Steve & Judy | 50th Wedding Anniversary Session

Unforgettable, That’s what you are,
Unforgettable, Tho’ near or far.

He was a radio announcer in Kansas City & played all the hits of that time. She was a beautiful 19 year old who loved to listen to the voices of Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole & many others.

Like a song of love that clings to me, How the thought of you does things to me.
Never before has someone been more…Unforgettable…

She would call & request a song & he’d play it. She called to request another & they began to talk on the phone between songs. Their conversations became longer & the requests for songs became more frequent.

Unforgettable, In every way,
And forever more that’s how you’ll stay.

“And then I asked her over the phone, to go out for coke & ice cream. Because that’s what you did back then.” Steve told me this the afternoon of their 50th Wedding Anniversary session I was privileged to capture. I drank it all in. Their story, their love & their legacy. This special couple that has not only touched my life, but played a huge role in my husband’s family & many, many others in Bloomington-Normal.

Fifty years of marriage has given them four God-fearing (& rather hilarious) sons, three amazing daughter-in-laws & nine grandchildren. The legacy continues.

And they are STILL in love with each other.

You can see why Steve fell in love with Judy 🙂 Such a beauty! (Judy is a Mary Kaye consultant. We just had to take a moment to snap a few pictures for her website!)

Steve & Judy | Couples Session-41

Steve & Judy, thank you a THOUSAND times for allowing me the honor of spending a special Saturday afternoon with you both. Sharing stories & the Starbucks afterwards was just wonderful. And I know that you would want everyone to know this next thing- Jesus, Jesus is the reason why 50 years has been wonderful. It’s because He lives, that life is worth the living.

That’s why, darling, it’s incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am
Unforgettable, too.

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary Steve & Judy!

PS If you were wondering, Unforgettable by Nat King Cole is their song 🙂

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2015 PK Retreat Recap

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The weekend of January 17-19, my husband & I spent at a campgrounds just outside of Carlinville with 200 Pastors Kids. 200 amazing pastors kids from across the state of Illinois. My 3 siblings & I are pastors kids & we’ve been attending PK Retreat ourselves since we were able to go. The past 7ish years, I was finally old enough to help out & be a leader! I was first a room counselor for about 8 incredible PK High School girls for a couple years & then this year was my 3rd year photographing the retreat. It’s one of my highlights of the year, I’m not joking. And I especially love serving alongside my handsome husband who does the sound either for the older kids group or the younger kids.

This retreat is put together by ISM & the staff & team of volunteers have such a heart for pastors kids. It’s been so fun going back year after year & working with the same people, meeting new people & seeing the kids grow up.

Here’s a few of my favorite images I got. I have over 200 pictures that I kept from this event & I wish I could put all of them in this blog post!

Pastors Kids Retreat 2015-20

This was a super fun game the younger kids did!

See how excited they got!? 🙂

From a photographer’s point of view, capturing this event is always super fun but challenging for me in many ways. I am constantly on the move & constantly being in different lighting situations. First I’ll be in a nice bright room & then know I need to be in a completely different room in about 10 minutes. It keeps me on my toes & is a great learning experience for me. I took the opportunity to use my flash & learn how to use that better as well.

My handsome husband running sound.

My kind of girl 😉

The much anticipated “Masquerade Party”.

And the Annual Scavenger Hunt is on!

Probably one of the favorite parts of PK Retreat for everyone is the Sunday night Variety Show & Pizza Party.

Photobooth time!

Yep, that’s flying toilet paper 😉

Communion Time.

Group picture!!!

This was my favorite PK Retreat so far. Can’t wait until next time 🙂

Mini Sessions in 2015

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On this snowy day, I’m excited to finally publicly announce the Mini Sessions I will be having in 2015. I’ve been thinking about these for a long time now (probably the last 6 months!) & am EXCITED to share them!!! (Those who are subscribed to my e-newsletter found out Monday. If you’re not signed up for my e-newsletter click on the navy box on the right of this page.)

If you’re not sure what a Mini Session is, here’s a brief description- it’s a shorter photography session (usually 20-30 minutes), a smaller amount of images then a full session, & all for a lower cost then a full photography session at a set location. They’re on a set day & I schedule sessions with different families & individuals back to back with small 10 minute windows between each Mini Session.

One of the key words of Nomi Photography is relational. I TRULY believe in capturing those special relationships in our lives and in an authentic way. Keeping relationships in mind, that is how my Mini Session themes came about for 2015. I’ve kept a few from 2014 & have created some very special ones that I’m seriously just JOYFUL in my heart about. See for yourself!

Do you spy the new for 2015 Mini Sessions in that list? I’m not lying when I say my heart is seriously PUMPED for the Siblings Mini & the Grandparents Mini! The Siblings Mini will be open to ALL ages of siblings! Not just children! And the Mini Session that will be just for grandparents & their grandkids- HOW SPECIAL is that going to be?!

Each Mini Session is set in the chosen month for a particular reason.

