Shooting the Light

Come see our New Blog today!

2009-09-14T10:03:00.002-04:00

Okay, guys! We've moved on! So long blogspot! You were good to us, but it's time to move it on up. :) Come visit our new blog at http://ninamphotographyblog.com

Moving on up in the blog world!

2009-08-27T23:33:00.004-04:00

Okay, so this is just short post to share with all my faithful fans that we are about to get a new blog! Yeah! Our new blog address will be http://ninamphotographyblog.com We are thankful for the free use of Blogger, but now it is on to the next step. Stay tuned as we are about to unveil our new blog in the next few days! I know....the suspense if overwhelming! :)

Sometimes it's not so easy....

2009-08-26T15:34:00.004-04:00

I'm a photographer, and I love to do what I do. I tend to enjoy the documentary side of photography the most, allowing candid moments or ongoing events to tell a story. There are those times, though, when it can get very personal, and some times it's not so easy. Last week one of my best friends went to the hospital for a routine c-section with a full term baby boy, my godson. When they brought him into the nursery, he was breathing too fast, and they found that his lungs were underdeveloped. August 17th, 2009 was Jonathan's birthdate. He weighed 8 lbs. 13 oz, 20 inches long. For about 5 days everyone just waited. He went from a cpap to a ventilator and back to a cpap. We waited some more. Jonathan's mommy and daddy went through a torrent of emotions, experiencing probably one of the most difficult weeks of their lives. We prayed constantly, trusting that the God who created every grain of sand and cares for the birds of the field, would also take care of this little one. Then on Saturday, August 22nd, they found Jonathan off of the cpap. On Sunday, he had no assistance breathing at all. And on Tuesday, he went home for the first time to be with his parents and big sister. I am so glad I got to document the first week of his life, even if it wasn't easy. He is a true testament to his name, Jonathan, "gift of God", and what a beautiful story he has of God's care and healing over his life. Congratulations Aimee & Jeremiah!

2009-08-24T19:58:00.008-04:00

Nick & Kirstie got married on Saturday! It was a beautiful wedding, with a rockin' reception. We were SO close to getting the bride to jump in the pool with the bridesmaids at the end of the night, but alas....it didn't happen. :) But it was a great day! Congratulations Nick & Kirstie!

Geoff & Karen Get Married!

2009-08-16T16:37:00.015-04:00

Okay, this was a gorgeous wedding! The ceremony was in Dayton, and then the reception was held at the Willowtree Inn in Tipp City, OH. What a beautiful location, and the family put together a beautiful theme, which was a mixture of vintage and carnival. Loved it! Congrats Geoff & Karen!

Matt & Dori. What a beautiful Wedding!

2009-08-02T18:52:00.013-04:00

Dori and Matt had a perfect day! The weather was perfect, and you couldn't ask for a cuter couple. We were so blessed to be a part of the events, and WOW, there are so many great memories captured! Dori is SO sweet, and she was a blast to hang with all day. The bridesmaids were a trip. Word! The groom and his guys rocked the Anchorman jump and movie quotes galore. Congratulations on your marriage, Matt and Dori!

Yes, he is actually doing his own little dance during the ceremony. No one else is dancing...

You may kiss the bride.

That is a 1938 Packard. How awesome is that!

Beautiful colors at the Red Mile.

Isn't she beautiful!

It took a few seconds of convincing, but she laid right down on the grass. Totally worth it! I ADORE this picture!!!

I didn't even have to ask her to pose like this. She was an awesome bride/model!

Final Day of John Calipari's Basketball School. Honing the skills and enjoying the moment....

2009-07-23T20:26:00.020-04:00

Okay, so I hit my peak of exhaustion today, but it was well worth it. We had such a great time. A lot of great moments. You'll see Marcus Patrick in the red shirt talking to the kids. He's telling them to give God the glory first, and then second, give all you have. Scott Padgett gives the kids pointers. Cousins and Wall showed up for a few minutes and goofed around a little. Oh yeah, the photographer even stole a shot with the team at the very bottom of this post. What can I say? Every once in a while you've got to jump in. Thanks to the Lexington Leadership Foundation's Urban Impact for making some good things happen with kids in Lexington!

