Monday, December 20, 2010

So, it’s a few days before Christmas...

And I want to share with all of you some location images that I was able to capture right before the sky opened up, and I went down hard with last week’s nasty little bug that kept me confined to the house.

This is the Chudy family.  They are an absolutely wonderfully photogenic family, and we had an absolute blast doing their Christmas portraits in front of their historic home downtown. :)  Thank you, Casey, for sharing a bit of your family with us!





I also wanted to take just a moment to mention the terrific sale and giveaway at Soulographer.  Skye’s got a workbook and posing guide on sale that you absolutely MUST NOT miss out on if you are even a little bit interested in children’s portrait photography!  I picked them both up last week and cannot say enough nice things about these tools for photographers!  Even a seasoned pro will take away a little something that is well worth the cost of admission. :)  Thanks, Skye!

I hope that all of my readers, clients, friends, and family have a warm, blessed Christmas, and prosperous 2011!

Blessings to all of you!

Until Next Time….

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Down Time Lesson

Apparently, if you don't slow down on your own, your body will slow you down!

I know this, as I'm curled up on the couch with blanket, pillow, and laptop, on day four of lost voice, nasty cough, and low grade fever.  I've gotten little done since Sunday, which was NOT on my agenda.

What I have been able to do is catch up on my Facebook games, do a little research and development, and sleep.  Yup, I excelled in sleeping.  I'm quite good at it, apparently.  :)

In my Internet travels I re-visited Soulographer, which is fast becoming one of my favorite sites to peruse, and not just because of the awesome giveaways they're sponsoring this month. :)  Not only is this site a good read, it's an amazing resource for photographers to find good vendors for equipment, props, guides, etc.

Check out this week's giveaway (and awesome sale) at Soulographer.com and be sure to enter, if you are an aspiring, or even professional shutterbug.

I have no photos to share with you this time, as all of them are on the studio computer, and it's been too cold (ok, and I've felt too cruddy) to even venture out there, so I will keep this entry short.

The lesson learned this week is - You may not be able to fit everything you need to do into your waking hours, so do as much as you can after prioritizing, take a little time for yourself, take your vitamins, eat well, and exercise.  If you don't, your body will most likely turn on you and knock you on your butt, and that only puts you further behind than you were when you started.

Until next time....

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

On New Experiences and Other Personal Things...

Greetings, and Happy Holidays to all!  We just had our belated Thanksgiving feast just a few days ago, due to my eldest son not arriving home until the Monday AFTER Thanksgiving, but were still able to pull off the roast bird and all the fixin’s, enjoyed by all three of my sons for the first time in many years!  I was a happy Mom (and Nona!).

My middle son, Matthew, has just announced his engagement to his beautiful girlfriend, Ashlee, and her baby girl, Lilly, so there has been much activity in our busy (and growing) family!

Last month I was touching base with a photographer friend of mine who was very nervous about shooting her first ever wedding, and she asked me if I wanted to come and help her.  I thought she was joking, initially, but she was dead serious.

Now, those of you who know me, also know that I have avoided shooting weddings like the plague, given some of the horror stories I have heard about bridezillas and the like.  Well, long story short, I sucked it up and told my friend that I was honored that she thought enough of my skills to want *me* to help her shoot the most important day in a young woman’s life.  No pressure, right?  (See? There’s part of it, right there…You do NOT get a do-over during someone’s ceremony, so you had best believe you need to be very familiar with your camera and its settings before you even THINK about shooting someone’s wedding!)

At any rate, we did the shoot, it was SO much fun!  Had I known doing weddings would be as fun as it was, I would have started doing them many moons ago! :)

Also, if any of you reading this are photographers or aspiring photographers, then you need to check out the wicked giveaway and sale at the Soulographer Blog for Photographers.  


So that’s it for right now…Until next time….

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Yeah, Yeah….It’s Been A While….But I’m Back!

Wow…
Junior Miss Pageant 9-11-10

What a ride it’s been here lately!

I hardly know where to start.

After my last post I did a photo shoot for the Junior Miss program in Wayne County. It is their first year having the pageant locally, and Casey Chudy did a magnificent job of organizing this event!

I had the honor of meeting 3 wonderful high school senior girls who were not only beautiful, but talented and smart, too!  I did NOT envy the judges, as they had a very hard decision to make!

