Happy Birthday, Lola!

Today is our dog Lola’s 3rd birthday! I know, I know, you’re shaking your head thinking I’m nuts to celebrate my dog’s birthday. Maybe you’re right. But Lola is family to me. She’s always happy to see me and loves unconditionally. She’s the lap dog I’ve always wanted, but still playful enough to have fun with.

After work yesterday, I stopped at Give a Dog a Bone in Evansville and bought Lola a doggy birthday cake. Last year, I forgot her birthday until the 4th, so I made sure to get her birthday treat early this time. This thing is about as big as she is, so we only gave her a little of it this morning. She also had her birthday banana (she literally goes nuts over bananas…even say the word and she starts spinning in circles because she’s so excited). Tonight we might even take her on a little car ride so she can stick her head out the window as we’re driving…she loves that, too.

She also got a bath last night so she could look her best for her big birthday. She looks so funny all wet – all 7 pounds of her – but I still love her like crazy. Especially when she does that head tilt thing.

 

Free Photo Shoots!

That’s right — I’m offering FREE photo shoots! These can be family, senior, engagement, fashion, business, baby, pet, maternity or any other kind of picture you can imagine (well, almost anyway)! That’s a $200 value for absolutely nothing but the pure joy of spending some time with yours truly!

I have some pretty fun shoot sites in mind, but if there is a place near and dear to your heart, you are more than welcome to let me know. Once I’m done with the pictures, I’ll send them off to be edited and then upload them to my proofing section where you can order however many pictures you would like!* You can even give friends and family members the password to your online proofing site so they can order prints, too. Couldn’t be simpler! If interested, leave me a comment and I’ll get in contact with you so we can set up the shoot.

I did a photoshoot this weekend for my cousin Rebecca and had an absolute blast. These were “just because” pictures since her mom never likes the quality of school pictures. Rebecca and I had a great time laughing, and we even had our own Talladega Nights moments. We found ourselves saying several times “I don’t know what to do with my hands” and then bursting into laughter. Rebecca will be a senior this year, and I look forward to doing her senior pictures. She’s a natural! (These images are straight out of the camera…no editing whatsoever)

 

 

*NOTE: I am no longer offering free photo shoots. However, you can check out my web site www.nicoleneffphotography.com for my current portrait session price.

 

Pain in the Mouth

The past five days have been super trying for me. After getting my bottom two wisdom teeth pulled, I was on the road to recovery. Or so I thought. After a blur of a weekend (hello, Lortab!), I got up Monday and just didn’t feel well enough to go to work. So I called in, thinking one more day should seal the deal. I slept most of the day, slacked off the Lortab that night, and then woke up Tuesday morning with so much pain. But I didn’t want to call in to work yet another day. I dragged myself to work, and on the way had so much pain that I was in tears. I toughed my way through half a day and just couldn’t do it anymore. I came home and went to bed, hoping to sleep it off. Again. It didn’t work after four days of sleep, so I’m not sure why I thought another day would help.

My mother-in-law, the saint she is, called the dentist she works for and got me in to see him. She just didn’t think I should be in so much pain after having so many days pass after having the surgery. And she was right. I had dry socket, and the dentist numbed my mouth again (yes, I cried like a baby) and packed my incisions with clove oil. After it was over, my mouth was numb for a couple of hours, and I’m sure that I sounded like a complete idiot when I tried to talk. But I swear, if I never taste clove again after this is over, it will be too soon.

I’ve not been able to eat much the past five days. I’ve lost nearly five pounds, not that it’s such a bad thing. But I’m craving Mexican food, pizza, and popcorn. And heavens, I love my dog, but she has been so spoiled by having me at home that she has been in my face non-stop. She wants my attention more than I think she wants treats. And she REALLY likes treats.

I guess I just want my normal life back. I want to be able to take care of my husband rather than have him take care of me all the time. Really, he has been so great to me: patient, caring, and loving. I’m ready to get back behind the camera again. I want to build my skills as well as my portfolio. I’m ready to go at this full force. I’m ready to have energy.

Really, I’m not trying to complain. I’m just realizing how extremely grateful I am for my life and the people in it. Sometimes when your not able to do the things you want, you realize just how important those things are.

And since I always love pictures in a blog, here’s a picture of my dog, Lola:

Now, imagine her right in your face about 10 hours a day, and that’s how it’s been for me the past three days. Really, I do love her, though.

 

Do you see the resemblance?

Since having two of my wisdom teeth removed yesterday, my face has become quite swollen. I know I’m probably exaggerating a bit, but I think I’m starting to look like Stan from American Dad:

On the brighter side, I’m enjoying my mother-in-law’s homemade chicken noodle soup (um, yum!), Breyer’s chocolate and vanilla ice cream, double chocolate pudding, and strawberry jello. And best of all, my dog has been curled up with me all day long.

P.S. I know the picture of me is not so flattering, but cut me some slack, ok? I had two wisdom teeth removed, one of which I was mostly awake for because the anesthesia had worn off. Lucky for me, it was the hardest one to remove, too.

 

Lola loves The Office

Proof that Lola also loves The Office.

My dog is so friggin’ cute. : )

 

Becoming a Photographer: Goals

As I’ve been reading, I’ve realized that having a plan for your business (or in my case, lack thereof) is very important. So to keep myself accountable, I’ve decided to outline some things I’d like to accomplish as a photographer in the upcoming year:

1) Take and complete photography classes. I’m on my way, having gotten my first Fundamentals of Imaging and Basic Photography classes under my belt. I’m very excited about my BP class; it seems like I’ll learn a lot of really important things in the class. I’m more nervous about the FOI class; it deals mainly with Photoshop, in which I have no experience. But nonetheless, it’s a very important class for me to take.

2) Buy my first professional D-SLR. I’m pretty sure that it will be the Canon 40D, based upon some reviews and advice from my mentor Anne Ruthmann. Although the Rebel xti is more in my price range, I think it would be a better business decision to get a camera that is actually in the professional category.

3) Shoot my first wedding. Once again, I look to Anne to help me out on this one. I’m set to second-shoot with her on May 10 at a wedding in Indianapolis. I may do a second one with her if time allows, but this is a huge opportunity for me. I get to learn from Anne and see how a real wedding goes from a photographer’s perspective, but she is the one who has the most responsibility. This will take a lot of stress (hopefully) off of my shoulders when I do finally take on a wedding on my own.

4) Build a portfolio. I have some people who have expressed a desire to be photographed, so for my assignments in my classes, I will likely look to them as my subjects. I also am doing a maternity shoot for my sister in law, who is due in April. I want to get a variety of experiences under my belt so I can learn to be creative and comfortable in any shooting situation. My focus will be people, but I also definitely want to dabble in pets. I absolutely love my dog and love taking photos of her, and I’ve also noticed that this area does not have ANY pet photographers.

5) Build the foundation for my business. This means coming up with a logo, web site/blog, budget, and deciding how much I will charge. I know this will mean I have to manage my time really well since I will still have a full-time job during the early stages of the business. I also need to learn about the process of editing the photos and how to get people to buy products from me. This is the most important part, and likely the part I know the least about. But thankfully, Tyler is a great businessman and Anne is going to allow me to pick her brain over some really great Indian food in Terre Haute in a week; I want to soak in everything she has to say!

6) Book my first client. This is a long shot in my mind, but I suppose completely doable. I have to have faith and confidence in myself that I can do this. I want to be someone that clients can not only rely on as a photographer, but also as a friend. Relationships are SO important, and it all has to start somewhere!

I may add to the list once I think about it some more. But for right now, these are the most important that come to mind. Anyone else have suggestions for an apsiring photographer?