One of the best things about being a photographer is connecting with other photographers especially during a time when people are so about sharing the ins & outs of the business and not as cut throat as they use to be. I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with some really cool and amazing photographers who constantly inspire, mentor and guide each other every single day.

One of the best places to connect with other photogs is on flickr.  For me it’s been one of the best places to connect with other photogs both locally and internationally.  I have a few fave groups on flickr that I check out daily. I had to take a break for a while because it was sucking up all my time. I just started popping back in and as usual tons of great inspiration and topics happening.

This a.m. I popped on and ran across a thread  which lead me to the Mental Floss Blog where this post is up about Jamie Livingston’s Photo of the Day  project. This could possibly be one of  the coolest things I’ve ran across in a loong time. What I find so amazing about the entire project is that as photographer’s and artists alike it is so easy to get caught up in the art of it all…which we all know inevitably leads us down the path of perfection….and we all know perfection is quite simply a way to feed our inner need to be desireable, accepted and renowned for what we do.  Really, we all know what a bunch of crap that really is.

So during my time wandering through Jamie Livingston’s life in polaroids it’s obvious that by today’s technical photographic standards these photos fall short. The beauty lies in the fact that an emotional connection is made between the photographer and the viewer. That is inspiration for any photographer. Professional or not..that is what we should set out to acheive each and every time we pull out our camera.

Since first viewing these images I’ve thought about Jamie Livingston a number of times today. I don’t know this man. I don’t know a single thing about him other than what he let me see.

 Somehow that is enough.

The image is enough.

The message is enough.

His life was enough.

Inspiration at it’s finest.

And because every post is better with a photo here are a couple random snapshots of my life taken recently on Mother’s Day in Lockhart, Texas.

i have one minute to blog something clever today in order to keep up with the challenge. posting now….yikes! not clever!

just a quick post this evening to share something i’m so loving right now:

seriously, i’ve got mad love for this idea. you can totally set up a wedding registry through justigve.org. so basically your guests can check out your justgive.org registry and make donations to the charity you wish to support. but even better than that…as the bride & groom you can give your wedding party gifts or create your own favors! so lovin’ that. so.lovin’. that.

psst…..pass it on.

just a little something for those of you who have been loyal to me. Thanks!

If you’re a newly engaged couple and you are beginning your search for a wedding photographer you may notice that most offer packages that include an “Engagement Session”.  Now, while I will be the first to admit that I’ve ran across a phtoographer or two that may offer a bunch of um…….stuff …..in their wedding packages that you might not need, the engagement session is not one of them!

Engagement sessions are a complimentary session that I offer in every package.   The fact that they are “complimentary” is not to decrease the value of the session but rather to encourage couples to take advantage of the session. This session is one of the single most important things that you can do prior to the wedding to help alleviate that natural awkwardness that everyone experiences once a big ‘ol camera is in front of their face. For most of us, myself included, there isn’t anything more uncomfortable than knowing you are expected to look and act a certain way while being photographed. There is typically so much anxiety that comes with knowing these photos are not only deemed some of the most imortant of your life, but that once that shutter clicks you are forever captured…for better or worse.

Given that so many couples today are opting for the more relaxed, candid and photojournalistic approach to their wedding day it’s not always as easy as it seems to capture the essence of that without a little practice before hand.  Most of us are, at the very least, minorly uncomfortable with a huge amout of PDA. That’s not to say that anyone expects you to “make out” in front of their camera (if they do you might want to reconsider who you’ve hired….unless,of course you are an exibitionist and completely into that :) )  For some couples even a little PDA is somewhat uncomfortable.  However, if you are hiring a photographer based on the idea that you want a photojournalistic approach to your wedding day it is beyond important that everyone is comfortable in front of the camera in order for that to truely take place.  

It’s probably safe to say that you  don’t stand 12 feet from each other, staring straight ahead with your heads tilted slightly to the side when no one is looking.  While the obvious purpose of the engagment session is traditionally to get you a few good images to have on hand for personalized invitations, favors at the wedding, signature albums, print display etc. The single most important purpose of an engagment session from a photographer’s standpoint is to give everyone some time to get comfortable and to have some fun.

Your engagement session is your chance to get to know your photographer and for your photographer to get to know you as a couple. It’s a much more fun and relaxed day free from the constraints that come with the wedding day. Your locations are wide open, the lighting can be better controlled (since your photographer can opt for a time of day with optimal light) The dress code is ….whatever the heck you want it to be and if you lay down and roll around in the grass no one is going to care. Time constraints aren’t an issue and the amount of gawking well intentioned onlookers is decreased dramatically.

