Beth's family session

All I am doing right now is work work work. It's on my mind 100% of my awake time, and even my sleep time. I have so much to do. But, I admit I truly love it. How could I not? Look at the picture above . . . one of my favorites. It's worth every second of my time to make a portrait like that. It makes me happy because I make them happy. But it does consume me. I even had a dream last night about the studio that I so badly want.

Things I did yesterday (keeping in mind that Neil was gone traveling):

- Last night I finished designing some wedding invitations. I placed the order, too!
- Burn pics for Mr. H, Heather, and Carissa.

Things to still doo:

- Make slide show for Mrs. W (the kindergarten teacher at N's school) put to music. I decided on "Let Them Be Little" by Billy Dean (have you heard it? It's beautiful . . . you can see the video here ------> Let Them Be Little)
- finish proofing maternity session
- proof 1-week old newborn session
- proof session with Jen & Addison
- print 2 canvases
- order Deja's pictures
- order Kalina's pictures
- order Angie H's pictures
- do Chris's album
- do Holly's album
- do Caitlin's album
- start on re-designing logo for Noah's school
- meet with Mr. H about pictures for website and brochures
- prepare for my wedding "down south" on Saturday
- still need to book hotel for Friday night

I've slowly been finishing up my last maternity session with Beth and Rodrigo and their adorable son, Daniel. It's takes me forever, I'm coming across this more and more, to do any amount of proofing because I can't sit at my desk for longer than an hour at a time (which is actually good for my back). But because of this, I'm starting to see that I really do need an outside place to work because my mind can't be solely on my work for longer than that hour at a time. And it needs to be. I told Neil that my hopes are to have a place that I can go to and work and then be able to come home and just be a MOM (and his wife) with no other worries. I just want to play and have the best time doing so without anything hanging over my head.

So here's a few of those pictures . . . more are on flickr. (And if you go to flickr, please comment! The more comments I have the more chances I have to put my photos in groups that rank up there with some amazing photographers that I admire! So please please comment -- please!) But here's a couple faves. I'll be posting all kinda at my VWC blog, also.






I'm only half-way done! So many more fun ones to come. That's where you'll find me, at my computer for the next 2 days until . . . .until . . . I get another wonderful visit from . . . my dearest Alexis. Yes, she is coming to visit and we'll do our "thing" as though she was never gone . . . I can't wait . . . :):):)

Stream of Glory

Boy-hood begins.

So I was working down in my office this afternoon. The kids and Neil were outside. I have a window that my desk sits in front of which is to the front of the house and I can see out of. Suddenly Noah come running around the front of the house, directly in front of my window and my view. He doesn't see me, but I see him. He stands facing me and then suddenly looks over both shoulders, pulls down both his underwear and jeans and pees a huge stream directly at me!! While doing it, he continues to look over both shoulders. Ohmygosh, it was the FUNNIEST thing I think I have seen in a long long time. He pulls up both pants and then runs back into the back yard. People may not have seen him actually pee'ing but they definitely saw his bottom and knew what he was doing. And then of course mommy got the best show of all from the front. ;c)

Yes, we had a talk with him but at the age of 4, I don't think it's going to do much good yet until someone catches him and he gets really embarrassed.

Again I say, boyhood begins. Oh the joy :c)

Today I . . .

. . . said goodbye to Jen and Addison. We had such a great time together. Like always, it was so soooo hard to say goodbye. Who knows when we'll see each other again. Great friends are hard to find. I miss them already.

. . . have a terrible sinus headache.

. . . slept 2 hours after they left due to this terrible headache.

. . . finally became a Twitter-er. Check out my sidebar. Do you twitter?

Pockets Full of Passion

I guess I was wrong when I said I wouldn't be around much. I should have said something like, I will still be posting when I can, but it won't be posts that are thought-provoking for you or that take time for me to write. :c)

My work/photography posts may bore you. If so, just carry on with your blog-surfing. I absolutely don't mind. Really!

I had another maternity session over the weekend. I downloaded them finally and peeked at them all last night. I feel like I'm finally doing something right with my lighting. I swear, lighting is the KEY to good photographs. My very favorite one from the session is of Rodrigo (the daddy) and his son, Daniel, who is about to turn 2. They asked to do a few of Daniel for his 2-year, so I said "of course!!". My heart MELTS when I see this one. It tells such a story. A father-son story of passion, love, security, faith . . . I absolutely adore it.

