PYP Portraits, LLC.: Blog

Becoming A Homeowner.

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:18:36 GMT

When I reflect back on the year of 2021, I am grateful for everything that I was able to accomplish. As a single mother of 6, at the age of 38, I am now officially a homeowner. I was able to do it while working 3 jobs, 2 of them full time, and running my photography business. I did it on my own even though I had my best friend by my side. 2 years ago, I would've told myself that it was impossible but somehow within that time and with the support of my best friend, I shifted my focus and became focused on my goal. I was done with excuses.

My house hunting journey started in late August of 2020. We looked at over 50 houses. In September of 2020, I went under contract on a house. After 4 months, $1000 spent, And 2 denials, I was back to square one. There were at least 4 different houses that I had put an offer on. Even though each of them had different things I loved about them, those houses turned out not to be intended for me.

Even though I was anxious and eager to to find a house, I knew that I had to be patient for the right one to come my way. Fast forward to a year later, in late July/early August of 2021, the realtor, Jenny Hale, who I had used in the process of trying to get the first house reached out to me. She told me that she had found a house for sale right next door to the 1st house that I had put an offer on.

After going to look at it I knew that I wanted to try to put an offer on it. The closing process was a difficult one with my closing date being pushed back multiple times. My seller and I had multiple disagreements. I was so frustrated that I wanted to withdraw my offer a number of times and give up. I'm glad that I stuck it out until the end.

On October 14th 2021, I walked into closing with a cashier's check for my down payment. I have a sense of pride in knowing that I didn't have to borrow any of it from anyone. I had my four year old daughter, Treasure with me. Even though she didn't understand what was going on, I am so grateful that she was with me.

I took my camera with me to be able to capture this memorable milestone in my life. I am so proud to say that Treasure was able to take a few pictures of me using my camera while we waited for my realtor to resolve a last minute problem. Treasure will never know just how much I cherish those memories.

I had decided after putting in my offer on the house that I would not tell the kids about it because I didn't want them to be disappointed again. After closing, I decided to keep it a secret and remodeled the entire house with the help of a lot of people. It took about 2 months to do. Even though I'm still not completely finished, I surprised the kids on December 7th 2021.

I feel as if this house was meant to be because I found out that the lock for the new home could be unlocked by my parent's home key. Somehow, the same key that I had been using for years while I stayed at my parent's house could also unlock my new home! That to me was more than just a coincidence and let me know that everything happened for a reason and at just the right season in my life. I am looking forward to what I will conquer in the years to come.

Bringing Home The Awards!

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 11:10:32 GMT

On April 10th-April 11th, The Professional Photographers Of Louisiana held its annual Spring Competition in Alexandria, LA at The Historic Bentley Hotel. It was another fantastic event that was filled with so much, fun, education, and excitement. There were several amazing workshops that were put together by some great Master Photographers. What I love about these events are that they give everyone the opportunity to practice what they are teaching hands on. I highly recommend that anyone in the state of Louisiana who has an interest in photography or is thinking about doing it as a profession to join this amazing organization. Throughout the year, they put on several other fun-filled educational events.

At The beginning of the seminar, a print competition always takes place. All of the members of PPLA get the opportunity to participate by submitting prints to be judged by Master Photographers. Master Photographers are photographers who have years in the business; they have also entered competitions and won numerous awards for their work.This is a great opportunity to learn a lot even if you don’t submit any images because you get to watch them critique all of the images to see what was wrong and right about the images.

This year, I was able to enter a full case of images into the Print Competition. A full case includes 6 images to be judged in the competition. Of my 6 images submitted, 3 of them were scored high enough to be Deserving Of A Merit and another one scored in the Excellent category! I also have one that was awarded First Place and The Judges Choice Award. Winning the JCA means that out of all of the 81 images that were submitted, mine was the favorite one in the Judge’s opinion! I am so honored and excited to have come home with a total of 5 awards for my images.

I am looking forward to our Annual State Convention (Southern Pro Xposure) in July where I will get the opportunity to submit my images again and win some more awards!

Shown below are the prints listed with their respective scores and awards.

Coming Out Of My Shell Scored 86 putting it in The Excellent Category.

One Leg Up scored an 83 making it Deserving Of A Merit. It was also awarded First Place, The Judges Choice Award, and a Distinguished Print Award.

There’s No Place To Go scored an 82 making it Deserving Of A Merit. It was awarded with a Distinguished Print Award.

Depths Of My Heart scored an making it Deserving Of A Merit. It was awarded with A Distinguished Print Award.

Intensity OF Innocence scored a 78 putting it in Above Average category.

In The Heat Of The Night scored a 78 putting it in the Above Average category.

