Stock

Heather asked me a while ago how I make money selling photos online... I've been attempting to write an entry on this for sometime.... But I suppose I make everything too complicated!!! For the quick, easy response, you can check out my Xanga Blog Entry which also includes a link to Shutterstock where you can learn even more!!! Heather (or anyone else!), if you are interested in pursuing this be sure to email me (go to whiterosealbums.com and use the contact us!) and I will help you get started with several different websites!

School Daze....

Can anyone relate????

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I took this series of photos for my stock gallery. Stock is a completely different kind of photo than wedding pictures and portraits. And while I don't tend to enjoy it as much as weddings and portraits, I have learned a ton from the process and I believe my photography has improved as a result. Plus, I get paid! :) Oh, and it's so fun to find one of your photos published somewhere!!! So it certainly has it's perks.

Rub a Dub Dub

Two pups in a tub!!

Bath Time

Beautiful Day

A beautiful day for a walk in the park!!

Just One More

year until my *midlife crisis*. But I'm afraid it's gonna be mighty boooring. Either it's too expensive or it's too crazy for this rather conservative person.

A few of the suggestions I've been given to celebrate this time in my life...

1. Belly button piercing.
2. Tongue piercing.
3. Tatoo.
4. Take up a new sport such as mud wrestling. (does photography count as a sport????)
5. Buy a new bikini (what, to replace the old one? Ha!), and chase lounge and take up sunbathing in the backyard. (A good way to show off that belly button piercing!)
6. Breast implants.

*sigh* I really do hate being boring! And yet.... I can't bring myself to do any of those things.... I need some adventure in my life. Something to spice it up a bit.... Has my midlife crisis begun????

Wedding Sampler

The Stairs...

that made us huff and puff!

Randomness

1. I think temps in the 80's is perfect.

2. The 70's are tolerable.

3. The 60's are just plain chilly!!

4. I love fresh apples.

5. Tart and crunchy apples - not soft and sweet!

6. Fresh cortlands early in the season are my favorites!

7. I like a clean house.

8. I don't like to clean.

9. So my house is usually a mess!!

10. I really need to declutter.

11. I've turned into a couch potato.

12. I sit at my laptop processing and editing photos.

13. I love to take pictures of people.

14. But hate to have my picture taken.

15. Sometimes it's my double chin that bothers me.

16. Sometimes it's my smile.

17. Heather tells me I need to practice posing in front of the mirror.

18. But I wonder if it's a hopeless cause.

19. I often battle perfectionism.

20. But I'm getting better.

21. I'm extremely ticklish.

22. But don't try and tickle me cuz I can be vicious!!

23. Sometimes my knee bothers me when I go down the stairs.

24. Or when I bike.

25. Sometimes I get out of breath when I climb up the stairs.

26. I think I'm getting old. *sigh*

27. I put salt on my watermelon.

28. I think it brings out the sweetness.

29. I like to dream.

30. I'm learning to take steps to make those dreams into a reality.

31. Sometimes I want to quit.

32. I get a lot of headaches.

33. They make me sleepy.

34. I don't like to dress up.

35. I don't like high heals.

36. They make my feet hurt.

37. And I feel extra clumsy in them.

38. I don't wear make up very often.

39. I got my eyebrows waxed once.

40. I got my ears pierced twice.

41. I have no plans for a belly button piercing.

42. Even for my midlife crisis!

43. Or any other piercing for that matter.

44. I've been planning my midlife crisis for 4 years.

45. I was planning on starting when I turn 40.

46. And continuing until I was 45.

47. But I'm afraid it will be mighty boring...

48. I'm good at losing things.

49. I don't know where the phone is right now.

50. And I frequently lose my mind.

51. I don't have to wear glasses or contacts anymore.

52. I had the Lasik surgery a few years ago.

53. I love being able to see when I wake up or when I go swimming!

54. I started Monroe Community College just before I turned 15.

55. That's where I met Brett.

56. I am not a brainiac!

57. I just took a couple of courses to keep me 'legal'.

58. I took Recreation Leadership in college.

59. I worked at Orbaker's then.

60. I loved waitressing.

61. Especially the tips!!

62. I love Diet Coke.

63. But it doesn't love me.

64. So I have given it up. (again!)

65. Once in a while I allow myself a Diet Sprite or 7 Up.

66. I love our puppies.

67. I think they are adorable!

68. But sometimes they annoy me.

69. I have always homeschooled my kids.

70. But I was never very good at it.

71. I have cried and prayed my way through it.

72. I have really great friends!

73. Many times I take them for granted. :(

74. My first car was a 1970 Ford Torino.

75. My grandfather gave it to me.

76. I thought it was really cool!

77. I went to Venezuela when I was 16 with Teen World Outreach.

78. I went to Brazil a couple of years ago with Global Awakening. (Heather went too!)

79. Someday I will go to Africa.

80. I like thrill rides.

81. But I don't like getting stuck upside down for 10 minutes.

82. The Ride of Steel is an amazing rollercoaster!

83. I also like waterslides.

84. I own a minibike.

85. I bought it when I was 12.

86. I had a pony when I was a kid.

87. And I had a horse too!

88. An Arabian - Very pretty!!!

89. I like to take hikes.

90. I like the old time TV shows.

91. I Love Lucy, Andy Griffeth, and The Dick Van Dyke Show are some of my favorites.

92. I also like Little House on the Prarie.

93. We have seasons 1-8 of Little House.

94. We need to get season 9!

95. One of my favorite movies is North and South.

96. I hate my couch.

97. I think it needs to go to the curb!!!

98. I think it would be fun to have a pet monkey - but Brett doesn't agree.

99. I've always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon - ever since the Brady Bunch went!

100. God is good to me...

101. But I don't always feel or see his goodness.

Some more...

