Author Archives: Naomi Wilcox

Favorite Images from 2014 | Part I

First of all choosing my personal favorite images from each session I had in 2014 (all 42 of them!) was WAY more difficult then I imagined it to be. Several of these families are very close friends & others became close friends! I didn’t realize how much of my heart was connected to each session. But as “hard” as it was for me, it was also a wonderful experience- to look back & remember all of these special moments that I got to be a part of with so many incredible people. I’m not just saying that to make you all feel good 😉 I am truly thankful & blessed to have worked with each person/family/couple I met in 2014. And let me just say, looking back has made me VERY EXCITED for 2015. EXTREMELY excited 🙂

So just a reminder, this blog is a mini series, which basically means I will be posting several blogs posts to hold ALL of the images. I can’t put all of them in one! I’m spreading them out into about 3 posts (so there’s about 2 more coming!). I’m also adding the photo’s in complete random order. So if you don’t see my personal favorite image from your session, don’t freak out! 🙂 It’s coming! Hopefully the suspense won’t kill you 😉

You may be wondering how I chose my personal favorites, but before I answer that question, remember it was EXTREMELY hard to me to pick my favorites!!! Basically all the sessions I had about 2-3 fav images per session. It was very hard to narrow them down. But the ones I chose, are those that have personally stayed in my mind, touched my heart & made me fall even more in love with photography & capturing the smiles of so many people. If you look at each picture, you’ll notice I didn’t always choose the “perfect picture that had the perfect lighting & perfectly centered pose”. I usually chose ones where there’s a true genuine smile on their face or a belly laugh about to happen, the mom glowing while looking at her husband, a daddy holding his daughter close or you can totally see true love & tenderness in the eyes of those in the picture….AHHH!!!!! Who’s ready to see some pictures??? 🙂

See the Weber full blog post here- https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/weber-family-session/

Check back in the next few days for Part II!

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Merry Christmas!!!

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Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

With love, Eric & Naomi

Nomi Photography

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Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. ~ Corrie Ten Boom

It’s Christmas!

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“It’s good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.” – Charles Dickens

One of my very favorite things to do photography wise, is to capture events & special things at Eric & I’s home church First Assembly of God in Normal. I love serving my church in this way. This past Sunday was our Family Ministries Christmas Program “It’s Christmas!”. It was a combination of the talents & faces of our children & youth.

This coming Sunday is our adult Christmas program. I’m looking forward to capturing that as well. If you’re looking for something to do this Sunday, why not join me in attending? 🙂

Here’s a few favorites from this past Sunday! And maybe it’s because all these images have captured the faces of children & youth, but I have to say these are probably some of my favorite pictures I’ve ever taken at my church 🙂

O come, let us adore Him!

Boughan | Family Session

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“I’d like to be a kid again but only because naps were insisted, twirling in circles was acceptable, and the only password I had to remember was open sesame.” – Adar Burks

Couple Saturday’s ago, I had a session with Whitney & her 3 cuties. It was a very chilly day but we made the most of it! We twirled & ran & shivered! 🙂 On our phone date before the session, Whitney described to me each of her little ones & their fun personalities. The weather did not hinder us from capturing each of her kids! Aren’t they just adorable?

A momma & her youngest <3

Such a beauty!

Don’t let this face fool you, he was great for the session! Look at those blue eyes!!!

Love this one! Nothing like a momma’s embrace!

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Gift Certificates!

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Nomi Photography is offering Gift Certificates beginning this holiday season! A photo session results in images that last a lifetime. What a perfect gift! If you would like to purchase one email me at naomi@nomi-photography.com to do so! Certificates can be used towards any session during 2015 & can be purchased in $10.00 increments & above. Purchase some for others or maybe you’ll want to put one on your own Christmas List? 😉

Lance | Family Session

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Kat Lance & I met several years ago at our church & they recently moved to South Caroline. When she emailed me back a few months ago & said their family would be in town & could we make a family session happen, I was SUPER excited! When someone drive almost 14 hours to you for you to photograph their family, you can’t help but feel like you’ve just been given a huge compliment 😉 Haha yeah, so maybe I wasn’t the reason they came to visit 😉 haha It WAS to see family! 😉

Kat & Jake attended our church while they lived in Illinois & finished up school, bought a home & had their first child! Kat & I threw a couple baby showers for friends together & later, I got to attend the shower for her baby!

