Hold On!

This blog post has been stewing in my head for about a couple months, part of me dreads writing it, part of me is excited to write it, so it is time to put perspective in order and make a decision.  As of this very moment I am putting my photography career on hold for a while.  I will follow through with the sessions I have scheduled, but will not be scheduling any new sessions until further notice.  The part of me that dreaded writing this is the part that absolutely loves my job, loves my clients, loves the sweet kids and families I get to meet, and I can only hope that you all can understand my decision.  8 years ago when I started this journey I could only dream of ever having such amazing clients, and it breaks my heart to have to put it on hold. 

If I love it so much then why?!  

my #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 reason

Reason #1: My husband is in his last semester of schooling, it demands more study time, more test time (which he has to drive 2.5 hours to take), more homework, more projects...anyone that has ever survived the last semester of school knows how hard it can be, I am sure.  We have enjoyed his very flexible hours, but it is time to buckle down and get done.  I cannot take him away from his study time so I can go to a shoot anymore.  It is his time to ROCK IT, to get it done, to feel accomplished and he needs me behind him 100%.

Reason #2-5: Are named Jacey, Dax, Skye, and Colt.  When you are sending Dad and the kids on a vacation to Grandma's house leaving you home to work you know something is not how it should be.  The scale is tipping away from family time and more towards work time.  Photography has become more than a full time job for me and I need to slow down, and enjoy these moments with my kids.  Jacey is entering the pre-teen phase of life, Dax is a new cub scout, Skye gets to start school this fall, and Colt is my baby growing up way too fast, they are excellent, well behaved kids who deserve more of my attention, encouragement, and time.  I need to cook them dinner, I need to read them books at bed time, I need to tuck them in at night.  I need to be home with them, because all too soon they wont want to be home with me (unless I make the habits now!). 

Reason #6: Me!  I have been a photographer for 8 years, I have loved every client, I have made some awesome friends and connections, I have gained an incredible knowledge and I count it all as a blessing!  I still love photography, and I will always love it, but I can't remember the last time I got my camera out just to shoot for me.  No rime or reason behind it, to get out and learn new techniques, shoot what I want.  I have found myself feeling relieved to "forget" my camera on family outings-how sad is that?!  I have even resorted to using my dinky camera on my phone just so I don't have to sit for 5 more minutes to edit pictures of my family life, but then I always hate the quality of them and wish I had taken my good camera with me.  I want to be able to lay down during my kids quiet time and read a good book, and not feel guilty that I have unedited pictures waiting for me.  At night when my kids go to bed I want to sit on the couch next to my honey and chat about our day without feeling an urgent need to finish editing a session.  I have 2 other jobs and a calling in church that like my family, deserve more of my attention and time.

One of my favorite sayings, and I get to see it in big letters every Sunday is: What e'er though art, act well thy part.  It is time for me to be a better mom, wife, caring person, to learn to balance family, religion, and free time.  So I hope you are all understanding and can see where I am coming from.  Don't worry I will be back at it before too long I am sure, but until then...

Landscape | Twin Falls Idaho Photographer

It is not very often that I share some of my non-portrait images but I thought I would today.
The family went to Twin the other day and had a great time wandering, hiking and playing.

These first couple were taken at Centennial Park back behind the "little" waterfall



These ones are at Shoshone (for those not from around here it is not pronounced like the Indians-leave the ee off) Falls

and then for fun I started shooting a few HDR pictures...such a cool effect. Compare the one above to this next one and notice the difference in the darker portions of the image...
we also found where the leprechauns live, no one dared climb down to get the gold though :)

We Have A Winner!!

Happy Cyber Monday to you all!!


The Bedke Fam said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the lundstrom park kit!

Congratulations Jacquie!! So excited for you to start using this program and can't wait to see what you come up with!! (send me an email or message with your email address and I will get you started with your program-you will LOVE it!)



And because I love and appreciate all of my fans/visitors this is for you!





Save $10 when you use the code... STMMMS20247

Thanks and Giving and Shopping Too

Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday of the year! I love food, I love to cook, I love my family so it is no wonder right, the perfect holiday for me. Now Black Friday on the other hand, I have only ever gone out once and it was at 11:00 am to a craft store and I VOWED NEVER AGAIN, it was INSANE!!! We are talking full blown cat fights over some scrapbook something or other. No, for me I am an online, digital girl and did you know there are some awesome deals online on Black Friday too? So in the spirit of Thanksgiving and to save you all bodily harm I have the privilege to host what I think is an AWESOME giveaway!!

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(seriously, My Memories ROCKS my socks!)

How cute is this? I made it today in about 15 min., and I am not kidding!

this one took even less time because this awesome program
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I have never been a big scrapbooker,
1) I have 4 kids (the youngest would be WAAAYYY too much help
2) I don't have the space or the $$ for all those cute cute cute teeny tiny embellishments
3) If I can't finish the project during nap time it gets added to my pile of projects
4) I am a bit of a perfectionist and can't stand "mess ups"
but I just might, finally, get it together and turn my family blog into a book using this program
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Christmas Cards anyone?! I LOVE making Christmas cards and my possibilities just became virtually endless! Not only can you use the scrapbook kits with this cool program, but you can also use them with Photoshop, or my favorite Paint Shop.

I also bought a kit that I am so excited to make a flannel board nativity with...eeekk...so cute!

so are you ready for this giveaway yet? My Memories-digital scrapbook software is giving away the software for FREE to one lucky lucky ducky, and it could be you. Here is how you can enter...
1) Follow this blog (leave a comment that you have)
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5) BLACK FRIDAY (11/25) the first 5 people to leave a comment stating what awesome deal they got, or how late they slept in while the other crazies were out shopping will automatically get 3 extra entries.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

So what exactly am I giving away?! It is called My Memories Suite and it is a digital scrapbook software/program that you download and start using. It comes with some basic papers, elements, fonts, but you can also download more "kits" they have a ton of free ones, and some super amazing kits that cost a little. I was a little skeptical at first because I have always just done my scrap pages with Paint Shop, but after one afternoon of playing around with it, I am in love! So easy to make a page or ten!

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Entries will be taken until Midnight, Sunday 11/27/11 Winner will be announced sometime Cyber Monday!