A Difficult Challenge

All things domestic. All things art. All things photography.

{That's what my Pinterest profile says, anyway.}

I don't really know how this post will end. Rarely, do I plan what I will write in a blog post before I start to type. All I do know is that it has to begin with a challenge. As a photographer and business owner, it is overwhelming at times to take in all the information that one must know and practice to conduct a successful business that will benefit both myself and my clients. I have weeded out the ones offering business information that simply don't fit my professional business model. There are a few that I follow regularly, who's informative photography blogs have helped me in shaping my business model. One of those lovely photographer/business consultants is Rachel Brenke. I do not know her personally, but I'd like to. She's one of those people that puts it all out there for you. She's very likable and she is one accomplished 'Smart Cookie'! A product that I've purchased from Rachel recently is the Workflow Chart. It has helped me so much to have this visual in my work space. I went to Michaels last weekend to purchase a frame for my workflow chart. The first thing I did when I got home was clean the frame, insert the chart, and hang it.
See! Isn't it awesome. I love it.

So, after reading Rachel's blog post from yesterday I've decided to join her challenge to do something this year that is totally out of my comfort zone for my business. Something out of the norm. THIS REQUIRES SOME THINKING! Last night when my husband got home I went for a walk. There were some things I believe God revealed to me about myself and my habits that need refining.

The following are undoubtedly true:
1. I belong to Jesus first
2. My sons & my husband deserve my best
3. I am too socially connected
4. The Lord created me for more than this

I'll elaborate a little bit. Number 1, I belong to Jesus first. He wants my first fruits. He wants my allegiance. He wants me to love Him first. Not in my timing and not when it's convenient for me. If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that I am a Christian. Even typing this out puts tears in my eyes because it affirms what I know the Lord is asking me to do and it is going to take discipline. God has been so faithful in providing for me and my family. I have been less than faithful and consistent in my devotion to Him.
1. Spend time in prayer and read my daily devotion first thing in the morning. 

Number 2, My sons & my husband deserve my best. If God comes first, then the divine order would be that those He has given me come second. I never thought I would have all that I have now. I am thankful. God knows that. I thank Him all the time. Sometimes though my business runs me and I spend far too much time working and not enough time keeping up with "all things domestic". They, my sons & husband, end up getting what's left over. Not my best. Relationships are what life is all about. I want my boys to remember me in a loving and endearing way, not as the lady behind the computer. I also want to continue to date my husband. Dating is fun. All my boys are fun! I love photography, but I love them more. I need to prove that to them and to myself. The Lord has given me a godly husband and 2 beautiful healthy boys. I must take advantage of this moment in time.
2. Give my sons & my husband my best each day. More specifically, I am going to spend more time with them and less time on the computer. (This takes me to my next point.)

Number 3, I am too socially connected. The one subject I've heard more inquiries about is the subject of balance. I wonder the same thing sometimes. HOW CAN I ACHIEVE BALANCE IN MY LIFE? It never fails, man. Something always suffers. The laundry, a clean house, a decent home cooked meal, forgetting story-time at the library (I'm Mom-shaming myself!). You name it. Something always suffers. I've decided that for me, balance is going to include time management. I've lost you...I know the feeling. Every time I hear the phrase time management all I hear is RESTRICTION. That's it. I'm grounded. I'm grounding myself from social media. Not totally or completely, but I am going to give myself a time limit for social media. Scheduling. That's what I'll call it. I'm going to schedule a time to do my social media. I'm restricting myself to twice a day. Once in the morning, and once at night time after my boys go to bed. If I think of what I have to do in the middle of the day, then I'll write a list of things I must do when it is time for social media. There. This, I think will be the toughest for me. Social media is a huge distraction and it keeps me from doing the above "all things domestic" and "all things art".
3. Create a morning & evening schedule for social media.

Number 4, the Lord created me for more than this. It is so easy to get wrapped up in anything you're passionate about. With social media (Hi, #3 ^) you can get engulfed in whatever cyber world tickles your fancy. Photography. Eating healthy. Exercise. Domestications. I have a confession to make. I get bored. Creatively, I mean. I get in ruts more often than not. My mind is constantly going though. Sometimes I can't shut it off at night. It leaves me sleepless. I must have 10 different things going on at once. I'm working on little John's scrapbook and writing a thank you note and cutting coupons and looking up that recipe on Pinterest and emptying the dryer to pile the clean laundry on the couch to fold...all at the same time. Women. We're good at multitasking. I think God made us to be able to juggle lots of things at once. One thing I haven't been so good at though is following through with the other creative things I love to do. I used to paint. I used to make pottery too. I want to do and enjoy those things again. I want to make time for my other gifts. Like I mentioned above, I love photography. I do. I love to create! I love art! God has given me so many gifts. I don't want any of them to lay dormant. He created me for more than this.
4. Make time to create art. 

