November can I remember last month?

Time seems to slip from me faster and faster so I want to catch up and then try to keep up again.  2011 is all about organization! It is getting easier as I am getting used to the kids routines. 

I had a few photo sessions in November and I went on my first trip without kids.  I didn't think I would survive but I did.  I fnally sought help for  my anxiety in September.  For as much as I did not want to be on medicine I finally feel back to normal and hte anxiety was getting so bad I did not want to leave the house.  I was having a hard time functioning and getting in the car. I think if I hadn't I would not have been able to get on the plane.  I went to California for my grandfather "Pa" 's 80th birthday.  It was nice to be with family.  It was wonderful to celebrate PA.  I really love that man.  He is witty and funny and sarcastic!

    We also snuck in a surprize 60th birthday for my dad! It was a fun "Dude ranch theme"

 I had an enjoyable car trip back to Vegas with my parents.  Rare alone time that I do not get with them now!   We also got to see them for another day and celebrate a mini birthday party for Liam who turned 4 while I was away.

 I was hoping to have a party for him this year but it didn't work out.  So he got 2 mini birthdays with grandparents as Dan, Lance's dad came to visit the next weekend.

 We made him a little cake for his birthday that is at the end of November as well. 

Thanksgiving was spent alone again.  We were blessed with a great dinner and each other although lonely it was nice!

October randomness!!!!

Catching up on October, not a lot happened.  We worked on Halloween things and Rori performed in her school dance festival that I will upload a video for sometime! We also helped out at fall festival at school. I did the Photo booth and it made over 100 dollars for the art room! 

nice day for a drive in the park.  Their friend Summer has a very cool car!!

jumping jumping jumping!!

Pierce did not want to be a duck and was not happy about trying on his costume daddy was making him!

still wasn't too happy trick or treating!

Brendan was a tooth!

We went trick or treating at a mall. It was toooooooo crowded and the kids didn't get much which was fine but I wanted them to be in a costume contest because I think Lance did a great job! :)  Well I did Rori's and most of Liam's he made the base of the car. He made Pierce and Brendan's!

Rori was a tooth fairy!

Liam wanted to be a racecar.  We should have made him some arm holes!!

Lance was pretty scary looking!! :) He loves  Halloween so much, and Pierce did find his smile!!

Some more practicing my photography on the kids!

I am really enjoying my growth!

Going to work from September forward lots of posts coming!

Pierce turned 3!  Otherwise known as "P" "sweetie P" Stinky P" "grumpy P" or as Liam calls him "purse"  He is coming into his own!  FOr the most part he is still my sweetie boy, very loving.  He has had to be defensive against Liam who is always on the prowl to hit and bite and throw things at him.   He is a blankie boy and can pften be seen with his blankie and thumb in his mouth.  He LOVES to play on the computer and watch Toy Story.  He knows how to turn the computer on.... click on the frog and then click on the rocket which brings him to the kids safe sites! He is super smart!  Here are a few pictures from his birthday and in general!

It was a nice day! Just us as family no party till next year!

Rori lost her first tooth!!

It took  me by surprise when she said her tooth was wiggling, not by baby, she is too little right?   Oh NO, she is a big girl getting smarter brighter and sassier by the day!  This morning she wiggled the tooth right out of her mouth ironically watching the wiggles!! HEHEHEEH

Before and after, the time it takes to edit and make things beautiful!

This is the part of business people forget about, and my husband gets frusterated about, is the time in editing.  While I can take a good photo and it can just take a tweak here or there to make it pop and that takes a little bit of time, there is an art in processing a photo to be BEAUTIFUL or arrtistic. 
Here are some photos straight from the camera and how they are after an edit!

As you can see it takes a little bit of effort to make nice photo a great photo. Especially when you work with outside lighting that is always changing on you.  So remember when you are paying for your photographer for every hour she or he spends with you there is most likely another 3 hours in editing!

Hard to Charge........

I am going through so much right now trying to get business going for me.  It seems that lots of people like my photos and want to work with me, they just want it for free.  I have done a lot of shoots for free.  I feel my work is worth more than free.  I feel like my work is worth more than Walmart, I feel that my work is worth more than Sears or Penney's or Kiddie Candids or Portrait Innovations.  I am not worth the awesome people out there who have been in business for years and have awards and schooling and the likes, but I am worth some of those people who are making good money and not taking very good pictures.  For example my sister in law paid 2,000 for a photo session with a proffessional recommended by Elite.  I had a photo session with her.  I think my pictures are equal or better than the shots she was given.  I am not charging 2,000 for a session.  What is hard is people do not understand that there is more to it than just going out and shooting a few photos.  There is hours invested in finishing the product.  There is time taken away from my kids and husband to do a "job" as anyone would do in an office and get paid for.  If I ask for 50 for a session I end up making less than minimum wage and that is still too much to ask?  I know that places like Kiddie Kandids and Portrait Innovations do not charge sitting fees, BUT they make it up in print prices!  Our last trip to Portrait Innovations a few years ago cost us over 200 dollars.  I may ask for a sitting fee but  you will pay less than any of the studios in prints!   I want this to be my full time job, I want to support my family on my terms and be happy with what I do, I do not want to go back to work for someone else which is going to have to happen shortly.  Lance is starting his masters degree this fall and we need to compensate for our income.  I can't keep working for free.  I m worth more than 50 dollar sessions even.  I do not mean to vent, I am just getting really frusterated at teh NO response when you send a price list to someone after they completly love your work and contact you.    Here are a few more photos from recent sessions you be the judge of my work and what I am worth! These photos were all paid for shoots. Aside from my one model who did a Time for Photo shoot and paid my gas money to her side of town. There are so many more photos I could put here. I wish it wasn't so difficult. I am trying to get my new camera and I can't make the money if everyone wants to shoot for free. While I am thankful for the talent, I am taking this beyond hobby now! I have 2 more models who are going to pay and I will post their shoots next month! :) Hopefully I will have a good Christmas shooting season. I do have a few family shoots set up as well. :)

My next post is before and afters..... the time it takes to edit and make a photo beautiful!

kohls cares

http://bit.ly/c4TmvN I think this is great, I am trying to rally some votes for lances school so if you 6 readers of mine would click the link and then vote 5 times I will be grateful!  :)