Four Years Of Weddings

A Lighthearted Reflection

As we were driving home last night I casually mentioned to Dave that Sunday was my last wedding of the season. He seemed surprise that the end of the season was already here and I have to admit that it's crept up on both of us. As we chatted a bit more Dave asked me "How many years has it been now?" Running my own business and photographing weddings has become such a huge part of my life (as any small business owner can relate to) that it took me a moment to remember a time that I wasn't doing this!  
 
Officially this has been my fourth season as a business owner and wedding photographer, though I've been working and shooting for quite some time before that. But Deborah Zoe Photography has been alive for the last four years, and has we drove through the night Dave encouraged me to think about some of the things that I've learned in these last four years.  
 
Of course I take everything seriously and so I thought about all the business knowledge and customer service care I've learned. But Dave, being the awesome guy he is, took a more light hearted approach. "No, no, no," he said, "Tell them about how you hate Quickbooks and have learned how your Husband can be bribed in hugs and kisses to do it for you..." 
 
Ok then! Here are four of the more lighthearted things that I've learned as a business owner and wedding photographer these last four years. I pray someone can relate. I'm not the only one...right?!;) 
 
1. I hate Quickbooks.  
I absolutely, whole heartedly hate Quickbooks. But I do realized that in order to run a legitimate business you need to keep track of things like say, oh I don't know, your expenses and deposits and taxes. When it comes down to actually tracking those things my head turns to mush and I blankly stare at the computer screen or more likely browse JCrew and stalk Facebook. Thank goodness for husbands who can be persuaded to balance my Quickbooks for me with the bat of the eye and a come hither stare. Ok I don't do any of that, but I do pay him in a kiss and a hug!! 
 
2. My husband loves college football. And wedding days.  
My husband has a alternate life when I'm away at weddings. And to give the man credit he does a LOT to keep our home and life running while I'm away. He also does a whole lot of football watching too. He practically rejoices when the fall arrives and my weekends are full. Thanks hunny, miss you too;). When I'm away the boys will play... and watch a lot of college football. Dave practically binge watches college ball, it's on when I leave during the day and it's still on (sometimes) when I arrive home at night. Dave loves wedding days.  
 
3. Never barf at the altar. 
Yes folks, I almost threw up in front of the altar during a ceremony last year. I divulged this story to the Bride later and she got a kick out of it, but at the time I was freaking out, afraid I was about to toss my cookies right there in front of the ENTIRE WEDDING. This is how I found out I was pregnant. Luckily my amazing second shooter saw the look of horror and sickness on my face and rushed to get some water out of the car. I made it through with a smile on my face glad to say I have never barfed at the altar yet. 
 
4. Always chicken fingers and bread.  
If there is one thing I simply crave towards the end of a wedding day is bread. It is almost like torture when the bread is served and I watch, with drool on my mouth, as guests enjoy each savory bite. Do I crave bread in every day life? NOPE. But for whatever reason on a wedding day that bread basket is like some tempting treat I just NEED to have. That goes for the chicken fingers too. I'll pass on the steak please, can you just bring me the kid meal with a heaping serving of chicken fingers? Apparently I need more carbs on the wedding day... 
 
So there you have a few of the more fun things I've learned over the years. Please tell me you can relate;)!!

Working With A Team

A New Learning Curve

This past year, as a new mom, I knew that I needed to bring someone on board in addition to my second shooter to work with me on the wedding day. The past four years of business I've taken a very independent approach when it came to running my business and working on the wedding day. I've always had a second photographer with me but never saw the need for adding in an additional team member. That was until I had a baby.  

If anything, having a baby makes you realize that you just can't do it all on your own. And in an effort to ensure that my clients had the best experience possible on the wedding day, I decided that for this year, I would bring on an assistant to help. And I'm so glad I did! I got to work with some amazing people over this past year and it was so much fun to work as a team together.  

So as the wedding season winds to a close, I've got one more wedding to go, I decided to reflect back on the things that worked with having a second shooter AND an assistant on the wedding day. And while I know a lot of photographers work this way, for me it was a new change and I wanted to share what I learned through the process.  

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First, assistants are awesome. And so are second shooters. Photographers seem to be split down the middle when it comes to a team approach. Some love working alone while others have a whole team of people to get the job done. For me, I absolutely love working with a (small) team. It not only allows me to give my clients lots of coverage of the day but it makes the day even more FUN!! I so enjoy being able to spend the day with other photographers, dancing on the dance floor, answering questions, working together, being goofy and just plain enjoying our jobs. Plus it allows me to be less stressed as I know I don't have to be in all places at once. And though I still run around like crazy, making sure to capture as much as I can alone, it's wonderful to have people who have a team approach and are doing the same to capture as much as possible for the couple.  

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Since I work alone (without my husband or a business partner) I need outside photographers to come in and help out and so I will often reach out within an online professional photographers group from which I can choose other professionals to work with. That is what I did this year and absolutely loved the team. I chose to work with all women, and appreciate their perspective of the day and their willingness to get the job done. Cristen, Lauren, Karla, Amanda, Krista, Audrey and Coco were just fabulous and I feel grateful to call them friends and co workers!! I'm also so incredibly grateful for their hard work and dedication to my clients. Love them!! 

