decisions, decisions

i've been researching & trying to decide what new equipment to buy. i really want to upgrade to a full frame dSLR and want some new lenses. since finances are a limiting factor (the business is funding itself - no debt or dipping into family funds), i need to decide what is most essential and of most value and worth as a next purchase.

wise advice i came across today: "always buy the best lens and least expensive non-discontinued dSLR"
which reinforced what i'd already decided...to buy the best lens for the purpose that i needed (good glass always retains its value - like the canon L series)...and the least expensive camera that does what i need it to do (the 5d as the best bet for a full-frame dSLR)

spent a lot of time searching details, prices, and ratings today. which was a very very good thing b/c the past 2 days i'd been highly considering buying some equipment that seemed like a great deal from a online retailer that i found from a google search. good thing that i did further research through the forum at Amazon.com and also ResellerRatings.com and saved myself from being scammed or given the hook & bait. apparently there are a lot of shady camera stores out there operating under different names online, but seems to be the same operation. i actually called the online seller, TWICE, on hold forever both times, and both times the phone mysteriously disconnected during the call after i asked the customer service rep a question. avoid soniccameras.com and photodynasty.com - don't waste your time!

if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! better to buy from a reputable dealer that's been proven reliable. like amazon, b&h, adorama...like so many people have recommended.

on a side note...
i also did a search for our casio privia digital piano a couple of months ago, and found an AWESOME deal at musician's friend where our particular model was hundreds cheaper than anywhere else i looked. it was cheaper than the base model sold at bestbuy (that we had planned to buy). i called musician's friend and they had 24/7 customer service which was great and i ordered the product. (i had called another competing online retailer earlier but got voicemail?!) at musician's friend, the guy did sell me an extended warranty, but it was only like $50, and he wasn't pushy or salesy. the piano arrived as scheduled and it plays great! today i did a search on resellerratings.com for musician's friend and they didn't score very well, but i had a good experience with them. but their reviews had a mix of negative and positive comments. the other camera places had all consistently negative stories.

being away from family...

as much as i love photography and shooting weddings...i'm really really sad to be away from my family. i just got home around 12:30am. hannah's asleep and isaac's asleep too. and we didn't get much family time together today b/c we've all been busy. (isaac was gone all morning till about noon-time helping out and doing service for someone in the ward since he's in the EQ Presidency. he was tired b/c he laid carpet and moved heavy stuff. and i needed a nap this afternoon b/c i've been burning the candle at both ends...and needed to recharge for tonight's event.)

last weekend's event was fun b/c isaac got to go with me and enjoy the evening. and we had a nice night out...but we did have to leave hannah with a sitter. i'm just hesitant about leaving hannah a ton b/c i'm worried about her and the allergies. and probably b/c i'm an overprotective mommy...

oh well...time to download photos and backup.

random dreams

so last night i dreamed that while i was photographing a session, i was standing on a really tall stack of books all piled up on each other to get an overhead shot. then the stack of books fell and so did i. so i missed the shot.

this afternoon i was taking a nap, and i dreamed that i was shooting a wedding with isaac... and we were both 2nd shooting with sarah diane & chad...then we ended up dancing a bunch at the reception - and the reception was strange (you know how dreams go) and ended prematurely b/c there were no people there, and i guess we didnt' have really anything to shoot.

ok...so do you think i have photography on the mind?

well...i should go get ready for this evening, b/c i AM 2nd shooting with sarah diane for a wedding reception at the american bank center.

Family & Motherhood

After a spiritual Enrichment last night, I wrote a long email to a friend that contained most of my recent "deep thoughts", but I thought I should also post something pertaining to those things that have most importance to me. Though those things that I hold most dear and close to me, I don't usually discuss openly - especially on a blog...

I've been pondering about how I prioritize my time. I've been spending a large chunk of time recently on photography and business pursuits. But in actuality, my role as a mother is first and foremost at this time in my life. It predominates my time. I am a mother to our adorable baby girl. She's growing up so fast and this is really a special and precious time that I need to cherish. She's a sponge - absorbing her surroundings, mimicking, learning and growing - physically, intellectually, psychologically, spiritually. Being her mother is the most important way I can spend my time. Teaching her, playing with her, patiently loving her, raising a healthy, well-rounded, educated, and kind contributor to society with integrity.

