The email all photographers secretly hope to get

One of my all-time favorite candids of my own daughter from 2007. This was real. life. And I want to remember it. 



Man, it's fall again and it's been another year since I've posted.  Must be something about the days getting darker that sparks my introspection...anyway. I'd like to share an email that I recently received that makes my heart spill all over the place. It's the email all photographers secretly hope to get:



"Well, you've done it again, Mrs. Watts!!!!!  Holy Cow!!  Unbelievable!!  I can't stop looking at these!  How can you contain yourself during a shoot?!  Are you just constantly thinking as you fire away, "Wait'll they see this one!!", and "HA! THIS one will REALLY knock their socks off!", giggling away on the inside.  There were so many strong images where you captured so much emotion and an entire story within a single frame. 

Our fiery 3 year old daughter who is so animated and expressive, and does so much in every day life that we want so badly to capture, yet runs and hides at the mere mention of a camera, completely opened up to you and you captured her and her personality perfectly.  You can definitely tell she's running the show in our home. The images you got of her in front of her wall were what I had envisioned in my mind as I carefully placed each flower petal on her wall, but I could never have captured it the way you did, even if she had actually stood there to let me!  How you incorporated the guitar was brilliant, too!  There were shots of our son where you really captured his distinguished side that we see on a daily basis, yet can't seem to record on film that were really great.  You managed to somehow conceal my own insecurity and uneasiness in front of the camera in most of the images as well as hiding the sleep deprivation my wife and I have both been experiencing.  The shots where our exhaustion is a little more apparent, you illustrated it beautifully in a way that I found truly charming.   We really liked the surprises that seem to be par for the course when looking at your photos after a Julie Watts shoot. Our family is very special to us and we are careful of who we let into our lives and home, but are really glad we had you do the shoot, and are really thankful you were willing to do it.  We really liked the tips on lighting you gave us while here. I think the thing I'm most appreciative of you having taught me is the way you just let the shoot happen and catch it as it happens.  I think I see our children do something, and then try to recreate it, "Here, stand like this, now put your hands like this, now look over here, now hold still" and I can never capture what happened before or what I am trying to get.  Maybe that's why our daughter tends to run and hide.  You seemed to just capture it as it happens, and so much tends to happen.  Also, our daughter and son didn't necessarily have to be looking into the lens for a great photograph to happen.  I think knowing that will be so helpful to us.  There is a huge difference in the snapshots that I take and what you do.  You are truly an artist. 

Our family is the most important thing to me and I try so hard to get great photographs.  I take hundreds and may get a few out of a hundred that are pretty nice.  I miss a lot.  You take a hundred, all of which are really good, and many of which are breathtaking.  I'll never forget how at Justin's wedding in the middle of a crowded & busy room of people, you held your camera up high at arms length, and aimed down at a subject a distance away from you with people between you, not being able to see through your viewfinder, and then seeing the same image only half way through the reception already displayed on a screen with many others just taken and thinking , "HOW" and "WOW!"  I couldn't have taken that photograph on a tripod let alone without the luxury of the viewfinder or the people standing between you and your subject. I know you are busy with your new job, but if you ever have a photography class or seminar, be it on composition, lighting, post processing, or whatever, could you please put my name at the top of the waiting list?  Or at least beneath all the people who have probably already asked you to do one and are already on the list.

  Or even if you ever just have a couple extra hours on hand to waste and need a little extra Christmas or spending money to do a class or some coaching/ brutally honest critiquing on my images and things that I could try to improve them, I would greatly appreciate any chance to learn from you.  You wouldn't have to make the drive down to our county.  I could make the trip up there to wherever.  I took a 5-Saturday course at a community college several years ago and have an understanding of shutter speed, aperture, how they correlate & effect a photograph and have a couple decent cameras/ lenses, so you wouldn't be starting all over from scratch.  I feel like I've hit a wall with my photography and I'm losing opportunities at capturing memories, and not doing them justice,  if not missing them all together.  Your recent session has helped me find new lighting & taught me not to force a photograph & instead to just let one happen.  You can't open my eyes up to the way you see things, and how quickly you respond with your camera, but I wonder if I'm just making some really obvious mistakes that are just not obvious to me.  You have a gift of seeing the world the way you do, and you give people a gift every time you give them images like these. My mom doesn't have a lot of baby photos of me or my sisters or growing up and I wonder on that from time to time.  I want to give my children, my wife ( and I ) images that can forever show them the love I feel for them the way you pass on to so many people with your obvious love for photography.

 I couldn't imagine how that must feel to know that you've taken so many photographs for so many people where they may likely be their favorite photograph ever taken of themselves or their family.  One where you catch an emotion or look, one that will forever hang on their favorite wall of their home and gets sent to friends and relatives all over the world to be displayed and showed off to other friends and relatives you've never met in countries you've never been, where every time they walk by your work they evoke a smile.  How, many times, that photograph may be the first or only photograph a relative who lives or is stationed far away ever sees of that person.  And it's what you saw through your viewfinder at that moment and captured and created.  The closest I ever get to that is on our vacations, in front of famous monuments and landmarks when in between our own family photos I offer to help the couple capturing a selfie of themselves, or the family who has several shots of themselves in front of the picturesque sight, but one in their group is always the holding the camera.  Or explaining the importance of holding the shutter release button down halfway before pressing completely or the difference a minor aperture or exposure  change could make to the elderly person with their new digital camera.  That's the closest I come to feeling the satisfaction you must feel, but even that is nice.  I don't have the time or the talent to do for people what you do for them and on the scale that you do it.  My work will never be all over the world or held with the regard that yours is, but if I could give my family that sort of feeling through the photographs I take of them, it would mean the world to me.  If you ever have a class or seminar of any kind, I would greatly appreciate the chance to attend.  Please let me know if anything like this ever comes up.  Thank you, and thanks again for all the great photographs."

I mean seriously....while I've gotten my share of "thank you" emails over the years, this is one that just made me literally speechless.

 I've actually kept it a secret for a few months. I haven't told anybody about it. I've just...marinated on how observant and passionate about his family that this parent is...and yes, I am strongly considering offering some gift certificates for private lessons this holiday season...I gotta figure out the details and restrictions, and how many I have time to offer, but I have loved every opportunity I've taken to critique student work for MeRa Koh's online classes and assist at her workshops. A handful of you know I held a workshop of my own in 2010. One-on-one is my favorite though. Message me if you, too, are possibly interested in a private lesson. Thanks so much for allowing me to gush a little. I guess I needed it. :-)

Letting Myself Breathe

                                                  

  Photo Cred: Jessie Raetz, intern

I feel as though I am continually re-evaluating my world. Sometimes, I finish a "scene" in the movie that is my life. I am starting to see that my life is actually a series of projects...I guess as a kid I thought that there was the "kid" level......and one one special day, I'd LEAP up to the "adult" level, and things would be perfectly even and consistent all the way into old age.

