I had heard that Julia was an uber-talented singer/songwriter, but it wasn’t until this summer that I had the chance to see her perform live at Natasha’s in downtown Lexington. I once fancied myself as a musician, too, so I’m speaking from experience here—she’s the real deal. Julia has a perfect balance of old-soul and fresh youth. Stage presence. Lyrics that speak to a deeper understanding of life than you might expect at her age—15. And her work ethic? Wow. She inspires me to work harder at the things I’m passionate about.

Julia’s mom Gina contacted me to help out with the photography for the first album being released. So one sunny fall afternoon, I met up with them at an empty, older farm house in Paris (thanks Kris and Molly!). I love how this session turned out. It’s such a tricky thing…I wanted the images to reflect that juxtaposition of youth and maturity that Julia embodies so well. She’s thoughtful and poised one minute, then light and spontaneous the next.

Here are some of my favorites from that session:

Fast-forward to January 5 of this year. Julia’s fans packed Natasha’s for the album release party. Standing room only. Julia sold and signed albums, and then took to the stage to perform both some solo numbers, and well as some with her musical friends who’ve been so supportive along the way.

David McLean is her guitar instructor, mentor and friend.

Julia surprised him with a new look.

Victoria is not only a supportive younger sister, but she’s also quite a talented artist. Some good genes in that family!

Raw talent is essential to grow a successful music career, but equally important is the unconditional support from those who love you most. Steve and Gina are great role models on how to motivate your children in the pursuit of their dreams. In this shot, they presented Julia with a framed copy of her album.

And I got a signed copy. Pretty dang cool.

You can follow Julia’s musical journey HERE. Thanks for stopping by!

587 days ago, I posted THIS. I checked in last night to see how many of my 101 goals were complete. Turns out I have 67 goals still left with 414 days remaining. Not bad, really, but I’d better get a move on if I hope to complete them all in time.

But here’s the beauty in the 101 in 1001 list:

I completed 34 goals.

That’s pretty cool.

If you made a list with me back in May of 2010, I’d encourage you to revisit your list to see how you’ve been doing. What may surprise you is that, without even checking back in on your list regularly (I didn’t either), you’ve probably managed to knock quite a few out. How’d that happen? Call it hocus-pocus, but I believe that writing down goals prepares the body and mind. Once you’ve imagined yourself getting things done, it’s much easier to recognize opportunities for action as they arise.

If you didn’t make a list yet, you might consider checking into it. Need a bit of incentive? How about another little contest?

Between now and this Friday (1/6/2012) at 5PM, please post a link to your 101 in 1001 list from Day Zero in the comment section below. If you feel like you’d rather not have your list made public, no worries. You can send me the link to your list via email at shaun@shaunringphotography.com

I’ll draw at random one name. That person will receive one-hour of my time for a photography session or photography instruction. Cool?

If you feel so inclined please share this post with the people you know and love. It’s on the studio’s Facebook page if you’d like to share it from there. Yes, I realize your odds of winning will go down as more people join, but it’s a beautiful thing when people encourage each other to get positive things done in their lives.

Ready. Set. Go!

You see, their wedding is July 20, 2013. With almost 2 years to plan, they have plenty of options—including photographers. Chris and Sara are EXACTLY my kind of couple. Warm. Relaxed. Real. Funny. Smart. I reeeeaally wanted to work with them, and I hoped that feeling was mutual.

When I asked if they’d booked any vendors yet, they paused, looked at each other, then looked back at me with serious expressions. And for a second, I thought the worst—In my mind’s eye, I pictured them telling me they’d chosen another photographer. I thought we’d really hit it off when we’d met at the studio. We’d stayed in touch since then. Sara would email me with questions about venues and vendors, and I’d try my best to be helpful. Looking back to that moment, I don’t know why they would have invited me out for coffee to tell me bad news, but they’re incredibly sweet people. It would be like them to want to break it to me gently. I know it’s crazy, but those were the thoughts running through my head during that long pause.

To my relief, Chris’ smile broke through first, followed by Sara’s, and it was then they asked me to be their wedding photographer. A proposal! Whew.

