About Hilary!

Welcome to the new Hilary Mercer Photography blogsite!

I am Hilary and I like you already. I like most photographers really like to take photos of everything that is fun, exciting and lovely.

Take a look around and see what I do. Don't forget to tell me what you thought and come back soon!

@morgansiem sure do :)

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First Place in humor!

July 30th, 2010

Hey! A few days ago I attended the Wedding Photographic Society’s monthly meeting(also while you’re on the site, check out the video, its pretty funny). They started an image competition. I entered thinking “Wow! I really don’t match up to everyone’s skillz. Because gee, these folks do have them. I entered anyway thinking, what the hay! And one of my images won! I got first place in the humor category from a bouquet toss photo at Heather and Steve’s wedding. Megan, I hope you don’t mind me posting this one more time ;)

LOL (Humor)_4-1

Take a look at all the winners here.

I was super excited when a friend of mine found out she was pregnant. I know she would be up for a lot photographically. I had a few plans but since I had been so busy my ideas went out the window. I told her to bring some ideas and boy did she. I think she changed clothes 10 times. She’s awesome and due soon with a little girl. Anyway these were my favorites out of her favorites :)20100701-DSC_257020100701-DSC_250220100701-DSC_250920100701-DSC_2599

Nikki, Thank you so much for being my model for me. You look absolutely gorgeous! I cannot wait until I can meet little Shelby!

The next part of the cruise was a lot more pretty and a lot less rainy. I was pretty excited about that. :) We made port in Antigua. We got off the ship and intended to take a taxi to Devils Bridge. The cab drivers all seemed quite sketchy. We took one though. They work it weird. They have you the whole day they dont just take you and leave you and then you find your own way back. Which.. is crazy. They have to be really trusting of us that we wont just leave and not pay them. Oh yeah and they leave us somewhere WITHOUT paying them. We pay at the end. Its weird thats all.

20100721-IMG_039020100721-IMG_0392Apparently back in the day slaves would go here and jump off instead of living. They also used it as a burial grounds for the island for a while too.

20100721-IMG_0404Neil was a lucky man to get to hang out with 3 lovely ladies the whole trip. :)

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On the other side from the cliffs was this pretty beach. :)20100721-IMG_043920100721-IMG_048920100721-IMG_049920100721-IMG_0505

The next day was Tortola. Our driver was crazy(and liked to sing)20100722-IMG_0540 and the roads were crazy. Neil didnt feel too well so it was just us ladies. 20100722-IMG_053620100722-IMG_055920100722-IMG_0568It rained a lot, apparently when it rains it washes the roads away. That cant be too safe?

20100722-IMG_057620100722-IMG_057820100722-IMG_058320100722-IMG_060420100722-IMG_065920100722-IMG_066220100722-IMG_067020100722-IMG_0678They gave Ang a massage after she gave them one. Note to self, get Angie drunk. She likes to rub feet then ;)

20100722-IMG_0679If youre going on a Carnival cruise. Try the hot chocolate. Its like a hot, yummy heaven in a tiny cup. I miss it.20100722-IMG_0681

As most of you know my husband and I recently took a vacation to the Caribbean via the Carnival Freedom.  Here are a few photos from the beginning of that trip.

20100716-IMG_0057We picked my friends up at the airport Leslie and Jess who lives there and kindly let us stay with him. Then we had dinner at a place in downtown Fort Lauderdale called Mango’s. It was yummy and I had swordfish!

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Then we move to the cruise. These photographers on the cruise are crazy and are everywhere. So.. why wouldn’t you want a random pirate choking you at dinner?20100717-IMG_0096

Our first stop was San Juan Puerto Rico. We walked around trying to find a few geocaches. One was in a locked fence and the other was missing.. what a bummer. We still had fun walking around all the same.20100719-IMG_017420100719-IMG_018120100719-IMG_018320100719-IMG_0224Then Neil and I met up with Angie and Leslie who were having a few yards of boos at Senor Frogs. There was a conga line and we were the heads of it.

