Happy halloween 2014! Why Glinda the Good Witch?

Happy Halloween!

Bonnie as Glinda the Good Witch!

Here's me as Glinda the Good Witch, as I was dressed for a meeting earlier today.

I chose to dress as Glinda, for I felt we had something in common, although my husband Dan thought I should have been dressing in black and wearing a pointy hat ... hmmmm.

WHAT do I have in common with Glinda?  No, not her ageless beauty, unfortunately, or wisdom born of centuries of experience, but, we both help people to find their way home.  It doesn't take ruby slippers, but just taking a moment to truly see the little things we take for granted, and understand the value of family, the power of love.  

There are no flying monkeys at my Studio 

(do moving stars count?), but there is some of that all-powerful wizard stuff in the ideas I bring to the set, and the technology I use to create my art.  The yellow brick road is the planning consultation where my clients share with me what their everyday life together looks like, the activities they like together, the skills, talents and interests that family members have individually, and the relationship they share.  They are always surprised how easily the conversation becomes a footprint on that road towards the well planned and orchestrated image I will craft for them, one that illustrates their story.

Oz has those great ruby slippers, and so, we have that meaningful portrait created, the gift I give to my clients, to keep forever.  Whether it is a series of images that are used to create one of my signature custom written and illustrated StoryBooks for them, or portraits for the wall, the moments captured have a candid and casual feel of family moments that will be enjoyed over and over again, no matter the continued march of time.

This young family portrait, for example... it will all too soon be the wedding day for this little princess, and I feel certain that this portrait will continue to be treasured for years even beyond that day.  I can imagine her own children looking at it in awe, can't you?

So anyway... just wanted to share why I identified with and chose to dress today as Glinda from the Wizard of Oz.  Perhaps I put too much into a simple dress up day, but well, it WAS a business meeting... haha.

What did YOU dress up as today, or is it happening tomorrow for you?  And tell me too, why you picked the costume that you selected.  It's always fun to hear the story behind the costume.

If you're starting to think about what a special portrait would look like for your family, please visit my website or facebook page, and then, call me (603-883-2517) to talk.  I love hearing what's important to all of you - it's inspiring!

As Glinda, I leave you all with this very true and well-loved quote.. yes, say it with me... "there is no place like home"!

Sincerely,
Bonnie

Take great snapshots of your pet!

It's no secret that I am highly motivated to provide something  special in my client's portraits, excited when I am able to create an image that celebrates an interest, passion or talent, or simply put, tells a story that they will have, to enjoy for a long, long time.  One of those special pieces in our lives, also members of our families, are our pets.  

Here at the Studio, I often create an environment for the session where the image created is interactive and illustrates that special relationship that exists between us and our pets.  When I do this, I set up the optimum situation with my lighting and the set that will guarantee success.

This, however, is a snapshot pic, using my phone because it's what I had in hand, of our dog Sammi.  She and I were outside on this spectacular Fall day, tossing a tennis ball around - a favorite activity for one of us and I bet you can guess which one - and she's just so darned cute, that I can never resist trying to capture the essence of what I'm seeing in her during those times.  You know it don't you - if you are a dog owner, you know that twinkle in their eyes, the mouth falling open in pure enjoyment, the tilt of the head and the cocked ears, as they keep drawing you in to play with them.

We love our animals.  If there's any doubt, just look at the number of them on FaceBook and the shared animal story posts, right??!!  I do it too. I've loved every dog and cat that I've ever shared a home with, and can identify with those pics and videos.  They make me smile.  As does this photo of Sammi.

If you've ever been frustrated in trying to get that great picture of YOUR pet, here are a few tips.  It's not the camera you are using - as you can see by this picture using my phone.  It doesn't allow me to do all those great manual adjustments that my cameras provide, so I have to plan a way around the challenges that these limitations will make even more difficult to work with.

