You’ve heard me talking about it for a long time, and I am excited to finally have a real, true example to show you.  My style has always had a dreamy element to it, but in the past months, I’ve decided to chase my passion and shoot with abandon and my style has slowly been evolving from what you see everyone else shooting and to something even more unique than what I was doing before.  So, I’ve been focusing my shoots around themes because this is what I love (different from styled/conceptual sessions, which I am also now offering)!  I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect family session to debut this.  I had SUCH a hard time choosing my favorites from this session though!  You can check them all out if you head over to facebook.

a new take on American gothic

Thank you again to this beautiful family for letting me have the pleasure of photographing you!

I was going to update with news on travel, website updates (super exciting for me, if a lot of work, but maybe not as much for everyone else hehe), and how I have restructured my sessions.  Lots of good stuff!  But I am tired so it will have to wait until at least tomorrow.  Until then, enjoy the lovely family I have just shown you!

I am a huge fan of Brand Camp.  Kristen’s candid writing is both fresh and funny and totally in your face.  And completely relatable.  I love that she puts it all out on front street for you.  She is one of those people that you read two sentences and feel like you are reading an email from one of your best girlfriends.  Oh, and did I mention that she knows what she is talking about? She’s pretty much amazing.  So, when she put out a call for interviews, I was all over that.  When I got the reply in my inbox I literally had to “squeeee!” and felt like I met a celebrity.  If you couldn’t tell, I pretty much adore Kristen and her “creative-midwifery.”

Without further ado, Meet Kristen, my marketing hero!

Q: How did you get into this whole marketing thing?  Aren’t you a photographer as well?

I started Brand Camp as a place to point out the dumb things I saw other photographers doing – it was really just an outlet to vent.  Slowly, I’ve shaped it into something that helps without judging, and that (hopefully) challenges business people to live their best lives while creating their ideal businesses.

Q:  What is your very favorite guilty pleasure and how often do you indulge?

The Real Housewives on Bravo.  All of ‘em, and whenever they’re on.  I also enjoy re-runs, because the drama can be so distracting and I love it!

Q:  What do you find to be your very best marketing for your own business? How difficult was it to implement?

Talking with and making relationships with other business owners – both brick & mortar stores and online businesses – has been immensely difficult for the introvert in me, but has paid huge dividends.  Get out there and make friends, people!

Q:  I love that you toss around phrases like “wrap that hot dog” on a regular basis.  Is this something you play up in your writing or do you naturally talk this way as well?

I talk like that as well – and I chose CrossFit as my gym because you’re allowed to swear.  No one busts out the f-bomb while doing yoga, which is why I am not a yogini.

Q:  Fess up: most embarrassing moment?

Ya know, nothing is coming to mind.  I’m a klutz and a goof, so I embarrass myself all the time and then laugh it off.

Q:  You seem to be an expert network-er.  Got any tips?

You’ve gotta find a way to network that makes sense to you.  I’ve learned that I’m much better at networking one-on-one, that a glass of wine should be involved, and that I’m great at following up and scheduling meetings via e-mail or text message.  Great networking for you might look completely different, but would be no less effective at building relationships!

Q:  You always have ah-MAZE-balls giveaways on your blog.  I want to do amazing giveaways too! How can I set something awesome like this up?  How do I get started?

Ask nicely.  Vendors you frequent are happy to do giveaways and the like if you’re providing value for them – new eyes on their work, a dedicated e-mail to pimp their services, a shout-out via Facebook, etc…

Q:  Got any pets? If so, what are their names and how did they acquire said names?  If not, why not?  Don’t you love animals?

Two cats and a dog.  Big Kitty, Little Kitty, and Hermione D. Granger.  You try having one cat that weighs fifteen pounds and one that weighs five and coming up with different names!  Hermione is named after the Harry Potter character, but the D. stands for danger.  She is a ferocious little thing.

Q:  Mac or PC?

Ya know, I prefer PC but currently have Mac products.  Obviously I’m not very picky.

Q:  What inspires you?

Books.  Just walking into a bookstore is my favorite feeling.  All those worlds that open up when you start reading!

Travel.  New places.  Exploring.  Fresh foods.  Sunshine.  Shooting film.  The beach.  New coffee flavors.  Charity work.  Creative craft projects.  Beautiful films with gorgeous costumes.

