This is “Tuffy.”

I’ve had him since I was 15 years old. Actually, that’s not completely true… We sold him after I graduated high school, but the family that bought him eventually gave him back to us three years later because their daughter wasn’t riding him regularly. I was SO excited to find out we were getting him back! He is my “goober” and my “bubby” and I love him to pieces…

Horseback riding is a huge part of my childhood. While I had friends who played soccer and volleyball in grade school, I was busy going to my trainer’s place to ride Tuffy. I also treated him like my personal life-size Breyer horse, making sure he looked pretty on a daily basis. I never understood people who were afraid of horses… They can be the sweetest animals on the planet. Tuffy especially… Look at those eyes! He’s just a big doll-baby!

I’ve been trying especially hard to get back to my roots the last few weeks, spending time in all the passions that God has blessed me with… Playing my guitar, spending time with friends, talking about theology (yes, I love to talk theology!), and of course, horseback riding… Tuffy is getting up in age so I can’t ride him the way I used to, which was super competitive. But just being around him has been enough.

Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the computer and just rest. Which I plan on doing fully tomorrow, as I have committed myself to actually enjoying the Sabbath. This is a lot harder to do than you might imagine, but trust me… It’s necessary.

Have a great weekend!

ME NEITHER! I mean, weddings are my favorite, but working with these seniors has been something fresh and new and so rewarding. Working one-on-one with people is definitely a nice break from the crazy crowds that weddings can bring, but they still take practice.

Madie is my last Senior Rep Model (at least, for now) and I’m really excited to share her photos with you. She is a beautiful girl and she knows how to strike a pose. I mean, she’s got that fierce look that I’m sure she uses at her softball games when she’s staring down the pitcher, waiting to swing her bat… Like, You really wanna throw that ball? Go ahead. I DARE YOU.

And then POW! Grand slam. Just like her face.

This is an image I’ve had in my head for a while. Sooooo happy with it.

So this was not originally the outfit Madie had planned to wear but there was a wardrobe malfunction, so she changed into a simple black tank and we rolled with it…

But then we collaborated and were able to remedy the malfunction, so Madie changed into the white dress she’d originally planned on wearing.

Another quick outfit and location change. Love it! And oooooOOooOooOOoooo…

Sunflare-gasm.

Madie’s mom took us up to the balcony of her office building and it was great! What an awesome view!

The wind wasn’t exactly agreeing with us at first…

Eventually, we got it right.

Madie, I had so much fun getting to know you and your mom! Good luck with the rest of your summer softball league and to the coming last year of high school! I’m looking forward to hearing all about your activities, although I might get exhausted just listening to it all… You are one busy girl!

Next up, some epic family amazingness! Gah… So blessed.

(Click on the image to see it LARGE. Photo courtesy of Michelle Sidles Photography.)

]]> http://carlybish.com/booty-dance/feed 2 http://carlybish.com/i-found-it http://carlybish.com/i-found-it#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:31:55 +0000 carly http://carlybish.com/?p=3375 Last week was probably one of the craziest weeks of my life. I didn’t even know how busy it would get! I mean, it felt like I squeezed in a month’s worth of stuff into a single week. It’s hard to fathom it was only a week ago that I was in Spokane shooting a wedding with Michelle—that feels like months ago now…

If you’re wondering what could possibly have happened that made this week so crazy, it was mostly a bunch of little things that happened all at once after I got home on Wednesday. But the biggest thing was I had the opportunity to second-shoot a wedding with Sean Flanigan, an incredible photographer here in Seattle. And what a nice guy—so humble and chill. Shooting with him was so easy and I took a lot away from the whole day. I’m looking forward to sharing those images with you in a couple weeks, but in the meantime, check out Sean’s work. It’s just stunning.

And now, you’re probably asking what “it” is that I found! Well, last Sunday, I had my first appointment at a bridal boutique ever. Yes, I went dress shopping. It was my first time shopping for a wedding dress and to say I was a tiny bit nervous is a huge understatement. Even though I’m a smaller version of myself since I got married in 2007, I still struggle with self perception issues. Dress shopping was always a dreaded task growing up, especially in junior and senior high school. I’ve basically avoided it completely since going to college…

