Saying YES!

I had the honor of being the photographer for two beautiful women as they took their first vows of profession for the Franciscan Sisters of the Third Order Regular.

This is the 3rd time I have been asked to photograph an event for the sisters and every time it is such a joy! These women exude so much love and joy you can't help but be in a good mood when you are around them.

So many people think that living the life of a sister, taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience is bound to be a life of boredom and sorrow. I mean how much fun can you have being poor, chaste and under the rule of someone else, right?! WRONG! What is so beautiful about them is that it is not about saying no to money, or possessions. It is not about saying no to having a husband or children. It is not about saying no to being able to go and do what you want when you want. It is about saying YES to so much more.
Yes, to having all of your needs taken care of. They have a roof over their head, clothes on their back and food on their plate. They may not have a savings account full of cash, but they have everything they need to be sustained and do not concern themselves with the prestige of gaining material things. They live a simple life as to be able to devote their time towards what God is calling them to.

Yes, to giving their lives totally to God as their spouse. God fulfills them in a way that we will never understand. Just as a husband wife compliment each other so that they can fully be the person that God created them to be, the same is with the sisters....God as their spouse compliments them to be the woman they were fully committed to be. While they do not have biological children of their own...the many people they serve become their spiritual children. They are able to love and serve an abundant amount of God's children in whatever their needs are.

They say yes to trusting that God has placed them under the direction of others who will make decisions that is best for them. If the Mother Superior gives a sister a role in the community, the sister will know and trust that the Mother Superior has prayed about that position, not just arbitrarily placed her there. There is freedom in knowing that someone is looking out for you and your best interest and how you can best serve God and the community. It is not a master and slave relationship like so many people can perceive "obedience" to be, rather it is a loving relationship that is fulfilling for both the sister and the community.

I love this image because of how the older sisters are making sure every detail is perfect for the newly professed sisters in their new habits!

That being said....it is so beautiful to witness these women on their journey to saying "YES" to what God has called them to. You can't help but jump for joy when you see their faces...as you can see...they do!

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Too cute!

My brother and sister in-law came over to visit the other day, while they were in town. (They are currently living in Topsail Beach, NC). They have a son, Grant, who is almost exactly one month older than Luke. We had a fun little play date with Cousin Grant! Jacob was very excited. He sees pictures of Grant on Facebook all the time and says "GRANT!" So to finally see him in person was really fun for him.

I, of course, had to get the camera out to see if we could get some good pictures of the boys...the little guys wouldn't cooperate so much for me to get a good picture of the two of them together, so here are some individual shots.

And a nice one of Grandma with her son and grandson!

Then taking one of the three of them...was amusing! Jacob would get all excited to hold them both and give them a big bear hug, and then drops them like hotcakes after about 3 seconds....he pushes them away and backs outta there! So, as you can see Grant and Luke were not too thrilled after about 4 attempts! They were catching on to his tactics! We all had a good laugh and so will they some day!

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Crumbs on the floor bring me to prayer

I spent the good part of the afternoon yesterday cleaning the kitchen while my two boys napped. Gave the counters a good wipe down and even swept the floor. Which this task has become even more important lately as now my 7 month old is mobile and will often crawl his way to the kitchen. So, as we were eating dinner last night, my two year old, being the parrot that 2 year olds are, was doing as daddy did and was crushing his crackers with his hands to put them in his soup. (Note Jacob had no soup, but he was imitating Daddy.) As I was cleaning up after dinner, I found the pile of cracker crumbs on the floor from Jacob's demonstration and was frustrated, because I JUST SWEPT the floor...(moms, you understand, right?! ) But, then I quickly stopped myself....I get to clean the crumbs off the floor because I have a son and he is here!

God has recently placed two very special families in my life...and we all have something in common....we all have two boys...we all have lost a child...the difference is...their youngest boys, Christian and Logan, are in heaven and mine is still on earth.

I have written before about the organization that I volunteer for called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (also know as NILMDTS). It is an organization that does remembrance photography for families who have lost or will lose a child to illness or stillborn. I got involved after we lost our daughter Therese Marie to a miscarriage and wanted to be able to honor her through this ministry. I have only done two sessions on my own so far, and it is amazing how God has orchestrated them so perfectly. I am so honored that families would invite a stranger into such intimate moments with their family, and I am so grateful that we are able to provide them with the gift of images of their child to have forever.

I have connected with both of the moms from the sessions that I have done, and am honored to call them friends now and I hope they could feel the same way. My heart aches for them as I rock my son to sleep knowing they long to have their child fall asleep in their arms. I pray for their little ones as I hold my crying baby, because I know they would give anything to hold their son one more time. I know God gives them special graces to get through each day, but that doesn't make them miss their child any less.

Brian and I went to the funeral for little Logan this past weekend and I cried with them feeling just a sliver of their pain. I couldn't wait to get home and hold my boys...and I cried more knowing that Jennifer will longingly wait to hold her son in Heaven.

I know I can't take away their pain...but I want to thank them for sharing their life, and their son's with me so that I can appreciate my children more and more each day. It is such a reminder that we all need...life is short....cherish every moment. Life is too short to get caught up in the frustrating details....instead count your blessings!

