Beautiful Cake

Another crazy busy weekend.  I had the best time with my son's 10th birthday on Saturday.  Lots of family and friends and good food.  Including a beautifully designed cake by Red Mixer Bakery in Forney, TX.  I will attach a picture of the awesome cake.  My son is in Karate, so he wanted a Karate cake.  So that is what he got!  An orange belt cake.  I had two soccer shoots Friday night and two Saturday morning.  Then a shoot for two twins and their mom on Sunday.  I will have to post some pics!  Busy week of home school and editing.  Have a great week all!

And off we go!

Another week has flown by and the weekend is ALREADY here!  Wow!  Times flies.  I have two soccer teams to shoot tonight starting at 5:00.  I have action shots at a 10AM game, then off to watch by son's game at 11:30, then back to more action shots with another team at 12:45.  After that I have to rush home, finish up on the house for my son's 10th birthday party starting at 4:00.  Sunday morning, bright and early, I have two photo shoots at the arboretum back to back.  That means I have a ton of editing starting Monday.  The whole month looks like this.  It's a blessing to be busy, but man I stay beat! I have not had time to write on my blog for over a week.  We found out this past week that my son has benign hypermobility joint syndrome and RND.  I really don't agree with the RND diagnosis.  I think that is an easy answer that covers all of his symptoms.  It is basically a diffused pain syndrome.  Meaning that you have pain all over your whole body and your body has to learn to read the signals of pain differently.  I think there is a cause for his pain and this is not it.  He also has dizziness, fatigue and frequent headaches. He is seeing a neurologist for that next week.  Pray for him please, that it all is ok, treatable and that we find definite answers.

Day of Editing!

I am very fortunate to be so busy right now.  I am however tired of all the editing time!!!!  I enjoy editing when it is not a hurry up process.  I don't work in that mode.  I do detailed editing and I do not know any other way.  Some people change up colors, crop and straighten it.  That is the extent of their editing.  I have to get rid blemishes, brighten eyes, whiten teeth and eyes, add some highlights to the hair, soften skin, enhance the green in the grass or trees, make the sky more blue and the list goes on and on.  I'll add some black and white or tricked up color enhancements or film effects, but that is a short easy process.  I straighten teeth, open eyes and straighten eyes.  That is why it takes me a bit longer.  I did not go into this detail until I took Rick and Deb Ferro's class.  He is an amazing photographer and she is amazing with editing and painter.  I had many shoots this past weekend.  This is one from a very sweet family in Rowlett.

Busy Fun Weekend!

Friday!   Well, Friday did not start out well with a doctors visit for my youngest son.  We are trying to find out what is wrong with him.  He has had joint pain off and on for the last 3 years.  Scottish Rite said he did not have arthritis 3 years ago, but it has gotten progressively worse and sometimes he can't even stand up.  He is having frequent headaches and extreme joint and neck pain.  He will see a neurologist next.  Mid afternoon Friday, I had a horrible experience with a dishonest vulgar woman at a garage sale who called me a crazy middle eastern woman.  Not that it matters, but I am not middle eastern... Any way, I won't be visiting garage sales again anytime soon.  Later Friday I photographed some of Dallas Christians very talented drill team.  That is always a lot of fun!  Saturday our family had to get up early for my oldest son to run cross country in Rowlett.  He did very well and finished the race with a nice vomit session right passed the finish line.  Sorry, gross, but true.  :)  Later Saturday, I photographed the Arms of Hope Gala Fundraiser.  Wonderful event.  Last year they had Joe Avezzano and the head coach of SMU as speakers.  This year they had the very talented and amazing speaker Ron Hall and Denver Moore.  Authors of the great book "Same Kind of Different as Me."  I love that book.  Very hard to read.  Denver Moore had a very hard life, but has had an amazing journey and an incredible life.  He even finished off the night with a song.  It was great!  Next year they are supposed to have Laura Bush speak.  I cannot wait for that!  Then finally today, I woke up and headed to Rowlett to photograph an very fun, sweet family.  I then actually got to see my son play soccer today (no work interference) and we finished the day off at FBC Forney Sunday night university class, "A Case For Faith."  I am now done editing, at least for today!  Goodnight!  Have a great week!!!!!!  Please say a prayer for my 9 year old, that we find out what's wrong and find a solution.  :)

VIDEO!!!!!

Everyone is asking for video.  Yes, your camera does video, but do you know how to do video?!  I know I need help.  I can video a pep-rally (that is hard with manual zoom and cheerleaders popping in and out all over the place) and some nuptials where people are pretty much standing in one place.  But as far as properly editing them and adding stills to make a unique quality keepsake-I still need help!  They are getting better, but I am looking for some advice, techniques and examples of good software.  I am on an email list from the last class I took from David Ziser at Texas School.  He is helping promote a Digital Film class called "The Get In Motion Tour".  They will be here in Dallas on October 23rd.  I want to go and will try to attend.  I have so much going on and a long fundraiser shoot the next day.  I think I may have to MAKE the time for this one.  It is only $49. and is 4.5 hours long.  I recommend this if you do any type of photography.  A lot of people are asking for video in combination with senior pictures and wedding pictures.  You have to continue your education and offer unique, quality services to stay competitive.  Watching Youtube videos will only get you so far.  :)

Fun Maternity Shoot!

It may have taken over two hours, but we really got some great stuff tonight! Wonderful, fun couple drove all the way from Carrolton to Forney to have their maternity photos done.  What a great experience.  We covered it ALL I think.  I used my new Sigma 50mm 1.4 for the majority of the shoot.  I LOVE that lens.  My dear sweet hubby stopped by Cowboy Studio in Allen to get me a new roll of Bright White Paper (9ft.x12yards).  I usually use vinyl, but the paper worked out great.  I had no idea how thick it was. Here are a few shots. There are so many more.  She was very well proportioned for a perfect maternity shoot!  Not me, I think I gained 40 pounds with my second child.

Wake me up!

I have been editing for about 4 hours now and have only gotten 4 pictures done.  Ugh.  I have sped up my process and have cut detailed editing down to no more than 30 minutes a picture.  For some reason I cannot move today!  I have two weddings to edit and two personal shoots left to edit.  Oh and then the appointments coming up this weekend and next week.  I need to get out and exercise I think.  This chair is not good for my rear or my head.  I am meeting with a future bride tonight.   Ms. Danielle who is on her way to being a teacher and a newly wed.  It has to be an exciting time in her life!  That is what I love about photography and especially weddings.  You get to be part of something so special and help create memories to last a lifetime for those people.  As a photographer at a wedding, you see the nerves going on down stairs as the make-up is being put on.  You run upstairs to capture the groom and his groomsmen usually without a care in the world.  Complete opposite scenes.  You see the bride with her father before she enters that room full of people where her future husband to be is waiting at the front looking nervous (finally) and handsome in his tux.  You are one of the few that knows the wedding cake barely made it in time or the flowers had to be exchanged at the last minute.  (it all works out-always does) But you are the one who sees every angle of this huge event and it is a lot to take in and capture.  By the end of the night, you find the last bit of energy you have to unload your car, download your pictures, burn your backup discs and then finally crawl your way to your bed, where you wake up the next morning with legs that hurt like you have done 200 squats-because you have.  I LOVE it!