Snap Happy

Icebirds

2009-01-17T23:40:00.004-05:00

In spite of the bitter cold today, I headed over to Seabreeze for some pics of the birds on the ice...

The gulls were hovering just overhead!

The birds swarmed anyone offering them food!!

Ayden

2009-01-05T19:35:00.004-05:00

I took some pics of my little model this morning. I asked her to leave up her Christmas decorations as Christmas pictures really sell!

Studio Sessions/Bible Study Notes

2009-01-05T00:15:00.007-05:00

I had a quickie studio session today with Rich and Jane and their daughter and grandkids. Their daughter wanted a formal portrait of her parents and then Jane wanted one with all of them. I was a bit concerned about doing a family session in studio as my make-shift studio is soooo small! But we managed...

Since I was all set up, I did a quickie profile picture for Brett. He WOULD NOT SMILE!!!!But he's no longer a Martian on Facebook!!! hahaha!!!!

Then Dave came over and wanted a profile picture too. His were a little more "artistic"....

I took down the studio tonight as I have a location session tomorrow morning with little Ayden! How fun! I think we are doing some Christmas pictures! We were going to do them BEFORE Christmas... But Brett totalled his car and well, he needed my van to get to work. Fun stuff!

I posted this on Facebook... but thought I'd post it here as well in case someone missed it or maybe isn't my friend on facebook. It was something I wrote a few weeks ago from my own personal Bible study.... Hopefully it blesses someone. :) (beware, it's kinda long!)

********************************

So… I’ve been meditating on Matthew 15:30-37.

In verses 30 and 31 we see Jesus healing the dumb, the lame, the blind… People were excited and praising and thanking and glorifying God. BUT it wasn’t enough to sustain them… They needed something more.

Healings are great! And exciting! And something that God definitely wants to do for us and through us… Something we should be extremely thankful for… But we need even more than physical healings.

Jesus says in vs. 32 that he had compassion for the crowd because they had been with him for 3 days and had had nothing to eat. He went on to say that he was not willing to send them away hungry – lest they faint or become exhausted on the way. He wanted to give them something that would give them strengthen them and keep them on the journey.

How often am I willing to send people away hungry? Oh God, give me your compassion for those who are hungry!! For those in need of strength for the journey…. May I not be willing to send anyone away hungry!

The disciples were a little surprised that Jesus would even think of providing for all those people. In the natural there was NOTHING to give them… they were, after-all in an isolated and deserted place!

How often do I look at my *natural surroundings* and decide that there is no possible way I have anything of value to give to others? Lord, help me to see YOUR provision… And even to see how you might provide through me….

Somehow they managed to find 7 loaves and a few small fish. Still, in the natural, ridiculous to attempt to feed so many with such a little amount!!!!

How often do I discount the little things that I might have? Thinking that it’s no more than a drop in the bucket therefore why even try? Forgive me Lord for discounting the *little things*. For not remembering what you are able to do with the little things – that you love to multiply!

But Jesus was determined that they should eat before leaving! And so he orders the crowd to sit down.

Jesus knew that the little bit that they had was MORE THAN ENOUGH to feed an entire crowd.

He then proceeds to give thanks and break the loaves and fish. And he gives the broken pieces to the disciples. And the disciples proceed to give them to the people on the ground. And they ALL ate AND WERE SATISFIED. And they gathered up plenty of left-overs!!!!!

Jesus gave thanks for the little bit… How often am I not even grateful or thankful for the *little* things that God gives me? And if I think there’s not enough even for me… I’m not as likely to give it away… But when Jesus took it and broke it there was enough for the disciples AND the crowd! The little bit that they multiplied as it was broken and given away….

Lord, here I am… From all appearances I don’t have much of anything to offer anyone… But I choose to look to you and believe you for provision! I choose to believe that you are in me and that you desire to feed others and strengthen others with what you have given me. I choose to believe that there is MORE than enough for those that you send my way! I am thankful for the little things that you have placed within me! And gladly give away what you have given me! Knowing that as I do, you will multiply it and feed and strengthen MANY in the process. In Jesus name.

Looking Back

2009-01-03T22:26:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-22T15:17:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure why... but it just doesn't feel like Christmas. The tree is up, the presents are all bought (even if they have yet to be wrapped!), there's lots and lots of snow outside... and yet, it just doesn't feel at all like Christmas.

Jessica put up the tree this year and decorated it almost entirely by herself. She did an amazing job of it too!!!! As I mentioned in a previous year, we let our kids pick out an ornament each year. This has led to a wide variety of ornaments! And we currently have sooo many ornaments that we couldn't possibly use them all on the tree! But I suppose when the kids leave - well then we'll find we don't have very many after-all! hahaha!

Jessica says that she can never find anything with her name on it. That they are always "sold out"! So when she found this cute little ornament - she snatched it up!

Brian's all-time favorite movie continues to be the Wizard of Oz. Last year he purchased the scarecrow... this year we got him Dorothy!

Heather has yet to get an ornament this year. Because of her surgery she really hasn't been out all that much. So this one is an oldie. Not sure what year it was... but at the time she really liked Precious Moments. And this one has a little slot in the back of the fireplace for the Christmas lights so that the fire looks like it's really lit. Well... sort of! ;)

I'm not sure who's ornament this one is... but it's a favorite! I figure if Santa's heading south, I should too!!!!!

I also took a few pictures of the dogs in front of the tree....

It was rather tough to get them both looking in the same direction at the same time! hahaha!!

If I don't get on again before Christmas - MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!

2008-11-27T11:43:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had a photo session with Beautiful Baby Hannah!

Stay in Expectation

2008-11-26T15:13:00.001-05:00

So today I have been digging into the scriptures trying to grab hold of Abiding...

4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. John 15:4

After several hours of digging I'm finally getting a little nugget and I wanted to share with you all. It really is in keeping with the challenge to tithing our awake time.... Actually it's taking it further than just a simple tithe and into a lifestyle of abiding.

When I looked up the word Abide I saw that it could also be translated TARRY. Rewritten it would read...

Tarry in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it tarries in the vine, so neither can you unless you tarry in Me. So I looked up the definition of TARRY and part of the definition is to stay in expectation.

So, this week as you seek after God and pursue Him... STAY IN EXPECTATION.

Expect that He is with you.
Expect that He is in you.
Expect that He hears you.
Expect that He speaks to you.
Expect that He speaks through you.
Expect that He will help you.
What is it you need to expect God for?.... STAY IN EXPECTATION for that!!!

More than Enough

2008-11-22T23:37:00.001-05:00

Today I’ve been meditating on Matthew 15:30-37.

In verses 30 and 31 we see Jesus healing the dumb, the lame, the blind… People were excited and praising and thanking and glorifying God. BUT it wasn’t enough to sustain them… They needed something more.

Healings are great! And exciting! And something that God definitely wants to do for us and through us… Something we should be extremely thankful for… But we need even more than physical healings.

