Portrait Session

Meet Brandon, the subject of one of my latest shoots.

We had a great time on a private farm capturing the last bit of fall color before Hurricane Sandy swept across the Eastern Seaboard and pulled down all the leaves.

I've done a great many portrait shoots, but this one was the only time that I've ever had a horse take part. Fortunately Brandon's mom had a handle on the reins while I was shooting!

These are just three of my favorite shots and the one of them together is definitely my favorite. Josh, however, prefers the one at the top of the post. Either way, I'm really excited about the results and I hope that you'll enjoy them too.

Bridal Sneak Peek

Now that her wedding has passed, I can share a couple of sneak peeks from a bridal shoot that I enjoyed a couple of weeks ago.

Douthat State Park has always been one of my favorite places to shoot and one of my favorite places to take brides for their bridal sitting.  It was a beautiful day with just the right amount of clouds in the sky to make for a pretty backdrop. The dock that hangs out over the lake always makes for some great shots and that day was no exception. My bride was very excited about her "ruby slippers" so I had to make them a featured portion of at least one photograph.

On a related note, did you know that Dorothy's famous ruby slippers were made out of silver in L. Frank Baum's original "The Wizard Of Oz" novel? I didn't either until I read it yesterday and that can be your handy piece of trivia for the week that may help you win the big money on "Jeopardy!" one day.

Fall has turned out to be a busy season for me and I've yet to have a weekend pass that hasn't involved at least one shoot. I know this weekend I have two big ones, including the first portraits for a little girl who has only been in the world for about two weeks. That shoot will be a lot of fun.

Of course, every portrait shoot creates at least three hours of post processing and every wedding creates much more than that, so I won't be running out of things to do for the foreseeable future. 

I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods, but around here the fall colors are really beginning to flourish. I'm a bit surprised at how they've shown up, however, since the trees appear to have turned at the bottom of the mountains first, instead of turning at the top as they normally do. Either way, the colors make for some great fall shoots!

I hope you'll follow the link to the Hagy's Photography Facebook page and hit "Like" to keep up with all of my latest shoots. Judging by my calendar, there will be plenty more photographs added to the page in the near future!

As always, all photographs appearing on this blog are a copyright of Hagy's Photography and may not be reproduced or printed without the express written consent of Bethany Hagy.

A Sneak Peek

I never know where my photography is going to take me.

My shoots for little babies typically take place in my home studio, or the home of my clients. As you might imagine, that adds the challenge of learning how to pose babies and keeping the ideas fresh from one client to the next. So when I had a request to conduct this photo shoot at The Homestead in Hot Springs, I was excited to have the chance to do something different.

The Homestead, for those of you who haven't been there, is a resort hotel that can trace its origins back to 1776. While construction is currently underway on the hotel's new water park, The Homestead is known for its old school luxury and it earns the capital "T" in "the." I've taken portraits at the hotel a couple of different times, but they've always been engagement, bridal or wedding photos. A baby at The Homestead was going to be a new experience.

As it turns out, the hotel was just as perfect for a baby as it is for a bride. There were plenty of fall colors outside the hotel and I was able to take advantage of this perfect window seat for this beautiful three-month-old girl. 

A Look Back

I thought I'd start this week off by taking a look at the engagement session that dates back to my very first post on this blog.

The photos were delivered last week and, now that the happy couple has seen them, I want to share them with you as well. It was a fun shoot, as you can hopefully tell from the photos. Not only did I get to break in my new Canon Rebel T3, but I also had the opportunity to explore some new photo opportunities at Douthat State Park and downtown Clifton Forge.

The most challenging aspect of this particular sitting came in post processing. If you're unfamiliar with this area of Virginia, then let me tell you that we have a serious gnat problem. In the summer, clouds of the irritating little bugs follow you everywhere you go. Not even copious amounts of bug repellent will hold them off. Photoshop, however, is a pretty effective remover of gnats even it if takes a little extra time to erase them from the frames.

I won't say much today, except that I'm hoping you enjoy the new blog design, courtesy of a helping hand from The Student Knitter, a good friend of mine that I had the chance to hang out with over the weekend after I finished up a great shoot at The Homestead Saturday afternoon. I'll be sharing a sneak peak from that shoot on Wednesday, so stay tuned!

Be sure to check out and "Like" Hagy's Photography on Facebook to see more from my wedding, bridal, engagement and portrait shoots.

As always, all images appearing on this blog are copyright of Hagy's Photography and may not be reproduced without the express written consent of Bethany Hagy.

A Few Of My Favorite Shots

One of the great things of being a photographer is that you never know what you're going to see next. While on the surface, every wedding is the same, but every wedding is incredibly different. Sure, the bride and groom are always the center of attention and there are usually a couple of cute little flower girls and ring bearers that try to steal the show. The couple dances, the cake gets cut and then we all take our memories of the day and go our separate ways.

