What your business has in common with a South Texas band

The poster in the window of State Theatre, our venue for live music in Greenville, boasted the head of a big buck deer with huge burly antlers situated on the body of a man wielding two pistols cowboy-style. If you know my husband, you will understand how this seduced him to buy tickets right away. The fact that we had never heard this band's music before didn't matter – they had good visuals!

We all know how important creative, intentional imagery is for any business and I am excited to lean further into that space. I have created a series of brand photography offerings designed for small to medium sized businesses, solo entrepreneurs and creatives, and anyone in between. 

The Droptines from South Texas charmed us with their music and sold us a couple t-shirts – but it was their punchy visuals that got us in the door. That said, it is with great excitement to offer the following -

BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION

Let's create a series of beautiful, intentional photographs that tell your story and support your business – images for your website, social media and other marketing platforms. This is a half day photo session in the environment of your choosing (office, studio, workspace, home, etc.) to capture personal portraits, artful documentation of your space and process, and product imagery. Includes a phone consultation and detailed questionnaire to identify your goals and vision for our time together. Previous clients include restaurants, retailers, stylists and designers. Gallery of fully edited downloadable images returned to you within two weeks.

QUARTERLY BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHY SESSIONS 

A series of four branding photography sessions over the course of one year with the goal of creating fresh seasonal time-sensitive imagery. These sessions are ideal for any industry that evolves with the seasons. Gallery of fully edited downloadable images returned to you within two weeks of each session.

PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS

A short and sweet session that is perfect for getting a small variety of beautiful professional portraits that truly represent you. This is a 30-minute headshot session in the natural light environment of your choosing (office, studio, workspace, coffee shop, home, etc.) Gallery of fully edited downloadable images returned to you within two weeks.

Branding image for Ford + Shep restaurant in Greenville, NC

A little something brand new

I am deep in my feelings this month, perhaps the result of my oldest turning ten. Ten! Oof. Big number. That's him in the photo below on a recent duck hunt with my husband. No, he's not leaving for college or moving across the globe but the sanctity of our limited time together as mother and child under the same roof – I can feel that in my bones.

Torrey Stroud, owner of City Art Gallery in Greenville, responded to my last newsletter with her own beautiful thoughts on feeling a photo. I immediately asked her permission to share -

“One of my very favorite photographs is one you took at the beach of Thomas, my son, kissing the top of Little Thomas's head when he was a blond one or two-year-old. It is a study in dark and light and love. The contrast in black hair and blond and the expression on their faces is captivating. Little Thomas, that blond boy, is now a very tall 15-year-old with much darker hair. I love seeing this picture everyday by my bathroom sink. It makes me feel something.”

Photographing families is work that I love and something I hope to do forever. The first family I ever photographed was that of my college friend Kelley Simons – posing her tiny newborn outside on a blanket at a Raleigh park 15 years ago this week. Overexposed with lots of awkward angles, those early photos make me cringe – but Kelley swears they are perfect.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING BRAND NEW

Beginning this spring, I am expanding my offerings beyond families and weddings, but with the same amount of heart and feeling. Branding work for small businesses is something I have dabbled in over the years and am eager to pursue further. Strong visual imagery and well written communication is a must for every business whether you have 20 employees or it's just you. Click here for all the details.

A note of gratitude

Three months have slipped by since my last newsletter - and it has been years since I blogged. So here I am, starting fresh! As I was brainstorming what to share (spring sessions! branding work! weddings!) I kept returning to something a client said to me during a family session this past fall. It was a casual comment but one that really touched me to the core and feels worthy of rumination:

“Your pictures make me feel things. We've had other pictures taken and they are beautiful but they don't make me feel anything.”

Blair Conway of Snow Hill, a longtime client and amazing mom of two boys, said out loud the very thing I quietly strive for everyday in my art and business. I hugged her on the spot. I was so taken by her observation that I played it over and over in my head driving home that evening and still today, months later.

Her comment reminded me of another client in Wilson who told me that what she wanted to remember most (and what she hoped I could capture in photos) was the jumble of elbows and knees of her gangly tweens lumped together on the sofa. “We are often a pile of legs," she said.

Plenty of other clients tell me they just want to remember how life feels right now.

If there's one thing I'm chasing every time I pick up my camera it is to make pictures that make us feel something. Sometimes I think I achieve it and sometimes I don't. But I'm always chasing it and learning and playing and experimenting and messing up along the way.

Infinite gratitude to the clients who keep me going.  

Blair at home with her son Thomas