Studio Work
Some of you might be thinking, “She’s taking pictures! She likes that. That can’t be work!” Let me tell you how I felt when I got home after 8 hours of “Taking Pictures” (WORK!). I could hardly move! Was it worth it? Yes, Yes, and Yes.

I invited Ray Mabry to join me in photographing three models. It was practice. I had a plan that I mapped out so that we could work with each model, then put them together, and see what the outcome was. Each had a purpose and end result. It resulted in commercial work with the individual shoots, and also a feel of “Wedding Season”. Working on the “Before the Wedding”, and “Afterwards”.


One of the things that I learned from David Ziser was that you have to create an environment of constant learning. You also have to engage with other people in your profession that will push you to look outside the box, grow in knowledge, and be challenged to do better. And, in turn challenge the other person. That was Saturday. I had a great time of trying new things. The three things that I worked on were posing, lighting, and composition. I hope I got it right.


On May 28, 2011, I will be joining forces with a total of five photographers. Setting up the studio with three “Lighting Stations”. We will work inside and outside as well. Planning before the outcome. Very important to see this from start to finish. Weddings are like that for the photographer. You have to create the story line before the click of the shutter. Make a plan, and then work the plan.

I look forward to working at my craft. Some days, I wish I had a Simon Cowell to be honest with me. He can be brutal- but sometimes that is what we need to push us further than we think we can go.

Well, it's wedding week for me! My son Jonathan is getting married to a wonderful girl named Brianna. I have to be on my best behavior with my camera. I have to stay clear of the wedding photographer they hired. She does beautiful work!
I get to be the "Mom with a camera". We are happy to have her in our family!


Blessings to you!
Fran

Starting Again

It has been a while since I blogged. Opps! One year! My husband and I were so overwhelmed with taking care of his mom. Vascular Dementia is one of the hardest diseases out there when it comes to reason, understanding, communication and unconditional acceptance and love. When we finally made the decision to place her in a memory care facility, it came with guilt, sadness and relief. We are on the mend. The guilt is gone because we know that she is getting the very best care that is out there.




Primrose which is a memory care facility specializes in Alzheimer's and dementia. They know what they are doing. We have gone from "Caregiver", to "Family members". It has made all the difference in the world.


So, I am picking up the pieces of my own thought process, and moving forward with our life together as a married couple, the church family and then my personal business, which is Russell Event Photography.

I have been logging onto facebook to try to keep up with interesting things that I have had the opportunity to do.

I love my studio! When I decided to go full time with the business, my mother in law moved in. That meant, that I needed to find a place of my own to work, and shoot.
I’m only 3 miles from home. Now that she is in a place where she is getting quality help, I now can put my attention to growing the business of photography. I don’t know how long I will have this studio to rent, but I do know that I am not going to stop enjoying this journey that I am on! A lot of photographers that are full time don’t have studios. Working from a home office or home studio saves money, and you can write that part of your home business off.

My marketing plan is three- fold:
1. Portrait Work in Studio and out on location.
2. Renting my studio for Photography Classes- (We have had three so far).
3. Renting my studio for other Professional Photographers that don’t have a studio that would like to rent it per hour.

I am learning new things every day! It’s exciting. So as you journey with me, I hope that I can encourage you somehow to find out what your dream is and go for it.
I have to tell you it is work! Not for the faint of heart.
Until next time!
(Christmas 2010)

Blessings to you,
Fran