Tracy Joy | Modern Child & Family Portraiture Art

I found the following on a fellow photographers blog… whom read it on another fellow photographers blog! Needless to say… it’s a perfect thought, and one that I found very “shareable”….

“I promise I’m not trying to be smart… I mean it literally. If I were you, the client. Well, a potential client actually. Here’s what might be on my mind.

“I want professional photos of my family, but my brother’s friend’s cousin’s daughter’s babysitter just got a really nice camera and she’ll take photos of us and give me a disk of all the images for only $90. She has a website, so she is legit.”

Here is an analogy for you:

I have bad hair. It’s too thick, it’s sorta curly, sorta wavy, frizzy and a bad ashy brown color. My brother’s friend’s cousin’s daughter’s babysitter Jackie will cut, weave and blow dry my hair for $90. My other option is going to Jeff the hair stylist at the salon across the street. He charges me $250 for a cut, weave and blow dry. I decide to try both.

I’m sitting in Jackie’s laundry room waiting for her to gather her things when I realize she’s going to wash my hair in the utility sink. Leaning over the sink kneeling on a folding chair proves a little difficult, she gets shampoo in my eye and water drips down my neck into my shirt. We go in the house and she sits me down in her dining room, her husband is sitting on the couch watching Nascar and drinking a 40. He leans forward to grab a bag of chips and I notice his butt-crack. I remind myself that Jackie only charges $90, she probably can’t afford to rent a station in a salon, so I divert my eyes and forgive her. She begins to cut my hair. It seems to be taking quite awhile. She looks a little nervous. I remember that she’s still fairly new to cutting hair. I rationalize that she’s still better than I’d be at it, after all. Plus, she has like 500 fans on her Facebook page, and that has to mean something, right? Jackie disappears to mix my color. She’s gone for a long time. I get nervous that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. What if she screws it up and my hair falls out? I start to wonder… maybe there is a REASON why she only charges $90. Is that the only way she can get clients? Then Jackie weaves a beautiful blond into my hair. I try to forget about my nerves and begin to get excited. A cut and color for only 90 bucks, I can’t wait to show everyone my hair! She finishes up the blow dry and I turn to the mirror to discover its really yellow and brassy. The cut is a uneven and boxy. I take a deep breath and calm myself down. Well, it looks better than it did before, I guess, and I only paid $90. The next day I meet up with some girlfriends for drinks. No one says anything about my hair, and I’m afraid to ask what they think because I know it just looks average, or maybe even bad. I feel disappointed. $90 seemed like such a great deal.

I suppose it’s only a deal if the value is greater than $90.

Two months pass and I find myself sitting at Jeff’s station in the salon across the street. The receptionist offers me a cold drink and the most recent issue of People magazine. Jeff comes over introduces himself and asks me what I’d like to accomplish today. We talk for a few minutes about the specific color of blond I’m looking for. He asks me questions about how I style my hair, what I like, what I don’t like, and tells me a little about whats in style right now. Jeff seems as excited as I am for my new look. I look around to see all the latest flat irons, blow dryers, collections of brushes and combs. Jeff rattles off instructions to his assistant while examining my hair and she’s back in a jiffy with 4 bowls of color. As Jeff begins to weave in and out of my hair with light blond and medium honey and chestnut brown I close my eyes and listen to the calming music on the satellite radio. I feel relaxed and confident. I trust him. I sit with my hair under the dryer and once again I’m offered a cold drink and a magazine. Jeff comes over to inspect the progression of the color. He exclaims how perfect it looks and brings me to the shampoo station. There is a big cushy leather recliner. I put my head back and he begins to wash. The shampoo smells like mint and lavender and he spends an extra few minutes on a mini scalp massage. Jeff dries and styles my hair with ease. When he’s finished he spins my chair around and I hardly recognize myself in the mirror. I look like I belong in a fashion magazine. The cut frames my face perfectly. It’s sassy with a hint of modern, just the right amount to suit my style. The color shimmers as I turn my head. It seems almost as if there are thousands of shades of blond intertwined throughout the locks of hair. It reminds me of what my hair looked like when I was little, after spending all summer in the sun. I feel proud. I meet up with some friends for lunch the next day. They must have commented on my hair 10 times. One of them demanded Jeff’s phone number and asked me how much he charged. “$250″, I told her. She replied, “Well it looks a-MAZE-ing, what a great deal.”

The $90 Jackie charged me wasn’t a great deal. The $250 Jeff charged me was. How is that possible? They both gave me a cut, weave and blow dry.

The difference was the experience and the quality. The $250 that Jeff charged me included a cold diet coke, and comfy chair, state of the art equipment and supplies, experience, knowledge, and a quality product. It included a feeling of pride and excitement that lasted until it was time to return for more. The $90 Jackie charged me included cheap dye, dull scissors, a wet shirt and a butt-crack.

