I am loving having my studio! It is set up to where I can have a backdrop, or not. I love the natural feel of things. This particular session, she didn't want a backdrop. She wanted something that felt natural. We have a mirror behind her that reflects the door and little light. It was perfect! I also have other areas where you can sit in the studio to put your own personality and creativity in there. She grabbed a book she loves to read and curled up in my chair. You can do anything you want beside the boring ol backdrop.  

I started out as a wedding photographer in my local area. I really pushed and worked hard to get my name out there and build a reputation of being reliable, helpful, hard working, talented, and creative. Once I started booking weddings on a regular basis, the unthinkable happened. We got orders to move! Now here I am, in the town I grew up in, been married to a man who was military but always stationed in the local area, my business has really started to boom, and now we have to move. I was devastated. Not because I didn't want to leave the area, but because I didn't want to start over with my clientele. Little did I know... that was the best thing that ever happened to me. 
Because of that simple move, I became a traveling photographer. 
I kept all my weddings and clients in my home town. I also took on a ton of weddings in the town I moved to. Once I started traveling back and forth, word got out that I do just that, travel, and started booking in other towns between. 
For me, its truly exciting to go out of state to photograph a wedding.
This year for 2021, I have changed my strategy a little and started booking those beautiful Adventure weddings in several different states. I am honestly really looking forward to those this year.
​ Here are some tips below to help you become a traveling photographer.  

1. Build your wedding portfolio local first-  You have to start somewhere to really build your portfolio before you are able to show people in other states why they want to book you. This may take you some time and that is ok.

2. Stay Focused- The area I was in, is very saturated with photographers and not as saturated with views so it isn't necessarily a "destination" location that people flock to. So I gave myself a goal of 5 weddings a year. If I could book 5 local weddings considering the logistics of the area I was in, then I would feel successful. I also gave myself a 5 year goal for growth. I wanted to be in a certain place career wise by 5 years and I had to work hard, not compare myself to others to make me want to give up, and keep focused, in order to get there. Before I knew it, those goals were surpassed. 

3. Hard Work pays off - Hit the ground running and don't look back. If this is something you really want then the hard work you put in, will eventually pay off. I educated myself just so I wouldn't be just a girl with a camera. I became a girl with a camera and education on how to use that camera. I went to school, and I really indulged and immersed myself in information on how to become the best version of myself while doing this career. I sold myself, I advertised, and I truly put in the heartfelt work it took. 

I hate being in front of the camera... so I get it. Self Confidence is a huge issue for most of us. I have awful confidence issues. It seems like the older I get, the worse my confidence is. If you have ever said something like this 

1. I look horrible
2. I look so fat
3. I hate this picture of me
4. I want to lose a little weight before I have my pictures taken
5. The pictures are beautiful, I just don't love myself in them

Those things you are saying out loud (or quietly to yourself), just aren't true. AND THOSE WERE JUST 5 THINGS...I HAVE HEARD PLENTY OTHER NEGATIVE REMARKS.
Listen, this is the number 1 piece of advice I tell my clients, I even have to tell myself this over and over when I am taking my own photos OTHER PEOPLE DON'T SEE YOU THE WAY YOU VIEW YOURSELF!

Im going to do a little campaign for this topic. I am going to grab a few people, women or Men, and take photos of these people with a board saying something they love about themselves. I will start it, and lets spread this confidence. Last year was so hard mentally for so many, including myself and I am praying that this year will be better, but why wait for the year to get better to start showing others you can love yourself! Who wants to get in on this project!!!?????? 


If you want to be part of this go over to the CAMPAIGN FOR CONFIDENCE page where you will find more information and go to the button text and send us an email!! 

We made it through Christmas and New Years and now Valentines day is right around the corner! I have the Lifestyle sessions and The boudoir sessions on special right now! These are perfect for newly engaged, a wedding gift, an anniversary or birthday, or simply just because you love them. ​

For Boudoir, they will be set up in the studio, the studio will be closed to the public while in session, they will not be shared on any public forum (unless you share them yourself of course, and/or there is one that you gave me permission to share), these are done in a very classy and tasteful manner.

