Time to update your bookmarks and RSS Feeds!

It's time! We have officially launched our brand new blogsite. You don't have to come here any longer, unless you really want to. We won't be upset if you want to just relive the past.

So, go take a look, update your bookmarks, google reader, and RSS feeds. Stay a while, leave some comments, and keep coming back.

NEW OFFICIAL TIRA J PHOTOGRAPHY BLOGSITE!

So long, farewell!

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehn, good night! That is what we are about to say to this cute little blogitty blog blog! We have had a wonderful relationship, me and this black and green blogger blog. He (Mr. Blog) has been there since the inception of my photography business, has taken hits (the hit counter kind) from all of my blog stalkers, listened to your comments (thanks for the blog love), and waited patiently with you as we get ready to unveil our new online home.

We are not quite ready yet, but I leave you with this great photo that my friend, Hanssie took. A few weeks back, David and I went to hang out with her so she could grab some new photos of us for our new site.

Sneak Peek - The New Look, Pt. 1

Seriously!

I know you all have been patiently waiting, as have I. Not to worry, things are moving along nicely in regards to our website(s). I was so super excited to have received my new business cards the other day. There has been a lot of talk over the past few months about branding yourself. Let me tell you, I could write a million blog posts about branding, but I won't go there quite yet. Seriously, it has been a wonderful process, and I am so happy with the outcome.

Here is a little sneak peek for you. These are my new business cards, which I had printed over at Got Print . The picture does not even do the new logo or the colors justice, but this is only a sneak peek, riiiiight? The are glossy front and back and are sweet! Until next time.......

You may have noticed my new little border around the picture. Yep, get used to it, because it is here to stay, just at the new location!

Boxing it all up!

Never thought I would see the day when I could actually box up all of my graduate school books. I made the decision before I finished graduate school that I would not go on to get my doctorate at this time, and instead pursue my photography. Please don't get me wrong, earning my M.Ed. was a HUGE accomplishment. I cried a lot during the three years of the College Student Affairs program. Good tears, happy tears, and tears that probably didn't really mean anything. I would not trade the experiences I had with the 6 other women in my cohort, and the amount of knowledge we gained about higher education and college students for anything in the world. So, this weekend, I am boxing up, all of the books I poured over for 3 years. The extensive chapters I read, the papers I wrote, the capstone I created, and the memories that will forever be ingrained in my brain. Someday, I do have plans to go on and get a Ph.D. in Higher Education and to run an institution, but for right now, I am taking time to pursue what God has placed before me.

The picture below are just a few of the books we spent a great amount of time in over the course of three years. It kind of makes me sad boxing them up right now, as I feel like some of those books deserve to be read again, as I can spend a lot more time without all of those deadlines on the syllabus.

The Workshop!!

It was all the buzz last week in blog land, when Jasmine Star announced that she was going to do her first official workshop titled, "The Workshop". Oh my goodness. I had a feeling that something like this was going to be coming soon, she just couldn't not do something like this with her major popularity, skill, commitment, and love for the photography industry.

I went straight to the website she created with Show It Sites and read all the details. It was so exciting! To spend an entire day with Jasmine Star and 19 other photographers who want to learn how to build their business, work on branding, and other shooting techniques. I started to send David text messages with the details and informed him that the workshop was going to be held on my Dad's birthday. He said it would be a wonderful way to pay tribute to my father's legacy in the photography business and go to Jasmine's workshop on March 10th. HOLLLAAA!! I am going and I can't wait!

*edit, I haven't been "wait listed" and I am going. I get to spend the entire day with some totally fabulous people!



I think with the huge response she has received from the workshop, there will be more in the near future.

Amber: Senior Portraits

She loves the color purple, her dog Simon, and the words that fill a page to tell a story. Meet Amber. She is a Senior at Apple Valley High School and will be graduating in 2009 with plans to go on to college, which you know just warms my heart. She plans to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ and wants to major in English. I am not sure what it is about English majors, but I think I love how eloquent they are. Rachel, Charity and Bonnie were all English Majors at APU whom I have photographed in the past and are now working on their Masters Degrees. Amber was a true joy to photograph, and having her cute dog Simon with us, just added more character to the pictures.

