A new home, part 2

Where did we end up?  Right here, at 8703 David Ave, St. John MO 63114

We are incredibly thankful for the home that the Lord has provided for us.  Our last house, though provided us shelter at a reasonable cost, was difficult to call home.  We rented an old house that was literally falling apart.  We are so blessed to have moved a short distance away to a great new house that we couldn't be happier about.

I decided a few weeks back to blog in compare and contrasting style to introduce you to our new home.

Rules of the game: On the left is the old and bad version.  On the right is the new and good version.  Unless otherwise noted that the entire grouping is old or new. I'm only showing snippets, so you'll have to come visit.

Nasty front door meet hospitality at its best

I recognize that all but one person that I've ever met prefers a dishwasher to a dish rack, but let me tell you, I am so terrible at dishes that for the safety of my family, let's be glad we got to make the switch!

Gross floors, amazing floors. No stilettos, please. I read all about how to take care of them.

lighting.

stairs to the basement. often refused due to the ladder-like state, now a joy to descend.

required to move our car twice a day, now, a driveway and a cozy garage.

our son didn't have a door to his room, which was attached to our bathroom, just a green curtain.  check it out, y'all.  simple pleasures. a door.

Kitchen.

What was outside my old house...

Compared with the new...

A little more house.

And finally, a glimpse of my new office!  Come meet with me in my new space anytime.  So crisp, white, and clean.  With pops of purple, green, and if the highlighter sitting on my desk counts- yellow.

Come sit on my comfy sofa while we talk about wedding packages and you flip through my sample albums.

A new home

Two months ago (though I cannot believe it was that long ago), I took a trip to photograph my cousin's wedding*.  I'll take a break from designing her wedding album to share something else from that trip.

When I photographed one of my other cousin's weddings a few years ago, I photographed at my aunt and uncle's property.  People often ask me where that amazing location is, and if I can take them there.  I loved that home most of my upbringing, and actually did some of my early portrait "work" with my cousins when I was a kid in the woods and front porch.

When they told me they bought a home "in town," I have to admit, I was a little devastated. They kept telling my mom that when I came to see it, I'd love it, I was doubtful to say the least.  But then... I got there and my jaw hit the floor.

So let's venture away from portraits for a little while, and I'll give you a tour of the parts of this simply amazing civil war era farmhouse that have already been or have started their restoration. If only you could see the starting point on some of this, the transformation would be simply mind blowing!  My aunt and uncle have a gift, and since it isn't in a magazine (yet), I figure I'll put it on my blog.

 My uncle made that table. With his hands... and I suppose some tools, but still... that's incredible!

 Though not yet complete, Eli wanted a photo of him looking out of the window where he stayed. :)

 Before loading up the car, we needed one last front porch rocking chair moment.

Thank you so much for your hospitality! I can't wait to see it all done.

*the top photo on that post shows me and my second shooter both pregnant, but also noteworthy is that she is having her baby... like...right now. Crazy! I, however, am not.

2011 Prices & Products

We have updated our prices and product offerings. And guess what. That doesn't mean a price increase. Yes, we have had price increases in many areas, but we actually cut a few prices here and there, too!

Why and how did we change our prices?
As our website explains, we are really intentional in our pricing.  It's taken us months to get this change worked out. We want it to be affordable, but also want it to accurately reflect the work we are putting into your portraits and events.  WE LOVE OUR CLIENTS! It was really important for us as we reviewed the investment people make in our work, and we realized that we did not want to price for a different market. We want to keep the types of people we typically get. Y'all are awesome and bless us so much!

Basically what we did was evaluate how much time we were really spending on each of our projects, rather than what we thought we would spend when we initially made the prices.  Then we considered what people actually buy from us. And then we considered the skill level of the work we do. Not only am I a photographer, but we do billing, house cleaning, packaging, website content, sideshows, etc.  Each area gets a certain pay rate, and that included a pay cut for myself in many areas, as well as a modest raise in others.

We also adjusted some of what our packages include as well as some product specifications.  We have listened to your requests and are working to add some products that fit better- especially to get a perfect solution for slideshows with music.  We haven't found exactly what we want yet, but we are working diligently to make that a great offering for you.

As we've stated before, we are all for fair trade and just payment for workers, so I suppose that extends to ourselves. 