Before I go into the experience that day, I want to say that it was really important to do a bit of research before making the appointment with I Do Bridal in Seattle. Based on the times my friends and family have shopped there, I refused to go to David’s Bridal. While I have personally known girls who had great luck finding their dress at this chain, I’ve come to identify the store as the “car salesmen” of wedding dress shopping. Because of my sensitive mindset about my body and finding a dress that fits, I wanted to find a store that would take my feelings into consideration and not push the matter…

I did a simple Google search, “bridal boutique seattle”, and several results came up. I began reading through reviews and a couple stores really stood out to me. While it’s helpful to read the reviews, I think it’s so important to be objective when reading them. I’m not overly dramatic but I know some girls who can be, so what might be a “so-so” experience for me might be “horrific and awful” for someone else. I looked for reviews that were authentic and well-written, which I think is fair when considering which stores to go shopping. If it’s a negative review but it was composed well and thoughtful, then the likelihood that the shopper’s experience was indeed that bad is probably true. But the same can be said about positive reviews. So please keep that in mind.

After deciding which boutiques I wanted to visit, I emailed each one the following:

Hi there!

My name is Carly and I’d like to make an appointment to try on some dresses. I’ve never tried on a wedding dress before and am more than just slightly dreading the process. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight but even though I’m a ‘normal’ size 10, I’m still scared of how shopping for a dress will affect my self esteem. I’m not even sure what style would look good on me, which is why I’d like to make the appointment. I’ve read some positive reviews on your boutique and am hoping for a positive experience.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Carly Bishop.

I want to point out a few things about my email because I think they can really help you when booking your future appointments. Notice I started out very casual and light-hearted, immediately putting myself in a “first name” context because I’m really looking for a professional AND friendly experience. I also explained my current circumstances. At that point, I had really never tried on a real wedding dress or been dress shopping and I wanted the boutique to know this! Why? Because I need a little hand-holding through this process, that’s why! And why shouldn’t I? Picking out a wedding dress can be very emotional time, which can turn really bad, really fast! So yes, I told the boutique about my weight issues, my self perception problems, and my lack of knowledge about dress styles. Because I’m going to need help through this and I’m hoping they can! Lastly, notice that I mentioned “reading some positive reviews”. I think it’s important for the boutique to know that I’ve done my research and that I’m a review-reader, which also means I could be a review-writer. And trust me—they want a positive review. So there’s even more incentive to please, you follow?

So I was very happy when two boutiques responded to my message. But it was I Do Bridal’s response that really stuck out to me. Here’s the email I received from Jen, the assistant store manager:

Hi, Carly.

Thank you for your inquiry. We would love to set an appointment for you to look at gowns here in our shop. Is there a particular date/time that works best for you?

We know that wedding dress shopping can be a nerve-wracking experience, but we try to make it as pleasant as possible here. Our samples range from size 6 to 24, with most in the size 10-14 range. Most of our consultants have been in the industry for years and are very skilled in helping you to pick out beautiful styles that will flatter your figure. If you have any special concerns, please feel free to share them with your consultant when you arrive.

Please write back when you get a moment and let us know which day/time works best for you. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Jen Moore
Assistant Manager

Wow! I was impressed! Not only had I received a fast response (it was the first message in my Inbox the morning after I wrote my email) but it basically addressed every point in my original email. She called me by my first name, she asked what date/time works best for me (which isn’t always the case), and she even acknowledged how “nerve-wracking” dress shopping can be! Way to be real, Jen! I immediately felt better about making my appointment, knowing they had such a wide range of sizes and styles, and having the reassurance that if I had concerns, the experienced consultants were there to listen and assist.

You might think I made a mountain out of a mole hill when it came to this issue, but if you’re not concerned about the dress, maybe it’s the location. Or your makeup artist. Or the caterer. Whatever it is, I think several of the principles apply. Be open, be honest, and don’t just go with the top of the Google search results (because they really don’t mean anything other than they’re probably really good at Search Engine Optimization).

My appointment was at 12:15 last Sunday and I was right on time. I wanted to respect the time constraints of the boutique while also giving me as much time as possible in case it took a while trying on dresses. I met my consultant, Brittany, who was extremely friendly, laid back, and about my age. She started asking me questions, trying to grasp an idea of what I liked… I knew what I didn’t like, which doesn’t really make things easier, but it was a start. She let me look through racks of dresses while she started pulling specific samples that might be my taste. She brought a couple gowns, but none of them really jumped out at me. After showing me a third dress, I asked, “Do you have something shorter? I think I might like dresses that are shorter.” As soon as I said it, Brittany’s face lit up, “Short?! You like short? Okay, that’s awesome!” It was a huge indicator to Brittany and narrowed the choices down by a ton! I continued riffling through the racks, stopping at a dress or two, but never really getting excited about anything. At one point, I began to wonder if this had been a bad idea…

“Would you like something like this?”

Brittany stood behind me, holding up THE dress. You could see the stars in my eyes (just like in the cartoons)!

“OhmygoshIlovethat,” I said in one, short breath.

At that, Brittany had gathered a handful of dresses for me to try on, saving the One for last. I was so excited to try it on, but I’m glad I tried the others first. It only proved that the last one was The One.

Getting in and out of dresses was easy. Brittany was there, clamps in hand, and I never felt like a “big girl”, even when the sample dress was too small. I stood in front of the mirror with other girls trying on dresses, girls I’d never met, and stood confidently. Even when I didn’t like the dress I had on, I didn’t suffer a major blow to my self esteem. I didn’t think, I don’t like me in this dress. Rather, I thought, I don’t like this dress on me.

Finally, I put on my favorite. The one that literally took my breath away. I used to think the idea of finding “the” dress was silly and assumed I wouldn’t have that kind of experience. I truly believed I would find one that I liked a lot and that might look good on me. But to my shock, it was so much more than that. I had the moment where I said, “This is it! I want to get married in this dress!”

I finally had the experience I always wanted and never had. Not because I couldn’t have it before but because I was too afraid to look for it. And now that I’ve had the experience, I wouldn’t replace it.

A huge thank you to I Do Bridal for far exceeding my expectations and to Brittany, who was my stand-in gal-pal through the process. I am SO happy with my dress.

Of course, the beach isn’t always easy to get to here in Seattle, so Khanh suggested the Kirkland Waterfront as an easy alternative. I was really excited about this idea as I absolutely LOVE it there! I lived in Kirkland for a year shortly after I graduated high school and would venture to the waterfront on early, early mornings to take pictures of random things like birds, rocks, and boats… It was one of the places where I really started exploring my love for photography. So good move, Khanh!

Khanh had her makeup and hair styled by Shyn, from Pacific Artistry. They are a super cool company that does everything on location! As in, they come to your door and do your hair and makeup right there in your home! Pretty freakin’ awesome! I’ll be using their services often, that’s for sure. I was so happy with how Khanh looked and I think she was too…

So without further ado… Er… adieu?… Whatever! Here’s Khanh!

(Gosh, I love this girl’s style… Sheesh! So cute!)

The waterfront was such a good idea! Check out the “water flare” that showed up in camera! It’s so magical, I love it!

Skirt with pockets! SKIRT. WITH. POCKETS.

Khanh, I heart your cuteness, k? And a big shout-out to Khanh’s mom for being my assistant for the day! She was a major help and a huge source of entertainment.

I loved everything about this shoot. All while I was going through the images, I couldn’t stop smiling. I am so stinkin’ blessed. For realsies.

As for this week—I had so much fun! Omgosh, where to begin?!

On Monday morning, I spent the shortest 45 minutes in flight ever flying to Spokane, WA, where I met up with long-time online photo-pal, Michelle Sidles. A couple weeks ago, she sent me the sweetest email and asked if I’d be interested in second-shooting a wedding with her. Of course, I had to say “Yes, yes, yes!!!” as Michelle is such a dear friend and confidante and the opportunity to hang with her for a few days was simply too good to pass up! And we even got to squeeze in a gorgeous family photo session!

So I got in Monday morning, spent the day with Michelle and her awesome family, capturing some pretty awesome family images, if I do say so myself. The wedding was on Tuesday, (I know! A Tuesday! Unreal but so awesome!), and Michelle and I had a lot of fun. Maybe even too much fun. I mean, we could not stop cracking jokes and finding humor in every single moment. And the wedding party itself was so relaxed, they just made it that much better.

Now I just got back to Seattle this morning and I have a bit of catching up to do. I’ve got two senior sessions to drop on you in the next few days, so stay tuned for those. AND, AND, AND… If you’re interested to know about the George+Carly Project, I’ve got a big, fat element already wrapped up, so stay tuned to find out what it is! It makes me so happy, I just wanna explode into a million nuggets of happy!

Speaking of Happiness Nuggets…

But George thought I should also share it here on the blog since 1) a lot of my new readers don’t even know I even play and 2) so many of my older readers are probably wondering why. To those who are wondering “why?”…

I’m getting back into it.

