Brandi's Sneaky Peeky

She's a ray of sunshine on a dreary, rainy day.

the lowdown, the skinny, the 411

I've had several inquiries lately about the details of my pricing and what I offer in my business, Fish Lips Photography. My very talented friend Kelley is working on my logo as we speak, and I am working just as furiously on my website. But in the meantime, here's the skinny:

• $100 (+ sales tax): What does that buy you? Up to 2 hours (though it RARELY takes that long, usually more like an hour or less) for your session at the location of your choice. If you need ideas about location, or clothing choices, I've certainly got a few to share with you. Just ask! Within a day or two of the session, you will get a sneak peek here on the blog. Later you will receive a CD with about 20 images, all of which have been edited in Photoshop. You will receive the rights to print them wherever you want. Upload them to your blog, to Facebook, do some digital scrapbooking, email them to your mama, whatever.

• You may order your prints from me if'd you like. I use a professional photography lab (not Shutterfly or Snapfish or anything like that), and the quality of their work is just beautiful. If you'd like to see samples, just ask, and I'll bring them to the session with me. I offer just about any size you can think of, as well as canvas prints and gallery wraps.

• It has been pointed out to me many times that my prices are ridiculously low. Yes, they are. I am in the first of what I hope to be many, many years in this business. My prices WILL go up eventually, but for now, it's a pretty great deal. Don't miss out!

• What do I shoot? Maternity, newborns, babies, kids, families, grown ups, couples, best friends, engagements, Trash the Dress sessions (more fun than you can POSSIBLY imagine), and I may or may not have been talked into shooting my very first wedding in October (it's small and for a very dear friend who is, um, persuasive).

• How do you book a session? Just email me: sarahelizabethcraig@gmail.com

And because no post is complete without a picture, here's one of my favorites that I took of Jemma (Elizabeth's best friend) back in March. I pulled it out again today and re-edited it in Photoshop. I like how it turned out.

The Big Day

Hip Hip Hooray! Today is The Day!

Little Miss Craig is getting tubes put in her ears this morning.

She sure would appreciate your prayers.

Introducing Becky & Chris

Meet 2 of our very best friends, Becky & Chris.

I think I've probably mentioned them on this blog before.

Just once or twice. ;)

Baby girl Karis is due August 14th and we cannot WAIT to meet her!

Irene Suchocki, I love you.

Allow me to introduce you to the work of Irene Suchocki, a Montreal-based photographer that I just discovered this week. I've had a rough week, and let me tell you the gorgeousness of her photographs has shined light into my dark yucky world. I could look at them all day long. She refers to her work as "little poems for the eyes". And they are. I read about her this week on one of my favorite blogs, Shutter Sisters. You're going to want to check out her Etsy shop, too! And then you're going to want to buy everything you see. I've seen what other photographers have done with a Lensbaby and have been amazed, but she makes me want one NOW! *sigh* Just another thing to add to my wishlist (man, that thing's getting long!)

This one is first, because it's my very, very favorite:

Looking for Love

Paris is a Feeling

Love is in the Air

City of Love

The Swing Set

Paris is for Lovers

I Love New York (#2)

Snowblind

Now, don't you just LOVE her? Scoot on over to her etsy shop and tell me your fave! (She has many more fabulous ones that I just didn't have time to post!)

A Letter

Dear Santa,

I would like a Lensbaby Composer for Christmas. I hope you've gotten all the other letters I've sent already this year. Maybe you think I'm being greedy. But Santa, it is not my fault- I fell in love! Don't they always say you can't help who (or what) you fall in love with? It just happens. How was I supposed to know I'd fall head over heels for photography! What a cruel, cruel fate. So many cameras, lenses, bags, photoshop actions, baskets, baby headbands, backdrops...the list is never ending. Why couldn't I have fallen in love with painting? Canvas, paint, paintbrush. Done. Noooooooooooo, I had to fall hard for a high maintenance love. *sigh* Look, we're a little over halfway through the year and I have been a VERY good girl so far. And I could explain to you how the Lensbaby would be so beneficial for my photography business, but I would be lying. And Santa, VERY good girls do not lie. I want it for me. Just for me. Nobody else. I probably will not use it for one single client. But I will use it to create art. And doesn't the creation of art just lead to the world being a much better place? Have you heard that Sara Groves song? I want to Add to the Beauty, Santa. It's what any VERY good girl would want to do.

Love,

Sarah

The mouth thing? She gets it from her mom.

At 11:30 last night I got an email from my childhood very best friend, Erica. Erica and I have been friends for over 20 years. The subject line to her email read, "The mouth thing? She gets it from her mom" and inside that email was a link to a photo. First, let me refresh your memory (like, how could you have possibly forgotten) about "the mouth thing" we're talking about here:

And here, my friends, is the photo. Guess which one is Elizabeth's mom?

We're still alive.

My loves tonight before dinner.

My little love is M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E.

(My big love doesn't feel so hot either.)

On the bright side, she's decided she loves her Minnie Mouse.

