A Sentimental Reflection: Announcement of the New Site

I am an incredibly sentimental person. Like painfully so. My family always makes fun of me for having to commemorate everything…literally everything. When I left high school and moved to college, I had to have a ‘moment’ walking around the house to say goodbye. When I left the University of Oklahoma, finishing some of the sweetest years of my life thus far, I took an afternoon and walked around campus just so that I could remember. I drank in all of the sights and smells, dwelling on all that had happened in my time there. Right before I drove out-of-town last October and moved myself to Dallas, TX, I of course I had to go to ‘my spot’ on the dock and commemorate my years in Missouri. Call it weird and I wouldn’t disagree, but that’s me. Before I leave anything in the rear view, I need a moment to reflect. So today, I’m leaving this blog in the rear view but not without a time of sweet thankfulness and reflection.

I started this blog in faith on February 22, 2011. Who knew what exactly prompted me to do it as it was really unlike me, but I did. Maybe it was the nudging of friends and family to showcase my words and my pictures. Maybe it was the longing inside of me to pursue my dream. Or maybe, and much more likely, it was the Lord. He brought me to it and has shaped me in SO many ways through it. I have written so much, shared so much and grown so much on this site. It has been therapeutic, challenging and developmental for me and for that, I am incredibly thankful. However, over 100 posts and 18 months later, I am moving on to new things. This blog will always be like my first camera. A great place to start. A great thing to remember. A starting place that set me up for unbelievable growth. A blessing.

So, as the sentimental person I can’t help being, I take this moment to say thanks to all of you faithful followers for giving me some of your time over these last 18 months. Your encouragement and feedback has been life-giving! I hope you will stick with me! Thanks to all my family and friends for your faithful and unending support! If it wasn’t for your belief in me, I would not be where I am today. Last but certainly not least, thank you to the God of this Universe for loving me enough to plan my steps. I am oh so grateful for this past step and now for this next one!

That being said, I am now announcing the launch of my new website/blog at www.maryfieldsphotography.com!!!! Head over to check it out! Here’s to many more years of commemorating God’s goodness and the ‘world through my lens’ on this blog!

Happy Saturday!

 

The Craziness of Life and Exciting Things Ahead.

Life. Oh life. Sometimes you just have to laugh at its craziness. Otherwise, on hard days when all the gas pumps are out of order, your fountain drink from the gas station is flat, you are running late for a meeting and your ‘to do’ list is longer than your 5 year-old Christmas list…it will all seem too much. That is why I believe in the power of humor. The ability to laugh at yourself and all that is going on.

That being said, I will laugh today. Life has been crazy lately. Such a good kind of crazy though. I have been traveling, meeting new clients and making plans for the future! Most exciting on the horizon though, is the introduction of my new website/blog!!! Oh how this has been a long time coming! I have been making the last major changes on it these past few weeks and I can’t wait to launch it! God is so good and this is yet another instance of His faithfulness. Many long nights, frustrated moments, and LOTS of edits later…its nearly ready. The day it launches you are all invited to a celebratory party at my house! Complete with yummy treats, joyful dancing and squeals from yours truly… Ok, not really but it was a nice thought as I would love to celebrate with all of you. We can pretend.

Stay tuned for its debut but don’t worry, I’ll flood all of my social media outlets with the news. How could I contain it? Until then, here is a sneak peek from one of my first blog posts on the new site. Can’t wait to show you more!

Happy Tuesday!

Mary Fields Photography

365 Days of Love: Melissa + Zach

Mary Fields Photography

365 is the number. Love is the measurement. 365 Days of Love that is. That’s what this sweet couple celebrated recently and I was privileged to document it.

Zach and Melissa’s love for each other is so clear. They met in Missouri in 2007 at a coffee shop and dated for a short time before their paths took separate turns. She headed overseas and he stayed put. About a year later, those paths reunited in Dallas, TX coincidentally…or maybe not so coincidentally because you see, they were meant to be. He proposed in 2010 and they married in 2011. Now, a year after they said their ‘I Do’s,’ they are still celebrating their love.

Wanting to keep track of all their adventures together in the years to come, they decided to do an anniversary shoot each year that commemorated something special about that particular year of marriage. Yep, LOVE that! When they contacted me with the idea I was more than onboard. We met early in the morning to escape the summer heat and had such a blast! Since this was their first year together, their first apartment was particularly special so we made that our location. Being a sentimental addict, I loved this idea. We spent the morning doing things they enjoy doing together and simply celebrating their first 365 days of love.

