The Sydster!!!!

It's not often I get to photograph miss Sydney (my step daughter). She doesn't really like to be in front of the camera like my Sarah does. But I was so happy when she ask if I could take some pictures for her myspace page!!! Sooo here are some of my favorits.

Sarah's School Program

So I went to a school function for my daughter Sarah. It was all about Saving the Earth. I can't beleive she is growing up so fast. It's just so hard to beleive she is 9 years old. I am just proud to be her mother.
Here are a few cute pictures from the program.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I thought I would wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! Hope you eat lots of turkey!! My family goes to the beach for the Thanksgiving holiday every year so I am so excited. We leave tomorrow. We stay up all night and SHOP SHOP SHOP from midnight until most of the day on Friday!!! Yall be good now!

A little teaser from today

I had the pleasure of meeting another great couple today. We went out to Sarah P Duke Gardens to do some engagement picturs and here is just a little teaser!!

Enjoy!!

Be Inspired!!

Just doing her thang!!!!!!!!

Check her out, playing Soccer. and LOVEING it!!!
Not to mention she's pretty good to considering this is the first year she's ever played. We had a game the other night and becuase the other team didn't show due to a party we had a little kids on parents game. That was a blast. I will have to post a few showing off some of us parents.

But here are some of Sarah playing!!!

Margarette and Tommy's Engagement Session

Was fabulous!!! They have actually been together for 6 years and I can not wait to do their wedding. We went to Cedar Rock park in Burlington and in the fall it is my favorite place to shoot. All the beautiful colors and barns and open fields. We had a great time there today
Here are a few of my favorites. All though it was pretty had to choose







.

Mrs. Kristi A beautiful bride

This is Kristi, my bride from this weddkend.
The wedding was beautiful and the location was something
like out of a fairy tail. If you're looking for a place to
get married you should deff check this place out.
The Wagner House Located in Clayton NC.

John and Jessica Got Hitched!!!

Just alittle Sneak Peak of John and Jessica's Wedding at the beautiful Pine Lake Pavillion.

THINK PINK!!!

Well it's October...Breast Cancer Awareness Month.



Having a friend that is a survivor of breast cancer I am always trying to think of ways to honor ALL those people out their that have to fight or have fought this terrible disease.



There is so many resources out there if you would like to do something to help out!



This year my daughter and I decided to go PINK with our hair!!! So, we both have pink hair.

So here are a few pictures of use with our PINK hair.

LOOKING FOR MODELS

I am looking for a model for a photo shoot!!!

Requirements....

Must be at least 18 to 30 years old

willing to model in a wedding dress that I will provide

Must be a size 6 to 8

No experience necessary but you must enjoy being photographed

Must be available for Oct 19th at 3pm until 5pm

Must be willing to travel to with Greensboro

WHAT YOU WILL BE COMPENSATED!!!

You will get a free photo shoot for up to 2 hours

a $50.00 print credit

and if you do not want photos of yourself in a wedding dress we can set you up an appointment for a 1 to 2 hour photo shoot of your choice with the $50.00 print credit.

If you are enterested please send me an email to smith_photography2006@hotmail.com
along with a recent photo of your self.

Only one model will be choosen.

Notice the Change???

I am currently editing my blog so right now it may look a little funny!!
Don't worry though it will be cute again very soon!!!

be back lata!!

The Newest Member of My Family!!

FINN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't he to most precious thing you've ever seen!!! He's a miniture beagle and I got him thanks to alot of really good friends who helped get him to me all the way from MO.

As soon as I saw a picture of him I fell in love with him. Those big ol eyes and those droopy ears!! how could anyone NOT fall in love with him. He loves to run and play in the yard. He follows my Sarah all around the house!

Check out Miss Kandis!!

This is Kandis, my newest high school senior from Orange High School

It was so fun to do her shoot becuase she wanted to do some indoor and some out door shots.
Normally my seniors want either one or the other but not both so this was fun.
We did a few traditional shots but then I got to do some creative shots of her.
Check out this little sneaky peaky!! Can't wait to get the rest of them finished.

Can't wait till Saturday!!!

This is John and Jessica, I will be photographing thier wedding on Saturday at
Pine Lake Pavilion
in Mebane NC. It is an absolutly beautiful location for weddings.

I went to the rehersal tonight to take a few pictures and just check out what will go on for that day.

See you guys Saturday!!!

Why does Custom Photography cost more?

Digital technology is brilliant. The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and amazing amounts of control for the photographer, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur. With flexibility comes a price though. Camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into all of this.

Even though you pay $1.99 for a print at your local drugstore and paying for film is pretty much a thing of the past (although you still pay for memory) you may be wondering why you may pay upwards of $40, 50, 70, 90 for a custom photography print.Some photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:

"How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at the local drug store?

"The answer is multifaceted and has a lot to do with the time, aforementioned equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer, expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business.

TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:

Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is travelling an hour to your on location session. Time break down:

session prep time
(30 mins - 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images 1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
2-3 hours time with client for ordering images 1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues

As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

COSTS of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:

Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run up $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer.

Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows the lab is integral to their success. Photography labs dedicated to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for you, the discerning client.

Discussion other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip the intricate details. There is of course much more: including costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.

APPLES to ORANGES:

Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $25 for an 8×10 or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. According to several articles at the time, did you know that in February 2007 a rather well known discount department store that started in Arkansas closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation? The reason is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough - those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10). The whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait studios in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your "PORTRAITS" are considered the true "loss leader".

Going to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for or the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience.
Keep this in mind when selecting a photographer.

REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER:

Being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer’s part. Their expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? They often neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc..

Being of sound reputation, a better professional photographer knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work good equipment, reliable equipment, back up equipment is a necessity. The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.

I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family’s memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family’s most precious investment.

Miss Caroline (little sneaky peaky)

This is Miss Caroline. Don't you just love that name.. Caroline. It sounds to graceful and sweet.

This beautiful little one is 2 weeks old and just the cutest thing ever. I had the pleasure of photographing the family of this beautiful baby over the spring so it was nice to see them again especially Miss Caitlyn (the big sister!!!)

During Miss Carolines' photo shoot I was present during a special moment... her little belly button thingy (sorry I don't know the technical name for it!! ha ha} fell off and everyone was like... AWWWW

I hope to be able to continue to photograph this beautiful family as the years go by.

Baby Josalyn (sneak peak)

This is little Josalyn. She is also the baby in the "Less than 24 hours" post here. She is such a little angel. I loved being able to use the angel wings. It was the first time for me on a little baby. I also loved how she would just curl up like a little ball. Babies are just so steaking cute. I have the pleasure of designing her mother an Asuka Book using the mothers pictures from her Maternity Photoshoot and then the hospital photo shoot and now these!! I am soooo excited!! Can't wait to get started.

My sweet Pea!!!

Thought It was about time to do a few pictures with my Sarah. She is growing so fast, it's just unbeleivalbe at how big she is. She has such a beautiful smile.
I look at her everyday and think what a beautiful woman she will one day become. It makes me sad and proud all at the same time.

Our Trip to Maine

Was wonderful!!!! Thank you to our friends Chris and Holly for putting up with all of us for 5 days!!! We Love you guys!!

Here are a few of my favorites from the trip...