Starting the Year

And another year has come and passed and now we are head strong in another year.  I know that I haven’t been active on the blog thing in a while, but there hasn’t been much to write about which is totally my fault.  I really haven’t been concentrating on the photography because of other jobs that I have.  I know… there should be no other job, but it happens.  This year I will get more clients to work with.  I am currently booked for another wedding this year and some events for a local museum that I shoot for.  I was hoping to get another long term volunteer position as a photographer, but the shoot did not pan out.  I’m hoping that they will decide to use me later in the year.

As for the photos, here are some of the engagement photos that I took for the couple that I have slated for this year.

 

 

LET THE SEASON BEGIN!

And so comes that time when everything becomes new again.  Glad that the photo season is starting again and this time there are some new rules that need to be laid down.  Came out with some new contracts and some new vendor for some of the products that I offer.  Some of the old vendors that I was using did not cooperate with me so I have chosen a new route.

Hoping that this year brings in more clients so that I can build up the site a little more with more of the shots that I’m looking for.  The museum that I volunteer for has me scheduled for at least four events for the next few months and I also have two upcoming weddings that I’m shooting.  There are also some random senior portraits that I’m doing this year.  I hope that this year is going to be a little more busy considering I need to pay off some of this camera gear!  I just can’t wait to get some of these events under my belt.  Seems like I learn new things during every event!  I think that the wedding in April will be a big one for me.  I can’t wait for the challenge!

Getting into the Groove Again.

It’s that time of the year where I need to evaluate some of the gigs that I need to do and finish what I have done.  It’s been pretty hard with the snow and some difficulties with the financial weather both!  I am hoping to get some photo shoots going this year to display on the page along with streamlining the webpage once I get an ounce of break.

I do have to mention some of the hardships that I’ve encountered in the last few months.  Seems as if I can’t get a break with equipment failures!  Just sent one ANOTHER lens to Canon to get fixed.  This time it was a bad Ultrasonic motor assembly that went on me!  Don’t get me wrong, I still love Canon and the equipment!  As a matter of fact, they were VERY fast with the repair and up front about what was going on.  Just didn’t like the bill that came back for the repair…  Now all my cameras and lenses are performing like they are supposed to!

Then my girlfriends dog decided to use my light meter as a chew toy…  Can’t really get mad at the dog considering it was my fault that I left it where she could get it.  Just seems like it’s one thing after another..  I have added photos for your viewing pleasure taken with my newly repaired lens!

I just need to get back into the program in the next few days.  There are some timelines that I need to finish and some that I need to start.  It’s always this time of the year that it’s hardest to get these things done.  Sometimes I just need to get a good kick in the pants to get things started and then finished again!

Reconstruction time again!

So this is the new year and this is my 1st post for the new year.  Happy New Year everyone!  There are a few things that I need to accomplish this year and one of those things is to dedicate more time to what I like to do and to do it well.  This means taking what I know about taking pictures and expanding my skills and honing in on a style or method.  The other thing is trying to finally get my website down to where I want it to look and feel.  I think that I have a few ideas on how I want it to look, but I jut have to follow through with the execution.

Sometimes, just attempting the execution can be an exercise in futility.  One of the plans is to greatly limit the photos on the page for public viewing.  This would involve a major overhaul of the volume of viewable pictures to slim it down to only the ones that I really liked.  The other side of the coin is trying to make it easy and usable for clients and prospective clients that are viewing the page.  The choices that we have to make!

i’m keeping this short because I’ve had little sleep and need some sleep soon.  More to come later!

More Works from the Last Months

The last few months have been a little more busy than I would have thought.  In my photo life during my events I wished that I had a full-time dedicated assistant to help with just carrying things, much less shooting or moving lights!  The wedding that I shot for Brittney and Matt proved to be challenging with light as well as weather and time.  The fall colors that they chose for their wedding was outstanding, but I wished that the weather for their day was as outstanding.  Along with the weather I didn’t have time on my side.

Set-up for some of the photos were haphazard as well as the organization.  I had some challenges and missed some pics that I wished that I was able to get.  I have a sample of some of the photos from that day.

I was also involved with shooting another potential model.  Talk about being a busy little bee.  There were three shoots that almost ran into each other which has set me back a little.  Actually, set me back a lot.  Here are some samples of the shoot from Camie.

