From extended family, I’ve managed to collect 2 photographs of me with my mom before the fire.  As you can imagine, they are extremely special to me and I’ll share them at another time.

Yesterday, I came across another photographer’s touching story.Warning: you might want to grab a tissue. When I read her blog post, I cried. And thought of my own personal reasons why I value photographs so very much!  And with Jeanine’s permission, I share her words on the blog.

There will be no portrait photos in this post.  This letter wasn’t mailed – it was at my doorstep when I got home a couple months ago.  I read it, I cried, and read it again – probably a hundred times by now.  It wasn’t easy to read – and honestly, as much as it validates what I do for a living – I wasn’t sure I was going to share it either – Until today, when a past client said that my print prices were too expensive.  If you choose to read through the letter, you will know why I’ve finally chosen to share it.

July 2nd, 2011

Jeanine - 

Today I am writing for a couple of reasons.  I have some quiet time at the moment and need to get a couple of things off my mind.  I will leave this for my husband to deliver to you when he is ready.

You photographed my wedding, you photographed my first pregnancy and my first baby.  I contacted you awhile back to photograph my 2nd child and family.  After getting prices and realizing I would want all of the pictures as we love your work – I decided against spending $500+ – which is what I normally spend for portraits and prints with you..  Please know it is not because I don’t value your amazing eye, or how much we love the experience.

That week that I decided to NOT do a session with you, this is how I spent some money.

On Sunday I called and cancelled our session.  Monday I went out and got my hair cut ($39+tip), and colored ($65), Thursday I had my nails done ($24), my family went out to dinner at a somewhat expensive restaurant for no particular reason costing us $79 + tip.  This was just 4 days since canceling our session, already totaling over $200 for un necessary things.  My nails only lasted about 2 weeks, my hair is gone, and seven weeks passed when I got the phone call from our doctor.  It was not something I expected and the cancer has spread very quickly.  I will be leaving my husband, my 6 year old girl and my now 2 year old – not by choice.  It is very hard for me to talk about it which is why I need to write you.

I watch your Facebook page and your posts about the value of a photo and if I could give back all of those things that I purchased this few weeks after I cancelled my session with you, knowing what I know now, and have that session, well… I would do it in a heartbeat. 

Now my time is done and there are no more chances for me.  The next time someone cancels a session – my wish is that you forward this letter to them.  Time is fragile, it is gone before you know you had it.  If you charged $200 for one print it wouldn’t be enough for what it is actually worth.  I cringe to think that my priorities were a manicure over a memory to pass onto my babies and husband.

My love and thanks for what you have given us from past photos.  I am so sorry that I did not see it as more than paper until now.

Karen L.

My sincerest thanks to Jeanine, from Fototails Photography, for sharing this….

This might come as a shock to some of you, but I’ve had the same purse for.. oh, close to 5 years now.

Its ok.. take a moment and digest that.

Its true! Some time ago, I was in Payless and I found two identical purses (one black and the other brown) on clearance and bought them. I used the black purse until its death late last year and switched to the brown purse after that. The purses were functional and somewhat of a reflection of how I saw myself these past few years: reliable, basic, got the job done, but by no means pretty, fashionable, cute,  trendy, or fun.

Well, watch out world, because last week, I bought a new purse! And boy did I ever!! I’m looking forward to my new purse, and my new outlook for myself in 2012…. and this purse just about says it all!

In case you’re not all that familiar with the character portrayed here, she is known as the Tight Rope (or Alligator) Girl from the Haunted Mansion.  She’s one of the infamous stretching room characters, whose  portrait, as it stretches, reveals her nemesis, the hungry alligator, sitting beneath her as she stands on an unraveling, weak tight rope.

But I so enjoy this modern day portrayal of this character by Queenie from Pocket Full of Posiez.  This girl has a clever, almost devious grin on her face, because she has conquered her alligator, and how!  And that is how I feel about myself this year.. I’m going to finally conquer the demons I’ve been keeping inside for far too long. No more feeling unnoticed, ugly and self-conscience. No more hiding behind the internet.. I’m ready to face my fears and kick some serious (alligator) butt in 2012!!

Thanks Queenie for your wonderful take on the Alligator girl.. I just adore her!! You can find this and more amazing finds from Queenie here.

Happy New Year!!

I’m ashamed to admit it. The very thing I preach to my clients.. the core of what I do for others, providing family art portraiture, is sorely lacking in my own home.

For the last 3 years, our family room didn’t have a single family photo.

And its not for lack of photographs. Simply, it was because I was overwhelmed with choices and decisions. I was distracted with work, and tired of the clutter of a bunch of little frames on table surfaces and book cases. I was creating beautifully designed collections for my clients but had no vision for my own spaces.

So for Christmas this year, I am getting a family room make over, complete with my family as art on the walls and I’m starting with this photo I took last week with iPhone when the kids wanted to play at the park.

The room has a fresh coat of paint, the furniture has been rearranged and I’m so excited about starting out this new year with a vision that includes fine art of my beautiful family!

Earlier this week, I was forced to unplug for a while. No cell phone, no internet, no tv, no lights for almost 24 hours thanks to a ferocious Santa Ana wind storm. And while I was in the dark, quite literally for many of those hours, I was enlightened by the act of unplugging.

After the 5th hour of no light, I didn’t find myself panicking. Normally, I’d be freaking out.. its my busiest time of the year.. I have to work… I need to work…I MUST work!

But the truth was, I didn’t work for a day, and I survived. My business survived. Everything was ok.

