New website feature for clients

I'm so excited about this! My cute (awesome, amazingly talented) husband finished the client viewing gallery last night just in time for me to post my huge family session. I love it. We still have plenty of features to add, but the basics are there. Check it out if you'd like:

http://www.picturememine.com/client

Session Access Code: YHUEX

**edited to add: we've had some technical difficulties and had to reset all the codes. This one should work now. thanks!

Springtime Princess

After seeing my friend Natalie make a tutu for her daughter, I decided that Rachel absolutely must have one to. So, I borrowed her idea and made her one this week (notice I did in fact, copy the entire outfit. Thanks N!). She loves it. It's her "princess dress" and she won't take it off. What did I expect? Anyway, she actually agreed to get her "princess" picture taken this morning so out we went for a drive.

Color...

...or black & white?

Different b&w conversion.

The Kids

College life means that there's usually a lot of change going on. We've had some great neighbors over the last year and made some really good friends. One family just finished up school and left for the great beyond, so we decided to get some pictures of all the kids before they left. Early morning, bright sunlight, not the best technically, but in this case it doesn't matter. The kids are so cute.

These boys are pretty close in age. 7 months, 9 months, and 15 months (ish).

Engaged!

My brother proposed to his girlfriend over the weekend! I can't tell you how excited I am for the two of them. They are such a great couple and are going to be so happy (not that they aren't already....). He was really cute, and had a neighbor sneak over and set up roses and candles, and then I snuck in and lit them, got the music playing, and he beat her home to be there to surprise her as well. I'm grateful that he trusted me to take pictures--I hope you like them!

Sharpness closeup

I got a few questions about my previous sharpness post, and thought I'd post a follow up. These two pictures are from the same pictures previous, but enlarged to show the differences. The difference is even more stark when printed, even as small as an 8x10. The differences are best seen in the details of their eyes.

Progress is good

To make all of you aspiring photogs feel really good about your pictures, I thought I'd post one from when I had just gotten started. My little sister was a senior in 2006, so my husband & I volunteered to do her senior pics. We had just bought our camera about 8 months previous.

Little sis: May 2006
Rebel XT kit lens f/4 1/800 ISO 1600 (ouch. I know. We had trouble remembering to check ISO settings.)

Compare that to the one we took just last April of my little bro who will be a senior in 2009.

Little bro: April 2008
Rebel XTi 20-200L f/4.5 1/125 ISO 200

crazy huh? You'd better believe we've made some progress in the last two years. Don't ever think you've "made it" or there's nothing left to learn. At the time, we thought that first picture was pretty good. Arrrghhh.

Fun (large!) Family

This group was great! Grandpa was only in town for a couple of days, so they hurried and got organized for a large family portrait! At first I was a little anxious about having a session with such a large group, but no problems! All the kids were behaved, they all looked fantastic, and we had a good time. So, here's your preview. I wanted to get it up before I left town for a few days. Thanks for such a fun time!

This was grandma's idea. She wanted a picture of all her grandkids doing their "thing". I love it!

Life turned upside down

It's crazy how things come out of nowhere when you least expect it and turn everything upside down. For the last 6 months or so, we've been planning on taking a job in CA after Sam has finished with his master's thesis. The offer is great, the location is better than great, and we'd be off to do something new and exciting.

Well, not so much. We've decided to accept a different offer instead. Sam was offered a position in a technology start-up company. The company currently consists of 2 people, Sam would be one of the first hires, he'd be working with crazy-smart people, get first-hand experience on how to get a company off the ground, make great net-working contacts, etc. The pay is comparable, we're going to be able to afford a house, their benefits package is great, and we're getting a small equity in the company. So, not too shabby. We both feel that this is really what we're supposed to be doing for the next couple of years.

The only downside to this new and exciting offer is that we will be staying in Utah. Yes. We were so excited to leave, but when the Lord closes a door He most often opens a window. We will survive. We've learned that in the technology business, you really just don't stay put for very long so I imagine we'll be moving around a lot over the next 30 years.

**edited to add** The job will be at Thanksgiving Point, so we're looking to move to north-eastern Utah County. Lehi/American Fork/Pleasant Grove area. :)

Extended Family

This was such a fun session! Slightly crazy, really windy, and cold, but fun nevertheless. They were all troopers, especially the little ones! I shot pictures of the whole group, individual families, individual kids, but my favorite was all the grandkids together. Mostly because I had 4 sets of parents behind me all trying to get their kids to look over and smile! Good times. Don't worry guys, there's lots more where these came from!

My Wall

Well, I'm a little slow, but I did promise to post pictures once we finished our wall. I love it. We get so many compliments from people that come over. Makes me happy. My only unhappiness is that I couldn't go bigger. After having 16x20's on my wall for a week, and then going to 8x10's...yeah. Not. Big. Enough. Oh well. We have one more wall, right? Oh- and I am not a product photographer. This is why I take pictures of people. ;)

(2) 11x14 (top canvas, bottom textured wall print)

(3) 8x10 textured wall prints
(1) 10x20 textured storyboard on easel
(1) 4x6 gift print
All framed without glass. Love. It.