New Glass :)

I've been waiting for this little guy to get here for almost a month!!!! None of the Bestbuy stores in town had it and it was on back order with their online store for nearly three weeks! What a great surprise I came home to today!!! My little Nikon-Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF Lens! The price was fantastic and the reviews on this lens are great! I couldn't be happier with what I have seen so far!








I am so excited to get to use it on PEOPLE! I took the photo of my Archie Bear with the new lens...check out that bokeh!!!!! What is bokeh you might ask??? Read about it here. Happy Monday!!!

Prints!!

I am now offering prints! For those of you who have already had photos taken with me this last year and would like to order prints through me, still have the ability to do so! The quality is amazingggggg! Way better than anything your local drug or big super centers will offer. :) Send me an email or give me a call to discuss pricing! I also have gallery wraps and mounted prints!

{A}

Pets Only-I ♥ Faces Week 49

I love this weeks theme at I ♥ faces because of my big time love for animals!!! It was a little hard for me at first not to submit a photo of my 2 doggies because I adore the little guys so much, but really I love this photo of Casper! He was so curious as he watched me with my camera peeking at him through the fence. My mom loves it so much too that she even framed it for her home.

Wednesday: Woots & Boots :)

Sorry I missed ya'll last week on Woots & Boots! I have been super busy and was extremely sick last week! No more excuses though! We were hit by the snowiest of snow storms here in Omaha yesterday and so far it's been pretty interesting. I swear that my street is one of the last to get plowed here in Omaha which pretty strange considering I live in a nice part of town. I got off of work at 5 yesterday and by the time I got home it was close to 7 p.m. Lots of snow=Amy's stuck car! To make matters worse, I let my little Archie out of his kennel and he had somehow gotten his cast off during the day. There was his poor little foot, dangling like it had when he broke it more than 2 weeks ago. I am not sure how he got it off because it wasn't torn up or bitten. Somehow he manged to slide his arm out. Off to the vet yet again Saturday morning. My sister suggested amputation, he gets around like a champ on three legs. This is so sad for me to think but I know he'd be fine. What do they do with doggy feet after they've been amputated? Do they throw them away? Do they bury them and pray that they go to doggy feet heaven? My mom, gotta love her, suggest that I make a lucky Archie foot key chain. Such a sad thought but I couldn't help but laugh!

This weeks Woots go to:
*Target- I have always loved Target but they have some rockin' sales this week and I have scored some awesome Christmas presents for my family!

*Jodi of MCP Actions- Her blog can be found here. I have bought some amazing photoshop actions from her and I am loving them. She always provides great ideas on pricing, tutorials on how to use her products, and other free photoshop goodies. Thanks Jodi

*Photographers that are all about helping other photographers out- I must admit that going to another photographer for advice or questions is rather intimidating. One would think that with how competitive this industry is, other photographers would turn up their nose and tell you to take a hike. Not the ones I've contacted at least! I'd like to give a big shout out to Christina of Sloan Images International. She is a huge inspiration to me and we chat on the phone often! She is an amazing artist and smart business lady! Plus she's so darn funny! Also, I'd like to say thanks to Ashley McFarlane (our last names are almost the same) and Ashley McCarty. They are both fairly new to the industry but are really going places! They both have been super quick to respond to my emails and I love both of their work as well!

Dun dun dun....the Boots

*Snow- that is all

*My dog Archie...I think I underestimated how smart that little guy is. I don't think he understands what he is doing to my pocketbook

*My property manager-he didn't plow the end of my driveway this morning like he had promised to have done by 7 a.m. This in turn caused me to get stuck again and I had to dig myself out with the help of my neighbor.

Hope this week finds you happy and excited for the holidays. Stay safe on the road and warm in your home!

Ashley & Drew: Engaged!

I love these two and I love the two of them together! We had such a great time trampling the streets of Millard and hitting up Boys Town. I am so excited for them to get married and super excited to be in their wedding! I couldn't ask for better friends and these two have made for many fun memories! Love you guys! So excited for ya!

Busy Day!

