More of little Jacob!

I couldn't get enough of this little guy! We got so many great ones,I am so pleased with how this session went. After the last couple sessions I feel like I'm finally making some real progress in my abilities and also my editing. HUGE step for me! I shared these on facebook and immediately had 5 people wanting their pictures taken! lol I'm so glad others see the hard work I've put into this and continue to put into it. The rate things are moving I have a feeling I will be business before I planned on..only to cover the cost of all my time,editing and costs! wow the costs! Just got a new computer,photoshop (eeekkkk talk about some bucks!) and calibration software. I wanted to wait to upgrade my camera and get a nice L lens before charging but I may have to throw that idea out of the window I don't know. I cant afford to upgrade until I get some cash flow of some sort and I can't continue to do free sessions for years to come until I can afford to get that upgrade. It's a very tough decesion and going into business is a lot of work! I don't want to deal w/ the paperwork,ins and taxes to be honest but there is no way around it. I'm hoping to start charging something by this next fall. The plan is to waive all session fee costs until my business is on solid ground and my portfolio is nice and full. I would only be charging for prints but at least it would be something. I have to have something before long or I'm going to be in the poor house!! lol I do love it but man it's a lot of $$ to get started up..along with purchasing a website,logo,business cards,etc etc the list goes on and on and I don't even have a lot of the studio stuff I want yet..eeekkk! I have many practice sessions lined up but I feel like my ability is getting to the point I probably should charge but won't until several months down the road. Just don't feel comfortable doing that yet and I want to do this the right way! My goal is to reach people not just in the Topeka area but the Lawrence and Kansas city area as well..I think there is a lot of need for custom..on-location photographers and I'm hoping to feel that need!

Ok here are the photos I promised..like I said he was a doll and the mom is IN LOVE with them..she gave me the greatest compliment ever and I was on cloud 9 all day long after hearing it!! Worth every penny and hour I put into this!!















Now to just get onto that beautiful girls pictures..which I really need to get done! I have a 3mo old shoot on thursday,don't want to get too behind. My new computer should help with that ;)

A couple cuties!!

Ok I have a ton of great pictures to edit from this practice session but wanted to share a few I got edited so far..couldn't wait!

I got the pleasure of meeting little Jacob. He was such a cutie! 6mos old and crawling already! So laid back and we had so much fun with him!

His friend came along too..she was a 7yr old beauty..she was a natural in front of the camera. The minute she walked in the door I couldn't wait to get my hands (errrr camera) on her :) I told Kerri (little jacobs mom) that I want to try again in a couple months outside..and of course I'd love to take Alanas (7yr old) pictures again too..oh the shots I could get with her! Anyway we had a great time,they were here for almost 2hrs!

Neglected

My poor blog. I'm completely neglected it for a couple months now. I've been so busy trying to improve with photography,posting on photography boards,researching,practicing and editing pictures my blog got put on the backburner.

I think I finally 'got' skintones and sharpening and sizing and a whole slew of photography techniques that I was clueless on a couple months back. It AMAZES me the improvment and knowledge you can gain in such a short amount of time! I have a million goals and will never stop learning,in fact it's a bit overwhelming all the things you can learn and do when it comes to photography..it's easy to go a bit nuts..which I have!

I've gotten a background stand,about 6 rolls of seamless paper (got frustrated not being able to go outside and take pics!),a bunch of props like little stools,fabric,hats,etc..so fun! I've done several practice photo sessions..thanks to my willing friends and I have several more coming up..not counting the ones that haven't even scheduled one! whew! Talk about exciting,nervewracking and overwhelming..somedays I allow myself to believe that maybe one day I will make money at this that I can truly call myself a PRO! Honestly the thought is so surreal it's hard to believe it will ever happen but I have hope! That says a lot about me..I don't have hope within myself very often..I'm a very positive and optimistic person but confidence in myself is very lacking..I assume I"ll fail or never be "good enough" when it comes to trying to achieve something. I've had several moments within this journey where I assume I won't get to where I want to be. Thankfully the "hopeful" moments come more often. I am dedicated to this,I believe in this and it's a drive and passion like i've never had before..I can GUARANTEE it's not a "passing thought" or feeling..it's real,it's who I am and it's who I've been for a long long time..just never really went forward with it..never pushed myself. I guess I got to a place in my life where I got tired of holding myself back so I moved forward and took the plunge and got serious with photography..really serious. To the point that I spend hours and hours a week(no exaggeration) studying,taking pictures,reading..anything I can to get better and learn more about photography..it's been such a fullfilling and rewarding journey already..I can't even begin to imagine where it will lead me..I'm thinking a pretty darn good place :)

Just a few recents and I hope to keep up after this!

