the bangs were just one of many trends i would follow through the years, although my insecurities weren’t limited to style. like most teenagers, i had a list of physical insecurities as well. i had a big nose and thin lips. i had size 8.5 feet and long toes, while most of my friends had cute, petite feet. i had a freak metabolism and while i usually ate fries and snickers for lunch, i was super skinny with bony legs and knees. some punk named Ralph at my bus stop used to laugh at me and tell everyone i had an eating disorder and that i threw up my food. what a swell guy.

today, at the age of 31, being too skinny has no longer been an issue for well over a decade now. thigh cellulite and face wrinkles have now taken skinny’s place. i still have what i consider a big nose, (although i can hear my mom’s voice arguing this as i write), and thin lips that no amount of lip plumper can help. i still have big feet, only after pregnancy they are now a size 9. and, while i still have my moments where i curse these physical things and hate my style, i can genuinely say that i love ME.

i once read a quote that said something to the effect of, “when you’re younger you spend all of your time trying to be like everyone else and fit in… when you get older you spend your time focusing on how to stand out”. isn’t that the truth?! when you’re an adult applying for that dream job of yours or going on a date with that guy you’ve already been secretly dating in your head for months, you WANT to stand out. your strengths, your weaknesses and individual personality and physical traits are what will set you apart. they are what will lead to you being hired for that dream job and married to your dream guy. unless it doesn’t. in which case- and this is the hardest part to grasp at times- better things are in store for you. the most important thing is that you should never change yourself for someone else. find someone who loves you or wants to hire you for YOU.

i know a lot of times confidence is just something that we all have to learn on our own to some degree. i definitely felt like my teens were my awkward years and my 20’s were for discovering who i was and where i belonged in this sometimes overwhelming world. i’m not sure if it was hitting my 30’s or becoming a mother when i started really embracing ME, (because those both came at the same time), but i know that i am now more comfortable in my skin than ever before.

as a photographer that specializes in photographing high school senior girls, confidence is something i always want my subjects to feel in front of my camera. it is then that their true self really shines through and makes for pictures that leave their parents tearing up while watching their proof gallery slideshow in my office. while i don’t love to see anyone cry, i do love the feeling i get when i can see that i truly captured the personalities of a parent’s daughter. their soon-to-be leaving for college child that they still picture as their little baby girl. there is no bigger compliment i can receive or better reward of my job. while i may have to “wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle- YEAH!” dance at times to get my subjects embarrassed for me and to relax in front of my camera, i’d gladly make myself look like an idiot any day for these kiddos if it means helping them relax and letting their true self shine through.

i’m not sure if the reason i think so much about these things is just because of my job, or if it has to do with the fact that i love studying people and that i tend to overanalyze everyone and everything. it’s probably a little of both. either way, it is why my Class of 2013 Campaign is called { B. you }. my hopes are to promote self confidence not only in my seniors, but in anyone who follows my work. the message will be starting this weekend with my class of 2013 photo shoot and i can’t wait to share it with you!

so, as the 90’s trends start to trickle back in, you definitely won’t find THIS girl with poufed up, hair sprayed bangs again. i don’t care if Lauren Conrad or Nicole Richie are sporting the look. but, if anyone knows where to find a hyper color shirt, hit me up. i will definitely rock that thing like no other!

* old friend whose arm that belongs to has been cropped out of the photo to protect her from scrutiny. yep, she had the poufy bangs too.

what i’ve loved most about my senior year has been: swimming at regionals, eating lunch off campus and being sort of “allowed” to have senioritis. i’m also a little in love with my medical microbiology class.

after graduation, i plan to: attend Hendrix College to study biochemistry and neuroscience, and to swim for the women’s swim team!

my dream career is: a neurosurgeon!

in ten years, i see myself: hopefully practicing medicine somewhere in the UK, married and adopting some tiny humans

my celebrity crush is: David Boreanz (agent Booth from Bones)

the artists most likely playing on my iPod are: Eminem or The Script

my favorite tv shows are: Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, Gossip Girl or House

when i want to cut loose, i: drive the long way home, roll the windows down and blare the radio!

