I feel as though lately I come to my desk to write, and my mind goes blank. Consequently, I’ll put writing on my to-do list, and avoid it all day because I worry I won’t find the words to flow. I sense struggle. I fear the blankness.

As an artist, my work takes many forms. Writing is one of them. I have always been a writer. From the time I was young I would dive into piles of books in my bedroom and not dig myself out for hours. My mother would wonder where I was; I would be soaking in sentence after sentence and formulating a writing style of my own. My writings are all over countless notebooks, journals, post-it’s, book margins, bar napkins and word docs. I have been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. And as long as I can remember, this form of self expression has been a beautiful outlet for self exploration. I have lost myself in writing. Found myself. And discovered new parts of myself I could have never seen before I wrote it down…

So to take this extension of myself and apply it to my business, has been an exciting and daunting challenge. There are fantastically successful photographers who don’t write at all. Then there are some photographers who are ridiculously successful because of their writing. Somewhere in between sounds good to me. But, this blankness still comes back to loom. This struggle keeps slipping itself around. The flow continues to get flustered.

A beautiful writer quoted Jorge Luis Borges recently when he said, ‘writing is nothing more than a guided dream.’ So I’ll continue dreaming for now, with hope that my guidance develops in wisdom as I continue to create words, create with words and word my creations.

Today though, I think I’ll just go shoot.

orange portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

thanks to my awesome assistant and intern, Aubrey, for this killer shot. your vision inspires me.

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  • May 5, 2011 - 10:27 am

    Liz H. - Can I add this to my collection of “portraits of Jackie” that I need? Beautiful!

  • May 11, 2011 - 4:44 pm

    b-ran - looks like youve found another “profile pic” but of course, you LOVE your current one… but i LOVE this shot. like a lioness hiding in the fields ready to pounce! get em tiger…er….lioness.

Danielle and Ryan are one of those long distance couples that makes you believe in the phrase, ‘love conquers all.’

Ever since my first long-distance relationship ended (and the fact that I was 16 had NOTHING to do with it, I swear), I haven’t been a believer in the long distance thing. Then I saw Road Trip and heard the boys say ‘if you’re not in the same zip code, it’s totally not cheating,’ and all my bets were off. It’s just hard, man. It’s hard to be miles and miles away from the one you love. I’m not interested.

But then I met Danielle and Ryan. I spent a super fun hour with them and their dogs and knew they had something special. And then I started stalking their blogs and learned more about their story and now I know this couple’s the real thing. They’re love is legit.

Ryan is in his third season of minor league baseball for the Toronto Blue Jay organization, living across the country from his beautiful fiance, Danielle. Now, my brother played minor league ball so I know the inside scoop on that lifestyle and it’s not an easy gig. Mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, relationship-ally…it’s a tough road.

But Ryan and Danielle have something stronger than huge dirt mounds and rocky roads. Danielle is 100% supportive of Ryan and his dream. She encourages him and pushes him to be better, even though he’s chasing his dream 2500 miles away from her. One day they’ll live together and have the happy life as one that they’re meant to have. They know times can be tough but tough times come and go. They’re committed to one another and will stand up to the tests of time, miles, jobs, constant change and anything else. Their love will conquer all; their love is for all time.

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

orange engagement portraits www.lovatoimages.comPINME

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  • May 4, 2011 - 8:21 am

    dlauren - <3 jackie.

  • May 4, 2011 - 8:41 am

    Garrett - Cute story! On a serious note, however, please don’t take life lessons out of Tom Green movies.

  • May 4, 2011 - 1:22 pm

    layceelemons - beautiful stuff lady. as always you are such a talent!
    The one of the dog super close up in the camera reminded me of a pic that you took like that of Seth!
    LL

  • May 4, 2011 - 4:25 pm

    Amy - An ADORABLE couple!!! Good Luck!!!

  • May 30, 2011 - 11:50 pm

    Rooz - those dogs are soooooo cute!

Robb Davidson is a stand up guy. Robb Davidson is the give-you-the-shirt-off-his-back type of guy. Robb Davidson is awesome. Robb Davidson is real. Robb Davidson understands that life is all about helping others. His light shines bright from deep within and he shares it as much as he can.

He’s the type of guy to drop whatever he’s doing to answer a call because he thinks you might need his help. He’s the type of guy that offers to lend you his laptop because he’s not using it and knows you need it. He’s the type of guy to take the sunglasses off his face to give you because he notices you’re squinting. He’s the type of guy that travels 20 minutes out of his way to pick up an inexperienced African refugee to pay him to assist on a shoot because he knows the guy needs work…and a chance.

It’s people like Robb that make me believe in The Good. It’s people like Robb that make me think this world really is a good place.

Robb and his almost as equally awesome roommate Brady put me up this weekend while I was in Chi-town area to shoot a wedding and I’m super thankful. Thankful for the super kind hospitality. But mostly thankful that I know such a straight up, honest, kind, genuine human being like Robb.

Keep tabs on him. His humor and personality are hilarious. Put him on your radar. His work is outstanding. Follow him. His positive energy is unceasingly contagious. More of us should be more like him.

lifestyle photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

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If they say the eyes are the window to the soul, then a portrait has got to be a whole chapter on it.

I personally take portraits because they expose me to parts of life experiences I would have otherwise never seen. I take portraits because they open me to a human connection I would have otherwise never shared. I take portraits because they teach me about people and their stories in ways I would have otherwise never understood.

A good portrait tells us about life. A portrait shows us life. A portrait peels back layers of our thick skin and picks at our crumbling walls. A good portrait breaks down barriers and reveals details of our stories that would have otherwise never been written.

For some reason, when I travel and shoot portraits, they hit me harder. The impact runs deeper. Perhaps it’s because of the different culture and side life that I am able to see. Perhaps it’s the language barrier that blocks so much, that I’m able to understand and appreciate the nonverbal communication so much more. Or perhaps it’s the foreign stories that I’ve never heard that I’m able to see so clearly through the eyes of my exotic subjects. Whatever it is, these portraits move me…more than any novel could.

All shot in Nicaragua, March, 2011.

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

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  • April 29, 2011 - 4:48 pm

    Bran - Puede sacar un foto?
    All the different colors…all the different people… but all the same warmth and love.
    Gorgeous shots, fabulous memories!

  • April 29, 2011 - 7:42 pm

    kym - love the man in the LA Fire Dept shirt! beautiful portraits that capture the essence of each person. Great job!

  • April 30, 2011 - 7:29 am

    Jackie - thanks Bran and Kym!

Last week I flew with my family to Boise, Idaho to meet up with the full Lovato clan for the fabulous wedding celebration of my gorgeous cousin Courtney and her now husband, Mr. Stephen Raney. I was honored with the task of shooting the wedding, so I got to fully experience the wedding with Courtney and Stephen and to say it was a beautiful celebration would be an understatement.

Tomorrow I leave for Chicago to shoot another wedding this coming weekend, so all of you who have been or will be emailing and calling, I appreciate your patience as my responses aren’t as prompt as usual. I’m away from a computer most of this week and tied up with lots of tasks/appointments/shoots, so I’ll get back to you asap!

For now, for your eye feasting pleasure, a quick portrait of The Most Interesting Lovato in the World: my unbelievably awesome Uncle Chris. Stay thirsty, my friends.

destination wedding photography www.lovatoimages.comPINME

shot in Boise, ID, Apr. 23, 2011

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