oh, to have as much time on my hands as the hackers seem to.

I suppose it wouldn't be a Friday unless I had to fight off hackers, spammers, spoofers and otherwise technology-compromising idiots. It seems that my email account has been hacked somehow, and also my Contact Page from the main website is not sending my inquiries to me.   If you have contacted me recently and I have not returned your call or email, please contact me right away at 727.698.0344.  I assure you I want to hear from you! :)  Also, if you've received any kind of funky email from an address similar to mine, you can go ahead and delete that too, as I probably didn't write it in the first place. It goes against my Southern/Country upbringing to just ignore someone who is talking to you.  And it pains me to have people assume I'm doing just that ~ cyber-ignoring you.  ;)  Hopefully today it will be resolved, however I don't know if I will ever gain access to the contact details contained within the emails I've missed.  *sigh*

It amazes me what people will do with their precious time.  Where are the internet police?!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to find my superhero cape once again (the one I shoved into the closet) and do some rear-kicking. I will return! And with lots of sneak peeks too ~ so don't go away!

ETA: my incoming and outgoing email seems to be back on track for the moment... and I think we've fixed the Contact Form on my website going forward.  What's gone seems to be gone, however.  In that vein, I would like to apologize for the dozens of interested clients who must have had no other choice but to think I was being unfriendly or unresponsive to their email inquiry during that time.  Oh, how my heart sank when I was able to weed through the error messages and spam/spoof attempts to find so many garbled emails and bouncebacks.  And not a stitch of return contact info.  :(  Tomorrow is a new day!

my "resignation" of sorts

Today my 2010 begins anew.  Forget January and all its mess.  Today I begin again, and on the right foot this time.  Many changes are taking effect today, including my resignation of Manager of the Universe.  ;)  Apparently, I had taken that title on all by myself, without thinking to ask Him for it in the first place.  And what I found out (the hard way), what this:  that particular job was never mine, nor was the position ever open to begin with.  It was already filled, thankfully, by Someone much more clever and wise than I am, or ever thought I was. I've realized, finally, that I do not have to "do it all myself" for my work to be valid and important.  I do not have to be all things to all people, nor do folks probably even expect that of me.  I am allowed to have help in raising my children (in addition to my husband, I mean!).  It's okay that Lila has a wonderful, loving babysitter throughout the day or goes to a trustworthy, enriching in-home daycare instead of being attached to my hip all day long.  (Although I do think she was learning Photoshop from all the time she spent on my lap here in front of my monitor!)  She will learn from her new experiences and most likely have a blast with the other kids in the meantime.  And that is certainly more valuable than having a stressed-out mama who is trying to stretch herself to the limit and do it all for her.

I'm allowed to have help in running my business.  I can delegate and teach someone else to do some of the things I do, and my business might just blossom from the extra freedom (and time!) I will have to be more creative.  It's okay for me to let go of my need for control and let other people assist with certain things.  I do not need to do it all alone in order to be a wonderful Mama, the perfect wife, an amazing photographer or ideal sister/daughter/granddaughter/friend.

So if you think that I'm less of a photographer if your prints are ultimately matted and wrapped by an assistant instead of by me personally, or that my husband (God love him) delivers your print order to your home (or takes it to the post office for me)... or if you think that I'm not as dedicated of a mother if my 5-year-old is in Kindergarten and I still don't have my 19-month old here at home with me every day (truthfully, I'm getting a lot more accomplished while she's off learning and playing, and I still have some sanity left when the "witching hour" rolls around).  If you think I must be a terrible wife if my husband regularly eats take-out for dinner rather than a home-cooked meal every night, well, then, that's okay with me.  Really, it is.  Because miraculously, that man of mine still loves me, take-out boxes and all.  My two children still think I hung the moon (until they become teenagers, perhaps?), and my imagery might even get better now that a little more of my creative spirit is being rejuvenated.  I may continually have to battle my old self-reliant ways, or in Lila's words, my ache to proudly say, "I do dat!  I deed eet!"  All by myself.

