weekend weekend..."like"

what are you up to this weekend?

i've got plenty of work to keep me awake and going for hours, yikes! some news, if you didn't know i'm over on facebook (click it, "like" it) so head on over and check it out! i'm booking sessions for dates beginning on april 20th. i want to work with you, be your friend...the friend that takes really pretty pictures of YOU.

bride on a budget? we'll work something out. model in need of a portfolio update? guess what, i like love models. in fact, i need models. i also really like babies, so if you have any of those email me amberduron@gmail.com let's work something out/set something up

fight the fight part two: where the message came from

if you have some time my church uploaded the video from last week's message that i blogged about below. i was so inspired-- if you have some time, grab some coffee or tea and check this out! love my church!

"Godfidence-- fight the fight"

i'm a member of the prosper community(which if you're not a member, JOIN! read more if you click the link) and i shared this with the community just earlier and i felt i should post it here so my other readers could see and maybe for some of you, this might be just what you needed to hear. 

honestly i am the worst at blogging because i tend to go one way and then the other, i'm so scatterbrained so i hope this isn't too confusing for you guys but i just had to write/share about my experience at church this morning because it was just...no words. let me just start!

church started at 10 am and i woke up at 9:15- it takes 20 minutes to get there! darn daylight savings time! aaah anyway i contemplated getting out of my pjs to rush into the rain and cold to be there in person or just stay in and watch it online- i refused to give in, i was going to be THERE like in person not wearing pjs! i rushed to throw on my clothes, hair up in bun, touch of mascara and i was out the door. by the time i got there they were in the middle of their first song and i was so glad i hadn't missed much...seriously SO GLAD! because little did i know that the next three songs of worship that they were going to play would be EVERYTHING i needed to hear.

you see, this past week i announced my BIG PLANS(you can read about on my blog) and through my words i praised the Lord and thanked him in every way and explained my intentions of running my business glorifying Him through it all. i received so much positive feedback and support from family, friends and people all around the WORLD that i didn't even know had been watching me/my blog. i went to bed feeling like my heart was going to burst from so much gratitude...i had so much thanksgiving that night, everything was falling into place and i had people to support me. the next day was nothing short of INCREDIBLE, i could feel God's presence surrounding me, HUGGING me tightly and i had never felt more at peace. little did i know, Satan was creeping up behind me and when i arrived home in the afternoon that day, i got some news that i knew was going to through my plans off course and i felt as if i was at the highest peak of a mountain and someone had come up behind me and pushed me off the ledge. i broke down. i had a heart to heart with my mom which meant i cried...A LOT and so did she. we talked about God and His plans for us and she told me how He had a different idea instead, a better idea and i remembered that all things good happen in His time...and after everything my mom did what she does best...she came up with a SOLUTION to fix it all. and i thank GOD for her. this was His better idea. before i went to sleep that night i prayed for a short while and i realized i had been struggling to remain confident in his abilities and TRUST Him even through the bad stuff and i needed to pray to change that because He loves me and only wants what is best. so i prayed, and prayed.

today i believe that He told me to physically show up to church because He KNEW just how badly i needed it and what i needed to hear. my pastor talked about overcoming opposition. he said several things that i couldn't help but shout out the occasional "amen!" to, i was really feeling it today and once again my heart was beginning to feel whole and full again. i took several things from today's message: psalm 27 for one. who knew about this?? seriously, i can't believe i've never seen it! more opposition occurs when you're about to do something for the Lord(my big announcement), the first and most significant way to overcome oppositon is to pray(Nehemiah 4:4-5) and pray to God with your true, raw emotion. lastly, the enemy never fights fair. the effect of opposition in your life will be discouragement; the enemy can't take away your talents/God given destiny but the enemy CAN get you so discouraged so that you don't use them/fulfill God's will for you. so many encouraging things i took with me and will never leave me. i'm ready to fight, FIGHT for my life and what i have been promised through Him with His help. "Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world..."


i don't know about you guys but i am ready to fight the fight. i'm not going to give into the enemy, i'm NOT giving up. i am going to fulfill my purpose here that the Lord has given me and i will conquer with His aid. as my pastor said "...you've got to get through the cross to get to the RESURRECTION!" ..... AMEN! praying for everyone that they have a blessed week and just remember, He is ALWAYS with you; never to leave you or forsake you and you are NOT alone in this fight and you WILL conquer and live the life He has called you to live and be the person He has called you to be!

