A whole lotta nothing...

Spent the weekend in Yellowstone National Park for a family reunion this past weekend! The weather was gorgeous...the company was great...but we really lacked in the

"animal viewing department"!

We saw a whole lotta this! Bare fields. We still had a great time though and enjoyed our many, many hours in the car with fighting children. :)

Just wanted to say that I am so very, very behind on editing. The only downside I see of shooting RAW is the enormous amounts of time I have to spend on this dang computer. I think I am going to start shooting jpg with all my everyday type shots and save RAW for paying sessions only! I just don't think I can take another minute sitting here at this computer!

Anyone out there feel my pain?

My thoughts on Custom Photography....

Today...I'm going to share my thoughts on the cost of custom photography....

One question I get asked the most is...

"Why don't you do this as a business?"

There are a few reasons that I won't go way into. One of the main reasons is because I am not really all that good as a business owner. Believe me...I have had MANY different entrepreneurial goals over the past several years. I have been fortunate that most of them have been great and not too cost consuming. I am terrible at keeping books. I hate keeping track of money and to be honest...I really just suck at the whole business aspect of owning a business. I really only like the creative side of anything I do. This poses a HUGE problem for me. It makes having a successful business next to impossible! The second main reason for me is that I really cannot put a price on anything that makes it worth leaving my kids and ignoring them for 40 hours a week. They are getting so big and I really feel like time is just going by so fast I can't even keep track of it. I don't ever want to look back and say "Why didn't I spend more time with my kids?" I can't imagine anything worse than feeling like I missed out on any time with them.

What I want to address today is the price of custom photography. I just have to laugh when people think I am asking too much for a session when I actually agree to do it in the first place. I love it when people beg and beg me to take photos...saying "I'll pay you!" Then...you actually tell them a price and never hear from them again. It happens all the time. People want me to do them a service. The problem? They want to pay nothing for it. I have spent way too much time doing these "favors" for people. I have realized that when I do a session for a friend, neighbor, even family members for free...it is basically telling my family that they aren't as important as the people I am taking pictures for. What kind of message does that send to my kids? Definitely not one that I want them to hear. There is a great post over at MCP Actions today. Everyone needs to read it. Aspiring photographers, professional photographers, and anyone who ever gets pictures taken by a photographer! Go read it....I will wait. It really puts the cost of photography in perspective. It is exactly why I can't do photography as a business. And...it explains very openly why custom photographers charge what they do. My favorite quote from this post is...

"So how do you price? Work backwards to figure out what clients need to spend. So many people want to skim over this because they are “arteests” and think it’s all about the talent, not about the pricing structure. WRONG! Artists work from emotions, and you better step outside of that for a moment and keep those emotions and business separated, or you will BE a starving artist who will one day look back and say “my kids are grown, where did the time go? I sat in front of that computer for hours for less than minimum wage… I wish I had that time back with my kids….” No one looks back and says “I wish I would have worked more away from my family….”

This is exactly why I can't do this as a business. I don't have the time to make it really worth leaving my kids over. I already spend WAY too much time on the computer editing photos, as it is. Really makes you stop and think about why 95% of all photography businesses fail....

I figure I spend about 8-10 hours per session. This includes prep, shooting, driving, and editing.

If I am charging $200 a session...it comes out to $20/hour. Which in theory sounds great...but it isn't true. Figure in cost of equipment, driving, paying babysitter, taxes, etc, etc, I end up making WAY less than $10 an hour. So...you figure your are making less than minimum wage for your time, then.... give away the work for free when you hand over a CD of images for nothing.

Hmmmm. Really makes you think. What are your thoughts on custom photography? If you do it as a profession...how to you make it worth your time? If you are a consumer...how do you feel about the cost of custom photography? What do you think is too much to spend?

Sneak Peak.....

Just a few of the whole family together....

I'll have your whole gallery uploaded tomorrow! :)
I think you will love them...

Such a cute, cute family! And...the kids were so great! I didn't have to chase any of them, or make weird sounds, or jump up and down...making a complete FOOL of myself to get a smile. I actually had a really great time with them! Makes me sad they aren't my neighbors anymore! We all miss them very much!

Baby Evan...

I've been busy. Super, super busy. I have been a terrible, neglectful blogger, mother and friend. I tried to make up my lack of friendship to one friend by taking a few outdoor shots of her sweet little one. It was COLD. Way too cold to have a newborn out...but we just had to get the shot!

