Upon arriving to California, I was approached by Mike who had the sweetest news to give me about an amazing photographer that had previously attended one of his workshops. Her name is Penny Sylvia and she truly touched my heart when I discovered that she had sent something out to California just for me. This amazing necklace below with Piper's name imprinted on the circle has not left my neck since receiving it. It is the most adorable thing I've ever seen and her thoughtfulness means more than she will ever know. Penny, please keep an eye on your mailbox...I am sending my thankfulness your way. I know in my heart that writing down how truly grateful I am will never even come close to the warmth I feel at your selflessness. A great BIG thank you from myself and my family! To think you befriended a complete stranger is so completely amazing and everyone around me has been so touched by it...your thoughtful act has been so contagious in my own life and those around me as well. I thought it would be appropriate to share with all of you on my blog! Isn't it just precious? Penny, thank you again so much...you are a one-of-a-kind person and I am so excited our path's have crossed! God works in such mysterious ways :-)
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January 2008
January 31, 2008
January 30, 2008
January 29, 2008
Drumroll please...
okay, so at the urging of several emailers (you know who you are!) haha, I am announcing the exciting news! After having my one-on-one consultation with Mike out in California and after much thought, I have decided to make a big change to my business. It was a difficult decision, but one that I am happy to be making. For the past year, my business has been titled "Zoombug Photography" and while it has served me well, I feel a change is in order. After attending Mike's workshop, I have so many amazing ideas for my business and what it should be and how to get there. I have this roadmap in my head of how to get from point to point and I feel starting fresh and clean should be point number 1. My new name you ask? "Courtney Fries Photography" It just feels right...very professional and artistically I just really like having my name attached to my work...I strongly want to focus on branding and I'm ecstatic to start with, what I feel, is a solid business move. So...at some point this week when you visit my site you will see a new "face" called Courtney Fries Photography. You will automatically be redirected to my new URL, so when the change does occur just be sure to update your bookmarks, because eventually (not right away) I will be discontinuing zoombugphotography.com and will solely be using courtneyfries.com Now, to get you guys excited like me, I've decided to share my new "look" with all of you! It's my new business card and logo :) It's very "Courtney" and I like that...no, no...I love it!
Secondly, I am announcing a get-together this Sunday, February 3rd at Ybor City for a few Tampa-area photographers. Myself and my good buddy Nick Haskins are going to be shooting one another in an attempt to get some "high fashion" shots of ourselves for our blog and website/marketing tools. If you are a Tampa area photographer and are in need of shots (of yourself) for your own blog/website and would like to particpate, please send me an email at courtneyfries@zoombugphotography.com and title it "shoot me" and I will send you the details. We are going to limit it to 5 photographers, so that it doesn't take tons of time, but we can still all get together, network a bit, make friends, get some portfolio shots and also some personal shots at the same time. How can you lose? With Nick and myself, there are 3 slots still open...each "model" (haha-I know you all hate the thought of this as much as I do) will get 15 minutes in front of the lens. This is going to be a TON of fun...can't wait to see who we get :) I'm trying hard to loosen up the Tampa market...let's all help each other and make some great connections while doing so! I look forward to hearing from you guys :)
Warmly~
Courtney :)
January 27, 2008
A Maternity Session in Tampa
Today was a GORGEOUS sunny day in Tampa :) I was so excited that we had great weather! You may recognize Chrissy from below...we did an at-home maternity shoot with her and her husband Bob a few weeks back, but decided that we'd like to squeeze an outdoor session in there as well. I'm so glad we did...it was so much fun! Chrissy, thank you for being so VOGUE for me! haha you did awesome and made things so carefree and fun! Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!
January 25, 2008
Home safe and sound!
After a very long and tiresome journey, I made it back home safely and in the arms of my loving family. It is so nice to have such warm people to come home to...I truly am blessed. This week was a whirlwind of knowledge, friendship and personal achievement. I feel chalked full of creativity and inspiration and I just want so badly to share this excitement with anyone I meet in the photography world. The East Coast is notorious for being a little less "open" about sharing with one another. It seems the West Coast is full of available help at every turn and I want so badly to spread that same wealth in my own neck of the woods. There is absolutely no reason why we can't all open up, share with one another and watch each other grow and prosper. This life is about giving, not taking and certainly not taking what you know and putting it on a shelf for only you to enjoy. I want everyone that reads my blog to know that if there is anything I can ever do...if you ever need or want to just sit down and talk or shoot or meet for dinner and talk about photography-related topics, then I am totally game. I'm so filled to the brim with excitement about meeting more of my peers and just becoming close as can be and networking with a really amazing group of individuals. Why on earth would you ever want to hold back your knowledge? I think it's time for a change...if I learned anything in California it's that we need to make ourselves available to one another. I can't imagine anything more satisfying than seeing my friends and fellow photographers rise to the top! I'm thrilled to see where we all go...it goes beyond words to explain how happy it will make me to see you guys obtain the clients that you truly deserve...and the best thing is that we can all do it together!
