::photo business::

I have had the great chance of shooting pictures of lots of friends and family for the past year.  Sometimes I trade my pictures for things like a copy of photoshop and sometimes I have actual been charging.  Not much.  But I did that on purpose.  If there is not much expense then not much is expected.  So if I screwed it up, it would be ok.  Now I feel like I have figured it out enough to make my side project more legit.  To do that I think I need a separate professional blog.  I need to figure out a price sheet.  And I really need a name.  I am going to go with ::purple lily photography::


Come check out my new blog -
    ::purple lily photography::




Now for pricing stuff.  If I was shooting your pictures would you rather have prints or the digital images?  How would you like to handle proofs?  I am thinking about a $100 sitting fee that must be paid in advance, with a one time rescheduling allowed.  All the photo blogs say that is the way to go, to make sure people don't stand you up and that they are respectful of your time.  Then we meet, I shoot your pictures and send you a link to a site I found that host's the watermarked proofs and charges you directly for prints.  Does that all sound reasonable?  What am I missing?


Go to the new blog and check it out.  Give me brutal input.  Rip me apart.  I can take it.  Are the prices reasonable?  Is the set up ok?  Be straight with me.        


  

::bat invites for the not happening party::

I spent a good chunk of time cutting out these bats.

And I talked several people into helping me.

I made 23.  With love.

And shipped them off to school.

Some how Lily managed to loose them.

At first I was ticked.

Now I decided that it doesn't matter.

So - no Halloween party.

But the invites were really cute. 

 This was the first draft.  

Smart Shelly came up with  poem.  She is amazing at that.  

But it really wanted some sparkle.

So I added purple glitter around the circle.

Then folded in the wings.

I really like how they turned out.  Even if they never get used.  

::baby nap time=paint fun time::

Lily, "Max is asleep.  I think we should paint"

I throw some water colors at her and continue on.

Lily, "These are not going to do it.  I need something thicker and darker.  What else you got for me, Mom?"

She seriously talks like that.  

And the worst part is I find it so cute that I fall for it every time.

So I STOP (which is hard for me) my other stuff and get out my jar of acryllic paint, two palettes, and all the brushes.

(I rarely use this paint anyway.  What am I saving it for?)

We discuss that fact that these are not washable paint and then I turn her loose.  

No direction besides "Paint something you like"

These are my two favorites.

I asked her if this picture was a rainy day.

"No, its a flower growing."

Love her point of view.

Two mice on patrol

::annual NICU campfire campout::

Some of my dearest NICU girls and families came over last weekend for a bonfire.

But there is a burn ban in my county.

So we had a little fire instead.

And it was FREEZING!  So camping wasn't really a great option either.  

But a good time was still had by one and all.  

Cutie Blyth brought this great cookie.

::5 weeks::

Dear Baby Nugget,


I am going to try to keep a weekly blog journal to you to let you know what is going on in your little prenatal world.  Let me start by saying that you were two years of crying begging pleading planning borrowing and hoping in the making.  But once we actually got the ball rolling (PUN INTENDED!!!!) you showed up so fast.  Daddy's surgery was July 30th, we missed the August round but we got you in September!  I was so scared that Daddy's surgery didn't work, but it did, and I am so relieved.  


I took my test to see if you were in there on October 6th.  I had to take two, because I was freaked out that the first one might be wrong.  I text Daddy the picture of the best. He text back "Call me right now."  When I called him he said, "Are you messing with me?"  Then he was so excited!  I was at work when I found out and my girlfriends went crazy with the news!  Every one at work was really rooting for you to show up.  One of the first people I called was Daddy's doctor, who was about the most excited of every one.


 Your going to grow up with two cousins because Mommy's dear friends Alex and Shelly are pregnant too.  You will be the youngest by one month and by two weeks!  What a crazy 30 days of fabulous birthday parties that will be!  I want to start planning now.  


Your name?  You were Anna or Finn, but on the cruise we brought you home from I got his crazy feeling that your name was Gwen if you were a girl.  Your sister Lily is not loving this name so we will see.   Your boy name might be Samuel and your middle name wants to be Thomas.  


One last thing - when we told you sisters they went crazy!  They can't wait to meet you.  Your brother followed their lead by going crazy too, but he has no idea why.  He just loved to celebrate.


Love,
Your Mom

::blurry in a good way::

A photographer that I have a great deal of respect for, Kristen Duke, does a weekly series on TheIdeaRoom and she just did a write up about dragging your shutter.  (LINGO!!  I KNOW A LINGO WORD!)  She took an amazing picture of her dear friend/husband standing together while their kids ran circles around them.  The kids are blurry and the grownups are focused.  It shows the crazy movement of an active family.  That picture greatly appealed to me.  

It is a really cool technique and I must figure it out. 

So, on our camping trip I began.

There was a perfect little spot to set my camera on, because you need a tripod or stable surface.

This picture was my first try.

Not blurry enough.

Then I slowed the shutter down even more.

But see how the slide got at least a little blurry?
A real tripod would have fixed that.  And she is not well placed in the frame.  
Maybe I should shoot this with a large frame and then just crop it down in editing.

And even slower gets more blur.
Still not well placed in the frame, but I think I am starting to get the idea of it.  

I can't wait to get the chance to try this is a kiddo family shoot.  Or maybe I could use it in a family with dog shot.    Who's up for being my test subject?

::some more camping pictures::

The raccoon tried to play corn hole.

Smokey popcorn is gross.

I am pregnant with his baby.

A respectful deer picture.  He will feed us for months.  

My sister in-law.  Isn't she pretty?

Max loved his PEZ.

My other sister in-law, Nikki, after a play date with Lily.

Jacob and Nikki.  So cute.  

This is not a good sign at a campground bathroom.

Opposite reactions to the deer.

Lily and her friend.

Three brothers.