Jefferson Monument
Shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from my eldest son (he is in the Air Force) who told me he was stateside and staying at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  I won’t go into all the details, but we jumped in the car the following Saturday morning and drove to DC to see him.  Long story short, he is going to be medically discharged and should be stationed at our local base within the month.  Of course, we felt the need to do a little sightseeing, and since he was able to go, Chris took us around and showed us some of the places I’ve only gotten to read about to this point.  We saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Monument, the WWII Memorial, Jefferson Monument, Vietnam & Korean Memorials, and the Marine helicopters flew overhead several times on our walk back to the car.  The entire morning was very moving to me, ESPECIALLY the sculptures by the Vietnam Memorial.

5K Run - Wayne Uplift Benefit
After returning from DC, I had a short radio interview pertaining to domestic violence. (I am a survivor, so this is a subject near and dear to my heart.)  The following weekend, I shot the 5k/1k run/walk, which was a benefit for Wayne Uplift, a program to help victims of domestic violence.

2010 Taste of Wayne County Winners
Once I finished the post-processing of that shoot, I was contacted by the United Way of Wayne County and asked if I would mind shooting this year’s Taste of Wayne County on October 18th.  Of course, I accepted.  I ended up shooting just under 300 images of vendors, the judging of the food, contributors,  the awards, the band, etc.  Many of Wayne County’s finest dining establishments represented and offered samples of their yummy wares.  I had so much fun that night!  I was so busy running around shooting that I didn’t have time to really stop and sample a lot of food, but I can tell you that the Peruvian chicken I tasted was OUTSTANDING! :)

I just finished the post processing of those images last night, and am so excited to deliver the discs to the United Way.

I am taking a few days’ breather, but am in the process of gearing up for our Christmas portrait special, and I have also heard through the grapevine that many of this year’s Seniors are not terribly impressed with their portraits, so I would like to offer them a special, as well.  This green screen isn’t hanging up in the studio for nothing!

Sooooo….Until next time….

Monday, August 16, 2010

Better Business Bureau Accreditation

We are so excited to announce that Wall 2 Wall Photography has achieved Better Business Bureau accreditation!

We have always prided ourselves on giving our clients the best experience possible in our field, and this accreditation further solidifies our goal of making your photographic experience with us the best that we can give you.

Our BBB report can be reviewed here.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at julie@wall2wallphotos.com.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Busy Week, Busy Times

Greetings!

Yes, it’s been a couple of weeks since my last post, but I’ve been so busy!

We just picked up a community service project with the Civil Air Patrol, and will be shooting them on Tuesday evening. :)

Last Tuesday was the Chamber’s “Prime Time” trade show for new members, and I think we really had a nice set-up.  I took a picture with my phone, so it’s not great, but we had such a great time!  We met some really nice people, made some wonderful contacts, and even scored some outstanding hot sauce! ;)  Go check out Mile High Hot Sauce! This stuff is great!  The peppers are grown right here in Wayne County!   We were also feeling a little lucky, so we purchased a couple of 50-50 drawing tickets and won!  Can’t ever turn one’s nose up at cash, right?


On Thursday, I met with the girls from Curtis Media East/Crazy Wayno and purchased three rotating banner ads. :)  Yup, it cost about my entire marketing budget, but when they are getting the hits that they are, what could I say?  Check them out at CrazyWayno.

I also knocked out both my sales tax report (and *sigh* subsequent check writing), renewed my North Carolina Privilege License, AND joined the Professional Photographers of North Carolina, so it’s been busy.

Further, I have accepted a job working as the host photographer for the Junior Miss program in Goldsboro/Wayne County, so I really need to get my creative head together and get the ad together so that I can send it to Casey.

Has it been busy this week? You betcha!  Would I trade it for anything?  NO WAY!!!!

Until Next Time….

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Networking - A WONDERFUL Low/No-Cost Way to Promote Your Business...

We attended Business After Hours this evening at Murphy’s Place on Center Street in Goldsboro.

As always, Business After Hours was chock full of fun and wonderful people.  We met new friends and visited with older new friends, all the while exchanging business cards!

There are few better low/no-cost ways to promote your small business than good, old-fashioned networking!