I am blown away at how often I am shown that life isn't anything like how I thought it would be.

There are WAY more choices.

About EVERYTHING... I make choices about having a clean sink or what papers to have on my tiny desk. How to spend my time, and what to type next.

A camera up to my face allows me to SAY with my EYES what I can't say with words.

                                                   

            Mishon Wooldridge, Massage Therapist www.fifechiropractic.com 

I've officially quit promoting weddings as my "bread and butter" focus. That "scene" is over.  The lifestyle of a wedding photographer is intense. I felt so pulled to champion for brides...so that they could see images from their wedding and SEE what I saw. Because I realized at some point in my early 20s...not everybody sees what I see, how I see it. And I thought they should be given a chance to. I see beauty EVERYWHERE.

After more than a decade, something inside me started changing. I wasn't as inspired by the emotions and gorgeousness of a big wedding day...my eye started to get distracted with other things that I hadn't even noticed before. A large portion of guests also document the wedding....the wedding parties seem to have, too. So many beautiful faces aimed down at glowing screens. Ipads held up high in the air throughout rows of seating. My eye did not feel as special anymore...everyone was doing it for themselves. I felt pangs in my stomach as it dawned on me that I don't want to capture that, and I don't want to adapt my style to dodging it either...

There are more emotionally engaged, artistic wedding photographers in our industry, available to hire at all price points, than ever before! Certainly more than when I was a bride. Now, more than ever, wedding photographers are shooting with their hearts. I can move onto another subsection of photography that DOES need me...and THAT is a very exciting search to begin. I have spent the summer taking any gig that EXCITES and INSPIRES me...I'm in a free and spontaneous segment of the movie of my life now.

From photographing the MOST artistic and vibrant seniors, to creating the most beautiful portraits of sandwiches that a "mom and pop" sandwich shop ever saw, the only requirement right now is that I'm stimulated and challenged by the project...

To boudoir images in drag car race shops, to nervous yet heroic medical imaging techs posed like rockstars in front of their equipment (can't show you those yet)....

Oliver's Sandwiches, Edgewood/Milton, WA

                                                                 Northwest Embroidery, Fife, WA

                                                     Dr. Chrissy Blair  www.fifechiropractic.com
.

I am enjoying the lack of restrictions, and after  years of having most photoshoots scheduled on weekends, when my kids now ask me what's going on "this weekend", it never gets old to reply, "Hmm let me think? Nothing....."

                 

Life's Priorities....Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing?

Lots of changes in the last year. Some of you know that in 2010 I did a bold and audacious thing by deciding NOT to just stand there and complain about the fact that there's no suitable pants out there for women photographers....I found a seamstress, had a prototype made, found a pattern grader (someone who makes the "official" patterns for several sizes) AND secured financing to have small runs of Photopantz made at a local cut and sew factory. OH and I learned how to internationally import fabric. :)

AND I spent the last couple of years working on promotion and branding with Wendy Roe. I created a tradeshow booth and showed at WPPI's Launch Pad, ImagingUSA, got to attend Photoshop World, and more. I made SO many vendor friends... Zenfolio and Borrow Lenses and Photoflex and SanDisk...I love you guys! The Pinnacle was scoring a two-page product review spread in Professional Photographer Magazine in June 2012 !!

Actually, that wasn't the pinnacle. The pinnacle was having women photographers email me or walk up to my booth JUST to tell me that they not only bought, but they LOVE their Photopantz. The fact that I was making a difference for women all over the world. Really! As far as I know, there is one pair in Germany, a few pairs in Australia, two in Korea, and I'm really hoping the gal who inquired from South Africa about shipping costs buys a pair too!

It's pretty amazing to know I accomplished all of this with determination and the help of my family and friends. But here's where it gets real. I'm not turning a profit. Turns out passion and determination are great, but unless I figure out how to have them made more inexpensively OR sell way more, I'm at a standstill.

Can you believe after all of that, I felt like a failure?

I did. Big-time. How could I spend almost three years of my life on a project...having people say awesome things like how I'm going to be a millionaire someday because of it....and. feel. so. stuck.

You have to be careful about feeling stuck, because it usually means you're thinking too much and doing too little. Is that how it is with you too?

So at this point, I'm trying to figure out what to do next. How in the world do I find someone who will buy my company? Someone that can promote Photopantz nationally AND has the resources to have large runs made so as to decrease the production costs? Will I be able to stay a part of Photopantz if I sell it?

With the HUGE shift in photography becoming primarily a female-dominated career choice, I know it's inevitable that a company will soon debut as the first BIG successful clothing company for women photographers. But who? And when?

All of a sudden, I don't feel like the determined founder of ANYTHING. I feel like enthusiastic eccentric Julie who placed all of her bets on being able to figure her way through this, running on passion and determination as she went along.....

(To Be Continued)

Spending Life Glazed Over on Facebook

If you are a creative thinker...if you are curious... somewhat distractible, Facebook might be a cruel joke.  I have a serious LOVE-DISLIKE relationship with it. And my panties are all in a bunch about it.

I know social media is the "new thing" for some businesses, but for portrait photographers, Facebook has been THEE TOOL for several years now. And I have decided, I'd better change my relationship with it. Pronto.

Now, it's not like it FORCES me to log in...or stay too long...but SOMETHING had seduced me...


Maybe it's the escapism....
Maybe it's reuniting with old friends
Maybe it's the voyeurism....
Maybe it's staying connected with new friends and fellow business owners..
Maybe it's the opportunity to say "Hey! Check this out."
Maybe it's the opportunity to be helpful.
Maybe it's the camaraderie associated with participating regularly in groups of photographers that I respect, admire, and who make me laugh out loud.


"There are two types of people in this world. People that do things. And people who make things HAPPEN."-Jeff Jochum


 Oh crap. Jeff got me again.  What did I gain in exchange for those last 436594 minutes of my life spent on Facebook? I did something. I was on Facebook. But what did I MAKE HAPPEN by being there so long? (sound of crickets).

What decisions could I have made, in clarity, without the distraction of "what everyone else is doing" or "what so and so may think"?

