Click!

I love all of my clients, and I always have fun with them, but my shoot last night was on of those that makes me love what I do even more.  

We just clicked. 

(no cheesy photography pun intended)

I immediately knew this shoot was going to be a great one when Matt, (yes the MALE half of this dynamic duo), called me to set up their engagement session! Seriously, that never happens.  Usually, the guys are the ones being dragged to a session unwillingly by their lovely bride-to-be.  And usually, at my sessions, I have to do a bit of prying to get information out of people at the beginning, because I'm nosy and I like to know more about people than their phone number and what their checks look like.  I got to hear their love story from the beginning, and we didn't stop talking until Amy and I hugged and we climbed into our separate cars covered in a fine layer of West Texas dirt, exhausted, promising a coffee date soon.  

I have been feeling a bit bored with my current locations, so, as I do occasionally, I loaded up Hickson and Brylee (the little ones I babysit on a daily basis) in the car yesterday and started driving aimlessly to find some new locations for this awesome couple.  

So, before I bore you with all of my writing, I'll tickle your optical taste buds with this larger than normal peek into our session!

 

This is as "formal" as we got.  I told Amy that I don't like doing the formal, stiff, posed look, and she let out a sigh of relief!  It's great being in sync like that with people! 

 I haven't been doing as many bling shots lately, so, starting now, I'm going to do my best to rectify that.  Check out the rock on this girl!!

I hope you all have a happy Friday, and an even happier weekend! 

Pricing Adjustments

Hello friends! I've been battling with myself as to how I should adjust my session fees, and I have finally settled on a decision. I hate to switch things up on you all, but it is something I need to do to further my business, provide for my family, and protect my art. So here it is you all! Not much has changed, but the biggest thing is that I will no longer be including a disk with your session. You will be able to purchase one, or you can purchase individual prints.


Session Fees:
All sessions are $150, and the session fee covers the shoot, the editing, and an online print gallery so you can purchase prints. I don't limit my sessions, so you can change outfits as many times as you want, we can change locations as many times as you want, and we can take as much time as you need!

High Resolution Disk with all of your images: $200.00

Print Pricing

Basic Prints:
4x6 $5.00
5x7 $8.00
8x10 $12.00
11x14 $16.00

Mounted Prints

Matboards:
(A heavyweight, dry mount board)
4x6 $8.00
5x7 $11.00
8x10 $15.00
11x14 $18.00

Styrene board:
(Plastic mounting board 2mm thick. More sturdy than Matboards, and will not warp.)
5x7 $13.00
8x10 $17.00
11x14 $20.00
16x20 $25.00
20x24 $30.00


Gallery Wraps:
8x10 $70.00
11x14 $90.00
16x20 $130.00
20x24 $150.00

Additional sizes are available. Please contact me for details and pricing.

Greeting Cards:
Photographic Greeting Cards are photographic prints with envelopes. Photo Greeting Cards are not double sided or folded cards. They are ordered in increments of 25.

Photo Greeting Cards:

4x6 $25.00 for a package of 25.
5x7 $35.00 for a package of 25.

Press Printed Cards;
All sides of all cards are fully customizable with full color, and include envelopes. Press printed cards are perfect for baby announcements, wedding invitations, thank you cards, and holiday greeting cards.

4x5.5 Folded: $40.00 for a package of 25.
5x7 Folded: $50.00 for a package of 25.

4x5.5 Flat (double sided): $30.00 for a package of 25
5x7 Flat (double sided): $40.00 for a package of 25

Wedding Pricing:
1. $800.00
4 hours coverage, $50.00 print credit, with a high resolution CD.

2. $1200.00
4 hours coverage, photo guest book, $50.00 Print Credit, High resolution CD

3. $1600.00
6 hours coverage, photo guest book with a printed album, Pick One: Engagement, Bridal or "We Did" sessions, $75.00 print credit, High Resolution CD

4. $2200.00
6 hours coverage, Photo Guest Book with printed album, Pick two: Engagement, Bridal or "We Did", $150.00 Print credit, High Resolution CD

5. $3000.00
Full Coverage, Photo Guest Book with printed album, all three Engagement, Bridal and "We Did" sessions, $250.00 print credit, high resolution Cd.

