This past weekend I took a nice little roadtrip back to Sioux Falls, SD to visit my family for the long Easter weekend. On the way down there I was of course taking use of my Pandora app on my phone and had it tuned to my 'Kutless' station for most of the trip. Within the 3 hours it took me to get to my destination, I had heard countless songs that tugged at my heart. So many of them had such incredible messages to share and so many of them I have not had the opportunity to hear yet. As I was listening to a few of them I began to realize that there are so many great songs out there that SPEAK to us + INSPIRE us. Music has a way of touching our hearts in ways that no other way can. I honestly don't know what it is about some instruments being played and someones voice singing that can draw out so many different emotions from us.
Therefore during these 3 hours of nothing but the open road and of course some incredible music, I came up with the idea for a new weekly/biweekly blog post. Speak + Inspire posts to be exact. Not only do I want to be able to share some good music, but I also want to help inspire anyone that might need a little extra inspiration at that moment. If anything, hopefully it will help you smile and relax for a few moments during all the craziness life sometimes brings. :)
The song for the first 'edition', if you will, of this topic is from an artist by the name of Matthew West. Some of you may have heard of him before but Thursday was actually the first time I had ever heard any of his music. And I have to admit after hearing this song, I'm hooked.
The song is called "The Motions" and below I have incuded a youtube video of the song with the lyrics. Each word is so powerful and can relate to anyone wherever they are in life. So many times we get in a rut where we are just going through the motions. Doing whatever it is we are supposed to do with no life, no passion, no emotion. Whether it is with our family, our job, God,
or any of our other relationships. We have all met at least one person in our lives that seems so 'dead' on the inside. There is no passion, no fire, no emotions in their daily lives. It's almost like they are on auto-pilot and just trying to get by. It's so incredibly sad to meet people like that because in our lives there is so much to be passionate about.
Have you ever met someone and thought, "Wow are they such a happy, full of life person"? I want to strive to be THAT person everyday for the rest of my life. Just ok is NOT enough for me. I don't want to just go through the motions, I don't want to go one more day without that kind of passion for life. There have been so many days that I have wasted by being grumpy and just being.
I feel like I have always had that kind of passion within my work. Come with me to a session and I am in my element. I love all the interactions with people, I love capturing their real passion and real emotions. My whole world becomes better when I get to see their faces when they see the images I created for them.
Now the real goal is to bring that passion to the rest of my life. I want to have that passion everyday when I wake up and keep it all day no matter what happens. When people see me I want them to see fire and passion in everything I do.
So now the real question is, can YOU bring that passion to your everyday life? Don't spend your whole life asking, what would have happened IF I had given everything, instead of going through the motions. Start now. :)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A real cute 'chick'
So last week I had the privileged of once again photographing little Miss Ella, pretty much the cutest baby around. I'll admit I'm a little biased but look at that face, she is pretty dang cute. I was a little worried going into the season because for one, Mom wanted some baby chicks in some of the images. I had never dealt with babies and chicks but I had some friends that recently bought some chicks that said I could borrow them to see how well this photo shoot worked out. For 2, it was windy and chilly that day and we had to be outside with the chicks. The last night which I didn't find out until 20 minutes before the session was that the poor sweetheart had an ear infection. Now what do you think of when you think of a 7 month old and and ear infection? I think of one crabby baby. But this was so not true with little Miss Ella. From the moment she woke up she was all smiles and laughter, and boy was she into this baby chicks. She never wanted to look at the camera because she thought they were so interesting. The poor baby chicks also handled everything beautifully. Will I start this whole chick photos thing for every Easter, probably not. Ella got to be the only one to enjoy this. It was fun, but only fun for that one time! :) I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. Enjoy these sweet photos of dear Ella!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Snow storm + a really good book! :)
Well just 2 days ago we officially welcomed spring. In the past week around here we had finally started to see some signs of hope that nice warmer weather was on its way. We could finally see some green grass try to peek it's head out from all the horrible white stuff and some had even started to spot robins again. In Litchfield this morning though you would have never known spring was here because honestly it looked like it was a December day out. We woke up to 7.5 inches of snow and it wasn't done yet. Completely crazy! Besides being a photographer I also work at one of the elementary schools over in Hutchinson and so far all year all we had were a couple of late starts, which was fine by us because we didn't have to make anything up. Honestly thought we were out of the woods with having to make up any days but guess I spoke too quickly considering school was canceled all over the area today! I will admit it was quite pretty but really not at the end of March when we have officially declared it to be spring! :)
This past weekend I finished up a book that I found extremely interesting. It's called "The Shack". A friend of ours lent it to me just last week and it was honestly one of the quickest reads I have had in a long time. I know everyone has their own opinions about what makes a good book and what not but I found this particular book to strike a chord in me. Without giving away too many details it is about a man who's daughter was abducted and killed during a family vacation. The little evidence they have is found deep into the wilderness in a shack. Years later he receives a strange note claiming to be from God. Needless to say he returns to this place that has so many horrible memories attached to it and changes his life forever. I will admit that there are some parts in the book that are a little hard to take because they don't exactly follow how we might think God is physically but the overall meaning of the story is something I think everyone needs to hear in their life. It would be especially moving if there is something in your life right now that you don't know how to overcome or something in your life that leaves you so angry at God you can hardly stand it. The one thing that I can say I took away from it is how no one has the right to judge any person, any situation, or any thing besides God. Our society today, with all the media covering everything 24/7 and twisting everything around, is so quick to judge someone. Whether it's by their clothes, how they talk, their behavior, or even a crime they committed, we all are guilty of casting judgment upon them as if we are worthy of such a thing. The truth behind it is we aren't. There is only one who is worthy of such a thing, and in His time it will be done.