Jesus says in vs. 32 that he had compassion for the crowd because they had been with him for 3 days and had had nothing to eat. He went on to say that he was not willing to send them away hungry – lest they faint or become exhausted on the way. He wanted to give them something that would give them strengthen them and keep them on the journey.

How often am I willing to send people away hungry? Oh God, give me your compassion for those who are hungry!! For those in need of strength for the journey…. May I not be willing to send anyone away hungry!

The disciples were a little surprised that Jesus would even think of providing for all those people. In the natural there was NOTHING to give them… they were, after-all in an isolated and deserted place!

How often do I look at my *natural surroundings* and decide that there is no possible way I have anything of value to give to others? Lord, help me to see YOUR provision… And even to see how you might provide through me….

Somehow they managed to find 7 loaves and a few small fish. Still, in the natural, ridiculous to attempt to feed so many with such a little amount!!!!

How often do I discount the little things that I might have? Thinking that it’s no more than a drop in the bucket therefore why even try? Forgive me Lord for discounting the *little things*. For not remembering what you are able to do with the little things – that you love to multiply!

But Jesus was determined that they should eat before leaving! And so he orders the crowd to sit down.

Jesus knew that the little bit that they had was MORE THAN ENOUGH to feed an entire crowd.

He then proceeds to give thanks and break the loaves and fish. And he gives the broken pieces to the disciples. And the disciples proceed to give them to the people on the ground. And they ALL ate AND WERE SATISFIED. And they gathered up plenty of left-overs!!!!!

Jesus gave thanks for the little bit… How often am I not even grateful or thankful for the *little* things that God gives me? And if I think there’s not enough even for me… I’m not as likely to give it away… But when Jesus took it and broke it there was enough for the disciples AND the crowd! The little bit that they multiplied as it was broken and given away….

Lord, here I am… From all appearances I don’t have much of anything to offer anyone… But I choose to look to you and believe you for provision! I choose to believe that you are in me and that you desire to feed others and strengthen others with what you have given me. I choose to believe that there is MORE than enough for those that you send my way! I am thankful for the little things that you have placed within me! And gladly give away what you have given me! Knowing that as I do, you will multiply it and feed and strengthen MANY in the process. In Jesus name.

Supporting Missions Trips

2008-11-20T14:28:00.006-05:00

My pastor and a friend will be heading down to Brazil next month on a short term mission trip. I'm so excited for them! And want to support them in whatever way that I can. So... I'm offering several different ways for others support them with their portrait orders.

For the rest of this month and ALL of next month a portion of every order will go to support their trip! I'm very excited about this and already have some money to donate!

For those who have had portrait sessions (or even weddings) with me in the past.... There will be absolutely NO processing fee (normally $25 if ordered after 30 days of proofing session) for the month of November and December. This is a great opportunity for you to order gift prints for family and friends. And if you ask me - portraits make the best kinds of gifts. Especially for parents and grandparents!

We also offer custom photo cards. Get your orders in for Christmas cards ASAP! Or thank you cards, baby announcements, etc.... We have a variety of sizes and types of cards available!

(A 4x8 flat photo card with envelopes - minimum order of 25)

(This is a 4.25x5.5 folded card... the bottom half is the front and the top is the back. Minimum order of 10.)

I'm also offering gift certificates, good until December 1, 2009, for portrait sessions and the ENTIRE creation fee will go to support their trips! So... if you or someone you know needs a portrait session within the next year, purchase your gift certificate before December 31st! (These also make great Christmas presents!)

Finally, for those of you who don't live in the area and would like to support their trip... You can order from my predesigned cards..... Again these are 4.25x5.5 folded cards with envelopes. The insides are blank.

Predesigned cards are $2.25 each or 10 for $20 plus shipping. Currently I'm only offering two designs as I've never done this before and would like to see how it goes before offering more designs....

These and other photos I've posted online could also become prints.... If you are interested in any of those, feel free to contact me (fotoimpact@verizon.net) about prices....

I hope to have some stories to share with you all about their trips when they get back!!!!

TESTIMONIALS....

The finished portraits made me feel wonderful. Michelle captured what we wanted and more. When I showed my husband the finished products he got the biggest smile on his face and said, "Oh Wow!"
--Abby Hanson, Walworth, NY

While I love my Sears photos I can not compare the two because the sessions were so different. Sears was posed and with Michelle it was very relaxed. We really liked that we could just do whatever and there wasn't a lot of stiff poses. I loved my photos and Michelle. She is a very kind person and really does her very best to get the pictures that her clients want. She is also very accomadating. I would love to have special moments captured by Michelle again.
--Ajaleah Bobowski, Williamson, NY

I didn't ever realize how pretty I looked! I was hoping to have a decent looking photo of me that I could put in th eyearbook, and I didn't want it to be embarrassing years later because for some people that's the only way they'll remember me. I was more than pleasantly surprised when the majority of the pictrures came out looking beautiful. And I definitely will have a great picture in the yearbook.
--Shannon Gillen, Webster, NY

When I saw my finished portraits for the first time I felt like I wanted to cry -- they were so beautiful! We have used Sears, JCPenney, and Walmart for portraits in the past. Although the cost is higher with White Rose, the service is far better and the quality is on a whole different plain - WAY better!
Marlene King, Marion, NY

Tagged by Martha....

2008-11-16T16:52:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by Martha.The rules…

Find the 6th folder in your pictures directory and post the 6th photo in it.

So here are the instructions:* Go to your sixth picture folder then pick your sixth picture.*

Pray that you remember the details.*

Post it on your blog.*

Tag 5 others, leave a comment to let them know they’ve been tagged.

So.... I wasn't quite sure what to do because I have a picture folder on 3 different hard drives. I opted to go with the drive on my laptop.... Not at all knowing what to expect. And this was the 6th picture in the 6th folder.....

Bet you weren't expecting a picture of your beautiful Grandson were you Martha?!

I'm not sure how old Josh was when we took this picture (Bethany?). We had waited and waited hoping his cord would fall off... We finally gave in and did the photos and it was a simple solution of making sure he was on his belly for the picture!

I love this photo... It was taken at Bethany and Adam's house on their bed. The bedspread was PERFECT with all the lines leading right to little Josh's adorable face. Of course with a face like that - well it's not hard to take a nice picture. Even if he really wasn't happy being on his belly. And probably wanted some clothes on!

I had this photo blown up to a 24x36 (I think) on canvas that I use for a display piece.... That's how much I like this portrait of Josh.

We did a couple more photos after this with Bethany in the picture... and that was when Josh decided it was time to go! hahahaha!!!

So... not sure who I can tag.... I'm not all that active on this blog anymore. Anyone want to volunteer? Just leave me a message! ;)

2008-11-13T10:11:00.004-05:00

I'm trying to pop in here every once in a while....

First a quick update...

