Senior Spotlight | Graduation Season | Hampton Roads Senior Portrait Photographer

Hi!

 

Today is May 11th (yay! Happy mama's day-don't forget to hug your mom today extra big!) and if you're a High School Senior or Junior in the area then you know that that means graduation is just a little over a month away! WOW. That's SUPER soon!

 

And that also means you've probably got a slew of grad parties to go to, too. Am I right?

 

Whether you're a grad party THROWER or a grad party GOER I've got the perfect list of things you need to make this grad season flawless (and stay tuned to this blog because I'll be throwing out SUPER helpful tips, tricks, and secrets throughout the summer and into next school year too- trust me you won't want to miss ANY of it)!

I'll start with the PARTY THROWER (party goer your blog post will be next week so check back!):

 

Chances are you have a ton of things on your mind right now: getting your shoes for your ceremony, booking your hair appointment for the ceremony, the ceremony itself, making sure you ordered enough wallets to pass out to friends (more on that one later), getting all of your invites out in time, confirming the caterer, cleaning the house since everyone and their sister will be at your party. The list goes on and on and on.

 

So, to help ease your stress level a bit I've collected some of the best go-to ideas for music, games, food, etc. That way your stress level is low and in turn your celebration level is through the roof! Because lets face it: you're only graduating High School once; make it AWESOME!

1. Best Play list for your party

   Your parents are inviting everyone from your neighbor to your great Aunt Milly in Dallas so you will have to pick things that everyone enjoys; that means you need a mixture of things from the 60s all the way to that hot hit that came out last week by Jason Derulo. 

Not even sure WHERE to begin with that task? Here's a good example of a mix to please *almost* everyone (including songs that won't make your grandma blush): http://blog.wondershare.com/graduation-party-playlist-101/

Take that list with a grain of salt, though, because I definitely wouldn't be interested in hearing "If I Can Dream" by Celine Dion (number 49 on the list); but hey, you can't realistically create a list that has every song everyone has ever liked- right? So just make a list, press the "play" button, and enjoy your party!

 

2. Food! (YUM!)

This one will also require a bit of variety. It's fair to say though that with this one NO ONE expects you to have their favorite foods- but variety is key to a happy party. If you're hiring a caterer I guarantee they have some great ideas up their sleeves-- this isn't their first rodeo after all ;)

 

But if you and mom are going to be hashing it out in the kitchen the day before the party, the first rule is to PLAN A MENU. Don't go into it blind. Pick a menu that YOU like and throw in a couple you know your parents like: that will start you off on a good variety to please not only picky palettes but also different age groups.

 

Here's a great link from Rachel Ray (some people say I look like her... thoughts on that????) that talks about different ways to incorporate food into your party (it also has some cute game ideas, too!):

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/easy-party-ideas/party-tips-ideas/how-to-throw-a-graduation-party


3. Decorations

 

Some parties have themes and others are simple "laid back backyard" parties where the sunshine is the only decoration. Whatever you do DON'T forget to celebrate YOU and your graduation! T

 

his your time to shine so show off pictures of you from throughout the year. Don't forget your Senior pictures- whether it's the formal cap and gown shot or your casuals. Don't let this party become just another party: it's about you and celebrating your achievement and your road ahead.

 

Over on Pinterest I've created a board with tons of ways to display you and your accomplishments without being too "look at me! look at me!":  http://www.pinterest.com/sarahellephoto/grad-party-ideas/

 

(while you're there be sure to follow me on Pinterest so you can see all my ideas!)

How are you feeling now? A little less stressed? This is supposed to be a fun, exciting, CELEBRATION time! So use the links above to make things easier for you-- and don't forget, this is about YOU so celebrate you and use those awesome senior pictures to showcase just how great you are!

And if you're the party GOER be sure to check back next week when I link you to some AWESOME grad party gift ideas (budget friendly, too, since you probably have about 30 parties to go to in the next 2 months, right?!)

 

Best,
Sarah

 

Did I miss anything? Let me know what else you might need for your party in the comments below!

 

 

A Call to Action | Hampton Roads Business Owner

Hi!

Earlier this week I had a mini wake-up call. One I have not, admittedly, completely ingrained into my psyche yet-but I'm getting there. (Did I say "psyche?!" Yes.... it's that deep of a wake-up call I guess *sigh*)

 

On Monday my mentor pointed out a glaring issue in my business approach.

I have no long-term, purposeful, planned, movements.

Meaning I do what I want, when I feel like it, when I want to do it.

Don't get me wrong: I most certainly think things through before I do them and think long and hard before I commit to stuff. If you've met me you know I'm a control freak (which for the record I think is harsh title to carry, mkay?) so I never just JUMP into decisions and I usually need like 17.5 people's opinions and "okay's" before I commit to big things.