One of my very favorite engagement sessions was with Alex & Klaus.  When we originally booked their wedding I had not met Klaus.  Initially, Alex’s first inclination was to opt out of the engagement session but on the night that we met to sign the contract we began talking about how important that session was for all of the above reasons I’ve mentioned. I had not had a chance to meet Klaus up to this point and if they did opt out of the engagement session our first meeting could have possibly been on the day of the wedding.  Alex had expressed that Klaus, like so many of us, was a bit reserved until he really got to know you.  After hearing that and talking to Alex more I was more convinced than ever we had to do the engagement session.  We agreed that it was more imporatant than anything to establish a comfort level between us in order to truly be able to relax on the day of the wedding and although Alex & I had established a definate comfort level, poor Klaus had been left out of all the fun.

The day of their session I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew Alex well but after knowing that it might take a bit of coaxing to get Klaus to loosen up in front of the camera had me hoping I was up for the challenge. Um, let’s just say that it took all of maybe two shots before Klaus was totally into it. We all laughed throughout the session about how easily it came for them. I attribute the amazing shots we got to the fact that they are 110% comfortable with each other and obviously in love. That session was so fun for all of us and because of that we got some super shots. Not only that but come wedding time…..we were all jazzed to be there, completely relaxed and totally knew what to expect from each other. There was absolutely no awkwardness, no “what do I do…where do I look…how do I act” mentality. I didn’t have to worry spending time trying to get them to relax for me because they completely knew how to roll when it was time for their portraits.

Alex & Klaus had also decided to have an After Session in their package…..and well, I’ll preach about the benefits of the After Session on another post. For now, I’ll leave you with some of my favorite images from their e-session.

For six months you’ve heard me talk about changes and updates and new sites, blah blah blah. Yet nothing has happened. I will admit that for 4 months of that there just wasn’t time. After some initial problems with the new wedding and senior sites I was finally able to begin working on them and loading all of the content. Well, I should rephrase that. I was able to begin work on the wedding site. I’m still waiting to begin the senior site because of a few *cough cough* technical problems that are out of my control (trying to resist the urge to bash openly here though I totally have reason to).

at any rate, you will be noticing some serious goodness around these parts of the blog as well. thanks to theresa at blogs for photogs who did the original design and set up of this blog. i’m supa happy to be working with her again on some updates and really, when i say we’re working on it I mean, rockstar theresa is working on it while i rattle on and on about ideas and colors and she does all the technical amazing work.

the new wedding  site will launch without the senior site because i can’t wait any longer and as soon as the technical stuff gets ironed out Studio 423 will have three total sites and a new blog.

happy days are just around the corner. woot!

*images by Relish Portrait Studio

Hey There!  I’m Chasity Furse and I’m a wedding and portrait photographer located in San Antonio, Texas.  Thanks for stopping by to check things out! I’m excited your here and hope you find something here that you connect with.  I hope I can make you laugh, or cry or stir up a little bit of something inside you.  I’m not that comfortable trying to compartmentalize my life from work or work from life so there’s a bit of it all around here.  My goal is to know you, so, to be fair, I’m here to allow you to know me as well. Whether you are a current, past or potential client, a fellow photographer, a friend, or my sister ( *waving at Melissa* ) I’m glad you’re here. And for the love of Pete, leave a comment! I love knowing you’re out there! If you’ve got a blog link it. I’d love to come check you out and find out who you are!  Thanks again and Enjoy!

Shine On!

just a couple weeks ago how I was going to dive back into my blog head first and get rolling in ‘09 with some great new posts and a real effort to pick up the pace around here? and yet…..here we are four weeks into the new year and still….nothing. perhaps i should embrace the fact that never again will my life consists on long, uninterrupted moments to ramble on the way I once did.  Nonetheless, I miss my blog.  And I miss sharing as much as I use to.  I’m hoping to better organize my days to spend less time….errr on Facebook and randomly searching for inspiration and instead creating my own inspiration by acting. What a grand concept.

That being said, there is not much time to post today. Coming off a week in Seattle (spectacular city) exploring, visiting and shooting a sweet newborn session, I was home for no less than 15 minutes before I had to load one child into a car and cart him off to the dr. Parker has croup. He’s back to school today…but Hudson is home with a fever. Seems we never catch a break around here.

