Hannah is also one of the models that volunteered to help me out. This girl is a NATURAL. The images speak for themself and I must add, she is GORGEOUS! Thanks for your help, Hannah!
I had the pleasure of meeting Katie at one of my free sessions that I gave away. She is a Senior at Prattville High school this year and lucky her, she has already finished and walks in May! We had so much fun during the session and I cannot wait for her couples session next weekend with her sweetie pie! Oddly enough, her sweet boyfriend is the one who sold me my camera. :) Katie reminds me of myself in a way. She loves life and everything that it offers.Thank you again for helping out, Katie! Good luck in all that you do!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Custom Photography
What is custom photography?
Click here for the full article.
Thanks Marmalade for this wonderfully written informative post.
The photographic art you choose to place on your wall is ultimately the result of the vision of the photographer. This vision, coupled with what you wear to your session, the environment, the lighting, even the mood the subjects are in at the time of photographing creates the work that you will want to proudly display on your walls forevermore.
Your first step in the process is more about determining who you are, who your family is and then seeking a photographer that reflects your style. For instance let’s say your family is extremely outdoorsy and loves playing on the beach. You start determining what style you like, browse through photography website portfolios and determine if any of the styles exhibited there would be a good fit with your life and family style. You have already determined that you should probably seek out a beach type photographer (that is if you live near a beach) and then begin narrowing the field down a bit.
Finally after a bit of internet research, you have narrowed it down to two photographers who do what seems like solid work, the sort of outdoor beach look you desire. It is now time to ask yourself: Do you like photographer A’s style over photographer B’s style? Is it because the people in the images of A’s style are having a great time and it seems very caught up in the moment vs. B photographer more posed, looking in the camera images? If this is a case, you probably like LIFESTYLE photography or perhaps even take it a step further and define your desired style as a PHOTOJOURNALISTIC photography style. The photographer you probably should choose is photographer A because their style is very similar to the style you desire.
What custom photography ultimately is all about is choice and experience. Custom photography is about finding someone who will photograph your family, give you devoted 1:1 attention without worry of who is next ‘in line’ or the feeling of a crowded portrait studio.
A custom photographer will typically show you a fairly extensive gallery culled to only show the good images that meet the photographers’ creative sensibilities.
Often the images are fully edited images-color corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed.
Custom photographers are also known as boutique studios, offering a range of products and unparalleled service. Think Lexus vs. Hyundai, think Nordstrom vs. WalMart.
A custom photography experience should have you, the client and your experience in mind.
Why choose Custom Photography?
Custom photography is more of a luxury than your entry level cookie cutter chain experience. Custom photography truly is not for everyone, it requires a level of commitment, investment in time and money, forethought and planning on the part of the subject/client and requires a larger time commitment for the photographer as well.
Clients who enjoy taking a more active role in the creation of their families’ memories have the desire to have portrait art that is truly personalized. These more discerning clients have been known to budget and allot time for a custom photography session. Many clients opt for it to be a once a year special experience, some opt to have custom photography sessions done to record their child's stages in life. Having said this, it is clear that custom photography is not in everyone’s budget, it is something that most families save for to splurge on from time to time to memorialize their children as they really are (not posed and primped in the cookie cutter studio setting).
There is a great deal of time involved in creating high end custom photography sessions for a client. The luxury of great service, better choices and a supberb end product. The result of all this are heirloom quality images. The time invested at the session is only a small portion of time involved in this process.
Custom photography has been likened to purchasing a fine vehicle. To get to point B from A let's face it, even a bus ride would suffice. If you want to luxuriate in a finely appointed vehicle, customizing your own experience by listening to smooth jazz while sitting in a climate controlled setting adjusted purely for your comfort in a body hugging leather interior, perhaps that Lexus you so desire is your cup of tea. Custom photography is much the same cup of tea. It is the Lexus of the photography world. It is where the intangibles make the experience truly wonderful and the images themselves make the investment of money and time truly worthwhile.
Custom photography can be broken down into even more levels. There are on location, studio, mixed studio/on location, specialty location and destination type photographers. The beauty of custom photography is in the choices and in the luxury of thoses options. The customized service level you are sure to experience will be amazing. The knowledge that your final images are the result of someone caring about those moments so much that they take extra time ensuring that the artwork you receive is good enough to stand by with their name on it. That level of quality and commitment is all but lost in the age of "mass produced," "mass marketed," corporate "everyone is a number". Custom photography is based on being unique to you. How great an experience would be, to be able to sit back and allow a photographer to do this highly custom work for images that you will most likely cherish for a lifetime?
