Still Here & Adjusting

Just stopping in to let you know that I am still here even though I haven’t updated the blog recently. We are getting settled into the new apartment but it’s a slow process, work is a whole new craziness in amongst itself as I am going from an incredible and huge cancer clinic to one doctor who doesn’t even have his own nurse yet because his patient load isn’t large enough. Duke is adjusting well, though the apartment and not being able to go have free run at the park everyday is starting to get to him I think. The hubby is back to school and it feels so good to be at the school where he’ll be until he’s a DC. I am still grieving the loss of Kota very much, so I’ll be honest, it’s been hard lately. But I remember Jeremiah 29:11 and it helps calm the anxiousness when I start to feel like I’m in a funk.

I am slowly starting up my clientele here in Kansas City. Once we truly get settled and back to a true normal, I am excited for all the oppurtunities I look to explore. Thank you all for your support! I can’t wait to show you what’s next!

One of my faves, one of my firsts

I enjoy so much coming back to sessions long after I’ve spent any time with the photos and just remembering when. This particular shot was from my very first commissioned session and she is just a doll. Grown a little since then. =0) I submitted the photo to Radio Flyer to see if they’d pick it up commercially but never heard back, maybe I should try again… This is one of my all time fave photos. Makes my heart sing. I think I might post more from this session over the next couple days as I try a couple new processing ideas. Stay tuned!

Happenings and Sneak Peeks!

**This is one LONG post updating life and a few sessions. There’s not much point in breaking up the post into bits***

So I have been quite busy getting things set up here in Overland Park to kick off our new start to life in a new state. We aren’t even in our apartment yet, we have been staying with close friends and their kiddos here for the last couple weeks until the new place is ready next Friday. I’ll miss it when we leave! But these guys are family and we’ll always be around each other for one thing or another. Daniel starts school at Cleveland Chiropractic College on June 29th, the same day I start my new job in a new Oncology clinic about 10 minutes away from our home. This clinic will be vastly different from Scott & White as it’s a small private Oncologist who treats all cancers and it’s in a new clinic, so he’s just getting his clients and adminstrative speaking, it’s a mess. I have my work cut out for me. I’ll be the only admin in the clinic taking care of patients and all the back office admin needs, so I will be even more to the go-to gal than I was at Scott and White, which I can’t wait. I love having the answers and making a patient’s, doctor’s, and nurse’s life easier. I am slowly starting up my Photography here in the Kansas City metro area, once I get out and start really meeting people word will spread and I anticipate bookings to start filling up. I am looking forward to going back to Temple for a week at the beginning of October for my sister-practically to give birth to my nephew-practically and have sessions for Christmas cards, getting to see so many of my wonderful clients. But until then, summer is going to be busy!

I have a whole bunch of photos to show you from the last of my sessions in Temple before I moved. Three of them were at Summer’s Mill, with the rain it made the waterfall more of a trickle that it normally is during the summer, so it was a favorite. First up, some more from the Barnidge Family! Lori, the mom, is also a photographer in Temple and so I was honestly a bit nervous to do their session as I wanted to give her the high expectations I would have hiring another photographer. They turned out so cute! It was a fun little mini-session at the UMHB campus!

When it stopped raining, we were able to set up a Mommy & Me session with Stephanie and Elise. This was to be a Father’s Day surprise for Daddy, since when we did family portraits a month prior, Elise wasn’t feeling the groove that day. These was taken on Memorial Day and Elise was happily fed when the camera was brought out, so she was up for it this time!

And here’s to the hero Daddy who is serving our country for the FREEDOM we all enjoy! Remember, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE! SUPPORT OUR TROOPS and the people who love them so dearly!! Next time you see a soldier, THANK THEM! It will mean more than you could ever imagine! As a prior Air Force Wife myself, I can vouch for that!

Next up we have Julianne and her Mom & Dad. Oh my gosh, this little girl I just love her to pieces. When I first photographed this blue-eyed darling during Mini-Sessions last October, Julianne was just learning how to walk. I couldn’t wait to photograph her again and so when our schedules finally alligned with a sunny day, I was excited to see this family! Oh the love they have for each other! This time was even more fun, as of course, Julianne spent most of the session RUNNING!

This first image just cracks me up!

Do not chew gum. SOMETIMES I can take it out, this time, it would look like he had no teeth. So rule of thumb if you’re a gum chewer, spit it out! (Especially if you’ve already done it once before!! lol)

Moving day came on May 30th. I took a couple hours off in the morning to fit in one last session. A session I had been looking forward to for quite a while. Julianne’s mom had brought a Gift Certificate for her in-laws to do a session with back in January. Well moving day came and I had to get this session in. And I tell you what, these two are just awesomely in love and were so much fun to work with. Yay for love! I have lots more to share with you on this session, BUT, good things come to those who wait!

Oh and since I felt that I just wasn’t busy enough (pun oh so intended!), my darling Miri, daughter of darling friend Aileen, had her birthday party that day. Couldn’t help but snap a few! I can’t get over her outfit!!! The bows were made by Aileen, who is the creator behind LILLIAN LAYNE bows. CHECK HER OUT! She’ll be at the SAMI SHOW THIS WEEKEND IN BELTON AT THE EXPO! GO GO GO!!

Phew!! I’m exhausted!! Enjoy!!