Now, the question is how is all this going to help my photography business. That, I am going to trust to the Lord. If I put Him first everything else is going to fall into place. And if it doesn't all fall into place, then He will give me the grace and assurance that life will be okay anyway. I love taking pictures, connecting with my clients, and running a business. I want it to succeed. Thanks Rachel for the encouragement to do something hard for my business and ultimately, for my life. I appreciate all that you contribute to the photography world. Much love, girl!

I BELIEVE!! Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Amen.

Casey {2013 Senior}

Casey is a 2013 Senior. How pretty is she!! We had so much fun on this shoot. Her mom and sisters tagged along to cheer her on. We went to 3 locations that were oh, so cool! Each of Casey's outfits fit perfectly with each location. I love when client-friends take extra special care to plan out their sessions and their wardrobe. It really makes all the difference sometimes. I am so thankful for the precious senior and her family. We met, we drove, we walked, we laughed, we got nudged by black sheep. It was awesome. Thanks girls!

Kaitlyn {Bridal}

Kaitlyn was on of my August Brides. This beautiful Bridal Portrait Session was taken at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast in Williamston. We took these in July and boy was it hot outside. Kaitlyn and her little entourage of important women in her life were some troopers. Kailtyn made it look effortless to look stunning and composed in the heat of the summer. I enjoyed walking on the grounds. It truly is a lovely place. A couple of things that were sentimental to Kaitlyn that she wanted to have photographed with her was the blue quilt seen in image #2. This was the quilt that Kaitlyn used as her Guest Book at her wedding. What a great idea, right! The other, you'll see in image #3 the door behind her was the room that her & Tyler stayed in on their wedding night. How romantic! Love these and love Kailtyn!

2013 Senior Rep: Abbey

Meet the first 2013 Senior Representative for Karrie Drake Photography, the beautiful Abbey! Senior portrait sessions are so much fun. I enjoy the one-on-one time I get to spend with my seniors during their sessions. Not only is Abbey beautiful, she is also very bright, and stays quite busy with cheerleading and other activities. This mini session was shot in historic Edenton.

Now scheduling sessions for August & September 2012. Call now to book your Senior Lifestyle Session!

The colorful and flattering dress Abbey is wearing comes from Downtown Diva Fashion Boutique, which is located right on Broad Street. I have several lovely frocks from this fashion boutique. You can always count on excellent customer service. There are new items coming in all the time. The owner and fashion extraordinaire, Candace, keeps the store front fun and fresh with feminine style. If you are ever in the area, please stop by.

American, Baby! Sessions

The American, Baby! Mini Sessions 2012

This sweet family came to visit me at Colerain Beach for their family session. I love this location because there of the private beach and the the lovely colors. Trees surround this private beach, which offers lots of shade during the hot summer. It was such a pleasure to see the White Family again. Enjoy the sneak peeks.

Motivation for Monday: Your Season

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2b ~ "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ...a time to plant and a time to uproot."




Farmers work hard. I had no idea how hard until I moved here. There are so many factors that go into growing a good crop. A farmer knows when to plant certain seeds and approximately when he will be able to harvest his crop. There is an order of things. God created this order. The right seed has be planted in the right season. We can purchase apples through out the year, but apples are always best in the fall. It would rather silly for us to light a pumpkin lantern in the spring. Why? Well, the spring is when you plant the pumpkin seeds so that you can harvest your pumpkins in the fall. 
Consider that you are a seed and that God is our Farmer. If He created you to be a pumpkin, a lantern of Jesus' light for the world, then you're season is not the spring. It's the fall. If He created you to be a poinsettia, a festive plant to bring cheer during the dead of winter, then your season is winter, not spring. Our Farmer knows when to till the land to prepare for your time of harvest. He knows that the irrigation of God's Word and the Sun light of Jesus are going to help in our growth. God, our Farmer, created you for a purpose. Don't try to rush it. Your season is coming. Have a blessed Monday!