HISTORY.

Marcus Patrick. Gives glory to God.

Scott Padgett, Dwight Perry, Marcus Patrick.

DeMarcus Cousins having some fun.

John Wall. Do you think he supports the Big Blue Nation???

Josh Harrellson & Dwight Perry chat with the kids.

Ramon Harris. New dad ready for a new season, in more ways than one.

Coach Miller.

And just for fun, here's a little action from the days of yore, that is floating around a few Wildcat sites.

Calipari Camp, Day 3. Jodie Meeks, 2 on 2, and more...

2009-07-22T23:24:00.012-04:00

So in came the "big kids", 7th through 12th graders. Definitely a little more intense with this age group. But they had a lot of fun today. Knock out, slam dunks, 2 on 2, and even some special appearances (if you caught that in the title of this post).

Coach Calipari Basketball School...Day 2.

2009-07-21T16:35:00.007-04:00

Okay, so here are a few more from day 2 of the basketball camp. K through 6th graders having a blast! Scott Padgett showed up this time, and lets just a say a few of the men were swooning a little at the sight of this legend. Love it...

Padgett gets a big hug from one of the kids after he makes a shot from half court.

Matt Scherbenske....great with the kids!

Yes, that's me. Check out my sweet lefty form (Wes taught me to shoot left-handed...I was not happy when I first started doing this, but I slowly got the hang of it...more or less). Compliments to Wes on capturing a moment that seldom occurs.

Adam Delph makes a sweet dunk.

Wes manages to keep his cool in the presence of one of his favorite UK players of all time.

He didn't help defeat Duke here, just a bunch of 3rd graders...

DeAndre Liggins, Josh Harrellson, and Adam Delph yuck it up.

2009-07-19T22:06:00.008-04:00

Wow...Had a blast today at the Coach Calipari Basketball Camp! Several UK players were there, along with Coach Calipari. A lot of kids got to do today, what many UK fans only dream of....play ball with the players and staff of the University of Kentucky basketball team. I had the privilege of documenting some of it, and will continue to do so over the next couple of days. Hope you enjoy!

More bars in more places...

Okay, I just had to put this one up simply because that move is AWESOME!!! These are 3rd graders!

Wes tried to tell them that he wasn't a UK player, but they still wanted his autograph. How cute is that!

2009-07-13T11:01:00.007-04:00

Yeah, we loved this couple! We called them our "cute" couple that we took engagement shots of in Louisville. This wedding was lots of fun. Despite the extreme heat from the outdoor ceremony, we only had two fainters. One bridesmaid and one groomsman. It was quite exciting. :) Congratulations on your marriage, Ryan and Stephanie!

Ryan goes GQ on us...

How cool is this groom?! He got all of his groomsmen Louisville Sluggers!

You gotta love the shoes!

Steve & Laura and their Big Greek Wedding

2009-06-23T09:13:00.006-04:00

Okay, so this wedding was a blast! Forget about the fact that we were on our feet for over 14 hours! From the beautiful church, to the gorgeous Cincinnati Club, we had so much fun. Steve and Laura have such an obvious love for one another! It was such a pleasure taking their pictures on Saturday. Wes and I got home around 2am, half asleep, and then decided to go to Waffle House to chow down. What a great day....

Tim & Jessica Get Married

2009-06-15T16:07:00.007-04:00

True Kentucky Senior Shoot

2009-06-05T19:27:00.008-04:00

This senior shoot rocked! There's nothing better than getting to take pictures of a girl and her beloved horse. A picture perfect Kentucky shoot. Loved it! And wow, these pics look beautiful! Kait and her buddy, Petoskey, were awesome!

AJ & Cara Get Married!!!