*Thank you Amber for a fun afternoon. It was a pleasure to meet you, your Mom and Simon. Good Luck to you as you pursue your dream at NAU. Blessings, Tira J.

To view more from the session, CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW!

Kendall & Zack: Portraits

Young love. It is precious, unique, fragile, sacred, and joyful in every way possible. Kendall and Zack are so in love, and it was truly evident last weekend as David and I had the privilege of photographing them at APU. Zack is a Psychology major and Kendall is a Biology major, and they are bright, outgoing, and fun to be around. They are both from Minnesota and met at their church in New Hope, MN, and then followed each other to APU. The weather was perfect for this session, as it was a warm 75 degrees the second weekend of January. They had just returned from Minnesota after their Christmas break, and mentioned that it was in the teens when they left. Yeah, that is a little too cold for me. They were all warmed up for our time together, and we all had a blast. Zack was going to be leaving for APU's High Sierra semester the next day, so I would say that spending the afternoon documenting their love, would be perfect.

*Kendall and Zack, David and I truly enjoyed spending the afternoon with you, documenting your love. May God bless your relationship in the most amazing ways. We hope to have the opportunity to photograph you two again. Love and Blessings, Tira J & David.

To view more images from the session, CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW.

Something new is coming! And it's gonna be good!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

You may have noticed that our old website has disappeared.



The good news is that something even better is coming your way soon. If you want to be the first to find out about it, CLICK HERE.

Keep checking back for other updates and some recent shoots.

Joyce, Christine, Katie: Portrait Session

Joyce and her girls, Christine and Katie were our last clients of 2008, and we had a complete blast doing portraits over in Claremont. It worked out perfectly, because they are also from Claremont. I just love it when we have a location that is close to home, and that a client feels comfortable with. I work with Joyce at APU, and her daughters wanted to get some new portraits done for Christmas, so of course, I obliged. In order to get "this party started", Christine brought along some music to get us all in the mood. It definitely worked, and loosened up the nerves of being photographed.

*Joyce, Christine and Katie, it was a true joy to photograph you all. You are all gorgeous and I had a blast.

Here are a few from our time together back in December.

Just for fun, and because 2009 is going to be GREAT!

So, this is circulating around Facebook and I thought it would be fun to post. Especially to calm the nerves after tonight's eventful 4.5 earthquake out in Riverside. Have fun!



If you want to send this to someone for fun, CLICK HERE.

Closing down 2008 and ringing in 2009!

As I sit here and write this post, I have been reflecting on what a great year 2008 has been and all of the things I have accomplished. This time last year, I was in graduate school beginning to see the tiny light at the end of the tunnel but still wondering if I was going to make it to May. And, this time last year, I knew that I wanted to make the leap into professional photography, but had to finish my M.Ed. first. I did finish graduate school and earned an M.Ed. in College Student Affairs, and then formed Tira J Photography, LLC. How about that? 2008 has been the year of formation for me, as it has formed me into a professional at APU, and as a professional photographer. It has also formed me into being a better friend, wife, co-worker, daughter, sister and believer in Jesus Christ. I am thankful to all of my clients, friends and family that came along side me throughout 2008. I seriously could not have done it without you. Here's to 2009 and all that it has in store for this wonderful journey. I am just bursting at the seams to share with you what is coming up next for Tira J Photography!

I created a slideshow with some of my favorite images from 2008. I love the song for the slideshow because it says perfectly how I feel about 2009 coming around the corner.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW


Happy New Year to everyone! May 2009 bring all of the greatest blessings to you and your loved ones. And one last quote from one of my photographer facebook friends, Ann Ruthmann, "Fear is a door to success. Those who are ready for success assume it is unlocked and proceed, despite not knowing what is on the other side."

My 3 Favorites & The Longest Day: Episode 1

Over the course of the last year, I have been networking with a lot of the top wedding and portrait photographers in our industry. Asking the craziest questions, mistaking them for their twin sisters, (sorry J* and B) and then laughing hysterically at the crazy antics of [b]ecker! I am honored to be a part of this industry where we document couples and families special moments in time with our time and talent. While I am still working full time at APU, I have invested a lot of time and money into improving my craft with the hopes of someday doing this full time. Because of my current job situation and the commitment I have at APU, I am not able to attend WPPI 2009 in Las Vegas. My goal is to attend WPPI in 2010 and see how this industry has been changed by people who want to make a difference.

