Christmas entertainment

posted by sometrouble @ 3:15 PM | Test Category Two | Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Had a great Christmas, had fun with the kitten. Will make time for a more detailed post later on...but for now, enjoy this video of his antics...or our antics.


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The video is about 1 minute long...the really good part is towards the end when he starts to get dizzy. There is a little bit of background sound...the camera picked up us talking.

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2 Comments:

At January 02, 2007 12:04 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

lolololol that's great!!!!!

 
At January 04, 2007 2:17 AM, Blogger Allie said...

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Gimme a call sometime. We should catch up :o)

 

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it's never-ending

posted by sometrouble @ 6:42 PM | Test Category Two | Saturday, December 16, 2006

~Today I edited 129 photos and took portraits of a brother and sister.
~I have been sitting at this computer for 7 hours today.
~I have done 8 photo shoots so far.
~I am completely done with all the editing and printing of 2 sets.
~I am waiting for the parents to place orders on those 2.
~Today's set was minimally edited, and needs to be burned on a CD.
~I have 72 more raw photos to go through to finish my third set.
~Then the third set has to be printed.
~I have 4 more sets left to edit, print, show parents, and get orders BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
~Those 4 sets have 162, 122, 256, and 209 photos in them.

Did I mention that I work full time during the week too?
Did I mention that I still have Christmas shopping to do?
Did I mention that my house needs some cleaning attention?
Did I mention that we are running out of clean clothes, but that I have no time to waste on laundry?

Don't have much else to say...my brain is fried. Oh, and I managed to run out of space on my hard drive. I didn't know I was anywhere near that point. *Asks Santa for an additional storage device for Christmas*
Ok, I've wasted enough time on this post...back to work!

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2 Comments:

At December 17, 2006 12:18 AM, Blogger Allie said...

Busy busy girl! Pace yourself and don't get burned out, deary.

love and kisses

 
At December 25, 2006 3:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas!

 

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It's my life now

posted by sometrouble @ 2:12 PM | Test Category Two | Friday, December 15, 2006


So...sorry that all I've been showing you here is portrait photos I've been taking recently...but that is ALL I do now. What started as exciting fun has quickly become a second job that doesn't pay nearly enough for the time and energy it requires. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE doing it...and I don't want to stop. I am just exhausted. Christmas is coming FAST...and I still have shopping to do...with not even a moment to think about what to buy. I have photo sets to finish editing pronto for the parents to have before Christmas. Post-processing is taking up much more of my time than I thought it would...and my original pitch of a "Free Portrait Session" is starting to look like too poor an idea to continue for very much longer. I'm sure things will be much better after Christmas, because everyone is rushing Holiday Portraits...but right now, I barely have time to breathe.

Tonight, I will scoot out of work as soon as I can, and head home to settle in front of the glowing monitor with a cup of coffee and photoshop until my 5:30 appointment arrives. I've got another one tomorrow at 2:00. Both of those seem like they will be easier orders. Today's shots are of my neighbor's niece and nephew. She wants to gift the children's mother with a couple portraits for Christmas. They are 6 and 2. Piece of cake. Tomorrow's children are 9 and 4, and are also a gift being done by someone else for the kids' parents. They do not need any Christmas portraits, but they do need the photos before Christmas.

I am trying to work on my nervousness with photographing children of people I don't know. So far it has mostly been friends. I did one that was referred by my neighbor, but the neighbor came with them, and Chad was there to help me get the baby to smile. The overall energy of that shoot was really great. It is funny how each shoot is different, with a different pace, and the parents all act differently. The first set I did, both parents came, and the father got his daughter to laugh by telling her knock knock jokes. Some parents will stay behind me most of the time, while others will sit right beside the backdrop near their kids. Some come prepared with armloads full of props, knowing exactly what they want the photos to look like...while others just stand back and let me make all the decisions.

I need to find a good site to host my photo sets on. I want something that the parents can view the photos online at. I want them to be download protected, and I don't want the option to order prints from a third party to be available. Anybody have any recommendations?

I also need to think of a name for my business. I don't particularly want to use my married last name, since it is long and polish and not very pretty sounding...not to mention, not all that easy to spell. Ideas? E-mail me if you really want to try to help me think of anything, and need to know my name and stuff. K thx!

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4 Comments:

At December 15, 2006 7:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

How about "E-photos by Emily" something like that... esp if you are going to make it on-line and on line purchase accessable :-) Oh wait... Cato's Captures! Emiwiec Photos (combine your first and last name?) Parewiec Photos... I'll keep thinking tho! Those pics are too cute! I may have to bring my nephew out sometime and get his done for his mom's b-day present in Feb. Talk to you guys soon! -Jenelle

 
At December 16, 2006 12:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Awesome photos! How exciting that you are turning a hobby into a profession. I think every gal our age who loves cameras wishes that they could do what you are doing. So good job.

