Frustrated

I love photography. I hate photography. I am a bipolar photographer apparently.

I shouldn't say that I hate it as much as it frustrates me. On a daily basis. I'm not the most patient person in the world and learning photography is a process. A long, tedious process. You can't learn everything in a day, or a week or even a year. I've been fairly serious about this for only 6 months and yet I want it all. Now.

I look back at the pictures I've taken over the last few months and while I was fairly satisfied with them at the time, they now frustrate me. The learning process, while exciting, is just SO. DANG. FRUSTRATING.

Maybe that's part of the process. Never being satisfied. Always striving to do better. Certainly that can't be all true. Please tell me that at some point I will become happy with what I'm putting out there and that my craft will not always seem to be this thorn in my flesh.

I still have birth pictures that I haven't posted here and some cute newborn ones as well. I've just been in such a frustrated funk that I haven't felt much like posting anything. I'll end up picking it a part and telling myself I stink. And that's not productive in the least I know, but apparently self-deprecation is all apart of my personal learning experience! ha!

I did buy a new, more professional camera though! That was 3 weeks ago! That ought to tell you the kind of funk I'm in. I bought a Canon 40D. Yes, I have forsaken the Nikon brand, but still love my little D60 though it betrayed me so by not auto focusing my 50mm lens! I'll still keep it as a backup though. For what I'm not sure, but that sounds like photographer lingo so I'm sticking with it.

I think part of my Fotographic Frustration (I'm now going to coin this as a some sort of photography disease, I think.) is that I've become stuck. I need to learn more and haven't quite known how to go about the process.

And then guess what?

I found out there is a professional photographer that goes to my church!! Totally cool or what?!?! Her name is Ginger Ivey and I just LOVE her style! And as providence would have it, she's having a workshop at her studio in July! Um ... heck yea I signed up! It's for beginners and will probably cover several things I already know, but I don't care. I know I'll come away with more understanding than I have now. And perhaps my funk will be over and I can muster up some new business. That would be totally cool. And not frustrating.

Which quite honestly.... is even cooler!

And here's a picture just because I attempt to call myself a photographer.

Almost

Sorry I've been so tardy in posting anything here lately. With being busy getting ready for our trip and the "actual" trip, there just hasn't been any time!

My friend Vanessa referred Shannon to me and I was SO happy she did! Not only are Shannon and her hubby kind and laid back people to work with, they have the cutest little girl ever!! The other reason I was SO excited was because Shannon was having a BOY!!

Do you realize the last eight (8!) births I've attended have been GIRLS! Five of those were my own...but STILL! A boy! At last!

This was also the photo shoot where we encountered a giant BLACK SNAKE!! It did not make me happy and frankly, kinda threw me off the rest of time there. I know. Bad on my part, but y'all ... I absolutely HATE snakes!!

Here were some of the best pictures that day.







See! I told you that had the cutest little girl ever!

But guess what?

Shannon gave birth to her little boy while I was on vacation!! AH! So not fair! I almost got to do a little boy birth. Oh well. But all is not lost and you wanna know why?

Tomorrow I'm going to go shoot his newborn photos!! Woo-hoo! I am SO excited! I absolutely LOVE doing newborn photos! So y'all be expecting pictures of little Eli! I can't wait to get a hold of him!

I Feel So Grown Up!

Look what came in the mail for me last week...

Is it just some ordinary black box?? I think NOT!!



It's official, y'all!! I have business cards!



Aren't they the cutest?

My friend Keri told me about MOO.com and I moseyed on over there and just LOVED what they had to offer! Yes, I realize I could have gotten them somewhere else cheaper, but let me tell y'all something .... these are some high quality business cards! And the fact that I could add my own photography ~ as much as I wanted at no extra charge ~ was definitely and added bonus!



I guess it's official now. I'm all growed up.

Lovely Little Liza

I just loved photographing sweet Liza. She was such a peaceful little thing and Oh. So. Cute.!!!

This one, by far, is my absolute favorite!



And you can see her sweet little dimpled chin in this one!



And this one was for Liza's great grandmother...



I have to say while I absolutely LOVE shooting the births ~ I totally love doing the newborn shots as well!! I could take pictures of sweet, squishy babies all day long!

Thanks little Liza for being so sweet and squishy.

In the Thick of It

J & M were the couple I posted about here. They are one of the sweetest, kindest, most adorable couples I have ever met. Ever. They have a heart for the Lord and I was really looking forward to photographing the birth of their first child.

First ones are the best. Or at least that's what I'm told. It was my first time to photograph first timers. Rather ironic, don't ya think?

Anyway, I was called to come to the Birth Center around 9:30 pm on a Wednesday night. Monk was at Care Group with the children and I was home with Charlotte trying to get caught up on a few things. At the time, we only had one car. He had it.

When I called to tell him he needed to get a move on and get home so I could get to the birth, he took me literally. We got the $75 ticket in the mail the other day with photographic proof that he really DID run that red light. I don't suppose the judge would believe us if we told him why he ran that red light. Oh well.

J was progressing nicely when I arrived around 10:30pm. Problem was, she stalled shortly after that. It turned into a long night for her. Bless her heart.




As long and as hard as the night was....she carried on...



...and on.



But what a beautiful end to a hard night!



Baby Liza sure was worth it!



Her newborn shots are coming soon....what a cutie!

First Newborn Shots

Oh how fun and exciting it was to take my first newborn shots just over a week ago! And once I got over feeling like I was gonna throw up AGAIN, I really enjoyed myself! Sweet baby Ryann, who was my first birth to shoot, was ever SO squishy and beautiful!



I'm wondering though ~ my basket is a little small for those 9 pounders ~ maybe I need to bump it up a size!



And I REALLY liked this one of her and her momma!



And these two? This picture was just totally on the fly! What a lucky shot of a totally adorable daddy and daughter (who is Ryann's big sister!)



It has been an awesome last few weeks y'all! The ride is tiring, but oh-so-exciting and I can't wait to share it with you!!

Baby Ryann ~ My First

B.'s labor was amazingly short.



He was her rock.



Finally. The prize.



First introduction as a big sister.



Momma Gazing in the herbal bath.



Grandmama's first turn.



All around beautiful birth. ::sigh::