They are both one of those couples that seem to be always smiling. Kat recently sent me a hand-written note full of encouraging words. It was just what I needed at the right time. Thanks friend 🙂

Kat & Jake have since moved to South Carolina & are enjoying it very much. Their extended family actually came to the session too! I’m sharing some of that we got at the tail end of the three Lance’s. Kat & Jake (& Hudson!) it was great spending with your family & getting to see you guys! Maybe next year we can reconnect!

Here are a few of my favorites!

Look at that happy face!

Such an adorable little guy with a fun personality!!!

Love this <3

Deal | Family Session

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Home is the nicest word there is. – Laura Ingalls Wilder

Ashley emailed me a couple months back & we began discussing their family session. I knew in my heart when she described what she was envisioning that their session was going to be something special. And it was.

Yes, it was a little chilly, OK, very chilly 😉 BUT, it was a special time. Ashley & her husband Greg, welcomed me into their charming farmhouse & surrounding property & little Braden was totally excited to show me the cows 😉 (Did you know cows say “Moo”? 😉 If not, just ask Braden, he’ll tell you 😉 )

Ummm, he pretty much stole my heart.

LOVE that their little wagon for Braden has their family farm name on the side of it.

Because it was rather cold, we went inside Ashley & Greg’s wonderful farmhouse. Ashley has mean decorating skills & I loved all the windows & coziness the home offers. I was so thankful that Ashley & Greg were so easy going & had not problem with me spending time capturing their family indoors.

No Saturday morning would be complete without a reading of Braden’s favorite book- “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. All 3 of them know it by heart 🙂

At the end of their session, I took Greg & Ashley outside to capture a few moments of this couple.

Ashley you are GORGEOUS!

Ashley, you have so much talent & the little details you added to this session were PERFECT. So you guys. And Greg, thank you for answering all my farming questions 😉 THANK YOU for spending a sunny, chilly Saturday morning with you three 🙂 Braden is blessed to have you two as parents. It’s obvious that you both love each other & him very much.

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David | High School Graduate Session

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I love my brother David.

Some of you may not know, but I am the oldest in my family & I have 3 other siblings. A sister & two younger brothers.

I’ve shared this story with people before but never written about it. One time when my sister & I were very young (aka no little brothers were in sight) we were playing at a playground. There were two little boys that were brothers that showed up to play too. My sister & I had such a blast with them. I remember enjoying myself so much that during the midst of our adventures on the swings & laughs on the slide, I prayed & asked the Lord for two brothers just like them. I didn’t just want one, but two. TWO brothers.

Years later, the Lord answered my childlike prayer. I can still remember that day at the playground clear as day. And I’m very, VERY thankful that the Lord didn’t give me just one brother, but TWO.

My brother David is awesome. He’s my grocery shopping buddy- every two weeks he joins me in picking up everything on my grocery list & we have a brother/sister date. He’s very good with little kids. He’s musically talented in so many ways. Rap & singing solo’s. He makes the best hot chai tea ever. My parents dog & my sister’s dog love him. He’s got a mind for business & could probably run Apple himself. He writes awesome poems. He’s very discerning & can tell when someone’s feelings are hurt or is being left out. He’s very helpful. He’s funny. Actually, he can be pretty hilarious.

His “classic” funny face 🙂

David High School Graduate Session | www.nomi-photography.com-4

This is one of my favorites.

I love you David. I prayed for you years ago & I’m so thankful the Lord answered my prayer by giving our family you. You’re talented. You’re smart. And you care about people. I’m thankful you’re my brother.

PS This was one of the very last picture we took & it’s my very favorite.

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Photo Christmas Card Options!

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One of my favorite things about Christmas is receiving Christmas Cards & especially PHOTO Christmas Cards! To be honest, I have a harder time taking down the Photo Christmas Cards at the end of the holiday season then any of our other decorations. We put our cards up around a door frame that we walk through to get to the kitchen or living room & I just LOVE looking at the faces of the people that the Lord has intertwined ours lives with. Each year, there are more new faces from new friends we’ve made in that past year & I just LOVE thinking back on how we’ve met & the adventures & memories that were made with those people in the past year.

I know it can be overwhelming deciding what company to order your Christmas Cards through so I put together a small list of some sources for you to check into. I’ve checked into all of these sources. Some of them are suggestions from those who commented on a status I posted on my facebook page a few weeks back & others are some new sources I’ve discovered in the past few weeks.

LOCAL OPTIONS

JMC Photo & Digital Service

If you are local (in the Bloomington-Normal area) & looking for quality Christmas Photo Cards & wonderful customer service, I would HIGHLY recommend JMC Photo & Digital Service. Their prices are comparable to Shutterfly & Minted. Plus, you don’t have to pay shipping if you order from them since you can just go & pick them up!