Q:  How do you continue to come up with new ideas for blog posts?

They just kind of happen – I record ideas in a little notebook and then wait for inspiration to strike to flesh them out into full blog posts.  If I relied on just remembering the ideas, nothing would ever get written!

Q:  Do you have any quirks and/or “special talents”?

I have a crazy sense of direction, and can do mental math faster than anyone I know.  I’m great to have along during sales where the prices are not posted in department stores. 

Be sure to check out the Brand Camp blog; Kristen’s got lot’s of goodies over there for you to check out.  Then head over to Facebook for even more super duper fun times (and who doesn’t love getting a few more fans?) and to keep your finger on the pulse!

I had the extreme pleasure of being able to attend Twirl Cafe’s Mom & Me Night Out as a sponsor and the official photographer.

My kids and I are Twirl addicts!  I am there on a very regular basis and am so very lucky that it is in my neighborhood and we don’t have to go far to get our fix.

With such a great combination of delicious food, quality coffee, and an amazing play space (that is filled with quality toys and even though it is often messy from the parade of kids coming through, it is always clean) on a daily basis, how could it now be a wonderful escape for parents and kids alike?  Not to mention the steady stream of fun events, classes, and community meetups with a variety that is sure to have something for everyone.

I especially love how Becky, the owner, supports local businesses and uses them when she can (for example, they serve food from local places like Macrina Bakery and Smith Brothers Farms and they partner with places like Queen Anne Books for story time and College Nannies and Tutors for supervised play… how cool is that?!) and how Twirl is just a very welcoming place for the community.  Such a great addition to Queen Anne and Seattle in general.  As far as I know, there isn’t a place like it anywhere!

Now that I’ve gushed about how amazing Twirl is, I want to share some of my favorite photos from the Mom and me event with you!  It was so. much. FUN!  I mean, surprisingly so.  Normally, i cringe at events like this, but this truly was fun.

Just ask the ladies from CityMommy Seattle.

And the lovely Keren from Frantic Foodie and Foodportunity showed up with her adorable boy.  (See?  I told you the food here was great.  You know if a foodie frequents this joint, then the food has to be pretty good!)

And speaking of food…

I seriously could have inhaled the entire platter of this squash/bacon/rosemary/pasta delight.  It complemented the 3 gallons of rosemary lemonade (a Twirl specialty!) that I imbibed quite nicely.

There are quite a few more photos on Facebook so go check ‘em out.  Maybe you’re even in some of them (feel free to tag yourself!)?  Then head on over to Twirl (here’s a google map for you, just to make it that much easier), try ‘em out, and let them know I sent you.  Twirl has graciously said that if you show them a receipt or an invoice from Hope and Memory Photography that they’ll let you into the play area for free!  I promise that your family will fall in love with this place as much as mine has.  So now you have no excuses.  GO!

In an attempt to help my clients out more, I am going to try to make Wednesdays my weekly “What To Wear” post.  I’ll feature an outfit for a different family member each week.  I’ll also include where the outfit came from so that you can also be inspired.  Sometimes, I might throw you for a loop and do more of a styled or conceptual look, but those will likely be few and far between since I prefer to keep those under wraps (for a variety of reasons) until after the session has taken place.

Or, more specifically, 10 reasons why you should hire me!