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Through this past season I learned that I just can't do it on my own, and I need to let go in order to succeed. With the birth of a new baby and my wedding season starting shortly afterward, there were many times during a wedding day in which I needed to sneak away to pump (TMI?;)) and I never wanted my clients to be bothered or burden by this. By having a second shooter AND an assistant I was able sneak away with out interrupting coverage, knowing that I had a capable team of photographers ready to go should anything happen during those ten minutes I was away. It was such a reassuring feeling and I was proud of the team for keeping down the fort, so to speak, so well! I could never have done that on my own.I also had to learn how to delegate and communicate better, and I certainly am learning still. With two team members it meant that I had to split the day up, communicate exactly what I wanted photographed and HOW I wanted it photographed, as well as assign jobs and tasks. For my assistant I had to make sure that she knew where I wanted equipment, how I wanted it set up, when it was appropriate to take pictures and when it was appropriate to stand back. It was certainly a learning curve for me, and I am so appreciative of the patience of my second shooters and assistants, especially when I found myself at a loss for words;).So as this year comes to a close I am thinking ahead to the next. Do I want to continue to grow the team? I'm not sure. What I do know is that I have thoroughly enjoyed working with a team during this past wedding season and I am thinking about the possibility of extending that into the office by potentially bringing on an office assistant next year. We shall see. I'm so thankful for this past season of learning and for the wonderful ladies who helped me grow and succeed this year. It's been a joy to be a part of.

The Art of Balance

My Why, The Reason Behind It All

When I started my business several years ago there was a reason. As many of you know, I was a news photographer at the time and I loved my job. But I also felt a calling somewhere else, a pull and a desire to do something different. And so for many months I would have late night conversations with my husband about whether or not I should step out in faith and start my business.  

There were many reasons to start my own business, very good reasons. But there was one that we kept coming back to again and again. And that was for me to be able to do something that I loved that also gave me the flexibility to have a family. I remember my first day working from home, and I couldn't contain my excitement. I was starting to build a life of my own, a life that included a business that I was passionate about and the opportunity of starting a family. 

Fast forward to 2013 and I found myself with baby and business. As I've thought about this past year, I suddenly had a lightbulb moment. Looking back over this past wedding season, I've realized I was doing exactly what I had set out to do. I started a business, I've watched it grow, and now here I was being a mom and running a business. Full circle. Whoa.  

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There are a myriad of reasons why work. Not to be confused as to why I photograph weddings (that's a whole separate post in of itself!) But ultimately, it's not because I want to garner a huge following, or photograph the most expensive weddings. It's because I want to have the freedom to do something that I love : being a mom and photographer. And while to some this might not be the most glamorous of dreams, it's one that I could spend the rest of my life living. I love being a photographer, I love working with my clients, I love teaching others, I love being a wife, and I love being a mom.Photo credit to my great friend and amazing photographer Coco Boardman.

Choosing The Right Lens

My Favorite Lenses And How I Use Them

Lens choice is such an important part to documenting the wedding day. It's important to know HOW the lens and focal length will affect the look and feel of the image you create and you need to know just what type of lens to use in what type of scenario you are in. For example, if you use a 16-35mm lens during the Bride and Groom portrait time you'd have an entirely different feel than if you used a 50 or 85mm lens. Each lens performs differently and depending on how it's used can create variety and a certain FEEL to a client's image portfolio. 

For me there are four go to lenses that I use for almost every engagement session and wedding. They are my work horses. As a one body shooter who uses all prime lenses (fixed focal length), I need an array of lenses to achieve the look I want, which are intimate, romantic and timeless images.  

Every photographer has an approach and perspective for a wedding day, we all photograph the day differently. Study your lenses and how you want to capture the wedding day, then find the lenses that will help YOU photograph the day exactly how you want. Below I've outlined my favorite go to lenses, how I use that lens to capture different images, and have included the meta data.50mm 1.2  

I use the 50mm throughout the wedding day for a variety of scenarios. From Getting Ready to the Portraits to Details and to the Reception I will always have the 50mm with me. 50mm is a focal length that is extremely versatile and allows me to capture various events through the wedding day while still giving me a little bit of compression and intimacy within the image. My favorite use for this lens is during the portrait session using an aperture f2. I just adore the feeling and type of portrait I can create! 

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50mm, f/4,1/200, ISO 125050mm, f/2, 1/1600, ISO 250050mm, f/2, 1/8000, ISO 80050mm, f/3.5, 1/640, ISO 20035mm 1.4 

The 35mm is a newer lens to my arsenal and I have found that I use it most for Details, Large Group Portraits, and for the First Dance. This lens is a that I can always count on to give me consistent color and sharpness. This certainly has a different feel than the 50mm and does not give me the same intimate and tight feeling that I love. I use it more sparingly than the 50mm, but it is still a necessary lens that helps me to capture the day incorporating a sense of place, people and feel. This lens is also very useful for tight spaces and crowded dance floors. 

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35mm, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100035mm, f/4.5, 1/320, ISO 320035mm, f/2, 1/1250, ISO 400035mm, f/2, 1/1250, ISO 1600100mm 2.8 

I use the 100mm primarily for Details and images of the Rings on the wedding day. I've experimented a little using this lens for portraits, but I love it best for it's ability to capture the details of the wedding day. From the rings, to the jewelry, to the little mementos that make up the story of the day, the 100mm is the perfect lens.  

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100mm, f/2.8, 1/4000, ISO 250100mm, f/3.5, 1/250, ISO 3200100mm, f/4.5, 1/40, ISO2500100mm, f8, 1/30, ISO 250085mm 1.2  

The 85mm is a beautiful lens, one that I use primarily for portraits. It can be slow to focus and so I find that it performs best when I use it with somewhat stationary subjects. I absolutely love the compression this lens can create, with the focal length being just wide enough to incorporate scenery and background but tight enough that the viewer is focused primarily on the subject. 

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85mm, f/2, 1/8000, ISO 80085mm, f/3.5, 1/200, ISO 200085mm, f/2, 1/8000, ISO 125You can read more about what's in my camera bag here. If you have any questions about my lenses, how to pick the right lens, or creating the image you want, leave a message below!  

