Thursday, August 29, 2013

Sunflowers and Shotguns

Earlier this summer one of my mom's good friends wanted me to come take a few photos of her boys in the sunflower field they have. Of course I was totally up for it! Sunflowers are so gorgeous for that short period of time that they are in bloom. The boys weren't really into taking pictures, but I did get a couple of nice ones :) I took a few pretty, scenic shots as well.






These guys are 100% country boys through and through, if you can't tell! They hunt with their dad, so that is why we took the shooting photos. I like how they turned out. If you look close, you can even see the shell coming out of the shotgun. It was a really low-key shoot, and I enjoyed it.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Starlight Symphony

I can't believe in my 25 years that I have never been to this fantastic event! Each year the Jackson Symphony hosts the Starlight Symphony on the lawn of First Presbyterian Church (i.e. the most beautiful church ever). You can't really see the musicians because there are so many people there, and the close spots are reserved for sponsors. If you get there early enough to get fairly close though, you can hear really well! My cousin and I got there about an hour and a half before the concert started and had a little picnic of sandwiches, grapes and the free ice cream sandwiches from the Bank of Jackson (my bank WOOT WOOT).




It was seriously so much fun. There were people there with canopies, full meals, fine china, wine, the works. We didn't go that far, but the picnic was quite nice. Plus I love hanging out with my cousin, Miranda, when I get a chance! Her fiance lives in Mississippi, so she spends most weekends there. We were also joined by a couple of other friends who had some Thai food that I was seriously wanting to steal.

I will definitely be going back to the Starlight Symphony in the coming years. They played some classic songs, specifically along the patriotic theme this year, but they also played popular tunes like Gotye's "Somebody that I Used To Know." One of the last songs is the 1812 Overture complete with cannons! They are loud, so they scared me the first time. It was so awesome though! I was glad I took a few snaps with my camera, but next year I might try to walk around and get some pictures of the actual symphony.

P.S. I found this AWESOME set of actions via my photographer friend Kristi Montague. You need to check them out and download them. I used Fuji Superia 100 for these.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Trevor + Sarah


This lovely wedding is one that I shot way back in June. The bride is the daughter of one of my mom's co-workers, and she even student taught with my mom last year! I love doing weddings where I know a few people attending, especially when it's my mommy. Sarah and I met up several months before the wedding, and I knew we'd get along just fine! She's into photography as well, so we chatted a lot about our favorite lenses and such. It added a lot of pressure for me to get really good shots, since I knew she had an eye for photography! I think that kind of pressure is really good for me though.








The church was absolutely GORGEOUS. I just love tall ceilings, stain glass windows and organ pipes. Sarah looked so beautiful and classy in her dress and up-do. I love the nice simple greenery in the background for the portraits. We tried getting some in front of this beautiful water feature at her neighbor's house, but it was just too sunny. It would be fantastic if I had a remote control for clouds to come up just when I need them. Where can I get one of those?








The reception was a BLAST as you can see. Sarah and Trevor were dancing the night away, which made my job so easy. I love when couples let loose and have fun at their reception. The photo booth was a huge hit, and even Margaret (my second shooter) and I got a fun strip done. I have yet to get it scanned in, but maybe someday. The pictures of Sarah and her bridesmaids in the photo booth is probably my favorite from the whole day! It just really portrays how fun these guys were. It was just an overall wonderful wedding.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures! I'll be sharing a lot of my photography on my Facebook page as well. I'm really trying to get better about putting my name out there and building my business. Photography make my heart happy, so I want to do more of it! You can go like my Facebook page here: KristiMcMurryPhotography

Monday, August 19, 2013

Spectating in a Plain V

I realized the other day that I haven't done an outfit post in a hot minute! Part of the reason is because I haven't been buying clothes much lately, but I also just haven't been able to see my outfit photo taking buddy as much (sad). I wanted to take some today though because I'm wearing my wedding shoes! When I was picking them out, I knew I wanted something I could wear again and again. I didn't want them to be used once and never touched again like my dress. As you could probably guess, they were my something blue, so it's just sort of special to be able to wear them in my everyday life. They are honestly not the most comfortable shoes in the world, but I sit at a desk all day so I manage. If I could have a pair of spectator shoes in every color, that would be fantastic! Who do I talk to to get that going?



I paired the shoes with my simple mustard skirt and grey v-neck. I have been all about the plain v-necks lately! How very boring of me. Maybe I can break out of that rut soon! Though honestly I just love them so much for their comfort...and because I can get one in every color. Also I've had this JCrew v-neck for years, and it's still in perfect condition. The ones I get at Target usually get holes in them or start wearing out within 6 months, so that's just something to think about. As I'm getting older I'm realizing that the stuff that costs more usually is a lot better quality!


This heart necklace came from an antique store in town. It's basically just a gold setting with a purple glittery background and lace and a floral applique. It's so weird, and I absolutely adore it!


Check out those sexy mosquito bites! I love to sit out on my back deck with my dog, but I always regret it the next day when my legs are covered in bites. I guess it's just the price you pay! Other than mosquitos and humidity, this summer has been fantastic. I am so grateful for the few little heat breaks we've had. It's going to be interesting to see how cold it gets this winter!

Details:
top- JCrew
skirt- F21
shoes- Mod Cloth
necklace- vintage

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Mitchel's Rural Senior Session

One of my favorite types of photography is senior portraits, but I don't really do them very often! I think because there are studios that have contracts with schools, most seniors just use them. I do enjoy shooting the few that come to me though. This year I got to shoot a family friend, Mitchel. His grandmother and my mom have been friends for a long time! I got to take them out at her house, where I remember playing some as a kid. It's a gorgeous place!




I love the way they turned out! The weather was kind of bad that day, but it's been like that pretty much all summer. You never know if it's going to rain or now. You can tell the sun came out for part of the time, which is actually not good for taking pictures, but we made it work! My favorites are the ones by the lake. I just love how peaceful it is out there.

I hope you're all having a great August so far! It's hard to believe that Fall is just around the corner. I'm getting pretty excited for the lower humidity and cooler temps.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Summer Conclusion



I can't believe that summer is almost over! Me and Chipper have really enjoyed all of the outside playtime, especially with a little break in the heatwave recently. There was a great little stint of nice breezy weather, and it was glorious. The pictures above are of Chippums chewing on the cow femur he got in his Bark Box, which he LOVED. Now that he has gotten all the flavor off it, I like to put peanut butter inside it for him. 


I can't even deal with this picture. It kills me <3 p="">

His ears do this all the time. My friend Alanna says he can hear better that way. haha! 



My basil and cilantro did really well this year! I was excited about letting the cilantro go to seed, and I've harvested some of the coriander already. It is STRONG so a little goes a long way, but I absolutely love it. Sadly my lettuce is way past done so no more fresh salads.

My sister started school back on Friday, which always seems like the beginning of the end of summer. So sad! In a way I'm excited though, because FALLLLLLLLL! I can't wait to be able to breath again when I go for a run. The humidity makes me feel like I have asthma, and it is pretty miserable. Oh and speaking of nothing related, I just started preparing to remodel my studio upstairs, so I'm excited for that to happen in the next few weeks! I will definitely post a before and after when it's done. I am pulling up carpet, painting and doing some MAJOR reorganization and purging. I'm so stoked about having a clean open space to work in for once.

I hope you all have had a fantastic and productive weekend!