Presidio Park – San Diego Senior Portraits

Posted on September 2, 2010

I love this park.

Except when there is a wedding at the museum, and then there is no parking. But thankfully, this park has more parking at the top with lovely archways, white pillars, and a gorgeous setting sun if you time it right.

We did. I met the L fam at 6:30 (aren’t summer hours great!) and we were able to get my favorite sunshine-y portraits. We combined a family shoot, with Miss C’s senior portraits and man, this family rocked it. Beautiful inside and out.

Here are 2 sneak peeks… your gallery will be up by tonight!!

Change..Jem..And Pink Eye Makeup.

Posted on August 31, 2010

So, this isn’t some huge change that is happening. I have decided to cancel posting to my old blogger account, and just focus on blogging here. Keeping up with one blog is hard enough.. that sad little family blog is poorly neglected.

However, I hate change. Hate it with a capital H.
Which is probably why God has to gently prod me a billion times, it seems, before I “get” the path He is asking me to travel.

So.. I am sitting here mourning the loss of my faithful readers over at that site, mourning the times I stayed up late writing heartfelt pieces about my sweet family, mourning the end of an era.

Yes, I hear you. I am a middle child. And yes, I am dramatic.
And yes, I know that I just imported all of those blog posts over here, and all of those faithful readers.. I think they total about 5.. can just hop on over here to read about my life, being the wife of a pastor, photographing beautiful San Diego families, my walk with Jesus, and the like.
I am sure by the end of this post, I will be ok with it.

One can only hope.

Again with the drama. What can I say? Drama was my coping mechanism.. it was how I got heard in an 8 person family. I was stuck growing up between a tomboy sister, and an older brother.. Not to mention the 3 older siblings who were already married/leaving for college/high school while I was in elementary school.
Speaking of elementary school.. wasn’t kindergarten grand?? Nap time, and fun stories, and snack time. And I especially loved the little pretend kitchen we had in our classroom. Oohh.. and we had a crayon melting station too.. So.Much.Fun! And super, super dangerous for a 5 year old. But little me didn’t care about that. I just wanted to make a butterfly with melted crayons, people!

It all goes downhill from there, school wise. Amen? They tricked us into thinking school was always like that.. for shame!

I digress. As usual.

Basically, I’m bitter that I had to suffer through Thundercats/G.I.Joe/He-Man instead of Jem. As a middle child, I’m scarred for life. Although She-Ra somewhat redeemed the likeability of He-Man (the show). It still wasn’t Jem…My sad sad 8 year old self.. Unable to sing along with Jem. She of her fabulous holographic friends, and pink eye makeup. She with her pink hair. I am absolutely positive that I requested dressing up like Jem once upon a Hallow’s eve. That would prove to be quite difficult since our family’s Halloween celebrations were called ” The Harvest Festival” and the only acceptable attire was western wear. Jem was so so not invited.

I might just have to have a Jem birthday party one of these days.

Welcome to my world of random, where telling you one thing led to a trip down memory lane. I love memory lane. So much good material for a blog. Change your RSS feed readers of mine. I’m bringing the whole shebang over here.

With love,
Sarah

Portraits at Balboa Park – San Diego Headshots

Posted on August 20, 2010

I love this girl. I have blogged about her before.. in fact, this is our 3rd photo session together.

It helps that she is a model and needs her portfolio updated frequently. It helps that her birthday was in the beginning of this month, and to celebrate we took some fun “Twilight-y” photos.

Her dress was a perfect vintage-y white tea dress. She paired it with a mustard yellow sweater and funky jewelry.

Side note –
Seniors and Models – It is great to wear layers to your photoshoot. That way we can get a few different looks with just one outfit. Of course, I don’t mind if you bring your whole wardrobe. Styling a shoot is one of my favorite things to do!!

Here are a few samples of the divine Miss B.

Makeup by Mac San Diego
Dress and Necklace by Anthropolgie San Diego

Balboa Park Family Portraits – San Diego Photography

Posted on August 12, 2010

Meet the uber stylish R family. These sweet girlies stole my heart at first glance. Tiny, brilliant Miss O, and Sassy pants Miss P.. Love them. We had such fun at Balboa Park. We met at 6 for that deliscious sunlight, but as I was driving down there, I noticed more and more cloud cover. I was bummed as I lurve that golden light, but the soft gray skies provided beautiful light in their own right.

Unbeknowst to us however?? A massive cyclist group that meets at different locations all over San Diego every last Friday. I bet you can’t guess which spot was pick for July. No? You don’t say.. it was Balboa Park!

Yay.

Thankfully, our shoot was mostly done by the time the mass of bicycles arrived. And thankfully the reward of lollipops always does the trick for lovely little smiles. Here are a few samples for the R fam.

San Diego Fun – Random Thought time..

Posted on August 11, 2010

Summer days are so sweet. And fleeting. I am finding my little heart filled to the brim with happy memories these days. Allow me to share them with you.