After all, we met Jan at last month’s gathering and ended up on the roof of the mall taking pictures of fireworks a couple of weeks ago.

Johnny and I met Heidi Dudley from Allstate, who also has her own small business, Heidi’s Customized Pet Care & Cleaning Services.  Because Heidi’s an animal lover like Johnny and I are, we hit it off immediately.  We exchanged business cards and I took several of hers, as I know many pet owners who are looking for a means to look after their babies while they are away!

We also met Lynn and Dean, from Murphy’s Place.  They are a really nice couple.  Now, Murphy’s Place is where our Business Builder’s group meets twice monthly, and the food there is nothing less than outstanding!  The atmosphere is comfortable, location is great, and service is friendly.  If you get a chance to swing by 100 N. Center St. in Goldsboro, Wall 2 Wall Photography HIGHLY recommends Murphy’s Place for your hunger needs.  You will NOT be disappointed!

So after about 90 minutes of interacting with other small businesses in the county, Johnny and I walked away, once again, feeling like we had accomplished something. :)

This is going to be a quick blog, however, because I am in the process of putting together portfolio books for a trade show we’ll be attending in about 12 days, so the clock is most assuredly ticking! :)

In the meantime, the rest of you small business owners reading this…get out there and mingle and talk yourselves up! :)

Until Next Time….

Monday, July 12, 2010

Hooked on the Book - A Benefit Book Signing to Benefit Coastal Louisiana

Rewind to 7-10-10….


Sandra Carrington-Smith, not only a wonderful author, but a good friend of mine, came to the Wall 2 Wall Studio on July 10, 2010 to do a benefit book signing. Our target? Coastal Louisiana.


We had a really good turn-out that day, and I couldn’t help but blog about it.


I don’t know how the rest of you feel, but the Gulf Coast disaster tugs at my heart daily.  I see pelicans wrapped up in oil, I read of dolphins dying, and read of fishermen unable to do their daily-thing.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but this just breaks my heart.


My author-friend, Sandra, has published two books; one fiction, one non-fiction and has dedicated herself to donating a portion of her book sales to the Louisiana Gulf Response (www.lagulfresponse.org), via the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (www.crcl.org), a local grassroots "boots on the ground" organization dedicated to preserving the Louisiana and Gulf Coast region.


We had a wonderful turnout, and I want to thank my good friend, Elaine Estes, for taking some outstanding pictures of all of us! 







Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Growth and Overcoming Fears...

Back in March (on the 8th, I believe) I posted a blog about having joined the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce. (Has it really been that long????)  I am so glad that I did.  I have met some of the nicest people in Wayne County; and we all have one thing in common...We want to see Wayne County prosper while growing our businesses!

Since then, I've taken a trip to Northern California and Eastern Nevada and shot a TON of images.  I stayed with my dad and step-mom (Bobbie-Mom) and they carted me all over the place.  On Wednesday, June 2, we were at the gas station in Napa fueling up for our trip to San Francisco when I got a call from the Small Business Center at Wayne Community College.  I won the "Innovation" award for small business, 2010.  To say it was hard for me NOT to jump out of the car and do a happy dance in the gas station parking lot is an understatement!

So we fast forward to June 17, the Chamber's Business After Hours, and I'm not only presented with my award, but have met some really great people, one of whom invited me to a Business Builders meeting.  My contact had mentioned the possibility of needing a photographer to get up on the roof of the local mall to shoot fireworks on the weekend of the 4th of July.  Of course, I was interested!!!  How could I not be?

Johnny and I both attended the Business Builders meeting, and have decided to join the group.  We've met more great people, and spoke with our contact at the mall, who again indicated she needed us to shoot fireworks.

As always, one thing leads to another, and we did, actually, end up shooting the events at the mall.  The big scary for me was that 30 foot straight ladder through the hole in the roof.  Now, anyone that knows me also knows that I am absolutely petrified of heights.  However, I did overcome my fear of flying when I went to California and back, and I had spoken via email with my good friend, Sandra, about the whole ladder issue. She thought if I could overcome that fear of flying, surely I'd get over that ladder issue.

She told me to keep looking up, both on the way up and the way down from that scary ladder.  I don't mind saying that when I first saw it, my internal organs pretty much turned to Jell-O, but by God, I was going up that ladder, getting on that roof and shooting those fireworks if it killed me. (And in my mind, it WAS going to kill me....)

