I suffer from DIY syndrome...

I suffer from "do it yourself" syndrome. Really I'm just cheap. So the projects at my home are never ending. My daughter is due to have a baby in August. She showed me some very cute baby pictures on pinterest. I'm not sure if she was loving the newborn or the little moose cap he wore. So seeing as I'm a photographer and all, I wondered where I could get that cute little moose cap. Isn't the internet a wonder? So after a few google searches I found this delightful web host. (or something, I don't speak computer tech very well) called ravelry.com. There for a small fee you can get instructions nearly instantly by paying a small fee with your paypal account. And if you join, they will even keep a "library" of the patterns you have purchased.
So sign me up and one trip to walmart, scrounging for some buttons etc. I came up with this...

Now granted, this is not a moose. And imagine it looking cuter with a brand new baby head resting underneath it. My advice for all those others suffering from DIY syndrome, there should be a pill for that. And if you go to Etsy it's entirely possible you can find someone to do this for you. As for me? I remember seeing a really cute little owl and possibly a skunk. It would do me no good to freeze my credit cards because paypal remembers them for me.

What I love most about taking pictures....

I love creating memories. When I'm out "shooting" families, I find that they fall into 2 different categories. The one I struggle with the other I enjoy. I struggle whenever a family has unreasonable expectations. Cranky babies are never featured on hallmark cards. 3 year olds will always rumble their shirts and fall in the dirt. That's life. No worries. It's what happens. If you desire that kind of portrait, hire an artist to immortalize you the way you want in oils on canvas. You not only stress me out but you stress out your family as well. And they kind of family I really enjoy? The realistic ones. The ones that are capturing a memory. Not every hair has to be in place. Matching is optional and please show your personality.

It's a great time to get your family pictures before you are too busy this summer. Call me, let's set something up. (Notice the "blogspot" on the pictures, that is my not too clever way to protect the pictures from being hijacked and placed in other venues without proper credit.) Have a great day and make a memory. Remember as far as everyone else is concerned... YOU are part of a NORMAL family.

Photography tips....

So I recently had to do the absolutely unthinkable if you are a photographer. I had to let someone else take my picture. I learned some very hard truths that I want to pass onto you. 1) Never let your children dress you. You see, you are their mother and to them you always look good. You are usually wearing something they hope to never be caught dead wearing, but YOU still look good. 2) Practice your pose in front of the mirror. Again, to your children you may be flawless but on film, it can be another story. 3) If you choose to color your hair, do it before you have pictures taken. You may think you get away with "roots" in your everyday life, but it's mostly that no one wants to rat you out. And lastly, 4) It is not always an option to hide behind a child or spouse so if you are over a certain age ( you insert age here) it's probably best that you wear spanx under everything. Truth be told it's probably not a bad practice for everyday. Kind of along the lines of ... "if you feel like the inside of a sausage casing, then maybe you can forgo one or two bites.".

And the best thing about taking pictures, instead of being in them?

Shots like these. So what if some photographs have more personality than others? Those are the ones you love.