1. I am known for being able to capture the personality of whoever I am photographing.  Seriously.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “That is SO my kid!” and it is a huge compliment.  Parents just can’t believe that I am able to capture their child so well, often after having just met them.
2. You want a gorgeous smiley photo?  I have special tricks up my sleeve and I know how to get it.
3. I know what I’m doing.  Does this sound cocky and arrogant?  Yes, a little bit, but it’s true!  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: portrait photography is an industry in which you usually get what you pay for. I’ve spent countless hours studying, practicing and honing my craft and I will continue to do so.
4. I have pretty awesome customer service.  I get to know you in a totally-not-creepy-way before the session so that I make absolute sure that we are on the same page and I am getting the shots you really want while still letting my creativity flow and making your session unique to your family.  Truly, no two sessions are ever the same!  I treat my clients the way that I would expect to be treated, and let me tell you, that is setting some HIGH standards.  If you’ve ever read my yelp reviews or talked to my husband, you’ll understand where I am coming from.  Yes, I am that person – the one that is notoriously hard to please when it comes to customer service – so when I give a place a glowing review it is really saying something.  I’m telling ya, I’ll treat you right.
5. I have that adorable Southern charm.
6. I have teamed up with the very best of the best professional print labs to bring you absolutely stunning products.  Email me and we can talk more about it!  Plus, when we meet for your pre-session consult (where I treat you to a cup of coffee or tea… or a glass of wine if that is more your thing) I bring a few of them with me so you can see them for yourself!
7. Your kids are going to love me.  I’m fun and I chase them and let them be goofy.  Sometimes, I even let them play with my magical fart machine (scents not included).
8. It is nearly impossible to offend me so dads, husbands, boyfriends, moms, and <insert whichever family member is notoriously loud, obnoxious, or politically incorrect here> can relax because it truly does not bother me.
9. I have a super quick turnaround time.  In most cases, clients have their ordering session scheduled within a couple days of their session!
10. This one is the most important.  I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m a pretty good photographer.  I take some pretty great photos.  I haven’t had an unhappy client yet (although, I’m sure it will happen one day, no one is perfect; when it does, you can be sure I will do everything in my power to make it right!).   My photos capture emotion and connection and that, my friends, is what it is all about. <3

And, just because I don’t feel right about posting a blog without a photo and because I am so super stoked about the fact that I, the woman notorious for killing any and all plants, am seeing bees pollinating my three beautiful blueberry bushes, I must share a photo I took the other day as proof that I, too, can grow things.

I’ve been seeing a lot of before and after posts lately and it inspired me to do my own.  Besides, who doesn’t love a good before and after?!  I think a lot of times people forget that a real photographer’s job is only halfway done when the shutter snaps; the other half happens when the editing starts!

I shared this photo of my oldest on facebook the other day.  Besides the fact that I am in love with it, there was some pretty drastic editing going on so i thought it would be a good candidate for Photoshop Friday.  It was also the inspiration for a new action! Yippee!  I haven’t decided if I am going to sell it yet; if I do, it will be in the shop.

Last Summer when I was visiting family in Texas, I was over at my aunt’s house and we were looking through old photos of my grandparents and aunts and uncles as kids and just extended family in general.  It was so special getting to hear stories and talk with her candidly about family secrets and reminisce about my sweet, beloved Grandma.  I found a few prized photos that captured a side of her that I never got to see but that I could always see there in her eyes.  She had a rough life but she was so beautiful and thinking about her life and the eras past has always been so magical for me.

My 5 year old daughter, Juliet, attends Irish dance classes at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.  Last week there was an event there and her class was moved from their usual room to another one in a different building, which I now think is actually older.  As I walked the halls waiting for her to get out, I began to notice photographs hanging there.  Naturally, they caught my eye.  As I mentioned before, this sort of thing is magical for me.  Weird quirky Sarah fact: I am one of those people that you could say was born in the wrong decade or whatever; I wouldn’t say I love history, because I don’t, but I do love the idea of the different fashions and trends of each passing age and I have a particular love for certain decades in the last century (namely, the 40’s, 20’s, 50’s, and 70’s… in that order).  Anyway, these photos intrigued me because they were from those exact decades so I found them interesting on that level.  I also like to look at old photos for processing inspiration.  (I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I edit things a little differently than the average photographer. )

As I was strolling those halls and briefly pausing at each photo and observing the hairstyles and the film grain and the tones of the images, I was struck by the simple fact that many (if not all) of the people in those images were gone from this world.  How many photos were there of them?  What was left to mark what their face looked like?  The clothes that they wore?  The expressions they made?  The things they did?  Maybe it was just this one photograph from 1920.  Is this morbid?  Yeah, a little bit.  But do you see where I am going with this?  I am sure those photos have hung on the walls of that building for decades.  The photos I am sharing with you today have been carefully treasured for decades.  I deeply, deeply, deeply miss my grandmother.  I did not know her at the time these photos were taken, obviously, but just seeing them brings me such comfort.  It’s a window into her life.  My Grandma died 4 months before my oldest child was born and I will probably never get over the fact that she was never able to see her youngest grandchild become a mother (and she so wanted so; she would talk to me for hours about how she couldn’t wait to hold my “itty bitty”), but having these photos and being able to peek into her life allows me to relate to her and keep her with me.  I’m so glad that her sisters took these photos.  I’m holding on to my memories; are you holding on to yours?