Some of you know from reading my Facebook that I have been going out on the streets on Monday nights to minister to anyone who will let us. It has been a GREAT experience for me. I'm getting bolder about talking to complete strangers and asking them if we can pray with them for anything. And most people are totally cool with that! And I'm also learning that it's really not a big deal when I am rejected. Most, however, seem to appreciate that we want to pray with them and listen to them. And we've seen God heal people on the spot! One woman was totally set free from neck pain and another from pain she had in her feet. It was really cool!

I'm still behind on my work - mostly now because of computer troubles. *sigh* I hate it when I get behind and can't even try to get caught up! It seems to be one particular set of files that is giving me trouble. Brett has been working hard to get a solution... What would I do without my own personal computer wiz?!

My mom, Jessi and I are planning a trip to Florida in early December. We are working on a photo project. I'm really looking forward to that! I will have TONS of pictures to share I'm sure. :)

Here's a few recent (and some not so recent) pictures....

These are from a wedding way back in September.

She had an absolutely GORGEOUS veil!!!! Kind of had an antique look to it....

This is my newest model - so you will be seeing more pictures of her for sure! She's an absolute doll!!

I finally finished up Meg's senior session. We've been trying to set up her studio session for quite some time now and she finally came in on Tuesday. :)

Heather has been after me to get some new pictures of her! She saw some of a senior I did this summer and wanted some similar ones. We finally did a few last night...

More Doggie Torture...

2008-11-01T23:01:00.002-04:00

He's supposed to be a cave dog... but he wouldn't sit up and so it doesn't do the costume justice... but it's still hysterical! He kinda looks like a punker! BTW, we bought him a big old bone to go with the costume - but he got too excited and wouldn't pose for pictures when we brought that out. I had to call Heather down to take it away or he might have bitten my hand off!

This one just cracks me up! He looks so.... Proud to be an American!

We tried and tried to get Teena to sit up... but she kept sliding down. Oh well, we take what we can get sometimes!

The dogs do well in costumes IF they aren't forced to wear hats or wigs! That's when it gets difficult!! Teena's hat kept slipping down over her eyes and she couldn't tell where she was going. It was sooo funny! Although I don't think she agrees. hahaha!! But when the hat was off - she was totally cool playing Mrs. Clause!

Trick-or-Treat!

2008-10-31T19:49:00.002-04:00

My kids don't do Halloween... but our dogs do! hahaha!!!

Sgt. Romeo

Doggie Diva

Sleeping Babies

2008-10-23T21:58:00.002-04:00

I had a newborn session tonight. She mostly wanted to EAT... so we didn't get much in the way of variety. I'm going back tomorrow morning and hopefully get a photo of her with her big sister! But she's the sweetest little baby girl!!

Mike's Amazing Cakes

2008-10-16T09:09:00.001-04:00

Check 'em out here!

Yes, Martha, I'm Awake Now!

2008-10-14T13:01:00.008-04:00

Sorry it's such a long time between posts. I have just been sooo busy with life. I haven't learned how to balance it all just yet. hahaha!! So, a quick update...

Hmmm... where to begin....

I turned 40 back in September. I've been gearing up for a mid-life crisis. Trying to plan out some big, fun, crazy thing to *celebrate*... I'm afraid I didn't follow through cuz either it was too expensive (like getting a Mustang, or travelling the world!) or something I just didn't want (like a tattoo or a bellybutton piercing). Instead I went to the Olive Garden with some friends and my hubby. That was about it!

I've been attending some revival services that are being held in the area. They have been incredible as far as getting my focus back on the things that are truly important. And I feel like I'm finally being changed... my attitude, my outlook, etc... Something I have been wanting for years and yet... well, it just seemed like I constantly was battling the same things without any victory. My husband even said he sees changes in me. :)

I still haven't caught up with all of my work. Partly cuz of the revival services which have taken up so much of my time and partly cuz of regular life which seems to get in the way! I'm sooo thankful to have such wonderful and patient clients! :) But I am making progress... I've almost completed the wedding album for the August wedding. Then I have a few sessions that need a bit of editing, then another wedding (but I got smarter and will do things differently and speed the whole process up!).... Plus I *think* things will start to slow down. Senior pictures need to be turned in so no more senior pictures until next year probably! I've decided not to do weddings anymore. Though I love doing them... I have major stress about them! And also they are a ton of work and I then fall behind on my other sessions...

Hubby is all better. He had another scope which revealed that the ulcer was completely healed.

Oh, last night I went downtown with a couple of young people to minister on the streets. That was an adventure! They've been going out every Monday evening and have been trying to get me to go with them. I finally went in spite of all the work I felt like I was supposed to be doing! Let me tell you, it's a whole different life out there!! Many were drunk or high. Lots of homeless... So many teens just bored and looking for excitement. It was sad! One of the guys that I went with bought a bunch of candy bars from Walmart and when someone was hungry he'd give them several. Then we would pray with them and give them an encouraging word... I plan on going again next Monday.

I have a few more sessions lined up... But here's a few photos from previous sessions that I haven't posted yet...

I took Meg out yesterday - a BEAUTIFUL fall day for pictures!!! The first two pictures were taken at a nearby cemetery which is quickly becoming a favorite spot for me!

This is what I call my *tween* look. It's a photo that I converted to sepia (brown tones) and then added back a hint of color. For this photo I also brought back more color to her eyes.

These last two pictures were taken right in her backyard. They have a lovely backyard - perfect for photos!

A family session...

This is Krissy. She's hoping to break into modelling. We had a mini session and will be doing a regular session later....

I thought it was fun doing a photo of her in her winter coat with the beautiful summer flowers behind her. It actually was quite toasty out this day! Krissy did a great job pretending she was freezing! hahaha!!

The next pictures were my first attempt at a full fledged maternity session... It was a lot of fun and a great learning experience for me. I actually treated it more like an engagement session only was sure to include the belly! :) I wanted to capture the love between the couple as well as the excitement of becoming parents for the first time.

Another senior... This is Zoe! She actually was one of my Senior representatives. And she has been particularly patient with me! (THANK YOU ZOE!!!!)

Another at the cemetery. I just LOVE that door!!!!

That's all for now! I hope I didn't bore everyone!!!!

Living From a Place of Dreaming

2008-09-01T20:38:00.000-04:00

Living From a Place of Dreaming

This is why I love Graham Cooke! (Excerpt taken from Living from a Place of Dreaming audio recording)

**********************

What if the Gospel is so good, it’s too good to be true?
What if it’s so good it borders on fantasy?
What if the gospel is so astonishing and amazing you have to go to a place of beyond thinking into dreaming in order to articulate what it’s really, really like to be a Christian?

I sat on a plane going from one place to another place…. And I sat next to a guy and I’m reading my Bible and he said, “What’s that your reading?”

I said, “Oh, it’s a cook book.”

He said, “No it’s not! It’s a Bible.”

I said, “Dude, there’s no getting anything past you, ‘eh?”

And then he starts disparaging me because I’m reading a Bible. He said, “You’re one of those Christians?” And he’s really contemptuous.