When I thought about it later, I thought, well wouldn’t it be great to find someone who was somewhere in between, you know, someone who is amazing and cheap? But the problem is there is no such thing as in between. When someone offers quality, they have to charge for it, they have to cover the cost of running the business, continuing education, supplies, marketing, and they have to cut themselves a paycheck. Otherwise they are not running a business, they are the proud President of a Non-Profit Organization.

So if you find yourself presented with what seems like a “great deal” for your family photos, ask yourself if the $90 is worth an experience with Jackie. Personally, as a client, I’d rather pay $250 for an experience that feels priceless, than waste $90 on something sub par. Value is a magical thing. ”

Claire Alyse Blog originally
also from Jennifer Nace’s blog

My work being displayed as ART in someones home.

Not only does it feel wonderful to walk and see it right there, beautifully displayed in a gorgeous home… but this is why I love doing what I do.

I created this canvas montage for Dana & Alex this past winter… if I remember, it’s 20×24 sized (fine art canvas from my collection)…. and when I was able to finally see it in person… it just fit perfectly in their home.

I don’t aspire to be the regular photographer.. the mall studio kinda gal, just snapping away with my camera… I wanna create art for my clients. Something they are proud to showcase in their home, and will forever be a family heirloom, piece of ART!  This, this is why I love photography…..

My photography dreams and goals are to create artwork for my clients.. something beautiful for them to hang on their walls.
I do not want to be the photographer who does mere “snapshots” of their babys first year and beyond, that place and those photos belong to chain studios.

I want to give my clients art, something more, something to be proud of in their home and showcase to their family for years to come.

Hey, I can’t help it… it’s the artist that’s always thrived in me.  My grandfather showcased his love for art by owning art galleries in the Chi Suburbs (and a  predominate furniture store where he also showcased his art collection), and my mother is a true artist in all aspects of the word (writing, drawing, sewing, etc).

It just so happens… I LOVE babies, and bellies…nature…. and photography in a whole.  This is just my way of utilizing the gift of art that I have been given, and sharing it with my clients.

Thanks Dana & Alex… this made my day

but I do love a good pouty face also!!!

Sweet Ms (M} gave us her “all”!  Sugar and spice, and all things nice

but this lil guy is all “old soul”.

I giggle remembering our session… there I am, making my goofy kid noises at him… and Mr {T} looking back at me with a face like “seriously, lady… do I look that silly?”  lol

An old soul, with deep thoughts… and a bright future!!!

Happy 1st Mr BIG STUFF

At almost 3 mos old, mom and I couldn’t help but play “newborn” with sweet baby {A}!

We missed her newborn session… so how could we resist?  And a sweet sleeping baby makes it all just that much more fun!

Ms {V} is more than special… she’s amazing! And quite a trooper, to say it lightly.

Tiny hands… teeny feet… and the biggest most beautiful eyes you’d ever seen!!!

and check out dad’s precious tattoo… it’s lil Ms {V’s} feet… awwwww (melt the heart)

How about this lil darling?! haha

He’s my nieces newest “addition”… a Chihuahua and Dachshund mix… cute lil dude, ha?

When he came to visit.. we just HAD to do some “newborn” shots of him lol He’s a baby too!

The time to book is NOW

This fall season, I will only be booking 1 client per week… and the dates are already being gulped up!

August and September are fully booked, but there are still a few slots open for October and November… so if your looking for some beautiful family portraits (for the holidays!), then contact me to book your session as soon as possible. 

Session dates are first come first “serviced”… so if you have a date in mind, it’s important to book while they are available.

TALK TO YOU SOON!
Enjoy your day… they fly by too fast

Hello Mommies (and daddies) of “future bundles of JOY”!

If you’re expecting a newborn in 2010, and anticipating the excitement and beauty of newborn portraits, book your NEWBORN sessions now… session slots are filling up quickly (into October!), so it’s best to schedule your newborn session now, than not have a session available when your precious newborn is here.

HOW TO BOOK WHEN YOUR PREGNANT?
Well that’s the #1 question!
And it’s easy… book your newborn session for the week you are due.  IE: Due date Oct 2nd, book your session for October 5th.  

Most babies come a few days early, so booking your session a few days after your date will assure you get those beautiful newborn portraits while your newborn is still… well, newborn!  You’ll be surprised to see the difference in a 10 day old newborn, compared to an 8 or 12 old baby… it’s huge!  So prepare to capture the newborn innocence and quiet while they are officially in that “newborn stage”.

Of course, any questions.. JUST ASK! I’m always happy to answer!

So lets recap.. if your expeting a new bundle of JOY (love that word, lol), in 2010, than book your newborn sessions now!  Sessions are filling up, and extra “slots” wont be offered once they are booked.

HAPPY AUGUST EVERYONE! Fall is just around the corner, so enjoy the heat and humidity (we’ll be complaining about the snow before we know it, lol).