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225 Photography {the blog}






Welcome to the 225 blog! I'm Amanda - crazy about my husband, our four kids, and photography.  I specialize in maternity, newborn, child, family, and senior photography in and around Baton Rouge. 

My style is clean, simple, and fun.  I believe a portrait session should be fun so expect to laugh, joke and be silly during our time together.  Take a look at recent work here on the blog (you can look at the website too) and if you like what you see, email to schedule your session.  I offer a limited number of sessions each month and am typically booked in advance. 

You can keep up with the latest 225 Photography news by subscribing to the blog by email (scroll all the way down).  And don't forget to join us on Facebook!


apologies :: 4|52

things i don’t apologize for
1. refusing to listen to bad music. the music, the voice, the lyrics, they’re there to transport me, to bring forth emotion so if it doesn’t move me deep down, i don’t listen to it. life is too short to listen to bad music.
2. my obsession with good great books. i refuse to read a badly written book or a book with a weak story line unless i’m on the beach enjoying beach-y type beverages.
3. being a foodie. i realize that among certain people that may be considered snobbish but i love food, i love flavors, and really, it doesn’t take long to throw together a lovely meal with fresh, wholesome ingredients.
4. my utter disdain of horror movies, cover bands, cheap beer, bad drivers, humidity, iceberg lettuce (serious disdain – just ask my husband), pepsi products, bad chocolate.
5. my obsession with all things photography: light, light, light.

things i used to apologize for and don’t anymore
1. thinking too much. every single time my mom and i have a tiff, she huffs and puffs and accuses me of “thinking too much.” seriously, if that is my crime, i’m guilty as charged. guilty, guilty, guilty. there are nights i don’t sleep because i can’t stop thinking. but then i remember that a very sage man named socrates once said that “an unexamined life isn’t worth living” and i don’t feel so bad about all that thinking.
2. rocking the boat. i spent my childhood and teen years being conditioned to not rock the boat, to keep myself small and my feelings under the radar. then i had children and i realized i wanted them to grow and bloom and be the individuals they were meant to be even if that means making waves. so now i make waves and speak up for myself and my children. i might have even capsized the boat on one occasion (or two) and the world didn’t fall apart so i continue on my course, rocking and wave making when needed.
3. not spending time with people i’m supposed to like but don’t.

random thoughts on a thursday | baton rouge lifestyle photographer

I have little bits of news and information so this is going to be a bit of a hodgepodge post, also known as totally random. The first few are personal so if you’d rather not read my personal ramblings, scroll down a bit!

*The Poulette just started reading Beezus and Ramona and fifteen pages in, she looked at me and in the sweetest little voice said, “Mama, I am totally Ramona.” This makes me smile because when I was a girl and reading the same books, I always wished I was more like Ramona instead of the older, more responsible Beezus.

*My little guy smells so darn sweet after his bath! I just had to force myself to put him down and stop the snuggling and inhaling of his sweetness so I can get some work done.

*The Frog Prince just gave me an earful about hissing cockroaches. So gross! His two most interesting facts about them: 1.) they are wingless and 2.) people keep them as pets. Before he’d finishing pronouncing the ’s’ on the word pets I informed him in no uncertain terms that we would not now nor would we ever be keeping winged/wingless/hissing/silent cockroaches as pets. Thankyouverymuch and amen.

*The Red Bean is a horse girl (that is her and Annie in the picture down there) – 100% absolutely bona fide horse girl to the bone. Apparently at her lesson today her wonderful trainer, Taylor (*waves* Hi Taylor!) called the horse the Red Bean was riding a mare. So the Red Bean asked what a mare was and Taylor explained that it was a girl horse and that there were boy horses called stallions and geldings and that stallions could make ponies but geldings could not. Soooooo there we are in Whole Foods and the Red Bean was telling the other kids about this and all three of them turn to look at me and say, “But mama, girls make babies. Not boys. What does she mean a gelding can’t make a pony but a stallion can? Why don’t the girl horses make the ponies?” To which I humbly answered, “Maybe you misunderstood Miss Taylor,” because I WAS NOT having the birds and bees talk in the Whole Foods dairy section. They were relentless. In order to finally shut down the line of questioning and (hopefully) end my embarassment, I sent them to the bakery and told them to each pick out of one of those rather large and overpriced cupcakes. It worked. I LOVE CUPCAKES!

