we were always the same height, we ran at the same pace (just fast enough not to get in trouble by our coaches… but slow enough to spill the details of yesterday during today’s run) she was always perfect- every hair in place, always smiling, always, always, concerned with others, and never far from the deepest laugh you’ve ever heard.  she was the saving grace and wisdom i needed often… i still count her as one of my dearest today.  Her name is Candace.  I call her Candy.

it’s a funny thing growing up in a small town.  especially a small, TEXAS town.  you learn a language that has to be experienced to understand.  i could have a conversation with an old friend that you wouldn’t understand two sentences of- without missing a thing.  candy and i have those conversations, and sometimes in complete silence…  our eyes can say it all- and speak  the same vernacular. i was working on a project yesterday and happened upon this image.  i haven’t really looked at it in a long time- i mean, REALLY looked at it.  i remember thinking-she looks like a queen.  she is destined for greatness, and she wants to be loved like a sacred treasure.  that is what she said with her eyes.

i love the image in black and white- it is probably one of my favorites of all time.  you may not see it- she may just look like a girl to you, but i can see in those eyes… those incredibly strong eyes- and those eyes change everything.

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i challenge you today to look around, open up the vault- take a step back into the things you love and cherish, and think about why? what is it that draws you in… tell your story… and share with us- leave a link and we will come visit you!

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oh sadie, you perfect little thing you… we had a great consult- dreamed up our afternoon of shooting… Sadie booked the room at the LaSalle – a little while later we checked in and were blown away at the beautiful diffused light and perfectly funky details.  Sadie, you are a force- thanks for trusting my eye- you are beautiful.  **full album product info to come featuring this crazy collection- there were more fantastic images that i could have dreamed… i can’t wait for you to see the rest!

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for inspiration for ALL KINDS OF PACKAGING… check out the lovely package... it features beautiful designs and out of the box thinking… one of my FAVS.

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get ready for mind blowing ideas… the dieline is where it’s at.

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oh, my goodness… i can’t tell you the depths of my love for packaging.  it’s so true.  i judge books by covers & products by packaging.  guilty as charged.

there is something so special about receiving a gift, or purchasing something that is wrapped with care… it makes your investment seem solidified.  you know, like your investment has value.

this is an important part of my business- while i don’t always do a great job- most of the time (did i really admit publicly to not ALWAYS doing this? yes, i did… sometimes clients are rushed, orders are rushed, and not every single detail is perfect… but , perfection is the goal)

2011 is going to be a really fun  year for Shauna Maness Photography- I will have been back in America for over a year and decided how exactly i want to nail down some really important business details- packaging is one of them.

i’ve been researching like a MAD WOMAN!!  i can’t tell you how many times i’ve googled things like Natural Corrugated-out Gift Boxes, Premium Gift Boxes, lay flat paper storage, print boxes, photography storage boxes, presentation folders, trifold folders….

the list goes on, and on, and on, and on… a long the way i’ve had to stop and send emails to photographer friends who’s branding would lend itself perfectly to some of my findings… still, no perfect match for me.

why is packaging so important.?? there are more reasons that could be shared in this small post… so i’ll share one of my favorite articles from Design*Sponge biz ladies: how to design the perfect packaging if you don’t follow the biz ladies series… and you are a biz lady, i would suggest you check out the archives, there is a HOST of information, and while it’s not geared specifically to photography it will help with any business.

DNL Photo

there products are beautiful and come in several really great colors!  they sale to everyone and offer wholesale prices to businesses… um… thank you, thank you DNL!

they make my mind race with possibilities!

another great industry packaging company is marathon press- they have custom design options, photographer designed options, and basic color pre-produced options… i love there square box options (they would be great for albums and float wraps!) their website is a bit confusing- you kind of have to hunt for products, but they are great when you find them!  here are a few of my favs!

there are a lot of really great websites that have endless assortments of boxes, tissue, cards, envelopes, raffia, and wrapping paper- a few of my favorites are:

http://www.paper-source.com

here are a few really great packaging ideas- i hope you enjoy crushing on them!  i’ll post a “how to customize your packaging post” soon.  for now… dream up the most beautiful gift you could receive… and then deliver it to your clients and friends!!

one of the FAVORITES i found was this green packaging option… complete with a vendor list for sale for $25! (and Caroline Ghetes is donating every penny to missions… how sweet is that?) so, don’t want to spend a month doing research? want to choose completely green options for your studio… CRUSH ON THIS!! there are more stunning images on her blog… thank you google for such accurate finds!!!  i love all the detail and information Caroline provides for her client… fantastic!

***the following is shared from the original post… but there are many more images there, so go check them out!

So here’s kind of an overall look of the finished product. The shopping bag is a 100% recycled Euro Tote.

