Domesticated

Greetings Readers!


Ok so if you know me you know I LOVE TO COOK! I can do it all, fried chicken, pot roast and gravy, mashed potatoes, greens, meatloaf, mac and cheese, cornbread, baked salmon, you name it I can cook it. I am from the old school and I have always believed (and still do actually), that my family needed a well-balanced home cooked meal. It is what my mom provided for our family and it is all I know. I like to consider myself fairly domesticated in the fact that I am mostly a homebody and am always cooking, cleaning, washing, folding and straightening SOMETHING. I am also a career woman, a business owner and a creative. I wear many hats, and much like the lyrics to the legendary songstress Chaka Khan's song, "I’m Every Woman”, I feel like I encompass every bit of that notion. 

Sometimes when you refer to yourself as a "homebody," what comes to mind for many is the word BORING. However, to the contrary, that is not necessarily the case. You can be both a homemaker and a working woman and still be alluring. Yes, it is hard to juggle both ESPECIALLY when you are also a mom (I know all about it); but when you can manage it all and still keep it sexy, then honey you are not only powerful, you are magical! This particular concept was developed to show the world that we can be all of these things!

Introducing Vivian, owner of Viv's Jazzy Cakes in Murfreesboro, TN. Vivian and I had a conversation earlier in the year, and immediately afterward, the vision for this concept began to come to life almost out of nowhere! I knew she would be perfect for the feature and I was right! One day I will write about the source of my creative inspiration, but in the meantime, enjoy these images from our concept shoot entitled, "Domesticated".

  
MUA: 
Tynita Lee
Booking Info:

MakeUpbyTynita@gmail.com
Makeup by Tynita on Schedulicity.com
Instagram: @makeup_by_tynita


Concept Creator & Stylist: 
Angela Ponder


As always, thank you SO much for visiting our blog. Keep up with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder by visiting our website at PhotographybySeanPonder.com or on FaceBook at Facebook.com/PhotographybySeanPonder (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder.


Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!

Angela
The Creative Director

Sanctuary

Greetings Readers!


On January 1, 2019, I decided to stop watching television. Not only do I not miss it, but I don’t even have the desire to turn it on and haven’t since the close of 2018. It no longer served a purpose in my life and to be quite honest, it was stifling my creativity. The television prevented me from being my productive self and was offering me nothing more than uninspiring amusement. I just realized that I no longer wanted to be entertained. I prefer to be informed and uplifted in my day to day hustle, so I traded in the television for more reading, more writing, more thinking, more music, and more walks outside to experience and explore the joy of the outdoors. I really felt the need to connect with myself on a deeper level, because something was missing, and it needed to be restored. I needed to tap into a level of creativity that was going to require me to pull away from everything that was becoming an unnecessary distraction, so that I could get back to being focused. I love being outside in the wide-open space. The fresh air does some amazing things to the senses. It is much needed.

This concept, "Sanctuary", was born out of my need to find places to get away and refresh my creative vibe. Taking quiet time is necessary for my mental, physical and spiritual well-being. If you know me, you know I am ALWAYS on the move. Staying on the go can cause stress, burnout and breakdowns if we are not careful, especially for busy moms. I acknowledge that it is ok to disappear to my sanctuary for a time to regain my composure, restore what I have lost and replenish what I have freely given, without the need to explain why I have been unavailable. This is something I am becoming very intentional about. You see peace is personal and should not be left in the hands of anyone else who may never understand what it is that YOU need.

So recently we had the opportunity to shoot my gorgeous goddaughter, Jasmine. I was so elated to work with her as we have been trying to get together for a long time. She is featured here in our post where she completely and confidently embodies the three focus elements of the concept which were: beauty, peace and gracefulness. We hope you enjoy these images from our "Sanctuary" shoot!

  
MUA: 
Tynita Lee
Booking Info:

MakeUpbyTynita@gmail.com
Makeup by Tynita on Schedulicity.com
Instagram: @makeup_by_tynita


Concept Creator & Stylist: 
Angela Ponder


As always, thank you SO much for visiting our blog. Keep up with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder by visiting our website at PhotographybySeanPonder.com or on FaceBook at Facebook.com/PhotographybySeanPonder (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder.


Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!
Angela
The Creative Director

High Maintenance

Greetings Readers!