But what I realized (thanks to it being pointed out to me with a huge HELLO road sign convo with my mentor) was that I am listless. If I have free time I work. If I have 30 minutes I spend it planning out things on Pinterest (sometimes things I have NO date set for yet). If I have an afternoon I'll work on packaging or website or blogging or editing or or or or or. If I have 10 minutes I'll check in on facebook and try to respond to messages.

If I have time I will ALWAYS sit down to work on SOMETHING.

 

But I shouldn't be working on SOMETHING. I should be working with purpose. I should be working with direction and an end-goal.

 

Sure, editing a session has an end goal: when I send the images off to the smiling happy face of my client :)

But I do not set boundaries on myself with my work hours and I do not prioritize my work tasks.

This is changing. NOW.

With set time frames to do work I will be FORCED to prioritize my tasks.

Owning a business and being the sole employee for that business means there is ALWAYS something that can be done (hence why when I have a free second I have always been able to fill it with things for the business). This also means there is ALWAYS room for improvement on something or growth in some aspect of the business. Which translates into me ALWAYS thinking about what I can do with the few minutes I have waiting on my husband to be ready to head out the door (and what can you really do with just a few minutes?). 

 

But without direction it's like walking your dog in a field full of squirrels-- nothing gets done and you're off on this chase trying to keep your dog in line where in the end you're just tired and didn't accomplish anything (except maybe the dog had fun...).

  

So here I am. Committing to myself and my business that I will be purposeful with my time. I will be organized and goal-directed with my tasks. I will have planned out work time with specific tasks for those times each day (these planned work times will also include planned breaks-- because SURPRISE I also have trouble telling myself to breathe). And I will be intentional in my planning and execution of all things in my business.

First step: Purchase a year long wall calendar (dry erase because I don't like to be wasteful) so that I can plan out my business goals WAY in advance and therefore have every piece of work I do be purposeful towards that goal.

 

The time has come to get my act together and let my act(ions) have purpose! Here goes!

(Wish me luck!)

Best,
Sarah

Any ideas you have for staying focused and being purposeful in your actions? I'd love to hear them! Share them below in the comments!
 

What I ordered :)



Planning a Styled Shoot | Recap | Hampton Roads Stylized Portrait Photographer

Hi!

If you're reading this there's a good chance you saw the "Alice" blog post last week with all the pretty, warm, colorful images from the stylized shoot.

 

Since I did a 5 part series on planning the styled shoot (in case you missed one or two: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V) I thought it was only fitting to do a wrap up post on what I learned since shooting the session.

  

And OH BOY did I learn a LOT.

 Let me first start off by saying that no matter how prepared you think you are you will NEED to be flexible and know the definition of compromise- because things will not go as planned.

Don't get me wrong: things will be beautiful and incredible and a whole BUNCH of fun! But things are stressful- and everyone else involved does not live in your head- so you will need to be flexible and able to communicate your needs.

 

Let me tell you what, though: my team was freaking AWESOME. They were a BLAST to work with, they had fabulous ideas, and they were even interested in helping beyond their "roles" (e.g. my model's mom even offered to haul things in her van and helped clean up the entire set! Stuff she completely did NOT need to do at all- but my Sarah Elle Photography family is awesome like that!)

Ok, so things I learned after completing my very first solo styled shoot:

 

1. Have EVERYTHING ready to go at least 4 DAYS before the day of the shoot.

I had a few little things I needed to pick up the morning of the shoot and figured "hey, no big deal, I'll grab those in the a.m.- everyone isn't set to show up until late this afternoon anyway- no big deal!"

Despite being a planner, I somehow manage to continue to find ways to add stress to my life. Waiting to pick things up until the day of the shoot is one of those ways-- because guess what? While I was out getting those "few little things" I received a call that the furniture for the shoot was not going to be able to be dropped off as originally planned.

*cue the screeching tires on my "no big deal" morning*

I now had to find a way to get a vehicle big enough to haul furniture over to NORFOLK (remember my fear of the bridge tunnel?!?!) and back in time for hair and makeup that afternoon.

I won't bore you with a description of my trip over the water so fast forward a few hours and mission accomplished (thanks to the HUGE HEARTS of my ridiculously wonderful neighbors who let me commandeer their explorer the entire rest of the day).

  

But having everything with YOU days in advance will really help you the day of the shoot: you'll officially be prepared and will simply have to execute the set-up. Trust me this will alleviate large amounts of stress the day of your shoot. And anything to reduce stress levels is a big gold star in my book!

 

2. Have a bunch of helpers.
It's awesome when you've got a fabulous team of folks who are willing to help in any way they can but, for me personally, iIlike people to be able to enjoy themselves and not be overworked- so while I did have a designated helper that day one person was not enough. So don't be afraid to have multiple people on board to help out-- things will go faster, easier, and everyone will be able to have that much more fun with even more awesome people around!

This is also probably one of those times where having collaborated with a professional designer/event planner would have really made a difference!


