Bella & Baker

When the Holidays Come around Every Parent wants Christmas Photos AND Christmas Cards! Meredith emailed me and we arranged a time for her adorable little girl and boy to get their photos done. They have the most blue eyes of anyone I have ever seen! Just Beautiful and so sweet!

Brittany Bridal Portraits

The Rainers

Let me state the facts, My niece, Presley, and my sister, Erin, are the reason I started my portrait photography. I took their first photos together back in April and since then I have filled up my weekends and some weeknights with family portrait shoots. This time it was the entire Rainer clan, Erin, Presley AND Ryan. We took photos in Madison and Canton, MS! They are too cute and I love these family photos! Lucky for my sister to have free portraits for the rest of my life!

Huddy, Kim & Lockwood

I love photographing new families, and friends! Kim is my sister's best friend and we are all college friends. Her little boy Hudson just turned 1 and she decided it was time to get photos of her little family. I was thrilled to do the job and love looking through their photos!

Huddy is such a happy little boy and Kim and Lockwood are just good looking but a wonderfully happy couple!

Elizabeth

I am a person who absolutely LOVES cameras! I love being in front of them as much as being behind them. Sometimes I wish I had a double of me to take photos of me with my family, horses, etc. Every now and then I meet people who absolutely HATE having their picture taken. That is where my job gets hard. How do I make my subjects relax, be themselves, be happy, comfortable, and get amazing shots? The answer: I wait, and wait, and wait, and wait until those moments happen and then I snap.

Elizabeth is such a beautiful girl. Even her pouty face makes my heart melt. I looked through her photos and smiled over and over BUT there was not that happy face that we needed to get for a 20 x 24 canvas to hang on the wall next to her three older sister's portraits. What did we do, we scheduled additional time on another day and at a different time of day. The result was tons of tears, "I don't want toos" and stomping the feet. Gina, Elizabeth's mother, and I just laughed and decided to just stop and let her play for a while. After about an hour of her playing and several smiles I told Gina to take her back along a wooded path and I would use my telephoto lens, hide behind the trees and act like paparazzi! IT WORKED! We got some of the cutest photos of Miss Elizabeth and now Gina can have a 20 x 24 canvas portrait of her baby girl with a happy smile on her face!

I don't make a moment happen for the perfect photo, I wait for that moment to come to me!

A Southern, American Teen

A Classic Southern American Teenage girl is beautiful, unique, intriguing, eclectic, fearless, innocent, adventurous, original, a trend setter and has the brightest future awaiting her.

www.laurenpigford.com

Horses are my muse for everything!

Photographing horses is how I began taking photos. They are my muse and their silent and patient personalities taught me how to get more than just a picture, but a photo of who they really are!

The Whittens

I have been slacking on my blog. I always try to write about my photography sessions and my wonderful clients. Today is catch up day and I am looking back on my wonderful shoot with Mandy, Payton, and little Braeden.

Mandy has probably known me since I was three years old. Mandy and my sister Erin met each other waaay back in the day and were in elementary school together at Ridgeway. Mandy also lived in "the cove" and was the only other girl in the neighborhood. We spent many years playing kickball and baseball in the cove. Riding our bikes all over and swimming in my pool. I can't believe how long ago that was. She has always been around and known me like family.

It is weird to think about childhood friends and where they are today. Mandy emailed me and asked me to take her ADORABLE son's photos. We lined up a date, had wonderful weather and awesome photos! When I look at Braeden I remember Mandy when we were kids. I am so happy our families keep in touch and I am so blessed to be given the chance to know her family today. Here are some of my favorite photos from the shoot!

Giving Back

Sam & Ashlee

I have been obsessed with horses since Birth. My wonderful mother grew up with horses. Her family, originally from Lexington, KY, was bit with the horse bug and thankfully the obsessive compulsive HORSE disorder was passed down to my sisters, even possibly my brother and little ole me.

