Paula Player Photography http://www.paulaplayerblog.com Myrtle Beach Wedding, lifestyle and everyday life photographer. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:03:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Cell phone issues http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/cell-phone-issues/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/cell-phone-issues/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:03:15 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2247 Hi there! Just wanted to tell you this quick story…last week after a commercial shoot, packed my gear bag, grabbed my keys & cell phone and  went to get in the car. Not sure how or when I lost a hold of it…but it just wasn’t it my hand. I looked for it while I drove off and thought to myself, ” my cell must be in the camera bag”. Well, to my surprise it wasn’t. I have no clue where it went. We’ve looked for it everywhere and no blackberry anywhere :( . Since then, I’ve gotten a replacement phone, that was working perfectly until just now! I went to a doctor’s appointment with Miles, I always pack a juice & treat for after the shots he gets. Well, the zippy cup leaked all over, spilling all its contents on this new phone. I am not even kidding, I got a case for it just on Sunday and well, it did not protect the darn thing. So, I could say that I am frustrated or maybe is just a sign from God that I need to get an iphone. So, if you are trying to get a hold of me, please email me, I will be more diligent and try to check it more often, so if you call, it may just go straight to voicemail. I am guessing it will be a day or two before I get this issue resolved.

Thank  you!

email: paulaplayer@gmail.com

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/cell-phone-issues/feed/ 1 Chris & My’ah Underwood http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/chris-myah-underwood/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/chris-myah-underwood/#comments Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:00:06 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2218 Aww…this was a dream wedding…beautiful day, beautiful couple & beautiful venue! When I started taking photos of  My’ah, I couldn’t help but think of how lucky I’ve gotten to have such beautiful & modern brides. Chris & My’ah live in the San Franciso area in California and chose to get married here in the beautiful Pine Lakes Golf country club, which was perfect to complement her “all white” wedding theme. Mark Gladden, did such an amazing job bringing her vision alive…there were details everywhere, starting with her bouquet…it was perfectly white all over!  The bridesmaids were GORGEOUS!! They were just soo beautiful and their dresses were incredibly modern and their hair-do’s really fit each one of them. After the ceremony, we headed to the beach and got some snapshots of them dancing, what a sweet moment for them! Thanks to all the vendors that came together to make this day incredible for these two!

Cake by: Croissants

Event Planner: Grand Occasions, Inc

Flowers & Design: M. Gladden Designs

Videography: Heart to Hart Media

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/chris-myah-underwood/feed/ 2 I need new & fun activities, please! http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/i-need-new-fun-activities-please/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/i-need-new-fun-activities-please/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:10:38 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2212 I thought I would share some of my experience of being a mom and a business owner. Miles is now 18 months, and he is non-stop! I guess I try to give him as many activities between naps so he’ll be worn out. Sometimes though, he is not so easily entertained and I am running out of ideas! He plays with cars, we color books, stack blocks, read tons of books, read flash cards in Spanish, we chase each other, dance and so many more things. While he’s awake, its next to impossible to check my email and forget about trying to edit! That means I have to be extra productive while he sleeps, but he’s sleeping less and less, so I need your help! I am not super mom and need to know what type of activities are great for kids that can keep them occupied and learning at the same time.  Sometimes if I really need to get something done asap and he’s awake, I will play some Baby Einstein DVDs, but I will like to expand his knowledge in a creative and fun way!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, and would love to hear from you, specially if you are a mom or dad. You may do lots of activities with your kids that I might be able to introduce to Miles.

He LOVES Spot books!

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/i-need-new-fun-activities-please/feed/ 3 Thank God for Sunday! http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/thank-god-for-sunday/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/thank-god-for-sunday/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:28:07 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2207 This morning I woke up and my feet were a bit swollen from yesterday’s beautiful wedding, so I’ve been doing some serious resting on the couch! I am thankful for days when I can relax, drink tea, and just watch Miles & David play. And yet I am sitting here with this cool little MacPro I got this week! I’ve been wanting to post something super neat that the Motto girls gave me. Really, I pretty much asked them for it, because the first time  walked into their office, I saw the most beautiful/ginormous blackboard with all sorts of graphics on it. I was fascinated how pretty it looked and how many different photos it had up hanging. They were so kind to give me this one, which I hang in my office last week and since then, I’ve been adding items that inspire me…so, I grabbed all my wedding magazines and looked for things that I liked, such as:

Color patterns.

