Jessica and Taylor on the blog

It was so hot the day that Jessica and Taylor had planned for their wedding, but it was also so beautiful and the sun was shining so brightly. I got the privilege to go and photograph two people so very much in love that day at Sugar Grove Carriage House in Oak Grove KY. (http://www.sugargrovecarriagehouse.com/)  It was a beautiful scene with a barn to host a beautiful reception. The bride's grandmother had made the bride maids' dresses and her mother-in-law had made her dress from the ground up. Jessica looked radiant as she walked down the aisle to marry her best friend, Taylor. I don't think I've ever seen anybody smile more that day then those two. Thank you for letting me come and be part of your special day!

Summer....come and gone

Well, summer has come and gone and I haven't kept up with my blog :( but I have been very busy :)  Between weddings and newborns and family photos, life has been very full. Yesterday I got to meet with a bride and her future mother-in-law and future husband, and let me tell you I'm so looking forward to photographing their wedding. It's gonna be a blast! We get to be out at Sugar Grove, here in Hopkinsville, and it is beautiful! So, I'm off to edit wedding photos, but drop on by and say hi! When was the last time you photographed anything????

Sticker Shock over Prices

Do you have a digital camera? Do you take photos of things..family, fun, friends on a regular basis? Most people in the US now have the means to have a good digital camera, most starting at only $60, and be able to print photos from Wal-Mart or Walgreens or ShutterFly for very little a print. We are talking as little as $0.10 a print, and they get sticker shock when they look at a professional photographer's website and see the cost of a 4x6.

Would you go to a salon and ask the hairdresser what brand of scissors rocks her world, go purchase them and then assume the world thinks you are a professional hairdresser just because you have the same as her? Then why would you assume everybody with a black DSLR with a flash is a professional?

I have a very specific skill set. As a professional wedding photographer, I know when to expect things at weddings, looks that parents give their daughters when she is about to become a Mrs., looks brides give their handsome grooms. Over the years I've learned that what is most important is maintaining a professional appearance, without anyone remembering I was there.

Why are your photos so expensive? I have based my pricing on my area, we are not a large metropolitan area like Nashville. We are a wonderful community in beautiful Southern Kentucky.  I want families to offer families a chance to make an investment in their photos. Would you go and have barber drill your teeth?

Don't you get your photos printed at Walgreens? As a professional, I do not go to Wal-Mart, Walgreens, or Shutterfly to print those oh so important photos. I go to a company that offers higher quality control, beautiful papers and custom framing with any order I place.

Why can't I preview my photos like they do at large chain store's photo studio right after I get them taken?  As a professional, most of the photos I take are outside, and my camera is not plugged into a tower with preset sizes and layouts to offer 1 photo per sheet.  What I do offer is quality control, time invested in your family, and a chance to have your photos taken with a lot of artistic freedom. Have you ever noticed that every large chain stork studio print looks cramped and every family from certain years always have the same backgrounds? Don't you want your family photos to be as original as you are?

Helping you create memories one photo at a time.

xoxo

Cindy
www.photosmithsphotography.com

Is it in focus?

As a photographer, I've seen good photos and bad photos posted by "professional" photographers on Facebook, and even their own websites and all the while people are oohing and aahing over bad photos. When I first started out, my most important critic was my husband and he would never let me get away with putting fuzzy out of focus photos on my website for my clients to review. I was reviewing a friends photos she had professionally taken, and well I was disapointed for her that the "professional" had hidden a lot of her flaws with black and white and even posted out of focus photos.  As a photographer myself, if my photos are not tack sharp, they don't get the time of day I could be putting towards other more deserving photos. Don't you deserve a photographer who takes the time to make sure your photos are wonderfully in focus, and can be blown up to a 20x24 gallery print size if you want it to, without it looking fuzzy?

I hope you take the time to invest in a photographer who knows how to properly operate her/his equipment and software, as well as takes the time to not to post bad photos of you to Facebook or their portfolio.
xoxo,

Cindy
www.photosmithsphotography.com
Proud member of OPLOVE

I've joined OpLove!!!!

.