The first time I remember being on a horse was when I was 4 maybe 5. My dad picked me up and placed me on my sister's (Ashlee's) horse Sam. Sam was not what I would consider a BIG horse in today's standards. He was an average size Thoroughbred; 15.3, beautiful blood bay with a very unique and fiery personality. However, to a 4/ 5 year old, he was ginormous and known to buck little kids off and to be a fire breathing dragon. I held onto his mane like I have never held onto anything. Once I got bigger, age 6, I began learning how to ride. Nope, I didn't have a little pony to learn how to balance on, I had Sam, an Off the track Thoroughbred, at times unpredictable, especially in a field. He would one minute be dragging his feet and the next kick into his old racing gears, buck and squeal and take off like it was the Kentucky derby. He probably did this just to remind himself he still had it, even as an old man or just because he was tired of teaching an off- balanced little kid how to ride properly.

Sam taught me a lot about horses, but more about myself. He taught me the good, the scary and the inevitably sad. I learned how to be patient, how to groom, how to doctor an abscess, how to be calm, how to love and trust with my guard down, HOW TO RIDE, how to fall off and get back on, how to care for an elderly horse and what it was like to have to say goodbye at the end of his life. None of the lessons were easy, in fact they may have been the hardest lessons to learn but he made them easy except for his last day alive.

Before Sam entered into the Pigford family he did not know what it was like to be loved. He, to what we gathered, was one of a million unsuccessful race horses. The life on the track, as a race horse, is a hard life to live but it was his life after the track that was even harder. He bounced around, never being taken care of and was neglected to the point of being starved. When my mom was searching for a horse for Ashlee they looked at a horse my mom did not think was the right one. Sam was on the same trailer with this horse. My mom said no to the original horse trailered in for consideration and she asked about the other horse on the trailer (Sam). Ashlee's trainer, at the time, told my mom she would not be interested in that horse but my mom insisted on seeing the horse. My mom said when she first saw Sam she couldn't believe her eyes. After the initial shock my mom said, "Ok, lets put a saddle on and see him move." She knew immediately Sam would not be getting back on that trailer, 90% because she was scared his next stop would be the slaughter house. After getting Sam healthy, Ashlee worked with him and showed him in Hunter/ Jumpers. He was an ugly duckling that blossomed into a swan (which is how my mom put it at one time.) He was very special and dear to everyone in my family.

Sam is one of the biggest reasons why I support Horse Rescues. I have personally seen a horse who was weeks, maybe months away from death come back and be loved and teach life lessons to children and adults and live a long successful, loving life.

Mississippi Horses created a 2011 Nutrena Sponsored Calendar. Proceeds go towards helping horses in need. I was asked to take photos of two horses, Popeye and Fefe, who were rescued by Ann Kimberlin and now live at Kimberlin Farms in Olive Branch, MS. Popeye's photo and story were selected to be in this calendar. I am proud to have my photograph included in this calendar and I hope I can continue to support groups like Mississippi Horses, and continue to give my services to do so. Thank you Sammy, We unknowingly loved you for everything you were but most of all everything you gave to us. I will try my hardest to give back just as much as you gave me!

(There are several other horses who inspired me to support rescues and I will tell their stories at another time and when the time is right.)

Photo 1: Fefe, Photo 2: Popeye (Featured in the 2011 Mississippi Horses Nutrena Calendar

Isaac

On one summer day when I was 15 I was laying in my pool with my best friend Sara lying on a float next to me. This didn't just happen on one day during the summer, but basically EVERYDAY.

We use to talk about the typical teenage topics: boys, she said he said, driver's license, movies, and what we would be doing when we were adults. I remember on this particular summer day we were talking about our future. We talked about marriage, when we would like to be married, how many kids we wanted etc. I remember telling Sara, "When I get married you'll be in my wedding!" and "when I have A kid I'll want you to be his or her god-mother." Well I am not married and I have no children but when Sara married Zach I stood up at the altar next to them thinking, "Wow, we really have stayed friends!" Now Sara is a mother and once I left her house after taking Isaac's newborn photos I again thought to myself, "wow, we really have stayed friends!"