If you have questions that you'd like to see answered in a future post, let me know!

The Art of Balance

Inspire and Invite, Thoughts on Leadership

Inspire and Invite. Years ago our Pastor gave a sermon on leadership. He describe leadership like an invitation, inspiring people to greatness and then inviting them alongside you in what you are doing. Leadership isn't about a singular person, rather how a singular person can inspire a community to change the world collectively. It's an invitation of "Won't you join with me?" 

Lately I've been pondering about how I can change the way I think about leadership within my business and family. Am I inspiring others and inviting them alongside me? Am I working together with other people to not only better myself but to better the world around me?  

In my business I can lead my clients in how I interact with them, provide advice, council and inform. I can lead my clients by helping them make decisions and even making tough decisions for them. I can lead by listening to their needs and executing decisions to help make their lives and planning easier. I can inspire through my desire to see their marriage celebrated and succeed. 

When interacting with my peers I can lead by encouraging others in their own businesses and journey as entrepreneurs. I can invite others alongside in what I'm doing in hopes that as we inspire each other as we better the industry we're in. I can lead by choosing carefully what I share on the internet, on my blog, on Facebook and publicly. I can lead by a positive attitude, even if it's not the easiest choice.  

In my family I can inspire my husband to lead our family through my encouragement of his spirit and showing him how much I love him. I can lead my son by teaching him how to treat others with love and kindness and pray unceasingly that he grow to be a man of strong character. I can even lead my son in the way that I treat my husband, my family and my friends.  

I was struck last night as I thought about all these areas and asked the hard question if what I am currently doing is inspiring and inviting. It's not easy. I don't always lead well. I make mistakes and I often miss the mark. But I can truly say that I want to see other succeed, to dream and to work together to make a change in the world. Whether that's working with an industry peer or playing with my son on the floor, I can make choices every day to leave my little corner of the world better than when I left it.  

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Are you inspiring and inviting?

The Art of Balance

The Working Photographer Mom

Two months of weddings under my belt. Two months of being mom and a business owner under my belt. Two months of a brand new learning curve under my belt. What a new experience this has been.  
 
Being a working mom is what I have always dreamed of being. I never wanted to be the stay at home mom, but I also never wanted to be the mom who was never home. I remember two years ago, in a mentor session with Justin and Mary, expressing my not so secret dream of being a wedding photographer who was a mom. I wanted to run a successful business that allowed me the freedom and flexibility to have a family on my terms. And two years later I'm starting to do just that.  
 
In these past two months I've learned a thing or two about what it takes to run a business and to be a mom. It's game of balance and grace but I certainly think that are are things and circumstances that can make the process easier, more efficient and fun!! Today I'm sharing just a few tidbits of what I've learned in hopes that I can encourage you that it's not impossible to dream of a life you want and then chase after it!! 
 
1. Grace.  
The number one thing you can arm yourself as a new mom and working photographer is grace. Grace because there are going to be days that are hard. Gut wrenchingly hard. You'll make mistakes. You'll say the wrong thing. You'll do the wrong thing. You'll feel guilty or burdened or burnt out or tired. And you have to give yourself grace. Grace knowing that you'll get through those hard days, you'll make it through and you'll learn. And you'll be stronger for the struggle.  
 
2. Get Help. 
The second thing I learned this past year is that I can't do it all myself. As someone who is a perfectionist and likes to do things HER way, it can be hard for me to hand things off, to say "No, I can't do it all." And if you want to be successful as a mom and a business owner you need to be able to let people help you. For me that looked like getting a babysitter during the week and an assistant for the wedding day. We don't have the babysitter every day, just twice a week, but when we do I know it's time to shut out the world and WORK. When I'm with my son, I know that's the time to shut out my work. It's a delicate balance and I don't always get it right, but between my husband, our baby sitter, our amazing family and friends, I can begin to maneuver what it looks like to split my life between mom and entrepreneur.  
 
3. Keep a schedule.  
I'm a huge advocate for keeping a schedule, being incredibly organized and mastering your to do list. Without these things my life would be chaos. I know that the morning time is for my son. I do emails before he wakes up for his first feed. I blog and edit during his midday nap. And I do more work when my husband gets home. My day is split, my schedule is not a continuous 8 hour schedule, but it's one that works for me in this stage right now. I also keep a meticulous to do list so as to stay on top of all the tasks I have as a wedding photographer in the prime of wedding season. It's this attention to detail and keeping a strict schedule that has allowed me to shoot six weddings in two months, take care of a baby and still find the time to sell, buy and move a house.  
 
4. Make the wedding day timeline work. 
As a wedding photographer I work 10 plus hours on a wedding day. Even for a technically scheduled eight hour wedding, I'm more likely to actually be working 10 hours knowing that I'll get to the venues early and leave the wedding only after I've said goodbye to the Bride and Groom and packed up my gear. That's a LONG day and as a new mom who wanted breastfeed exclusively I just HAD to make time in the schedule to step away and pump. The ONLY way that I could do that was to bring on an assistant in addition to my second shooter. This assistant not only helps set up gear when I was pumping but to also stands in as a photographer while I'm hiding away. (If you'd like more detailed information on pumping while shooting a wedding, please feel free to email me!) Speaking of pumping... 
 
5. Get the right tools.  
Without my pump I don't think I could survive the wedding day. I use this version and it was one of the best decisions we made on our registry. I can pump in about ten minutes (usually in between portraits and the ceremony and the cocktail hour and reception) without missing a beat and can get myself back to the party as quickly as possible. As a mom who wants to work and exclusively breastfeed, pumping is an absolutely must and making the time to do that on a wedding day is an absolute must. By having the right tools AND working with a great team who can support me, I know that I can give my clients a great experience and great coverage while still finding the time to provide the nutrients for my baby that he needs.  
 