Enjoy some of my favorites from the shoot!

Happy Friday!

Melissa made these awesome little flags and got Sprinkles Cupcakes which are to die for. Really.

There are some great walking trails around their apartment and they love taking walks together. It made for a beautiful first spot.

Mary Fields Photography

Melissa…you are beautiful.

If you are planning a wedding this is a fabulous idea. They had their wedding guests write them a card at the wedding for them to open on their 1 year anniversary. What a fun idea!

Yeah, this light was too good to be true.

Favorite.

Mary Fields Photography

They love to cook together so we headed to their kitchen and did some early morning baking. SO fun.

They also love to drink coffee so these were a fun gift. Seriously awesome mugs.

We then headed out to the porch to take some pics with this cute sign. Love it.

Love and coffee. Can it get better?

They both also love to read together which I greatly admire. I need to read more…

Yep, another fav. The light made me get really giddy. If you are a past client, you know what that looks like!

Married! And loving it!

With the summer sun coming up in full blaze, they were troopers and headed out for just a few more. Love this tree.

ONE YEAR!!! I told them they needed to close every anniversary shoot incorporating something that represented the year they were celebrating. This one was easy. 25 may be a little more difficult!

A Special Place: Growth, Primary Colors and Giant Leaps.

It has been part of my life for over six years. It started in 2006 which feels like just yesterday. I was a nervous sophomore in college, unsure of what it would entail. My sister and I drove together from the plains of Oklahoma through the Ozark hills, reassuring one another that it was going to be alright. “We will be fine”. Secretly, we hoped that the other person actually believed it because truthfully…neither of us really did. We pulled in to the gates and I had to hug her goodbye, reluctantly releasing my safety blanket. My sidekick. Desperately praying in the car, I drove myself the rest of the way to my kamp (yes, I meant to spell that with a K) hoping that it would turn out ok. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out ok. No, it turned out wonderful. Life-changing. Monumental. Pivotal. Special. Invaluable.

My six summers at this camp, four in college and two on full-time staff, were sweet years that I cannot put a value on. I believe that all of life is a process in making us who we are to be but I also believe some serve a greater purpose to that end. Those years and that place are more precious to me that I can express so I won’t even try. Moving to Texas nine months ago and leaving the Ozarks in the rear view was without a doubt what was next in my life. I believe that wholeheartedly and refuse to look back. However, one thing will always be true. Deep in the Ozarks, tucked away in the hills, there is a little kamp on Taneycomo Lake that will always feel like home. The colors are red, blue and yellow. The houses are log cabins, marked by years of kids who wanted to leave their legacy, just hoping to be remembered. The entertainment is void of iPods, Wiis, Angry Birds and Halo, replaced with bows and arrows, canoes, and slip n’ slides. The fashion trend is mis-matched and make-up less with the coolest kids wearing crazy costumes that make no sense and at the same time make perfect sense. The forecast is somewhat unpredictable except generally mornings are crisp and the evenings are thick with humidity. The relationships built are life-long, even though so little of your life is actually spent together. You’d never know that though as those few weeks/months seem to carry more weight than years anywhere else. You see in this little world, the stage is one of pure and simple joy. Laughter is the soundtrack. Smiles are the wardrobe. Children and staff are the actors. But above all, growth is the story.

It’s a place where faith is cultivated. Wounds can be mended. Fears are overcome. Comfort zones are left behind. Leaps are taken. And lives are changed. Lives like mine.

I am so very grateful for that place in the hills and so I’m especially grateful that I get to spend two weeks there taking care of some of my favorite kiddos. I’ll be kid-sitting for a camp family these next two weeks and I am pumped! Thankful for a job that has some flexibility of schedule! I’ll still be working (wedding this weekend in Lubbock!) and updating the blog but it will just be intermittent with some cute little ones and crazy stories of summer camp! Here’s to places that make us take leaps of faith and conquer our fears!

Happy Tuesday!

Love in the Park: Lauren + Devin

Where South Versailles meets Lomo Alto, there is a quaint little park. You may not even notice it if you were to simply drive by but if you stop and take a moment, you’d fall in love with it. Love was a key part of that park a few weeks ago when I hid behind some bushes and secretly photographed the proposal of my dear friends Lauren and Devin. As bystanders walked by giving me strange looks, I just waved them on doing my best to communicate that I wasn’t a creeper. It was all worth it too as I look at these images and think of what a special day it was!

