Who doesn't love FREE????

Yes, I know!  I've slacked on my blogging and one of my resolutions is to blog more!  I always have exciting things to share...but once my busy season picks up, it's hard.  YOU can hold me accountable! :)

It's a NEW year!  And I am so excited.  Excited to learn new things, try new things and create new things.  I'm pumped for Spring to come.  Super pumped about the children, families and seniors I'll encounter. 

It. can't. come. soon. enough!

To celebrate the new year, I am giving away a FREE Children's Photo Session!!! 

By this Sunday, January 9th at 8:00, leave a comment on this blog how you can pay it forward.  Here's what I mean:  How can you serve someone else?  What hobbies or talents do you have?  What are you willing to give away to someone else?  Everyone has something they can share with someone else.  Let me know what you can pay forward, and the winner will be chosen randomly.  In the same comment, please state which children you are nominating.  Yours, or other children that you know.

Happy New Year my friends!  I look forward to a fantastic year!!!

Lisa

Why do I spend so much time editing???

I wanted to share with you some of the things I do when I edit.  I throw the word 'edit' around all the time...my kids even know that, "Mama is editing pictures today".  There are several reasons why a picture coming SOOC (straight out of camera) might need edited.  For this example that I posted here is what I did.  Cropped, Removed Redness from face/eyes (it was a chilly November morning), lifted eyes, brightened eyes, enhanced the coloration of the background and body features (hair, clothes...)  Brightened the overall picture.  Here's the SOOC and Final:

I don't always have to do so much...but sometimes with the weather conditions and what my overall preferences are I might spend 5-10 min. on a picture. 

So, THIS is what I'm doing when I say I'm editing - and why my shoulders constantly hurt from sitting at the computer!  :)  I love it!

sure could use a gift certificate for Christmas for a nice massage.

Busyness & Blessings

Wow!  It has been SO long...too long...that I have blogged.  Here are the reasons why:

1.  I've been SO busy.

2.  I've been SO busy.

3.  I. have. been. so. BUSY!

I feel COMPLETELY blessed through this last season - I have taken pictures of so many wonderful families and amazingly beautiful people.  I LOVE my job.

I'm going to try and blog more - to make it more of a priority!  Why not when I have so many beautiful faces to show off?

I absolutely have to make this blog post about my newest cousin.  As many of you who know me have already seen & heard, Ava Katherine Houghtaling has entered our lives from China.  John & Sara brought Ava HOME on November 5th and what a blessing she has been to our family!  I won't apologize for taking too many pictures of her - I can't resist!

Here's one of my favorites...

Love her!

Attitude with a Capital A!!!

This little girl is a TREAT!  I love her to pieces!  She is confident, all-knowing, filled with life and fun stories!  You don't have to tell her how to pose, she just has it in her!  I LOVE that!

If you have any more of these charmers...send them my way!

Random thoughts of a MOM photographer

I've heard this before and thought it was so cliche.  But, this morning I looked at my 4 year old and wondered how she got to be 4.  It isn't that I feel I missed out on the last 4 years...it's that I question what I have done - what I've accomplished - what I have become...in the last 4 years.  There is nothing more I want in this world than to be doing what is pleasing to God.  Than to know I'm on the right track - pursing the gifts He has given me.  I have never felt before in my life that I'm "on the right track" as much as I do now.  I am learning & growing (and failing & growing) in the field of Photography.  I love this business.  I love the people I meet.  I love seeing a finished product and the few pictures that give me butterflies in my stomach because I feel "it's that good".  I WANT to learn.  I WANT to grow.  I WANT to try.  I WANT to fail.  I know that if I never fail, I'll never learn.  

I pray God uses me in an amazing way that what I do will ultimately glorify Him.  It's most important to me.  And, in 4 years I want to look back and say...WOW...look at ALL you've done.

Now, look at this sweet thing.  Her Daddy's going to have to be careful with those big baby blues - you're precious Little Miss V!

Fun with Miss K & Mr. T!

Had a wonderful shoot today with Miss K & Mr. T (Mom and Dad too!!!)  What a HOOT Mr. T is...and what a BEAUTY Miss K is!!!  You just have to see to believe it!

See...told ya!