Christy Martin Photography » My Life... clients, family & specials!

When asked when I became a photographer, my mind drifts back to 'Show & Tell' in Kindergarden. Out of all my toys and dolls, I brought my little point-and-shoot camera to class. (I still have the photo I took that day of my kindergarden class!)

Photography is my passion. It inspires me. It relaxes me. It excites me. It is also the reason I don't get nearly enough sleep at night. Aside from client's sessions, you'll also find images of food or recent trips. More than anything, you'll see a lot of my family. Afterall, it's the new freckle on Ross' nose or Rayna's curls that make me so thankful I get to document life's wonderful memories.

Category Archives: Photography

Miracle Man

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 Posted in Babies, CLIENTS, Children, Families, Photography

Max was born on September 1, 2009 without any complications or problems. At less than 2-weeks old, his change in eating and breathing habits caused his mother to call his doctor, then 911. As he was rushed to the hospital with the paramedics, he started turning blue and was carried by a helicopter to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. A virus had attacked his heart and his parents were told it would not get better. Although Max was on the list to receive a donor heart, the doctors felt like if something wasn’t done quickly, he wouldn’t survive. The Berlin Heart (a mechanical pump or ‘substitute heart’ that works outside the body, drawing the blood out to circulate, then pumping it back in) had not yet be approved by the FDA; however, doctors received special permission to use it to save Max’s life. Max’s heart transplant came 6 weeks later and he was finally able to come home!

During our session, you would have never know everything Mighty Max has been through. He’s one of the happiest babies I’ve ever been around. Maybe he knows what a perfect miracle he is.

Let’s not forget about his sweet and pretty sister, Emma…

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MAX and find out ways you can help:

watch THIS VIDEO: 3-Month-Old Receives Gift Of Life
read THIS ARTICLE
visit THIS WEBSITE

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Summer trip to Arkansas

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 Posted in Food, My Family: Pictures & Stories, PERSONAL, Story Boards, Things I LOVE, Trips

Each summer, I really look forward to a week at my in-law’s house in NW Arkansas.

We eat around the clock.
We spend hours riding the 4-wheeler, Ranger and horses.
We explore new caves, waterfalls and creeks.
We try to see how many small children we can scrub down in the big bathtub each night.
We stay up way too late each night watching movies and eating the hot cupcakes my niece makes.

With over 13 people there at any given time, we all stay very busy!

To answer your question about the pictures above:
Yes, Ross fell asleep in his Nana’s arms while riding the 4-wheeler.
Yes, the children played poker any chance they got!

I thought this heart-shaped flower was so unique and interesting. This wasn’t the only one. There were hundreds more just like it!

A typical day includes us riding the Ranger and Matthew trying to perform a dental examination on each horse.This was one of our adventures. The waterfall was so beautiful.

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Andrew

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Children, Story Boards

After my long phone conversation with Carey last year, I couldn’t wait to photograph her son Andrew in the upcoming weeks. She shared with me some really moving stories about how Andrew came into her life. Throughout an hour-conversation, she mentioned again and again how thankful she was for her family.

Months later, I couldn’t figure out why she had not returned my emails or phone calls. I allowed a few more weeks to pass and decided to email her one last time. To my surprise, I received a phone call a few weeks later from Carey. Right away, I could tell something was wrong.

Carey told me she had suffered from an extremely serious brain aneurysm. She explained how she had almost died and lost most of her memory. Her life had been completely turned-around since the last time we spoke on the phone. The doctors told her, statistically, she should not be alive… much less living at home. Through all of this, Carey, once again, continued to talk about her family and how thankful she was for all of the blessings in her life. She told me that instead of focusing on the many problems she faced each waking moment, she choose to be thankful to get to be Peter’s wife and Andrew’s mom one more day.

I am so grateful Peter happen to find my last email to Carey. He remembered our phone conversation from last year and urged her to call me. This was their first family session together. After we ended our session, Carey hugged me and said she probably wouldn’t be able to remember this day, but she wanted me to know how grateful she was for it. After seeing her over-come so many obstacles and continue to look at all the positive things in her life, I was the one who was grateful to have met such a special person.

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Katie & Alex

Saturday, August 7, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Families, Story Boards

Katie and Alex looked super-cute as they ran towards me from their car. They were ready for pictures!
Clay and Leah looked… well, super-comfortable as they got out of their car in cotton shorts and t-shirts. They explained it was just going to be the kids being photographed during this session.

Clay and Leah found a shady spot under a tree while the kids and I went on a little adventure. We really missed not having them in our pictures, but with the grown-ups not around, the kids and I were able to talk about LOTS of gross, sticky and smelly things that only kids seem to appreciate it! And just to squeeze in a little more fun and laughs, we hit the playground at the end of our session!

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Zachary’s Baptism

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Families, Story Boards

I still remember the first day I met Melissa. I can still see her beautiful fingernails and hear her contagious laugh.