I think that only thing that I wished that she did more was smile!  Tried to get her to smile, but she said that she did not feel comfortable smiling.  Oh well, may be next time!

As the end of the year comes up, I am surprised that I have people still requesting my services as a photog.  I have at least 2 more shoots with the museum and I also have a maternity and a family holiday shoot.  That will all be in the next few weeks!  Oh, buy the way, did I mention that some of the shoots will be done during my vacation?  Yup…. vacation, at least from my day job!

And to the finish line! But there is another…

Just finished 3 photo shoots from the last few weeks.  This weekend I will be shooting the wedding of Brittany and Matt.  This is the same couple that I have on my website under the engagement shoot.  I’m sure that I’m going to get some good photos for the couple.  Unlike the last wedding there will be more places to travel and more people.  I just need to get into the mode that I shoot the pictures and not to “over gear” the situation.

It seems as if it’s all about the gear sometimes and not about the actual technique with some people.  I frequent forums about photography and it seems as if they are all about the specs and what to get.  I know that getting some gear is important and makes the job easier, but I think there is a point of overkill.  Just a random though.

At this point I’m trying to think of how to rearrange my website, but I know that there will be photos that will be taken off the site.  I just have to find the time to sift through it all..

Looking at the Clock

Came home this evening early and was thinking to myself that I could get some photos done.  Little did I know that the sandman was waiting to knock me out when I hit the couch just to “unwind”.  Needless to say I’m now up at 2am and only completed 3 photos from this weekend’s shoot.  Managed to correct a HORRIBLE edit that I did with a more acceptable picture.  Have to get back to bed soon because I have another shoot for the museum in the morning!  Oh busy has been my photography this month!  I still have to “prep” myself for a wedding next month as well!!

Here are some of the edits for the Megan and Tim maternity shoot

Busy as a Bee…

Just started with a new clients this weekend.  Megan and Tim and a new client for shooting cakes came up this weekend so I have a lot of editing and shooting for the rest of the month!  I still need to get the wedding photos done before the next wedding comes up and hits me in the butt!

The maternity shoot with Megan and Tim turned out very good.  unfortunately we were not able to do the  outside shoot.  We are going to save that for a not so rainy day.  I will be posting up the final edits on the blog soon…

A new client called Forbidden Harvest has asked me to shoot some cake shots for them.  I’ve already posted some photos on the site.  Don’t know about doing cake shots.  So tempting to eat the subject!  Here are one of the photos from today.

I’m hoping I get more images up from the maternity shoot and the wedding today.  Follow the link in the sidebar for my brother’s company to see the video of the photo shoot!

Lori + Jason 9/19/09 Wedding!

Just finished shooting a wedding for a very nice couple.  The bride is one of my friends and I told her that I would shoot her wedding a long time ago!  It was a nice small wedding in the countryside with just family.  These are the teaser photos for the wedding… Still have over 1500 to cull and edit…  Going to be busy for the next few weeks!

I was just glad that I had my gear working correctly that day to capture the moments.  Just need to work on the timing of the events.  Just wish that I could be at many places at the same time!

Assorting the Tools

Last week I just got my 40D and my 70-200 back from service.  Glad they are both back before the wedding this weekend!  At least I’ll have an assortment of gear that I can get the job done along with some back-up.  I did manage to acquire the 5D reluctantly.  I only regret it because of the lack of funds that I have to work with.  Other than that it’s a fabulous camera!  I’ve had to re-evaluate my shooting style considering it’s a whole different form factor when it comes to crop.  I have not done any serious shooting with her yet because of lack of time and me having a lack of ideas to shoot.

I hope that this weekend won’t be a trial by fire with the new camera.  Then next weekend I have a maternity shoot for a couple that will involve a mix of environmental as well as “studio” type shots for their new addition to their family.  I just hope that I can pull it off considering I was planning to use the funds that I paid for the 5D for new lighting.  Just going to have to make due with what I’ve got until I have enough to get the new lights and modifiers.  I forgot to add that I had to buy all types of accessories to get comfortable with the 5D.  These are the same accessories that I have for the 20D and the 40D so that I have the same feel with all the cameras.

In the next few days, if the weather holds out, I hope that I can at least shoot some photos with the new camera and my newly repaired lens just to get the feel of the camera and to see if Canon really did repair my lens!