So long 2012: My own little preview of coming attractions {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

This past year was amazing. It really truly was. So I decided to make a little recap of the year and then set some goals for the new year. I'm also going to share some of my favorite images from 2012 as I tell you of my goals for '13.

I photographed a whole lot of weddings in 2012. I think I'll call it the year of the wedding. I more than doubled the number I shot in 2011. Some of them were a challenge, others were so heart-warmingly beautiful they brought me to tears.

I traveled all the way to the Dominican Republic for one and as close as down the street from me for another.

Believe it or not my goals in 2013 include not working as much. Or rather, I should say, putting limits on myself and on my business. I can't continue to work 50-60 hour weeks and still love what I do. So resolution number 1 will be to force myself to take more time off. It's sometimes hard to enjoy myself on a day off with my computer and my workload just a few feet away from me. That's the down side of working at home. The plus side is working in my jammies sometimes.

That brings me to resolution number 2, screen my calls and really put that voicemail to work. I have a serious weakness for answering my phone whenever it rings. Remember when we were younger and hardly anyone had cell phones? People left messages. You were simply unavailable when you went to the grocery store. I will no longer feel compelled to answer my phone when I'm otherwise occupied with cooking dinner, driving my son to school, watching a DVD with my husband or getting my hair cut. Those callers -- who I love and adore and know will understand -- will leave a message and I'll just have to get back to them.

Resolution number 3 is to seriously look into getting some studio space so that I can make resolution number 4 a reality -- make Pin-up a top priority for my business.

Whenever someone asks me what my favorite thing to photograph is I never hesitate when I say pin-up. Most people are surprised I don't say weddings. And while I do love weddings, and they've become what I'm known for, nothing is more fun than getting silly and cheesy in front of a white screen to create pin-ups.

Resolution number 5 is sort of along the lines of my Project 365. Of course I intend to follow through and complete my 365 days of shooting images just for me. But resolution number 5 involves scheduling more just for fun, themed, major photo shoots to fulfill my own passion to create images in my heart and mind. And to complete resolution number 6, which is to enter more contests and try to improve my skills to the level necessary to earn my Master of Photography degree.

Now I won't even get into the personal goals we all set for ourselves involving losing weight and exercising more. That's a no-brainer. Yeah yeah, I'll go to the gym more and cut back on the bon-bon snacking while I watch my stories, yada yada yada. Aren't we all promising that one! Have a wonderful new year and enjoy it like no other. Life's too short to not do what we want.

Lisa On Location Photography

A Week in the Life {Project 365}

I hope you don't think I skipped out on my project. No such luck. Tis the season to be really swamped. But with the kids finally settling down with their after the sugar rush laziness, I managed to sit down to finally download and process my images from the past week.

Day 48 brought me to my child's school to snap a few photos. I'm sharing an image of some cute packages in the kindergarten hallway.

Day 49 brought me back to the school, but this time for some party fun. I passed out some sweet little plastic cameras to all of my Boy's classmates and they decided to go all papparazzi on one of the volunteer mommies. She was a good sport and played along with their game.

I decided to not post the image of my boy trying to be a clown by dropping his pants and mooning the camera. Some things are best forgotten.

On day 50 I shot a wedding at the Faust. It was lovely and sweet. But I forgot all about my daily image and was really tired by the time I was leaving so I snapped an image of the tree in the lobby of the Faust. I know I know, I could have done better, but it was late, I was tired and I needed a bath.

On day 51 I photographed another wedding this time in San Antonio. The bride got ready at a house in Converse where a sweet little black kitty was quite interested in me the whole time I was there. She'd touch my ankles as I walked near the bed, but when I'd try to pet her head she'd duck further under the bed and hide from me. We played this little game over and over and I did manage to snap a few photos of the sweet little one. Such gorgeous eyes! And I also managed to scratch her little head a few times before I left.

Day 52 took me to the in-laws for Christmas dinner (after a stop a my mom's house for Christmas Eve Eve lunch -- did I mention I was ready to pop at the end of this day).

Of course Uncle John always has cool toys for The Boy. This time it was some kind of a remote control helicopter car. I was impressed that I managed to keep the thing in focus as he lifted it from the floor and drove it into my face.

Day 53 was Christmas Eve. We open our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve. Usually that consists of socks, underwear, jammies, etc. Santa always leaves the really cool gifts while mom likes to give boring stuff. But, really, there's nothing boring about Perry the Platypus slippers and Sock Monkey underwear. The Boy insisted I take a photo of his cool new threads.

Day 54, today, is Christmas Day. Really, there are so many images from which to choose that it's not even fair to be this easy. I did settle on a slightly different angle. This was taken in the wee hours of the morning before the sun was really even up. The kids are supposed to wait until 8 to wake us up and they aren't allowed to open any presents until I'm up.

The Boy tried to get me up at 4, at 5:30, at 6:15, at 6:50, and eventually succeeded in getting me up at around 7ish. So here is my view of the chaos of my living room taken from the sofa, where I planted my sleepy bottom and stayed there for much of the morning.

Now it's a sleepy 6:30 pm on Christmas Day and I think I hear a bubble bath and a glass of wine calling my name.

Merry Christmas everyone. And thanks for such a beautiful, successful holiday season for us.

Lisa On Location Photography

A Season of Musical Magic {Project 365}

The past couple of nights we've been treated to the musical talents of our middle child. First a piano concert, then her beginning band concert the following night. So days 46 and 47 are images from those marvelous events.

Forty-six and 47 down, 318 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Dinner is Served {Project 365}

I'm falling a bit behind in my posting of images for my project. This one was taken a couple of days ago for Day 45. The Boy gathered the makings of "Mistletoe Soup". I stopped him before he could turn the stove on, thank goodness, or the smell may have overcome the house.

If you'll look closely, you'll see that his soup consists of mistletoe (I believe it's poisonous to eat), a rock, a popped pink balloon, an acorn and a snail shell. Yum.

Forty-five days down, 320 to go.

Lisa On Location Photography

Well Finally! {Project 365}

You may think I've slipped on my project, but you would be mistaken! I've been unable to log onto my Blog for a couple of days and I'm finally able to get in to share with you the image I took on Saturday. I took the family to see The Hobbit and then we hit Fuddruckers for some wholesome crane game fun (and a burger and fries).

We would have liked to go home with that silly crocodile that looked so easy to get, but $3 later we gave up.

I'll upload the next 2 in my project shortly!

Lisa On Location Photography

Santa's Lap {Project 365}

Yesterday's photo of the day is my boy with the big man himself. Only he's resting assured that it's not actually the real big man himself.

The Boy is scared to death of the real Santa because he's convinced he's on the naughty list and lives in fear of Santa's horrible retribution.

So the only way I could convince him to pose for a photo with "Santa" was to assure him that this was not the real official Santa, but that Santa was very busy this year with so many good children that he couldn't make it to his school for Santa photo day.

Is this the real Santa and I was just telling a story to my boy to get this photo? I'll never tell.

Anything for a good photo, right?

Lisa On Location Photography

Would you like a cookie with those sprinkles?: {Project 365}

Yesterday's image speaks for itself. It was taken at the Cookies With Santa program at my boy's school.

They fussed at me for letting him use too many sprinkles. But he looks so happy.

Lisa On Location Photography