Allie :: Portrait Session Melbourne, FL

I have had this location in the back of my mind for months.  The adorable used bookstore filled from floor to ceiling with vintage books may just be my perfect location! I just needed the right person to complete the picture.

When I met Allie, I knew that she would be such a perfect fit for this shoot.  She's got her own style with a cool retro vibe, a completely easy-going air about her, and was open to any idea I had.  She made the shoot so fun and relaxed; I could not have had a better time.

Besides, anyone who can rock bangs like that is bound to be super awesome.

P.S. I tried some new processing looks, and I would love to hear your thoughts.  Let me know in the comments, and let Allie know how absolutely rad she looks!

P.P.S. Interested in a session for yourself?  Check out my portfolio and send me an email using the links below :)

things that make me happy.

Sigh, sometimes things are just swirling around in my brain that make me smile and bring me all of those warm and fuzzy feelings that I love so much.  It feels like a good day to share happy, so, please, partake of all the happy you can :)

1. Water for Elephants

Soooooo, so, so loved this book*.  I just devoured the depression era world of the traveling circus.  The imagery made my head spin with inspiration and creativity. 

It's romantic and intriguing, and definitely heart wrenching.  I teared up more than once, and I am a total sucker for books that make me cry.

By the way, so want to plan a shoot off of this book.  I am trying to track down all the right props and outfits.  Let me know if you have ideas :)  Looks like I have to act fast, too, because once the movie is out there are going to be circus themed shoots everywhere!

*Be warned, there are a few risqué moments to the book.  They're easy to gloss over and not super important to the story line, but they are there, and they were quite raunchy.  End disclaimer.

2. Film cameras.

Is there anything better than a film camera?  I just don't think so.  Lately, I have been all kinds of crazy over some photographers that specialize in film cameras.  Go search for them, or check out some of the more recent tags on my twitter page.  It will be a lovely adventure. 

I used to develop my own film back in the day, and I clearly have an unhealthy obsession for all things vintage, so I'm not surprised that I'm drifting into the film world again.

I would love to know your favorite film cameras or a good starting place to get back into it again.  I'm thinking a holga might be just the answer to my little dilemma. 

3. Taking a break.

Yes, today taking a break makes me happy.  I am going to try (and I really do mean try!) to slow down and take a little break from trying to do it all.  I think it will be a healthy move for me to spend more time with family and friends.  I need to relax and spend time with my Ronald instead of spending all my time at the day job or the photography business.

You'll still see a post here and there (which I already wrote and scheduled!), but I am going to try and keep pretty quiet over the social media pathways for the next week or two. 

Wish me luck, because I am NOT good at taking time off!  Would love to hear your tips.  I need some help with this!

P.S. What is bringing you happiness this week?  Share your favorites.  Or let me know how you feel about my happy this week.  I can take it; I promise :)

Natalie and Mark :: Senior Portrait Photography Satellite Beach, Fl

Summery, fun, and freakin' awesome.  That's Natalie and Mark in a nutshell.  You have got to love teenagers that have been born and raised in Florida.  They have no concept that February is supposed to be freezing, and they don't understand why you would want to be anywhere but the beach.  So, that is what we did!  We totally lived up the Florida lifestyle, grabbed some surfboards, and headed beachside.

She's a cheerleader.  He's plays all the school sports.  They met in gradeschool, he chased her through middle school, and by high school they were dating.  Natalie and Mark are the definition of high school sweethearts.  They look at each other like they were meant to be together, so comfortable and connected.  I can't wait to see what the rest of high school and college will bring for them.

P.S. Leave some love for Natalie and Mark in the comments.  Let them know how much they rocked their session!

P.P.S. Want a senior session for yourself?  You can see the rest of my portfolio here, and contact me here :)

I've been twitterfied!

It's happened.  I have officially joined twitter.

I am still getting my feet wet, and I am definitely a bit overwhelmed.  But bring on the new social media adventure!

There have been so many times that I had a question about photography or had an awesome article or site that I thought other people would like, and Facebook just doesn't seem conducive to that type of talk.  That led me to twitter.  I'm not sure how long it will take learn the lingo and become part of the mix, but I'm excited to see how it goes.

I am conquering the RT (retweet), the @somebody (mention a friend or talk directly to someone), and... hmmm, that is it.  Other than that, I am totally in the dark!

