Some of you may remember a few years ago that my running partner and I decided we wanted to encourage women in our community to run the mini-marathon. We planned to train with them and run with them every step of the way. That’s when I met Carolyn. I ran with her a few times, but it was very apparent she didn’t need me! She was so mentally strong and so positive…

Let’s jump ahead a little bit…

She ran the mini with her husband. She did great. She then signed up for a FULL marathon and completed her training while I was training for my marathon. Almost every Saturday, we’d pass each other. It was so fun to see her smile, exchange a few words, and laugh about the snacks she had stowed away for fuel during the duration of her run. I knew she looked great. I knew she felt healthy. I knew she was an amazing woman.

I was thrilled when she scheduled a session with me. Although it was outside of my business focus, I thought her story was an important one. It was authentic. It was dream-filled. It was a story of healing, hard work, and a positive attitude. I was excited to capture it.

Let’s jump ahead another two years…

Here’s what Carolyn said, “This is my 4 year anniversary of the epiphany that changed my life. My mission and ministry to the women I am blessed to serve is that we are created to live courageously and challenge the media images of what true beauty is. I have a few young people whom I mentor into having a healthy relationship with their body and to use their fitness, athleticism and exercise as acts of service and worship to God.

I wear a bracelet that has a quoteby e.e. Cummings. It says, ‘It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.’ There is no perfect. There is only the path that God is leading you in to bring honor and glory to Him. Despite the mess we perceive our attempts to be, we do nothing great, we serve a great God.”

I trust you’re inspired!

Sonja is a dear friend from my post-college, still single phase. I was a traveling admissions counselor at the time, rented a tiny one bedroom house, worked out every morning at 5:30 a.m., and spent my evenings watching Dawson’s Creek. (That sounds really lame, doesn’t it? Remember, I was a TRAVELING admissions counselor; my excitement came while I was on the road! That’s my disclaimer, at least ) Sonja was a college student and we connected quickly over peanut butter pancakes, boy stories, and our brothers who were friends.

That was many moons ago.

Since that time, marriages, kids, military life, etc. has matured and changed us. I don’t get to see her much so it was a thrill to travel to California and spend time with her and her husband, Mitch. Mitch just HAPPENS to be getting his MBA at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, and that just HAPPENS to be next to Carmel and Big Sur, and they just HAPPEN to be renting a gorgeous home with an incredible view, and she just HAPPENS to have a true gift of hospitality.

We were spoiled to say the least.

Mitch is a Captain in the Army– a war veteran who has spent much of his adult life defending our freedom. He’s smart, steady, and tells a great story.

Sonja is beautiful– inside and out– with a true love for people. I think I feel about her the same way I would feel about a younger sister. I’m heart-connected to her. I want the best for her.

They have sacrificed 3 ½ years of their marriage for our country while Mitch was deployed in Iraq.

They deserved a photo session, don’t you think?

So after exploring we stopped and had some fun…

The following morning we captured these shots before heading out for the day

All images were shot with a Canon 5D Mark iii and a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8.

I had the opportunity yesterday to meet with some of our Class of 2014 spokesmodels. I’m so looking forward to working with them this year! Let me introduce them:

Name: Olivia
School: Eastbrook
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: singing & soccer
Dream Job: art therapist in a children’s hospital
Favorite Song: anything by Eric Hutchinson
Person I Would Like to Meet: Anne Hathaway
Special Talent: singing & I can wiggle my ears
Favorite Movie: Pride and Prejudice & Les Mis
The Best Part of High School Has Been: art classes

Name: Mickey
School: The King’s Academy
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: singing, acting
Dream Job: touring singer
Favorite Song: Both of Us by Taylor Swift and B.O.B.
Person I Would Like to Meet: Samantha Barks (Eponine in Les Mis)
Special Talent: singing opera
Favorite Movie: Les Miserables
The Best Part of High School Has Been: playng Liesl in Sound of Music

Name: Josh
School: Eastbrook
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: cross country & track
Dream Job: anesthesiologist
Favorite Song: Ships in the Night
Person I Would Like to Meet: Steve Harvey
Special Talent: I can run and I enjoy it!
Favorite Movie: The Avengers
The Best Part of High School Has Been: competing in the cross country and track state finals

Name: Taylor
School: Mississinewa
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: dance
Dream Job: child psychologist
Favorite Artist: Katy Perry
Special Talent: dancing
Favorite Movie: The Hunger Games
The Best Part of High School Has Been: I’m ready to be done!

Name: Austin
School: The King’s Academy
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: athletics (basketball & soccer)
Dream Job: paramedic
Favorite Song: Give Me Your Hand (Best Song Ever) by The Ready Set
Person I Would Like to Meet: Johnny Depp
Special Talent: Yo-Yo
Favorite Movie: Ironman, Pirates of the Carribean, The Tourist
The Best Part of High School Has Been: The first time I dunked a basketball!