Keep in mind more than anything that the Lexus will never appreciate in value the way your portraits will. The portrait art you become invested in from your custom photographer will no doubt increase in value and become more priceless as the years pass.
Why does Custom Photography cost more?
The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and ability to control various factors during the image taking and making process. Photographers, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur all benefit from this ability to manipulate pixels. However, with flexibility comes a price. Digital camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its' lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into creating a work of photographic art. We all know that you can go to the local Walgreen's and pay a $1.99 for a print – as a client you may wonder why you may pay upwards of $50, $70, $90 for a custom photography print. Photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:
"How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at x store?"
The truth of the matter is the answer to this question is multifaceted. Much of the cost of a photographic print produced by a professional photographer has a lot to do with the time, equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer not to mention expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business. The cost of TIME Approaching it from a time standpoint, let's imagine that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love. This photographer is traveling an hour to your destination to photograph your session. Here is an example of a time break down:
booking time: 30 minutes to one hour (client contact time + paperwork)
pre-session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client's home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues
In this example, the time spent per client can range from just under 13 hours to 19 hours – dependent on the photographer's level of service. This is time dedicated only to ONE session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot (aka SESSION FEE) you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.
The COSTS of Maintaining a Custom Photography Business:
Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run from $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer. Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows their professional lab is an integral part of their success. These labs often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for the discerning client.
Discussion on other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we'll skip many of the intricate details. An overview: the costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.
APPLES to ORANGES to BANANAS: Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $19.99 for an 8×10 "sheet" or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. In February 2007 a company who has leased photography retail space in a rather well known discount retailer closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation. The reason it happened is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing vs. many custom photographers (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10).
A little history – the whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait services in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your "PORTRAITS" are considered the "loss leader". Your portraits that are meant to symbolize a once-in-a-lifetime stage in your child's life are part of what a store considers a way to get you in there door to spend more money on goods that you might not really want or need but because you're there "anyway" you buy.
Also keep in mind that when you go to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don't have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for as well as the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience.
REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER: There is an old story about a ship that cost a company millions of dollars. Something went wrong in the engine room and the ship was stuck in dock. They called various "experts" who spent weeks trying to fix the issue to no avail and at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Finally a older gentleman was called in who simply brought in his small tool bag and a hammer. He set about pinging on various parts of the vast engine with his hammer, finally settling on one area. He spent a few minutes pinging in that area, took out a few tools and fixed whatever what was wrong. After a few moments the man straightened up, looked at the captain and instructed him to "start her up." The captain disbelievingly went to get the engines started while the man sat in the engine room listening as the engine roared to life. The man tipped his hat as he exited the ship to the staff who sat dumbfounded because they had seen all the experts come on board for days with their expensive equipment only to have the ship not fixed. This man did it in a few minutes with a few pings of his hammer!
A few days passed and the man sent the shipping company a bill for $10,000. The accounting department contacted him immediately. Why all the rumors mentioned that this man had only spent "a few minutes" fixing the ship "with his hammer and a few other random tools". When questioned about why his bill was for $10,000 – did he accidentally leave an extra zero on the bill? The man confidently responded: "In fact the time was worth the $1,000. The other $9,000 was for the years of experience and the ability to discern the issue as quickly as possible for the company."
Now I'm not saying that photographers fix large ships but being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer's part (years of practice, study, experience, etc). A photographer's expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? These photographers often undervalue what they do because they have the realization that they do not have experience or expertise but are very adept at pushing the shutter on the camera. Many times these casual "professionals" neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc.. When you hire a photographer of sound reputation, you are hiring an expert, one that knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work a photographer possesses not only sound knowledge in the technical and creative aspects of photography but also good, reliable equipment and back up equipment.
The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.
I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family's memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family's most precious investment.
Click here for the full article.
Thanks Marmalade for this wonderfully written informative post.
The photographic art you choose to place on your wall is ultimately the result of the vision of the photographer. This vision, coupled with what you wear to your session, the environment, the lighting, even the mood the subjects are in at the time of photographing creates the work that you will want to proudly display on your walls forevermore.
Finally after a bit of internet research, you have narrowed it down to two photographers who do what seems like solid work, the sort of outdoor beach look you desire. It is now time to ask yourself: Do you like photographer A’s style over photographer B’s style? Is it because the people in the images of A’s style are having a great time and it seems very caught up in the moment vs. B photographer more posed, looking in the camera images? If this is a case, you probably like LIFESTYLE photography or perhaps even take it a step further and define your desired style as a PHOTOJOURNALISTIC photography style. The photographer you probably should choose is photographer A because their style is very similar to the style you desire.
What custom photography ultimately is all about is choice and experience. Custom photography is about finding someone who will photograph your family, give you devoted 1:1 attention without worry of who is next ‘in line’ or the feeling of a crowded portrait studio.
A custom photographer will typically show you a fairly extensive gallery culled to only show the good images that meet the photographers’ creative sensibilities.
Often the images are fully edited images-color corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed.
Custom photographers are also known as boutique studios, offering a range of products and unparalleled service. Think Lexus vs. Hyundai, think Nordstrom vs. WalMart.
A custom photography experience should have you, the client and your experience in mind.
Why choose Custom Photography?
Custom photography is more of a luxury than your entry level cookie cutter chain experience. Custom photography truly is not for everyone, it requires a level of commitment, investment in time and money, forethought and planning on the part of the subject/client and requires a larger time commitment for the photographer as well.
Clients who enjoy taking a more active role in the creation of their families’ memories have the desire to have portrait art that is truly personalized. These more discerning clients have been known to budget and allot time for a custom photography session. Many clients opt for it to be a once a year special experience, some opt to have custom photography sessions done to record their child's stages in life. Having said this, it is clear that custom photography is not in everyone’s budget, it is something that most families save for to splurge on from time to time to memorialize their children as they really are (not posed and primped in the cookie cutter studio setting).
There is a great deal of time involved in creating high end custom photography sessions for a client. The luxury of great service, better choices and a supberb end product. The result of all this are heirloom quality images. The time invested at the session is only a small portion of time involved in this process.
Custom photography has been likened to purchasing a fine vehicle. To get to point B from A let's face it, even a bus ride would suffice. If you want to luxuriate in a finely appointed vehicle, customizing your own experience by listening to smooth jazz while sitting in a climate controlled setting adjusted purely for your comfort in a body hugging leather interior, perhaps that Lexus you so desire is your cup of tea. Custom photography is much the same cup of tea. It is the Lexus of the photography world. It is where the intangibles make the experience truly wonderful and the images themselves make the investment of money and time truly worthwhile.
Custom photography can be broken down into even more levels. There are on location, studio, mixed studio/on location, specialty location and destination type photographers. The beauty of custom photography is in the choices and in the luxury of thoses options. The customized service level you are sure to experience will be amazing. The knowledge that your final images are the result of someone caring about those moments so much that they take extra time ensuring that the artwork you receive is good enough to stand by with their name on it. That level of quality and commitment is all but lost in the age of "mass produced," "mass marketed," corporate "everyone is a number". Custom photography is based on being unique to you. How great an experience would be, to be able to sit back and allow a photographer to do this highly custom work for images that you will most likely cherish for a lifetime?
Keep in mind more than anything that the Lexus will never appreciate in value the way your portraits will. The portrait art you become invested in from your custom photographer will no doubt increase in value and become more priceless as the years pass.
Why does Custom Photography cost more?
The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and ability to control various factors during the image taking and making process. Photographers, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur all benefit from this ability to manipulate pixels. However, with flexibility comes a price. Digital camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its' lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into creating a work of photographic art. We all know that you can go to the local Walgreen's and pay a $1.99 for a print – as a client you may wonder why you may pay upwards of $50, $70, $90 for a custom photography print. Photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:
"How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at x store?"
The truth of the matter is the answer to this question is multifaceted. Much of the cost of a photographic print produced by a professional photographer has a lot to do with the time, equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer not to mention expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business. The cost of TIME Approaching it from a time standpoint, let's imagine that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love. This photographer is traveling an hour to your destination to photograph your session. Here is an example of a time break down:
booking time: 30 minutes to one hour (client contact time + paperwork)
pre-session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client's home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues
In this example, the time spent per client can range from just under 13 hours to 19 hours – dependent on the photographer's level of service. This is time dedicated only to ONE session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot (aka SESSION FEE) you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.
The COSTS of Maintaining a Custom Photography Business:
Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run from $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer. Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows their professional lab is an integral part of their success. These labs often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for the discerning client.
Discussion on other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we'll skip many of the intricate details. An overview: the costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.
APPLES to ORANGES to BANANAS: Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $19.99 for an 8×10 "sheet" or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. In February 2007 a company who has leased photography retail space in a rather well known discount retailer closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation. The reason it happened is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing vs. many custom photographers (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10).