Father-son Passion ~


Here's 2 others:

Pocket Passion ~

Oreo Passion ~


You will have to go to my flickr site to learn the background to the oreo one! (Just click on my flickr photos in the sidebar of the blog.)

My Passion ~
I also have a post at my VWC blog about my new albums. I would love some of your input as former brides (or brides-to-bes). Just click here. Thank you!

Southern Belles & Prairieland Girls

It was my dear friend, Jen's, little girls 2nd birthday last week. And I missed being a part of that celebration. Addison Jayne is 6 months to the day younger than Maia. I so wish I could have been there with her as Jen threw Addy her 2nd birthday party. I miss them both so much and Maia misses the friend she's not really ever gotten to know (or wait, I guess it's mommy who is sad because she's never really gotten to know her). But being she was hundreds of miles away down yonder in Hattiesburg, MS, well, it was kinda hard to make that trek. I cried when I saw the pictures on Jen's blog of Addison's birthday. It is so hard to see your friends move away. It's so hard to see their children grow up so fast. So hard. I miss them direly. Jen is one of those true friends who no matter the time or distance, will always be that same amazing wonderful friend. And that is a blessing.

Wanna hear some spectacular news?! No more tears welled up in my eyes! FRIDAY I GET TO SING ADDISON HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN PERSON. Addy and Jen are coming HOME!!!!!!!!!! Friday Jen and Addy are making their way here and they're staying all night with us! You know why this is more than very exciting? Because I remember when I had to say goodbye to Jen and I asked when she'd be back and she said "I'll probably never be back here, Val."

Saturday we're spending our day uptown here. Maia gets to play with Addy (Addy was just a couple months old when they moved) and Jen and I get to play catch up. It's going to be the best 24 hours in a long long time. But, only 24 hours. Wahh. I have to make the most of it.

So much to do, so little time. So why am I online? Because writing about it helps me get my bearings straight. It's like talking out loud to a friend. I need to clean clean clean and make some food . . . a cake maybe for Addy? I thought I'd have some fresh fruit and muffins for them . . . but I don't know if we're doing dinner out or not, so I'm not sure whether to plan for any big meals. Hmmmm . . . I went and bought some new pillows for the girls sleep on. They'll be staying in Noah's room in his bed. (We'll move Noah downstairs.) There won't be any big room transformations like what my amazing fabulous designer friend did for her guest, but at least I have a real bed for them and not a couch or mattress on the floor (*wink, Erin*). Oh, I just remembered, I do need to go out and get some tequila. Margaritas are Jen's fave. I'm sure we'll need one or two of those. ;c)

Anyway, obviously I need to get my derriere in gear. I have a brand new newborn shoot tonight which I am so excited about, so I need to concentrate on preparing for that the rest of the morning. So then I will only have about a day to prepare for my dear friend's arrival. Wish me luck. I want to give them a great impression of Illinois again so maybe they'll . . . move back??? Hopefully I can come up with something better than fresh crawfish and the ocean breeze. :c)

“The principle part of faith is patience”

I know that saying is so so true. I know it. But, but but . . .

I have a new competitor. And it makes me nervous. Really nervous. And I can't stop thinking about it. Is that bad? Yeah, it's pretty bad. Bad that I'm so concerned and worried. I couldn't sleep the night I found out about her. We have similar styles. The thing she has up on me: she has a studio space. Downtown. In the prime location I wanted. I'm a teeny bit jealous. So I'm going to do something. I must do something. "What?", you ask? Not sure yet. This is how I feel, though. This is the last time I'm going to let the competition rise above me. I want a studio. I need a studio. I ACHE for a studio. I.Must.Have.A.Studio.

I was thinking yesterday on my 30-minute drive to my chiropractor that I don't care where my studio is. I would even take a barn. I think I could make a barn look really really awesome. I just need to find that barn. Or that rustic studio downtown with brick walls (my dream). Or a brand new place. I'd take that too. Really, I'm not asking for much. I just want to be outa my home. Seriously, I'd take a barn. Anyone know of a barn for sale? :c)

Okay, vent over. Maybe.

