Twittering, tweeting... chirping... what?

I'm tweeting!   http://twitter.com/BStPierreStudio
Yikes!  Are you tweeting too?  I'd love to hear from you - when do you use Twitter vs. FaceBook, are you on your computer, phone, or other mobile device, and what do you look for on Twitter from the people that you follow?

Happy New Year, and a bit of a goodbye too.

I'm back! Happy New Year Everyone!

It's been a long, long, long time since my last Blog. A lot of water has run under the bridge in that time. I needed a little 'get my breath' time following the last year I had with my sister before her death, and during that time of recovery, turned my sadness towards a positive direction, completely renovating my studio into something that I feel confident in saying is absolutely "a studio like no other". It's true; it's even on my business card - in writing, so it IS SO! (LOL) If you haven't seen the new studio yet, please, just give me a call to come over and visit... I'd love to show it to you! The renovation was a labor of love, and I do mean a labor... lots of hard work in concept, planning and building. It's a really fun place to work! I am totally rejuvenated ... we had a hugely successful Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting, and I was off and running headlong towards the work that really excites me. I even was commissioned and completed a large project for St. Joseph Hospital, decor created and provided for the walls of their whole 2nd floor, OB/GYN and Pediatrics. You may have seen it there, and if you've been following, you've probably been seeing other pretty interesting photo posts on www.facebook.com/bstpierrestudiofanpage too.

All these years of honing my craft, perfecting my trade, building relationships in the area through the work we produced and the projects we worked on together, now coupled with the sense of adventure & creation that the new studio provides, has led me to this place where I am finely tuning and focusing (no pun intended!) on the clients I feel I am destined to serve. You know who you are... you want something memorable. Something that tells people that you are extraordinary. Something that will leave the footprint of your choice on this planet, even as it continues to revolve and change your life in so many ways over the years. If you are a business owner, you are seeking those images that will make a statement about your company and the services you offer, something that will set you ABOVE your competition.

I've never been a high volume, assembly line client business. Though I have the technical skills and ability to identify with the client, and could have been wildly successful in that venue, having more money than perhaps I'd have known what to do with, I shied away from that and continued to pursue what I felt in my heart was of great value to my client. I always wanted to create something that means even more than those quick head and body shots that commemorate how we looked that particular year. Because I have a good reputation for being fair, easy to work with and providing a good product, I naturally ended up with some of that more typical work requests arriving at my door, and I took it in and did it well. I did feel good that I was providing a good product to others, but it was a means to making money to pay the bills and satisfying that particular client need, in between the work that really inspired me.

Wow, this almost sounds like I'm leading to a goodbye, doesn't it. Well, it's a goodbye of sorts, to much of the work the general public thinks of when they consider using a photographer. From hereon, I am dedicating most of my working hours to the creation of the great works in portraiture that will move you to tears, smiles and a warm feeling in your heart. Work that will make you SEE the person, not just their smile. Work that will make this moment in their lives a celebration that they will enjoy for the rest of their lives. Work that will speak to you. I'm doing the same with the commercial end of my business too, making myself available for those clients that want to reach beyond the ordinary.

Technically, because I accomplish this with photographs, I am labeled a 'Photographer', making me look on the surface much like any other - all of us the same, though some likely more skilled than others. But I am realizing that what I do is much more of an art form than the word photographer describes. I will be showing you more of how it applies to the areas you think of using a photographer for... baby, children and immediate and extended family portraits, senior high school, pets, commercial web and brochure images, and so much more. Put on your creative hats people.

There's a time and place for those traditional shots, and many good photographers I can even suggest for you when that is what you want. I am not putting them down as having no value. I enjoy having them to look back upon too, for they are a documentation of our lives and families. But as I sorted through my sister's belongings, helping my nephew to decide what to keep, leave out or store away, seeing all the images I'd created for her over the years since the birth of her son, the ones that brought tears to my eyes were the ones that told her story, reminded me of who she was, by herself and in conjunction with the people she loved, not just what she looked like. When you desire images that will have this effect for you, let's meet and put our heads together. Let me create something truly great for you.

My sister's journey, my sorrow

"One's sister is part of one's essential self, an eternal presence of one's heart, soul and memory"
(quote by Susan Cabil).
My sister has always been my cheerleader, my sharer of memories, believed I could do anything, was an integral part of my building my photography business. So since it's partly because of Laurie that I am where I am today, I share with you my sorrow at her fighting an illness that took years away from us during its battle, and is about to win. I am now anxious for her to be at peace, but I think of her and mourn for that little towheaded girl that used to always want to go where her big sister went. Now, she's the brave one moving ahead.

