Overall, I couldn’t have been more excited to capture the genuine love between these two. They exude genuine kindness and love. Ever since the moment I met Kaveh (he actually contacted me a long time ago to capture their proposal) and you could tell from the first text that he was head over heels for Julie. It makes my job so easy when the love is so beautiful and genuine! I truly wish you two the best. Your wedding day couldn’t have been more perfect to start out your beautiful marriage! I hope you enjoy

I drooled over a pair of Christian Loubiton shoes for months. I saved for them (this was pre-baby). I thought if I had them, my closet, my “look,” my world would be complete. YES, I said that. How wrong and far off was I?! That was about 2.5 years ago.

But honestly, we all do this. We all want the next best thing. We always want an upgrade, even though our phones are working perfectly fine. We always want the bigger, better, sharper, shinier, etc. We always think, once we have it, our lives will be better, we’ll be happier, we’ll feel just a tad bit more “complete.”

But isn’t it sad, that we can spend 80% of our time working hard and spending our money on things that don’t matter at all? Honestly I haven’t worn those shoes in about a year. I actually don’t even think they fit anymore (thank you, pregnancy), and to be honest, I’d rather wear my sneakers or flip flops.

This blog post is about something bigger. God was totally speaking to me tonight. It’s funny when the house is completely silent, baby is fast asleep, no one is online messaging you, your emails are all responded to, you’re getting tired…… and then “ALMOST” ready for bed, you have all these incredible epiphanies.

Missions. Missions has always been on my heart. Ever since my first trip to Ecuador or the time I spent two months in India and was blown away of how freeing it was to have the bare minimum, yet still feel so whole and full inside. And how “alive” I felt.

I know this is personal, but I wanted to share this scary email I sent my husband. He probably is going to FREAK once he reads this because it’s so crazy. But I seriously wrote this email in under five minutes. It’s like my fingers was moving as fast as the thoughts were processing:

“What?!?!?! Is that a sign?!?! LOL I think it might be. What if God has in store for us something HUGE? Like something insane. What if he wants us to get out, and we can work on “photography” but we end up pursuing missions or ministry in some full time kind of way. Imagine, we save xxx amount , have bare minimum bills… no debt… my photography can pay for a lot… and we can serve Christ without the weight of the world– I feel like if ANYONE is set up to do missions, it’s us! We can save over the next few years when we live at my parent’s house, get out of the USMC, and go out and devote our whole lives/time to God. We are so blessed beyond measure. This “money” i’m making isn’t for me, it’s not for material things, but it’s for GOD. What if he’s setting us up for something so big we can’t even wrap our heads around it?!

I was reading the bible tonight and read this–

“Philippians 1: 27″- Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing FIRM in on spirit, with ONE mind striving side by side for the FAITH of the GOSPEL, and not FRIGHTENED in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him bt also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have…”

So there’s the scary email. We’ll see what he thinks. But seriously, isn’t that epiphany CRAZY? But isn’t it so true?

I can’t tell you how great it is to feel this way. To understand and fully comprehend that only GOD can fill us up. Steven and I are nearing a crossroads where we can literally choose the next steps/phase in our lives. We can choose to settle down in a quaint town, he can get a business job, and I can continue photography. It sounds like the life i’ve been dreaming of. But what if God always has something crazier and bigger in store? I’m not saying we are going to do missions, cause we may not be called to, but what if we are? What would hold us back? Fear of the unknown. But God’s words speak clearly, that the only thing we should fear is GOD Himself. This world is a scary place, don’t get me wrong, but it will always be scary, it’s such a temporary and changing world… but our God is unchanging and His love is unconditional and unwavering. We should store our treasures up in heaven and not on this earth. We should be ready and have the urgency of the gospel in our hearts, everyday.

Whew. That was a lot but I wrote this blog post in under 7 minutes so I obviously needed to get it off my chest.

