Elevate: A Fine Art Photography Exploration | December 2011

This image spoke to me as soon as I pressed the shutter.  My little girl is in between waves.  One has just swept over her, and another is breaking and tumbling toward her.  But she's peaceful, focused, and she takes each wave as it comes.

Some days I wish I could just slow down and take it one wave at a time, don't you?  In the family portrait photography business, these late months are always the busiest of the entire year.  We squeeze in extra sessions, we stay up late at night editing, we rush print deliveries and we package them up just as soon as they come in.  We appreciate this time while it lasts, because we know that January and February will be much different.  The phones won't ring as much and we will get a bit of a break until the next wave comes onshore.

My goal this season is to be peaceful in the midst of these waves, to focus on my tasks as well as my own family's contentment, and to make sure I get up from my place at the edge of the water and take my kids for a stroll on the beach.

I read this quote on Pinterest some time ago, and I whipped up a very simple art print to remind me to slow down and take the waves in my life as they come... one at a time.  You're welcome to click the image to download it.  Print it for yourself to always remember that the tide does ebb and flow.  I hope you don't simply dip your toes in the water, but that you jump in with both feet and enjoy the surf.

The Elevate Project is a circle of photographers who long to indulge our artistic sides at least once a month, by exploring photography as a fine art form.  You can see my October and November posts here if you'd like to.  As we think, and shoot, and think some more... we grow, and we develop, and we become better at our craft.  I encourage you to follow our circle by visiting my very talented friend Gina Oh  |  Arroyo Grande, CA Photographer next.

xxoo

Product Feature | Gorgeous Handmade Albums

I sent out some gorgeous pieces to a few clients this week.  But before these pretty albums left my hands, I took a few photos so I could show you just how beautiful these handmade books are!  This is The Heirloom Album, which is offered a la carte or within my top print collection, and let me tell you... these books are of impeccable quality.  Cypress Albums does a fabulous job hand-creating them for me in their bindery, and I'm so proud to offer them to my clients.

This particular book is library-bound, but we also offer a ribbon-bound spine as well.  Each album comes tucked inside its own coordinating presentation box, covered in Japanese bookbinding fabrics and tied with Swiss ribbons.

Each album holds 30 matted prints from your session, permanently matted and hand-bound within the book.  These sweet clients chose black matted pages for their book, but we also offer natural mats as well.  I love these black mats, and I feel they're especially complimentary to black and white images... which happens to be the bulk of my work.

Won't this book be a treasure to pass down someday?

You can see how nice and thick each matted page is.  Told you... gorgeous.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sure and feature more of these detailed product photos for you.  I'm actually working on a dedicated product page here on the blog, for new clients who are interested in what they'll receive as final art pieces for their home.  Stay tuned for that!