Still Transitioning

Thanks for your patience! Colten and I are aggressively working on getting our new site updated with all our latest work, and we thank you for your patience with us during this transition. For those looking for the old proofing galleries that seem to have disappeared, you can now find the link on our new website (www.GalerieD.com) among the other navigation links on the bottom. Or, for fast access, just click here. For all future sessions, we’ll switch to the new proofing system. But for all sessions before October 1, 2008, please use this link.

Also, since I’ve been so behind in getting the blog updated with our most recent sessions, feel free to check out our recent work via the online proofing galleries! We hope you enjoy!

p.s. Don’t forget to book your holiday session soon!! Dates are limited!

Mandy Roberts Photography is now…Galerie | D !!

Hello, friends!! As you probably noticed, it has been a insanely long time since my last post. THAT would be due to the overloaded schedule over the summer and just plain neglect of my blog. Shame on me. HOWEVER, I HAVE been busy on something very important… <drumroll>

After many months of agonizing over names and logos, we’ve finally made our choice and are ready to go live with our new logo and brand…Galerie | D!! When Colten and I married in March, I knew it would require a business name change since I would no longer be Mandy Roberts. For so long, I dreaded the transition, but I’m excited now that we have everything ready to go! And in case you’re wondering, yes my new last name starts with a D.

In case you haven’t seen our new site, check it out!! www.galeried.com Lots of new photos to see and our pricing structure is a little different. Hope you enjoy!

Be sure to contact us ASAP if you’re interested in a fall/holiday session! Almost every weekend in October is already booked, so act fast if you want a November weekend or any weekday afternoon in October or November. I’ll be posting soon about holiday card options, so check back soon.

Jessica’s Bridals

I had the honor of shooting Jessica and Donald’s engagements a few months ago, and a few weeks later shot Jessica’s bridals. They recently got hitched so I can finally post her photos! Jessica was a gorgeous bride, and it blows my mind that she’s never done any modeling before because she’s both extremely photogenic and completely comfortable in front of the camera. And an added plus… Since I’m an animal lover, you can imagine how much more fun it was having a handsome little groom stand-in tag along. Enjoy!

Olivia: Senior 08

Finally!! Here’s the start of a plethora of catch up posts! Olivia is the younger sister of one of my great friends, Candace. They asked me to take Liv’s senior portraits, and I jumped at the opportunity. Olivia is a beautiful, fun, and talented girl… a cheerleader at DSHS, a candidate for the LSU cheer squad, DSHS prom queen, etc, etc, etc. She’s got everything going for her and the world by the tail! We had SUCH a blast trekking across the LSU campus and getting some fun action shots. Thanks for the honor of shooting you, Olivia! I wish you the best in all you do!

I’ve Been Tagged!

Yea! This is a first for me, and I’m a willing participant! My wedding photographer-turned-friend, Robin DePaula, just tagged me on her fancy-schmancy new blog! After your read my post, check out her site for some fantastic images!

TAG gaming rules…
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago:
Ten years ago I was 16-going-on-30. I was finishing up my junior year of high school, just breaking out of my shell, and starting to realize I could do anything I could dream of. There was college planning, class ring ceremonies, and pep rallies, youth camps, and choir tours. I remember it as the beginning of the best days of my life. It was also at this time that I REALLY started pursuing one of my two greatest passions…music. I has always been musically connected, but at about 16-yrs-old, I started co-directing the Denham Springs Youth Choir at my church (aka DSYC),…and ten years later, I still am!! I’ve moved into co-directing the adult choir as well, but those young people are my heart and I’m glad to still be part of them.

Five things on my To Do List today:
I LOVE lists! Altho I don’t have a tangible one today, if I close my eyes, I can see it.
- Go home to hubby (we’re finally in the same house!)
- Get MRP invoices done and ready to mail
- Get blog updated!!
- Download images on camera from Alex’s FINE bridal shoot in New Orleans this past weekend
- Try to be in bed before my usual 1am

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
First and foremost, quit my job and chase photography!! I’d pay Jessica Claire, Mark Eric, and the Weibners to let me study under them for a while. Then of course, buy an island in the Caribbean for a private getaway for family and friends (and a personal jet and yacht to get us there!), get a fantastic house and ride, and update my wardrobe… Yea! That’s the fun stuff at least. The responsible stuff I’d do would be pay my tithes, wipe out any familial debt, set up trust funds, and invest. Oh, and make all the wacky inventions that are in my head become realities.

