PumpkinSeed Photography - Children, Family, Sports, Wedding, and Senior Photography

It's a Family Af-Fair!

2011-10-14T14:55:00.002-04:00

We would like to welcome all of the new fans that we've met this week at the Columbus County Fair!! It's been great so far, & we still have several days to go. Make sure you enter our giveaways EVERY night! The more times you enter, the more chances you have of winning one of our AWESOME prizes!

Morgan & Morgan (& the crew, too!)

2011-05-25T09:10:00.004-04:00

2011 PS Senior Ambassador Contest!

2011-02-25T07:11:00.005-05:00

New phone number!!

2011-02-23T23:53:00.002-05:00

HI everyone! I've been having lots of phone issues lately, so I decided to get a new phone..... Unfortunately, I've been having issues with it, too!! So, for anyone who would like to speak with me about appointments or questions, please call or text Alisha @ (910) 317-1033. (This is just a temporary number until MY phone is fixed!!) Thanks all! And PLEASE, check us out on FaceBook!!

Announcing: The Grand Opening of PumpkinSeed Photography's Portrait Studio!

2010-11-16T08:12:00.002-05:00

I am so very proud to announce the Grand Opening of our new studio! Please come out on November 23rd from 3:00-7:00pm to see our new studio, register for LOTS of GREAT door prizes, & while you're there, go ahead and book your holiday photo session! The studio is located at 363 9th Street, Bolton, NC. Email Alisha at pumpkinseedphoto@yahoo.com for directions or if you have any questions!! Thanks for all the support! And thank the Lord for this blessing!!

Long time, No post.......

2010-09-29T08:39:00.006-04:00

WOW! It has been sOooO long since I've posted on my blog! I've been busy with the new studio (& some other things, too!!) But I can promise that, from now on, I will be posting the most recent sessions!! Hang in there with me!!! Also, if you have recently left me a voicemail, & I didn't return your call, please call back as I've had problems receiving/retrieving my messages!! Thanks!!!

Now, on to other business.......

My Madison will be giving up her crown this coming Saturday night. She is the 2009-2010 Jr. Miss Waccamaw Siouan Princess. These are just a few of my favorite shots from her "Princess" session. Let me know what you think with a comment below!!

Happy {Late} Birthday, Tate!

2010-04-07T00:56:00.005-04:00

Just recently, I had the honor of photographing a handsome, sweet young man. Yesterday was his birthday! His Mom just happens to be a great friend of mine!! His name is...

If you see him, please wish him a "Happy Belated Birthday!!"

He LIVES!!!

2010-04-04T00:01:00.007-04:00

Why do you look for the living, among the dead?

He's risen!

~

I captured this image today. It reminded me that Spring has arrived!
Thank God for this flower. It's the 1st to sprout up in our yard,
but most of all, I'm SO very thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ!!

~

Happy Easter!

Week 11 - “Bundled Up” Photo Challenge

2010-03-16T21:16:00.006-04:00

I snapped this image recently of my daughter, Madison.

It hadn't snowed so much in years, & Madi & Drake had a ball playing in it!!
I had a hard time deciding between the color version & the b&w,
but I love the raw emotion that b&w's show.

2010 PumpkinSeed Senior Ambassador

2010-02-15T16:30:00.011-05:00

I'm very proud to announce the 2010 PS Senior Ambassador, Anna Stalnaker!

Anna is a remarkable young lady! She's a Senior at North Brunswick High School and I'm so happy to have her representing PS Seniors! Here's what she wrote about herself:

Dancing is my passion! I enjoy spending time with the most important people in my life...... Family and Friends. I am truly blessed to have great parents and wonderful friends! I"ll be graduating in June and plan to attend college for my Masters in Nursing. I enjoy helping others and know that this will be a way to help those in need.
I love going to the beach and Hanging with friends!

^Above is the color version of this shot. Below is the "elegant" b&w!

^ I love this shot, but couldn't decide on the finish.

^ One of my faves!

^Lovely, dark b&w.

^OOOOOHHHHH!!!!! I love the way this one turned out!

