I always get asked

If my kids ever get sick of taking pictures...the answer is YES...

I took 50 pictures an I finally got these

...

and I am in love with this child too!

After getting such amazing shoots from Macie I had to try agian with Kase...He will always be my favorite child. Mainly because he is my first. I learned how to be a mommy with him. He is such a special boy. Tender, kind I just love everything about him!

I had to have him tilt his head to match Macies pics!


And Yes I am going to get both shots of kase and macie put on canvas for my house!

Oh my gosh! I am in so in love with this child! I have been franticly trying to finish some Christmas presents before the end of the month. I had to get some updated shots of the kids so set up my backdrop stuff in the garage. Oh i love the lighting in garages Seriously BEAUTIFUL! I think in some shots Macie titled her head too much BUT I am just in love with her eyes. I just want to freeze her in this moment, at this age and keep her forever! and her hair...it is my new fav style, of course I had to bribe her with a red ice cream to get her to hold still long enough to fix it! (cant you see the ice cream stain around her lips? It is a little clownish...I tried to clone it out the best i could but the BW are by far less noticeable!

I am so in love with this child!




Shot with Rebel XT

28-85mm

f/2.8 ish

ss no idea :)

natural light

Another Re-Do shoot

This first shot is one of my all time fav poses. I love how they squish into a tiny ball of newborn. and the smile I am obsessed with the smile of newborn. Oh course smiles are usually followed with pooping, which is always hillarious! I am actually glad I got to re shoot this one. I got much better shots and the parents were much more relaxed about it all. Sometimes mistakes work out for the better.

Ok so I lied...

I have a couple mins to post some pics. I have to re-shoot five shoots this was one of them. She is a doll. I think we gotmore shots then before these are just the few i got to tonight.... I think i am going to have one of them blown up in my office for my wall of favs. I love it!

Just a short post...

have a very busy week ahead of me with work, getting new carpet (about freakin time!) and birthday is on thursday so I dont think I will post much...I leave you with this...

DUNT TA DA DA!!! My NEW website is up and running. I need to work out somethings like the brown color isn't looking good but it is at least up!!!!! Very good news!

Take a look at it and please let me know if i spelled things wrong, if I need to chage the wording I am the worst speller in the world and half the time I dont make sence! I really need help in that department!

Enjoy!

http://elementsphotographystudio.com

THE GOOD and THE BAD

I have to do the good in this post too because I am really sad about the bad. So the bad first...my laptop died. Yep had it what 3 months and it died. Black screen died. Hard drive not recoverable died. I am more then sad. It is depressing. I of course have family pictures on there but what is really sad is that I have 3 sessions from this week on there and the are...you guess it GONE! So sad. Can't do anything about, it just adds to an already yucky week.

THE GOOD...There is a couple goods in this one.
First I went out and bought a HS Iron. I have been talking about it forever! It was my "make me feel better cause my 'puter died" present. Pathetic that I can find almost any excuse to buy scrap stuff. hehe.

#2 My Scrap desk is assembled and almost organized. Woo Hooo! I have a ton of work space and I am LOVING it! Now if only I could find the time to scrap. Picture coming soon!

#3 I dont know if anyone remembers but I did a session with a Dr. and his grandbaby a while back. He and his wife were so nice and told me to bring in whatever I wanted to go in there office for advertisment. Well, I haven't gotten anything in there yet...i am soo busy as is. But he is still give people my info. Dude I gotta get that guy some business cards! Oh and Brochures are ordered! Yep hopefully by monday they will be here! I can't wait!!!!!! (if anyone is in need of a graffic designer...email me I have found a great one!)

#4 The kids are in school. Yes this is a great thing, I thought I would be so sad for them to go but I AM NOT! Kase is half day everyday and Macie is twice a week. ( I had full intentions of posting 1st day of school pics with each of my kids but as you know my 'puter eat them.) Anyway I went to Costco without them and get this....I got everything on my list. I could focus, I walked right to where I needed. Grab my things and I was off . It took me less then 30 mins. Seriously costco is a 1 hour plus with the kidlets. ahhhh. I am loving the break, plus I am doing photo sessions during that time. Love school! Sad they are growing up but I love the time to myself. The time to breath!

Ok I have more good things to post but I am feeling better about the death in our family (hehehe) . I will save the other news for later...maybe when I can post pictures...gesh 3 entries and no pics whats wrong with me?

Thanks!

I really appreciate eveyones comments. I wrote everything in the heat of the moment. I needed to get it out. I also wanted to be clear that I have not been offended by anyone else except for the people I have talked about. I really do enjoy taking pictures. I don't mind snaping a couple shots at a wedding or taking pictures of family members. I just don't lik efeeling used, thats all. Beside that fact that invested alot of time into taking & editing those pictures I am more offend that my friend used someone else. I guess what it comes down to & how I took it was that my pictures were not good enough. I did something wrong. But what I failed to realize (my good friend Lisa pointed this out) that possibly she didn't like my style. I take picture of baby's naked. That is what I do. Not everyone likes that and I am going to have to be ok with that. I have got to stop investing so much in what other people think. I value my self worth in what others think of me, and say to me. I need to be ok with what I do. I have tons of clients that hire me to take pictures of their baby naked. It is ok if someone doesn't like me, doesn't like my style. I dont like everyone, I dont like everyone's style but as long as I have respect for them I can feel good about myself.