"...and so he prospered."

ok i don't even have the slightest idea on how to begin this post.

it's a long one, i can say though. 

i haven't blogged anything in like a year, i haven't blogged about anything this personal since...like, never. 

phew. let's try this. i am a terrible writer, but this is blogging and i'll like to think of it as being a bit different. i know you've already scrolled through the post and you've seen how long it is, but don't run off! it's not as bad as you think it might be, promise ;)

let's start from the beginning; my story(in short chunks because i know this is a long enough post as it is): 2005. tenth birthday, sister bought me my first camera, like ever. that was it. fast forward one year later, convinced mom to get me another point and shoot, a "better one." found myself wrapped in blogs, books, articles, forums, etc. 2007: first dslr. begged and begged. submerged myself into even more countless blogs, forums and articles and books. 2009: second dslr, bought my first lens besides the one that came in the box with the camera. made a twitter, connected with so many insanely talented people(i'll mention them a little later) who were generous enough to share whatever knowledge they had with me, to help me. last year i second shot my first wedding. let me tell you, the experience...

out of this world. 

 i photographed a man who loved a woman with his entire being, heart and soul. completely and utterly loved her and she to him. i understood what being in love really meant. i understood photography on a completely different level after. and i discovered my second love that day too. weddings. 

it's been a year, a year and two months to be exact since that revolutionary day. i have changed so much. i found Christ last year, only to lose sight of Him and find Him again three months ago. 

i'm never losing Him again. 

i have seen the outpouring of blessings that He has bestowed upon me and has in my plan of life and i am so excited. for seven years i have known, never once thought, never once doubted from the moment i picked up that point and shoot at the age of ten that this was what i was called to do with my life. this was my passion. i knew that i was in love, head over heels. it was the only kind of love there is. the one that has no doubts. no fears. just faith. just love. 

of course, over the years i lost sight of some of that, i began to experience the feelings of inadequacy, doubt, fear of not being as good as that other photographer, failing. i lost my "innocence" if you will. i was lost. three months ago, i was found and again, 

i'm never getting lost again.  

now that i have been found through Him and with the help of many others He has decided that i am ready(Ecclesiastes 3:11) in the beginning i had nothing to center my business around but myself and now, through His help i know what i am supposed to be glorifying through all of this. 

Him. period. 

now, i am as ready as i'll ever be to begin this journey that i've dreamed about for nearly half of my life. and friends, it's better than i could have ever imagined, better than any of the thousands of ways that i dreamed it would ever feel. and i am so excited. 

which brings me to the announcement:

AMBER DURON PHOTOGRAPHY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

like business as in this thing is seriously happening business.

there are so many people i have to thank who have brought me to this point, where do i even begin?! 

-Him. first and foremost. 

-my sister who gave me love wrapped up in a box that december day six years ago, thank you alice.

-mom, how to begin to thank you oh let me count the ways! i love you. i believe you were one of the few who believed i would actually pursue this thing seriously. and for everything else, i don't know how to express my deepest feelings of gratitude, all i can simply say is thank you, for everything, and i love you. 

-daddy, who bought me my first "professional camera" and pushed me in the right direction. i love you!

-krystal, for being my rock and number one fan. i can't begin to pray the blessings which the Lord will shower upon you in return for the heart you have shared with others.

-brother, thanks for letting me bribe you all of those thousands of times into a "quick photoshoot" which would then turn into a two hour long adventure. you are my rockstar and i love you more than words would ever be able to ever ever say.

scotty perry, of scotty perry photography based in lousiville for investing in me and my dream in ways i will never be able to repay except by just paying it forward. rachel marek of rachel marek photography for believing in me and providing me with the opportunity to experience love and shoot my first wedding. 

jessica kettle of jessica kettle photography for her encouraging words and advice and inspiration. jeramie shoda of shodalove, kristen marie of kristen marie photography, courtney brooke of ceebee and countless others, thank YOU. so grateful for running across every single one of you and for your hearts.

"In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." 2 Chronicles 31:21  thank you Scarlett 

quick note

i don't even know how to begin to apologize for neglecting this blog! i've got some exciting things in the works and just thought i'd drop in and leave a quick note to let all of those still devoted to my work/this blog know and any newcomers to stick around ;) i'll be back with another update if not the news soon enough!

xoxo

it's a...

sister in wyoming found out she was preggers back in august and the fam and i just knew it was going to be a girl right from the start!

sister decided to wait until DECEMBER to announce the sex of the baby and i was just so anxious i couldn't even stand it...i had to know, i just couldn't wait one more month! so my mom and her devised the cutest plan of announcing. my mom asked me to bake cupcakes with her thanksgiving eve and when i went away leaving her to frost them she was able to stick little pink hershey kisses that said "it's a girl" in every single one of the cupcakes we had baked- too sneaky!! we had planned a skype date to see her and the kiddos before dinner, my mom gathered us all in the living room and i set sister down to see everyone, mom handed us all one cupcake each and when we bit into it, well...we got more than just a mouth full of chocolate! AAAAH so so so happy for my sister and her hubby AND their two boys!!! this marks the second baby niece in three years. i am THRILLED!

december