NEW BLOG!!!!

It's ready. It's finally ready. So, head on over and check it out (and yes, I know it's not 100% ready as I have someone special helping me out on a few technical things I have dreamed up).

http://www.carlabphotography.com/theblog

This also means it's time to update any bookmarks you may have to it. :)

Moving the blog

I'm in the process of moving the blog, and have a few minor things to "tweak" for it's grand debut! It's not that I'm ignoring this blog, but in a way I am to get the new and improved one ready. Bigger photos, easier to navigate, prettier design, and hopefully easier to keep up with (well, doubt that really, but I can hope!).

BBWSOD

What's that? BlackBerry White Screen of Death, otherwise known as JVM Error 102 - Reset, which the kind technical support people told me means that basically there is nothing they can do except replace my cell phone. I will be getting it Tuesday morning, so until then, I will have to check voicemail remotely and log into my email to get those messages!

I am feeling quite lost right now, but have so many GORGEOUS images from the wedding I shot yesterday. Luckily the cell phone died after all my sessions and the wedding were done!

Out of office times

I am once again traveling out of state (sessions and a wedding). I will be looking at emails and such, but may be slow to respond. I am out until July 1st, then gone from July 3rd evening until July 8th. July 9th I should be back to normal/regular business hours.

I have sneak peeks and sessions ready to showcase! I'm so excited on many of these sessions. I have photography many beautiful families and siblings and children these last few weeks!

Back from vacation!

I'm still going through my emails, my messages, and looking at my calendar to remember where I am and what I've promised. Thanks for your understanding as my standard response time is somewhat slower at the moment. I will definitely share some of my favorite images from our trip. They are total snapshots, but this photographer was a Mommy on vacation!



Yes, that memory just about sums up our trip!

June 1st - Price Increase

I know we all hate it when prices go up, but believe me when I say this it necessary! As gas has gone up, my expenses for traveling to sessions, traveling to deliver prints, and meeting for ordering sessions have increased. In addition, shipping costs for prints and other items for the business have increased raising the cost for those items. Then, like they have each year, the lab has increased prices of the actual prints as well! I tried to wait as long as I could, but looking ahead at ever increasing prices for gas I thought it was time.

Effective June 1st, a new price book will be in effect. This will ONLY apply those of you booking a session on June 1st or later! All sessions booked prior to June 1st will be on the "old prices" and "old session fees." It's only fair as they have been waiting for their session time to come up.

Session fee is going to a flat $75, travel outside a specific radius (30 miles) from my home will incur a set fee per mile past the 30 mile radius. Mileage will be determined based on Mapquest miles stated.

Anyone who books a session prior to that date will have their choice of "old" prices or "new" prices if their session is after June 1st. I am creating some new packages based on things clients have asked for in the past.

I can not believe it is summer already!

Where has the time gone? Wasn't it just yesterday we were shivering in the snow flurries and battling illnesses like the flu? It seems we blinked, and it's time for swimming, hiking, camping, vacations, summer camps, playing with friends, and having fun.

I've opened my summer months for sessions, and June is almost completely full, July is filling up quickly, and not so many people are asking for August outdoor sessions at the moment. If you were wanting a session during this time of sunshine, outdoors fun, childhood fun days, you need to talk with me soon!

I do have some great ideas for sessions during the summer, so if you just know you want portraits taken then talk to me about those ideas. Perhaps we'll come up with something that strikes a chord in your heart strings, that will make you remember these summer days spent with your children!

Now, for those of you who like to really plan ahead, I'm taking names for those who are interested in fall sessions and will contact those people first when I open the months up for sessions! If you have a particular date in mind, or just know you want those brilliant fall leaves, then please let me know that as well.

Crazy Canvas Sale!

It's a slightly crazy season in my life, and I thought I would celebrate it with a Canvas Sale from April 1-20th!

It celebrates my birthday month! It celebrates how crazy busy my family is, and how busy the business is. It celebrates Tax Day. Ah yes, taxes are our friend. It celebrates that spring is HERE, and hopefully the various illnesses we have suffered this winter are going to be gone.

It's good for 25% off the purchase of a canvas from any session completed in the last 12 months (so from roughly April 2007 until now). Orders MUST be completed and paid for by midnight CST on April 20th.

Any Questions?

Schedule Update

Wow! I do not believe I have ever had to announce that my sessions for a particular season or few months were almost gone. I have come close in the past, but I'm here now. If you were wanting a session before July, please contact me as soon as possible as I am quickly filling up the schedule.

Action photos and baseball team photos are being scheduled as well. Those time slots are mostly during the week.

Spring is HERE!

Can you believe it? Spring is here. I'm so excited to finally have warmer days, but not so excited about the pollen and resultant allergies. We've had a sick household for the past month. It was not a constant state of hosting pestilence and disease, but rather off and on with a wide variety of illnesses. We finished off with a bang though...the dreaded flu!



Thank you to all my clients who so graciously allowed me to reschedule their session while the flu was in our home. I really appreciate it!

On that note, if you emailed me in the last week and did not get a response (or called), please let me know! I think I managed to stay on top of all the inquiries and questions.