Goodnight world

What’s even more motivating? Writing out the goals you have accomplished!! I’ve pushed myself more than I ever have in the past few months. Why? Well, on a personal level, cause when I know Steven is about to leave for a deployment, I want to be busy busy busy. Not in a bad way, but being a military wife, you have to know how to balance your personal life and work life without taking away precious time with your husband who is probably home 1/5 of the year (not including a deployment!) So what do I do during a deployment? I focus on growing my business! It’s a great time to grow your business, even if you have a toddler and a baby on the way!! I still spend 80% of my time with Grace. I work during the evenings (where usually i’d spend that time with Steven) and then I get a sitter for 1-2 hours for my portraits! I thoroughly enjoy the baby-free time to do work!

Goals I have accomplished the past three months:

• -Booked up almost every weekend from March til June!
• -Booked 7 weddings! All within the past three months– a blessing from God that all of them fit within the time frame before this little baby arrives and after she arrives, but before Steven comes home to us!!
• -Set new pricing for portraits and booked MORE portraits than I ever have!
• -Set new pricing for WEDDINGS, including a wedding album. I feel so passionate that every bride/groom should walk away from an experience with me as a photographer, with a detailed storybook from their wedding day, wrapped in leather with rubber pages, something that will last a lifetime.
• -Started booking mentoring sessions consistently. Feeling the confidence that I have so much to share and teach!
• -Set a date for the workshop, collaborating with local vendors, and so far have half the seats filled up! So happy and proud of that!!
• -Wrote down all of my creative and styled shoots and put that into works. I think it’s so important to brand yourself as a photographer with portraits that you want to do in the future. Why wait for the perfect client to ask for that specific theme? Get out and plan it yourself! April 14th will be my next styled shoot!
• Meeting up with Clients for coffee or pancakes after their session to hand them their photos. Talk about life and get to know them better! My business is also my ministry! Military life is hard, half the time people are new to an area, it just takes one person to make them feel welcomed! My goal is to also make sure they have the confidence to find a great group of girls! Thankful for this ministry that has been an amazing support for me in the past two years!
• -Took this photo of Steven and Grace before he left.

• -Reached 6,000 fans on Facebook!
• Organized all of my emails into categories (what? Sonya? Organized?)
• TAXES! Yes I sent all of my stuff to my accountant and everything is set! Whew! Thankful I was more organized this year with my expenses!!! Shoebox, receipt folder in my email, and a business account helped my business so much this year!
• Created templates for emails! Cut my emailing time in HALF!
• Upgraded my camera body! From the Nikon D700 to Nikon D3s
• Set up a paypal account, made booking sessions 10x easier and faster!
• New packaging!
• Got a super cute maternity outfit for when I do weddings this summer! Thank you, Motherhood Maternity for making me feel like a million bucks!
• Cut my workflow in half! Still working on bettering my turn around time! Right now I’m at about 2-3 weeks!

New Goals:

• Book one more wedding for 2013!
• Book ten weddings for 2014!
• Make time for God everyday! Not just five minutes from my devotional, but spending some “quiet” time of just listening to God! Keep in tune with Him is the most important thing!!
• Design a sample wedding album for my studio.
• Exercise so I don’t swell and balloon at the end of my pregnancy (a reasonable goal, but I might just balloon anyways!)
• Work on a Bridal Guide.
• Work on Wedding Client Gifts!!
• New brand and new website. Saving up for a designer that will put my vision into works! Considering showit and pass
• Buy the 35mm 1.4 lens!
• Set up a date for a Northern Virginia Photography Workshop!
• Push myself to create images that will wow myself and my clients!! I love staying inspired and motivated to better myself and my images!!

The class is for people who want to strengthen the areas of

-Lighting
-Posing and their confidence of instructions on posing their clients
-Camera settings and shooting in manual
-Composition
-Finding your style or strengthening your style. Making your style and brand bold and to leave a lasting impression.
-Editing
-And then FAQ, which is great for those who have particular questions on stuff they’ve been struggling with.

Also, I will be giving a portfolio critique – Here is the description for it:

We all need to take postiive feedback AND negative feedback and use it to get better. I remember in art class, I felt like I was putting up a master piece on the wall (we all had to hang our artwork) and everyone in the room would critique it. I mean, they’d be honest. It was hard for me at first, but it made me a better artist. That’s exactly what we will do. You will send your ten favorite photos, ten “ok” photos, and your ten worst photos. We will then go from there on how to improve. We will go over it in email and then work at those weak areas in person! I will teach you to get better composition, better lighting, posing, etc.

