So far behind!

I apologize for being so far behind on keeping everyone updated. First of all I want to thank those of you who have left comments! It's nice to know that my words aren't floating out there unread!

After my last post about my busy Thanksgiving weekend, my December didn't slow down. The first weekend of December held a Friday night wedding, a Saturday night corporate party in Kansas City, and a Sunday afternoon family session (will share images soon).




The second week of December failed to show much sign of slowing, although it was definitely worth it. On the 13th of December I headed north to Kansas City to board a plane headed for Nashville. I was lucky enough to be asked to join one of my best friends, and fellow photographer, on a trip to Nashville to shoot an Engagement Session. As a county girl I have to tell you that I did not get to spend nearly enough time in that town! After Wendi, and one of her childhood friends picked me up at the airport we headed to the Hotel Preston to check in. What an awesome hotel that was! Then we headed to the mall to put in reservations to the Cheesecake Factory for a nice dinner. After waiting an hour and a half for a table we were finally seated and as Wendi promised the Fried Mac & Cheese was worth the wait. I made the mistake of not eating as I should on that day of travel and paid for it after spending $60 on a steak dinner when I got sick in the parking lot of the hotel and all over Wendi's passenger side door! I tell you what thankfully she is an awesome friend and didn't hold it against me, although she did give me a hard time all weekend! Sunday we met her couple in downtown Nashville to start shooting. We had an absolute blast with the happy couple, and I can't wait to join Wendi in shooting their wedding this summer. (I will share these images later as well).

What are red lights for? They are there to give you time to pull your couple in the middle of the street and take pictures!

The groom works for the Predators hockey team in Nashville so we had the AWESOME chance of free reign on the hockey rink for part of their session. Below you'll see Wendi "laying down on the job" and freezing herself silly trying to get a shot! Thats one dedicated photographer my friends!


This shot is of the couple in the place where they met, a restaurant named J. Alexander.



Monday began with sadness as we wished we could spend just one more day in Nashville, but real life awaited all of us back home so we packed our bags and checked out of the Hotel Preston, leaving our Beta Fish Scarlett to greet other wary travelers when they arrived at the Hotel Preston.

The following weekend still was not free from "work" even though you all know that my photography doesn't feel a bit like work to me. The F Family from Griard came to have family pictures taken. We had originally planned on doing both indoor and outdoor pictures however as we headed outdoors we soon realized that there was no way we were going to be able to tough it out in the 20 degree weather.



Christmas came the following weekend, way to soon for us! Santa as always was a big success by bringing Gracie a Fish Tank. The only other item she asked Santa for was a camera to take pictures with, go figure, so Tim and I bought that for her. We purchased her the Little Tikes Digital Camera, and were greatly disappointed. Of course she doesn't mind but it takes 5 seconds, yes 5 seconds after you push the button to take the picture. How in the world do they expect a toddler or any child for that matter to wait and hold still for 5 seconds while they take a picture? So for future reference, don't spend the money on this camera! You can totally get an actual digital camera for around this same price and I guarentee that it will have a much faster shutter than this one!

With the start of January part of me was thinking, oh here comes January, I'll get a couple free minutes, and the other part of me was wondering what in the world I would do after getting so use to being busy during November and December. I wasn't disappointed the first week of January when the phone calls started pouring in to schedule sessions. During this month I have done 6 sessions, which is the perfect amount for me to do a month, and a big surprise during the slow part of the year.










Just when you thought I was done catching you all up I have more to add! Not only am I still doing Childcare, and my photography, but I have taken on additional tasks as well. My friend Wendi has now hired me to design her custom wedding albums for her. I do each of these albums from scratch with each taking me around 10 hours to put together. I have been able to produce one album a week and not only is it helping her out, but it has given me something to do in my spare time. For so many years I've kept myself busy with school, the childcare, and other various things that since I'm now done with school I often find myself twiddling my thumbs when I have nothing to do!

So there is my update for the past two months. I have put a Jan/Feb special together and I will post it for you soon.

I hope that this post finds each of your families warm, well, and ready to face the year with a smile on your face!

~D

Busy weekend!

I know I promised to prove to you that I have been working, not just playing! Well I've been working so hard that I haven't had time to blog, plus does anyone read this anyway? Oh well even if it's not being read I'm having fun blogging!