There's always a story, however, and that story is always different. If there's one thing I enjoy about wedding photography, it's immersing myself in the story of the couple I'm spending the day with. I like to look for the little things that set them apart, be it a special moment with a loved one and especially that first moment between the bride and groom when they see each other for the first time. There's nothing better than a good story and everyone I've ever met has at least one.

My favorite are the moments that are absolutely impossible to recreate. Magic happens every day, whether we're paying attention to it or not. Sometimes, if we're paying attention, we'll find a great photo in it. I was once fortunate enough to be shooting a wedding on a summer day that was filled with thunderstorms. While that may have been a problem for a lot of people, this lucky couple had a rainbow appear in the field where they were wed. It was the first and only time I've ever been able to stand at the end of a rainbow and it was something I'll never forget. I hope they won't either.

I also was fortunate enough to attend a wedding with fireworks, as you can see. Of course the bride and groom wanted a photo of the fireworks, which was something I'd never attempted before. It all came together at the end, fortunately, and I was able to capture what's become one of my favorite wedding pictures. You can't see their faces in the photo, but for me it conveys the perfect end to a fairy tale day that every couple deserves.

Some moments are just too precious. I was waiting for a reception to begin and the bride and groom to arrive from the church when I noticed the flower girl and ring bearer anxiously awaiting their arrival. I think the little ring bearer was just looking to get out of his tux, but the flower girl was eagerly awaiting the bride in her dress. I remember distinctly how happy she was when the bride finally arrived. I have other photos of them together, but this was the one that will always bring the story back to mind.

I love couples that are adventurous and always open to new ideas. I especially love it when they're willing to bring their own ideas to me, as the couple at the top of this post did. We had a great time hanging out with the entire wedding party during a laid back morning of preparations and the after ceremony shoot was one of the most fun I'd ever had the pleasure of conducting. The photo of the two halves of the bridal party pulling the bride and groom apart has been done by countless photographers, but I'm happy with how my version turned out. More importantly, the bride and groom had a great time making it.

I tell all the couples I work with that, if they want great photographs, they must allow me time to work. I generally plan for an hour between the ceremony and the reception for portraits and I have a list of shots I'm going to be working on and looking for. But sometimes photographs just happen. I've attended only one reception at The Vinton War Memorial and it's a wonderful site for a wedding or reception. We were walking across the street from the church when I saw this wonderful structure sitting perfectly against a clear blue sky. Even though we were about to enter the reception, it was just too perfect a photograph to pass up.

My husband is a writer and he tells me that writers never read their own work once its published. Considering the amount of work and editing that goes into a novel, I can understand why he'd be reluctant to read his own stuff, but I certainly go back and take time to enjoy my own work. When I'm looking at a photograph, I'm not just looking at what I've taken and how I can improve on it later, I'm looking at memories I've made and people who have been gracious enough to let me be a part of their story.

You'll find all these images and more on the Hagy's Photography Facebook page and if you're interested in learning more about booking a shoot with me, please feel free to contact me at hagysphotography@gmail.com.

As always, all images appearing on this blog are a copyright of Hagy's Photography and may not be reprinted or reproduced without the express written consent of Bethany Hagy.

Maternity Pics

Rebel XT, 1/80 at f/5.6

Maternity shoots haven't been a staple of Hagy's Photography, but they sure are something I enjoy doing. I've only had the pleasure of a handful of maternity sessions and this one, which took place a few weeks back, was definitely one of my favorites.

Rebel XT, 1/80 at f/5.6

Not only were the subjects involved close friends of mine, but the shoot gave me the opportunity to break out my studio gear and work inside for a change. It presented an entirely different set of challenges as opposed to shooting outdoors, but it also opened up an entirely new set of possibilities. Not only was I more in control of my lighting, but I had the privacy of the studio to try some interesting poses and the luxury of not having to deal with rain, high temperatures or the clouds of gnats that hang around this part of Virginia.

There are countless ways to approach maternity shoots, but I like to take the time to show the quiet moments of contemplation as well as the excitement and joy of expecting a new arrival.

A maternity portrait, however, does require a slightly different approach since the focus of the portrait often isn't usually the face, as is typical with most portraits. Whenever I'm faced with the challenge of capturing a subject's personality, as well as telling the story, I've found that a simple approach is often the best. A white shirt against a nice, basic black background went a long way toward quietly emphasizing the impending arrival of a newborn and I thought the bow, along with the tag that reads "Do Not Open Until September 7, 2012" added just the right touch of whimsy. The little fellow didn't wait that long, however, and I'm glad we were able to get the maternity photos done before he happily arrived into the world.

Rebel XT, 1/80 at f/5.6,
Converted to black & white in Adobe Photoshop

Of course no maternity shoot would be complete without the big brother. I had a blast working with him as well and the photo at left is a rare moment of calm in the midst of the madness of posing a three-year-old. I wonder if children that young really understand what's going on until their new sibling arrives, but who can fathom the mind of a child?

