FLASH Summer Minis! | Specials

Happy Wednesday beautiful people :)

As mentioned on Friday, this week I would be holding a FLASH Summer Mini Special!

Subscribers to the mailing list got exclusive access to book beginning on Monday, and as a result, no slots remain! I even added an additional 5th session, but that was booked too!

No worries if you didn't get one- Fall Minis are right around the corner (booking will begin late September) and you DON'T want to miss those!

For full details please visit: http://www.dfinneyphoto.co/specials

A dedicated page where you can find full details for the current and upcoming specials!

The pricing and package for the Fall Minis will be the same, so save up your coins (and sign up for the mailing list) if you'd like to snag one, because those go super fast!

That's it for today! 

Tomorrow? I have a Throwback Thursday post in the works :)

See you then ♥

-Danni

Back on the Road? | Travel Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! 

Just popping in with a small update- I'm heading back on the road (kinda) lol.

The "kinda" is because I don't have a list of cities and dates to share like I have the previous two years, but for good reason- I'm learning to be reasonable with what I can and cannot handle. So my travel update is for one city: Brooklyn, NY.

I've had many requests for NY sessions, and since it's not too far, I figured it would be the perfect city to ease back into this travel thing :) I CAN say, though, that I am incredibly thankful for my wonderful NY/NJ clients that made the trip down to DC while I wasn't traveling this year- and every year, really! This year though? There were at least 5 of you!

I really appreciate you. 

I'm still very much learning to manage my mental health, but paring down my schedule has definitely been helpful so I think I'm ready to get to work for my beautiful Brooklyn folks :) This time, my lovely makeup artist, Denyelle (whose work you see in 97% of my photos) will be with me, so you'll get to work with both of us!

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I have the following dates available and they will be booked on a first come, first serve basis:

Tuesday, October 18
Photo Sessions [pricing viewable here]
When I travel, I make minis available, so no worries if you aren't a previous client, you can book a mini if you'd like :) If you are interested in a standard lifestyle or business session, please email me and we can discuss scheduling.

Wednesday, October 19
Group Mentoring: Session 101 [pricing viewable here]

Thursday, October 20
Group Mentoring: Session 102 [pricing viewable here]

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If you're interested in snagging a seat to one of the mentor sessions OR would like a photo session, please email me ASAP! I have very limited availability so once my slots are filled I won't be able to accommodate any additional sessions.

I'm pretty excited about visiting NY in my favorite season- FALL! So I look forward to working with all of my fab clients and creating beautiful images with you ❤

-Danni

August Articles | Mental Health Monday

Good Monday morning to you loves 💚 Welcome to... wait. My goodness... how is... it... August?!

I started writing this and was about to say welcome to a new week, but nope! It's a whole new MONTH! This year is certainly flying by and I'm not even mad. It hasn't been the best one for me, so each day, week, and month that passes by, I'm just thankful to be here.

Which brings me to today's post! I think I'm going to start doing at least one "Mental Health Monday" post a month. So far I'm 2 for 2 so we'll see how long I can keep this up :)

Today I wanted to share some recent articles I've come across that have been super helpful to me, in the hopes that you may find them comforting or enlightening as well...

Every time I read an article that expresses things I've felt/feel, but haven't quite been able to put into words, it brings a sense of relief- to finally have those feelings articulated, to know that I'm not alone, and to once again be reminded that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. We are all struggling, and it always helps to know you're not in this alone.

I am thankful for these beautiful souls who have bared their feelings and allowed themselves to be vulnerable in a way that connects them to others dealing with the same struggles 💚 

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Does That Make Me Crazy? Living With Bipolar II

"Living with a mental illness is a study in survival. Every day, every emotion is questioned. What is this? Am I happy or am I starting to head towards mania? Is this an honest sadness or is my brain breaking again? Why is it breaking now? What is so different now than yesterday? Why me? Why this?”

I've talked before about my deep appreciation for Bassey, and today is no different. My bipolar diagnosis is still not one I'm used to claiming, let alone understanding. But it plays such a huge role in my moods, my decision making, and my overall way of approaching life, so the more I learn about it, the more I learn about me. Reading Bassey's writing always feels so familiar because I can relate to a lot of what she speaks about, but she is able to articulate it far better than I could have.

6 Things People With Mental Illness Might Be Scared To Admit

"Sometimes I try to dismantle my own happiness because I don’t feel worthy or good enough – like I can’t live up to the expectations of being healthy – and it feels easier to relapse and let things fall apart with no room to disappoint myself or anyone else."

