Renee Swanson Photography

Madie

2011-06-30T15:43:00.003-05:00

Upcoming Journey

2011-03-18T20:48:00.000-05:00

Big changes are coming soon for Renee Swanson Photography!

In May 2011, I will be starting my journey back to the great state of North Carolina!

As most of you know, I moved to North Carolina back in December of 2004 with the intention of staying a year to work as a nanny. But life has it's own plans, and I ended up staying 5 1/2 years. During that time I took on several nanny positions with some AMAZING families and also worked at a daycare as a preschool teacher and with school age children after school and during the summer. In the fall of 2008, I started photography school at Randolph Community College for a very intense two years. I definitely didn't know what I was getting myself into when I started this program, but it was one of the best decisions I've made.

After graduation in July 2010, I moved back to Kansas to be near my family and start my photography business. I quickly found a space for my studio and jumped right into the crazy life of being a business owner. I've learned so much in the past 6 months, but find out on a daily basis that I still have TONS left to learn. The main thing I've learned is.....photography is what I'm meant to do. Therefore, I'm following my heart and relocating to NC where I will have a better opportunity to pursue my dream.

I want to say a huge "THANK YOU!" to all of my Kansas clients! Please know that I will be making plans to be in Kansas at different times throughout the year and will give plenty of notice so we can plan sessions. I will be available for sessions throughout April, so please contact me now to schedule your time! Don't forget Easter is coming up! And High School Seniors, I will be booking sessions during the last couple weeks of June, August 8-12, and the week of September 18-23. Contact me now to secure your spot!

And to my North Carolina clients, I'll be seeing you soon! I will be starting my road trip on May 10th!

Renee

My camera collection

2011-03-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to snapping some shots of most of my camera collection! Thought it would be fun to share. :) Thanks so much to my mom and brother who always make sure to check the antique stores and pawn shops for cool cameras.

Who doesn't love a cute Polaroid camera?

The Polaroid shown above is one of my favorites. I can't pick just one!

My brother, Shelby found this Ansco for me recently in Lincoln, Nebraska. Love it!

I hope to be adding to my collection soon! Also, I'd love any suggestions on fun ways to display my cameras! Feel free to comment!

Renee

Talan is One!

2011-02-24T12:07:00.000-06:00

Faith & Sandy

2011-02-01T13:35:00.001-06:00

I last photographed Faith 2 years ago, so it was definitely time for an updated session! She's changed so much since then! Sandy, Faith's new Golden Retriever puppy, joined us for her session!

Who doesn't love a puppy face?!

Took a few shots with Dad's Jeep!

This is what we were really dealing with! Sooooooo windy!!!

My favorite shot!! Make sure to check out my studio window soon as it will be part of my new display!

Thank you Steph, Faith and Sandy for being so patient!!! That wind was killer and I'm pretty sure we brushed Faith's hair at least 20 times. She is such a beautiful, smart and charismatic girl and I can't help but smile when I look at these photos. I can even hear her giggle! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to capture these memories of Faith and Sandy!

Want to win a free session??

2011-01-31T22:54:00.000-06:00

Don't miss your chance to win a free session with Renee Swanson Photography! When I reach 250 "likes" on my Renee Swanson Photography Facebook page, I will hold a drawing for anyone who is interested! To enter: Make sure you click "like" on the Renee Swanson Photography Facebook page and then send an email to reneeswansonphotography@gmail.com and include your name, address and phone number!! Make sure to tell all your friends to enter as well! The drawing will not be held until we hit 250 "likes". Don't forget to email me with your info! Good luck!!

Renee

Kynlee

2011-01-31T19:31:00.000-06:00

Last fall I joined Bryant, Kynlee and Brittany at the Concordia City Park for Kynlee's 6 month photo session. It was a beautiful evening and the light was perfect! You might recognize Kynlee from my Valentine's Day Mini Session promotion images!

Kynlee and Mommy!

Kynlee and her model pose....apparently this is her favorite way to lay!

Kynlee and Daddy

Check out those eyes!

My favorite shot of the night! Thanks so much Bryant, Brittany and Kynlee!! Hope to see you soon for Kynlee's one year photos!!!

Olivia is 2!!

2011-01-31T18:13:00.000-06:00

I was so excited to get the chance to photograph Miss Olivia for her 2nd birthday last fall! Little did I know how many great things they have in the back yard! Too much to love about this session! Even on the most windy day in Kansas!
We started out by feeding the cows! <3 Olivia gets right in there with no fear!

And with Daddy close by, she was even able to ride one of them!!!

Mike, Olivia and Jennifer <3 Oh yeah, and a baby on the way!!!

This red ladder provided lots of entertainment!

What's up?

Love these shots with Dad! <3

Such a beautiful little girl! Thank you Mike, Jennifer and Olivia for inviting me to your farm for your session! Can't wait to meet the new baby in a few short weeks!

Valentine's Day Mini Sessions

2011-01-24T22:38:00.001-06:00

Contact me today to book your mini session for Valentine's Day!! Sessions are taking place January 28th and 29th and February 4th and 5th. Evening sessions are also available for for January 31st- February 3rd. Don't miss out on these super fun sets!!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

2011-01-10T18:47:00.000-06:00

If you've visited my website, you've probably seen little miss Tabby's face before! We shot this session at the end of the summer so I could use it on my new website. She did such great job modeling for me, and she even got a Barbie out of the deal! You'll be seeing more of this sweet face coming up very soon, as she is one of my models for my Valentine's Day Mini Session Promotion!

Sassy....and I like it!

Thank you Tabby and Nicki for taking the time out to help me with this session for my website!

Justin and Kace

2011-01-10T17:44:00.000-06:00

Here is another session I shot at the Historic Lincoln Haymarket. These two cuties are Justin and Kace and they are first cousins! This train station is such a great location for portrait sessions with boys!

Mr. Justin...looking WAY too grown up!

Sweet little Kace!

Kids in Converse....favorite.

Too cute in his backwards hat!

If you know me, you know I love fun!! :) Justin was totally ready to do some jumping! Cracks me up!

Carly Swanson- 2011 Pike Valley High School Senior

2011-01-10T15:30:00.000-06:00

I love it when my seniors want to put a personal spin on their sessions! For Carly's session, that took us on a road trip through 3 different counties. Boy was it worth it! We started out at the family cabin for a country feel.

I was so excited when I found out that Carly wanted to include her horse, Ellie in her session. The connection between these two is amazing!

Beautiful girl, horse and light....perfect combo!

Not only is she cute, the girl can hunt, too! Watch out boys!

Thank you Swanson family for all your hard work putting all the pieces together to make this session such a success! Hope you'll cherish these forever.

Reisenweber family

2010-12-17T11:21:00.001-06:00

Back in September I met up with my friend Amanda, her husband Alex and their beautiful daughter Isla. I took maternity photos for Amanda last winter when she was pregnant with Isla, so I couldn't wait to meet this gorgeous baby in person! Unfortunately the weather didn't want to cooperate with us that day, but we definitely made it work with what we had! Here are some of my favorites from our session!

Michael Stensaas- PVHS Class of 2011

2010-11-17T22:21:00.003-06:00

I'm finally getting the chance to catch up on some blogging! Here is my first high school senior session that I photographed here in Kansas! I was so excited to have Michael as my first senior from Pike Valley High School. He made my job look way too easy! We had a great time exploring locations in downtown Concordia and then drove out to their family farm for some pictures with Michael's horse. And finally after sunset, we made a trip to the Pike Valley High School football field. It was a long session, but very worth it! Thank you to Michael and his mom, Kristy for being such good sports! Also, thank you to my Mom for being a great lighting assistant!

All Aboard!!!

2010-11-09T21:04:00.000-06:00

While visiting my brother Shelby, I got the chance to do two photo sessions in Lincoln Nebraska's Historic Haymarket District. My first session was with Sara Shald and her sons Anton and Deakon. We started out by checking out the trains at Lincoln Station.

These two cuties were so much fun to photograph! Little Mr. Deakon was wide open and ready for fun the whole time and big brother Anton played it cool...and showed me his modeling skills as you will see later on.

They look super cool in those outfits!

LOVE this shot of Deakon and Anton with Mom!! Isn't she gorgeous!?

Anton is quite the handome little man!!

Looks like Deakon might be up to something!

I'm guessing that Deakon might think his big brother is pretty cool.

What a fun location. Worked out perfectly!

We might have had a little fun...

I love Deakon's eyes!

After the Haymarket, we made a trip to Pioneers Park Nature Center and took a walk on the trails. This sequence of photos really shows both of the boys personalities! Deakon was showing us how to "Rock 'n Roll"! Thanks again to Sara, Anton and Deakon for such a fun morning! Hope we can do it again soon!

Studio Progress!

2010-10-18T10:11:00.000-05:00

Wow! With all the changes happening with my business, I haven't even had time to blog! So I decided to take some time this morning and do a little update!

For those of you who haven't heard, I found a space for my studio! Everything fell into place with the location so quickly, I barely even had time to realize what was happening. The space was being used as a bookstore, so after learning that I was actually going to be renting the building I had a few weeks to wait as they were removing the book shelves and painting the walls. I couldn't wait to get into the building so I could start planning how I wanted everything set up! In September I started moving my equipment in, slowly but surely!