On top of trying to spend time with a family I’ve missed dearly, I’m trying to get ahead of the game.  Endless amounts of work that need to be done and my sleep bank is deprived. Yet, my head is above water…even if just barely.

So while this is yet another post with no photos it is a post just the same.  And in an effort to make up for my lack of creativity and fun eye candy the past couple weeks I’m sending you here where my dear, sweet friend and fellow photographer, Maile has written a sweet little ditty today. Check it out. You’ll be happy you did.

So last night was the fabulous Bleu Print Shoe Soiree held at All About Shoes. (there’s no listing of a website or I would totally link because this place was fab.)

The concept was genius….as if I expected anything less from Stacy & Michelle, and of course perfectly executed. I was so thrilled to be a guest at the party…and pull double duty shooting a few shots here and there for their website (be sure to check them out and bookmark them…lots of new and exciting things coming up over there, including a new blog! woot!….and you can find them on facebook too!)

Of course everything was incredible. The food, the blue margaritas, the SHOES! If you are here locally…or even if you’re just passing through you need to totally go see LaTonya at All About Shoes. The shoes are amazingly cute and fabulous.  My favorite part is that she gets a limited number of each style in so not every person in San Antonio is walking around with your shoes. You an also host a shoe party….kinda like the whole home party gig but a ga-trillion times better. You get to host the party in the store and shop for shoes….or just drink. I did both…cuz really shoe shopping is far more fun when you’ve downed a couple blue margaritas!

Here are my hot shoes….ahhhhh….

everything looked so amazing……

i had a hard time deciding what i loved more….

the shoes…..

or the blue candy……of which i managed to eat for breakfast this a.m. while sipping my coffee, wearing my hot new shoes and sitting in my pj’s….life is good!

or the people…..

i’ll leave you with my favorite shot from the entire night….it pretty much sums up everything about Bleu in one little cute margarita glass.

super quick post tonight. i’m in the middle of throwing some stuff in a bag to head out for a few days of camping with my youth group. last year at this time i was freaking out that i had volunteered as a small group leader for this same camp with the youth. yea, i’m not a camping girl. my “camping” expereience is nil and the camping i do involves the carribean ocean, a hammock, a cababna boy, seafood, $5 coffee and some serious hard core shopping…um, otherwise find another chica. but, because i love the youth at my church so much and because the next best thing to the carribean ocean is Leaky, TX  I headed up last year. I was pleasantly surprised. Once i got over the centipede in the shower, the paralyzing fear of scorpions crawling into my bunk, the obvious lack of air conditioning and cabana boys and the HOT FREAKIN’ TX SUN….I was fine. So this year…..I’m going back. I know. I’m a rockstar. I’ll be gone until Sunday afternoon with no cell phone or internet service and my $5 heroine coffee will be downgraded to Folgers crack so I’ll be cranky but I should be over it by Wednesday so if you need me…wait until then.

In other unplifting news I was in Austin last night for the Free to Succeed Tour with David Jay & Jasmine Star. I feel like I’ve lived in Austin the past 3 weeks….not that I’m complaining…because let’s face it…Austin rocks. 

If I had time I would seriously talk about this in great length. I was SOOOO pleased that this was totally not an informercial plugging all of DJ’s fabulous (and completely above informercial-ism-nes-stuff-yea) but I really thought it was going to be alot of “buy my product and you’ll be rich beyond your wildest dreams and then will retire at the ripe age of 33 and get to go camping in the carribean all the time” 

Yea, so not like that. This 4 short hours was packed full of nothing short of inspirational goodness and just two genuine people that happen to be very successful at what they do. It was totally based on their enthusiasm to first and foremost, be good people…..and because of that it naturally overflows into their business and into their photography.  DJ was adorable and humble and happy and quite funny. Jasmine was a little photo fashionista who was fired up about her career and her life and where she’s been and where she’s going.  It was just good stuff. I was so happy when I left and even 24 hours later my mind is still reeling with ideas, inspirationan and techniques that I will be implementing into my life and projecting into my business.  The last couple months have been really transitional for me, there’s a new wedding website in the works and so much on the horizon and now I feel like I can dig in and get stuff done.  Things will be changing and baby…change is GOOD. K.I.R to my girl Jas.

Awesome.

I’m off to hunt for a cabana boy to pack in my bag.