We'll be posting our latest Engagement Session real soon so keep an eye out for it this week.  Now on to today's HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT/POST... Last Monday we went to our 21 Week doctors appointment and got a chance to see our baby once again =)  Remember our last post?  Well that was only about five weeks in and now we're 18 weeks in!!  Remember this same shot in the first post?!  Notice how her belly is more of a "belly" now than before... So the baby is definitely bigger, no longer our little Gummy Bear...even big enough to where Lauren, as she puts it, feels it "punch her belly" =)  If you're ever around her enough you might catch her saying "Aw, come on dude, chill out!".  That's her telling our baby to relax =) hahah Can you distinguish the shape of the baby on the monitor?  That's its head to the right... So to the heart of the matter.  As I assumed from the start, with all "signs" pointed to this happening, here's the answer to our family's "gender battle" as well as our new family photo! =) WE'RE HAVING A BABY GIRL! =D  And if you look closely, I'm a little taller than Lauren in the image hahah. So now that you know what we're having...Time for our first ever John Lauren Photography Contest! woohoo! Ever since we found out we were having a baby we have shot blanks when it comes to baby names.  That's where you come in! From now until December 1st, we'll be accepting entries for our "Great Names Derive from Great Inspiration" contest.  Our only rule is in order to submit a name, you need to also submit a photo of what inspired you to come up with that name along with a brief explanation.  Easy enough right?!  We're so excited to hear what you come up with! Because this is such a big deal for us, if your entry gets picked, you, as the winner, will receive a GC of $100 to a restaurant later TBD. Submit your entries to contest@johnlauren.com and remember, you have all the way till Dec 1st! We can't wait to hear what everyone comes up with!  Oh and feel free to use our blog posts as inspiration too...hopefully by now there's enough about us in here that it'll trigger some ideas! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you're curious to see what type of photography we do, click here! or If you have any questions you'd like to ask, you can email us at weddings@johnlauren.com

OK, so John's totally going to hate me for this one but I HAVE to share!!  It's Monday and we all need a little laugh to start our week! Sorry honey!! =) hahaha

 So, we had an engagement shoot in the lovely Old Town Pasadena and we had such a great time! we had our new assistant with us, teaching her new things with the camera and getting a feel for posing and how John composes the couple for the shoot.

 John is very admitate about me being the "Front Man" for the business, but I get so nervous, I kind of just stand back and let John do all the talking while I get in the zone the way I am used too, by getting a feel for the couple, and when I feel like I am getting a connection through the lens, then I am more vocal. Sometimes, I kind of walk around and scope out the area while John is with the clients.

Well, when you see the slide show of their awesome engagement session, you will see the cool spot I found! Literally, it was perfect!!! It was snooping at its best. No other word can describe the location. Just wait :) But as I turned back to John and the awesome couple to tell them of the cool spot, I can't help but think, what the heck is he doing!!! I was laughing so hard from a distance...

You may not know this, but when John is in the zone, he is so in the zone!

Seriously, does he have to get that close? Isn't that why we have a 70-200? OH, but he gets even closer!

I finally have to walk up to them and get one up close, cause really, those shots didn't really show any justice of the yoga pose that was happening!!!

I was laughing so hard, I almost pee-ed my pants, and being pregnant, it was so possible too!!! This was rip your pants material!!!

I really can't wait for all of you to see the finished product! It was our very first early morning shoot, and is probably my favorite time of the day to shoot. It wasn't hot, not crowded, no sun beating down on us. I really enjoyed it!  I love you babe! hehe =)

 

Alright... So with the baby on the way, and maybe my hormones are playing tricks on me, but I have been really clingy to the husband. I have "wifey voice" which I totally try to not do... and have been totally realizing how God uses him as an instrument in my life. I am just so grateful for the sacrifices he has made for our family and the long hours he works... and I won't even mention how far his commute is... Anyway, today, I officially felt the baby kick on my lunch break at work and it made the baby so much more real. I'm starting to think I can't wait for this baby to come! Super scary thought, but so excited. We have been hanging out with our Godson and the family and he is such a handful, but I see how gentle John is with him, and i really can't wait to see him live in action being a Dad. I don't really know how to explain or descrigbe the joy I have felt. He is going to be such a great Dad...

Next week, we'll see who wins the gender battle in the family. Is it going to be (Boys) 2-1  or 1-2 (Girls) Stay tuned on more baby fun. Can't wait!

For the past few weeks, my mind has been in overdrive mode, thinking of ways to grow our business.  One of those ways was definitely scary, almost like jumping into the deep part of a pool for the first time as a kid…or reaching the peak of a roller coaster and not seeing anything in front of you but sky!...you’re not sure what to expect but you’re sooo ready for it!!  Know that feeling?! Well last week Lauren and I embarked on a new journey and took the next step in helping John Lauren Photography grow and be more efficient all at the same time =)  With much prayer and thought and discussion we decided to hire our first employee and we can’t tell you how excited we are!  With the demands of the business growing, and Lauren growing...literally, it was the perfect time to find someone to help us out around the office.  But it’s so much more than that. Being that we’re still young in the business, we wanted someone that could grow with us and be ready for all the joy and pain that comes with it.  We wanted someone that loves photography (duh!) and was just as hungry to learn the ins and outs of the business as we were starting out.  We wanted someone that we could mold and would fit into who we are and how we are to each other (more on that later) and still laugh and joke around just as much as we do.  WHEW!!  Talk about being picky! But, God once again hooked us up with all that and then some.  Meet our new Studio Assistant Richelle Jean!  WOOHOO!! =) Believe it or not, we’ve known Richelle Jean since she was a wee tad with a haircut reminiscent of Lilo from Lilo & Stitch!  Oh how these kids have grown! =)  And when we heard from the grape vine that Richelle loved photography and was looking for a summer job we thought…sweet! So after bribing her with a huge slice of strawberry pie from Marie Calendars, she agreed to the challenge! If only she knew how much work she’s actually going to have! Hahahah j/k =) One of the things that we hope she’ll come away with in working with us is simply a new/newer found love for photography.  She’s already so talented so it’s just a matter of time when she’s managing her own clients! This was a shot she took of a parking meter that I had just put coins in before we started shooting in Old Town Pasadena.  Ask me if I remember it looking that cool and my answer would be..."uh no!".  Can you tell, her eye for things is already so creative we love it! OK so I’m really not suppose to share these photos yet but I have to show you this shot that she caught during our shoot with the couple…. Seriously?!  Who taught her that?!  Cuz we sure didn't!!  The way she framed the shot was perfect!  When Lauren and I saw this image, we about fell off our seats in amazement!!  If this is any indication of how talented she is, did John Lauren Photography score or what?!! If you have a second, shoot Richelle an email congratulating her on her new position and if you have some encouraging words, she’d love to hear that too! You can email her at richellejean@johnlauren.com We can’t tell you how excited we are to have you on board Richelle!  You’ll be awesomeness and more! =)

 Our very good friends bought The Gummy Bear it's very first outfit! Isn't it so appropriate...