Jen Hunt Photography » photography

amy

jen — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:30:02 +0000

here is how i remember it. my hair smelled like chlorine from our morning at the pool and i grabbed a towel on my way to the shower. as i passed the mirror i couldn’t help but be impressed with my new waterproof mascara. not a smudge of black underneath my eyes, nice. i turned on the water and while i waited for it to heat up, reached for my iphone. i thought jay-z’s empire state of mind would be a nice touch to my bathing experience. i turned it up full blast. the water was tepid and i like it to nearly burn my skin so i tapped on my inbox icon. a new message from amy. i was expecting a note from her, one that said the lump she found in her breast was a cyst, a clogged milk duct or some other type of benign mass. but her email had words like cancer, aggressive, invasive, lymph nodes. i reached into the shower and turned the faucet until the water stopped dripping. this can’t be right. she’s 31 and married with an 8 month old baby. jay z kept singing about how the streets of ny would make me feel brand new and i wanted to hop a plane to see if that was true. how can this be so? i mean, she only eats organic food and makes her own granola. i hit delete and hoped that erasing the words was all that it would take to make this news go away. i went to my contact list under favorites and touched her name. ring. ring. ring. ring. hello? it was her and then it was real. it’s stage 3, aggressive breast cancer that has spread into her lymph nodes. she will need chemotherapy, radiation and a double mastectomy. to read more about her story and her unbreakable spirit visit her caring bridge site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amypatwa

she wanted to have a head shaving party to beat chemo to the punch. invite 10 of her closest friends, drink some wine and shave her hair off before she began to find clumps of it on her pillowcase. my amy is brave like that.

i love her because she’s not afraid to invite people in, even to her scariest spaces. because she’s as confident as she is vulnerable. because her face is a masterpiece of freckles. because she finds her true identity in Him. because the way she looks reflects who she is not someone she wishes she could be or someone she thinks she should be. just her. beautiful her.

we had yummy cake made by the sweet and talented tricia at http://somethingsweetcakery.blogspot.com/

her sister, julie, getting her hair sprayed pink

amy made her rounds making sure we were all ok. that's just how she is.

my favorite moment of the night is captured in this next image. a dear friend of amy's began to cry when we were getting ready to start the head shaving. without missing a beat, amy jumped behind her and enveloped her in a big hug, wiping her tears and telling her that it was ok.

we cut her hair with scissors first before we moved on to the razor

her head was so soft that we couldn't keep our hands off of it. consequently, her face was so beautiful that we couldn't keep our eyes off of it either.

after her head was shaved, she opened gifts. new earrings, books, hats and scarves.

i'd covet your prayers for my friend and her husband adam as they enter into what will surely be the most challenging year of their lives. and also for their daughter, charis, who has this to say about cancer:

dear amy, i love you. i think you're the bravest girl i've ever met. you have been given an amazing gift to illuminate a room with your joyful spirit. it's beautiful. there is also beauty in your grief. allow your heart the chance to grieve and breath. hiding it can deprive your heart of air. your heart is beautiful to me. and so is your baldy head. xo, jen

pretty pixie

jen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:49:04 +0000

man handing out candy: ooh, here’s some candy for spiderman, and here’s some for the bumblebee and…

addie: and i’m tinkerbell, but you can call me tink.

oh, how my heart swells toward this outspoken girl with teeth that are perfectly shaped by her left thumb. she has a spacious, beautiful soul. it is stirred by dancing and art, music and nail polish. it has room for all kinds of people and princesses, animals and string cheese. and i like to think there’s a special spot in there where the light is always on and the kisses are unlimited. and it has my name on it.

heather & darren teaser

jen — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:43:20 +0000

i’m trying to catch up on all of my editing/posting and although this post is not coming next, i had to give you a little taste of things to come. we did this nesting (maternity) shoot last night and it seriously rocked my socks off. here’s a peek.

a little commercial work

jen — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:45:39 +0000

so, typically we like to take pictures of :

little people with gummy grins and skinned up knees

beautiful women with dewy skin and little loves growing in their bellies

lovebirds who tangle up in each others arms and steal kisses in between (or preferably during) shots

newborns with skin that’s still peeling and who smell like sunshine

fresh faced brides who clutch their heart at the mere mention of their beloved’s name.

you get what i mean. people who react, respond and tickle the senses. but for some friends, the too cool for school kind, we’ll take pictures of their houses. our friend dave reule and his friend myles gordon own a business called Central Building Group. it’s a custom home builder focused on building sustainable and beautiful homes in charlotte’s best neighborhoods, including plaza-midwood, dilworth and elizabeth. (that last line about the business, totally stolen from their new site.)

