Sunflowers

So last week a little birdy told me about a sunflower field not too far away. I drove by that day, and was instantly in love!

This morning I had a portrait shoot, so before I had to be at it I decided to take the girls to the sunflower field. They were very unhappy, as the sunflowers are very thick/pokey, but I got a few good shots none the less. I'm going to return tomorrow morning with Ava to get her four-year pictures. Yes, her birthday was two months ago, but such is life... Happy Weekend, everyone!

ONE smile out of all the shots.

The main event: picking flowers

Always camera ready! (I've trained her well)

What's up with crazy reprint prices?

This is a venting blog... I was just sitting here thinking that I really need to put a "portraits" section on my website so clients know what my sitting fee is, length, location, etc. This brought to mind that most customers probably want to know how much they will pay to purchase the images they already paid to have taken.... which brought to mind the mindblowing knowledge that some photographers really enjoy gouging their customers!

I've heard of photographers who only give you an online proofing gallery for a week... (a WEEK!). How is anyone supposed to make photo decisions in just a week? I have a hard enough time getting all of our laundry done each week. Add to it working, running a household, and finding even a few minutes of personal time to catch up on the latest celebrity gossip... I personally wouldn't be able to figure out all of my order needs in just a week. It's obvious these photographers are playing off of people's excitement when they get their proofs, which perhaps is smart, but I still find a little disturbing/unethical/used-car-salesmanny.

Second, what's up with the crazy reprint prices? There's nothing I hate more than being nickled and dimed....nothing. Like, the airline industry is my biggest foe. Pretty soon here I'm going to be chillin with my baggage in the dark just to save $20. Anyway, I digress... over the past year or so I've come across some photographers charging upwards of $35, $45... I've even seen $60 for the first print (this is for a tiny print). This is price gouging at its worst! Who can swallow paying $60 for a single 4x6 print? Do these photographers not want their customers to order prints? Isn't that the whole point of having pictures taken by a professional??? so that you can enjoy them afterwards? I just don't get it. Make your money up front, and let the ordering process be a palatable experience for your client, not a "blood-pressure-going-up with every click" experience.

Ladies and gents, my reprints start at $2. Yes, two bucks!

Back from the Beach

Well, I'm back. Vacation is over, but man was it glorious! We spent 8 days in Atlantic Beach, NC. We've been going for four years straight, and this was our best trip yet. We always go for a long weekend with a few other couples from college (Boiler Up!) All are my husband's fraternity brothers, but we wives are just a close. This year we decided to tack on the remaining week and rented a beach house with my husband's family. It was a killer house just off the water, and everyone had a great time. I think we'll be renting the same house again next year.

Must-Do/See when at the Crystal Coast:
1. Go antiquing! There are so many great antique stores in Morehead City and Beaufort. My favorite find was five decades-old nautical maps of the Carolina Coasts for only $1 each. I'm going to get them custom framed and hang on my wall. Someday they'll go in my (someday) beach house!
2. Visit downtown Beaufort: it's like being in Portland, Maine, but you're right here in Carolina.
3. Go on a sunset catamaran cruise in Beaufort. We've done this several times on Carribbean/Hawaiian vacations, but never with our family. It was just as fun!
4. Visit the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Our kids had a blast! It's just slightly smaller than Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC, so it's very easy to get in and out in 90-120 minutes.
5. Go to the movies: my husband and I went to see Eclipse {Team Edward} and had a great date complete with popcorn/pop for under $20.
6. Fly kites at sunset. The tide is really low but the winds are high. So fun!
7. Take the Jeep (if you have one.) I give my hubby lots of grief over his tricked out Sahara Wrangler, but it was so much fun for all!

Here are a few family pics:

Us aboard the catamaran cruise

Sails on the sunset cruise

Audrey tossing sand before our annual family photos at the beach (go figure)

Ava flying a kite after dinner

Ava enjoying the surf while Daddy hangs onto her kite above

Chillin on our top porch at the house

My nephew Nick, Ava, Audrey, and my neice Kayla at the NC Aquarium