What tasks could have been completed before I had the opportunity to lament about its "undoneness" on Facebook?

What ideas could I have came up with, in my own quiet and peace?

I find that when my own life's decisions become to overwhelming, here I am....glazing over as I scroll down an infinite list of what the REST OF THE WORLD thinks is relevant, or interesting, or ...
 ...wait....Glazed over?!!

Who am I to be lamenting that I have things that would feel SO AMAZING to have completed?

What is my problem and why does random perusing of Facebook fix it??

How can I delete "Facebook Daze" from my life?!

BY STOPPING.

I set a timer now. I still post. But I stopped meandering. About two weeks ago. And you know what? It's been awesome. I'm embarrassed at how awesome it feels because that means I was spending more time on FB than I care to admit.

Remember....real life is the most vivid but it's up to you to color it.

Be Part of a Documentary & Feel Great, Too!

Hi Everybody!!

Mother's Day is almost here, and if you or someone you love's Mother isn't here anymore, it can make it a bittersweet holiday.

This year, consider donating any amount to help put my friend Jen's new book in the hands of someone who is grieving the loss of a parent, child, spouse, or friend. "Mom's Six Days, Grieving with Love and a Purpose" given away to a person who is suffering the loss of a loved one.


Your donation will also fund Random Acts of Kindness that Jennifer Westby and her team will be performing all along the coast on THE 2012 GRATITUDE TOUR from Seattle to LA this June! We're talking....... sneaking up on people and buying their groceries, paying for their kids' shoes, paying for meals, handing out gift cards, flowers, and free copies of her book! Jen wants to uplift as many people as possible along the way, by spreading kindness randomly like her mother always did.

Want more? We got it! THE 2012 GRATITUDE TOUR is being filmed as a DOCUMENTARY!! That's right, you can not only donate to TGT but you'll be able to WATCH how your donation was used to surprise and inspire everyone we meet along the way!!

You can easily participate by spreading the word (thank you in advance for taking the time to sharing this) and donating via Kickstarter.com (SUPER thank you!!)
 Isn't that awesome? Wouldn't you like to be a part of it? You can! You can donate and pay for books that Jen will give away to folks who are hurting from the loss of a loved one! You can donate and sponsor a Random Act of Kindness in your name, or in the name of a loved one you've lost. What better way to remember the irreplaceable people in our lives?!

Julie's Stint as a Radio Show Cohost

Aww, hi everybody! Can't wait to update you with what I've been doing besides blogging. Everything is changing so fast. If you aren't following my antics on Facebook, do it! http://www.facebook.com/julie.watts

So one of the most fun things I did this summer was cohost a radio show on AM with Jennifer Westby for six months, called "Motivational Happy Hour":

There are TOTALLY archived shows you can listen to RIGHT NOW on that link above...don't know how long they will be up there since our show ended in November, so download/listen while you can! lol

See, when Jen asked me if I wanted to be her cohost, I said "Yes!!" without hesitation. I'm trying to discover my voice....my method for supporting others in life, really. I love one-on-one talking...I mean that's probably my favorite, whether it's on Skype or in person. But I love to write, too. And now that I've started Photopantz and been working non-stop on that project for a full year now, I'm starting to feel more comfortable in the role as "Founder of Photopantz". Which, guess what, involves being more of a public representative, going to conventions, meeting tons of people, etc. It's VERY different than my role as a photographer. I don't know why. My goal is to become completely comfortable public speaking. But I'm a little freaked out at being on video. So when this radio gig came up, I was like "Sweet! As long as nobody's watching, I can totally pretend there's not thousands of people out there listening!" And no kidding, it worked. Jen and I were on the air 4 hours a month for six months, talking to guests who were fellow entrepreneurs, and just talking about life and generally trying to be entertaining. I learned I LOVE radio. I hope I get another chance to do it in the future.

If YOU ever get the chance to go to a radio station and be on the air would you please, for me, just DO IT?!! Yes, you might be a little freaked out your first time on air, but every single "newbie" who came on our show beamed afterwards about how it was MUCH more fun and less scary than they thought. And once they heard themselves back in archive, they noted how they sounded better than they thought they did while they were doing it. It's amazing how forgiving our ear is to listening to live radio. But when you are the one in front of the microphone for the first time, you notice every tiny hesitation or "imperfection" and imagine it magnifying and broadcasting across the land! To the listener, however, it sounds just like everyday talking would sound and they think nothing of it.

My whole adult career in photography has been about being behind the camera and setting a tone for my clients so that they can truly relax and get images of themselves they've never seen before. I've started to realize that not only is it OKAY for me to have a more prominent and public role, but that maybe I've secretly wanted that for a long time but felt it was more appropriate to help behind the scenes and support other people face their fears and realize they are capable of doing things they never thought possible. :) I had a major epiphany at legendary photographer Ken Whitmire's Wall Portrait Conference last year. I realized "Holy cow. I not only CAN do the things I assumed I cannot....but could it be possible I was MADE to do these things? And the strongest feeling I ever had in the world replied YES.

I wrote and wrote and wrote after class at the 6-day wall portrait conference, late into the night. And when I got home, I walked into the garage where my husband was and talked to him for SIX hours straight about the incredible perspective shift I had...I mean it was a TRIP. It felt like, holy, or something. You guys ever have an experience like that? Where the universe kind of hits you in the head with a brick?!

As 2011 comes to a close, I am still in a state of exploring what my voice is, and where it belongs. I've been Facebooking like crazy, on my personal page, Julie Watts Photo business page, my Photopantz business page, and not quite as much as I should on my Photopantz Blog. But I've always loved this, my Julie Watts Photo Bloggillicious. This feels like home to me. And even though I have no idea who is reading this, similar to being on the radio, it is easy for me to imagine there's nobody there so it's okay to talk about what I really think.

Thanks for reading my blog posts, whoever is out there. I hope they are inspiring. I hope you get as much out of reading them over the years as I enjoy writing them.

I probably wasn't clear, but our last show aired on Thanksgiving 2011. This was the kind of thing where you paid the network for airtime, not the other way around. So that's why we enjoyed our time while we were there but moved on to other things. :)

Meaningful Locations....

Awwww! It's engagement session time with Erin & Chris!