This was a painfully honest read, but Sam nails every single one of these. That first one? Hit me like a ton of bricks. I know I've felt this way (and can see it in some of my life decisions), but to see it articulated this way was really tough. It made me realize that, every day, I have to challenge the lies that my brain says are facts. Although I can't relate fully to each of these 6 things, I sincerely appreciate his candidness in sharing this list and his personal experiences along the way. 

To Those Who Are Exhausted From Living With a Mental Illness

"One aspect of living with a mental illness very few people talk about is the exhaustion you feel after completing simple day-to-day activities. Just getting out of bed is sometimes the hardest thing to overcome. Then, you have to complete simple tasks like brushing your teeth, changing your clothes... All the while, you are fighting your gut instinct to simply crawl back into bed and be done with the whole process."

^ THIS. THIS. THIS. ^

This is one of the toughest things about depression. EVERYTHING is exhausting. Existing is exhausting. Not living... just existing. It takes so.much.energy to do the most basic things. On top of that, your brain STILL criticizes you for not being productive- knowing it doesn't even have the energy to do so. It's a vicious cycle. One that I'm learning to manage. But some days? Some days, simply making it through the day is the achievement itself.

The One Thing I Will Never Get Used to as a Person With Depression

"Stop letting people tell you to choose happiness. The darkness in your mind isn’t wired to an on/off switch you can control. I know that isn’t always the case. But today, even if you aren’t smiling, you are living. Keep making that choice."

I have no doubt that positive thinking helps. I know it does. But when something is broken, you can't simply tell the thing to start working again. That's how it feels when people give you that "well-meaning" advice. Sometimes, a little more than that is needed. 

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As I've mentioned in previous posts, since deciding to share my diagnoses, my goal has been to keep the conversation on mental health going and do my part to break the stigma surrounding mental illness. That's where posts like these come in.

My hope is that even if you are not personally dealing with a mental illness yourself, maybe these articles will help you to understand what it is like and to be a bit more empathetic to your family members, friends, co-workers, classmates, associates, etc who ARE coping with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or any other mental illness.

We could all use a little more kindness 💚 

Did you appreciate any of these articles? I'd love to hear what you thought about them as well!

I hope you have a beautiful Monday and first day of August.

-Danni

HennaSooq | Washington, DC Business Photographer

Happy Tuesday beautiful people 💚 

Since I'm behind on sharing my recent photos, I've decided that I'm not going to try to blog them in order lol. I will share them little by little and try to align the sessions with the seasons (except for the mentoring recaps- gotta keep those in order!).

Today? I have some goooorgeous photos to share with you!

Recently, I worked with Khadija of HennaSooq to bring to life an idea of hers- combining natural hair, henna, and natural light photography!

We had to reschedule the initial date but it worked out perfectly as that day turned out to be a rainy one and the weather the day of our shoot was beautiful! It was very windy, but it actually ended up working out well as a nice "fan" for the photos :) 

Our models Alexis, Denise, and Lara were absolutely perfect! Hair and makeup were cared for by Denyelle and her awesome assistant Ellis, the henna was by Khadija of course, and I stepped in and put on my styling cap to care for the wardrobe :) This was a true team effort and the results were absolutely wonderful!

Check it out!

If you’re interested in booking a business session for updated brand imagery, and would like to have the DFinney Experience yourself, email me and schedule yours today! Currently booking: August and September 2016.

DC 102 Group Session [December 5] | Washington, DC Photography Instructor

Next up? The 102 session from the same weekend! 

The next day for our business session was a bit warmer, which made our outside photo session much easier :)

I had a great time with Erika and Cara as we went over how they can best revise their websites, pricing, improve their portfolios, market themselves effectively, streamline their workflow, and so much more!

There are no photos of that part of course, but here are the photos from their headshot session! 

What did the attendees think of the session? Hear from one directly on her DFinney Mentoring experience:

"I enjoyed my mentoring session immensely! I considered it an epic two day event. Danielle makes you feel comfortable right away. Her teaching style fosters an environment which makes it comfortable to ask questions and try new things. I feel like I have been given tools to move forward with my craft. Thank you for a wonderful experience!"
-Cara H

Thank you so much Cara! I had a ball working with you for these two days and I'm so happy with how beautifully your work has been progressing!

If you would like to have the DFinney Experience yourself and participate in the next group mentor session, check out full details here! Travel dates are currently on hold, but I am still holding sessions here in DC. Interested? Email me today if you’re interested in attending the next group session on September 16 or scheduling your own one-on-one session!