^Ok. So, here's where I started to play!
I added a few textures & adjusted the color to bring out the clay color in the bricks.
Try to remember.................. I like to create "ART" with some of my images!

^ Another "artistic" shot. I wanted it to appear old & worn. Very vintage! Maybe, a little too vintage!?!

Again, we are SO very thrilled to have Anna on-board!!! I'll be setting up her Senior Shoot soon. Keep checking back for more, NEW shots!!!

ALSO!! I've begun my new search for the Class of 2011 Senior Models! Email me if you know anyone who's interested.
pumpkinseedphoto@yahoo.com

I ♥ Faces - Fix-it-Friday #42

2010-01-29T11:44:00.008-05:00

I absolutely LOVE editing photos! Lightroom is my obsession! This week, I decided to start in Photoshop, just to play around a little with some textures. I only took my first edit to Lightroom this week. Textures are another obsession of mine. (& my daughter!) Make sure you stop by her blog & comment on her edit. (It should be up soon.) She and Drake are both home with strep throat. Ugh!!!

And make sure you also stop by my favorite site, i ♥ faces, to check out the other fix-it-friday edits!

^Original

^Added 3 textures including a "snowflake" texture - 38% fill with added layer mask to remove from face and snowman.

^Dark "old film" texture - 85% fill with added layer mask to remove from face and snowman.

^I saw so many beautiful b&w's, so I decided to add one of my own.

i ♥ faces week 4 - "Textures"

2010-01-25T12:50:00.003-05:00

Once again, I'm joining the weekly photo challenge over at I ♥ faces. Head on over and check out the other amazing entries! And while you're there, enter your own!

Congratulations, little Pumpkin Seeds!

2010-01-25T12:01:00.006-05:00

This past weekend, three of my cutie clients were in the Carolina Sweetheart pageant in Elizabethtown, NC. Join me in congratulating them!

Hayven Jacobs
Tiny Miss Carolina Sweetheart
(She also won the talent competition in ages 2-10)

Myleigh Moore
Mini Majestic Carolina Sweetheart

Jade Bright
Giving up her crown,
Greater Baby Miss Carolina Sweetheart

I love them all!
(And a special Congrat's goes out to Madison Patrick who won Teen Miss Carolina Sweetheart!)

Week 1 Challenge {“I ♥ Faces” Theme}

2010-01-05T13:01:00.018-05:00

I am SO very excited about this week's challenge!
For one thing, I haven't been able to submit an entry in quite a while!
(So busy from Christmas portraits!)
But to top it all off, they're giving away an EXTREMELY cool Tamron Lens
(that I could REALLY use!!)
to the winner of this week's challenge!
So I'm trying to think of some crazy, cool ideas for i ♥ faces!
Check out my entries, then head on over to their site to check out LOTS of really great images!!!

Happy Birthday, i ♥ faces!!!

^Get it, "i (eye), ♥ (little paper heart), faces (Madi's beautiful face!).
Ok, so it's not obvious, but I love the crazy, artsy, vintage, nostaligic look to it, anyway.
It's very different, & I LOVE different!!!

^Go TEAM "i ♥ faces"!!

^This didn't quite turn out like I wanted, but you get the idea. Remember, "Calgon, take me away!".

^This is my last entry. And, yes! I did it myself. (The words are NOT Photoshopped!) It's called "light painting". It's SO fun to try!!! I learned how from a tutorial on YouTube {http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IS-DBZEXcA}. I did, however, piece together a few pieces.

Thanks for looking!

I, Alisha Jacobs, am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.

Update to: "2010 Senior Ambassadors" {Whiteville, NC Senior Portrait Photographer}

2010-01-01T14:40:00.005-05:00

(1) 5x5 inch Custom Press Printed Portrait Album (including photographer's favorite images),

25% off their portrait order,
& (10) low-resolution files of their favorite images for MySpace & Facebook!
Voting will close February 12, 2010. The winner will be announced February 15, 2010. Hope to hear from you seniors soon!!

Update to previous post:

There have been several questions about this contest that I wanted to go ahead and answer.