6. Give yourself time.  
Before having our baby I had to make a tough choice. Part of me wanted to book every wedding that came my way but another part of me knew that I was going to need rest and time to enjoy our baby the weeks following his birth. I decided to only take ten weddings this year instead of my usual 20 and I thought that was good enough. After all, I didn't want the train that is my business to slow down and I wanted to keep shooting. But I'll admit that I don't think I gave myself enough time between jumping back into the swing of things and the birth of our baby. I photographed two engagement sessions, a portrait session and two weddings within the first two and half months of his life. Now, please don't get me wrong. I LOVED working with my clients and I LOVED being behind the camera again. But I'm the type of person that often jumps from one thing to the next and often during the first two months of Jonathan's life I was thinking ahead to my first shoot and then to my first wedding, instead of just thinking just about him. I guess what I am trying to say is, take the time to think about what you want your life to look like as a mom BEFORE you're a mom and give yourself time to ENJOY this new phase of your life. Whatever that period is, whether it's two weeks or two months or two years, make sure it's time that's dedicated to your family. It's going to look different for everyone, do what is right for you. Just remember in a society that says "Go, Go, Go," it can be easy to want to jump back into life as normal. But guess what, life isn't normal anymore, it's better. Take time to recover, to enjoy, to rest, to learn to be with your baby and family. Everything will fall into place when it needs to.Of course there is so much more that I've learned over this past year, but for certain these are the biggest takeaways that I've gleaned in my few short months as a working mom. I know there is going to be SO much more to grow into as my business grows and as Jonathan grows but I'm certainly thankful for these building block type lessons that are creating a firm foundation for me now and in the future. If you have any questions about what it's like to be the working photographer mom or have anything to share, please, leave a comment! And if you'd like to message me privately, feel free to email me directly at deborahzparker@mac.com! I'm thankful to share this journey with you!!

The Art of Balance

Readjusting the Blog Schedule

I started my blog in 2009. It seems absolutely crazy to me that it's already been four years of blogging. Two blogs later I'm still at it and love sharing my life and the weddings of my couples with you here. Since the beginning in 2009, I decided to blog five days a week, every week of the year. And for the most part I've kept to that schedule. But after the birth of our son in April I took some time to reevaluate my blogging schedule. 

I found myself stressing over blogging instead of enjoying my son and I found myself not sticking to a schedule when I did find time to blog. I hated that everything was all over the place, and while I tried to maintain a level of grace for myself when it came to blogging, I knew I was doing a disservice to all those people who have stuck with me from the beginning.  

So this summer I sat down and tried to really discern at what the future of this blog would look like. And I came to the conclusion that I need to blog less. Not a lot less, but I simply could no keep up with blogging five days a week with a newborn while simultaneously trying to run my business. But I couldn't stop blogging completely either. I love blogging, I love writing here and I love connecting with the people that come by every day to read.  

I decided that I wanted to cut down to three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I'll still share a mix of personal, business, wedding and engagement related posts and taking my non blogging time on Monday and Friday to enjoy my baby and do the hard work it takes to run a business! I'm hoping this schedule allows me to be more consistent and also give me space to be a MOM!! I've already started playing around with this schedule and I've been pleased with the freedom it's allowed me so far.  

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If you've been following the blog since the beginning, I'm so grateful to share this experience with you! Blogging has been such an important outlet to me as this business has grown. It's morphed from a way to share pictures into a personal journey as I've grown into a Mom and as an entrepreneur. I love sharing my life with you and I'm thrilled to continue to do that, but now on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday :).

Going Solo

The Decision To Not Work Together

There seems to be an ever increasingly popular "trend" of couple wedding photographers. So many photography studios these days seem to be made up of a husband and wife team. And to be honest, there are lots of times where I sure am jealous!! I'd love the chance to work with my husband on weekends, to spend our Saturday's together, to steal a dance or two on the dancefloor.  

And there was a time that Dave and I did in fact work together. Did you know that when I first started out Dave was my right hand man. He helped me grow my business, was my second shooter and helped balance my Quickbooks. (Who am I kidding....he still helps me balance my Quickbooks;)0. 

But as the business grew I kept relying more and more on Dave for certain things. Eventually we had to sit down together and have "the talk." I remember asking him if he wanted to be a part of my business, to take on more responsibility, to shoot with me every weekend. Dave loved shooting but it wasn't his passion. And it wasn't fair of me to ask him to do something his heart just didn't want and then go and work a full time weekday job. 

We made the decision that I would go it solo, as in we wouldn't move forward as a husband and wife team. It can be really easy sometimes to follow the trend, to copy what others are doing. And I've been tempted to do just that. It sure can seem very appealing to tempt my husband into becoming a husband and wife team. But ultimately we had to make a decision that was best for our family. And what was best for our family was to have separate careers doing what we loved. For me it is photography, for Dave it's being an engineer. 

So where does that leave me? Well instead of working with my husband I pull together a team of photographers to work with throughout the season. And Dave gets to spend his free Saturdays playing with our baby and watching copious amounts of college football in the fall. This is what works for us. I absolutely love working with the people I have had the chance to work with. I love spending my Saturday's celebrating with my clients and bustin' a move or two with my second photographers on the dance floor.  

We may not be a team of two when it comes to my business. But we sure do work together as a team when it comes to our family. Do I wish sometimes that Dave was my right hand man again? Sure! But I'll leave him to do what he loves best: being all smart and engineer-y and lovin' on our son! 