So I turned around to him and I said, “You’re not a Christian???? What the hell is wrong with you? You’re not a Christian?! How can you live?!!! Do you have something defective in your brain? You’re actually sitting here telling me your not a Christian??? Oh my God! I’ve never met anyone like you!”

And he’s like really shocked. And I’m thinking, “Yeah right. Have a taste of your own stuff pal.”

“How can you live with yourself? Your not a Christian? Oh my God!!! You poor guy, would you like to be one? Can I tell you why I’m a Christian?... He is the most amazing, brilliant person I know. He’s the kindest person I know. He’s astonishing, He’s outrageous, he’s funny, he’s delightful, He is so huge in terms of his heart for me I tell you I can hardly stand to live through each day. The row of seats in front suddenly all tilt back. And you can see an ear sticking in between the seats and you look behind you and the guy behind you has got his nose in the crack and he’s listening. I said, “Let me tell you about Jesus. Oh my gosh.” And I start to tell him what my story is. How God is with me. How much God is for me. How much God loves me. How in all of His thoughts he has great thoughts about me….

*****************************

Why are we not ASTONISHED when someone isn't a believer?! Could it be that we are not living in wonder and awe of who God is????

Nan and Friends

2008-08-18T21:45:00.009-04:00

Shhh! I'm not putting these up on thepurplevan.org site until the slideshow goes up. I should really wait to put them up here... but I know everyone is anxious to see the fantastic job Nan and Chrissy and Leah did! (Thanks Nan for letting me know your fantastic helper's names!)

I just love the Z's they had all over the room. (The first letter of the Kim's new last name.)

She also had some of Kim and Jason's engagement pictures out as you can see on the wall and behind the shoes.

Lights, candles, flowers and flower petals, etc... beautifully adorned the entire room!

Because the hard work and thought that these ladies put into decorating the dressing room, detail shots like these were a SNAP! Beka and I hardly had to think. The light/candles added soooo much to the photos.

What a gorgeous background to go with such a gorgeous bride!

That's Kim's parents in the background.

And just one more for fun!

Now, you will just have to wait for the slide show for the rest! hahaha!!!!

So again, thank you Nan and Chrissy and Leah! You made my job much easier!!!

***Edit*** Okay, I couldn't resist... I put the pictures (along with a couple extras) on my facebook.

Looking for Good

2008-08-18T10:21:00.003-04:00

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.

But the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.

--Winston Churchill

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor...

Proverbs 11:27

Finally, brethren,

whatever is true,

whatever is honorable,

whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is of good repute,

if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,

dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

But examine everything carefully;

hold fast to that which is good;

1 Thessalonians 5:21

Lord,

I again ask for forgiveness for looking for

and dwelling on the negative

in situations and in people

rather than all the GOOD

that you have blessed me with

and the good that you have placed in others.

I thank you for your goodness to me!

I thank you for friends who love me and accept me - shortcomings and all!

I thank you for the people you have placed in my life who challenge me to new levels in you.

I thank you for my family.

And I even thank you for the struggles.

For I know that you have taught me many valuable lessons

as I have walked through them.

And I thank you for your perfect love!

A love so deep and true I cannot comprehend it!

You are GOOD!

And I declare my commitment to looking for the GOOD.

CONGRATS!

2008-08-16T21:24:00.006-04:00

Today Kim and Jason were married. They are a very sweet couple!! When I first met Kim and asked her how she saw her wedding she said, "Simple Elegance" and that is exactly how her wedding was! Here's a few pictures from their special day....

(Just a little aside... Kim went to school here and so she grew up playing on this playground! There's more playground pix coming.)

(They are getting ready to build.... so we took advantage of the equipment for some fun shots!)

All the girls had different shoes. So of course, I had to do a shoe shot!

More pictures coming soon!

The thing that always amazes me about each and every wedding is how helpful EVERYONE is - and this wedding was no exception. People went out of their way to help me. And when it's all over I honestly feel like I have made lots of friends in the process and it can be hard to say goodbye.

But today's wedding... I got to see an 'old' friend that I met at Ashleigh and Kevin's wedding back in January... HI NAN!!!!! :)

Nan was in charge of the girls dressing room. I knew it was in good hands... but I was still completely blown away with how BEAUTIFUL their dressing room was. WOW!!!!! Sorry, no pix today... but there will be some in the slide show!! A special thank you to Nan for a job well done! (And I really do want to meet up sometime! Even if I am busy - I will make the time! :)

Childhood Thoughts....

2008-08-11T22:01:00.004-04:00

I thought I was behind before... now I'm really behind! I think most everyone who reads my blog knows that Brett was taken by ambulance to the hospital on Thursday morning. Turns out he had a substantial ulcer along with a blood clot. Three nights in the hospital, hooked up to IV's for both food and medications, along with three units of blood and he is home and recuperating nicely. He just needs to regain strength and stamina. He'll be back to work by Wednesday.

Today, I am catching up with cleaning along with finishing some photo editing. I finally finished up this session. :) And hope to get another done tomorrow... I have a wedding on Saturday and it would be nice to be all caught up BEFORE the wedding - but I don't think that's going to happen.... I'm just too far behind.

Please Vote for My Photos!

2008-08-07T22:47:00.001-04:00

Head and Shoulders Above the Rest

2008-07-24T23:20:00.004-04:00

I don't take too many florals. I guess I just don't know how to make them interesting and unique! And they all start looking the same to me! But the other day as I was waiting for my client to show up... I took a few snaps of the flowers. This was my favorite!

Carleigh's Senior Portraits

2008-07-24T10:06:00.000-04:00

Bubbles

2008-07-23T15:28:00.001-04:00

I'm Hooked!

2008-07-21T01:15:00.003-04:00

This one belongs on a large canvas!!

More fun with Textures...

2008-07-18T12:23:00.004-04:00

This is the University of Rochester. I did a recent engagement session here. The campus is BEAUTIFUL for taking photos!!!! Lots of flowers, trees, vines AND architecture! And there is a park right across the street. Very fun!!!

I took this photo of a local farm several years ago. I was taking a photography course and was attempting to get a photo for one of my photo projects. Anyways, I pulled it out and had some fun with it.

If anyone is interested in learning how I edited these photos to add the texture to it feel free to visit www.thepurplevan.org!

Marissa's Senior Pictures

2008-07-08T14:49:00.001-04:00

I finished Marissa's senior pictures. Enjoy the video presentation!!! (Don't forget the popcorn!)

Bubbles!

2008-07-07T17:27:00.001-04:00

Jaycee

2008-07-03T13:48:00.005-04:00

I had another senior today. Due to rain, we only did the studio portraits! So... more to come! ;)

I'm SOOOOO Jealous!

2008-07-02T10:12:00.001-04:00

What an amazing journey this must have been!

Dancing

Hot Dog!

2008-06-27T23:52:00.001-04:00

I purchased some pink paper for a baby I'll be photographing soon. I decided to try it out... Poor Teena! She was the victim tonight.

