We (my good friend and fellow photog Kim, who flew down and met me there) stayed in a small, historical hotel in the Garden District, not too far from the conference center.  Every morning we would wake up and walk to the convention center.  Talk about getting the blood flowing!  The workshops started at 7:00 a.m., so we were up and out early.  We also walked to lunch and walked back to the hotel at the end of each day.  Boy did we get our exercise in!  One night while walking back to the hotel after the convention party, we witnessed an interesting (for lack of a better word) sight.  I can’t really go into it since this is a PG post, but I will tell you it was of an adult nature.  I’m sure you can come up with an idea of what we saw.

The workshops were fabulous and have given me so many new ideas that have re-energized me.  I can’t wait to share my ideas with you in the coming weeks and months.  I’ll have special offers and brand new products.  If you are signed up for my monthly newsletter or “like” my page on FaceBook, you’ll be receiving some information this week.  If you are not, then maybe you should.  I’d love to connect with you.

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Have you made a New Year’s resolution?  I did, but mine is the same every year.  My resolution is to be happy.  That’s it.  No, I don’t need to lose weight.  I don’t need to find a new job, I just want to continue to be happy.  I think that’s pretty simple and if you know how, easy to do as well.  I already do what I love for a living.  I have a wonderful son and husband and yes, we even have a great dog.  All of our needs are met and even some of our wants and my family and friends are happy and healthy, as are we.  What more could I ask for?

So, do you have any resolutions for this year?  If so, I’d like to read them.   Just drop me a line on this blog or on my Facebook page.  My next blog will be of one of my last sessions, so stay tuned.

Yesterday I decided to take the day off, which is always hard for me to do, but I did it.  I spent more time with my family and doing things that I needed to do.  Today I am working and I realized that this would be my last blog of the year, so of course I had to say something.

I just want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year filled with much success, joy and love.  Learn from your mistakes and try to be the best person you can possibly be.  That doesn’t mean try to be perfect, it just means do the best you can.  Help those who need help and make sure to take care of yourself and your family to the best of your ability.  Thank you all so much for allowing me to share my experiences and thoughts with you.  Below are some of my favorite images from this year and I look forward to creating more great images!

If that sounds good to you, then boy have I got something cool for you!  Photo jewelry! Yep, that’s right.  Instead of carrying around images in your wallet or on your phone, you can now wear it!  How cool is that?  Just in case you’re thinking it’s some cheesy jewelry, I’d like to inform you that that is simply not the case.  Not only is it fashionable and beautiful, it is sturdy as well.  It is guaranteed not to fade or yellow.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.

This is a sneak peak of what I will be offering for the holidays, as well as for other occasions.  If you subscribe to my monthly newsletter, you will get even more information on the jewelry.  It’s not too late to subscribe!

As the saying goes, it’s not important that you fell down, but that you got back up.  I’ve been in business for 8 years and have had a total of 2 unhappy clients.  Of course I would have liked that number to be zero, but that’s just not possible.  The main thing is that you find out what the issue with your customer/client is and rectify it as soon as possible. Sometimes it may be difficult to determine what their real problem is, but keep digging. Well, I keep digging because if you’re not happy, I’m not happy.

This is not just about business, this is about me.  I do not like my clients being unhappy for any reason, regardless of what or who made them that way.  Unhappy clients are not something I enjoy talking about, but it is a fact of life.  I work my hardest to give them the best product and service I can, but I am not perfect.  Sometimes there are misunderstandings, but the important thing is that we come to an understanding in the end.

Talking about this is not something I enjoy, but I felt it was important enough to put in my blog.  We all fall short of our somewhat lofty goals for whatever reason and need to make things right to move on.  My first unhappy client came about because of a miscommunication on her part.  Most recently I had an issue with a client that was caused by a scheduling error on my part.  It really hurt me to know that I had disappointed my client.  She was upset and understandably so.  For three days I worked with her to come to an amiable solution to our issue.  Finally, after numerous phone calls and emails we came to a resolution that we both agreed upon.

I’m not proud that we had an issue in the first place, but I am glad that it is resolved. When I disappoint someone, it’s like me disappointing myself because I know that I am better than that.  Conflict resolution is not something I deal with on a regular basis, but it is good a good skill to have.  I’m not the best at it, but I do what I can and do what I have to do to get it done.  As I said before, I am not perfect but I am an excellent photographer who cares about her clients and giving them the best that I can.

Most of my clients are people who call or email me that I’ve never met a day in my life, but every once in a while one of my friends will ask me to photograph them and or their family.  This is always an exceptional joy because they are not just asking me to do it because I am their friend, but because they like and admire my work.  That is a really big compliment and I hope they know it is greatly appreciated.

My latest session was with my friend Dawn and her family.  I’ve know Dawn for some years now, but this was the first formal portrait session I’ve had with her.  I was so excited to photograph the Mullings, besides it’s always great to see them anyway.

When I arrived, Dawn’s daughter Sydnei answered the door.  She was sweet as usual, even though she wasn’t feeling very well.  Darn allergies!  She welcomed me in and informed Dawn and Damian that I was there.  At that point they were still getting ready, so I went ahead and set up in the living room.  As I was setting up, Dawn came out to greet me, as did Damian and we discussed the best place for the images.  It was good to know that we were all on the same page.