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Being You

A Reminder In Confidence

Sometimes you can find encouragement in the strangest of places. Encouragement where you least expect it. That is what happened on Sunday night when I was searching around Pinterest. I found an OLD blog post I had written, a survival guide of sorts for first timers at WPPI. I went through the basics of Twitter, Pre Boarding and Business Cards. But then I cam to tip number ten, a tip about confidence and I was floored. Floored because I had forgotten just how I felt the first time I went to WPPI. And floored because, at times, I can STILL feel this way:  

"10. Confidence. Two years ago I remember walking down the hallway of the food court at the MGM. It leads directly to the conference center and where all of the photographers congregated at lunchtime. I remember clinging to my business cards from WHCC and desperately hoping no one would see right through me. You see, I attended WPPI as a test. A test to see if this is what I really wanted to do. When we first attended, I was still a full time news photographer. I only had three weddings booked for the year and I was using a template website. I felt like a fraud and knew for sure, that if someone dug deep enough, they'd find me out. 

Looking back, I want to shake myself and say "Everyone starts somewhere! Look at where you are going!" If there is one thing you should take with you is confidence. It doesn't matter where you are in your business, or if you have the right website, business cards, clothes or camera gear. Be confident in the person that you are and all the amazing things that only you can bring."

It can be so easy to forget this sometimes. In an industry full of people "just like me", it can be hard to feel like you have something to offer. It can feel like you need to "look the part" instead of focusing on the amazing and unique things you have to offer. And it's true, as cliche as it may sound, we all have something amazing to offer. The question is are we willing to open ourselves up to show the world that?  

I've worked hard since that first trip to WPPI to hone in on what it is that I have to offer. I've asked the hard questions: What are those unique characteristics that make me, ME? What makes my business different? They are not easy questions to answer but they are vital to the health and sustainability of this business that I love so much. 

If you're emotional, outgoing, shy, funny, serious, whatever it is, JUST BE YOU. You'll go further being who you are authentically meant to be than trying to be something you're not. For me I'm a person who loves people, hugs, laughter, pink, romance and being a mom. I started out in weddings after a career as a news photographer. I fell in love with photography as a

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. That's not going to appeal to everyone and that's ok! Have confidence in who you are and at whatever stage you're at. You are who are and where you are for a reason. Embrace it!!

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The Bookworm Club

The War of Art and Today We Are Rich

Wow, remember when there use to be a blog series called The Bookworm Club?! Man it's been SO long since I've posted in this series and I feel like such a bad blogger for letting it go to the wayside. This past year, especially as we awaited the arrival of our little boy, finding time to read a book was HARD. I LOVE to read and so it made me sad that I couldn't even make it through a page of a book before I would be asleep. It took me almost six months to even find my way through both of these books. I'll admit to finding some relief when I had finished them. Eager to fall asleep again.  

It didn't really help that I wasn't totally sold on either book. Both the War of Art and Today We Are Rich came highly recommended and so I had high hopes for what both books could offer. But each time I found myself sitting down to dig in, I couldn't wait for the reading time to be over. And really, no one should ever feel that way when reading a book!! In short I was board.  

The The War of Art reads like a book of short thoughts or chapters on overcoming those problems we all face as artists turned professionals. Steven Pressfield who penned the book writes in an almost aggressive style, as if he is rallying up an army of troops. Pressfield's aim is to empower and encourage his readers to conquer those unique issues faced by entrepreneurs. I call books like these business theory books as they focus on the big picture of business practices. I have to say that these are not my favorite kind of business reads. I like hard facts and tangible ideas, so needless to say I found myself skipping over a lot. If you find this type of reading inspirational then dive right in, you will certainly enjoy this book. 

Then there is Today We Are Rich, which I'll admit, I enjoyed much more than the War of Art. But unfortunately, this book also fell short for me. Tim Sanders uses his childhood memories of living with his grandmother as the back story to the book. His goal is to encourage his reader to exude confidence while maintaining a humble and graceful approach to life. I enjoyed most of what Sanders had to offer. But much of the book is about HIS life and while it was a valuable experience to evaluate I wanted more tangible ideas that were directly applicable to my business. 

Both of these authors are smart, intelligent business gurus who have a lot to offer entrepreneurs like me. In the end it wasn't the content that I didn't enjoy, rather the way that content was presented. I'm a hard facts kind of girl and I wish there had been more of that. Much more of that. But still I'd recommend both the War of Art and Today We Are Rich to any business owner. There's always something new to learn from other business leaders! 

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Reading any good business books? I'm diving into Outliers right now (diving in as reading a page here and there;))! But I'd love to hear what you're reading and love lately!

Mama Said

Mama Said, Needless But Adorable Baby Clothes

A week before our baby arrived I was restless. We had passed our due date and I was emotionally desperate to meet out baby. I couldn't wait to hold him in my arms and was devastated when our due came and went. Like weeping on the floor kind of devastated. Yes, my hormones made me a tad dramatic;).  
 
To help distract me and probably get me out of the house, my Mom came down and took me to the mall. And of course I ALWAYS have to hit up Baby Gap when I'm there. I mean who can resist adorable baby clothes? NOT THIS GIRL. I found just one little outfit and decided to check out, knowing the hubby would be happy I didn't spend all my pennies on many "needless" but adorable baby onesies. (FYI, you don't need to buy onesies when your preggo, you'll receive more than you could ever imagine. But hey I just can't resist...) 
 
But before I could check out my mom came running up to me waving a white onesie in her hand. "You have to buy this and you have to put the baby in it and then you have to blog it!" Yes my friends, it was a camera onesie and now the whole store knew I was going to blog it;). 
 
Sure all mom photographers seem to have an over abundance of camera related baby products. But you really can't blame us. And besides this onesie means so much to me. From desperation to holding our dear baby boy. Months later I'm not longer weeping on the floor but laughing uncontrollably at his overwhelmingly adorable face.  
 
