Out With The Old…
Exactly one year ago I did something spontaneous and crazy. Well, not super spontaneous because I had been dreaming about it since they day I decided to become a photographer. Exactly one year ago I signed the lease on my very first studio. To say it was bad timing was an understatement. I was pregnant with Kennedy, I was crazy busy with DrewB Photography and with Mom*tog. But, I saw an opportunity to grow my newborn side of my business and I took it.
I was never really able to invest the time in that studio to make it what I really wanted. I think maybe I knew in the back of my mind that I wasn’t going to be there for long. I loved it and it worked for me, but I guess I just knew something better would come along. Before I renewed my lease I decided to look and make sure there wasn’t a better space for me. Low and behold I found the most PERFECT space. It’s amazing. AND it has EXPOSED BRICK! That’s not something that you can find very easily in Orange County. The building I’m in now is almost 100 years old. It has character, charm, and gorgeous light (and a ghost, apparently).
Yesterday I went back to my old studio to pick up a couple of things that were left behind and I got so sad. It was my first space and I loved it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. I worked hard for it. And it is fun to see your dreams become a reality.
I snapped these shots early the morning that we moved out. The light wasn’t ideal (so don’t go Pinning these, people!), but I wanted to remember my first studio.
This is my client meeting area / hanging out area when I’m shooting.
I tried to have a cozy and kind of private place for moms to feed their babies. This is the comfiest rocker. It’s from Target and was cheap!
This is where I shoot my newborns (Kennedy says hi!).
And this is all of my props. They are tucked behind a curtain, which you can kind of see in the first picture.
I wanted to go back and get a picture of me with the kids in front of my window, but my landlord took it down before I was able to do that 
Here’s an iphone picture I took right after it went up last year.
I promise I won’t wait a year until I post pictures of the new place. It already looks so great. Everything fit perfectly, which I took as a sign that it was the right move for me. Can’t wait for you all to see it!
Canon Macro 100mm 2.8 L Review
In early December I bought myself an early Christmas / end of the year tax write off present. I had been coveting the Canon 100mm 2.8 L Series lens for a while and I finally took the plunge and bought it. Macro lenses are great for getting super, duper close up on your subject. You’ll see macro lenses used a lot in nature photography. It’s a prime lens, which means you can’t zoom in or out.
I’ve had the Canon 100mm 2.8 macro (the non L Series version) for a few years. The only time I ever used it was for ring shots at weddings and it did it’s job.
The big problem with that lens is you basically need to manually focus it, which is fine when you’re shooting objects that don’t move. It was a lot harder to use on things that moved, like my squirmy kids and the newborns that I’ve been shooting a lot more of in the past year.
The 100mm 2.8L is a totally unnecessary lens for most Mom*togs and even a lot of photographers. It’s pricey. But, I LOVE it. It’s really fun, super sharp, and the focus is great. My only complaint is that I wish it stopped down to 2.0.
I would highly recommend renting this lens if you have a new baby or even to capture the little details of older kids. You’ll have a lot of fun with it. The only problem is that you might not want to give it back!
PS If you were interested in buying the 100 2.8L, there is a $110 instant rebate that ends January 7th!
Canon 5D Mark II, 100mm 2.8 L
F 2.8, 1/160, ISO 800
F 2.8, 1/100, ISO 1000
Who Do You Shoot For?
Who do you shoot for? Do you shoot for yourself and your family? Or do you shoot for your blog? For other photographers?
It’s so easy when you’re starting out to obsess over other photographers work. To wish you were someone else. Don’t. Trust me. Been there. Done that. Don’t waste time comparing your work to that of other photographers. Don’t strive to be like other photographers. Strive to be yourself. To find your own style. Don’t be the next _______ (insert the name of big photographer here). Be you. Shoot what you love. Who you love.
If you are a professional photographer, shoot for your clients. Don’t shoot to get featured on some blog. Tell your clients stories. Put yourself in their shoes. What would you want to remember about your family at that very point in time? 10, 20, 30 years from now they won’t remember what blog their session was featured on. Or how many comments were left on their blog post. But, they will be able to look back at the pictures you took for them and be able to remember the love they were feeling for their family at that time.
Self Portrait
A few months ago I was inspired by these beautiful self-portraits that Lacey Meyers posted on Real Mom*togs. On a trip to my local camera shop last week I finally bought a remote shutter so I could try some self portraits as well. It’s hard! Getting the focus and settings right, while trying not to wake a sleeping newborn is difficult. But, totally worth it to be in a few shots with my kids. I’m always behind the camera so it’s nice to have a few shots of myself as well (even if it’s with no makeup!). 95% of the shots were trash, but there are two good ones that I love.
Taken with Canon 5D, 50 1.2. Camera set up on tripod.
F 2.0, 1/200, ISO 320
F 2.8, 1/320, ISO 250
It was a fun challenge and got me thinking out of the box! Can’t wait to try more!
YOU Were the Remedy!
“Each one of you has your own platform. Do not let the trappings here fool you. Mine is a stage in a studio, yours is wherever you are with your own reach, however small or however large that reach is. Maybe it’s 20 people, maybe it’s 30 people, 40 people, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your classmates, your classroom, your co-workers. Wherever you are, that is your platform, your stage, your circle of influence. That is your talk show, and that is where your power lies. In every way, in every day, you are showing people exactly who you are. You’re letting your life speak for you. And when you do that, you will receive in direct proportion to how you give in whatever platform you have.” – Oprah Winfrey
As a mom, I want my children to be kind and compassionate. I want them to understand the joy of giving and not just receiving. I want them to know that one person can make a difference no matter how small or big their voice is.
I love helping others. I love giving. And I’m fortunate that you all keep coming back and reading what I have to say giving me a small voice in this blogging community. I want to use that voice to do what I can to help others.
I’m not going to lie. I was a bit disappointed with the outcome of Soul 4 the South. When I did the math in my head I thought we could raise SO much money. We could help SO many people. If everyone who stopped by here donated $10 we could raise $20,000. I realize that people are hurting now. Times are tough. But, $10 is skipping your trip to Starbucks twice one week. Or bringing lunch to work rather than eating out. Especially with the chance to win such great prizes.
And then my friend sent me some encouraging words and a link to this post. It made sense. I got over being disappointed and realized that whatever we raised was going to help someone and that’s all that mattered.
I didn’t quite realize how much until last night when I got an email from BeRemedy telling me how far the money we helped raise went. How WE, together, with just small donations of $10 were able to help Nathan, a single Dad of four in Joplin recently diagnosed with cancer get back on his feet. Every single donation of $10 helped. YOU helped to change their lives.
So, know that whatever you give or do, no matter how small can add up to something big. Thanks to each and every one of you who donated, helped spread the word, and to our amazing vendors for making this possible! I’m happy to have been a small part of this and I hope you are too.
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