Hello from Las Vegas. As many of you know.. I am currently in LV attending an AWESOME photography workshop. This time.. I am coming home SOOO inspired by an incredible photographer out of Sweden. I initially wasn’t going to attend any of his classes, because I did not shoot like him at ALL. Im known for my contemporary, poppy color look.. he is super duper traditional.

YOU GUYS.. im loving his work. So.. here is what I am proposing…. I need a few models to work with when I return back to Deer Park to put this new look into action as an option. It will be a new baby plan.. and very well may replace the current one.. I may offer 2 different ones.. or I may see no interest and drop it.. but.. I want to try it. So.. I am going to be very specific about what I need: This new baby plan will reach milestones 4 months, 8 months and 12 months. The entire series will be shot on white.. with a lot of white clothing and with some skin showing. SEE.. NOT my regular look. Traditional white on white?? WHAT???? Guys.. it is gorgeous. So clean.. and modern looking in the way that he approaches it. I want to see if I can put my own style into it and implement it. So… here is what I need.

I need a 4 month old baby. Boy or girl. Either will work. mom and dad will need to bring a variety of white tops, men will need a button up, an undershirt tank.. commonly known as a wife beater (isnt that lame?), and a regular hanes undershirt fitted, not loose and with no pocket. Mom will need a fitted white top, a pretty, flattering white shirt with no buttons or color.. can have stitching adornment and then a white ribbed tank or a white camisole tank. For this session, dad will need to be comfortable shirtless for a few images that will be posted on my site/blog. So please.. only those with husbands comfortable with this apply. Mom will be either topless with NOTHING showing, baby will cover any parts.. or possible a tube tops white piece of fabric around the chest if I can not find a mom willing to not wear any top. Again.. nothing will show.. and once you see it.. you will love it. It is so intimate and beautiful.. bonding with your baby.

For the 8 month baby. Again. Dress code remains the same all throughout the series. White tops with denim pants. There will be skin on skin again.. but it is not required for mom to be completely topless in this series. I want to show intimacy with the family in this series as well. For this session.. the child must be sitting unassisted and we are asking you to bring any blankies/lovies that the child carries, their favorite toy and a thumbsucker would totally be the cherry on top for this session. So, please let me know if you have a thumb sucker when you email for the 8 month session. For girls, we also will will do a tutu image of them sitting, and for boys.. we will start incorporating a hat or two into some images. If you have favorites.. please bring them

12 months session. Mom and dad will again bring the same attire. White tops as described in the 4 month session and denim pants.. but.. mom and dad will need to be comfortable topless again. Yes.. this sounds CRAZY. But when I show you how beautiful it is done.. the intimate setting of love it creates within the family… you will love it. At the 12 month session…. It will end in a cake smash.. just as all 12 month sessions currently do. If your child (boy or girl) wears a lot of hats.. BRING THEM. Wear a lot of bows/flowers? BRING THEM. We will incorporate this into a collage so that you can easily get an image of all their favorite hats/bows and put them on 1 collage.. and you have an instant memory of all the cute headpieces your child wore their first year.

For the 12 month sesssion.. I want the family to bring their favorite book that gets read.. whether baby reads it or mommy reads it. Don’t worry about shape of the book.. or condition of it.. it is meant to be a memory of them at this time. If it has elmo on it.. that is okay. It doesn’t have to be that traditional mother goose nursery rhyme book, or the children’s bible story book. Go with what is real. We will also do a tutu image of baby standing if it is a girl.. and for boys.. and oversized 2T white button up shirt will need to be brought for him.. I will supply a tie and a hat for some images.

At the 12 month session, I am encouraging you to bring grandparents for a few shots as well so that grandparents can get in the picture.. especially if this is their first grandchild. This will become a special image.. and hopefullly create a tradition of them having their picture taken with their grandchildren so that as the child becomes an adult… they will always have a special heirloom image of their grandparents.. even after they pass. At the 12 month session.. bring a couple of outfits that you want pictures in as well.. we will do fully clothed images in this session as well. Siblings are welcome at all sessions. We will be doing family sessions through out this baby plan as well as well as just the baby. We are going to see where this leads.. like I said.. I may not see the same interest in this plan.. it will be a little more expensive.. and we may scrap the entire idea.. but I am super duper excited to see.