Yup, this kid is perfect. Say Cheese, Baby Boy, you're on the blog... 

What's In A Bag

A Look In My Camera Bag

Today I'm sharing what's inside my camera bag. I'm a simple kind of gal and so I like to keep things light, carrying only what I need, the essentials. My Think Tank is the work horse that carries most of my equipment on a wedding day and I'll share how I organize that later! Today I'm focusing soley on the bag that I carry with me to every engagement session and wedding day. For the past five years I've used a well loved Shootsac to carry my go to lenses. But over the years I found that it didn't have enough pockets to carry things like my wallet, batteries and mints. I started searching for a new bag when I felt like I outgrew the space the Shootsac offered. After a trip to WPPI I fell in love with the Kelly Moore Classic and decided to make the switch. This bag has enough room to hold the gear that I need and pockets to hold valueables like me car keys. Plus it's super adorable. Win, win! 

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Whether it's an engagement session or wedding day I try to balance carrying the amount of gear I might need while trying to not burden myself with too much. That's why I stick to the basics, a few key lenses, extra batteries and sometimes a strobe. Here is my typical set up:1. I shoot with the Canon 5d Mark III. I LOVE this camera and kinda drool every time I use the new focusing system. Talk about amazing!! The body stays out of my bag and always has one lens at the ready. In this case it was the 50mm 1.2.  

2. Of course every photographer knows to keep several business cards handy! I store mine away in the front pocket always at the ready to hand out! 

3. I also have an extra battery on hand, you never know when you might need it! I tuck one away in the second front pocket.  

4. My go to lens for ring shots is the 100mm 2.8 Macro and comes with me to every wedding and engagement session. During an engagement shoot it stays in my bag for the entirety of the session. On a wedding day however I'll start with it at the beginning of coverage then transition it to my Think Tank after the Getting Ready portion.  

5. My newest addition is the 35mm 1.4. This will stay in my bag at all times as it's great for portraits as well as landscape scenes. I love the versatility this lens affords me.  

6. Lastly is the 85mm 1.2. This lens is a beaut. It's PERFECT for portraits, the reason why it comes with me to every portrait, engagement and wedding day. The color and clarity from this lens can't be beat and I find that I use it almost 50% of the time! 

7. This Think Tank Pixel Pocket stays attached to my camera bag at all times. I want to make sure that I not only have cards at the ready but that I always know where used cards are! I never want to worry about if I have misplaced cards and so latching it right onto the bag works for me. The sleeve holds 10 16gig cards and I have another full sleeve as back up in my Think Tank on a wedding day. 

8. It's important to have water on hand!! A simple trip to Target to find a water bottle that matched my brand colors did the trick! I keep it hanging by carabiner to the side of my bag.  

9. My beat up wallet! I think Kate Spade is calling my name... I keep this in the back zipper pocket of the bag along with my keys and FRESH lipgloss;). 

10. Finally my bag, a Kelly Moore Classic . Gah, I love this thing!! It has four slots for lenses (and a flash not pictured) as well as two side pockets, two front snap closer pockets and a back zippered pocket that runs the length of the bag. But what I love most about this bag is this: when I put the bag down it stays standing. No more lenses falling out of my bag! I can feel good placing this bag down knowing that my gear is safe and secure! 

If you have any questions about how I organize my camera bag or any of the gear I shared above leave a comment below!

The Art of Balance

A Mom, Babe and Her Computer

If you've ever wondered how I'm managing to get blog posts written, contracts sent, details organized and stay in communication with my clients, see below. Between feeds, naps, trips to Babies R Us, and all those diaper changes there are a few sacred minutes that I can focus my attention to running a business and they are glorious minutes. Minutes that are hyper focused and productive. To all those working moms out there, I salute you!! It's certainly no easy feat to nurture a newborn and run a business simultaneously. But with my Boppy in hand and a softly sleeping babe I can accomplish anything, or at least write a blog post or two :-P. 

A few months ago I pondered what it would be like to balance life as a Mom and business owner. Hard to believe that here I am. I'm grateful for the picture below because it reminds me that I can be a Mom, I can chase my dreams, I can run my business. While I don't want to say that I can do it all, this picture does make me hopeful that I can live the life that I've always envisioned. It may not always be perfect or easy but it's a life I've always dreamed of. Mom and business owner. Mom and photographer. I'm so grateful that those roles can live together in my life. Mostly I'm just grateful for the amazingly sweet and adorable nugget sleeping softly on my lap as I type...:) 

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The Art of Balance

Life As A...

This week I've been learning what it means to find balance. Life as a new mom, life as a business owner, life as a wife, friend, sister... 

It's a struggle to find that happy medium. But it's a struggle that is well worth it all.  

So today's blog post is short and sweet. Just a sneak peek of the amazing shoot that is coming your way soon. I can't share more just yet but believe me when I say there is a whole lot of pretty hitting the blog soon! 

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For now I'm off to sooth a hungry baby...

The Art of Balance

A Whole New Schedule

As I type with my one free hand my other gently rocks my baby as I try to get him to sleep in between feedings. This is my life right now : feeding, changing, rocking and cuddling our newborn. It's definitely a change from my usual get up and start the day in the office routine. And I know that blog posts have been few and far between... a BIG no no in the blogging world... but right now my life is about so much more than blog posts and emails.  

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It's about this.Thanks to everyone who stops by and helps make this blog what it is. I hope you'll stick with me as me over these next few weeks. SOON, I promise SOON, I'll be returning things back to normal here on the blog. But for now I'm ever so grateful for your patience as we navigate this new life.  

I'm pretty sure that face right there is worth a missed blog post or two;)!

