Photographer smackdown - Day 2!

Courtney picked the theme today of "'Round the house". This was a puzzler for me. Because to be fair, there are a lot of round things around here.

I really wanted to be clever and have a photo of a round house kick, but Ahem. I can't do one of those, it'd be more like a round hospital kick, and a back brace, and a trip to the emergency room. Now hubs, he can do a roundhouse but after a full day of wrangling windshields, I kinda have a hard time asking him to do 900 kicks in the back yard.

So, I went with plan B:

Around my house.

You'll find these about everywhere, on the coffee table, end table, my desk, the scrapbook room, kitchen counter, heck, you probably will find them in the bathroom. And they're never empty, they're always 1/3 full because I can't drink them fast enough to keep them cold. Once they warm up, they're icky. Every couple days I have a little diet coke scavenger hunt and round them all up for recycling day.

I have issues.

Theme for tomorrow?

"This is what Life looks like"

Courtney? Know anyone giving birth? Because that's a guarenteed win!

Server change

Bear with me folks while I change servers. I will have moments of no website at ALL, and then I may have dead links until I get it everything checked. Sorry for the issues! I'm still here.

Lana

***Update***

Server should be completely moved and that went entirely too smooth. Please contact me if you see any weird/dead links on my site. You shouldn't as it's a relatively small site, but just in case!

Summer Photo Smackdown - Day 1

Day one out of the gate, I chose the phrase "Color my World". I'm a color freak and find myself punching all my color. I have a VERY HARD time making soft photos with muted colors. Love them lots, mainly because I look at them like a monkey looking at a football.

I chose to make mine more difficult and add a little oomph to it by making it all summer images.

Be sure to check out Courtney's blog for her version of the theme. Her pick next. I'm anxious to see what torture she has in store for me!

I heart Faces "Wedding Bells" entry

I heart Faces is having a wedding themed contest this week that is judged by suppastar, Jasmine Star. Well, I certainly couldn't resist since I had Sarah and Jack's photos sitting right here on my desktop as I worked on them today. So, I'm submitting my official entry! {and a quicky sneak peek for Sarah and Jack - which won't see it because... they are in Belize. Don't we just hate it when that happens?}

Photographer smackdown contest!

My lovely friend Courtney Paris (Courtney Paris Photography) and I have started a little challenge with each other. It's the photographer smackdown. Each day this week, we offer up a phrase for each of us (taking turns) and the next day we'll post on our blogs, the results that each of us come up with! I'm excited for what we each come up with. Courtney is a very talented photographer from Louisville, Kentucky. She specializes in weddings, kids, families and does boudoir, which I have never dipped my toe in that water! She's braver than I. She's also very active in an organization called "Now I lay me down to sleep", which is kind of sad, but a loving gift she gives to new parents that have just lost their new babies.I got to start the smackdown with the phrase "color my world". I've got in mind what I'm going to do, and I have a big assignment ahead of me today to have for you tomorrow morning!

Game on Courtney!
Game. on.

Price adjustment

Hi everyone!

I will be having a price adjustment in the next 30 days. Any inquiries made, will be extended an extra 2 weeks after the adjustments only. If you have been on the fence about booking, please let me know ASAP.

THANKS!

Congrats to Kristin and Jake - getting married

Finally....
I have some awesome pics to share with you from Kristin and Jake's wedding. Things have been kind of hopping around here the past few weeks and I'm getting backed up! Goals goals.. I'm on it!!

Not your typical bridal shoes. Oh how I want these boots, and the legs that will look good in them!

This is Kristin looking at her daughter Janae and Jake's mom. I love this shot, she looks so happy.

It was so cold out! Sorry girls!

Kristin and Dad's touching first dance.

Popular guy!

Jake's mom and dad. Gee, do you think he was raised by a set of loving people? :)

Omg.. what did I just do??

I love this shot! So much activity and fun, and a little one just interested in what the heck I'm doing! heh




Thank you guys, for letting me be there on your special day! I had the best time, and with a cowboy of my own at home, I felt like we really fit in. LOL

Meet Kooper - this little toe headed blond

Meet Kooper.