My guide went up first, then my equipment, then it was my turn.  I took a deep breath, and put my foot on the first rung of the ladder from hell.  I started climbing.  The entire climb up, Sandra's voice echoed in my mind, "Just keep looking up. Just keep looking up."  Before I knew it, I WAS up...Granted my hands were shaking, but I was up there.  Those shaky hands set up my equipment and before I knew it, I was all over that roof, shooting pictures with my Blackberry so that I could email them to Sandra to show her I was every bit as brave (or foolish) as she believed me to be.

While setting up, my mind continued to drift back to the not-so-immediate future; How in God's name was I going to get back DOWN that ladder without breaking my neck, or other important bones in my body.  Soon it was dark, and time to get down to the business at hand.  For about fifty-minutes, I shot fireworks.  And I mean, "in your face" fireworks...I don't care what anyone says...the roof is the be all-end all of seats in the house for shooting them!

All too soon it was over, and our guide was there.  We dropped the equipment and all of a sudden, it was my turn to get down that crazy ladder.  I really don't know HOW I did it.  Somehow, my foot found that first rung, and, again, Sandra's voice was in my head throughout the entire decent; "Just keep looking up. Just keep looking up." Before I knew it, I was safely on the ground, yet another fear-demon exorcised from my psyche!

Sandra and I both feel that there is some symbolism in that crazy ladder.  Since then I've had two really great inquiries regarding my work, and I'm just as excited as can be.

Pictures below:













Until Next Time......

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

More Pictures & A Wall 2 Wall Update!

We are pleased and excited to announce the addition of Peri Wall to the Wall 2 Wall Photography team! Peri’s an award winning photographer in her own right, and has had her images on display at the Wayne County Museum. Peri’s eye for color and composition are a perfect match for our team!

Below you will find images that were taken in Northern California earlier this month, including Dutch Flat and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Enjoy!

Until next time….










Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Some More North Bay and San Francisco!

Tiburon, California….My Bridge!

So, it’s been kind of a busy couple of weeks, and I am just now getting to my Sonoma/Petaluma/San Francisco images!

What a trip back in time this was for me!  I grew up in the South Bay, so going to San Fran was AWESOME, but, again, I was totally bugged that my bridge was enshrouded in fog that day.  Nevertheless, I shot my butt off that day!  Thank goodness for 8 gig CF card, right? :)  Enjoy!

Sebastiani Theater,  Sonoma, CA
Sonoma, California

Town Square, Sonoma, California
Petaluma, California
Petaluma, California
Petaluma, California (cool sign)

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Wine Tasting, Family, Small Northern California Towns, and Fog in San Francisco

Given that it's 11:35 p.m. and I have to be up early to drive to Nevada via the scenic route, I will be making this short and sweet. :)

Spent the afternoon wine tasting with my cousins yesterday afternoon, and REALLY enjoyed myself.  There were several wines that I wanted to bring home with me, but my favorite of the day was the Provence from Peju!  So I brought two bottles back to the house with me.  One is gone and one is chilling for the trip to Nevada.  If there is nothing more worthy of a good glass of wine, it's an evening with the ex, his wife, and his parents.  These family affairs are always fun, but I'm taking this one to new heights, by working through it. :)

Today I visited Sonoma, Petaluma, and San Francisco.  I am REALLY beyond perturbed that my beloved Golden Gate was fogged in.  I can't count the number of times I crossed that bridge when I was younger and it was clear as a bell, but I wasn't shooting at the time, so what good can that be, right?  I also was fortunate enough to have lunch at the Wharf with two of my best friends EVER!  (These are my selected family!)  Allison, Jeff, and I roamed the Wharf after we ate at Alioto’s (OMG, are the steamed mussells in garlic sauce ever delicious!!!), shooting pictures, catching up, and generally having a WONDERFUL time. :)

I REALLY wanted to share some images, but for whatever reason, I'm unable to get them off the card here at Dad's.  Can't wait to share them with you at a later date!  I hate that I couldn't get the laptop to come along, but I could barely zip my suitcase as it was.  :)

Until Next Time….

Updated June 14 to add photos…












Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Our First Out of State Shoot!

It is 9:35 a.m. Pacific time, and I am currently in Napa, California!