The Art of Balance

Life At Home As A New Mom

Jonathan will be two weeks old tomorrow. Dave heads back to work on Wednesday. And life as a new mom truly begins later this week. It's been a surreal past two weeks as we've learned what it's like to have life with a newborn. I'll admit for me that it's been an emotional rollar coaster. Emotional in the sense that I am just overwhelmed with gratefulness for this little man and simultaneously terrified about anything that could harm him. My days are filled with ups and downs. Pure joy when my little man coos at me. Filled with uncertainty and anxiety when we put him down to bed. I'm sure all Moms can relate to this balance between joy in their little one and a severe protectiveness for their child.  

Maya came home this weekend after spending a LONG "vacation" with Dave's parents at what we loving refer to as the lake house;). She's not quite sure what to make of this snorting, grunting, pooping, crying "thing" now hanging out in "her" house. More transitions to figure out. I guess that is what life will be like for a while now, figuring out transitions.  

I'm pretty emotional thinking about Dave going back to work. I wish he could be here forever and our family could hang out and watch Game of Thrones and Better Off Ted all day long. But I know that's not reality. I will miss this time we've had together. It has been amazingly precious. My love for my husband has grown exponentially in the last two weeks. He has been nothing short of incredible and it's AMAZING to watch him grow as a Dad. 

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Life as a family of three seems just right. And while there is so much to figure out in terms of day to day life, I'm so happy that this is our life right now. Baby grunts, farts, coos and all.

Direct, Encourage, Praise

Getting The Most From Your Shoot

Happy Friday everyone!! What a difference a week makes. Last Friday I was sweating bullets as I photographed my last engagement session before baby and this week I'm wrapped in blankets and hiding from the cold. Oh New England you never cease to surprise!! 

As I thought back about my last few sessions I tried to think about why I felt like they were successful. And for me it all came back to the experience that my clients receive as they are photographed. I want natural and candid emotion from the people in front of my camera, that is what makes an image successful in my book. But it doesn't JUST happen when I lift my camera, I have to help my clients feel comfortable and trusting to let me in on that emotion. Below are the steps that I take to encourage those natural emotions from my clients as we move through the portraits. 

1. Give them permission. 

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One of the first things I do with my clients BEFORE the session even starts is give them a pep talk. I explain to them that above anything else, our time together should be FUN! I want my couples to laugh and enjoy every minute we have together. I explain to them that there is no right or wrong and that I'll be giving them LOTS of direction as we move about. But ultimately I want them to forget about me and enjoy each other!! As the photographer it is up to ME to give leadership and direction to my clients. That means I need to give them permission to be goofy, to have fun and to love on one another. They need to hear from me that they are free to be their amazing selves. This has been instrumental to the success of each session and opens up the doors of trust with my clients!!2. Give Direction AND USE THEIR NAMES! 

I explain to every client that I work with that my goal is to create intimate and natural images. And while I want them to be free to move about and interact with each other as they wish, I certainly give them specific direction and use their names to do so. So instead of just placing them together and saying ok now act natural, I EXPLAIN to them exactly what I'm looking for!! I use their names explaining what body part needs to be moved, where they should be looking and HOW they should be interacting. And if my second shooter or husband is there I'll even SHOW them exactly what I'm looking for! But let's be real for a second, this part can be hard. It can be hard to give specific and detailed instructions to your clients, it takes thought and coordination!! Which brings me to point number three... 

3. Don't be afraid to make fun of yourself!  

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As I'm giving direction to my clients and using their names and adjusting my settings I can stumble. I may jumble my words or do things like mix my clients names together (oh heeyy Billiam!), which I am notorious at doing;). My clients might not understand what I'm asking them to do and they may become confused. But instead of being embarrassed or flustered I turn it into an opportunity to make fun of myself, to get my clients to laugh, to build our relationship further and to capture natural smiles!4. Be confident! 

As the photographer it is my job to be the leader of my clients. I MUST be confident in myself as I stand behind the camera. Of course there will be times when I stumble or make mistakes but it is so incredibly important that I don't allow anything to make me flustered. It takes confidence in myself and in my abilities to garner confidence in my clients. The more comfortable and confident I am, naturally the more confident and comfortable my clients will be. Your confidence is what can make or break a session and could be the difference between an amazing session and a mediocre one. 

5. Praise your clients.  

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I'm known to squeal ALOT during an engagement session or a wedding day. I'm not afraid to tell my clients when they do something that I love!! I tell them how adorable they are, how cute they are being and if I like what I see. This praise and encouragement goes a long way to instill confidence in my clients. It's important to give them feedback and to let them know how fabulous they are!As I move through a portrait session whether it is during an engagement session or a wedding day I am confidently communicating to my clients. I'm using their names, giving them specific direction and HAVING FUN!! At the end of the day I want each of my couples to have an amazing experience and to leave our time together feeling encouraged and excited!! 

Mini Makeover

Website Re-Desgin

Last year after my blog re-design I felt a greater sense of what my brand was becoming. Or rather it felt like the pieces were finally falling together to create the look and feel that I had always envisioned. But after the blog launch my website and blog seemed to be working against each other. They didn't quite "fit" together even though both alone were amazing designs. So back to the drawing board I went with my designer, Tara of Stupendous Design, to rethink how we could make the blog and website more cohesive.  

We started with Showit, my website platform and began to play around. That's the AMAZING thing about Showit. I can go in and make a million different changes any which way I like. It's also my downfall as I had started to make changes and became to overwhelmed I had to call Tara into help. Luckily she was on board and taking inspiration from the blog began a new draft.  

