An Apple a Day.....

Who doesn't love an adorable, squishy faced, lovable kiddo?

I have always held a special place in my heart for children and given my profession(s) I have been given the most amazing opportunities to work with some of the most loving, beautiful, caring, adorable kids.  As a nurse, I chose to be in the pediatric field and I had the privilege of working with one of the most amazing little guys I have ever met.  My love for children facing illnesses or childhood diseases has always been at the front of my heart, but after hanging with my little friend every week, I knew that I had to do something more, something that would help more children, something that would make my heart happy.

Once I made the life changing decision to take my passion for photography full-time, I spent a lot of time thinking how I was going to keep my love for these kids known.  I instantly signed up to be a volunteer photographer with NILMDTS ((Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep)) and Kids Cancer Crusade.  These two amazing organizations have helped me grow as a person and allowed me to be introduced to a ton of new and amazing families, all of which I have grown to love.

A special shoutout to some of my beauties! Ryker, Kolbye Kaye, Liam, Trace and Eli!

But......I want more!  Since early in the year, I have been looking into what it takes to start a non-profit organization and it takes A LOT!  I am determined to start up what I hope to be an organization that is known around the country and is supported by millions.  The inspiration comes from all the kids that have come into my life and made an impact on my life and those of all of my fans.  So......do you want to know what I want this organization to be? 

I want this to be a source of love, inspiration and caring for everyone involved.  An Apple a Day is the name that I have decided upon and I will accept a select group of photographers, first in Oklahoma, and eventually around the country.  These photographers will volunteer their talent and time and go to children's hospitals, doing photo sessions for children and their families that are confined to the hospital for any reason, be it a short stay, an extended stay, or their only home away from home.  Sometimes, the hospital is the only place these kids will ever be and there is no reason that they shouldn't have professional photos.  Other times, children are diagnosed with diseases such as cancer or a life threatening heart disorder and live for days, months, or years going through extensive testing and rarely get the opportunity to travel far away from their hospital room. 

That is where we (the photographers) will come in.  Once we receive the request for our services, we will make each experience one of a kind and memorable for not only the children, but also their families.  With surprises in tow, we will ALWAYS make sure that each and every child has a special day when we are involved.  I can see it now, a smile on a little boys face that has not had the energy to smile until we walk in.  A giggle from a little girl that could barely say a word hours before.

I believe. I can do this. And I hope you will all stick around to see how amazing this is going to be!

{{{If you feel the need to help with anything involved with the process of starting this organization, be it monetary, volunteerism, logo design, or more, please contact me via email at natalierenaephotography@yahoo.com}}}

A moment of insecurity.....

Insecure?  Maybe.  Scared?  Definitely.  Worth it?  I know it will be.

Change to me has always been scary, but I have noticed that the "older" I get, the less scared I am of it.  Be it business, personal, creative.....ANYTHING.  Those that "knew" me in high school would have never imagined that {{ I }} would ever dye my hair pink and blue, walk away from a medical career, move away from my hometown, and be the person I am today!

Believe it or not, I was quiet in high school, had my tight group of friends but was friendly to all the "groups."  I miss those days ((nahhhh who am I foolin'))  I miss my friends, but found out soon after graduation that those that meant the most would always be there, regardless.

Now I am really tossing around the idea of relocation with my husband.  If my mom figures out how to get on my blog and she reads this, she will quite possibly do something illegal to keep me from going if the time comes.  I have always dreamed of living on or near the beach, San Diego or San Francisco would be ideal, but I would settle for somewhere nice and pretty in Florida....or even North Carolina.  Who am I kiddin' I really just want to be able to say that I got away and did what I wanted and didn't let anything or anyone hold me back.  Nico is all for it, the kids are too young to know or really even care and if I could hire someone to pack up my house ((Lord knows I am not going to do that)) I would be ready to go in the morning.