When talking about the appropriate setting for a photoshoot, a meaningful, personal is always better. Just going to "a park" is oh so amateur....there....I said it! A professional knows how to ask the right questions and key in to the unique vibe each client has. A professional photographer can "see" what the client wants and can explain how easily it can be given to them. Choosing a meaningful location is HUGE! I lucked out with Erin & Chris. They described the place Chris grew up...where they met and fell in love. Not only was it incredibly meaningful to them, it sounded beautiful. A lot of times clients are apprehensive about using meaningful locations because they tend not to be nearby (like the park). It was a decent drive into "no cell phone service" country, off the beaten path, you might say....but I just remember this "snippet" of a memory...my reply during the conversation about potential engagement shoot spots... "Oh...Erin...we have to go there. Oh no....we HAVE to do it there. That's totally where we have to do it!"

It doesn't matter how far, how difficult, how different. If it's meaningful and your face lights up as you describe it to me, I'll be hooked. My heart will be tied in a knot until I create a keepsake portrait of you in your special place. I don't care how expensive gas is or if I have to wear rubber boots. Sometimes, new clients are timid about bringing a "stranger" to meaningful locations...knowing that the stranger doesn't have the same history with the spot and may view it differently and without the love that they see it. That's probably my FAVORITE psychological situation to deal with...because when I see love, passion.... it's beautiful, no matter what. And the kind of bond and relaxation I get with my clients when they feel this from me, grants me access to capture what is priceless to them. Photography truly isn't about me. It's about you.

***********************************************************************************

Photopantz are finally HERE!! Photographers! Get one of only 100 pairs of the first ever run of the ONLY slacks in the WORLD designed by a photographer, FOR photographers!! http://www.photopantz.com/

Order Today! www.photopantz.com

What are Photopantz?

Hi Everybody!



Guesss what? That "mystery thing" I've been working on for the past several months is ready to be revealed on the blog. Or at least, I'm ready to reveal it. Have you ever heard of the phrase "building readiness"? Well that's what I've been doing. Building readiness in my own heart to be able to shout to the world "I invented and designed custom pants for women wedding photographers and I am launching a Pantz company!"

See those pantz? Those are Photopantz! The fabric is stretchy but looks formal. The pockets? NINE OF THEM (don't worry, some are hidden). My rear? Can't see it if I bend over! lol

I have spent ten LONG years worrying about what pants I wear while I am photographing weddings. You wouldn't think it's that complicated, but let me tell you. When I used to stand in front of my closet the morning of a wedding, these were my choices:

Pants 1: they fit and look fine but have NO pockets. I can't bend over without tugging at my shirt/shirts/tanktops, whatever I have to wear to be covered back there.

Pants 2: they are roomy and NOT cute, but they are comfortable and HAVE 2 hand pockets. My rear still shows if I bend so I have to wear certain shirts.

Pants 3: feel great, look great, BUT my rear shows if I bend and the slanted cut pockets means I can't put things in them because things slide RIGHT out if I squat or sit down.

Pants 4: you get the idea

So for the past several years, I have been designing, in my mind, the PERFECT pair of shooting trousers....after officiating Lindsey & Casey's wedding emergently (see past blog post), I had a lunch date with the legendary Me Ra Koh . I told her about the wedding, then I told her about my aspirations to speak and share what I've learned about the psychological side of pursuing a photography business. And finally, my idea for pantz for women photographers came up.

Let me tell you...when Me Ra Koh encourages you....

Fast forward about eight weeks, and I am at PartnerCon, Pictage's professional photographer convention in New Orleans, wearing the prototype pair of "Photopantz". Jeff Jochum, marketing and business guru (omg, just read his resume...that's all I'm sayin'), has my back and it's almost unbelieveable. Women want my pants.

So since then, I've spent hours and hours learning the ins and outs of textiles, pattern grading, cost ratios, international versus domestic labor costs, hard good marketing, and lots more.

And you know what? It's oddly exhilarating. It's totally risky. There are TONS of unknowns. But throughout it all....I have this gut feeling that I was made to do this. This opportunity is for me. Is it daunting? Um....YES. Terrifying? YES. Is everyone But at the same time, I have this weird calm. It's kinda like when you know you have a hospital procedure you have to go through. It's not life threatening, but you know you are going in for it and everything will be fine afterwards. That's what I feel like. I have to go like, get my tonsils out. Okay maybe bigger than that. But when I filter out all of the distractions in my life that do me no good (ooh gotta blog about that), and I focus on what my gut tells me, and on my life experience.....I mean.....starting a custom apparel company sounds perfectly sound.

Who do you listen to? Who brings you down with their perspective? Whose opinion should you listen to less? Whose opinion should you listen to more? Who means well, and has good information, but makes you feel less than capable of pursuing your dreams? You really do have the control to not allow hurtful and unproductive content into your world. It's not easy for me. It takes mental discipline that Allan Knight helped hone in me. I know there are certain people that just DIG right under your skin....but they don't have to. You can learn to view their "output" in a different light. Their lips keep on flappin but it doesn't have the emotional effect on you anymore lol!

"You are only free once you have lost the desire for anyone elses approval but your own."-unknown

Faster Than I Can BLOG

Hi Everybody....

Faster than I can blog, life is changing and opening my eyes to new opportunities. Do I jump? Do I dare? How many times can you change your vision and your focus in a single year without looking flaky? Do you listen to your gut even if the rest of the world doesn't understand what you're doing? What if you are frustrated because you can't articulate it well to the people that matter?

These are the questions I've been answering lately. Maybe you can relate. We are all making changes. Change is afoot. Don't worry, I'm always going to wanna make friends and make portraits and wedding images of my friends. It's hard to call you clients. It puts up a wall that the best photographers tear down because it gets in the way.

I JUST posted that I was going to pursue coaching formally. I LOVE discovering how much we're all alike...how much we're different. I get so inspired from talking to you about your goals and dreams and desires, your fears, your thought processes.

SO, I had a dream, I took a risk, I ended up at the PartnerCon convention in New Orleans, and now I have the hugest (huggest?) risk/opportunity at my fingertips. My gut is telling me that this is a no-brainer (haha that's ironic). But the logical world I live in wants me to be terrified at taking this NEXT HUGE risk. And I mean a "thousands of dollars" kind of risk. I kind of enjoy being in this tense position...on the verge of the unknown...am I ready for this? (yes) Is this where I dreamed of being someday? (yes) But the most important answer I've gotten from my gut is "You were made to do this. Go do the thing that isn't right for 99% of other people. I've done enough personal development work in the past three years with Karen & Fay and Cam & Linda and Allan to KNOW what my purpose is. And holy crap. I have the chance to do it in a national-type of way you guys. And I can feel you cheering me on, no matter how abrupt this opportunity arose. I have to do it, and while I do, I want very badly to be able to share with you what's running through my head. Cause I think you'll be inspired, and I want to inspire you.

