3-14, Senior Practice Session

I have a very sweet friend who graciously offered her daughter to me for a practice senior session.  This session has given me a lot to think about.  Who is my target market?  What is an appropriate pricing scale? What is my marketing strategy?  Do I have enough backgrounds?  Do I have enough lights?  Do I have enough time for all of this?!   The answers vary, but my dedication to proceed remains.  It's like rekindling a fire that has almost extinguished and with one strong gust it erupts into flames.  I've learned too much to ever go back to where I was before I started, so there is only one direction to go:  forward.  Thank you so much to my dear friend and her beautiful daughter for your time, your patience, your advice and your support.  May you have a beautiful senior year full of wonderful memories. 

3-3, Slow Shutter Speed

I've been doing some thinking.  I've also been studying, reading, prepping, processing and pondering.  You see, sweet Emalie will be starting preschool at the beginning of the next school year.  Having been through this whole 'starting school' thing before (although that was nearly a decade ago), I can foresee what is going to happen.  After hearing little voices in my head (oh wait, this time they are real...just kidding!) for 12 hours a day, 3 hours of quiet time 4 days a week is going to drive me crazy.  I wasn't prepared for this when our oldest child started full-day kindergarten.  I thought I would just soak up all this time to myself and love every minute of it.  I did-- to a degree-- but it wasn't long before I found myself entering the world of children's portraits to fill my time.  I looked forward to those sessions with the kids and their parents.  It was a new experience for me and I loved all that I learned.  Now, six years later, I think maybe it's time to pick up where I left off (with the exception of those customers now being 1600 miles away).   I'm not quite 'there' yet, but this is the direction that I think I am heading.  So, when I'm not juggling the kids, the husband, their respective schedules, shopping, laundry, cooking, cleaning and budgeting, I allow myself the luxury of learning more about my cameras, my software and the business practices of successful photographers.  (So, no, I generally don't lie awake staring at the ceiling, it's all I can do to get to bed fast enough before I fall asleep!)  In that very lengthy segue, I intend to begin (again) posting pictures that I haven taken with the emphasis on photography rather than family.  (I think there are only so many 'cute Emalie' and 'karate Nikolas' pictures my extended family and friends can handle on my other blog.)  This latest batch was inspired by a photography course I am currently taking.  The topic is 'Shutter Speed' and the artful way it can be used to capture moments that do not appear in real life as they appear when stopped at 1/30 of a second (for example).  Now, you all may get tired of Emalie pictures now, but focus not on the subject but on the way that shutter speed attempts to capture the movement of a toddler.  Some of the photos give a very artistic rendition, but as you can see, Emalie moves way faster than 1/30 of a second (give or take a little).  This concept is a little foreign to me, as I like my pictures tack sharp.  My goal has always been to zoom in (and I mean WAY in) and have everything be perfectly clear.  That's how I was trained.  But, this little exercise has given me an appreciation for thinking outside the box and imagining scenes differently.  There is merit to having a particular style, but who doesn't want to deviate from that and experiment a little?  

The swirling colors of motion.

Is a 3' slide really that terrifying- or just fun if it's as tall as you are?!

Bear had one heck of a ride, too.

3-3, Our New Focus

I feel a sense of gravity-- as if I am beginning this blog for the first time.  Granted, it has been a long time since I've posted.  So much has changed in my life since June of 2012.  Where to start?  I couldn't possibly give you a rundown of everything that has transpired, nor do I care to stress my memory in that way.  What I can emphasize is that after six and half years of adoption tribulations, life is good.  We have a very happy, very healthy little girl to call our own.  We love her with all of our hearts.  We have been blessed, very, very blessed.  I will introduce you to this little girl who has stolen our hearts (and the focus of my lens and days).  Meet Emalie.  The day we met her in Wuhan, China, she was 15 months old.  She is now just shy of 35 months.  She's a full-fledged two-year old with a very strong sense of order and independence.  On most days, I'm fairly certain she is already smarter than I am. (Lord knows her memory is better!)  I am not a religious person, but I have to admit that during the adoption process, I said a little (ok, not so little) prayer acknowledging that it would take 'the perfect person' to fit into our family.  I'd have to say that my prayer was answered.  I can't imagine anyone blending into our family and home better than she has.  Can you tell I'm totally smitten?  Here's a little chronological photo diary of Emalie beginning in August of 2012 through February of 2014.