Post via iPod

I'm attempting a quick blog post from my iPod touch that my hubby gave me as a present....just because. Yeah I know I'm a pretty lucky girl. So I was going to upload a photo but apparently I haven't quite figured out how to do that yet?
Okay I'm tired & rambling....good night sweet friends :)

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The Joy of Love Project

As part of pushing myself to become better, open my mind creatively, and learn more.

The month of February I'll be participating in The Joy of Love project.

The basic idea is that I'll be receiving daily emails with photo assignments, I'll try to share as much as I can through the month long process :)

Click HERE to learn more or partipate yourself.

Happy Sunday!

I'm currently in the middle of preparing camera gear for an afternoon creative session I schedule with a friend. Can't wait! :)

Creativity

A resolution I made for myself in 2011 was to push myself.

Push myself creatively.

Take a photo that I wouldn't normally take.

Shoot from a different angle.

Try a new technique in editing.

So in the coming weeks I'm hoping to display a few attempts.

Please give any and all feedback. The good, the bad and the ugly.

That's the point, to grow :) Push the limits



Blogging Confessions

I have loved blogging for quite a while now. If interested you can check out my old blog here.

But in recent months I’ve really struggled with blogging.

I’m pretty much an open book, obviously not blabbering on or crossing over the line of “too much information” but for the most part I share who I am, what I’m going through, and whatever might be bugging me that day.

However, since embarking on this photography journey I’ve read so many “rules” of blogging. What I should blog about, how I should format my blog, how often I should blog about certain topics, what topics are “do not touch” and the list goes on.

To the point that some days I don’t even know what to blog about anymore because I feel like everything is taboo or is going to hinder how successful I will be in life.

I know, it’s just a blog and for people who don’t appreciate blogs this is just nonsense to you. But for people like me who is a blog junkie, it’s weighed on my mind and actually caused me stress.

So...this whole rant brings me to this. It’s a confession of sorts, I feel like I haven’t been completely honest. With you, with this blog. Out of fear, out of fear of failing, I haven’t really talked about returning to my full time day job. Cue dramatic music here!!!.......and again, I know this isn’t a big deal to most of you. But to me, outright admitting this on my blog and not beating around the bush like I’ve done since October, is a huge deal.

For some reason I have myself completely convinced that admitting I work full time, openly on my blog, will result in being taken less seriously as a professional photographer. That if a potential client reads this that they’ll decide I’m not good enough and find someone else. I mean, otherwise, “if she was really professional she’d be doing photography full time and nothing else”

And you know what I kind of agree with the mentality. If I were on the other side, the potential client looking in, I could possibly think that exact conversation in my head. But I know in my heart that regardless of what you may think of me, I always give 100%, I can only run my own race, I can only succeed at the pace that the universe has agreed upon right now, and that working a full time job does not take away from the professionalism that I bring forth, the effort I put into running a full time business along with working full time and being a wife & mom.

Do I feel there are days that I’m losing? Absolutely! But it also doesn’t mean that I quit, cut corners, or give less than my all.

Phew....okay now that that’s off my shoulders. Here is my sincerest apology for not being me, the whole me, the quirky me as of late...because of fear of someone else’s opinion. An opinion that quite truthfully doesn’t matter and will not be the deciding factor of how I live my life and how I will succeed in life. I’m sorry.

So here we go, we’re turning the page, moving forward with the less than perfect blog, for the less than perfect girl who just wants to write and share :) Happy Thursday



Love Etsy

I was searching Etsy tonight and found THESE!

Not sure if was allowed to use the photo but here goes anyway.

It's a kit for when you burn mixed CD's!! And only $5 USD!!

Love Etsy :)

Project 365 - FAIL

So as part of my 101 in 1001 I was totally doing Project 365. Catch up on that idea HERE

Well that idea has officially failed :(

Yeah who knew that taking a photo a day would be so hard.

But it's not a complete fail. I've decided to scale it down to Project 52, I "think" I should be able to keep up that pace.

Seriously....sometimes my creative mind just cramps. So I take photos of my ugly feet instead.

At least I've put polish on my nails since this photo

Happy Monday

Getting Started - Blogging

As a photographer starting out, some feel it's necessary to start a blog.

Should you blog or should you not?

Blogging is a matter of personal preference.

Some photographers would swear that blogging for their clients was the reason they became successful. On the other hand there are some very successful photographers out there who not only do not use blogs but probably don't even know what they are.

Truth is you need to do what's right for you and your brand.

I personally love blogging. I blogged long before I realized my dream of being a photographer.

This my old blog HERE

A blog can be useful for any number of personal or business reasons.