Trying Something New....

2008-06-26T17:48:00.001-04:00

I really like the textured look that so many photographers are doing these days (when it's done right of course!) but I've never really tried it. Today I decided to give it a try. Here are my results...

What do you all think????

More Before and Afters...

2008-06-25T21:15:00.003-04:00

I've got lots and lots of sessions going on... Which means I'm getting a bit behind on processing again. As well as blogging.... So, I thought I'd post another before and after from a session this morning and eventually I'll get more photos up from some of the different sessions I've had recently. Fun! Fun!!

So, this is Carleigh. We had a blast this morning and plan on doing a few more tomorrow... not only was it getting sweltering hot outside (my kind of weather - but most people would rather it be a bit cooler!) but she had to go to work. So, I told her that since I had a cancellation tomorrow morning we'd take it up again then. A few more outdoor locations and then some studio portraits too.

We had a heck of a time carrying her keyboard out into the middle of the orchard let me tell you! hahaha!!! We must have made quite the picture. (tee-hee!!) After we got it all the way out there and snapped our pictures Carleigh had the brilliant idea of driving the truck back there to get it back to the house. Now, why couldn't she have thought of that BEFORE???? But I'm sure glad she thought of it cuz I really wasn't looking forward to lugging it all the way back.

BEFORE....

AFTER...

So... for this picture, I used my 70-200mm lens. The lighting was pretty harsh so I opted to backlight it and throw some light back into her face with a reflector. Someday I'll have portable lights.... but until then, I'm very grateful to models like Carleigh who can somehow keep her eyes from squinting with such harsh sunlight being bounced into her eyes!! She did a GREAT job - so long as we gave her a break every now and again. :)

Cropping can totally change the whole feel of a photo....

This first one captures the whole scene...

While this one is more intimate...

I'm often amazed when I try different crops how different they really are! Sometimes a funky crop will make an otherwise humdrum photo really stand out!!

I'll try and post some more sessions soon!!!

What's a Parent to Do????

2008-06-23T15:52:00.001-04:00

Court overturns father's grounding of 12-year-old

Finalist!

2008-06-19T11:57:00.003-04:00

I just discovered I'm a finalist over at Better Photo this month. You can check it out here.

There are 329 finalists chosen out of 29800 entries. I feel so honored every time I get one!

So far only 1 win.... we'll see if this one goes any further.

Stephanie

2008-06-19T09:44:00.000-04:00

I'm Wondering....

2008-06-18T09:45:00.002-04:00

What if?!

I know it's not a productive question really.... and yet, that's where I am right now.

Marissa

2008-06-14T00:04:00.004-04:00

I had another senior this morning - WHAT FUN!!!! We had planned to go to the Arboretum (a popular place for photos!) and this morning it looked so beautiful out. I got all the way over there (about 20 minutes from my house) and it started raining... and then raining harder.... We decided to head back to my house and do the indoor portion of the session. Of course by the time we got back to my house it was BEAUTIFUL out! *sigh* But we kept plenty busy and will finish up the outdoor portion another day. I know it's easier on the seniors when we break it up. It can be very tiring being in front of the camera having me pose you and tweak a little here and a little there until I'm finally satisfied and we can move to the next pose! And that's not mentioning having to smile (or not - depending on what I'm looking for) and trying not to blink when the flash goes off or trying not to squint in the sun. Well you get the picture! hahaha!!!!

Anyways... here's a couple of favorites so far with a couple of different styles.

I'm still trying to decide on this one.... It's a sepia tone with a bit of a twist.

I get asked about selective coloring frequently by clients. I think you either love it or hate it. I love it when it's done correctly! It takes a lot of extra work to accomplish this effect... but the results are often well worth it!

One more... Marissa also plays the piano. We ran over to her church to get this very tricky photo. We had several obstacles to overcome - reflections being the biggest!

Jane of the Jungle

2008-06-06T20:21:00.002-04:00

I took Stephanie out the other night for her outdoor pictures.

Digital Before and After

2008-05-31T19:29:00.004-04:00

While my goal is to always get photos right in camera rather than relying on photo editing skills to save the day... I am a firm believer that editing skills are very important to taking your work to another level.

Here's a couple of before and after examples from yesterday's senior session....

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Mostly I use some Photoshop actions that I've managed to acquire through the years for my basic workflow.

I typically whiten a persons eyes/teeth, smooth out a persons skin (it's easy to overdo this part!), and boost the color.

For these I also dodged the white background to make it go completely white and I adjusted the hue saturation to slightly modify the color of Stephanie's hoodie. Oh, and I sharpened them a bit (I'm learning how necessary this is for digital pictures!) and I cropped.

I think the effort was well worth it!!!

Stephanie

2008-05-31T12:55:00.003-04:00

Stephanie came over for some senior pictures last night. We were supposed to go to the Arboretum... but the weahter was not cooperating so I suggested we do the studio portraits and reschedule the location ones for another day. She has the most beautiful smile!!!! And she did a really GREAT job - studio can be tough sometimes!!!

Oh, and she has a pom too!!!!

Brothers

2008-05-24T01:14:00.001-04:00

I'm having a tough time finding music for my videos....

$6000 fine for Christian Photographers...

2008-05-24T00:12:00.003-04:00

Read article here.

The Apple Blossom Festival

2008-05-20T00:44:00.004-04:00

Whew! What an EXHAUSTING weekend! But it was tons of fun. And sometimes a bit scary too! The weather was CRAZY! One minute we had sunshine and wonderfully warm weather, the next it was pouring rain, windy and downright COLD! My tent nearly blew away on more than one occassion until Brett figured out a way to secure our tent with weights.

I met sooo many wonderful people at the carnival and lots of friends stopped in to say, "Hi!" Which was a welcome treat!!! And of course many entered our drawing for a Portrait Session with 16x20 wall portrait.

The Grand Prize Winner is Mellissa Galloway from Williamson!!!! For those who entered - be sure to watch your mailbox for your opportunity to win a consolation prize. :)

Rather than my normal photos - I took several mini videos of the festival. So enjoy!!!!

PS I GOT A NEW LAPTOP!!!!!!

My Booth

2008-05-20T00:43:00.000-04:00

The Commercial

2008-05-20T00:42:00.002-04:00

My very first commercial!!!

Taffy Pull

2008-05-20T00:42:00.001-04:00

What a workout!!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2008-05-20T00:41:00.001-04:00

Williamson Marching Band

2008-05-20T00:40:00.001-04:00

The Lens Cap

2008-05-20T00:38:00.001-04:00

This is what you get when you give the kids the camera to take videos of the parade. hahaha

It's a Jungle Out There

2008-05-20T00:37:00.000-04:00

Diet Coke

2008-05-20T00:34:00.001-04:00

Apple Blossom Festival

2008-05-16T00:07:00.002-04:00

It's the Apple Blossom Festival!!

Tonight was the kiddie parade....

Tomorrow, I set up my booth.

