Updates from Christie

Welcome to my new and improved website!

Notice something different? Why not change up my website in conjunction with a change to my last name! :-)

I am excited to finally get this new website design launched for my online community. I feel it is imperative to get the new look up and running!

 

Where have I been since the last post? How about...

• Wedding preparations...and more prep...and MORE prep
• Getting married!! 4.22.16 <3
• Honeymoon getaway in Maui
• Settling in a new part of town (still in Phoenix, but now with a hubby and new place!)
• Re-organizing and planning
• Seeing "what's next"
• Working on the side!

So...what's next (for the blog)??

1) Our wedding photos (and reviews): Since a good chunk of time derived of wedding planning and preparation from Jan-April, I figure once my professional photos arrive, I'll include a post of photos from my wedding (PS – Shout-out, as I am SUPER thankful to family and friends who captured moments like below to "hold us over" Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU)! I loved being able to plan out my own wedding, and cannot wait to share more about the journey!

My husband and I on our wedding day!

Our first dance... <3

2) "Mauimoon" photos: ALSO...be on the lookout for a post with an amazingly awesome photo shoot from our Honeymoon in Maui! I cannot wait to share those! Here are two sneak-peak pics in the meantime...

"Mauimoon" – Luau in Lahaina

"Mauimoon" – Last dinner in Maui before coming back to Phoenix

As a heads up for all my future clients reading this post, I like to combine a little bit of my professional work with personal "day-to-day" on my blogs. I love doing life creatively, so the two worlds sometimes inevitably combine. I hope this mix helps you get a taste of my personality, as I look forward to the opportunity of working with you!

 

So...what's next (for the business)??

As you can see, there are some newly listed business services I provide! I would love for you to explore each area. I make sure to provide excellence in each category, and I am also happy to send reviews to give you the best assurance of my professionalism and experience level. There are still areas under contruction, but I believe what is provided is a great base for launching the updated website design. Stay tuned for more updates! :-)

Until next time, have a creative day!

<3 Christie

A "Dog-Gone" Good Time!

I had the opportunity to photograph Rosie with her two precious doggies, just in time for her to send off to family and friends over this past Christmas season. Here are some of the photos that captured her love for her fur-friends.

Enjoy! :-)

"Christie was Awesome and had so much patience with me and my two dogs!! Everyone loved their Christmas pictures and ask who took the pictures!" -Rosie

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Photographer/Editor: Christie Roshau

Location: Peoria, AZ

Camera/Lens: Panasonic GH4 with 12-35mm Lumix Lens

My wonderful assistant/stand-in model for the evening, my fiancé Bryan Lukes  :-)  --->

Liz & Dan - Maternity Photos

I am so excited to finally post some of my favorite photos from Liz and Dan (& baby Jackson's) maternity photo shoot. 

First off, working with such an amazing couple was so much fun! I've known Liz ever since we were kiddos, so it was such an honor to do photos for her and her amazing husband, Dan.

Enjoy!

The theme of the mint converse shoes was a clever prop this couple brought to the table, being that they got married in their own converse shoes! I hope that's a tradition they will keep for years to come...because it's super cute. 'Nuff said :-)

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We wrapped up the evening with sunset "just mommy" photos along with some more fun "coupley" photos! 

Gear: Panasonic GH4 with Lumix 2.8 12-35mm lens

Location: Sahuaro Ranch Park – Glendale, AZ

<3 Christie

Photography needs? Click here to contact me!

Robert and Tricia's Engagement Photos

Though this comes belated, I decided it's a perfect time to post my brother and his Fiance's engagement photos I photographed last summer. We went to a park in Scottsdale, Arizona and spent the evening at multiple locations.

In just under three weeks, these two very special people will be married. Wow....it's such a surreal thing. God has gifted me with an incredible brother who cares and loves me. He has been there through all of childhood as a playmate, an older brother who looked out for me as we got older, and so supportive throughout all of my personal endeavors. He has shown me great love throughout the years, and through all the ups and downs, laughs and tears: I am SO proud to have him as my brother. It's an exciting time in his life, and I am so proud of my brother for who he is, and who God is guiding him to be for the future.

Enjoy! :-)

-Christie

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Location: Scottsdale, AZ

No More Shame.

You might not even realize it is something you're putting up with. You might not even know it's taking up a room in your heart.

When you don't live up to your own expectations or definition you've created for yourself, you are probably dealing with shame.

Have you ever caught yourself saying negative things like, "I'm not smart enough to..." Or, "Wow, how stupid of me to..." And even the occasional, "I don't understand why I'm so ..." You fill in the blank however you please, but the bottom line is that you are creating a definition of yourself that was never meant to be your identity, and it's creating a mindset that is unhealthy to your health, wellness and overall life.

