Hey guys. The new blog and site will be a work in progress, but I'll be posting all my new work there from here on out. So.....goodbye blogspot!
I know I've been a slacker lately, but it will be better on the new blog. PROMISE! :0 )
So head on over to: hannahgray.net/blog
Save it as a favorite and stop by really often to check in!!!!
Growing up, my parents would never just let me hop to whoever's house I desired; they were very protective about what enviroments and friends I spent time around. This became more of a problem as I grew into my personality, you could say that I've always loved being around all sorts of people from an early age. :) {I often got in BIG trouble for prompting my friends and their parents to have me over, seriously.} I still clearly remember, my 8-year-old friend busting out "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" for a group of us to watch. A clear, PG-13, rule breaker! -Oh no she didn't!- And...to my shame...I took part.
Tonight, I plan to watch a movie with a bunch of good friends from my small group (#1). I'm grateful for a group of friends who share my beliefs & values & love me for me. I doubt we will watch good ole' Buffy, but I'm excited none the less.
Off the subject, I'm making a cheesecake that is better than _____________ {whatever you can think of to put in the blank} :)
I promise when I get my new blog up and running, I will be all about some blogging. For now, I am way to much of a perfectionist to overlook the things that annoy me on this page. :) Once the blog arrives, you will go all Han-Qui-Qui on me, and be like "Oh Shute...." If you don't get this video, google bon-qui-qui from mad tv.
Loooove:
~My house being somewhat clean! No dishes in the sink, one load of laundry
left, no dirty diapers around, and even a clean bathroom. What, what???!!
~My new business handouts are in with my new logo stuff! :) I also have a new
gifts in the works for my new brides from a southern photographer gal! :)
~The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I'm pumped about my frugile future.
~My baby girl. It is so amazing to listen to her talk and watch her explore
the world around her. I could eat her up with a spork.
~Gone to Greenville! Come on people. Get on the train.
~Jesus. Praying really hard for Him to speak to me very clear about
some things. Can't wait!
Yuuuuuck:
~This stupid weather. How can I wear shorts one day and have to wear a winter
coat the next?
~This stupid cold. I'm so ready to be able to sleep w/o having to turn from
side to side in order to transfer my snot.
~The Total Money Makeover...This is going to suck and be very hard.
~Driving. Thankful for it, but I'm going to be doing a lot of it in the near
future.
~Worrying about my husband's test and next year's assignment. :/
Come and Get It!!!!!!
So in college, my roomate and I were asked to sing in chapel. (Brief: I went to a Christian college, and you had to attend a certain number for a grade. Some were good, some were not.) We were stoked and sang our little hearts out to the tune of "His Eye is On the Sparrow". My roomate, Stephanie (Holla!), has an AMAZING voice. I'm just ok. Any-who, we finished the song, the harmonies completed perfectly, and I have to say I was feeling pre--tty good about myself. That was until I got comfey in my seat and realized that my zipper had been down the entire time. I kid you not. It was like God was saying, "You think you have it all together and all figured out. Uh, NO! That would be my job!"
Scenerios like this come up quite frequently in this ole gal! And each time I thank Jesus that He has it all figured out for me. :)
Here are some more pictures from Jonathan & Melissa's wedding this past Christmas!
You know how you love a movie so much, you talk it up to all of your friends. You tell them how amazingly awesome it was. How you cried, laughed, sighed, and loved it so much you'd watch it 100 more times.... Then, you watch it with your friend. You keep glancing at their face to make sure that they are feeling the awesomeness you felt the first time you watched it. You're distracted the entire movie, because you want them to love it as much as you do. Halfway through you are wondering why in the heck aren't they melting into a puddle of tears, and they definitely must have been spacing out when they didn't laugh at the funniest scene ever put in a movie. The movie ends, and your waiting on them to get on their hands and feet and thank you and Jesus that they were allowed to experience this greatness. Instead, they say, "It was ok".
And in the back of your mind, you can't help but wonder if you built the movie up too much before they had the chance to soak it in for themselves.
This is EXACTLY how I'm feeling about my website. I'm so stinkin excited I can't stand it. I hope it is A-mazing. But I worry that as much as I've been talking about it, you're going to get there and say, "It's ok". Problem is there is no stopping me from continuing to talk about it. :)
When it comes to my family, it just doesn't get much better. I've been working on my website and my about me portion, and I realize how much my family has influenced who I am today.
I am sort of like a female version of my dad's brain. I like to analyze things and organize my thoughts before they are heard. I am VERY competitive. I like to win and be the best at whatever I'm doing. I tend to also have a very critical spirit, and do not like for people to disappoint me. (Sorry dad, it's true!) From my mom, I inherited my mom's keen eye and artistic vision. She can see things in her mind how she wants them and then sketch them out to match. My mom is easy going. I could call her at 9:30 pm and ask her to go see a movie and she would and has on many occasions. My parents together taught me to love, to have faith in the things I believe in, to put Jesus before anything, and to be head strong and have confidence in who I am.
