Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The most amazing photo session ever...
This past weekend I spent three wonderful days among some amazing talent! I had the opportunity to shoot with Skye Hardwick as well as 25+ other incredible photogs. We visited the scenic Pioneer Farms where we were met with 17 amazing child models. I can't wait for my portrait taken by the rock star herself to arrive in my inbox!! I picked up some great information to help me along in my growing business as well as walked away totally inspired! I hope you enjoy some of the images I took away from the event.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
At the demanding.... er.... request, of several people, I am cross-blog posting an entry from my personal blog from a few weeks back. It is another "tooting of my own horn" but I refuse to feel guilty in that I am very proud of what I have learned and accomplished. It is the one thing that I have earned on my own and is truly mine. (grin)
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I belong to a few photog groups and troll quite a few blogs. Some are informational business-wise. Some have a lot of great teaching articles. Some are of great inspiration with beautiful photos. One in particular is a professional photog group. It's hard hitting and frustrating with true hard hat critiques, way hard core photographers, but this is what I need to press on and get better. I'm thick skinned so I can hang right? It has helped tremendously but on the same note, has seriously made me doubt my abilities. Sometimes a girl just needs some sugar!
Which is why I visit Better Photo.
Daily dose.
They have a monthly contest. I enter every morning. Over many many months now, I have been getting more and more praise and given 'editors picks' on a more regular basis. Bonus I get lots of private emails from some AMAZing photographers there, in support. Its wonderful! Just what the doctor ordered.
However, I'm well aware that it's a 'Shiny Happy People' site where all who leave comments on your photos are Prozac-laced. It's a superb ego boost. But never any true critique. Better Photo is a contest with 31300 photos entered monthly from photographers literally all over the world. Crazy odds to win right? Especially since they have only 363 finalists. Out of those finalists, ultimately there is just 1 winner each month. There is also 1 first place award in each of the 10 categories and 10 2nd place winners in those categories.
Today I'm sick. I'm icky and sad. I want to crawl into bed and sleep. And then I open my email. It read that one of my photos has made the finals. WHOA! I'm absolutely blown away. Then again within the hour... I get another email showing me this.
And while there is no tangible prize. I'm still just Tooooo excited! I get a new free fancy schmancy portfolio on their site, which I've wanted. Talk about an ego boost...
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I belong to a few photog groups and troll quite a few blogs. Some are informational business-wise. Some have a lot of great teaching articles. Some are of great inspiration with beautiful photos. One in particular is a professional photog group. It's hard hitting and frustrating with true hard hat critiques, way hard core photographers, but this is what I need to press on and get better. I'm thick skinned so I can hang right? It has helped tremendously but on the same note, has seriously made me doubt my abilities. Sometimes a girl just needs some sugar!
Which is why I visit Better Photo.
Daily dose.
They have a monthly contest. I enter every morning. Over many many months now, I have been getting more and more praise and given 'editors picks' on a more regular basis. Bonus I get lots of private emails from some AMAZing photographers there, in support. Its wonderful! Just what the doctor ordered.
However, I'm well aware that it's a 'Shiny Happy People' site where all who leave comments on your photos are Prozac-laced. It's a superb ego boost. But never any true critique. Better Photo is a contest with 31300 photos entered monthly from photographers literally all over the world. Crazy odds to win right? Especially since they have only 363 finalists. Out of those finalists, ultimately there is just 1 winner each month. There is also 1 first place award in each of the 10 categories and 10 2nd place winners in those categories.
Today I'm sick. I'm icky and sad. I want to crawl into bed and sleep. And then I open my email. It read that one of my photos has made the finals. WHOA! I'm absolutely blown away. Then again within the hour... I get another email showing me this.
And while there is no tangible prize. I'm still just Tooooo excited! I get a new free fancy schmancy portfolio on their site, which I've wanted. Talk about an ego boost...
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Cutie Patootie Contest!
Announcing Mollie Kendall Photography's
What will the winners receive you ask?
Two lucky cuties will each receive
1) one complimentary session with Mollie ($50 value)
2) one complimentary 11x14 print and ($50 value)
But wait, there's more!!! Two more lucky winners will each receive a complimentary session and a $20 print credit just for being the referral person to the two Cutie Patootie winners!! So pass this contest around to anyone you think may be interested in photos of their Cutie Patootie!
Email one web-sized picture of your child (350 pixels wide) to
Molliekphotography@yahoo.com
The Fine Print....
Make sure we can see your child's face. No professional portraits will be accepted... just your snapshots please!
Winners of the "Cutie Patootie" contest are not eligible to also win the referral contest. Meaning, one person cannot win two sessions. If there are no referral winners, then the 3rd and 4th place cutie patooties will be winners as well. Confusing enough? ;) Ultimately there will be 4 winners total.
The judging will take place by several of my professional out-of-state photographer friends, not by me.
All applicants must live within 30 miles of the Leander, Texas area.
Enter your "Cutie Patootie" by April 8th. Winners will be announced no later than April 15th via email and on my blog.