HOW DO YOU APPLY? Just email me at info@homeshadephotography.com Put BABY PLAN with the age/month of your child in the title bar. They must currently be either 4 months and able to hold their head up for a few seconds, 8 months and able to sit and 12 months, able to stand against a chair or walking. Please send me a picture of you guys and the baby.. needs not be a professional picture.. just a snapshot. I am not choosing the prettiest baby.. or the best looking parents.. I promise.. I just don’t want the babies to look exactly alike.. I want variety in the images. I would love at least one family to be darker skinned. I don’t care what nationality.. just darker skin. One blonde family and one dark haired family.. again.. just for variety.

The session fee will be free.. images will be discounted to 40% off, images only. This does not apply on canvas or press printed cards, or any specialty items. This does apply to the sale of ditital negatives. Only those who can supply all of the clothing suggested and willing to bare a little back/arm skin apply. I really want to show what I want to shoot… you do not have to have a perfect body. I will prefer real moms without that perfect look for these images.. to be able to show that it will be flattering despite showing skin. SO. If you relate to any of the above.. or know someone who would be PERFECT for this session.. please forward this blog post to them. I will want to shoot this within the next 2 weeks.. so please contact me soon.

I look forward to hearing from each of you.

Tasha

i just want to thank EVERYONE for all of the encouragement i received yesterday.

i really wish i could personally write each of you back.. but i am behind at work and i received SOOOO MANY emails, facebook messages, texts, etc.  it would take half a day of work to respond.

i received a LOT of locals asking to buy my stuff.  i am not selling anything right now.  as i said.. i do not know what is going to happen.  i do not know if i want to close completely.. or if i just need a LONG vacation.  im not making a hasty decision being as i have so much invested in what i do. 

i just know that right now.. i have too much on my plate.

as if i dont have enough on my plate.. i am going to tell you all something that i am almost embarrassed to say. 

we have lived in our house almost 11 months.. and we are trying to get it ready to sell.

however.. with my working sooo much and my husband being home alone.. we are in need of a teen to watch the kids a few nights a week to let him pack our house up for market. 
preferably, someone i know for references please.. we live in Clear Lake, so it will need to be someone who can come a few nights a week for a week or so until he has extra furniture and our clutter out of the house. 

so, if you know me; have met me.. and know of a reputable teen who wants to earn a little extra cash for a couple of weeks.. please have them email me at info@homeshadephotography.com

kind of appropriate?  right?  as summer closes in??

but, i am talking about a huge season of my own life. 

i have really struggled with my over busy-ness, my fatigue, my stress.. and it is all Homeshade related. 
it is funny, because i often hear about how successful i am.. and i do agree.. Homeshade has been UBER successful.. but i have come to resent success. 

my thoughts are all jumbled on this topic.. because i have so many emotions jumbling through my head with what i am about to say.  i have relief.  i have fear.  i have anxiety. 

i worry about disappointing people.  my dad tells me how proud he is of me.  my grandma proudly boasts that her granddaughter owns a photography business.  my daughter loves telling people i am a professional photographer.  then, the multitude of clients who feed my ego.  daily. 

so.. get it out already? 

as of January 1st, i am no longer photographing newborns, children and families. 

there.  i said it. 

i will only be photographing high school seniors for the 2011 graduating year.  then, i will take the summer off and evaluate what i am going to do.  am i going to continue and photograph the 2012 class?  or i am going to get a full time job that ends at 5pm?  i do not know at this time. 

everytime i try to formulate a plan for 2011, i still feel uneasiness.  the only thing that gives me peace is closing Homeshade all together.  and i am not sure is i REALLY want to do that.. or if i need a long term vacation? 