Micah and I use Gallery to host our photos and I really like the interface. As for getting it installed, send him or Lazy Lightning an email about the tech spec details. Our wedding photographer used some kind of interface that was good for ordering photos. Click on the links from our blog for the 'wedding photos' and 'rehearsal dinner photos' to see what I mean.

Good luck!

 
At December 16, 2006 12:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

*Correction: our rehearsal dinner photo gallery does not have the same ordering set up that the wedding photos do. So just check out the wedding photos.

 
At December 29, 2006 1:16 PM, Blogger Adamity73 said...

How about Potyzeweickowitz Photography? It kinda rolls off the tongue, methinks.

 

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Busy Weekend

posted by sometrouble @ 3:35 PM | Test Category Two | Monday, December 11, 2006


Had a fun filled weekend, the highlight of which was having BOTH of our vehicles in the shop for repairs, at once! We are HOPING to get Chad's truck back today. My car, they haven't even begun to look at. I also spent much of the time taking photos of several children. I found that the best ages to shoot are those babies who are not yet too mobile...or toddlers old enough to take a little bit of direction. It is that in-between age that presents the real challenges.

Friday, I shot two girls, as I mentioned in an earlier post that I would be. They were 2 1/2 and 1 years old. They were hard. This 2 year old was much more fidgety than the first one I did...and her sister did not want to stay put and smile for us. Having two children to work with is a big challenge. Saturday began with another 1 year old girl. She wasn't too keen about sitting still and smiling either. But it went a little smoother. Her mother brought their German Shepherd as well, and wanted a photo of the dog and the baby together. The dog was surprisingly co-operative! Next, my friend from work brought her 9 month old baby over. He was so smiley, and Chad really got him giggling. Got some great photos of him. On Sunday, my friend Sara brought her son over, I have shown a pic of him before...he is 6 months old now, and he was so good too! We let him take a little nap break halfway through, which gave us some time to visit. That's him in the above photo. He is so adorable! I'm doing the first person who I don't know tomorrow. She was referred by my neighbor. I am a little nervous...I hope she is pleased with the results.

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2 Comments:

At December 11, 2006 11:18 PM, Blogger Allie said...

fabulous, darling!

 
At December 11, 2006 11:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

too cute! :)

 

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She's just too cute

posted by sometrouble @ 11:09 PM | Test Category Two | Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Finished up the editing of the set from my first "client"! Her parents will see the shots on Sunday...cross your fingers that they are happy. I am booked solid for the weekend, and have one more person trying to get her daughter in as soon as she can.

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4 Comments:

At December 07, 2006 12:00 AM, Blogger Allie said...

These turned out amazing! Great job!
She is too cute for words :o)

 
At December 07, 2006 7:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

She's so cute! I really like how you are capturing with some posed and non-posed shots. Squee!

 
At December 08, 2006 8:16 AM, Blogger sometrouble said...

Thank you!

Rachel: I must have taken between 150-200 photos...and just picked out the ones with the best expressions. I did give her a little direction on how to sit and where to look sometimes...but usually that just results in her being uncomfortable, and looking un-natural. Her parents were behind me, talking to her, and her dad was telling her knock knock jokes. It really helped ALOT.

 
At December 09, 2006 6:39 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Em... they look cute! When we have a little one, you can use them all you want for pratice work. They can even stay with you! ha ha -Jenelle. Oh yeah, we are having a New Years party again this year. If you guys are open, you are welcome to attend!

 

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My Christmas Wish List

posted by sometrouble @ 11:11 PM | Test Category Two | Sunday, December 03, 2006

That is it. I will be a happy happy girl if Santa brings me that camera. Since I saw it at Costco a couple weeks ago, I wanted it. Today, at Costco, I commented to the employee at the digital camera counter about how badly I want it. He handed it to me, and said "here play with it a bit." That did not help my desire to POSSESS it! Now I'm feeling withdrawal symptoms, and my poor D70 is feeling rejected. Yesterday, Chad told me that if I keep going with the photography, and get really good, and start making the big $$$, he will get me the D80!!!

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1 Comments:

At December 16, 2006 7:30 PM, Blogger Isa said...

Thanks for the night suggestion. I have to buy a camera and you seem to know them very well!

 

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First Studio Photos

posted by sometrouble @ 12:40 AM | Test Category Two |

Here are a few from the session I did today...my first! I am so happy with the way everything went, and relieved that the photos came out pretty well. I am super excited about all this. I am getting more interest everyday. I will have to figure out how to transition from doing free photos to charging for them once I get more experience and become more professional.
The shots are off to the photo lab, and we will see how accurate my monitor settings are tomorrow. I can't wait to show her parents!

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3 Comments:

At December 03, 2006 1:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The photos look great! Glad to hear everything went well. She's so cute!!

Keep up the good work :o)

 
At December 03, 2006 5:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ooo very cute, I like the second and third ones best. She looks very kid-like, not posed in them. Well done!

 
At December 03, 2006 11:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those are really cute! Good luck with your endeavor...I look forward to seeing more!