I've been thinking and thinking about how I can give back to my military community, we have lived near Fort Campbell, KY for the past 11 years and have seen many many deployments. I have see our army come and our army go, and each time it is heart wrenching to see children tell their dads bye, and wives kiss their husbands that are meant to last a minimum of a year. So with the help of OpLove, I hope to bring some of the financial burden off of our great army community, and help them with photos of their loved ones. How wonderful is is going to be to help a deserving military family capture photos of their love for one another. I hope you will take advantage of this great offer, and not let the fear of cost keep you from creating memories, one photo at a time.

xoxo,

Cindy Smith
PhotoSmiths Photography
Hopkinsville, KY

Oh the things...

Oh the things that a mother does not see when she has her back turned on her little kids. I decided to photograph my mobile office today, aka my mini-van, and this is one of the photos that I caught,

When you where a kids what did you do in the back seat of your parent's car? I remember on long road trips, we would count the different license plates that passed us as we traved from our little home town to visit a family friend in D.C. or we would play the different color car game. My sister would always pick purple, because that was her favorite color. Me, I would pick red :) and always I would let her win, even though there might be no puple cars out there, but because I loved her.

Encourage your children to turn off the iPods, put down the PSPs, and look out the window. You will never know what they might see if they just look. Happy travels!

Five reasons why you should never skimp on wedding photography.

tLet’s face it. Weddings are so expensive. I’m all about finding ways to save money, and there are lots of ways you can do so. But if you only splurge on one thing for your wedding, LET IT BE PHOTOGRAPHY.  Why? Because its true! If you live in southern Kentucky, chances are you know someone who is a “photographer” and its tempting to hire them for cheap or even have them shoot your wedding as a wedding gift to you to save money, but hear me now and believe me later, DON’T DO IT!!!

Here’s why:

1. You will not get this chance again.
This is your wedding, a day little girls have looked forward to since their first glimpse of Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. Where else will a large family gathering be? Think of those photos you want to capture, like with your great-grandmother or even your mom. Those moments will be gone in a blink of an eye, so capture them while you have time.  Wouldn't you want to invest in memories for you and your children and your future grandchildren? Invest in memories that will carry down through the generations.

2. It’s not just for you, its for everyone who loves you.
Your day will last forever, via photos. And think of all the family who couldn't make it, share your wonderful day with them with a great wedding photographer's work. It will help them feel like they were there if they are shown excellent work that bursts with excitement and love and care for your wedding day.

3. A wedding photographer can anticipate what will happen next.
This is why you should not only get a great photographer, you should get a great wedding photographer. A wedding photographer can tell you exactly what is going to happen next, and if they are really god, they can anticipate those extra special moments that normally Uncle Bob won't think to capture. Wedding photographers know how to work a crowd, without being part of it.

4. A great photographer can turn an ordinary wedding into an extraordinary wedding.
When you are on a budget, a good photographer can make your wedding photos look like you spent at least 2xs the amount you did. They turn your wedding into something graceful, and makes it pop with effort to capture those special moments.

5. If it doesn’t turn out well, you don’t want to have hard feelings with a friend.
If you have a friend take your wedding photos, they might get side tracked, because they are the "photographer" and take control of your wedding day, not letting you enjoy your time with family and friends. Instead of working, they are there are friends, and want to be part of the inner circle, when they should be looking in, and seeing that the day is not about you and them, but just about you. They might get a little upset when you tell them, back off, or they might get upset when 3 months down the road you are asking where are your photos at. Remember cheap or free = no motivation to get the job done quickly, especially when a paying gig comes up.

So how much does a great wedding photographer cost in South West Kentucky? This depends on what all is included. Some photographers quote their rates for shooting only, while others quote packages that include both shooting and prints, albums, digital images, etc. When you are researching photographers you should keep this in mind and make sure you are comparing apples to apples with regard to pricing. That being said, I know a couple of great photographers whose coverage starts around $1,000, but you should not be startled at a base price of $3,500 either. Sure that’s a lot of money, but what you get in return is priceless.

A Double giveaway for Photographers :)

Wouldn't you love to win something? I know I would, so I'm blogging today about an awesome giveaway I found on FB.

It's from Pamela Topping. She is giving away a trench bowl, which is great for newborn photo shoots, a very cute Camera Love Necklace on Leather Cord. And last but not least Rockstar Actions for Photoshop & PSE!

I know I want them :)  Love Love Love it!

{C} Family in the spotlight.

I got to work with a wonderful family today. Staff Sergeant Conway had just gotten home from his depolyment, and you can tell how much his family loves him. They were such a fun family to work with, even though it started raining about halfway through their session.

Thank you for your service SSG Conway, and thank you Julie for being such a strong wife and mother while he was deployed.

40/365

We got to participate in our local library's reading program today, and when we got to the craft time, my youngest was excited that he got to paint! I love being able to go to our library and my kids always have a great time when we go.

If you haven't checked our your library you really should go :) 

Playing catch UP...

Photos... getting caught up

What do you do with a sick little boy on a snow day???? You feed him chicken noodle soup and keep him extra warm. :)

Awesome Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cups egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

The Joys of Yarn

In the number of years I've been married, I've never really wanted to learn how to crochet or knit. My dear mother-in-law, she is an awesome crocheter (she can whip out things that should be sold for $100s of dollars in just a few weeks). She has always wanted me to learn how to crochet, and well, it took my sister-in-law getting ready to have a little girl, to get me on the band wagon.

At first I thought it would be really tough, and didn't really understand all the lingo that goes with crocheting.  But little by little and stitch by stitch, I learned how to SC, HDC, DC FDC, BDC and just about everything else you could throw at me. I go so excited, I finally mastered the cute little pilot eared hats and those cute little bear ear hats.

Now I can do diaper covers!! And baby sacks, I'm so excited :) :) :) So now anytime I need a photo prop that requires me to crochet, well, I can do it with little to no problem.
So what has your joy of yarn been today?

1 thing you didn't know about yarn: Did you know that it takes six miles of yarn to make one t-shirt?

:)

21/365 : Got 50?

Do you have a 50mm lens in your bag of tricks? I do and ever so often I pull it out and it is wonderful.  But the 50 is not always the best lens at medium or long distances. It will not bring the subject in, and when shooting objects that are far away, well, you look like you've never picked up a camera before.
If you are able to get close enough to your object , you can take advantage of that shallow depth of field and get pretty creative with your subjects.
Shooting in tight, you’ll have the same soft background effect as if you were shooting with a telephoto, only you can tackle subjects that are much closer than most telephoto lens can handle.
The 50 can focus on subjects that are about as close as 1 foot away, and with depth of field diminishing the closer you get, you can create some dramatic imagery. I love taking out the 50 for my detailed wedding ring shots, it adds so much detail to the shot, without being over done.
So if you don't have one, invest in one (Ebay has them starting around $50), and take it out and play with it, get to know it, love it.

Yummm, yeasty goodness

Quick Yeast Rolls

Recipe by: Thelma Brewster, my dear husband's grandmother

1 package dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)

2 T sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg

2 T shortening

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl.  Add sugar, salt, egg, shortening and 1 cup flour.  Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour; continue beating until smooth, scrape batter from side of bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled. (about 1/2 hour).  Stir down batter and spoon into greased muffin tins (or greased cookie sheet spreading them out about 2 inches apart).  Let rise until double again (about 1/2 hr), preheat oven to 400, and bake about 12-15 minutes.

This recipe was so easy to make, and the rolls turned out beautifully!!

18/365 For Elliot

When did dinosaurs live?

Dinosaurs lived on the earth a very long time ago. They are all dead now.They were the biggest land animals to ever live upon the earth. When dinosaurs lived, there were not a lot of  people yet.


 
Were there many kinds of dinosaurs?

There were hundreds of different kinds of dinosaurs. We know what dinosaurs looked like from their skeletons. Scientists have studied the bones and have learned many things, but we still don't know everything about them, only God does.
 


Did all the kinds of dinosaurs live at the same time?

We know that all the different kinds of dinosaurs didn't live at the same time. One kind would die out, and another kind would develop.

 
Did dinosaurs lay eggs?

Dinosaur babies were hatched from eggs. Some dinosaurs lived in families. The parents took care of and raised the children. There were very large dinosaurs and very small ones.


 
What did dinosaurs eat?

Some dinosaurs were vegetarians, eating only plants. Animals that eat only plants are called "herbivores." They were peaceful animals. One plant-eating species was the Barosaurus. It had a very long neck, so it could reach high into the tree tops and eat the tender young leaves. Even trees fifty feet tall were not safe from these huge animals.

