These little gems | Queen Creek, AZ Photography

I saw these at Anthropologie and loved them.  But without a plan, this is a typcial problem for me-not the right size.  I love the color, the patterns, the fabrics.  I was going to hang them on the studio wall right next to some of my favorite photographs BUT they have to go back to the store since they just won’t work.  So, back on the hunt for larger letters, colorful letters, and preferably lower case letters!

Gilbert Photography

This was a Friday adventure!  If you take a class from Wendy Schultz then you have the privilege of becoming part of her “alumni” and she arranges an adventure once a month with any students that are here in the valley.  So, this is what we discovered and it was cool.  VERY COOL.  It was nice to meet others that have taken the class and officially meet Wendy too.  I have “talked” with her in many ways except in person until Friday!  I look forward to many more Friday adventures!

Time away

Whenever I have time away from the computer (a necessary evil) I have a chance to evaluate, consider, think and be excited all over again.  Sometimes too much thinking is well, just too much.  : )  But we went away on vacation without laptop and camera, technically I had the camera but weather did not permit its use. I managed to bring it along on one day’s adventure but the rain was so bad I decided to leave it back at the hotel.  Anyhow, when I am here-“in the office” I get locked on what am I supposed to be doing, how behind am I on stuff and keeping up with all of it.  When away, I have to let go.  I can’t be where I am not and I can’t do what I cannot.  So, back at the day, still in my PJ’s I am playing catch up to nothing but my own expectations and assignments!  Funny how that happens!  I am glad to be back, sitting here and feeling inspired all over again.

I am still pulling pictures from last year’s stuff.  I probably will since my blog was nothing short of shameful last year.  I wanted to start new so I am pretending like this is the first time it is out there!  I have reserved January as the month to work on the business, not in the business.  I am all about proactive (try to be), not reactive.  I wanted to have systems in place, stuff in order so I can continue to run the rest of my life and not let this and everything else run me.  It is a work in process and something on my mind most of the time but I am excited about what I have been able to address and accomplish in January. 

This… it was all Todd.  We were dying to get some emotion out of him.  His face was stationary in what he thought was the perfect smile for family photos.  He was doing a fairly good job.  : )  I was hoping to see something more and it happened when I asked him what else he wanted to do or what else he had in mind.  He got his family on board, lined them up and finally something real was shown on his face (and everyone else’s).   In this photo, you can just see the kids thinking he is a little funny and there is Courtney barely agreeing to his cleverness.  In the end, I think this is what they wanted, not the first 30 minutes…

Where’s the perfect camera bag?

I have been on the hunt!  I am trying to find a camera bag that can do the following:

• look awesome
• lightweight
• hold my camera and a few lens
• sleek and slim
• lots of pockets

I do have a few bags in my arsenal but none of them fit the role.  So let me explain:

1. This is a Tamrac bag and I will tell you the good and the bad.  What is better to know first?  Good or bad.  OK, let’s start off with the bad.  It isn’t super cute.  The pockets on the front of the bag, just behind the front flap don’t hold much.  Maybe just a cell phone or something just as slim.  Anything larger will prevent the bag from being able to close.  Bummer.  Another bad is the Velcro strips that hold the section dividers on the inside aren’t sewn to the very edge so when you take your lens in and out, it gets caught on those strips.  Very frustrating, especially if you have the hood on.  One more bad characteristic is the front flap.  I understand why it’s there but if it could be a bit deeper with a quicker zip on the top it would be so much easier to get and out of (then the flap could be the final touch).  The problem is, when the flap is open it is in the way and the camera loose lens are not safe since they sit slightly above the opening.  Ok, the good…  I love the messenger style so I can sling it across my body!  It can slide on the handle of a roller suitcase.  Very cool! It is thin(ner) than my chunky backpack style.  I love that it stands up by itself when I set it down.

2. This is a Shootsac and here’s the good…  The color! (you can buy several different colors but I love green)  The stretchy fabric! it is like a wetsuit fabric.  It forms to your body when you wear it slung across your chest! AND you can use one of the 6 lens pockets to hold a bottle of water, its perfect!  I don’t love that it doesn’t stand up if I ever need to set it down.  I hate that I can’t put my camera in it…  if you take this with you on vacation, you need something separate for the camera, it only holds lens.  I like to keep the hood on my lens and it doesn’t fit in the lens compartment even though it is a stretchy fabric.  : )

3. This is a LowerPro backpack style.  Bad: Another not super cute bag.  It is VERY RARE that I need to take all my stuff with me, so this is overdoing it a bit.  It has all sorts of cords and stuff handing off it (to secure a tripod or something) which get tangled and in my way.  Good: it holds all my stuff.  : )  it carries my laptop, and I can carry it on my back making it easy to travel.

4. Last but not least…  : )  This is no camera bag.  This is my bag that I take with me when I head over to Scrapbooks, Etc. to make cards.  It holds scissors, glue, punches, more scissors and other doodads.  I pulled this out today and thought, “hmmm, it is light weight.  It stands up by itself.  It keeps my lens organized (if I were to put lens in it).  I could hold my camera since the dividers are removable. It is simple, slim and sleek, I love the colors… It certainly is cute.”

Then, I got real.  Even though I am desperate to find a bag I love, I would say it lacks a little protection!  What if I have to slam on my brakes with this sitting on the front seat? :)  Lens and camera crap everywhere is what I see happening!  I don’t think I am asking much, but I also realize that one bag doesn’t fit every need and occasion.  So, I will stick with a simple travel bag.  Just me, my camera (with a lens attached) and one extra lens.  That is what I will try to accommodate.  I will even leave my flash, grey card, light meter, and who knows what else at home. 

I’m on a mission (and I have heard about Crumpler bags…)  if you can help, please share!

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!