Six years later, Melissa and I have shared some home-cooked meals and many Taco Bell lunches. Although I still love her fingernails and laugh, I’ve grown to admire her as a Christian and a mother. I’ve told her this before, but the more I’ve gotten to know her, the more like her I want to be. Not only does she teach her children how to obey God, she also teaches them how to hear His voice and understand His love.

At a time in my own life when I felt over-whelmed with ‘stuff’ that was keeping me too busy, she shared her views on being a mother of young children. She talked about all of the hobbies and things she really enjoys doing. Then, with only peace in her voice, she told me how she had decided there would be plenty of time for her to enjoy those things in a few short years. She knew her boys would only be ‘little’ for a short time. She made a decision to put some of her interests aside and enjoy her children while they were still young.

Sunday was a very special day for Melissa and her family. Zachary, her oldest son, was baptized in Lake Lanier by his dad. It was a beautiful moment. I couldn’t have been happier to be a part of it!

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Jay, Rachel, Halle & Emma

Monday, August 2, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Children, Families, Story Boards

If you’ve been a blog-reader of mine for a while, you may have already noticed a little trick I like to use. When I have a lot of images I want to post from a session, I often use a Story Board design to include a few extras. In the case of Jay, Rachel, Halle and Emma’s session, I used THREE Story Boards! Not only were Halle and Emma sweet, beautiful and very funny, they were so much fun to photograph! Although it was starting to get hot, we still had a GREAT time playing together!Jay & Rachel- Thank you again! I feel so blessed to be able to photograph such wonderful families and children!

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Ryan, Amber & Lillie

Monday, July 26, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Children, Families, Story Boards

I received an email a few years ago from a really sweet girl in North Carolina. She wrote about how much she loved photography and asked a lot of questions about starting her own photography business. Over the next three years, we exchanged a lot of emails. She clearly had an eye for photography and, more than anything else, worked extremely hard to make her goals happen. (Most people don’t know how much work goes into having a photography business. The real works starts AFTER the photo shoot!) Unlike most places now, she was in a great area that didn’t already have plenty of established photographers. I knew she could do it! Flash forward a few years. Now, she is a very successful photographer and her clients love her.

I was excited when she asked me to photograph her family. We arranged a time when she would be passing through my area with her family. After years of emails and phone conversations, it was great to FINALLY meet her in person!

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Family Beach Trip: Part II

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 Posted in Families, My Family: Pictures & Stories, PERSONAL, Photography, Trips

Just a few more from the beach…
We spent one day at Busch Gardens. Since Rayna couldn’t ride most things, she and I walked around together where Ross and Matthew could enjoy the bigger rides. (As-only-a-mom-would-note: Ross rode his first upside-down rollercoaster! Yeah!)

CORRECTION: I said Rayna and I ‘walked’ around together; however, there was NO walking on Rayna’s part! Even though I carried her (and my camera and backpack) six straight hours, I honestly enjoyed it. Each time my back started aching and neck started popping, I just thought, “This might be the last year she will let me carry her.” While Ross & Matthew were riding water rides and roller coasters, Rayna and I had frozen lemonaids and a lot of deep conversations about kitty-cats, lip gloss and Dora.

Just a few of my favorite snapshots…

Ross & Rayna just a few minutes after waking up from their naps…
Matthew taking the kids to the same ice-cream shop his parents took him to when he was little
…HOURS at the pool

Matthew spotted a beautiful tree that would be perfect for a picnic. Aside from getting over 15 mosquito bites in ten minutes, it was a great spot! As always, Rayna started picking flowers. I wasn’t quick enough to get it in focus, but I thought it was still a cute picture.

Counting down the days for another beach trip…

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Family Beach Trip: Part I

Sunday, June 6, 2010 Posted in Children, My Family: Pictures & Stories, PERSONAL, Story Boards, Trips

We were able to get away to the beach for a few days over Memorial Day weekend. Aside from a quick trip to San Diego when she was just a baby, this was Rayna’s first time to truly experience the sand and water.

Our schedule was something like this:
Jumping into the pool over and over…

Then, heading back to the beach…
Although dinner ran late and it was waaay past the kid’s bedtime, we used our last night to go back to the beach one last time. Needless to say, we didn’t waste time by going to the room to get bathing suits!

Rayna didn’t seem to mind.
The warm wind was blowing.
The golden sun was setting.
I wish I could have frozen that moment in time.

As Matthew and Rayna got out of the ocean one evening, I stayed behind for a second to shoot this picture. I love it because of the glow and the rainbow coming down on Ross… There are a few more pictures I want to share from our trip! Check back in a few days for the rest!

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Affie

Sunday, June 6, 2010 Posted in CLIENTS, Children, Families, Photography, Tips & Projects

I received a call during my beach trip from someone who wanted to know if I did maternity sessions. During our phone conversation, she told me her photographer had cancelled an upcoming session and she was very close to her due date. After I explained I was focusing on children and families, I sent her the contact information for two wonderful photographers in our area who specialize in maternity and newborn . Shortly after my email was sent, I received an message from Affie explaining she had reviewed their portfolios, but loved my work and would feel more comfortable me doing her session.