You could have even done something that you think is so shameful, upright dishonest, or downright wrong that guilt trips up in your mind, and again, leaving the door open for shame to not just stop in your heart, say hello and then step out; but spend the night over and over and over again.

Over time, this shame becomes a part of you. Hinders you. Keeps you captive and, to a point, you may not even think about it anymore. It just becomes who you are, and who you think you were meant to be.

The truth? That is never how we were meant to live.

Jesus Christ offers us a simple way to rid of this residue, create the TRUE identity of yourself, and will turn your shame into honor. The requirements? Surrender.

"Jesus, I have believed one too many lies about myself. I'm done with thinking thoughts of neglect, unimportance, stupidity and no worth: I'm sorry for believing lies of shame for too long. I give you my mind, my thoughts, my heart. Clean house, God. Show me who I am in Christ."

From Hebrews 12:2, the Holy Spirit gave me this revelation:

SHAME is only removed when one realized their true identity in the One who despised it, conquered it, and replaced its power through the bearing of a cross. He replaced our shame with His HONOR.

That simple.

This isn't a religious act. It's a relationship act.

Only through a relationship with Jesus Christ can this kind of freedom happen. No one else has ever or will ever love you enough to die for you the way He did. Put your total trust in Him. Dive into the Word and find out what God thinks of you. If you are 'in Christ,' it means that you have the character of God living on the inside of you through the Holy Spirit.

Now it's time to know your authority in Christ, and bring your dead bones of true honor back to life. Talk with Him, walk with Him, and discover His thoughts over your life. Once your definition is defined by who God says you are through His Word, the lies you once believed about yourself will have no more authority. 

Take Action

Here is an example from the Word to replace your old way of thinking:

Replace the lie of: "I am worthless."

With the truth of: "I am God's Masterpiece."

Proof: Ephesians 2:10 - "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Remember, this new way of thinking is not something that'll take care of itself. Only through the finished work of Jesus Christ will this transformation take place, and you must renew your mind daily with the Word of God and His thoughts towards you. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you. He loves YOU and He is faithful!

-Christie

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Here is some further reading that you may enjoy from writer Joyce Meyer's book, "Beauty for Ashes":

"One day as I was reading the Bible, I noticed this statement in 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance” (AMP). The Holy Spirit stopped me and asked, “What do you believe, Joyce, about your relationship with God? Do you believe He loves you?” As I honestly began to search my heart and to study His Word on the subject, I concluded He did love me—but conditionally.

But the Bible teaches that God loves us perfectly or unconditionally. His perfect love is not based on our perfection or anything except Himself (see 1 John 4:8). He always loves us, but often we don’t receive His love because of guilt about our wrong behavior. We are supposed to be conscious and aware of God’s love and put faith in it. But I was unconscious and unaware of God’s love; therefore, I was not putting faith in His love for me. What a breakthrough! That was the beginning of my emotional healing. It has been a process, but today I can honestly say I am healed and content. I know in my heart that God loves me—and I also love myself.

Saturate your mind with the truth of God’s Word. It’s filled with reminders of His unconditional love for you. He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). He says that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:35). Don’t let the enemy steal your identity. You are God’s masterpiece. Believe it!"

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From Sea to Shining Sea! Part I - CA/AZ (birthday fun)

Well what a wonderful two weeks or so it had been! It was filled with trips to San Diego, Boston, Washington DC, Richmond, Newport News, Philadelphia (for a transfer flight), then back to Arizona!

San Diego/AZ Birthday "Pit Stop"

San Diego was a pre-birthday getaway, filled with relaxing, resting, and refocus on priorities. The weather was a fabulously cloudy time for the majority, with brief bursts of sun at the beach! What a God-send the trip and bursts of sunshine was :-) AND I got to see my Disney friend, Jenna, that I haven't seen in over seven years!! It was fabulous!

San Diego, CA

Seaport Village with Bryan! San Diego, CA

Reunion time with Jenna! San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA

After a brief comeback to Arizona just in time to celebrate Memorial Day (and my birthday) at the D-backs game, I was headed out again for a vaca/work trip to the east coast...oh the adventures that would come!

Mom and me at the Diamondbacks game, May 26, 2014. Phoenix, AZ.

Birthday lunch with Bryan, May 26, 2014. Scottsdale, AZ.

Birthday celebration from work! Phoenix, AZ.

NEXT STOP: BOSTON, MA!