First, if your pet is dark, they are going to need light directly shining on their fur, and hopefully especially, into their face.  If your pet is like Sammi, very dark in some areas and very light in others, oh boy, the challenge is doubled.  I like to find an area where she'll be stepping into sunlight, so the details in the fur on her face, and even harder, light in her eyes, is possible, yet there are some shadows that will fall upon her body to keep detail in the white areas of her fur.  If your pet is light colored all over, it's a little more simple - you just need a good exposure for their coloring and you're good to go!

Second, keep your background simple.  You don't need the distractions of too much stuff, or too many bright spots in the picture pulling your eye away from your pet's face.  In my pic here, notice that I even planned for the direction of light coming from the top left at an angle towards Sammi... a composition decision, not just luck. That brighter area of grass serves as an arrow aiming right towards her face, and that is where your eyes are drawn to look.  Love it.

Next, pre-focus and let your active pet walk/run into the spot, where you will be ready to hit the shutter and get the shot.  Set things up so that they will be positioned exactly where you want them for the picture.  You want their eyes to be in sharp focus, so as their nose enters that area, shoot!  Yes, you might have to repeat this a few times to get exactly what you are looking for, but your dog won't mind - they can play all day long without wanting to quit.  If you can get them to sit-stay, that's great, but keep in mind that when sitting in a command, they have a tendency to lose that lively expression.  Click your tongue or make mewing/barking/squeaking sounds, or use the phrase "do you want to" to get their ears up and head tilted. This only works for a couple times, so be ready and grab the shot!

I talked about the lighting being in their faces, and there is one more thing to note about that.  If you can use lighting coming in from off to the side a bit, instead of from directly behind you at camera and straight towards them, then you will get more texture, more detail in their fur.  Look at Sammi's muzzle and up into the top of her head and the curls on her ears - so adorable!  You feel that you could reach out and touch her, and that too, is what photographing our pets is all about.  We love to cuddle our pets, and the appeal of that soft fur should come across in the pic.    

Sometimes, having a white side of building or reflective surface nearby is helpful, for it can bring a nice amount of lighting into dark areas of fur.  Just be sure to keep the wall or reflective surface out of the picture.

I'm a minimalist when it comes to portraits, so I don't add bows and am not really even a fan of collars or decorative bandannas, but that is a personal choice.  I prefer to really look into the animal's eyes and don't wish to look at lots of stuff that pulls me away from them.

This might sound like I am talking only about dogs, but you can use these same tips for photographing your cat, hamster, bunny, lizard, tarantula, ferret, or what have you, using an indoor well naturally-lit location as well.  Some of these creatures, you'd be striving to capture the texture of skin instead of fur, and using the direction of light as described here will work fantastically for that!

Lastly, don't get frustrated.  Sometimes, it takes many, many attempts before you get that perfect one.  Have fun with it... for me it is the level of challenge that gives me the most enjoyment in the process, for when I am successful, I know I've done something that even the smartest camera on the planet would not have been able to do.  After all, it's just technology to make our lives easier, not to think for us.

Happy shooting, and I'd love to see YOUR pics!  You can comment here so I'll know to look for them, and email them to me, bonnie@bstpierrestudio.com.  I'll be pleased to offer you feedback and suggestions, or even just the "yeah for you!" if you're pleased and excited.  Should you, or someone you know, appreciate the art that I can create in portraits for you or your family, to be treasured for generations, contact me to get that conversation going by email or phone, 603-883-2517.

Bonnie

www.bstpierrestudio.com

Maybe I shouldn't call myself a photographer

It's been a while since I've posted to my blog, but this seems like the right forum for asking for opinions and help to gain better insight into something I may be too close to, and might even be the reason that I've been absent from my blog for so long.

I've been calling myself a photographer for 30 years and am not sure that I should continue to do so.  

You're saying "WHAT??!!??"  Don't get me wrong, I've been doing the job that allows me to do that, and doing it quite well... I've got awards to support that title plus some other fun accolades, like having a piece of work in the Smithsonian Institute with the product I photographed for my client, having had an image display at Epcot Center, work published in magazines, hanging in museums and galleries, so many great clients, and wonderful pats on the back.  From these, I know that my clients are getting a good value when they decide to hire me, and I'm proud of what I've done for them.