A little history – the whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait services in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your "PORTRAITS" are considered the "loss leader". Your portraits that are meant to symbolize a once-in-a-lifetime stage in your child's life are part of what a store considers a way to get you in there door to spend more money on goods that you might not really want or need but because you're there "anyway" you buy.
Also keep in mind that when you go to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don't have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for as well as the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience.
REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER: There is an old story about a ship that cost a company millions of dollars. Something went wrong in the engine room and the ship was stuck in dock. They called various "experts" who spent weeks trying to fix the issue to no avail and at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Finally a older gentleman was called in who simply brought in his small tool bag and a hammer. He set about pinging on various parts of the vast engine with his hammer, finally settling on one area. He spent a few minutes pinging in that area, took out a few tools and fixed whatever what was wrong. After a few moments the man straightened up, looked at the captain and instructed him to "start her up." The captain disbelievingly went to get the engines started while the man sat in the engine room listening as the engine roared to life. The man tipped his hat as he exited the ship to the staff who sat dumbfounded because they had seen all the experts come on board for days with their expensive equipment only to have the ship not fixed. This man did it in a few minutes with a few pings of his hammer!
A few days passed and the man sent the shipping company a bill for $10,000. The accounting department contacted him immediately. Why all the rumors mentioned that this man had only spent "a few minutes" fixing the ship "with his hammer and a few other random tools". When questioned about why his bill was for $10,000 – did he accidentally leave an extra zero on the bill? The man confidently responded: "In fact the time was worth the $1,000. The other $9,000 was for the years of experience and the ability to discern the issue as quickly as possible for the company."
Now I'm not saying that photographers fix large ships but being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer's part (years of practice, study, experience, etc). A photographer's expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? These photographers often undervalue what they do because they have the realization that they do not have experience or expertise but are very adept at pushing the shutter on the camera. Many times these casual "professionals" neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc.. When you hire a photographer of sound reputation, you are hiring an expert, one that knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work a photographer possesses not only sound knowledge in the technical and creative aspects of photography but also good, reliable equipment and back up equipment.
The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.
I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family's memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family's most precious investment.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Ten On Thursday
1. This week has been a very busy week and I totally missed the Ten on Tuesday post.
2. My sweet babies have been sick, very sick. Graesyn was diagnosed with RSV, pneumonia AND Bronchitis on Tuesday - at two months old! Madison has a 103 fever and vomiting. I think it's safe to say, she has the flu. =\ Spring time, where are you?!
3. Liza Eggers Photography is certainly growing already this year! I have booked a few free sessions in exchange for advertisement and I am having fun!
4. I am happy to announce that I will be setting up a booth at The Shoppes of Wetumpka! Come check us out!
5.I am ecstatic that Jersey Shore is back on. Sad, I know!
6. I am addicted to Milo's Sweet Tea with splenda and crushed ice.
7. I am getting things together to start a non-profit organization that offers free photo sessions for those families that adopt children or has a child with medical disabilities. I feel the need to give back and what a better way to do so with my art!?
8. I am looking for a bigger SUV and I totally have my eye on an Armada! *Crosses fingers*
9. Confession: I totally do not understand all of these young adults killing, fighting, or committing suicide these days. Our society has really went downhill.
10. Bedtime. :)
2. My sweet babies have been sick, very sick. Graesyn was diagnosed with RSV, pneumonia AND Bronchitis on Tuesday - at two months old! Madison has a 103 fever and vomiting. I think it's safe to say, she has the flu. =\ Spring time, where are you?!
3. Liza Eggers Photography is certainly growing already this year! I have booked a few free sessions in exchange for advertisement and I am having fun!
4. I am happy to announce that I will be setting up a booth at The Shoppes of Wetumpka! Come check us out!
5.I am ecstatic that Jersey Shore is back on. Sad, I know!
6. I am addicted to Milo's Sweet Tea with splenda and crushed ice.
7. I am getting things together to start a non-profit organization that offers free photo sessions for those families that adopt children or has a child with medical disabilities. I feel the need to give back and what a better way to do so with my art!?
8. I am looking for a bigger SUV and I totally have my eye on an Armada! *Crosses fingers*
9. Confession: I totally do not understand all of these young adults killing, fighting, or committing suicide these days. Our society has really went downhill.