Lighting tests – "Red Sweater"

Here are some photos I did with BigFish Photographers, as they needed someone to do lighting tests. More practice for those behind the camera, and in front! Why not?! :-)

Reflection: COC Production - Toy Scene 2013

What a season this has been! Starting in August 2013, I began working with three different groups as a scene producer/choreographer for the 35th Annual Celebration of Christmas production in Phoenix, AZ. It is something that I have been involved in for the past 20 years, and am so grateful for the opportunities it has given me as an actress, dancer, aerial artist, and choreographer. The program just completed last weekend, and I couldn't be more proud of the groups God allowed me to be a part of.

This year was incredibly special to me. To be able to work with a range of ages, personalities, and characters (both figuratively and true!) really excites me. Everyone came from different backgrounds, walks of life, and are on a different journey in their relationship with Christ. They all brought something very special and unique to the table, and I am so honored to have had each of them in my life.

I told them from the beginning that I was taught at a very young age: "This isn't a production, this is a ministry..." and it's true. Throughout the season, we had sicknesses try to attack us, family dramas and dilemmas, emotional breakdowns, multiple personal prayer requests, deaths in families, overwhelmed exhaustion, school troubles, politics, peer pressures, and overall new journeys in the faith of Jesus Christ. We had these attacks because of the reason why my groups do what the do: it's all about the ministry of Jesus. Whenever you are doing something for Christ, the enemy will try to attack you from every angle: emotionally, physically, and spiritually:

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

— 1 Peter 4:12-13

Each one of the cast members - whether they realized it or not - made an impact on our community by connecting to an audience of tens of thousands who are going through the same things. You may never know the impact, but it's not up to us to keep score. Our job is to love one another, and leave the judging up to the one true God.

So, as a special tribute to an amazing year, my friends at BigFish Photographers gave their time and talents to photograph these wonderful groups I had the pleasure of choreographing this year! A huge shout out to them for being so stinkin' wonderful...as well as sending me the photos on such a quick turn-around time to be able to edit them for the group! Not all photographers will do this, understandably, and I truly appreciate their flexibility to make an exception to the rule.

Thank you to everyone for their hard work throughout the season! If you would like to use any photos for your Facebook page, please credit the above photographer (FB page here). Parents, if you took an individual photo of your child(ren), please standby, and I will try to get those out to you before the new year. Please send a reminder email if you do not receive anything from me by January. Thank you!

Until next time,

<3 Christie

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Photoshoot with BigFish Photographers - Tennis Court

Hello!

So I decided to get my action-shots done for my portfolio, and here is one of my favorite shots:

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Photoshoot with BigFish Photographers, Phoenix AZ.

This is not green-screened, and I really did jump like this! An amazing job done by my friend Cole Guthery, and his business partner, Levi Paul. If you ever need great shots and great turn-around time...go to their website HERE to see their  work, and CONTACT THEM to schedule a shoot!

Roosevelt Lake - Video Shoot

Roosevelt Lake - Photo by Christie Roshau

Welcome to Roosevelt Lake! ☀ This past week I directed/produced a segment to a project I'm working on (which included a 3am wake-up call) out by the lake. It was wonderful to work with such a talented group of individuals. If you haven't been out to Roosevelt Lake, I highly suggest it – it's absolutely gorgeous out there!

Myself at Roosevelt Lake

The Crew

The crew (left to right): Genaro (grip), Julie (makeup), Daren (grip), Joe (audio), Robert (Steadicam)

Something that is so crucial for me on my video shoots is to work with people that are passionate about their individual gifts and talents. I had an incredible camera man who has an ability to bring out on camera the vision I have for a project. My lighting grip is just an all around amazing, whose presence just lights up any room he walks into -- literally! :-) The audio mixer communicated so well to let me know how everything is sounding (even if a loud motor kicks in during the middle of a take!). My grips were both ready to think ahead for me, and extend the helping hands wherever needed. The makeup artist not only looked out to make sure makeup and hair was fabulous, but she also has an eye to point out details during a take that may otherwise be missed. My talents were absolutely wonderful to work with, and had their lines memorized and ready to go!

(Below photos courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo)

Photo Courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo

Photo Courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo

Photo Courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo

Photo Courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo

Photo Courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo

Photo Courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo

The Lessons

It was a long day - a very long day! Waking up at 3am surprisingly came easy, and I can only thank God for that. As a director/producer for this project, the most difficult part was to be able to step back and breath, as I had to continuously be thinking ahead to the next location, talent, script, etc. Nevertheless, I have to say that directing and producing are my two favorite parts of the whole production process. Pulling in the best crew for the job and being able to execute the vision is so satisfying. Being able to work on projects like this really help me to learn from my mistakes, continue striving in areas I'm doing well in, and listen to the ideas and suggestions from others on my shoot.

Until next time, keep creating!

Photo Courtesy of Genaro Delgadillo