Matching themes.

Natural light images.

Fun Graphic designs.

Floral designs.

Women with strong looks.

Detail shots.

Color combinations that match.

This board makes my office look so pretty! Thank you Ashley & Sunny!

Cheers,

Paula

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/thank-god-for-sunday/feed/ 0 2nd shooter? http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/2nd-shooter/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/2nd-shooter/#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:37:55 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2193 I got the opportunity of being the second shooter for one of my favorite photographers Olivia Griffin about a month ago. I’ve been asking her to let me be her assistant for quite a while and finally had the chance to go up to Greenville, SC where it worked out for both of us! Olivia started only one or two years before I got into photography, and she’s already made such a beautiful porfolio and I feel very inspired by her!

Here is one thing that Olivia did that I have been wanting my brides to do: “First look”. I call it ” First Sight” when the groom and the bride see each other before the ceremony! This is the second time I’ve had the chance to experience this, and I am telling you…its such a beautiful thing! Its a moment when he first looks at her, and realizes what a beautiful woman he is marring. I thought this was very special and it allows each other to really say whatever they feel at that very moment. Its really hard to do that in front of lots of people during the ceremony. I truly LOVE, LOVE this and hope my future couples may consider this special moment for themselves.

After shooting a wedding with Olivia, what did I take away that I could apply to MY weddings?

1. Doing most/all formals before the ceremony! This bride wanted to do most of her formal photos before hand which made everyone be more relaxed and not rushed. Of course this will be up to the bride, but I think that after experiencing it, I would highly suggest it.

2. “First sight” was such a sweet experience and so unique. I didn’t know this couple at all, but even I was taken by how sweet this is. I think I teared up a little! Again, this is up to the couple and is ultimately their call. I think that what they feel at that moment is something that can’t be recreated in any other way.

3. Not overfixing the brides’s dress. The natural look really comes together when the bride is relaxed and her dress just drapes naturally!

4. When doing photos of the bride-bridesmaids everyone must look natural, and not necessarily in the same pose, spice it up!

5. Be who I am 100%. I loved when Olivia talked with lots of confidence. I’ve always felt shy when talking to people, but the reality is that you can’t learn everyone’s name to ask them to move or to help you. That concept really gives permission to talk in the way that gets the message across!

To conclude this blog post, I am really excited having learned from another photographer that completely rocks!  I can’t wait to put all these concepts to practice in today’s wedding!

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/2nd-shooter/feed/ 3 “Cookie” http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/cookie/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/cookie/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:55:38 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2187 My sweet boy is growing soooo fast, he turned 18 months a few days ago and I really can’t believe what a big boy he already is…! He says things like, Papa ( dad in Spanish), ball, wow, oh ohh, num num ( when he wants to eat) and the newest one “cookie”. I about dropped when he saw a pack of delicious biscuit cookies I got from the World Market store and just simply said it. His face looked ridiculously cute as he tried to pronounce every part of this word. As cute as this story sounds, deep inside I felt a little sad. I shouldn’t say sad, but he is now a little baby anymore, he is a little boy. I know that he is learning so fast, and its just crazy to see your tiny baby, grow to be a little boy that sure has his own personality. I have a set of pictures that really remainds me how he was just about a year ago…photos are the only way to pave your life…without images, we have no story..

See…he was so tiny!!! Awwee…my little baby….! I am really glad that I’ve been able to photograph him anytime that I want, and for those moms who maybe don’t have a fancy camera, my advice would be to take photos with whatever camera you have. If you don’t have one, buy even a cheap one, because this is the only way you will ever be able to show your own child what he/she used to be like. Everytime I take photos of us, him, around the house, with no so fancy clothes, whatever it might be, I print 4×6′s and stick them in an album. Everynow and then, I will sit with Miles & David and watch how we are all growing together! its a beautiful thing!

Lastly, here is a picture I took about 2 weeks ago. Wow, what a difference, ha? Miles is just precious!

Thanks for reading! :)

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/cookie/feed/ 1 10 year Anniversary! http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/10-year-anniversary/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/10-year-anniversary/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:36:16 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2173 Jen contacted me, wanting a session for her 10 year wedding anniversary. After not getting the photography that she envisioned for her wedding, getting her dress back on was a pretty big deal. She fitted her dress of 10 years beautifully, and my goal was to give her amazing photos of the two of them, but also photos of just her. Every bride dreams of looking stunning for their wedding, and Jen really looked amazing in her gown and I love that she was willing to play around with her dress on. Her mom made her a beautiful bright red bouquet that added color to this perfect location and perfect lighting!