With a decade of experience and a fairly well-established brand, you might assume that I’m past the point of being insecure. I might seem 100% confident, but inside, I’m still that little boy taking a drawing up to his teacher’s desk, looking for a smile and approval. There’s always that voice inside saying Like me! Like me!

And I suspect that we’re all that way a bit.

To Sara and Chris—YES. 100 times YES. I appreciate your trust in me. For liking my work. You’re amazing people, and I can’t wait to spend more time with you.

Thank you to Kimberly and Adrian at Hunter Valley Farm for letting us come out on a cold, Saturday morning.  Quite a spread you’d got there!

Way to rock the boots, Sara!

If you’ve been following my work for long, you know how much I loath jumping pictures at weddings. Sara and Chris feel exactly the same way. Which is why we chose to spoof the jump. To show that it’s not that we can’t. Bwahahaha!

Love this.

Timeless.

I almost always do sessions closer to dusk, but this one was mid-morning. The lighting is waaaay different. Felt good to change things up.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by! If you feel so inclined, I’d love for you to connect with me. Take care!

By now, I’m sure you’ve also heard about Cooper’s House on the local and national news. If you haven’t already checked out his Facebook page, it’s a great place to go to become informed about what’s been happening and get involved.

We love this family. They’re as down-to-earth and warm as you can imagine. I was over there tonight getting a shot of Cooper’s house all decked out in holiday lights. We talked about how things were going, and the family is optimistic that the Andover Forest Neighborhood Association will reconsider its stance on removing Cooper’s therapy playhouse from the property. There’s an overwhelming amount of public support for Cooper, but ultimately, the homeowners in that subdivision will need to make a big decision on what kind of a neighborhood they want to create.

Yep, that’s right. Create. Neighborhoods aren’t maintained. They’re not protected. A neighborhood’s value isn’t in the soil, bricks and mortar any more than a church is a building. A neighborhood is created daily by the choices its residents make in associating with one another. In helping each other. That’s what makes houses homes.

Let’s encourage the Andover Forest homeowners to take on this responsibility and be an example to all neighborhoods.

Here’s that shot from earlier tonight.

To Tiffiney, George, Jordan, Courtney, Michael, Ally, Cooper, Spencer, Rachel, Rosie, Rob and Charlotte—-Thank you for enriching our lives. You rock.

To Purvi and Paras—Thank you again for choosing me to document your day. It was amazing.

Magnus was second shooter on this wedding. Awesome shot, bro.

And below, you’ll find a slideshow with all of the highlights! When you’re finished with it, I’d love for you to connect with me HERE and stay in touch! Thanks!

Venue – Embassy Suites
Cake – Tinker’s
Video – Something Mohr
Flowers – Stems
Catering – Shalimar
DJ – PM Sounds and Lighting
Makeup – Ana Crane-Simpson
Hair – Kinnari Shah (always good seeing you, Kinnari!)
Decor – Mandap World

But then I remembered something. I went back and reread their engagement session blog post from the fall of 2010. Sure enough, the first sentence there talks about how they’ve left a lasting impression on me. Isn’t it telling that, nearly a year later, they still make me feel the same way?

They’re just so dang thoughtful. In most weddings, the details are the icing on the cake. The sizzle, so to speak. In this wedding? Each detail was there as a reminder of the day’s broadest and deepest sentiment—loving people.

To Ben and Kaitlyn—Thank you for including me in  your big day. I’ll never forget it! And let’s get Newman and Cera together soon!

Ben and Kaitlyn abstained from eating french fries for months leading up to the wedding. Kaitlyn’s card to Ben had french fries on the front. This picture also shows Kaitlyn signing her new name for the first time.

Each bridesmaid received a monogrammed clutch and robe.

Like Kaitlyn’s ring? It’s a collection of her grandmother’s buttons.

Kaitlyn has a thing for penguins. So Ben proposed during a penguin painting session at the Newport Aquarium. That’s why you’ll see so many penguin references throughout their wedding. That, and well–penguins are pretty awesome.

Not to be outdone by all those boys and their black Louisville Slugger bats, Kaitlyn had her own.

