VLV Photography

Another start to the work-week and also the first day of 1st grade for my Xavier.  Alexandra won’t start pre-k preschool until next month.  So it’ll be just me and my girls today.  I have to say it’s about time.  My older two couldn’t go 15 minutes without fighting about something!  I guess my brother and I were the same way but we aren’t as close in age as Xavier and Alexandra are.  My brother and I are 5 years apart and my two are 18 months apart.  Can I say already that I dread the teen years???  Is that too early to say???

I almost regret posting on Facebook that I was planning to get my galleries on both my website and FB page updated but that didn’t happen.  Rather, I got started working on my welcome packet stuff.  That is more important but I also know that I want to cringe when people say they were looking at my work on my website as it’s another reminder I NEED TO GET THAT UPDATING DONE!!! lol!  It’s a matter of going through a lot of images and trying to choose my favorites that best represent me and my work.  That’s not an easy task for me.  So I guess, like laundry, it’s just easier to put it off!  Ha!  But just to show that I have at least started to get some images together to update my site, here are some images of a 16×20 canvas gallery wrap purchased by a client of mine this past March.  Hard to believe it’s been that long!  Aren’t these boys sweethearts?  You can see more from this session here if you missed it.

Just over the weekend, I made a decision to take my education and business to another level.  I decided to declare my intention to become a Certified Professional Photographer {CPP}.  They allow 3 years to complete the process from the date of declaration of intent.  Now I need to prepare for a 120 question exam and submit 20 images to get tore apart and analyzed.  I don’t plan to drag it out three years, in fact, I’m hoping to have this completed within 2.  Why become certified, you may ask?  Well, it’s a personal challenge and it’s only to better myself and my skills.  I heard a quote over the weekend and I swear I’ll never forget it:  “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”  Or another favorite by Albert Einstien, who I swear was my soul mate in another life {we do share the same birthday month}, and who once said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”  I know I’ll learn something in the process and if I can be part of such a small group of certified photographer’s in the nation, well that would make me pretty proud.  Less than 3% of all professional photographer’s are certified and only 6 are in the state of ND.  There is a lot of discussion on if it makes a difference to a possible client.  So, would a client choose me as opposed to someone else because I was certified and the other photographer wouldn’t be?  Maybe, maybe not.  I don’t know.  But that really doesn’t matter to me, because I am only doing it for me.

So I made a purchase recently that I HOPE will make future clients happy, not to mention impressed, when they see this pop up!  It’s called a ”Sqivvy” because, as the name implies, when you’re changing, you’re in your “skivvies.”  I’m probably not getting that expression right but you know what I mean.  Anyway, after having a recent senior session with Ashlee, I decided then and there that that would be the last time a client of mine would be changing in a vehicle.  It’s just not professional on my part and I knew there had to be a solution out there…….somewhere.  Thanks to another photographer, I discovered this little gem that was actually being advertised on a bicycling website.  I think this will come especially handy for senior & engagement sessions.  No more wasted time going to another location to change or as I mentioned earlier, changing in the vehicle to save time.  I wouldn’t like it and I don’t expect my clients to either!  This folds up so small too-it’s insane how portable it really is.  So here’s the newest addition to the VLV Photography equipment stash-The Sqivvy!

Before I posted this today I decided to take a pic of my boy and post a pic of him on his first day of 1st grade.  And yes, he does need a haircut! lol!  I have to mention this too about my boy-yesterday Xavier heard a song for the first time and he was crying while listening to it.  I asked him why he was crying and he said “it’s just such a sad song.”  Watch the video {which he didn’t see, he only heard the song}, listen to the lyrics, and you’ll see that this boy is mature beyond his 6 years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqWLpTKBFcU&ob=av2n   Such a caring and soft heart.  This boy is sure to get his heart broken in life.  Until next week, Live, Love, and Laugh with the one you’re with….because, in life, you can’t go back to the start.