When I edited little Isaac's photos and created his baby announcement it made me realize how lucky I am to have a person and a friend like Sara. Since I was 14/ 15 she has been the person I could tell anything. The person I could rely on. The person I knew would never judge me. The person I knew would be around for 10, 15 and hopefully 20 + years. Now that I am an "adult" I realize how unlikely it is to remain a friend with people from your childhood, high school and even college. My friendship with Sara is truly a blessing. She is my "Sista Sara" and from experience I know that she will be an amazing mother because she is a person that doesn't give up on other people. She is a person who is strong and loving. She is a person that puts her friends and family before herself and she is a person who listens and supports everything and anything. She told me one time when I was living through a "my life is over" teenage moment that, "God never gives us more than we can handle." That saying has stuck with me for over 12 years. Now as she embarks on her journey of motherhood and experiences the joys and also the overwhelming I want her to know that, "God never gives us more than we can handle!"

Isaac is beautiful, perfect and one of the luckiest babies because of the beautiful mother and father he has. Congrats guys and I love you both, or should I say, I love all three of you and I look forward to many many more years of our friendship!

The Ince Family

Over the past three years at the Germantown Charity Horse Show I have seen this ADORABLE little girl with the most vivid red hair and angelic eyes. I always said to myself, "when I have a little girl I hope she is as beautiful as that little girl!"

Since I have started taking pictures of Babies, Children and couples I have learned that facebook is my best friend! Since the very first album I posted of Erin and Presley I have had people contact me about taking pictures of their newborns and children, and then people wanting engagements photos. Obviously facebook is the BEST marketing and public relations tool for any large or small business in today's world!

A few months ago when the Germantown Charity Horse Show was approaching I became facebook friends with Paul who I knew him and his family were big into the horse show. (His little sister and my big brother use to "hang- out" back in high school) Paul soon saw some of my pictures on my studio page on Facebook and "facebooked" me about taking family photos of him, his wife, their little girl and his stepson. Of course I told him, "I would love to!" Then I looked on his facebook page and I realized that adorable, beautiful little red-head girl that I saw playing at the horse show in year's past was his little girl. I became super excited because I knew taking photos of that little girl would make my job VERY simple because of her animation and illuminating personality.

On Sunday, after the Germantown Charity Horse Show finished up, I took the Ince Family Photos. I had my new Photographer's Assistant, Mary Grace Greer, help me with changing my lenses in and out, moving chairs out of the background of my photos, holding the pony and even taking some pictures from different angles. Her camera (a Nikon; I shoot with a Cannon) supported the evening light a little better than mine so I was able to switch cameras to get the finishing photos that I knew I wanted.

Monday evening I sat down to start editing the photos after I got home from my 9-5 job at the Mid-South Horse Review. Almost every picture brought the biggest smile to my face and I knew I had something special to give this family. It never gets boring; taking photos, finding new angles, looking at a photo and knowing I captured more than just a pretty smile, but a little girl's personality and heart. I am so blessed to have the chance to get to know the intimate side of families, newborns, soon to be married couples and a husband and wife. It makes me love life on a whole new level and it makes me respect the relationships God gives to us all. A big Thank You to Paul, Heather, Hunter, and the most adorable and illuminating little girl, Chandler! And also FACEBOOK rocks!

Sophie & Betsy

Over the weekend I had the GREAT pleasure to photograph one of my best friends, Betsy and her adorable 5 month old Sophie. We have been planning to take pictures since April but we both have been busy during the weekends and/ or have been delayed because the weather has been bad. FINALLY we had our shoot! It may have been hot and muggy BUT I believe I captured Betsy and Sophie at their best. Everything about photographing a mother with a new baby is amazing! There is something sacred about the bond between a mother and new born. I believe you can see that bond between them both. To see more photos visit my website: www.laurenpigford.com and or my facebook page

Why love Photography

Why Photography?

Before there were cameras a "portrait" was a painting that took long hours, several days, grueling weeks and tons of critical evaluation. No wonder the "master" artists of the days were just a wee bit wacky!

I like to think that Photography is an artistic evolution. First you must learn how to draw, then how to play with color, then learn to paint, then learn how to manipulate your paintings to appear realistic. People outside of the art world probably think that photography is the easiest form of the visual art world; however, I think it may be the most tricky to master.