We have a lot of fun things planned for our little family the last few weeks of October. We are heading to Yellowstone for a very fun-filled family reunion this coming weekend and then off to visit our favorite mouse at the magic kingdom. When I get back...I will have lots of fun photos to share and I will do a tutorial for making custom Christmas cards!

announcements...

My favorite way to do announcements is through my

favorite place in the whole wide world.

You can get fifty, 6 X 7.5 size greeting cards including envelopes for $14.99!!! Additional sets of 25 can then be purchased for $5.99! I think this is such a great deal! They do have some very cute templates to choose from if you don't know how to make your own in photoshop. But...if you do know how to make your own...they will give you the same deal for your own design! I don't think all Costco stores have the option to use your own design. Every Costco in Utah that I have been to does. You cannot upload the design online, you do have to go into the store to order them. I usually drop it off, they print a sample and if I like it...they print the rest while I shop. Such a great and inexpensive way to share good news! And...being such a proud big sister...this is, indeed very good news!

Birth announcements, graduation announcements, wedding invitations, Christmas card (despite my denial that Christmas is even coming)...you name it! If I get enough time, and interest...I will try to create a tutorial on making these in Photoshop...is this something most of you already know how to do? Or would a tutorial be helpful?

Graduation pictures....

My little sister is graduating from nursing school! We spent the entire afternoon curling hair, picking out clothes, taking pictures and making announcements. This image is one of my favorites...although, we didn't use it on the actual announcement. Isn't she beautiful?


Congrats, little sis! We are so proud of you!

Angles...

One of my favorite things to do lately, is shoot from above. For some reason...I love the way these type of pictures turn out. It creates amazing catch lights and is very flattering for all face-types. It is a super flattering pose for women! Next time you have your picture taken, have the photographer shoot from above and I promise you might get a picture you might like of yourself!

I know I am partial...I am, after all her mother. But, I just can't get enough of her. I could take pictures of her all day. Every day.

(And with her personality...I think she would love it too!)

How to get a black seamless background...

I get a lot of emails asking how I get a deep black/seamless background making baby look like they are "floating". It is super easy and doesn't take a lot of time. I know there are a lot of ways to do this, (even some actions out there that do it for you), I use the burn tool in photoshop. Good news is that you can do this with elements too! Choose an "airbrush soft round" set it to "midtones" and set the exposure to your liking. To get it all deep black I use it at 100%. Now just go over all of the black area. You have to be careful around the areas you don't want darker. I actually do this with a layer mask so I can go back over any areas that I accidentally burned. If you aren't sure what layer masks are....just be careful around the edges. (I am way too tired to talk about layer masks tonight!)

This is a screen shot of a picture before I burned the black...

After....

This method does take a little practice. You have to make sure you get every single area. I think this is key to making pictures look more professional!

Sneak Peak....

Had some fun with my favorite bff, (and newborn assistant) Jen's new little cutie today! Evan and I got to hang out for 3 hours! I got to try out all the fun new props I have been crocheting for the past 2 months while I have been ANXIOUSLY awaiting his arrival.

Evan loves me. He can't wait till I come over next week and hang him from a tree branch!

Just for his daddy. I am not sure if Bishop owns anything BUT UofU attire. (Kind of out-numbered in this neighborhood.) The rivalry is strong around here. People are serious about their school of choice. I am Switzerland. :) Personally though, I think red DOES photograph a little better. :)

Shooting in full sun....

While learning about photography, I tried to research all the "right" and "proper technique". All the rules. All the "always do this" aspects of photography. I have talked about this before in other posts...but wanted to talk about it some more. Sticking with all the "rules" was prohibiting me from always capturing the moments. If I didn't have perfect lighting, I didn't shoot. I found myself afraid to shoot in full sun. I thought that I had to have perfect lighting on the entire face without harsh shadows. This is difficult when you don't have fill flash. Lately...I have realized that I actually really like the effect the sun has on faces. I have been experimenting more with the sun and not worrying about always having even light across the face. I think it makes pictures have an interesting quality that I really like.

Getting proper exposure in full sun is difficult if you do not shoot in manual mode. In auto mode your camera will meter to the brightest object. That is why people will always look dark. When you shoot in Manual mode, you can trick the camera and get the skin tones properly exposed.

Don't let full sun shooting scare you. I have let it get to me FAR too long!

Here is a great article on getting beautiful sun flare.

5 killer ways to shoot into the sun!

(Something I am still working on)

I love it when photographers teach you to "break the rules"!

Maybe I am more of a rebel than I thought!

Welcome...

Sweet little one!

The whole town is very anxiously waiting for the news!

Getting to photograph the first moments of a baby's life is my favorite thing in the whole world.