2009-05-13T19:43:00.009-04:00

Cara & AJ got married in Wilmore, KY, at Cara's house by an amazingly beautiful creek. The water was rushing by and the sun was setting as they said their vows. Absolutely beautiful! This wedding was a true sight to behold.

Kentucky "Blue" Girl

2009-05-13T18:26:00.007-04:00

Okay, so here is the latest addition to the Mullins clan. So maybe it's not a baby, but she is still one heck of a handful! Talk about 24/7 watches. You can't leave a puppy alone for a second. Well, I guess you could, but that would involve some serious damage to any kind of material possession that you love. Plus the potty training is a challenge in and of itself. Loads of fun. :) But after many requests for pictures of the active 12 week old, here you go. She is a North American Retriever: A mix of a Goldendoodle and Labradoodle. We call her Blue. She is super smart and sweet...and hyper. Enjoy.

Here she is hanging out with 3 little labradoodles. Oh, I should mention that they need a home! Right now they are in foster care with a friend through the Humane Society. Let me know if you are interested!

AJ & Cara

2009-05-03T23:55:00.007-04:00

I just love the intimacy of this shot.

This is Wes's perspective. I love it!

Another great Wes angle. Aren't they the sweetest!

Can you see the fear on Cara's face. AJ is a true gymnast.

One. Two. Three. Leap Frog!

Okay, these guys were a blast. We do a lot of engagement sessions and they are always enjoyable, but every once in awhile, you just get to have a lot of fun! AJ & Cara were willing do all kinds of crazy things, and they came up with their own share of fun poses too. Wes and I had a great time with these two love birds.

Coach Calipari Comes to Kentucky!!!

2009-04-01T13:03:00.004-04:00

Coach Cal's debut.

Wes getting Calipari's autograph.

John Calipari's wife, Ellen.

Even Herky Rupp was there (that's Adolph Rupp's son just in case you weren't sure)

Props to Wes for being an "autograph requesting" fan

Okay, so I don't know what happened. 6 years ago, I could have cared less about following Kentucky basketball. I've played my share of sports, but I've always been bored by the onscreen hysteria that comes with college basketball, or any sport for that matter. Enter Wes, my husband. He has been a UK fan since before he could walk. I've seen the pictures of him as a baby, dolled up in Kentucky blue. Incredibly cute. Now let me stress, my husband is not a fanatic. I think there is a fine line between fan and fanatic. A fanatic is one of those UK followers that can't even function in social society when a game is on. A fanatic is one of those UK followers that thinks life is over, and the Kentucky program is forever tainted, if there is more than one loss in a season. A fanatic is one of those UK followers who boos the players when they are not winning a game (I witnessed this first hand at my first UK game at Rupp this year where they unfortunately lost). I find it kind of disgraceful, and entirely over obsessive.

Now a fan....A fan is the kind of Kentucky follower that loves the team through and through, high or low, win or lose. A fan's spirit may be dampened by a series of losses, but their love and optimism for the program never go away. Even as the season started to wane this year, and eventually ended in an NIT loss, Wes and myself still had high hopes for this great team. That is a fan. Every program goes through seasons of change and rebuilding, and that was where we were at. I was saddened by the firing of Gillispie, even though I don't know all the ins and outs of the reason for his exit from Kentucky. I'm sure he will do great things as he moves on from Kentucky, and I wish him the best.

Of course, I am not going to lie. As news broke of Calipari possibly being our next coach, I became engrossed in the online and television hysteria. Yesterday, I probably checked the headlines online every 5 minutes, just dying to know if John Calipari would be our next coach.

It's true, once they said it was official that Coach Cal was to be our new head coach, myself, Wes, along with the rest of Kentucky all breathed a sigh of relief. It was so evident, if you listened close enough, you could probably hear that sigh rustle the blades of bluegrass across the city of Lexington and beyond.

