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A letter on my door step: The follow-up

/ jeaninethurston / 113 Comments

Ok – honestly, I had absolutely no idea what would happen over the last 24 hours.  Although I’ve been in professional photography for around 24 years – I did not set out to post something that would be passed along to so many people.  Today, my e-mail, blog & twitter were turned upside down with mass communication beyond comprehension.  95% of the voices I heard through Facebook, Twitter, E-mail as well as blog posts were a grouping of similar stories, people who could really relate, and thankful people that loved the reminder to give a little more love an attention to those that you love around you.  About 3% were questions about me, about the family, and about photography.  That left a very small 2% that found the blog post offensive and questioned my integrity in doing so.  Looking at the percentages – I will say that there will always be a few nay sayers and negative people, but the astonishing positive and thankful feedback actually has left me in tears over half the past day.  So I went to the studio with no make-up, hair in a mess and nice big puffy eyes – and am grateful for all of the stories shared from all corners of the globe.

Just because everyone isn’t rosy and positive doesn’t mean they don’t have a valid perspective, so I feel like I should address some questions in today’s post.  These are answers to only questions I’ve received up until now – and I apologize if I’ve missed something from any of you, and will try to go through and e-mail some people directly as well.

** Were you blocking a lot of negative comments so far?

Actually no. I have currently only “unapproved” 5 posts so far… all of which contained either foul language or I felt were bashing the feelings of sincere people that posted comments on my blog.  I e-mailed a response to each person that I “unapproved” explaining exactly why I had done so, as well as addressing their concerns or harsh words.

** Is Karen still alive? Can you post photos of her and her family?

Sorry to say that she has passed.  I do have images from past sessions and wedding; however I and the family do not feel it is the right place to put faces to her words – as her words speak for themselves.  They prefer not to be recognized, or contacted – especially with young children involved.  Morning and dealing with a sever loss is really a personal matter – and it is a very fragile situation.

** Was the post a marketing ploy or hoax?

No.  The only benefit I feel from this is that others can bond and feel some greater picture.  I have my own family, a full-time business and want to pass along how important loving relationships are or can be to my children.  Cancer has hit close to home in my family as well – and it was a very awakening experience for me.  A reminder of how quickly life passes, and how even I put off photos with my children.  As photographers, we are behind the camera – and the nudge that this letter provided me was to do more portraits with my husband and children…. and ME in the photograph.  It’s about setting aside the thought of a few extra wrinkles, or couple extra pound because you don’t feel like you look perfect and getting in front of the camera for sentiment sake.  Unfortunately I don’t think I could possibly convince some people of this – but I felt like I still needed to try to explain my actual intent.  I by no means believe this was her last “wish” as one so un-kindly put either.  I know her and I also know that she probably sat down and wrote a number of letters to people because that is the kind of person she was.  Loving.

** Do I expect people to spend thousands on photography?

That is quite a personal decision and really – with my own family and trying to support them on a photographer’s budget I have to tighten my belt too.   I am all to familiar with paycheck to paycheck.  So in short… NO… that isn’t something I would demand or expect – or force anyone into.  Many seem to be un-aware that photographers are small business owners – we are no different than anyone else with a job (except we rarely get a steady paycheck).  We have lots of bills, many of us have families, we pay our own insurance –  if we are pros and we also have increasingly large over head expenses with continually upgrading equipment & computers.  We work all hours day and night too.  It is as far from a 9-5 job as most will ever understand.  Many photographers (myself included) have actually lowered our rates or offer payment options or packages to make it easier if a client chooses to hire us for their memories.

I want to make it abundantly clear that at least 90% off all my photographs of my family and children are “candid” on the fly and “in the moment.”  And yes – these are prized by me just as much as the professional looking images.

** Guilt trip?

Well – I guess you can call it what you would like.  Some people have called it a real awakening, some have said thank you for the reminder, and some have said I was a awful person too.