Although this was a compliment and I was very excited to document this important part of her life, I am sharing all of this to simply to illustrate something I am VERY passionate about:
It is SO important that you feel comfortable with the photographer you choose!

If you’re currently looking for a photographer, here are a few tips to help you choose a photographer who is right for you:

Check out the photographer’s porfolio. If you don’t find images on their website or blog that move/inspire/excite you, move on to another photographer!
Communicate what you’re looking for. If a family tells me they want ’formal shots’ (ie: all matching outfits, studio shots, no playful interaction, shots that are posed or with props), I give them the names of several other photographers in the area. On the other-hand, if a family is looking for laughs, hugs and real moments, I know we’d be a great fit.
Make a quick call! A phone conversation can often help you get to know the photographer. Based on her ideas and personality, you’ll probably have an idea whether or not she is right for you.
Lastly, if the service you need is not listed on the website, JUST ASK! I was honored to photograph Affie’s family and beautiful belly!

Now, most importantly… Affie’s Sneak Peeks!
I wish every session could start off by me sitting across the table from an adorable little boy finishing his breakfast! While his mom and dad finished getting dressed upstairs, Atlas and I had a LOT to talk about! I learned all about Super Mario Brothers, new videos on YouTube and all of his new favorite songs.

When I saw Affie coming down the stairs, I couldn’t believe how amazingly gorgeous she was!

Affie- Thank you again for asking me to photograph you and your beautiful family! I enjoyed it so much!

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Family Pictures

Saturday, May 29, 2010 Posted in Decorating with Photos, My Family: Pictures & Stories, News, Products & Specials, PERSONAL, Photography, Tips & Projects

Like a lot of you, I don’t necessarily enjoy being photographed. However, I can’t even begin to tell you how passionate I am about the importance of documenting your life through pictures. Although I’m always taking pictures of my kids throughout our day, our last professional family picture was taken when we lived in Arizona. (Stay tuned! I plan to post a few “Decorating with Photos” features using pictures from that session!)

So when I told Matthew a family session was the only thing I wanted for Valentine’s Day + Mother’s Day + our anniversary + my birthday and Christmas this year, I think he could tell how important it was to me!

Brandy (friend/wonderful photographer) photographed my family last week. Here are a few of my favorites…

Even though Brandy made us all look happy and stress-free in the pictures above, you’re not alone if you feel like nothing goes smoothly on the day of your session. I was so happy she included an image that was pretty-much symbolic of Rayna 99% of our entire session…

Although I tried not to, being a photographer has put so many ideas and images in my head that I wanted for my own family’s shoot. However, after seeing how Rayna acted, I just assumed there wouldn’t be any decent pictures of our family. Needless to say, when I saw the picture below, I was so grateful! It was exactly what I wanted…

If your family needs updated photographs like mine did, I want to encourage you to find a photographer you love and feel comfortable with in your area. (Or, if you’re like all of my incredible clients in Arizona, find a photographer that is all the way across the U.S.!) As I mentioned in another post, you’ll be so happy you’ve documented all the laughs, hugs, kisses and even frowny-faces!

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‘Granny’ and our BIG family session…

Saturday, May 22, 2010 Posted in Families, My Family: Pictures & Stories, PERSONAL, Tips & Projects

How can I describe my great-grandmother?

Everyone calls her ‘Granny.’ (Even her cousin who is the same age!)
She is 94 years old. Yet, you are likely to find her raking her yard several times a week.
Just a few years ago on a senior-citizen trip, she decided to show-off by climbing the kid’s playset and sliding down a super-steep slide.
She’s an INCREDIBLE cook! Personal favorites include dressing, pecan pie & vegetable soup (using only fresh vegetables, of course).
And, as told by my sister, “Every time I’ve ever been to the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House with her, she goes through the tiny kid’s door.”
One more reason? Her humor and wisdom landed her on the cover of Neighborhood News, and featured in a monthly column called, “Ask Granny.”

Although I had wanted a big family picture for a while, it took one of my clients losing her dad unexpectedly to make me realize how important family pictures really are. I knew then how great it would be to have a BIG family picture taken with Granny. A few weeks and emails later, our family met up at my grandparent’s house for pictures. Here’s a few of my favorites….

Granny + Ross: 5 generations…

As you can see, Granny was pretty popular that day… Although I love this picture of my grandparents with my kids and nephew…
…I love the one that came before it even more!
We were waiting for Sissy-Lu-Lu (aka: Rayna) to get her doll out of the car and this is what was happening behind the scenes..
I will probably always treasure this picture which includes my parents, grandparents, sister, brother-in-law and nephew… Here’s one (of many) of our family group shots. Grant Norwood was nice enough to come by with his camera to take our group shot…
I read a great article today about the reasons people don’t schedule family pictures. (Take a second to read it!) Bottom line, everyone has their own excuses why now is not a good time for family pictures. However, family pictures are sooo important! Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be so thankful you did!