Going to School

Well, not really, but I am taking a class this weekend on business related things. Things that will hopefully make me a better business owner, and in turn do better in taking care of all my great clients! I am not supposed to have my cell phone on during class, so all phone calls will need to be returned in the evenings and my response time to emails may be a little slower than my normal.

I hope all of you are staying healthy! If you need anything, please let me know.

Have you seen it?

Have you been to http://www.carlabphotography.com lately?

I updated the site...FINALLY! There are some sessions not in there right now that I intend to put on the site, but someone got a little "archive" happy and I am looking for those archived images.

I have some tiny things to change, but it's viewable by everyone now. It's about time I updated as well since there have been so many wonderful sessions this past year!

In just about 2 weeks....

My new site will be launched, just in time for me to come off of the Adoption Leave. I'm getting opinions, critiques, and praises on it now. I'm tweaking things left and right, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

This one WILL have my phone number on it! Promise. Until then though, my number is 256.426.9661

Working on a New Site!!

I'm so excited, finally, months after purchasing it I am going to get my new site launched! I'm slow sometimes, and admittedly this fall was a wee bit busy! Working on gathering all the photos from past years I liked, and photos from this year I liked. I am looking for those archived sessions that people inquired about, and enjoying revisiting images from all of you!

I will say it again, your kids and families are PRECIOUS! So many happy memories!!

Leaving for China!!

The time is finally here! We are going to China to get our daughter, and as such, we will be closed from Wednesday December 5th through Wednesday December 26, 2007. Your emails and phone calls will be answered as quickly as possible after the 26th of December. Thanks for your understanding during this time!!!

If you would like to follow along on our journey, then follow this link to our family blog.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and a very Merry Christmas!!

Last session for 2007...

I just finished proofing my last session for 2007*, and wow, what a year it has been! Thank you, all of you, for everything. From trusting me to capture those special moments in your life to caring about my own special moments. I truly appreciate how much each of you care about how our adoption plans are coming along. I have been touched by your sadness that it has taken so long, touched by your willingness to be flexible, and awed by your wanting to know how things are going so badly that you send me emails to ask!

While I won't have sneak peeks of clients until after I am home from China (and recovered from jet lag), I will be posting some of my favorite images from this year, some favorites that were taken just for me, and some of my own family. I will also be working on updating the blog layout, the website, the portfolios, and getting ready for 2008!!

Do not forget that I will post a link to our adoption blog so you may follow along on our journey and see photos of China, and most importantly Miss Katie!

*as always baby planners and newborns who arrive can be worked in

Holiday Deadlines

It now comes down to this, I really do not like deadlines. I don't like enforcing them. However, my own print lab, the jewelry supplier, the card makers, and the mail all have deadlines in order for me to get things back by Christmas. Which is all well and good, but I still need to then get it you!

So, the deadline for ordering anything for Christmas delivery is due by November 30th.

What about China? Well, we are hoping to travel no later than December 13th. We've had to adjust our schedules more than once during this process, and the latest adjustment puts us leaving either 12/6 or 12/13. Personally I am hoping for 12/6. Since we will be in China for 2 weeks, you can see how close that cuts it for getting prints and special orders delivered. I do have a plan, and it involves you all meeting either some great dear friends OR my amazing brother. Please, though, try to have all orders in quickly as it will help me to get them back to you quickly.

Those with orders already placed, I'm waiting on the rest of deliveries and the Holiday has interfered with normal turnaround times and shipping times!

I think I'm back up!

After hours of screaming at the computer reliving Computer Science 202 memories, I think I have my online ordering system back online. It's not in the same place (I fixed that small problem while I was at it).

It only took:

1 screaming fit of frustration
2 bouts of tears
3 frantic looking attempts for the foam ax I used in Computer Science 202
4 pleadings with Dh for help
5 phone calls to friends to commiserate over my misfortune
6 hours of updating, uploading, and configurations
7 cheers of happiness that it is working
8 email checks to make sure I answered all the emails asking where the galleries were
9 distractions from the kids
10 big slobbery kisses to Dh for all his help!

By jove, I think we're back in business!

Don't Panic!

If you are trying to reach the online ordering gallery, please don't panic. I still have images on my hard drive, but I did accidentally delete the entire ordering gallery. I have all orders that had been placed by 5pm October 4th, so nothing is missing there.

However, I'm going to have to re-upload everything and restore settings. It will take me a few days.

That's what I get for trying to update software at 1am, right? I even broke the cardinal rule my computer science professors drilled into my head:

"Always make a copy of the folder you are working on BEFORE making changes and BEFORE deleting files."

Oops! I know I can fix it, but the time involved is my biggest concern at the moment. If you were working on orders, or had questions, please contact me directly and I will do my best in this situation!

Emails sent!

I have sent emails to the clients I know who took advantage of the special I ran, and if you know you were getting this special and did not get an email from me then please let me know!

If you have not completed your session yet, but want to see the cards then let me know as well. I will give you the access code.

If you are wondering if you want me to do your Holiday cards, then send me an email as well and I will be happy to share the access code with you as well.

Does this mean I have openings still? You bet it does! However, I do not have many and those few left will not remain open for long at the rate of inquiries I am getting.