I can't stress enough how thankful I am for all of the support I've had from my friends and family! There is no way I would be to the point I am at now without them. My Dad, my brother Shelby, and my Uncle Mark have spent hours and hours building me a dressing room in the studio! With the millions of things going on in my head, I hadn't even considered having a separate changing area from the bathroom! It's a good thing I have them to keep me on track! And what would I have done without my Mom?! She's helped me get the place cleaned up, the giant window washed, is a fantastic photo assistant and helps calm my nerves on a daily basis! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped get everything set up and for all the encouragement to keep pushing through the difficult and stressful times so that I can get my business to where I want it to be. Starting a business takes time and patience, which is sometimes easy to forget....I'm so grateful to have such a fantastic support system. I love you guys!

Can't wait to start posting some of my most recent sessions! I've had the opportunity to work with some AMAZING high school seniors from Pike Valley High School. They've been great about helping me find locations that are special to them, and have been open to trying my (sometimes crazy) ideas. I was able to go to Lincoln, Nebraska this past weekend and did two photo sessions in the Historic Haymarket District. New locations are always a breath of fresh air! Keep your eyes peeled for some brand new sessions on the blog soon!

As I'm building my client base here in North Central Kansas, I'll be working from the studio mostly in the evenings and on the weekends. Anyone looking to book a session or ask questions can always call the studio (make sure to leave a message if I'm not there!), at home or on my cell phone. You can also send me a message through my website www.reneeswanson.com.

Studio (785) 262-4246
Home (785) 335-2329
Cell (919) 609-8884

Renee

Lindsey- Part 2

2010-08-23T04:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I did a post from the beach session I did with my good friend, Lindsey Edwards. For the second half of her session, I wanted to do some photos of her in her super cute room. Lindsey's favorite book is Alice in Wonderland, and I couldn't resist doing some shots of her with that cute pink book!

I'd been thinking about doing a photo shoot using silver balloons for quite some time! So glad we finally made it happen!

Lindsey owns a business called Blackbird Blue. She creates the most adorable handmade accessories such as headpieces and jewelry and sells them in her Etsy shop! She even made the amazing headband she's wearing in these photos. She also takes custom orders, if you have something specific in mind. Click on the two links above to access her blog and Etsy shop!

To finish things off, we used some giant confetti and had a little "party" in Lindsey's back yard!!

Linds, Thank you so much for being a great model for my portfolio! I'm so thankful that we met and have had the opportunity to become such great friends! So glad you were able to come celebrate my graduation with me, and I look forward to many fun memories with you in the future! You have many great adventures coming up here in the near future, and I can't wait to hear about them all! I love you!

Lindsey- Beach Session

2010-08-22T17:27:00.000-05:00

During my internship in Wilmington, North Carolina with Millie Holloman Photography, I got the opportunity to spend a lot of time with their image editor and album designer, Lindsey Edwards. She quickly became one of my best friends, and I now wonder wonder what I ever did without her in my life! Lindsey is incredibly talented, hilarious and one of the sweetest people I know...oh, and she's super adorable! After internship, I made several trips back to Wilmington to spend time with Lindsey and we finally got the chance to do a photo shoot together! I wanted to do a beach session while I was still in North Carolina, so we started off on the beach at Fort Fisher. Perfect for this Wilmington girl!

This photo just beams happiness to me!!

After shooting on the beach for a while, we headed up the hill to these AMAZING trees. I've always been fascinated by them....a little eerie, and exactly what I was looking for! Lindsey has some of the cutest clothes I've ever seen, and I often joke that she could wear a paper sack and make it look fashionable. How cute is this dress?

Part two of my session with Lindsey coming soon!! Heart balloons, Alice in Wonderland and confetti!! Cute, cute, cute! Plus, you'll see some of Lindsey's own creative talent! Don't miss it!

Dan in Downtown Wilmington

2010-08-18T12:23:00.001-05:00

This summer while preparing for my final portfolio for school, I realized that I was lacking portraits of guys. And it didn't take much convincing to get my friend Dan to model for me. (Actually it didn't take any convincing at all!) Dan is a natural in front of the camera, and those big blue eyes really grab your attention. Even though it was really hot outside, Dan and I had a great time walking around Downtown Wilmington and finding these really fun spots for photographs.

Dan is also the lead singer for the band Sumerlin based out of Wilmington, NC! Click on the link to check out their Myspace page! They are an extremely talented group of guys with a great message and a very bright future!

We went almost all the way up to the top of the parking deck, searching for this perfect light.

I love a lot of shots from this session, but this one takes the cake. I even used it as one of my final portfolio pieces for school! I really love the reflections in the elevator door.

