I Need Time Off From Work to Catch Up On Work

I'm so far behind in photos... shocking, I know.



I'm working on getting through about 10 sessions that are sitting on my computer at home. I feel like I need to take a vacation from work so I can stay home and work! It's fantastic though. I've had to start turning down website jobs because there's just not enough time for me to get everything done. I already work two or three hours when I come home every evening.

I'm at the point right now where I want to concentrate on my own business and my own career, and not worry about other people's for once. Aside from photo editing I have a bizzilion other things I should be doing. Create print materials, updating my website, fixing up my business' Facebook page all nice like, networking like hell...

Maybe I'll call in sick tomorrow.

Random Thoughts

Just some thoughts since I'm too scattered right now to focus...


I turn 26 in a couple of weeks and it's got me thinking about stuff I never thought I would like when I was younger...

Hot tea
J. Crew
Fleetwood Mac
Marriage
Beer

I'm nervous because my car is making noise. It sounds like there's a helicopter under the hood. I'm praying a couple quarts of oil will make the sound go away. If not, I'm praying it doesn't explode.

I bought a completely ridiculous Betsey Johnson ring last weekend. It's a bright green snake that wraps around my middle finger. I felt bad about it until my husband called me and told me that he found an acoustic guitar he wanted to buy. I then contemplated going back and buying a matching ridiculous necklace.

Speaking of my husband, I hung out with him and a bunch of his rock star buddies on Saturday. They're all young and lacking responsibilities like children and mortgages so they party a lot. I did my best to keep up with the whipper snappers. I hung in until around 3:30, at which point I pretended to use the bathroom and poured my last beer down the drain so we could go home and just go to bed already... It was one of those nights where everything just falls into place and everyone has a really great time. I was exhausted but still sorry to see the night end.

I have three shoots this week. A couple of them are serious fun. One is a shoot I'm forcing Matt into doing which will either be fantastic or freakin cheesy, and the other is a wild bridal portrait with a hippie friend and some of her "bridesmaids." I think it's going to be awesome.

The Wedding: A Day of Terror

My photography blog is where I appear to be a professional person who knows what they're doing.

This blog is where I tell the truth.

I photographed an entire wedding on Saturday and I left the reception feeling like a complete failure. It was a day so terrifying and exhausting I fear having to do it again. Seriously, I'm afraid to photograph another one after the first one. I know the first time doing anything is hard and sometimes shitty, so I'm just trying to keep reminding myself that it can only get better from here.

I learned that I seriously need to learn to use my flash. Who in their right minds photographs a reception without knowing how to use a flash??? This girl apparently. I thought I could get by with the available light in the hall, but then they turned off the available light and I was left with lighting from a string of Christmas lights and a window.

It was bad.

I got by for the most part using my 50mm 1.4 lens and my ISO cranked about as high as possible, which is so very unkosher. I didn't know what else to do though. I used the flash on some shots and they were freaking horrible. I stuck to the low-light lens and prayed that I got some in focus. It worked for the most part but there are some that are really grainy due to the ISO. It was certainly a learning experience.

Barbie's Senior Pictures

Barbie's Senior Pictures!

These were insane... So much fun! More at my photo blog.

Maddex

Maddex's six month pictures! More at my photography blog.

Random.

Matt and I impulse-booked a trip to Chicago today. Or rather, I impulse-booked and he gave his approval with a text message that simply said, "K." I was searching around looking for a good concert to go see for our anniversary and I found Brendan Benson in Chicago, playing at some bar for $15. Pardon me? $15?

I'll take two.

Then I found a ridiculously cheap hotel within walking distance of the show, so I snatched that up too. It's been a while since I've been to Chicago so I'm looking forward to it. I'm also equally excited to stop in Amana on the way home and buy cheese, jelly and blackberry wine. Bless those dear European settlers and their quaint tourist attractions.

I also found this today and it made me laugh.



I used to live with a guy who looks exactly like Ringo. Sometimes he would wear a hat and ride his bike and then he would really look like Ringo. One night when we were all drunk, he got his bike and hat out to make us laugh and probably impress a girl. He rode down the hill in our front yard and ran straight into a parked car, flipping over the hood and landing in the street. He dented the hell out of the neighbor's car. It was one of the top five funniest things I've ever seen.

Tuesday, Tuesday

Wow. So, it's been a while since I posted on here.

Things have been sort of manic lately. Work completely blows right now. My department at work is slowly being eliminated so everyday I cross my fingers that *today* I might finally be handed a severance package and get escorted from the building. I'm taking the possibility of losing my job as the final step in my push to be a photographer full-time. Well, maybe a photographer/waitress/school para. Or whatever part time job I can get in this economy.

Let's all pause to roll our eyes at the economy talk, yet again.

The huge pain in the tuchus at this point though is that I'm ready for the transition (sort of) and I'm ready to move on with my life, but I'm stuck waiting for that rotten severance. It doesn't make any sense to quit mere weeks before they plan on letting me go. I'd be out at least six weeks of additional pay. And right now that money is pretty necessary.

Tomorrow I have a senior portrait, then this weekend I have two weddings, and next week I'm meeting with a wedding cake bakery to talk about networking and industry whatnot. I am seriously excited. I'm hoping that after I get a couple of these weddings done I'll be able to add wedding booking information to my site and get going on this!