Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
New Olympus OM Dee-ee
Happy birthday to me.
Image from Techspot, where you can read a review, if you like.
Does anyone know how to create an emoticon with a grin the size of the Cheshire Cat’s?
From your side of the firewall, it might look like things have been pretty quiet here at vividity. Well…. I must admit, I have been enjoying a slightly slower pace in my ‘baby’ boy’s last year before school. It hasn’t all been paper aeroplanes and lego, though! I’ve been beavering away on behind the scenes kind of stuff, getting ready for things to take off in my Sydney-based portrait photography business once my boy is settled into school next year.
One thing I have done is revamp my product range. I’ve improved and simplified, making things much better, tighter, more cohesive. One new “product” I’m considering is a “bestie session”, and I’d love some feedback on it. To that end, I’m calling for models. Here’s what I’ve got in mind:
BFF Session:
- up to 4 friends for a photo session where we would get group photos and individual portraits
- 20 gift prints to share between you
- 8 mini concertina albums (all the same design). That’s two for each of you, one to keep and one to give away to your grandparents, your boy/girlfriend, your mum…. whoever you like, really.
- 20% off any additional purchases.
That’s over $1800 value, but I would only charge $1000…. so across four of you, that’s only $250 each! And for the first group of BFFs to book in, I’ll do it for half that again ($500), only $125 each assuming there are four of you. Now there’s a bargain!
It’s first come first served, so phone your friends, and then one of you phone me lickety-split to organise your session. (Click “talk to me” at the top of the blog for my phone number.)
These sessions suit BFFs of any age. You might be as young and gorgeous as these guys:
Or as grown up and beautiful as these:
Or you might be in your retirement!
And…. a little treat for those of you who have read this far…. I’ll let you in on why I think a bestie session is a good idea: Here’s one of the best photos I have of me and my three best friends together. I’m the one second from the left, with baby number two almost ready to be born.
Not the best image, is it? Wish I could do it over with a professional!
NOTE: THIS OFFER IS NOW CLOSED.
I for one think that is a really lovely product, you should be on a winner with it. Although I did have to reread the name a couple of times thinking it said “beasty” and I was concerned what was going on in Vividity land.
Good luck with it Jen.
Hmmm… I’m not sure, Mark. Does misreading the name as “beasty” say something about the writer, or the reader? 😉
There ARE a couple of beasts here in vividity land. One’s three and still picks his nose. Actually that’s not true. He’s five.
Must admit I’m not entirely happy with the name, either. Anyone got any better ideas?
I know with a title like that you’re probably expecting an inspiring list of Christmas wishes (like world peace and an end to famine, etc. etc.) Well you’ll be disappointed. I’m going to be selfish… again!
I was asked a while back what I would do if I had some money given to me with the proviso that I could only spend it on myself. Not my kids. Not my husband. Not my house. And most certainly not my business. I could only buy something that was purely for me. Complete self-indulgence.
And I couldn’t answer.
I spend some of my time teaching yoga*, and I tell all the parents I teach that one of the best things they can do for their kids is look after themselves, and yet I couldn’t answer a simple question about what I would do for myself if money were not an issue. I have become the proverbial ‘eater-of-the-burnt-chop’ kind of mother that I urge other mothers not to become.
Hypocrite!
Anyway, I was in the city with my daughter yesterday, and I realised how much I hate shopping, how bad I am at it, how stylish so many of the people around me looked, how sorely the shoes I was wearing needed replacing — (in fact they needed replacing before my youngest was born. He’s now four years old.) — how much choice there was in the stores, how much money was changing hands, how decadent it all was, how easy it would be to just hand over the credit card over and over and over….. and end up with a heap of stuff that was neither necessary nor suited to me, and — aha! — I knew. If I had to spend some money on me and just me, then one thing I would like to do is spend some time with this lady:
A couple of hours with her in the stores and my wardrobe blues would be solved!
