Sing Photography Untucked

Happy Easter!

Enjoy your day!!! xoxo, Amy 

  

Cool Quote.....

Happy Sunday! Hope all is well and right with you today. Our inspirational minister this morning during church used a quote that made me sit up and smile. Now, I ain't trying to teach, preach or anything else here. I simply dig when words speak to me and kind of propel me forward a bit. I love quotes and how the right ones seem to pop out at me at the right time in life. Coming upon one is always a great way to reflect on thoughts or feelings in a way that maybe I couldn't say myself. This quote is from Helen Keller......"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved." 

These words caused me to breathe in deeply today. Now, seriously, there isn't any trial and suffering going on over here at the moment. Been there, sure. Will be there again, we all will. But just for today the trial and suffering part speaks to me in a way of living out loud. Not staying safe or in "ease and quiet". Like being messy and making mistakes. Becoming active toward a crazy goal or dream that has felt too scary to mention. Really listening to small inner voice ideas that feel perfect but may not be the way the neighbors or others would go about doing something. And doing it anyway, just because it is right for me or me and my family. These kinds of realizations are so cool because they make me less judging or critical of how others are going about their own lives. Also, that when I do go for it and live authentically, people are really loving and accepting. I often am my own toughest critic.

Now, I also don't have any big ol' earth shattering or crazy news to tell ya to go along with such a dramatic post. I am on class 2 of The Artist's Way class this evening and am headed there in a bit. It is a 12 week course that is a journey in getting rid of blocks, listening to your authentic voice and on and on. It is a course that is perfect for me this springtime! I am noticing a theme running through my life lately of dusting off the cobwebs and listening to myself and getting out there and going for it. Whatever it may be. Messy mistakes and all. Here's to developing character!

Making Stuff.....

Happy Tuesday lovely people! This time of year is perfect for catching up on all the back end stuff that goes along with a business. I am currently in the middle of making up new paperwork and other materials. This is what I've been doing this morning. It was a ton of work and I dig it so much, thought I'd post it for all to see. 

Wishing You and Yours a Wonderful 2009!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, wonderful, passionate, fierce, incredible and so much more 2009! Thank you clients, friends and blog readers for making 2008 such an amazing year. Still in that lovely afterglow from sharing a perfect evening with my sweetie and good friends ringing in the new year. Thanks to Marsha and Colin for the fun snaps with me in 'em. Peace and love, Amy

Random Monday.......

Hi friends! I've missed the blog here. I am done with shoots for the year, but have been busy wrapping up the season by making cards and storyboards as well as fulfilling lots of orders for my wonderful client family! Also, Jack turns 6 tomorrow so it seems we've been having a birthday extravaganza around here. We had a party here with his friends on Friday. Lots of fun. Tomorrow will be full of good birthday times as well. I'm making homemade spaghetti for dinner and taking cupcakes to his classroom. He'll have a few more presents to open from us too! 

Also, lots of fun news on the re-branding front. The new look has been done and I'm dying to show it off but want to wait until everything is complete. We are on to website and blog now. I just can't say enough about the Whole Brain Creative team! These guys and their process have been just amazing! Contact me if you know of anyone looking into business identity because I would love to rave about Jeff and Kendra! 

Oh, me and a couple of my buds have been having such a great time with the DRPAD! Be sure to check out the album posted to the top left of the blog. You can send me a shot to post anytime if you would like to play along. I for one am getting so much out of it. The above shot of Garrett could have been posted to it. It is my sweet guy so full of joy at being included and running around with the big boys at Jack's bday party on Friday. Jack has some really sweet friends. They would pat him and make sure he was keeping up with them. A couple of times I heard, "I want Garrett to sit by me. I like Garrett. He's funny." I love that!

Sing Photography School......

will resume tomorrow. Been chugging away at the computer all day and my neck and shoulders are in need of a break. Thought I'd stop by here and let you know so that it doesn't keep me up tonight. :) Wish I had a substitute teacher for ya. Night night!

Some Saturday Randomness.....

I am in the middle of preparing, packing, list making, etc, to head out of town for the week. I am headed out early Monday morning to the magnificent Bald Head Island off of the coast of North Carolina. I'll be there connecting with many other photographers and will surely come back with stories and more pictures than any normal person would ever take. I am so thrilled to be taking such an amazing break for my business! There is always so much to learn and I am immensely grateful to the 4 dynamic women who are putting on Learnfest! Whoo-hoo!

That being said, I am also trying to clear off my desk and emails and get portrait orders fulfilled and delivered and communicate with everyone. I keep feeling like I am forgetting something. And I'll miss my boys, all 3 of them! I know that I'll be in this fantastic new place and wish they were there to experience it with me. They are the best travel buddies. But, if they were there, we wouldn't be hanging out anyway. So, this is all mine! Thanks babe for making it so easy for me to go! Lub you! (should have warned you... schmoopy alert!)

Also, I am so behind on blogging! I rented 2 lenses recently for this trip and a couple of other up coming things. Wanted to give them a whirl before I buy them. I rented the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 and the Canon 50mm 1.2. I'll give you a full run down later, but I love them both. For most of my work, I like to be close. I interact a lot with my subjects, so I just obviously can't connect as much with the telephoto lens. But, I've been having fun shooting my kiddos while they play. Just being a "fly on the wall". They are so over me with a camera, with the 70-200mm I have been able to just get them playing. We were in the dark woods with it the other day and because of the lovely 2.8 aperture, it is super fast in low light. I am also going to take it to Garrett's soccer game tomorrow, so that will be fun!