Wednesday's Printable Words: Ocean

Hello! I realize that Wednesday is almost done, but I wanted to post today's printable art. I've been thinking a lot about the ocean lately. The smell of the saltwater and suntan lotion, the feel of the sand between my toes. Beholding the beautiful colors, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, there is healing at the beach. I was so blessed to live close to the ocean growing up. I miss it. This image was taken almost 2 years ago in South Florida at Deerfield Beach.

This is printable art. I sized the printable as an 8x10. Feel free to print and share.
**Right click, save image as.**

Let me know what you think :)

Margaret {Bridal Portraits}

Oh My Goodness! My palms have been so sweaty over these Bridal Portraits. How gorgeous is Margaret! I've had these in a folder for about 5 weeks. My pointer finger has been tempted many times to press send. Margaret's wedding was last night in Oriental. So, now I have the permission to share her Bridal Portraits with you.
I met Margaret & her sweet mama in New Bern at Tryon Palace. This cute little historic city by the river holds a special place in my heart. I am so blessed that I had the opportunity to photograph Margaret here. Tryon has changed quite a bit since Beau & I lived in New Bern. We were escorted by golf cart to the main entrance to purchase our tickets. Margaret changed into her dress while I walked around to take in the new fancy brick building. The new building holds the ticket booth, gift shop, and little interactive rooms with videos to educate visitors about Tryon Palace. I mentally checked New Bern on our "places we must visit" for the summer break.
Margaret walked out and looked stunning! She was so easy to photograph. I don't think there was a frame that I didn't use. Absolutely beautiful! Here are a few of my takes on her Bridal Session.

Flashback Friday: Sage

Hello & Happy Friday! {To see my post about the sage a year ago, click here.}
We moved here one year ago. It's crazy all that happens in a year, how fast a year goes by. Time seems to go faster now that I am older. Maybe it's being aware of time that makes it go faster. I don't know. Yesterday, the farmers began harvesting the sage. The fields of sage brought hope and comfort to me when we moved here. There is something about taking in the sea of purple hues that made me feel like I was beholding Majesty. It still does...make me feel that way. I am thankful for all that God provides. He ever so gently reminds me where I've been and where I am today. I have no doubt that He has directed every step. There is a divine purpose for our time in the valley, for our hike up the steepest of mountains, and for the victory of making it to the mountain top. We can't stay there though. Others need their time on the mountain top as well. Have no fear of the journey. His glory is with us wherever we go. He is with us in the valley, on the hike up that steep mountain, and the glory we feel on that mountain top is His. Enjoy basking in it!
Have a blessed weekend.

The Davis Family

I had the privilege this past Saturday evening to photograph the Davis Family. We met up and drove to this great secluded location. We had the whole lot to ourselves except for a few kids fishing on the next dock over. It was so peaceful out there. This is the sweetest family. They've always made me feel welcome. We casually talked about our day and about our children. The little ones were so good. How gorgeous are they! They have the most beautiful eyes. We played with some bubbles and ran around in the grass for a bit. I absolutely loved the patriotic colors they chose to wear. They even brought flags. It was a perfect choice for this time of year. Thank you Davis Family for sharing this time with me. I am so thankful for you. I hope you enjoy your images; I surely enjoyed taking them!

Motivation for Monday: Memories

This weekend has been fun-filled and packed with outings. One of our outings was to the Sylvan Bird Sanctuary in Scotland Neck, NC. We met some friends of ours and their sweet children to enjoy the bird park and have a picnic lunch. The day was sunny and gorgeous. We were supplied with a scavenger hunt on our way in. It was cool for the kids to find and identify some of the birds we observed. Within the bird park, there were separate entrances to see the birds in their habitat up close. On one of the pathways we found this little duck that had escaped. Julian & John instantly spotted him and began to follow him. Watching our little ones follow the duck, Beau chants, "waddle, waddle, quack, quack". This chant took me back to my childhood. I can remember visiting my grandparents near Sebastian Beach, FL. They had a little vacation spot near the beach. Their development had a swimming pool. My siblings & I loved to visit. It was part of our summer vacation. We usually visited around the 4th of July. We would swim until our feet and fingers were pruned. On our way back to the house from the pool my grandmother would chant, "waddle, waddle, quack, quack!" as she walked behind us. Our wet feet rubbed against our rubber flip-flops as we walked. It made a squeaking sound that resembled a quacking duck. I can remember like it was yesterday. Great memories. Today, I am thankful for my childhood memories and for the memories that I am making with my children. Thank you, Lord!