Having so many brothers and sisters only fuels the "about me" fire. I get along with pretty much anyone, because you learn to adjust in a house with seven people who are different from you. I can sleep just about anywhere and anytime, because I was used to sleeping through crying, yelling, playing, and kids crawling over me. I learned an unselfish love at an early age because my love for my brothers and sisters is a lot like the love I feel for Gray. There's nothing they could ever do to lose it.
Just a few of the things about me.
Check out a new video project, working on some new things to get ready for my new site and blog! I think you will like it. Fun colors, a journalistic feel, and lots of images.
When I was in high school, I swear to you that I painted my toenails to match my outfit almost everyday. Then, college came along, and I tried to make sure that my legs were at least shaved every week. Then came teaching, and I made sure by spring my legs were shaved and my toenails were decent enough to wear open-toe shoes (I didn't want to feel sorry for the kids who sat at my feet!) Then, came this past year. So far, it has trumped all of my "do not care" episodes in the past. If I'm not doing one thing, it's something else. If I have a little free time, I'm using it to find a way to make something better. I'm convinced my feet have joined forces and refuse to become silky smooth until I give them the undivided attention that they oh so deserve. :) In short, I need a pedicure.
I hope you are excited as I am about my new web presence coming up. In the process of trying to figure out a way to explain my type of photography in the "about me", I keep coming back to chicken nuggets. Huh?? (I can hear your thoughts.) Let me explain.
I willingly admit that I am a sauceaholic. Whatever I am eating must be the opposite of dry. I like my cheeseburgers, tacos, and nuggets to be dripping in sauces (a variety of them). Although I order tons of sauces everywhere I go, there are some places that scream one certain sauce. Zaxby's = Zax, McDonalds = Hot Mustard, Fatz = Buffalo & Ranch, etc.
I see my photography much of the same way. Each shoot, each image screams something unique to me. Some clean and crisp. Some raw and dirty. Some in between. Some all three. It just depends on the nugget, I mean client. :)
Every photography book I read tells me that I have to find my style, what I do best, the image that screams "this is hannah gray photography". From the description above, you might now understand the difficulty of this decision.
But why can't my style scream "variety". I don't want to edit my images the exact same way every time for the rest of my photog life. So, I'm sticking with the chicken nugget principle. Variety. That is my style.
My little girl is the cutest thing in the world to me. :) She blesses me in ways that I just can't put into words, but I'll give it my best shot. I could kiss her face off, could sit all day and just watch and listen to her, and do cry when I think about how much I love her.
I try to have photo shoots around the holidays to document, and to make sure I never forget what that sweet face looked like at every age. I have to tell you the shoots get a little more difficult everytime. Partly because she does not like to sit still anymore.
This is the new fish face. :)
You know when I took the year off, I took for granted that the year would last a lifetime. However, what you knew and what I was ignoring has reared it's ugly head. Decision time?! I've been sincerely seeking with my whole heart, and all the arteries and veins that surround it, the answer to the hardest question that I've ever had to answer?! Be at home with the best little girl in the world and sacrifice ...... or go to work and provide extra financial comfort for my family. I know when you put it like this it seems like I should be able to choose the obvious answer, but I love both. I love what I've been able to do this year, but I really do promise that I love to teach! :) At the end of the decision day, I really want to do exactly what God tells me to do. If only He still wrote on walls.
I have pictures to post, but I'm working my little booty off making sure that I can stand the sight of my house through the rest of the week! :)
I've sort of been avoiding this blog like shaking hands with someone who has the flu. Why? Because I don't like it's look, and I'm so excited for the blog to come. But I had to post some of Staci and Brandon' pics, because they rocked it out. I had this idea of a field with a guitar. I was thrilled when he said that he played. Here are some of my faves. :)
This is my fave! The light was IN-SANE!
To those faithful readers.....As you can see I've played around with how this blog looks for too, too long! In the works is a brand new blog, a brand new website, and many, many more great things to come. They are going to be awesome! :)
What am I doing? Thinking and working on my photography brand!!!! New look, old look, same look. I will not rest until I have it all figured out. WHat do you think? What has been your favorite logo, color, etc??? Help me out people! I'm open to suggestions.....
Content 1 here.
Content 2 here.
Content 3 here.
This is a mass email I sent to almost everyone in my email book. Just by chance, you don't email me a lot, I'm posting it on my blog as well. And...what post would be complete without a picture. Check the bottom for a couple of ring shots from Jonathan and Melissa's Christmas wedding! ;) On to the email:
Hey Guys!
This time last year, I was on my way back to work for the first time since having my baby girl, Gray. It wasn't long until I really felt the Lord laying on my heart that I was supposed to step away from teaching and stay at home with Gray. Kevin, thought that I had lost my mind, and I couldn't blame him nor argue the point. I didn't know how we would be able to do it, but for some reason I had such peace that we would be taken care of....
I would have never in a million years thought that Jesus would help take care of us through a photography business. I have always loved art in every form (painting, drawing, building, decorating, dressing, graphics, crafting...), but never considered it could be a career. I am so excited to see where this business takes me, and to be honest, I sit and think over it...A LOT!