Here is my opinion.. or view I guess you can say:

“Call it whatever you want!  I LOVE MY FAMILY.  I know now more than ever that there are hundreds of thousands of people that feel love for their families and friends.  If yesterday’s post made just ONE of you pick up your camera and take a family photo or a few extra shots of your children or parents/grandparents then that 2% that are disgusted with me, don’t matter – my love and concern is with those that the post touched in a positive way.  I would love to photograph as many people as possible in my lifetime, but it makes me happy just to know that others out there do see value in what a photograph IS.  It is beautiful memories of past lives, the building blocks of who you are today and who you will be tomorrow, and it is stories for  children and generations to come.”

I am very proud to be a professional photographer

I am proud to be in a profession that touches so many people in an amazing – astounding way for generations behind and ahead of me.

I am proud that I can see beauty in everyone…. EVERYONE.

For all photographers out there – professional or not – be proud that you record our history, love and our lives.  For clients or potential clients… we photograph people because we love the spirit and uniqueness of every person.

I wish everyone a beautiful and heart-felt 2012!!!!  My many thanks to everyone that has and will post about their experiences.  I enjoy reading and hearing about all of the amazing connections out there and have had many e-mails and posts stating how much they appreciate everyone posting and seeing all of the love and kindness!

Here is the link to the post that this follow-up refers to as well:

https://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/

“Quick” before it’s too late… maternity portraits.

/ jeaninethurston / 1 Comment

Don’t wait until it’s too late…. maternity portraits are amazing for your family & baby albums.  And, if you want a full blown session – that is great!  But, if you are one of those people that just wants a few memories before that beautiful belly is replaced with a newborn in your arms – Quick Takes on Thursdays in our studio are the way to go.  30 minute sessions on Thursday mornings (times available from 9am-noon for $30/30 minutes) – for a lifetime of memories that you otherwise may miss. Call Jenny for details a (720)454-7608 or e-mail is at info@fototails.com.  Times are limited – so call us to set up your session time for when you are around 30-37 weeks along!

2011 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE!

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Isabelle Floral Design

Floral home & business holiday decor.

Leave it to the experts and let us be your little elves! WOW your family, friends, neighbors, clients and save time and money! Free delivery on all orders in the Boulder/Brighton/Denver area and 10% off your total bill. Isabellefloraldesign.com 303.856.4140

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Kitty Mae Millinery & Accessories

3559 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205, 303-295-0545, open Tues-Sat 10-6. Spend $50, and get 20% off off of a Kitty Mae Showgirl Fascinator, Showgirl Headband or Bloom for yourself if you mention you saw it in Jeanine Thurston’s gift guide!

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THE FEED ZONE COOKBOOK

Must have for you, your friends and family.

Chef Biju and Dr. Lim vetted countless meals with the world’s best endurance athletes in the most demanding test kitchens. In The Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes, Thomas and Lim share their energy-packed, wholesome recipes to make meals easy to prepare, delicious to eat, and better for performance.

The Feed Zone Cookbook provides 150 delicious recipes that even the busiest athletes can prepare in less time than it takes to warm up for a workout. With simple recipes requiring just a handful of ingredients, Biju and Lim show how easy it is for athletes to prepare their own food, whether at home or on the go.

The Feed Zone Cookbook strikes the perfect balance between science and practice so that athletes will change the way they think about food, replacing highly processed food substitutes with real, nourishing foods that will satisfy every athlete’s cravings.

