Here's to the Side Kicks

There’s a lot of work that goes into a photo.

Snakes don’t automatically wrap themselves around your model’s wrist. Lenses don’t switch themselves out. Proposals don’t have an auto-setup-function. I felt like it was time to dedicate a blog post to some of the many people who have gone on photographic adventures with me who don’t get any credit. My hat goes off to these individuals- Thank you for your support!

SHELLY the BABY BED
My aunt Shelly doubles as a newborn cushion. She could adjust the baby’s neck and support her back in comfortable and photographic positions.

AMANDA the SNAKE ACCESSORIZER
These theater majors go hard. Amanda didn’t bat an eye when I told her that we would be using Cornflake (the snake) for our shoot.

MARY KATE the SNAKE MODELER
This girl is beautiful. Her only reaction was, “My parents are going to flip when they see these snake photos.”

SCOTT the SNAKE WHISPERER
Cornflake belongs to Scott and he is training her to be an educational snake! Kudos to Scott for trusting us with his teacher. It was also nice to have someone in the room who knew how to handle snakes in a way that wouldn’t scare them….

KIM WARLICK the MAMA
Mrs. Warlick not only picked up the violin on Kalin’s senior shoot, but she helped us style hair, carry ladders and set up beautiful shots.

YAMMY the TRAIN CHASER
This was actually for a dramatic Steam Punk Shoot, but we decided to hop on the train with a gun and heels. I needed a mobile external flash and Yammy nicely volunteered!

ANA the STUNT DOUBLE
Aside from looking like my twin, Ana does an excellent job second shooting proposals. I surprised her with a crash course in photography and handed her a camera for this special event.  She even got proposed to by Evan during the trial run!

EVAN the OBSERVANT OCD PLANNER
If you can get past the charming smile and notice what Evan is holding in his hands- you will see that he has baggies ready to collect dog poop in the park. He was worried that Victoria might step in some doggy droppings before Josh could pop the question. He also made sure the photographers were camouflaged, all shoes were rid of grass marks, and that everything was as perfect as possible.

MATTHEW the MAROON SUITED VIDEOGRAPHER
Matthew was on a mission to document this event. From how the candles should be arranged to where the frame needed to be placed Matt + Evan wanted perfection for Josh.

PAUL the GUY WITH AN AWESOME APARTMENT
Paul is a friend of Brynn + Mark. He lives in an urban apartment with a city view of a rooftop. Not only does he hold elevators, but he fixes camera straps and provides comic relief!

ANNIQUE the PARTNER IN CRIME.
How I love this woman. We have traveled hundreds of miles together. Carried gear up hills. Shared a bed and slept together (the sleepover kind of way). Challenged Houston traffic. Sweat our hearts out dancing at wedding receptions. Freaked out over not knowing equipment.  Cried together. Laughed together. Shot together. I could go on and on about the amazing memories I have with this photographer and dear friend. She is a god-send second shooter who I never want to be without. We keep each other positive while scarfing down protein bars between shots after 7 hours of straight shooting with no food. She has the heart for photography to match her skill- see below, she’s asking a little girl to tell her the story of Goliath. I wish everyday was Wednesday so she could be my #WCW.

TYLER the BEST. JUST. THE BEST.
I wouldn’t have a photography business if it weren’t for this guy constantly encouraging me to pursue my dreams. Two years ago, he bought me photobyjoy.com. This year, his dad went through the legal process to make Photobyjoy a LLC (AKA LEGIT BUSINESS). He carries my gear. Massages my hands when I get home from weddings. Packs me lunches. Designs marketing techniques. Analyzes the website statistics.  All while being the best husband in the world and loving me when I come home exhausted from sessions or frustrated with editing.  Tyler has fixed lumberjack hair. He has faced the fierce cuteness of our puppy refuses to pose- she bit him, but it didn’t hurt.  He’s played pack-mule through forrest hikes and acted as driver far too many times.  The best thing is, I have this side-kick by my side for life.