Things went VERY quickly from there and we had the foundation of a new website design in just days. Part of the redesign however included me rethinking ALL content that was currently on my website. I had a VERY specific goal in mind when choosing images, words and graphics for the site and I'm so pleased I gave myself those parameters. I LOVE the new look, the cohesive feel and the message I send to any one who visits the site!! It took me a while but it was well worth the hard work!! 

So that brings us to today, a mini website makeover reveal!! Please check out the new design and let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your feedback!! I can't wait to share the site with new visitors!! Happy Wednesday everyone!! 

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The Power of Collaboration

Behind The Scenes of A Styled Shoot

This past winter I had the opportunity to attend an online workshop hosted by some amazing ladies, Lara and Emily, from Making Brands Happen. The workshop was titled Making Things Happen 2013 and the primary focus was to inspire the attendees to get organized and get things HAPPENING in 2013.  

Part of that workshop involved a ten minute period or so where we could make one BIG thing happen. And I'm not sure why, but I felt on my heart to reach out to friend and fellow photographer, Kendra, of Summer Street Photography. Perhaps I thought because she was taking the course too that I wouldn't sound so crazy. Whatever the reason I send a quick email and held my breath.  

Kendra, much to my surprise, emailed me back IMMEDIATELY excited about the idea I had proposed and we almost instantaneously began to plan. Our desire was to create a styled shoot, but not just ANY styled shoot. We wanted a shoot that had depth and meaning and purpose. Our purpose being to celebrate all the beauty of the Quintessential New England Wedding. (Which I'll get more into later when I share images next week!) 

I knew that two heads were better than one and I loved the idea of two professionals working alongside one another. So TOGETHER we pooled our resources and brought together an amazing team of vendors, each who were masters in their fields. We explained to them our vision for the project and they all immediately jumped on board. We knew we were on to something.  

On Sunday this project came to fruition. All of the planning, organizing, dreaming and preparing came together. What started as a small idea, inspired by an online workshop, became a reality. And what made this day particularly special for me was that we all worked together to see a goal come to life.  

Kendra and I in all aspects could be seen as competitors. Why would I dare reach out to local photographer to work on a styled shoot together? Why would I possibly want to share MY resources with her and vice versa. Why let her in on this little idea of mine? Because at the end of the day I truly believe that Kendra and I (and our industry as a whole) are better together than we are apart. Do we both shoot weddings in New England? Yes. But together we can grow our businesses and our talents as photographers FAR more than we could ever do alone.  

I'm so thankful for the team we worked with who saw this vision and latched on it. Yes the day was about pretty pictures and dresses and stationary. But it was also about so much more. It was about teamwork, collaboration, and building each other up to be better than we were before. I think that is what made this shoot so special and why I couldn't be more proud of the team.  

I am going to challenge you to think outside the box. I am going to challenge you to stretch yourself. I am going to challenge you to reach out to another industry peer. If there is anything that I have learned through this whole process it's that two are better than one. And together we can help to make each other and our businesses stronger! I truly hope I'll have more opportunities to work with other industry peers like this in the future! 

I promise to share more pretty images soon (PLUS THERE'S AN AMAZING VIDEO TO COME!!) but for now I'll share a view behind the scenes images of the fun we had. What an awesome way to start my maternity leave!! Thanks to everyone who was involved!! 

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And yes, that's Kendra!! Getting in my shot! What was I saying about teamwork again?.... :-PHere are just SOME of the amazing industry professionals that we had as part of the team. What an awesome crew to be a part of!!And finally here's a little blustery sneak peek video! 

Pass

A New Way Of Sharing

All of last year I did something a little different, I shared images with my clients via a personalized client site. Each couple received their own website complete with downloadable galleries of their engagement session and wedding day. They also received thumb drives in pretty little packaging as well:). It has been a great way to get images to my clients quickly and easily while giving them an all access "pass" to their images! They even have the capability of sharing their wedding images with the click of a button with family and friends. And who doesn't love that?! 

This year I am continuing to offer these personalized websites to all portrait, engagement and wedding clients. Pass is the application which allows me to do this and the amazing crew behind it just rolled out some fab new features so I thought I'd explain why photographers and clients alike are head over heels for Pass! 

Ok, so what is Pass? 

Pass is an image sharing application that the amazing people over at Showit developed for photographers to share images with their clients. Photographers simply upload their client's images to the application and share those images via an online gallery. Clients in return have easy access to their images and get to share those images easily and quickly with friends and family! 

Why is Pass so great? 

I'm all about giving my clients a great experience and Pass allows me to do just that! I love being able to share images with my clients and clients love being able to share those images quickly and easily with their friends and family! It's a great marketing tool for the photographer and a new way for clients to share their images. I truly believe that PASS is the way of the future and I'm happy to jump on board now! 

What are some of the features of Pass? 

Once clients have their gallery they can view all of their images in a fab new collage format and also view individual images. They have the option to download a favorite image from their gallery or ALL the images if they desire! There's even an iPhone and iPad app that allows clients to view and share these images whenever, wherever!! Plus with a simple click clients can share their images directly to social media outlets like Facebook, making it easy for friends and family to view their images! Plus each gallery has a guestbook area so visitors can offer their congrats! And soon clients will be able to order prints directly through their gallery and the app! A one stop shop for all your image needs!! Each gallery is stored safe in the cloud for one year, with the option to extend the life of the gallery after that. That means all client images are safe online from damage and gives the photographer and the client peace of mind! 

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I loved the "old" Pass but the Showit peeps really went above and beyond with the new release. I'm SO excited to share these new galleries with clients this year! Check out the video below that the Showit developers created which plainly explains why Pass is so awesome. Enjoy! 

PASS - A new way to share your photos from Showit on Vimeo.

If you have any questions about PASS or the client site, leave them in the comment section below and I'll be happy to answer!!