my favorite junk food is: raspberry sorbet with nutella. it sounds weird but my sister and i love it!

if i could go shopping with any celebrity and steal their style, it would be: Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl

my favorite thing in my closet is: my crazy “fringy” boots!

you can always find me shopping for clothes at: Urban Outfitters, Target or American Eagle. i also really like Maya Star and Beehive.

my friends would describe me as: the swim team mommy haha!

most people would be surprised to learn that i: am a HUGE Harry Potter fanatic, to like a truly ridiculous degree that i won’t go into here, (but trust me, it’s embarrassing).

my favorite thing about my senior photo session with holly B. (yes, shameless plug!) was: holly trying to make me laugh and doing the LMFAO “wiggle wiggle wiggle yeah!”

next year, i plan to: be a psychology major at Texas State before transferring to Goucher in Maryland. after i graduate college, i plan to join the Peace Corps and work in the community development branch.

my dream career is: becoming a freelance novelist and working with an autism treatment program.

my celebrity crush is: Matthew Vasquez, the lead singer of my favorite band, Delta Spirit. i’m completely convinced we are meant for each other, he just doesn’t know it yet.

the artists most likely playing on my iPod are: Delta Spirit, Atmosphere, Mike Snow, Etta James, Norah Jones or Jack Johnson.

when i want to cut loose, i: go rock climbing or head to a concert.

my favorite tv show is: New Girl. i love Zooey Dechanel! or That 70′s Show.

my favorite junk food is: chili cheese fritos. they’re my biggest weakness.

my friends would describe me as: goofy, understanding, kind and adventurous. and very awkward.

people may be surprised to learn that i: am in the process of writing a novel, which i hope to have published by my junior year in college.

if i could go shopping with any celebrity and steal her style, it would be: mila kunis or miley cyrus

my favorite thing in my closet is: my brown moccasin boots

you can always find me shopping for clothes at: Anthropologie, Buffalo Exchange or Urban Outfitters

what i liked most about my senior photo session with holly B. (yes, shameless plug!) was: i loved everything about my session with Holly! she made me feel really comfortable and beautiful. she seemed genuinely interested in me and getting the best possible shots that fit my personality. i really appreciated it and it was an experience i couldn’t have gotten with other photographers!

]]> http://hollybphotography.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2354 0 http://hollybphotography.com/blog/?p=2340 http://hollybphotography.com/blog/?p=2340#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:41:34 +0000 admin http://hollybphotography.com/blog/?p=2340

after graduation, i will: be attending the University of Texas at Dallas, majoring in Arts in Technology.

my dream career is: to be a game designer.

the artist most likely playing on my iPod is: Tyrone Wells. i just saw him in concert and i can’t stop smiling! i was able to talk with him after the show and he signed a shirt of mine and a poster for me. i definitely have a new favorite tee.

my celebrity crush is: Jared Padalecki who plays Sam in Supernatural.

when i want to cut loose, i: like to go out in my back yard and chill out on my old swing set or run along with my dog, Mandi. i often bring my iPod with me and just enjoy the music and weather.

my favorite tv show is: Castle, hands down.

my favorite junk food is: chocolate. i eat a ridiculous amount of it.

if i could go shopping with any celebrity and steal her style, it would be: Taylor Swift

my friends would describe me as: talkative. i talk too much, but we laugh a lot because of it!

what i liked most about my senior photo session with holly B. (yes, shameless plug!) was: how easy to like Holly is! i felt good about myself during my session and she is just so great at what she does.

a “before” iPhone pic of the space:

the inspiration board i made after doing some online shopping and spending many nights lying awake brainstorming:

the final results!