Today, I begin again.  I am immediately demoting myself to the position of simply "a super woman".  But not necessarily "Super Woman".  And I'm okay with that.  There is no decrease in benefits, I've discovered ~ only more of them.

Whew!  That felt good.  :)

I know I'm not alone in this place in my life.  Maybe just a little behind ~ or ahead of ~ some of you.  Have any of you mothers, photographers, wives, friends out there ever felt the way I'm feeling now?  What did you do to create less stress on your family, and yourself, to make everything balance out?  I'd love to hear your tips and tricks in the comments section!  xo

ETA:  Even if you don't have tips and tricks, you're certainly welcome to add your thoughts here!  Even commiserate if you need to!  I have loved reading every one of your comments ~ so many of you have touched my heart and made me tear up while reading your sweet uplifting words.  Thank you so very much for validating my feelings and letting me know that I was not alone in this crazy way of thinking.  You've all certainly blessed my day!  xoxo, Stacey

the beauty of carrying a child | clearwater maternity photography

I can't tell you how much I loved this session.  Thank you, Laura and Zack, for entrusting me to capture these last few days for you.  I can't wait to meet your little sweetheart.

a patch of sweet light, and a sweet girl

Just had to share this quick one of my girlie... I edited this quickly between client sessions last night.  Looking at this image of her just makes my heart feel so peaceful.   :) Enjoy your Wednesday!

help-portrait: give the portrait, don't just take it.

"If these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it's this -- I was here. I existed.

I was young, I was happy, and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture."

~from the movie, One Hour Photo

During the holiday season, it's so easy to get busy with to-do lists, shopping lists, school plays and errands, work projects and hopefully those special traditions that you're working to pass down this time of year.  I'm guilty of it myself!  But today, I'd like for you to just stop a moment.  Stop, relax, let your mind settle.

I'd like for you to think about all the beautiful (and even the blurry!) photographs of your children.  In frames on your desk, in albums on your table and on your shelves.  Those priceless canvases on your walls, your children's smiling faces on holiday cards and birthday invitations.  School photos, Christmas party photos, vacation memories, the snapshots of when you brought her home from the hospital, of your son learning to ride his bike.  Your old film negatives, polaroids, jump drives, CDs.  We even have mobile phones full of photos!

How do they make you feel?  Loved, cared for?  A part of something special?  Absolutely.  Our history can be preserved on film, on paper, on disc, on canvas for future generations ~ and it's a privilege to be able to preserve that for future generations.  To tell your story, your family's story, their story.  I personally feel that I've been blessed with one of the most important jobs in the world.

Could you imagine your life without photographs of your loved ones?  I certainly couldn't!

Now.  Take another moment to think about something else.  About SOMEONE else.  Perhaps a family who has very few photographs to treasure, or none at all.  Someone who needs to pass down their history, their legacy, but who cannot afford custom photography, or the local department store or chain studio, or even a digital camera.  A single mother who is having enough trouble putting food on the table and finding enough time to help with the kids' homework, much less making that precious time stop on film.  Maybe even a family who has lost all of their family photos to a fire or hurricane, a flood or disaster of some sort.  A sick child, an ill family member, someone who may not get this chance again.  Someone who has had a rough go lately ~ wouldn't it do your heart good to have a hand in making them feel like the most amazing, most beautiful person in the world?

I am honored to join the thousands of photographers WORLDWIDE who are participating in an amazing movement called HELP-PORTRAIT.  Help-Portrait's mission is simple: Find Someone In Need.  Take Their Portrait.  Print Their Portrait.  And Deliver It To Them.   And it's all happening this Saturday, December 12, 2009.

I know that you know someone who deserves a little time, a kind word, a few minutes to feel special.  Please, please send them our way this weekend!  Tell them about the Help-Portrait event, drive them there if you must, but please spread the word about this fantastic cause!