Today we both took the day off. I got up to watch the press conference, and then got an inclination to head over to the Joe Craft Center where John Calipari was speaking. We got up and raced over. We hung out with the local media, and a small group of fans, just hoping to catch a glimpse of the new coach who is hoped to bring Kentucky back to its glory days.

Well, we waited, and we all got our wish. We got some shots, and just had fun getting caught up in the excitement. We were fans, probably delving into a little bit of fanaticism for a moment or two, but it was well worth it. Somewhere in the last 6 years, I went from knowing nothing about Kentucky basketball, to get engrossed in the madness that is Kentucky basketball.

007 & Friends

2009-03-26T15:39:00.009-04:00

Here's a little peek at our James Bond/007 Night. We had a blast! Oh, and what is it about boas, guns, and pearls that makes people want to pose all night for cheesy photos?

yes, here wes and I pose ever so dramatically. We rock!

Okay, here Wes nailed the James Bond pose.

Leave it to Leslee to sexy up the pearls!

Aaahhh... vintage macho.

Is that the farmer and his very cool wife?

You gotta love South African gun handlers.

This is the real stuff here.

Daniel and Marcy....true drama.

Brandon Heath at Quest for Step by Step

2009-02-24T21:52:00.004-05:00

Brandon singing his love song, "London".

Okay, So this guy really looks like Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords. Don't ya think?

So I am not much of a concert junky, but I decided to make this one tonight. Brandon Heath, the 2008 New Artist of the Year Dove Award winner, was here in Lexington tonight. He did a benefit for an incredible organization called Step by Step. Over $8,000 was raised to help out SBS, which is an organization that ministers to single mothers. It's an awesome group of woman, so check it out! They are always in need of volunteers for their Thursday night meetings! hint hint

So anyways, we had a great time, and it was one of the few concerts where they don't kick you out if you have a camera. Good times. Love to have the camera in hand when I'm not on the job. Yes, he does look a little Peter Parker-ish (but hey, Peter Parker gets the girl!), but this guy is super down to earth, and his music is all about hope. Loved it.

Wendy & Bryan Manning Wedding Bells

2009-01-12T18:27:00.017-05:00

Well, they say that rain on your wedding day is lucky, so this must of been the luckiest couple ever. It poured most of the day. Yes, every photographer's dream. Not really, but thankfully, we had a wonderful chapel to work in, with lots of light. Wendy, while a wee bit topsy turvy on the emotions on her special day (but really, who isn't?), was a vision of beauty! How many times can I say how photogenic she is?! But really, the whole wedding party was a blast, and we enjoyed the entire day. And is that a Ricky Bobby pose in the midst of these pics? Good times, good times....

Time To Get Muddy

2008-12-28T19:46:00.019-05:00

Good times with my nephews and a few with Pele, the favorite lab of the family. Love 'em!

Not a Photo Shoot, Just Excited Homeowners

2008-12-16T17:40:00.005-05:00

So I figured I would personalize this a bit, by sharing our crazy excitement over our house-in-progress. Yes, we are on our way to the world of home improvement and a white picket fence. Well, maybe not a white picket fence....I was just trying to sound homey.

Wes and I headed out today to our little lot to see the progress on our house. Obviously, there was no work being done today. We had a little snow/ice storm come through Lexington, so all construction was at a standstill. But eager people that we are, we wanted to see our sticks and slab covered in snow. We are so excited! So we took a couple pics to share our joy with all of you.

Louisville Love with Stephanie and Ryan

2008-12-15T17:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it's a cheesy title, but I went for the alliteration. This is Stephanie & Ryan's engagement session in Louisville. We had such a great time doing this shoot. It seemed like all of Louisville was asleep, and we had the city to ourselves. So nice. We started out at 21c and then headed over to the waterfront. Stephanie & Ryan are such an easy going couple, which made it so fun to shoot these pics. The groom is a huge Packers fan, hence the jerseys. Enjoy!

