Off The Grid

Hey friends!! Miss me?! I've been absent for a week and it feels like an eternity. This wasn't planned but sometimes you need to take a break, go off the grid and get caught up on life. I was overwhelmed with orders after the publicity my shop got that I was completely consumed with completing the orders in a timely fashion. Everything had to be put on hold including my blog.

I did manage to take one day off this week and go on a day trip with the hubby and Liv. We drove out east to Montauk and had a great day. It was therapeutic and I needed that. Although, I did have moments of sadness thinking of how my mom and dad took my sister and I on trips to Montauk quite frequently when we were younger.

We walked along a rock path along the back of the Montauk Lighthouse. Liv was such a trooper and felt so accomplished that she "rock climbed." Here are a few photos from our walk around the lighthouse.

As you can see it was great escape for the day. I now hope to be back with a vengeance blogging everyday. Talk to you all tomorrow!! xoxo

My Easter In Photos

This Easter was a bit rough since it was the first holiday without my mom and she truly loved every holiday and always went all out. We made the best of it and managed to have a good day despite a big part of the holiday missing. Instead of giving you a written play by play I decided to share my day in photos.

Hope you had a fabulous holiday and enjoyed your time with family. xoxo

Ballsy Photos

Happy Monday!! I thought I'd give you all a laugh this Monday and share a story I shared with the lovely Karli and her readers over at September Farm some time ago.

I am a photographer and this confessional of mine has to do with an almost HUGE photography blunder for one of my first clients.

I always loved photography from a young age and after taking some adult ed photography classes and getting  rave reviews on my photography I decided I wanted to do photography for a living. I started off doing some photos for friends and family for free to build my portfolio to help me get paid gigs.

Well, I was lucky enough that things happened pretty quickly and I was finally doing what I loved for a living. One of my first clients hired me to take some family portraits at a park. Things went well and I was happy with all the shots I got. I couldn't wait to go home afterwards and edit the photos and see the final product.

I was so anxious I edited the photos immediately and was so happy with the results. My sister came over that evening and she happened to minor in photography in college so I showed her the photos on my computer to get her opinion. We were looking through them and she was loving them until she said "Wait. Go back to that last photo. What's that????!!!!"

I look closely and I honestly didn't see what she happened to see. She then bent forward to really look at screen and said: "Oh my God!! Are those his balls??!!" I replied : "What?" and then looked at the dad's crotch in horror. His jeans had apparently split in the crotch and in this photo (and a few others) they were sitting on a park bench and his balls were completely exposed flowing out of the hole in his pants.

At first, I was horrified. How did I miss this??!! How did I almost send a client a disk of family photos where in several of them the dad had his sh*t out for everyone to see??!! But honestly when editing photos I am looking at the faces, the smiles, making sure everyone's eyes are open. I am not usually drawn to the nether regions. After my initial reaction of horror, my sister and I sat there and laughed for a solid half hour. How did this guy not know his junk was out?!

Regardless to say, I tossed the initial disk I had made for the client and re-cropped the photos to be ball-less. All I have to say is thank the Lord, I had my sister look at the pictures and discover this tiny indiscretion because that would have been slightly awkward when they got there family photo blown up huge to frame and there are balls right in their face. But crisis averted!!

Tips For Launching A Successful Photography Business

So you love taking photos, invested in a DSLR and want to take your hobby to the next level? A successful photography business is just a few steps away. If you take the time to work on these 6 steps you are destined to turn your hobby into a money maker.

1 - Build A Good Portfolio. You should build a great portfolio before even launching your business. How do you do this? You are going to have to bite the bullet and do some free sessions for friends and family. You can then utilize the best photos from these sessions to start with a great portfolio right off the bat.

2 - Practice, Practice, Practice. Good thing for you this can be done while you are working on #1. It is inevitable that you will run into some snags during some sessions, like uncooperative toddlers, unrelenting sun, and camera malfunctions. The more you practice before you officially launch your business the more you will be used to the unexpected and know how to handle it like a pro.

3 - Set Reasonable Rates. Yes, some photographers charge a fortune but you can't start out charging what experienced photographers charge. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying to undersell yourself but do some research. Find out the range of prices photographers in your area charge and set your rates accordingly. Once you get more experience and build an even bigger portfolio you can raise your rates accordingly.

4 - Create A Social Media Presence. Make a Facebook page, create an Instagram account to showcase your work. Pin your photographs. Start a photography blog. Have a website. Be everywhere. The moe you are out there the more business you will get. Most of my business comes from my photography Facebook page.

5 - Do What Others Do. No I do NOT mean copy others artistic work but more their business sense. Find some successful photographers in your area and see what they do. Do they ever run specials? Do they ever run contests? How frequently do they post their work? They are successful for a reason, they are doing things right on the business and marketing side. This research will help you learn what works as far as marketing and promotions.

6 - Network. Network end of story. Have business cards made and carry them with you. Give them out when appropriate. Talking to someone whose sister is having a baby, give them a card. Give your friends and family cards as well. So much of my business comes from my family and friends singing me praises.

So some of these may seem a bit obvious but you would be surprised how many people don't do these things. You need to pay your dues, do your research and put the time into marketing. If you do that you are on a sure path to success! xoxo

Newborn Photography Photo Dump

Good morning! It's that time again, time to share a little bit of my photography with you. This adorable bundle of joy was about two weeks old when these photos were taken. Hope you enjoy!!

What do you think, what was your fave photo? I cannot decide. Have a fabulous day!! xoxo
(All photos are property of Jenny O Studios)

Rock 'N Roll 3 Year Old Style

I wanted to share some photos from one of my more recent sessions with you. I have had the joy of photographing TJ since he was born for many of his major milestones and a few weeks ago I took photos for his 3rd birthday. His mom came up with the fabulous idea of bringing his drum set and guitar to a local lake for the session. It was indeed a great idea and the proof is below.

Is he not just the cutest rock star ever??! He was so cooperative, it made me extremely jealous that I cannot get photos like this of my own daughter because she hates photos. Grrr...Although she's a bit younger, just turning 2.  Below are a few of my other faves from the session.

Hope you enjoyed the photos! I hope to have some of my daughter to share later on in the week! Wish me luck!! xo

My Best Natural Light Holiday Photography 2013

I don't feel I share as much as my photography as I should so for that reason I am sharing some of my fave natural light holiday photos from this season. Hope you enjoy!!

 

 

 

I am really critical of my work but looking back at this small compilation of this year's holiday photos I cannot help but be proud of my work. Looking forward to all the great things I have planned for 2014.