Philemon 1:4 ~ "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,"

Flashback Friday

Cracker Jack! Yummy caramel covered popcorn & peanuts. Oh, when I was  little girl I could put a dent in a box of these. You can have the peanuts though; I only ate the popcorn :) I can remember when my mom went grocery shopping she would bring home one of two things: Animal Crackers or Cracker Jacks. My brothers & sisters and I loved the Cracker Jacks because there was always a prize inside. It didn't really matter that the prize would wind up in the garbage by the next day. It was the suspense and excitement of wondering what kind of prize was inside. {Great marketing strategy, by the way.}

I went grocery shopping the other day and saw this Cracker Jack bag at the check-out counter. I picked it up and couldn't help but to smile. A flood of childhood memories filled my mind. I had a blessed & happy childhood. I pray that my boys will remember their childhood fondly, as I do. 

So, tell me what's the fun treat from your childhood? I'd love to hear from you!

Motivation for Monday: Learning & Deep Thinking

I'm always learning something. I love to learn! Being a student requires me to sit quietly, listen, and digest what I am being taught. Spiritually speaking, it's being in  a constant state of humility. Don't get me wrong though, it's not easy. Far from easy. My pride kicks in every once in a while. Who am I kidding, it kicks in more than once in a while. I like to think that I know a few things, that I could be in the position of teacher.
Truth is, I have so much more to learn in many aspects of life. Praise God for the miracle of life.

I have been watching my little ones play outside. They are so different, but I am so thankful for their differences. I can see Beau & I in each of them. Julian loves to play dress up with his ECU pirate gear. Beau used to play back in high school and college. John nurses many boo-boos with his Ironman icy pack. He is in the "cause & effect" phase right now. You know, "I wonder what would happen if I did this?" They're learning...from me, from Beau. They are watching us and listening to our conversations. They observe us and they learn our reactions and behaviors. It's amazing, isn't it! Having them has given me more purpose than I dreamed of having as an adult person contributing to society.

As a stay-at-home mom, it is easy to get stuck in the mind-set of mainstream thinking. To think that you are not contributing to society is STINKIN' THINKIN'! It's just not true. You are important in the lives of your little ones. They look up to you. They rely on you. You are teaching them how to socialize, how to use their manners, how to have a conversation. You are teaching them everything about life. You are not only contributing to society, you are touching future lives. You are growing a meaningful little life that has Divine Purpose. SAHM, you're job is the most important job. God has given you an opportunity to nurture, to teach, to create memories with, to nurse, to feed, to proclaim over your child(ren). Is it any wonder that God's Word declares that children are a blessing from the Lord, that they are a reward (Prov 127:3). Grandchildren are a crown to grandparents (Prov 17:6). Rewards and crowns. These are precious things and something to be thankful for. How wise of the Lord to give these examples in relating to the worth of children. He knows what we value. He knows the way of our thoughts, beliefs, opinions. The Lord wants us to see the value He puts on children. He had to give us an example that we would understand. Rewards and crowns. Investing time, energy, love, patience, prayers, laughter, and tears. I promise it is time well spent.

Dear Lord,
I praise You for You alone are God. Thank you for the beautiful rewards you blessed me with in Julian & John. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Be my strength when I am weak. Give me words to speak when I am at a loss for them. Pour your love and peace over me each day. Fill me up so that I may fill up those You have given me. To You be the glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.

My Dearest Julian & John, 
I love you! You have more worth than I give you credit for. I am so thankful for you. I want you to always know that I love you. You are important to me. I'm not perfect. I will make mistakes, but I will not give up. As long as I have life & breath I will praise God for the blessing that you are. I am proud to be your mommy. I am honored that the Lord has blessed me with 2 beautiful boys. I rejoice in the Lord for the boys and soon-to-be men He created you to be. May you always know that when I fail, Jesus loves you and will never fail you. He will always be right there by your side every step of the way. Know Him, Love Him, Serve Him.
I love you so much! ~ Your Mama

Handmade Frames from The Organic Bloom!