A little peek at the envelope which contains the reproduction release & lab recommendations.

Inside the photo proof box. The box is 100% biodegradable.

Another look at the outside of the photo proof box all wrapped up.

I hand-stamped my logo on this really neat handmade paper.

beautiful packaging from Sweet Lala Photography down under in Melbourne soooo beautiful!! doesn’t it just ooze gentle, sweet, precious little babies?

would you like a gillion ideas? along with how to’s?

man, this CRUSH is going to rock your world!

photographer or just sweet gift giver…

check out paperie boutique for all the inspiration you could possibly take!

AS IF YOU NEEDED ONE LAST THING:

the mother of all things packaging…

and the father for that matter-

great colors, BEAUTIFUL BOXES…

and anything else you need without having to order 100 of them…

i know… so small… what can this one little click do? if you are looking for the thing you can’t find… it’s here… at least that’s where i found it!!

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i went to great lengths… and now, i have a signed model release… so i can share with you the little faces that have stolen our hearts- and i plan too… but for now- this is all you get   we have been on a roller coaster at the Maness house.

Literally, up, down, over, under, around, into, and upside down… every emotion- insane thoughts, and in the end… GRACE.  how thankful i am for grace.

we are heading out for a much needed family break- off to celebrate my sweet niece’s birthday and enjoy lots and lots of pool side sun.

i hope you have a great weekend, business will be as usual (if that is even possible in our lives now) monday, so the 200+ emails that i have will be tackled then.

much love folks!!

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there are businesses on almost every corner- and the corners that don’t have them yet have a sign out front willing to sell to someone who is willing to pay top dollar for that corner.

we spend money daily.

a lot of us spend a lot of money daily.

most of that green is gone forever once that pin number is typed or that signature is ok’d.

there are a few things  that last.

photography is one of those things.

i wrote a happy check today.

the kind of check that when you place in someone’s hand it is going to last you a looong time.

in this case, generations will be thankful for this investment.

my happy check will bring joy for generations!!

how often can you say that?

what do you invest in on a yearly basis (heck, i’ll take out monthly… think about your entire year!!) what will you invest in this year that will last for generations?

have you invested this year?

we write a happy “photography” check whenever the seasons in life change… for us, it seems to be about once or twice year.

a lot has been changing lately… so we called up Beth and wrote a happy check!

the images she captured are priceless- truly of the utmost value to me.

i’m really wracking my brain here, trying to think about other things in life that last like photography… but really- what do you have of your grandmother’s?

her china,

her silver,

and her photographs.

just some thoughts for you…  i can’t post all of my favorites (because sadly our family is kind of under secret service protection… not really… but i can’t show you are babies because of all of the “foster” rules)  so, it’s just me… with one of the cutest little people on the world cropped out.  Beth, you did such an incredible job… i’m going to make the coolest book *and share a DIY tutorial!  you have given me the most precious thing… your gifts are beyond words.

**will you please say a prayer for our family… there is a lot going on and we could really, really use your prayers!! thanks so much!!

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we (as in our family) have a photo shoot planned for tomorrow (see, even i hire photographers!)  i am super excited and can’t wait to see how it all comes together… i have lots of fun ideas planned!  (please, pray the sun shines at 6!!)

this is the first time that i have actually had to plan outfits for more people than brandon and me!  so, with three little people to dress and coordinate, i took one hour this evening and conquered the stress that is figuring out what to wear!!

here is how i did it… and how i suggest you do it too!

FIRST: MAMA PICKS HER OUTFIT FIRST! seriously, if you feel incredible, you will look incredible, AND be able to handle whatever the session brings- so, you pick an outfit that you look like a million bucks in, and then dress your family around you!

SECOND: DON’T OVER DO THE OUTFIT CHANGES! when there are little kids involved they really can’t handle 37 outfit changes.  2 is usually a great number for a one hour session… keep in mind you will need changing time- if you have a two hour session you might be able to squeeze in three… but you don’t want to tick off your models… i promise you will be happier with really great shots in two outfits than shots of a ticked off kiddo in a really great outfit.

THIRD: STAY IN THE SAME FAMILY! now that you know you don’t need 37 outfits, keep it simple, and in the same color family- there is a big myth that you need to stay away from prints and textures, i say… bring on the prints and textures!  it adds to the rich quality of your images… just pick a staple color family and stay within that- pants and all.  you don’t want to have all of these great warm colors in shirts and sweaters and drop the ball with the pants, make sure your denim washes are in the same family too.  when you are looking at images you are drawn to, 9 times out of 10 that have intentional clothing pieces on… so, be intentional!

