We got back home yesterday. I already miss the beach…

 ”Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.” ~ Richard Bach

The booth that seemed to be getting a lot of buzz at the Imaging USA tradeshow this week was the one for the new Ice Light.  It certainly caught my eye.  I’ve been in the market for a LED video light for a while now, but I keep changing my mind about what I want to purchase.  I know that I want to use the light some for boudoir, night time shoots, and wedding receptions.  It needs to have adjustable brightness and a way to narrow the beam of light.  Being fairly compact and portable would also be great.

So back to the Ice Light… It certainly looks cool (in a Star Wars light saber sort of way) but the price – $500 – ouch! And I really can’t picture myself waving this thing around during a wedding reception.  I’m afraid I’d look like one of those guys directing planes on a runway. LOL But the light the Ice Light produces is nice.  The sample images they were showing at the tradeshow looked great, and I really love the awesome looking catchlights it creates in a subject’s eyes.  So my fellow photogs, what do you think about the new Ice Light? What LED light do you currently use?

This past weekend I traveled to New Orleans for the Imaging USA tradeshow.  It was definitely a successful trip.  I scored lots of great show discounts and discovered some exciting new products.  Plus, I finally got to make some major lens upgrades that I’d been saving up for for a really long time.  I’m now the proud owner of the Canon 50 1.2L and 24 1.4L.  Eek!  I’m so looking forward to putting these to use during some photo sessions I have coming up soon!!

The trip to New Orleans was extra fun because I got to bring along my boyfriend Ryan, and we were able to fit in a little sightseeing while we were in town.  Of course, we hit Bourbon Street and had an amazing dinner at ACME Oyster House.  I definitely would recommend that place, but to get a table, be prepared to wait in a line outside for upwards to an hour if it’s a busy night.  Totally worth it though!

Requirements:  Creativity, great customer service skills, meticulous attention to detail, dependability. Preference will be given to those who already have knowledge of the following: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign), WordPress, CSS, HTML

How to Apply:  Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to mail@tiffanykelley.com by January 31, 2012. Within your cover letter, please include the following information:  your schedule availability, your minimum salary requirement, and a link to your online photography and/or design portfolio (if applicable).

It’s hard to believe that my first week in Destin has already come and gone.  Time flies when you’re having fun, but don’t get me wrong, although I’m having a blast, this is definitely a “working” vacation.  It’s amazing what a positive effect a change of environment can have on your productivity!  This month I’m making major strides on lots of new design projects, which will be unveiled on my design website over the next several weeks, and some behind-the-scenes work for the photography business too.  I’m still making time in Florida though for lots of photo taking, of course.  Here are a few images taken this past week.

One of the great things about being a photographer in Branson is that I get to work with lots of great families in town on vacation.  It’s such a perfect place for a reunion!  Here’s a recent session I shot for a group over the Christmas break.  It was the first time all of these family members had been together in one place in several years, so I felt especially honored to capture this moment for them.  What a fun bunch they were!

Stormy and I have known each other virtually our entire lives.  We’ve been friends since kindergarten, were roommates in college, and even though we don’t get to see each other near enough these days, we still just pick up where we left off when we do.  I was sooo excited when a few weeks ago, her and her kiddos came up to Branson for a visit!  Here are a few pictures from the day.

Greetings from Florida!  I hope you all had an amazing New Year’s!  I’m back at work after what was a great weekend spent traveling down to Destin, where I’ll be staying for the next 30 days.

Today I spent some time reflecting on the past year.  Here are just a few of the highlights from 2011:

• Attending WPPI in Las Vegas
• Participating in the Folio Love workshop in Knoxville, TN
• Leasing a new studio/office space in downtown Branson
• Accomplishing some other business goals that really meant a lot to me

2011 was a successful year for Tiffany Kelley Photography, and it’s all because of my wonderful clients.  You’re the best!  Thank you so much for your support!

I’m always excited by the start of a new year.  I love the feeling of having a blank slate and setting out to accomplish new goals.  Here are just a few of the things I’ll be focusing on in 2012:

• Hiring a part-time Office Manager/Assistant (hoping to have this done by the end February…more details to follow)
• Updating my website, print marketing materials, and packaging design
• Hosting more boudoir marathons locally and in St. Louis and Kansas City
• Implementing a new senior portrait marketing plan
• Upgrading some of my photography equipment (there are a few new lenses in my future and maybe the new Canon 5D Mark III?)
• Creating a new wedding client “welcome kit”
• Attending another photography tradeshow/convention/workshop (might be going to Imaging USA in New Orleans this month…)
• Re-organizing the 60,000+ photos eating up my computer’s hard drive (Just did this!  It was something I had been putting off doing for probably the last four years at least. It feels sooo good to finally have this done!)
• Work on some sort of personal photography project
• Take more photos of “everyday life”
• Being less of a workaholic and creating a better work-personal life balance

So what are some of your goals for the new year?

Just wanted to let everyone know that I’ll be out-of-state for most of January 2012.  That month is the slowest time of year for photography, so I’m taking advantage of this down time and spending it in Destin, Florida.  However, I will be shooting a few photo sessions during my stay there, so if you’re in that area and interested in booking, please get in touch!

My stay in Destin will provide a nice change of scenery and a chance to recharge and focus on creating my business plan for 2012.  I have lots of exciting things in store for the next year!  Plus, I’m going to be kept very busy working on LOTS of new design projects.  While these winter months may be a slower time of year for photography, it’s the busiest for my design business, which works out wonderfully!

I’ll be shooting my last photo sessions of the year next week.  Just a reminder that I’m offering $50 off boudoir sessions shot at my studio this month.  Currently, I still have two openings remaining for next Wednesday and Thursday.  If you’re wanting to order a boudoir album in time to receive it before Valentine’s Day, next week will be your final opportunity to schedule your shoot.  To reserve one of these last minute spots, please contact me at mail@tiffanykelley.com or 417.501.6318.  Thanks!