What makes a good portrait painter is an artist that is able to capture a person's soul when painting. Some say they have to capture that look in the eye. The body posture, or perhaps the smirk on the lips. Sure realism painting is hard enough but just think about learning everything you need to know and practice painting every waking hour AND then going to a STRANGER and looking deeper than what is on the outside to try to paint that stranger's "personality" or even harder, "soul."

This is the role that photographers, especially portrait photographers now have to master and they must master it while looking through a small viewfinder and finding that "personality", the "soul," the look in one's eyes that make that person different from everyone else in the world.

That is the fun of this "hobby." Photographers must know how an angle can bring out the beauty of a single moment. A photographer must know how to watch their subjects and learn who they are in every second that ticks by. A photographer must learn how to make their subjects be comfortable and draw out the subject's personality. A photographer must know the exact timing to capture the height of the funny moments, the happy moments, the personal moments, the tranquil moments.

I love to capture the natural moments in between the posed smiles, and the tilted heads and the hands on the hips. I also find the challenge of making a moment like that the WOW factor for my subjects. It's the real moments, the raw moments, and the personal moments that I try to strive for. I like the challenge of making my subjects comfortable and becoming a friend. I like that I have to constantly be focused and evaluate my subject. Basically I like the challenge. It is what makes photography fun for me. Each snap is different, like a finger print. Each object changes and each picture tells it's own story. That is why I love photography! And it really does beat cleaning paint brushes ;)

Jack of All Trades!

Anyone in the Media Field will tell you "media" is changing. Now with fast pace technology it is getting harder and harder for media professionals and journalists to keep up.

Online Media sites and the economic recession have played a vital role in the Media Career Field. Websites offer readers the same information at any time of day and at a faster pace. Not to mention for free! People, these days, prefer the computer screen, the cell phone updates and the social media sites over the t.v. scheduled news, paper, and magazines. Advertisers are also saving money during the rough economic times by promoting their businesses through online social media sites for free. Why pay for print advertising space or t.v. air time when more people can learn about a business or product through a facebook fan page?

So what can the Media Professional do?

The most important thing to do is to find your niche! Since advertising dollars are hard to come by because of a bad economy journalism and media professionals are losing jobs simply because there aren't enough dollars to pay their paychecks. Men and women who have been in the industry for years are having to start over and even go down new career paths because it is said "Journalism is dying." The fact is Journalism is not dying, Journalism and media are evolving and we, the people in the industry have to learn to accept change and try different things to keep the industry and careers alive.

Advertising dollars are no longer enough. The daily newspapers are no longer timely enough. The televised news shows are no longer the leaders for breaking news. It is all one click away on the computer. Journalists have to find their place, but more importantly find their place where they can make a living. What does the average man and woman want these days? They want to feel connected, they want the most amount of information the fastest way possible. They don't want to flip through pages trying to find the story they want to read, they don't want to read over 500 words, they don't want to wait until 12, 6, or 10 p.m. to learn more about the shooting that took place in their neighborhood, and they don't want to wait until the next morning when the newspaper lands in their driveway to read over available jobs when they were laid off the day before.

It's time for transition. We all know what transition is like. We had to transition out of a child and into an adult, out of high school to college, school to job and paying bills, single to married to being a parent. Our whole lives are based on transition so why, as professionals, are we having such a hard time transitioning our careers from the old way of journalism to new media.

Make a place for yourself in the changing career field. Spend an extra hour before or after work researching media trends. Learn the pattern of the trends to stay one, two or three steps ahead. Be organized with your own work. Work on a blog, then connect it to your social media network. Promote your blog or your online newspaper, magazine or business' website through social media to save advertising money. Practice public relations by networking with other companies through social media. See what your competitors are doing and posting on their websites and facebook or twitter pages. Make a connection with your readers or fans by having interactive discussions. Let your readers know that you need their help to keep going. If you establish yourself online then you have made a place for yourself. That is the first step to transitioning yourself from a writer or a journalist to a multimedia guru!