Okay, this has been a BIG week of BIG announcements around here. As if the WPJA acceptance wasn’t enough, I have also accepted a full-time job as a graphic/web designer with Imagekind.com!

From the Imagekind.com website:

Imagekind.com is one of the fastest growing online art sites on the internet. Our newest partnerships allow us to bring almost unlimited options in the world of framed art, poster art and wall art.

Imagekind is about three things:

• Creating art from digital files
• Providing an online marketplace for selling art without any actual inventory
• Providing the world’s largest online venue for shopping for unique fine art prints

Our goal is to develop a fresh new online art experience that allows both consumers and professional artists a new outlet for sharing, creating and buying actual wall art from digital files. We often describe Imagekind as a cross between an art gallery, a photo-sharing service and a print-on-demand service.

Could a job GET anymore freakin’ perfect for me? I am so excited about this opportunity! I’ll be honest: I wasn’t even LOOKING for full-time work. I love freelancing (and I love all of my clients), and it’s been great to focus on my creative vision and freelance business for awhile. I updated my Monster.com resumé to toss my hat into the ring for some steady contract/part-time positions, and got a call from an iMatch recruiter for Imagekind the very next business day. As soon as I looked at the Imagekind website, I was in love. I love the Imagekind.com business model, their Web 2.0 flare, their Flickr partnership, and the fact that they have an office dog named Fenway. (Go Sox!) I knew that this was my Next Right Thing. There’s a paradigm in my life of the Universe (God/higher power/fate/the force/whatever you want to call it) presenting perfect opportunities to me exactly when I’m ready for them. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, says, “What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.”

I am being hired because of my background in user interface (UI) design. While I always design with the user in mind, I rarely get to do UI design on projects for which I am the actual target audience! I am so excited to bring my web, design AND photography experience to the Imagekind team to further the business and vision.

So, what does this mean for you, my amazing freelance photo clients?

Well, I’m finishing up the last of my family photo sessions by the end of the day tomorrow because I know you’re excited to see your photos and have them ready for the holidays. I am still booking wedding, portrait, pet, kids & families, and coquette sessions for 2008. You know me—I’ve always done my own freelance thing on the side when I’ve had a full-time job. I love what I do; photographing candid moments, authentic memories and real people is my passion. I imagine I will be more selective about the sessions I take so that I can sort of pretend that I know what “work/life balance” means, and I might take a look at my stated image processing times. What WON’T change is my dedication to excellence while capturing the important moments of your life that tell the story of who you are. So if you have a session you want to book, drop a line!

Holy cats, batman! Molly Bennett Creative was just accepted into the Wedding Photojournalist Association!

From their website:

Leading the way in Wedding Photojournalism, WPJA represents the most discriminating talent around the world technically, creatively and visually. Qualified members hold industry-leading standards, skills and business integrity.

The Wedding Photojournalist Association grants membership to the most talented professional wedding photographers in the industry–photographers who focus solely on using their photography skills in documenting weddings.

The WPJA is an extremely competitive association; so many people apply that they only contact you if you’re actually accepted as a member. They have strict membership guidelines, and only the very best are selected to be members. I’m sort of falling all over myself with excitement right now; it’s a huge honor to be accepted!

Happy Black Friday, everyone! In honor of today’s unapologetic consumerism, I’m posting my list of recommended gifts for the people on your list this year. Happy shopping!

Anyone who has blog-stalked me for any length of time will find the faces from this family portrait session familiar…

Craven Farm (the farm where we went for the Bancroft/Brickner family photo session) made pumpkins into costumes and set them up in little scenes around the farm. My favorite was, of course, Harry Potter!

No family photo session of these kids would be complete without Ari climbing on SOMETHING. I swear, this kid is half monkey!

Okay, I’m going to divulge something that I probably shouldn’t…but I’m kinda proud of it, so I can’t help myself! This next image is actually a composite image, which means it was originally two (or three, or four…) images that have been combined to make one. In this case, it was two images taken in succession, and neither really worked on its own. In image #1, Archer’s head was cut half off, and in image #2, the pumpkin was out of the frame. Photoshop to the rescue! I probably spent an hour compositing the two images so that they worked seamlessly to create one image without you being able to tell that any work had been done. I guess I’m spoiling the secret by telling you…then again, I’m not divulging any of my secret Photoshop techniques, either! I just had to brag a little because I’m pretty sure you can’t tell where the compositing was done…unless (ahem, ANNE) you’re a pro and know where to look for clues!

Brenda had her own ideas about what to do with a pumpkin…

Aaah, brotherly love!

Puddle jumping!

The farm had a very muddy (and very fun) tractor ride through the corn field…

I understand there’s been some debate recently in the Bancroft/Brickner world about which child is more of a mama’s boy…I think it’s clearly Archer…

…though it looks like he may disagree!

Ari was fascinated by our friend Tamara’s face painting:

Later, back at the Bancroft/Brickner “ranch”, Brenda spills her guts…

…while Archer shows me his scariest Halloween face!

And we finished off the day with a beautifully-carved pumpkin, thanks to Pete!

Snohomish, WA—As I mentioned above, anyone who has blog-stalked me for any length of time will recognize these faces as those of the Bancroft/Brickner family! I have captured more than 5,000 images of this family in the year and a half that I’ve known them, and honestly, who could blame me? Archer and Ari are so adorable that my camera practically flies out of my Shootsac whenever I’m around them, and Brenda and Pete are such amazing and wonderful parents that it’s a joy to capture them interacting as a family. I feel really blessed to be their family photographer. As I went through these images to select some for the blog, it really hit home for me how meaningful it is to capture a family’s memories. When Archer and Ari grow up and fall in love, these images will be shared with their sweethearts and may even be displayed at their weddings. I know that I’ll be there for all of their important life events, because I’ve come to love these kids as though they’re my own family! I hope I do their memories justice.

Here’s the slideshow:

View the slideshow larger

Take me to the online proofing/ordering website!

For Kat & Rowan’s relaxed family portraits, we started the day off at their house in Federal Way with the two of them playing Cadoo:

Their dog, Tikka, wanted in on the action!

After Cadoo, we headed out to the back balcony for some more photos…

Favorite:

…and then we went into the basement where they had a POOL TABLE! How awesome is that? I was jealous. Of course, I don’t know how to play pool, so they showed me how it’s done…

I’ve been experimenting with textures lately…what do you think?

After pool, we went to a local park to take advantage of the sun…

Okay, I’ll be honest…I have no idea what Rowan is doing here! But I thought it made a nice series anyway.

Who can resist a bright red slide?!

I see you!

Federal Way, WA: Kat contacted me for some family photos of she and her son, Rowan. Our mutual friend, Brenda, (family photos coming soooooooon!) recommended me to her, and I’m SO GLAD she did! Kat is an amazing person with an awesome sense of humor, and Rowan definitely takes after her. Rowan kept me on my toes all day, showing me around their house and coming up with ideas for photos. I could use someone like him as an assistant! Seriously!

Here’s Kat & Rowan’s slideshow:

View slideshow larger

Take me to the online proofing/ordering website!