– My daughter lip synching to Coldplay, with a crazy face to make me laugh. She knows every single word, but won’t sing it out loud.

– My son in his full gear for his first league football practice. He looks so grown up, yet so…not… I can’t even describe it to you fully. I still have yet to take his 11 year old portraits.. Ack! Gotta get on that!!

– Green Iced Tea. Only Tazo Zen will do.

– Crispy, chilled, fresh from the fridge watermelon. God did a good thing when He created this treat.

– Breaking Free by Beth Moore. The most phenomenal bible study I have ever gone through. God is rocking my world.

– A completely booked August session wise. I don’t even know how that happened, but I am sure a grateful girl.

– My husband’s happiness that football is back on. What? You missed the hall of fame game? Shame on you!

– Good friends that share their glorious swimming pools with us. My daughter is a fish, and needs swim time. Bless you friends for your hospitality!!
I love sun kissed rosy cheeks. It is a testament to a fun day of sun.

– Sugar Free Frozen yogurt and good chats with our best neighbors. All around the fire pit. Yes, and Amen.

– Good deals on uniforms for my children… This actually hasn’t happened yet. I’m just putting it down here as a request.

That is what I have on my mind right now. I am hoping your summer is relaxing and full of sunny fun. And here is a quick iPhone snap of Little Miss being brave and jumping into a very deep pool. I heart this picture.

Happy Summer!!!

Burt’s Bees Citrus Facial Scrub..

Posted on July 31, 2010

This has nothing to do with photography. Absolutely nothing. But it is part of my life, thus I’m including it for you.

I love natural beauty products. Products that have easily understood ingredients, like coconut oil, or sweet almond oil, or poppy seeds. Things I know won’t seep into my skin and cause all sorts of maladies. And I have looked far and wide for these products. Some work, and some don’t. I thought I would start some blog posts that will include my faves, and the ones I would never buy again.

So, enter my quest for a natural facial scrub. My requirements? It needs to be gentle enough to use everyday, with enough scrubbing power so that I notice the difference.

I have tried that apricot one.. too many funny additives.
I have tried Oil of Olay’s micro scrub and that made my skin look like I had burned it.
I have made my own, and it was natural, but not convienent for me to use daily.

Along comes a glowing recommendation for Burt Bee’s Citrus Facial Scrub. I was a tad skeptical, but I love most of Burt’s Bees products, so I decided to give it a go.

(Sorry for the small photo.. failed to take a pic of mine before I used it)

The Deets –
$7.99 for a 2 oz. jar.
99.94% Natural
Made with ground almonds, pecans, and a blend of orange and almond oils.

My Thoughts –
I have been using this product for almost 3 weeks straight. My skin feels amazing. A very small amount of product is needed per use, so I am guessing this will last me about 2 months, given what I have already used. The smell.. oh the smell…Think Pumpkin Spice Latte or Cinnamon-y Chai. Delish!

Side note…If a facial product doesn’t smell good, I am going to have a hard time using it. Please don’t make me tell you about the horrific smell of Neem Oil.. Please. I still have nightmares from that sulphuric stank.

Anyway, this product is great. I would recommend it to any friend. It did not dry out my skin, or make me break out. Yay!! So, I say, you should go to your local health food store and pick up a jar.

Stay tuned for more reviews. Burt’s Bees Lemon Poppy Seed cleanser. Bare Escentuals. BeautiControl. I’ve got beauty reviews planned yo!

Feel free to leave some comments if you have tried a natural product that you love!! I would love to hear about it.

Family Suppers..

Posted on July 20, 2010

Chris Tomlin is playing faintly in the background. The remnants of a delicious summer supper are waiting for me to clean them up. BBQ Chicken my hubs grilled up. Fresh from the garden Green Beans from a sweet friend. Crispy celery and bell peppers. Family sitting together. Laughing at silly jokes. My pre teen still wanting to pray over our dinner. My daughter in a pink tank top reading Magic Treehouse books.
Oh, it aches. But it is a good good ache.

These are the moments I am just over-joyed for. I don’t want to miss a second of it. I don’t want to be so caught up in other’s drama that I lose out on what is most important. This is why I have made the decision to deactivate my personal Facebook account. The decision was made a few weeks ago, but the unpleasant conversations I had over the past week nudged the date up some. I still have a public photography page, but I don’t have access to any friends or family.. on purpose. No walls to read, no news feeds to pour over, no unnecessary drama to wrap my feelings around.
Now.. this is not an easy decision for me to make. I’m a sanguine. I love being involved in people’s life. I love knowing what’s going on. I love people. And my huge fear in this has been that I will lose touch with a ton of people that I adore…But, God has made it clear that I’m not going to be able to sacrifice my emotional health for online connection. Huge fear or not.. And so, it has been done.
Healthy, real live person connection is what I am striving for. Actually drinking a cup of tea with a person across the table. Watching Bacherlorette with the bff’s. Visiting. Talking. Laughing. Living. Facebook is not bad.. it’s just bad for me right now. I’m not strong enough to withstand it. Forgive me.
I hope you will find my public page and we can interact on there. I do have a cell phone. An email account. An address. I’m not gone.. it will just take a little more effort to find out how I’m doing, and the same can be said of me finding out how you are doing. Please don’t stop telling me how you are.. I want to know.