I've been reading a couple of essays/talks about motherhood by President Gordon B. Hinckley in the mornings this past week. And they've renewed my commitment to being a good mother - an attentive, loving and patient mother. And rearing children is truly a full-time job...not part-time...it is 24-7 all the time...and for the rest of my life...I will be a mother.

So that means more boundaries with time and our lives. Time is so precious... There is a sense of urgency to things these days. So much is happening around the world. So much information and data and events are all happening around us...it's an explosion of information & news! We are bombarded...but we have to consciously CHOOSE what information we let into our lives and integrate. Good quality information that uplifts and builds and makes one a better person - to build solid foundations of integrity in a person. Not the mass media marketing, flashy advertising, and fickle trends that come and go - things that don't last. We need to spend time, energy & money on things of lasting and eternal worth - not on things of no worth.

The family is the foundation...of so much!

I also came across this tidbit today by Neal A. Maxwell (I like all of his writings):
"...while we know parts of more and more people, we also know fewer and fewer people well; our parents tended to know fewer people but these they knew more fully. Since we know so many others, either functionally or fractionally, the family, in addition to its other blessings, also gives us our best opportunity for wholeness."

Wholeness...I feel whole with my family. This family with my dearest Isaac, the most wonderful husband I could have imagined, and my sweet dear Hannah. I feel so blessed. Never in my life have I felt so whole and complete. I am fulfilled - I feel so whole and so complete with them.

dreams...to reality!

so I never finished writing/posting about my "pre-event stress-dreams" from this weekend...but for context's sake, [b]ecker and David Jay were both in them - they were giving me advice.

anyways... just a little bit ago, i was taking a break from processing this weekend's 25th anniversary photos, and i decided to visit Jasmine Star's blog and lo and behold the 1st post (6.17.08) is about the "Free to Succeed" Seminar. i'm thinking...oh good...another seminar that i'd like to attend, but dream on. i continue to read on...and it says, "We’ll be starting the tour in Houston, Texas on July 29, 2008" and i was like YIPPPEEEE! and i scan really fast down the post, and see that the 1st 30 signups in each city get 50% off. so I click on the signup link and to see what's up.

well, the first stop is Houston and the 2nd stop is Austin...and I'm thinking...hmmm...which one? they're both about 3-4 hours away from me. i have friends in both places that i'd like to see...i think Austin is just a bit closer...and probably has less signed up right now... i checked the calendar...dh is out of town that week...my hands were almost shaking from excitement as i clicked around from webpg to webpg...

i quickly signed up and now i'm going to Austin to meet Jasmine & DJ on July 30th!!! And for $50 bucks too, I get to attend the seminar! i'm so excited! i'm really going to get real live advice from David Jay...not just in a dream! i even left a comment on Jasmine Star's blog! and i don't usually leave comments!

whooo hooo!!!

Schedule is filling up with photo processing

I was able to finish a bunch of photo projects today, and boy does it feel good! I ended up with more photography stuff the past week than I had anticipated. But as of now, I'm mostly caught up... until I fill my memory cards up again with more images from tomorrow's (or later today's) wedding (where I'm going as a 3rd shooter and for learning).

I designed and printed up the event cards myself for the 25th anniversary coming up, and I'm rather pleased with the results. I didn't order them from the online vendor b/c of turnaround time. I realized today I wouldn't get them in time for next week's anniversary party on Saturday. Since I just finished processing today all the photos from the "dress session" from Wednesday. I also finished processing the photos from the mom&baby session I did for Delilah on Tuesday.

I still have the family session to process from last weekend...but they're on summer vacation and not in a rush...

I just realized I have 3 shoots next week: 2 multiple peep shoots, and then the anniversary event on Sat. I'm going to be busy with post-processing!

And I've been pondering lots about the business-side of things... it's what my brain's been musing over on default mode...

I feel very blessed for all of these opportunities that have come my way.

I'd like to actually work on personal family photo and memories though...I haven't done a lot of processing of those at all...