I will be having a drawing for a free session and a 16x20 wall portrait!!!

Hope to see you there!!!!

Look Who's One!!

2008-05-13T10:47:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Joy!!

Kim and Jason

2008-05-10T18:33:00.002-04:00

What fun I had this morning with Kim and Jason. These two were troopers - scaling walls, climbing trees - just about anything I asked them to do!! Don't they make a cute couple?!

Just Ducky

2008-05-09T21:43:00.004-04:00

What a month! Photo shoots galore! Last night was 'Date Night' and I took photos of approximately 30 couples. Tomorrow, an engagement session. When I'm not shooting, I'm processing pictures and trying to keep up with the rest of life. My poor house is in desperate need of attention. But today I had to run something out to my parents house.... So, I took Jessi and Teena over for a quick peek at the ducks and swans.... Teena wasn't quite so sure what to do with all the birds. Especially when a swan started hissing at her!! But we weren't sure who was more scared whom! I can't imagine bringing Romeo. Now that would be an adventure!!!

Christian

2008-05-08T00:08:00.001-04:00

Meet Christian. Parker's adorable baby brother!!

Parker

2008-05-07T19:58:00.004-04:00

I got the chance to photograph Parker and his baby brother, Christian today. Two very adorable little guys and lots of fun too! Parker just LOVES balls. And his dad is a big baseball fan so we had to do some baseball pictures!

Pictures of Christian coming soon....

And lot's more portrait sessions this week! So stay tuned!!!

J & D Photography

2008-04-25T21:37:00.001-04:00

Love this guys work! His lighting is amazing! And he's creative and artistic too!!

Check him out at: http://blog.jdphotography.co.za/

The Ugly Chair

2008-04-24T20:57:00.003-04:00

I purchased this old chair at a garage sale for a dollar. I thought it would make a good prop, once I cleaned it up! Brett just thought it was UGLY!!! hahaha!! I suppose I can't really disagree... it IS ugly - but I still think it can make a great prop. What do you think????

This afternoon as I was lamenting my backdrop, trying to figure out what to do.... I decided to try adding some gels to my lights and hopefully alter the color. This was my result! hmmm.... got some more thinking to do!!

Busy May

2008-04-23T21:56:00.003-04:00

I'm gearing up for a very busy May! Besides the Apple Blossom Festival and several portrait sessions, I have been asked to photograph couples that will be attending "date night" at my sister's church. There will be approximately 80 couples.... I ordered a backdrop just for the occasion. It's a lot more purple than it was supposed to be... It was supposed to be browns and greens.... So now I'm hoping that no one wears red!

Around Town... again!

2008-04-15T15:32:00.003-04:00

Well, I did my weekly walk. This time I had a goal - 1 out of every three pictures be keepers and as close to perfect as possible. That would slow me down and make me THINK before snapping!

There was a squirrel out in the front yard so I decided I should attempt to get a good shot of him.... Problem with squirrels - they move without warning! I snapped three pictures.... One out of the three was a keeper!!

The only touch ups to this picture was to boost the saturation, crop (he was still too nervous to get that close to me!) and a vignette around the edges oh and a slight sharpening of his eye.

I saw some signs of spring.... Little flowers popping out. I snapped a picture in front of this one house... but I wasn't excited about it in the least and moved on before wasting another shot!!

I went up to Ridge Road and decided to get the stained glass windows of this church. I got this one - nice exposure on the 2nd try. Again I boosted the saturation and added a slight vignette.

There were some more flowers in the front of the church.... I snapped 3 times - adjusting the composition a little with each as well as the exposure. I wasn't happy with any of them. :(

Then I went to the side of the church and decided to attempt the stained glass windows over there.... The entire side was in shadow and I attempted to include the sky. But with such a dark brick wall and windows against the bright blue sky... well, I should have known better! Either I ended up with a white sky and a nicely exposed building or I ended up with a pretty blue sky and a dark, dark church. *sigh* Three more pictures wasted. I was really behind!!!

There is just something about this fire escape and building that keeps capturing my attention. I like the lines and then the shadow play. I think I also like the grunge look in general! I got a few keepers from this one... Here's my two... (I think I took 3 or maybe 4 of this scene.) The only adjustments were boosting the saturation, adding a bit of warm color and a slight vignette.

Then when I got home I decided to try the squirrel again as he was still out in the front yard. I only got one more out of several tries. I'm blaming that on the fact that he is still so jittery and well... it throws off my focus! ;)

Same adjustments to this squirrel and also cropping and sharpening the eye.

Well, I didn't make my goal.... but it did slow me down and cause me to think before clicking!! And I had fun and hopefully learned something on my little walk. And with each try, hopefully I will get better!!

I hope I didn't bore you to tears with my little game.

Happy Birthday Andrew!

2008-04-13T20:06:00.003-04:00

Just a few photos from my nephew Andrew's first birthday party. Admittedly, I ended up taking more pictures of another little guy at the party. Not because Andrew isn't ADORABLE (cuz he is!).... But because I didn't see much of him and I guess I also figured my mom had him well covered. hahaha! This little guy seemed to be quite willing to let me snap away!

Caught!

2008-04-11T14:59:00.001-04:00

So... how would you feel if you looked out your window only to see some good friends (at least you THOUGHT they were good friends) walking right on by without stopping in to say hello?! Yup! That's exactly what happened to me yesterday afternoon. I caught 'em right in the act!!

Photo Walk

2008-04-09T13:30:00.005-04:00

Monday night I went to a photography seminar. During the seminar they showed a video clip of a guy who goes out at least once a week to photograph anything and everything that looks interesting. He says it helps keeps his 'edge' and reminds him of why he fell in love with photography in the first place. Admittedly, it's easy to get into the "all business" mode of photography! And you stop taking pictures except for business. So, yesterday I went around my block with camera in hand. Admittedly, I couldn't keep 'stock' out of my mind. *sigh* But I tried. I took only my 'bad boy lens' (70-200mm) and I found that I missed being able to switch lenses on a whim! I'm trying to decide if the next time I should force myself to use the same lens or if I should choose another and see what different things I find!

Anyways, here's a few that I took on my little jaunt....

I went out again while Jessi was at gymastics. I guess I got a little patriotic! :)

This statue of an eagle was is in front of my bank. Every angle had tons of distractions.... but I really liked the McDonalds in background.... After-all you can't get much more American than McDonalds. hahaha!! I had to work at it quite a bit to get it just the way I wanted. For this shot I had to get down low. Otherwise you got all the cars in the parking lot.... I wanted the McDonalds sign blurred in the background - but not so blurry that you couldn't tell that it was a McDonald's! I'm thinking about getting rid of the flag pole!

Another angle where I was able to totally blur out all of the background.

I caught the last few minutes of Jessi's gymnastics class! Don't ask me how they manage to jump like this and land on the balance beam! But I think Jessi only fell off once! Needless to say, I was impressed!!!!