And now, I must run. Bacherlorette is on and the girls are waiting to watch it.

In the words of Sheri O’Teri as a Spartan cheerleader.. “Call Me!”

Temecula Family Photography – Local Menifee Family

Posted on July 13, 2010

Enough about pricing, huh..

I just have to show you this simple black and white storyboard. I have to say, I do not know of a mother who would not love a storyboard of her kiddos. This one is sized to a 10×20 and would look amazing hanging over a mantel, or a love seat, or an office desk.

I have even photochopped a few samples to show you what this storyboard would look like over a couch or mantel. Remember, the portraits you display on your wall need to be big. They won’t make the impact you desire if they are too small. When you think of portrait sizes for your walls, go big or go home.

San Diego Photography Prices –

Posted on July 12, 2010

This post is being written because I just looked at another photog’s site (not local) and was shocked to see them charging $70 for an entire session, with some images included on CD. Now.. maybe they are portfolio building and those are discounted prices, with the plan to raise the price later?? Let’s hope.

If I charged that amount of money per session, after taxes, gas, supplies, etc., I would net about $34 for the entirety of my work. That means I would make $34 to..
Drive to the session – 1 hour combined
Shoot the session – 1-2 hours
Edit the session – 2-4 hours
Process and Mail the session – 1 hour

So that boils down to roughly $4.85 per hour on the low end, or $6.80 per hour on the high end. All this for Custom Photography.
Not.even.minimum.wage. I would make a better wage if I worked at a Sears portrait studio 8 hours a week.

I’m a not trying to bag on the young, fresh photographer trying to get their foot in the door. Goodness knows we all have to start somewhere. I’m embarassed to say that I used to charge $50 for everything when I first started. I know that I have learned along the way.

So for the new photog possibly reading this? When you are done building your portfolio, please take a hard look at your pricing. Make sure you are making an adequate wage to sustain your business. If you are good at what you do, your clients will pay you the proper wage. There will always be someone cheaper, but there will never be another YOU. Value what you can bring to the table.

And for my clients reading this, new or old? I have taken a hard look at my pricing and you need to know that I don’t net the amount you are charged. I value what I can do for you, and it’s important that my clients value that as well.

If you know me at all, you know that the business side of things is my least favorite. I want to chase light, and create beauty from behind the lens, and laugh and play while snapping sweet shots of your kiddos. But if I did only that, I wouldn’t have a business. I pray you will hear my heart, and know I am not out to make a gazillion dollars. But.. I value your time, and I would hope you will value mine.

More Random Thoughts..

Posted on July 6, 2010

- It is July here in sunny San Diego. And thus far, we have had quite the mild weather. The Lord is to be praised. Especially since our a/c is currently broken, waiting on the delivery of a new motor. I’m hopeful that the motor will arrive before the inevitable heat wave.
- I’ve been scaling down my facebook time as I find the more I’m on it, the more insecure I become. I am learning to cut out those things that amp up the insecurity in myself, and fb just happens to be one of them. Keeping it real, y’all.
- My heart is breaking for a vast amount of people in our lives whose marriages are ending. I’m just flabbergasted at the casual way Christ followers view marriage. I feel like I can say this because Todd and I have been through hell and back, and we have both wanted to end it desperately. We chose to stay and fight for our marriage, our life together, our kids. It is hard and ugly and painful, but there is redemption at the end, and it is worth the difficulty.
- It is 11:46 at night and there is a very loud songbird that doesn’t know it is bedtime. Every night with the chirping and the singing and the whistling. This bird drives me a little nutty, but also makes me smile. It’s like she doesn’t know she is supposed to be doing something different, so she does her own thing anyway. And yes, she is a she. And her name is Aretha.
- I love having good good friends over to watch silly shows. Community is a beautiful wonderful thing.
- I had a very tough phone call earlier today, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to proceed. I care deeply about my relationships, so when there is strife anywhere in any of them, I am greatly affected. Lots of prayer. Lots of prayer.
- BJ’s has the yummiest gluten free pizza I have had in a long while. Cheesy goodness for $8.95. Yum. And poo.. now I want some.
- And do you see what I just did?? I just saw it, and I am floored. I wrote an uncomfortable emotional thought, and the next thought was one of food. God is healing me from that form of comfort, but man, I have a long way to go.

If that was the reason for my writing this post late at night, then good. One of my prayers has been to have my eyes opened to my destructive ways. And honestly, I need some Jesus time, so I am signing off for now.

What has God been revealing to you lately??

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