SIBLINGS: (New for 2015) Did you know April 10 is National Sibling Day? 😉 Now you do! I also thought it’s a perfect time to have your children take pictures (if you wanted to) in their Easter outfits! My siblings always took a group picture on Easter Sunday 🙂 And this isn’t just for the young ones! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get all your adult siblings together for some updated pictures?!

MOM & ME: Last year, the Mom & Me Mini’s were so very special & wonderful. I’m excited to have those again just in time for Mother’s Day!

BEST FRIEND: When was the last time you had pictures taken with your best friend? Well, National Best Friend Day is June 8 & we are going to “celebrate” it by having Mini’s just for you & your BFF! Or ALL your BFF’s!

BACK TO SCHOOL | For Homeschoolers Only: Last year I met so many wonderful homeschooler families with these Mini’s! My husband & I were both homeschooled & I loved being able to use this opportunity to meet so many other local homeschoolers. And yes, this is a firm for homeschoolers ONLY Mini’s :)These will be in the end of July or very beginning of August.

SISTER SISTER: Probably one of my favorite Mini’s is the Sister Sister Mini Session. National Sister Day is August 2 & this Mini Session will be scheduled just around that time.

GRANDPARENTS: (New for 2015) Probably the Mini Session I am MOST EXCITED about for 2015 is the new one just for grandparents & their grandchildren. This would be a wonderful Grandparents Day gift or even have the session in September & save the images & print them all for Christmas gifts!

FALL FAMILY: I will be having Fall Family Mini Sessions this year. They will be in October since the leaves are usually in FULL color then.

Now the reason I have to wait on the exact dates is because of weather & choosing a location that is just perfect. Since I do my Mini Sessions outdoors, it’s important to find a location that is pretty too! 🙂 I promise to leave plenty of time to let you know ahead of time. I’ll be releasing the Siblings Mini Session date early March.

I try very hard to make my Mini Sessions as unique, special & fun as possible. Be on the lookout for the official release date of each Mini Session (e-newsletter subscribers are given the opportunity to book first!). I hope you & your loved ones will join me for a Mini Session (or two!) this year <3 Can’t wait 🙂

PS Also, CONGRATULATIONS to Brittany Gulso who won the Giftcard Giveaway 🙂

Poppins | Family Session

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“The most beautiful thing in the world is to see your children smiling. The next best thing is to know that you are the reason behind that smile.” – momscorner.com

Let’s just say that a few Saturdays ago, there was LOTS of smiling going on from Little Miss 6-Month Old Amelia 🙂 See for yourself!

See what I mean? This dolly was just full of smiles!

I loved being able to capture some special moments of little Miss Amelia & her mommy. This is probably my favorite image of the two of them <3

And there’s no doubt this little one not only loves her mommy, but her daddy as well!

Those legs <3

Miss Amelia started to get a little tired…

Sleep tight!

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Giveaway!

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If you know me, you know that I like giveaways (entering them & having them 😉 ) AND I LOVE tea! Like, LOVE, LOVE tea. Yesterday, my pastor’s wife gave me some tea from Trader Joe’s & I’ve had 3 cups already of it.

I’ve said before that I’m working on several behind the scene things for Nomi Photography. 2014 was the year of “launching” & 2015 is the year of “defining & organizing” for Nomi Photography. February 2, I will be sending out the February Nomi Photography E-Newsletter. In it, I will be announcing my mini sessions for 2015. I’m keeping some from last year & adding a few new ones. I’ve spent a lot of time choosing these & I’m excited to share them all with you 🙂 I’ve put a lot of thought into them & made sure they line up with the heart of Nomi Photography.

I use social media a lot to keep you all posted on Nomi Photography happenings. But did you know that those who sign up for my e-newsletter hear FIRST HAND about my big announcements before social media does? It’s true! And I’ve even been making some fun & better changes to my e-newsletter’s design & I’m really liking the results. Now what exactly does all this have to do with a giveaway? Well here’s the deal, come February 2, the February E-Newsletter will go out & because I’ve given my e-newsletter a new look & I like giveaways AND I’m excited about my mini-session themes this year ANNDDDD because I love tea, I’m giving away a $5.00 giftcard to Fusionbrew & Starbucks to one person!

The catch is, the winner will be announced in my February E-Newsletter! So you HAVE to sign up for it to find out if you won! So how do you signup? It’s EASY! Either email me at naomi@nomi-photography.com & have your subject title be “Sign Me Up!” OR use this link on facebook- https://www.facebook.com/youweremadetosmile/app_100265896690345.

Now if you’re already on my e-newsletter list, guess what? You can add your spouse or a completely different email of yours to the list & that counts 😉 So once you’ve given an email address, you’ve entered & just check your inbox Monday, February 2 (crazy that that’s only a week from today) to see if you won!

There are several benefits to being on the Nomi Photography E-Newsletter, SEVERAL. And friends, March’s E-Newsletter is going to contain one of my biggest announcements YET. I wanted to put it in February’s e-newsletter, but it’s going to wait until March 😉 Ok, that’s enough! No more about that since I can’t spill the beans on that one 😉

Back to the giveaway-happy entering friends!!!

