Phoenix Wedding Photographer Julie Branyan

While we were in California, my husband celebrated his twenty-sixth birthday.  We celebrated by laying by the beach and then enjoying red velvet cupcakes. Josh is an all american guy, so his restaurant of choice was Joe’s crab shack. After our wonderful dinner we walked the beach together. Perfect evening.

Also, I’ve finally caught up with technology. My store on etsy is located at

Etsy Buy Handmade jules0188

You can also become my facebook fan at:

Finally, I sold out and I now have twitter. I’ve been debating for a long time and I guess since all the cool kids are doing it I should follow.

Now for the photos!

 

Yum… red velvet cupcake

 

My Aunt Betty and Uncle Bill patiently waiting for me to finish taking photos. My Aunt was bundled up in a blanket to keep warm.

 

That bird is showing off standing on one leg.

Palm tree goodness….

Ok, since starting a blog, I’ve struggled with what to write about myself. I personally think my life is rather boring, similar to an old lady stuck in a 25 year old body. I know this is so six months ago, but I decided to make a post so people can get to know me. So here it is in all its glory:

25 Things About Me

25. I love to make my husband laugh. My favorite thing to do is make up crazy dance moves to accomplish this. I have no rhythm so I look super cool.

24. I love salt. If I could have salt on everything I would. I even eat salt on watermelon (it is delicious no matter what you think)

23. This kind of relates to the salt thing, but I have a pickle obsession. When I was a kid I used to make picklesicles, which is a popsicle made of pickle juice.

22. I love gummy bears. They are the best candy of all time. I would pick gummy over chocolate (I know, I have issues)

21. Nap time is my favorite (you thought this one was going to be about food)

20. I drink about 8 cups of tea a day. It is a slight obsession, but it is healthy. Right?

19. I’m always cold. I carry a blanket around with me at all times, kind of like Linus from Charlie Brown.

18. My husband and I met in England while studying abroad (no he is not British). It was love at fifth site for him and I made him chase me for three months.

17. I’m from Texas, which might be part of the reason for the pickle thing. When I’m home I always have a pickle at the movies. It is delicious.

16. I’m a horrible speller. If it wasn’t for spell check this blog wouldn’t exist.

15. Fall and Summer are my favorite time of the year. Fall because the leaves are changing and pumpkins. Summer because I can lay by the pool.

14. My favorite place is Salzberg, Austria. This is the one place where I could live forever.

13. We love movies. It is what brought us together. It is funny because we both look at how directors set up their shots.

12. I miss my mom every day of my life. My mom was diagnosed with ALS when I was six. She passed away 9 months after being diagnosed.

11. I hate the feeling and sound of styrofoam. I’m cringing just thinking about it.

10. I eventually want to live by the beach or the mountains. They are both so peaceful and beautiful.

9. I make amazing salsa.

8. I’m afraid of jellyfish. I don’t want to be stung by those creepy looking things!

7. My favorite midnight snack is 2 pieces of turkey, kalamata olives, pickles, and banana peppers (yes, I’m weird).

6.  80s music is awesome. My husband and I bonded in England when we would go to 80s dance night. (yes, we are the dorks!)

5. I hate having pictures taken of me. There are very few that exist. My goal is to get better about this. I didn’t even have senior photos taken!

4. A perfect evening would be sitting outside with a glass of wine with the hubby.

3. I have this innate desire to help people. I hope one day to be able to collaborate with a non-profit organization to document their work. It would be an experience to get me out of my comfort zone.

2. I do not like the feeling of water on my face. I’m not sure where this started, but it is a little quirk I have.

1. My favorite place to be is with my husband. Every day is an adventure and he supports me in every endevor. He is the peanut butter to my jelly sandwich.

I learned to express myself through photography. I could show if I was happy, sad, angry, or goofy, but it is super subjective. I’m always interested in what photos catch people’s eyes. I wonder what influences people to like what they like. Does it have to do with their surroundings, relationships, experiences…

Looking back I realize I was an art snob. In the beginning I had no desire to take pictures of people. I never thought I would enjoy it., but since then I’ve discovered that it’s one of the most challenging and rewarding opportunities I’ve ever had. It opens up a whole new world.

The last month was very busy. Last week was particularly stressful. Too many things were going on at once. So on Sunday, while Josh was napping (it’s amazing I skipped nap time, very unJulie), I sat at my computer and edited my art. After about two hours I felt liberated.

Photography is my outlet. I realize when I lose my creative outlet I lose a little of myself.

My good friend who lives in Japan sent me a quote last week that gave me some clarity. It is “There is no right or wrong. Life is just a path…you follow your heart, and it’ll take you where you’re supposed to go.”