Happy Day; Today & Always

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.

Happy Birthday, Chel! Love you.

Today I . . .

. . . woke up earlier than usual and actually had time to sit down with a cup of coffee before taking Noah to school.

. . . stayed at Noah's school today for two hours shooting pictures of he and all his schoolmates. It was really fun. I love watching children of all ages learn.

. . . watched Maia be a big girl and play on the play equipment with all the "big kids". She doesn't need me so much anymore. It's hard for me, but I'm happy for her making a stride in independence.

. . . took the kids to the library and saw Noah and Maia sit down at the table and read to each other. Talk about a tug at my heart!

. . . leave shortly to step foot in mom and dad's new house! They close on their house in just a little over an hour. I'm so so so excited for them. Now I pray they can sell their old house. Will you pray, too? The market just is not good right now.

. . . ask you to pray for a friend's loss. She had a miscarriage at 12 weeks a few months go. Then not long ago she found out she had a viable pregnancy (with a heartbeat and sac!) and today at her ultrasound she found out the baby died. I know what she is going through and I know that the only thing that will carry her through are prayers. Please pray.

. . . have to go to the store to buy a new belt for my vacuum (I can't go a day without vacuuming and already it's driving me crazy being unable to and it's not even been 18 hours!) and also Oreos for friends, Beth and Rodrigo. Tomorrow I shoot their maternity photos and Beth is craving Oreos. I thought I'd be nice :c)

. . . leave you with a picture for Foto Friday. Noah's all ready for the weekend. Are you?

Super-Sized Blessings

I'm not going to be around much from here throughout the summer, I'm afraid, but I hope that won't deter you from visiting me when I do have a post or make you feel like I won't visit you anymore. Because that's just not true! :c)

I just started in on busy season #6 (I can't believe it's the 6th summer for me, wow!) with a wedding last Saturday. I've also got three wedding album orders in the works (Heather -- you know how long those take!) among other fabulous things. I hope you won't mind me sharing some exciting stuff.

Most of you know how far I have came from a graphic design student to working as a graphic designer and photography assistant for a couple years to starting my own business by the words I told myself the day I walked out: "I can do that and do it better". And while it's not been easy, it's definitely been a fun amazing challenge.

The first wedding I ever booked on my own just landed in my lap and I'm honestly not sure how it came about, but what I do know is that it was God's plan. That first wedding I shot all by myself was Beth and Rodrigo. I never knew the two of them before Beth called me. The day Beth and I met, we knew we were "meant" to be "together" as a bride and as a photographer. As I got to know her further, I felt it was just so simple to pour out my heart to her. She was the strongest Christian I had ever met at that point in my life, and I knew it was for more than just so I could be her photographer. She trusted me and I trusted her, and she prayed with me about my infertility and losses and she was one of my biggest cheerleaders through that time and I know one of my biggest prayer supporters.

Anyway, it amazes me as I look back to the VERY first wedding I booked, that it was HERS and how truly thankful I am because she trusted me. Without her trust, I'm not sure where I'd be. She didn't see but a handful of pictures of mine, but she knew she still wanted me, and I remember her even telling me that. I remember her saying "I don't know why, but I just know I want you!". Since then we've became great friends. I have had the chance to see her grow the gift of God inside of her, shoot her maternity pictures, and today I get invited to her son's birthday parties. I'm a part of her family, and she mine. It's heartwarming to know that I will (hopefully) forever be a part of her family's life, and now that she is pregnant with baby #2, I hope I will get to be a part of "her" life, too. (Yes, it's a girl!!)

My point is, I know I am doing what God intended me to do because of the people I have gained in my life as forever friends. Through Beth I met Corie (who I've mentioned tons and who has a blog who I have a link to here at my blog) and then Corie booked me for her wedding. We've stayed true friends since then and now I've been welcomed into her family's life as well. It's crazy, but a good crazy, how things spiral as they do and lead me in new directions meeting new people and most of the time, gaining life-long friends. Beth's sister-in-law, Tracy, is another. And Tracy is one of Corie's best friends. See what I mean?

