Logan {Happy Birthday}

It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and after getting my hair done, I couldn't be in higher spirits. I mean, what girl doesn't walk with a little more confidence after a trip to the salon? However, within the next hour that confidence was shattered into pieces on the floor.

I had an hour to spare before the birthday party of a good friend's little boy. He was turning the BIG one soon and his mom asked me to photograph the party. Guess she didn't know yet that where ever you invite me...you also invite my camera ;) She kindly offered to pay, but as I would have taken pictures anyway I didn't feel comfortable taking her money. It was a nice gesture though! I had planned to have plenty of time to get ready but somewhere in my conversation with my Hubby about how the day was going to go...there was a misunderstanding. When finally making it back to his grandparents house, where we had left my camera, we quickly realized we were locked out...and they had gone to Lawton! After a very antsy 10 minutes, were were in the door with the camera in hand and I was feeling pretty good. Well, actually I was a little nervous. It was one thing for me to take pictures at my leisure for my own enjoyment...but now there was a little more pressure. But nothing I couldn't handle, or that my new camera couldn't handle that is ;)

I get to the location and immediately get my camera out, I didn't want to miss a thing. I turn it on to prep for some practice shots to check for lighting and whatnot. As soon as I took that first picture...that's when my heart dropped. There on the screen were the words "No CF card" WHAT?! Instantly I could see my CF card still in my computer, where I had left it after uploading pictures from our recent trip to San Antonio. My "spare" one was in my back up camera, at home. In Norman. Two hours away. I whispered to Devin that I needed his keys so I could go to Wal-Mart and buy another one. "Another one?! You just bought that one!" he whispered loudly back. Yep, I had just bought that one actually. When I was at my little nephew's birthday party and saw the SAME words on my screen actually. Ironically, Whitney, who is Logan's mom, went with me to buy THAT CF card. And now I had forgotten to check to make sure that card was in my camera before I came to take pictures at her son's party. Ugh, could I BE anymore silly?! Who doesn't check their equipment?! I was so dissapointed in myself. Whitney and Waylon were super cool about it though. They told me to just use her camera...and then mentioned that it might have the same card. I highly doubted that her digital camera had the same card...as most people's take an SD card. When I checked it, my heart lifted a bit when I saw it took a big chunky battery like mine. When I flipped it over to the card side, I about screamed with delight when I saw it had the same card!! What were the chances? My hot flash instanly left and my game was back on, time to rock it!

*He was excited about the hat, can you tell?*

*The Wigington family*

*Logan is ONE!!*

*He wasn't sure if he was going to get into trouble for this or not*

*So Daddy helped him out a little ;) *

*Time for presents!*

He was so much fun to photograph! He wasn't shy about my camera at all and I would often find him just staring at me...probably thinking I had a funny looking face since my camera was always there! I can't wait to photograph him again, he's a perfect model! Thanks for asking me to take pictures Whitney AND for saving my tail!

From now on, I'll make a check list! I'm glad this happened at something like this rather than a wedding! One of my former patients told me that now this meant I was a "real photographer" haha He said he has had worse happen through his years of photography. He was a photographer for OU for several decades as well as a wedding and portrait photographer...so I'll take his word for it ;)

Time for bed! Hope you guys all have a great night!

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

Chocolate Moist Cake

That's the name I gave a cake that I did not know the name to but wanted to post on here!! Since then I bought a cookbook and found a different name for it and then received a cookbook as gift and found a third name for it! I'm keeping my name this post even if it isn't as creative ;) Or I could always borrow JStar's title for her blog posted today. A warm, goopy mess is exactly what this cake is...well before I stick it in the fridge overnight and serve it the net day with a whip cream topping ;)

Dev's Aunt Tricia is the one responsible for giving me this recipe and I have made it almost 10 times now! When I was in clinicals for PTA school, I always made it for my clinical site on the last day that I was there. Now I have made it for my co-workers as well as Devin's and they all loved it! So now I'm sharing it with you guys!

Here's what you need:

- 1 Chocolate cake mix
*Plus the ingredients on the box to make this cake
- 1 tub of whip cream
- 1 jar of carmel...the kind you top ice cream with
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- a topping of your choice I used heath bar candy bits

Now here's what you do:

- Bake the cake according to the directions on the box
- As soon as the cake is done, remove from oven and make holes in the cake. I don't think there is a system to this it just depends on how many and how big you want!
- Pour the condensed milk over the cake, it will try to fall down the sides so I have a spatula handy to keep putting it back up on the top.
- Pour carmel...same as the above
- Let the cake sit and cool.
- After a few hours I place it in the fridge and top it before I serve it.
- Add whip cream and topping of choice.

*Here's what it looked like after I added the hole and poured the carmel and condensed milk.*

*The very yummy finished product!*

There is a strawberry and coconut version to this cake that I plan on making as well...so stay tuned to those recipes soon!