The Feed Zone Cookbook includes

  • 150 delicious recipes illustrated with full-color photographs
  • Allen Lim’s take on the science and practice of food
  • Portable whole foods, including Lim’s famous rice cakes and more
  • Dozens of quick-prep meals for before and after workouts
  • Shortcuts, substitutions, and techniques to save time in the kitchen
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LadyCharm Artistry – Professional Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
www.LadyCharmArtistry.com – (303) 525 8046. Book today for your special occasion makeup & hair styling services! Receive a 15% discount on parties of 3 or more that book both services, if you mention you saw this deal in Jeanine Thurston’s gift guide!
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GREAT DIVIDE TRAVEL
Give the gift of memories… purchase a travel package with great divide travel and get a 50.00 gift card if you mention you saw this ad in Jeanine Thurston gift guide . offer expires December 23,2011. Contact dawn@greatdividetravel.com 303 291 1288
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The days come and go and the years fly by – especially when you have children.   Any denomination – custom gift cards that you can give your friends and family to capture a little piece of that history to hang on your walls for many years to come.  Family is a beautiful thing – and images of your love and life are one of the most personal gifts you can give.
Gift Cards available for any amount.
e-mail: info@fototails.com or call us at 720-566-9770 to get yours today.

OCTOBER: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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Via: www.nationalbreastcancer.org/Breast-Cancer-Awareness/

What Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Why do you see so much pink every October? October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign by major breast cancer organizations to increase awareness of the disease. This includes educating the public about early detection, the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and support for survivors.

What You Can Do

Thank you for supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Everyone needs a Super Hero.

/ jeaninethurston / 3 Comments

Wiki states these common characters in a Super Hero.

Extraordinary powers, skills and/or equipment. Superhero powers vary widely; superhuman strength, the ability to fly, enhanced senses, and the projection of energy bolts are all common. Others have special weapons or technology, such as Iron Man‘s powered armor suits and Green Lantern’s power ring. Many characters supplement their natural powers with a special weapon or device (e.g., Wonder Woman‘s lasso and bracelets, Green Arrow‘s trick arrows Spider-Man‘s webbing, Wolverine‘s adamantiumclaws, Daredevil‘s billy club, or Thor‘s hammer).

Caleb (with his side kick brother Aaron) graced my presence today with an amazing collection of super hero costumes for our session today.  He had a treasure chest that included possibly thousands of hours worth of  superhuman transformations.  In his presence I was helpless to his powers to make me want to play and humbled by his extensive knowledge of all superhero characters, side-kicks, and major players associated with each of these characters; including every move for each of them modeled to perfection.  After he was done with one character, he would whisk away behind a tree or wall and pop out as a new character from head to toe, inside and out.  This child was quite possibly one of the most animated children I have had the chance to photograph – and I was smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt by the time our hour of play was over.  He made sure to check my shots between moves, so that I portrait him in the correct way and so that his positioning was correct.  I knew that I had done a good job, only when he would say a quick “cool” or  “yeah” giving me confidence that I was nailing the shot of him at his best.

I so strongly encourage you to do a photo-shoot like this for your child.  Dressing up and acting is so much fun for a child, but it also gives us “adults” a little escape from our world to see it through their eyes.  

2011 Half Year full. THE MID-YEAR UPDATE.

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2011 has been a whirlwind of sessions, wedding traveling – and only a little over half of the year is done.

ON THE BUSINESS END OF IT: As in any year, it has it’s ups and downs and this year in particular – I have photographed 250 sessions January-June.  We have made the switch from PC to Mac – which I was a little leery about but can now say I love my Mac. We’ve had weddings in Denver, Estes Park, Montrose, and Cancun-Mexico.  We have been in our studio at Ravens Nest in Denver for nearly two years, and now contemplating moving to a different studio in the same location.  We have been with Pictage now for 4+ years, and we have been very happy with that choice.  But I still have my “favorite” lab that I’ve been with for 15+ years back in Minnesota for any custom work I do.  Wendy stepped away from us but I still loved having her with Fototails, and Autumn took the customer service reigns a couple months ago.   We have about 10 more weddings this year, and are predicting about 200+ more portrait sessions July-December.  I’m also finishing up photography for two different cookbooks, and really love photographing the food – it is a little break from portraits and weddings for me; and, although I’ve been doing commercial work for 20+ years I always find a mix of photograph keeps me fresh and I love the challenges of working so many different projects.