I even created a blog for my Mom's craft store Pic a Tenerife that actually serves as her website rather than a blog. I used a template from Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates

Now if you do decide to create a blog....here's a few of the resources that I know of.

http://www.blogger.com/

This is who I use, mainly because I didn't know about any other free blogs servers when I first started, so I just stuck with what I knew.

In the beginning the templates were very limited wihtout much creativity.

Now you can create a very personalized blog without knowing too much html coding.

Another trick is to simply 'google it' whatever you're looking for.

If you google blogger templates you'll find pages and pages of free templates, coding tricks, tutorials and the list goes on.

http://www.wordpress.com/

Another free blogging site.

Now most photographers use 'photographer templates"

My personal favourites come from a site called  Tofurious

There are free templates that you can download & use, though they are called "wordpress" templates you do need to have a web host.

One 'cheaper' web host is Blue Cow Hosting

Check out their website HERE

Again I'm no blogging pro, but it's a bit of knowledge that I can share in hopes to help you start your own blog.

Whether you are a photographer or any other type of business owner.

Any questions please feel free to leave a comment and I'll respond as sometimes I ramble and don't explain myself very well.

Happy Blogging

Just Because: Michaella

Ohhh...that newborn cry. The little fingers, the little toes.

I wanted to squeeze and sniff her.

Yep cause that time it goes so quickly.

She behaved perfectly on a lovely Sunday afternoon.

Mommy & Daddy should be proud...actually I'm sure they are.

And now...Michaella

Don't you just love her little white boots?

Sweet toes

I love when Daddy's want this pose :)

She's so tiny in his hand

You might remember this one from the sneak peek

Michelle & Peter, thank you for allowing me to photograph your beautiful angel.
Congratulations and remember the sleepless night don't last forever...oh wait...I mean...

yeah...it only gets better from here :)

My Philosophy

Life is a series of moments.
Moments that you choose how much they matter by calling them milestones.
My philosophy is that any milestone, all milestones, big or small are worth photographing.
Whether it be professionally or using the camera on your cell phone.
Life & Love are worth documenting.
Worth having an image of THAT very moment.
When you look back at your life, whether it be next year or fifty years from now you'll have images.
Photographs that show the story, the emotion. It was you back then, in the now.
How did you look, how did you feel? The images immediately bring it all back to you by a simple glimpse.
Photographs that you will cherish and share with your loved ones, friends and possibly even future generations.
That is why I do what I do.
That is why I love what I do.
My philosophy is that life is good, let's celebrate!

 What milestones are you celebrating?
What moments in life & love are worth calling milestones?

What I'm Reading Now

I'm currently reading "The Success Principles - How to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be"

I must say I'm so encouraged by this book.

It's just what I needed to start off 2011 on right foot and in the right mindset.
This book gives you the tools you need to succeed in life.
Success being whatever YOUR definition of sucess is.
I honestly feel like there's nothing I can't accomplish in my life.
Let's see if I actually do it.
Here's to an untraditional life & dreaming big :)

And yes those are my nerdy post it tabs as reminders to follow up on suggested tasks in the book.
Looks like I might get a lot of reading in this weekend if we get the weather storm that Mr. Weatherman is forecasting.
Fingers are crossed that we do :)



What makes me, well...Me

I'm quirky and random. And yet boring and predictable.

I'm a mish mash of irony & contradictions.

Lately I've done a things that you better have a sense of humour, otherwise I'm just odd and unusual.

Case #1

One day last week, I went to the restroom close to lunch hour to discover that I MISSED putting eyeliner on the bottome lid of ONE eye! All my make up was perfectly applied on both upper lids and ONE lower lid.

Don't ask I have no idea.....I'm secretly blaming it on numerous distractions during my morning make up routine by Jesse, Kristen, Boone or ALL THREE :)

Luckily I noticed before anyone else did OR noticed before someone 'actuall said something' and quickly wiped off the eyeliner from the other lower lid. Not really my usual make up looked but hey it worked in a pinch.

Case #2

While listening to a radio contest yesterday morning, I was really into it and rootin' for the girl to win the free trip to Punta Cana.

I'm alone in the car, completely consumed by this since I'm in bumper to bumper winter snowstorm traffic.

So...the reveal is slowly dragging out and voila! She won! She won!

I was so happy for her that I clapped and cheered out loud.

Then I proceeded to laugh cause I realized what I had just done.

Alone...just me....in the car...in traffic surrounded by other cars.

I don't "think" anyone noticed the crazy girl totally cracking up laughing in the drivers seat?!?!?

Okay that's it for now, I actually wrote this last night so I'm not sure if was wired or exhausted. Since yesterday I attempted yoga (signed up for a 6 week session) then a 6 game volleyball night and then shovelled the driveway cause apparently I roll like that :)



Slowly

Though I'm not quite organized as well as I'd like to be...it's slowly coming.

