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March 20, 2013

Session Share – Megan Small Photography:

This session, submitted by Megan Small Photography, is the perfect example of how less can be more.  You’re going to love this session based on a childhood book.

Get to know Megan:

My name is Megan Small and I am a Los Angeles based photographer specializing in pregnancy, newborns, families and weddings. I have always been infatuated with the art of documenting everyday life. Through high school and college I carried around a camera capturing every party,  gathering of friends, or just a regular day at school. By recording those special moments that at the time seemed like just another ordinary day, are now cherished images and fragments of time that I will forever treasure. This is the model I bring to Megan Small Photography, to capture a family hanging at home, a newborn in it’s first week of life, or a union of love between a couple and their families. Since I started my journey in photography I finally felt as though all the dots had been connected and I found my true passion. I have combined my love for art, children, babies, beauty, and composition into a successful and continuously rewarding business.

© Esther Sun Photography

About the Session:

The Red Balloon book was a childhood favorite of mine and was then passed onto my nephew Casper. We started reading it to him far before we realized as he got older that he resembled the main character Pascal quite a bit.

The story is a little boy named Pascal, who on his way to school one morning, discovers a large helium-filled red balloon. As he plays with his newfound toy, he realizes the balloon has a mind and will of its own. It begins to follow him wherever he goes, at times floating outside his bedroom window. The red balloon follows Pascal through the streets of Paris, and the pair draw inquisitive looks from adults and the envy of other children as they wander the Parisian streets.

So we hit the streets of Hollywood, the Boulevard to be exact, with a red balloon to recreate this sweet story.

You can see more of Megan’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

Posted in7 year old,Inspiration,Session Share
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Courtney - March 26, 2013 - 7:50 pm

I love The Red Balloon and how Megan lets Casper have fun with his own interpretation of the story. You can see what a great time he is having and that makes for great pictures!

March 14, 2013

The 5th Issue is HERE!!!


The 5th issue of The Fort is officially LIVE!!  If you are a wedding photographer, this is an issue you won’t want to miss.  It’s jam packed with information from some of the industry’s leading wedding photographers.

This issue was so much fun to put together, at first there were some bumps in the road (see details in the planning phase), but in the end everything worked out perfectly. It was a complete honor and pleasure getting to work with the amazing wedding photographers featured in this issue.

A Special Thank You To:

Thank you to Jasmine Star for taking the time to contribute an interview and images.  She is known for being an open book, and this interview personally helped me overcome a few things that I struggle with from time to time.   I know that it will help you too!

Thank you to Zach & Jody for taking the time to write an article explaining what they’ve done over the years to develop close relationships with their clientele.  This article is a must read, be prepared to take notes!:)

Thank you to Clary Photo.  Most of us are not just photographers, we are mom’s first and foremost.  You’ll love her article about finding balance between your business and your family life.

Thank you to Two Bright Lights.  If you are looking for ways to get your work out and in front of editors, this article is for you.  They provide a service that allows photographers to submit their work to various publications.

Thank you to Jodi Miller Photography for sharing an article with tips on how to turn your passion for photography into a viable business.

Thank you to all of the Eye Candy contributors, Davina + Daniel, Leah Kua, and Matthew Morgan.  Your work is breathtakingly beautiful, and it is an honor to have your work grace the pages of The Fort!

Check out the Table of Contents for More info:

Posted in20s +,Groom,Inspiration,Issue
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March 13, 2013

Session Share-Greg Hogan Photography:

I love today’s featured session, by Greg Hogan Photography, it has a bit of a “Hunger Games” feel to it.  As you’ll read, Greg let his son choose the session theme.  That’s such a great idea to let your child have some creative control.  That’s a great way to ensure that your young subject will remain interested throughout the shoot.  Let them help you create your art, after all, a child’s imagination is beyond amazing!

Get to know Greg:

I was born in Ireland and my family emigrated to the United States in 1990 when I was 12 years old. I am married to my beautiful wife (Jackie)of 10 years. We have two boys (Desmond 5yrs) and (Liam 2yrs) we are expecting our 3 child in March. We have no idea what it will be. The anticipation is almost too much.:)

I have a passion for photography, especially capturing love, joy and emotion in a moment. The focus of all my photography is to catch a glimpse of real life and real moments.