***One entry per person.

Favorite Images from 2014 | Part III

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Today’s blog post is the last in a 3-Part blog mini-series featuring my personal favorite images from each session I had in 2014. You can view Part I here & Part II here.

Today’s post is just as fun as the last two. I did add a fun surprise image that probably none of you have ever seen (*hint-hint* it has a bride & groom in it ;-)) & I HIGHLY recommend listening to this song (You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile) while scrolling through the images (I’m currently addicted to the new Annie soundtrack.) It’s a fun song that will keep you movin’ & groovin’ for the rest of the day 😉

Make sure you scroll through all the images & read just a few more lines from me!

See more of Grace’s beautiful face here! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/09/grace-high-school-senior-graduate/

More of this special farm session: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/deal-family-session/

More of Leah & Lucy: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/leah-college-graduate-session/

In the summer of 2014, I had the honor of being the second photographer at a wedding with the incredibly talented & beautiful Jamie Grant of Jamie Grant Photography. I had never captured a wedding before. I was 90% sure I did not want to be a wedding photographer & I decided that this was an opportunity to find out if that was the right choice. It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding & just a lovely day. Jamie was super sweet & spending the day with her was a wonderful experience in itself. I also got to connect with Eric & Sabriah Floberg. Here’s one of the images I took from the bride & groom’s First Look.

Fav's of 2014-trager wedding-1

I know the Lord has me in the right place by not having me be a wedding photographer. It was fantastic experience but it’s not where my heart is. You can view the full wedding post here- http://www.jamiegrantphotography.com/haley-kenny-wedding/

More of my handsome brother: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/david-high-school-graduate-session/

These two love birds have many more pictures- https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/heidi-jordan-engagement-session/

My pastor & his family’s full session can be viewed here: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/labertew-family-session/

There’s more!!! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/10/laberge-newborn-session/

These cuties have more family members! See them all here: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/fall-mini-session-recap/

There’s more here! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/fall-mini-session-recap/

This fun family has tons of great images! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/09/shickel-family-family-session/

Gorgeous Chloe: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/10/chloe-high-school-senior-graduate/

And that’s a wrap!!! (I’ve always wanted to say that, but never had a reason too 😉 haha)

Thank you everyone for sticking around these past few days & looking back at 2014 with me!!! Didn’t I get to work with some incredible people??!!! I think so!!!

There’s a reason I shared all of these, not just because they’re my fav’s, but because they are leading me into a stronger, more focused direction with Nomi Photography. I’ll be sharing more on that later 🙂

I have just about 1-2 session spots available for January & am booking further into 2015. Contact me at naomi@nomi-photography.com to schedule your session! I’d LOVE to capture you & your families smile!

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Harding | Family Session

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Does encouraging words mean a lot to you? They do to me. Alisha Harding probably doesn’t even remember this, but just about two years ago, she said something to me I’ll never forget. I was photographing a conference for pastors, their spouses & missionaries that my church was hosting. Alisha was there & I took a quick photo of her & a friend she was talking too. The three of us briefly chatted & Alisha said to me, “I just love your photo’s.” I thanked her & shared a bit of my heart regarding starting a photography business. After listening to my words, she looked at me & said, “I have no doubt you are going to be a great photographer & that your business will go well.” I’ve never forgotten that moment. It was a time where my dream was just a dream in my husband & I’s heart. It was still developing & growing & Alisha’s words was like water on the seed in my heart.

If you ever get the chance to encourage someone, do it. You’ll never know how deep & how much that individual may need your exact words.

Alisha, your words meant the world to me. It was an honor to almost 2 years later capture your family <3

Favorite Images from 2014 | Part II

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Man this has been fun! Sifting through so many pictures & remembering the laughs & moments shared at the sessions I had in 2014 & just smiling ALL over again! THANK YOU to everyone who has had a session with me. THANK YOU for trusting me & being a part of this journey! Nomi Photography wouldn’t exist without you.

If you missed it, here’s Part I. Now, who’s ready for Part II?!!!!

View more from this double maternity session here: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/10/birkey-double-maternity-session-part-iii/

Gabriel’s full blog post is right here if you wanna see more! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/10/gabriel-high-school-senior-graduate/

More of the Lyttle Family here: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/09/lyttle-family-family-session/

View more here of this sweetie & his entire family- https://nomi-photography.com/2014/10/jouret-family-session/

You can see more! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/12/boughan-family-session/

There’s more here! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/12/lance-family-session/

This little guy was just too much fun! https://nomi-photography.com/2014/10/kadiver-family-session/

More fun pictures of this family: https://nomi-photography.com/2014/11/fall-mini-session-recap/

Well there’s Part II! Come back in the next few days for the final blog post!

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Favorite Images from 2014 | Part I

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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

_______________________________

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

Naomi Elizabeth Photography

Bloomington-Normal Photography

Steve & Judy | 50th Wedding Anniversary Session

2015 PK Retreat Recap

Mini Sessions in 2015

Poppins | Family Session

Giveaway!

Favorite Images from 2014 | Part III

Harding | Family Session

Favorite Images from 2014 | Part II

Favorite Images from 2014 | Part I

Merry Christmas!!!