I will be one of the first to admit that I have been one of those people that can judge a person so quickly. Of course there are people who do wrongful acts, and of course here on earth to some degree they need to be punished for their crime, but beyond that we are so not qualified to cast any other judgment on them. Over the past few days since finishing up this book I have caught myself casting 'judgment' on others and have quickly changed my thoughts and reminded myself that I don't know anything about them. So first off I encourage you to check out this book and read it. I'll warn you some parts are different but overall it is an awesome read. Second of all I challenge you to try and change your way of thinking about others, especially those you don't know. Try your hardest to not judge them on anything. After all it's not a job you need to worry about. :)
I know this post was nothing about my work as a photographer but hey, sometimes I have a thought and I roll with it and see what comes out. :)
Happy spring everyone! Hopefully very soon we can all enjoy it!
This past weekend I finished up a book that I found extremely interesting. It's called "The Shack". A friend of ours lent it to me just last week and it was honestly one of the quickest reads I have had in a long time. I know everyone has their own opinions about what makes a good book and what not but I found this particular book to strike a chord in me. Without giving away too many details it is about a man who's daughter was abducted and killed during a family vacation. The little evidence they have is found deep into the wilderness in a shack. Years later he receives a strange note claiming to be from God. Needless to say he returns to this place that has so many horrible memories attached to it and changes his life forever. I will admit that there are some parts in the book that are a little hard to take because they don't exactly follow how we might think God is physically but the overall meaning of the story is something I think everyone needs to hear in their life. It would be especially moving if there is something in your life right now that you don't know how to overcome or something in your life that leaves you so angry at God you can hardly stand it. The one thing that I can say I took away from it is how no one has the right to judge any person, any situation, or any thing besides God. Our society today, with all the media covering everything 24/7 and twisting everything around, is so quick to judge someone. Whether it's by their clothes, how they talk, their behavior, or even a crime they committed, we all are guilty of casting judgment upon them as if we are worthy of such a thing. The truth behind it is we aren't. There is only one who is worthy of such a thing, and in His time it will be done.
I will be one of the first to admit that I have been one of those people that can judge a person so quickly. Of course there are people who do wrongful acts, and of course here on earth to some degree they need to be punished for their crime, but beyond that we are so not qualified to cast any other judgment on them. Over the past few days since finishing up this book I have caught myself casting 'judgment' on others and have quickly changed my thoughts and reminded myself that I don't know anything about them. So first off I encourage you to check out this book and read it. I'll warn you some parts are different but overall it is an awesome read. Second of all I challenge you to try and change your way of thinking about others, especially those you don't know. Try your hardest to not judge them on anything. After all it's not a job you need to worry about. :)
I know this post was nothing about my work as a photographer but hey, sometimes I have a thought and I roll with it and see what comes out. :)
Happy spring everyone! Hopefully very soon we can all enjoy it!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
So I decided to just kinda randomly put some of my all time favorite photos together to put up with this blog post! So sorry if you recognize some of them from before but I just can't get enough of them!!
Today it has become official. Spring is right around the corner and I honestly cannot wait!! I will say I could do without all of the sloppy wet mess that is outside but hey I live in the Midwest that's what I get I guess right? :) We are just going to start praying really hard that all the snow we got over this tough winter melts and dries up quickly because in just 3 1/2 short weeks wedding season kicks off for me with an incredible couple, and we certainly don't want the beautiful bride out in the wet mess.
