TIME FOR ME TO START MY BLOG AND TO RE-INTRODUCE MYSELF SINCE IT HAS BEEN A WHILE!


I'M ANN, THE PHOTOGRAPHER BEHIND ANN RAINS PHOTOGRAPHY! SOMEWHERE AROUND A MILLION YEARS AGO, I WROTE AN INTRODUCTION POST....... BUT I FIGURED I'D WRITE A NEW ONE AND SHARE WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH ANN RAINS PHOTOGRAPHY. NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED… EXCEPT I AM NOW OFFICIALLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN PALM COAST WITH MY VERY OWN STOREFRONT STUDIO. WE ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY SETTLED INTO THE NEW PLACE, AND I COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE GRAND OPENING DATE VERY SOON.


I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT I DO. BUT I AM NOT YOUR RUN-OF-THE-MILL PHOTOGRAPHER. AND SO, IT'D SEEM STRANGE TAKING UP THIS SECTION BY TELLING YOU ALL ABOUT MY PHOTOGRAPHIC ENDEAVORS... ABOUT HOW, UPON PICKING UP MY FIRST CAMERA, IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST CLICK... OR ALL ABOUT MY PHILOSOPHY OF PHOTOGRAPHY - HOW IT'S CHANGED ME AND STRETCHED ME... ABOUT HOW I'VE LEARNED TO SEE PHOTOGRAPHY AS MORE THAN JUST AN ART FORM - BUT AS THE ART OF OBSERVATION - FINDING SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL IN AN ORDINARY PLACE... ABOUT HOW I'VE COME TO FIND THAT PHOTOGRAPHY HAS VERY LITTLE DO WITH THE THINGS YOU SEE AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE WAY YOU SEE AND FEEL THEM… THAT BEAUTY IS ALL AROUND US - IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED AND UNFORESEEN - WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO STOP, TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND LOOK FOR IT. 


OR, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW PEOPLE ARE THE REASON THAT I DO WHAT I DO - BECAUSE USUALLY, EACH FAMILY THAT I MEET, EACH COUPLE THAT I PHOTOGRAPH, BECOME FRIENDS. FRIENDS WHOSE UNIQUE PERSONALITIES I HAVE THE HONOR OF CAPTURING- EACH SMILE, EACH TEAR, THE QUIET, PRIVATE MOMENTS, THE SPACE FILLED WITH LAUGHTER... BUT - I FIGURED THAT MIGHT BORE THE EVER-LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU… SO, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT ME…


I CURRENTLY LIVE IN PALM COAST, FLORIDA, WITH MY HUSBAND, ROBERT, TWO DAUGHTERS, AND TWO CHIHUAHUA PUPPIES, TITUS AND SNOOPY. THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH THE MOST ADORABLE LITTLE GUYS EVER. I'LL LET YOU DECIDE IF I'M TALKING ABOUT MY HUSBAND OR THE DOGS. 


I LOVE CHOCOLATE CAKE. A LOT. IT MAY BE MY GREATEST WEAKNESS.

MUSIC MOVES ME. SOMETIMES TO TEARS. SOMETIMES TO REALLY EMBARRASSING DANCE MOVES.

MY FAITH IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ME. IT IS MY ANCHOR. 


I GREW UP IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - THAT'S RIGHT, I'M A FLORIDA NATIVE. HOWEVER, I HAVE TRAVELED IMMENSELY BEFORE CHOOSING TO COME BACK TO MY FLORIDA ROOTS. I'VE WORKED WITH THE RICH AND FAMOUS AND WITH THE POOREST OF COMMUNITIES. I LOVE TO VOLUNTEER MY TIME AND ENERGY TO THOSE IN NEED BECAUSE IT BRINGS MY HEART SO MUCH SATISFACTION.


I HAVE A DEGREE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION. NOT IN PHOTOGRAPHY. AND I'M CONSTANTLY AMAZED AT HOW WELL THOSE TWO THINGS WORK TOGETHER.


WHEN I'M NOT CHASING BEAUTIFUL LIGHT FOR PHOTO SESSIONS, OR MAKING RIDICULOUS NOISES, IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET CHILDREN TO SMILE AT THE CAMERA. I CAN GENERALLY BE FOUND HANGING OUT WITH MY PUPPIES DRINKING A FRESH CUP OF COFFEE, EDITING, JOURNALING, COLORING, OR READING A GOOD BOOK.


AND AS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY - WELL, I LOVE IT. I COME ALIVE BEHIND THE LENS OF A CAMERA. SOMETIMES, I EVEN GASP WHILE TAKING IMAGES OF PEOPLE. (BUT REALLY, BRACE YOURSELVES. I'LL BE DOING A LOT OF THIS DURING YOUR SESSION). I AM NEVER MORE COMFORTABLE THAN WHEN MY CAMERA IS IN BOTH HANDS, FAITHFULLY CLICKING AWAY, CAPTURING MOMENTS.


I PICKED UP MY FIRST "PROFESSIONAL CAMERA" 15 YEARS AGO AND HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK. A VERY SMART WOMAN NAMED LEONA HELMSLEY ONCE TOLD ME, "KNOW YOUR WORTH AND MAKE SURE YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO, AND YOU'LL NEVER WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE…" SO, I LISTENED AND DID EXACTLY THAT.


I AM BLESSED BEYOND WORDS TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I LOVE - CAPTURING PEOPLE'S MEMORIES - ALTERING THEIR LIVES BY HOLDING THEM STILL.

I'D BE HONORED TO CAPTURE YOURS. 


WANNA KNOW MORE? ASK AWAY!! I'M AN OPEN BOOK.

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TALK TO YOU SOON!