But always, from long before I picked up a camera professionally, having my "ah ha" moment for this career path when first seeing some beautiful interactive children's portraits while in my nursing training pediatrics rotation, my passion has been one hundred percent for the STORY!

It seems I put this aside, and indulged in that pleasure only occasionally when a particularly creative client shared the enthusiasm for an image that told a story about their child or family, but the drive to create and offer these meaningful images never went away... it just ... waited.   

It waited while I figured things out, or, maybe it just waited until the right time in my life for me to know that I wasn't really wanting to be a photographer in the strictest sense of the word after all - I was wanting to be a place where people could bring their own passions, skills and love, and let me take that and hand it back to them in a profound way that they can proudly share it, and know that their family will enjoy it as it passes through the generations.  

Sometimes what they receive is a story book, that I've also authored for them, illustrating with the images I've created on pages designed for their purpose, and sometimes it is thought provoking or tender wall decor.

Maybe I had to experience enough loss in my own life, to have total empathy for how our lives ALL change so quickly, and how, what makes us feel whole needs to be celebrated NOW.  

I use photography and artwork to build these creations, and I'm at a loss as to what to call myself as the one who gives them life.  As it follows the same type of life event schedule a photography studio experiences, baby, children, family, senior high school, pet, couples sessions, this specialty has been hiding here at B. St.Pierre Studio for many years, but it now needs to be named.  

WMUR's NH Chronicle titled me the 'StoryBook Photographer' in their television feature (see the link at the bottom of this post... it's a great piece that they did!!), and I like that and intend to use it too, but that seems to focus more the whimsical or childhood fantasy part of what I do, and solely for the book form.  While that is so much fun for me to do for my clients, I also have created stories in books and for walls for families celebrating the life of their adult sibling with Downs Syndrome, young adults indulging their Cos-Play personalities, musicians, dancers, gymnasts and athletes reveling in the results of their years of effort, and families and couples celebrating the special moments within everyday activities together. Plus I'm talking to families that are living under the shadow of Alzheimers and other awful and consuming diseases and situations resulting in great loss.  The story of their love for each other and family history together is profound. 

I've come to realize that much of what I'm providing is very much like the pics we all put up on FaceBook to share with our family and friends, but with the big difference of having the skill behind it to ensure that clients are seen only in the most flattering of ways.  No ugly lighting or bad angles, just the forum that allows the beautiful message to shine out from the image.

I need a short way to describe what it is that I do, a name, a title, a phrase... yes, I'm finally getting to where I'm asking for help!  I'm too close to it, and maybe seeing it discussed as you tell me why you would be excited by the idea of a creation for you, it would help me to come up with the right words to make it clear to others what service I provide.

What story would you have me tell?  Would it be of you, you and your partner, your child or family, or even your pet? Some of you are enduring personal hardships, or have moved past them to a stronger and more meaningful life.  Some are talented musicians, craftsmen, artists, authors, philosophers, or masters of their bodies and health.  Some are teenagers, graduating next year and looking ahead in your lives.  Some are struggling in their lives with chronic family illness and some are enjoying moments with families and pets that will too soon be only a beautiful memory as time brings its change.  Tell me what excites you, where YOUR passion is, what you're afraid you will lose someday, what fills your heart.  

I'm showing you one today taken just this past weekend, of a couple that my husband and I often go trail riding with.  My subjects are not always outdoors (I do a lot in the Studio with great set building skills), facing the camera and smiling, but these two are doing all three.  The story here that I wanted to develop for them to have, is to see themselves enjoying the awesome feeling of freedom and gratefulness that we all feel when we are out there playing for hours on our machines, under the limitless sky and breathtaking beauty of the area.  We have our health, we have good lives, and we have good friends.  When Gail and Neal came around that corner, I was there, a surprise to them, in place and ready to capture their candid expressions in a situation over which I had gained technical control.  They saw me and this is what they gave to me... and now, I give it to them to keep, always.