I was there when they met. I had just moved to town and was visiting her at the seminary she attended. Little did she know, he had been crushing on her since the beginning of the semester but they had yet to meet. She was the pretty blonde in his morning class that he really wanted to get to know. So, at chapel that afternoon, some of his friends very craftily schemed to get a group together for dancing that night. The world would be lacking if it weren’t for wing men. Along for the ride, we all headed to Fort Worth. With the two of them in the front seat, conversation flowed and a date was proposed. Seven months later, with me in the bushes, he proposed something much more significant. A life together. Without hesitation, she of course said yes.

Lauren and Devin, I am SO very excited for you both and can’t wait to see what lies ahead for you as a couple. Devin, thanks for letting me be part of that special day! Lauren, thanks for being such a sweet friend! You made my transition to Dallas so much fun and much easier than it should have been!

Enjoy some of my favorite shots from the proposal!

Happy Friday!

America.

“My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!” -Thomas Jefferson

“We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”- Abraham Lincoln

“We dare not forget that we are the heirs of that first revolution.” ~John F. Kennedy

“Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have.” -Ronald Reagan

Happy Independence Day!!!! One of my favorite holidays because for one day out of the year, we celebrate together. Thankful for the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for my freedom. May I never take it for granted.

The Way It Should Be: Jenna + Logan

Mary Fields Photography

Some wedding days are characterized by stress. I can’t say that it doesn’t make sense to me, it’s a lot to pull off and you hopefully only do it once. This wedding day, however, was characterized much differently. She laughed the whole time. So did he. As I spent the day with her especially, I remember thinking, “This is the way it should be.” You are so excited to marry your best friend, the love of your life, that the day is full of joy and you are calm because nothing else matters. Nothing but saying “I do” and starting your life together. So, that’s what this great couple did on a beautiful Sunday in Dallas, TX and I was so privileged to be there as they laughed, danced and simply enjoyed the day they had been waiting for, for oh so long.

Logan and Jenna, I cannot tell you how fun it has been to get to know you over the last few months. I love the way you make each other laugh, the way you love each other and the way you keep your focus on the right things. Your wedding day was purely a joyful occasion for all who were present. I know that this has been a long time in the making and so I hope you are enjoying finally being husband and wife. I am confident that the years to come will be full of laughter, love and changing the world around you for Christ. You two are a special pair!

Enjoy some of my favorites from their Dallas wedding! As always, I have too many but really…can you blame me with these two?

Happy Tuesday!

Stunning Jenna. Stunning.

Ladies and Gentlemen, THIS is why you do a first look. The reaction on his face along with the PLENTY of time we had for portraits makes it all worth it.

Best reaction ever.

Logan gave Jenna her wedding present and then the two took some time to pray together. Another reason for a first look…you wouldn’t be able to have that sweet time together.

Seriously you two, you made my job so easy.

We were definitely in some yummy light here guys. Logan and Jenna are very familiar with my ‘yummy light’ giddiness.

Definitely a favorite.

Exquisite bouquet.

Oh I love this. They are going to spend so much of their life laughing together.

Jenna, seriously you were such a beautiful bride.

These groomsmen were such troopers…

Such beautiful ladies.

Neon green socks. Hilarious. I can always count on the guys to be crazy fun. And this is definitely not posed…

Praying before the ceremony.

Love this shot of Logan and his mom. So sweet.

Married!

Ok, so really awesome. Logan made Jenna’s wedding band out of a quarter. Apparently quarters before 1964 were made out of 90% silver so he spent hours hammering it into her ring. If you look inside the band, you can still see the year and the word ‘liberty.’ How cool is that?!?!

Love it.

A daddy dancing with his daughter. One of my favorite parts of the wedding day.

So we managed to sneak up to the top of the building for some Dallas skyline pics and I am SO glad we did. Some of my favorite shots of the whole day!

Yes…this did happen. Jenna and Logan are known for doing lifts (even at our engagement shoot) which is way fun. Even more fun that they would manage it in a wedding dress and tux. Awesome.

Perfect.

You Bring Restoration.