SO MY GOAL WAS TO BE STRICTLY A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.
I HAD DONE JUST MARKETING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR A WHILE AND THEN SWITCHED OVER TO BEING JUST A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, I LOVED DOING ALL SESSIONS, BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO FOCUS ON ONE TYPE AND WEDDINGS WERE THE ONE I CHOSE. BUT OF COURSE, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, 2020 HAD OTHER PLANS FOR THAT. SO I OPENED MY SCHEDULE UP TO TAKE OTHER SESSIONS. 
I CAN TRULY SAY I AM LOVING THE VARIETY RIGHT NOW OF PHOTOGRAPHING DIFFERENT TYPES OF SESSIONS. I FORGOT HOW MUCH I MISSED THE CREATIVITY IT TAKES TO HAVE YOUR VERY OWN SESSION WHERE YOU ARE IN CHARGE. YES I AM SOMEWHAT IN CHARGE OF WEDDINGS BUT NOT REALLY. I CAN'T GET TO IN DEPTH WITH MY CREATIVITY BECAUSE THE BRIDE HAS A VISION AND I, AS HER PHOTOGRAPHER, HAS TO STICK TO THAT VISION. I DON'T WANT MY BRIDE TO HATE HER PICTURES BECAUSE I WAS BEING CREATIVE. I WILL SUGGEST THINGS AND IF SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT, THEN WE DON'T DO IT. BUT THAT IS DIFFERENT WITH THE SMALLER SESSIONS. MOST OF THE TIME, I WILL SUGGEST SOMETHING, AND THEY WANT TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY AREN'T PAYING ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET THOSE PERFECT AMAZING PICTURES. AND IF THEY DON'T LIKE THAT ONE PARTICULAR PHOTO, IT ISN'T A BIG DEAL. SO I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A LOT MORE FREEDOM AND I USE IT TO MY ADVANTAGE! 
WEDDINGS ARE STARTING TO POP BACK UP AND I AM BOOKING THEM AGAIN FOR 2021 BUT I WILL NOT GO BACK TO JUST PHOTOGRAPHING THEM THIS YEAR. I KNOW ITS SORTA FROWNED UPON FOR A PHOTOGRAPHER TO BE IN ALL TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND I GET WHY. YOUR BUSINESS DOESN'T GROW THE BEST THAT WAY. YOU SHOULD PICK ONE TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY, STICK WITH IT, AND BUILD ON THAT. BUT IF A PANDEMIC MAKES YOU CHANGE YOUR PLANS, THEN YOU SHOULD DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND MONEY.
SO MY ADVICE FOR THIS YEAR, THOUGH IT MAY NOT BE THE POPULAR ADVICE, IS TO TAKE THE TYPE OF SESSIONS YOU WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH. THE WAY I SEE IT IS, YOU AREN'T SITTING STAGNANT, YOU ARE ABLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLET, YOU MAKE A LITTLE MONEY, AND YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU LOVE. 
TO SEE OUR SESSIONS GO TO OUR SHOP SESSIONS PAGE.
​THERE YOU WILL FIND PRICES, PURCHASE OPTIONS AND EXAMPLES OF MY WORK

Hey There! If you are reading this blog that may mean you are thinking of having an ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT and you found yourself with the right girl! 

What is an ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT?
It is just that!
An elopement or very small wedding that is filled with adventure! 
It can be a yurt sleepover with all your loved ones, in the middle of no where or just the two of you under a waterfall.
Think breathtaking views, becoming one with nature. People love this type of wedding because they feel most connected when in the great outdoors.

WHO WOULD DO THIS TYPE OF WEDDING?
The couples who want this tend to have a love of travel and passion for exploring. They want to be unique. They throw all the rules out the window and do things the way they want to. They typically don't want the stress that "traditional" can bring. They are fearless and definitely not afraid of a little dirt. They live life on the edge, wear their hearts on their sleeves and value experiences over things.

WHERE CAN YOU DO THIS?
With an adventure wedding, the possibilities are endless. From mountains, to waterfalls, to beaches, to caves. You can have quad rides, horseback riding, helicopter rides. Literally, wherever or however your imagination takes you! 

WHEN SHOULD WE HAVE OUR ADVENTURE WEDDING?
Consider where you want to go and research. 
Look at weather, does your destination have a rainy season?
Think about Tourism, is it a tourist area and does it have a peak season. If so, consider the crowds, longer lines and booked lodging.

How do we make this happen?
Contact me and we can reserve your date, ask questions, bounce ideas and then all you have to do from there is relax and adventure! 

FIRST AND FOREMOST LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF!

My name is Stephanie and I am the photographer for Marilyn Ray Photography. I am an educated and local award winning wedding photographer. I also specialize in Lifestyle and Marketing photography. If you know me, then you know I love going on adventures. I try to go to a different state and do something amazing at least once a year. I am very much at peace when I am in the middle of nature watching the sunrise or sunset. To me, You can't go see this beautiful waterfall, mountain top, or river and not feel some sort of peace!

I love meeting my Brides and Grooms in person for several reasons but the most important to me is to learn who they are, what they like/dislike, and what they expect from me as their photographer. 

Not only do I ask them, if they are local, to come to the studio before signing the contract so we can talk, but I also offer a free engagement session for those that are close enough for us to do so. The engagement session is offered with the wedding package and it gives us a chance to work together before the big day!
 