You asked for it! More pix from today....

On the way home we crossed the Irondequoite Bay Bridge. (Read all about it on Rachel's blog!

Of course traffic was backed up!

Cuz there was roadwork!!

All the while I'm crossing the bridge Rachel's blog entry was in the back of my mind.

(not really - I was too busy snapping pictures! hahaha!)

Chip and Dale

I finally got some pix of chipmunks!! They were sooo cute. Gotta love those cheeks!!

Photographer of the Week

John Foley is an amzing photographer! And his work is very unique. I especially admire the dramatic lighting in his work. Amazing stuff! More than just another photograph.... Be sure to click on his name and go to this talented photographer's website and view his beautiful photos!!

Seniors

I absolutely love photographing seniors! They are such a blast!! And usually go along with all of my 'wild and crazy ideas' for photos.

Originally we had planned on taking photos of this lovely lady in a patch of sunflowers but sadly they were all wilted and just horrible looking. Guess we were too late!! So, we headed over to the Arboretum. What a beautiful park for photos!!!

Some people were setting up for a wedding. That photographer will have the opporutunity to get some amazing formals and candids too!! Not only are there flowers - but a pond and a little bridge, some wrought iron benches, etc... We spent an hour shooting there and still didn't exhaust our possibilities!! We will definitely go back for other shoots.

While we were there we were asked by someone if they did weddings there. Well, as we had seen them setting one up we were able to answer them AND give them our cards. The bride to be called us that evening very excited about our work and wants to set up a consultation. YAY! So, in the end I was very glad the sunflowers weren't looking their best. :)

Merit Award!

I just found out yesterday that I won a merit award for these photos from New York Institute of Photography. Not only that but they want to purchase them for their student archives. I'm pretty excited! The last one they purchased ended up on their television commercial!

The toad picture has earned me quite a bit of $$ on various stock sites. Not bad for such an ugly, fat model with serious skin problems. Hahaha!! And I didn't have to pay him anything. But he made it quite clear that he wasn't happy with me taking his picture. *YUCK*!!!

Tootles has since passed on... but he was a fantastic little model and seemed to enjoy all the model shoots I put him through. He got to explore places most mice never see!! And he'd always stop and pose for the camera. He usually left me a mess or two along the way - but they were little and easy to clean. A small price to pay for such a cute little model.

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Teena update:

We are still unsure. Jessi thought she was having her period the other day - but I haven't seen any signs and everyone is convinced that her nipples do look bigger. Are we imagining all of these things? The mystery continues...

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Abortion Project:

I really don't know much about this project. Just that this couple is making a slideshow and will include photos of a growing baby in the womb as well as active kids. I believe the slideshow will go up online somewhere... so when it is up, I will let you all know!

Update

Well... I didn't manage to get into shape this summer... in fact I'm in worse shape than I was at the beginning of this summer. *sigh* I got myself a dvd - "Crunchless Abs" to get my middle back to it's preferred size! I've done the workout 3 days so far and I can feel it so hopefully it's accomplishing SOMETHING! I've also gotten on the elliptical yesterday and today. I must confess it is more of a workout than my bike. I can ride for a couple of hours and be contentedly tired... but yesterday I couldn't complete 20 minutes on level one of the elliptical! Today I completed the 20 minutes... but I toned down the workout just a bit. Otherwise I wouldn't have made it.... Hopefully I can get myself back into shape in spite of my whacky schedule.

As for Teena... still keeping an eye on her and feeling her belly for any sign of movement. I'm sooo stubborn. I don't want to pay another vet bill unless absolutely necessary. Will keep you all posted!!

I was asked by a couple at church to help with a project. They want to put together a slideshow about abortion and need some pictures. I'm so excited to help with this project!

We are attempting to ease ourselves back into school. Several of Jessi's books haven't arrived yet so today she did her language arts (a weeks worth!) and piano and gymnastics started back up too. She was terribly excited to get back to gymnastics!! Her math book arrived today which didn't excite her in the least. So... tomorrow we'll add math. Hopefully the rest of her books will arrive by next week. (I'm sure she has a different opinion! Though she enjoys her history and is really looking forward to chemistry this year!)

Saturday I have a senior shoot. I really enjoy the seniors!! And capturing their different personalities so it should be lots of fun.

That's about it from here!

Imaginings....

Okay... so we are a little worried. When we got Teena she weighed a little over 4 lbs. After her surgeries she dropped to a little over 3 pounds. Now she's over SIX POUNDS!!!! She's getting quite round! (amazing at 6 pounds how round she is!)

I took Romeo to the vet when he was 4 and a half months and said that he's really figured out this birds and bees thing should we get him fixed? The vet said that no, he's still too little and he really shouldn't (notice the non commitment here!) be able to get her pregnant. So about 5 weeks ago Teena goes into heat. We tried to be extra cautious and keep them apart... but well.... Romeo's a feisty little pup to put it mildly. And he knows what he wants and he usually gets what he wants!!

So we scheduled an appointment to have Romeo neutered in spite of the fact he wasn't 6 months old yet (the recommended age)....

But, the question is, were we too late? Could Teena actually be pregnant? They aren't even house trained yet for goodness sakes!! What will I do with a whole litter of naughty little poms?!!! And oh! What if they all have heart murmurs????

I sure hope we are imagining all those tummy movements and the very round bulgy belly.... Or that she's just fat and has a lot of gas!!

I'm not totally convinced quite yet... but my family has decided that I'm just in denial....

Flodale and Denis slide-show

Phew, I finished the slide-show for Flodale and Denis. I really enjoyed this wedding - even with all of it's challenges. Denis and Flodale are an amazing couple with an even more amazing testimony of God's faithfulness through it all.
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