Valerie Demo » Modern Photography. Timeless Images.

because life is short… and this list is oh-so-very-very long. {virginia modern wedding photographers.}

8 . 13 . 2012

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. -T. E. Lawrence

Life has a funny way of pushing you.
Mostly for the better.

If you would have asked me as I was entering my Senior year of high school ten years ago where I would be right now …
A married to a Navy fella, mom-of-two, wedding photographer living in Virginia Beach would not have been answer.
It would have been a layout/for-print graphic designer living in New York and thinking about getting married at some point… maybe… soon. There would be kids… eventually. Graphic Design… and New York.
That was the golden ticket… the end result… the be-all, end-all.

And then there was Maddie and Chris and Jake and happiness and photography and laughter and weddings and the navy and websites and cameras and life.
And dreams change.
And grow.
And the what-ifs are not in regret but instead in what-could-be form.

One booming, successful business later and a sweet-family I wouldn’t trade for the world and there is a list of dreams… a list of things I would like to do instead of the single, lofty dream of my adolescent years. A list that is attainable and doable and remarkable. A list that gives me hope… and excites me to no end. A list I get giddy thinking about… and the chance to cross items off basically produces squeals. (And those who know me well… know that does not happen with much ease. Valerie + squealing = not a common thing. Valerie + sarcastic humor = common.)

A Bucket List… of the photography and work type.
I guess that is what you can call it.
So here it is… My list of the top 25 things I hope to accomplish someday. Hold me to them.
Better yet, help me accomplish them.

1. Scoop up a job as a photojournalist. Cover (insert something here) for (enter publication/business/organization here). I’m pretty sure that would actually be my dream come true.
2. Shoot a wedding in Ireland.
3. Shoot a session in New York City.
4. Get published. In print. Nationally. On purpose.
5. Become more of a “wedding photographer”…and less of a “virginia beach wedding photographer”.
6. Actually have enough lady balls to shoot a wedding exactly like I want. Rinse. Repeat.
7. Make Honest Portraiture successful.
8. Shoot anything in Portland.
9. Have an office. Outside of my house.
10. Get paid to shoot live bands.
11. Be awesome. Believe it for real… not just in a fake, sarcastic way.
12. Have an office manager. Let them deal with the business side of things.
13. Earn the respect of the people I respect.
14. Get to a point I can be picky enough that I can shoot only the things I really want to.
15. Finish out the swoon-worthy gear list of amazingness I almost have completed.
16. That list of sessions you want to shoot… shoot all 27 of them.
17. Shoot a wedding in Vegas.
18. That secret list of locations that would be awesome for photo shoots… yeah, check them off. {one.by.one}
19. Photograph a birth.
20. Photograph a baby coming home.
21. Photograph a proposal.
22. Shoot something entirely in black and white.
23. Follow someone around for an entire day… document their life.
24. Shoot a wedding in New Orleans. Or a session. Or both.
25. Documentarian. Is that a word? Become what that means. No cheese. No poses. No lighting. No fluff. Just moments… just as they happen.

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August 14, 2012 - 10:47 am

Abby - I think this list is great and I have a feeling you’ll attain each one of those goals, because you are Awesome…and you should believe it! There – you can check one off the list :) I need to make a list like this!

August 14, 2012 - 11:02 am

Paskalini - You are more than free to follow me around and take pictures of me a day in the life sort of thing ;) And I hope you have the lady balls to shoot my big day how ever you see fit! I have no requests for that day except that I get to wear a pretty dress and the people who actually show up enjoy themselves :)

August 14, 2012 - 11:04 am

Kari tench - I love this!!! Beautiful goals! Some I’d actually like to accomplish myself! :)

August 14, 2012 - 11:42 am

Cristin Emrick - I can completely see you doing everything on your list! You and your lady balls just go for it!!!!

August 14, 2012 - 1:18 pm

Tanya - So, I can help you make a few of these happen. I want to help you make them happen!! Such as #3 and #21. and #22. Maybe even #8! ;)

August 17, 2012 - 11:07 pm

Kelly Walsh - I love this Valerie and love reading your blogs!! I hope you get to check every one of these off the list:)

November 21, 2012 - 9:06 am

east coast wedding photographer | - [...] I just posted my photography bucketlist, I figured for this fun.stuff.friday, I would post a list of ten locations I would literally give [...]

“Maybe, You have to just be the aarow…” {honest portraiture.}

7 . 11 . 2012

So, ya know, because my post over at the Hampton Roads Creative wasn’t enough for today… apparently, I felt the need to write the sequel.
All on the same day.
(Yes. I over-share. It’s sort of my thing.)

This is a blog post that has been coming for a very long time.
And, in all honestly, it is pretty much the sequel to what I was saying over at the HRC. It seems a little like fate that they are publishing on the same day in all actuality. Tonight, when I just decided to stop being scared and sit down and write this post (it is 1:00 am right now on the day this will post), I actually got back up… thinking I should hold off.
Two blog posts in one day.
Both full of (almost) nothing besides my rambling.
Good rambling… but rambling.
And then I smiled…
I realized how perfect it is that I’m encouraging people to say no to what they don’t want… and all at the same time, I’m making it public that I am saying YES to everything I want.

I have said NO. I have come to a point in my career where I am shooting ONLY what I love and nothing more. I don’t dread sessions. I don’t get burnt out thinking about the things I don’t like anymore.
And it… is… awesome.
I will post time and time again that homecomings and wedding moments are my very favorite things to shoot.
It is completely raw emotion that I get to turn into a nicely composed photograph. My job is to find the angles, and the light, and to capture the moments as they happen.

I have found myself doing this in my own home.
I don’t remember the last time I legitimately sat my kids down and asked them to smile.
I happen to like these photos better…

I love shooting moments.
Any moment is fine…
My son’s first cinnamon roll (hooray Fresh Market for having dairy-free, soy-free ready-to-bake deliciousness)…
my daughter scribbling away in her coloring books.
That is how I want to remember them… the moments of when they were kids.

And I feel like there has to be an audience out there that wants that as well.
I know it can translate to sessions… to families… and couples… and just portraits in general.
I tried a few years ago to offer “lifestyle” sessions…
I don’t know if the idea wasn’t as prominent… or people didn’t want it… or maybe they just weren’t quite sure what that meant.
I tried… and I did not get a single bite.
Not a single headshot portrait session, or birth coverage inquiry, or just family moments when baby first arrives home… Nada. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.

When I sat down to make out my list of where I wanted my business to be in five years a few months ago, I kept thinking back to the idea…

I desperately wish I could have had beautiful, creative photos of when my children were being born, and babies at home. Or of just me and my husband enjoying fancy beer at our favorite bar.
Or of just me in general.
I wanted just really honest portraits.

So, as I was talking through some business things with a good friend… I brought up the idea.
Pouting a little bit that I wasn’t sure I could ever make it happen.
And then he said something…
“Maybe, you just have to be the arrow and point them in the direction. If I know you, it will be great- and people will want it. You just have to show them they want it.”

And with that I decided it was going to happen.
I’m going to shoot portraits… but my way. I can shoot births, and families, and couples, and headshots, and seniors, and bands, and businesses, and events, and jellybeans for all I care… but only if I can shoot them my way.
And a new “side” of my business was born.
And a logo was developed and a moniker was coined…
And now it’s (gulp) announced to the public.

Valerie Demo: Honest Portraiture

I have a bunch of things lined up already and will be sharing them on the blog slowly but surely over the next few months.
There is going to be extra love added to the website… and possibly a new blog. I haven’t decided on that part yet. New marketing materials… new editing every now and then. This will be my chance to do all of the artsy fun things I don’t always get to do at and with my weddings.

I can say NO and follow it up with a YES.
I just hope a few of you will say YES, too.
Fingers crossed. Here goes nothing…

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July 11, 2012 - 1:22 pm

Abby Hacker - I so admire you and how you are saying Yes to saying No :) I think you’re great and love your work (and super awesome logo!) Keep up the good work, it’s inspiring!

July 11, 2012 - 2:09 pm

Hollie - I LOVE this idea! I love your shooting style and I know you’ll be great at this!

July 11, 2012 - 6:07 pm

Leigh Skaggs - I seriously HATE to have my photo taken, but this is the kind of photography that I would like to capture my Family…would you be doing family sessions…if so…when can I book mine?

July 11, 2012 - 6:51 pm

Lea - This is awesome! Good for you! I loved both of your posts and your honesty and willingness to share!

July 11, 2012 - 9:27 pm

Debbie Dear - Valerie, not only do your words bring tears to my eyes but also my heart is filled with pride for your being true to yourself and by teaching us what honest portraiture is all about….. I adore this!!!!

August 19, 2012 - 12:17 am

Welcome Home Blue Blasters! {Military Homecoming Photography.} » Valerie Demo - [...] there that shoot family sessions AND shoot homecomings… since I shoot MOSTLY couples (besides honest portraiture), I generally pass the families onto another photographer. This time was a little different. Not [...]

mr. and mrs. withers {virginia beach creative wedding photographer. old cavalier wedding.}

7 . 8 . 2012

There are not many times you get a wedding referred to you by some of your favorite people, an amazing location, and clients who are both ridiculously good looking and a ton of fun all in one wedding… so when you get it… the blog post will overflow.
Basically what I’m saying is that this blog post is long.
And rightfully so…
Terry and Jenn were married at the Old Cavalier on June 9th, 2012… and pretty much had a wedding dream team. Palette of Petals, As You Wish, and Astro DJs… plus the Old Cavalier… and my second shooters being Sarah Lee Williams and Chelsea from Bit of Ivory (who took some of the amazing photos below). Game Over. (Check out all of their links at the bottom of the post!) Add in the fact at our meeting Jenn said “We really like candid photos better… We don’t really want any posed ones.” HOLLER. Best. Clients. Ever.
AND as if their wedding isn’t awesome enough… Terry and Jenn are both in the improv scene in New York City, have awesome families I pretty much wanted to just hang out with, and when I looked them up when I got their inquiry originally they totally both have mentions on IMDB… hello, most awesome couple ever. OH… and they met while Jenn was a Radio City Rockette… (and according to one of their speeches… she was the middle one… props to Jenn.)
And can I just mention again how gorgeous everything was…
Enough talk. The photos are enough to prove it… enjoy:

Venue: Cavalier Hotel
Floral Design: Palette of Petals
Catering: Cavalier Hotel
DJ: Larry at Astro DJs
MUA: Theresa Little
Hair: Hair by Alice
Cake: Sugar Plum Bakery
Second Shooters: Sarah Lee Williams and Chelsea LaVere

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July 9, 2012 - 10:14 am

Sharon Elizabeth - beautiful!

July 9, 2012 - 10:53 am

Emily - Awesome set!!! Really love how you put it together, great flow! What a gorgeous venue! I love the shot of them kissing in the window.

July 9, 2012 - 10:56 am

Mary - Absolutely gorgeous!!!

July 9, 2012 - 10:45 pm

Ashley Glasco - Valerie, your work is stunning! I love your composition is so many of the shots! Beautiful!

welcome home, sunliners… take two. {military homecoming photography.}

6 . 26 . 2012

Ben came home… again.
Yes, they were just gone… and came home… and then they deployed again.
The difference… this time around it was way less sunny. (In fact so much less sunny that my phone kept beeping at me that it was going to rain any second… and the second Sarah and I got into the car it started pouring… and “pouring” is an understatement.) They also had a whole lot of family there to welcome Ben home… and there was a different kid to be confused as theirs… but besides that… same cute couple and same tears I had to wipe away from behind the camera.
Welcome Home (again) to the Sunliners of VFA-81.

p.s. In case you didn’t see it on facebook… Caitlin and Ben made it into the July issue of Redbook magazine with their last homecoming… <3. BAM... famous.

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June 26, 2012 - 8:23 am

LM - Wow Valerie… This really is some of your best work. This couple is so perfect. What a special day. :)