August begins the rush to get family photos done, and we will be spending a lot of time getting families photographed before the holidays.  Every year is different for the changing of leaves around here, so we never know when or how long they will stay on the trees – but about 75% of our sessions are done outdoors August-November.  We are now booking September-December for portrait sessions, with September filling up quickly.

ON THE PERSONAL SIDE OF IT: My two boys are growing like weeds… I went to bed one night and woke up the next morning to Eric’s PJ pants being 2 inches too short.  Both kids are in Pre-K part-time, and I still have an entire year until my oldest gets to go to kindergarden.  They are Lego maniacs and as expensive as they are, I appreciate every minute of peace and quiet that they give me (even if it is only 10 minutes at a time).  We lost two of the best dogs ever at the beginning of this year which was really sad for us, but we still have our golden retriever Gwri(RYE) that now gets all of our dog love.  We took a trip to Wisconsin to visit family in the spring – I flew with the kids which I was completely fearful of doing – and they did fine and Mance then drove and we all did the road trip back (not so fine 19 hours of drive time).  But it had been 2 years since I had been to “The homeland” so it was good to see family and friends…and fit in a couple sessions while I was up that way.  I attended two weddings this year, and the 2nd wedding we brought the boys with and they had so much fun dressing up and dancing.

Lots left on the agenda for 2011…. it is one long roller-coaster of a year.

I hope you are all enjoying your year and happy 2nd half of 2011.

On the move.

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Ok, in all fairness I posted the last image to facebook, kidding that “ENOUGH” was the title.  But the story behind it was actually that this 9 month old cuteness can crawl.  So what does a photographer do? Puts her on some paper for some shots…. paper is slippery to a child’s bare feet.  It keeps them from moving too fast, which is a major plus for getting some images before a crawling child darts around the studio from one end to the other.  On the negative side, this precious little girl was so frustrated that she wasn’t able to crawl on the paper that after about 15 minutes of torture, she set her head down and gave up.  So sad that she wasn’t able to do it, about broke my heart.  But…. in the long run, we got some great images and she was up and happy after that. 

Candace & Ryan’s Wedding

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The Bridges Country Club - Montrose, Colorado

The day prior to the wedding, I popped into The Bridges Country Club during Candace & Ryan’s rehearsal for a little bit to do a sweep of the location for some fun shots to shoot on the wedding day.  It is a beautiful location and looking forward to the wedding day.  It is full of spiral staircases, mountain views, ponds and a covered bridge – so we will be climbing on for a little ride of the golf course after the ceremony too.

The wedding day turned out to be a nice 90 degree day – but with the wind it was still a very beautiful day and by the time the sun tucked away behind the mountains, the temps dropped and it was perfect outside.

Photographer: Jeanine Thurston

Many happy years ahead for Candace and Ryan!!!!

Photographer: Jeanine Thurston

Photographer: Jeanine Thurston

MEXICO May 2011. Journal

/ jeaninethurston / 2 Comments

THE RUN DOWN ON SOME OF WHAT HAPPENS FOR A DESTINATION WEDDING.

I promise to update with photos as much as possible.

Monday – MAY 16TH, 2011

**Wrapping up the loose ends today around the office.  Working on some editing, a little packing, and making sure all my paperwork is in order for the trip.

Tuesday – MAY 17TH, 2011

**Kiddos off to school at 7:30am so that I could run some errands and then do a final packing of my equipment.  Had to edit 2 more sessions this morning, get a newer camera bag (at least I told myself I needed it), and then pack my suitcase.  About a dozen phone calls and 100 e-mails later, booked 5 more sessions for when I get back.5:30pm, picked the kids up from school.  Not so liking that the Town Car will be here at 3am to lug me to the airport…. flight leaves at 6am.

Wednesday – MAY 18TH, 2011

**Yep… here he comes… 3:15am on the button… off to DIA.

**Extremely happy that my 6am flight leaves on times… I saved a bit of money by having a pit-stop in Houston…. and while I typically fly direct… having $400 more dollars in my pocket sounded better at the time.  We’ll see how that actually plays out.

