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Carlie and Gabriel : Anytime
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T here are times when people ask if there was a moment when my business changed. I think for a few seconds--revisiting the answer to this question although I'm certain of the response--and say, A moment? No. A series of moments? Yes. There have been times through my petite career when I was about to change, moments when I couldn't help but breathe anxiously in hopes of something great to grow.
One such moment was Gabriel and Carlie's engagement session almost two years ago. It was my first year in business and after meeting with Gabriel and Carlie, I knew we were a perfect fit. When they arrived to their engagement session (looking tres chic and uber fabulous) I smiled with delight. We laughed and chatted. Before I started shooting, Carlie stopped me and told me she trusted me. That I could do whatever I wanted with them. That I had the permission to shoot however I wanted. And they were just there to have fun.
This was a moment.
It was the first time clients let me do what they knew I could. They didn't come with a list of photos they wanted, didn't come in matching outfits, didn't compare my work to the photographer they really wanted but couldn't afford. Carlie and Gabriel simply said--in so many words--Do Your Thing. And to a young, budding photographer (who was desperately trying to find a photographic voice), this was priceless.
I'm incredibly thrilled and honored to still be documenting their love with my camera. A few days ago, they scheduled a session to merely document their lives and neighborhood in Ladera Ranch, California. Here are a few of my favorites...
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| Com'on, don'cha just adore Carlie's laugh?! :) |
| I think every girl should have a photo of herself alone. A picture she can show her future children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who she was, and who she dreamed to be... |
| I hope Carlie doesn't kill me for posting these pictures. It's just that we're both professional dancers (ahem, at heart anyway) and these really show off her mad skills...although I was tempted to put my camera down and show her how mama REALLY breaks it down! |
    
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Julia and Brandon : Day After
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T he first time I met Julia, it was over the internet. Her email was filled with our similarities, but the strongest two were UCLA Law School (she was a couple years ahead of me) and love of photography. She practices law and just listening to her speak, I'm impressed with her fluidity in legalese, a language spoken by members of the World of Law.
When I hosted my second Starbox Lunch, Julia drove from San Diego and it was lovely getting to know each other better. Since then, Julia and her husband Brandon have started their own photography business and I'm so happy to see how far they've come. I was even happier when they contacted me to photograph a Day After session. They've been married for three years, but Julia wanted a different feel for her wedding photos, so I was honored when she asked my to document their love.
We spent a lovely afternoon together and here are a few of my favorites... |
| My favorite shot of the day... |
| One thing I love about Julia is her amazing laugh! |
| Because every girl deserves a little Dior... |
| To see more of their Day After session, CLICK HERE for a slideshow! |
Y esterday I hosted my family for a home-cooked meal by yours truly. I worried burning down my house was a serious option, but--thankfully--the smoke alarms remained silent and the appetizers were eaten with hearty smiles. Perhaps the spirit of Betty Crocker still lives on in my stubby fingers and brown skin!
While cleaning my office yesterday morning, I came across a photo that made ma laugh. For two reasons: 1. It truly shows how different my personality is from my sister's, and 2. Barney Rubble is in the photo as well. As you might have pieced from my last post, that man (and his eight toes!) HAUNT ME! Will I ever escape this distorted grasp?!
In this photo, I'm on the left. I'm, obviously, the twin with more attitude, less patience, and whole lotta brattiness. And my sister? Well, she's just nice. And perfect. And if I didn't love her so much, I'd hate her for being everything I wish I could be.
In the end, she'll still be perfect, and I'll still have Barney haunting me... |
I have a pretend crush on Guy Kawasaki. After reading a couple of his books, I was smitten. I'd turn each page and could almost hear him whispering sweet nothings (oooh, resume building...yea, parchment colored stock paper...umm hmm, building networks, baby...) into my ear. He's just kinda brilliant and if he didn't seem so down-to-Earth, I'd probably ask for a refund on my brain. Hey, God, I think mine's defected. Kawasaki is clearly someone who can handle being smart, and, well, I'm still trying to figure out why Barney Rubble has eight toes.
In his book, The Art of the Start, Kawasaki discusses the use of a business mantra (p.8), which became the rubric in which we measured the contest entries against. A few of the elements which we felt the winner achieved (and these were taken directly from Kawasaki) were:
*It should be short and sweet.
*It requires no enforcement or explanation (if you have to explain how a string of adjectives applies to your business, it's not a strong mantra).
*It could describe your business in one sentence (if a person can't tell what your business is from the mantra, it's not very strong).
An example of a awesome mantra is Nike: "Authentic Athletic Performance". In a single sentence, we know what Nike does and who it's for. Now, that's just darn cool.
There were so many AMAZING entries, but we felt the winner upheld Kawasaki's principles with her own flair. I couldn't choose the winner, so I narrowed the field and enlisted help from a few people much smarter than me. You know, since I'm still perplexed about the whole Barney Rubble thing.
The winner of the FREE Showit Site for an entire year is: Jessica with With a Flourish Event Management Company - Celebrate. We'll take care of the rest
A HUGE thank you goes to all of you who participated and I am truly impressed with the caliber of business people in the industry!
And because pictureless posts are so 2001, here's one of my favorite branded companies... |
Sprinkles Cupcakes does a fabulous job producing sweet confections and their mantra describes them perfectly: Sprinkles Cupcakes are a deliciously sophisticated update on an American classic. Word to your mom.
Happy Friday! |
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Letterpress for Grubby Fingers
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I don't know when, exactly, it happened, but I've become such a paper adulterer. As in, I cheat on my paper goods on a regular basis. I write notes to friends on my hummingbird note cards one week, on my vintage flower post cards another, and on nautical themed cards on another week. I keep boxes of stationary and I could--quite literally--spend hours in any paper goods store. I get it from my mother.
I've probably mentioned before I was home-schooled. And I was poor. This presented an issue because my parents couldn't afford to buy their children text books. For a while, my mother borrowed books from the local library and pieced together our education on the State's dime, renewing the book loan the entire semester. Thanks, Uncle Sam! One summer day, however, my mother saw the local elementary school janitor throwing away stacks of books. She came home giddy with excitement and informed us we were going diving. Dumpster diving. It's a weird thing seeing your mother's tush float in mid air. Her legs dangled over the side of the black dumpster as she scanned for literary goods. I imagined only derelicts and the destitutes did this type of thing. In 1988, my mother proved me wrong.
Most books missed pages, so my mother procured three of the same kind. When I got to missing page 167 in my English text book, mom would simply wave her hand in the air, without looking up from her teacher's manual, and tell me, You'll find it in one of the other two. Thanks, mom.
One of my mother's first earthly treasures was reams of fancy paper she found in the dumpster. We're not talking about college-ruled, yellow paper. We're talking about pages of thick paper, rounded-edges, and the name of the school district printed in the upper right-hand corner. My mother kept this paper in her desk, hidden from my grubby fingers. It was then when I realized certain paper was worth keeping for special occasions.
Special occasions. I seem to encounter a lot of those these days. And I want to make sure special occasions are complimented with special paper. Paper goods, that is. Today I received my newest batch of stationary and letterpress...holllllla! I've been waiting to make the investment, but after meeting with Nichelle Luc of Details A La Carte, I was smitten with idea of revamping my packaging and paper goods.
Here are a few photos of my stationary...and it feels good knowing I can get my grubby fingers all over it!
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