So, Erin and Jennifer I count you as blessings...it was your sons and my daughter that brought us together...and as we know we would do anything to bring those children back to our arms on this earth, we rejoice in the hope that God gives us that we will see and hold them again and thank God for bringing good out of all situations. It brings me joy to think that they are all playing together in heaven as Chase, Landon and Jacob play together here.

Know that I think of you and pray for you as I clean up the crumbs on the floor!

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On the Fast Track

Last week I finished reading a book called “Fast Track Photographer” by Dane Sanders, and the ironic thing is that it took me 2 years to finish the book! I wouldn’t say I am a slow reader, just life happened…. We had a baby, I left my job, we moved to Indiana, we lived with friends for 10 months, we bought a house, we had another baby and here we are 2 years later!

The book was great and I highly recommend it to aspiring photographers. One of the things I liked about it was it gave some great questions to help think about what kind of business you want to have and what kind of clients you want to serve.

Here is an opportunity for you to get to know a little more about me. These are some of the questions I used for brainstorming.

• Strongest aspect of my personality: joyful—approachable

• Defines a celebration: family and friends present—laughter and memories being made

• Food and beverage I identify with: home cooked food and a big glass of red wine

• Spiritual outlook: We are able to love, b/c God first loved us. We are all loved and are worthy of it!

• Thoughts on marriage—two lives coming together as one to share in the love that God gave them and to love each other to Heaven.

These Things best gels with my personality:

• Car: reliable. Gotta love Honda!
• Restaurant: casual and warm—with food full of flavor—feels like home
• Magazine: one that makes you want to keep reading and brings the humor out of life. And you want more after you have reached the last page
• Writer: one that is insightful and makes you think about aspects of life.
• Musical instrument: flute—beautiful, simple, and complements the other instruments
• Musician: one that makes you want to sing along…especially in the car on a sunny day with the windows down

I desire to market myself to the average person. I believe that everyone deserves to have professional quality images of their wedding that capture the essence of the day so that the story of the day is retold just by looking at the images, so they can tell that story over and over again for generations to come, even after they are gone. I believe that wedding photography should be affordable, and understood as an investment in more than just the wedding day. A wedding dress is worn once, the food is eaten while it is hot, flowers are the most beautiful when they are fresh….your photographs will allow you to re-live all the details your day for years to come, especially the emotions.

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What does the color red say?

There is no question that I am a passionate person. When we moved into our house I insisted on painting something red! It was just a matter of which wall my husband would agree to. When I was watching the Nate Burkus design show this morning he talked about how your house should reflect your personality, and so I stopped to think about our house and how the one thing I knew I wanted both in the first house I bought and this one…I wanted red walls! Red is the color of passion and I have passion! So…which wall got adorned with a beautiful deep shade of red? My office! I love it! You walk up the stairs and your welcomed into the warm, deep hue that draws you into my passion of photography. (I am actually doing some re-decorating and will post pics when it is done)

There is also no question that I have the ability to multi-task and would rather do that most moments of my life. Life is too short sometimes to just do one thing at a time! Perfect example…my old housemates used to tease me, because I could never just sit down and watch TV, I always had to be doing something while I was catching up on the latest sitcoms. Scrapbooking, editing photos, writing thank you notes, framing pictures, folding laundry….the tasks go on and on. Even as I set and write this, I am drinking tea, eating a light snack, and well I decided to finally turn off the TV because it was distracting my thinking. I will admit, after playing with 2 small children all day, while cooking dinner, cleaning up toys, editing photos, and doing laundry, now when I sit down to watch TV at night after the kids are in bed…I often just watch TV.

The other day I was chatting with a children’s portrait photographer and I told
her that I was a primarily a wedding photographer and she got this crazy look on her face. She said life was too short for her to ever consider doing wedding photography. I on the other hand, love them! And I realized how my passion and my multi-tasking really comes in handy for shooting weddings. You have to be passionate about weddings in order to give up your Saturdays to take part in someone else’s wedding day. You have to be passionate to enjoy experiencing all of those special moments over and over again with a new couple and a new family every time. You have to be able to multi-task as the non-stop schedule of the day keeps you on your toes! Taking pictures of the flowers while making sure you are listening to the conversation of the bride saying she is ready to put her dress on and watching the clock to make sure she is at the end of the aisle when needed to meet her groom at the top. I thrive off these kind of fast-paced days! Good thing I am a mom of two little ones!

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Who is going to tell your story

A few weeks ago I had a friend e-mail me and ask for some advice as she began her search for a wedding photographer. She asked me some really good questions about what to look for when looking for a photographer, and I realized while I was writing her back, that she can't be the only bride out there asking these questions, so I thought I would share my answer here. Maybe you are a bride looking for answers or you know a bride who is looking for a photographer and doesn't know where to start.