It is where I get to see who they are as people and as a couple. I get to see their personalities and how excited they are for the wedding. I get to read their body language, and learn what makes them uncomfortable.
In the short time we are together, I see if they are going to be the couple that wants the traditional poses or will climb to the top of the hill covered in tall grass.
It is the time where we learn if our visions and personalities mesh. 

Once we have that figured out and realize we are the perfect fit for each other, the rest falls into place! 
As a wedding photographer, I come in contact with many different people, brides, venues, families, vendors, etc. and it is so important to me to vibe with all of them!
​When you feel comfortable around your vendors, including me, you give me access to the real you, which in turn makes your pictures GORGEOUS!
When you have everyone, including the DJ's and videographers, meshing together the day ends up AMAZING! 

So when planning and picking vendors for your wedding, make sure you genuinely like them. Chances are if you like all of them and their personalities, they will enjoy being around each other as well and make your day even that much more amazing! 

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of having a guest book is? 
Guest Books are a wonderful way to give wedding guests the opportunity to offer warm wishes, advice, and share those inside jokes as they celebrate your special day with you. 
The guest book is something to look back on for years to come and cherish. Like a photo, your guest book will hold those special memories of family members that have passed or friends that have moved away, and will make you smile with every turn of the page. So while we do suggest you skip any other wedding  traditions that don't fit your personality, we don't suggest you skip the guest book.
Of course it is completely up to you on whether or not you keep the guest book at your wedding, we just hope you give it some thought before you say goodbye to it to quickly. 
You can be creative and personalize your guest book to give it that unique feel. You can add childhood pictures of the two of you or pictures of your trip to your favorite destination for your guests to look at as they write their well wishes. However you decide to create it, make sure it is full of your personality. You, nor your guests, will regret having such a sentiment piece on a very special occasion.

From Wedding Cards, Invitations and save the dates, to custom Books, boxes and wedding menus, this website is going to be the place find to it all.  
www.basicinvite.com/wedding/wedding-invitations.html​

The Website will send you samples and, let me tell you from experience, they are gorgeous! This company is most certainly worth a look into! 
You can find some other information about Basic Invite below.

Basic Invite offers a variety of items that can help you plan your wedding day! 
www.basicinvite.com/
​
Free Wedding Websites - Our wedding websites are completely customizable! They're mobile friendly and super easy to use. You can instantly upload all of your wedding details, along with images, and a convenient map with directions for your guests. Choose from 180 custom colors, and a design suite to match your wedding invitations!


Almost Unlimited Colors - Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. You can change the color of each element on a card, with over 180 different color options. The card can be exactly how you want it, down to the littlest detail. This is what sets us apart from any other online stationery company and is our biggest draw.


Custom Samples - Basic Invite allows customers the ability to order a printed sample of their invitation so they can see the card’s paper quality and how it will print before they have to place their final order.


Over 40 Different Colors of Envelopes - We are just as colorful with our envelopes as we are with our invitations. Customers can choose from over 40 different envelope colors so that they can make their invitation stand out even before it is opened. All of our envelopes are peel and seal so the envelopes can be closed quickly and easily. 


Over 900 Wedding Invitation Sets - Each of our wedding invitations is part of a set. We have all the wedding stationery you need, like save the dates, wedding invitations, enclosure cards, wedding menus, wedding programs, and even matching thank you cards!


Free Address Collection Service - Use our free address collection service to request your addresses with just three simple steps. Share a link via social media or email, collect addresses, and get free envelope printing.


Seal & Send Wedding Invitations - Our seal and send wedding invitations are an all-in-one wedding invitation with a tear-off RSVP postcard included! The Seal & Send is our newest collection and brides and LOVING them. Currently, we offer them in over 30 designs including our ever-popular foil options, and, like our other products, they are customizable. What's special about our Seal & Sends is that guest's addresses are printed on the front of each invitation so no envelope is necessary! All you have to do is share a link, collect guest addresses, and upload them onto your design. Once you receive your order all you have to do is add postage, fold your invites, and secure them with a sticker! Simple and easy.