The goal:  to become a knowledgeable and helpful twitter friend, to make friends with other awesome and helpful people, and to not become an annoying twitterer of my mundane life :)

P.S. Who's got some twitter tips for me!?!  What's the best way to get involved and stay involved?

P.P.S. And to the person who took the username kathleenfrank, you stink.  I am now imkathleenfrank.  I know, I know, it sounds a bit pretentious, but I wasn't sure which way to go with the whole thing.  Honestly, the username gave me more hang-ups than anything else!  I put off twitter for weeks just because I couldn't pick a darn username!

Allie :: Portrait Session Sneak Peek Melbourne, Florida

There is just something about a bookstore.  Time just seems to slow down as I drift up and down the aisles, browsing through titles and worn pages.  I just want to make a little nest in the worn chair in the back of the store until the owner has to close up shop, and I am forced to go back into the world where time speed up again.

Sigh.  I could just spend every day that way :)

Last weekend, I was able to photograph Allie's day at the bookstore as she meandered her own way up and down the aisles.  Allie carried herself with such an endearing vintage charm and charisma that I didn't want to miss photographing a single second of it!

Here are a few photos from our adventure:

P.S. I'm playing around with some different black and white looks... I would love to know what you think!

[for photographers] 3 reasons why avoiding business is better for business or 3 ways to cultivate some creativity

Has anyone else been in the business doldrums lately?  Feeling like you are just not reaching the goals you want to reach in the time you want to reach them?

I am so in that spot.  I am trying to take action to fix the issue, so I am basically burying myself up to my forehead in small business gunk.

Then, I stumbled on a thought…

Maybe the best way to achieve my business goals is to completely abandon them for a while.

Uh, what?

I have been trying to find some balance and figure out what it takes to be a healthy and creative business owner, and it seems that an overload on business theory may be quite counterproductive in a creative business.

Why too much business is bad for your business:

1. You become completely focused on the bottom line.  

This can be death to a creative business!  While we certainly need business sense (and good business sense), it is near impossible to cultivate creativity if you are always thinking money.  

Money can be hard to ignore when you are trying to pay some bills, but when we focus on creativity instead we can become photographers with a signature style, who are willing to take risks, who clients rave about because we are doing things that other photographers don't do.

2. You become crippled by the pressure.  

The pressure to be successful is quite a heavy burden, and its weight can cause us to completely shut down.

I get caught in the downward spiral all the time.  Photographer-who-shall-remain-nameless became successful in a year, why can’t I?  So and so started at the same time as me, but they are getting way more work!  How on earth can so and so get clients but I can’t!?!

This crap is devastating, and it makes us give up.  Let's shut it down!

3. You lose sight of why people hire you. 

You are a photographer, which means people hire you for your creative vision.  If we are only thinking about business and marketing, when do we have time for the creative vision that our clients want?

I’m not saying to ignore business and marketing, but can be incredibly healthy to step back and realize that clients want an artistic and creative photographer.  Otherwise, they would do it themselves. 

Okay, you took some steps to walk away from the business muck for a while, now what???

It’s time to cultivate some creativity!

1. Spend some time getting inspired outside of the photography world. 

Even though I think it is important to study photographs, lighting, and posing, sometimes it just makes me compare myself to other photographers.  And that comparison is one big step towards a depressing view of my business.

Let's break out of it!  Read a book, watch a movie, listen to some music, go on a walk, and let it inspire you.  Really slow down and enjoy it.  Let all of the emotions of someone else's creativity spur you towards your own.

I want to cultivate creative ideas that aren’t born out of competition and comparison!

2. Daydream!

If we only had time to daydream again!  I need to take the time to do this.  I want to let my mind wander, and give it the time and relaxation that it needs to be creative. 

3. Use the camera for completely personal reasons.

Step away from monetary motivations for a while.  For some of you that will just be a day, others may need a week or even months, to walk away from the money and focus on the love you have for your craft.  Take on a personal project and enjoy it!

Check out this awesome post from Copyblogger for more on making money without thinking about money.

P.S. I would love to know your thoughts.  Who is on this journey with me?  How do you battle the doldrums???

P.P.S.  Do you have other photographer friends who are battling this, too?  Click the share button below and pass along the info.  I would love to have them join the discussion.