Dawn and Damian have been married about the same amount of time my husband and I have been married, and I’ve known Dawn longer than that.  I mention this because Damian knew he knew me from somewhere, but couldn’t quite place me.  After Dawn explained to him where he knew me from, he realized it was ok to welcome me with a hug.  You’d think after that many years you’d remember, but I digress.

When I photograph families, I like to get the dynamics of the families…basically natural interactions.  With some people it’s easier than others.  Some families you can just have them sit next to each other and they just start interacting.  Others, I have to work with and tell them things like “act like you like her.”  The Mullings were more like the former.  At times I would rearrange the order, but they would take over and act like I wasn’t even there.  I love when that happens because then I can get some really candid and yes, even silly moments.

They are a very fun-loving and loving family and my goal was to capture all of that in their images.  I believe I was able to do that, but I think I might be biased.  At any rate, we had a fun session and even though Sydnei was under the weather, she was a real trooper.  Below are a few from the session.  Enjoy!

Before the youngest Brown came along we had a maternity/family session.  These are always great because we mix up the session so everyone gets to be photographed with everyone else and by themselves.  Of course this type of session lends itself to plenty of images with lots of choices!

As many of you know, there is nothing like the bond between a parent and their child/children.  Because mothers are supposed to be the nurturing ones, it’s no surprise when they are closer to the child than the father, but there are times when the roles are reversed.  Being a mother, I understand the love and devotion between a mother and her child/children and love capturing that connection.  Every once in a while I get to witness that same type of connection between the father and the child/children.    This connection is quite evident with Mr. Brown and son.

From the very beginning it has been quite evident that he had a special bond with his son. Fathers and their first born sons are always a major deal, but it seemed to be a bit more between these too.  They are just a joy for me to photograph because when I put them together they begin interacting with each other.  As I’m composing a shot, there may be a hug or kiss exchanged, some playful moments and very tender moments.  Is it always quick and easy?  Of course not.  Children can’t be turned on and off and sometimes you have to bribe them to get the shot.  Other times they are just priceless and no matter what they do it’s pure magic!

Well I can try to describe the bond between them all day, but I think it would be easier if I showed you.  Below are some images from the session along with a collage that I created.  Mrs. Brown provided me with what she wanted created for Mr. Brown’s Father’s Day gift and I did the rest.  It was printed on a 20×24 gallery block and was absolutely gorgeous!  (Thanks Artsy Couture!)  Without further adieu, meet the Browns (again)!

Whenever I photograph Ms. Johnson, there is always a reason, aside from just wanting pictures taken.  Although, she does love pictures and loves having her picture taken, this session had an additional element added on to it.

Considering she is from Sierra Leone, she wanted to commemorate African Liberation Day by being photographed in her native attire.  She brought three lovely outfits that were vibrantly colored.  They worked very well with the surroundings and helped enhance the image.  We used various areas within the park with each individual outfit to accent her and what she was wearing.  She had the most lovely shoes, but they weren’t the best for walking over non-flat surfaces.  Luckily she brought some “walking” shoes to get around.

As usual, she was very good natured and wanted to try different things and go to different places.  At one point I thought she might sink into the lake as she was a bit closer to the edge than I wanted her to be.  Note to self: soft mud/sand/dirt are not conducive to standing when wearing high heel shoes.  Those familiar with Stone Mountain Park can probably tell where we were in each shot.

This session was so much fun and it’s always a pleasure to see and photograph Ms. Johnson.  Below is a peek at her session.  If you have a comment, please feel free to leave one.  I’d love to read what you think.

Have you figured out what it is yet?  It’s a free consultation!  Yes, I am excited about it and I will tell you why.  One purpose of a free consultation is first and foremost, having the opportunity for me to meet you in person and vice-versa (I love meeting new people).  Meeting in person allows us to determine whether there is good chemistry and plus it’s easier to get comfortable with someone in person than it is over the phone.  No one wants to work with someone they don’t like or makes them uncomfortable.

The next thing a free consultation does is allows you to ask questions and to discuss what you want to achieve from your session.  I also bring samples of my work and products so you can see and feel what I offer.  You may have some really cool ideas that you want to incorporate into the images and I’m all about collaboration.  I do have ideas of my own and those ideas may change after meeting you.  My goal is to capture the best of you and to make you happy with what I capture.  When I photograph people, I’m not just trying to make you look good, but I am trying to tell a story and show the real you that you may not show to others often.  If I were to break it down, the reactions I’m looking for are “awwwwwww”, “oooooooh”, “that’s so sweet”, “that’s awesome!”.

The last thing the free consultation does is lets you know what to expect before, during and after the session.  No one likes to be in the dark, wondering what’s going to happen next and when it’s going to happen.  When you prepare for your free consultation, it is a good idea to have some questions in mind.  Perhaps even write them down to make sure you don’t forget.  Even if you do forget, you can always call me back at a later time or email me.  Basically I try to make the sessions as worry-free and fun as possible.

So now you know, not everything that’s free is good or worth it, but I hope you also know that my free consultation is.

I know it’s only the end of February, beginning of March, but I can feel it.  My calendar is ready and waiting to be filled with the laughter and smiles of children and perhaps even their parents.  Don’t forget about the happy, newly engaged couples and busy families.  Do you fit into any of these categories?  You can always make a category of your own!  This Spring we can try new ideas and locations.  Atlanta offers many beautiful locales and venues to choose from.  Help me make them even more beautiful by adding you to them!