X's and O's
Brandi Sue

The "real" reason behind...a few sentences

Last week I talked about how I ran across a few sentences that really bothered me on a photographer's blog. As a recap...on the surface it bothered me because I felt bad for the people who had done what the photographer was talking about. My defenses went up for them and I wanted to ask that person, "Ummmm...didn't YOU have to start out from somewhere yourself?!" I also wanted to ask if THEY had ever e-mailed a photographer that they looked up to and asked for advice. How would they feel if they ran across those words on the photographer's page? Basically, just wanted to ask what made them feel like they were so different from the people they mentioned in those few sentences! I won't even go into the "copying" part...mainly because I don't really know how to express how I feel on that subject. But, like I said in the last blog, as I did not e-mail and have not copied said photographer those few sentences didn't really bother me personally. However, the words did.

Ever since highschool, I have carried some sort of camera on me everywhere I go! (it would have been sooner but I couldn't afford one before then!) I received a digital camera in 2006 and the number of pictures on my computer tripled! When I decided to buy my first SLR camera, it was because I wanted better pictures of the things I was documenting in my life. Family get togethers, vacations, and just random things that caught my eye were made so much better with the quality of that camera! I was so excited to document EVERYTHING!! When I would hang out with my little nephew...I snapped pictures. When my friend Missena and I would take her kids to the park...I brought my camera along too! It was so much fun and the pictures were so adorable! Soon, my friends began asking me to take their pictures. As I didn't classify myself as a photographer (just someone with a nice camera) I would take their pictures, edit them, and make them a c.d. for FREE. I was 100% fine with that and wouldn't have it any other way! When a few actually offered to pay, I told them it was good practice for me and turned the money down. That was half the truth...the other half was me shouting in my head, "Pay me?! A REAL photographer could have captured waaaay better pictures! I just happen to have a good camera and got lucky with a few shots. Silly person." Although I loved the quality and felt that they were better pictures than they might have been able to take, I didn't think I deserved to be paid for it. *Note...When I say they were better than what they may have been able to take...I mean that as I had a SLR camera I was able to capture things quicker and was able to work in bad lighting easier than what their digital camera could do. It's no offense to anyone*

Then, one day, I got paid! I met Holly through Missena and after looking at my pictures she asked me to take some of her kids. This was someone who was not a direct friend, who thought I did a great job and wanted ME to take pictures! I didn't create the opportunity or anything! I was so excited! Then it HIT me...I have to really ROCK this, this lady is paying me!! Not only do I need to do great with the kiddos, but I have to edit and turn the pictures back to her in a timely manner...whoa! Lucky for me, she wanted to shoot outdoors AND I had learned some tricks in photoshop...just in case ;) I was going to describe the shoot some more but then I remembered that I have a blog about it so check it out if you missed it before! Click here for the link.

That was my first...and last...paying gig. Say WHAT?! haha nothing bad happened, but thanks for the sympathy ;) That session was in November and shortly after I changed jobs, and shortly after that I moved to Norman, and shortly after that I got married!! So things got busy and I never pushed my photography in a business direction. Although, I was asked to do 2 weddings and 1 engagement session!! While it was a HUGE compliment, there was no way I felt comfortable doing a wedding! Pictures mean SOOOOO much to me and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I messed things up for whatever reason. And also, because I didn't consider myself to be a "photographer"...just a person with a nice camera ;) I would have done the engagement session but things came up and we weren't able to schedule it.

Now that things have slown down a bit and with my recent SLR upgrade (I bought a Cannon 50D) my mind is pondering the "what if." What if...I began letting people know I'm for hire. What if...I did start booking sessions. What if... In the back of my mind, I wonder what the other photographers would think. Would they think, "Who does she think she is? She has no schooling, no background, and no experience. She is JUST a girl with a nice camera!" That was my main reason for not pursing it. Deep down, I feard these things and just couldn't take the next step. Deep down, I didn't think I was good enough for strangers to hire me to record their life. Deep down, I didn't want to be judged. People can be so mean and heartless sometimes and I just didn't want to put myself out there.

But...what if...? I mean, my friends all tell me I do a good job. My husband has been trying to talk me into it for the last year. He was the one saying, "Just because they are your friend's doesn't mean you can't charge them!" If they all believed in me...then why not just give it a try? With that all being said...I began to feel pretty confidant about it. I knew I wouldn't accept a wedding, but anything else I could handle. After all, if for some reason the pictures didn't turn out the way I thought they should...I could just refund the money. Let's do this thing, I thought!

Not a week later...I ran across those few sentences on a photographer's blog. And my heart SANK. The words and the judgement I had feard...were there in black font. Taunting me and clouding the confidance I had in myself. So there you have it. That's the REAL reason that those few sentences had bothered me so much. Why I couldn't get them out of my head and off my heart. I know, that had my circumstances been different, had I not been a "budding photographer." I still would have been bothered by those sentences, on behalf of the people they were talking about. But given the circumstances of what all has happened in the last year, how much I have grown, and what I had been dreaming...those words cut me deep.