Clearly, I have gotten far more personal in this post than i normally do (I think…) but I really wanted to drive my point home.  So often i hear photographers referring to our industry as a luxury industry; I’ve come to believe it is so much less of a luxury than we make it out to be.  We are devaluing ourselves and our work.  What we do is important.  We need to remember the importance of a good photograph and just what it is that a good photo can do; a good one can take your right back to that moment!  A good photo can make you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the way you felt when the shutter snapped.  A good photo is the closest thing we have to a time machine.

It is so easy for me to just get caught up in the every day stuff of life that I don’t want to pick up my camera and document what is going on in my own house.  ”There’s too much laundry.”  ”The kids are dirty.”  ”My house is a mess.”  ”I don’t have any makeup on.”  ”I need to lose another 15 pounds.  Or another 50.”  ”I don’t like the way my husband’s hair looks today.”  ”I’ll just take a photo tomorrow.”  ”The lighting isn’t very good right now.”  These are the thoughts that so often go through my head.  Do they sound familiar?  I know this time next year I am going to wish I had taken that photo because my babies will be that much older and the lighting is still not going to be right and the laundry is still going to be piled up.  Who cares if all of your snapshots aren’t perfect?  That’s why you hire me!  And that’s why I drag my kids out every so often and make them give me a proper session (like I am sure every photographer does with their own children).  My point is this: just do it!  Give your families a time machine.  Give them a lot of time machines.  And don’t forget how important those time machines are.

Hope and Memory Photography is hosting a Cutest Kid Contest!

Go to the Promos tab of the Hope and Memory Photography facebook page and submit a photo of your child doing whatever it is that makes them cute! Maybe your baby wrinkles her nose when she laughs or your son makes a funny face when he gets embarrassed? Does your sassy little girl do something absolutely adorable when she plays? Whatever it is that makes your kid the cutest, I want to see it!

The winner will receive a complimentary photo session with Hope and Memory Photography, as well as 3 gift prints and 3 web images to share of your choice. 2nd place receives a $100 gift card and 3rd place receives a $50 gift card! Here are the details:

TO ENTER

* One entry per family (siblings may be in the same photo)
* You must be the parent or legal guardian of the child you enter into the contest
* Child must be 17 years old or younger on the date of entry
*Absolutely NO professional photos will be allowed as entries; all entries must be snapshots
* Photo must have been taken in the last 3 months
* Photos will be accepted from 12:01am Monday, May 9, 2011 until 11:59pm Friday, May 13, 2011
* Contest open to everyone, however if you live outside of a 15 mile radius from Seattle, WA, you must choose a location within 15 miles of Seattle for your prize shoot, incur a travel fee will be charged of $1 per mile, each direction, beyond 15 miles, or wait until Sarah Vasquez is in your area to redeem your prize.
* Go to the Promos tab of the Hope and Memory Photography facebook page and follow the directions for entering the contest.

HOW PHOTOS WILL BE JUDGED

* Follow the directions for voting in the Promos tab of the Hope and Memory Photography facebook page.
* Photo with the most votes will be the winner. Comments permitted, but WILL NOT count towards the total number of votes
* Hope and Memory Photography will verify that all votes of the winning photo come from Hope and Memory Photography facebook fans, votes from non-fans will not be counted
* Voting will close Friday May 20, 2011 at 11:59pm
* Official winner will be notified and announced no later than Sunday, May 22, 2011.

WHAT YOU WILL WIN

* The parent or legal guardian of the child in the photo that receives the most votes will receive a free photo session with Hope and Memory Photography, 3 gift prints, and 3 web images (watermarked and resized for viewing on the internet – facebook, blogs, email etc – not to be printed, reproduced, or altered in any way).
* Photo session must be booked within 30 days of winning, and completed before September 30, 2011.
* Prize retail value of $330 – can not be altered or changed in any way, and not redeemable for cash
* Additional prints will be available for purchase at retail prices listed at Hope and Memory Photography
* Not redeemable towards Birth Photography or Birthday Party Photography
* No other promotions or discounts can be applied