Let's get into a controversial topic about women. Women come in all different flavors... there are those who keep it all the way natural with their hair, face, nails, etc. You have those who have a modified natural look, maybe with just natural hair OR a natural face OR natural nails OR some combination. Then there are those some would consider "High Maintenance." They stay with their hair laid, make-up beat, nails on point and wardrobe fly. When a woman is seen as high maintenance, to some, she may immediately be seen as difficult, needy, and a woman of extravagant tastes and unreasonably high expectations. This is a negative perspective and for those of us who live the life, this assessment could not be further from the truth. It's true that a high maintenance woman likes to maintain... her hair, her nails, her wardrobe, her skin care and cosmetics, her social activities and her freedom to be exactly who she wants to be. What it does not mean is that she is a diva who expects anyone else to provide the financing to support her habits, nor does it mean that she has nothing more to offer. 

There is always an exception to the rule, but you miss out on getting to know a really cool chick having those predetermined assumptions. A woman like this cannot be lumped into one category. She is too versatile for that. She is classy and well-groomed at ALL times, yes. She stays at the salon and rarely is anything about her out of place. She is also confident and commands attention the moment she walks into a room. She is intentional in the way she moves and everything about her is effortless and undeniable. She is ambitious, intelligent and decisive. She is both admired and resented for being so.

A high maintenance woman can make other women feel uncomfortable in her presence, simply because she will cause them to reflect and realize they need to step their game up. She can even be a little intimidating for men who do not have their own ish together. One thing is for certain and two things for sure, before you approach a woman you deem as "high maintenance" (and TRUST, you have already figured it out long before the thought came to mind), you better come correct with goals and great conversation. She will not let you waste her time and she is emotionally stable enough to walk away if what you are offering does not serve a productive purpose. It just is what it is, but isn't the goal to be successful in your life anyway? 


Introducing Brandi B, our model for the "High Maintenance Concept Shoot".  Brandi was perfect for our first concept of 2019, because she is not only beautiful, but she exhibits a cool confidence and she was just a great match for the vibe we were trying to create. Brandi has also helped us officially announce our "Alter-Ego' sessions NOW AVAILABLE for booking!

Announcing "Alter-Ego" Sessions NOW AVAILABLE for booking!

Special acknowledgement to Keith Jordan, owner and operator of Sambukka's Barber and Styling Studio in Antioch, TN for allowing us the opportunity to stage our concept at his location. 


MUA: 
Tynita Lee
Booking Info:

MakeUpbyTynita@gmail.com
Makeup by Tynita on Schedulicity.com
Instagram: @makeup_by_tynita

Concept Creator & Stylist: 
Angela Ponder


As always, thank you SO much for visiting our blog. Keep up with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder by visiting our website at PhotographybySeanPonder.com or on FaceBook at Facebook.com/PhotographybySeanPonder (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder.


Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!
Angela
The Creative Director

The Naughty Scholar

Greetings Readers!


Let's just be honest... we all have that side of us that we hide from others. The side that is not for everyone to see. We may not admit it openly, but it's there. Sometimes we refer to it as our alter ego, or "other self" whom we become when we want to shed the layer we show to the world. Our alter ego is the persona we create based on the characteristics we designate for ourselves. We can define how our alter ego thinks and behaves on our own terms and with no restrictions. Well in this case, our concept focuses on the private side of the nerdy girl... the proficient scholar who is always getting things done publicly, but deep down really wants to show off her bad girl side. So who says you can't be both? 

There is such a social stigma attached to nerdy girls (or should I say "good girls") who just want to flex a little bit of sass and you know what I say? To hell with your social stigma! It all really boils down to people's misconception based on how they feel about themselves in comparison to the way a woman presents herself. The preconceived notions people develop because they are uncomfortable in their own skin is a personal problem and will not stop us from living exactly the way we want to live. Oh and for the record, NO we don't think we are better than you. NO we are not worried about what you think of us (we honestly don't care). NO we are not secretly sexual deviants or sexually repressed. NO we are not missing out on life. NO we are not squares or goodie two shoes. NO everything in our lives isn't perfect, NO we do not have it all together and NO we do not stand in judgment of you. As a matter of fact, it is generally the other way around. YES we're uber intelligent. YES we're sexy. YES we hang out with other women who are NOTHING like us (and we actually enjoy the girlfriend time), and YES we are normal human beings who simply like to brag on our brain and flex our girl power! 

Now that you know just a LITTLE bit about us, allow me to present to you our model Shay, the "Nerdy girl who came to Slay," in our feature concept, The Naughty Scholar. 

MUA: Tynita Lee
Booking Info:

MakeUpbyTynita@gmail.com
Makeup by Tynita on Schedulicity.com
Instagram: @makeup_by_tynita

Concept Creator & Stylist: Angela Ponder


As always, thank you SO much for visiting our blog. Keep up with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder by visiting our website at PhotographybySeanPonder.com or on FaceBook at Facebook.com/PhotographybySeanPonder (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder.

Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!
Angela
The Creative Director

Captivating

Greetings Readers!


Here is a little known fact about me... I have been writing since the age of 7. So my creative mindset takes me all the way back to elementary school. I have been guarded about my writing since that time, as well. However, I guess about 12 years ago, I took a great leap of faith and began to share my thoughts, my words and my ways publicly. The way I see it, we are all individuals with our own minds and ways of thinking, and we all have a right to our opinion, as long as their is no disrespect or intent to offend. So with that, here goes a quick trip through my mind... 

Back in the day, I was hooked on reading romance novels. Being a hopeless romantic myself, I have always found characteristics like compassion, femininity, playfulness and radiance very endearing qualities when it comes to being a woman. Let's pause here and take a quick look at those qualities:

• Compassion - a woman who expresses deep, authentic compassion can be like a sanctuary of peace for those who have been hurt in the past. There is no comfort like that of someone who can empathize and understand, without judgment. 

• Femininity - there is something very sensual about the womanliness and femininity of a woman, from her style selections, to her choice in perfume, her grooming and the way she wears her hair, she is undeniable. 

• Playfulness - a great sense of humor and hint of playfulness in a woman is not only attractive, but can literally make her irresistible. You would be surprised how a nice friendly smile can turn someone's day around and cause them to be drawn to you.

• Radiance - a woman's radiance is captivating. The energy she emits... her light, her glow, the way she moves, she simply illuminates and captures the eye like no other!

Now back to my thoughts... when I received the inspiration for this concept, I reminisced on memories of the late Friday nights I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. reading books I probably shouldn't have been reading. I recall those moments when I would imagine how the main characters must have felt in the stories upon meeting their "Prince Charming or Knight in Shining Armor" if you will. This concept captures the essence of those memories and the amazing spirit of femininity that I absolutely LOVE! So here is Shay, our feature model in our concept, Captivating. 

MUA: Tynita Lee
Booking Info:

MakeUpbyTynita@gmail.com
Makeup by Tynita on Schedulicity.com
Instagram: @makeup_by_tynita

Concept Creator & Stylist: Angela Ponder


As always, thank you SO much for visiting our blog. Keep up with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder by visiting our website at PhotographybySeanPonder.com or on FaceBook at Facebook.com/PhotographybySeanPonder (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder.

Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!
Angela
The Creative Director

Love, Life and Sunsets...

Greetings Readers!

We are back with yet another fun concept shoot, and as always, the storyteller RETURNS!

We recently had the pleasure of working with our friend Asia and her boo, Ryan for a concept shoot that had not yet been named. For the FIRST TIME EVER, I had scheduled a session and had it completely developed in my head, but on the day of shooting, had no idea what I would call it. I began to panic and try to think creatively on the fly, but nothing came to mind. I was having a mental block, something that rarely happens to me. I knew that if I focused on it too much it would distract me and stress me out, so I let it go. We will revisit the title later...

Anyhow, so it was a very warm summer day. Did I say it was warm? Just in case, let me reiterate that it was a WARM summer day! It was just before sunset, but still early enough to capture some of the sun's rays in our shots. Our location takes us out to the lake... now if you know the TEAM you know we LOVE to shoot near water, so we were totally in our element! Now just a bit of background, we have worked with Asia on several projects before, but this was our first time ever working with Ryan. Then we found out that this was his VERY FIRST photo shoot! Understanding how nervous he may be, I wanted to make sure he was comfortable and good to go when we began. We are a pretty laid back pair and most of our clients usually settle their nerves once we get started. Ryan was no different. He actually seemed really chill and easy going the entire time. 

The concept centered around just a few of the sweetest things we enjoy as human beings: love, life, serenity, peace and beautiful sunsets. They made this session SO easy and the vibe was amazing! They came out looking like they were fresh from a magazine cover shoot! Please check out a few sample images from the shoot appropriately titled, "Love, Life and Sunsets... "

MUA: Tynita Lee
Booking Info:

MakeUpbyTynita@gmail.com
Makeup by Tynita on Schedulicity.com
Instagram: @makeup_by_tynita


As always, thank you SO much for visiting our blog. Keep up with the Team at Photography by Sean Ponder by visiting our website at PhotographybySeanPonder.com or on FaceBook at Facebook.com/PhotographybySeanPonder (Like our page!). You can also follow us on InstaGram at Instagram.com/PhotographybySeanPonder.

Until next time, Peace, Love and Light!
Angela
The Creative Director