I'll be keeping a lid on it for the next few months during planning. But when the official launch occurs, you'll be the first to know. Friend me on Facebook if haven't already! xoxoxoxo

Julie

Scattered Corners

WARNING! THIS IS A LONG ONE WITH A COOL ENDING!

If you had to sit down with a pencil and paper right now, and draw a picture of what it's like in your mind (the "desktop" of your thought generator), what would it look like? Can you imagine it? Is it neat and tidy? Is it a box? A cube? Is it round? Is it flat? Mushy? Rock? Paper? Swirling light? Smooth granite. Is it a place you can walk through? One way or another, when you shifting your thinking can be easy or it can be chaotic.

I just LOVE thinking about this stuff, because we all go through life together, but process the details so differently sometimes. Give the same 10 people the same life for a day and I guarantee there will be 10 different ways to approach it and 10 different to-do lists. What are the things we can do to get better results and feel more joy each day? It all starts in your head.

If I were to describe my mind most of my adult life, I'd have to describe it as having scattered corners. Interesting, exciting discoveries to contemplate, marinate, and discuss (though "celebrate" rhymed better). A glorious bouquet of curling, corkscrewing potential opportunities. Genius lurks in there, I imagine. Potential. Insight. Inspiration. Guts. Would I call it organized? NO way. Compartmentalized? Nope. Is it easy to turn all of my good ideas into action? Not at all.

It became clear to me after hiring a professional organizer, Melanie, that EVEN when a pro sets up your space tailored specifically to the way YOU think and work, that just might be HALF of the battle to becoming organized. The other half is learning how to conduct.

Check this out. Imagine having an orchestra of talented, enthusiastic musicians, but a disorganized conductor without the music. Now imagine them trying to play. The potential for a song is there, but no one can hear it..NOT because the talent or desire isn't there, but because the conductor doesn't have rhythm and can't get in a flow. The conductor doesn't have the music. Melanie set me up with the tools I needed to make some great music (a.k.a.stress-free productivity) but needed to learn to play it better. Allan is coaching me to do that. The "conductor" of my inner thoughts liked to do most what it does naturally...exploring scattered corners.

I have kept my functionally organized for two years since Melanie blessed my office with her presence! What I have came to realize through that process is that my mental environment could use some organizing too! The conductor in me needed to learn to read music so it could play any music it yearned to play.

Does that make sense? Can you relate to what I'm describing? Life is a song! Learn to play it!

In more concrete terms, I sought MindFit coaching (what Allan does) because:

I didn't want the same ideas or reminders popping into my head day after day.

I didn't want to feel like there was more to do than there was time to do it, day after day.

I wanted to get out of the "must organize" pattern of thinking and get into the "a joyfully prepared & present" way of life.

But it seemed impossible to reconcile; how do I clear out my head of reminders and fears and become so productive and efficient that I ACTUALLY have free-time to pursue those really cool daydreams I dream up?

A vision began to emerge of a different way. After reading David Allen's "Getting Things Done", I began to imagine my thoughts having their own space just as every project in my office has it's own space. Creativity is awesome, but if you are like me and your creative thoughts are smashed in with "should do's" and "must remembers" and "am going to's", it can be murk up your sparkly personality. I can't stand feeling like I am forgetting something. Or that I went through the effort of writing "it" down but cannot remember where.

Being mentored and coached initially by the amazing Karen and Fay of the Wisdom Connection was revolutionary to how I viewed myself, my power, and my belief in my dreams. I don't want to imagine where I would be had I not met the gorgeously expressive group of manifesters changing the world one day at a time down there at the Wisdom Connection. I am proud to call myself one of them.

However, this summer I began specialized MindFit coaching with Allan for several months and I am realizing JUST how scattered those "scattered corners" in my mind were. You know those "busy" days where you have the vague sense that you didn't really get much accomplished? That's what I'm talking about. You have been doing a lot of thinking but it isn't translating into a lot or results or action. Big tasks like photoshoots and weddings were easy to plan and prepare for...they existed in their own tidy context in my mind. Its the everyday (gasp) structure needed for a calm, prepared organized day-to-day LIFE that didn't come naturally.

But guess what I'm like now?! Nothing's more dangerous than an organized CREATIVE person! A creative person with a COACH. A creative person who can move ideas and inspiration into reality. A creative person with a clear mind to focus on developing whatevers best to do NOW.

A creative person who isn't afraid to fail because TRUE failure is....you guessed it....the failure to even TRY.

What aren't you trying that you really WANT to?

Anytime we change our behaviors intentionally, it's that whole "practice" part that makes it work for the long-term. Sticking to it. Returning to the system. Again. Getting back on track. Again. My mind LOVES getting off track! But you know what? I have a newfound enjoyment in getting it back ON track. Recieving coaching helps the getting-back-on-track process so much quicker and easier.

My life has become dramatically more joyful and relaxed since recieving coaching, and I'm absolutely FASCINATED at how we make decisions in our lives, judgments about the outside world, and how that creates the reality we find ourselves in right at this moment. Pursuing photography as a business has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. Sure, I could have gone to graduate school and worked at a 9-5. But I just couldn't. I knew I had to pursue photography with all of my heart and mind, self-taught and blazing my own trail. And even though I occasionally attended groups with other photographers, at the end of the day, pursuing a photography business can feel LONELY. I know I'm NOT alone because I've talked to so many of you out there who feel the same way I sometimes do. Many photographers now have shared how refreshed and inspired they feel after our heart-to-heart talks about business. It inspires me too! This is the year to acknowledge that deep pull I have felt to talk to you about the psychological side of business, blog at ya about it, talk to you on the forums about it (like Me Ra's Soarority), and speak publically on the topic of passion & enthusiasm. One of the main reasons I sought out MindFit coaching was because it frustrated me that I had so much difficulty turning THAT desire to connect, into a reality.

But not anymore! I am nervously excited and relieved to share that....

I am training to add "Certified Personal Development Coach" to my repertoire!

I help photographers create a clear vision for their future, and providing support as they manifest it. Because whether you believe it or not, no one has to lose in order for you to succeed at photography. It has nothing to do with anyone else but you.

I want to offer four FREE weekly coaching calls to one individual who was inspired by this post today. What could you change in a month if you had Julie Watts to mentor you along? Just email me at julie@juliewattsphoto.com with the title "Free Coaching" in the Subject line. I will read all submissions and choose the lucky recipient and contacting them by October 31.

Good luck! I would love to hear from you!

