Senior Photographer | Abilene, TX | Pet Photographer | Mack, Maggie & Rhett Butler

"Until one has loved an animal, 

a part of one's soul remains unawakened"

~Anatole France

I really enjoy personalizing each photo session so that the portraits truly reflect the many aspects of the person featured in the photo. During Mackenzie's Senior photo session, she wanted to capture her relationship with her dogs Maggie and Rhett Butler. We got some really cute shots of Mack playing with Maggie...

 After playing with Maggie, we went to play homage to Rhett Butler, Mack's first pet that she grew up with. The Belz family recently lost Rhett Butler to Doggie Heaven, but they have created a beautiful memorial to him on their property. We took some photos of Mack at Rhett Butler's grave with a scrapbook of Mack and her beloved dog. Her childhood is filled with memories with him, and this shoot marks another chapter change in Mack's life.

Gender Reveal Party Photographer | Abilene, TX | Denman Gender Reveal

I have never seen a man's face light up when talking about his unborn child the way Kevin's does! Since the first day he told Justin he would be a daddy, Kevin has glowed with such pride and love.

I was so excited when Beth told me about the gender reveal party they were planning. Her hostesses were phenomenal--- isn't this the cutest?!

I LOVE all of the details---- all the way to the Nectar Juice!

 

Beth and Kevin read the results together before revealing to friends and family with a balloon release.

These expressions are Priceless!

 So excited for the Denmans!!!!

 Jace Thomas will be here before we know it!!

Has Pinterest Become My Bible?

My toes are sore, and I hadn't realized before that toes could hurt as a result of click, click, clicking on my phone or my computer. I have known for a while that I wasn't doing something correctly--- too much stuff, too much searching, too many decisions, too much to count and too little time on the things that count. I began a process of simplifying, and even that overwhelmed me. Everything I started to shave out of my house really just got shoved to the garage for a magical futuristic time when I would have the time and energy to deal with it. I became so suffocated by stuff and embarrassed by my garage that I commented that I just wanted to set my garage on fire. My mom retorts, "You have set stuff on fire before.... should I be concerned?" Well, yes. Concerned enough to stop bringing in more STUFF into the house and into life. I found myself longing for quiet because I desperately needed to hear The still, small voice, and I knew I was too overstimulated to recognize His whisper. Except I could hear enough to know I was just not right. 

My solution? So misguided. Organize! Look at these Pinterest boards on organizing! Look at the fab gadgets on Amazon that will help my linen closet be Pin-worthy! (I'm not gonna lie--- I DO love my linen closet now, and the clean-out process did help me simplify). I just don't want to get to the place where I spend more time pinning than doing. Can you imagine the epitaph? "Here lies Tifani Smith. She had inspirational Pins and organized closets. Too bad the Kingdom doesn't benefit from that." 

I thank God for giving me a desire to hear His voice, and I thank Him for communities where studying His word and accountability for applying it are so readily available. Chapter 2 in Let. It. Go. by Karen Ehman (http://www.karenehman.com/books/) I am confronted with the importance of evaluating whether the many choices available to me are Tools, Toys, or Tangents. Jesus gives such a great example of how to keep focus when you're pulled in so many directions. I pray that this week God gives me discerning eyes that would see a big Whammy 'X' associated with the things that distract me to the point that my time becomes trivial and unproductive. Relaxing with Pinterest and communicating with others on Facebook isn't a bad thing... until I get to the place where it gulps my time like a whale eating crill, and at the end of the day, the only thing I have to show for it is.... well.... nothing.

Control. Capital 'C'.

Control. That's the issue I have been dealing with. Or not dealing with. See, with Blogging, I have a design idea that would make me Contented Smiley Face Happy, but I lack the tech-savvy to make my Blogging Design Dreams come true. Honestly, it hasn't been important enough to me up to this point to spend the money on the expertise to bring my blog up to Contented Smiley Face par. And evidently, anything short of Contented Smiley Face Happy, and I short out. My little pout fest. Nothing major... I just shrug and say "Blogging isn't for me," or "Well, as soon as someone can get the blog set up the way I want it, then I can give it my time, energy, and attention." My darling friend Lindsey: "You aren't blogging? Tsk, tsk." "Oh, but Linds, it just isn't set up the way I want it..." blah blah blah. So for one year and 3 weeks, I have not blogged once. I do not, hereby, commit to blogging weekly. Ha- maybe not even monthly! But as I work out this Bible Study on Control, I begin to see the Blog Pout as a glaring example of "if-it's-not-my-way-it's-no-way" living, and in an effort toward imperfect progress, I am making an attempt to love the content even if I am not currently loving the platform.  That, too, will come.... one day.

