Spring is coming upon us very quickly. I know everyone is looking forward to it as much as I am. To bring in this Spring, we are offering an Early Bird Special for all Family Portraits. See our Flyer below. Book now as we only have a limited number of sessions available.

Ahhh…Friday has finally rolled around again. This has been a busy week and I’m really looking forward to a great weekend. We have been working on new packaging for our print orders and I know everyone is going to love it. You will get a sneek peek as soon as the designer sends us the samples. Her work is out of this world…so different and fresh. I can’t wait!! As for the weekend, I have a session with a wonderful family and friend of mine so I’m really looking forward to that. We have an early basketball game tomorrow and Family Fair Day at McBee High which should be lots of fun. I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. I’ll have lots of goodies to share next week!!

I have really grown to love the small community we live in. Having grown up in a huge city, it took me a while to get used to. But my children love it and I really appreciate the little things that make country living so great.

1) We can have parties without the neighbors complaining.

2) The kids can ride the 4-wheeler wherever they want.

3) You can’t be lazy when your alarm clock is 30 roosters going off at 6am.

I can’t say enough about how excited I am to see this Valentine’s Day roll around. This holiday has always been one of my favorites. My sister’s birthday is Feb. 13th so we get into the festive mood a little early. I always do something special for the kids and they love it. Tonight we are cooking a special dinner for Daniel’s mom (who is the sweetest woman in the world). She has done so much for everyone around her and we wanted to show her how much she means to us. Tomorrow will be a little hectic with basketball games but Daniel and I are going to spend the evening together and that’s going to be fantastic.

So get out there and really show the people close to you how much you love them. It doesn’t require buying expensive gifts or going to expensive restaurants. Just write a note or go out of your way to tell them how much they mean to you. This is something that we should all make a habit of but pay special attention this Valentine’s Day and brighten someone’s day.

I know I’m a day late but yesterday was such a crazy day!! But I am not going to neglect this posting. It’s my favorite one..the one that gets me through these tough times when it seems like there’s so much to be down about. When I sit down and think about how there are some folks out there that are really struggling…losing their jobs, their houses, it really makes me so much more thankful for everything in my life.

1) My mom…she makes me a stronger person and I’m proud of that.

2) Daniel…the only man that I’ve ever truly trusted with my whole heart and soul.

3) My kids..they make me smile even when they don’t mean to.

1) Because you get what you pay for!
I’ve met so many brides that bring their married friends to the bridal consultation. It’s sad how many of them decided not to have a professional photographer at their wedding and cry when they see what they could have had. They thought they were doing the right thing by saving money but they found out too late that “you get what you pay for.” I feel so bad for them as they look through the albums with their “bride-to-be” best friend and say “My wedding pictures were terrible. I wish I would’ve hired a professional to do them. We don’t even have an album.” They decided to trust the most important day of their lives to a friend or relative or an inexperienced photographer. Everyone understands that most couples have a “ceiling” on their budget. But when the day is over, the dress is put away, the cake is gone and the flowers are wilted, the images from your wedding are the only thing left to remember all of the details and special memories of your day. If you are working on a tight budget, consider cutting costs in other areas that aren’t as important. This is the day you’ve been dreaming about since you were a little girl. Do you really want to trust all of your memories to Uncle Joe?

2) Just because someone has a nice camera doesn’t make them a good photographer!
I have a hammer and nails but would you want me to repair your roof? Most consumers don’t understand the internal light meter in a DSLR. They don’t understand that what may look like a great shot turns out to look completely different once the shutter releases. The human eye sees light in a different way than a camera lens. Have you ever taken a picture of a subject with the sun behind them? When you’re taking the picture your eyes can see both the subject and the beautiful sun in perfect balance. So you are disappointed and confused when your pictures have a blown out sky and your subject is completely dark. It’s situations like this and others that make it hard for people with good cameras to get good pictures. There are other technical considerations as well. Does this person with a good camera understand: lighting, posing, composition, exposure, depth of field, subject matter, white balance, or how to choose the best lens or camera angle for a given subject or situation? What about social skills? Have you ever been at a wedding and there’s a goof-ball so called “professional photographer” who is inappropriately dressed, makes buffoonish blunders and thinks the wedding is all about “him”, while embarrassing the bride and groom and irritating the guests? I assure you this is “NOT A PROFESSIONAL”! A professional should be technically precise, highly creative, organized and know how to properly photograph a wedding and work well with people while keeping the photo flow of the day flowing smoothly!

3) Professional products and services
True professional photographer’s use quality camera equipment and have all the equipment needed to successfully capture a wedding. We only partner with professional vendors and can offer a host of quality products & services. On-line galleries, retouching, special effects and artistic album design are a few of the benefits of hiring a professional. I met a recent bride who, in my opinion, had been overcharged by an unqualified photographer. He uploaded her images onto a photo-sharing website and from there it was the bride’s responsibility to handle everything. She didn’t get a professionally designed album, no high quality prints. It was very sad.

4) Experience
When you hire a professional, you are getting years of experience & expertise. It takes time to build the necessary skills to really master the art of documenting a wedding to ensure that your wedding memories are preserved in beauty & perfection. There are many that call themselves professionals, but truly are not. There are some beginners which lack experience and therefore are quite a bit cheaper. Just know that you will receive an inferior product. If you are okay with that, that’s fine, because it is your choice. As long as you know the risks and are willing to take them, hopefully you won’t be disappointed. Your disappointment is what I am trying to help you avoid. Your wedding memories are a one-time shot, NO DO-OVER”S!

5) Reputation and successful business
Typically, if a person or persons have spent the time, money & effort that it takes to build a successful business, they are going to come through for you. I have heard the horror stories through the grapevine, like photographers not showing up or a year after the wedding the bride and groom still don’t have their wedding images or the dreaded story of the couple getting their images and they were terrible! It can be risky trusting someone with such an important responsibility. Do your homework.

Last thoughtsYou will spend more time with your photographer than any other vendor. Make sure you not only like their images and trust them, make sure you like them as well. Avoid arrogant, cocky, “I’m all that” photographers or your wedding day will be all about them and what they want. You deserve to have the day be about you & what you want! You are the star of the day! Carefully consider the information above, before you decide to trust the most important day of your life to a well meaning, yet very unqualified “picture taker”. Even the most well meaning people are not qualified to handle all that it takes to make your wedding day a smooth running, photographic success. Don’t live with regret…invest in your memories! I hope this was helpful. I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have, just e-mail me or give me a call at 843-245-7320.

1) A supportive mother…there’s nothing like knowing that your mother will be there for you no matter what.

2) Subway…I love being able to get all of my veggies in on one great sandwich.

3) Bath & Body Works Cotton Blossom Body Cream…this is a wonderful lotion that has a very delicate fragrance and keeps your skin moisturized during these cold winter days.