Insanely Cute Babies and a Canon 5D Mark II

2008-12-07T13:41:00.005-05:00

Okay, so all of us Canon nerds, who hold tight and faithful to our brand, have been awaiting the arrival of the new 5D. Yes, it is pretty stinkin' awesome. No question about it. I was on a long waiting list, but just by chance, I happened to get in early, so after being on the shelves for about a week (well, you can't really get them on the shelf right now, because they are all being snatched up far too quickly), I got a call that mine was in. Of course, I raced to the store to retrieve mine, and have been playing around with it for the past two days. There are way too many things to learn about this new machine, that I can't give it a review now. But I can say that it rocks! I took some pictures of one of my buddy's babies yesterday, and I just can't get enough of looking at these pics. Of course it does help that this little one (Parker), is so stinkin' cute. Enjoy the cuteness, and if you want to see more, go to the website and listen to the sweet song that goes along with this gallery (www.NinaMullinsPhotography.com). Miracle Baby. It might just bring a tear to your eye!

A Season of Change

2008-11-25T18:52:00.003-05:00

This season in our lives has been a busy and changing one. We are experiencing changes in jobs and family. In a few weeks we could be parents (if this peaks your interest, you can check out our slightly more personal blog "When We Belong" coming up soon). That's huge. This photography business gets busier and busier, which is great! We are building a house, which should be finished in February, which we are extremely excited about. We go out there every other day, getting excited about new piles of gravel and dirt (if you've ever built a house, you know exactly what I mean). It is a beautiful and wonderful time in our lives. So much happening, and it seems so surreal.

So today, I'm not going to display any photographs (albeit I have plenty to post!). Just wanted to touch base with those reading and wondering where we have been. Things are good, and we have much more to come. So stay tuned, and let us know what is happening in your lives.

Janelle 2008

2008-10-30T23:50:00.009-04:00

This was a great senior session. Janelle was so much fun, and we just had a great time braving the cold air, and multiple outfits. What a beautiful girl!

Mark & Lindsay - September 4, 2008

2008-09-08T22:33:00.004-04:00

Well, after an awesome Bellies & Babies seminar in Cincinnati with Sandy Puc', we raced down to Hilton Head, South Carolina this past Thursday. After a beautiful week of sun and fun, Tropical storm Hanna decided to make her way to Hilton Head dead on the day of the wedding (Friday). So a last minute decision was made by the bride and groom to have the wedding on Thursday instead. So we got about three hours of sleep, got to the car rental place at about 5:30am, and all they had left was a 2009 red Mustang. Yes, we were so sad. (Wow, that car drives nice!) We drove all day from Lexington, KY, and got into Hilton Head right at 5pm. The bride was sitting on the front steps of the house in her pajamas drinking lemonade and the wedding was at 7! Yes, this was going to be laid back. So after about an hour and a half of getting ready, the ceremony got started. The wind was blowing, but the sunset was amazing. As soon as the ceremony ended Wes and I grabbed the whole family and got the main group and family shots. I knew we had little daylight left, so I grabbed the bride and groom and got to it. I say this again and again, but you just can't go wrong with an ocean as a backdrop. It's beautiful every time! On the last series of pics just before we lost all light, I pulled out my pocket wizards (these things rock!). Wes held the flash, and combined with the moon and sunset, I think this shot is gorgeous! Thanks to Mark & Lindsay who are don't mind getting dirty!

A small lull before the storm.

2008-08-12T19:13:00.002-04:00

Ah, I have caught a little break between weddings, and it has been nice. The fall is going to kick my butt into gear, and we're gonna have some fun! On September 5th we'll be heading to Hilton Head, SC to shoot a wedding on the beach, and the following week I think we may be heading to Israel to visit some friends, and catch some breathtaking beauty with my canon. And then I have a wedding every few weeks for the next few months. Busy times ahead!

I continue to learn and grow in this business of photography. I have tackled coffee table books and albums, and it's getting to be a lot more fun. I eat up my favorite magazine, Professional Photographer (this magazine rocks!). God just continues to give me grace as I get ready to launch a full time career in this. It's almost here. A little scary....but exciting too.