Hope all is well with you and everything is going well around Henkel. By the way...those orchids from your earlier posts are awesome!

Have a wonderful Christmas if I dont talk to you before!

 

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Christmas Parties, Grumpy Cats, and Photoshoots

posted by sometrouble @ 8:59 PM | Test Category Two | Saturday, December 02, 2006

Last night was my husband's work Christmas party. He works with almost all men...and only male employees went to last night's party...but they all brought their wives or girlfriends. It was really fun. We started out at an Italian restaurant. Good food, fun company, drinks, and a great time was had. Some of the couples with kids who were home with babysitters called it a night after that...the rest of us headed over to another bar...where a couple of the guys knew the managers and bouncers well. We were treated like VIPs. The manager brought us complimentary drinks, and made sure we always had refills. Both managers brought the shot girl over to our table on two separate occasions and bought us all a round of shots. We joked and laughed and drank until after the bar closed. We didn't leave until almost an hour past closing time. I don't know who started it, but by the end of the night we were all "doing faces". We would go around the table taking turns making a silly face...a different one each time. It was so funny. I would love to go out with that bunch again, I had the most fun out that I've had in a long time.

Between 7:00 PM and 2:00 AM I had 5 pint sized glasses of raspberry stoli and lemonade, two red-headed s1ut shots, and two "raspberry martini" shots. They were all great, but this morning I was sorry. I had the whoppingest hangover ever. My headache was almost as bad as a migraine, I was dizzy, and so dehydrated that my arm and leg muscles ached. I drank 6 8 oz glasses of water, and am feeling much better...but it still kinda left me feeling "off" all day. Last night was so worth it though.

We picked up Cato this morning, and boy was he grumpy. He really let us know what he thought about being at the vets overnight and being in a cat carrier and in the car. He can be so sassy and mouthy sometimes. He is doing well though...curled up on my lap sleeping right now, as a matter of fact.

I had my first "official" photoshoot today. "Official" as in: they called Monday, and wanted to set up a time to come over and have me photograph their 2 1/2 year old daughter...and I had backdrops and lights and props. It went well. I am happy. Only one temper tantrum about the black backdrop being "not nice"...and some protesting the Santa hat her parents wanted her to wear. But she declared everything "stylish". She LOVED Chad's old wooden rocking horse and rocking chair. And was captivated by my little 4 foot Christmas tree. I am photographing her cousins tomorrow. Another 2 1/2 year old girl and her little sister who is 1. Should be slightly more challenging. Pray for good moods and their parents and I to have patience. I will share some photos from today when I finish post processing them.

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Just had to share...

posted by sometrouble @ 9:26 AM | Test Category Two |

orchid bloom
Took a photograph of the orchid in our lab, which I mentioned in the last post.
Amazing, isn't it?

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1 Comments:

At December 02, 2006 2:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, that's a very different looking flower. I've never seen an orchid like that.

 

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TGIF

posted by sometrouble @ 10:04 AM | Test Category Two | Friday, December 01, 2006

orchid
I am so glad it is Friday. I caught a bit of a cold from my sister last weekend while traveling and sharing living quarters with her in my family's lake cottage in Northern Michigan. I have had stuffed up sinuses and a congested chest cough for the better part of the week. I am feeling much much better now though. Compared to the last time I was sick, this cold is nothing.

The photo above is a macro of one of five or six orchids we keep in our lab here at work. It is a Doritaenopsis "Aposya", which is a hybrid cross between a Phalaenopsis and a Doritis. Right now, we have a Colmanara Wildcat "Okika" blooming for the first time. The flowers are very strange looking...I will have to get pictures of those, too.

I missed my little kitten buddy this morning in the bathroom as I got ready for work. Every morning he lays in the sink while I shower, then plays behind the shower curtain while I dry my hair. Today, however, he was already gone when I got up. My husband dropped him off at the vet's this morning. He is getting his manhood taken away. I feel bad for the little guy...he is going to stay overnight at the veterinarian's office. I can't wait to get him back and have him feeling better. Right now, I am waiting for the vet's office to call me and let me know they are all done.

We are supposed to get "slammed" by a winter storm today. It has been raining all morning, any minute now it is supposed to turn to sleet and then snow. If the weather gets really bad, I may head out of work early just to try to make it home in under 2 hours. I live about 30 minutes north of work, which is already a bit north of Detroit...and they are saying it will hit worst in Detroit's northern suburbs.

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4 Comments:

At December 01, 2006 12:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Stay safe out there!

 
At December 01, 2006 12:54 PM, Blogger sometrouble said...

Thanks allie! I will!

 
At December 01, 2006 3:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Be safe! We were reading the news about the weather out your way. Sounds pretty ugly :-(

 
At December 02, 2006 8:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Aws my kitties keep me company during the morning bathroom routine too. All good domestic puppies and kitties must have their reproductiveness taken away, for the greater good. He will be okay, I remember being told that it is a simple process, much less invasive than it is for the females.

 

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