Wedding packages 2-5 include 2 photographers. Photo guest books are a really neat way to remember all of the people that are at your wedding. We coordinate a backdrop to match your decor, and we will take a picture of each and every person in attendance. All of these pictures will be included on your high resolution cd, and packages 3, 4 and 5 include a printed album with those photo guest book images.



So there it is my friends! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at mari@mariannelisephoto.com.

(Anyone who has booked a session with me will keep the quoted rate you received at the time of booking!)

New Session Fees

I have prayed about it, talked to my husband about it, and taken all of your advice into consideration, and I have decided that I will simply adjust the session fee.

All sessions are $250, and the session fee covers the shoot, the editing, and a high resolution disk with all of the images on it so you can print them wherever you like. I don't limit my sessions, so you can change outfits as many times as you want, we can change locations as many times as you want, and we can take as much time as you need!

I don't like changing things on you all, but it's just something I have to do to provide for my little family!

Session Fee Adjustment

I don't like doing it, but taxes are done, the results are in, and I am going to have to adjust my pricing. I can't decide how I want to do it, and you all are the people I am here to please, so please help me! I can do this one of two ways: I can leave session fees where they are and stop including a high resolution disk. Then I can offer that disk, plus prints at an additional fee. Option number two is I just raise the session fee and still include the high resolution disk. Vote below to tell me your preference!

Here is pricing for option one: $250.00
Option Two: $150 session fee
High Resolution Disk: $100.00
Print Pricing:

Poll: Pricing Adjustment Preference

• Raise session fee and keep the CD
• Leave it, we will buy prints and CD

Results:





Als create a poll? Click here

Awake.

It's just now rounding 5am. I've been up since three with a growling stomach and an itchy nose. I have dental work at 9, and I'm not allowed to eat because they are knocking me out, and I suppose food interferes with my unconsciousness.  Naturally, I'm starving, and the only thing I can think about is how my stomach is growling and I wish I could sleep. Sometimes (like now) I just have to give up on sleep and enjoy a quiet morning alone. 

I don't make time for quiet time anymore. I used to have quiet time almost every day, parked at a dead end street to watch the sun go down, listed to crickets and cicadas, and slap at the mosquitos that tried to eat me alive.  I call it my "alone time", but it was more like "alone with Him" time.  Since getting married, life has just taken over. My mind is a "pay the bills, put away the too-high piles of laundry, finally clean that sticky spilled root beer out of the bottom of the fridge, sort photos, deliver disks, get my 30 minutes of exercise, do I really need that cookie" mess.  I get so consumed with the daily grind that I forget why I do it all. I get so caught up in just getting things done that I don't even pause long enough to enjoy any of it. 

I think God decided I needed time with Him instead of my bed this morning.  I finally dragged my butt out of bed and planted it on the couch under my quilt.  I looked for the remote for a few minutes, planning on watching shake weight infomercials, but it was nowhere to be found, and for that I am now grateful.  The only thing I hear right now is the sound of jeans in the dryer (which probably wont get put up for at least two days), the ticking clock on the wall, and the hum of my refrigerator, which desperately needs to be purged of it's two-week-old pot roast leftovers, and that dang can of root beer that left a sticky mess that I have yet to clean.  But I can take care of that later.

So now, I just sit. 

I love sitting in quiet.  And I love leaving the doors and windows open in the evening.  Lately, I have been opening my patio door wide when I crawl in bed at night so I can smell the air and just listen.  Sure, I hear cars drive by, kids whining, and car alarms honking, (ah, the joys of apartment living), but I hear other things too.  I hear the wind blowing through the pine tree outside my window (wind through pine needles has a sound all of it's own).  I hear the critters finally making their little noises as they come out of their winter hiding.