If you GET this, then you are in the best position to help me figure out what to call myself. What words would YOU use to talk about me?  

Your thoughts on this are most definitely welcome and appreciated!!

NH Chronicle's segment on Bonnie's StoryBooks at B. St.Pierre Studio!

It's September.  Wow.  I bet you all feel as I do, that this year is FLYING!

Well, I hope you've all had a wonderful summer, and if you are one of the fans of bstpierrestudiofanpage on FaceBook, you'll have seen the fun wildlife pics I've posted, to know that my summer's been great!

I wanted to share some insight with you today about how adults in general feel about being photographed.  This morning, I had in my studio, an accomplished and vibrant woman who walked in confessing that she was nearly sick to her stomach in fear of the portrait she was here for us to create for her business.  How awful!  And, no reflection on my abilities... no, I knew exactly what she was talking about... for I've heard something similar from many.  One earlier this year said that she would rather go to her annual physical than have her portrait taken.  Isn't this heartbreaking??!!??

The reason is this.  While the cameras have gotten better and they do a decent job taking pictures of what they see, they don't do the job of the professional. In life, we are most often photographed in snapshots, and sometimes, yes, there IS that time that the light was just right, and our head was tipped just right, and we were positioned just right, and WOW, was that a nice picture.  But that is rare, isn't it.  So over and over, to us gals, those snapshots confirm the fear in our heads... that we are getting older, maybe heavier, and we are just no beauty.  I know some guys have these concerns too.

To that, I say, NO!, NOT TRUE!

Here's why.  Do you know that digital cameras show EVERYTHING IN MINUTE DETAIL, as if under a microscope.  All those pores and blotches and shadows that happen naturally with the planes of our face, the effects of exposure to sun, those are presented to you tied up in a pretty pink bow called "digital".  When we look at you in person, we don't see all that.  We see energy, movement, expression.  The camera though, only sees details as they are put in front of it, good or bad.

A professional will pose and light you properly for presenting the 'best you' to that mean old camera.  Additionally, a professional knows how to provide subtle and effective retouching and artwork to show you at your best.  It's the same reason we put foundation, mascara and brow liners to our face, right ladies?  We want to look our best.

To that end, I sacrifice myself here and share a self-portrait.  I am just like all of you, in that fear that the portrait will show me the truth of my age.  I shudder at the snapshots that show my current overweight status by including way too much of me at a completely wrong angle.  I took this early this morning in the Studio, so you can imagine me running back and forth from the set to the camera on a tripod to do this before my first client arrived, and you get the idea.  It took oh, about 20 shots for me to get the angle and pose that I'd naturally get my clients to when I am directing them from the camera position.  I had to guess at what might be best for me.  I am showing you the issues that a straight shot out of a digital camera, even well lit and posed, can cause, and then, please hurry over to view the portrait on the right, where I've done my little bit of magic to present myself in a way that I'm comfortable with.  It's me, but without the intensification of those flaws that I see in myself.  I still have texture to my face.  I still have those character lines, and yes, I really do believe that's what they are... I laugh a lot and I've got the creases to show it, and in this portrait, I'm still me.

So don't be shy about having your portrait taken professionally.  Those of us that are dedicated to creating something that makes you see your beauty, that's what we do.  We are not just picture takers.  We are portrait makers.  Let us help you to celebrate YOU.

      Sincerely,  Bonnie

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

Power outages, time to hunker down and wait it out!