This contest IS open to ANY high school senior in the following counties:
Columbus, Bladen, Brunswick, New Hanover, Robeson, Horry, & Pender counties.

There is NO age limit. Only that they MUST be a legitimate High School Senior.

When does ENTRY to the contest close?
January 17th is the last day to contact me to show interest in the contest.

What does an "Ambassador" do?
Basically, an ambassador is someone that is voted by the PumpkinSeed Photography readers to represent the HS Seniors in 2010. I will use their images in my marketing campaigns & those images could be submitted by me into Portrait Contests. They will NOT be expected to make appearances of any kind, unless they would like.

If you have any other questions or concerns about this contest, please email me at
pumpkinseedphoto@yahoo.com

Retro Candy Presets

2009-12-31T12:54:00.003-05:00

As most of you probably already know, I love to edit my portraits with different color presets. I've found a great set of Adobe Lightroom presets that I want SO badly!!! The color is just amazing in these!! They were created by J. Paige Photography ~ One Willow Studio. They're called Retro Candy Presets. She's actually giving away a set of these awesome presets. All you have to do is, head over to her site & leave a comment. That's it! You'll be entered in the contest! Check it out HERE!

Model for a day - Taylor B. {Whiteville, NC Portrait Photographer}

2009-12-29T20:43:00.009-05:00

Once again, I had the pleasure & privilege to photograph one of the sweetest girls ever! (Not to mention, beautiful!) She's on her way to being a pro, don't ya think?

This brings me to an idea I had.....

I will be choosing 1 Senior Boy & 1 Senior Girl to be my Ambassadors for the 2010 Class. All you have to do is email me at pumpkinseedphoto@yahoo.com to be eligible. From there, I'll meet with each contestant for a FREE mini-shoot. I'll then choose 1 image for each contestant to be posted on this blog. The contestants will then have the opportunity to tell others to vote for them. Voting will be by viewers adding a comment with their pick for "Favorite Senior Girl Model" & "Favorite Senior Boy Model" for 2010.
The winners will receive:
a free half-day photo shoot (no limit to the number of outfits to change into),
(1) 5x5 inch Custom Press Printed Portrait Album (including photographer's favorite images),
25% off their portrait order,
& (10) low-resolution files of their favorite images for MySpace & Facebook!
Voting will close February 12, 2010. The winner will be announced February 15, 2010. Hope to hear from you seniors soon!! Until then, enjoy....

Taylor.

Roger Bacon Academy Dance { Leland, NC Photographer }

2009-12-16T14:22:00.006-05:00

I had the privilege, recently, to photograph my 1st dance! I had SO much fun! The folks over at Roger Bacon are great! They made me feel so welcome. And though I was so busy that I couldn't even think........ I managed to meet some really sweet kids..... or teens.... or tweens!! I wouldn't want to offend any of my new friends! Thanks again, RBA, for inviting me!!!

Just click the image below to take you strait to my proofing site

Go back to my website & click on proofing in the menu bar.

Once there, click on "RBA Dance" to view your portraits.

Wedding {fun shots} - Whiteville, NC Photographer

2009-12-01T07:42:00.007-05:00

I had a great time photographing this wedding! The parent's of the groom are close friends of mine. Unfortunately, the lighting in this beautiful church wasn't very good, and my new flash, well, I just hadn't figured it out, yet. So, many of the images just weren't my best. I decided to play around with a few of my favorite shots. I'll be uploading more soon! ENJOY!

^I love the bokeh & sun flare in this one! It just enhances the sophistication of Kota in a tux! Woohoo!

^Taylor is one of the sweetest & most beautiful young ladies I've ever met! She's always ready to pose, & I don't even have to tell her to! She's a pro already!

^Sweet!!

^See! Just gorgeous! Look at those eyes!

^Beautiful sister & handsome brother!

They both have those amazing, haunting eyes you just can't forget!

^Last, but not least, this is Trinity. She was so playful that I just began snapping away. I love this one! She looks just like an Angel!