I am working on landscapes while I am on the West Coast.  Because I need to be in Nevada on Friday for my son's high school graduation, I decided to take a few extra days and come to Napa to explore and shoot.

What follows is a journal of my trip, and will be added to as I am able.

I boarded my first flight on Memorial Day (yesterday) at 6:10 Eastern time, and two flights and six air-hours later I arrived in Sacramento before lunch time.  Now, my stomach was still 3 hours ahead, so I'm thinking, "When's supper?"

I arrived in Napa shortly after 1:30, snacked on wine, cheese, crackers, and salami (bye-bye, diet!).  After the warm reception I received here, we went out to dinner at Ristorante Allegria where I had some of the most OUTSTANDING food I've eaten in a long time.  I dined on ravioli that was served with rich creamy sauce with shrimp and baby scallops.  I couldn't finish the entire thing, so you must know I ate the leftovers for breakfast this morning. The presentation was wonderful, the service was outstanding, and their iced tea was like nothing I had tasted before.  It was passionfruit, I believe our server said.

Once supper was over, we still had an hour or two before we lost sunlight, so I grabbed my camera and explored downtown.  WOW!  I mean, what else could I say?  My only regret is that I do not have the software required to convert the RAW images I shot last night into jpgs that I can post today.

After shooting the downtown commercial area, we moved on to the historic homes of Napa, and to say that they are beautiful is an understatement!  I think I spent another hour running from house to house like a little kid trick-or-treating, only instead of getting candy, I was getting eye-candy. :)

Today's agenda includes wine tasting and exploring the vineyards!

Until Next Time….

Updated 6-14-10 to add photos.







Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Yes, I’m Guilty of Blog Neglect!

There really isn’t too much that I can say about this, except that I have been extremely busy over the past month!  And for a small business owner, busy is GOOD!

During the first weekend of April I had a senior and family session, which, as always, was a tremendous amount of fun, both for the family and for me! (This is why I love doing portraits; it allows all of us, no matter which side of the lens we’re on, to have a good time and just relax!)  I didn’t shoot the following weekend, so I finished planting the flower garden in front of the studio, which is now filled with lilies, roses, phlox, and gardenia (had put in the flower bed just prior to Easter, so had to finish filling it up).

During the following week, I photo-journaled for Down Home Magazine’s upcoming issue,  updated brochures, set appointments and ensured I had functional replacement equipment ready for the Relay for Life fundraiser portrait event on the 17th, 18th, and 21st of the month.  We spent the bulk of that weekend in the Wayne Memorial Hospital auditorium “shooting for a cure,” if you will.  I met some of THE nicest people that weekend, and was just tickled that all the sessions came out the way we had hoped that they would!

Of course, there is all the post processing after the fact, had dinner with a client (who is also a good friend and business woman, herself) to deliver their family/senior portraits. That’s one of those other perks to my particular business; I am able to network and make friends along the way, which is air to a people-person!

On the Wednesday after the weekend shoot, I had one appointment for the evening session, and since she just lives around the corner from our studio, we did the session here, AND finished in enough time to start the next project, which is the 9th Wonder Entertainment Abroad 2010 Fashion Extravaganza.

Johnny and I headed over to their rehearsal to become familiar with the routine of the show, meet some of the models, and the designer, Bridgette Morgan.  (Her website can be found here.)  I had been asked to photograph some of Bridgette’s designs in-studio, but given scheduling conflicts on both ends, she asked me if I would mind photographing the fashion show on May 1st.  Being completely up for a new experience, I agreed, and that is how we found ourselves at the rehearsal last week.  I’ve posted a couple of those images in this blog.

Because Bridgette, like myself and several of my friends, is a small business owner, I asked her if I could help promote this event.  I feel that small business people are a special breed and a type of family, and I will do whatever I can to help another business owner promote their business.  You can find the link to information on the show, which is going to be held at the Paramount Theater in Goldsboro, here.  If you are in the neighborhood, and can make it, please do!  I am still so very impressed with the talent that you will see on the stage, I can’t say enough about it!

Needless to say, April has been a wild, but fun, ride!  If you have any questions or comments regarding this blog or any of the events listed herein, please feel free to drop me a note at julie@wall2wallphotos.com or simply leave me a comment here, on the blog.

Until Next Time…...