Kaitlyn signed “I Love You” to her sisters while coming down the aisle.

Ben surprised us all (including Kaitlyn) with this dip while coming down the aisle. Niiiice.

Timeless.

Natural.

Ben’s favorite.

You, too, can support the Wave Foundation at Newport Aquarium HERE.

Photos of married relatives. What a nice reminder of why wedding photography is important. Imagine a picture of Kaitlyn and Ben from their wedding day making an appearance on a table 50 years from now. That’s good stuff.

During cocktail hour, guests were treated with fun tidbits.

Magnus was my second shooter for this wedding. I loooooove this shot of his.

Kaitlyn made the menu holders.

Amazing color and texture. To be fair, Kaitlyn is the catering and sales manager at Embassy Suites in Lexington. She knows a thing or two about planning a party. Just incredible.

Love this.

Ben came up with a plan to scrub in before going for the garter. What he found under Kaitlyn’s dress, however, was a cold Smirnoff Ice. Yes, that’s right. Ben got ICED.

The Bernie.

Nothing masterful about the way I shot this. But the story it tells? I can’t stop smiling. Bwahahaha.

To see all my favorites, I hope you’ll take a few moments and check out this slideshow…

To see all of the images from the day, you can go HERE. I hope you all enjoyed this post! If you feel so inclined, feel free to stay in touch with me HERE and HERE. Take care!

Vendors:

Florist: Flourish
Makeup & Hair: Ana Crane-Simpson/Applied Cosmetic Services
Invitations: Amo Ink
Photography: Shaun Ring Photography
Video: Scott Hayes
Reception Venue: The Henry Clay
Church: St. Boniface Catholic Church
Bridesmaid Button Rings: Jeri’s Custom Originals
String Quartet: Highland Chamber Players
Bridesmaid Dresses: Twirl
Custom Bar Signs: Architette Studios
Caterer: The Silver Spoon
Pre-Dinner Tarts: Love at First Bite (hey Laura!)
Cake: Mert’s Cakes
Linens: BBJ Linens & Linen Hero
Bridal Jewelry and Fascinator: Maui Crane—Love Rocks
Band: Soul Explosion

I’ve done some commercial work for Central Baptist in the past, but this time they asked me to come out and put my spin on the photography for their 27th annual A Midsummer’s Night Run. What a cool event, and how lucky Lexington is to have Central Baptist sponsor it.

I hope you enjoy the favorites I’ve posted below and that you’ll stay in touch! If you’d like to purchase any images from the event, feel free to go HERE. Thanks!

The first event of the evening was the One-Mile Fun Walk/Run.

Next was The Fastest Kid in Town, a series of sprints for ages 1-12.

The folks from Orange Leaf were there to lend a hand. Good seeing you, Bryce!

The opening moments of the 5K. Over 3700 people completed the race. Awesome.

My friend Brandi yelled up at me as she passed underneath the bridge I was shooting from.

Impressive sight.

Fastest male, David Mutese.

Fastest female, Andrea Richardson.

For additional images from the event, feel free to check HERE. Thanks!

Below are some of my faves…

I’ve been dreaming about doing a shot like this for a long while. I knew what it would take to pull it off technically, but didn’t have the opportunity. Glad they were up for it!

Devie wowing Otto with her dance moves.

Smokin’ hot, eh? I hope Devie talks Otto into ordering a canvas as big as a wall for this one! Ha!

To Devie and Otto—stay tuned! Your wedding images will be up very, very soon. I’ve had so much fun getting to know you. Can’t wait to keep in touch!

To everyone else—I hope you enjoyed this post! If you’d like to stay up-to-date on new work and upcoming promotions, I’d love for you to connect with the studio HERE.  Bye!  -shaun

Here are some of my favorites:

Love this.

Check out Otto’s Pumas!

HOT!

Poor guy…just trying to get some studying done…

To Devie and Otto–Can’t wait for your Cincinnati session! You two are a freakin’ blast!

Thank you all for stopping by!  If you haven’t yet connected with me on Facebook and Twitter, I’d love to hear from you. Take care!  -shaun