ALL day long
One of the biggest pieces of advice would be to make sure you interview the photographer ahead of time and make sure you see their work of RECENT weddings. You have to like this person because this is the one vendor that you are going to spend your WHOLE day with from beginning to end. You want to make sure that your personalities mesh well. Your photographer may see you as you get emotional when your dad sees you in your dress for the first time, or are there as you get a little stressed out when your flowers don't show up on time. You want to feel comfortable and free to be yourself around your photographer.

I have found that being a wedding photographer I also play another unique role on the wedding day. I am someone who has "been there, done that." My brides have never been brides before and may have never even been in a wedding before, therefore it often helps to have a seasoned traveler along for the day. I have painted a bride's nails, fixed a bridesmaids dress, put flowers on groomsmen, and dried a mother's tears as she saw her daughter dance with her new husband. I get to not only capture all of these tender moments with my camera, but I get to be a part of these memories with the couples I have the honor of photographing on such a special day. This is something you may want to consider when meeting different photographers.

Input, input input!
With the internet it is so easy to research photographers and their work before you meet them. Ask other brides who they used. Look at their pictures and see if that is the same style you want for your pictures. Once you have narrowed it down, talk to other brides that have used that same photographer and get their input as to how the photographer was on the wedding day, final prints, and time frame working with them. Ask them if they felt like they got a good value for their money.

What's included?
Make sure you understand all that you are getting in your package...how many photographers will be there? How many hours will they be there? What will you get? Proofs? An album? What kind of album? Ask to see samples. Images on DVD? What is the turn around time? Are there other expenses such as travel?

The less expensive or more expensive does not make them a bad or good photographer. I will admit though you sometimes might be cautious of the photographers that are really cheap...why are they cheap? Are they new and trying to build their business? Are they no good and that is the only way they will get hired?

Once upon a time...
How many images will they give you? Do they sort through the images before giving them to you or do they give you every single picture they took regardless of quality. A photographer can shoot a lot of images in a day, sometime a 1000 or more, which can be overwhelming for you as a new couple to go through. It would be more advantageous to have them choose the best of the best of the day. This is part of their job as the one telling the story of your day in pictures.

Your personal storyteller
I personally believe that a package that is just a photographer for the day and then they give you all the images on a CD is not the best value for your money. In my opinion then you are only getting a portion of what the photographer has to offer. You are going to be a newly married couple and that alone will consume your thoughts and life for the first year. Making your own wedding album is not going to be top on your list.

Like I said, the job of a photographer is to tell the story of your day and if they just burn all of the images on a CD or DVD for you after they are done, then essentially all they have done for you is give you the rough drafts to a great novel or all the rough footage to the next big blockbuster movie! I now offer album credit in my package. I don't want any couple to be without their great storybook to show their children's children!

Also, I have found that often just having the CD they rarely seem to getting around to printing pictures. So, having an album guarantees your story is written and you have pictures to show.

Not just another item on the budget
People often ask why wedding photography is so expensive. They are just pushing a button, right? I wish it was as easy as that. Your photographer is the one vendor who will be working for you long after the wedding day. After spending the day capturing all of those special moments, then comes the time to string the story together with pictures to tell 1000 words. It takes the right person to capture those moments so they are captured naturally so that when you show your wedding album to your children all of those same emotions are felt all over again as if it was yesterday.

Hours of time go into picking just the right images, editing them and putting them together in your album. The reason it is not just another line item on the budget, is because it is an investment. You will wear your dress once, your flowers are only fresh on your wedding day, the food is enjoyed while it is hot, and music is over when the last song is played...but your wedding pictures and album will be enjoyed for years to come. You are investing in the story of your first day as husband and wife.

I hope that this information has been helpful and that you feel more confident as you begin or continue your search for your photographer and storyteller for your wedding day.

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So...you're a Senior in High School

I can remember my high school years and looking forward to becoming a big bad senior! Ok--really I was just looking forward to getting my senior pictures taken. My very own photoshoot! How fun is that?! But before that could happen I needed to have a very serious conversation...with my orthodontist! I got braces on the fall of my junior year and the only way I would agree to it was if they could assure me that they would be off in time for me to get my senior pictures taken. They held up to their end of the deal and in the fall of my senior year I had a pretty smile to show off!

So, being that I had to get my pictures taken later in my senior year, I was unable to be a rep for any of the area photography studios and had to pay full price for my senior pictures. Now granted my parents did pay for a good portion of the pictures, but I can remember pitching in some of my hard earned money, because I wanted more wallets to hand out to all of my friends. =) If I had the opportunity to be a rep, then I would have earned as much as I could have to get more free photos to hand out.

What is my point in telling you all of this?

I need reps!!! All of you rising Seniors who are ready to tackle your senior year in high school (braces on or off), I need you! I am looking for one male and one female rep from the area high schools in the Indianapolis area. It is first come, first serve, so contact me right away! I already have some people lining up!

If you don't live in the Indy area and still want your senior pictures taken, I am willing to travel to you! I will be in Cleveland in the August and September, and in Steubenville in August. I am also planning a trip to Columbus, OH sometime this summer, so let me know if you want to get in on that schedule.

See below for my deal for the reps. It is a great deal that you don't want to pass up. Contact me ASAP at rmeier@simpleheartphotography.com

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