I haven't posted in a week because we have been struck down by the most awful stomach virus known to mankind. Elizabeth got it last Tuesday and decided to spread the love. By Wednesday night Ryan was down for the count, and by Thursday morning so was I. To say that we were miserable would be putting it mildly. Ryan and I now feel much better, but both Ryan & Elizabeth managed to catch some other virus in the process: congestion, sore throat, etc. Took E to the doctor yesterday and they said that it's not an ear infection YET, but to keep an eye on her because it would probably develop into one. Today she's run a fever of 103, so I'm guessing the ear infection is in the process of developing. We'll probably head back to the doctor again tomorrow.

I was quite bitter all weekend because I had a fabulous trip planned for E and I to go see family and we had to cancel our flight and our whole trip. Which, honestly, makes me mad. Not only that, but our Sunday school class had a girls retreat out at the lake this weekend. I couldn't go anyway b/c of our trip that was planned. But something about missing the trip AND the retreat- it's more than I can take. I have to say, I feel very sorry for myself. (Feel free to roll your eyes now.) I am in desperate need of some F-U-N! I haven't been out of my house since last Tuesday, except to take E to the doctor last night. wamp wamp. Sorry for all the whining, y'all. But it's been a ROUGH week.

My sister-in-law is a very wise woman. Many, many months ago I fell while holding Elizabeth. Her head hit the concrete, we were rushed to the emergency room & had to spend the night in the hospital. My SIL, Amanda, was so precious and came to see us at the ER. She said, "I'm so sorry you are going through this. And I hate to tell you this, but this is just the first of many times you will be at the emergency room with your kids." Let me tell you people something. Those are some freaking LIFE-GIVING words. The woman's got 3 kids so she knows what she's talking about. There were many times over the last week that I could hear her voice inside my head, giving me those words like a precious gift. Like last Tuesday morning. I went in to get Elizabeth up for the day and there is vomit ALL OVER the place. Apparently, she'd thrown up in the middle of the night and then just gone back to sleep in it. And rolled around in it. Yes. I stood there looking at her in her crib and wanted to gag. And thought, "I don't want to do this. I want my mommy." And then I heard Amanda, "This is just the first of many times..." Maybe that would make someone else feel a little depressed. But honest-to-goodness, it gave me strength all week. Strength to suck it up and get the job done. Because I'm the mommy now.

So, you know I'm saving up for a fab lens and a fab new camera, so I haven't been dipping into my photography income. Until the other day. I'M SORRY! ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES A DULL SARAH or something like that. I splurged and bought this gorgeous headband. Becky's baby girl is about to come any second and I want to be fully prepared for her newborn shots. I slipped it on E's head today when it came in the mail so I could get a shot to show Becky. *sigh* Isn't it lovely?

Speaking of headbands, do they make some for doggies? My poor, poor sweet little Phoebe. She was the love of our life for 6 years and then we went and had a stupid BABY and now we don't even BATHE her on a regular basis. Or have her groomed obviously.

Ummm...guys? I can't see anything anymore.

Could you please get me a hair cut?

Speaking of hair, is my baby girl turning BLONDE?

Oh, how her crazy head of hair continues to amaze me.

I am planning a whole blog post on the subject of her hair.

It is, truly, her crowning glory.

Bonus Craig Family Shots

Oh, Little Girl.

How we love you so.

*photos taken by my brother, edited in PS by me*

Cheerios? What Cheerios?

Who me?

I don't know nothing 'bout no Cheerios.

*photo taken by Becky with her handy dandy iPhone*

Introducing Mark

This is my brother:

He is wicked smart and oh-so-handsome.

He loves coffee.

And Jesus.

And thinking deeply.

He's finishing up his master's degree at St. Andrews in Scotland.

He's been in town visiting us for the last 3 weeks,

but left for Scotland again today.

He'll be stateside again in a few months.

Hopefully for good (says his big sister).

He's single.

Look out, ladies.

The Craigs

*all photos taken my brother and edited in PS by me*

Look y'all. I know it's hard. Family portraits take time. And money. And you've got little ones and not quite enough of those two things to go around. Maybe you look in the mirror and think, "in a few months when I've lost a few pounds." Look, I hear ya. But my little brother (who I must admit here, has been doing photography for forever as a hobby and turned our bathroom at our parents' house into a darkroom when he was in high school) took these pictures in my in-laws' backyard in about 15 minutes on Sunday afternoon. It was hotter than hell and my child came in with about 18 mosquito bites on her legs. And right before we stepped outside I looked in the mirror at all the weight I haven't lost yet and felt ashamed and disgusted with myself. But I'm the one who dragged everybody there so I couldn't back out now.

And it was absolutely worth it. We have so few photos of the three of us together. Hire a professional photographer. Or drag a friend or family member into someone's backyard for 15 minutes. I don't care. Just do it. I promise you will be so glad you did.

An American Girl

Happy Fourth of July to you!

on the other side of the lens

In every family, there is "the picture taker". Usually (but not always, of course), it's the mama. Add in a mama with a passion for photography, and who doesn't love the way she looks right now, and you get not nearly enough photographs of mama and baby in our particular little family. My brother has been staying with us for 3 weeks- visiting us from Scotland (where he's in grad school). Yesterday afternoon I told him to get his camera out and get some pics of me and my little one together:

Mamas, hand the camera over to someone else and get in some pictures with your kid! You will be so glad you did, and one day, so will they!