I'm 100% positive that the photographer has NO idea about my story or my dreams. They don't know me from Adam. They themselves are young photographers like me, just with more experience. When I read the blog it is usually full of happy bright images and exciting new things going on with their studio and the connections they have. I'm 100% sure when those words were typed they didn't know how it would have hurt me personally. But I'm also 100% sure they knew it would hurt someone's feelings. I mean, seriously...if someone is sending you an e-mail asking for advice, wouldn't you assume they are following your work? So maybe it wouldn't have bothered me as much if they would have stopped typing after saying, "Doesn't it seem like everyone is a photographer these days?" That's not so much of a personal attack. Although, I still would have been a little hurt at those words too haha

Ugh, I dunno...maybe I'm just extra sensitive since I had been fearing a photographer might say that only to have them say it JUST as I am deciding to take a leap into something I care so much about ;) For the record, I'm not letting this stop me...although I'm going to take baby steps rather than leap ;)

Thanks for listening to me vent! I hope you all had a great weekend!

X's and O's,

Brandi Sue

A few sentences...Part I

I have thought about it all night and all day long. Even with the distractions of the day, it's been on my heart and I can't lay it to rest. I went back and forth on if I even wanted to write about it. Then I decided that if it bothered me that much, I should. It's my blog after all right? *Standing up to the soapbox*

As if you can't tell, pictures are my passion. Not just pictures I take or even pictures of people I know...just pictures in general. I spend at least 1-2 hours every night looking at people pictures on my social network sites, checking out my fave photogs blogs (that doesn't take as long since they don't all post everyday), and editing my own pictures. It's something I really enjoy for various reasons. I love the story that's told, I love the pretty colors, I love the beautiful scenes, I love the fashion, and I love the ones with none of the above. So...you are getting the point right? haha

I came across a blog that was fairly long *yay jackpot* and was enjoying looking at the different pictures and reading the ramblings of the photog...when I came across the few sentences. This particular photog made the comment about how they think it seems like everyone is a photographer these days. They went on to say how they get several e-mails a day wondering how to start up their business and that they have seen their work copied.

Now, it's hard to tell what the "tone" was in those sentences but they ended with "What's up with that?" So...I don't think it's hard to take a guess. I personally, take little to no offense to those few sentences because I have never asked that photog about advice (although I have left positive comments before) and I can't recall every copying said photographer.

With this being said, my heart hurts for the ones who have. Placing myself in their shoes here's what I would feel like... I obviously am a fan of their work or I wouldn't be asking for their advice. Now, who knows how or even IF this photographer (I should have made up a name so it would have been easier to follow along haha) responded to their e-mail. I hope for their sake and for their business, they replied back positively. Because, again placing myself in their shoes, if they had not responded and had I read those sentences...I would never hire that photographer or recommend them. Who wants someone with that attitude? What an opportunity missed to be a leader, to be a role model, and to be a friend. Let me remind you though, I have NO idea if they did respond (or the tone)...I'm totally going off those few sentences!!

Which brings up another point. Words are so tricky. They can be taken in so many different ways especially when lacking the tone of voice and expression on the face. So many people tease me for putting :) ;) or haha in my e-mails, texts, blog, and/or instant messages...and it's because I have seen what a mess "just words" can make! haha So, I try to prevent it. In a perfect world, people would already know that I'm a happy sunshiny person 99% of the time and wouldn't take things I write the wrong way. But it happens. But this post isn't about me...it's about the few sentences said photographer wrote. Those few sentences that made my heart heavy. Those few sentences that could potentially cost that photographer clients! Out of a post full of pictures and ramblings...all I recall are those few sentences. THAT'S what I took from the blog. Not what a great job they did, not about how interesting their day/life was, but those few sentences. I'm about 100% sure that's not what they wanted to happen.

Okay, so if I'm being honest...now that I think about it...I can recall a few pictures but I don't want to mention them and someone now figure out who I am talking about because I do NOT want to diss on this person or have drama (totally don't think they read my blog so I'm not too worried) I just...well I don't know what I am trying to accomplish by this post but I felt the desire to write about it. And maybe that's how they felt. It was their blog after all and they have every right to post what they want! But I just feel bad for the people who had previously written to that person with excitement and passion for what they were wanting to do in their life only to later read those few sentences and know what the photographer was thinking..."Oh, here's another Joe who thinks they have what it takes. Thinks that just because they have a fancy camera (or whatever) they all of a sudden they can take pictures!" Okay...so maybe that's not what they were saying...but that's what I took from it. ;) Which brings me to the REAL reason this bothers me...

***I intended to continue writting but obviously it takes me FOREVER to explain something and get to the point and I'm soooo tired! This is something that has been on my heart though and I'd like to share so bare with me and I'll get back to you later on this! I think it's best for me to take a step back anyway to gather my thoughts rather than type as I'm feeling and thinking ;)**

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

P.S. I don't want you to walk away from this and also be upset with said photographer because when it's all said and done, (which is taking me forever) it's not what this is really about. Those few sentences were just the "straw that broke the camels back" for me...or whatever analogy goes there ;)

P.P.S. According to Microsoft word and spell check...I would get an "F" on this novel for bad spelling and grammer! But it's late and I'm so very tired so please forgive me for not fixing it! It comes with the territory of writing as you think!