I also know there are lots of other photographers who read my blog (thank you!!) who would love to help and join Help-Portrait by donating your time, talent, and expertise.  If you're local to Tampa Bay, you can join us this Saturday, December 12 at 9am at the St. Pete Pier.  We'll be shooting from 10am until 2pm, but any little bit of time you have to donate would be fantastic and appreciated so much.  I know there are more photographers needed for our local event, so if you want to give me a call (727.698.0344) or send me an email (stacey@staceywoodsphoto.com), I'll point you in the right direction to get you signed up!  I'd love to see you there!  Also, a local lab has agreed to print all of the portraits from the event at no cost ~ so all we need is YOU!  Let's give of ourselves this holiday.  Not just of our wallets.

MAKE SOMEONE FEEL THAT THEY MATTER TO SOMEONE ELSE IN THIS WORLD.  SHARE YOUR GIFT, AS A GIFT.

If you're from out of town, look up the local Help-Portrait Team in your area.  This is a widespread event and we're bound to make a difference in a lot of people's lives this year.  Spread a little cheer!

If you have a few minutes, please watch the HP video HERE and see if there is something you can do to help.  Thanks again.  xo

holiday schedule, and a few more images too!

Just wanted to give you a little update now that we're fully into December and the holidays are almost HERE!!!  :)  This is my absolute favorite time of year, but WOW at the busy-ness!  My labs are working overtime and crazy hours to get all the prints, canvases, albums and image boxes back in time for Christmas delivery, and I'm pulling lots of late nights getting everyone's orders in and put together, shipped out, blogged HA!, and delivered!  I even have a few new sessions to share before we close up for 2009 and await the New Year! That said, my holiday schedule will continue through December 17.  Stacey Woods Photography will be closed from Friday, December 18 until Monday, January 11.  (Excepting newborn and maternity clients, which must be photographed during all-important, fleeting, very specific timeframes to ensure the best images possible!).  If you're already on my books for the first week of January, have no fear.  You're still in!  :)  I am starting to book up January now so definitely place a call or send over an email if you'd like to get on the schedule for January or February.  And if you have an order outstanding, please wait just a little longer!  It's coming shortly, I promise!

Now, to share a few images from some recent sessions.  I've been almost afraid to post some of these for fear that I'm spoiling someone's Christmas card or present!  ;)  But I think I'm safe to share these, so here we go!

This is a lovely family that I met at the last Baby Loves Disco event in Tampa.  They looked me up again this year for a Christmas session, and I'm so glad they did!  Little A was so funny and so spirited the entire shoot!  He made me work for it!  :)

Preschoolers go their own way, that's for certain... right into Daddy's arms.  Ahhh, sweetness.

And how I love this sweet still moment with Mama.  He had the most gorgeous lashes, really.

And I know you can't see it in this black and white photo above, but Mom had on some KILLER red pumps.  :)  Loved them, and loved the energy of this family.  Can't wait until next time, sweet S family!  Hope you have a wonderful holiday.

oh the cuteness. i can't stand it.

This is undeniably my very favorite image at the moment.  This tiny, darling girl was so dainty and feminine, and such a pleasure to photograph.  I'll share more from her session in a bit... I just had to quickly share her gorgeous little face with you! Can you get over that little turned-in toe??  Oh my word.  Her adorable-ness is just too much.

a return

This sweet couple was married at Pebble Hill Plantation in Tallahassee a few years ago. How amazing to be able to go back to the very spot in which you once stood to say, "I do"...

What mommy wouldn't swoon with this sweet boy snuggled up beside you?  Darling, I tell you, just darling.

He was so good to me for the session, patient and kind and very tolerant, lol!  He even let me take a photograph of him thisclose to his little sister.  (Yuck!  Sisters!)  ;)

And this little sweetie was a treat to photograph (she wasn't icky after all, despite what her older brother may think).  ;)  Really, once she changed into her white dress... she just came alive!  She could have been the Princess of Pebble Hill that day and you couldn't have convinced us otherwise.

I love the fact that Mom wanted to incorporate her favorite loveys into the shoot!  This is such a precious stage, and I'm so happy when clients decide to embrace little things like this. :)

Thank you, F. family.  I truly enjoyed my afternoon with you!