It's been all over the news, so it's not news anymore. New Hampshire and Massachusetts was battered recently, resulting in trees falling everywhere; on wires, houses, cars, blocking roads, ROOFS on cars, siding peeling off like it was paper, flooding rivers, and widespread power outages for multiple days. We're on the recovery side of it now, and everyone has a story to share, but the overall attitude is "it could have been worse". I'm proud of all of us. We bore the inconveniences with Yankee attitude, ingenuity and sense of humor. We fired up our wood stoves and generators (many purchased after the ice storm that kept us in the dark for weeks in the not so far gone past!). Neighbors helped neighbors. We didn't gnash our teeth and cry foul... we settled in, slowed down, and waited.
Our property is full of those tall pine trees that crashed down all over New England, but ours thankfully kept their roots solidly in the soil. They threw an unbelievable amount of pine cones at us though! The wind that night was truly scary. Our only casualty, aside from electricity, was one of the barn doors, and we are pretty sure we can fix it. I actually led a client into my Studio by flashlight to bring them to the photo set area where we accomplished their photo session by generator supplied power! It was an adventure for both myself, and the client!
The photo here is of a road in my town, Merrimack NH, ironically named "Wire Road". Four telephone poles went down in this area, along with many pine trees, pulling the wires right down to the road. It was literally WIRE ROAD!
Kudos to the workers that got us all up and back to our hectic, Internet-focused, electronically run lives. There is still a small percent without, but I understand they don't have long to wait. In the interum, I'm sure someone has provided them the use of heat, shower and laundry, because THAT is the way we do things here.

Some gals dream of diamonds...

The snow was melting today, bringing the first days of "mud season" in the driveway, and though that might sound like a negative thing, it heralds the upcoming change in seasons to Spring! It made me want to immediately look for a spring-like image to post, but this was a really busy day, following a week of the same. First opportunity, I started casting about in my files for something that is symbolic of my favorite seasons... (the warm ones!).... and I found this one.

This guy was my friend one afternoon late last summer, as I was wandering my gardens. I really do enjoy the simple things. I love using free time to go slow, to see and enjoy the small & fascinating details found in a pond & garden, from the overall beauty of my surroundings, to the veins in an individual petal or leaf, the sleek gold scales of my goldfish. I'm also in awe of these ugly and dangerous looking creatures, the dragonflies, which, I think I've read somewhere, haven't changed since the dinosaurs. Huge goggle eyes, fuzzy torso, insectile bristley legs, pincher-looking tail end, it is no wonder so many people are afraid of them. But the COLORS they come in, and the complexity of dealing with six legs and four wings, and how they use them for precise movement, to pivot mid-air to catch those pesky mosquitos (for which I am very grateful!). And the way their wings lower, as if powering down when they land... you can almost hear an engine shutting off! I, for one, love sharing my space with them, and, am much happier to wear them as jewels than the real thing! This one was not anywhere near the prettiest I've seen, but he or she sure was friendly!

Though I know it's much too early yet, just seeing this picture reminds me of the feeling of peace and happiness I felt the day it was taken and makes me anxious to begin looking beyond the snow for new growth in the gardens. What do you like to do when you can take a break from work?

Hey, are you paying attention?

So, tonight I began a big job for a local Veterinarian Hospital, Animal Hospital of Nashua, and here's one of the participants in a Puppy Training Class. In fact, it was graduation night! This pose reminded me so much of human graduations, where the kids are looking around at everything and everyone BUT the stage where the speeches are being made. As a dog lover, it was hard not to fall in love with every single pup there tonight!

For the next two days I will be at this client, photographing their services and staff interacting with clients, all sorts of technology and treatments. It'll be challenging but very gratifying!

Isn't that the way life is in general? We hear that anything worth having is worth working for. We face our challenges and fears, and sometimes we come out triumphant, and sometimes we find out that what we were striving for was not what we really wanted after all. But if we are open to new ideas and experiences, and paying attention, sometimes life hands us something great and surprising.

My Studio is taking a new and fun direction with the addition of the StoryBook Portraits. We are rolling out the different portraits a bit at a time and at the end of this month, we are having a Princess Palooza! Become a Fan at www.facebook.com/bstpierrestudiofanpage, and get the details! I'll give you a hint... princesses, gowns, hair and make-up pampering, really, really good price... find out how to get in on this great deal at our Fan Page!

Who hasn't thought kissing a frog would work?

OMG!, right?! Here it is, our first Princess! If you could see me, you'd know I am positively beside myself with excitement!

