Saturday Fun at a Great Workshop | Maple Valley Photographer

So last week I was kind of whiny.  So sorry.  Mom life had been wearing on me.  But then, what great luck!...  Through facebook, I found out that a photographer that I took a workshop from last winter was back in town for another workshop.  So, I messaged him to see if there were any available spots left.  I found out at 7:30 Saturday morning that they did have room.  They started shooting at 9:00...  In Everett.  Hmmm....  Hard decision.  Should I grab my gear and jump in the car for a day of shooting?  Should I abandon the 5 kids to the care of my husband who thought that WE were going to spend the day staining our poor weather beaten deck?   Not only did my awesome husband told me to go and practically pushed me out the door, he actually got the deck stained while I was gone.  I got to have a very enjoyable day discussing strobes and aperture with adults, envying everyone else's very cool toys and basking in all of the photographic knowledge that was there.  I definitely was the freshman of the group when discussing these complicated lighting set ups.  Don is a great instructor and his workshops (http://www.learntolight.com/) are a great way to spend a day.  
 

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Random Ramblings... | Maple Valley Family Photographer

I was listening to a very successful photographer talk about how she got her start.  She firmly believes in frequently updated blogs.  She also believes in putting more personal info in the blogs so that the reader actually gets to know you the photographer.  At this point almost all of my readers are my personal friends, but sometimes you guys are still amused by what I have to say...  sometimes...


I love this picture.  It's not like it is good or anything, but I really think that it is a picture of my life.  I have 5 kids running around my house.  FIVE!  I love them to pieces- most days.  The problem is sheer numbers.  When you have five, the chances that at any one point in time someone is going to need something are significantly higher than if you just have 2.    Most of the time there is at least somebody at my house that NEEDS something...  and  a good portion of the time those needs come out as a cry or a whine. 

Sometimes I feel like I need a vacation.  I mean, we DID just get back from 2 weeks visiting family in Texas, but I am not sure if that was a vacation.  I had five kids with me!  Don't get me wrong, we had a blast, but I didn't get to escape my everyday duties.  What would I consider a vacation?  Honestly, it would be some sort of photography workshop.  I love being a photographer.  Just getting out for a shoot is a little mini vacation for me.  I get to leave behind all of the things begging for my attention (the kids, the dog, the laundry, the dirty cabinet doors, the soap scum on the shower door...) and capture beautiful images for someone.  I get to spend some time doing something that I am actually good at (don't look at my shower doors-   I am not very good at that).  I get to complete a train of thought-  a huge luxury that I rarely get at home.  I get to awe people.  Nothing is better than that.  Nothing is better than to see someone get excited about an image that you have captured.   Love it! 

Maybe it is just a instant gratification thing.  Taking pictures is much closer to instant gratification, especially in the digital age.  You shoot a picture, you see it in the little LCD screen.  It looks promising.  If you are like me, you might even flip back through them if you are at a long stoplight as you are driving home (probably shouldn't admit that).   Then you get home, you see it on the screen.  You feel all warm an fuzzy.  Then you get to order it, hopefully big, and give it to the customer and see their smile.  Huge payoff.  Raising kids...  it take much longer for those pay offs.  My older two are turning into pretty awesome kids and we are so very proud of them, but the stakes are much bigger and it is a much more long term project.

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This week: Sequences/ Storyboards

I loved this theme.  It was a lot of work, but I LOVE making storyboards.  Two of this weeks creations are going to be album pages for an album I am going to make of this summer.  I only cheated and used old pictures on one day. 

Posted via email from Gretchen's 365 Photo Blog

August 8-14: A Week in Your Life

This week's images were just supposed to represent a week in your life.
 
I think I did a fair job of giving a glimpse into my life.  I still am not as good at "lifestyle photography" as I would like to be, but you always need something to work on! 

Posted via email from Gretchen's 365 Photo Blog

My Little Guy

He is growing up WAY too fast.  I love this picture of him!  It shows so much of his personality.  Isn't he just the cutest little bug?

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Cupcakes with the Cousins

We just got back from 2 weeks in Texas.  We planned on spending one day running around Austin taste testing cupcakes.  Our first stop was Polkadot Cupcakes in West Campus.  Teeny tiny little pace with yummy, yummy cupcakes.  Our second stop was a bakery co-owned by Sandra Bullock with much more ymuuies than just cupcakes.  Unfortunately, they wouldn't allow photos.  :(  After that our kids were actually ready for REAL food (go figure!) and we were running out of time if we were going to make it to the Zilker Hillside's performance of Annie. It was a fun, fun day. 

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