And I actually enjoyed myself. When I knew I couldn’t do anything about NOT working, I was able to let go and enjoy playing with my kids and later cuddling with my hubby by candlelight. After all, it was our 16th wedding anniversary. Up until this time, I thought I was doing ok job of balancing family time and work time, but the truth is, I wasn’t at all. I worked all day, then make dinner for the family, and during our ‘family time’ I was still plugged in….checking my phone, getting on the computer to check my emails or Facebook, and I wasn’t truly in the moment with my family. I’ve known this for sometime, but I was fearful that somehow my business would suffer if I turned away from it even for a moment. How ridiculous is that?

So I guess I need to work on letting go of work, and doing so completely.. completely unplug.
I’m done striving for that perfect balance between home and work life. I don’t know that it will ever exist for me, anyway. Instead, I’m going to focus on giving 100% of my attention to work when I’m at work and doing the same when I’m not.

My one vice during my unplugged time… taking photos. I can’t help it! *smirk*
]]> http://www.carrievines.com/2011/12/unplugging/feed/ 0 http://www.carrievines.com/2011/11/so-thankful/ http://www.carrievines.com/2011/11/so-thankful/#comments Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:49:50 +0000 Carrie http://www.carrievines.com/?p=5008 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

Today, as I try not stuff myself too much with turkey and pumpkin pie, I will be thinking of you, dear friends and clients. This has been a tremendous year for Carrie Vines Photography; a year full of growth, change, successes and even some failures, and through it all, you have been my inspiration, my drive to keep moving forward. I absolutely love my job and YOU are the reason I love it so!

Happy Thanksgiving!

((hugs))
Carrie

And because a post is always better with a pic, here’s a little sneak peek from yesterday’s family session in Dana Point…. OMG what a beautiful family.. inside and out!

While working on a client’s save the date cards, I started digging deeper into the meaning of a flower we were thinking of using on their card. I knew flowers had meanings behind them, but I never realized that those meanings could translate into a theme for a wedding. While searching, I came across words like devotion, gratefulness, friendship…

You know I love me a theme in a wedding! Sam and I went all Renaissance when we were married 16 years ago. Having a theme helps to bring your own personal touches to a wedding, making it uniquely yours. Your wedding is a glorious celebration of the two of you and your commitment to each other; why not make it about you? And not just the things you like, but the ideals you both stand for – like devotion, gratefulness, friendship.

So I wonder what the meaning is behind these succulent flowers? Anyone know?

Happy Wednesday!

Thankfully, we have old videos from Halloweens past. Let the reminiscing begin!

Happy Halloween friends! I hope you all have a frightfully fun day of spooks and tricks and of course, lots of treats!

Andrew turns 11 today. Where did the time go?

Our family is in a weird stage of transition right now. I don’t know if I can even articulate it. I guess if I’m being honest, I’m sad at how quickly my son is growing up. That cuddly baby who smiled at everyone. The long-haired crazy toddler who preferred running around in nothing but a diaper, with a sword in hand. That kindergardener who made the female teachers swoon when he told him how nice and pretty they looked. That 8 year old who loved to be helpful and loved cooking with me.

I accept that he is growing up. Or at least I want to believe that I am. But he’s also a pre-teen, as he so quickly pointed out to me just as soon as realized it, with the help of his 13 year old ‘official teenager’ sister. And in that instant, I just wanted him to be this age again, singing ‘our tide is running out’ with Muse.

Happy Birthday, Andrew! Despite the fact that I’m having trouble accepting that you’re getting older, I am, indeed, very proud of the wonderful young man you’re becoming! You still smile at everyone you meet, and make the ladies swoon with your smooth talk (you’ll blush when you read this, and I’m sorry about that.. but its true, just don’t become arrogant about it). And while you would rather be playing Zelda, the kingdom of Warcraft, or something like that, rather than cooking with me, I know you will still offer me help in the kitchen when I need it, and you’ll do it with a smile, which will make my heart swell up with pride. I love you, son.

Love,
Mom

Earlier this week, my mother in law had surgery on her shoulder. First the surgery was cancelled. Then back on again, then off and finally, at the last minute, back on. So my week has been a little off and everything I had scheduled got pushed to today. My calendar for today looks like a big mess, with new additions scribbled in and others scratched out. So I woke up extra early to tackle the day.

But then something happened. I started to feel ick. resentful. tired. bitter.

I just felt overwhelmed.

So I decided to steal an hour for myself this morning to make something that would take away those icky feelings. Pretty things make me happy and I need more pretty things around my house, so I decided to make an art piece.

Just for me.

I love it and it makes me smile, from the inside out. And I’m NOW in the right frame of mind to take on the day!

What are you going to do for yourself today?

So the news spread on Facebook like wildfire. And it hit me with an unexpected, profound sadness. Apple announced the passing of their co-founder, Steve Jobs.

I’m a mac girl, thru and thru. Now, I don’t get every new phone or every product Apple has made.. heck, I don’t even own a iPad…..yet. But I did attend the MacWorld Conference with Sam back in 2007 and was dazzled by the branding and image refections. Remember these?

And who could forget the hilarious ‘I’m a Mac. I’m a PC’ commercials….

Are these still running on tv? I wouldn’t know.. I don’t watch tv anymore.

My endearment for Apple happened at the same time as I discovered photography. And Apple has been a part of learning, developing, and processing my photography business ever since. In fact, outside of the camera, Apple has been an integral part of my business. When my Mac Book Pro was stolen, I cried. Dang, I miss that computer…

So, I’m feeling a little nostalgic today upon hearing the news. My condolences to the Jobs and Apple family. Thank you, Steve, for what you helped to create. The world lost a visionary today, but I’m confident that the vision will remain.