*I would really like to find one more Senior Rep (Class of 2011). If you know a Senior girl that might be interested in being a Senior Rep (details here) please pass the word along and have them get in touch with me ASAP as I’m trying to get all Senior Rep sessions done before the end of April!

*Don’t forget our Spring Forward special! Details here.

*My lab is offering a 25% discount on large Wall Portraits and I’m passing the discount on to you! Contact me for details. Discount expires April 15, 2010.

*Have you subscribed to our newsletter yet? If not, click on over to the 225 Photography Fan Page and subscribe! Subscribers are the first to find out about special offers and giveaways!

*I am considering a doing a regular post here on the blog where I answer your photography related questions. I would love to help each and every one of you learn to take great pictures of your kids (you can do it!) so if you have any questions, feel free to email them my way (amanda@twotwofive.com). Also, if you have any pictures you’ve taken that you feel might benefit from a little editing, email them in. I will edit them, feature them here on the blog, and explain how I edited your photo. Bonus: I’ll email you back your fully edited photo! Start sending in those questions and images!

*I will be announcing a Mother’s Day special very soon! Dad’s – this is the perfect opportunity to surprise mom with a truly one of a kind gift. Mom’s – don’t forget to drop a couple of well placed hints!

*I have been asked a few times if I will travel to Lafayette, New Orleans, or Gulf Shores for a session. Yes! I am more than happy to travel far and wide for a session. If you are interested in scheduling a session outside of the Baton Rouge area and aren’t wild about paying for my travel, get a friend (or a few!) to book a session — if I have several sessions booked at the destination travel charges are minimal.

If you’ve read this far, kudos to you! Wishing everyone a very happy weekend!

books :: 3 | 52

For this week’s list, I offer some of my favorite books. I’m just listing my favorite reads from the last 18 months since an all time favorite book list would be impossibly difficult. These are not listed in any particular order.

1. Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See
2. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
3. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
4. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
5. Life Is A Miracle by Wendell Berry
6. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (I think I read this every year)
7. Independent People by Halldor Laxness
8. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (another I read every year)
9. Ahab’s Wife: Or, The Stargazer: A Novel by Sena Jeter Naslund (another read once a year book)
10. Mandy by Julie Andrews (a Christmas gift from my grandparents when I was about 8. Bought it recently for the red bean to read and she devoured it and raved about it so I read it again – 30 years later, I still love it.)

Have any favorite books you’d like to recommend?

rebecca | baton rouge senior photographer

Last Saturday morning was a Senior session with the lovely Rebecca. She was so very sweet and fun to spend the morning with! After all of our cold, damp weather these last few weeks, Rebecca had an absolutely perfect morning for her Senior pictures. I loved going through these images from Saturday morning because I can see Rebecca go from being a bit nervous about being in front of the camera to being more comfortable and enjoying the process. Rebecca, we captured some really great images – there are many, many more and I’ll get them loaded in your gallery and email your gallery info shortly. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

PS: Don’t forget to become a fan on FB so you can tag and share your images!

spring forward special | baton rouge family photographer

After this weekend’s beautiful weather I am officially ready for Spring and to be outside shooting again! If you’ve been considering a session, now is the perfect time. We have a short Spring here so take advantage and have your session done before it gets too hot. Added bonus: your images will be archived and on hand for easy ordering of Christmas cards once November rolls around!

sunday doings :: 2|52

1. listening to this
2. drowning in laundry
3. struggling to find balance
4. looking forward to strawberries
5. and raspberries too
6. swooning over sweet buds i’m seeing on trees
7. trying to streamline my workflow
8. and failing
9. thinking about the perfect day
10. listening to the poulette sing her heart out (it’s a taylor swift song i think)
11. contemplating a pedicure
12. trying to feel thankful for the quiet, still moments rather than always wishing they lasted longer
13. struggling to find balance
14. and failing
15. loving the laziness of a pajama day

What was the best part of your Sunday?