I am bound and determined to have Travis and Elyse's wedding done by the end of this next week! This afternoon=no phone calls, no facebook messages, no t.v. Just me, my computer, and wedding pictures. I will be available again after 6 p.m. tonight. Happy Saturday and here is a little preview of this gorgeous couple!!! P.S. Lovin' Jessica Drossin's textures!!!

Mark & Sheena: Engaged!

Almost too hot for me to handle! :) I had a blast with these two! So in love, so much fun, gosh darn...I love you guys! Can't wait for your weddin'! Woo! :)

Black Friday Specials

Wooowhooo Black Friday!!! You're so excited right?? :) Super sales, busy traffic, the hustle and bustle...uber awesomeness! Okay, can you sense my sarcasm? Never have I once went shopping on Black Friday and in all honesty its not because of any of the things I listed. It's simply because I am not a morning person...AT ALL! I am the nightly"est" (yes I just made that word up) of night owls! There are a few things on my list that I plan to get today and thankfully my husband has volunteered to pound the pavement for me! A NEW LENS that I've been wanting to get so bad and an external hard drive....YES!



In honor of this famous day, I'd like to make your shopping for a photographer a bit easier! No having to drive frantically to my house in fear that some other photo craving individual will beat you for my super skills ;), trip you as you walk up my sidewalk to get there 1 second before all is gone, or rip your precious appointment/date card from your hands! You're lovin my humor right now aren't you???



Okay so back to the sale. In honor of kicking off the new year and some big changes in my business, I am offering $25.00 off of all portrait sessions and a free 8 by 10 print of your choice when you book a session in January! I will be limited to weekend shoots only and the first weekend is already full. Sessions must be booked by December 11th to receive these discounts in January! I can be reached by cell at 712.870.0031 (leave a message if I don't answer as I work full time during the day) or email at amycloudphotography@hotmail.com



Happy shopping and I can't wait to hear from you! Oh, and here is a preview from the mini session I did with the Smith kiddos for Christmas cards!

Woots/Boots

SOOOO excited to have my momma in town this afternoon and tomorrow! Yay for Thanksgiving!

Woots

Jessica Drossin- Rockin photographer from California! She has some pretty amazing textures that I purchased at a stellar price! I am so excited to add these into the mix of creating fun and artsy prints! Oh and she is orginally from Laurel, Nebraska! I'll post a sample of the her awesomeness below!

My friends-this past weekend we celebrated "Friends Thanksgiving". Everyone had to wear a turtleneck and mustache. Sound like a blast? It was! I have such a great group of friends!!!

Homemade Christmas Candy- My sister, Katie made some this last Sunday while she spent the day at my place. Graham cracker, brown sugar, chocolate, pecan yuminess! MMMMM!!! My mouth is watering right now!

Boots

An anonymous Omaha specialty pet hospital- Okay, I don't want to bust anybodies chops publicly so I can't say their name. My poor pup Archie broke his leg this last weekend and I was referred to a specialist by a local vet. I bawled yesterday morning when I took him in for surgery and they quoted me 2,200.00 to fix his leg! Oh and NO payment plans! WTH (what the heck)???? :) Thank goodness for small town vets and Grandpa Mark. My dad was in Omaha yesterday morning and picked little Archie up from my place to take him back to my home town to get fixed up. Big difference between 2,200.00 and 225.00 dollars!

Wedding clean up- my garage is a disaster! Time to get this stuff picked up and out my door though! I will be selling A LOT of my decorations and such!

Getting off work and it being pitch black outside-that means winter is here, which means cold and snow are coming...but so excited for Christmas and NYE!

Well...have a fantastic day everyone and a fantabulous Thanksgiving! Stay warm and love on those families of yours! Gobble gobble!

Jackson 4

Preview of the Jackson family...just in time for Christmas cards! :) Thanks for battling the freezing weather that day guys! It was our first snow in Omaha (early October-what the heck) and as I made the drive to Sioux City, the snow became less and less but the air colder and colder! Thanks for the A-Mazing location idea! I'll definitely be using in the next time I'm in Sioux City!