He's a little toe-head blond, and also the great-nephew of one of my high school BFFs. Honestly, I'm 100% sure that had nothing to do with it, but you know, I can never let one of those references go.

I had intended on sharing some photos from Kristin and Jake's wedding, and have a ton done, but I'm not finished yet even tho I worked on it ALL DAY LONG. (this one is kicking my rear!) so I thought I'd take a break from it, share some cute baby pics instead and finish up tomorrow... I hope or I might have to shoot myself.

This image really brought out my incredible blond roots. You see, I had to literally write Kooper, FIVE TIMES before I got it right. I think his mom thought I was a dork... because I WAS! I swear Tara I'm usually not quite so special as I was that morning, but the K totally threw me off.

Kooper's dad is a cop, as is his grandpa, and as was his great grandpa. We drove up to the sheriff's department and took photos outside by the brick walls.

Did I ever tell you that I used to spend the night at the jail? No really. Kooper's Aunt Shellie's family (the sheriff) used to live upstairs from the Sheriff's Dept. We'd spend the night and play in the jail if it was empty... or make a point of passing the jail door if it wasn't (a taunt I suppose lol.. woohoo.. I'm free you're not! neener)

Anyway, back to Kooper... he makes that super cute "OMG!" look every time he sees a truck. This is a boy's boy right here.

And to prove it, here's Kooper playing with a rock. Rocks and balls make this kid happy. Oh... and trucks.

Shortly after this photo, he decided to store it in the only pocket he had. His diaper. I say it's better than finding earthworms and hot wheels in there, don't you agree?

More photos of Kooper soon, but in the meantime I'm off to bed with more pics to share tomorrow. I hope, or you're allowed to string me up.

Let's test your patience

I'm going to test your patience and longevity today. I'm also going to give you an assignment. Now, for the record I'll never know if you complete it, but gosh darn it, I will give you a disappointing stare if I find out you didn't at least try.
:p

Years ago, when I lived on Buchanan street, we had the BEST tree ever in front of our house. Technically it was the neighbors tree, but it was positioned so that we got some of the wonderful benefits. Those included shade in the summer (it was as big as our house - which was pretty good sized), it also included the wonderful bright orange light it would cast on early fall mornings. I would wake up and the entire inside of my home would be bright orange as the sun came up and filtered through my windows.

Sadly, a couple years ago, it became diseased and had to be cut down. Honestly, I was a bit outraged, but since it wasn't my house any more, I had no say.

Anyway, I gave myself a project one year. I was going to document this tree as it changed from summer to bright orange in the fall. Every couple days for about 3 weeks, I went across the street and took a photo from the same spot. It was almost like a time lapse as you could see it turn from green, then the tips of the branches turning, until weeks later, it was nothing but a brilliant orange.

Last fall, I found a photo online of a tree that I was very inspired by, and I set out to recreate it.

It started as one photo, in the fall which quickly became one of my favorite photos of all time. In fact, the fall photo hangs on my wall now. Then I got to thinking, how cool would it be, to take a photo of the same tree, in the same spot, from the same angle, for every single season of the year?

Now, if you live in northwest Missouri like I do, a seasonal photo does not take 12 months. You can pull it off in around 8. The first photo was taken in late October, and the last one (summer) was taken yesterday, so it's not as long of a commitment as you might think. It's not like braces... or marriage.

So your assignment is to pick something, and take a time lapse of it. It could be a a flower as it blossoms over 3 days, a tree as it grows over a summer, or even a child's annual photo each year until they are 30-something.

I once saw a photographer (sorry I can not find the link!) that took an annual photo of each member of his family on the same day every year.... for 30 years! It was cool to see them as the family grew... and aged from infants to full grown adults.

Another great one I heard about, was taking a photo every year of a daughter, as she grew into mom's wedding dress. This would be so fun for a boy, growing into dad's boots too!

It doesn't have to be hard, or fancy... heck you can even use a camera phone (grimace), but giving yourself an assignment is a cool way to remind you to document your life.

Do that.


My 4 photos? I think they'll end up being 4 canvases somewhere in the house (I'm addicted to large art now), and I'm not sure what "assignment" I'll give myself next, I still haven't started that 100 strangers project.

Do I know you?
No?
Can I take your photo then?