About me…
I absolutely love God!
I am a mom of 4 adult daughters, and 3 granddaughters & 3 grandsons! They are a joy! Children and Grandchildren are amazing! Full of unconditional love… My husband Mark, plays guitar, both acoustic and electric… mostly the blues and contemporary music at our church in SRQ…
I am a Sarasota Photographer… I live, work, play and enjoy the beach in Sarasota and the surrounding areas. My favorite place is the beach! I love to travel too! Vacations are at the top of my list… We have been enjoying Stay-cations as well in our own area for years… so I know the best places to visit! We have a crazy home with three grandkids! I had horses most of my life since I was about ten, that’s so many years of horses!
I also have a side-hustle which I love! I’m an Ebay Seller! Check out my store for lots of great items… plus you will be supporting small business & someone who give back to their community! Did I mention I love #Sarasota! https://www.ebay.com/usr/ljgirls71
I am a volunteer helping children, I help through Renewal church on the Care Portal, Selah Freedom, The Joy Fm prayer & referral line and when I have time then SMART a horse therapy program… I love to help others! I’m trying to find balance, with serving and family & friends… I love horseback riding, skiing, swimming, biking, walking, writing, reading, and hanging out with my family and photography of course! I am pretty sure I wear too many hats but I love being involved with a lot of things! I usually don’t quit anything until I’ve given it my best try! Hence blogging!!!
My passions is serving…
I volunteer at SMART when I have time (horse therapy, for Veterans with PTSD, and kids with disabilities, etc.) in Sarasota. (I’ve been on a pause until I can get some balance!)
I also volunteer at Selah Freedom – my most recent volunteer area is outreach, we teach a self esteem class at the Sarasota Jail, I’ve also been involved in mentoring, and the care team/celebration team, and most lately Social media marketing. They are an organization that is committed to helping women involved in human trafficking and exploitation.
I’ve also helped out at the Underground through Bayside Church it’s another outreach dedicated to helping those in the area of exploitation.
My favorite is helping families in need, I help pick up donations and in outreach for Mothers Helping Mothers, I’m basically in outreach behind the scenes… I truly love helping families! I also am an admin for many Facebook pages & the social media platforms geared to heling in our community.. I use my photography & social media experience to promote giving in our Sarasota community! I really love making a difference in my community! We all have the opportunity to make an impact!
My dream is to take Sarasota Photography to the nonprofit level, so I can give back even more! by taking family photos for families in need, using the funds from pro shots to purchase gift cards for groceries, formula, diapers and wipes! All the things needed for a household like furniture, bedding, kitchenware and more!
Thanks to my church we are able to drop off donations at a local church, Friendship Baptist – they have a free clothes closet and café that serves lunch for the community – there’s also a food truck that comes from the Food Bank on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, we also drop off at Remnant Café (Tammy a local pastor’s wife feeds the homeless in a restaurant/café, they also provide clothes) All this is made possible by the generosity of our awesome Sarasota, Florida community! Feel free to email if you have any donations or would like to volunteer! you can email me at sarasotaphotography@earthlink.net
My dad was a club owner back in the 70’s at a place called the Speakeasy I think he was as famous as some of the Blues artists he introduced… he owned clubs that had live Blues music until the early 90’s. He was also a writer/editor/publisher/owner of a newspaper… A road I never thought I would travel, but after becoming a photographer, I realized a picture is worth a thousand words and usually there’s a story behind a photo! I have worked as a photojournalist for a local magazine and also wrote a column for local black-tie events. I also worked as a photographer for a local newspaper capturing memories for tourists at our famous Siesta Key beach… yes, photography has it’s perks! I’m also a wedding photographer and a family photographer and my oldest has followed in my footsteps I’d have to admit she is better than me! That’s Lauren Bates Photography, she is currently taking a pause while raising 3 little ones…
I love capturing moments in time… ones that will last a lifetime thanks to an image! My favorite shoots usually involve natural candid shots which includes natural emotions & lots of fun! I love it when people relax and their personality is caught! I love being part of making family memories and those moments last a lifetime… I know these people will back on their photos for years to come! I am currently writing a blog… hoping to be able to bring interesting topics to the public. I enjoy owning my own business it gives me the ability to spend more time with my family! 
I recently started a Facebook for a free page items and exchanges in Sarasota Fl. It is a site that allows the community to post donations and also trade for needs in our area. Mostly families, baby items etc. It’s not a charity but a group of neighbors helping one another while saving the environment by recycling, repurposing, and reusing items instead of throwing things away & overfilling our landfill! I enjoy repurposing and saving money too! What about you?