I do have some very exciting news to share with all of you though. :) I just got the official word a couple of weeks ago that Photography By Christine will be out at the Nelson Family Farm's annual pumpkin festival in Litchfield MN. I will be having some very special family session deals out there for 6 weekends in a row!! I cannot thank Don and Sonja Nelson enough for giving me this incredible opportunity and I hope to see a lot of you out there this coming fall. Stay tuned for details when September gets closer! :)
Hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week and enjoy the gorgeous weather the Midwest is having! :)
Friday, February 4, 2011
Most Deserving Senior 2012 Contest
Ready for a contest? I think so.
Do you know a current Junior in high school who deserves FREE senior portraits?? If you do e-mail me why they deserve it. Maybe it's someone who does a lot of good in the community....maybe it's someone who is always caring for others....or maybe it's just someone who you think really deserves it. In the e-mail also include your name, their name, their contact information and the school they attend. If we have many entries from multiple school districts there MIGHT even be more than one winner!! Deadline for all entries is March 5th.
But here is the cool part, I'm not going to be the only one deciding. On March 6th I will be posting the top 2 or 3 finalists on facebook and the rest is up to you!! Become a fan of Photography By Christine on facebook and vote for your favorite. Make sure all your family and friends become a fan as well because you may only vote if you are fan and "like" the page. Voting will be open from March 6th through March 12th and the winner will be announced March 13th!! Only 1 vote per person please.
The "Most Deserving Senior" will receive a 2.5 hour session with unlimited outfits and up to 3 locations. Not only that but they will also receive an 8x10 portrait and 120 wallets of up to 3 poses. Plus they will receive 20% off any additional portraits they choose to order.
So start thinking of that "Most Deserving Senior" now. Email all entries to: petty.christine@hotmail.com
Visit www.photosbychristine.biz a quick link to the Facebook Fan Page
Do you know a current Junior in high school who deserves FREE senior portraits?? If you do e-mail me why they deserve it. Maybe it's someone who does a lot of good in the community....maybe it's someone who is always caring for others....or maybe it's just someone who you think really deserves it. In the e-mail also include your name, their name, their contact information and the school they attend. If we have many entries from multiple school districts there MIGHT even be more than one winner!! Deadline for all entries is March 5th.
But here is the cool part, I'm not going to be the only one deciding. On March 6th I will be posting the top 2 or 3 finalists on facebook and the rest is up to you!! Become a fan of Photography By Christine on facebook and vote for your favorite. Make sure all your family and friends become a fan as well because you may only vote if you are fan and "like" the page. Voting will be open from March 6th through March 12th and the winner will be announced March 13th!! Only 1 vote per person please.
The "Most Deserving Senior" will receive a 2.5 hour session with unlimited outfits and up to 3 locations. Not only that but they will also receive an 8x10 portrait and 120 wallets of up to 3 poses. Plus they will receive 20% off any additional portraits they choose to order.
So start thinking of that "Most Deserving Senior" now. Email all entries to: petty.christine@hotmail.com
Visit www.photosbychristine.biz a quick link to the Facebook Fan Page
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
2011 Dream Big
In the past couple of weeks I have been thinking about what is to come in 2011. Pretty normal right, since it is after all recently a brand new year. But to be completely honest I haven't been able to sleep the greatest these past few weeks. My head has been completely swimming and driving me crazy with everything that will be going on this coming year as well as things that hopefully will come to be. I'm one of those people that once I get an idea in my head, I cannot stop thinking about it and want to do something about it RIGHT NOW! :) Writing down the idea itself doesn't stop the thinking process, I have to put the idea into motion.
So what are my ideas for the coming year? I am super excited to have a number of weddings this year with some absolutely amazing couples. They are all pretty different but that's what makes my profession so fun right? Now I know they aren't me getting married but sometimes I feel like I am in the sense that I love getting just as excited as the bride. I love hearing all the details they are thinking about and I start counting down the days with them. This year will be off to a great start because of these couples. They are all in a sense help building the future of Photography By Christine and for that I will always be thankful for. It gives me so much joy when a couple entrusts me with their memories.
Another thing I am so excited about is my website is getting a face lift and should be ready to publish by the end of the week. I am so thankful for Adam Forsberg creating my first ever website but after much thought I wanted to make some changes. Hopefully everyone will share my excitement when I get to announce to the world that it is up and running.