2008-07-09T17:19:00.003-04:00

So little time

2008-07-03T19:50:00.002-04:00

Hey guys, it's been a busy month or two. I've been booking weddings, editing pics, building albums, but it doesn't seem that I get much time behind the lens. Oh how I wish I had more time, and less work! Well, those days are coming. I just keep moving forward, and I know a shifting is coming.

Anyways, Ho Hum, all is well. My husband and I went on vacation in South Carolina recently and visited the beautiful Riverbanks Zoo. I don't know why, but I am always enamored by the meerkats. They are so stinkin' cool! Check out this chic. She is awesome!

Running the Race to Win the Prize

2008-05-12T15:52:00.003-04:00

Here are some of my musings of the hour....

At a certain point, I made a decision to pursue what I love. Photography. Actually, that "certain point" was really a conglomeration of several conversations over months (perhaps even years) with my husband, where he told me that I needed to do what I loved and was truly gifted in. He was alluding to, well actually he pretty much just said, "You need to do photography." So here I am, two years into the game, and I'm making some headway.

One of my greatest challenges is not coveting every awesome gadget and tool that is involved in the world of photography. You see, about a year ago, Wes and I decided that we would build our businesses by the sweat of our brow. Meaning? We will not be borrowing money. This is a sweat equity business baby, and every dollar is earned. No, this is not because the bank won't give us money because we have a history of losing money and late payments. On the contrary, my credit pretty much rocks, and we are an on-time-payment kind of family. We have just chosen a different way of doing business, and we are taking a slightly more old fashioned approach (which I happen to believe is a lot wiser too) in the way we handle our money.

Okay okay...so it's been two years. And in that time I have built a website, bought a new camera, two AWESOME lenses, a studio lighting kit, acquired an awesome Macbook Pro (love it and can never go PC again!) taken a class or two, and more importantly, I have seen my love of photography blossom. When you start taking enough pictures, you begin to see life in pictures. I was watching a mom with her little boy today, and as she picked him up and put him down, I kept seeing different frames go by....beautiful moments that can be frozen in time with something as simple as a camera. So cool.

So all this to say, I am loving the process, but man would I love a few extra bucks to get a few extra luxuries...the Canon Mark III (oh man, would that rock!), some wireless transmitters, a couple of flashes, just a few more lenses...yeah, you get the drift. But I know that there is so much coming.

I want to bless people through this medium of art. More importantly, I want to bless God through this medium of art. I want to freeze in time the beauty that He has made in His creation. Everything from the cliffs of the greatest mountains, to the tiny hands of a newborn baby. Amazing...

So I continue to press on. I continue to run this race, because I know that the reward is great. Who knows how far this will go, but I'm thinking big. The cool part is you guys get to see me here, pretty much in the beginning. I'm thinking global, though. And that can entail so much. But thoughts on the global stuff will take up a whole other post, so I'll wait a bit for that one. Cheers!

When We Begin

2008-05-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this is the beginning of a series of thoughts... In order to share my journey in photography. It began when I was just a wee lass (no, I'm not Irish, I just like to say cheesy things like this). My parents gave me a little point and shoot, red, canon. Loved it. Every once in awhile, throughout the years, I would upgrade to something nicer. Rather, my parents would upgrade me to something nicer. God bless them! I remember my first SLR. So cool.

I was even involved in the era of watching my own pictures develop in a tray. Someone told me recently that anyone who has done this, remembers the very first picture they saw appear in that tray. Me? Yeah, not so sure. It was either a tea pot, or a waterfall. Does that make me less passionate about photography? Does that mean I'm missing some innate love of the art? I hope not. I don't think so. Because I DO love it.

So as I also bring my love of writing back to life in this journey, I hope to share each hiccup and and triumph with all of you....or as they say here in the Bluegrass....all off y'all.