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Lola Delivers

My mom is here visiting for the next two weeks and I couldn't be more excited. My kids call her 'Lola' which is Tagalog (Philippine Language) for grandma. Before we picked her up from the airport, Abby made a sign just so Lola would know that we were there to pick her up and not some other lady.

Lola brought many surprises from Maryland, but the BEST surprise was steamed Maryland Blue Crabs.  Y-U-M!!!  The night before my mom left, my dad picked up half a bushel of steamed crabs, packed them in a cooler with frozen gel packs, and sent them on the airplane with my mom. YIPEE!!!!!

As soon as we got home I opened up the box and deeply inhaled their steamy Old Bay Seasoning yumminess.  I know some of you are asking "What's the big deal??? Crabs are crabs."  Ohhhh nooo. Once you have had a perfectly steamed Blue Crab from the Chesapeake Bay all other crabs become inferior. The meat is so sweet with ZERO fishy taste or odor. 

Now let me educate you on the fine art of eating Blue Crabs.  In the perfect crab feast you are with a ton of people you love, sitting on a dock on the Bay or the Severn or Magothy Rivers. Your table is lined with newspapers and stocked with crab mallets, extra Old Bay, vinegar, plenty of paper towels, steamed corn, and plenty of cold beer. Then you sit there all night, next to the water, eating crabs and drinking beer.   This is making me so homesick for Maryland.  Seriously, if you live near the water (like we did on Kent Island which is only 31 sq miles) in Maryland, crabs are not just food, they are a lifestyle and a social event.

There were lots of crabs leftover. My mom and I sat the rest of the night, picking crabs (that's what you call it when you take them out of their shell) until our fingers were like prunes.  Now I have tons of leftover crabmeat. I am waiting until my next big craving and I will be churning out the crab cakes and Maryland Vegetable Crab soup....c'mon winter so I can make that soup...please hurry!

Thanks Mom and Dad! That was the best gift I have gotten in a long time!

Being Honest Outloud

I am typically a very open person. I do not hide much and I am pretty much "what you see is what you get" and firmly believe that life is too short to waste time holding back....except when it comes to my blog. Yes, I will tell my friends , family, and clients who read this blog the truth about the funny, silly, goofy things that are happening....but I try to shy away from what might make me seem sad or unhappy because I am not a sad person. 
Last night I typed the following post 3 times,  I posted it to my blog 3 times, and I deleted it 3 times. I thought that "my photography blog was no place for this post", " people do not want to read this", and "this is too personal for a blog that is supposed to be about my business". I actually do this a lot...post an entry and then erase it a few hours later.
Then I read this post from Mailie over at ShutterSisters. She is right. As photographers we ask our clients to be in the uncomfortable position of being themselves,being honest, being true in front of me (a stranger) in front of my huge lens to be documented forever. So here goes. I will be vulnerable in front of you.

Holding my breath yet again...ready , set, go...jump!

A conversation between Caleb and I  (yesterday) on June 23, 2008

I do not know what prompted Caleb to initiate this conversation. We have not talked about cancer and chemo for a very long time, but at the dinner table he started with this:

Caleb:  Mommy, remember when I had cancer?
Me: Of course...I will never forget that.
Caleb: I was really scared and I thought I was going to die. Then I saw God and he told me that I had to go back.
Me: (turning my head so the kids don't see the tears in my eyes) : Oh. Well you are alive and healthy now and we are so happy for it. Do you remember what God looks like?
Caleb: No, but I remember going to see Him and I remember one time when you pulled me in a wagon where kids played basketball.


Of course the conversation blew me away. Like I said, we have not spoken of cancer in awhile. We never ever discussed the possibility of  him dying. The strangest coincidence  is that we had this same conversation  exactly 3 years ago...to the day. I have it here in his online journal at Caringbridge
June 23, 2005

Caleb and I were digging in the garden. He had just finished his last chemo treatment. He took my face in his hands and turned my head towards his.
Caleb: Mommy, my cancer is all gone and I didn't die.
Me: No, Caleb, you didn't die.
This is the part of the conversation I did not enter because I was afraid it would freak people out.
Caleb: I went to see God, but he told me to come back home because you and Daddy needed me more.