I’m trying to take breaks from work, work, work all the time and this is something I always loved to do, even if I was only just mediocre at it. So enjoy the rare look into this photographer’s favorite former (and soon-to-be present) pastime…

I’m flying to Spokane, WA tomorrow for the rare Tuesday wedding! I’m second shooting for my pal, Michelle Sidles! I’m really excited to meet my long time online photo buddy for the first time, to work with her, and to photograph her awesome family!

Wish me luck and say a prayer for a safe flight tomorrow! Thank you much!

It was the most natural thing in the world.

Seriously! I can’t imagine having done it any other way. The last time I was in a wedding was in March and I was so fidgety without my camera… It just didn’t feel right without it. Regardless of whose wedding I’m documenting, it’s an enormous act of love on my part. So of course, documenting a wedding within my own family multiplies that feeling by 10,000.

Family aside, Kyle+Kristin were great “clients” to have. They were so relaxed the entire wedding day and they made sure they were having fun the whole time. Definitely my kind of couple—fun, sweet, quirky, romantic, and totally crazy.

So happy with how this one turned out. My best dress shot to date, but Kristin’s gorgeous gown played a major factor in it’s gorgeousness. Clearly…

Meanwhile, the guys do their thing. Eat and then play.

Until finally, it was time for the “First Look”… When Kyle laid eyes on Kristin, he was stunned! “You look like a princess!” Which is true! She totally did!

And then we ventured off for some sweet B+G portraits! The lighting was so perfect that day. Completely overcast and diffused, so skintones were yummy and colors were rich. I was sooooo in my happy place!

I think this is my favorite…

He’s marrying her. Whether she likes it…

OR NOT!!!

It wouldn’t be my brother’s wedding without some Nintendo references… Here are all the guys, Hadouken‘ing me…

How cool is it that Kristin asked her bridesmaids to “wear a blue dress” and each one found a different style dress but in practically the exact same color?!

Ceremony time…

Reagan, my niece, wasted no time with the flower girl duties…

Married!!!

Kristin shared her Father/Daughter dance with my Daddy. He’s a really good dancer…

The dancing was pretty epic. People were bustin’ out crazy moves! And at one point, Reagan found Kristin’s garter and put it on her head. It was no lampshade, but it was still pretty awesome!

So it begs to question… Who would win in a fight? A pirate or a ninja? At this point, I think they’re pretty evenly stacked.

Oh hai! Check us out!

Gosh, I love my family!

/     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /     /    /     /     /     /     /

Venue/Reception – Crystal Lake Lodge in Woodinville, WA
Flowers/Table Design – Jamie Webber/I Do Floral Design
Hair – Vineyard Salon
Dress – Amanda’s Bridal Boutique
Groomsman Vests – Men’s Wearhouse in Bellevue, WA
Cake – Diana Tripiano

A couple things I wanna put out there…

• This is going to take months of planning and we hope you’re patient with us. But here’s what’s great—we plan on carrying you with us every step of the way. Everything we put into this special occasion will be shared here on the blog so no one will have to miss a thing!
• If you are a bride in the midst of planning your wedding, then please, grab your groom and pull up a couple chairs! We want to help! So please send us any particular questions you have in regards to planning your wedding as we’re probably going to be asking ourselves those same questions very soon! You can send any questions to info@carlybish.com.
• We’re big on DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects, especially for weddings, as they’re typically budget friendly and they make weddings really personalized (our favorite kind)! So as we come across DIY ideas, we’ll be sharing them with you here and will do our best to include how-to’s, with pictures and everything!
• We really want your feedback! So please, leave comments, send us your emails, and let us know what you’d like to read about and what information you’re dying to know! We want to share, so please! Let us share! (Before our heads explode!!! AHHH!!!)

And of course, because no post is good without a photo… Here’s what I’ve got coming your way…

OooooOoooOOoooh! Where do I begin with this girl?! Mmm… Methinks her SMILE is a good place to start!

Oh my gosh, I’m SO hilaaaaaaaarious!

Taylor, I love your eyes. And your smile kills me. Oh, and your skin is flawless. Oh, forget it! I LOVE YOUR FACE!

That’s all, folks!

Oh wait! One last one! Gotta love random Subway workers stepping in for a quick photo? Taylor–you’re so classy and you go with the flow! You’re going to have a great senior year! There’s no doubt about it!