A goal of mine this year is to not only blog about the sessions I have and what is going on in the business, but to also blog about my family's life and all the joys 2011 will bring to us. I want all of my clients to know who I am and that I have the same hopes and dreams as they probably do.
Just last week a photographer had published a blog that really got me thinking. It was titled "WHY" and she went on to ask the question, "Why do we do what we do?" Why do mothers do what they do, why do firemen do what they do ect. It really got me thinking about why I am a photographer and why I love it so much. I am a photographer because I love bringing joy to people. I love getting to capture moments in their life that might be forgotten in the coming years. Moments that they will be able to look back on 15/20 years from now and feel as if they are back in that time period. I love seeing the joy in a groom's face when he sees his bride for the first time on their wedding day. I love seeing the hopes and dreams in a seniors face. I love playing with kids and seeing the love in the parents eyes for them. And on another note I am a photographer for my husband and I's future kids. I know that by owning my own business I will be able to have a flexible schedule as they grow up. They will know how much mommy loves them. I will have a job that they can be proud of their mom for and see the joy in my face and how much I truly love what I do.
I want to thank everyone who has helped me in the past years make my dream come true. I'm not quite where I want to be yet but that's ok. It's always good to keep dreaming. I have been so blessed with so many people that have continued to believe in me even when I felt as if I couldn't do it. No matter what you are doing in your life keep dreaming. Dream big dreams and never let anyone call you crazy or bring you down. Because even if you think the dream is too big sometimes life can surprise you. Travis and I have so many big dreams and we will continue to reach for them. :)
So what are my ideas for the coming year? I am super excited to have a number of weddings this year with some absolutely amazing couples. They are all pretty different but that's what makes my profession so fun right? Now I know they aren't me getting married but sometimes I feel like I am in the sense that I love getting just as excited as the bride. I love hearing all the details they are thinking about and I start counting down the days with them. This year will be off to a great start because of these couples. They are all in a sense help building the future of Photography By Christine and for that I will always be thankful for. It gives me so much joy when a couple entrusts me with their memories.
Another thing I am so excited about is my website is getting a face lift and should be ready to publish by the end of the week. I am so thankful for Adam Forsberg creating my first ever website but after much thought I wanted to make some changes. Hopefully everyone will share my excitement when I get to announce to the world that it is up and running.
A goal of mine this year is to not only blog about the sessions I have and what is going on in the business, but to also blog about my family's life and all the joys 2011 will bring to us. I want all of my clients to know who I am and that I have the same hopes and dreams as they probably do.
Just last week a photographer had published a blog that really got me thinking. It was titled "WHY" and she went on to ask the question, "Why do we do what we do?" Why do mothers do what they do, why do firemen do what they do ect. It really got me thinking about why I am a photographer and why I love it so much. I am a photographer because I love bringing joy to people. I love getting to capture moments in their life that might be forgotten in the coming years. Moments that they will be able to look back on 15/20 years from now and feel as if they are back in that time period. I love seeing the joy in a groom's face when he sees his bride for the first time on their wedding day. I love seeing the hopes and dreams in a seniors face. I love playing with kids and seeing the love in the parents eyes for them. And on another note I am a photographer for my husband and I's future kids. I know that by owning my own business I will be able to have a flexible schedule as they grow up. They will know how much mommy loves them. I will have a job that they can be proud of their mom for and see the joy in my face and how much I truly love what I do.
I want to thank everyone who has helped me in the past years make my dream come true. I'm not quite where I want to be yet but that's ok. It's always good to keep dreaming. I have been so blessed with so many people that have continued to believe in me even when I felt as if I couldn't do it. No matter what you are doing in your life keep dreaming. Dream big dreams and never let anyone call you crazy or bring you down. Because even if you think the dream is too big sometimes life can surprise you. Travis and I have so many big dreams and we will continue to reach for them. :)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Introducing Ella Irene Myers! 8.12.10
I am very happy and excited to introduced this beautiful bundle of joy!!! She is the gorgeous new daughter of our dear friends Nolan and Jenny. We have been anticipating her arrival for what feels like forever!! Last night we decided to do a quick non formal session of this beautiful baby. Mom had an idea in mind she wanted for a photo and we were bound and determined to get that photo. Dad didn't think it was going to work at first but we got it! And needless to say Daddy got peed on in the process! Enjoy some photos of this gorgeous little one! I've even included a special one of me and my husband welcoming the new little one at the hospital! :) Congrats Jenny and Nolan!
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