Have you made it this far?  If so you get to read what the post is really about ;)  Change. My business. My dream.  My life.  Photography.  I have grown to absolutely adore what I do and I love everything about it.  I love that I am so close to each of my clients.  I love that they know we are friends and not just people that "know" one another.  I love that I am the one that they allow to create their images that will last a lifetime for those that come into their lives.  I love that I spend every single night of my life editing away to make each picture perfect.  For me.  For you.  For them.  I wouldn't change a thing about it, but change has come and I don't know if the reaction is what I had hoped for.

A couple weeks ago I created this blog, created a new Facebook, made an "investment" page that explained my new packaging and pricing.  I significantly dropped my session fee to account for package pricing and knew that I would be met with both like and dislike, but I feel that I need to explain why I did what I did for those that are upset with packages and pricing.

Two paragraphs up, I said the word "love" A LOT and that is what I want you to remember.  I LOVE what I do and I want you to LOVE it too.  If you think back 20 years ago ((or less even)) do you remember floppy disks?  Could you get information off one today?  Who is to say that in 20 more years  you will be able to get information off of a CD?  What will we do if we can't show our grandchildren what we looked like in 50 years?

Please also note that though I don't want to HARP on this, photography is my means of income.  I don't get paid vacations, I have no retirement plan, I pay 35% of my income back in taxes every 3 months, I have no sick pay.  You may think that I am rolling in money, but that is so far from the truth that it is silly.  I do what I love because I love what I do.  I could easily walk away from all this and go back to nursing (another J-O-B) that I love, but I don't want to.  I want to be known as one of the BEST photographers and I am so far from that right now it is crazy, but I strive to be better every single day.  Everything I do costs money, the props I buy, the prints I order, the gift certificates I give away, the advertising I pay for, the thousands of dollars in equipment, samples, computers, software, photoshop actions, branding, gasoline, caffeine -- :0) --  That is not even the beginning of it, but I said I wouldn't HARP!

With all this said, I want you to understand that I LOVE you, I love what I do, I am here to stay and I will be successful....in life, in business, in family, in love!  Please consider this when you are wondering why you have to pay little ole me to do your photos, capture your memories, make them perfect and deliver them to you with the most respect and care!

I <3 you!
Natalie Renae

A treasured moment, a beautiful family

I have known Addison and her family for just over a year now and she has grown leaps and bounds!  I remember a year ago, just after she had turned two years old, she was walking around the park talking like a pro, in English AND Spanish!!!  She has such amazing parents that love her and each other so much and I am honored to be a part of their lives.

This family warms my heart and I am so blessed to be in their lives! I can't wait until our next session in the fall ;)

Elijah is Almost Here!

I have said it before and I am sure you will hear me say it many times in the future!  I LOVE my clients because it never fails, I will always consider them friends at some point or another.  This beautiful family was formed right before my eyes.  When I first met this beautiful momma and her beautiful daughters, they were a family of three looking for someone to love them.  Now here we are, nearly 2 years later with baby Elijah on the way!  Now her family of three is turning into a family of SIX!!!  I cannot wait to spend the next 100 years loving this family and photographing them as they all grow.

I LOVE when my clients come with their own unique ideas.  Stephanie found a photo similar to this and asked if I minded to recreate it with her own little touch.  The crocheted star you see was made by her beautiful mother, Elijah's grandmother, and it was the perfect touch!

A few years ago, I got the idea of putting a personal letter from mom and dad on a picture for baby to cherish.  Years later, I still get requests for this special photo!  I was so happy to receive these amazing letters from Elijah's parents and I hope they love how they were used.

Steph and Chris, you two are so special to me and I am so honored to call you my friend!

Happy, Happy Birthday! Caden, 2 years old

I am so blessed to have gained so many amazing friendships out of this thing I call a job.  The Winkler family has been around since Natalie Renae Photography came into existence and over the last couple years, I have come to love them like family.  I am so honored that they choose me to do their portraits and so humbled by the great family they are.  This photo session was for Caden, but we of course had to sneak a few family portraits in.

But if you knew the Winkler's, you would know that THIS is their true side!

Caden was not exactly thrilled with the idea of picture day, but let's be honest....neither was his dad!

Want to see even more of this beautiful family?

Click HERE to see a wonderful military homecoming that I was so honored to be a part of!