Why am I being so transparent and sharing the "inside scoop" with you?
We love honest companies. We love to know why they do the things they do. Brian even wants to buy new glasses just because he loves how the company works. Seriously.  It's hard to find sometimes, and that is the joy of a small business.  It's a benefit you get from working with hard-working "Mama & Papa" companies like ours. You get to know us. The real us.

What are the new package prices?

What new products are we offering?
As I mentioned before, we are still working on a slideshow that we can 'show and sell.'  What we use now isn't good for letting you keep it and see it at home.

Our CD cases are new and super-improved. It's like going from a plastic lemon to fresh-squeezed lemonade.

We're adding some new kinds of canvases and display options.

The package that we are most excited to introduce is our all inclusive Press Printed Deluxe Wedding Package.  It includes an engagement session with a guest book, and an optional bridal/trash the dress session.  Three volumes of albums are custom-designed and presented in a high-quality display box.

 The end.

Labor & Delivery, Island Fairy Style

For weeks I'd been on call, 24/7.  About 10 days past her due date, I got a call from a friend of a friend that I'd never met.  It was time. She was about to have her baby.  And I was going to document the whole experience.

 I hung around for a few hours, capturing sweet moments of the first few hours of labor, slowing becoming friends with the soon to be first-time mom and dad.  The hospital staff assumed we'd been life-long friends, but really we'd only met a few hours before.

We were waiting for a little girl to be born. A little girl who was about to receive a name that means "Island Fairy."  (Though I love names, for privacy of the family, her name can be revealed by them alone).

Things were progressing slowly, so I took a break to see my family and run a few errands.  But I returned at nightfall, expecting something wonderful.  It was an honor for me to be a part of such an intimate part of their new family's life.  I am thrilled to be able to provide pictures of the beautiful moments that led to the birth of a little baby.

God led me through that night, filling me with a spirit of prayer and worship of the maker of all things.  I got to see him clearly and dramatically answer my very specific prayers for the delivery of this baby.  Though normally chatty, and one to quickly share my experiences, I felt hushed as God put a humbleness on me.  When needed, I was asked for my opinion and experience, and I was gladly able to offer it.  It was so amazing to just sit back and pray and take photographs.  I could offer encouragement when needed, hold a weary hand, share great news of new life, and be bold in my requests, ensuring great medical care for this new family.  My favorite things all in one glorious evening. 

Isn't she beautiful?

As I went to leave the hospital at precisely 3:00 am, thankful for such a great experience (including a laboring woman who always said please and thank you- and even offered to talk to me on the phone on my way home so I didn't fall asleep), I was met by a woman just outside the parking garage.

Though quickly growing weary myself, knowing I had three clients to meet the next day, I stayed and talked with her.  She really needed a listening ear. Though convinced I was barely out of high school and still in college, she instantly felt comfortable sharing her life with me.  You know most anyone you meet a hospital has some sort of story to share.  At the end I got to pray with her and encourage her spirit.  I hope she got some sleep that night.

Congratulations, A & W, on the birth of your little Island Fairy!

Experience Purple Lemon Photography

For the last several months as we've been developing our content for the website, I've been tossing around the phrase "the purple lemon experience." My current challenge is to put it into words. Here I go... Brace yourselves. When I don't have many pictures to show, I'm wordy.

When I got married, Ben's homily said that I often use analogies. It's so true. So I guess it makes sense that when I try to explain things that I make strange comparisons. These hopefully won't be too strange, but merely helpful for me to translate the mush of my new-mom brain into normal-ish human-speak.

(My neighbor helped put this part to words- thanks, Nate.) The purple lemon experience isn't like going to the traditional studios where the photographer pulls down random background, like airbrushed autumn leaves or a picture of snow. Then they put a white column in front of the leaves and then your child forces a cheesy smile upon the film.

The purple lemon experience isn't dragging your 3 kids who have snot on their faces down to the mall in matching sweaters that are itchy so they look pretty good together for the Christmas card. That results in tears and bribes and drippy ice cream.

The purple lemon experience also isn't hiring a college student to take your wedding pictures so it's cheaper. I was that college student once. It got me hooked, but I think that first couple is lacking quite a bit in their wedding collection. Don't hire her. Hire me.

you might get a first try at a shillouette, which ends up crooked.