Speaking of Corie, I am done proofing all her (hundreds of) pictures and some of them are online at flickr. A few are in at a "private" group which only invited guests can see. Those are the best ones, but, well there's a lot of skin and we know how there are some icky people in this world surfing the internet JUST for pictures like them. But you can still see many of the fully-clothed ones. Check them out RIGHT HERE.


Another positive story is this one. Late last summer I got called by a prospective client who had just heard about me, called me and booked me for a session. I have now photographed her children twice in the past 6 months. In that time she and I have gotten to know each other quite well. She has told me a few times how she feels blessed by me. But see, she's blessed me just the same or more. First of all, I've had the amazing chance to get to know her family and secondly, for her own business she recently asked me to help her in designing new marketing and advertising campaign. We've started with billboards. Nothing like starting big and going small, right? And well, those billboards should be up around town soon. TWO BILLBOARDS. I couldn't be more excited . . . or scared! Scared mostly because even though I hope it will lead me to more new things, I'm not sure I can handle it, but I pray those calls *will* come and that they won't overwhelm me too much so that I *can* handle it. I can't wait for bigger things!

Then a few days ago I got a call from my son's principal. He has asked me to start shooting some things at the school for the schools own marketing. Being a private school, the school thrives off of their advertising and of course a lot of "word of mouth". But to keep up with the other schools it has to have a great website and great brochures. So Friday I begin on this! I don't get paid and honestly, I don't care one bit. I would never ever accept money from them. There's nothing like doing things for people voluntarily, especially those who deserve it. Anything to make someone happy. I know by doing it, the rewards will be endless. I just love Mr. H's school and I am excited for it to just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Then Monday afternoon (see how good God is?!), as I was sitting waiting for Ashley's (Neil's sister) track meet, I start opening my mail. And inside a big envelope were some copies of a magazine. A magazine in which the main article's photographer was myself. ME! Talk about exciting. It's one thing to know it's probably happening, but another to actually SEE IT IN PRINT!! I am thrilled silly. And while I know I don't want to do weddings so much anymore, it does enable me to be really choosy with my weddings and hopefully expand in other ways, like with maternity and baby portraits --- two of my very favorite things ever! And here is the "contents" page. I'm on page 13 as you can see! (That's my picture!) Click here to see the magazine and my article!!!

So I know that was really long, and I hope you will forgive me. But I just can't go without apologizing for my lack of being and my lack of being in the near future. I'm busy. And if I spend as much time on my blogging as I wish I could, that means I am probably not focused as well on other areas of my life, like my children. I need my main focus to be my family and then my work. Blogging is now going to have to come near last. Just because it has to. Not because I want it to. But because it NEEDS to. If I give too much of myself here, I know I am not giving enough in other realms. And that's part of the reason why I'm a stay-at-home mommy. To live in these moments with them that won't be here much longer. Time is going by way too fast.

Thanks for letting me share my good news. Thank you for all the amazing support I get from my friends and family. It's you that keeps me going as a mother and as a photographer! :c)

One final thought, if you just go to my main stream at flickr, you will also see some personal pictures of my kiddos. Please stop by and leave me some comments. Toodles!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Red meets green

A fresh bright red pedicure and bright green uncut grass to run my tootsies through. Not much gets better than that!

People of D-Town

My friend, Cerella, has a new blog. She went from a fun and witty blog about herself to a new blog about our hometown. It's simply called "People of Decatur". Hope you check it out. You'll be warmly greeted by someone you know . . .

I'm working on another post, too, so please stay tuned. Lots of exciting things going on in my life here in Small Town, USA.

Shake, rattle, and shake some more!

Southern Illinois had a 5.2 magnitude earthquake last night!

I woke up at the end of it with the house literally shaking. It felt like the house was picked up and shook back and forth, back and forth like a snow globe. It was loud sounding even. We live next to a railroad with trains roaring over it 3 times a day. My first thought was "it's just the train", but then I realized no way was it a train.

Here's a quote from a Fox News report:

"It shook our house where it woke me up," said David Behm of Philo, 10 miles south of Champaign. "Windows were rattling, and you could hear it. The house was shaking inches. For people in central Illinois, this is a big deal. It's not like California."