I am having a ball with these StoryBook Sessions. I know you've heard me say this before, but I just can't express enough how happy these make me! They're making others happy too, if the comments on FaceBook and everywhere else are to be believed, so that makes me even more ecstatic!

You know, I've been a photographer 25 years now, and the last .... ummmm.... 10 years I guess, I've really been enjoying the results of my efforts. What I mean to say is, though my clients were pleased with what I provided for them up to that point and it was good... don't get me wrong, I was still reaching for more. Then, suddenly the continuing education, people that came into my life, the new location in Merrimack, the ongoing creative process... everything fell into place. I found a way to create and provide more backgrounds, and believable backgrounds at that, my sets came together, my lighting clicked into place for the way I see it in my head and like to see it in the final portrait... it's been a great journey. And now, add to that these sessions where we joyously celebrate childhood, the stories, the fantasies, the make-believe play that all us adults are too grown up to participate in anymore (too bad, huh?), and I'm simply exploding with energy and enthusiasm!

Your responses to my work are what feed my quest for more, more, more... so keep on letting me know what you think! I'm also eager to hear your suggestions and ideas too!

Every day differs

Isn't this image beautiful? It's got the "awwww" factor for me! This has been a very active couple of weeks in preparing to launch StoryBook Sessions, and I've been showing you work from these sessions, but in between, there's been a lot of other things happening here too! Every day is a little different for me, and that's the way I like it! For example, last Wednesday, I photographed all day long for Animal Hospital of Nashua.... 15 Veterinarians, and each brought at least one pet... some brought 3-4! Yikes! It actually went quite well and I'll be sharing some of those pics soon. These people are wonderful and if you've got a pet, even exotics, you should consider their services. They have equipment there that you'd usually have to drive to Boston for if your pet needed it. I've got a big project coming up with them in preparing their image library for their marketing materials for 2010 and am looking forward to working with them on that in just a couple weeks.

We're also in the planning stage for an interior expansion so that I can more easily store some of my studio set elements. It's getting kind of tight in the photography room right now! It doesn't help that we've recently added a set stage, the dock, some mobile walls and prop critters, without having a plan for where I'm going to store them! Oops. Small detail, to soon be resolved.

So today is absolutely GORGEOUS outside... the snow still heavy in the trees, touched by the sun and bright against the dark pine & blue, blue sky, and the temperature is a comfortable 40 degrees. It's one of those post snow storm days where you actually like winter! I should be out there photographing for fun! I think I will do that! I hope you find a moment to get out there before the sun sets, and enjoy it too!

Make-believe is good for the soul

Recently, there was a devastating earthquake in Haiti, there are the ever present atrocities perpetrated on human beings worldwide, hunger, sickness, endless schemes to steal your identity and your money, and to top it off, us New Englanders being bombarded with nasty Massachusetts Political Ads. Is it my intent to depress you? No! Just making my point that Make-Believe is good for the soul! Here is another image in my new series of StoryBook portraits. Children KNOW how to play. I'm finding that I give them the environment, get all my technical stuff squared away and ready to go before they step on the set, offer a suggestion of a story, and they take it from there! Isn't this a great background too? I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! And about that other stuff? The overwhelming big bad of the world? My method of coping is to do good things to help the people I can, and know that every one person makes a difference, then find something positive to concentrate on for good mental health .... hey, how about some Make-Believe???!!?

Meeting some New Year's Resolutions!

I can't believe how long it's been already since I've blogged! I thought that during the planned "down time" following my early December surgery I'd be looking for things to do, but I had so many great friends stopping by and staying to keep me company, and so much to do (including reading a few books and Stephen King's newest 1972 pg novel, The Dome), that many of my tasks on the to-do list stayed right there. One thing I have done though, is made and kept (to date anyway) my New Year's Resolutions!
I resolved to lose weight, and started my diet with surgery, which made perfect sense since I wouldn't be allowed to eat for one day and then on liquids for another... what better kick-start to a diet?! Since Dec. 7th, I've lost about 10 pounds! I've got a few more to go, ok, a few more than a few...and 'nuff said about that, except that I'm keeping this resolution! I miss my thin & fit days. (smiling)
Another resolution was to add StoryBook Portraits to my Studio Plan, and here you see one of the "Enchanted" series... the fairies! New sets have been created, new background slides to pull it all together and, I've begun photographing! What FUN these portraits are! Make-believe and the long sunny days, story pages full of happy carefree moments, fantasy & princess stories, puppies and baby chicks... a magical time, and we're making magic in B. St.Pierre Studio! It's a goal realized, a creative outlet, and I'm a very happy photographer!