I Miss My Camera :(

As most of you now know, I spend a lot of time at Sweet Pea Couture, whether taking pictures, buying new stuff, or visiting my friends.  I volunteered to work the store this week while they are on vacation (((IN CABO SAN LUCAS))) and I am having such a great time meeting tons of new people. 

But I miss my camera, I miss my clients, I miss editing, I MISS PHOTOGRAPHY!

This week has been so productive for me in more ways than one.  I have been able to reflect on what I wanted to do to make my photography business better, for not only me but also YOU.  I have been able to catch up on business material that I have been putting off for so long and I have been able to miss what I do and for that reason, I appreciate my J.O.B. so much more.

Because of all this, I am going to offer YOU something special!  Next week only, I will be offering sessions for half off ((according to new pricing under investment tab)) and there are only 4-5 sessions available.  If you want to take advantage of this, please send an email to natalierenaephotography@yahoo.com or you can also send a message via FACEBOOK.

I cannot wait to see where my business takes me in life and I am even more excited to have so many amazing people on this trip with me!

This is a picture last summer of my family and I :)  Meet Nico, Brock and Ryan!

Why all the changes?

So many new things have been happening at NRP and everyone keeps asking WHY?

I have been in business for a little over a year and I have had so much success, but I always want MORE.  I want to be somebody, I want people to look up to my work, look up to my successes, look up to ME!  My motto that I have had put on a thumb ring simply reads, "Inspire. Be inspired." and that can sum it all up in three words!

I want to reach people around the globe, not just those in the Tulsa metro area.  I want the option to meet new people with every vacation I take, every workshop I attend, every road trip I go on.  What better way than social media?  This week has brought about a new FACEBOOK.....a new TWITTER.... and of course a new BLOG!

I would not be where I am without referrals and word of mouth.  For this, I have YOU to thank and I truly appreciate every kind word, every shout out, every media share, every picture framed.....EVERYTHING!

There are so many new and exciting things coming and I can't wait to share even more with you, but until then, sit back and hold on because this is sure to be one exciting journey!

My inspirations, my reason for working so hard, 2/3 of my heart and 100% of my world.  These are my crazy, silly, beautiful, energetic, loving children!  When you wonder why I am always up so late at night working, it is because I try my best to do the most work when these precious babies are sound asleep so that I can spend as much time as possible with them!  They are truly my everything!

It's Monday {{and I LOVE it}}

{{Monday}} is the day that the world fears, the day that the population hates, and the day that your photographer LOVES!  Monday means I made it through another week, I survived the weekend with a hectic schedule, that I can get my creative juices flowing....again!  This {{Monday}} is particularly special to me! Why?  Because it starts a new revamping to not only Natalie Renae Photography, but also to ME.  I have not a single person following my blog right now, so technically this is basically a journal....but I KNOW the world will see it and I can't wait for that day.  For the day that I have so many avid followers that I am forced to {{HIRE}} an assistant, forced to fill out a schedule that includes only limited openings due to the popularity of my business and the demand for memories made by YOURS TRULY!  While you are here, if you haven't already, please take a peek and "like" my new Facebook fan page, click here!

This weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful couple's wedding.  The ceremony was performed at Christ's Chapel on the grounds of Oral Roberts University and the reception was held at Baxter's in downtown Tulsa.  Lateisha and Donells have been clients of mine since the very beginning.  I have been blessed to be able to call them my friends and love them very much!  This photo is incredibly special to me because I was one of the first to see her surprise, a new wedding set!

Where do I begin?

I can nurse a wound.
I can capture special moments on camera.
I can stay up for hours on end making your images perfect.
But, I cannot, for the life of me make blogging easy.  I have always been so computer savvy, but blogging and getting what I have in my head, on this blog, is next to impossible.  I will learn and I will make it perfect, but please be patient as I perfect my blogging skills :)  I <3 you!

Meet beautiful, 3 month old, {{Averie}}.  She was such a joy to work with and already has such an amazing little personality.  She is definitely well loved by her amazing parents and I cannot wait to watch this little beauty grow up over the years!