Or your reception photos might look like this. I've come a long way. This makes me shudder.

So now that I've worked to establish what it isn't, let's focus on what it is.

The purple lemon experience is:

• a full process. I will take the time to get to know you, your family, your wishes, your needs, your style, and your personality. I will scout locations to find exactly the right spot, the right lighting, the right chair, or the right colors to showcase exactly what needs showcasing. Whether the shoot is in your home, down the street, or an adventure across town or the countryside, I'll find it. I will make you realize you are photogenic even if you thought you never were. I'll make sure to catch you with your eyes open if you can never seem to get them open. You'll smile naturally if you are a cheesy smiler, and you'll relax if you seem to stiffen in front of the camera. Then I'll edit each picture so it is able to stand alone as a work of art. We'll look over your pictures together- it's fun for you and helps me learn. You'll order your favorites (if you can choose... I hear it's a problem) and receive your product, hand delivered when at all possible.
  
• creative. I've been told I was creative since I was a little girl. I hope that term never leaves my side. Striving to create something unique is something I long for. Whether and event or portraits or products, I'll make sure what I need to get is shot technically correct, then I step outside those bounds to try something new.
• personal. Relationships and service are huge to me. I'll meet you at home, at a coffee shop, your office, the park, or wherever for consultations, viewing sessions, and delivery. I want to get to know you and your environment so I can create pictures that'll look great on your walls, suit your desk, or be great to give as gifts to family.
• planned. Though creative and flexible, I am dedicated to planning in advance. I help you plan the schedule of your wedding day to minimize stress. I help plan what you wear so you like the pictures for years to come. I will plan where we are going to ensure good colors and lighting. I will plan the time so your baby is happy and alert.
  
• worth the investment. Knowing what the experience is like, and knowing what it isn't should show you that this is a personalized, unique photography experience. Someone said recently that it's like a picture party. I've shot portraits on the coldest and hottest days of the year, on sunny days, rainy days, and sick days. In all that, people have always enjoyed themselves. You aren't just buying a couple of 8 x 10s or a canvas for your wall. You are investing in memories, art, capturing the moment you became wed, your child was born, your pregnancy was nearing its end, or the last year of high school.
  

Red Thread Session with a BAM!

It's been quiet here for a while, as I have been on maternity leave.  We adopted our youngest son and brought him home from Ghana after quite a lengthy battle to bring our family under one roof.  It was fitting for me to ease my way back in to a short fall season with a Red Thread Session.  I volunteer with Red Thread Sessions to provide photography for families who have recently adopted, and it's such a an honor to introduce a new family through photographs.

Not only did we photograph these two lovely ladies in a way you might expect from a PLP family session, but we also did something special.  Part of their personal adoption story included a special connection to DC comic book characters.  A few years ago now, a friend donated a very large poster collection to Brian and I to aid in our fundraising efforts- a large portion of which was DC comic book characters.  We got bogged down in paperwork and never sold them.  As soon as I read their story, I knew that the person who donated the posters would be honored by them being used as a background for their portraits- a story-telling element and something really unique.  This person has a huge heart for adoption and is an adult-adoptee.  They gave the OK for us to use them in this way and I set to trying to find a way to create something.

My favorite part of the session was when this lovely young lady asked me, "Can I hold my mom's hand and look at her? She just makes me so happy!"

This photograph also really touched me.  You can see this new mother's heart through her facial expressions of tenderness, protection, and satisfaction.  This daughter is so dear to her. Likewise, her daughter's face is so joyful.  She simply could not stop smiling when she was close to her mother. It was so beautiful.

Updates for the New Year

I am sitting down, with my home and office all to myself, for a whole work day.  First time in three weeks.

We had birthday, Christmas, New Year's, weddings, sickness, and life happening and I am ready to be back at it full swing.  Shooting really never ceased, but I haven't been in the office.

Just wanted to pop in with a few updates and random photos that don't really have to do with this post.  If the updates don't really apply to you, pass it on to someone for whom they do.

We've had our regular inquiries for weddings for 2012 and 2013 weddings over the last many months, but we are in a unique situation.  We are hoping for another child sometime in the hopefully near future. Combine my medical history with an industry that often has bookings one or two years in advance and we hit a strange challenge with scheduling.  So many unknowns...

