When I photograph kids and weddings, I don’t have the luxury of time. I don’t get to stand there and putz and think and re-do. I just have to go with my heart and my gut and my experience – and it is a thrill. But last Saturday I got the thrill of himming and hawing over how to make a cast iron pot look cool. And I loved it {I know that I am in the right profession when I think that that was fun!}

You have heard me mention simplyneutral before. Not only do I have the pleasure of being their photographer, but I am also a big believer of their products and love using them in my home. {No worries, I will not give you my pitch here again as I have done in past blogs – just so you know, I profit nothing from their sales – my thoughts are just straight from my heart.} Anyway, they are making some exciting changes to their brand! I will not give anything more away because it is top secret {I just made that up to make myself feel cool and it kind of worked}, but here is a little sneak peek for now. By the time you see these again they will look quite a bit different…

And then when you open your eyes, you will see the reality – it’s a construction project. Holes in the ceiling for track lighting. Ladders. Painting supplies. A broom and shopvac. The incredible smelling soaps still on the backdrop after yesterday’s shoot. You are in a place where you will be taken care of and should leave feeling better than you came, but it is not a super fancy space…yet! 

Everything has a reality.

Like my broken lens. During yesterday’s shoot, I heard a loud bang in the other room and quickly went to check on my kids. But not before setting my camera and favorite lens down too close to the edge of the backdrop. When I heard the thud of my camera hitting the floor and turned to see shattered glass everywhere, I nearly had a breakdown!

Instead of crying, I called my dad. Then I called National Camera. Then I went to National Camera – and found a wonderful reality. I didn’t break my lens. I broke the filter on my lens! Yes, the $22 filter that every camera salesperson recommends you buy to keep on your lens at all times to protect it. National Camera said that my filter took the force of the blow and that my lens and camera body seemed fine. I have yet to use them, but I am optimistic! 

I hate to keep giving out advice, but seriously folks, when the salesperson at the camera store tries to sell you a filter for your new lens – BUY IT! I want your reality to be a good one too.

One more note: When I mentioned walking into my office with your eyes closed, I didn’t really mean that you should close your eyes and walk places. My son tried closing his eyes and running yesterday (ah the mind of an almost two-year-old!) and missed running into a pole by a hair. Yup, keep your eyes open!

It was painful to take this image. The white flecks are bits of glass…

One of my product shoots of the day. It is a living will program and my client said that I can keep the product after the shoot. When I realized that I actually probably do need something like this, I must admit that it made me feel a tad bit old! Wills and life insurance and all that stuff are necessary (especially when you have kids), but actually thinking about it doesn’t fit the girl in her 20s that I still think I am!

My other product shoot of the day – simplyneutral’s new soaps (the fun shoot that made my office smell like a dream)! I love these new soaps! They made me feel more the age I think I am.