LOVE my ghost desk chair! (thanks Amber for your suggestion!)

flat screen for clients to view their proofs at their order session.

the couch is my favorite piece! it was a much longer wait than anticipated, (8 weeks!), but i couldn’t be happier with it!

added the mirrors on the closet doors…

product display! still adding to this and will probably change things up pretty often…

my turn table and lone record collection. anyone wanna help a sista out with some vinyl?

my new business cards displayed in a slinky…

a HUGE thank you to everyone that helped me with the makeover… Don, Ty, Justin, John L., Tom, mom, dad. Amber- your help picking a “greige” paint for the walls was a lifesaver, not to mention all of the hours you spent with me shopping, painting, putting up window trim:) and most of all making the experience so FUN!

now, time to get to work!

i then thought about the fact that it was almost noon and i hadn’t even eaten breakfast or brushed my teeth yet, much less taken a shower, and my little girl would be waking up any second. then the rush came. the rush of anxiety where everything comes over me at once and i feel like i’m in a never-ending scary movie. time. there’s never enough time to get everything done! if my house looks good, i smell like yesterday’s body odor. if i am clean, manicured, pedicured, shaven, make-up done, hair styled and feeling good about myself, my house looks like a dump and my business is neglected that day. no facebook posts, no editing accomplished or orders placed. oh, and i’m definitely not getting to the gym so that i can justify the monthly membership cost i pay. great. now i’m thinking about my flabby ass and the fact that i even can’t carry stuff up the stairs without feeling winded because i haven’t worked out in a month.

i got to thinking… what is my GOAL anyway? to have EVERYTHING accomplished at once? to have worked out, have every piece of laundry cleaned and put away, every toy in it’s designated basket, every baseboard dust-free, every toilet and tub sparkling, to look and smell like something my husband may possibly be attracted to when he gets home, to have my daughter clean and happy, to have something nutritious on the table for the family to eat for dinner, to have booked another session and gotten that client’s order placed and accounting spreadsheets up to date, to have followed up on every email and facebook comment, to have talked to my family and close friends, to have made at least one fun memory with my daughter, to plan a date night with my hard-working husband who i haven’t spent any quality time with lately, to have spent some alone time praying, to have watched every last show that i enjoy that’s waiting for me on the dvr and read those books on the shelf i’ve been saying i’ll read for the last year, to crawl into clean sheets in our bed at night and fall fast asleep without worrying about what tasks i have to do the following day, to think back on the day and know that i was the best possible wife, mom, friend and daughter to everyone i care so much about, to go back and edit this paragraph so that it’s not the longest run-on sentence in history?

well, obviously that isn’t going to happen. what a dumb goal. dumb. it takes daily reminders to myself, but that’s not what life is about. life is about the relationships with my loved ones, especially my husband and daughter. what i really should ask myself when climbing into my unmade bed at night, as i roll over on a cheerio and give my husband a bad breath kiss is… did i show my daughter and husband that i love them today? did i have at least one conversation with God?

i was so honored that this sweet family drove an hour to come to town for their session with me. and, i’m not gonna lie- on my way to their shoot i was feeling a lot of nerves and putting a bit of pressure on myself. i know it can’t be easy traveling that far with a 1 and 2 year old in tow and i wanted to make their photos well worth it! but, as soon as we started shooting, they made my job cake. i mean, just look at those boy’s adorable faces!

i am SO excited to announce that holly B. photography now has a boutique studio, located in the heart of Austin! the studio is located inside of the Sugar Factory, home to Gay Isber Jewelry designs and Ensemble: Austin Indie Designers. it’s a fabulous local boutique that sells amazing jewelry, clothing and accessories, all made by Austin designers. if that’s not exciting enough, my long time friends, Haute Cakes are also located in the Sugar Factory. they made our wedding cake and have some of the most delicious treats in town!

my amazing Glam artist, Amber, or glAmber as i like to call her , has been helping me design the new studio and we are getting to work first thing in the morning. i’m super anxious and so glad i can finally share this exciting news with all of you!

beginning in March, all client consultations and print order sessions will be held at the studio. i will be hosting lots fun shindigs, including a grand opening party to show off the new digs and do some giveaways, so stay tuned for details!

here’s to hoping this is just the beginning of an amazing 2012 for holly B. photography!

located at 1800 W. Koenig Lane