Thank you so much, Dan for helping me out with my portfolio, and being such an awesome friend! Between your voicemails, funny rhyming songs, and your addiction to Twist 'n Shout cookies, you never fail to brighten my day! Even from half way across the country!

Amanda and Abigail

2010-07-05T17:32:00.001-05:00

One of the main things I love about photography is being able to capture the relationships and love between people. This session shows the special bond bond between a mother and daughter. Amanda is one of my classmates and not to mention, a wonderful mommy! I often find myself wondering how she finds the time to devote to photography school and to spending time with her sweet little girl, Abigail. I know I have a hard time keeping up with school, and I only have myself to take care of!

I met Amanda and Abigail at the park here in Asheboro for their session. Abigail was a little shy at first, but it didn't take her long to warm up!

Mommy has matching shoes!! How cute!

Love this one of Abigail. Look at those beautiful eyes!

The light was so gorgeous that evening!! So perfect for capturing these sweet moments!

Mommy sure knows how to make Abigail laugh!

I couldn't get over how cute Abigail is with her hands in her pockets. I'm guessing she might agree with my theory that all dresses should have pockets!!!

As I said, she definitely got more comfortable during our session. Pretty sure she's showing off here!

To finish off a great evening at the park, Mommy took Abigail down the slide on the playground. Abigail wasn't quite ready to leave the park, until she was reminded of her special ice cream treat Mommy had promised her!

Amanda & Abigail, I had such a great time with you guys at the park! I have to admit, I got a little teary eyed a couple times while editing these photos...the love between the two of you and the joy you bring to each other is so obvious. I hope these photos are something you can cherish for many years to come!!

Internship update!

2010-04-25T20:39:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone!!

Wanted to give an update from Wilmington! Still on internship with Millie Holloman Photography for a couple more weeks, and I must say that I'm very sad to be leaving! I definitely found the most perfect internship. Millie and the gang have made me feel so welcome! I've had the opportunity to join Millie on most of her sessions and photograph right along with her. I love the way she works with her clients, how she makes me laugh and her ability to be prepared, yet spontaneous! After our sessions together she takes the time to sit and go through my shots with me and evaluate my work. Just in the short amount of time I've been working with Millie, I've seen my photography improve immensely! I've even had a few shots up on her blog! Check out the links below! (Mine are the ones without Millie's signature on the bottom left hand corner).

http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1020

http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1004

I have also had the chance to work with the other photographers who work for MHP! Brent and Amanda are a husband and wife team who just happen to be Millie's brother and sister-in-law! I love their photography style, how they work with clients and how they always work as a team. Here are a couple links to a wedding I got to join Brent and Amanda on. I photographed my second wedding with them just yesterday, and I'm looking forward to seeing that blog post in the next few weeks.

http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1000

http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1001

Rachel is a MHP photographer based out of Charlotte, NC. I've already had the chance to photograph two weddings alongside Rachel, and I'm looking forward to second shooting several more times with her! She's full of energy and so is her photography! Here's a some of her work from a Bald Head Island wedding I got to join in on.

http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/index.cfm?postID=1019

Rebecca is the only MHP photographer I haven't been able to meet yet! She is based out of Raleigh, NC and I hope I am going to be able to meet her in the near future! Check out her work on the blog.

http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/index.cfm?authorID=4

Oh, and don't forget Lindsey, the amazing MHP editor and album designer! This girl edits quicker than anyone I've ever seen, and she's so good at it! She's always ready to help me if I have a post processing question and has taught me so much I can use in the future!

Lindsey is so full of life, genuine and always has a sweet smile on her face. Also, Lindsey uses her creativity and fashion knowledge to create unique handmade headpieces and accessories....here's her blog and etsy shop.

http://blackbirdblue.wordpress.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/blackbirdblueandyou

I feel like my brain is full of great new ideas as well as some useful knowledge to apply toward my own business someday. I can't express how grateful I am to Millie and her amazing team for all the wonderful opportunities they have given me to help me become a better photographer. This has been an experience I will never forget!

Downtown Asheboro with Sam

2010-03-04T17:46:00.006-06:00

Not only is this kid a blast to be around, he's so much fun to photograph!! I asked my friend, and fellow RCC photo student, Sam Baucom to model for me so that I could add some guy portraits to my high school senior portfolio...and I'm so glad he agreed! I photographed Sam in downtown Asheboro today, and although the sun was a little harsh, we got some great shots. I have to admit, I'm going to miss some of the cool little spots in Asheboro where I like to photograph!! Sam, Thank you sooo much!! He was my model, assistant and umbrella catcher all in one!

Keep up to date on Facebook!!