Traditions & Memories

Looking up at the Angel at the top of my Christmas Tree today, I was reminded of doing the same as a child... a different angel and a different tree, but the feeling was the same, one of hope & expectation. I remember looking upon her simple and beautiful face and feeling that she was watching over us as Christmas Day approached and that her goodness was what we should be striving for. As of today, we are 13 days from Christmas Day, stringing our lights outside, putting out the annual decorations, placing that angel to top our tree. Each year, though we might add a little something to the holiday decoration collection, Dan and I follow the traditions we began when we married, 26 years ago, bringing together some from his childhood home and some from mine, and making new ones together. This year, Dan is doing most of the work as I recover (very nicely) from surgery earlier this week, but we'd discussed what we'd do regarding decorating, and agreed it was important in spite of a bit more inconvenience than usual to haul all the stuff out of storage and put it out. I'm glad we decided that, and that he's willing to shoulder the load! The act of transforming our home into a sparkling and playful place, especially with no children to make holiday wish demands, makes the Season real for us, brings back our own childhood memories, and makes us pause to consider what the holidays mean for all... no matter what religion or beliefs. Good will towards men. We could use a little more of that year 'round!

I actually held off from buying my own angel, opting to use a star, until I found one that said something special to me. I don't know why she's more "right" to me than others I considered over the years, but it took about 15 years to find the one that I wanted to become my traditional tree topper! What traditions and "symbols" spell the holiday celebration to you?

I'll be dancing again before you know it!

This fantastic image is of one of my clients, taken as part of her Senior High Portrait Session. She's amazing! Beautiful girl, beautiful spirit, lots of fun.
I'm using her image to illustrate how I plan to be feeling post-surgery by maybe, oh, six weeks?
What?!? You say I wasn't able to dance like this even BEFORE tomorrow's scheduled surgery? Well, you are right, but I can't be kept down for long, so I'll be right back to business as soon as possible. It might be kind of quiet from me for about a week, maybe two (though I doubt I can stay quiet THAT long!), but I'll be back as soon as I can tolerate sitting at the keyboard! (smiling)
And, I'll be dancing my own brand of dancing before you know it.
I've got lots of great Studio Photo Days planned for early January, during the early days following my recovery, and beyond, where you all can save all kinds of money and end up with some pretty amazing portraits of your own, so be sure to check my website: www.bstpierrestudio.com, and go to "Theme Portraits" frequently to see what has been added to the schedule! Don't miss the Jan. 6th Executive Photo Day if you need a business portrait too!

I love my job!

Imagine that you have a job where what you do brings extreme pleasure to someone else. Well, I DO have that job! Today the matriarch of this family came in to pick up her framed wall portrait and all the gift portraits from multiple smaller grouping poses photographed during our extended family session together a few weeks back. She and two other family members with her just couldn't stop exclaiming their wonder at this portrait, which I had set on an easel in preparation for their arrival. It was a hugging moment for sure! They felt thankful to have this, and I felt wonderful to be the one giving it to them. As they left the building and were walking towards their car, I could still hear them expressing their pleasure to each other, and boy (!) did that make me feel good! I wished I could have had a tape recorder handy and ready to push "play", because to listen to that daily, what a shot of "happy" that would be. I am grateful that I am able to do this job and can think of nothing else I would ever want to do. Do you have work that makes you feel this way? Perhaps you do! Share with us your occupation and how it makes you feel when you help or provide something special to someone else.