Soon after, smaller plant eating dinosaurs roamed the earth. One kind was the Iguanodon. It ate low-growing ferns and bushes. The vegetarian dinosaurs had cutting, puncturing and grinding teeth for eating plants.
Some of the larger dinosaurs had weak teeth, so they swallowed their plants without chewing them. They also had wide mouths for gathering leaves, and big cheeks to hold large mouthfuls of food. They had little claws on their toes, to rip down tough leaves.

Other dinosaurs were meat-eaters, or "carnivores." Some traveled in packs and hunted smaller dinosaurs. They had sharp, jagged teeth to tear and bite. They had sharp claws, with one large talon on each foot. The talon was as long as five inches, and was used for slicing into the flesh of the animal to be eaten.

One of the meat-eating dinosaurs was the Deinonychus. It was only about ten feet tall, but was a ruthless hunter.

Some of the meat-eaters probably hunted alone. Tyrannosaurus rex was the biggest carnivore ever to walk the earth. It was as tall as a two-story building, and had teeth up to seven inches long. Other carnivores ate their own kind, making them "cannibals."
 
We will never know everything about the dinosaurs, only God knows all about them. Have you researched the facts about dinos today?

Snow Day

15/365 .... one photo a day keeps the....

So, how do you pick what to photograph on what day? I try to remember that there is life outside of my customers, so I really have to concentrate on what to photograph. Today I focused on one of my best friends, my dog. She is all of 3 1/2 and she is a great buddy just to hang out with, and if you are cold an awesome heat blanket (which only weighs 75 lbs).

We usually remember to photograph important things, like kids birthdays, lost teeth and sporting events and family vacations, but what about everyday life?

Sometimes I wish I had a camera with me, instead of leaving it at the house in my camera gear, when I see something truly great. Or if there is somebody I really would like to meet, and create a memory with by taking a photo, and all I have is my little 3mp camera phone :( I really hate letting a great opportunity pass me up just for the fact I don't have my camera.

So what has caught your eye today?

Something great created by your child?

Love and laughter between siblings? 

A loving parent who when they pass, we wish we had taken more photos of them?

A love in your life, even though you are busy, you never make time to take a couple's photo?

An inspirational Bible verse?

A loved pet?

Yourself?

There are many things we can photograph, we just have to take that leap and do it.

Happy Photoing :)

How much do you love the smell of fresh bread? With butter? and jelly? I got to make 5 loaves today for my family, and they loved it :) Yummy onion-herb bread for ham sandwiches and white bread to go with your peanut butter and jelly. There is nothing better than fresh bread out of the oven.

Photo project 365: #13

This happens to be my favorite bird, a Eastern Blue Bird (found in Western KY). I got to see 3 of them today, and if we are lucky, we will get a mating pair in our little blue bird box (try saying that 5 times fast), at the back of our yard. Sunny skies, blue birds, life is great!!

12/365

Can you imagine how short I felt (well shorter than I am already) when I stood next to this very old tree in our backyard? I love this tree, it provides shade in the summertime, and doesn't block out God's warming sun in the wintertime.

10/365

 I love the colors :) Isn't is so simple to please a child when you are only 7 or 8? Usually you can get out just plain paper and crayons, and they have a blast for at least a while. I love them even more now, because my children can create works of art with just a new little drawings.

So what have you photographed today?

9/365

What have you photographed today? How about some cuteness? I've gotten on a streak where I'm making baby caps :) and this is where I'm at so far, not bad going from a know nothing about crocheting to caps in about 15 minutes for the simple ones :)

And they lived Happily ever after

And they lived oh so happily ever after.

Who's your team?

In honor of a friend's wedding day tomorrow, his favorite team colors. Can you guess who?

Fishing Around

Gone Fishing, will return on Monday ;)

Blocked???

Back home in Virginia there is a little town called Chilhowie, and this was one of the last stamped blocks from the Chilhowie Block company.

It has traveled through 4 states and 16years to finally stand guard at my flower garden, to protect it from three very roudy little boys and their big dog :)

I love where I grew up it, and I love that I have a little piece of "back home" with me everywhere I move to.

Friday Night Games

Oh what the love of a child will make you do.

When you use to go and party

now, the party comes to you

in the form of little men that you get

to walk around a board.

Oh what the love of a child will make you do,

forget the high heels

and makeup.

Bring on the dice,

and share a night

off the town

with the ones you love.

Valentine's Day Mini Session