2008 picture season was A-mazing, thanks to a lot of you guys. Who would have thought that in four and 1/2 months I would have shot 28 sessions and 4 weddings??? NOT ME! I look back at the pictures in the beginning and know that if I could go back and shoot them now, they'd be so much better. (It's a perfectionist's blessing and curse.) But seriously, I feel like in such a short time, I have learned SO MUCH! And I hope that never-eva stops. :)
2009 picture season is going to be great as well! I have a lot of faith that God will again use me and a camera to provide for my family. It's scary and exciting at the same time. Some things I have already changed and others are in the process.
-One biggie is that I've redone my pricing handout. The prices have changed, the look is different, and after a lot of research and thought...I feel good about it. I'm attaching it to give you guys a preview.
-Another Change: Instead of doing one shoot a weekend, I'm trying to be smarter with my time and use one Saturday where I shoot a lot! I had a lot of requests from the upstate for some shoots, so you guys will have a Saturday to abuse as well!!! Holla. :) Take a look at the fliers I have attached and send it out to anyone you might think would be interested. Hopefully, (Thanks to Adrian & Steven) I can have it ran in the Horry Independent (local newspaper) as well! Best case scenario, I'll have to schedule more than one Saturday!
There are more changes that I'm looking forward to and praying over as well. There is no way I can advertise and give everyone the best impression of my images all alone, so join with me in sharing and praying for the year ahead. I've made a commitment to pray over each person I'm allowed to photograph this year. My dream in this business would be to do so well, that I can give back like a mad-crazy woman.
Thank you again for being the best clients and friends a photographer girl can have!
Hannah Gray
I don't blame you. Check out some more H-O-T-T! Portraits!
Meet the Leach bunch. Amanda Leach Powley, was one of my lifesavers during my first three years of teaching. She is mild, kind, caring, a hard-worker, a great listener, and an even better friend. I don't see nearly enough of her. :) Amanda recommended me to her mom for some family portrait re-do's. Did I mention that she must have good taste!? ;) Anyway, I snapped the night away and could not quit laughing "with" the Leach family. I especially enjoyed editing the images where they are wearing mustaches, rubbing Grandpa's tummy, picking through Grandma's hair-do, and laughing their undies off (ha, ha!)! Amanda, Jane, and the whole Leach family....Thank you!
Here's the whole bunch. Click the title to see a few more pics.
Linda, Jane's mom, contacted me about photographing her daughter's wedding. She told me they were planning to marry in Hawaii!!! "What?! What?!" Too bad they were only looking for a photographer for the rockin' reception that awaited them back here in South Ca-ca-lac-ee (Carolina). :)
During the reception, they had the video of their Hawaii ceremony playing on the big screen for everyone to watch. After it finished, Nelson and Jane, decked out in their wedding attire, were announced as the Mr. & Mrs. for the evening and got the party started with their first dance. The night continued with dancing (good dancing), eating, and even some karaoke!
Nelson & Jane, congratulations to you both. Hope you will always be as happy as you are now!!!!
This picture was my symbolic one for the evening. Nelson is from Venezuela, and Jane is an all American girl!
Jane's dad had a cowbell, engraved, and complete with lock and key. Nelson took it like a newlywed and had it ringing all evening.
The first dance....
I can't even begin to explain the smooth moves on display that night.
I love this picture. Everybody having a blast, but notice Jane & Nelson all wrapped up in each other.
Love this one as well. Nelson and his mom were too sweet. She is such a beautiful lady.
And one of my faves. I took pictures of the screen as the video of their wedding played. Each came out with such awesomely different colors. What a cool piece of art!
Nobody got into the karaoke....siiiikke!
I'll have the slide show up before long. Something is up with the site! :) If you haven't read yesterdays post..........READ IT!
Jostens, Smotens. Boring senior pictures are a thing of the past. Of course you have to have the one for the yearbook, but those others....with the cheeky poses, um...yeah. Why not have senior portraits that scream you, instead of scream "I love me some blue-gray backdrops????" If your interested in having senior pics made with me, shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment. I'll be booking for the next month.
My sister, Evan, now a freshman, had the "boring" senior pictures, so we took a very short trip and had a senior re-shoot. They are turning out great, of course she does have my genes, so I didn't except anything but perfection..... :) Kidding, but seriously, she rocks in these pictures!
P.S. Just because you're not a senior, doesn't mean you don't know a senior. :) You might just get yourself a little reward if you send me one.
P.S.S Just because you're not a senior, doesn't mean that you can't have an "Anytime" shoot with me. For business or just because. You like yourself that much don't you.
Ok. I'm done!
Gray's first pigtail attempt. What....what, what?
Opening some stocking stuff from the Grands.
I made Ian be the Christmas Elf. He took it off after this picture. 
My mom is hot. Showing off her magnification mirror. 
I've gotten to meet and get to know the Robertsons through our mygroup. They are such a sweet and special family, and Adrian did not pay me to say that! :) We finally got together for some quick Christmas pics. The ducks were way more intersting than me!!!
Is this just not the cutest pic, and she posed herself, go figure!