38 before 39

I was recently told that I needed to share some of my pictures from my 365 project here on the blog and that my more personal posts were missed. Duly noted. To kick it off I’m offering you my latest list. This is big people because I love making lists so I’ll try to pop in once a week or so with a recent photo from my 365 project and one of my lists. Sound good?

To start, my 38 before 39 list. Wednesday was my birthday so I made my annual list of things I want to do before my next birthday. Let me be honest and say I’ve never done every single thing on my birthday list but it’s a ritual I enjoy so I stick with it. Here goes:

1. photograph a birth
2. make 52 lists
3. buy a brightly colored coat
4. make a living room fort with the kids
5. collaborate with another photographer or writer on a project
6. drag out the polaroid and shoot with it
7. shoot 6 rolls of film
8. take the wee royalty to the beach (the real beach, not a la or ms beach ifyouknowwhatimean)
9. photograph my kids with my grandparents
10. make the quintessential summer afternoon mix for a summer afternoon bbq
11. find a photobooth and take pics with M and the wee royalty
12. do a better job of keeping track of all the magical thinking the wee royalty does
13. have my photos made into postcards
14. orchestrate something awesome
15. get a bike (preferably with a basket)
16. take the red bean roller skating
17. meet a blog friend in real life
18. go home just to photograph the sky
19. begin work on a personal photography project
20. new house
21. swim in the atlantic ocean
22. read 12 books: 3 new (to me) writers, 3 classics (one must be by an american author)
23. visit the flea market
24. go to the farmer’s market
25. ride a roller coaster
26. get 7 hours sleep a night
27. ignore feelings of inadequacy
28. renew my passport
29. learn to let it all go
30. have a meaningful conversation with a stranger
31. fly a kite with the wee royalty
32. share a dipped cone with M
33. bowling with the family
34. find a local friend that encourages and inspires
35. be a guerilla artist(this is for you Meg!)
36. movie night with M once a week
37. wear my red shoes more
38. frame the kid’s art

And from my 365 project, proof that spring is indeed coming. Have a great weekend – I’ll be back this week with a sneak peek from a senior session, another FAQ post, and a list!

what to wear {children} | baton rouge child photographer

What should we wear? I get this question with every single session I book. I’ve been working on a guide to help clients figure out the what to wear to dilemma and it is almost ready. In the meantime, I was doing a little shopping at Boden (one of my fave places to shop) and I saw these adorable outfits for children and thought they’d be perfect for a Spring session. My kids love getting the Mini Boden catalog in the mail almost as much as I love getting my Boden catalog in the mail! You can see all of the outfits featured below and many more at Mini Boden.

PS: Don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook — you’ll be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials!

chrissy | baton rouge maternity photographer

This is probably my favorite maternity session to date. We did the session in her house and I always love shooting in client’s homes. Add to that a mama that was up for just about anything and you get some beautiful maternity shots.

I really, really wanted to capture just how beautiful Chrissy is because she never fails to make me feel beautiful. See, Chrissy is my hairdresser and every six weeks she cuts my hair and I walk out of the salon feeling beautiful. Needless to say, I wanted to return the favor and capture her beauty, maternal glow and all. Chrissy, hope you enjoy just the smallest of sneak peeks — I’ll be emailing your gallery info pronto.

an open letter

For anyone that has ever had to sit down and write about themselves and what you do, you know it is hard work. So I’d like to thank the person who used my words on their website. Thank you for validating my work! I am so glad that you deemed my work worthy enough to steal and then pass off as your own. However the fact that you stole the text from my about section and used it on your site without changing a single word or punctuation point means you get zero points for creativity. Then there is the content you took from a personal post here on my blog and used on yours. Your actions speak volumes about your lack of ethics, integrity and again, your lack of creativity. I would think that as a photographer you would understand and respect the importance of copyright as well as the work of others. Apparently, I give you too much credit. I am aware that nothing is truly original and that it is through others that we find inspiration. However outright copying isn’t inspiration, it’s plagiarism and it’s stealing. If you need help writing about yourself, may I suggest you ask those who know you best for input? Your bio is about you and it should be an accurate reflection of you and your style, not me.

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