2009-12-08T11:20:00.000-06:00

Renee Swanson Photography is now on Facebook! Become a fan and keep up to date on my latest sessions as well as upcoming specials!! A link can be found on the right side of my blog page!!

Mock Wedding Album Pages

2009-12-01T20:31:00.000-06:00

For our final assignment for our wedding class, we were to design four album pages from the mock wedding. I decided to designate a page to each stage of the wedding....before, during the ceremony, the reception, and one for group and posed photographs. After finishing this project, I now have ideas of shots that I want to take during the next wedding I photograph to make my albums more creative. It was also very difficult to fit everything I wanted into only four pages! The final project will be a 12 in. square album, so each of these pages below will be be displayed in 12x24 inch format. Can't wait to see the actual album! I'd love some feedback on my album design, so feel free to comment!!

Full length Bridal Portrait...Update!

2009-11-20T13:17:00.000-06:00

First year student Brittany Shelton agreed to model for me for the full length bridal portrait....little did she know that I was going to drag her to downtown Asheboro in that gown! :) I was going to photograph her in the studio, but I wanted something unique and unlike a typical bridal portrait. She's GORGEOUS and fit so well into this bridal gown from the school. Thank you so much Brittany! She braved out the wind and was patient when the veil kept blowing off her head! We finally gave up on that thing!!

Mock Wedding

2009-11-19T08:35:00.001-06:00

I have been slow to post any of my shots from the Mock Wedding we held at the Church of the Good Shepard in Asheboro last month. Spencer and Paige were our pretend bride and groom, and did such an awesome job! We also had first year photography students as our bridal party and parents of the bride and groom. Thank you to Belinda Eldridge for being my assistant during the day...it was awesome that I didn't have to worry about where all my equipment was! Thanks again, Belinda! Here's a few of my favorite moments from the day!! Posting more later!!

3/4 length profile bridal

2009-11-17T10:43:00.000-06:00

Kara was kind enough to model for me for my 3/4 length profile bridal assignment, even though I made her leave the school and go out in public! I knew I wanted to find a beautifully lit area outdoors to do this photograph, and we happened to stumble across this spot outside the Church of the Good Shepard in Asheboro. The sun was just starting to set, and we had to keep moving forward to chase the light! I love the fall feeling with the trees and leaves on the ground. Would be a perfect setting for a fall bride! Thank you Kara for being such a beautiful bride!

Couldn't use this one for our assignment because it is full length, but it's my favorite!!

Preview of Josie's photoshoot...more to come!!!

2009-11-14T20:57:00.000-06:00

Meet Josie!! She is the daughter of Keith and Shannon Frazier of Raleigh and is the little sister to Lanie, whom you may remember from some previous posts.... :)

http://reneeswansonphotography.blogspot.com/2009/08/lanie-in-studio.html
http://reneeswansonphotography.blogspot.com/2009/09/shes-too-cute.html

Josie will be 3 years old in December, and I'm so glad I was able to photograph her at this age!! She's so funny!! I tried to keep her entertained by "playing dress up" and frequently changing setups. So happy that I've had the opportunity to work in early childhood education and understand the developmental stages of children. I worked hard to make it seem like a game to her so that she'd be relaxed and have fun! It's so great to have the experience to practice in the studio with all different ages of children!

Thank you to the Frazier family for letting me borrow Josie for the day! She's a hoot!

HDR Assignment

2009-11-11T14:21:00.000-06:00

High Dynamic range or HDR, is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminances between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than standard digital imaging techniques or photographic method. For this assignment I was lucky enough to walk up on this bumpy little creature who stood nice and still for me!! By the time I got my camera ready, the little worm had crawled on top of the frog, which I think really adds to the image. To create this HDR image, I took three different exposures of this frog....one correctly exposed, one stop underexposed, and one overexposed. By merging these three images together, I was able to achieve this detailed effect. This photo was taken when I visited the Pisgah Covered Bridge to photograph my panoramic assignment.

On location portrait assignment

2009-11-11T14:15:00.000-06:00

I used this portrait of Colston for my on location portrait of a child assignment. This sweet boy is obviously one of my favorite subjects! This shot was lit by window light in the home of Tyler and Tina Bryant of Raleigh. I love how Colston is holding his "Bunny Bunny" and sitting in his little rocking chair. I love those sweet eyes and lips!!

Pisgah Covered Bridge Panoramic

2009-11-04T20:19:00.000-06:00

For my panoramic assignment I chose to photograph at the Pisgah Covered Bridge outside of Asheboro. I love the beautiful fall colors!! This was my first try at a panoramic photograph, so I'm excited to try another one!!