Emergency!! "Photographer Performs Ceremony" (or, "I still can't believe I wore that scarf.")

I don't think I've ever sent a text while I am photographing a wedding. But right after the ceremony of Casey & Lindsey Knopik yesterday at the Historical Orting Manor, I reached into my bag and sent this message to Katelyn, MUA extraordinare and owner of Salon Ish, who had been working with me that morning:


Me: "Katelyn, I'm not joking. I just officiated the wedding."

Katelyn: "Whhhhhaaaaaaat!!!"

I have always aspired to be the kind of photographer...well, the kind of person, who, wants to have the inner focus and passion and quick thinking to do whatever any situation requires. I really do secretly like living on the edge; I enjoy the rush of the pressure of wedding photography, and I have been focusing my intention a lot lately on being "in the flow" with where my dream of traveling to speak on passion, enthusiasm, and purpose. (I even spoke on a live tele-class just this summer on those very topics.

But you wanna know went down at Lindsey & Casey's Wedding last Saturday, right??!!

Right!

Well, it was a combination of faith and teamwork mixed together with suspense and a wedding to save! The officiant made an honest mistake and believed the ceremony to begin at 7pm. But the rehearsal had begun at 7pm; the ceremony was at 5pm. So by 5:30, there was some genuine concern building when there was no sign of the officiant and no one able to locate his cell phone number. "I'll call the Mayor," Dave, the owner of Orting Manor said, "If she's home maybe she will be able to come right over and perform the ceremony." Casey and Lindsey hesitantly agreed, as if it somehow meant reluctantly accepting the reality that this marriage ISN'T going to happen right now the way they have envisioned for months.

So as everyone is putting thought into what in the world to do at this point, still holding onto hope that the officiant will pull up at any moment...and I think to myself...

"Should I tell them that I'm ordained? I mean, I could do this....No, that would be crazy. They'll be able to solve this. I don't want to be creating one problem (no photographer) to replace the prior (no officiant)."

But as the clock ticked away and I heard that at this point it was about 5:38pm, and I'd already photographed a few more portraits of the waiting bridesmaids and bride, I found myself standing with Casey and his father, Al (who was also the best man). I had changed my mind. This problem needed to be solved now and I believed 110% that I could solve it. "Casey. I'm ordained, and I can perform your ceremony." You CAN?" was Casey Knopik's response...and within MOMENTS, I Casey replied with the sound of complete confidence in his voice, "Well then I want you to do it. At least you KNOW us."

Immediately plans went into action; Brandon Hansen, groomsmen extraordinare, readily accepts the daunting task of photographing the ceremony of his best friend's wedding. Now. With pounds of professional Nikon camera equipment loaded onto his shoulders, replacing his own um, smaller, camera. I threw it in "P" and said a little prayer. Brandon had absolutely NO instruction from me, except for where on the lens to grasp in order to zoom in and out.

Secondly, Brian Dilks, groomsman/brother-in-law to Casey-extraordinare, had the forethought to successfully locate some pretty fitting marriage vows via his iphone, which was the last critical piece necessary to pull this off without a hitch...

...once everyone was assembled, I did something I never thought I'd do in a million years...I walked up the center aisle, tall and calm enough, and turned around to face the guests. I welcomed everyone, thanked them for coming, explained who I was, what the current situation is, and what the solution we came up with was. I was answered by a wave of applause and whoops of good will! It felt so amazing to feel the support in the air!

As a photographer, I've been a part of over 60 wedding ceremonies. But to serve as the individual that leads the joining of a husband and wife...what an incredible honor! (And it was SO fun to get to be the one who gestures, "All Rise" for the entrance of the bride)

Check out these shots Brandon got? Turns out Brandon is quite the triple threat; beyond his groomsman skills and photography skills, he and Casey are journalism majors with a heart for sports...all you Seattle sports fans (of COURSE that's you Sounders FC diehards!) out to check out their sports blog, www.justson.blogspot.com .



A quiet moment of calm earlier in their wedding day....

On our way down the block to Orting's Summerfest in full swing, again, hours before the ceremony.

And proof that the reception went off without a hitch...and in case you were wondering, no, I hadn't planned ahead of time to coordinate my scarf that day with the color of the wedding. That was the first time I even WORE a scarf to shoot a wedding (already wearing 2 cameras around my neck and potentially risking fashion-inspired mild strangulation, I mentioned to the bridesmaids earlier in the day that the scarf was "experimental"). lol.

Sometimes the universe just knows what to do, and you if you listen in and go with it, remarkable things have a way of falling into place.

More images to follow!

What are your Anchors?

Hi Everybody!

As I gear up for the approaching season of family and senior portraits this fall, I'm especially focused on keeping the enthusiasm up for the long haul. As a lot of you parents out there can attest, sometimes your energy wavers....for me, the last week before school starts again is a BUSY one. But does it have to be uncomfortable? No. Filled with Drama? Actually no. It's amazing how habitual the "back to school" scramble can feel. With the help of an awesome skype session with Allan Knight , I'm armed with a great technique to practice, and it's simple to do.

What are your Anchors?

Anchors are anything that help to remind you how to refocus and get grounded again. From an anchor-point, you can orient yourself to your passion and desire for your day, or your life. When I'm anchored, decisions are easy to make. Worries fall to the wayside as enthusiastic action steps in front and center. Using anchors instantly makes me feel GOOD again...it chases away the fear, shows me that the pressure I might feel at the moment is temporary and in most cases, a matter of perspective...what a relief it is to realize that!

My newest anchors are jewelry with wings; these anchors remind me to stay in the flow. A tealight next to my desk reminds me that I'm worth life's little pleasures (it also reminds me I'm almost out of tealights!).

Special people anchor us family, friends, mentors & coaches...and whether we can be with them physically or not, really is beside the point. It's the way these people make us feel and fill us up that is powerful.

Music is a potent anchor. I have specific playlists with everything from meditations, to music to pump me up, music to relax and go inward with...

Hobbies can be anchors! For me, any game that requires focus is good practice for me. Throwing darts, playing hacky sack, and even running on a treadmill without falling off have all been activities that make me feel good and bring me back to center.

How do you feel right now, and what are YOUR anchors? Could you be using them more effectively to stay grounded and enthusiastic about what lies ahead for you? Have you fallen out of practice of doing something that really brings you great pleasure? Or are you feeling nourished and bountiful because you regularly call on powerful anchors that keep you balanced?

Rethinking Perspective

Hi Everybody!