I have decided that I should work out the Blog as an outlet for my graphic design and my photography, but also as a place to document my personal "progress" (and often times more accurately coined "regression"). I felt pulled to blog Mr. and Mrs. Smith family on one blog, Captured Photography on another blog, tweet here and there, and use Facebook as my info-sharing platform. But since my personal journey impacts photography, and vice versa, it's all ME, and dividing it up no longer makes sense to me. So here ya go--- on my Less Than Contented Smiley Face blog platform, I document the various aspects of my life. In the past, the blog has seemed like an echoing cavern in which I shout into, and I hear only the trailing of my shout. Another step-on-the-toes example of why I gravitated toward Facebook as a platform rather than blogging. I love the interaction and the feedback. But perhaps what I need is quiet reflection sometimes. A place to be real and to sort out thoughts, without so much thought as to whether or not I will hear from a kindred soul or mentor along the way. I like thinking. I like writing. Seems like a good place to start. :)

The path that got me back to the Create Post page has been one of ravenous hunger. Yes, I find myself snacking on dry cereal a lot lately even when I know I am not hungry, but deeper than that, I find myself craving The Word and books that help me reflect on The Word. I was on the road for work recently, and the long trips gave me too much time to fill with thinking, audiobooks, and car concerts. I was listening to a pop culture song, and 2 lines haunted me: "Give me love like never before. 'Cause lately I've been craving more."  The songwriter probably didn't intend for those words to stir in me a realization of how strongly I am craving more God right now, but God intended it, and He knows how to find my heart.... usually through a song. I found myself praying constantly and reading my Bible more and downloading audiobooks for those long drives.... or just turning everything off for some quiet time alone with My Father. I had time to reflect on the next steps in my journey and where God might want me to go or how to spend my time for Him. I reflected on my photography business and my work as a social worker. I don't have an answer, but for once am completely at peace with uncertainty... and that goes against all of my Control nature.

It seems God put the right people in my path and led me to the right words in Scripture and the right supplemental readings to help me deal with multiple situations that have arisen lately. My cousin recommended Unglued, and I devoured it in 2 days. (I am currently listening to it a second time through for more nuggets I may have missed the first time through. I have to have multiple flashing signs most of the time). Interestingly, the day after I finished the book, God gave me an opportunity to test what I learned (ummmm.... thanks.....), but I sought the advice of another friend, and in her advice she said, "I am doing this Bible Study 'Unglued', and it really makes me think of your situation." (OK, God, I hear you now. Just needed to hear it twice I guess.) The next week I read Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and it made my head spin! In a good way. I quickly downloaded Forgotten God, also by Francis Chan, and it really made me reconsider a perspective I had all but sold my soul to defend. Meanwhile, my cousin invited me to be her accountability partner in the study Let It Go by Karen Ehman, led through Proverbs31 Ministries. I know it seems I am quite close to reading overload, but I figure with time on the road, God must be wanting me to fill my time with quiet with Him and with thought-provoking meditation from others to challenge me in my scripture reading and how I apply what I read in The Word. I have prayed for hunger before, and somehow this time I knew I needed it before I realized I needed it. :) God is good like that.

I began the Let.It.Go. study today, and chapter 1 has already made me say "Amen" almost shamefully several times. Amen in that I can relate to the author. Shamefully in that I am not exactly proud of the relating. I know I neglected Blogger. I know it was because my control would not let me write something half-"skinned" (as I should say), and I considered it sub-par regardless of content but more due to platform. Well, I have approached the undesirable platform, raised my arms over my head, and have dove in head first. Rather wordily for a diver ;) If you're hungry---- I recommend all of the books written about in this post, and if you're looking for a study, Let.It.Go. is just now starting, so come Let Go with us! I may be back to shout into the echoing canyon....

I tried to sign off, but it doesn't feel right to have a post without a picture! I'm a photographer!So in the spirit of letting go of control, I'll embrace humor. :)

:) tif

Couture Senior Photographer | Abilene, TX | Mackenzie Belz, Wylie High School

Sometimes I find myself creating modeling portfolio shots more than Senior year shoots, but I love it.  :) 

Here's Wylie High School Senior Mackenzie Belz

Wedding Photographer | Abilene, TX | Lauren + Jason

Starting the New Year with a New Vow~ what a beautiful image! Lauren & Jason married 12/31/12 and rang in the new year as husband and wife with their friends and family all around them celebrating. This wedding was *stunning*.

 

 

Birth Photographer | Abilene, TX | Meeting Mollie, Hospital Birth

So often I feel a huge sense of humility and honor that I get to be a part of so many milestones in people's lives. To be asked to capture such an intense and intimate moment in a family's life as the birth of a child leaves me speechless. Luckily, photography doesn't require so much speech :) Jenn Lankford is a photographer who values birth photos, but that's an aspect she can't exactly shoot herself, so I am grateful that she trusted me with shooting the birth of her daughter Mollie. Jenn and Erik were precious to get to know & Dr. Nichole Bullock was amazing for allowing me into the OR when they had to go for emergency c-section. 

Press Play to enjoy the video :)