Family Pictures in Graham

We've had great sunsets in Graham and I was quite excited to take advantage of the beautiful soft light!

We've lived next door to this fun family for 5 years now. It's amazing how the girls have grown up!


Aren't they beautiful??

There are many more pictures to come. I couldn't wait to get these up!

Some inspiration

I was hanging out at my favorite photography forum and ran across a post entitled "The Business of Photography" and running a home-based photography business. I won't quote the entire thing but I think a few people may be just as encouraged as I was by these few points. Thanks to Josh Hudson for everything!

"You want to know how to do it and feel like you are in control. You don't want to feel embarassed having clients climb over barbie dolls to get to your office. You don't want to explain why a first grader is your secretary. You want to feel professional. And Dr. Josh has his answers. Yup, my little tips on how to make working at home work for you. Or at least what works for me.

1. Get over it! The glory of the Rebuplican/Post 9/11 economy, there are more and more home businesses that are working on a shoe string budget. You can not be embarassed by your office being in the basement next to the washer and dryer. Because you need to remember that your business isn't your office. YOU are your business. My studio fits into two large pieces of luggage. I go on location and set up. Occasionlly I get a funny look, until they see results on my laptop.

2. Positive Spin. Are you like me and do most of your client meetings at Barne&Noble and Starbucks? You originally did this because you didn't want your dog to hump a clients leg in the meeting of writing a contract. But you have to believe in your decisions are good ones. Especially to clients. I tell them that it is always best to be in a comfortable neutrals space. It saves them drive time, and they can make an impartial decision instead of being wowed by large poster photos I took ten years ago. I also get to buy them a coffee and have great music.
It works. And what is more, when a fancier photographer brings him to his office and shows him the pictural bling bling, the clients automatically goes, "Josh warned me about being intimidated by those pretty pics."
In other words, your attitude is important. You have to believe that your decisions are the right ones. Sell your self as well as others.
3. Kick the family out. You need WORK time. I made a contract with my family. There is Daddy time when no one can come into my office. I might not be able to get a straight eight hours or even four. But deals that trump strikes in the board room to make compramises and deals work with family members. Get a way to ensure that no one is in your office. If you spend that time editing photos or chating on FM is up to you. But good work habits also apply to the family. Now my daughter is bidding for HER time when no one is allowed to bother her.
4. SPACE. The thing about an office, is that it has to be an office. You can not make it a corner of you bed room. or half of the dinning room. You need privacy to make that mental jump from being home and being at work. It is sanctuary, and important for organization.
5. WORK FOR FOOD. One of the biggest downfalls with self-employment is that people don't separate their paycheck from their business money. You are an employee. Ed Asner just doesn't spend whatever Disney makes, he gets his paycheck and that is it. Well, at the end of every week, how much did you work? Did you end up adding an extra twenty hours for free? Don't do it. Would you work for a boss that didn't pay you for overtime?
Now the problem is that you ARE the boss. So you need to find ways to make that time more productive. You need to stop investing in gucci lenses and in ways to cut down your workload time. Time efficiency is a bosses #1 priority. Because in business you have only two ways to make a profit: You either raise prices or increase productivity.
So log your time. Bust heads if that worker (you) is lazy and not doing his work on time. Strike if that boss (also you) is making you work unreasonable hours.
6. BENEFITS. What is NOT part of your paycheck, but part of your employment are benefits. Nothing is worse in the world to make your business work, but you are worried about your kids braces. Family isn't just a distractions when they are bugging you to take out the trash or turn the MTV up too loud. How can you concentrate on work if you are worried about their health care or other normal work benefits. Make sure that you take care of that out of your business profits. Also make sure that you share a portion of benefits and a portion of your paycheck for your 401K. Those fees need to be paid first.
7. TIME MANAGEMENT. I have already put something down on time management, but it isn't near last for anything. I want you to remember it. It is the number one thing that will cut down your work time, keep you on time, keep clients happy and give you time to remember you have a family.
8. BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. The last thing you need is someone to treat you like your a just a hobbyist because you are home based or part-time. The only advice I can give you is the "actors' mindset." You see them work twenty years as a waitress, and only get one speaking roll every ten years--- but ask them what they are. The answer is never waiter, which is where 95% of their income is from, but actor. Why is that? Because there is a mindset is they ARE WHAT THEY ARE AND NOT WHAT PAYS THE BILLS. In the Navy for two decades, I was always a photographer in the Navy-- not the other way around. But when I would work in the press pool, other photographers would see me the other way around. They couldn't get past the uniform. That was until they saw my work and my attitude. Don't measure your identity by your income.