The Miracle of Life

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 22:13:27 GMT

While being pregnant can be a sometimes be a trying and oftentimes uncomfortable experience, there are moments when being pregnant feels so magical and thrilling that we never want it to end. It is a period of mixed emotions including joy, anxiousness, excitement, love, and longing. The feeling of carrying a little soul within you is magnificent. An expectant mother feels blessed because she knows that God trusted a her to grow a precious life inside of her. As the baby moves around in the womb, the mother wonders what he or she will be like. She longs for the day that her bundle of joy is finally in her arms. One thing she always knows for sure is that this baby will be loved unconditionally.

Anne Buchanan describes it well: “To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and distressingly inhabited. Soul and spirit are stretched – along with body – making pregnancy a time of transition, growth, and profound beginnings.”

I have experienced this miracle myself a total of 5 times. I wake up everyday knowing just how blessed I am to have my five children. Because of this, it brings me joy to capture the beauty of other expectant mothers who are glowing and growing with the miracle of life inside them.

Taylor is a former client of mine who was expecting her first child. I am so glad that I was able to capture the beginning of her journey as a mother. Below are some portaits from her session.

Mr. & Mrs. Cornell Young

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 15:24:30 GMT

I know. I have been away from blogging for far too long. Today is the perfect day to get back into it. March 21, 2015 was the day that this amazing couple celebrated their love for each other and pledged to God to always love one another. It’s been a year to the date that this wonderful couple exchanged vows and became one. I am honored that they chose me to capture their precious memories on their special day. It was a beautiful, football themed wedding ceremony. Everyone could feel and see their love for one another.

This couple truly scored a Touchdown of Love!

Over the year, I have come to know more about this couple. Sandra is a special, beautiful lady who I now consider a friend. It’s not everyday that photographers are blessed with great clients. They were patient with me when I had another job that took up the majority of my time and left me with only a little time to dedicate to my photography. I’m looking forward to one day soon seeing them again and doing a family session.

The portraits below are a few of my favorites from their special day.

Happy Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Young!

May God continue blessing your union for many days to come!

My Sister Married Her Soulmate.

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:43:38 GMT

It was such a joy to photograph my baby sister marrying the man God designed for her. They have known each other for years as friends and were brought together spiritually by God’s timing.

I’ve photographed a number of weddings over my career and on occasion, I see a love that is pure and shines through so brightly. As you can see from the photos below and on the video that I designed, their love is strong and will keep them together for many years to come.

At The Altar.

Praying For God To Bless Their Union.

Junior Groom

Junior Bride

Exchanging The Vows.

Praying.

Sealed With A Kiss…

Getting Ready To Jump The Broom.

Bridal

The Bride & Her Girls.

Cutting The Cake.

Catching The Bouquet.

The Groom & His New Brothers.

Love

Before The Honeymoon.

The Video Is Below, If It Does Not Load Click The Link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTTLkHm538E

Mr. & Mrs. Lear

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 17:34:13 GMT

A little while ago, I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful wedding. The bride was a beautiful woman who I knew as my brother’s classmate, and we stayed in touch on Facebook. She followed my photography and liked what she saw. I was thrilled when she contacted me to photograph her wedding. It’s always so nice to be the person chosen to be responsible for creating special portraits and capturing the memories that 2 people share that will last for generations to come.

The chemistry between the bride and groom could be seen by everyone in attendance. It was very plain to see just how much these two were in love. Here are a few of my favorites from their day.

Here is a video of their wedding:

My Amazing Family

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 20:50:37 GMT

My Family; My World.

As a single mother who is also trying to balance running a photography business and raising my kids, things can get a little hectic most of the time. I have to maintain a balance because there are times when I feel as though my kids don’t get enough quality time with me. Even though I am at home with them most of the time, I spend a lot of my time, editing pictures, updating my website and all of my social media accounts, and checking emails and responding to clients. to try to stay current.

I take beautiful portraits of other people all of the time and have been slacking on my own gorgeous family. It’s been about 2 years since I gathered my family together for a family portrait and now we have a new addition in my family since the last photos; my youngest daughter, who is seventeen months old. I always have in my mind the urge to do it, but time keeps me from accomplishing it. I just know that everything I do, I do it for them. I want them to know that they can accomplish anything that they set their minds to no matte what the situation.

I finally made the time a few days ago to take my family’s pictures. The task of taking my own family’s photos is a hard one; especially considering how young my little ones are. I feel as though it is so much easier to take pictures of other people and their families and that it is so much harder with my own.

Below are a few of them for your viewing pleasure. Keep in mind, that in tackling this task by myself, I had to set my camera on a tripod, use a remote, and try to direct my kids into the shots. I know that these images aren’t technically perfect because I can spot just about everything wrong with them according to the rules. But to me they are just right. I love my little ones with all my heart. They are the ones who inspire me everyday to do what I do and keep getting better at it.

My 5 Amazing Kids.

My Handsome Sons

My Beautiful Daughters .

Me & My Girls.

Justine Gallien, owner of PYP Portraits, LLC., Is Officially An Award Winning Photographer!!

