Vicki Madden Photography

This is my wish

Senior frenzy is almost over. For the last two months I have been shooting about 6 seniors a week. That is a lot for my little studio and one man show. I'm so grateful for the work and pray for more work to come my way but also I'm grateful for this little break. I don't have any seniors scheduled for the next two weeks. I'm glad to be able to focus on my own high school senior who is graduating in just a few days.

What an amazing journey these kids take. As a adult, I can look back and offer words of wisdom but really do they listen? Did I listen 20 (cough) years ago? Sure I gave eye contact when these words of wisdom were spoken to me, sure I appeared to be listening but really I was bigger than the world and nothing could touch me. Or so I thought.

I didn't have big plans for continuing my education. I wanted to go to New York Institute of Photography, I thought about going to Okmulgee Tech and continuing my education in graphic arts technology. Then I met Mr. Brian Madden and I couldn't think about anything else but him. Oh young love. Totally messes with us doesn't it?

I'm proud to say that my son, Austin, has big plans after graduation. We have toured the Stillwater OSU Campus and he's very excited to be going there in August and plans to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I wish I could tell him my words of wisdom and they somehow sink into his little soul and he never forgets them, that somehow I can tell him the things I want him to know to protect him from the hurts I've had in my life. If only.

You can be book smart, even know all of your states and capitals AND your multiplication tables (I know neither of these without google and a calculator) But life experiences teaches us so much. Life teaches us that it's okay to try something as long as you try your best. It's okay to fail at that trial, it doesn't mean you are a failure it means try something else. It's okay to love someone more than they love you, it's okay to cry, okay to be mad, okay to confront mean people. Eventually you learn to stand up for what you believe in, even when your the only one in the room who believes it. You learn it's okay that some people thing your wrong, as long as your living your life the best you can that's what counts.

If I could project some sort of wisdom onto my son it would be these few things.

• Learn to accept conviction.
• Without Jesus nothing is possible. That statement is exclusive and I realize the politically correct thing is to not be exclusive, but make a stand, speak your mind.
• Don't hesitate to do good, just do it.
• When you decide to love someone, respect them even more than you love them.
• When your faced with a crisis, how you react in that crisis is character telling. Stay calm. First and always pray.
• Live with in your means. Force yourself to budget and ask yourself with every purchase is this a want or a need? Never spend more than you make, stay away from credit cards and always put at least $10 in savings even when your broke.
• Most of all, life your live with your heart wide open. Hold nothing back, live a creative life full of possibility and dreams.

So this is for my baby boy. Being your Mama has been one of the biggest joys in my life. Also has been the most challenging thing I have ever done. You were not an easy toddler. Hard headed and almost un-trainable. Somehow by the grace of God we got through it and your daddy and I are so proud of the man you've become.

"While your out there gettin where your gettin to, I hope you know somebody loves you.."

 

Please stay tuned

I have this list. A list that grows and grows and grows. Not really a physical list, but a mental list. Things like, get cobwebs from corner of bathroom, drink more water, get caught up on housework, call customers, make bank deposit, balance checkbook. It goes on and on and on.

Always on this list is blogging every session and always I say, "When I'm finished with....." Or "Who really would read that anyway?"  Or, "My grammar is terrible I'll show the five people who might read this blog that I really am a dummy." or like now, my daughter walks into the room and distracts me and I forget what I am doing.

However, this morning I'm sitting at my new house, eating breakfast and reading the Barnsdall Times. Everything is (was) quiet and I think to myself. "Now is the time to do it. Blog for heaven sakes!"

It's been a crazy last 6 months. Building a house, running two businesses, moving a business, two teenagers and a husband. Yesterday the kids and I packed a horse trailer full. (No we don't need to rent a UHaul! We got class I tell ya!) We moved beds, towels, almost everything in the kitchen and pantry. Once we got it put away, Brian pulls in with a truck load of the same. (Let me say his packing and our packing are TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS!) So we worked like crazy putting everything away, took showers in the new shower, turned off the new lights and crawled into our new beds to rest.

