Pouring Rain

Wow! I am a really terrible blogger :D. But I think that's going to be changing.

I'm a mom of a ridiculously adorable 19 month old. I love her to pieces and she is absolutely my world right now. That being said -- I'm sure it's obvious why I've been straddling the amateur and the professional world of photography! Regardless, one thing remains the same -- I want to master this craft. I want to become a phenomenal family photographer. And practice makes perfect, right?

Very rarely will I turn down an opportunity to do a photography session. And around here, when it rains, it pours! I've had so much going on -- and I have yet to document it all on here! So I will be doing an update tonight :D.

Allow me to reiiterate my goal with this blog. I want to document my growth as a family photographer. I want to post some of my favorite shots, some of the more creative shots, some of the shots where I had a vision but maybe it fell flat, etc. I want this to be an opportunity to reflect on my work and possibly inspire someone along the way! Besides my photography, I want to post things that inspire me, too.

Enough talking! On to the posting!

Totally Rad Actions Giveaway!

Check out Paislee Press at http://paisleepress.blogspot.com/2010/12/totally-rad-giveaway.html to enter for your chance to win a set of Totally Rad Actions!

Catching Up

Why didn't anyone tell me that life with a five month old would be crazy??

Just kidding - someone did tell me that. In fact, lots of people told me that. I just thought they were exaggerating. Well, I've FINALLY gotten Abigail to go to sleep after a long day. There's still dishes to wash, floors to vacuum (.. yeah, that's going to wait until tomorrow), clothes to throw in the washer. And yet I find myself here at my computer, blogging about photography. Maybe that's a clue to me that this is a stress reliever? Or maybe I just really enjoy it. Either way - here I am!

My website still says that I've taken some time off to get to know my daughter. And that's still true. But I have found myself excited to try and make it work when people ask me to capture memories for their family. That's what I've been doing since my last post.

Mama-Razzi: Baby Body Shots

Job #1: Shy and DLN

Dan and I are in Iowa this weekend. Abigail is being dedicated tomorrow morning at our 'old' church. Our pastor's daughter asked me if I would take pictures at her wedding in September, so this seemed like a great opportunity to sit down and talk about what she's looking for. We also took advantage of my being in town and did some engagement pictures. It was a lot of fun! We first went downtown in Des Moines near the railroad tracks, next we took some pictures by a bright red door at a local church, and we ended up at Grey's Lake. Shy and DLN were just so cute and obviously in love :) ! I can't wait until September.

Certify with Sandy!

This could not be more timely! Wow, God is good. I just got an email today from one of my FAVORITE professional photographers - Sandy Puc'. And here's what it says:



Greetings Fellow Photographers:

I have some really exciting news and I just had to share! Today we are launching the Certify With Sandy Puc' (CWSP) program. It is a personal goal of mine to make a positive change in the photography industry by providing educational resources that are available to every photographer willing to make the commitment to learn. With the help of the Professional Photographic Certification Commission (PPCC), I've pledged to help 1,000 photographers become certified, and I want you to join me.

The program is one hundred percent free and includes access to webinars, downloads, study groups, training articles, online seminars and more. To register for the program, you can click here. Then, take these simple steps toward becoming a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP):

1. Sign up and take the pledge. Make a commitment to take the test within one year and we will commit to helping you study, learn and grow.

2. Join our Facebook fan page for updates at www.facebook.com/sandypucfans

3. Follow me on Twitter for daily study tips and the latest action at www.twitter.com/Sandypuc

I am really excited about this journey. Part of my commitment was that I pledged to take the test with you. If you have to work hard, I will too!

I can't wait for you to join me!

Sandy "Sam" Puc

Can you BELIEVE this? You read it in my first post - Becoming a certified photographer is a huge goal of mine right now. So let me make that goal a little clearer, now that I've committed to Certify with Sandy. My goal is to take the exam on January 18 at the Imaging USA Conference in 2011, and to submit my images for the October 22, 2010 submission date.

Wish me luck!

The Zoo

We took the kids to the zoo yesterday. I love the zoo! It's always fun to see the animals, to learn something new, and to spend time with family and friends. Here were some pictures that I got of the kids (thanks Angie - for getting one of me and Abi!).