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:11-14

Sometimes I become burdened to share things on my heart. Today is one of those days.

If you have followed the blog much, you will have noticed that I make no amends for my faith. In fact, I am blessed to unashamedly have this platform to share what I believe is true and what is worth sharing with anyone I come in contact with. So, either you will be moved by what I have to say or you won’t… and both are fine. Nonetheless, I will share on.

Yesterday at church was baptism Sunday. I haven’t been able to attend church the last few weeks as my crazy schedule tends to get in the way so maybe that’s why my heart was particularly moved. Maybe it was the fact that I am always moved when I watch baptisms…usually moved to tears. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s simply because I was reminded of how wonderful the gospel truly is.

One by one, people stepped into the little pool of water before the congregation and shared their life story. There were accounts of depression, loneliness, unsatisfying pursuits of perfection, broken homes, failed marriages and incredible emptiness. While each story was different, personal to each one of those who stood in the pool, one thing was consistent. Brokenness.

Every one of them told of how they had spent their lives missing something important. Needing to be healed. Needing purpose. Needing help. Needing more.

In the midst of the brokenness though, one other thing was also consistent. Restoration.

Through tears and smiles, they each shared their unique stories but also their very common resolution. They had found restoration in the name and grace of Jesus Christ.

As I watched them, I remembered myself in that water many years ago. It wasn’t in a little baptismal in a church but instead my pool in my parent’s backyard. The waters were different and yet… they weren’t different at all. In both, broken people who had been healed were publicly plunged into water in order to declare their association with Jesus Christ. Tears filled my eyes as I was reminded of the beauty of the gospel and witnessed the profession of each of those in the water.  The power of salvation is indescribable. No matter who you are, you have undoubtedly encountered immeasurable brokenness and the death of Jesus Christ offers healing. Redemption. What a reason to rejoice! After the baptisms and professions of faith, our worship leader got up and led us in the most perfect song. I thought I would share it with you, whomever would read this little blog, in hopes that you would be encouraged by the gospel of grace…for it brings restoration to the soul.

“You bring restoration
You bring restoration
You bring restoration
to my soul

You’ve taken my pain
called me by a new name
You’ve taken my shame
and in its place, You give me joy

You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take weeping and turn it into laughing
You take mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy

You make all things new, all things new”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LcyQOLVS_U

( I was thinking that every post is better with a picture, but what depicts this well? Funny because actually the Bible uses marriage as a depiction for the restoration of man to God. How wonderful that I get to document something that is so symbolic of the gospel for a living! What a joyous occasion weddings are and that is so symbolic of salvation…our mourning is turned into dancing and our sadness into joy as we are joined with God. So…this image seemed fitting.)

Laugh. Play. Love: The Houston Family

Words cannot express how much I love this family. Seriously. I have been so privileged to know the Houston’s over the last 7 years and watch as their family has grown. When I first met them, there were only two cute little ‘blondies’ and as you can see…things have changed since then!

They are a family that values exactly what they are. Family. They laugh a lot. They play a lot. And they love A LOT. Since I started my photography business, even from the very beginning almost three years ago, they have been my number one client. Melissa has been so gracious to see my interest and has sought me ought, giving me the opportunity to practice on her beautiful family. Our first family shoot was in the freezing November weather. It was about 30 minutes long because everyone was miserably cold…and I had VERY little idea of what I was doing. Surprisingly, we got some good shots but I think it is a true statement that every shoot we have done gets better and better! What a blessing to not only be able to witness such a wonderful Christ-centered family, but to have the privilege of capturing them.

When I was in Branson recently, Melissa and I spent some time dreaming up a themed shoot and I love the way it turned out! Matt and Melissa have the most beautiful photogenic children that it really is unfair to the rest of the world. However, I am certainly not complaining! We had a lot of fun dreaming it up and putting it together so I hope you enjoy some of my favorites.

Matt and Melissa, thanks for giving me a chance even in the beginning and for continuing to believe in my talents. It’s been a joy to watch your family these last 7 years and I look forward to many more! The Houston’s will always have a special place in my heart!

Happy Tuesday!

This sweet girl was a little distracted by her fruit snacks…but she’s still the cutest thing ever.

Ok, so talk about melt your heart. That smile is award winning…

Mary Fields Photography

The one boy in the family (besides Dad of course). Got to hold his own.

Mary Fields Photography

Mmmm.

