A Little Piece of Me | Thoughts and Favorites from 2013

As I sit and reflect on the past year, my heart is so full.

The things I hoped for most in my heart this year did not happen. Some things that were completely unexpected and not so welcome, unfortunately DID happen. And for some…that my have halted any efforts to do much of anything else the rest of the year. However, for me, though admittedly I had some major days of “WOE IS ME”, throwing in the towel and giving up were NOT AN OPTION. I made a CLEAR and CONSCIOUS decision that the disappointments of 2013 were not going to have the power to cancel out the 900 million more reasons I had for which to be thankful…and to be honest I feel that the things that were not so good about this past year, propelled my brain into “creative” overload. From that never-ending brain overload of creativity, Slice of Lime Seniors came to exist and so many other thoughts and ideas began to flourish.

I threw myself into brainstorming and focusing on growing this passion fueled-little business of mine. There is still much for me to figure out, there’s still much for me to learn, there’s still much for me to organize and solidify and bring to reality. But what continues to overflow and what continues to drive me is my passion for touching the lives of others. Be it through my camera and the images I create for a family, be it through the collaboration with the new Slice Stylist, Stephanie in making a teenage girl feel the most beautiful she ever has, or be it through my community involvement and volunteer work. I strongly believe I am here to impact the lives of others with the talents I have been given…not just as someone with a creative brain, but someone with the ability to connect with others in a variety of ways.

Sitting back and reflecting on the past year, I can say I am so incredibly blessed to have many amazing, inspiring strong business women in my life. Some are in the beginnings of their business adventures like me and others are well into their journeys and incredibly successful….and I am thankful for having the opportunity to interact with them, even if just on the smallest scale.  Hearing others share about their businesses: what fuels them, their creative process, how THEY see the world, their beliefs and experiences…makes me so incredibly happy and makes me want to really continue to challenge myself creatively, challenge the way I see things, and GROW.

This December wraps up Slice of Lime’s official 2nd year in business. To say I’m excited about the next year and what comes next is an  understatement. My heart is on fire for connecting with others, for impacting theirs lives with my God-given talents, and I am determined to continue to grow and learn and put authenticity and purpose into everything that is Slice of Lime.

To close out this year, I have  gone through all the pictures that I took this year and selected a small handful that really stood out to me as Slice of Lime’s Top Images for 2013 and some of the reasons why I loved them so.  Enjoy!

* Getting to shoot for another photographer for the first time ever, was very much an “I’ve arrived” moment for me. When Ashley shared some of her ideas for the shoot, she shared some images of one of her favorite artists, who loves to use negative space in his images. This image was my interpretation and I feel it captured the connection of Ashley and her little family perfectly.

* The picture below was taken before my photoshoot with this family had ‘officially’ started. The light coming from the window to the left, the scattered toys, the diaper on the arm of the couch, and Little Miss A’s expression, all capture what  life is really like in a home with a toddler. These types of real life images are some of my favorites to create.

* The picture below was a first for me. I got to spend several hours with the artist behind Sylvador Jewelry, learning about her creative process: the tools she uses to create her pieces, where she finds inspiration, her goals for the future, and hearing about her favorite pieces. Though ultimately, the final shoot never took place, getting to style the jewelry to create this vignette was invigorating and really lit a creative fire in me to want to do more commercial work for other creatives. I look forward to getting to do more of this type of work in the coming year.

* Snapping the shutter at just the right time and capturing forever an authentic moment between a mom and her kiddo is something quite special.Love the smiles on both their faces and the sun light streaming through the trees.
* This image is from my last photo shoot of the year. A tender moment as a new momma comforts her little one. What’s not to love??
* Getting down on the floor and playing with this little one resulted in this image as he peeked under the ottoman in the living room  at me. The way the light shines on his face and his reflection on hardwood floor made this a favorite for me immediately.
* This little girl is a firecracker of energy and she is my niece. The excitement on her face at getting to fly high on the swing in the woods is genuine and captures her little spirit perfectly. * I could not pick just one photo from this shoot. When we left the house the day of Stephanie’s shoot, this location was not where I was originally planning on heading…making the last minute decision to head to this spot over the original choice, we hit the jackpot. Perfect lighting. Perfect location. This shoot to introduce Stephanie to the world as my Slice of Lime sidekick could not have gone any better. So thrilled with how everything came together and the resulting images. In case you haven’t figured it out: I. LOVE. FLARE.  

* Slice Seniors was a new, scary, (yet exhilarating) adventure this year. This image is hands down one of my favorites from the three rep shoots that we did. The idea in my head became a reality and looked better than I could’ve imaged. The whimsical feel of the books hanging from the trees, the location, the lighting, the styling, and how much fun this kiddo had? It was awesome. * The lighting in this pictures perfectly frames another tender moment between a mommy and her daughter. * My favorite picture of 2013: my niece and my sister holding hands hours after she was born 7 weeks early. That little munchkin is now 7 months old, healthy, happy, and cute as can be.

Thank you! I look forward to what 2014 brings!

~Emil