Name: Brooklyn
School: Oak Hill
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: cheer & gymnastics
Dream Job: ultrasound tech
Favorite Song: I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift
Person I Would Like to Meet: Taylor Swift
Special Talent: tumble/gymnastics
Favorite Movie: Haunted House
The Best Part of High School Has Been: cheer

There are two other lovely girls that were competing in a cheer competition and couldn’t join us yesterday. You’ll have to wait to see them once they have their senior pictures taken

Name: Corrine
School: Southwood
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: cheerleading
Dream Job: dentist
Favorite Song: I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift
Person I Would Like to Meet: Carrie Underwood
Special Talent: cooking
Favorite Movie: A Walk to Remember
The Best Part of High School Has Been: cheerleading

Name: Kelsey
School: Oak Hill
Favorite Extra-Curricular Activity: gymnastics
Dream Job: interior designer
Favorite Song: Two Black Cadillacs by Carrie Underwood
Person I Would Like to Meet: Justin Bieber
Special Talent: gymnastics flips
Favorite Movie: Bridesmaids
The Best Part of High School Has Been: prom & homecoming

Aren’t they a cute bunch? We’re looking forward to a GREAT year!

We’re clearing house and preparing for our 2013 season! Here’s what we have for sale. Let me know ASAP if interested!
3. Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: $350. Picture coming soon.
This lens is described as the “king of the walkaround lenses” at a great price. I traveled to Mexico with this kind of Tamron lens. Here’s some of the pictures taken with it:

2. Canon Rebel T1i Body with 1080p video capability. Includes 2 batteries/charger/cables/manual/box/16gb SD memory card: $350 SOLD

1. Canon 5D Body with battery/charger/cables/box/manual: $650 SOLD

Spread the word!

TFP is expanding and adding SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHY!! If you’re a high school junior and interested in spreading the word about Traci Falder Photography, contact us for information and an application to join our SPOKESMODEL TEAM for 2013-2014! We can’t wait to hear from you!

TFP is now booking spring family sessions! Contact me for pricing and availability to capture your family authentically!

During our off-season, we’ve had the privilege to do some commercial work for Taylor University. They wanted to emphasize the strong community demonstrated through personal interactions between faculty, staff, and students. We were hired to capture these relationships as part of the case for support of a new campus center facility.

They’re beautiful inside and out.

It’s not too often that a photographer gets to be the one photographed. We had the privilege of spending time with a dear friend, Molly of Molly Bea Photography this weekend in Michigan. She spent a few minutes taking pictures with us before we headed back home to Indiana and captured us perfectly, I think. Here’s a little snapshot of my little family!

Scroll below their pictures for an UPDATE.

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After spending time in Columbus, Ohio recently, I was a bit introspective about past friendships. On that trip, I saw friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was so wild!

As trite as it sounds, friends have always been important to me. Time goes on and we’re spread all over the country, but I was reminded of the respect I have for friends through different seasons of my life.

Shortly after I returned home and tried to articulate these thoughts to my husband, I got a message from a high school friend. Chad was one of my best “guy friends” in high school. We were very different people, but we did had a mutual respect for one another. What I remember most about Chad was our talks in my living room with Clearisil all over my face. Really? I didn’t even try to wash it off when I heard a knock at the door?! Nah, it was just Chad

Chad and his beautiful wife, Amanda, are pregnant with their first child, Michel, a baby girl. When he asked me to document this stage of their lives, I was honored. So I traveled to Cincinnati, got carsick in the middle of the session, and….[ahem] I’ll spare you those details!

I recently heard about a photo documentary entitled, “One Split Second.” That’s really what a picture is, isn’t it? Capturing one split second of someone’s life.

Here’s a few seconds of Chad and Amanda’s life on a lovely Sunday afternoon:

It’s a story worth telling.

She was 30 weeks pregnant and discovered she had breast cancer.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Early in Amanda’s pregnancy she noticed a lump in her right breast, and in spite of the changes her body was going through, her intuition told her to make an appointment.

The cancer was stage 2 and considered aggressive because of the speed of growth. It needed to be addressed prior to her delivery.

She began chemotherapy last Friday. It sounds impossible to undergo chemotherapy while pregnant, but there is a certain type of drug that has been researched, documented, and administered that is effective and safe for the baby.

When Chad called me, Amanda had just been diagnosed. There was an urgency to take pictures before chemo would begin and life would change.

We decided we wanted their pictures to reflect their authentic lives THAT DAY. What I saw through my camera was a marriage. They’re in this together. She needs him. He’s strong for her. She has an incredible strength. He has a unique tenderness.

Their story should not go untold, and they asked me to share it.

Know your body.
Trust your intuition.
Call the doctor.

I’m honored to tell their whole story.