Happy Thanksgiving!

November 22, 2012

“[I have an] obsession with gratefulness. I can't stop. Just now, I press the elevator button and am thankful that it arrives quickly. I get onto the elevator and am thankful that the elevator cable didn't snap and plummet me to the basement. I go to the fifth floor and am thankful that I didn't have to stop on the second or third or fourth floor. I get out and am thankful that Julie left the door unlocked so I don't have to rummage for my King Kong key ring. I walk in, and am thnkful that Jasper is home and healthy and stuffing his face with pineapple wedges. And on and on. I'm actually muttering to myself, 'Thank you ... thank you ... thank you.' It's an odd way to live. But also kind of great and powerful. I've never before been so aware of the thousands of little good things, the thousands of things that go right every day.”

―A.J. Jacobs, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

(Photo credit: Gus and Lula on Etsy)

Nathan's Birthday-Palooza!

October 28, 2012

Happy birthday to my hubby! Nathan probably wouldn't like me telling the Internet how old he turns today, but I still wanted to wish him a big, public HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (No age included.) Because we've both been SO busy the last two months, we haven't spent much, if any, quality time together. Ridiculous and something that needs to be amended. Enter birthday-palooza! We will be celebrating Nathan's birthday the whole week to make up for lost time, so please forgive me if I'm a little slow responding to e-mails. Both of us finished up huge responsibilities yesterday (Big engineering thing for him and my second to last wedding of 2012! But the next one's not until the middle of December so it's kind of like a break for me. :) ) and we're celebrating with sleep, brunch, a couples massage, cake, presents, and a whole lot of sitting around. We are so excited!

I love you, Nathan!

Enjoy some outtakes from our self-timer Christmas card pictures. This is what Nathan does when I'm testing my light. And then I keep clicking because it's so funny ...

My Morning Tea Ritual

October 19, 2012

I was half asleep when I poured the hot water into my mug. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something tan, about the size of a pencil eraser and shriveled up floating in the water, next to the tea bag. It was a spider. A SPIDER IN MY TEA. A couple months later, I still have no idea where he (or she??) came from. Maybe he was already in the mug when I pulled it from the shelf or maybe he was already in the tea kettle and came pouring out with the water. I'm not sure which one is better. But you never can be too careful, so every morning when I make tea I:

Check the inside and outside of the mug I've chosen
Take the lid off the tea kettle and bring the whole thing over to a window while slowly turning it to get a thorough look inside
Inspect the tea bag (because, like I said, you never can be too careful)

I'm not sure how long this will last. I guess until I get the thought of DRINKING A SPIDER out of my head. Really, one wrong move on that fateful day and I would have had that sucker in my mouth.

10 Things I've Learned

October 16, 2012

If I'm being honest with myself, I'd have to say I was terrified. I was excited about officially starting my own photography business, but I was also terrified. I thought I had a good idea of what to expect since I'd been working with Amanda for two years, but I knew that doing something even a little bit new has a tendency to throw you for a loop once in awhile. And, of course, this first year in business was no exception for me. It's been unbelievably great, and I've also learned some lessons along the way ... some funny, some embarrassing, some just plain good practices. If you're just starting out in this crazy industry, here's my advice to you*:

Always smile! This is #1 because I think this is most important. Putting a smile on your face makes you more approachable and shows that you really do love what you do.
Switch your camera bag from shoulder to shoulder throughout the day. I wear a Kelly Moore Posey bag allllll wedding day, and I've learned the hard way that if I keep it strapped on one should for the entire day, I may look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame the next.
Be flexible! I'm just going to say it: nothing ever goes exactly as planned. People run late, it rains on an outdoor wedding day, the bride's shoes are missing. Stuff happens and you can't always control it, so I say embrace it. If you're calm, you'll help others stay calm too.
Don't be afraid to ask people to move. What I mean is, ask the bride to move closer to the window when she's getting the dress on. The light will be so much better and you'll thank yourself when you're editing. Same thing goes for family formals. Don't be afraid to ask people to move a little to the left or right to keep everything centered. Everyone trusts your judgement and will more than likely be happy to comply.
Drink tons and tons of water. I have a hard time doing this when I'm not in the middle of a wedding or a session, so remembering to drink water when I'm running around thinking of 101 other things isn't easy. I generally get SO thirsty I can't go another step without water or I come home realizing I drank half a glass of water all day. Yeah, not good. I'm working on it, and I'm learning that staying hydrated makes a big difference the day after the wedding.
Keep the ring bags CLOSED. OK, here's my embarrassing story. At my last wedding, my second shooter and I were taking all of the details outside to photograph them in natural light. Well, unbeknownst (who says that?!) to us, one of the bands had slipped out of the bag we were carrying outside. Yes, THE ring that would be exchanged at the ceremony. Thankfully, 1) the groom found it and 2) he wasn't freaked out about it, but I was still 100% embarrassed that it had happened. What if it hadn't been found?! This is all to say you can never been too careful when handling details or anything else. I can guarantee you THAT will never happen again!
Go above and beyond. You should treat your clients and your clients' family and friends as kings and queens. If they ask for a photo that wasn't on the list, take it for them. If you see someone that needs an extra hand, help them. It's good business practice, but it's also being a good human being.
Gas your car up the night before. I'm one of those people that lets my car go down to the line (maybe even below) before I stop for gas. It's not a good idea, however, to test your car while you're driving around on a wedding day and don't have time to stop. Do yourself a favor and gas up ahead of time. You'll avoid lots of freakout moments this way.
Embrace the embarrassing moments. Guys, being a photographer is not always glamorous. You dance around to get kids to look at the camera, you crack stupid jokes to get people to laugh, you trip while walking backwards (or forwards!). Embrace the embarrassment because the results are worth it.
Treat your clients as friends ... not as a business deal. I have been lucky enough to work with fantastic people. People I want to be friends with. Treating them as such will help you create a bond that will last past the wedding day.