Bridal Assignment

2009-11-03T19:34:00.000-06:00

For my 3/4 length bridal assignment, I chose to photograph my friend Kasey Moffitt. I previously photographed Kasey and her fiance, Dale for my engagement assignment, and knew she would be a great model for my bridal portrait. I got the inspiration for this photograph from an advertisement in a bridal magazine. I love the beautiful side lighting and the dramatic effect it gives. A HUGE thank you to Kasey who came in to model for me despite having a fractured foot!! What a good friend!! Have several more I want to edit, so I'll post them soon!

She's probably going to smack me for putting this one up, but I guess I'll take my chances!! :) Too funny to not share!!

NYC Trip

2009-11-01T09:32:00.000-06:00

On October 21, 2009 the RCC Photo students took a trip New York City for the PDN Photo Plus Expo. We all piled into a giant bus and drove overnight to the big city. Here's a collection of some of my images from our trip!

Jacob Javits Center where the Expo was held

Outside the Javits Center

Kara

Becky

Coney Island Train Station

Boardwalk at Coney Island

Nathan's

Looking in the window of the candy shop at Coney Island

Mural at Coney Island

Times Square area

Inside the Empire State Building

Hallway inside the Empire State Building. Didn't get any good shots when I got to the top because there was zero visibility :(

Self Portrait Assignment

2009-10-25T13:42:00.000-05:00

Our first assignment for Digital Imaging was to create a self portrait which could be used for promotional purposes, such as our blogs and websites. We were to be in charge of creatively deciding how the image would be composed but could have someone "push the button" for us. Thank you to Justin for helping me with this project while we were on the boardwalk at Coney Island. I wanted to have something a little different....something that I couldn't just do in NC. This was my first trip to NY, and I've always been interested in Coney Island. As much as I would love to see it up and running, it was so cool to see it shut down and completely deserted. As you can probably tell from the photograph, it was a very cold and windy day! I love the closed down food and game stands behind me, as well as the ferris wheel. While at Coney Island, we visited the Nathan's Famous Frankfurters Stand...YUM!! :)

On Campus Portrait with Kara

2009-10-25T13:20:00.000-05:00

This week we were required to do an on-campus portrait for our Professional Portraiture class. I wanted to do a "senior portrait" style photograph, and Kara is always a great model. I chose a shaded area of brick wall and had Gail hold a white fill card to light up Kara's face. Thank you to Kara and Gail!!!

Is it March yet??

2009-10-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday I spent a few hours in Wilmington meeting Millie Holloman and some of her awesome team!! What a great group of people, who happen to be AMAZING photographers!! They just moved into a new studio in August and have quite the setup! I initially had the wrong address and phone number when I got to Wilmington, but after a little calling around, I finally got there! We had a nice chat over lunch, where I got to learn a little about what each person does in the business and what my responsibilities would be as an intern. Millie had been hoping to get an intern from RCC, so it worked out perfectly for both of us!! I'm going to get a lot of hands on experience with this internship, and learn what it's like to be a very busy wedding photographer! (Millie Holloman Photography has 17 weddings in October alone)!! Thank you so much to Millie and the team for meeting with me! I can't wait to join you in March!!

Also, if anyone knows of somewhere I could stay in Wilmington for 8 weeks starting around March 9th, 2010 please let me know!! I'm still going to be paying rent in Asheboro, so I'd like to find somewhere I could stay for fairly cheap, and for a short period of time! Thanks for your help!!!

Take a look at Millie's website!! www.millieholloman.com

Exploring with Colston

2009-10-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

I got to spend my Saturday with Colston!! We had a great time playing in his room, reading books, dancing, and playing in the back yard. He has such a cute room, and I couldn't resist photographing him while he was reading books on his floor. He's probably starting to think that my camera is a permanent part of my face!! Love you, Colston!!!

It's Pooh Bear!!

He LOVES to read!! He kept putting books in my hand and saying "Book!"...how can I say no??

Mom and Dad are East Carolina Graduates, so I thought the book "That's Not My Pirate" was a necessity!! :)

He's a dancing machine!! Dad thinks he got his moves! Look at his cute airplane mobile!!

What a sweet boy!!

I found a stick!!! :)

Ok....time to go inside, Renee!! Too much fun for one day!!

Head and Shoulders Bridal Portrait

2009-10-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

I knew I wanted to use a model with long dark hair for my head and shoulders bridal portrait assignment, and Kayleigh was the perfect fit! She is a fabulous model and made my job easy! She was very patient as I experimented with different lighting techniques. Thanks again, Kayleigh! I think this is the image I will be submitting for class, but I will be posting some of the others soon! This shot is a little more classic than the look I was going for, but I am still happy with the final image. Can't wait to edit some of the other poses!! Isn't she gorgeous??

