Rock the Shot {Flower Portrait}

Well, I'm almost late on this one, but I've been meaning to join in on the fun. My picture does not compare to the many other shots entered, but whatevs, I still want to join in ;0).

I've shared this shot before recently, but here it is again:

www.rocktheshotforum.com

This is how it is

Guys, I really love blogging, I really do.  Let me tell you how it is though... It goes like this... I get to work and I think of all the great things that I'd like to blog about. I can sit and be so creative when I'm supposed to be working.  But then I don't get any work done... so instead of not doing work I decide to wait until the evening to blog.  When I get home I take care of Miss Emma and by the time she goes to bed all my creative juices that were running rampant that morning are gone.  Drained.  Blah. 

I also just started my classes for the summer and a lot of my evening free time will be going to that so I will probably slack off a bit. BOO... I mean, I have already slacked off a bit and it bites the big one!  I wish I could blog every single day.  It stinks.  I will try to keep it up, but I just wanted you guys to know that I LOVE my bloggy friends and I will blog and visit your blogs asap! Promise!! 

This is definitely how I feel.

Brennan - Sneak Peek {Knoxville Children's Photography}

Today I went up to Norris Dam with my bff Renee and her cute little nephew Brennan.  It took a bit for him to warm up to me and the camera, but once he did he was just adorable.  I really enjoyed the day :0). 

Friday Yay! {B&W Conversion in PSE10}

Last night I tried out a b&w conversion on a picture of a my friend's little girl, Abbie.  She's a sweety, love her big brown eyes to pieces!  She's the baby of the family and so so precious.  I have always wanted to do a B&W conversion without using any actions, because I can't ever seem to get what I want when I do it through actions.  Anyhoo, I saw this tutorial over at Ashley Sisk's blog and although I'm a little late on it, I thought I'd try it out.  Late... seems to be the theme of my blog ;0).   

SOOC:

After the B&W conversion:

I really like how it turned out! Check out Ashley's blog to see her tutorial and a link to the original tutorial!   It was really quite simple and I really like how it turned out.  The original tutorial was done in LR, but I did mine in PSE10.

I opened up my SOOC shot and chose "Enhance"

Then clicked on Convert to B&W in the drop down box
I hit "Ok" in the popup box - now my photo is gray
Then I went to the layers tab and created a "new adjustment layer" for  "brightness and contrast"
I then adjusted the brightness so that the whites were very white and the contrast so that the blacks were darker.

That's it.  Very simple.

  

Wordless Wednesday with Instagram

Thought I'd share some instagram photos for wordless wednesday... btw, I'd love for you to follow me and vice versa!  My user name is beckgriffin, if you follow me I will follow you back ;0).

 

 

I really love instagram, if you know of any neat photo apps do share!  I love finding apps, there are just so many! 

     

Finagle a Foto

Well, I'm always late on linkies, but I hate not joining in.  I don't know why I'm late but it is what it is I guess.  Seems like here lately I'm a weekend photographer, haven't lifted the camera during the week, but then on the weekend I have something going on and use it.  So anyhoo, I did get to do that session on Saturday and I guess I will share my fave from it. 


I just love everything about it. This little girl was the perfect little model. I am very new at this, it was my first time doing this type of session and she just made it so easy. She didn't cry at all and the session was over in less than an hour! It couldn't have gone better. It had rained the night before which made for great bokeh, but my clothes were pretty soaked from rolling around in the wet grass. I didn't care though, it was the greatest morning ever! I can't wait to do it again. I think hopefully I'm going to take my bff's nephew's pics this saturday. :0) I just love photography!!!

 

Natalee Sneak Peek {Knoxville Children's Photography}

Well, I had my first 6 month old photo session this morning.  It was blissfully wonderful ;0)  I loved everything about it.  This whole photography love grows more and more with every click of the shutter.  Anyhoo here's a sneak peek.  I posted some on fb, but they just don't look right on there.  Stinkin fb always messing with the quality of my photos.























Well, sorry for the photo overload, I just fell in love ;0) Did I mention that she was just the sweetest most adorable little red head I've ever known?

The Versatile Blogger Award

Someone sweet by the name of Elena (Cropped Stories) nominated me for the versatile blogger award, such a nice thing for her to do.  All this time I thought I only had 1 reader lol, turns out I have 2 lol... ;0).  Thanks so much Elena, you made my day!  So if I understand correctly, when you're nominated you've won the award, it's just a great way to support other blogs and just to let people know you enjoy reading them.  So I'm supposed to nominate 15 other blogs for the award

Friday At Last

I'll try not to gush on and on about how great it is that it's Friday at last, or that I have my very first 6 mth session tomorrow morning at 9!!! Oh, bliss bliss bliss ;0).  I'm trying to learn as much as I can about this thing called photography as I'm pretty sure it's my God given passion.

If you are thinking of going into business you should really hop on over to Elizabeth Halford's site.  She is just amazing, she shares information that you would never get out of most photographers.  I mean, she's honest and doesn't beat around the bush, which is what I need.  Ya know?  I don't want to be one of those "faux"tographers... I mean, I hate that term to death, but truth is I don't want to resemble that term either, I've learned alot from her.  Anyhoo she's doing a 10 part series on what you need to know before going into business and it's a great thing to sit and watch.   

Ok, enough of my infommercial...

What not to forget when you do an event

I learned a few things at the event I went to.  Even though nobody actually came to the event, I was able to check out what others had on their tables and assess what I would need to bring next time - Oh yes, there will be a next time and it will be a success!!