On July 15 it will have been 3 years since his last surgery for his cancer treatment. 3 years. 3 years later we do not think about it as much. Days and weeks can go by without thinking about cancer at all. 3 years later the memory of it still hurts as much as it did back then when we do think about it. It still hurts the same. 3 years later we have this beautiful , amazing life we could have never imagined for ourselves. 3 years later Caleb is a beautiful, insightful, normal, healthy 6 year old boy. Yay for 3 years!!!!

Booking and Pricing

I still have appointments available for July and August, but if you want to book me for September and October, please start booking your appointments now. I have already filled 4 weekends in those months and have had current clients tell me that they are planning on booking me soon for the fall season. I know those are popular months to get your Christmas Card portraits done.  If you are booking your Christmas Card session, let me know if you are interested in my custom Christmas Cards.
Also, please be aware that due to many factors and a lot of thought, I have had to change my prices on sessions, prints, and CD's.

Now I am off to a long summer day with my kids...Have a Great Week!

More new baby pics...

To see the rest of this family's baby pictures go to www.slsmithphotography.com , click on "click here to enter site" , click on the word "clients" , and then type in the word "baby" for the password.

Keep checking back to that site throughout the week for more pics.

Beautiful teeny little nugget

This beautiful little girl belongs to one of my very best friends. I took these pictures when she was just about 2 hours old. She was still being held in the nursery for the "4 hour adjustment period" and since I was not mom or dad, I was not allowed into the nursery.  I did the best I could to shoot through the glass, but these pictures do not do justice to the cuteness of this little 6 lb beauty.

More to come soon.

Just the Facts

I have 2 business  matters I want to address in this post that I have been meaning to post for a few months now.
The first item I want to discuss deals with 'on location photography . I want to let you know why I choose to run my business in this fashion rather than open up a typical studio.
I have seen a few studio photographers say that photographers like me (on location/in your home) just do not care about photography, our business, or our clients enough to open a studio.  Actually, my reasons for on location photography is quite the opposite. I truly care about the quality of my photographs, the quality of my business, and the comfort and satisfaction of my clients. I work hard to find unique locations for session and have heard so many times that clients LOVED having portraits done in their homes where the whole family feels comfortable and where most of their memories are made. Pregnant and nursing mothers feel more comfortable at home, toddlers and children feel safe to be themselves at home or in their local park, seniors love to be near all their favorite things they can include in the photographs, and couples love to have their portraits taken where they first met or got engaged. I am excited that I can help my clients feel at ease by letting them choose the location. It is hard work to pack my equipment, set it up, break it down, and look for areas in the home where the photographs will look good, but I work hard at it and am proud to be able to offer that service to my clients.
I am not putting down studio photography at all, because that too has it's benefits. Many of my favorite photographers work from beautiful and unique studios.  They supply a beautiful atmosphere, food, drinks, and comfortable waiting rooms. I have seen studios with terrific props, creative backgrounds, and amazing furniture. I think studio photography is also amazing.  I am simply letting my clients know why I choose to photograph 'on-location' . There is room enough for every kind of photographer in this business and think that it's a shame that some photographers feel the need to put other's down.

The next item I want to talk about is pricing. I hear people say that they can get portrait sheets and sitting fees for a lot less money at the chain studios. Yes, it's true...you can, but I want my clients to understand that they are not just paying for the couple of hours we spend together. There is a lot of time and work that goes into your custom portraits. 