this is why i love dave

but if you’re looking to buy or build a home, this is why you might love dave. www.centralbuildinggroup.com

chris took the pictures of the houses and i snapped the ones of his sweetie pie daughter, reese and their dog, bear. go check it out.

my happenings

jen — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:08:38 +0000

so we’re off to beautiful boone, nc to shoot a wedding this weekend and when we get back it will be our turn to stand in front of the camera. my heart has begun to race just typing the words. we’ve been together for 14 years and have never had professional pictures taken. not even at our wedding - but that’s another story for another day. shameful, i know. to say that i am anxious would be an understatement. i just don’t like to have my picture taken. there, i said it. so sad, but oh so true. and if i’m really honest, what it all boils down to is self image. and so i have these conversations with myself that go something like this: why is it that the upper half of my body doesn’t quite match up with my lower half and i photograph all lopsided looking? and i love dad but of all the things i could’ve inherited from him how come i had to get his oversized nose? why couldn’t i have gotten his olive skin that tans when he thinks about the sun or his dark wavy hair instead of this stick straight mousy stuff that could really use a few highlights? and then only by grace, the thoughts come to a screeching halt and i hear whispers of truth. you are My child. (isaiah 43:1), My thoughts toward you are precious. mmmm…..more please. I am for you. (romans 8:31) you are fearfully and wonderfully made (psalm 139:14) heart slows back down and i’m back to my senses. and besides, i’m going to be in the hands of a very talented and capable photographer and in the arms of a very knowing and sexy man and it’s going to be fine. oh, and i’ll also have a bottle of red wine and these babies on my feet.

yes, i should be juuuuuust fine.

jack, beck & nick

jen — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:26:10 +0000

meet this family of five where the boys outnumber the girls. but if you want to hang out with them, you need to lace up your pumas and hit the ground running.

this is jackson claiming that his parents knock knock jokes aren't funny, but that big ol' grin says otherwise

little nick gets his first taste of the southern, fizzy goodness known as sundrop

how cute is beck??

nick, what's wrong? ohhh, you don't want to sit on the truck for a picture. c'mon, you're such a big boy. but jackson is going to sit right beside you. still no? oh, look the nice fireman is giving you a sticker. that doesn't help either? ooh! how about a smarty to eat?

yep, that did it!

awww...brotherly love. makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it?

he’s gangsta, yo

jen — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:37:35 +0000

it's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time

my not-so-guilty little pleasures

jen — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:43:52 +0000

i have many not-so-guilty pleasure including seedy rap music, overpriced lipgloss, all things that smell lavender-y, gilmore girl reruns and sleeping in my clothes. and today at lunchtime chris brought me one of my favorites – a buffalo chicken sandwich with so much hot sauce and bleu cheese that you have to eat it quickly before the bun gets soggy. here’s a peek at my lunch and a few other things that stir up my heart.

i know that buying frilly aprons seems pretty harmless, but considering i don't cook...i should really stop purchasing them.

i love any movie with julia roberts in it, don't judge.

i have a shameless collection of lounge pants, chris calls them my uniforms because i hardly ever take them off.

i'm pretty sure on the 8th day God created mocha frappuccinos

i have a sick collection of of scrapbook goodies. i love the idea of using dreamy papers and stamps to create something beautiful. and one day, i will. in the meantime, i'll collect.

that's it for tonight because i have another not-so-guilty pleasure who's 6'1" with a dimpled grin waiting for me to finish.

it’s personal

jen — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:29:10 +0000

that’s why i love photography, it’s personal. upon minutes from meeting someone i get to jump into their sweet, intimate space and live there for 90 minutes. i get to move in close and pick up their most prized possessions – their babies, the crying kind and the barking kind. i get to ask people that i just met to kiss on demand and most of the time anyways, they comply. i have the best job and the best clients. i got this note from kenny and melanie this afternoon and it left me feeling really encouraged. i love this family, just read below and you’ll see why.

Jen – I just wanted to tell you something… I know Kenny and I have only known you and Chris for 3 hours face to face, but we think you guys are great and might be some of the nicest people we’ve met. I’m telling you this because we read your blog from yesterday. We know that when you are blessed with your first child you guys will be the kindest, most patient, coolest, best parents ever. I know its hard when Heavenly Father’s plans and our plans sometimes don’t coincide. Don’t lose your hope and faith! (I’m sorry if this is too personal.) Just wanted you to know we’re thinking and praying for you. Kenny and Melanie

madison just turned one last weekend and she couldn’t be any cuter

her face in this next picture cracks me up -she loved chris' phone and i love her.

my goodness those are good genes