This probably comes as no surprise, but I've been wicked busy with life, business, and other things. I can't keep up with all my different online presences, so I'm trimming & streamlining.

I've canceled my Livejournal account, and will be moving elsewhere come December. Right now, you can keep track of me & the family at Mathewes Family, see my photography at Studio Mathewes, my design work at my portfolio site, and e-mail me ANYTIME at jmathewes [at] gmail [dot] com.

I've met several wonderful people here through livejournal, and though I will miss the community, I think it's for the best.

Love,
Jocelyn

Lucas Alexander Mathewes, born August 27th: Portraits of a beautiful boy at one week old.

Things around here have been pretty busy lately! I've been wrapping up the latest business with Studio Mathewes, preparing for the arrival of baby #2, and our impending move to seminary.

For an idea of what my work has been like lately, I point you to a super-cute couple shoot and my last wedding of the season, back in July.

Because baby #2 is coming soon, I'll be on maternity leave through October. (You can keep up with the family elsewhere...) But if you know folks who have children and newborns to be photographed after then, by all means send them my way! I'll be starting up photographing regularly as of November 1st, and looking to build my portfolio of children and babies.

Lastly, our move is going well, although we've had quite a change of plans--rather than going to St. Vladimir's in NYC, we're headed to Holy Cross in Brookline, MA. If anyone needs a piano technician or a photographer in Massachusetts, let me know! We hope to be all moved in by the time classes start on September 7th.

So Steve has gone to Bonnaroo for his last hurrah before we have a second kid, pick up, move, and go to seminary. A very generous friend of his gave him a VIP ticket, which basically means he gets to pretend like he's a rich person and shower every day, instead of relying on the occasional washcloth wipedown we used to do to get by. I know he's having a fabulous time, especially since when we start having all those clerical obligations coming down the pipeline, it may make festival-going non-existent for quite some time.

So I took movies out of the library, made some plans, hired the babysitter a little more (so I could get work done), and am trying not to mope. Look at me, not moping! I'm watching Rattatouille and eating ice cream and trying to go to bed on time! Well, that last bit was probably a lie, I think. I may just give myself permission to fall asleep on the couch while watching the movie, because I hate going to bed alone. Crap, now I'm moping.

But now to distract myself (and you), I will post a few of my favorite photos I just finished uploading to Flickr. I'm basically trying to prove to myself that I'm awesome.

First, stuff from silly glamor and trash-the-dress type sessions.








Then, some seriously cute couples.

Okay, internet, now it's time for you to admit that I'm awesome.

I've been crazy busy with weddings and various photography projects. It's been awesome, but I haven't had much time to think, let alone post (or cross-post!). Most of my energy has been going towards studio work and my family, which is where it should be, of course. That's not to say I don't spend too much time noodling around on Facebook or Twitter, though. (wink)

Lots of new stuff on the horizon, photographically and personally. I will keep everyone posted once we get organized and I can screw my head back on!

It's great to have friends who are willing to do silly things with you. This is especially true if you're a photographer. Recently my friend Melanie came along with me to a big field to pose for me, with my friend Sig as lighting and equipment assistant. We had a blast in the afternoon light (such a wonderful luxury we have now that it's springtime!).

I had gathered up some interesting fabrics, confetti, a few sparklers, and an umbrella to provide some good props and offer us a bit of fun. Melanie took to them all very well.

I think we had the most fun with the confetti, though.

Sig manned the off-camera flash, diffusers, sheets, as well as a video camera, recording our antics. Here's a little mini-video from the afternoon, showing a little of what the light looked like and introducing my friends:

Hearing my voice on video is a little disconcerting (do I really sound like that?), I must say! Not to mention that I'm such a weird-looking shape at four months pregnant.

What I learned about myself through this session is that I work best when I'm loose and a bit playful. If I think about my work as play, things spring to my mind that otherwise wouldn't. It's great to get out with friends and do this kind of thing, because it really opens up my creativity and leads me in new directions.

Originally posted on my studio blog on April 24, 2009. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Nathalie and Cory braved the misty rain in Baltimore this past Saturday to join me for an engagement session that spanned up and down Howard Street, went to Lexington Market, and into the Inner Harbor for a stop at Rita's Italian Ice. It was quite the afternoon!

Nathalie and Cory are artists; Cory, a painter, and Nathalie, a designer. The two of them have been working very hard to make their wedding as green and DIY as possible, in some of the most beautiful ways. That yellow flower pin Nat's wearing? That was a find on Etsy. Nathalie designed their save the dates and invitations, even letterpress printing them herself. They have a great list on their wedding website of all the ways their wedding is going green.

Cory has impeccable taste; he picked out Nat's engagement ring with a topaz in the center. It's a deliciously wonderful teardrop shape, and the two of them were more than happy to do a few zany things with it for the camera.

I can't wait to shoot their wedding at Woodend Sanctuary at the end of April. It's sure to be a gorgeous, joyous affair! Nat and Cory have told me that instead of traveling for their honeymoon, they're setting aside a week to do all the touristy things in Baltimore that they've never done as residents; sure to be fun! I hope they find a new, delicious restaurant for me to try.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Tara and Jeremy are getting married in the D.C. area later this year, in the fall. We met up this spring as soon as the weather started turning warm to take some engagement photos, spending some time on their rooftop garden and hanging out in the funky stairwells where they live!

They were great sports for this shot; I was wriggling around on the floor and adjusting my off-camera flash while they chatted with each other.

Plus, the two of them were so naturally affectionate; it wasn't hard to take a good picture of them together!

And that rooftop garden rocked; we had great shadows and architecture.

Such a sweet moment, no?

I wish Tara and Jeremy the best when they tie the knot this September! They have a whole summer stretching ahead of them of anticipation and beautiful weather; blessings to you both!

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

It's been awhile since I took my daughter out for pictures in a setting other than our home. My husband and I whisked her off to a local playground where some new faces and new playthings proved to be exciting and interesting.

She's hit the 15-month mark, walking, babbling plenty, and tiny as ever. She'll be petite, just like her parents and grandparents. And, of course, that hair is inherited directly, too. Both Stephen and I were quite blond when we were little, so it's only apropos that our little Ruthie is a towheaded adventurer.

We took these photos just around sunset on an overcast day; every now and again some golden light would peek through, generally just enough to warm up Ruthie's face. A breeze kept her hair all crazy and her dress blowing. Best of all, the soft crushed rubber playground surface made for an almost haunting backdrop.

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!

Yesterday, I was making preparations for vegetarian chili mac, and noticed that yet again, the light in my kitchen is probably the most beautiful light in my house. The main preparation area is right by the window, meaning that while cooking, I can gaze into outdoor loveliness. The recent snowstorm meant that all of the sun's light reflected powerfully into my view, and cast beautiful shadows.

The flowers, given to me on my birthday a few days ago, sure help with the ambiance, don't they? Not so long ago, I didn't even know how to cook, let alone cook chili mac! Not to mention my fabulous picky-ness as a child.

Now that I'm cooking for a family, I find myself saying many of the things my mother used to say. "I'm not a short-order cook!" and "If you don't like it, make something yourself!" What goes around comes around, doesn't it?

Originally posted on my studio blog. Subscribe here, or better yet, join the monthly mailing list!