Like I mentioned above, I have had the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names out there like Jasmine Star, David Jay and [b]ecker and I have admired their work for the past year. They have done so many amazing things for the photography community such as DJ and OpenSourcePhoto, [b]ecker and the [b]school, and Jasmine for her continual inspiration on her blog. Without these three photographers, I am not sure where I would be today. Don't worry, I am finally getting to my point. My three favorites are a part of The Longest Day project with Ron Dawson from F-Stop Beyond, who I think is also amazing. Ron has interviewed almost all of the top portrait and wedding photographers out there and asked some of the toughest questions, but really brings it down to earth for the rest of us to understand and respect who they are. You rock Ron!

So I guess my point is, watch the video below and see how some of the top wedding and portrait photographers (and my 3 favorites) in the industry are going to be making a difference for two separate charities, but will also be displaying their "other" talents in these upcoming episodes of The Longest Day! Cheers!




It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s finally here. The premiere episode of the first online reality TV show for and about professional photographers, “The Longest Day,” this year’s buzz-building videos series for WPPI 2009.

The premise is simple: get 24 of the hottest professional photographers in the country (and Canada), bring them all to southern California armed only with the knowledge that they would be split into two teams and given an assignment to complete in just 24 hours. Once they arrive, they find out their assignment is to write, shoot, and edit an original short film about photography, AND an original PSA about the respective charity for which they are playing: ThirstRelief and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

Over a series of ten episodes, you’ll see the drama; the comedy; and the battle for the best video and PSA as voted on by YOU. That’s right, as we lead up to WPPI (February 14-19) we’ll air the episodes. Then, about a week before, we’ll show the final short films and PSAs by both teams. You will then have an opportunity to vote for the videos you like the best. Thanks to our sponsors, the winning team will win $3,000 for their charity. The other charity will earn $2,000. (In this episode you’ll hear me mention $1,000 and $500 as the respective prizes. The ante got upped since the taping of this show).

A Savior is BORN! Merry CHRISTmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone! Tradition in our family entails going to a Christmas Eve service at church, having a wonderful dinner prepared by my Mom, and then opening our gifts. Yes, it's true, we don't open our gifts on Christmas Day. Today, we will just hang out as a family and enjoy each others company. I leave you with three things. First, one of the most powerful passages in the bible for this season, second, a pretty powerful video clip I grabbed from [b]ecker's blog, and then a picture of our new Nativity. I hope that through reading the verses below and watching the video, you will embrace the true meaning of Christmas.


The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


The Advent Conspiracy Promo Video from theadvance on Vimeo.

Baby Vince: Newborn Session

Meet Baby Vince. He was also born December 2nd, the same day as Kylie, and was born at 12:30 p.m. His parents Vince and Dianna couldn't be happier to have him here, and he was just a little bundle of love the entire afternoon. I also work with Dianna at APU, so it is exciting to see how lives are constantly changing around us, and to watch their new family grow.

*Vince and Dianna, thank you so much for inviting me into your home to photograph your precious little guy. And thank you for being patient while I get these pictures up for you. Merry Christmas!

Baby Kylie: Newborn Session

This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to do two newborn sessions, for two babies that were not only born the same day, but their parents both work with me at APU. And no, they are not twins.

Little Kylie Elizabeth was born December 2, 2008 at 10:11 p.m. and weighed 8 lbs. 8 oz to proud first time parents, Deric and Liz. Kylie was just too precious for words, and hardly fussed during the session. Nana joined us for the session, because she cannot get enough of either one of her granddaughters now. If you remember Jadyn from some previous sessions, she is Kylie's cousin, Sharon's granddaughter.

Deric and Liz are such wonderful parents and were so calm throughout the session. For being first time parents, and only for 12 days, they were doing pretty well. I can't wait to watch another one of my little ones grow up.

*Deric and Liz, thank you for inviting me into your beautiful home to photograph your precious gift from our Lord. She is gorgeous! And Nana, thank you again for another amazing opportunity.

To view more images from the session, CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW!