Cherish: Leila and Family

This family, especially the amazing mama, is so dear to me. Leila was our Doula for Desmond's birth and she will forever hold a very special place in my heart. She was there for me in such a fundamental way during such a trying, wild and wondrous time. Her patience, kindness, sense of humor, and earth mama knowledge helped me safely deliver my baby boy. She's a superhero, rockstar and insanely inspiring mama in my book, and her family is so beautiful and amazing. 

Thank you Leila!

Love and Light,

Heather

postcards from the road : san luis obispo, california : lifestyle photographer

Sunset Drive In, San Luis Obispo, California

Love and Light,

Heather

a sweet little preview : molly

Molly is pretty much amazing and I just loved our shoot in the desert. I can't wait to share more with you.

Love and Light,
Heather

photo friday : montmarte

Montmarte, Paris, France

photo friday : versailles

Versailles, France

through the lens thursday

This through the lens thursday showcases a dear friend of mine, so this is somewhat a personal post. My friend Esme is a fantastic artist. She wanted to take some photos for her dance portfolio. Most of our shots were structured and planned, but this one snuck in. I just kept shooting as we were talking. These real moments are what my heart lives for. Those in between moments when the heart and soul of a person peeks out behind the frame. These are the moments that aren't often caught on film but ones that show our character and light. If I take your portrait, you can bet that I will keep shooting after we're done "shooting." 

Love and Light,

Heather

through the lens thursday

Jesse and Jon are one of my favorite couples I've had the honor and pleasure to get to know in front of my camera. Their love is undeniable. Jon is an incredibly talented musician and he brought along a tiny guitar for our shoot. He played sweet tunes while we took photos and I followed these two love birds around. 

The bridge they're sitting on is a pretty popular spot for photos. We took a few there and then I asked them to continue hanging out. I walked around the lake and changed my perspective. Sometimes the best shots come from the desire to look at something with new eyes, to stay fresh and play a bit. I'm so lucky that my couples trust my eye and heart.

Love and Light,

Heather

happy easter : personal

through the lens thursday

This through the lens thursday comes from an awesome dance shoot with DeShawn Marshall. We spent a few wonderful hours shooting in the snow, did I ever mention that dancers are always willing to dance in the snow, rain, hail, on a mountain, in a parking garage and many other crazy places?

For this shot, I asked DeShawn to dance the last five minutes of our session. I told him I would follow him wherever he went and to run, leap and dance for the count. He instantly ran to the end of the road and as I ran after him I followed him through the lens of my camera and snapped this shot as the garage door framed him. I could seriously photograph dancers all day, there aren't enough hours, minutes or seconds to do this. 

Love and Light,

Heather

save the date : online open house

Heather Gray Photography is getting a make-over. The fairies in our design workshop have been working overtime to create our new little corner of the internet. We'll host an open house next month when we get the keys and go live. Until then, here is a little sneak peek of one of our favorite rooms, love: where happy engaged couples dance and dream.

Sweet little preview : Caitlin and Jason

I just couldn't help but share this photo from this past weekend. I had a great time with Caitlin and Jason.  They're the sweetest. Stay tuned for their full post. 

Love and Light,

Heather

happiness : a dancer portrait : pi

Happiness by Goldfrapp

Meet Elizabeth, or Pi as her friends and family know her. She's a beautiful beautiful soul who has the most excellent laugh you've ever heard... it makes everyone around her smile. She's a fantastic dancer, who I met at CU Boulder and cast her in my BFA thesis concert. Her energy is contagious and she has a great way of making everyone around her feel comfortable and happy. I'm looking forward to following her adventures and seeing what mark she makes on the world. It will be a joyful one full of happiness for sure!

Love and Light,

Heather

ps. the song is one I imagine playing while Pi dances around the world :)

snow storm : a visual companion : emerson