Right as soon as it was over, our house whistled. It was the strangest thing. My bed is right next to a vent and I could hear this loud "whistle" that finally just went away. It's crazy, really crazy. Like all things in life, it just happened suddenly out of nowhere and now life just keeps going on.

We're all okay. No damage whatsoever. Apparently there was some damage at the epicenter. Doesn't get much more exciting than this around Illinois! Read more about it here.

How many of you felt it?! Apparently it was felt near and wide!

Wordless Wednesday

I'd have to purchase a wide-angle lens!

So I just got an email from a prospective client, a bride. I'm still laughing.

First of all, she is wanting me to photograph her wedding in just a couple months (kinda short notice), but the real kicker is this part of the email. And I quote, "Do you have a limit to the number in the wedding party because we have 15 bridesmaids?" Oh my lands. Seriously?! FIFTEEN?! And I thought 9 was a lot. Thankfully I was able to tell her I am booked and not have to come up with an excuse. THANKFULLY.

Can you imagine as a bride, keeping 15 straight? Or buying them gifts? Or their dinner? (You'd have to account for them and a guest, so right there you have 30 seats at your reception taken.) I could go on . . . but you get the point. In-sane.

Trail Mix - and tons and tons of Trix

Neil was gone this week traveling to Atlanta, and anytime he is gone, I really don't get much accomplished, hence why I haven't posted. I've also been spending a ton of time in the car driving back and forth to town where my chiropractor is. I'm not sure how much longer I can do that because I'm spending an extra $100 a month just on gas, not to mention the actual cost of my visits. I love my doc and I love seeing Beth 2-3 times a week, but but but . . . I don't know. It's just a ton of driving.

But I'm not posting to complain but to post some happy trail mix bits about my past week. It's definitely been a good week. Let's start with last weekend . . .

It was warm. Very warm. The nicest day we had seen so far this year. (Today it snowed!) We bought a new outdoor table to go with the outdoor chairs we had purchased last year, so we set all that out while Noah "raked" the yard, as you can see here,

and the little miss was on the lookout for bugs. She's so into bugs right now!

Frankie really enjoyed the weekend, too. And aren't her pearly whites beautiful?! We had her teeth cleaned professionally a few weeks ago for the first time ever and they look so good and I know she feels sooooo much better. See how perty?

I think I have mentioned before that my parents are looking to sell their house and buy a new one. Well, they've been getting their house ready for about a year now. Suddenly a (perfect) house just came along and mom went alone to check it out. She loved it. So the kids and I went with her to see it again the first of the week. I loved it, too. The kids adored it. It seemed too perfect for them but there was a lot of "buts" and "ifs" involved. However, dad agreed to see it near the end of the week and THAT NIGHT he just threw out an offer and the people TOOK IT! Today they signed some papers and in less than 2 weeks, they can move in! I'm sooooo happy and excited for them!! I just can't explain how happy I am for them. The deserve it so so much. Congrats mom and dad!

On the way to see the new house that day I drove into this. While it didn't amount to anything bad, it sure was a pretty picture I couldn't keep from taking.
If you didn't know what Illinois looked like, well, there you have it!

Thursday the kids and I made brownies for daddy's return home. Brownies are his favorite and the kids (and myself) love licking the bowls!

Friday night we drove up to Peoria, IL to visit two pairs of great friends of ours, Kristin & Chris and Andrea & Rusty. To make a long long story short, Andrea, Rusty and their family are moving sometime soon to El Paso, TX. We don't want them to go, but well, what can we do but be super happy for them because it's a really good move for their family. So we went up to visit them just in case their move is soon and we don't see them again for a long while (*sob*). We had homemade yummy pizza, salad, dessert and wine :c) Kristin, Rusty, Neil and I went to grade school through high school together and then Rusty, Neil and I went on to college together. Rusty and Andrea started dating and she and I became super great friends. Then Rus and Andrea moved to P-town and she and Kristin got to be good friends. Anyway, it's all so very cool. It's been an incredible blessing having Andrea in my life. I can't imagine her not in it. And then Kristin, well, I think it says a lot that after what seems like a gizillion years, we're still the best of friends. So here we are, Kristin, Andrea and I.
Kristin has a boy, Jackson, who just turned a year and has another baby on the way. Andrea has a girl, Audrie, who is 3 and Anderson who is 6 months. And you all know who belongs to me! We had such a great time Friday night.