~It's "Art"~

2009-11-10T07:45:00.006-05:00

Taylor Benton

I captured this image at a wedding recently. She was leaning against the wall. I thought about it, & decided that I wanted it to look like an old painting, so I added several textures & layers......

I know it's a little dark & a LOT different, but I LOVE IT!! She's beautiful!!!! Her eyes are mesmerizing!

Waccamaw Siouan PowWow pics on proofing....

2009-11-06T09:05:00.005-05:00

I've had so many ask about the pictures I took at the recent Waccamaw Siouan PowWow, that I decided to upload them on my proofing site. Anyone can look at them. If anyone would like to purchase some of them, just contact me at pumpkinseedphoto@yahoo.com. I will give you more information on cost. I promise, they're not expensive! Cost depends on size. Thanks!

Click HERE for my proofing site, or just click on "Proofing" in the menubar of my website.

Christmas Pictures!!

2009-11-03T22:06:00.007-05:00

I have been asked by Waccamaw Daycare in the Buckhead community, to come in for a Christmas shoot. I'll be bringing several props & backgrounds. Anyone who is interested may contact Sandra Daniels at (910) 655-4818 or me (Alisha) at (910) 234-1106 (this is a temporary phone number and is subject to change!). Thank you!!

Playing with textures....

2009-10-31T15:36:00.008-04:00

This is something new that I'm working on..... textures. I took two different photos & blended them. Then I added different layers of textures to enhance & age it a bit.

The woman's photo is a recent shot from the Waccamaw Siouan Pow Wow I attended in October. Her name is Mardella Sunshine Costanzo, & she's a Lumbee Indian & was named Miss Indian North Carolina 2009-2010 in March of this year. She's such a sweet girl!! And very proud of her heritage!
Here's the original:

The image of the teepee was one that I found on Flickr by Giant Ginkgo. It was NOT taken by me! Here's the original:

~Ava~ {Angels gathering in Heaven}

2009-10-29T23:08:00.007-04:00

I can't imagine losing a child. A while back, I stumbled across this blog, & it's touched my heart. I think of Ava sometimes, & never even knew her! How precious our children are. I'm so sorry for her family's loss, but Heaven has gained a beautiful Angel! Ava, even without knowing me or my family, has made an impression on me. I will appreciate Madison and Drake more. I will stop typing to tie his shoe. I will look away from the tv to see her playing with her kitty. I will say prayers with them every night, as usual. Only now, I will not rush because I'm sleepy. I will kiss them & hug them every day like it will be the last that I see them, because it might. Only by God's grace do I have them & keep them. He could choose to take either of them home. I trust God. He knows best. I pray that they remain longer than I. I will love them & not fear. I will live, as they live. I will.......

Please read:
http://www.sheyerosemeyerphotography.com/blog/ava/
http://www.avarosemeyer.memory-of.com/About.aspx

I hope it touches you, as it's touched me. God bless you!
{God bless Ava in Heaven!}

I ♥ Faces Week 42 - “Halloween Dress-Up” Photo Challenge

2009-10-26T08:26:00.004-04:00

We don't dress-up for Halloween, so I decided to post a recent picture of Madison. This shot was actually taken last week. She's half Native American (her Daddy, Jerome, is Indian) and she loves competing at Pow Wow's in the "Fancy Shawl" dance category. There are actually 3 categories in her age division, but she has never competed in the other two (jingle & traditional). She loves that this particular style is supposed to mimic a joyful butterfly (that's why they use the shawl.) She loves the energy, the floating, the spinning, & most of all, the bright colors! All, just like a butterfly!

You don't have to be a pro, go check out the other costumes over at I ♥ Faces, and enter your own photo!

I ♥ Faces Week 40 - “Excited!” Photo Challenge

2009-10-12T13:40:00.005-04:00

So I've been busy........ really, really busy!! I have neglected my blog! Sorry!
I love these photo challenges! You should stop by I ♥ Faces & give it a try! You never have to be a pro & it's SO fun!!
This week's photo challenge is "excited". There were so many that I could have chosen, but I just love the look on this little girl's face in this one. I processed it in b&w and added grain. Tell me what you think!