Snow Shots

Snow pictures are so fun to take,it's just hard to expose it correctly and get something original..seems like yr to yr the snow pictures all look the same.LOL

Anyway here a few I took,I ran out this morning for like 10mins to take a few..I had to come in though,my fingers stopped working! LOL








This is an old cultivator that is sitting out in our field,I thought the color would be cool against the white snow..it's different,I like it! :D


It wasn't making very good snowballs yet,too cold! lol

We may get ice tomorrow..YUCK,I'd much rather have snow!

Snowcream

We got our first measurable snow yesterday,only a few inches but the kids still enjoyed it! Well Tanner did.He's been sledding after school the past two days and of course they had to have some "snowcream" ,you know snow but eat it like ice cream! LOL That was the best part of winter for us as kids,we would BEG to put snow in a bowl with sugar and any other toppings we could think of,we thought that was the best! lol So of course I told Tanner that little tidbit a few years back and what do you think he begs to do each time it snows? you guessed it..so of course Emma got to share in that little tradition this yr too. She wouldn't eat it until he put chocolate syrup on it..smart girl ;)
Here are a few snaps of them enjoying their first "snowcream" of the winter!

December fun!

Well it's hard to believe that Christmas will be arriving in about a week! Where did this month go?! It's been a fun month so far though and the best is yet to come!

I'm trying to get everything done,didn't get as much decorated as I would have liked and I didn't get as many cookies made but hey what can you do.lol We did get to see Santa though and Emma did GREAT! I was surprised! She didn't cry and sit there so big so I was actually able to snap a decent shot. Afterwards he gave the kids a bag of 'goodies' and they got cookies and punch,she loved that part.lol

I tried to get tree decorating pictures but they didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. My 9yr old didn't want to cooperate and we didn't have enough lights on the tree I realized,just wasn't putting off enough light to get good pics without the flash,but I tried. Anyway here are the decorating shots,Santa picture and a few other random ones! Merry Christmas everyone!!








see? He just can't take a good picture anymore,it's pure dorkiness all the time.lol


awwwwww :)


So onry!!

Busy Busy!

This time of year is obviously very busy (for everyone I'm sure!) ,just seems I have a million things on my plate (and mind) right now and I hate to feel so pressured. This week me and another girl are planning the Once a month cooking group for this coming Saturday. The 'main' girl has finals for college and is swamped so she was unable to do most of the planning. So we have to find time to figure up the cost (like by tomorrow) and go shopping for 10+ people by Thursday and cook meat for about 7 meals before making the meals on Saturday. On top of that I need to finish Christmas shopping and find time to decorate the tree and the house for Christmas. I have a ton of other small things throughout the week to do too but I have a feeling I'll be rushing here and there with the cooking group! THEN This weekend Tanner is staying overnight with his cousin on Friday for his birthday,I have the cooking group saturday morning but Tanner has to picked up by 11 or so (it will be dads duty that morning!) than we are going swimming with the boy scouts at 3. Thankfully I think Sunday is pretty clear,not sure yet. Next week I have to try to plan and shop and cook for a Christmas party WE are hosting at our house for my husbands coworkers,argh! WHY do I agree to this stuff? That same weekend we have a christmas get together with my MIL and SIL for a gift exchange and I need to bring food to it too. :::whew::::: I know it doesn't seem like TON but it's things that take so much planning and thats the worst part! Then of course we have two family get togethers we are going too on Christmas eve,one on Christmas day and another Christmas party on the 27th..it's going to have drinks though and at that point I'm going to NEED a drink! LOL I really do like the holidays but it can be a tad overwhelming...oh and I have to try and get some sugar cookies baked at some point because I'm taking Emma over to a friends where a few of us are going to decorate cookies with the kids. I'd feel better if I had all my shopping done ,heck nothing is even wrapped! That takes long enough in itself esp. while I have a destructive 16mo old on my hands.LOL

Somehow it will all work out though..January should be a bit slower but already things are starting to fill in on the calender. Well two things should be fun. A couples passion party on the 17th and a scrapbooking weekend...yeah!

One good thing I'm looking forward to this week is MOPS..ahhhhhhhh. I love MOPS! Two hours of mom talk UNITERRUPTED! woohoo! Thank goodness for small things :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday planned..I can't wait to see the kids faces when they see all their presents,thats the best part. I'm sure Emma will love tearing into hers!