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

This was FUN!!! Here is the entry I used for analysis to see who I most closely resemble in my writing style. I'm not sure that it's accurate, but I am a Stephen King Admirer, so I don't mind being put in his league!
Here it is... see for yourself....
When having the luxury of free time, with no company or schedule demands, I like to tour my own backyard. In this place, the wind ripples the leaves of the trees, the upper pond gurgles as it empties into the lower, the birds flit through on their way to somewhere else and the light plays through the woods, caressing the ground where it touches. By walking slowly, I can see the progress of plants, in the Spring as they awaken from their frozen slumber, and later in the season, their budding, blooming and dying back again. It's here, at ground level, that I find so many small surprises. I find a yellow striped wasp sleeping on a twig, face inches away from a surprising bedtime companion, a black and yellow caterpillar. I witness a near death experience as a frog leaps into the pond and eludes the grass snake, who now slithers away, though whether it's moving away from me or towards its next hopeful meal I'm not sure. Tucked away in the brilliantly blooming shrub near the sideyard path, I spy a brown spider as it pulls itself deeper inward away from my inspection. I am happy to leave it to itself, as spiders, though facinating, hold a special gross-out factor for me.
This little walk around the grounds is full of familiar friends and new delights, and before I know it, hours have passed. The only human voice has been my own as I murmur encouragement to young plants, soothe the surprised creatures and sigh with contentment. This is my little piece of heaven.

Great photo days means great fun for me, savings for clients!

THREE great Photo Days, lots of fun,
lots of savings!

I'm looking forward to the three photo days currently scheduled in the Studio in July and August. Center Stage, with dancers in costume creating one of a kind portraits, from classic to contemporary; they are sure to all be very exciting. And StoryBook Page Portraits, (sigh), a celebration of a more innocent time, set in warm, endless summer days. Then, there's the Executive Portrait Day, one of my favorite scheduled photo days, because every single session is different. There might be a Chef in a kitchen, a Physical Therapist in a clinical setting, or a Financial Planner in a wood paneled office... as always, there are no limits!

I know I say it all the time, but it's true... I really love my job!

If one of these portraits fits you, or someone you know, don't hesitate to go to the website, http://www.bstpierrestudio.com/, and book right away. The number of sessions are limited and they will book fast!

My job, so much more than just a job.

This weekend, I was invited to photograph the Dance Connections Studio of Salem NH's dance recital. So, you say, you're a photographer... what's so unique about that??!? Well, this grab action kind of photography is not the work I usually do, AND, I was asked because this client, and all the parents at her Dance Studio, now think of me as "their photographer".

This past May was my second year of week long portrait photography days at the Dance Studio, and I am officially now "their photographer". They look forward to my arrival, there's much enthusiasm during the sessions, and the parents are very complimentary about the finished packages they receive. I wanted to share this, because knowing that I am creating something lasting and valuable to my clients makes me FEEL GOOD. As I snapped away during the Recital, I felt pride in each and every one of the dancers, clapped as enthusiastically as their families when they finished their numbers and was thrilled to be part of this very special occasion for them. I am so lucky that my job, is not just a job.

If you'd like to see some of the images captured, visit their album on my site at:

http://www.bstpierrestudio.com/mp_client/pictures_welcome.asp?categories=no&keywords2=no&eventid=51737

Sometimes even being careful and cautious is not enough

I prefer to use my blog for positive messages, but I REALLY need your help! My husband Dan & I are in a bad place with a timeshare contract we signed on 1/25 (w/ The Falls at Ogunquit - Maine, part of InnSeasons Resort and affiliated w/ Interval International) and have been trying to nullify since March when the company had still not followed through w/ materials we should have rec'd before then. They presented themselves as a Vacation-Share, not a Time-Share, with the lure of travel. Though a far-away luxury trip a couple times in our lives might be fun, we are mostly campers with our 5th Wheel, and we resisted, saying it didn't fit our lifestyle, until the salesperson sealed the deal by making it every other year instead of every year, and telling us there were campgrounds all over the USA, so we felt we could get great value from the program that way. When we next talked to him, two weeks after signing, I asked again about campgrounds since I had nothing showing me any, and he said it would come in the packet the company would be sending. We now don't trust them or want anything to do with them, but they refuse to release us from contract, and deny saying anything about camping, because, guess what... it turns out, they have NO campgrounds. There are other lies and failures on their part, but they’ve got the T’s crossed and I’s dotted on the contracts, so they feel bulletproof. We have since googled them, and there are plenty of stories where other consumers felt the company misrepresented itself, like they did to us. We even offered to let them keep $1500 of our money to just let us GET OUT. Your support in sending an email, letting them know that you are aware, would believe me over them because you know my ethics, & tell others what you know about this situation, might go a long way to help us. Please be careful to not use any profanity, just let them know how easily bad publicity can spread. Here is the email address: David Zukowski, Purchase Relations Mgr, dzukowski@innseason.com, cc: to Kevin Curran, VP, kcurran@innseason.com, bcc to me: bonnie@bstpierrestudio.com. THANK YOU. I really think this could help.