I hope you enjoyed my photo walk! :)

X-Box Champ!

2008-04-08T19:11:00.003-04:00

FINALLY!

2008-04-03T23:20:00.008-04:00

I FINALLY got out with the camera today. Seems like forever since I've done any kind of photo session! I've just been too busy with the other end of business. I've enjoyed all the learning I've done lately - but I have to say, it felt really, really good to be out taking pictures again.

I really needed an assistant to hold a reflector during a lot of this session.... but it was just Jessi and I.... But I still managed to get some I liked.

These first two were taken against our garage. I liked the texture from the pealing paint. haha!! I also liked the giant shadow from the 90 degree lighting on the top one though a reflector would have been nice to open up the shadow a bit on her face.

The second I converted to black and white and added just a hint of color back. I love doing the tones you get with that technique!

I took some shots of her just walking down the street. I was playing with a different focus mode... gotta read up on that cuz several were totally blurry. One of my goals this year is to master all three focusing modes!

Three pictures, same location, same basic pose... yet different edits can give them each a unique feel. The top is a sepia tone with a hint of color, the second a black and white with a hint of blue, and the third is a different crop.

This was one pose where I really could have used a reflector! I did fine with the head and shoulders shots but I really wanted a full body and well, it just didn't work out.

I loved this door! I love the red and green and the texture. And so I almost didn't convert to black and white... but I guess I'm a true black and white fan cuz I ended up liking that one too!! Actually I added a hint of blue tint to it.

I love the busy-ness of this photo! Usually you try and simplify a photo - especially portraits! But I wanted to emphasize the location. And I love the shadow play from the stairs.

This one is my FAVORITE from today!!! She doesn't smile much for pictures - so I was thrilled to get a bit of a grin! And a whole lot of attitude. And I just LOVE that door!!!!

A very fun afternoon!!!!

About Me Page

2008-04-03T12:13:00.003-04:00

Maybe you all could help me....

I'm working on redoing my website and trying to come up with an "About Me" page. I don't want the normal, boring, I'm an award winning photographer, graduate of New York Institute of Photography, blah, blah, blah.... put anyone to sleep kind of page!

Do you ever click on the about me pages of websites? What kinds of info would you like to see??? Have you seen one that stands out from the rest???? Ones that either gave you the information you were looking for and/or that were memorable and fun?

HELP!!!!

Spring Showers....

2008-04-01T16:42:00.003-04:00

The toilet overflowed today....
Causing it to rain inside the house.
From the bathroom,
to the kitchen below
and even down into the basement.
YUCK!!!

And even after a second shower
and mopping the kitchen floor 3 times
everything just FEELS gross!!

There's not a single clean towel to be found.
It was interesting trying to dry off after my second shower
without a towel! haha!!

There is now a lovely hole in our kitchen ceiling.

Yes, it's been an exciting day today!!!
I'm looking forward to a dull evening!!

Is it Really Spring????

2008-04-01T14:43:00.002-04:00

Today is wonderfully warm outside. It gives me a little bit of hope that winter is finally over!

2008-03-24T18:08:00.003-04:00

I found out today I got another finalist over at Better Photo for this picture. I should find out within a couple of days whether I got a win or not....

For anyone else interested in submitting photos over there - it is a lot of fun! And it's easy and free too!!! Anyone can submit photos. Heather and Jessi both have photo galleries. Heather even got a finalist and both have several editor's picks.

Better Photo is dedicated to helping people take better photos. There's tons of free articles, reviews, and they have question and answer boards, etc... Lots of great info and helpful people over there.

Catching Up...

2008-03-20T10:33:00.003-04:00

It's been almost a whole month since I've last blogged. To be honest, I haven't even peeked in much during that time! It's not that I don't think of all my blogging friends (cuz I do).... It's just I have been doing soooo much studying!! And trying to put into practice all the things I'm learning.

Most of what I've been studying is marketing and business. Which, believe it or not, I find very interesting and exciting. I never would have believed it myself.... But I'm learning soooo much about myself through this study! And about God too!! It's just blowing me away.

So, other news....

I'm attempting to work out a deal with my daughter's pediatrician's office to display some of my work. I'm very excited about the possibility. There are 5 doctor's in that office and several hundred people go through it each week. So it would be a great way to market my business.

I've also signed up to be a vendor at the Apple Blossom Festival. I'll have a little booth with a few pictures on display and some literature. I will also be holding a drawing for a free photo session. So, if anyone would like to stop in and visit me and say hello I'll be looking for you!!! (It's May 16, 17, and 18)

I have a few other ideas I'm planning on pursuing.... such as a father's day event and maybe a pet portrait day.... but I have got to get a few things in order first. :)

Other than business....

Heather has signed on with a modeling agent. She's very excited!! She has a photo shoot with them in April and will have an online portfolio.

We went to see Horton Hears a Who the other day. I thought it was very cute!! And had a great message too!!

Oh, yeah.... Both Brian and Heather have their driver's licenses! YIKES!!!! And Heather got a car. Now she just needs a job! And we are still looking for a car for Brian though.....

I think that's about it.....

Senior Sampler

2008-02-27T09:38:00.001-05:00

Yup! I'm Having Fun!!

2008-02-22T15:56:00.002-05:00

One More...

2008-02-21T18:41:00.004-05:00

Gotta have both vertical and horizontal pictures for stock!

Title????

2008-02-21T17:16:00.001-05:00

Another picture I took today with my new lights. I was thinking of entering it over at Betterphoto (a monthly online photo contest) but was stumped for a title. Any suggestions????

Playing with My New Lights....

2008-02-20T16:15:00.002-05:00

13 Happenings

2008-02-19T12:54:00.002-05:00

I guess I've been absent for quite sometime now..... Sorry everyone!

How 'bout 13 happenings since I last blogged...

1. Romeo had a birthday (Feb 15).
2. Heather got a car.
3. Was invaded by alien bees... (www.alienbees.com) Thankfully they are the friendly sort!
4. Was summoned for jury duty.
5. Spent the night at a friends house.
6. Got my graduation certificate from New York Institute of Photography.
7. Registered another DBA (yup, back at it!) as White Rose Photography.
8. Took Jessi into emergency... she had an allergic reaction to some medication.
9. Had a consultation with a Mother of a bride.
10. Got a call from another bride.
11. Designed and ordered brochures for possible distribution in a doctor's office.
12. Chose a sample photo to show doctor's office and will hopefully place the order tonight (it's a picture of Josh!).
13. Helped to start a photography forum (www.succeedinphotography.com)

Bread

2008-02-05T13:07:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to figure out creative ways of working without lights. It's forcing me to think outside of the box!

Tagged....

2008-02-04T13:02:00.000-05:00

Martha tagged me... so, seven things about me....

1. I have a brother who is exactly 6 mos older than me.
2. My jaw pops a lot and it drives my kids nuts.
3. I was the checker champion of my third grade class.
4. I slapped my mother in the face once.
5. I have a waterbed.
6. I have always wanted to go to Africa.
7. I joined a gym several months ago and try and go 3 x's a week.