This morning my first thoughts were a bit melancholy. We moved into our old house when Austin was one, it's the only house Olivia has ever called home. Last night we changed our home location. We now live here and not there. This is now our home. This is where my kids will come home to from college, bring their spouses, their babies. This is our new home. I feel in some way we need to honor our old home in a special way. We raised two kids there, lots of laughs, tears and slamming doors. Lots of cooking, movies, mowing yards, climbing trees. Maybe we have already honored it by living there and loving there.

Looking forward instead of back I put a breakfast casserole into the oven. Brian and I stood on the back porch and listened to the turkey's and when Austin woke up I told him like I have a thousand times in his life, "Don't talk so loud you'll wake up your sister!" It's changing, and it's staying the same. Home is where my family is.

So now that my life is calming down and feeling a tad bit more organized I plan to get to that mental list of things to do. I plan to drink more water because my new fridge has filtered water and ice IN THE DOOR and I will do my best to blog every session.

Because every post on a photographer's blog should have a photo I'll post one of my Austin. He's graduating in just a few weeks.... that's another post.

Michaela Burns : 2012 Senior Rep : Oklahoma Portrait Photographer

It's time for new Senior Reps to make their debut.

Michaela is my Senior Rep for Tri County Tech. If your needing your portait taken get with her. She can hook you up with some free wallets.

This deal is not just for High School Seniors, it's also for family, baby, or toddlers portraits as well. Ask her, and she will give you a card that looks like the one below.  You can bring that card into the studio or text BURNS to 96362. 

 

Lets see, what can I tell you about Miss Michaela? She's pretty, sassy and always speaks her mind. She has a huge personal space to which I do my best to invade every chance I get. My favorite thing to do is give her looooong hugs. She is done hugging and lets go, and I keep right on hugging. She loves it. I just know she does.

This is a picture her Mama took of us at Prom. Michaela and my son Austin are in the same class. Since we were both there we should get a picture together right? And what else would we be doing but HUGGING! Look at her face. She's so excited.

When you are a Senior Rep you have one mini session and two big sessions. The mini session is just to give us an image to get the Senior Rep cards made. She brought her Mama (who is a hoot!) her brothers (adorable) and her cousin whom I'd never met Miss Kennedy.

While Michaela was changing I told Kennedy to hop infront of the camera, "Lets take your picture." It's a fun way to get them use to getting their picture taken so when it's their time for Senior pictures it's not so intimadating to be infront of the camera.

 
Michaela is a great kid. Her parents are raising her right and I'm grateful to call her my friend.

Spring is in the air!

Spring is in the air and it's time to start scheduling family portraits. The grass is getting ready to turn green, the trees and flowers are blooming, and the birds are singing.

One of the toughest part of scheduling family portrait (besides getting everybody together at once) is clothing. Last fall I took our family portrait as a gift for my Mom. It's hard to coordinate 13 people's clothing to go together. We finally came to an agreement, the boys would wear plaid and the girls in the family would match them. They all needed to be in fall colors, maroon, orange, dark blue etc. It seemed to work but boy was I nervous everyone would show up and it would look just terrible.

Another example of colors that go together is Rick and Kelly Eden's family picture.

So that was fall, and now we are moving into Spring. What colors are going for spring? I'm not sure so I did a little research and found a few things put together for family pictures. All of these things can be found at Gap, Old Navy or Piperlime.

It seems that Grey, Green and Turqpoise are the in colors for sping time.

If your inspired for Spring family pictures give me a call and lets get you scheduled before it gets too warm to be enjoyable.

Blane : Oklahoma Senior Portrait Photographer

Nowata High School Senior Blane

We met south of Nowata and took advantage of the beautiful day. We caught some great sun, great shots and I was able to listen to some fantastic guitar playing. 

 
Blane, I know we still need to do a session on the football field. Lets get on that as soon as this snow melts. Have your people call my people. (your Mom call me)

Gomez : Oklahoma Lifestyle Family Portrait Photographer

Ahhh the Gomez Family. I've known Sam since High School. My Cousin/Sister Amy Jo and her were friends in High School.

Sam and Julian have been together since they were teenagers. I remember when they were first married and living in an apartment behind Homeland. Fun times fun times.

Then last year Sam and and her kids came out to support the VMP (Vicki Madden Photography) team in Relay For Life. The VMP Relay team sold chances to win a portrait package to raise money for our team. Turns out Sam bought some of her own tickets and she was the winner!