Homeshade was a huge blessing when i first started.. gave me time to volunteer at my children’s school.  gave me time to be home with my kids.  let me enjoy them. 

now.. it is the complete opposite.  it is what is preventing me from being an effective parent.. and i often think.. “how is this success when my family is suffering?”

the problem is.. i do not have balance.  i do not know HOW to balance life in this situation.  i am not a strong business person.  i dont know how to say no.  i often let myself get taken advantage of to please someone else.  and in the end.. my family is who suffers.  clients get my patience, my smiles.  my kids get my frowns and my short temper due to fatigue. 

everyone offers helpful solutions that would work.. if i could say no.  if i were organized enough to implement them.  if i had the time to get them started.  i am just in over my head.  and it is time to swim out. 

so, what does this mean for my Sept-Dec calendar?

if you are on it.. you remain on it.  i will finish out the year with everything i have booked.

babyplanners?

you will still have your sessions photographed.  i am all about fulfilling my obligations.  i will not sell my studio equipment until the babyplanners are done.  there arent too many of you.. so i will probably set it up in your home and let the studio go. 

yes, i just opened the studio.  however, the short amount of time the studio has been open, since Mayish.. my studio work has doubled.  and i just cannot keep up with it all.  i am afraid that the studio will just continue to grow me and grow me.  the petti parties expand my client base every weekend.. and while that was the purpose.. i cannot keep up anymore.  i never thought Homeshade would be so big.  when we first started it.. we prayed for 4 sessions a month.  A MONTH.  now, i exceed that in a day some days. 

i am just one person.. and i am not a delegator.  i am not business saavy enough to pass out work.  i struggle with control and final output.  so, that is how i have struggled so with what am i going to do?  one person can only take on so much.

thanks for hearing me out.. and i am really sorry if i am disappointing anyone. 

Tasha

today is my studio grand opening.
i know everyone is probably sick of hearing me say it.. but i have followers on my regular facebook, my fan page.. and on my blog.. so one last time.

today.. from 4-8.. come visit us at

4802 Center St. STE. D
Deer Park, TX 77536

my door faces the residential street Aljean.

stop in for a few minutes.. check us out.. enter the drawing for a free session and peruse the new Matilda Jane clothing line that they just unveiled.

amber from www.frillyflopsandbouncybows.com will be there, and Stephanie Clark will be there selling scentsy.. the best smelling stuff on the planet.

hope to see you all there!

Tasha

so.. i have this regular client that i photograph her sweet children, or her sweet family every 6 months.  for Christmas last year, she decided to get her parents a gift card for some pics as well.  oh. my. gosh.

we had so much fun.  for one.. adults work even faster then seniors.. which i already loved.   for two.. they were the sweetest.. most fun couple.  they may have thought i was a little crazy at times.. LOL.. but they didnt care.. they were up for ANYTHING.  so.. we triapsed around heritage park and grabbed some beautiful photos.

we had gorgeous light, a gorgeous couple.. who had an incredible sense of humor.. and ended up with some gorgeous photos.

in response to my last post..

i am on a mini stay-cation.. still working on getting caught up on editing.. but not shooting for a little while..
that is nice.

i have lamented over what i am going to do differently in the new year.. and i will be honest with you all.. i do NOT want to raise my prices.  i have done so many different scenarios on paper.. and each time.. raising them makes me ill.  my goal as a photographer is to work with people like me.  there are high end, boutique photographer’s out there that specialize in the upper class.. offer more boutique items.. cater to them.  i am not a high end person.  i am a middle class person that struggled to meet middle class.  i eat fast food over fancy restaurants.  and when it comes down to it.. i LIKE working with likeminded people.

so.. my thought process has always been.. i am a little more expensive than the chains.. but still affordable for middle class who appreciates great photography.  i can afford myself.  if i raise my prices too much.. i cannot afford myself.

so many photographers in forums have said “you are not your target market”  referring to the photographer themselves.  but i WANT to be my target market.  honestly.. i like hanging out for an hour or so with people more like myself.  so.. what do i do?

i am coming up with some ideas.. and still praying over them..  once i feel at peace over certain things.. i will announce it to everyone and open my new year calendar around sept./oct. -ish.  i already have so many seniors ready to book in the new year.. and i am really looking forward to another successful senior season!!!!

hope everyone has a happy Tuesday!

-Tasha