Circa Gallery submissions

2009-10-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

The second year photography students were each given a chance to submit three photos for a chance to have one hang at Circa Gallery in Downtown Asheboro. I wanted to submit some pieces that could potentially sell at the gallery as fine art pieces. Here is what I came up with.

Tutu cute :)

2009-10-08T19:15:00.001-05:00

During Savannah's window light photo shoot I was able to catch a bunch of cute moments with her!! She's so much fun to photograph!! Here is one of my favorites!!

Kasey and Dale Part II

2009-10-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

Wanted to post some more of Kasey and Dale's engagement session! What a cute couple!!

Savannah Marie

2009-10-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

Window light...such a beautiful thing!! This is little miss Savannah Marie!! She is the 3 year old daughter of Robert and Diana Krupica of Holly Springs, NC. Their family is very special to me because they are the reason I ended up in North Carolina. I was a live-in nanny for Savannah's twin brothers, Michael and Kyle when they were just infants. They are 5 years old now!! My how time flies!

I chose to photograph Savannah for my window light assignment. I tried using a fill flash at first, and did get some great photos, but the flash was overpowering the window light. It was pretty cloudy outside, so I wish there had been a little more light coming in. We had to be right next to the window to catch any of that beautiful soft light. Here are my two favorite window lit photographs. I will post more of our session soon! Savannah is wearing a tutu that I made especially for her for this photo session! She's precious!! Thank you Krupica family!!!

Business Portrait Assignments

2009-09-23T21:47:00.001-05:00

Our last two portrait assignments were a male business portrait and a female business portrait. I chose to photograph Justin Saunders for my male business portrait. Justin is a Commercial photography student at RCC. View his work at http://jasaundersphoto.blogspot.com/. I was fairly happy with how it turned out, but have realized that I need to learn more about poses for men.

Thank you to Alyssa Barajas for being a great model for my female business portrait. Alyssa is a first year photography student at RCC, and also a close friend of mine. She was kind enough to come into the studio last minute and model for me. This was my first time photographing a subject with glasses, and I was very excited that I was able to keep glare from showing up on her lenses.

Lumina Wine and Beer

2009-09-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

For my Multimedia class, we were required to do an audio and video slide show using the program Soundslides. My classmate, Kara Meader and I chose to do our project on Lumina Wine and Beer in downtown Asheboro, North Carolina. The goal of our project was to do a story on a local business where people feel like "locals"...a place where "everybody knows your name". Kara and I interviewed customers at Lumina on Thursday September 3rd, 2009. We were very lucky that everyone was willing to visit with us about their experiences at Lumina and why they keep coming back. Thank you to Jennifer Parrish, Tim Moss and Emily Hieronymus for allowing us to do our story on their wonderful business!

Photos and Audio by Renee Swanson and Kara Meader

Kasey and Dale's Engagement Session

2009-09-17T15:20:00.000-05:00

These two were so much fun to photograph!! I met up for two different sessions this week with Kasey and Dale, and I was so lucky that I found a patient couple! Our first session helped me realize the importance of time management and being organized. I wasn't quite prepared for the session and by the time I got everything the way I needed it, we were only able to get in just a few good shots before it got dark. They were awesome enough to let me meet with them again, and things worked out perfectly!! Thank you Kasey and Dale!! Will post more soon!!

An afternoon with Colston

2009-09-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of spending Sunday afternoon with Colston, the son of Tyler and Tina Bryant of Raleigh, NC. I was Colston's nanny last fall when I was only in school part-time, and I got to babysit him today for the first time since he started walking. It's so fun to see him running around! I took Colston's 1 year portraits earlier this year, but definitely wanted to do some more now that he is walking. We spent a little time out in the backyard and Colston was totally into picking up leaves, which made for some really cute shots!! Watch out girls, he's gonna be a heartbreaker!!

She's too cute!

2009-09-08T16:26:00.001-05:00

I have too many great shots of Lanie...had to post these! Some of them are so funny, and definitely show her hilarious personality!

Engagement Portrait Assignment

2009-09-03T20:32:00.000-05:00

Our second Professional Wedding Photography assignment required us to take an engagement portrait of a bride in the studio. My model Jessica Gruneisen isn't getting married...YET! But she does make a gorgeous model! I'm really starting to get comfortable in the studio, which is a great feeling!! I did better shooting less photographs this time around, which made editing much easier. Ashley Fetner (our Portrait/Wedding instructor) has been showing us some great Photoshop techniques in class, and I'm starting to feel less stressed about using the program. It's not as bad as I once thought! Thank you Jessica for being such an awesome model...and coming into the studio on such short notice!! Here's some of my favorites...couldn't decided on B/W versus color on one so I included both. Any opinions on which one I should use for my assignment???