Her girls will tell you anything and the perfect combination of sassy and sweet.

Her boys are respectful and observant. They were helpful when moving my lights around and cooperated in getting their pictures taken. No grief from them at all!

I took her oldest son Corey's senior portrait a few years ago. Actually he was my first try at senior portrait photography. Cousin/Sister Amy Jo told me I had the talent and I needed to do it. I was not yet convinced but Sam said, "Vicki lets try it!" So we went for it and here I am, two years later, starting to get the hang of things.

I'd been to her house before and loved her front porch and knew this would make a fantastic location for her family shot. We started there and then ended up downtown at the park next to the Phillips Gym. It was a little chilly but we got through it and had a blast doing it.

Thank you Sam for supporting our VMP Relay Team and for allowing me to take your family portrait.

Becca : Oklahoma Senior Portrait Photographer

I'm not so sure I believe in luck. When people tell me, "Don't walk under a ladder it's bad luck", or "Breaking a mirror is 7 years bad luck." It just doesn't sit well with me. Or a better example is those emails, "If you love Jesus then FWD this to 10 people in the next 10 minutes or something bad will happen to you." Grrrr! They make me batty.

So in my vocabulary, blessed replaces lucky. And blessed is just what I was the night of my session with the lovely Miss Becca.

We started our session at Johnstone Park, then headed downtown to grab a few urban location shots. Eventually we ended up at the little park next to the Phillips Gymnasium. I was showing Becca how to lay on the wall and what I wanted her to do with her hands. Sometimes my Shootsac gets in the way when I am moving about so I took it off and laid it down next to the wall on the inside of the flower bed.

The wind picked up and moved her hair slightly, Becca had the perfect expression and I got the shot! Moving right along and going with the flow I left my camera bag in the flowerbed against the wall.

 

Thanksgiving was that week and I didn't have session scheduled so I didn't have a need for my camera or lenses. After Thanksgiving I decided to clean up my lenses, clean out my camera bag of gum wrappers, lip gloss and grass. I couldn't find my camera bag anywhere. Long story short (which is hard for me) I went back to the park where I shot Becca's pictures and there was my camera bag tucked away right where I left it. It had been sitting there for 5 days! I felt irresponsible and blessed at the same time. Grateful. I said out loud, "Thank you Jesus." and I meant it!

Becca has another session coming up in the spring and I am counting on keeping my Shootsac ON me at all times. Kim? If I take it off please remind me to pick it up.

Again, 2011 Seniors it's not too late to schedule your Senior portrait session. Even better would be to find a Vicki Madden Photography Rep, get a card from them and receive 48 free wallets!

Baby Josie: Oklahoma Baby Portrait Photographer

Little baby Josie. She was excited to come into this world and decided to show up early. She is blessed to be born into a fantastic family that was ready to shower her with love and kisses no matter when she decided to make her grand entrance.

I've known her Mama, Jamie, for years and was in prayer for both of them when little Josie was being born. I know I wasn't the only one praying or the only one rejoicing when everything worked out just as we prayed it would. Both Mama and baby were going to be just fine.

As part of my, "I'm so glad you are in this world" gift to Josie I wanted to take her portrait.

Jamie, Nathan and Josie came to my house and we used my living room as the studio. WIth a baby really all you need is a light, reflector, couch and a couple of blankets. Throw in a boppie and your ready to go! Photographing babies is one of my favorite parts of my job. If I lived in a bigger city where I could specialise in just one type of photography baby photographer would be at the very top of my list. The smell of dreft and baby lotion is the sweetest thing in the world. I find the hardest part of photographing babies is staying focused that I am working and not there to snuggle and smell sweet little baby necks. I said to myself several times, "Focus Vicki focus"

Thank goodness Jamie is the same kind of Mom as me because when we were done she let me change baby Josie's clothes into warm clothes for going outside. It was fun for me and Liv because we got to play baby, but for sweet little Josie, I tried to make a shirt fit over her precious little head and it wouldn't  fit. Jamie insisted it was okay just pull it a little harder. Turns out it had a button that needed undone. Oops. Josie was a sport and I think we made friends again before she left.