Walmart

If you don’t care as much about the quality as you just want an easy, cheaper option (maybe you have a ton of people on your list!) Walmart actually has great prices & some super cute designs. A good friend of mine orders there fairly often.

ONLINE OPTIONS

Simply to Impress

My FAVORITE online option was Simply to Impress. Another good friend told me about this wonderful source. They’ve got AWESOME & unique designs & they currently have until today (November 20) a 20% off your order with the promo code NOV2014.

Minted

Probably my second favorite online option was Minted. They have some pretty foil pressed cards if that’s a fav style of yours 🙂 I hadn’t seen that anywhere else.

I seriously almost ordered from Simply to Impress. They had some beautiful options & I liked their prices. Some other online options you could check into are Shutterfly, & Mpix. I was impressed with Shutterfly’s coupons & they send those promo codes out through email like they’re candy.

DESIGN YOUR OWN

The past two years, I have actually designed & ordered our own. My two years in a graphic design program pays off every once in awhile 😉 Now I know not everyone can do this, but if you can, it’s a more budget friendly idea! Last year, we used NextDayFlyers & ordered postcards. Cheaper postage-hey, hey, hey!!!! I ordered some new address mailing labels (I’ll be using those again this year since we have so many leftover still!) & sent those babies out.

This year, I took the wise advice of a friend & ordered postcards through VistaPrint. Even though I upgraded to a thicker paper, ordering 100 postcards was under $35.00! (These were one sided because I will write on the back of a few. Also cheaper that way to have them one sided.) I’ll probably pick up some red envelopes from Hobby Lobby to use to give out the cards that I’ll probably hand out to friends at church, but other then that, I’ll be slapping that postcard postage & sending them out after Thanksgiving!

Have another suggestion? Leave a comment & I’ll save it for next year!

Heidi & Jordan | Engagement Session

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I posted the below photo on facebook December 3, 2009. Five years ago, Heidi & I were both attending Heartland Community College. We were taking Literature of the Bible together & I know I can say for the both of us, that our instructor was blowing us away. Every time we walked out of class, we literally had “headaches” from all the amazing information we’d received & talked over.

That wasn’t the only thing giving us headaches back then. There was another thing that was on our minds a lot……..boys 😉 And not just any boys. We each had a specific boy that we had our eyes on. For me it was Eric Wilcox (who is now my husband) & for her, it was Jordan. Jordan Doddek. Over hot chai’s at Fusionbrew (when it was located next to Gumby’s Pizza- which is also no longer there hah!) we discussed our dreams of someday catching these boys eyes & “could it be, could it possibly be that either of these guys could be the one for us”?

heidi & I- December 3, 2009

I married Eric in 2012 & this coming year of 2015, Heidi & Jordan will be becoming man & wife. WHOO-HOOO!!!!!!!!!! (Imagine me shouting that 🙂 )

Heidi & Jordan’s engagement session was SOOO them. We had met up a few weeks before to go over details & decide locations that fit them as a couple. When the afternoon of their session arrived, I had soooo much fun watching them interact together. It is TOTALLY clear that they are smitten with each other. TOTALLY SMITTEN. And to be honest, I was completely in awe. In awe of how the Lord works out the desires of our hearts & orchestrates our lives if we let Him. While photographing them together, my mind went to Heidi & I’s talks at Heartland & the questions of “could it ever happen” & I realized that right in front of my eyes was the answer. It HAD happened. And I couldn’t be any more happier for these two.

We met first at a historic neighborhood in Bloomington. Heidi said that one of their favorite things to do is look at houses & dream together.

Dream away my friends.

Jordan kept both of us pretty entertained through the entire session. He likes keeping Heidi’s eyes on him & her laughing 😉 And I know for a fact that she totally doesn’t mind watching him 😉

Then we headed to Comlara Park, a special place to the engaged couple.

I told them that the Lord had that evening’s particular sunset set aside just for them. And I was dead serious.

Heidi & Jordan Engagement | www.nomi-photography.com-6

And there were numerous times that we just got plain silly 😉

Heidi, I’m so happy for you. I know you have waited for the Lord’s best & He’s given it to you. I can’t wait to see you become Mrs. Jordan Doddek & to watch what the Lord does between you two & your future family. It was my greatest pleasure to spend time capturing you two. Congratulations Heidi & Jordan!!!