I remember when I was a kid, I hated going to bed before the sun went down.  But there were those occasions where the sun stayed up way past my bed time, and I (like tonight) had to fight to fall asleep.  I would open my bedroom window that faced the street and watch for my mom to come home from her evening walk with her best friend.  I would listen to the crickets in the bushes outside my window, watch the neighbors water their lawns, and soak in the smell of the damp earth that resulted.  It is just as soothing now as it was back then. 

God has been calling me to stop and be still lately.  I know I need more time with Him.  I need more time to enjoy the things He has given me instead of worrying about them.  I talk to Him, and I listen to Him.  I enjoy the things He has given me.  I thank Him, and cry to Him and always manage to be selfish and ask Him for something more.  I have such a gracious God.  Such a patient God.  Sometimes I feel so "grown-up", but most of the time I still feel like that kid with my nose pressed to the window screen.  I'm just soaking it all up and enjoying the air. 

Spring is near, and it's definitely going to be a season for all that is new.

Another Loss

My heart is aching. I lost both of my grandparents in less than a month. As much as I rejoice that they are together again, and starting their beautiful eternity with their Lord, I can't help but be selfish and want them both back here with me.  Those two were the cornerstone of our family.  If everyone got together, it was at their house. Every Thanksgiving was spent with them, no questions asked.  Those two were so important to this community.  They were both involved with the Boy Scouts and the Gem and Mineral Society.  Those two were a wealth of knowledge, and full of crap at the same time :) I've never seen two people love each other and their family so much either.  Even through so many people divorcing, I could see that it was possible to stay in love with someone for a lifetime. 

I was at the point last night that every time my phone rang, I would cringe, and every time the name "Dad" popped up, I held my breath. Last night when he called, it was the news I'd been waiting for and dreading. My big strong, hard headed, tough skinned Papa had passed.  Thankfully, I was surrounded by people I love, and people that he loved. 

I didn't fall asleep until about 5:00 this morning. I did the same exact thing I did after my Meme died. I re-played everything that has happened in the past few weeks, days, and especially hours.  And the dreams I have been having are keeping me up as well.  I can't even remember them. They are just so realistic and random, and I can't make out what is real or a dream anymore.  I hate that I have absolutley no motivation to get any work done.  I sit at my laptop and just stare at photoshop, then close it again. 

Little art projects have been my escape lately.  I made a few bibs to give to my "little brother" and his wife for their baby shower. Then I tried my hand at making felt flowers. I have an idea of what I would like to do with them, but knowing me and my track record, I'll probably make half that I need, then move on to something else.

I just hope I can perk up this week, get back in the swing of things, and move on with life.  Because that's what death is...a part of life.

Inspiration

I'm finding that I'm spending entirely too much time on the internet.  I've paid attention lately, and a great chunk of my time is spent looking at other people's photos. Especially other photographer's photos.  Now, that's not nescisarilly a bad thing, unless you, like me, are a photographer who is striving to carve out my own niche in this industry and continually trying to develop my own style.

We all draw inspiration from each other. That's just what we do! Some people are upset by it and accuse others of being big fat copy cats.  It's hard to know where that fine line is between flat out copying, and drawing inspiration (which, by the way, I had to learn the HARD way).  About a year ago, I had a client that liked something a photographer did, so I recreated it for her, and I got all kinds of crazy negative feed back from all kinds of people!  These kinds of things have been part of my learning this business.  I definitely learned from that mistake, and I wont let it happen again!  Especially now.  I've decided to completely STOP viewing other photographer's blogs, dA pages, facebook fan pages, personal facebook pages, etc., and turn to my Lord for my inspiration and ideas.  After all, I do this to glorify Him!  I haven't spent enough alone time with my Father, and I need that to change.  I am ashamed to admit it, but I can not remember the last time I cracked open my bible.  I can't tell you the last time I went to my favorite spot to watch a sunset and pray.  I'm so caught up in my little internet world that I forget about that big huge world out there! I wish I could say I could take a total internet hiatus, but that would likely be the demise of my entire business! I do 95% of my work through my computer and through the internet. It's a fabulous tool, but that's all it should be...a tool. 

So, it's going to be hard not to blog stalk, but I think I can do it!