Personal | Stacey Lynn Portrait and Lifestyle Photography Blog - North Carolina

Heya, my name is Stacey

I am a natural light lifestyle portrait photographer based in North Carolina. I love to capture emotion and realism that surrounds families big and small, human and furry. I am a natural light photographer that embraces the art of photography and loves to splash that into my photoshoots.

When I'm not busy shooting, I also enjoy - good food, great conversation, my cats, coffee, snuggling up with a good book, video games, web design, cooking, learning and laughing. Feel free to leave a comment if you feel inclined and be sure to stay connected through the links below or E-mail me if you have any questions, or just to say hello!

Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

In Front of the Lens – Winston Salem, North Carolina Photographer

September 4, 2010

I have been needing new photos for a while. I have gone back and forth between having my camera in the photos with me or not. I mean, if I post the photos on my photography website, it should be pretty obvious that I’m the photographer, yes? Does having the camera with me just scream TACKY or PROFESSIONAL or DUH!?

I don’t know where it came from, but I just decided to ask Andy if he would mind taking my picture yesterday. I decided against having my camera in the photo for the sake of him using it and (hopefully) getting a decent photo of me. It’s not that I question his skills at all, it’s just, I’m not used to being in front of the lens. I put on an outfit that I thought was pretty cute, but he told me it was tacky, so of course I immediately changed. After seeing the photos he took before, though – I saw he was right. I then changed again, for the second time. I was nervous, stiff, begging for some sort of direction. He gave me a little, but I didn’t know what to do with it! Now, I know some of the pressure my clients have while in front of the lens! After a few minutes, I began to warm up and have fun with it. Those are the photos that eventually made the cut and I have to say, he did a really good job! I kind of felt pretty after seeing them and now I’m trying to talk him into second shooting for me. So far, it’s not happening.

You might notice, along with the new blog design, the new photos above and on the ‘Meet Stacey’ page. Be nice – I’m not used to being in front of the camera and having the man I love behind it!

As for the “tacky” outfit, I still think it’s cute. The dogs eventually showed up to crash my shoot. The nerve!

I switched lenses and showed Andy the angle and shot I wanted. On the left is my shot, the right is his. Fast learner!

Tags: portraits
Posted in Personal | 2 Comments »

Boots! Winston Salem, North Carolina Photographer

September 2, 2010

I have a confession to make. My legs? They’re not exactly great. They’re not gross or anything, they’re just regular ol legs. I’ve had big calves all my life. Not fat, just big. Muscular, I guess – but not toned enough to be attractive. Maybe it’s from years of riding horses, running around for hours a day, playing baseball? I’m not sure, but I’ve never been a fan of them.

Now that September is here (already!!!), I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather to do than go boot shopping! Only, boot shopping for me is usually like swimsuit shopping. I LOVE boots. Cowboy boots, leather boots, ankle boots, zip up boots. I love them all. I wear them all year around, with jeans, skirts, dresses, whatever I have on hand that will match.
Because of my not-normal sized calves, though, I usually have a hard time finding boots that fit over them. This saddens me greatly, especially when I find that perfect pair and they’re on sale, but they just need to be an extra inch larger at the top!

Imagine my surprise when I made a trip to Target yesterday, found a super cute boot, and they fit! Ya’ll, I was so happy, I bought 3 pair. Seriously, who does that?! Apparently I do – but I promise it was for a good reason. It’s not that often that boot stars align, but when they do – it’s on! I bought a black, brown and gray pair, only the gray is a little different style than the black and brown.

Today, knowing I have three new pair of boots in my closet, I just feel a little better. The chances that my calves are shrinking are slim, but that’s OK. They may not be my best physical attribute, but at least they can look a little more cute this fall! It’s the little things that count, after all.

boots, cute boots, winston salem photographer

Posted in Personal | No Comments »

Butterfly Kisses – Winston Salem, North Carolina Photographer

August 24, 2010

Yesterday while mowing the yard, I did my normal route through the orchard. This years harvest seems unreal and most of the limbs on the trees are breaking under pressure from the apples and pears. The ones that are falling on the ground are rotting quickly and there is a whole other eco-system going on down there, it seems.

Now, I am deathly afraid of bees. All bees, except bumble bees. Can’t stand them, scream like the girl I am when they’re around and run away if one is near me. With that being said, these photos were beyond scary for me to take. There were bumble bees, yellow jackets (ugh!!!), hornets and wasps(even though they’re not technically bees, I still see them as such) covering the ground and rotten fruit hanging from the tree. Among them, though – were beautiful butterflies. Every now and again, a huge hornet would chase after a butterfly, or you would see the bottom of one move only to see a bumble bee crawling out of the fruit it’s sitting on. Beyond gross, but amazing at the same time.

I took this chance to test out two of my new lenses – my 85mm and 35mm. These are just a few of my favorite shots, with a REAL view of what was beneath it all at the end. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying – “Do one thing every day that scares you”. Well, I think this pretty much counts me in for the whole Month of August!

winston salem photographer, winston salem photography, bees in winston salem, winston salem orchard

Tags: 2010, bees, Orchard
Posted in Nature, Personal | No Comments »

Don’s BBQ – Winston Salem, North Carolina Photographer

July 31, 2010

Not only is BBQ a huge part of the south, but an even bigger part of North Carolina. Everyone from North Carolina knows there are two kinds of BBQ. You have a sweet, tomato based BBQ and a dry, vinegar BBQ. Out of at least 5 BBQ restaurants in Winston Salem, Don’s BBQ is the only one to serve the sweet tomato based BBQ, which is my absolute favorite.

Don’s BBQ isn’t just any BBQ cafe, though. It has been a staple on this side of town as well as my family for as long as I remember. It only makes sense though, since my dad’s brother, Don, owns and works there. Don’s has been the center of so many memories and lessons for not only my whole family, but for me personally. It’s where my mother, while working as a waitress over 25 years ago, met my father. It’s where I sat with my father while the booths on the other side of the cafe filled with Hell’s Angels and he taught me that they are human, too, and they are great men. The only place that is filled half with local Sheriff deputies and half with leather clad Hell’s Angels, and everyone knows, respects and likes everyone in the same room. It’s where my father and I would meet every Tuesday morning for breakfast before I went in to work. I also worked there for a summer, as many members of our family have over the years, or still do. It’s where we have held our family Christmas parties for years past. It’s the first place I ever drank tea and still makes my favorite tea, ever.

Don’s holds so much history and so many great memories for me, and this September, Don is retiring and closing the doors for the last time. It has been a long 40 years, but well deserved time off is in the near future. The word has gotten around town, and when I spent my morning there today, Don told me how busy last Saturday got, people pouring in an hour after closing. For 40 years, they have perfected a menu and been offered thousands for it’s recipes. They have had local meats delivered twice weekly, Don himself cutting pork shoulders and shredding their famous BBQ with his own hands for 40 years. His son, Chris working beside him, as well as his wife, Doris.

I showed up this morning before they opened, to take photos for the family to have and to document this time in his life, as well as my history. Don was cutting up the BBQ while in a dish beside him sat fresh tomatoes from his own garden. Their loyal waitress of 4 years coming in behind me, getting things ready for the day while Don shared stories of the restaurant and family. He offered me a glass of tea and a bowl of BBQ and it was a morning I will never forget. Don reminds me a lot of my father, his brother, and we talked about him often. A few hours later, when it was time to go, I really was excited for what the future holds for them. Sure, I’m a little sad and it is a time in my life to only be remembered now through stories and photographs, but I really hope these photos remind them of the amazing things they have done to the community – the amazing memories everyone has made there.

Don, cutting up pork for the BBQ.