​www.basicinvite.com/

​www.basicinvite.com/wedding/wedding-invitations.html

​www.basicinvite.com/wedding/wedding-day/guest-books.html

I am shocked at myself. I am shocked at how excited I am over this small space that I don't even "own". I just rent this space and yet... It makes me smile every time I think about it.
The space was ugly. No one (including me at first) could envision what this office could do for me. By the looks of it, with its dingy walls, industrial carpet, and banged up interior, it may just be a money pit.
But between my vision and my stubbornness, I was not giving up on it. The location was amazing and the tenants in the other offices have been there for years... That says something!
I was determined to make it everything I wanted. I was also determined to do this all on my own!
Yes I am married to a man that bends over backwards to help me but there is something about a woman doing things all on her own, and that "thing" drove me.
Instead of asking him to help me with the "business" side of the studio like the lease, etc., I recruited him to help me in the "esthetics" side. I had a vision for this place and dingy walls wasn't it. 
I got my husband on board, and we set off, with a budget in hand, to find the things that would make my vision come to life.
We grabbed paint, flooring, and a prayer.
Once I had the keys to this place in hand, this man of mine (with the help of one of our dear friends) laid this beautiful hardwood flooring all in just a few hours.
It laid perfectly right on top of that ugly carpet.
It was super simple (the logistics of it, not the labor). I can tell you how to do it if you need advice.
The next day the patching of the walls began, that was all me because Chris broke his toe laying the floor the night before and protested helping me the next day...or maybe he had to work ... I'm 10,000% certain it was both.
The walls took me pretty much all day to patch and we had to leave it to let it dry overnight.
Then the sanding began.... 
The point to this is, We put a ton of sweat into this small space that I decided to rent.
Into a indoor space that I wasn't even sure how often I would be in because, lets face it, I don't like being indoors!
But now that this space is nearly done with just a few tweaks here and there on the decor... I learned how much I love having it.
How much it means to me to have "an office" of my very own to go to every single day.
I have somewhere to be even if I have a session that day or not.
And with that .... comes happiness and with happiness... comes success! 

Top 3 reasons Why I decided to get my own office
1. Meeting my Brides at coffee shops, florists, or cafes wasn't working for me anymore. I felt less successful when I had to meet a bride somewhere in public.  Most of the time, Brides want to meet their vendors or at least talk to them. For me, they have to sign a contract as well. And yes they can sign that and pay the deposit all online, but most of the time they want to see, meet and talk to the person before they sign a contract. Having to pull out a contract and go over the fine details while someone is ordering coffee behind you is so distracting. Now they can meet me in a private place as well as see examples of pictures I have taken in person!!
2. I had a ton of clients ask me if I do indoor pictures. Especially during the winter. I would always have to tell them no. I was losing a lot of clients because of that. Believe it or not, some people do like indoor pictures. I never knew because like I said earlier... I am not a fan of being indoors much. Now those people aren't turned away by me. I am catering to those clients as well.  
​3. To have somewhere quiet away from home to edit pictures, answer emails, return phone calls, and interact with clients. I would get so distracted (especially this year since both kids have been home from school) with being constantly surrounded by people that I would let things slip through the cracks sometimes. I would stop editing sooner than later because my daughter wanted to play or needed my help. I didn't put all my focus on my business because my mind was never fully invested on it.I was multitasking and not being very good at it.
Now with this space, I can come into a nice quiet, comfortable place and fully 100% focus on nothing but business. None of us will know how far that alone will take me.
We are about to find out! 

GOOD MORNING YA'LL!
I wanted to share with you, in case you missed our Facebook live, everything that is going on this month! I have been so busy the past few weeks that I didn't even realize what Month I was in yesterday. I kept saying October. (Probably because October went by so incredibly fast for me). We are having a Grand Opening at our new location on November 20th! I am going to give away a free mini session in the form of a gift certificate that can be given to anyone (even that hard to buy for person in your life), so stop by for your chance to win. There will be cupcakes and other goodies as well as discounts on sessions and Weddings. I also will have a few Samples of invitations and announcements from the "BASIC INVITE" that you have to see! (watch for that blog coming soon) There will also be a pretty cool and unique photo op for you to take your picture in front of. Don't forget to hashtag us #marilynrayphotography in all those awesome social media posts so we can see!!  I am hoping this will be a great turn out simply because of what happens starting on the 23rd of November....... 

THE TOY DRIVE BEGINS!!
​I am hosting a Toy Drive on November 23rd- December 5th. Please stop by and bring a toy for the Toy Drive. You will get a printed Picture in front of the backdrop below. So wear your ugly sweaters, bring a toy, and walk out with an adorable picture!! These will be by appointment only. I am terribly sorry to do that, but I honestly don't want everyone piling in at once and us trying to get pictures taken of everybody all at the same time. So please shoot me a message or call me with a day and time that works for you and I will 100% make sure you are taken care of.  All toys...EVERY SINGLE ONE will be donated to "The village Foster care and Adoptive Ministry" on the morning of December 6th. You will be able to watch us live dropping everything off! Tis the Season for love and giving!!!! 

Now .. ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS SPECIALS!!
​One is indoor and and a picture of the backdrop is photographed below and the other is outdoor with Velma Louise the VW Bus. (a picture from last year is also below so you can get an idea)  I had the bus sessions last year and they were a huge hit. This year the set up will be different and a complete different location. Both of these specials are 15 minutes long, you get 5 pictures with printing rights so you can make your gorgeous Christmas cards! To Book just click the links below, Make sure you double check your email address because once I see the order come through I will be emailing the email address you enter to book your time!