Not my best shot taken, I know, I know!! But I just love her face!!!

Confessions of a Softball Princess

2009-09-29T16:52:00.003-04:00

Hey, everybody! Please stop by my Madi's blog. She's decided that she wants to try I ♥ Faces week 38 assignment - "blue" photo challenge! I think she did a great job considering she's only 11 yrs old!! I'm so proud of her! Remember, it's:

http://softballprincessconfess.blogspot.com/

(Confessions of a Softball Princess)

I ♥ Faces week 38 assignment - "blue"

2009-09-29T00:05:00.005-04:00

So, this is my 3rd try at a I ♥ Faces photo challenge. I have more fun with each challenge! This week's assignment was "blue". It can include any shade of blue, or even a "blue" (sad) face. I looked through the shots that I'd already taken & only found one of myself. I really don't like pictures of me, so I did NOT want to use it! It took me a while to realize that I had the perfect shot, just waiting to happen.
Drake has always slept with a silky. It's like a security blanket to him. And, even though he's almost 6 years old, he still HAS to have it to go to sleep. It's actually a piece of one of my old night gowns........ & it happens to be BLUE! So, I realized, all I had to do is snap a picture of him holding his silky, but that proved to be harder than I thought! He's old enough to know that lots of people would see that pic & he DID NOT want me to take it! So, I waited til he fell asleep, sneaked into his room & snapped one. Only one! That's all I could get! It'll have to do!! I ran a (coffeshop) vintage action to add a sort of nostalgic look to it.
Let me know what you think!

Head on over to I ♥ Faces & check out the other "Blue" entries! And give it a try! You don't HAVE to be a pro! It's SO fun!!

I ♥ Faces - Fix-it-Friday #30

2009-09-26T00:45:00.000-04:00

So this is my 2nd try at Fix-it-Friday! I really enjoy editing images!! Just finding the time can be hard! You don't have to be a pro! Stop by I ♥ Faces and give it a try!! Or just go over to check out other edits! Comments are appreciated!!!

^ORIGINAL IMAGE
(SOOC = straight out of camera)

Okay, so I only had a few minutes to edit. This was as good as I could get, considering my time crunch!! Coulda been better, but it'll do! I used Lightroom, Lr Presets, and my own personal editing techniques. (I do tend to like more black!)

Other candid photo options......

2009-09-22T23:46:00.000-04:00

I decided to go ahead and upload a few of the other options that I had to choose from for this weeks I ♥ Faces challenge "completely candid". Let me know what you think!

I ♥ Faces week 37 assignment - "Completely Candid"

2009-09-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

So, this is my 2nd try at I ♥ Faces photo challenge. When I saw "completely candid", I really had to think, cause there's so many of my images that are candid.
I narrowed it down to about 10, then 6, then3, but finally chose the one that I felt showed the most emotion & fit the assignment best.
My daughter, Madison, got picked for All-Stars this summer (Y'all know she loves softball!!!). This was taken at the district tournament. This shot was of the coach having a "pep talk" with our catcher. It was a crucial game! There was a lot of nervous energy and emotion, considering the closeness of the score!! I love this shot!

I had so much fun on the last challenge, I really hope that others will be enticed to try it, as well! You don't have to be a pro, just give it a try!

I ♥ Faces

I ♥ Faces - My 1st Fix-it-Friday!

2009-09-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

Since finding I ♥ Faces, I've kept pretty busy. I love doing this kind of stuff anyway!
They have what's called "Fix-it-Friday" where everyone edits the same pic. So, here's my try at that!!

Click on the images for a larger preview!

^I like warm images, so I enhanced this with Lightroom, adding extra fill light, & bumping up the black a tad.
I also brought the clarity down a little to soften the skin.

^I edited this version in Photoshop CS4. I just LOVE Rita's actions over at Coffeshop Free Stuff! You have to check it out!

coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/

Anyway, I used Rita's Coffeshop Vintage Action, adjusting my layers to suit my taste. Then, I brought her eyes back in a little - for POP!!