I'm gonna whimp out on tagging other's cuz most of the bloggers I know have already been tagged.

Gray Day...

2008-02-03T20:07:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was very wet and gray. A perfect day for some photos in the graveyard! Poor Heather was wet and cold when we finished! Especially her feet. We've decided she needs some dressy boots so that her feet will at least be dry! We'd like to go back.... it's a very pretty graveyard!

Goodbye Gunther

2008-02-01T20:44:00.000-05:00

***WARNING: This video is NOT for the faint of heart!!!***

Forgotten

2008-02-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

Poor Teena got left outside for a bit in the freezing rain!

The Saga Continues....

2008-02-01T10:44:00.002-05:00

We have an appointment to meet a mother of a bride on Thursday.... Go figure!

I ordered the above pictures - a 12x18 and a 16x24 to show her. And then the 16x24 will go up for sale in a local framing/matting shop. (At least that's the plan)

*** TIP: When hiring a photographer ALWAYS ask to see prints.

It's much harder to hide things in prints - particularly in large prints. ***

Brett gave me the go ahead to purchase lights.... He said that he knows I can make money with them. It did make me feel good to know that he had such confidence in me but I'm still back and forth with it trying to figure out what I should do! That means more debt and yet.... how do I pay for my other debt without them? I keep wondering if there isn't a creative solution that I'm missing! And if I'm just being impatient? hmmmm.....

Ramblings...

2008-01-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

I was testing my camera/lens....

I still have to take them out for a real test!

But it did seem to be better than it was.

BTW, Romeo might look innocent - but he is soooo naughty!

************************************

So...

my decision to close White Rose...

I was doing good with that decision - really I was!

I was even excited about the 'next step'.

But to be honest,

I'm not sure how long that decision will last.

I miss it so much already!

I even made up some new business cards:

Front:

Back:

But then I thought about it....

I'm pretty useless without lights!

So I feel rather stuck.

And anxious....

And wonder how long I can 'hang in there' and wait.....

I hope that wasn't too depressing! :)

Yuck!

2008-01-29T15:58:00.000-05:00

I've got a whopper of a headache and I just want to sleep.......

Slideshow

2008-01-23T22:02:00.000-05:00

You can check out Ashleigh and Kevin's wedding slideshow here.

PHEW!!!!

2008-01-22T18:11:00.000-05:00

One handsome guy!!!

The good news.... I finished enhancing the wedding pictures!!!!! The slideshow should be up in a couple of days.

Other news.... White Rose Wedding Photography is officially closed. I'm okay with that and will still do photos on the side for anyone that would like me to. I will also continue doing stock photos and maybe some fine art photos. And who knows, I might open shop again in the future!

Lovely Family

2008-01-17T18:14:00.000-05:00

On again, off again...

2008-01-14T10:36:00.001-05:00

Brett managed to bandaid my computer the other day and I was able to get a few more wedding pictures done... but now it's not working again! Hopefully he'll get it going again tonight. Or better yet - the part will come and we'll get it REALLY fixed!!!

More from the Wedding

2008-01-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

Well... I'm having problems with my laptop now. *sigh* Brett is ordering a part that will hopefully fix it! Until then, it will be more difficult for me to get to my blog and email.... I've also had to hand some of the wedding editing over to Beka. So... until then, I will leave you with a few more pix from the wedding...

The flower girl was just too cute!!!

Still in Love...

2008-01-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

Ashleigh and Kevin

2008-01-07T09:20:00.000-05:00

Well, we are back from NJ and working our way through the over 2000 pictures we took! But what fun we had meeting Heather and her lovely family! They were sooooo good to us!! Treating us more like honored guests than hired help. We were truely blessed and honored to be a part of their special day!!!!!

Heather shared with us that Ashleigh was a flower girl when she was 2

and she carried this same basket!!!

We had fun with the glamor shots!

What a time we had getting Ashleigh up on that bed in her wedding dress.

hahaha!

But she was a trooper!

The girls had different dresses and a variety of shoes too!

The lovely bride....

The church was BEAUTIFUL! All decked out for Christmas.

And finally, the happy couple!

Heather had everything so organized!!

Every detail thoughtfully planned out.

Thank you Heather and Alan and Ashleigh and Kevin for a wonderful time!!

May God richly bless you all.

And to the newlyweds - may God bless your marriage!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

2007-12-24T13:28:00.000-05:00

On a Roll...

2007-12-22T13:24:00.000-05:00

Keira

2007-12-21T01:39:00.000-05:00

I had a session with this cutie tonight.

More Practice....

2007-12-16T01:45:00.000-05:00

Well, it''s late (or should I say early?) and I should be sleeping... but I was pretty excited about what I'm learning and that usually makes for a restless night. So, rather than toss and turn, I thought I'd come down and blog a bit.

In my last post I shared some photos I had taken with my flash. I was happy that I managed to take them and still capture the lights from the tree... BUT, I knew that I needed to do better still to do the kind of job at the wedding that I want to do! Some of my photos were just plain unacceptable and my success rate was probably 1 out of 3 or 4 photos. Not good enough! Plus I couldn't get enough depth of field in my shots for more than 1 person. So... I did a little more research to learn how to do this with my strobes. I won't bore you with the details about how this shot was taken (unless someone out there really wants to know!).... BUT, I can now take a picture, capture the lights in the background, and be confident that it will come out sharp even with a moving subject and get the depth of field that I will need for a larger group! YIPEE!!! I still have some practice to do and testing with different scenarios. But I'm making huge strides and getting way more confident that I can get the photos I want to get. :)

Very fun!!!!

***EDIT*** For anyone that is interested in the 'technical details' of this shot you can visit my other blog here.

Practice Makes Perfect!

2007-12-15T14:16:00.000-05:00

We certainly have a wide assortment of ornaments! Be My Valentine????

It's been fun to see the kids pick out an ornament each year and watch how their tastes change. And it certainly makes for an interesting tree!!

I took these pix mainly to practice for Heather's daughter's wedding... I need to be able to capture the lights and still get a nice exposure on the people. So, rather than use a tripod, I used my flash. Using a flash will often totally overpower the lights on the Christmas tree or candles... but of course there are tricks to getting around this! Using a slow shutter speed allows more ambiant light in and the flash freezes the subject. Without a flash a tripod would have been a must!! Anywayz, I certainly haven't perfected it yet! Hopefully by the beginning of January I'll have it down pat. :)

I also purchased a starburst filter for one of my lenses. Don't you love the effect it has on the lights????

The Christmas Rush

2007-12-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

I've been busy, busy, busy with Christmas portraits....

This was probably the hardest shoot yet - except of course weddings!

Because it was so tough I learned a ton!

Which is always a good thing.

And it's causing me to research a bit how to improve my photos technically.

So, in the end I am thankful it was such a challenging shoot!

I'm sorry I haven't been around much....