Rule in the making now official

Since moving to Kansas, I knew that one of my new rules for sharing photos from our sessions online would be that clients would only be able to share photos with my watermark on them. I haven’t required anyone to do it from Texas, thinking it would just be new with clients June 2009 and onwards. But I wanted to let you know why I am adding this new rule, which will be included in our contracts together. It’s to prevent your Christmas card photo or the photo of your child from showing up unauthorized on ads or any other use from locally, nationally, and internationally. Here in Kansas City, one family had posted their Christmas card photo online to share with family and friends and it ended up on an ad for a grocery store in Prague, Czech Republic. The grocer claimed it “came from the internet”, therefore figured it was not copyrighted. Why only uploading watermarked photos to share online is beneficial to both of us:

- It protects my work as the photographer and protects your photo from unauthorized use. Watermarks are not removable without seriously damaging the digital file, making it unusable.
- It protects your children, as not all people who could steal your photo are honest

If you have photos from our previous sessions that you would like watermarked that you don’t see in my galleries, please contact me and I would happy to send you a copy. Please see the link below to read the full story:

MO. Family Christmas Photo Turns Up in Czech Ad

Living in Limbo & Anna Sneak Peek

We are here in Kansas!! We’ve arrived safe and sound and since our apartment isn’t available until June 26th, we’re staying with wonderful friends and their 4 kiddos for the next few weeks. It took me about 5 days to recover from complete physical exhaustion, but I’m feeling myself now and excited to see what Kansas has in store for us. I’ve applied for quite a few jobs so I hope that I hear something very soon, one in particular is exactly what I want in Oncology and it’s 10 minutes from our new place, so I am praying hard!!

I have also been busy finalizing the final four sessions I had in Temple before the moving craziness began. Thank you so much for your patience, I promise it’ll be worth the wait!! The above photo is of Anna, who is with her parents in the post below. I can’t wait to show you the session, I’ll have it posted in the private gallery tomorrow! Yay!!

P.S. It seems apparent I have traded fire ants for an insane amount of mosquitos!! They’re eating me alive!!

Sneak Peek amongst the craziness!

The moving truck has the furniture loaded, the rest of the house is a disaster as we continue packing, my last day at Scott & White is tomorrow, we are living out of suitcases and sleeping on the floor. Life is a bit nutty right now! But Lori, I wanted to give you a little sneak peek to tide you over. Hope you enjoy! More to come here soon after we’re in Kansas!

Summer’s Mill Engagement Sneak Peek

So we’re moving in less than 2 weeks!!! Oh my gosh the time has flown! I am trying hard to get everything done, so I thank you to those who are patiently waiting for your photos. Ya’ll have been so awesome! Did you notice the new logo?? I’m not sure about the blog header but that will change once the blog gets an overhaul later this summer. But I am loving the new logo!

Here are some sneak peeks from a recent Engagement Session I did at Summer’s Mill out between Belton and Salado Texas. We shot a whopping 511 frames in 45 minutes. This family was so much fun!! And little miss Isabelle, she’s so stinkin’ cute I could just pinch her! So needless to say, of the ones I am presenting, here are just a few with more to come!

My First #1 Win!!

Alrighty, it’s no huge major photography industry award, but it goes straight to my heart and that’s what counts!! I entered a before and after of Skyler in the staff photography contest at work in the Artistically Enhanced category (meaning photos that have been touched up) and I won first prize! Wooo!! Now you have to understand, there are a few thousand people who work at the hospital/clinics that I do and so even though I don’t know how many people voted, I do know it was quite a few to say the least! I won a $50 gift certicate to Cheeves, one of the most expensive restaurants in town. So one night before we leave, Daniel and I are going to get all dolled up and go buy a couple salads and wine at Cheeves, as that’s probably all we can afford for $50! =0)

Thank you to everyone who voted!!

Why I have been MIA

As all of you know, my husband and I are getting ready to move from Temple to Kansas City in now one month for Daniel’s chiropractic schooling. Some may have noticed that I haven’t been posting as much on here as I would like and have been a bit slower than normal responding to emails. April was an insanely busy month for us with then amount of sessions I had booked along with Daniel having 6 major projects due near the same time for 6 different classes. During that time, my computer caught a virus, causing me to wipe it clean and get a new one, then having to exchange the new one because it didn’t work quite right. We’re not quite sure how we’re going to pull this move off except by Faith alone. But the most hardest decision we have ever had to make was last Monday when we sent our beloved Kota Bear to the other side to be with my Dad until we can join him again one day. I really don’t want to go into personal details on my blog, but it has been a big blow to both Daniel and I, and we are grieving with all our hearts. Kota came into our lives when he was 6 weeks old on our WEDDING DAY and has been such a bright light in our lives through a lot of stressful times. The last 3 1/2 years with him were wonderful and we miss our boy dearly. We still have our Duke, who we plan on taking with us to Kansas.

I have a lot of things I need to do in the next few weeks. Gettiny any copyright releases sent out, finishing and presenting sessions, filling orders, packing, redoing my resume and praying I find another job in Oncology up there without too much hassle, and overall getting ready to move two states away. My bestfriend is coming in from Canada over Memorial Day weekend, so I am closed to sessions then, and the last weekend of May is reserved for moving. I apologize if I have been slow to respond or get things done, but I hope by reading this you understand the mountain I am climbing right now. I have enjoyed all of my sessions and clients so much and will miss you when we leave, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in October when I am able to come back for a few days.

Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and mostly, your support.

I Heart Bluebonnets

I have so many individual photos from my bluebonnet session I’m just so ready to share on the blog, but I can’t upload them tonight so I made you this to tide you over. This is just a small sampling of the cuteness I had to endure. lol  Enjoy!