I'm gazing at blue skies out my office window today and it can't feel much better. I have a two-part wedding boudoir session today; it started with the initial shoot several months ago, the "blonde" client. TODAY, months later, she is brunette and ready for shoot two! I've got a few tricks up my sleeve in terms of concept and I can't wait to surprise her groom with what we create today.

This entire summer has been one I will never forget. You know when you have those years that blend in and those other years that lift up, stand out as the benchmarks you gauge all other years from? Well 2010 lifts up for me big time. This is the year I began speaking and coaching on the psychology and photography business & "Passion & Purpose", as well as did a pretty sweet amount of traveling (Dallas, Kansas City, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Germany...San Fransisco and New Orleans left to go!) I photographed and met new family, new clients, new friends, and connected with old family and old friends. Traveling absolutely effects the way I think, and ultimately, the way I shoot. When I am lifted out of my computer chair and plopped down in a new environment, my wondering mind has new material to chew on......new questions are raised.....new delights emerge...

Everything that comes out of my mouth originates as a thought, and profound thoughts for me are born visually.

As we carve like a snowboarder into autumn in the next several weeks, begin thinking about family, friends, and who is important to you in your life. Is it time for me to create a family portrait for you to have hanging in your home for the holidays? Especially if you are one of my wedding clients from previous years, I'd love to create the next portrait you can't stop looking at.

Julie Watts Workshops

Hi Everybody! I have been totally preoccupied these past few weeks...putting lots of thought, energy, and passion into an INCREDIBLE Puerto Vallarta, Mexico destination wedding (assisted by one of my favorite photographers in the WORLD, Cam Colclough of Calgary Canada), a lively Capitol wedding in Olympia, WA, the STAND OUT PROM Masquarade Glam Shoot, as well as several creatively inspiring custom portrait sessions, all of which I will be sharing with you here on the blog in the coming days and weeks. But there's one item I am TICKLED PINK to announce because I've thought, talked, ruminated, dreamed, wrote, thought, talked some more about ever since I first heard this question: "Julie, are you going to EVER hold a workshop I can attend?!"

After almost a DECADE in the photography business, spending THOUSANDS of dollars and many MANY hours attending photography workshops and classes, and writing pages upon pages of soul-searchin' curriculum for you, I now officially announce:



I can't WAIT to share with aspiring, amateur, & professional photographers alike, what I have learned over these past 10 years. Ten years of conquering fears, celebrating successes, and learning more about myself through my relationship with photography than I ever would have imagined, back when I was "just a 24-year-old stay-at-home-mom, with a Olympus Z4040, and a baby on my hip."

Seats are limited to make it easier for everyone attending to ask specific, personal questions and for me to give specific, personal answers at the end of each segment. Call my Studio Line at 253.229.1818 or email me at julie@juliewattsphoto.com to register! Don't wait!

Attitude Adjustment

Hi Everybody!

I took a well-appreciated Saturday off last weekend and did one of my favorite things--puttering around the house.

I wasn't thinking about running the business or sitting at the computer. I sat in the dirt in the garden and rode bikes to the "corner store" with my son. Thank goodness spring weather like this is becoming more and more the norm (though it's hailing outside right now!!).

This weekend, my mind was empty, slow, and at ease. But one chance encounter got it all wound up again. I ended up meeting an individual that made a strong impression on me. I could tell this person puts a lot of energy into convincing others and has obviously convinced themself. Of what, you ask? Were they enthusiastic about a great new passion? About the steps they are planning in an area of their life? Were they going on and on about the fear they felt but how excited they were at the opportunities on the other side? Hardly. Much of the 30 minute conversation I had with this person was blaming with a capital "B".

"I WANT to improve my health, but as long as (insert girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, mother, dog, boss) doesn't improve either, I just won't be able to."

"I DON'T have (list 5 important things to having a happy life) because of (insert any of the above people) and the choices they made that effected me."

"I'm HELPLESS because (you get the idea here)."

At first, I listened politely. I even felt bad. I thought about how I could help. But I just kept listening. I saw that this person put a whole lot of energy into explaining why NOT. And not any of the reasons included THEMSELF. And they seemed to really enjoy sharing every detail of why NOT. It's one thing if someone is having a bad day...it's quite another when they are having a bad LIFE. Apparently, not ONE thing in this persons personal, career, health, or spiritual life was even aiming in a helpful direction. If that was me, that would be pretty depressing. But this individual seemed pretty content with their truth they were so dissatisfied with.

Seeing this, I debated on whether I should even TRY to suggest that maybe this person could change things for themselves. I'm a serious optimist. I know opportunities arise for people in the most unlikeliest situations....but unsolicited advice, you know, is not always popular...so I chose my words carefully and as a result didn't end up speaking too much. I listened and I learned. By consciously putting myself in a "listening and learning" mindset, it protected me from soaking up some of the "ick" that I can take away after talking with a negatively-focused person or some who has emotionally dumped on me. Recognizing it. Naming it in your mind. That was the first step for me to realize that I was making a choice to stay separate, no matter how subtle and convincing those excuses sounded, especially with someone who has mastered the art at communicating them in a way that shouted "I think my life sucks, it's everyone elses fault, and don't you DARE try to blame me for any of this."

Like I said, they made a real impression on me!

Nothing is more disappointing than talking to a person that doesn't realize how amazing it is to be alive right now, here! Never in a time in history has the average person had so much access to peace and information....it has never been easier to learn more about ANYTHING, speak FREELY, and custom-design a life around your own personal starting point. And to meet a person seemingly unaware of their personal power, to the point that they resist the suggestion of it. Man that sucks! We don't have to SETTLE for unhealthy relationships. We don't have to settle for an unhappy life.

In my early 20s, I started to recognize how attitude effects everything, the way I looked at the world started to shift, and that totally intriegued me. I wanted to test it. I wanted to prove that my "old" way wasn't so bad...but once I began to see the changes in how I felt every day, and how there all of a sudden seemed like there was plenty of good and exciting things to talk about, I saw that it was no joke.

Listen to what comes out of your mouth and how. Do you like how you sound? Do you want to change it? Simply noticing.....it can have a HUGE effect on your happiness and your enthusiasm for life. Have you noticed the same things, in yourself or people you live with, or at work? What do you think?

You are unique, just like everybody else.

Hi Everybody!

Today I just wanted to say that I am loving the Seth Godin blog post the other day about anxiety.

"Anxiety is nothing but repeatedly re-experiencing failure in advance."