A newborn child truly is a miracle to be cherished and I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to share in my friend's miracle in some small way. There is a lot of beauty to be found in this world and a lot of magic. I think that a newborn child exemplifies this in a way that we should all take more time to notice and appreciate.

If you're interested in seeing more of my work, click here to visit my Facebook page and "Like" Hagy's Photography for exclusive looks at my latest photographs and blog posts. If you're interested in learning more about Hagy's Photography, or in booking a shoot, send an e-mail to hagysphotography@gmail.com and I'll be happy to get back in touch with you.

As always, all images on this blog are a copyright of Hagy's Photography and may not be reproduced or reprinted in any format without the express written consent of Bethany Hagy.

Sunday Afternoon Shoots

Rebel T3, 1/400 at f/1.8, 50mm focal length

Some days are just easier than others.

Rebel T3, 1/500 at f/1.8, 50mm focal length

Josh and I spent a very busy Sunday afternoon with a charming little one-year-old and a beautiful bride. While we can't show you the results of the bridal shoot until after the wedding, we can happily share these photographs of Athan.

There is an old newspaper adage that you can't go wrong with photos of kids or dogs and I can certainly see how that's true. Athan was the subject of my shoot a couple weeks ago when the shutter on my old camera gave out. Everyone jokes about being the person that breaks the camera, but Athan really was. Its hard to believe a kid this cute could break a camera.

Athan is a regular customer at Hagy's Photography and we've enjoyed photographing him since very soon after he was born. I enjoy photographing children, especially young children. We've learned over the years that the best way to get great results from little kids is to take them somewhere fun and just let them play and be themselves.

Rebel T3, 1/400 at f/1.8, 50mm focal length

This afternoon we shot on the campus of Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. The campus is beautiful and we spent the entire shoot in the shade of the tremendously tall pine trees near the armory. The weather was great, with plenty of sunshine and a cool breeze that whispered of the coming fall every time it hummed through the trees.

It was even better up at another of our favorite locations, Douthat State Park, where we were just a little later Sunday afternoon. We spent a couple of hours walking around Douthat Lake for an extensive bridal shoot. I'll share the photographs as soon as I can, but I can't let the groom see the bride before the wedding!

Fortunately, my schedule this week looks like I will finally get the opportunity to get caught up on the backlog of photographs I have to process. I added quite a few photos to that stack Sunday afternoon and I hope to get them cleared away before I add another wedding to the mix on Saturday. It's a busy season, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you're interested in booking a shoot with us, feel free to call me at 540-968-1483 or send an e-mail to hagysphotography@gmail.com. Of course, you can always log on to the Hagy's Photography Facebook page to see more of our work.

As always, all images on this blog are copyright of Hagy's Photography and may not be reproduced or reprinted without the express written consent of Bethany Hagy.

Homecoming Memories

The Alleghany High School Marching Band Drum Line. (Rebel T3, 1/640 at f/10)

I graduated from Alleghany High School 10 years ago. It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but it also doesn't take long for me to notice that things are different whenever I return to the school. The band uniforms have changed. The principal is new and so are many of the teachers. Not only that, but their are hundreds of other little differences, from new paint, posters and new classes. I suppose there is also a decade's worth of new history to study, but I'd rather not think about the things that make me feel old.

One thing that never seems to change, however, is the sound of a high school drum line. I bet you cannot hear a drum line take up a beat without being transported to your own days in high school. The first note sounds and its Friday night again, cold and clear, with bleachers full of cheering fans and the gridiron covered by high school heroes.

Last night was Homecoming for the Alleghany Mountaineers. The game didn't so the way the coaches were hoping, since the Cave Spring Knights left town with a 35-2 win. The band sounded good, however, and the Homecoming festivities at halftime were everything my family and I hoped they would be.

Homecoming Hug. (Rebel T3, 1/60 at f4.5)

Catie Carpenter, my little cousin (and I guess she's not so little anymore), was crowned Homecoming Queen last night. She was just the latest of my cousins to be part of the Homecoming Court. I couldn't miss the chance to share the moment with her and take some photographs for her to cherish.

The best part about photography is that it captures a perfect moment in time. That moment can be heartbreaking or heartwarming, but either way, photography is an amazing way to tell a story. Catie spent the second half of the game wandering around the track that circles the field and couldn't catch the end of the game for all the people stopping to hug her and offer their congratulations. I enjoyed photographing those moments for her in the same way that I enjoy photographing weddings. I feel honored when people ask me to shoot these moments and record them for later. I'm happy to be a part of them and the people that I have the opportunity to meet and work with are everything that I enjoy about being a photographer.

If you're interested in booking a shoot, feel free to contact me at 540-968-1483 or send an e-mail to hagysphotography@gmail.com. You can also log onto to the Hagy's Photography Facebook page to see more examples of my work.

As always, all images appearing on this blog are a copyright of Bethany Hagy and Hagy's Photography and may not be reproduced without the express written consent of Bethany Hagy.