Here is a breakdown of what the time that goes into getting your portraits from start to finish:
*30 - 45 min. to book your appointment, have our 1st phone/email consultation, and prepare forms contracts, and helpful information.
*30 min. - 1 hr to prep and check equipment, charge batteries, clean equipment
*30 min. - 1 hr to travel to your location
*20 - 30 min set-up in your home
*2 hours in actual session
*15 - 20 min to break down equipment and load vehicle
*30 min - 1 hour travel time from location
*45 minutes uploading images to my computer
*45 minutes to back- up originals
*3 -6 hours of editing
*1 - 2 hours preparing for ordering and loading images onto your ordering gallery
*2-3 hours spent assisting client with ordering, ordering portraits, cropping images for specific orders, and checking orders
*30 min - 1 hr packaging orders
*30 min - 1 hour  delivering/shipping orders

That's up to 20 hours I can spend on one session alone.
I got the idea for breaking down my time in this article I read a few months ago:
http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com/information/?p=6
Anyway...I hope you have a better understanding of what I do. The entire process is fun for me and I love it. The best part is seeing your faces when you finally get to see your portraits!

The Campbells

Meet the Campbell family. I met with them in their beautiful community park.  I am always amazed at the hidden natural treasures in tucked into the corners of San Antonio and our surrounding areas. When you are in these places, it's hard to believe there is a city just up the road.
I had a great time hanging out with this family. Mom, Melanie, said "Just shoot away...we want a variety of candids"...those are some of my favorite words! I wish I was able to get more of the baby, but she was feeling terrible...you know how it is when your baby is teething. It just seems to come and go suddenly. In spite of the teething, she did a good job and I was still able to get some good shots of her. Their Big Girl was great with the camera and just kept right on playing.
Thanks for a great day Campbell Family. Can't wait until our fall session!

I want that skin!

Crackin' myself up....

I was totally crackin' myself up today. I am driving my mini-van, through the church parking lot, to pick up my kids from vacation bible school and I start to wonder why it seems like EVERYONE is staring at me. Then I realize I am singing old-school raps , specifically this song  (which my kids say "sounds so funny and OLD")

at the top pf my lungs!!!!! I know you are getting into this song right now too...don't pretend you are not bopping your head up and down and singing "OOOO boy I love you so". How much do you love the overalls and fanny pack in this video?

If you ask my husband he will tell you I have this strange talent knack for knowing all the words to 80's and 90's hip hop/rap and the dance moves too. My kids think it's hilarious when I bust a move in the living room or kitchen. It kills me when Abby rolls her eyes and says "MOM STOP!" and makes me do it even more. Anyone wanna join me for some 80's/90's karaoke night?

Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles. ~Sonja Henie

A friend of mine, Pam White, who creates B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L  beaded jewelry and accessories  has recently  decided to open Serendipity Rose on Etsy. My linky up to website thingy is acting funny so here is the url http://serendipityrose.etsy.com.

I have seen many of her pieces first hand and they are gorgeous!!! Her pieces are all original and all created by Pam using quality materials. I know I sound like a infomercial, but it's true! Her items make great gifts for moms, brides, sisters, daughters, and just for you. Here are some of my favorite pieces she has created straight from her website:

*ADDED TO EDIT*

Someone just asked me why I wrote B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L this way (in all caps). I did it to emphasize how beautiful...the way I would write my kids are L-O-U-D or that my mom's cooking is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.

Great Hair, Frogs, and a Giggly Daddy's Girl

I just had a photo session with a GREAT family. Mom and Dad were so cool and easy to work with. They had such a terrific sense of humor with their kids and they reminded me of how we talk to our kids. Their oldest son is known for his GREAT HAIR!!!...I say that because his family teases him about how girls love that great hair. He plays soccer, just started driving, and is one of the nicest teenagers I have ever met. He was very easy  in front of the camera and I hope I get to do his senior photos next year!
Their daughter was such a sweetheart. She was hilarious and totally not shy at all! She was up for anything and even created a few poses of her own. She cracked me up, but also melted my heart when I saw her with her Daddy. Their youngest was so friendly. He loves cookies, frogs, and SpongeBob...a man after my own heart because I love cookies, frogs, and SpongeBob too! He even has a blue plastic frog he carries with him everywhere. I love that he does that.
Here are a few pix from their fun, fun, fun session:
This is one I took between pictures of the boys trying to catch a lizard.

Notice the blue frog on his head...so cute...

This is his REAL fire bellied toad. He looks slimy, but was actually kind of sticky.

Here is the youngest showing me his best "tough guy" pose:

Check out how the wind was blowing through his great hair in this shot: