I contemplated, researched, drooled, contemplated some more and then I did it! I bought it! This little wonder has been on the wish list since I started! I have the older 1.4 version that is a 1/5 of the cost and I have been so thrilled with it! However, I’ve always wondered… “Is it reaaallly worth it”….”is there realllly a difference??”…….”Should I?… Should I?????!” …..The answer is YES! I should have! A long time ago! I should have invested in this little masterpiece since day one! I may be in love. It ‘s too soon to tell, but since UPS dropped her off at my doorstep this afternoon, we’ve had an instant bond! haha I know i’m over the top but that’s just HOW MUCH I LOVE IT! It produces creamy yet crisp images all in one! It’s a beautiful thing and I’m just soooo excited to try it out tomorrow! So now, ladies and gentlemen, I introduce the newest member of the Inspired Designs camera bag, CANON’s 50mm 1.2!!!

I actually got to try it out a little bit tonight on the new furry friend around town! We had a college night at my youth minister’s house and so I shot a few of their newest member of the family! He’s a cutie! If you’re wondering “just what is so great about this lens?!” Let me tell you! When you look at these images, realize there is NO natural sunlight and the room only had two small lamps (no flash was used!). This lens is INCREDIBLE in low light while shooting wide open! It’s just awesome! Also, notice how clear the subject is and how great the DOF  (Depth of Field) is! I’m still learning but I can tell from 30 minutes of use that this is by far my NEW FAVORITE! Photographers, if you’re on the fence about this one, go ahead and GO FOR IT!

So this is how it happened. Two girls meet at 18 months old. One (the blond) decides that she doesn’t particularly care for her new nursery buddy (the redhead) and she BITES her repeatedly! Yes, that is how we met! That was the start of our crazy/priceless/amazing friendship of 20 years! (give or take a few months:) Caroline and I grew up together, learned how to Rollerblade backwards together, made “music videos” in the backyard together, went through the dreadfully awkward years of middle school together, cried together, laughed together and have literally seen the world together!

Oh this is exciting! I LOVE photography but designing and branding! and color! and swirls! and teal! and layouts! oh I love that too!! At this time last year I was pursuing graphic design but never had a distinct aspect of it that I wanted to focus on.  I have obviously switched my focus to photography and started Inspired Designs this past summer. One of my favorite parts of building this business is getting to make a name and a look for myself. Branding is SO SO SO important! It’s important for any business but especially photography. The world of wedding photography is full of look-a-likes and is saturated with websites and blogs that all start to look the same.  I’m DEFINITELY NOT an expert at any of this but I find it really interesting how design works and what goes into branding a business effectively.

Several people have emailed me about starting their own photography business and what should be their first step.  Besides taking your camera everywhere and practicing on any and every cute kid you know :), start making a name and a look for yourself! I spend way too much time stalking other photographers and reading their tips and tricks. One tip that they all hit pretty hard is to “define your style”. Make your images and your business your own! This has taken me a while but I’m starting to finally see what I want Inspired Designs to look like.  Once, someone jokingly said “Oh who designed that shirt, those look like Inspired Designs’ swirls!”, talking about a Tshirt I designed.  While they were half joking, that is what I’m going for! I want people to see my logo and swirls and recognize it. This doesn’t come from just having a good logo. So many people get a logo and that’s the only aspect of their “look” that they worry about. But branding goes so much further than that. It’s about selecting colors, fonts, designs, patterns and style! Once you figure out your style and colors, you can start branding yourself on the web, through advertising (print ads, business cards, etc.), and through production materials (mailers, labels, CD covers, letterheads).  By sticking with a theme of style and color, you start to form a cohesive “look” for your business. This not only attracts attention and is easy on the eyes, it takes your business to a whole new level of professionalism!

a few little tips:

• Simple is good!
• Stick with one design concept and just modify it throughout your “look”so that you don’t lose the sense of unity.
• Try to keep your fonts the same! Mine are not EXACTLY the same but for the most part, I only use the thin and swirly fonts that come straight from my logo!
• Find your two colors and work with them! Don’t be too strict, you can use variations of those two colors in some cases. (lighter teal, brighter green)

Here are some examples of my newly updated blog and website! Hopefully this can help some of you who are starting your own business or inspire those of you who would like to!

This is a little late but I’ve been out of town the past few days on a family 4wheeling trip! Before you judge and assume that I come from a redneck family that lives back in the woods somewhere where civilization doesn’t exist, I assure you I do not!  I do live in the country, miles and miles away from any real stores or a MALL, but my family is not redneck! Far from it!  We’re just in touch with our ATV-adventurous side! We love taking the 4wheelers to west VA for a couple of days and just riding up and down the trails. It’s quite messy! We’re covered head to foot in mud 5 minutes into the first round but oh is it fun!

Anyway, I celebrated my 21st Birthday in the mountains of W.VA this past week with my family and Michael.  We had a great time. I’m so blessed to have a family that’s so much fun!! Thanks for all the birthday wishes and happy new year!!

So this is 2 hours late! Oh well! Can’t do everything on time I guess. Maybe that should be one of the many new years resolutions! I have so many of those floating around in my head right now! Well, to all of you faithful blog checkers or anyone just taking a quick peek, HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I wish you all an amazing start to a new year that is full of joy, peace, and purpose! God bless!