20100719-IMG_028120100719-IMG_029420100719-IMG_0298Our next port was St Thomas which was the port I was MOST excited about since it was my favorite last time. Apparently we sailed through a tropical storm and it POURED while we were in St Thomas. So we just walked around and got soaked.. :(

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I think I was most excited for the cruise because i got to wear dresses that I usually wouldnt wear. :)20100720-IMG_0331More to come soon!

Hello from the Bahamas!

For a while there I wasn’t sure this little bundle of cuteness was going to enter the world. She took forever. She really liked her momma! Finally she did though, at a whopping 9lb 1oz. That’s a 1 not a 10. She was definitely fighting her sleep the day we chose for photos too. Eventually she couldn’t fight it anymore and then let a little magic happen. Isabella was 10 days in these photos.20100708-DSC_337820100708-DSC_3515This next one is one of my favorites from the session, Jons face along with the babies just really make me laugh.20100708-DSC_3507

i think she looks just like big brother20100708-DSC_3584 copy20100708-DSC_359620100708-DSC_3602

cutest baby everrrrrrrrrrrr! (yes I did go into pirate talk there)

just look at those lips!20100708-DSC_3619

born in June her birthstone is pearl20100708-DSC_366020100708-DSC_3657

Happy Day at Sea from the Carnival Freedom!

I met Holly at Gabby & Will’s wedding and she was a bridesmaid. We instantly clicked so I was excited when she contacted me about her wedding in March. I met up with them to talk about their date and the most fun part of the wedding packages the engagement session! She and Craig mentioned they wanted to use their car as a prop. Of course I was excited. Holly also explained her love of cats to me. Craig actually proposed in their new house using one of their cats.  I found it a little funny that during out session a kitty cat followed us around the whole time, although I dont think I got a photo if the little guy. :( Okay! on to the goodies!

20100707-DSC_4426We started out at the Kenly Tobacco Farm Life Museum. They are lovers of antique things so it was a perfect setting to start out at.20100707-DSC_4475get it craig!20100707-DSC_448920100707-DSC_453720100707-DSC_324120100707-DSC_3265I love how excited they are to be going nowhere. Ok ok, I told them to look excited.20100707-DSC_457120100707-DSC_4580

you wouldnt believe how bad it stank on this road. they were troopers!20100707-DSC_459620100707-DSC_461520100707-DSC_3276

yowwwwww owwwww!20100707-DSC_328420100707-DSC_332120100707-DSC_334120100707-DSC_4683

Roadtrip: Washington DC

July 19th, 2010

Hello from San Juan, Puerto Rico!

Neil and I spent July 4th in Washington DC. We figured “why not be in the nations capitol” on its birthday? Everyone else thought the same thing apparently. :) We started our trip at the National Cathedral. 20100703-DSC_267620100703-DSC_273120100703-DSC_275220100703-DSC_2783

Probably my favorite photo from the whole weekend:

20100703-DSC_269020100703-DSC_280120100703-DSC_280920100703-DSC_281720100703-DSC_281820100703-DSC_282420100703-DSC_2829From there we took a trip to the National Mall20100703-DSC_2862

hmm not sure this is appropriate for a public blog.. but whatever, you’d do it too.20100703-DSC_288220100703-DSC_289620100703-DSC_2900

silly camera shadows20100703-DSC_290420100703-DSC_290620100703-DSC_292920100703-DSC_293320100703-DSC_293620100703-DSC_293820100704-DSC_296920100704-DSC_297820100704-DSC_298120100704-DSC_298620100704-DSC_300320100704-DSC_304420100704-DSC_305120100704-DSC_3054This photo screams “i need to lose weight!” but thank you Julie for taking it!20100704-DSC_3059

Now for the fireworks!20100704-DSC_306620100704-DSC_308720100704-DSC_309820100704-DSC_3121

It was mayhem as we tried our best to get home. We made it a lot sooner than I expected.. in about 30 minutes.20100704-DSC_3135

These last three were taken right outside our house. Apparently there was fireworks on the 5th too.20100705-DSC_3158I love that it looks like a flower!20100705-DSC_317720100705-DSC_3195This last one. I zoomed in halfway during the exposure. Kinda neat I think

Hello from Fort Lauderdale, Florida! Neil and I embark on our cruise tomorrow for the next 8 days and we are super excited for it! Weve needed a vacation for a while now.