Love how her dress just flew around her!

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/10-year-anniversary/feed/ 1 Hello world! http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/hello-world/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/hello-world/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:16:36 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2163 I just got up from short nap that I took in my living room and really woke up inspired!  Well, I have not been shooting for a few weeks now, which has allowed me to work on other things that deserve time spent on…such as my branding! This whole “branding” bug bite me while in Las Vegas and I heard one of my favorite photographers Jessica speak about her own identity. She really got me with that 15 min speech and ever since I’ve been looking for my identity in other photographers….I am not going to deny it…I do look at other people’s work, websites, blogs etc. What I feel has been lacking is really to take a serious look at myself…and as cheesy as that sounds, it’s the only way to really develop my own voice in this business. Although my business is very young, I believe to have great potential to continue to build a name for myself…so I decided to find people that could really help me understand what this whole “branding” thing is all about? Well, to my surprise right HERE in our beautiful Myrtle Beach, we have probably one of the most respectable, sophisticated and informative branding firm: Motto by Sunny & Ashley and if you could see the inside of their property….it is JAWWW droppin’! But besides how beautiful their place looks, it’s really all about who they are…everywhere you look…it screams MOTTO. It’s now been about 5 weeks into my consultations, followed by many talks, chats and questions such as these: “What is it that you do? How? Why? When? Blah, blah,blah…” Questions that really made me go like ..what…??  And its not about just saying, ” I capture moments” really? Yes, that is what anyone with a camera is entitled to say. Its much much deeper…so deep that I have been answering these questions week after week, researching inside MYSELF, MY WORK, MY BLOG, MY WEBSITE. A brand is much more than a logo, or a business card…its really about how you bring your personality into your product, it’s about the integrity how you do business, how you answer a phone call, how you reply to an email…and much more. This is a never ending quest, but I finally feel that I am going in the right direction, which is to find that unique thing about me, which by the way too many people have been saying “hot pepper”! I guess its ’cause I am cute, short and spicy! :) I’ve heard this many times during my consultations. Those characteristics are just so appropriate to describe who I am, so now I have to built my brand around a pepper! Haha…I’m soo kidding. No, I am not a pepper, I am PAULA EMILY PLAYER, someone with huge huge dreams, goals and lots of determination to get me there.

I want to thank to clients of mine who have had a hand in this process…! Really, your feedback has been really valuable to make changes, and improvements to this business. I am ready to explore my true self and take you along in this ride…photography is such a beautiful art, and all I want to do is share it with you because everyone can relate to photo memories, so follow along! There is much preparing to launch my true identity so keep a close watch because its definitely coming! With that being said, I do want to thank my sweet audience, and blogstalkers! I love all the comments you love the support! I am forever greateful for having the opportunity to do what I passionately love and there is much improvement and growth for Paula Player Photography.

Thanks…really!

Paula

P.s. For those who just think that I am nothing but a pepper, well, here is what I would look like if my body was red spicy pepper! hahaha!

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/hello-world/feed/ 4 Happy Friday!! http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/happy-friday/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/happy-friday/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:12:21 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2160 Aww…its Friday!! ( Thank God!) I’ve had a pretty busy week and of course there is one little person that keeps me going!! He is almost 18 months now…so he is talking, jumping, running, even doing some somersaults. Have a great weekend!

]]> http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/happy-friday/feed/ 0 Sunflower field “after wedding session” http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/sunflower-field-after-wedding-session/ http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/sunflower-field-after-wedding-session/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:14:38 +0000 Paula http://www.paulaplayerblog.com/?p=2142 ! A few weeks ago, I photographed Carlie and Ryan for their ” After Wedding Session’ which by the way are so much fun!!I just can’t get enough of this sunflower field…and actually the man who owns it took me to a few more fields he has. I love adding new backgrounds and looks for my porfolio!! The funny thing was, Larry (who owns several crops) is the grandfather of Miss. South Carolina Teen! He even brought her out so I could take her picture! I really enjoyed taking my time creating this memories…so I highly recommend this to all the couples out there!

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