The Organic Bloom 

These handmade frames are gorgeous! They come in 16 styles. The color possibilities are endless. I have some great news to share: They are having a SALE! When you purchase (2) 11x14 frames in any style & color, you get (1) 8x10 Lucy in the color of your choice. And because I am SO excited about this OB SALE, I will be giving a complimentary 8x10 print to those who take advantage of this super deal. Click here to purchase The Organic Bloom frames! 

This sale ends Friday, May, 18th!

Frame it!

Having some down time has afforded me the opportunity to fine tune a few items of business. One being the products I will be offering to my clients. As soon as I saw the frames from The Organic Bloom I knew I wanted to be a vendor. These handmade frames are simply fantastic! With 16 frame styles and an endless color palette to choose from the handmade frames from the OB are a beautiful way to display your photos.
Don't know where to start? The Organic Bloom catalog will give you some great examples on how to group and display your frame selections.
Whether you book a session once a year, twice a year, or each season, it's your investment. Frame it!
If you're interested in booking a session with Karrie Drake Photography please visit me here. I'd love to talk with you.

Bridals + Waiting...

I had the absolute privilege to photograph a beautiful bride on Saturday afternoon in New Bern. One thing about photographing Bridal portraits is that you have to keep these gorgeous images to yourself for the next 3-4 weeks. After editing the Bridal sesh from Saturday, I must admit how excruciating it is not to share them. It'll be worth the wait though, I promise. This bride is stunning. I am totally psyched about her wedding and all the details. It'll be so much fun!
I took some pics of the flora and fauna around the palace gardens. Is there any wonder I chose to post purple ones? lol. I love purple!

Packaging - How I do it

Hello. Good Morning. Happy Monday!

In this post I'm going to share with you Packaging - How I do it.

Everyone has a different way of doing things. I love to scroll and click around pinterest to see others' ideas and inspirations. Having a different style and marketing your uniqueness are so important to set yourself apart from the slew of photographers piling through the door that flashes a sign surrounded by round light bulbs saying, "Step right up if you want to be a successful photographer". It is so interesting to see the fads in photography. I have succumbed to some of those fads. To save hurt feelings, I won't list the fads. If you've poked around enough, you know the fads I'm talking about. ALRIGHT! I'll share one with you. It comes from my own blog. I won't erase it because I want to remember how far I've come. ** Here you go!

The baby boy was absolutely adorable. I loved getting to know his family. **NOTE: This was not a paid session. Aside from my lack of technique and the unattractive flash light that is so evident on the baby's skin, can you tell which fad I'm talking about?! Good. It's out and I'm admitting that I've made poor photography decisions. I'm thankful for those decisions though because they brought me to where I am right now. I've followed much of "the thing to do" for your photography business. The best advice that I could share with you from what I've learned is RESEARCH. Research what you want. Research products. Research before you buy. Research vendors. Find out what others are doing and figure out a way to do it just as well, but differently. The last thing I want to portray is that I am a cookie cutter photographer. I don't want my business, my Welcome Packet, my website, my blog, my packaging to look like anyone else's. I want to be unique!

Now, on to my branding & packaging. I do not have the storage space in my home/office to purchase in bulk for my branding & packaging. I utilize the boutique packaging option that my printing lab offers. My logo is lavender & chocolate brown. So, I choose to purchase the chocolate brown boutique packaging from my printing lab when a client buys prints. I choose to do this because it works for me at the present time. I don't know if I'll do it forever, but this is what works for me in the stage that I am currently. The prints and packaging come neatly packed to my home...and I tweak it. I love my logo stickers. I place one on the front of the print box. I use one of my handy dandy postcards to write a thank you note. My mom taught me how to write thank you notes at an early age. I've implemented this practice into my business. I want my clients to know how appreciative I am for their choosing me. I don't do generic. I like to present myself as a personable business owner. I want my clients to know that I took the time to think of a thoughtful note to jot down to them. I place it inside the box on top of their prints, which are packaged in photo enclosures. I cut some raffia, and some lavender ribbon and tie a stamped thank you to the print package. The stamps are my own little touch. I've been collecting stamps since I don't know when. So I have one for every single occasion known to man :) I wrap all my print packages in brown paper.

This is how I do it. Decisions for your business are often so overwhelming. Your watching Suzie Cue Studios and how she does things, and the products she offers, and all her fans, and how many follow her, and leave sweet comments and AHHHHHH! Stop watching Suzie Cue. Do what is right for you. Be true to yourself and be like no one else.

Make it a great day!