I am loving that perspective because it is so disarming. As a business owner in this day and age, the amount of challenges, opportunities, risks, rewards, changes in this business increase constantly. As a young photographer, you jump on board thinking you have a decent handle on this new fascination of yours, only to eventually realize that this train has MILLIONS of stops, THOUSANDS of fellow passengers. You are drawn in by the well-written blog posts, the style of this photographer, the equipment proficiency of that photographer, the seemingly endless amount of creative inspiration everyone else seems to already have....sooner, more, better, faster......than you.

Sound familiar?

The truth is, you are unique, just like everybody else.

The truth is, you CAN find yourself in the mirror of others, but the instant your gut turns in knots or your "inner critic" starts whispering in your ear...then outside influence may be changing from constructive to destructive. Do not take it personally if you get caught up in this, we all do from time to time. YOUR true path, as you discover it, will make you feel the very opposite. The very opposite....

The truth is, we all start from a unique place in this world, and our journeys should not be compared, but celebrated, admired, and encouraged. Our footsteps are our own.

• 
  
  Don't assume you've failed before you've even tried. Don't assume you'll succeed until you've thought deeply about what success looks like for YOU. Not for Jasmine Star, David Jay, Joe Buissink, Liana Lehman, David Beckstead, Christy Pelland, Tim Willoughby and certainly not Julie Watts!


• 
  
  Spend as much energy discovering yourself and your expression as you do discovering others and their expression. You have FAR MORE to learn inside about yourself than you may realize. You are fascinating. But you have much to learn. Don't we all?
  
  

The truth is, the minute you begin to TAKE NOTICE of the minutae in your life that strike a nerve, you'll begin cut through the overgrowth of the overwhelming cloud of EVERYONE ELSE'S output. Restlessness lies in constantly intaking the output of others.

Dane Sanders wrote a whole book about maximizing your individual strengths if you are considering a career as a professional photographer, Fast Track Photographer. If you are surprised that only about 20% of what I do in business is actual shooting, then you just learned the #1 difference between having photography in your life as a business versus photography in your life as a hobby.

Photography can serve you on your journey in many, many ways. Relax and enjoy the ride, whereever it may take you....

This is me and the hubby in 1995 when I was enrolled in my first BW photography class in high school, when I "knew" I was going to become a clinical psychologist! Little did I know where I would be a decade and a half later....

Chris + Brit // Kansas City Weddings-Sneak Peek

Congratulations to Chris & Britany, my cousin....who had their marriage formally blessed by the church on their 1st civil wedding anniversary, this past Saturday, March 13th in Kansas City, KS! Chris & Britany were married last year in the courthouse as Chris awaited a bone marrow transplant for leukemia...both of them have this old soul quality about them...I definitely see why each of them loves the other which is a wonderful side effect of pursuing my art...

...getting to focus on love and relationships definitely keeps me happy...and getting to know families and friends totally speaks to the part of me that almost applied to graduate school for Marriage & Family Therapy back at PLU. But fate had other plans so I became a married stay at home mom at 22 and my high school BW film photography days were reawakened as I took "electronic imaging" to fulfill my elective requirements in 1999. And yes I was totally afraid of Y2k and that I spent all this time in school just for the world to end RIGHT when I get my bachelor's degree in psychology, JUST because of some zeros and ones! haha

Don't worry though...I will be booking weddings beyond 2012!!

Shall I wrap up the point of this post by saying, we often lose sight of the negativity around us, if it's always been there. But others can see the effect it has on us, and we can too if we just make a point to watch out for it. We can insist on more peace in our lives. We can change up the routine. Turn off the TV. Do anything else. Life is too precious to waste a minute feeling bad about anything that isn't worth it. What in your life isn't going according to plan? What things, big or small, could you do about it to bring you more peace?

"I don't believe in weekends."~Richard Avedon

Photography isn't something I do because it's fun. Photography isn't something I do because dslrs are cheap or because people tell me I'm a good photographer. I have bled, sweat, cried and agonized over my ART I have created in this past decade as a photographer more than I have over my own children. What I am obsessed with is this vessel for exploring what I have to SHOW my children about who they are, who I am, and what ART is created when one soul's energies intermix with another soul's energy. "Your 8x10s are pricey" misses a very critical point of my existence. If I get asked that, I feel like a complete failure and go home and cry.-Julie Watts



It's scary to share that truth with all of you..... but maybe I should...I am beginning my new phase in my career of mentoring other people interested in photography and I won't lie to them.

How do you recharge?

Hi Everybody!

I'm about to fly out to Kansas City to photograph a truly special wedding tomorrow...and as I look at my desk and see the lists of things I wanted to get done before I left (which didn't!), I am centering myself instead of wasting too much energy judging my performance in the office this week! I had over one thousand pictures to cull from the Miss Pierce County Pageant on March 6th, in addition to regular office tasks and shoots!

I learned from my business coach, Karen Buckley, about how different people recharge, and it's been really helpful and I thought I'd share that nugget with you all. The basic idea is that some people recharge by being alone, going away, in the quiet and silence of themselves. Other people recharge by going "out", gathering around people, around bustling activity and getting pumped up by the collective energy surrounding them.

Well pretty much instantly, I could make a list of my friends and family and who recharges how. For me, it's a no brainer. I LOVE being alone "lost in her own thoughts" like the Pemco Insurance commercials say on the radio up here about the "bookstore waif"' you'll find so easily here in the Pacific Northwest. Though with a full-time business and full-time family, I'm not waifing around the bookstore a lot...I have realized HOW critical it really is for us to keep an eye on your energy level and mood, and recognize when a little recharge is necessary.

So I'm truly looking forward to the time in the airport and the time in the air today...ipod, pen and a pad and I'm one happy recharging camper.

Sneak Peeks!! Portraits For Haiti

Hi Everybody!

I wanted to show you what you missed out on if you didn't get a session with me this past Sunday when I was involved with a four other photographers at Gene Coulon Park for Portraits For Haiti! We were blessed with El-Nino driven warm temps (for February that is!) and sunny skies...a perfect day to donate all of the proceeds of our 30 minute portrait sessions to a deserving cause.

100% of the proceeds from all of our donation-based sessions that day goes to help the children of Haiti. We raised over $1500.00 on Sunday!

This tickily moment brought to you by Portraits For Haiti....

Hugs for grampa brought to you by Portraits For Haiti.

And of course, this bench full of adorable wiggily grandkids brought to you by...Portraits For Haiti...Thank you SO MUCH to everyone involved...I'm so glad I got to capture these moments for you...

Back to editing all of these fabulous families' images!! Thank you everyone who made it out!