But the 50mm 1.2, I could just die! I don't ever want to be without it! You may hear me crying when I have to return it on October the 8th. Below are a few shots taken with it of my buddy Hayden. All of these were shot at 1.2 f-stop. Why you ask? Because I can. Love this lens. It will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine! Have a great week y'all!

New Closet!

Happy Monday! Thought I'd share my new closet with ya. This closet is actually in my office and I've had plans for a while to turn it into some type of open shelving thing. Marty took off the doors, but I could just never figure out a layout that would be attractive and have plenty of storage space. So, as you can see from the before picture below, it became a nightmare before we figured out a plan. I finally saw a cute layout in an Elfa flyer from The Container Store. We pretty much just followed that. Marty added lighting and painted the inside for me. (It's Begonia from Duron.) And hung the Elfa stuff. Love you babe! Anyway, I love the finished result. I still have a bit more arranging to do. All the albums on the floor are getting a home and a few other tweaks, but there you have it! The closet is for personal stuff, photos, scrapbooking supplies, etc. The rest of the office is on it's way to being made over to be cute as well as functional! Would love to hear about any fall decorating projects you are up to...
Our own little Handy Garrett.....
Here's the sad closet before. It was just draining the life out of me.

I Really Am Still Here!

Just been busy getting used to the new school schedule, being with the boys, fitting in date nights, cooking, exercising, getting things ready for a trip to Bald Head Island I am taking in a couple of weeks, trying to fight off this nagging cold and cough I've had forever, editing photos, processing and packaging orders, making albums, taking portraits and living life very fully! Loving it! But I guess with all that is going on, something had to be pushed aside and the blog was it. Oh! I am on Facebook now and am totally hooked. It has been a trip connecting with old friends. If you're on, lets be friends. If you're not, go sign up and lets be friends. Good night! Amy

Random Wednesday.....

Some randomness on a Wednesday for ya....

1. Still have availability for the Coffee Park Shoot Day. Send an email to amy@singphotography.com to book your session. Or call 678-230-3785 with any questions.

2. Been hectic and running crazy lately. Not working super smart on my part. Kind of running myself here to there in a ragged way. I hate to whine about that kind of thing, because I love what I do more than pretty much anything. But, just writing it helps me to clear my head a bit. I have been fortunate lately to cross paths with other folks/mom's, etc who own their own businesses and getting to see and talk to them about how they work is really helpful. Any sage advice is appreciated here. Also, working with a fantastic duo on some exciting back end stuff around here. Really looking at what Sing Photography is all about and where we are headed. Fun!

3. I am feeling kind of blah and probably shouldn't be blogging right now. Everything seems like a huge deal. Things that are in no way a big deal seem like a big deal. Like the fact that I had a great idea of what to do with displaying a chunk of the photos of the boys I am crazy about in their room. (Did you notice I wrote their room. Yes, as of a couple of weeks ago, they are in bunk beds. Totally their idea. They love it, and we have been having fun making their new room together.) Anyway, the photos.....so now I have come up yet with another idea for their room and just can't make up my mind. I do this all day long with my clients and it's like buttah. Just can't decide for myself. For some reason this has turned into such a heavy big deal decision. Pa-lease! I know this is pathetic. This is so nothing! Just giving you a glimpse of the craziness I am carrying around right now. It's like my brain is just full and it's picking the dumbest thing to dwell on.

4. We are leaving for vacation this Saturday until the next Saturday. I am thinking that will definitely help with my pitifulness. There is nothing like a vacation to realize how small and unimportant things like schedules, emails, phone calls and decisions about what pictures to hang your kid's rooms really are. Things tend to run perfectly and actually nobody really misses you either. Except Lulu. She'll miss us.

5. This point and shoot came in the mail today. The battery is charging now. I can't wait to shoot with it. We haven't had one in a while. Was never happy with the like 10 minute delay after pressing the exposure button. But, this one is pretty fast when it's in focus. It also has manual functions. I am so excited to have a camera in my pocket and to be able to take snapshots anytime. Be warned. I'll probably be pretty dangerous with this thing for a while. I'll give a full review here once we've used it. I am leaving the 5d behind when we head to Fla. And, I did order this one from B&H. The Coach carrying case is really adorable, not a necessity but it was a fun find since we were in the market for a point and shoot anyway. It came with the Coach case, a 4GB SD card and other goodies at a price for pretty much what the camera alone is at the stores.

6. Jack starts kindergarten in only a few weeks. This, and the fact that my baby is out of diapers and sleeping in a big boy bed could be part of my funkiness too. Starting to feel heavier about it than I thought I would. I really wanted to be all excited that he is going and kind of like,"Oh, well you know it's great, and this is part of life and it's no big deal" and blah, blah, blah, but I am a worrier and am well, just worried. He is my first baby. I want him to be independent, but I also want him to stay with me. I know to be a healthy person he needs to deal and cope with tough things and disappointment and life, but I don't want for him to get hurt. It's like this is all just the beginning. And this is all just the worried part coming out, because I know it is also just the start of some wonderfulness too, but I won't be there during the day to see all of it anymore. (See, there is just no consoling me).

7. That's all for now. Tomorrow is another day. Thanks for letting me be pitiful.