Three of my bad habits:
- Procrastinating
- Putting off
- Waiting til the last minute
…wait…those are all the same thing…

Five places I’ve lived:
- Wichita Falls, TX (birthplace)
- Spring, TX (Houston)
- DeRidder, LA
- Mesquite, TX (Dallas)
- Denham Springs, LA

Five jobs I’ve had:
- Administrative Assistant
- Sales Rep
- Graphic Designer
- Marketing Guru
- Photographer

People I want to know more about (a nice way of saying TAG!):
- Mark Eric
- Jessica Claire
- The Weibners
- Ryan Austin Dean
- Ross Frazier

Holly & Jeremy: The Engagements

In early March, I met with Holly & Jeremy to shoot their engagement photos. An outdoorsy couple who love to go mudding on their monstrous 4-wheelers, we had a ton of fun exploring and shooting at the Bluebonnet Swamp & Nature Center in Baton Rouge! I can’t wait to shoot Holly’s bridals in a few weeks, and am looking forward to shooting you guys’ wedding in June!

Catching Up

Now that I’m back in the saddle and things have finally slowed down, it’s time for me to get caught up! Here are a couple of pics from sessions back in January. The first victim is Brittany Winters, an almost-cousin of mine, skilled pianist, and graduation senior from the Denham Springs area. The second is Lauren Thomas (and boyfriend prop), the neice of a friend of mine, and a graduating senior from Alexandria.

Brittany

Lauren

Honeymooners Are We

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m a newlywed!! I’d like you to meet my new husband, Colten Ducote-Roberts. Don’t worry, I’M taking HIS name, altho I have a pretty good argument as to why it should be reversed (hint: see my biz name). Until further notice though, I’ll still be Mandy Roberts Photography. That may change one day, but for now it still works.

Being a newlywed has been so fun…and difficult all at once. Unfortunately, we don’t have a typical newlywed situation, so our time together has been limited. Because of an unbelievable job opportunity that arose for Colten in the week surrounding our wedding, we made the difficult decision for me not to move into our brand new apartment with him since we’d be moving him out of it two weeks later when he took this new job. So, until next Friday, Mr. and Mrs. Colten Ducote have two separate addresses….an hour apart. DEFINITELY looking forward to finding a quick resolve to that issue. But at least the end is in sight!!

So, to dwell on good times, here are a couple of fun shots from our honeymoon! We took a 7-day cruise of the Western Caribbean, with stops in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. What an amazing time and relaxing vacation! Who wants to go back to work after that?? Here are a couple of our favorite pics…

Our cruise ship and the unbelievable water in Grand Cayman!

Everything is so colorful there. LOVE it!

While we were just typical tourist shooters for most of the trip, we did take some time to have fun with the camera. In playing with lighting and the timer, we got this sassy shot one night on one of the upper decks. I love it!

**I know I’m posting wedding and honeymoon in reverse order, but I’m waiting to post about the wedding when I have my professional photos back. Good friend Robin Depaula and new friend Amanda Meyer did an amazing job, and our families are dying to see photos. But I refuse to be the photographee who starts on you the day after your session…”Are my pictures ready yet? When can I see them? Are they ready yet?” Whew. So, I’m patiently waiting until they are ready, and then the whole world will get to see them!! Check back soon to get a glimpse (or complete photo narrative!!) of our perfect day!

I’m Baaaaack!

I would like to bestow upon myself a big fat blue ribbon and the 1st place trophy for Most Pathetic Blogger. I’m ashamed that I’ve been so lax on updating my blog, especially with the stockpile of photos I have to post. On the optimistic side, I could console myself with the fact that during the most overwhelmingly stressful and busy time in my life while I planned my wedding, I updated it at least once a month, right? Truly, that’s a shame. Well, gone are the days. The wedding is finally behind me (more on that perfect day and our fabulous honeymoon later!), and I’m refreshed and relaxed and ready to hit the ground running! Consider these my new life resolutions…

Since I’m usually terrible about setting unrealistic goals that I can never reach, and since my new husband is working on me to be more practical, here are some bite sized goals for now, which I’ll revise as I acheive.

- I vow to update my blog at least once a week.
- I vow to dedicate myself to a faster turnaround for edited photos.
- I vow to GET MY NEW CAMERA and supporting equipment to step my game up!
- I vow to be more efficient in my client communication.

Thanks for your patience with me as I went into a cacoon and emerged Mrs. Ducote!

Busy Weekend

I originally planned to swear off photography work for the month of my wedding, but I renigged! I couldn’t bear to put the camera down for that long. So, I went into this busy weekend with a request that all parties understand if my turnaround times are a little distorted because of my wedding insanity. Thankfully, all were agreeable and understanding. Here’s a quick peek at my two shoots. I’ll give a more detailed version of their sessions later (once I get more edited!).

In brief, had a morning senior shoot and afternoon engagement session. Olivia is a senior at Denham Springs High school and is trying out for the LSU cheer squad soon. Good luck, Livi!

Holly and Jeremy are a wonderfully fun, outdoorsy couple and are getting married in June. I can’t wait to shoot you guys’ wedding! Enjoy the peek! 

More pics soon!