^This has to be my favorite, though. I like "different".
In CS4, I added a texture, then painted her back through & brightened her eyes just a little.

Check out my Flickr page HERE.

2009-09-16T10:23:00.001-04:00

Good morning, all! Today is a beautiful day, but unfortunately, my Daddy is going in for somewhat serious surgery. I ask everyone to please say a special prayer for him. I know the Lord will be with him & he will come through okay, but prayer always helps!! Visit my Thank You, Lord blog......
God Bless You!

I ♥ Faces week 36 assignment - "Pets"

2009-09-15T07:22:00.000-04:00

Here is my entry for the 2nd assignment for this week, "Pets". It's really funny! We thought "Tigger" was a girl when we first got her/him. (I have no idea why!) Later, we found evidence of otherwise!!!

I ♥ Faces week 36 assignment - "Contemplative"

2009-09-14T18:45:00.000-04:00

So I'm tryin' somethin' new! Over at I ♥ Faces, they hold weekly photo contests & I decided to throw my hat into the ring. For this particular assignment, it focuses on "Contemplative". They (Angie & Amy) define it as thoughtful observation; full or deep consideration; dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood; expressing or revealing thoughtfulness; quiet modes of apparent or real thought; can be marked by some sadness, but doesn't have to be.
This image is of my daughter, Madison. (I actually took it last year, before the Nikon!) I love it. She seems deep in thought, very pensive. Most of her pictures tend to look a little serious. She just has that kind of look. She doesn't like to smile really big in pictures, but wants people to read her eyes. On this day, she was so tired of me snapping pics that she started to cry. "Please, let's stop Mommy!", she said. (You can tell she's a photographer's child!! Tired of pics!!)

I hope that I can continue with this week after week. It'll be so fun just to come up with ideas for new assignments! You should try it, too!! Send me a link to your submission after entering it at I ♥ Faces. (My email is pumpkinseedphoto@yahoo.com) Wish me luck in this one!!

Beach session..........rained out. :-(

2009-09-08T18:08:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, I had a photo shoot at Fort Fisher, but unfortunately, It started to rain and we couldn't go through with it. I did, however, manage to snap a few shots of one of the two cuties, Harley. As you can tell, the wind just went crazy!! She still looks like a model! I guess I'm just partial, she's my niece! It was my brother-in law's & sister-in-law's anniversary. Can't wait for those beach shots. I know they'll be beautiful!!

My first post!!

2009-09-04T10:24:00.000-04:00

Well, hello! If you're just coming over from my old blog, thanks so much for being patient & staying interested!! If you're new to PumpKinSeed Photography, welcome! It's always great to have new visitors. If you have any questions for me, just email me @ pumpkinseedphoto@yahoo.com or leave a comment below. I'll be posting new photo shoots soon. I've been SO very busy & they're just stacking up on my computer. I know that you'll enjoy seeing something new.............. I mean, other than my new site! I must say a really big "thanks" to Rita from CoffeeShop Blogger Designs. She designed my website & blog. Doesn't she do a great job? And she'll also help you with other things, if you need 'em. Also, Check out her Freebies Site. I love all of her Photoshop actions, textures, storyboards, & tutorials! Thanks again, everyone {& CoffeeShop Rita}!

~Alisha J~

Under construction.........

2009-08-17T16:17:00.001-04:00

2009-08-01T14:43:00.000-04:00

My absolute favorite links/sites:
http://thankulord2day.blogspot.com/
http://softballprincessconfess.blogspot.com/
http://www.barbarapaynephoto.com/index2.html
http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/
http://www.pixelsandicecream.com/
http://www.texaschicksblogsandpics.com/
http://thecreativemama.com/
http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com/
http://www.ashedesign.com/index.html
http://actions.nicholev.com/?ilp
http://ilovephotography.com/forums/
http://clickinmoms.com/
http://www.littlestheroesproject.org/Littlest_Heroes_Project/Home.html
http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/home/
http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/
http://www.themomblogs.com/
http://icraft.ca/mamique_designs
http://mamiquedesigns.blogspot.com/