I'm really hoping to get a good flow with my blogging and life in general.

Not to mention an updated website and some overdue blog posts :)

With that....I'm off to organize a bit more and check things off my to do list.

First Sneak Peek of 2011

This is a session I'm working on and I had to share this image because it just melted my heart.....

and I think my uterus fluttered a little too  :)

Love!!!

Blog post coming soon.



Winter Fun

I know January can be depressing

I know winter is cold

I know snow is horrible to drive in

But I still love winter

Lightbulb Moment

So it hit me this week I'm not dreaming big enough.

I'm giving myself realistic attainable goals.

I'm not dreaming HUGE!

Dreaming the impossible in hopes that it might just be possible.

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Yep believe it or not, it was a total lightbulb moment for me.

Here's to dreaming big!



Feel the Burn

I'm not long home from another great night of volleyball.

I love playing that sport so much. I had taken a couple of years off for personal reasons and couldn't wait to get back playing this past fall.

It certainly hasn't disappointed :)

I especially love the nights that we have to work our butts off to win, you're sweating, out of breath and every muscle is burning but it feels so good.

Okay so I'm completely wired and I should be going to bed but wide awake.

Guess I'll go read for a bit.

Oh and on another side note, today's photo was of Kristen looking 'very grumpy' on the couch as he watches team Canada win silver.

I'm not allowed to share though,....sorry.

Instead here's one of Boone instead this photo from Day 3  :)

Project 365

This year I'm attempting Project 365

A photo a day....here's Day 4



For the Rookies: The Resources

So....here's the situation. As part of giving more in 2011 I'm going to do regular monthly posts for photographers just starting out. These posts will be little tips that helped me in the beginning and wished I had found much easier. Seemed in some cases I searched and searched for the last 4 years only to get some answers this past year from some very willing (and awesome) photographers who share their knowledge. As a way to pay it forward I'd like to do the same.

But right now I don't know what to "call" these posts. Sure I could just call them FAQ posts or Q&A posts but that seems so generic. I want something a little more me. I've had so many ideas going through my head like coffee break or shop talk or the getting started series but they all seem cheesy. And yes I know I'm cheesy but I'd like this to be non-cheesy. So yes please, your suggestions are welcomed.

And now...after all that rambling today's "Christa's attempt to Help the Rookies" post is about....

The Resources that Helped me Most

These resources are the oh so willing photographers who do regular posts similar (but much better) to these on their own blogs/sites. When I started out these were & still are my faves:

Jasmine Star – go to her blog and search FAQ
Justin & Mary – go to their blogsite and search Pancake Sessions
**sidenote** I'm also doing the Spread the Love seminar & A Wedding Walk Through Workshop with these guys in July...can you say woot woot!!)
The B School – Sign up for $10/month, watch their FREE live feed every Thursday night and/or go the B School Blog archive and read all of these posts I learned sooooooooo much from these old posts by Becker when I first started out.
Claudia Hung – Not only is she the fabulous photographer that I was lucky enough to do a one on one session with....I'm still reeling over the information that has helped me tenfold! She also has a couple of FAQ posts on her blog that are greatly helpful. The first post is really extensive and the second is kind of like a mini follow up :) To read both click here for post #1 & click here for post #2

Okay so last but not least....today I received an email newsletter from a resource website that i visited maybe once or twice a few months ago and quite truthfully I had completely forgotten about. Mainly because I check SO many different blogs of various photographers that I only faithfully read maybe 5-6 of them and the rest are random after thoughts...I know terrible to admit that.

But anyway....the newsletter today was from Willet Designs that advised of a FREE photography class for the WHOLE MONTH of FEBRUARY! Yep you heard me! So if that’s something you’re interested in, check out the link HERE

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Now that we're all on information overload I'm going to go eat some leftover Christmas cookies. Yes cause I absolutely need the sugar. And please feel free to share with me your favourite resource blogs/websites in the comment section.

Happy Learning!! :)

Fave 2010 Portraits

I've said so many times before how much I love my Just Because sessions.

The sessions that celebrate YOUR milestones for YOUR reasons and nothing else. Yep...love them.

And that's the 2010 season in a nutshell.

I'm so excited about 2011....a little scared because I need to really put myself out there and challenge myself in ways I've never done before.

Here we go..........



Fave 2010 Weddings

Since I didn't get a chance to blog about my fave 2010 weddings before 2011 arrived I figured that's how I'd start off the new year.

And without further ado....Christa's fave wedding images of 2010.

Holly & Jason

Jessica & Todd

Heather & Roger

 

And though not my wedding, I was only the second shooter, I quickly wanted to throw out these two images as honourable mentions :)

Hope you're 2011 has started off to be a great one so far.