A few pics of some great photographers working together :) More tomorrow...
The Colon Experience...The Final Day
Today was the final day of our time with Mike out here in California. It was so sad to say goodbye to so many great people...I made such memories with them and in our short time together we bonded and made friendships that I hope to continue to flourish over time. Mike is such a giving person and I feel honored to have been able to participate in this incredible experience. I plan on writing a recap tomorrow during my lay-over on the way back to Florida, but for now I need to get in bed. Here is one image from today!
January 24, 2008
The Colon Experience...Day 3
Tonight's shoot using only available light was definitely challenging for all of us. It was amazing to see everyone forced to push their camera to it's limits and see what we were capable of. This is a side of my photography that I would really like to perfect. I think the results you can achieve by mastering this type of lighting can be utterly breathtaking, but it takes persistence and you have to WANT to learn it and not be scared off by it. I can't wait to practice this over and over and over again until I can do it in my sleep. I'm driven by wanting to know everything I can about this type of photography...because it has the ability to be completely stunning. We were all having a good chuckle as we were attempting a new "setting" that we were all somewhat uncomfortable with, yet excited to learn and try and happy to see what we could muster up. The couples were gorgeous, but the rain would not stop for us, but we found a nice dry location and managed to keep shooting through the weather!! Here are a few images from the night shoot! Think dark, grainy, romantic...sexy lighting. It has so much depth and character! I love photography so much...I discovered an even deeper-seeded passion for it this week than I knew I had inside of me. It just makes me light up inside...I love watching other people shoot too. Being able to talk about it with my amazing peers out here has been truly inspiring. It is so nice to have conversation with people who love it as much as you do and who are passionate about something that means so much to all of us. I feel so blessed to have found something I love to do. It's not work for me. I get to shoot beautiful people, meet fantastic photographers along the way and do what I love. It just doesn't get much better than that, does it?
xoxo~Courtney
January 23, 2008
The Colon Experience...Day 2
It just keeps getting better! I am having such an amazing time here in California and I feel like I have just hurdled so many things in my short time here. It is incredible the amount of information you can jam into your brain in such a short period...the best part is getting out and doing it...just diving right in seems to be the perfect solution to so many questions. We headed out to San Juan Capistrano today...only 1 word can define this place...GORGEOUS! It truly is beautiful...so much history, fantastic colors and scenery and best of all the lighting is spectacular. We had our bridal shoot today with a lovely couple and they were just so fun and didn't mind 16 crazy photographers shooting them all at once haha :) I am beat...I need to get in bed, but I wanted to share a few of my images from the day! Tomorrow is our night shoot, so stay tuned for something different and very cool!
January 22, 2008
The Colon Experience...Day 1
Wow...that's all I can say :) I have learned more in one day at Mike's workshop than I could have ever dreamed of. It's kind of like a light bulb coming on over your head...everything just finally is starting to fit into place. We had an amazing first day...the group I'm with consists of photographers from every walk of life and they are all so individual, so kind and so fun to be around. This is definitely the type of setting that helps you to create new friends and keep them long after the workshop is over. Despite having my eye swell practically shut during this morning's session (don't ask...I just had some sort of reaction to something), I had a fantastic time. Thank heavens Julie had some benedryl at home or I'm pretty sure my eye would have continued to get bigger and bigger and bigger...until I looked like a real freak show haha. I'm happy to report that it's back down to normal. We ate dinner at an awesome Japanese Steakhouse and got to cook our own food at our table. It was quite an experience and a nice chance to relax and rewind with good conversation and good people. I need to get in bed, but I wanted to post a few of my pics from today's engagement session. This first shot is a partial paparazzi shot haha...we were all shooting each other :) I'm so excited for the rest of the week!! Love you all back home :)
