for the eclectic & unique brideStylemepretty.com for stunning details & wardrobesWhite-thread.com for Carolina bridesGreenweddingshoes.com for more great detailswww.NCBrideBio.com for NC recommendations from real brides (I was a knottie when this was created!) ….. The best advice I can give you is: A. to NOT go in debt for your wedding day. Starting out a marriage owing more money than you have is a bad idea. Have everything you want, but have it within your means. B. Only invite the people that you want there. This is a toughy if Daddy is pitching in some funds, and wants to have his best golfing pals there for the open bar…. but try your best to only celebrate this day with the ones you love. C. Don’t get up in arms over things that don’t matter. To have your names printed in gold or silver on your napkins is really not a big deal, I promise…. and you probably won’t even see those napkins on your wedding day. No one will care, trust me, so don’t sweat the small stuff. OK, now go…. Happy Planning! Us, on our big day! By: Story Photographers

January 2, 2011

Hello 2011.

Wow. It’s January. I really do believe that the old you get the faster time moves. Things speed up, the days become weeks, and suddenly those weeks are years. I can’t quite wrap my brain around the fact that time is moving at light speed. We’ve now been in business a year, and I’m so pleased with the things Jeremy & I have accomplished. At the start of 2010 I had 2 brave brides willing to take a chance on me, for which I am eternally grateful. They gave me the confidence I needed, but also put the fear of God in me. Those lovely ladies spurred me to learn more, read more, grow more than I ever thought possible. At the end of 2010, I’d shot 7 weddings, 5 more than I thought I would. I am so excited about 2011, I can’t even stand it! I know the good Lord is watching over us, and pointing us down this path. I, like most, have hopes, dreams and goals for the new year, along with a few resolutions. Let’s look back at the December 2010 goals, and see what all I got accomplished….. 1. Edit & deliver Anna & Chris’s wedding. DONE!2. Edit & deliver Jacquelyn & Jon’s holiday/winter shoot. DONE!3. Finish our Christmas cards & send them out. DONE!4. Finish decorating for Christmas. DONE!5. Photograph Jennifer’s holiday cards & deliver. DONE!6. Photograph Kernersville Living cover & deliver. DONE!7. Clean out my car. DONE! 8. Clean up my desk. DONE!9. Book at least 2 more weddings 🙂 10. Spend more time with friends. DONE!11. Enjoy the holidays with my hunny! DONE!#9 Was a biggie. I was really hoping to get 2 weddings booked this month. I did get one (YAY!!!!) but the 2nd one didn’t happen. I have had several inquires in the last week though, so hopefully they will pan out in January.January is typically a slow month, for all businesses, so I intend to take this down time to get some things done. 1. Shoot Mary Kathryns family & deliver CD2. Have new photos taken for our “about me” & “contact me” pages by The Beautiful Mess3. Post some behind the scenes/how to blogs4. Book 2 weddings. 5. Get new letterpressed business cards (they’re already ordered!)6. Explore advertising options. 7. Blog Kernersville Living Shoot8. Blog our vacation photos Now…. on to the biggies…. my 2011 goals!!!1. Shoot 12-15 weddings. Ideally, I’d love to do one a month, but that’s just not reality. 2. Advertise our name a bit better. (already doing with facebook & a magazine ad)3. Sell our 14-24 lens & 2 soft boxes4. Purchase a 20mm or 24mm lens5. Purchase a tilt shift lens6. Be better organized with our business accounting stuff. (much better now, and making more improvements!)7. Pay off the rest of the gear we bought in 20108. Turn a profit every quarter 9. Actually pull a paycheck. (so far every dime earned has gone back into the business)Old, but I like.

January 1, 2011

2010 in Review.

This year has been such a whirlwind for us. I am so thankful that I’ve stuck with this photo gig, and really made it a priority. I honestly don’t think I could have worked any harder growing this business this year. I’m really proud of myself. I look back at images shot January, February….. pretty much through September, and cringe. I guess, something clicked in October for me, and I feel like the images that I’ve shot since then have been light years ahead of the rest. When I first got started I really struggled with editing and finding a style, and kept hearing, “oh you’ll find it, it just takes time”. So. True. It takes time to develop a photography style, look, brand, ect. I feel like I’m getting closer to where I want to be. We’ve watched Emma Rae grow from a newborn to a toddler. Carson Karen & Paul Debbie & Will Jenny Boudoir Styled wedding Renee”s Boudoir Ashley Gillett Ryleigh Kevin & Melissa Williams Family Aeriels baby shower Kendal Steven & Andrea engagement Kiss Books Annalina Scott Steven & Andrea Megan & Jeremy Barber Family Hilk Family Kasey & Andrew Thompson Family Addison Jacquelyn Kate & Jon Jennifer & Callie Anna & Chris Finao Album Stay tuned for my 2011 goals!

@JJHORTON