FOURTH:  BE SMART! pick the most difficult outfit to shoot first if you have kiddos, they will be glad to be out of it and happy to change into a more comfortable outfit, reverse the order and you might just tick off your little mini model.  your photographer can pick a location based on your outfit… really, they can…and would probably like to, so keep in mind outfit order can really help the flow of a session.

FIFTH:  KEEP IN MIND THE END RESULT make sure that the clothing and colors you choose for your clothing are colors you will want on display in your house.  the intention of creating heirlooms is to enjoy them!  so, make sure that the colors work with your decor.  it goes back to being intentional- keep in mind you will become the ART- so the patterns and color selections you make should mirror your personal style- not the sale at the department store. (you might save a few dollars, but it might cost you the cohesive look you could really enjoy through out the year!!)

well, that’s it… my what to wear revisited!  i hope this helps you as you make your selections!!

here is a look into my dining table… two outfits… and a dilema on my shirt… what to wear, what to choose… decisions, decisions!!

here are some really well thought out selections from some of my super star clients:

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i have known them all my life.  well, brittany anyway- Cody came around a little later,  so i guess you could say i’ve known him for many, many seasons of life.  they were smitten from the start.  she is beautiful- the kind of beautiful that radiates and makes you wonder how someone so beautiful can have no idea how beautiful they really are. there is no one like him.  he is a force of a man.  kind, loving, HI-LA-RI-OUS, and always, always himself… no matter who the company is.  when i think of them, i think of the idea of getting married young.  most people these days shake their head at it- warn people they need to grow up first, & experience life… Brittney and Cody are proof that life can be lived together from the start- and the bond that comes from learning life lessons together is hard pressed to be broken.  they have a sweet little one… her name is Sammi Jay.  they have another little one of the way- this collection tells the story of the coming one, the bond that is so sweetly holds together the family of 3+1, and the fun they always have as a family.

this post will focus on Sammi Jay… and the joy that she exudes.

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talk about a brave lady.

she taught me to clean as i cook (um… i think i’ve forgotten that one, or gotten really used to brandon doing that for me)

to understand a recipe, but my tastes as well- and to go with my taste in the end.

i grew up eating simple food- simple southern food.

i learned in college that most of what i cooked was “poor folks food”… but i always thought we ate like kings (or at least nobles of some sort!)

through out college i cooked my family staples for roommates, neighbors, friends, and family- loving every single dish.

and really, now that i look back- thinking my likes were pretty versatile.

enter- Duetschland.

when brandon and i moved to Germany we made a commitment to enjoy the culture, eat the food, drink the spirits, and love the people.

i never said no to a bite of anything that was passed my way.

and i meticulasly went through every variety of bread, cheese, and unknown anything that i found at the market.

there were many times i had to write down the German word and then go home and google the translation so i would actually know what i was eating.

there was an hour a day that an american cooking show came on and i watched it every chance i got.

brandon left for Iraq three weeks after my arrival, so i had a lot of time on my hands.

aside from the apparent food differences in the southern food i was accustomed to eating and cooking there was another factor of experience that i hadnn’t counted on.

there were americans living in Germany from all over North America- and many had lived many other places in the world.

i will never forget the first thanksgiving dinner i shared with a group of 14 women who’s husbands were also in iraq- hosted by a Amy and Dave, a sweet couple living in Germany- we all brought a “family favorite”- i brought chantilly rice (it’s a holiday must i will share this holiday season) and “beans in a blanket” (green beans wrapped in bacon covered with brown sugar and bacon… i know, right?… sweet goodness!!)- i was so looking forward to the dressing and turkey (i hadn’t ever made the dressing in my mama’s kitchen, that was HER job) i arrived to find a strange white/pale concoction that was called dressing- when i asked what was in it- i was appauled to discover that “people up north” use white bread in their dressing- WHAT, NO CORNBREAD? i had a spoonful of everything and loved hearing why each dish was a must for their holiday celebration.  i realized then every single dinner i would share would be an adventure in food.

i was asked a hundred different times “do you eat…? have you ever had…? don’t you love…?”  more times than not, i had never even tasted what was so enjoyed by many.  i quickly adopted the phrase, “actually, i’ve never had that, but i’ll try anything!”

my world was changed forever.

every village, cafe, trip, resteraunt, afternoon drive, morning coffee, trip to the market, walk downtown- was filled with flavors that would change the way we ate forever.

i began to love, enjoy, respect, and consider food in a whole new light.

the foods and tastes that i’ve come to cherish come from every corner of the globe.

everywhere we went we tried something new- most of the time i would ask the owner of the resteraunt (you can do this in small villages, because most of the time they are at a table with their friends and some vino) what they had for dinner… and i would ask for that.   more times than not my plate wasn’t even on the menu.

