My Nephew Stryker...

...is way cool. Check out his new duds. (Or lack of in the case of the second look). I wanted to do something fun and different (it's not always easy to be creative with little boys) for a studio sample album, so my sister and I went on a mini shopping spree before we shot his one year photos. Lucky for us, Stryker made it through the shopping spree AND through the shoot. And he got his cake as a reward. :)

What do you think? Is he better as a rocker or a cowboy? Feel free to comment...

I was inspired today...

I came across the blog today of another photographer – per a professional photography association contest I was supposed to be voting on my favorite photography blog… of 400+ to look at I’m not sure how I picked hers of just the few I viewed. But I did, and I was quickly addicted (I do not get addicted easily). You might be thinking I was inspired by her photography or her style, but really it was just her. Her blog is filled with joy and prettiness and much much grief. You see, her little girl passed away two years ago, and her blog has become a photo chronicle of her pain mixed with blessings. (http://sheyerosemeyerphotography.com/blog/ if you wish to find yourself addicted too).

In contrast, I am not one to bare my soul. To be excessively transparent or vulnerable. Sincere, yes. Genuine, absolutely. But pouring out emotions to the world, not so much. I have always had a bit of a conflict with the whole blogging thing. It seems so… out there. Ones life for all to see. A business blog of course is another matter; what a great tool for communicating, for updating! And yet, I haven’t been terribly good at it (as you may have noticed from the time that passes between posts). :) It seems sometimes a chore to add to my already overwhelming list of things to do. And until now, mixing the business posts with personal insights just hasn’t been my style. (Which brings me to some new ideas I have been mulling over for turning this blog into something entirely not like anyone else’s… but more on that later). :)

So today I was inspired because this woman’s blog, personal stories of her day or her grief mixed with undeniably gorgeous photos of her children & more, was full of LIFE. And I was drawn to her. Her ability to translate everyday moments and her love for her children into something beyond beautiful. Her willingness to open her soul to the world and surrender to the emotions we all feel. It made me want to, of course, take more pictures of my kids, my precious kids. But also to add a bit of life to my blog too, soul-baring or not. :) And though I still imagine this blog as informative, business-oriented, an inspiring connection to photography, fashion, & creativity, I also want it to have some depth. I think it should be a bit more REAL.

So to start, here are some things about me. Not flighty things, but REAL things. (Beyond the fact that I love to see the world through pictures and am honored to have the privilege to do so).

-I am a deep thinker. I am very analytical. Despite being obsessively creative and idea-oriented I actually love details and problem solving.

-I want to love life more. To love God more. To love my husband more. I do not think I could love my kids more.

-I love to write. I write in my head all the time. I have very little time to actually write on paper. Someday I would like to write a book, or two, or several.

-I used to be a perfectionist. I'm now "very meticulous" and yet completley flexible at the same time.

-I am inherently empathetic, excessively compassionate. I try to avoid being so. To the point that I cannot watch the news or think to hard about the world around me or I fear I might do nothing but cry over other people’s grief or tear up over the wonder of so many blessings. And yet I am almost always happy. Joy comes from far more than circumstances.

-I have serious plans for at least two other businesses. I cannot stop the ideas from coming. Yet I see no way in which they will ever exist since it just me, myself, and I (and we have very little time on our hands).

-I talk too fast. Often times too much. I am much better with words on paper than in person. If only my mouth was half as savvy as my brain.

-My New Years resolution is to spend more time with people and less with my computer.

-I really-truly-genuinely care about people.

-I love~love~love my business, but I love my family more.

With that said, I hope you will be inspired to be introspective for a moment as well. To love more, to let yourself take time to feel, to get caught up in the joy of life no matter the circumstances. To seek purpose and truth. And of course, to be grateful for what you have.

With a new blog format coming soon (& by soon I mean as soon as I can humanly get to it when I currently have 28 business & marketing projects on my plate outside of my regular client upkeep) :) I will make an effort to mix in glimpses of my children, my life, or my thoughts. Maybe for you, maybe just for me. Because what's really important is what's really important and it's good to be reminded of that.

Friends...

We had the pleasure of visiting with some out-of-town friends a couple of weeks ago, and I was blessed to be able to enjoy their family through the art of taking pictures... (what better way!) They're so cute that I just had to get them on the blog. :) Our kids of course all had a great time playing together and we look forward to their next visit. Thanks S & J for making some time for our family. Enjoy the rest of you time here and safe travels to you!

And so a New Year begins...

Happy New Year everyone! A big welcome to 2009... :)

I am back to work (as of last week actually), though the studio schedule for January is a bit sporadic still. While many people may feel down once the excitement of the holidays are over, I actually love Januaury! For me it's a chance to begin planning the new marketing, products & events of the year ahead. And since my head is almost always over-flowing with ideas, I love that I can sit down guilt-free and get them all out. It's a luxury for me just to "think" and write and create. So here's to a new year... wishing you ideas & inspiration as well! I can't wait to see what the creativity of this month will mean for the studio throughout the year.

Cheers!
Shannon :)

Merry Christmas! (& holiday schedule)

Merry Christmas everyone! May you have a blessed time with your family and friends during this very joyous season. I will be in and out (mostly out) over the next two weeks (& will not always have access to email), so please be patient if you try to get in touch. I will be back in town for good starting Mon Jan 5th, and will resume regular studio hours the week of the 12th. (For those of you who have appts/shoots Mon & Tues the 29th/30th - don't worry I will be there!) :) I hope you all get the much needed rest and relaxation that I'm looking forward to as well. May your holiday season be Merry & Bright! ~Shannon :)

Hurray for Christmas! 2008 Holiday Cards...

I've spent most of last week and this week designing holiday cards (very time consuming, but one of my favorite things to do!) and while I could never post them all for lack of space, here are a few of my favorite's for this season. (Never mind that I haven't even thought about OUR card for the year!) :) Most of them just came in by the way, so if you're one of my wonderful clients awaiting yours, you should be receiving a call or email later today to set up a pick-up time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Senior Picture Feature ~ Connie

While I'm not one of those photographer's who can find the time to post images from every shoot on the blog (I'm too busy editing your pictures!) :), I am hoping to feature one shoot a week to give you all a glimpse into some of my current work. This week I'm working on prepping numerous orders for print, and thought I'd feature these images of Connie from our senior picture shoot earlier this fall. Isn't she gorgeous?!!! :) Senior picture shoots here at Feather Blue Studios include one digital image (logo tagged) per look for use on facebook and the like. Pretty cool, huh? These are the three that Connie will get to show off.