I have thought alot about my business these last few days. I felt like I needed to rebalance things. I see mistakes and flaws. I decieded that there will be times that I will want to do free sessions probably for a gifts, but I will leave it as an offer and only an offer. They can call and book like regular clients. Also decieded to specify what kind of discount I will give friends and family. I feel like 20% off the print order is fair. I also decieded that when I do portfolio builing sessions that I will not charge a session fee but prints will be 30% off. I will still be happy to do trade. Hopefully this protects my fragile emotions, and makes it clear and fair for everyone.

Anyway, if you have gotten this far thanks. It really helps to have friends back me up and to be there for support. That is not something my hubby does well. If fact he made me feel worst! Thanks!

Well it is the last time,

The last time I do a free photo session for a friend or for family. I have been burned too many times. I can't keep doing this to myself, yes I do it to myself. Whenever I volunteer to do a free shoot I get burned.

The first time it happened almost a year ago with a family member. My whole family drove up north to take pictures and then they were never used. I never got a thank you, never heard anything untill I got an announcement in the mail without any of my pictures on it. To top it off they were picture with the exact same poses I had used! Slap in the face. Quite honestly the relationship has never been the same. I dont like to be one to hold grudges, I really don't but I feel I am very loyal to my friends I expect that in return. Too much to ask? I don't know.

In between I have had other situations come up. I have been asked to take pictures here and there for family and friends and hadnot minded doing so. But then when they want to order or want a real shoot with me they act all offended that I actually charge. Seriously, let me just take HOURS away from my life, my kids, my family to put you first. This job takes time, it really does. I dont just take 5 mins to take the picture and that is it. I spend hours editing. I expect something...even if it is just a thank you.

This time it is with a friend, this time I took the 12 hour drive by myself with my kids to do FREE pictures. Same situation, never got a thank you and this time never got the announcement. I have been friends with this person for years. I even talked to her about the last time I got burned, how hurt I was. And now she does the exact same thing.

I am so pissed right now. What makes me sooo mad is that I volunteered, I VOLUNTEERED. Am I stupid? 12 hours plus the 4hrs to edit them, plus we were moving ( shoul be happy I got out of moving the heavy stuff), plus I canceled other clients to go on the trip. How can people be so inconsiderate? I wonder if I have done the same. If I have It makes me sad.

So from now on to protect myself, I will not volunteer for free shoots. I won't do it. You want pictures, you call book and pay. Of course everything stays the same with friends rates. I don't charge friends full price, never have but I can't get burned again. I dont like the feelings I feel after. I dont want to have to hold a grudge and I dont want to waist my time. If that sounds greedy or selfish or rude then so be it. Sometimes you have to be that way and really I dont have the time to be used.

A classic ME moment

I spent hours getting my house ready for last week. I figured that my bedroom was the least important so I didn't do anything to it. Well after everyone had left I found a nice surprize that I had left behind...









Lets take a closer look.















Yep its a thong on my bedpost and lube on the headboard. Oh how embarrassing!

BTW isn't my bed awesome!!!

Finally Pics from our Zion Narrows Trip

We hiked the Narrows back at the first part of summer but I didn't want my camera to get wet so I let The Dyers take pics for us. I should have taken it with us but I just didn't know how much water we were going to go threw.

Us girls were too "wussy" to carry the kids in the backpacks so the guys WILLINGLY did it.

Starting to get into the deep part, Kase still wanted to walk. He even had a walking stick like us.

The Dyer Clan.

This really was the deepest spot. It wasn't that bad at all...Except for Macie she wanted to get down in the water so she was screaming!











Taking a break...this is where we decieded to turn around.

We were all pooped! Macie feel alseep just standing in the shuttle!

Brookes Wedding

What a good day! It was so nice to be included in her wedding. I have been kinda out of the loop these last couple years, and I didn't even know if I was going to be ask to be apart of the wedding. How fun to be a bridesmaid (this was my first time!) I can check that goal off my life list!







Her dress was beautiful!

Ahhhhhh!

Bunko is over. House is clean, decorated and I am happy. It is all ready for guest, which is good because we have friends coming over tomarrow. Did I mention I have an awesome hubby, one that stayed up everynight making frames and other house things for me. AND instead of coming home tonight and complaining about what still needed to be done he said "WOW you have done alot! What else can I do." Yes I know, I am slowing chaning him, slowing :) Oh I am so happy. I will post pics later.

Moo Moo

I got inspiration from my friend Meegs
to finally get Macie out on a chair in a field. I am in love with her white dress and of course the stool is something I cherish...it is my grandmas. It is old it is falling apart and it is hers! I have the picture of her going HUN? On my wall and I love it, mainly because it is her. The expression is her, she doesn't want to sit on the stool with her legs crossed, she doesn't want to look at me so when I beg, pled, bribe and sometimes yell I get the WHAT? look. and that is our life :)

Oh and check out Meegs site....www.meeganlittlefeild.blogspot.com