Different

Show me color, show me fun!  Show me different and I’ll run run run (or jump for joy, or do a little jig, or call you back for more)!  Gotta love those who are willing to let loose and be different!  A picture is worth lots of words… something like a thousand I hear.

Behind the scenes

Have you ever felt really moved by something or someone?  Have you ever been in awe at the dedication and selflessness of another.  I have much to learn about raising a family and I can tell you that this family could teach me lots!  Can I just hang on to their coat tails and hope to pick up on some of their goodness?    I only have 2 kids and getting us out the door, all in one piece, let alone all in the same direction seems like an impossible task at times.  Hats off to this family who have 5 kids- 5 kids to dress, to feed, to bathe, to carpool, to take to appointments in all different directions and to photograph.  Can you imagine it?  Well, they handle it like it’s no big thing.  : )  Something extra special about this family is that all 5 kids are adopted.   Their dedication to family is incredible and an inspiration to me.  She has done her homework and worked with several different agencies and says that Heart and Soul (in case you know of anybody who might need adoption services) has been her favorite.  I love their story, their rich lives filled with children, activity, play and chaos (in a good way!).  I called this behind the scenes but it ended up being The Scene.  She loved this picture the most because of what it said about them, what really is happening behind the scenes is actually their true scene.  

running from camera

So, for whatever reason you have a camera.  Maybe you are a photographer, maybe you love to take pictures, maybe somebody gave it to you as a gift and you are still figuring things out.  Nonetheless, have you ever considered doing something totally off the wall, different and creative?  Check this out and then think about how the heck he came up with something like this!  I suppose it is one way to have a self-portrait! 

Then, the next challenge-go do something weird and off the wall with your camera and you never know… people from all over might want to see it!

Does size really matter?

I love these moments, candid moments.  Nobody is going to be hanging this above their sofa as a 60×40 print (I would).  How could I NOT keep this?    If I was a millionaire (maybe I would need to be a billionaire to do this) I would compile a short story from people’s photo shoots, make large prints, and design their wall using Minda or Alisha (since they are much more skilled in that area than I) and have all sorts of prints like THIS-the true side.  Who cares about the boring ones-everybody has those.  I want personality, I want emotion, I want something different.   BTW, this happened to come because Darin was going to have his boys hanging from both sides-showing his strength of course.   Well, somehow that ended up like this- a comparison and what appears to be a size debate.  : )

The car

My BIL has a car that he loves.  He scheduled a photoshoot for it.  : )  I flew all the way over to Indiana for it (ok and a few other things).  My sister and I surprised him with an album honoring The Car.  When he saw that I launched this lovely little site his only words were, “Where’s my pics.”  I think I know what that means so I got right to work and here they are, so this is for you Ken.  Now let’s note… I know nothing about cars.  I don’t know what is cool about them and what is not cool about them.  I can tell you that the color was cool and it was very shiny and had lots of intricate little details.  Any car people out there might say, “ You didn’t get a picture of the flux capacitor…” but I can’t worry about it.  So as far as the photos are concerned, I just snapped what caught my eye.  Don’t worry, we had plenty to chose from!

Feedback

I need help with this blog.  I would love feedback on this new site/blog.  What do you think?  What can I improve? What is great and what is terrible?

In the meantime, I will be reviewing some of my favorites from 2009. 

Kade is hilarious, can you tell?  I have every pose/emotion from him documented but this one was it for me!  He was just a goof and showed his true colors.  His mom is going to smother his room (or the stairwell-not sure what she decided) with fun pictures and this may not make the cut since he had so many funny ones.  I love the peace symbol shadowed on his face, along with his serious demeanor.  It’s like he is saying, “Peace, or else!” 

Biz, all Biz | Queen Creek photographer

Writing down goals and (committing to them) sounds easy but in practice, its hard!  I’ve written all sorts of things that I REALLY AND TRULY meant to get to (like dropping 25 pounds, learning Spanish, etc) but even writing them down didn’t work for me.  Ok, I’ll be honest-I attempted but no follow through.  Something that isn’t easy seems a little harder to knock off the goal sheet.

Well, I tried it differently this year (for the photography side of things) and typed them out, printed them out, hung them above my desk and started acting upon them before 2010 started.  So, tonight is the night I have finished a HUGE step for me.  THIS NEW BLOG/WEBSITE!  I obviously can’t take credit as Tim (my dedicated and supportive husband) is the brains behind customizing this blog so thank you Tim!  He showed me how to maintain, create and change stuff but he certainly made the buttons and links do what I needed it to do.  I LOVED my website before (which was my blood sweat and tears, not Tim’s (insert curtsy here)) but I wanted to incorporate a blog that I could contribute to regularly-and feel like it tied into everything.  I wanted it to all be in one place.  Voila…

I am striving for these in 2010:

• Complete the studio (finish hanging prints, add mirror, and a few other minor touches)
• Do 3-4 classes/workshops by year end
• Update website/blog by end of February
• Master workflow process and a system of time blocking and stick to it
• Join PPA (or a club/organization/association of camera people in the local area) before year end
• Second shoot a wedding (but I changed my mind on this one—no longer a 2010 goal)
• Read 3 new educational books on photography or the business side of life
• Revisit business plan, pricing, and goals  and update by end of January
• Travel with my camera and get paid for it
• Find 5 photos that I love and hang them on my wall (my home, not studio)  ok, so this should go on my personal goals but I needed an even 10 so there you have it)

Hallelujah, the year is starting off with a jumpstart.  I am inspired by so many out there so a thanks to some of them…

• Melissa Jill
• Sarah Rhoads
• Sloan Photographers
• Megan Cristello

I have 2 workshops in the works for far:

• FranciPants Academy (awesome guidance on the business of photography-I am in this right now and looking forward to all that I will learn and develop)
• OneLight Workshop (I hope to do this one in July in Indianapolis)

I would love to take more classes (the advanced class and the flash class) by Wendy Schultz but I am hanging tight on the waiting list.  The first class I took from her was AWESOME and full of goodness!  I highly recommend it!

I also love the idea of the AZ Highways workshops but I am going to hold on and see what the buzz is out there.

Time to finally get some sleep!