I Heart Faces-Sun Flare

Sun flare...mmmmm....LOVE IT! I've experimented with this photography phenomenon a few times in the last couple of months. It's been a little difficult to achieve but totally worth it!

I chose to submit a photo for this weeks photo challenge on I Heart Faces-Sun Flare. I could get all technical and say something about loving the lines or composition but my true love for this photo is McKenzie's little face peeping over Cy's shoulder and the "lovey dovey" look she's got going on...oh and the sun flare of course! :)

Exciting News for Utah Followers

I am so excited to announce that I will be traveling to Utah at the end of December to visit Tony's family! I miss them so much! While visiting I will be planning one full day of photography! Wooowhooo!!! Common' people! Get excited! :)

The big day will be December 31st and I'll be in the East Carbon area. I'll be starting early in the morning and shooting into mid afternoon. I am planning to squeeze in as many "mini sessions" as possible. These sessions will be 1 location and last anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Oh trust me...I can get some good quality in that short time! :) If you are interested in booking a session, want pricing info, or just feel like making my day, send me an e-mail. amycloudphotography@hotmail.com Also, feel free to become a fan of my facebook page by clicking here .

Just a little preview from our wedding day...my mama took this picture! :)

Wednesday: Woots/Boots

So, first I'd like to apologize for having two Woots/Boots posts back to back. My life has been so crazy the last couple of weeks and today is the first time I've had a chance to post since the wedding. Here goes





This weeks "Woots" include:

My Husband- That's right...you heard it...my H.U.S.B.A.N.D! The last 3 weeks of my life have been absolutely amazing! Wedding was wonderful and so was the honeymoon (pictures to come soon). I just love Tony!!! His vows at our wedding were the sweetest, most genuine words anyone has ever spoken to me. I'll most a preview from our videographer too.



Photobooths at weddings- we had one, it was a blast, the guests raved...good money well spent!



Luna Tacos- Sadly located in Mazatlan, Mexico. If you ever go there you have to stop and have one of their tacos! Absolutely amazing



New Moon- 2 days...Edward Cullen...'nough said!



Facebook tagged pictures- I have been tagged like crazy in pictures from our wedding on Facebook in the last couple of days. I love looking back on the day!!! Like really lovvvvesss it!



...and the Boots...

Paying with American dollars in Mexico and getting ripped off when given back our change-good thing my hubby is good at calculating dollars into pesos but I did get ripped off a couple of times!



Grumpy CSR employees- went to Subway today for lunch. The lady had horrible communication and wouldn't look me in the eyes when speaking. I had to ask her to repeat herself 3 times and she flipped on me.

Distance-between family

Woots/Boots

So I have decided to start a new little post that I'll make happen for ya every single Wednesday. This post will be so awesome that you'll be begging for more...checking my blog at 12:01 a.m. on every Wednesday morning to see if its there! Just joshin' ya! But I want to be able to talk about yours truly every once in a while. Branding myself is something I want to do and I feel that this will be a great way for me to get out there and show the world who Amy Cloud is all about...in a minor sort of way! This will be a weekly dose of Woot's (things I am lovin right now) and Boot's (things I'd like to boot out of my life...get it?) So here goes...the first ever rendition of Woot's and Boot's!

Woot's
Hide & Seek by Imogen Heap; This song is super relaxing, laid back, and gives me the warm fuzzies! Check it out...some may think its strange at first but I lubs it!

Zebra print- I am infatuated with it right now, mostly because I am using it as an accent in my wedding...ask me my opinion after this weekend and we'll see how I feel then

Mac Makeup-WOW! I am having my makeup professionally done this weekend. I have always been a fan of the mid grade makeup brands, not too expensive but not the cheap stuff at your local drug store. I had my trial last week. I am in love...my pocketbook definitely took a hit!

My future in laws- Tony's parents got in to town this last Sunday for wedding week extravaganza. I love them so much! They are so excited for us! All smiles and laughs. I love having them here visiting

My new Nikon SB800 Flash- I have been saving for this wittle baby for a while now and finally took the plunge. It is already changing my life!!! I used it at a wedding I shot in mid October! WOW!