10. Bedtime. :)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Biles Family
I had the pleasure of first photographing these sweet boys last year when they were six months old. They have grown into adorable little boys and I tell you, time sure does fly. I met up with the adorable family at Southern Homes & Gardens for a quick session, even though it was a little chilly and windy. I love photographing these two sweet, energetic little boys. I cannot wait until our next session!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Introducing Graesyn McKenzie!
February 14th, 2010, I found out that I was expecting another sweet baby. I was taken back and nervous, as I had just had my gastric bypass surgery 5 months before! The thought of another pair of feet pitter pattering to the bedroom at 1am, to cuddle with mommy and daddy, was in order. The pregnancy was a tough one. Not only was I the sickest I had ever been, I only gained 14lbs. Not that I am complaining, but her health was my main concern. On October 20th, 2010, at 6:30am, I gave birth two my second little bundle of joy, Graesyn McKenzie! Weighing 8lbs 13oz, 19 1/2 inches long - I was one proud momma!
She has the sweetest little grin, the sweetest little dimples and the sweetest little toes.
This sweet little girl has had a huge piece of my heart since the day she was born. The day I found out that my little sister was pregnant, I thought our worlds were turned upside down, but I could not thank her enough for giving me the smartest, cutest little neice, ever! Danyelle, "Elle", is a blessing from above and a gift from God. She loves to sing and I must add, she does quite well to only be four! She has been able to recite her ABCs since the age of one! Yes, one! When I asked her if we could do a session for her mom, she wasn't too thrilled but a little talk of McDonald's chicken nuggets and a spend the night bash with her Aunt Izzy and Madison - did the trick! After we got started, she started having tons of fun. After seeing these, I so think she needs to model when she is older! I love you sweet little Elle!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
How will you be Inspired today?
Every day a person is faced with different situations, different life changing events, different inspirations to keep you going with what it is you love. Today, as I roam around on Facebook, something amazing caught my eye. A post, from Kerry Morgan, encouraging any photographers to watch this video. Finding other photographers advice, tips and words an inspiration, I of course could not wait to see for myself what she thought we might love. Amazingly enough, the video of Vivian Maier took my breath away. What a legend! Who knew that street photography could be turned into such amazing, inspiring work. I am sure that Vivian never would have imagined her work being such a big deal but I must say, it's simply breath taking! Vivian's story inspires me to take shots of anything and everything I find interest in rather it be a homeless person on the street, a stranger with a gorgeous smile, or simply my little girls with their every day lives. One day, these shots will inspire someone else and will also be breath taking for others, especially my children when they're my age.
vivianmaier.blogspot.com
So, what will you be inspired by today? I want to know!
vivianmaier.blogspot.com
So, what will you be inspired by today? I want to know!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
PLEASE BE PATIENT
I am working on the blog - it's a mess right now so please be patient.
thanks! xoxo
thanks! xoxo
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Ten on Tuesday
Ten on Tuesday, to me, is where I will post TEN thoughts, events that have happened, ten things that I want to blog about but blog about it in ONE blog.
Here goes nothing...
1. God was with my sister and neice today, as always. Prayer works, believe that.
2. My husband is of course glued to the T.V. Being a huge Auburn fan, of course he is. What am I thinking? Totally thinking about how ready I am for FOOTBALL season to be OVER with! Most women are ready for deer season to end - me, I am ready to get a good nights sleep. When I have to wake up to football, go to sleep to football and look at it anytime I watch T.V. - someone has an obsession.
3. I am really getting the hang of this blog thing and I totally love it. I can't believe how I haven't blogged before!
4. As of today, I have lost a total of 147 pounds! What an accomplishment that is! I weighed a whopping 358 pounds(yes, I did!) back in August 2009, when I had my gastric bypass. The best decision I have ever made for myself. I never knew how big I really was until now and can't imagine being that size again. I still have a goal of losing another 54 to 60 pounds by August 2011 and will do so. Why wouldn't I? I can do anything that I put my mind to!
5. My little peanut,the nurse in the nursery called her peanut and it stuck, is growing too fast. She is already two months old and my little monkey, Madison, is already two years old! Where in the world is the time going? I don't want them to grow up just yet. I'm not ready for them to not want me by their side through every life changing event, I'm not ready for them to want to do things that "big girls" do. I'm simply just not ready for them to grow up!
6. Confession: I did not make any New Year resolutions this year. I made goals. January 2010, two fellow co-workers and myself sat down and made a 'Bucket List', which was our version of a New Years resolution list. Did we accomplish any of those resolutions? Of course not. Not because we couldn't, just simply because who really keeps their New Year resolutions? Goals are more realistic. The goals that I plan to accomplish this year are as follows:
a. become more active in a church
b. lose 60 pounds by August 2011
c. become more organized, business wise
d. save money for Christmas 2011
e. drink more water and eat healthier
... I am sure that I will add to this list as the year comes along. Wish me luck!