You will send the photos before the workshop (preferably two weeks before the workshop).

So although up to 10 people will be there, you will definitely have an individual look into your business, portfolio, strengths and weaknesses! You won’t get lost if you are just a beginner, the stuff I will go over is really easy to understand. I’m a kinesthetic learner, meaning I learn and TEACH through steps and visuals. I’m not going to use words you won’t understand, I’ll show you the buttons and give you explanations of how to use them. I taught myself how to shoot in manual, not from reading a “manual,” but practicing over and over until I perfected my images!

This will also be great for those who are already comfortable with their camera. I will work on finding your “style,” your brand, and working on finding on what inspires you and focusing on that!

We will be photographing a wedding styled shoot with a country chic theme! Sooo excited!
*Must have a DSLR

The price is $225 per person. Only 10 seats available.

Seats are non-refundable, but you may sell/transfer your seat to someone else if you are unable to attend.

So I decided to do this particular giveaway because I feel like 1) more people will be able to enter since it doesn’t matter where you are 2) These are some of the things that help me get through the days of the hardships of  life 3) Who doesn’t love yoga pants?

One Thousand Gifts- This book has changed me. It has transformed the way I look at every situation. We all have to admit, not every situation in life is easy, fair, and satisfying. It is “A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.” It’s about finding joy in all the easy, the hard, the little, and the big. I absolutely love this book. If you have a second, you should consider purchasing it!

Bits and Pieces Art Boutique- I bought my necklace from Bits and Pieces about six months ago. I had a custom necklace made with Steven’s name on one pendant and the date we got married, Grace’s name on another with her birthdate, and then a circular pendant that says “God Gave me You.” I absolutely love this necklace. It’s the perfect necklace to wear when I want to be reminded of what God has truly blessed me with. Seriously though, these necklaces are the BEST gifts if you want to be “thoughtful.” Laura, owner of Bits and Pieces, is truly an artist. Her skills are amazing! You can contact her at her email if you are interested in some one of a kind custom necklaces–nimmolaura@yahoo.com or click here to look through all of her past creations!

Daddy Dolls- I know a lot of mothers buy a Daddy Doll for their baby/toddler/kid. I know I will be. This is such a brilliant idea and I can imagine helps children cope with their Daddy being gone. You can purchase a variety of products HERE that help with the times of separation!

“Love A Hero” Yoga pant- Love A Hero™ raises charitable contributions that benefit widows and orphans of Heroes that die in the line-of-duty (police officer, firemen, and military servicemen). How awesome is this organization? And I love that they sell yoga pants!! You can learn more about this organization here!

Jessica Oatman Bowtique- This “bowtique” sells bows of all kinds, but the coolest part is that there are some creative and unique patriotic bows I haven’t seen before! I love the “vintage” feel of her patriotic bows! Her etsy shop is here!

Thank you all to participated in this giveaway! Giveaway will end on Feb. 25th at 11:59pm!

Alright, this is huge for me. Birth Photography has been something I’ve been thinking about for the past six months. I’m beginning to feel more and more called to start offering services to document births around the Camp Lejeune and Wilmington area. I absolutely love documentary style photography. My passion for photography started when I knew of amazing stories that needed to be told. And here I am, making an official announcement I will be taking on a handful of births each year! I know I’m on the lookout for a photographer for this summer when I give birth!

This is especially relevant to those who will be giving birth without their spouses. For instance, my husband will be gone this summer, so I know I want to document those priceless memories for him to see and for me to see as well, because we all know, it’s all a blur!

Contact me at sonyaruthphotography@gmail.com if you are interested!

If you need to get an idea on what birth photography looks like, check out this site. AMAZING. I cried half way through

http://birthphotographers.com/voting-is-open-2012-international-association-of-professional-birth-photographers-image-of-the-year-competition/

Hope you enjoy!!

Thumb Drive: http://www.usbmemorydirect.com/

Blank Cards: Michaels

Box and Bag: http://www.h-bphoto.com/

Honey: http://www.natureswayfarmandseafood.com/

One of my friends came to visit and she was sweet enough to take some family photos for us!

Enjoy!!