She’s the stylist I recommend to my clients when they tell me they need some help planning clothes for their shoot. She’s practical, fun, lovely, non-threatening and superbly able to help you make the most of your clothing dollar. I reckon she could get me in and out of the shops in record time with a better result than I could get in weeks and weeks of boring traipsing around on my own with kids in tow. Given that the shopping gene seems to have gone missing somewhere in the evolutionary history of my family, getting in and out of the shops quickly sounds like a great idea!
Have a look at Paula’s testim0nials page. She doesn’t try and change anyone. If you’re a “barefoot and blue jeans kind of girl”, then you still can be… albeit a more stylish one.
*My yoga teaching is currently on hold until my youngest child starts school, and I have some more daytime availability.
Sometimes the simplest questions are the ones which we find we have to delve deepest to answer.
Thanks for the support & kind words this year. All the best for the 2012.
Mark
Hey, thanks Mark. I look forward to following you… ahem… I mean your blog in 2012. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for you.
J.
Just because it’s that time of year (Ho! Ho! H0!) and just in case anyone’s actually reading (hint, hint, hint)…. these are the ones I reckon would be my preference:
I did a post on them a while back. They have some great colours to choose from. The Kelly Moore bags look good, too.
But actually, a new camera bag is pretty far down on my list of gear to buy for my business. So many other things to covet!
(Photo from the Jo Totes website.)
Has anyone found the perfect camera bag? Don’t think I have yet. They can be great for protecting gear, but too bulky and difficult to manage. Or just plain ugly. Sometimes they’re pretty, but not great at protecting your gear. Or great to carry while you shoot, but not big enough to hold everything you need to carry…. (which is a lot more than just camera gear!). Could this be the answer?
It’s the “Tote and Shoot” from shootsac. Check ’em out if you’re in the market for a new camera bag…. or perhaps looking for a Christmas gift for the photographer in your life. (Hint, hint!) Though I reckon you’d probably need to own a shootsac to put inside one of these babies, just to make sure your gear was really protected properly. (I must admit, my current camera bag certainly gives GREAT protection for my camera gear…. and in the end, that’s more important than the look of the bag. Way more. $$$$ more, really!)
Love,
Jen.
PS: Picture from the Tote and Shoot by shootsac website.
Oh dear, looks like your having the once a year camera bag crisis. I had mine about 10 months back so I’m expecting to be getting the itch again soon.
To me the bags by Kelly Moore – http://kellymoorebag.com/ are amongst the prettiest for the ladies. I’m rather smitten by the boy bag too but haven’t pulled the trigger on that one yet. My most recent addition is a rather tasty design by Encase of all companies, they got together with Ari Marcopoulos to build him an ideal bag. I was after a one shoulder sling bag which I could work out of but could also carry along a stand and umbrella (collapsable softbox etc) but which wouldn’t look too camera bag like. I have to say I love the bag, perfect for my sojourns into the city for portrait shoots. Although it can’t compete with my Lowepro stealth reporter (which looks very camera bag like) for it’s sheer gear carrying ability.
Mark.
Yeah, I’m with you on the Kelly Moore bags. I think that would be my preference for a combination of style and practicality. Looks like it offers decent protection for your gear, as well as flexibility in arrangement of the interior of the bag. I haven’t splurged on one, though, because my Lowepro does a stellar job. It’s just a bit bulky, and not pretty, and screams ‘camera bag’. It really is a great bag, though, for its purpose. And of ALL the bits of gear I covet, my camera bag is NOT going to help me shoot better or faster or reduce my editing time or be more creative…… so it’s at the bottom of the list, really.
Fiona - Happy Belated Birthday! Nice new toy 🙂
jen - Thanks Fiona. Yes, it IS a nice toy. Mr Vividity excelled himself getting that! It’s to have just to take on family outings and the like, because I never take my “real” camera gear…. too heavy when you’ve got to take lunch boxes, bandaides, drink bottles, suncscreen, hats, jumpers, phone, purse, toy cars……. As a result we never have any family snapshots!
Amanda Keeys - Lucky duck! That camera looks like FUN.
Happy birthday to me. And you. » vividity blog - […] year,  my family gave me a great little point and press camera. Really it’s for them because they’re too scared to use my “proper” camera. […]