Then Saturday evening I set up my backdrop and lights for my shoot with Corie on Sunday. Well, the kids wanted to help with that. Maia put on her ballerina tutu and the kids actually wanted me to take some pictures. They didn't have to twist my arm or anything either!

So the shoot with Corie and Keith went so fabulously perfect. I've had the pleasure of taking pictures of both of them many a times, so this was just another very fun time for me with a couple of my favorite two people, plus this time, one more (!) because of the bun in her oven! :c) We had such a fun maternity session because of Keith making us constantly laugh. I've only had a couple minutes to peek at the pictures and then allow you have a peek, too. Isn't Corie beautiful!?

The ice cream pose is one of my favorite ideas ever! I wish I could patent it . . . hehe. I love how it turned out but if I were to do it again, I'd put her in a color because the white on white really fades into each other but I still really love the concept and how it turned out.

Thanks, Cor, for such a great day and for coming back up from St. Louis for ME!!

Once my lights and backdrops were put up, I helped hubby unload the groceries which he and the kids got while I did the shoot with C & K. Noah wanted the "Trix" opened, so I opened them for him. A few minutes later I hear "oh-oh" and a huge spill. I turn around and see this. It absolutely could be worse. It was a great week, spilled trix and all :c)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Running Into Springtime

My baby girl (who is no longer a baby) is running into her 3rd spring as quickly as she can looking for new discoveries and adventures all around her. It's exciting for mommy, but at the same time, so bittersweet. They grow up so fast . . .

true love + bun in the oven = radiance, joy, fun

"You can select [friends] at random, write to one, dine with one, visit one, or take your problems to one. There is always at least one who will understand, inspire, and give you the lift you may need at the time." -- George Matthew Adams

I love that quote. Corie is my friend who inspires and makes me laugh. She is the sweetest girl ever who inspires me to be as kind-hearted and loving as possible because that's what she does.

I had the great opportunity to photograph her wedding a few years ago and I was overwhelmed in a good way with the love she and Keith had for each other. Sometimes you just know instinctively whether a marriage is going to last or not . . . whether they're in it for the right reasons. Because quite frankly, a lot of marriages are not for the right reasons. Corie and Keith were definitely in it for the right reasons. They were made for each other. They both put the other person first and complement each other perfectly as marriage and love should. You could just see it the way one glanced out of the corner of their eye at the other. Their eyes sparkled. It was so so so much fun to be the photographer who got to capture that with them. What an amazing couple.

Sunday I get to capture it all again but in a new way, and I absolutely can't wait. They are about to have their first baby and I get to photograph that love again plus the little one they created in Corie's beautiful belly. Isn't she the cutest ever?!

Since Corie and I are friends (Keith, too!) we're going to have such a fun time. I always do with people I already know well (a benefit to me shooting their weddings -- hint, hint, to future couples!). When I know people well in my shoots, I always want to try new things. Couples who know me know that I love to do new things. They are usually really comfortable with me and are open to my ideas and some even have ideas of their own. My favorite maternity couples as to date who were all for doing new fun things are on my website under "maternity".

I have a new (awesome fun clever -- yay me!) idea already in my head of something I've never tried before and never seen other photographers try. But I would love even more new and fun ideas. If you have any, please comment! What photographer doesn't love to try new things? (An idea inspiration: she is having a girl.)

As for my next digital photography 101 post, it's still in the works. I am waiting on a few things before I post, so I'm sorry about the delay in posting, which was suppose to be done over the weekend. Neil is in Atlanta, so it may take me a bit longer. We'll see. Maybe free time will magically appear?? :c)

p.s. Got the new cam and I'm loving it :c)

Message from Thailand . . .

"Yesterday we snorkeled where they filmed the movie The Beach. Tomorrow we are riding elephants. Today we are shopping and looking at temples and the old Puhket Town.

Hope everything is going well there. I miss you girlie :)"

AJ

Thailand here she comes!

