Reminiscing - Self-Portrait September

Last weekend, my husband and I had the opportunity to attend the wedding of a dear friend of mine, Adam. I was so excited to be able to attend, because I thought I might miss it, since we were living in China. Prior to moving to China, I remember sitting at camp, as a counselor, and talking with Adam about his beautiful girlfriend Karson, that he started dating at the end of his Senior year of high school. He was excited that they would be attending the same university and continuing their journey together. Then, the summer after we moved to China, we were home to visit and I worked for a week at camp. I got to reconnect with Adam and he told me how he was sure he would marry Karson and how perfect they were for each other. Because of us being in China and our lack of proximity, I never had the opportunity to meet Karson. I met her for the first time at the wedding, but I felt like I knew her already.

The great part about the wedding was that it was actually held at the campground where I grew up going to camp. I got to reconnect with friends I had not seen for two years or more and I got to visit a place so dear to my heart. Justin and I went for a walk around the campground and down by the Suwannee River. I told him how I love the river, because it is beautiful and because it holds so many memories of mine. Memories of canoeing and being flipped out of my canoe, tubing as a camper and as a counselor trying to stop campers from disappearing on the river, and sneaking down to the river at night to stare at the stars which were always so plentiful.

We decided to do some portraits of me, to get my photography site up and running, and the dock on the Suwannee seemed like a perfect place. The Suwannee River itself holds so many dear memories, but so does the campground there. I went to camp their every summer starting when I was 5 years-old. It holds memories of connection with God, spiritual transformation, and personal growth. I guarantee that I would not be the person I am today without that place in my life. With that being said, I wanted to share a few of the photos I love.

Courtney Bingham - My Sister

Though I did this photo project a while ago now, it is very close to my heart. While I was living in China, my little sister, who is nearly 9 years younger, graduated from high school. For various reasons, I was unable to be home for her graduation, and I kind of missed out on the whole life event. However, she had gotten some Senior photos taken, but my family did not end up ordering them. She never even had a photo taken in her cap and gown. So a whole year later, we decided to do some photos for fun. 

We went out to Riverhills Park in Temple Terrace, FL and did a few pictures with her gown, because her cap was nowhere to be found.

After the "official" graduation photos, that my mom wanted, we decided to have a little fun. I really wanted to catch the nature-loving spirit of my sister in her true Florida habitat. We had a lot of fun playing around. A couple of photos (below) are my favorite from our session.

I am excited to see the future she has in store and to see who she becomes!

The Puckett Family

Back at the end of February, I had the opportunity of doing maternity photos for an awesome couple, Bo and Carine Puckett. I have known them for quite a while now. Carine became my dance teacher when I was in middle school and could barely say my name with her French accent when we met. Over time, we became great friends, I worked for her when she took over the dance studio as director, and she was the Matron of Honor in my wedding.

Because of our relationship, I was so excited to hear she and Bo were pregnant with their long-awaited first child. I got to go with them to a beautiful park and trek through the woods and trails for some fun shots. It was their dream come true for baby Thibaut to come into their lives and they wanted to begin this journey with him letting him know that his dreams can come true. Below are a few of my favorite shots from our time together.

Thibaut Jaxson Puckett was born on March 5, 2015. I look forward to taking photos of him in the future!

My Story

My name is Hillary Blythe Ure, but I go by Blythe, because that is the only name my family has ever called me. I have had a special love for photography since I was little. I wanted to take a camera with me everywhere and take pictures of anything I could. Then, I would drive my mom crazy asking to get my pictures developed. Though, photography has changed quite a bit since I was little, my love for it has not.

I have a degree in Missions and Youth Ministry from Palm Beach Atlantic University. I am married to the love of my life, Justin, who is an audio engineer. My husband and I lived in Shanghai, China for two years and love traveling adventures. I always take my camera along, and I have an ETSY shop of my prints from those adventures. I have had various jobs in schools, have taught dance, and have done many jobs to get by. However, I believe that photography is a way for me to love what I do and never work a day in my life.

I think that photography is a special way to capture a moment in time. Creating a photograph that captures who a person is, inside and out, is my main goal. I am moving forward in this new stage of my life and I am looking forward to sharing my images with you!