© Greg Hogan Photography

A bit about the session:

The session was inspired by my 5 year old. It was his idea to go hunt bears, so we went on a hike to a new place and it was a birthday blessing to stumble onto this place. I just sat back and enjoyed the excitement on his face to see all that was before him. I stayed behind him and captured his adventurous spirit as best I could.

The imagination of boys is a wonderful thing. He packed his “survival kit” made a map and we spent hours in the woods that day.

You can see more of Greg’s work on his  Website  |  Facebook Page.

Posted in5 year old,Inspiration,Session Share
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Valerie Thomas - March 13, 2013 - 2:10 pm

This is one of the most precious things I have seen in a long time. What a wonderful gift a father could give his son, the power of imagination, life and bonding. The photography work is amazing, the pics bring this father and son’s venture to life.

WOW – what wonderful photography. I went on and viewed this guys stuff on his website – AMAZING photographer. I love his photos. He really focuses on the candid shots, the moments of life you can never “re-create” but he some how catches each of them in a simple photo.

Jackie - March 13, 2013 - 6:16 pm

Beautiful work and an an even more beautiful subject. You make a wife and mama proud.

March 7, 2013

Session Share-Sonja Hammad:

If you don’t live in California, do you ever find yourself a bit jealous that you don’t?  After you see this gorgeous family session, you may want to pack your bags and head to the beach. Thank you to Sonja Hammad Photography for sharing this with The Fort.

Get to Know Sonja:

Photography is definitely not only a career for me, but it is my passion, and I think about it all the time. I’m always watching how the light hits someone’s face or hair, even when my camera is nowhere in sight. I have dreams about editing photos more often than I’d like to admit! But, more importantly, I believe that everyone has a unique story, and it’s amazing how this story and one’s inner beauty really show in a portrait. This is why I love what I do. I’m also a wife (my hubby took the photo of my daughter and me) and a mom to 3 beautiful kidlets. I’m a violinist, and I direct two amazing high school orchestras, which means I get to work with a lot of truly amazing students. I think I’m pretty lucky to have two fulfilling careers that I love so much.

A Bit About the Session:

These photos were taken on one of my favorite beaches here in southern California, because there are never very many people there, so it almost always feels like a little private beach. On this particular day, it had been raining all morning so I was thrilled when the rain stopped just in time for our session. We only had moments of sunshine peek through the clouds, but it was the most gorgeous light when it happened, and some of the images I captured in those moments remain my very favorite. I love the special connections you can see between the kids and their parents — their happiness and laughter almost jump off the page to me. I am much more interested in capturing that sincere emotion than I am with getting traditional poses, so when I have a session where everyone relaxes and has fun with each other, I feel like I’ve done my job. These boys obviously love the beach, so I’m happy their parents chose that setting. On a side note, the youngest boy said “bye, Sonja” to me in his cute 2-year-old-voice about 16 times as we got into our cars afterwards, and it totally melted my heart. It was so cute!

You can see more of Sonja’s work on her  Website  |  Facebook Page.

Posted in2 year old,5 year old,Family,Inspiration,Session Share
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February 28, 2013

Session Share-Randi Marie Photography:

I’m absolutely thrilled that I get to feature another beautiful family on the blog today.  Thank you to Randi Marie Photography for submitting this session to The Fort.

Get to Know Randi:

Hi there! In 2011, I started Randi Marie Photography in Los Angeles.  Randi Marie Photography is a Boutique Wedding Photography company that specializes in chic, editorial and timeless work. Having been born and raised in this wonderful city we call LA, I feel blessed to be able to guide my clients in to beautiful little nooks and cranny’s of the city which make beautiful backdrops for Engagement Portraits. My motto is that life is short and sweet, therefore living in the moment and doing what you love and what loves you is most important. Photography chose me and in turn, I chose it.

A Bit About the Session:

This sweet family contacted me just a few weeks before Thanksgiving in search of a family photographer for their holiday photos. Their two beautiful blue eyed babies smiled the afternoon away, even Julian (who wasn’t feeling up to par), managed to give us a few pearly whites. Once we brought out the soccer ball, he was good to go! What could be better than spending an afternoon at one of my favorite locations with this cute fam bam?

You can see more of Randi’s work on her  Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook Page.

Posted in1 year old,Family,Inspiration,Session Share
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The FORT Magazine | Randi Marie - March 1, 2013 - 2:35 am

[...] THE FORT MAGAZINE – Click HERE [...]