Christy in Downtown Greensboro

2009-09-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

As I've said before, I'm so lucky to have beautiful friends who aren't shy when it comes to being in front of my camera! This is my good friend Christy Demanett who lives in Greensboro, NC. She is also a Kansas girl, like me!! Christy and I were both cheerleaders at Cloud County Community College, just one year apart. Can't wait for our next photo shoot!! These were shot a couple weeks ago on a Sunday evening in downtown Greensboro. I used my Canon 40D and a Vivitar 285 on a light stand. Thanks again, Christy!!

Lanie in the studio

2009-08-30T12:33:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more of little miss Lanie! Talk about a fun studio session!! Lanie is 5 years old and is the daughter of Keith and Shannon Frazier of Raleigh. Before entering photography school, I was the Frazier's nanny. Little sister Josie will hopefully be coming to the studio soon!! Two beautiful girls who I love to pieces!! :) Still more to come...Lanie and I had too much fun!!

Coming soon!!

2009-08-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

Lanie and I had an awesome shoot in the studio yesterday!! Check out those eyes!! :) Many more to come!!

Summer Semester Portfolio

2009-08-26T00:08:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to my online portfolio for my first year of photography school. It includes both film and digital work.

http://www.photo-thompson.com/rccstudent/2009/rlswanson/

First Bridal Portrait Assignment

2009-08-24T18:33:00.000-05:00

Kara was nice enough to let me photograph her for my first bridal portrait assignment. I was so lucky to have her as a model!! Our assignment was to find a bridal portrait in any style we like, and then try to recreate the portrait. I chose a portrait taken by White Box Weddings in Greensboro, (one of my favorite studios, as well as RCC graduates). The portrait of the bride holding an umbrella against a wall covered in bright green kudzu really caught my eye. I chose to change up the photo a little by using a purple parasol rather than a black umbrella, which I think really added something to the portrait! Thank you for being such an awesome model, Kara!! The full length shot is the shot for my assigment, and the second one is a fun one from the shoot!

I used a Vivitar 285 and umbrella on a light stand to light these photos. Canon 40D

First Week of Second Year!

2009-08-21T08:31:00.000-05:00

It's the first week of Fall semester! Finally made it to second year! I'm definitely looking forward to my Portrait, Wedding and Multimedia classes. I'll be updating my blog weekly now, so more of my new work will be posted. Please feel free to leave comments!

Here is the setup for my first assignment for my portrait lighting class. We were required to photograph Kiki (mannequin) in the studio on the different backgrounds, as well as outside in open shade to find our working f/stop for each situation. I got some great looks carrying a half mannequin around on campus! I had several people tell me that they thought I was carrying a person. Isn't she lovely??

2009-07-25T19:10:00.000-05:00

Jillian and Clint Lorek were married in June 2009, in Cary, NC. Here's some of my favorite shots from their beautiful lakeside wedding! Congratulations Jill and Clint!!

2009-07-18T22:56:00.000-05:00

At Yates Mill Pond in Raleigh

Moth at London Zoo

Wrightsville Beach

Pelican at Atlantic Beach

Magnolia at Duke Gardens

Kansas Sunset

Emerald Isle

Don't know what this rainbow-like cloud is, but this was also taken in Kansas

Butterfly at London Zoo

Aubrey and Benjamin

2009-07-18T22:35:00.000-05:00

My beautiful cousin, Aubrey and her husband Ben! I did these engagement shots for them in the fall of 2008.

Kiddos!!!

2009-07-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

2008 London Trip

2009-07-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

I love shooting my camera when I'm not looking...I SOMETIMES GET fun pictures like the one above.

Brent and Megan Engagement Session

2009-07-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

My cousin Brent and his wife, Megan back in the spring of 2008. Shot with Canon 40D

Baby Autumn

2009-07-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

Jenn's Maternity Session

2009-07-18T10:43:00.000-05:00

I'm so lucky to have great friends who don't mind me photographing them!! I don't know if pregnant bellies get any cuter than this!! Jenn is such a great sport!! These were taken with my 35mm Canon Rebel back in the Fall of 2007 when Jenn was pregnant with Autumn.

Kristi and Haley Grace

2009-07-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

These shots of one of my closest friends, Kristi and her baby girl, Haley were taken in the fall of 2007 with my 35mm Canon Rebel. It's weird looking back on my older work....there are so many things I wish I knew back then!

Finally blogging!!

2009-07-18T10:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my photography blog!! I'm going to try to keep this thing organized, but for those who know me, you know I'm a work in progress when it comes to organization! Going to try to post some older work first and work up to my current work. Hope you enjoy it! Feel free to leave me comments!!