The session location will be determined by Mollie, whether it is on location or in studio. Mollie will have complete creative control of the session. You will LOVE your new portraits!!
Deadline for submission is 3:00 PM on April 8th, 2008.
4 winners will be chosen. So pass this link around to your friends and GET THOSE PICS IN!!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Maternity Shoot
I had such fun today. My good friend Dawn allowed me to practice again with another maternity shoot. We took pictures a few weeks ago full body so this time she wanted belly shots only. I had some more ideas and she, being a photographer, was ready for more photos. They are, after all, hard to take when you are your own subject ;)
So here are a few, D. I am anxious to share them with you but I know you are busy this weekend with your Blessingway. I'll get you the full size images when you return! Hope my more fancy versions come across in these smaller sizes.
So here are a few, D. I am anxious to share them with you but I know you are busy this weekend with your Blessingway. I'll get you the full size images when you return! Hope my more fancy versions come across in these smaller sizes.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Texture Land
Every serious photographer must go through a period where s/he seeks out and perfects their specific style. I have taken the straight clean shots and find them lacking. Pretty yes, but I need more in my images. I've spent a lot of years digital scrapbooking but got away from it when my photography obsession began to rise. These days I prefer to spend free time with my camera, but my more artistic background still wants to come through. I am finding my images beginning to take a more artistic turn. I see them as so much more interesting and out of the ordinary. Hopefully future clients will enjoy them as much as I do.
I had another mini photo shoot today with my own personal child model! With this session, my focus was to ultimately practice some new Photoshop texture techniques. Initially the subject was not my focus. But, J has so much character in his expressions, he's just a photographer's dream. I was able to get the best of both the photography world and the Photoshop world in these images.
I had another mini photo shoot today with my own personal child model! With this session, my focus was to ultimately practice some new Photoshop texture techniques. Initially the subject was not my focus. But, J has so much character in his expressions, he's just a photographer's dream. I was able to get the best of both the photography world and the Photoshop world in these images.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Absolutely Beside Myself
I have a list on my personal photoblog, A Thousand Words, entitled "People I Heart". It is a list of photographers that I admire. One of the artists listed there is a woman named Skye Hardwick. Her site is ironically titled, Work of Heart Photography. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her work!
Through a series of websurfing destinations, I ended up on her workshop blog, Soulographer. Skye is famous throughout the country for her children's photography and I thought, "How amazing to learn from her". So I'm trolling around and sure enough, she's heading to Austin this month. Sadly though, it's long been sold out. Feeling frisky, loaded with coffee and on a whim, I emailed her. Are there spots. Is there a waitlist. I'd sell a child to attend and have the opportunity to work with you. What are the chances right? Her workshops are kept to 25 photographers to ensure one on one. Austin is the only stop in Texas and this is her LAST year to do workshops! Photogs from all over would want to attend. Not sure what I was expecting since I couldn't possibly afford to attend, but within a few hours I received an email back from the rock star herself! There Was a sudden spot open but I had to pay within 24 hours to secure it!! She just hadn't posted of it on her blog yet. What timing!!! Fate I tell you.
The workshop includes not only the chance to watch her work and learn what she has learned in running a business, but also includes an amazing list of door prizes, access to her private mentoring message board, all her business forms, a CD of her workflow and more! I'm speechless, truly.
So now, the mother to only one, I look forward to AMAZING chance to work with Skye.
Through a series of websurfing destinations, I ended up on her workshop blog, Soulographer. Skye is famous throughout the country for her children's photography and I thought, "How amazing to learn from her". So I'm trolling around and sure enough, she's heading to Austin this month. Sadly though, it's long been sold out. Feeling frisky, loaded with coffee and on a whim, I emailed her. Are there spots. Is there a waitlist. I'd sell a child to attend and have the opportunity to work with you. What are the chances right? Her workshops are kept to 25 photographers to ensure one on one. Austin is the only stop in Texas and this is her LAST year to do workshops! Photogs from all over would want to attend. Not sure what I was expecting since I couldn't possibly afford to attend, but within a few hours I received an email back from the rock star herself! There Was a sudden spot open but I had to pay within 24 hours to secure it!! She just hadn't posted of it on her blog yet. What timing!!! Fate I tell you.
The workshop includes not only the chance to watch her work and learn what she has learned in running a business, but also includes an amazing list of door prizes, access to her private mentoring message board, all her business forms, a CD of her workflow and more! I'm speechless, truly.
So now, the mother to only one, I look forward to AMAZING chance to work with Skye.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Breathing Color into Life.
One of my favorite subjects in this whole wide world and I had the pleasure today of spending an afternoon together alone. We headed over to Round Rock since Leander just doesn't have any real great "kid fun" for a rainy stormy day like today. He has, what many photographer's in the biz call, Photographer's Child Syndrome. He'll smile on cue for me as soon as he sees the camera to my face. And with a grin as adorable as his? I eat it up!
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