If not, let me point you in that direction!  I recently designed a collection of my most popular Christmas card templates for instant download which is now for sale at latter-dayvillage.com.  There are 5 designs to choose from in 5×7, 4×8 and newsletter sizes.  Each comes as a PNG file so all you have to do is insert your photos and print!  And hey, since there are 5 designs, you’ll be set for 5 years!   Enjoy!

http://latter-dayvillage.com/proddetail.php?prod=ChristmasCards&cat=89

I have been playing lately with my depth of field.   I love images that tell a story, or that have meaning, you know, more than just a flat portrait (and there were way too many commas in that sentence!)   So I’ve been using sharp focus in the foreground at a lower aperatutre setting.  It’s like being sneaky…I’m taking a picture of the flowers or their rings, but the real subject is the quiet moment in the background.  Just another way I am trying to be creative and artsy.  I am still loving my Fuji S5, just cannot beat the color, and cannot beat the way the details stay in the blacks.  It makes it so much easier to shoot on sunny days when you want to keep the sky exposed, but that…..is another post. 

We went out to Mona Lake and then drove off the beaten path a bit.  We spotted these beautiful horses just wandering the hills.  Everything was perfect about this shot, the sky, the line of the horses, even the big fat bush in the front.  I used my Sony on this one because I didn’t dare take the Fuji to the lake.  As it was my cell phone somehow got wet and died on me.  Electronics can be so frustrating sometimes! 

I actually got up at 5:30 in the morning to catch this hot air balloon fest in Provo, Utah.  I think it was my intense desire to capture some beautiful color with my beloved S5.  And it did not disappoint!  This is straight-off-the-camera aside from downsizing for the web.  Enjoy!

Oh my goodness it’s been so long since I posted that I almost forgot my password to get logged on to this thing.  My big annoucement, I bought the Fuji S5!  Yes, I went out and did it.  I am so happy with it I could just burst.  I cannot believe the color quality of this camera, outstanding!  I also cannot believe the quality of the ISO settings.  It goes up to 3200 and I tell ya, even at 3200 I am still barely seeing grain.  It has shot my Sony 828 right out of the water.  I am so hooked on this camera! 

I was lucky enough to get to travel to Albuquerque to shoot this wedding.  It was a fantastic weekend, I had a great time and loved every minute of it.  I took over 600 pictures.  I also, with the help of my great lab, have set up a lifepics website where I can post all 600 pictures if I so choose and people can view order and all that great stuff.  I am back to scheduling sessions, I need to put this S5 to work work work!

Wow, life got away from me and some things took a back seat for awhile, like my blog.  I will try to be better.  Don’t I say that a lot?  I’ve been working a lot with Latter-DayVillage.com and it’s been a great learning experience for me.  Spring is here and summer is on it’s way, time for weddings and family portraits!  The weather is beautiful so I am ready to move on from the snow and get out and get shooting.  Here’s one from a recent wedding, the same couple I did engagements a few months ago.  Cheers!

I need to make friends with the snow instead of being such a wimp and not want to get out in it.  This shoot was difficult but turned out great.  As I hiked up to this spot I stepped in what I thought was flat snow and landed up to my ankles in mud.   I made her walk out in my tracks and then photoshopped out later….or I could tell you the truth that I dropped her down by helicopter and that’s why there are no footprints.    I am trying to incorporate more nature in my portraits.  I have found lately that I either do super up close and personal or very wide to include the whole landscape.  I like both, I am not too keen on the medium.  This shoot was only about 15 minutes long because we were freezing and 15 minutes is not much time to get it perfect.  I may try this again with older people.  This was more a test today, but Mom likes it….and I’m the Mom so I know for sure

It’s been awhile since I had a scheduled session and it was fun to get out and work again.  The snow had melted into a decent sunny day which proved to be fun yet challenging trying to find nice looking foliage that was not brown and dead.  This is a great location, the Castle Theatre in Provo.  As always I am a bit on the artsy side and try to stay away from the more traditional stuff, but of course I always do the traditional too because usually that’s what Mom wants.  Here are a few from the shoot…  I am hoping to do this couple’s wedding in April, I am very excited!   

I’ve been to Zion!  Absolutely amazing!  As we were driving up to it I was just in complete awe that something so magnificent even existed.  Once my son asked me if I could have any super power what would it be?  Although I would like to have a magic snap that makes my house clean in a matter of seconds, truly what I would give more than anything is to be able to travel back in time and witness history.  I wondered who named it Zion?  When was it discovered?  How was it formed?  I took many pictures but honestly pictures just do not do it justice.   It was warm in the 50s however the shadows cast on the canyon walls left snow and frozen ice.  It was incredible to look at.  It kind of reminded me of the movie Hook….you know where the Lost boys live and each part of their land is divided into different seasons.  So it’s fall with beautiful leaves in one place, snow on the ground in another, etc.  Amazing, amazing, amazing…..did I mention that Zion National Park is amazing?

I’m off to St. George again this weekend and I hope to bring back some good stuff image-wise.  I have started a new branch to my business and it has been a lot of fun.  I love being creative, and I love that I have an opportunity to do it (aw shucks .   Here is a link to my latest business venture, and why I have let my portrait business go a bit :

http://latter-dayvillage.com/proddetail.php?prod=YoungWomen2-1&cat=30

I must thank everyone at LDV for giving me this opportunity to show my work and make it available to others.  (*sigh*) I really must take a moment and express how grateful I am for the things I have going in my life.  I have the greatest husband who supports me not only as my best friend but because of his knowledge in the media world is always my toughest (and best) critic and assists me in all ways from camera shopping, lighting and just plain giving me ideas.  He’s wonderful.  My kids…though they have come to truly despise the times when I pull out my camera and say I have a new idea, they are beautiful, and I love capturing their faces as they grow up.  They are why I started doing this.   Someday, I know they will thank me for it, and someday I will be even more glad than I am now that I have such great images of them.  Finally, I must thank all of my friends, family and clients who have spread the word about my photography.  I have never marketed myself in any way and I appreciate all of the kind words from others that have kept me, not only in business, but have given me more opportunties to develop my talent and become more creative.  I love it, I could not have done any of this without the support of others.   If you have a talent, or a desire to develop your talent then I say go for it.  Study your heart out, research until your eyes are sore, practice like crazy and the Lord and those who recognize your talents will do the rest.   “If you build it they will come…”