Boot's
Swine Flu-I don't have it but it is haunting me in my dreams! 'Nough said!

Cold weather- I love fall but I think winter in Nebraska came 2 months too early!

Holiday airfare prices- Trying to plan a trip to Utah to visit Tony's fam at the end of December and the cheapest ticket I can find is $450.00...you kiddin' me?

Lisa M- I still love this girl but I am so sad that she found a new job and I can't enjoy her amazingness Monday-Friday, 7:30-5:30 anymore. Car rides to work just aren't the same either! :(

Okay folks...not sure if I'll blog anymore before the wedding...only 3 more days!!!!! I am so excited! I'll be back from my Mexico honeymoon on the 17th! Have a great rest of your week!

XO
{A}

Happy Halloween

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday and I'm so lucky in the fact that the hubby LOVES it too. There is nothing more fun than dressing up and pretending to be someone else! Fun stuff planned for tonight! Can't wait!!!!!!

Halloween 2007- 70's Disco Baby!!!!

Halloween 2009- Amish Gone Wild...it was a blast!

I'm at Aunt...again!!!

My new nephew, Atticus Gabriel Cloud, was born early this morning! I don't have all of the details yet, but I do know he weighed 8 lbs 5 oz. and is absolutely A-DORABLE! I can't wait to meet the little guy in person! I really miss my brother, Whit, and Cal...and now I'll have this little guy to miss too. May just have to take a trip to VA soon... :) Happy Friday!!!

10 Days To Go + New & Exciting Things!

Only 10 more days until my wedding!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe how fast time is flying! I am so friggin' excited! I have had a lot of people ask if I am nervous and honestly...I'm not...at all! Is that strange?? I swear I'm on cloud 9! Still trying to figure out where I am going to place the little "c" in my new last name...I'll officialy be part of the "Mc" club! All suggestions are appreciated...up high or down low??? Help me out people!! I have decided to take a little break from editing for the next week and a half. I have quite a few sessions that I will be putting on CD's and getting out in the mail but other than that, I need some time to wrap up all the little details and have time for myself!

I have been doing a lot of research on new editing software, photoshop actions, and finding new places for photo shoots. SOOOO exciting. I am pretty much full for November (just a couple of spots left...email me if you want to set something up) and am now taking appointments for December. I can't wait to see what my future in photography has in store for me!

Here is a photo I took of Ashley and Drew! So much fun and so in love! I had a blast driving all over Omaha, discovering new places with them and using some new furniture in their shoot! Can't wait to get all of these up!

XO {A}

Kyle & Kari: Engaged!

These two were a BLAST!!!! All smiles, extremely cooperative, and up for anything. I laughed so hard and so much this Sunday afternoon! I am so excited to take their wedding pictures next year...hurry up and get here August! Can't wait!!!

So nautural! Kari---she is big on laughing! I'm pretty sure her hair was in her face because of the head bobs she had going on from laughing so much...okay...it was actually pretty windy! Still love it!

The bling! (Just chillin on some back alley chair)

Kyle- Great choice! ;)

Huge thanks to my super good girly friend from college! She referred this fantastic couple to me! Thanks JBar! :)

Shelby+Bro/Sis Pics

We snuck some pics of Shelby in during Jake's senior shoot. Also....cannot believe how much of a beautiful young lady she has become! Wow...life is passing me by at a million miles per hour it seems! So pretty! Love these shots of her! :)


GAW GOUS I KNOW!
I love this photo! It's so them and so natural...just the way I like it! ;)

Shelby...such a goof! I think she gets her sense of humor from her dad!

Jacob: 2010 Senior

Wow! What can I say about this young man? Smart, musically talented, funny, up for anything! This guy has so much going for him it's insane! I've known Jake for close to 7 years now and I cannot believe how much he has changed and grown into the person he is today! Everything about his photo shoot was fun and comfy! He even knew when to smile and not smile...he's definitely a natural! Look out Zoolander! :) Jake-- I wish you the best of luck in your future and know that some day you are going to do even greater things than you already have!! Follow your dreams and you'll go far! :)