3. Have the session at a location that can accommodate on-site hair and makeup.

I didn't realize how important this idea would be until the day of the shoot when I was running back and forth between the set location and hair and makeup. I can't be in two places at once. I tried. It doesn't work.
 

Having hair and makeup AT the set location means you can oversee the set-up of everything while still being accessible for your model and the rest of your team. Plus that means getting more done at once- and who doesn't love efficiency? You're being an awesome host to everyone and there to answer questions for your model and hair and makeup team while still directing and helping with the set-up of your set. Pretty great!

So, if you have the ability: choose a set location that can accommodate the model prep.

 

That's it. Those are three really BIG things I learned from the styled shoot. It was truly an incredible experience and a fantastic time. I love each person involved and truly could not have done it without them- so a huge THANK YOU to everyone involved (from my neighbors, to the model, to my model's mom, to Papa John's for delivering awesome pizza really fast, to my friend who helped that day, to the hair and makeup team, to the vendors, and to my husband for dropping everything to get me across the bridge and back in a really short period of time).

So what's stopping you? Get out there and plan your OWN styled shoot! Because I know with all the things I learned from this experience I'm definitely doing another one!

Which reminds me: what theme do you want to see next for a styled Senior session? Give me your ideas for what you want to see next in the comments below! If your theme gets chosen I may just need your help to plan it!

Best,
Sarah

Planning a Styled Shoot- Part I {Key Players} | Hampton Roads Stylized Portrait Photographer

Hi!

As I hope EVERYONE knows I am in the middle of planning my first SOLO STYLED SHOOT (it was one of my big 2014 SEP goals). I am BEYOND excited for this and also really nervous. The theme is set; the location is picked, vendors have been contacted; a model is on board- this is really happening (no pressure!)!!

About a fourth of the way through my initial planning steps I came across this awesome blog about planning a styled shoot written by the oh-so-talented and über sweet, Chelsea LaVere of Bit of Ivory Photography. Only problem was that I was already about A FOURTH of the way through my initial planning! haha

Since I clearly like to learn on the fly (aka the hard way) I decided I'd blog on the fly, too; so now I'm about to let you in on all the secrets I've learned thus far in planning my very first solo styled shoot :)

1. PICK A DATE

So, you have your brilliant theme in mind and are just dying to get the ball rolling and contact all those incredible vendors you've been eying for forever; right?

STOP.

No matter what you want to do next you absolutely must pick a date for your shoot, first. Trust me on this one. Get all your key players together first and pick the date for your shoot together. 

I'm about to promise something- and promises are HUGE to me so listen close- I PROMISE that every single person you want to work with (model, cake vendor, location, hair stylist, etc.) will not all be available on the same day. So pick who is most important to you- the MUST HAVES for your session- and pick a date that works with their schedules. These are your KEY PLAYERS.

Maybe it's your model. Have you been watching her work grow and evolve and you just love her personality and MUST work with her for the shoot? Pick your date with her.

Maybe it's your location. Has every single vision and dream you've had of your shoot been at this ONE location? Pick your date with them.

Or maybe it's your spouse who has graciously been "volun-told" to help set up and carry props to your location on the day of the shoot. Definitely pick your date with him/her.

Everything else you've dreamed up for your shoot will fall in to place around your date and it will be fantastic. Sure, some of the folks you hoped to work with may not be available- that's ok- you've already locked in your "KEY PLAYERS."

I've definitely had to learn this the hard way as I have planned this shoot. After I had finally realized certain folks were my "must haves" I came to the realization that I simply have to pick a date and stick to it; If anyone else I wanted to work with couldn't work with this confirmed date then I simply had to accept that we were not going to be able to work together on this particular shoot. That's ok. I'll plan more ;)

***

Another big reason having a confirmed date is important before moving forward with any other aspect? 

It makes you sound like you've got your ducks in order and a solid focus and way ahead when you go to talk to vendors, locations and other professionals about collaborating with you on your shoot. They have a business to run too and want to make sure they are working with someone who will represent them in the best light possible. Being able to go to a potential vendor with a solid plan and lay out your vision with an actual set date will go miles farther in building that relationship than "I'd like to work together on this idea I have but I don't have anything planned yet."

Fortunately, I had a very solid foundation going for my shoot before contacting  the vendors who I am working with for this shoot; otherwise, I'm not sure I would have had ANY response let alone the positive ones I've been receiving :) Being able to tell them a bit about my plans and goals for the shoot got them excited and interested in being a part of what I had planned- their excitement played off of my excitement and vice versa: now everyone is excited! haha

So there you are, Part I of my lessons learned the hard way while planning my first solo styled shoot: before you do anything else- pick your date!!

Who knows what lesson I'll have learned to share with you in Part II next week!

Best,
Sarah


a preview from my inspiration board for the shoot ;)