Anonymity
Back in the good old days when we use to write letters on paper and put them in the mail with a stamp would you have ever written a letter without a greeting? Or end a letter without a closing? Maybe a “thanks for your time” or “have a great day!”. Sometimes the internet makes me sad and the way we write to each other and talk to one another (or even about one another). I think it’s so easy to not be polite when we are hiding behind our computer screens. It feels safe. Like you can get away with anything because you don’t really know the person, right? Maybe be braver than you would be in person. Say things you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.
I think we should all try harder to be more polite to one another. Take the time to say “hi” and “thanks”. Because even if you don’t know the person on the other end they are still a real person. In every email I write I do my best to be nice, polite, and cheerful. I don’t know what the person on the other end of my emails day has been like. And if by taking the time to ask them how they are and to thank them can help make their day a little better then I will take the extra time to do that.
There are many thing that I want to teach Brayden, but one thing that I try to teach him everyday by example is to be kind. To be kind to everyone. To open doors for others, say thank you when others open doors for us, do my best to be polite while driving (which is a tough one for me!), always say please and thank you, ask a cashier how their day has been, give random compliments to brighten the day of a stranger. While I am human, I do my best to lead by example because more than anything I want Brayden to grow up to be a happy and kind human being.
Happy Monday!
Canon 5D, 50mm 1.2 lens
f2.4, 1/400, ISO 125
Thankful
- I am first and foremost thankful for the health of my family and friends.
- I am thankful for my boys. All 3 of them. They make me laugh and smile and without them I don’t know where I would be. I am thankful to have an encouraging and supportive husband who loves me no matter what and understands that even after 4 plus years of marriage I still can’t cook.
I am thankful for my little man who is growing and learning everyday. I am thankful that I get to be his mom.
I am thankful to my first born who still loves us even though we may not have as much time for him now and don’t get to go on quite as many walks. He will still snuggle up next to me at the end of the day and he never seems to hold a grudge.
- I am thankful that I am able to be my own boss. To take breaks to read books and walks and trips to Disneyland. To be able to work in my pajamas. To have my dream job.
- I am thankful for my amazing clients who allow me to have my dream job and let me capture the special moments in their lives. I am even more thankful to call them friends.
- I am thankful for my friends who support and encourage me. I hope I am able to do the same for you.
- I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table because I know that so many people don’t.
- I am thankful for all of you who take the time out of your day to read my little blog. I am especially thankful for those of you who send me emails of encouragement and thoughtful comments.
I hope you have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving as well! Happy Thanksgiving!
The Do’s and Don’ts of Stealing Images From Your Photographer
I get asked a lot by both photographers and clients what my policy is on letting my clients post their images to their blogs and facebook account. I personally love it when my clients post their family pictures on their blogs, facebook, etc. It shows me that they truly love their images! I encourage my clients to “steal” their pictures from my blog to use on the internet. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that you should think about when reposting your images:
1) DO ask your photographer what their specific policy is on taking pictures off of their blogs. Some photographers encourage it and some don’t allow it. If this is important to you this is something you should ask BEFORE you hire your photographer!
2) DO include your photographer’s name and website under the images (a link would be super nice!). That’s just the polite thing to do 
3) DON’T crop out their logo. Unless you have paid for the digital negatives don’t alter the files in anyway. Most photographers use their blogs to advertise their work and do so as a courtesy to give their clients a sneak peek. If a client crops out the logo then how will other people know who took the picture?
4) DON’T edit the picture in any way. Taking the pictures is only half of a photographers job. The other half is editing. If you think you can do a better job or want to edit out some of your wrinkles or use selective coloring please don’t show and/or tell your photographer. That is super insulting. If you don’t like your photographers editing enough to want to edit it yourself than maybe you need to find another photographer next year.
5) DON’T try to print from the files on the blog. For me specifically I know that the files I upload to my blog are too small to be printed in a 4×6 size. It’s not cool to invest in a family session and then print the images off of the blog and not pay for prints. Make sure you know how much the prints cost before the session to avoid sticker shock. Same goes for scanning prints that you already bought. Not cool! Some of my family members are guilty of printing images off of my blog. It makes me cringe when I see them FRAMED in their homes with my logo still on there! To be fair, I’m also not great at emailing them the file when they ask for it
ETA: Please feel free to repost this on your blogs and facebook. Just please give a link and a shout out to Mom*tog
And because I don’t like to post without pictures, here’s one from a recent family session that I’ll be blogging soon. Sarah has her own blog and I’m excited for her to share these with her family and friends!
Starting To Thaw Out…
We’re back from our long weekend in Seattle and we’re feeling totally relaxed and revitalized. We didn’t really have an agenda while we were there. Our number one priorities were to relax and sleep, but we did do some of the touristy things and did some shopping. I will say that I am so happy to live somewhere were scarves and uggs are a fashion accessory and not a necessity. It’s fun to bundle up for a couple of days, but I was COLD. Really, really cold. If you follow me on twitter you saw how many time I complained I was cold! Chuck made me walk to dinner on Saturday night and it was lightly raining on the way there. By the time we came home it was a torrential downpour. I was mad at the time, but it makes for great memories, right? We stayed at Hotel 1000 and I highly recommend it! Awesome hotel, accommodating staff, and beautiful views! Everyone in the Northwest is so friendly! I will go back to Seattle, but it will be in the summer. When it’s warm!
Surprisingly I did not take my DSLR. My camera and I needed a vaca from each other. We’ve been spending way too much time together lately. And to be honest I really don’t love shooting landscapes. My passion is shooting people and their emotions. I find that when I bring my big, fancy camera with me I spend more time trying to capture the memories than actually creating and enjoying them. I did bring my point and shoot and my Diana, but I didn’t take too many pictures. It was too cold! And rainy! I’ll have to wait a week or so to get my film back. It’s always a surprise if it turns out or not! That’s the fun of it, I guess.
I am the queen of self portraits because I hate asking people to take our picture.
We both look really tired here, but we were just really freaking cold! And wet! The waterfall was misting so hard on us!
Here is what was behind us. Snoqualmie Falls. Amazing, isn’t it? Unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I would move to Washington if it was so cold and rainy! I want to stay at the Salish Lodge (in the upper left corner of the picture) next time we visit!
And, by the way, it was 75 degrees here yesterday. I’m just saying We may have a super expensive cost of living, traffic, smog, and EARTHQUAKES, but I get to wear flip flops and tank tops the week of Thanksgiving. For that, I am thankful
Bloom Workshops
I’m back! Did you miss me? I just couldn’t stay away from you all for that long
I’ve mentioned the Bloom Workshops here on Mom*tog before, but I wanted to let you know that their next session is enrolling now. They only have a few sessions a year and a limited number of people each session and I don’t want you to miss out! The Bloom Workshop is a 9 week online course. They cover a lot including lighting, editing, and finding your own personal style. The workshop is conducted in a forum format so you can work at your own pace and assignments are given out weekly. It sounds like a lot of fun to me! So, head on over there and check it out. If it’s something you’re interested in I would suggest signing up NOW before they fill up and you miss your chance! And be sure to check out Brenda Acuncius’ blog. She’s one of the photographers who put on the work and I just think her work is absolutely stunning!
Happy shooting!
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