Here's 11 things I will take with me:

1. A business sign - Something nice with your logo that will hang from the front of the table, this is important so people know you are actually a business and not just someone sitting at a table. :0)

2. Products - of course this is a given, but I completely failed on this one.  I waited until the last minute to order them and then they wouldn't make it in time.  I plan on having some prints and at least one accordion book.

3. Digital frame - it really was nice to have, just next time I will definitely find the stand.

4. receipt book - this is if you are selling portraits at the event.

5. List of prices - I just printed off a bunch so that people can take it with them, of course this is not a have to, it's just what I decided to do.

6. Business Cards

7. Your camera and equipment of course.

8.  Something to entertain yourself with  - I like to knit so that was easy.

9. Pens

10.  Order Form - again, if you are selling portraits. 

11.  Calendar - to make appts on the spot.

Hope this helps you in some way.  I can't wait to try it again!

Another thing you should think about is how you will answer certain questions.  If you read my post yesterday you will understand why. ;0)  It is obviously best to be prepared so that you don't feel incompetent and unsure. 

It's so funny because when I was asked to take part in the event I was so nervous because I don't do indoor portraits.  I wondered whether I should even go.  I do not have indoor equipment.  Then it occurred to me, I can always do the portraits outside.  So that is what I had planned to do.  When we got there I just looked around to scope out a nice shaded spot and I was good.  I also had my bff to man the table if I did have to go outside. 

Well, that's all I can think of right now.

I failed miserably

You ever have one of those moments that you'd just like to forget ever happened, but it did happen and it seems your brain is switched to "loop" and it just keeps playing and replaying in your head?  I had one of those moments at the "event" that I attended.  Blah!!! I have those moments often, but this one stuck.

My bff, Renee, went with me (as I've mentioned before) - she is just the greatest most sweet person I know- and on the way she was trying to prepare me for questions that would be asked.  I just joked around and didn't take it seriously.  Blah.  

We got to the event and there were about 10 of us (direct selling consultants - although I don't know if I can be considered one because I have never sold anything lol).  I tell you, not one person walked through those doors.  It just wasn't advertised well (ya live ya learn, it was still a great opportunity).  So after a while Renee and I just got comfortable, I was knitting and we were just talking.

side story

Oh and I must add here (because this is quite funny), I waited until the last minute to do everything.  The week before the event I tried to order prints for my table and quickly found out how expensive things were and if I wanted them before the event I would have to pay extra blah blah blah ;0).  So I decided to just use my Mom's digital frame, it's pretty big and displayed my photos nicely.  So my table was going to be pretty bare, but I figured it didn't matter because I am a photographer (I just learned that I can call myself that because I take photos heehee - I'm just not professional), so I figured what else do I need on my table?  We went to set the frame up and I couldn't find the stand that morning so I had figured I could just lean it on something (what???? I don't know, I hadn't thought about it! I know, I'm a mess).  It would not stand up, it just kept sliding.  Soooooooooo... I pulled the inside of my camera bag out (the padding with the velcro) and we rigged up a stand.  It looked like a frame diaper.  lol... it held it though.

So Renee got up from the table for a minute and while she was gone another one of the consultants (the Mary Kay lady to be exact) came over and started asking me all kinds of questions.  This is it people, the place were I fell on my face... the place where I wanted to bury my head in the sand.  Pay close attention!!  This is the point of my very long post!!!   I had no idea what to say to her.  She asked me what I did and I somehow spit out the words "I'm an ... uh ---a... photographer"... it felt weird.  I felt like I was lying to her.  Anyhoo, she then asked me if I went to school for it... I said "no, (feeling ashamed) I am self taught" and then I felt even more stupid as I said "everything I've learned, I've learned online".  I could feel her disapproval.  I turned on my frame so she could see my work - it speaks for itself.  She stood there and looked at it as I squirmed in my seat.  She then asked what kind of camera I used.  She saw it sitting on the table and was like "oh, you're a Canon girl, I'm a Nikon girl, myself".  I was like "Oh, you're a photographer too?" she then said "well, I have a camera" and some other stuff that I can't even remember... I then rambled on about how I just got a Canon because my brother had one and I liked it's pics and Nikons tend to be more expensive (I don't know) but that I just have a Canon because I have one... (red face)
To be fair, I may have just taken her the wrong way. I'm sure she is a nice person, I just couldn't read her well at all.

I then asked her about her business to distract from my obvious inexperience and she is actually a pretty successful  Mary Kay consultant.  I almost signed on as she was talking about it (seriously, I almost threw down my camera and asked her how I could sign up).  Needless to say, she will not be calling me for pics anytime soon. 

Anyhoo, I do have a reason for reliving this embarrassing experience with you.  Or at least, I hope I do...

For goodness sake, be ready with answers!  I am not as inexperienced as I seemed.  I have zero experience selling my work, but they don't have to know that.  I failed at selling to her, but I did learn from the whole thing.  The next 2 consultants that came to my booth were very nice and I was able to answer their questions while being both personable and professional.   I have 2 possible clients (although neither have contacted me as of yet). 

I know God can make this successful. I just have to have faith in God and confidence in myself.

Check my blog out tomorrow for my post on what to bring with you to events.

And because I can't write a post without including a pic check out cutie Megan:

Scavenger Hunt {Oh How I've missed you}

It sure has been a long time since I've joined in over at Scavenger hunt Sunday and I'm a little bit late, but at least it is still Sunday lol. :0) 

Sidewalk

Time (for sleep)

Up close or Close up

With Mirror (my crazy mom heehee)

Inspiring (I always find Cades Cove so inspiring for texture art)