So over the holiday weekend I had a BLAST!! I think this was one of my best holiday weekends in a long time.

My busy weekend began Thursday around noon. I grabbed my bag and headed to a friends house to photograph their family. I'm lucky to be able to call J and N friends and also blessed to have A and S as part of my daycare clan. Here are a few from their fun filled session!

When I finished with the N family I headed home to enjoy some home made Chicken and Noodles. A couple times a year we are lucky enough to have Tim make us home made Chicken and Noodles. This year he offered to make them for Thanksgiving dinner and we didn't decline!
After filling our bellies and taking a wonderful nap with Gracie we had some other family friends over for more Chicken and Noodles then went to bed.

Friday the alarm clock came ringing way to early in the morning. I got up, showered, and loaded the van to continue my crazy hectic weekend.

On Friday I tried my hand at my first Portrait Party. If I do say so myself it was a GREAT success! We had a blast, I got to try out my new muslin backgrounds, and we ended up with some awesome images. We started out with the "L" family, and I enjoyed their son "N"'s great sense of humor and spunk! Next we continued with the B girls suprise pictures for their moms Christmas...SHHH it's a secret! Then on with their individual families. Here are a few of my favorites!

Isn't this muslin a beautiful background? I am in love!

The "B" fam at their best!

One of the only beautiful smiles we could pry out of poor "K" that day!

The "Surprise"

The "L" family!!

Saturday morning began the same as Friday. We had a family that was unable to make it to the Portrait Party on Friday so I squeezed them in Saturday morning, and boy am I glad I did. I had such a good time. It had begun to drizzle and was freezing but we all stuck it out and got some great images! Here is the "F" fam!

Saturday afternoon, I braved the weather again to be a part of the D family pictures. I was super excited to be a part of their portraits and love how they turned out! It was well worth the frozen toes!

Then Sunday came. I didn't have anything scheduled until the afternoon but didn't get to sleep in either. Gracie woke me up at 7 and we took a bath, ate some cinnamon rolls, and I got her ready for Church. When we woke up I looked outside and it was snowing! I thought OH NO!! I was scheduled to do the S family outdoors and it didn't look like it would happen. After a quick phone call we decided we could try to fit the family of 15 inside on my new muslin backdrop. I made myself sick, I had never tried to fit that many people on a backdrop and get the lighted evenly, but I did it! I'm please with the results and hope that the S fam enjoys their portraits!

So as you can see, I have been a busy little bee! If you would like to see more images from these sessions, please feel free to enter the clients site, through my website, register, log in and you can view the remaining pictures.

I hope each of you filled your bellies to the max, and enjoyed your company over the holiday weekend!!

Back to business announcement!

I have an awesome announcement to make!

While talking on the phone with a close friend of mine a few days ago, we were tossing ideas around about possibly having a portrait day where I would travel to Joplin and instead of simply doing one session, do several small sessions.

Then it hit me, why not make it a party? We have jewelry parties, we have candle parties, we even have parties for cook wear and household decorations, why not do one for something as important and timeless as portraits.

I do have to say this isn't a completely original idea, there are several photographers throughout the country who have added this idea to their business and have not only had great success with it but have had tons of fun doing it.

So here it is folks! Click on the image to in large it and feel free to either print it and share it with friends and family or as always feel free to share my blog with them as well!

One more Iowa post...

Ok guys one more Iowa post and then I'll get back to business! I can't help it I just had way to much fun.

My last day in Burlington included an Engagement Session with a wonderful couple that Wendi will be photographing in June. Adam, Megan & Rosco met us down by the river for a little fun.

This is the gorgeous bridge in Burlington. I have seen it in many of Wendi's images but pictures honestly do not do it justice. It is absolutely beautiful.


After playing by the river Wendi took her clients to "Snake Alley." Here is how I found out about Snake Alley....The day after I arrived in Burlington Wendi's mom came to town to spend the day. As we were talking her mom mentioned that she should take me to Snake Alley. I had NO idea what Snake Alley was. Being from Southeast Kansas I assumed it was some run down dirt road or something. So on Sunday we head to Snake Alley with her clients. We pull up on a museum and I'm thinking ok where is Snake Alley. Snake Alley is a road, I was right about that, but it's a brick road that curves like a snake (hence the name). Here is a picture out of the window of Wendi's Equinox as we start driving down Snake Alley. And following it are pictures of another need place, Cobblestone Alley, of course made out of cobblestones!