Welcome little Evan Scott!!!!

Mommy did amazing. Baby is smaller than planned. 7 lbs. 14 oz. 19 inches.

Getting ready for school!

It is that time of year, again! It is no secret that this is not really my favorite time of year. I guess I am one of those odd mothers that prefer her kids at home. Homeschooling, you ask? I'm not THAT crazy! Sheeeeesh! I sent my baby off to preschool this morning. I didn't think I was emotional about it. Until I left her. Then I couldn't stop the tears. We won't get into the reasons I would cry over preschool. Let's just let it rest with the fact that she is MY BABY!

I am sure as a mother you are just like me, in the fact that you want to document that first day of school perfectly...

Here are a few tips for making that early morning photo session perfect!

Let your kids know the night before that they will be getting their pictures taken. My kids do better if they know what to expect the morning of their big day. Make sure you have plenty of time that morning! There is nothing worse than a crazy and rushed first morning of school.

Think outside the box when it comes to your pictures. Try a jumping shot! It is fun and it shows the true feeling of the morning...EXCITEMENT!

Let your kids pose themselves! Haleigh loves this pose.

Move in close! I know you want to get that first day of school outfit...but get a closeup of their face. I promise it will be your favorite shot!

Show the details of the morning. Maybe you could take a picture of their breakfast choice. I always make my kids what ever they want on the first day of school. That usually means making 3 different things. I will definitely take a picture of that! Mostly just to document things like that so one day I can prove to my kids that I was a good mom! Take pictures of backpacks, lunch boxes, new shoes, the bus stop line, kids walking onto the bus...and if you are a psycho mom like me, follow the bus and take pictures of them getting off the bus and heading into school. I try to take pictures of the kids inside their classroom...but my boys are getting a little older and I know there is NO WAY I will get away with that one this year. You know, having a big 5th grader and all.

The point...is to make sure the morning is documented and FUN! One thing my mom did was take a picture in the same exact place. Every. Single. Year. It was in our front yard in front of a pine tree. It is fun to look back at all the pictures. Not only did we grow...but so did that tree. It started as a small little twig and by high school...it was huge!

Good luck this week! Happy for some. Just something we gotta do for others.

Offering Fall "Mini Sessions"!

I am a sucker. I can't say no. I just can't. I have had so many friends, family, friends of friends, etc, etc, ask me to take photos for them. I wish I could just say yes to everyone and do it for free...but I just can't. I have to make it worth the time it takes to edit.

SOOOOOOOO

I am offering a limited number of photo sessions. Please email me for more specific details and dates available.

Here are the most important specifics....

Mini session price $200

this includes...

1 hour on location session.

(you can choose the location or I can recommend one. I am willing to travel anywhere from Salt Lake to Springville area.)

Session can include all members of immediate family.

15 full resolution images on CD with copyright release for you to print anywhere you would like.

All images (fully edited) can be purchased for an additional $75.

Holiday card designs will also be available for a $25 design fee.

I am booking Newborn on location sessions twice a month. They are $350 for a 3 hour session. This includes 15 full resolution images with copyright release for you to print anywhere you would like.

I will also include low resolution images resized and sharpened for the web that you can use for blogs, facebook, etc. These will have a watermark to help protect the images from theft. Newborn birth announcements are also available for a $25 design fee.

Email me at littlebitoflove76@gmail.com to book your session.

I didn't notice....

How much I ignore the amazing images that surround me everyday. I am definitely not a landscape photographer, but learning photography has taught me to notice light. Driving home last night was quite breath-taking! I pulled over to take a picture. Something I should do a little more often. I think I take for granted all the amazing views that surround my own home.

I figured out the secret!

I kidnapped my friend's little boy tonight to take his 4 year old pictures. He is such a handsome little man...and managed to cut his own hair 2 days before his mommy scheduled pictures. So...this little guy was sporting a perfect summer buzz cut! I got some super cute images of him and I also figured out how to get my own kid to WANT her picture taken!

She was SUPER jealous that I was paying more attention to another child. She kept asking me to take HER picture. Let's be honest here...she was wearing something I would NEVER have her wear for pictures. Her hair was left over from yesterday's church hair-do and she was wearing her older brother's old cowboy boots and sporting her FAVORITE dress that her daddy bought her. I could not believe how cooperative she was. She posed herself saying.."I do it, I do it!"

Crazy girl. I guess the secret is really not too much of a secret. Let them pick out their own clothes and ignore them a bit. I ended up with images I can't get enough of! Cowboy boots and all.