What a cutie…and those blue eyes are a photographer’s dream.

LOVE this shot.

This girl is seriously the most thoughtful little girl ever. She has an old soul and I love it!

The oldest. And what a good job she does at it! Can’t believe she is as grown up as she is!

Sisters.

Bubbles are the best for photo shoots.

And glitter confetti…

Mary Fields Photography

Beautiful girl.

All of these cuties were in a wedding recently and so we wanted to get some good pics of them in their wedding outfits. They were ridiculously cute. Especially this little one who decided she’d cheese it up for my camera.

Talk about handsome.

I promise I did not pose this. She is just a natural.

She has been a silly band fan since the beginning and is still rockin’ them today. I love her dedication.

So grown up and such a beautiful little girl.

We had a mover but I love this shot anyway!

Again, what a beautiful family.

Love is In the Air: Beth + Tommy

It’s funny the places life takes you. There are people that come into your life early on and through life’s twists and turns, they remain. Our families grew up together. There were four girls in our family and three in their’ s. We were all the same age though because we cheated with twins. Both families found their church home at a little church downtown that met in an old theatre. It was simple…VERY simple…and there weren’t very many of us. However, one thing was true. We were a family. The church was called Believers Fellowship and that’s exactly what it was. A fellowship of believers. We loved each other dearly, did life together and literally grew together. Beth is the eldest of their three girls but we were close enough in age to still cross paths quite often. I have pictures of us at church picnics with us all in crazy costumes. We even spent a hot summer in Tyler, TX together as we both prepared to go overseas on a mission trip in high school. Oh the stories we could tell of life in our small town in Oklahoma.

Over the years Beth and I have kept up and managed to still cross paths every now and then even though our lives have led us all over. In many ways I attribute my interest in photography to her. She used to always take her camera everywhere and take snapshots of daily life. We’d sit at the bottom of my steps in the house I grew up in, talking until late at night with all our friends. I remember she’d just pull out her camera every once in a while and take a snap shot. “I want to do that someday,” I’d think to myself. And thanks to her inspiration, that someday has come.

I was thrilled when Beth called me a few months ago and told me that she was engaged! She and Tommy had met at a work Christmas party and hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, they were based in different cities but that didn’t stop them, love was in the air. It didn’t take long for these two to realize they wanted to be together forever. We met up in downtown Frisco, TX for their engagements and had a BLAST! With Beth being a photographer herself, she practically read my mind the whole session! Oh what a dream. On top of that, their love for one another was so evident that I didn’t even have to try to instruct them. They did it all on their own! Again, oh what a dream.

Beth and Tommy, thanks so much for letting me be part of your engagement season! I had so much fun on our session and can’t thank you enough for trusting me to the point of traipsing around in wheat fields and old, run down, snake-ridden barns. I am so excited for your September wedding and your future together! Beth, thanks for the years of horrible costumes, overseas trips, youth group, staircase talks, candid photos and friendship! Here’s to many more years of crossed paths!

Enjoy some of my favorites of their session!

Happy Thursday!

Happy 🙂

Mary Fields Photography

Beth insisted she wasn’t very good at what I call the ‘Sasha Fierce’ look. I beg to differ. Those eyes are too beautiful to describe…

Um…yeah. In love with this one. Such happy faces.

Looking good Tommy. Lookin good.

See what I mean about those eyes? Gorgeous.

They brought the coolest wine classes with them that they bought in Eureka Springs, AR where they are getting married. I want them…

Yep, this light was a dream. Yummy light.

Tommy served in the United States Marine Corps so I loved that they brought these for the shoot. How often we forget the sacrifice so many give us. Thank you Tommy for fighting for our country and our freedom. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude.

Proud of her man!

So, I drove past a wheat field recently and decided it would be a dream to shoot in. Thankfully, my clients trust me enough to go where I ask…and I hope they think its worth it because I sure do! We ventured off into the unknown of this field…which was pretty high. They were such troopers though and let me be a little crazy. I LOVE the result though so maybe my craziness pays off…

The fact that the moon is in this shot is just icing on the cake.

So…no word except Favorite.

Ok so another favorite. You can never have too many.

Bring those awesome wine glasses out again…of course.

The benefit of shooting in a wheat field in North Texas: There just happens to be a really cool old abandoned barn across the street. Ok…awesome.

I think they are in love or something…