We really want to be able to commit to couples that I can actually photograph their wedding.  So for the past 6 months or so, we've been closing months for wedding bookings and opening them as we feel comfortable. We are now open through August of this year... So sorry to all of you fall brides who are still on the waiting list. We aren't quite there yet- if you are still holding out for us, we thank you for your patience! We are so honored!

Winter is a big time for engagements, so please contact us right away for a wedding consultation and to schedule some engagement photos!

Short engagement? We might just be the best fit for this season of our lives and yours.

Since we haven't been booking as rapidly as in the past (since we've had months closed for booking), and have been trusting that we'll still get the weddings we need to support the minsitries that we do with our business, we want to make sure that people know we do have openings left. So here's the deal...

Weddings: We will give a 20% discount to all wedding packages booked with an album for now through May 2012.  That's huge! Spread the word... Also, we rarely offer custom wedding packages, but for spring of 2012  weddings (January-May), we will offer custom packages for small weddings.

Engagement, Family, Kids, Babies, Maternity: We finally have WEEKENDS! Many families love our work but can't make a weekday or week night session, and since we do a lot of weddings weekends aren't always an option.  But we have a handful open right now.

Go ahead and book your late winter, early spring sessions now!  You, too, can have a sweet photo with your kids. I know I love this one with my son taken just a few weeks ago...

Let's enjoy this mild winter and take some photos. Winter is still a great time for photos- indoors, outdoors, at home, out and about.  The possibilities are endless. I've got a little something for everyone up my sleeves (and since it's winter, my sleeves are long).

Lemon Love

On the phone today, my husband and I laughed, talked about holding hands when he gets home from work, and even talked about being in love.  We're kind of sick like that. Or maybe we just make other people sick... But we really LOVE LOVE.  We love marriages, love stories, and seeing people really doing well together- that's part of the reason I am in the wedding industry. I also really like cake.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner (as are a number of special anniversaries), so we've got some great ideas to help keep those fires burning- those date nights peppy- those anniversaries sweet- and never a marriage sour.

Valentine's Day Idea #1: small Photo
Pick out a picture of yourself for your sweetie from your wedding, enagement, or familiy session to go on their desk at work.  A blessing to look on something sweet between memos, meetings, and bites of leftovers for lunch.

Valentine's Day Idea #2: BIG Photo
Did you just get the CD? But you really loved that sweet, romantic photo I took of you?  Maybe you were nuzzling, or the clouds in the background made it look almost surreal, or you just had expressions of sheer wedding joy? Get it big as a surprise gift to hang in your home. Remember that love every day.

Valentine's Day Idea #3: Gift Certificate
Let your sweetheart choose their favorites- you just have to show them you were thinking of something they'd like. We can provide you with a Gift Certificate for any amount, applicable for products or new pacakges.  Maybe that family session she's been asking you for.  Or that one for the kids?

Valentine's Day Idea #4: Secret Photo Session
Schedule a trash the dress, bridal session, or just a little session to help your hubby go oooh-la-la! We might not have that done before the holiday, but we can get you something to let him know something is on it's way.  Or get ready for that anniversary and schedule it today!

Valentine's Day Idea #5: Go on a Date
If you didn't get an engagement session- or maybe you just come to us for photos of your kids- this is for you.  We take an approach to engagment sessions called the "date for three"- I am your third wheel, while you go somewhere you love or do something you love to do together, or something you've never done but always wanted to do.  We'd love to do a few "dating sessions"- with those who are dating all their lives, even after the wedding day.

Valentine's Day Idea #6: Add some special words
 We do plenty of custom design work around here, so give us something special to add to a favorite image I've taken.  Send me a handwritten love letter, or a favorite scripture, passage from a book, the envelope from the first letter he sent you, a favorite song, etc. We'll add it to in image- make it large or small- to hang on the wall or create a keepsake box to hold your relationship momentos.


But... you took those a long time ago. Can I still order?
You've got a few choices here if your photos aren't online anymore. You can use your CD- those numbers likely match up with what I have. You can try to describe it to me- I don't know how easy that will be. You can request yours be put back online, and my hubby loves me so much, he'll click the button to make it so. Or you can let me choose.

I'm headed out for dessert on February 14th. What you are up to?
Nikki Dukes
Owner, Purple Lemon Photography