St. Louis Photographer » A Journal by Holly McCaig

My friend, Tammy, inspired me to do a Flashback Friday. I’ve been meaning to share more creative things here, but I’ve got my mind deep into a project that is sucking the life out of me. Outside of my new book purchase, I am probably going to bed early tonight. Well, who am I kidding? I’ll probably watch tv until I fall asleep.

Anyway, because it’s too much work to come up with a new and creative post today, I am flashing back. A year ago, I was out in Phoenix with my friend, Audra, shooting a wedding with her. My very first full catholic mass wedding conducted in half English and half Spanish. Phew! But, the mariachi band made it complete. On the ride home that night, we would learn that Andrea’s mom passed away from a heart attack. A shock to us all. I felt so helpless, hundreds of miles away from our family. My brother brought Andrea into our lives several years before and her family was cherished by us.

It’s amazing how much things change in a year, and it’s amazing how fast a year goes. Just a reflection:

It was after this wedding, and during Phyllis funeral, that I started my own “funeral list” – things I wanted to happen at my funeral. A mariachi band shall be hired to come play. Some day, I’ll share the rest of my list.

Rest in Peace, Phyllis.

I was trying to think of something clever to write today. I have sessions to share, but they aren’t ready for blogging. I have announcements I should make on behalf of the business, but they can wait.

I saw this today and it made me smile. It made me realize that sometimes, we take life too serious. Then, I see this video and it puts it all into perspective. Life doesn’t have to be so bitter and angry. It doesn’t have to be rushed. We are in the now. And, at nearly 90 years old, I hope I am living life. Just. Like. This.

A few weeks ago, I shot a commercial job for Laurie Solet Boutique – for their Spring newsletter. It was fun doing commercial work. Products don’t fidget and models know how to work it. I could get used to that. I didn’t have to do the retouch work, and since I passed it all off to their designer, this week I finally got a chance to pick a few of my favorites to retouch for my portfolio.

Avery, our model was great to work with. She had legs for miles – which meant, I had to get up on the step ladder a few times. It was a great experience for me. And, being able to introduce a little of what I saw and learned from this shoot into my high school senior sessions will be great.

Oh, and the products were cute, too. I had my eye on a certain handbag – but Laurie made sure I didn’t hide it from her before she left. I was a joy working with this team. Visit Laurie Solet Boutique in Clayton or their newer, Town & Country Location. Hair and makeup by Makeup by Elisabeth. Fabulous.

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Last night, we had guests stay with us, as they trek their way across the country before relocating with the Navy to Japan. It will be so sad to have them go that far away, but it was so nice that they were able to stay here for one night.

Of course, it meant that I got to hang with NONE OTHER than the adorable, and cute, and silly, Haley. I swear, her parents have a lot of work cut out for them when she gets older. I just adore her.

We went up to the studio for a few hours to get some shots of Haley. Which I promise to share later when they are ready. I have a few client sessions to wrap up. But, last minute, we decided that Haley needed to be Lollipopped and so it was! Her expressions are enough to make you have a toothache from how sweet she is! This morning, I had breakfast with the Dunns and they headed down to see the Arch before their next stop in Tulsa.

Tonight, I wanted to make her giggle and show her these:

The other night I shot a few quick images of products in the studio for my senior price guide. They aren’t the best images…I really need to schedule a product shoot day with better light! But, I wanted to share how much I love these products. Honestly, they are the three main products I sell, other than prints.

Gallery Wraps. HELLO! Every one that comes in the studio and experiences them first hand knows they rock. I honestly can say I prefer to sell them over framed prints. Why? They are timeless. They never become dated like a frame can. And, if you change your decor, you aren’t having to reframe your images. I just love how amazing a group of them can look together. I would love to consult with clients about some designs we have drafted, or their ideas, before their shoot. We can look at that and shoot for that end result. Gorgeous!

Books / Albums. I offer a few styles in albums and I think my Basic Album, the little ones on the bottom of this stack, are the best sellers. They start at $250 and are 7 x 7 inches in size. Perfect for my senior clients when you want to collect as many of your images in print form as possible. It looks great on a bookshelf or on your coffee table. The perfect keepsake. I also sell the larger, more elaborate lay-flat books with the thick pages. Square or vertical and in various sizes. The possibilities are endless. If you love all your images and can’t afford to buy them in print form, consider an album or book!

Greeting Cards. Whether it’s for Christmas, a birth announcement or grad announcements, this is a great way to stay away from the norm. Custom designs are the way to go! And, they can compliment your images so much better than store-bought images. Pre-designed collections are just the cost of cards, starting at $2 per card (with envelopes) and custom-designed collections are also $2 per card plus a $75 design fee. I especially love this graduation announcement I designed for my high school grad client.

So, there you have it! The three products I love to offer my clients. We can offer you so many options in products, but when I stopped to think about it, these three stood out to me most. And, they are the things I would buy if I were my client. In fact, I better get to ordering some new wraps for the house!

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