A few weekends ago I participated in The Wedding Photographic Society’s first convention held here in Durham ish Raleigh, Nc. The speakers were some of the triangles “rock star” photogs. Everyone had different opinions and brought something different to the table. They all have a different way of thinking and doing business, which just proves that you should do it your own way, the way that works for you. Don’t do something just because someone else is doing it. I really enjoyed it and I feel like I got a lot out of it. Even though a lot of it was just bringing up things I had read previously or had thought about but forgot. I really enjoyed getting to mingle with all of the photographers. Having started out not knowing too many folks in the Triangle I had a hard time. I didn’t know anyone and I was new to the whole “photography” thing too. I branched out to other photographers but got nothing back. I didn’t even want to second shoot with them, I just wanted to get coffee or lunch and chit chat. I wanted to be friends with people that liked the same things I did. So for the past 2 years Ive been kind of alone out here in Smithfield. So meeting so many people that were so nice and seemed to care was awesome. Even having been to the WPS meetings was a big help. Just knowing there are people out there that want to be friends and want to network is a great help. And of course I find all of this out with less than a year to be living here in the Triangle. Figures. Anyway, it was awesome and I’m hoping we don’t move before the next convention here in 2011.

Part of the workshop were “lens lessons” with each of the instructors. The first lesson I took was with Christobal Perez of Azul Photography. First off, I really like him. He is so accommodating to everyone and he gives good hugs, plus his strobe work is pretty fantastic. Here he is at the beginning of the session with our model Christa.

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Our whole group:20100628-DSC_404520100628-DSC_4098

Next up in the lens lessons was a boudoir session with Stacy Borelli of Swank Photo Studio. She does some fantastic work with half clothed women. Having never done anything like this I was excited to learn.

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These last two were my favorite!20100628-DSC_4278

Hey! Youre awesome. Thanks for visiting the blog. I am on vacation with my husband until the 26th! So if I dont return your emails or FB messages dont fret, im not ignoring you. Im just having an awesome time thats all. I WILL be posting blogs though. So keep an eye out every other day or so until I get back! Have a great day!

Hello from Orlando, Florida!

I really miss the beach. If you have been keeping up with my blog you know that I am from sunny Pensacola Florida. I miss it so much. I absolutely love it when I get to go home. Mainly because I get to experience it as tourists get to AND as a local. I love being able to take in everything that I didnt pay attention to while I was living there. I wonder what Ill miss about this place once were gone. Ive come to a few random realizations that I already knew but it is just now hitting me. Its going to be hard to be a military wife. Since this is our first duty station things dont seem all that weird but what if our next place is across the country?!? That is scary. Its going to be scary to have to start all over in each place we move for the next 12ish years. In relation to my photography and in my real life. I most likely wont live in the same town as any of my best friends ever again. Its hard making friends. Ive been here for 2 years now and I still dont feel like I can really call anyone up and go have lunch with them or anything in that nature. Makes me sad. Maybe thats why military have lots of kids so they have some sort of constant companionship? Anyway, how did I go from beaches to the life of a military spouse? A few weekends ago Neil, myself and a few friends spent the day in Wilmington, NC. I had been there previously but it was the first weekend I was in North Carolina right after I moved up here. So I figured Id give it another chance. Obviously the NC beachline is nothing like the NW Florida beachline although they do both have sand. ;) It was ok, doesnt even compare to Florida though.

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Anyone know what these are? Ive seen them in Florida but never this big.. does it have something to do with eggs or sharks? For some reason that rings a bell in my brain?20100626-DSC_2184After we were fried at the beach we went downtown to the boardwalk and walked around and ate some yummy French food. I even tried escargot, which wasnt THAT bad but it was still gross thinking about what I was eating.20100626-DSC_2214Along one of the roads there was a fence of keys!

20100626-DSC_224120100626-DSC_225020100626-DSC_2280Obviously since I had the camera there arent any good photos of myself or of Neil and me. :( We did take some they were just blurry.

We took a little boat tour of the river .20100626-DSC_230620100626-DSC_231520100626-DSC_2335We ended our day getting ice cream at this really yummy place called Kilwins.

20100626-DSC_2319Obviously they had more than ice cream.20100626-DSC_2321