For those of you following my friend, Alexis's travels, she made it to Hong Kong this morning and I just received an email and they are in Singapore waiting to leave for Thailand in 2 hours. So far everything is good! She loved the food in the Hong Kong airport. My husband said, "yeah she is right, they do have some great food for an airport!".

I can't wait to hear (and see with pictures) all about their travels! It's so exciting. I feel like, in a small weird way, that I'm going with them. :c)

No more worries . . . a new toy to save the day!

Even though I trust myself, I don't trust technology, so that means I'm taking extreme risks when shooting weddings because what if my D200 stopped working suddenly on me? What do I do? While I have worried about it in the past, I've never dwelt on it. I didn't have the money to buy another one and I guess I just had that much faith (and mostly hope) in my equipment. But I know I can't do that forever and I can't fathom the thought of risking my business and reputation. So, last night I broke down and ordered myself another digital camera.

Right now I use the Nikon D200. I love it. It's been amazing for me. I still have tons to learn about it, but I think I've figured out what I need to know for now. Just recently the D300 came out. Of course I'd like to have it, but that's not a habit I'm getting myself into. So many photographers constantly are buying the next bigger and (supposedly) better camera just because they feel the need for the next best thing (and to be able to say they own it). I don't get that because who really does care? Your client doesn't. They just want good pictures. I mean, I do crave the D300 (but one day soon it will probably be much cheaper) and I drool over the amazing D3 because I'll probably only ever dream of owning one. But it seems we always want what is better, don't we, no matter what it is? I'm a sucker to the phenomenon. It definitely holds true in the photography world as well.

I almost bought another D200, but I didn't. I bought a cute little D80. Still not cheap, but I only need the body. And from reviews I have read, it's a good choice for a back up. (Reviews are always a great way to make technology decisions.) Ideally another D200 is best because it will shoot pictures exactly the same, but, hey, any additional camera at all is a good thing in my book. Good thing about having all my camera backs the same make (Nikon) is that I can then interchange the lenses.

Why am I so proud of buying the D80? Because it's not the D200 or D300 which I honestly don't need. I tend to end up buying things I don't really need. I'm trying to get out of that habit. I'm finding out when it just sits and sits and sits and doesn't get used, it probably was not a purchase I ever needed. Not that I think I will feel this way with the D80. It's just a general habit I want to get out of.

Anyhoo, back to my purchases. Yes, I said "purchases". I also bought 2 lenses. One thing I've learned over the years is that lenses come in all shapes and sizes and all price ranges. I didn't realize that some "glass" is better than others, and that the numbers on the side of the lens really do mean something. For a long while I just shot pictures with the lenses that came with my cameras. If I purchased any additionally, they were always the cheapest new lenses I could find. I just didn't get why one lens that looked exactly like another could cost $1000 more. I now know why and I'll get to that in another post --- promise!

So I purchased a couple new prime lenses. One for shooting wide angle shots (I wanted one for group photos or outdoor wide shots) and one with a good zoom with a good appeture rating. I didn't have a really "good" one yet. At least not one that I was happy with. I also purchased the SB-800 flash. I already had the SB-600 so I am going to give the SB-600 to the D80 and now my D200 will have a new friend, the SB-800. I'm so excited for my D200. She's been asking me for the SB-800 for a while now. (*giggle*)

So why am I even telling you about my purchases? Well, for one, it's just exciting! It's fun for anyone I think, to get a new camera! Even though it's still a Nikon, it's going to be different and it's going to take some getting use to. But who doesn't like new?! I'm also excited because I haven't made a big equipment purchase in some time, so I feel like it's "time" to upgrade again. I'm also really excited because it's one less thing to worry about. I now have a back-up. Phew. That's the most exciting thing of all.

For you, this is also exciting. After helping Alexis in deciding what to purchase when she bought her DSLR for her big trip to Thailand, it made me realize that maybe I know what I'm talking about and that perhaps the information (which she said was invaluable to her) could be invaluable to someone else as well? So this weekend I will tell you what you need when purchasing a new camera. At least what I think you need. When you dive into it all head first it's extremely overwhelming. I want to help make that easier for you. Maybe I can save your day and help make the process easier? If not, I'll just be more confusing, but it'll still be worth the read :c)