Watch for another blog post tomorrow ~ with the Holiday rush, I'm so behind on the blog these days!  I'll eventually get caught up, I suppose!  With an insane number of sessions to shoot and edit, phone calls and emails to tackle, orders to place, packages to prepare and ship, Holiday cards to design and order...  it's such a crazy time of year for me!  Oh and the delightful swine flu that decided to plague our house for 10-12 days didn't help matters any either.  :(  Lila and I were both sick and down for the count for quite a while.  Thankfully, our house is nice and sanitized now and Parker and Chris stayed healthy the entire time!  But I'm behind now of course ~ thank you to my sweet patient clients who have called and emailed to check on me!  Your galleries will be up just as soon as my little fingers can get them edited and posted!  :)

the finest of products

Here at Stacey Woods Photography, I strive to only provide the absolute best quality (and the most beautiful!) products to my amazing clients.  I  want your experience with me to be wonderful and memorable, and I want you to love your albums and images for years to come.  That said, I have some gorgeous new albums and products to offer you this fall!  Take a peek.  :)

My Maternity Keepsake Box.  Perfect for those clients who have limited wall space, or who choose to save that premium wall space for their upcoming newborn session!  ;)  This box includes 10 matted prints which you can display in several frames, rotate your presentation on an easel, or store in the gorgeous box on your nightstand table or in the baby's room.  These albums, and the following products, are created by Cypress Albums, a fabulous vendor with whom I'm honored to work.  Each of these products are individually handcrafted in a bindery; the mats are handcut, as are the fabrics.  My clients will have their choice of breathtaking Japanese bookbinding fabrics and Swiss ribbons to customize their own album or presentation box.

Above right and below are my new Heirloom Folios.  These folios enclose two matted 5x7 prints, and also can be customized with your choice of fabric and ribbon.  The sweet little folio with the pink bow above is one of the items you'll receive with your Digital Collection!  You'll also receive a matching presentation box (photos to follow later of that box!) containing a 5x7 print of each image.  Again, your choice of fabric and ribbon so that you can coordinate with your baby's nursery decor, grandma's living room, and the colors of your own home.  Genius, no?

Don't forget to ask about these items at your fall or winter session!  I will bring samples and swatches so we can get the perfect match for your display area.  And more samples are on their way to my doorstep, of the Heirloom Album and Heirloom Image Boxes!

Just to show you how amazing Cypress products are, take a look at this video created at the Cypress bindery.  You will see the work and involvement that goes into every piece of art that they release.  I'm so excited to offer these gorgeous albums to my fantastic clients!

frequent fliers

This family is always such a dream to photograph, and this time I got to photograph them practically in their backyard.  Well, close enough, anyway.  :)  They always travel to me from Tallahassee (this is my fourth session with them in a little over a year!), but this time I made the trip north to photograph this sweet family, plus six other amazing families, in one awesome, crazy-busy, fun-filled weekend.  Here's a sneak peek.... rest assured there are lots more where this came from.  But I have to save some surprises for their gallery of course!  ;)

We photographed their session at a beautiful old plantation in Thomasville, GA.  There were so many amazing nooks and crannies that were just begging to be used, a photographer's dream, and I could have stayed there all day.  (Oh wait, I did, lol!  I photographed three families at the plantation that morning!)  ;)

Now tell me those kisses didn't make you smile.  :)

And that her pouty face didn't make you say "Awwww..."  I loved it!!!!

Even though this session was "technically" for Adeline's one-year celebration, you KNOW I couldn't resist a few of her ever-so-charming big brother Christian.

I felt right at home hanging out with him ~ every few steps he'd pick up a stick or a leaf and hand it to me to hold on to for him.  By the end we all had leaves in our hands, and I had a few in my camera bag.  And the sweetest part was later that afternoon, I met up with them again and he gave me a leaf-rubbing he'd colored after our session together.  It's hanging up in my office.  :)  I'm so blessed to be able to connect with such sweet souls on a regular basis.  I love my job!!!

I'll be back soon with more sessions to share here.  I've got a busy weekend with sessions and all, but by Monday there will be several galleries to upload for my oh-so-patient clients.  I'm excited!!  Love the Christmas rush.  :)