I look forward to taking their family portrait when the studio is finished. Jamie, bring that sweet little faced baby back to me anytime!I I'm seeing a bikini, sweet chubby thighs and a beach umbrella this summer! Lets do it!

Lacie Skiatook High School Senior Rep : Oklahoma Portrait Photographer

Lacie is my Skiatook High School Senior Rep and when we are together we always have a great time.

 

 This is just my second time to hang out with her but it feels like I've known her for years. She's an easy going, smart, funny girl. Her Mama's has done a great job raising her.

 

She wanted to have a session on the soccer field, which is really the football field, which is not grass but turf. This was my first experience on turf. I think I marched on it in high school at a band competition but never had I layed on it. We were covered with the stuff! For these shots it was worth it!

 

Part of being a Senior Rep for Vicki Madden Photography means that when I get a new prop, I call you and we go out to play. I have been blessed with my first year of having Senior Reps and I have great group of young women and young men who are willing to do almost anything I ask of them.

So when Miss Lacie was having her second session with me I had just purchased a new/old couch. I just knew it would be perfect in a field at sunset. Turns out this couch is HEAVY and while it looks fantastic it does take a crew to load and unload it.

I borrowed my friend Jacqui's daughter Erin, and away we went. Determined to get shots with this couch. Lacie and I had not discussed what this couch looked like, colors or anything, but it looks as if we planned her clothing around it perfectly.

While taking these pictures I would say, "Oh my stinkin heck! This is fantastic!" Or, "Wait until you see this!? Okay, want to see it now?" I was excited! It was turning out even better than I had envisioned it in my head. I love when I surprise myself and loved it even better that Lacie and her Mama liked the shots too!

It's not too late to get your Senior Portrait taken, or re-taken. If your looking for a creative session, have a great idea then call me! Lets get you booked before second week of April so we have time to get your wallets ordered for Graduation Invites.

 

 

Burnett : Oklahoma Family Portrait Photographer

I really do enjoy my job. Especially when I am hired for sessions like this one. Two boys, me chasing them and taking pictures as we go. Perfection!

It does take families a little to get used to a photographer being there. I'm trying to get them to forget I'm there, and they are trying to pretend I'm not there. That takes awhile to get the hang of. At first most families will try coaching the children to pose, "say Cheese", "sit still" etc. While there is a time for sitting still and saying cheese, it's almost never at the beginning of a session. When you hire Vicki Madden Photography to come document your family for a few hours here's what you can expect.

I usually show up about 15 minutes before the session is to start. Get out my equipment, scope the place out, stand up light stands, hook up flashes, transmitters etc. Our first few shots almost never turn out the best, everyone is getting to know each other and it's a little stiff sometimes. This is where the kids play, do something, and I document them playing, interacting, shoving, hitting, kissing. These are some of my favorite shots. Kids being kids.

During this session Cooper and I were across the yard and he turns to me and says, "Miss Vicki, why don't Clayton and I run in circles and you take pictures of us?" A kid after my own heart. That is exactly what we did.

After everyone is warmed up we do a few posed shots, then work our way to the family shot. (I'm not sharing the posed family shot from this session because Tonya is sending out Christmas cards and it needs to be a surprise.)

After about an hour and half I pack up my gear and head home. A few days pass and you receive an email/text from me saying your on-line proofs are up, and a few days from that your proof book arrives in the mail. I try to make the session as fun as possible, and the ordering process as painless as possible.

The Burnett's, I've known them for years. Tonya and I taught Missionettes together way back in the day and before that she worked at United Grocery Store where I go grocery shopping almost everyday. (Sometimes I'm not very organized and need to run in for milk on Tuesday and bread on Wednesday. hush) Steve is a fireman. I think firemen are pretty nifty. That's all I'm saying. Their boys are stinkin' adorable, very well mannered and quick!

Here is an example of quick. Steve, Clayton and Cooper at the back of the barn.

I knew we'd only get one shot at this because Clayton has super powers and is fast as the speed of sound.

I love how in all three of these images Steve's face doesn't change. He didn't even have time to react. Clayton is THAT fast!

Thank you Burnett family for inviting me over, showing me around and making me feel welcome. You the bomb to the diggity. (hu?)