one particular trip my girlfriends and i took to a little island called Sardegna- we ate a beautiful little restaraunt on the wall of the island- i asked the waitor what i should have… he excitedly declared “Pescado! it was in the ocean this morning, and will be on your plate tonight!” the girls with me had spaghetti bolognese- (spaghetti with meatsauce) and i knew some kind of fish was coming to my plate that was swimming earlier- and it would be served with a spicy pasta dish- my dish was filled with muscles, scallops, squid (never had that before!), and all kinds of other creatures- it was HEAVENLY. i would never had ordered it if that man would have described it in english- NEVER.

one of my favorite, FAVORITE parts of living/cooking in Germany for four years was the market- fresh, organic, natural, in season, beautiful produce every single day- and poultry and meat that you wouldn’t even believe.  i will never forget the first time i cooked chicken from the market- i had never smelt anything like that.  needless to say- it had a little bit of room to roam about while it was still clucking.

when we moved back to America i had a really tough time- as in REALLY TOUGH TIME.

i almost had a nervous breakdown in HEB- really, a little lady stopped to see if i was ok.

i still go to the grocery store very little and know exactly what i’m going to get when i get there- but something has happened to me.

in one year.

(it’s been a year exactly since we got back)

i’ve settled.

i’ve gotten really lazy.

i’ve started cooking faster meals for my family- instead of the slow ones that i learned to love so dearly.

i grab ingredients i need instead of taking the time to see what is there, in season, and making a dish around what is freshest.

i’ve forsaken my compost pile- and wasted more than i have in the last 5 years of my life.

yuck.

we spent the day at my mama’s today and she cooked a feast- and not typical southern feast either- you see, her horizon’s have been expanded as well- and as she dives into new flavors- she shares them with us- as any sweet mama would do.

as i poured over the greatest green beans, the best roasted potato salad i’ve ever had, and pork loin (now that i not something i would never order), and a wonderful salad (with fresh, homemade dressing)- i was reminded of how much i love food- and how great it is to put though, love, and care into the dishes that you prepare.

i watched the food network, poured over cook books, cooking magazines, and new ideas- and thought to myself- i can change this.  i can get back to this.

i watched Gourmet’s diary of a foodie as i folded laundry and decided that tomorrow i would cook a great meal- i think it might be a funny combo of “poor folks food” and German cuisine- i’m sure my crew will love it.

all of this is really stirring ideas in me after disovering baked bree cooking blog i am beside myself.  i can’t wait to look through her archives… the photography and styling is fantastic- and let me tell you- i don’t know if you have ever tried to photograph as you cook- step-by-step… it’s a job!!  she does a brilliant job and eats pretty fantastic food- so i can’t wait to check it all out.  i hope you do too… and enjoy it!

i just realized i just wrote about food for way too long… now my stomach is growing… vicious cycle!

here is to the beauty of food… and to sweet people who share how they make things look so great!! (this image is from the photography page of her the Baked Bree Blog!)

if you would like to read a blog about local farming, natural, and healthy living- check out the Yonderway Farm site- Ironically my city-girl college roommate (who i served deep fried everything with potato’s and cheese to almost daily) is the wife of a Farmer (who happens to be and old friend to brandon and me… i know… it’s a long, sweet story) they are raising grass fed pork, beef, chicken, and gardening for a village- i learn a TON from Lynsey- if you are interested… check out How they roll over at Yonderway Farms!

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Panasonic DMC-LX3

it’s pretty much perfect. (well, except, it’s not waterproof)

you can shoot fully manual (very importanta to me!) and the aperture opens up to f2.0 at 24mm!

wide angle + shallow depth of field = love.

so, this is the camera my mama has (because she asked what she should get and i told her this one) and i’m debating on getting  a waterproof camera and then trading her, when i need this one- but then the problem will be, of course, that when i have one, i will need the other.  i don’t two point and shoot cameras because i’m psycho about exposure.  it’s sad, this dilemma i’m in.

i need the camera maker people to come up with this camera and seal it so that i can get splashed without freaking out.

this honestly feels a little silly- because to be perfectly honest,  you could have 5 of these cameras for the cost of a single lens in my bag- so it seams a little silly to fret about it- but i am, i don’t want to throw away cash on something that won’t work for us… so help a sister out and tell me what you know!!

here are the waterproof guys i’m looking at-

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2

Pentax Optio W90

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5

they all have their pretty nifty specs.

none of them as “spec”tacular (seriously, did i just type that?) as the first…

what to do!??

big fun, family adventure coming next weekend, so i want a great camera…

i’m halfway tempted to just bring my mark II and just get a water camera for fun-

have you guys ever jacked your camera up around your kiddos? or have they?

i’m a little frightened!!

thoughts?

come of friends, speak up- i know you’re there

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