So that wraps up my Iowa trip....oh wait no it doesn't...lol

So I fly from Kansas City right into Burlington, IA. For those of you in my area Burlinton's airport is just like Joplin. So I flew on a little puddle jumper plane. On the way up it was pouring down rain and I was sure my flight was going to be delayed. Thankfully the private jet I flew on (I was the only one on the plane) flew without a hitch. So Sunday I get ready to come home, the sky is clear, but it's windy. Get through "security" LOL and I'm sitting waiting for the plane to arrive and they tell us (me and another lady) that it will be delayed 45 minutes. So I chuckle and go on with the day. Plane shows up 45 minutes later, we head to KC and try to land...can't land it's to windy....LOL I finally arrived in Kansas City 2 hours later than I was suppose to. I laughed the whole time.

So that finally wraps up my trip to the great state of Iowa. It was a blast, Wendi, Kim and Devan were a blast, and I can't wait to go back!

Check back tomorrow....hopefully....I'll get back to business and prove to you all that I really have been working lately!!

~D

Iowa Continuted...

So yesterday I posted about our awesome McD's experience! Today I'm going to post about the well um...not so good experience at the salon!

Wendi rounded up two lovely ladies to model for us on Saturday so we could go out and about in the town of Burlington, IA and "shoot" some brides! She arranged to have their hair and make-up professionally done and we were stoked!

So Saturday morning we pry ourselves out of bed after one very long night of "a shot in the dark" where we tried our hand at off camera flash in Wendi's backyard until all hours of the night, or should I say morning! Anyway....we get to the salon, explain to the stylist how we want Trisha's hair done and after about an hour she has the curls FINALLY set and has Trisha go relax while the product sets in hopes to hold the "continuous wave" that we asked for. The stylist then does the other "bride's" hair and has Tricia come back over to put her hair up. Wendi looks over and FREAKS out, the stylist is now BRUSHING OUT the curl. To say the least it was the most horrid salon experience I had ever had and I thought Wendi was going to loose it.

Thankfully the rest of the day, although we started late, turned out not so bad. Here are a few of my favs from the day!

I'll apologize that these are backwards (end of day to beginning)!!

The things we do to get a shot. I swear there were people following us thinking what in the world are those crazy people doing! We had several people stop and ask when the wedding was!

Here is Kim in a "gotta get the shot" position!

What happens when you get a few crazy fearless photographers together and they find an empty run down building? They climb, yes I said climb, on in and start playing! Here are a few shots of Kim and I practicing that off camera flash we stayed up until all hours of the night practicing!

This is one of the reasons we photographers have to beg women to dress up in wedding dresses and go out to play with us! There is no way we could get a bride to lay in the middle of a parking lot on her wedding day!

Thankfully Trisha didn't look at me like I was nuts when I saw an empty (yes it was empty) beer can rolling around and asked her to hold it!

Here is Trisha strutting her stuff for Wendi. Just after this a guy pulled up in a Corvette and I wanted sooooo badly to ask him if we could take pictures on his car but I refrained we were already getting some strange looks!

Look! I learned how to expose the sky!!

Here is a shot of Kim and Wendi getting...up close...and personal!!

What do photographers do when they are scared of heights but have to climb to get that beloved shot? They climb, don't look down, then seriously crawl down while keeping a death grip on the stairs!

While staying up WAY to late Friday night I saw a picture of a bride walking a dog and decided we had to try it. Well we tried with Wendi's Great Dane and Dauschand (I can't spell that). It didn't work like we wanted but here is a picture of Trisha anyway!

This is Wendi posing for the camera! She's such a ham! Notice she's still playful and happy? This was way before the chick messed up Trisha's hair!

And here is Trisha sitting and letting the product take hold before the psycho stylist went and COMBED IT OUT!! Geesh

Ok since I started this post.....oh about 5 hours ago and it is well after midnight I better post it and get to bed!

Check back tomorrow I'll post some images of my last day in Burlington! Then I'll update you all on what I've been doing since I've been home!!

Until then, I hope you all are getting much more sleep than I am right now!!

~ D