7. Teen Mom is an addiction. Why, I am not so certain.
8. We are now officially hardcore potty training in the Eggers' household. We have tried and tried since monkey, Madison, was 18 months old and it just isn't working out. I don't understand. I don't think she understands. I've bribbed her with gummy bears, money, you name it. She is a dora fanatic so we bought Dora pull-ups and asked that she not tee-tee on Dora. We even stressed, "if you tee-tee on Dora Madison, she's going to cry". Do you think my precious two year old cares? Oh, no. I hope Graesyn, little peanut, is much easier to potty train.
9. Two days ago, we watched a buck swim across the lake. No lie. Will probably never see THAT happen again!
10. I'm from the South and love it. My blog is where I can write about things I love, my work, my art, anything I wish and don't expect me to write like a professional. It just won't happen! However, I read some blogs and wish I could write like they do but it just isn't in me. I hope you still enjoy reading my adventures though!
Here goes nothing...
1. God was with my sister and neice today, as always. Prayer works, believe that.
2. My husband is of course glued to the T.V. Being a huge Auburn fan, of course he is. What am I thinking? Totally thinking about how ready I am for FOOTBALL season to be OVER with! Most women are ready for deer season to end - me, I am ready to get a good nights sleep. When I have to wake up to football, go to sleep to football and look at it anytime I watch T.V. - someone has an obsession.
3. I am really getting the hang of this blog thing and I totally love it. I can't believe how I haven't blogged before!
4. As of today, I have lost a total of 147 pounds! What an accomplishment that is! I weighed a whopping 358 pounds(yes, I did!) back in August 2009, when I had my gastric bypass. The best decision I have ever made for myself. I never knew how big I really was until now and can't imagine being that size again. I still have a goal of losing another 54 to 60 pounds by August 2011 and will do so. Why wouldn't I? I can do anything that I put my mind to!
5. My little peanut,the nurse in the nursery called her peanut and it stuck, is growing too fast. She is already two months old and my little monkey, Madison, is already two years old! Where in the world is the time going? I don't want them to grow up just yet. I'm not ready for them to not want me by their side through every life changing event, I'm not ready for them to want to do things that "big girls" do. I'm simply just not ready for them to grow up!
6. Confession: I did not make any New Year resolutions this year. I made goals. January 2010, two fellow co-workers and myself sat down and made a 'Bucket List', which was our version of a New Years resolution list. Did we accomplish any of those resolutions? Of course not. Not because we couldn't, just simply because who really keeps their New Year resolutions? Goals are more realistic. The goals that I plan to accomplish this year are as follows:
a. become more active in a church
b. lose 60 pounds by August 2011
c. become more organized, business wise
d. save money for Christmas 2011
e. drink more water and eat healthier
... I am sure that I will add to this list as the year comes along. Wish me luck!
7. Teen Mom is an addiction. Why, I am not so certain.
8. We are now officially hardcore potty training in the Eggers' household. We have tried and tried since monkey, Madison, was 18 months old and it just isn't working out. I don't understand. I don't think she understands. I've bribbed her with gummy bears, money, you name it. She is a dora fanatic so we bought Dora pull-ups and asked that she not tee-tee on Dora. We even stressed, "if you tee-tee on Dora Madison, she's going to cry". Do you think my precious two year old cares? Oh, no. I hope Graesyn, little peanut, is much easier to potty train.
9. Two days ago, we watched a buck swim across the lake. No lie. Will probably never see THAT happen again!
10. I'm from the South and love it. My blog is where I can write about things I love, my work, my art, anything I wish and don't expect me to write like a professional. It just won't happen! However, I read some blogs and wish I could write like they do but it just isn't in me. I hope you still enjoy reading my adventures though!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
A New Year | A New Beginning
2010 brought many highs and many lows for my family and I. We have endured many life changing events, only to make us stronger. I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason". This year my business has grown stronger, I have lost friends and made new ones, I gave birth to my second little princess, failed at times but picked myself up to try again, lost loved ones, and grew as a person. I am thankful for EACH AND EVERY aspect of life that has been thrown at me, as it has made me the person that I am today.
With a new year, comes new things, new struggles, new opportunities and new adventures. I am ready.
With a new year, comes new things, new struggles, new opportunities and new adventures. I am ready.
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