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:02:47 GMT

On July 27, 2014, The Professional Photographers Of Louisiana held its annual Print Competition. This is an event where many professional photographers from around the state of Louisiana enter photographs that were taken by themselves to be scored by a panel of 5 or 6 judges who are all Master Photographers from around the United States.

This year was my first year competing. I was able to submit 6 images to be judged by the panel. I am very pleased and excited to announce that 5 out of the 6 images that I entered were chosen to be accepted for the honor exhibition at The 65th Annual Convention ~ Southern Pro Xposure! 3 out of the 6 were also high enough to receive the Court of Honor, which is a merit by the Professional Photographers of Louisiana!!

The best news of all is that one of my images entitled, “What are YOU Looking At?” won the 2014 People’s Choice Award!!!

I am pictured above with both the President of the Professional Photographers of Louisiana’s President, Karla Byron,

and also the Professional Photographer’s of America’s President, Susan Michal.

Pictured above holding my plaque which reads :

Professional Photographers Of Louisiana, Inc.

2014 People’s Choice

Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Elsas Award

“What Are You Looking At”

Justine Gallien

State Convention

“What Are You Looking At?”

Received a Score of 81, and was accepted for the honor exhibition at

The 65th Annual Convention ~ Southern Pro Xposure,

& was also chosen for The 2014 People’s Choice Award.

“Glow In The Dark”

Received A Score of 80, which is A Court Of Honor Merit

and was accepted for the honor exhibition at

The 65th Annual Convention ~ Southern Pro Xposure.

“Striking A Pose“

Received A Score of 82, which is A Court Of Honor Merit, and was accepted for the honor exhibition at

The 65th Annual Convention ~ Southern Pro Xposure.

“Commanding”

Received A Score of 78, and was accepted for the honor exhibition at

The 65th Annual Convention ~ Southern Pro Xposure

“Essence Of Love”

Received A Score of 78, and was accepted for the honor exhibition at

The 65th Annual Convention ~ Southern Pro Xposure

I am looking forward to next year’s convention so I can win even more awards! I highly recommend this organization to anyone who is a photographer or aspiring to be one. Without this great network of amazing photographers, I would never have learned as much as I have to even be able to produce any artwork worthy of competing and scoring well. Comment if you have any questions on joining this amazing organization.

Taylor’s Senior Session

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:12:45 GMT

Taylor is a friend of Miesha, a recent senior I photographed, who referred her to me. She is also a

graduate of Acadiana High School.Taylor’s session would have to be described as a photographer’s

dream. She is beautiful, fun to be around and a natural in front of the camera. Normally during a shoot,

a photographer has to describe or show a client exactly what type of pose they are looking for. Taylor

came prepared and ready to work in front of the camera. She naturally just switched it up from pose to

pose with a little help from me and every time right on point and so beautiful. I easily took way more

than I had planned to which made it hard for me to narrow down to the best ones. She came prepared

with her dresses from prom and homecoming so we were able to get some great senior formals as well. I

plan to get Taylor and Miesha back and do a session with them together. I’m sure it will be amazing.

Here are a few of my favorites from her session.

Pro-Shield Ventilation Service

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:09:46 GMT

I was excited the other night to have the opportunity to go along with my older brother, Desmond Gallien, to one of his jobs with his company, Pro-Shield Ventilation Service.
Being the photographer that I am, I wanted to take some before and after shots to showcase the work that he does. (I even climbed up on to a roof which was high up and pretty scary for me!) I was amazed and so proud after watching him for a few hours. He is very dedicated and pays attention to detail. I am so proud to say that he is excellent at what he does and if you or someone you know is in the restaurant business, consider Pro-Shield Ventilation Service for the job. I promise; you WON’T be disappointed!!

Just to describe a little bit about what his business is, I will say that any facility with a commercial kitchen is required by law to have their ventilation system cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. He uses a pressure washer and special chemicals to blast away the built up grease and grime leaving the system clean and grease free!

The pictures that I took speak for themselves!

After Cleaning; the vent hood has a sparkling shine!!!

I also put together a video of him doing the job.

Find him on Facebook and like and follow his page for updates and future promotions: https://www.facebook.com/ProShieldVentilation

Miesha’s Senior Session

justinegallien@pickyourperfectportraits.com (PYP Portraits, LLC.) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 23:03:39 GMT

I really enjoyed my session with this gorgeous young lady. She is sweet, out-spoken, and a natural in front of the camera. She graduated from Acadiana High School. Miesha had seen a photograph that I had taken of my sister in an old vintage mustang and told her mom that she really wanted to do her senior pictures with me so she can take some pictures in the car, too.

Rugged Beauty

Of course I was happy to hear that and I was equally excited to use the old car again as a prop and the photos came out beautiful! I used some other props and settings to take some stunning photos of Miesha. I can’t wait to get her in front of my camera again. (Which will be happening real soon).

Here are the best of her session which was hard for me to choose because I liked all of them! :