**Made it through DIA security without a hitch… it’s always a happy day when you get through security without the hassle of getting “the pat down” and having to un-pack your camera equipment for them to inspect.  So far off to a good start.  In addition, my Houston to Cancun leg of the journey got bumped to 1st class… so YEAH… happy day.  A little extra space and pampering for at least part of the trip.

**Small snag (that almost gave me a heart attack), screening in Mexico… I was so happy to hit the button… GREEN… again, my thanks that I didn’t have to dump my equipment and re-pack as usual.  BUT… my travel wallet with my credit cards & money all of a sudden were missing.  So…. not so smooth… stuck in the machine – but needless to say they found it and my heart returned to my chest.  And to think… I almost just walked out of security without it.

**The men in the blue shirts and white ties are typically my friends as I mostly book with Lomas… so they carted me off to my hotel without a hitch this time around (last year… well… there were a few issues), so again… happy day.

** Checked in at the Flamingo hotel (not recommended after the fact I must say)  Service was wonderful, staff great…. food – well laking a lot.   But I the hotel was right next to the Bride & Groom’s hotel and that worked for me as I didn’t have to rent a car this time around.

** Pinya Colada down…. getting to bed as I have shoots that start at 9am tomorrow.And a free Margarita... why pass that up?

Margaritaville was calling!

Thursday – MAY 19TH, 2011

**Up and out to the beach early!  Met the Brides parents and then the Grooms parents for some portraits on the beach and in their hotel.  Then a couple hour break back to my hotel room to cool off (VERY HUMID).

**1pm met the Bride and Groom and we were wisked off by the local taxi service to Playa!

** 4pm or so… back to my hotel, dropped of my cameras in my room and then went down to eat, have a drink and then off to a 30 minute walk on the beach.  Then back to my room to charge and check everything for the wedding tomorrow.  It’s going to be beautiful!

Colors of the water are always amazing here against the white beaches

Friday – MAY 20TH, 2011

Wedding day started with some getting ready photos in the Bride’s room at 11am…  and the day played out until about 8:30pm when their hotel assisted me and a few guests off of the property as that is all we were allowed in… but we got so many great images.  Beautiful wedding, gorgeous bride and such a wonderful couple – the wedding was perfect.

Saturday – MAY 21ST, 2011

Saturday was my free day… and while I had every intention of heading either to Playa or Puerto Morales for a fun photography day.  Honestly, I really just slept in, spent a few hours on the beach and then spent some time editing and backing up images.  Have to have at least one day to relax!

Sunday – MAY 22ND, 2011

The trip home proved to be a little more challenging.  A couple of late flights, stuck for an hour and a half on an airplane on the tarmac…. and well home a few hours later than expected.  But was very happy to be home to see all my boys.

** NOW TO THE REAL WORK… EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT… etc.

My thoughts – about my photography.

/ jeaninethurston / 2 Comments

Photographer: Jeanine Thurston

Photographing for over two decades, my photography has been a living breathing thing that is sometimes very controlled and at times very out of control.    Sometimes my style is a mirror of how I’m feeling for the day, and at times it brings me back to my photograph with “rules.”  I know some photographers take the utmost care in planning each session perfectly; however, in my case ~ as much as I plan, it is more about what is happening and how I’m feeling at the last second that I pull the trigger.  On the other side of the coin, after so many years shooting film, I was bound by the camera and making sure everything was technically perfect and spending hours in a darkroom processing and creating unique textures – dodging and burning and left with yellow fingertips from my 20 efforts on one image to get it exactly how I wanted it.  Now… really not much has changed except the tools I’m using (computers) are probably healthier than soaking my hands in chemicals because I was too lazy to put on rubber gloves.  And… well, I get to see daylight – I would at times spend 24 hours in one run in complete darkness with my film & paper.
I think there are such a variety of ways to capture images of your children, weddings, events, and everyday moments.   The candid images are such an important part of recording details that you may have missed or just forgotten without the reference back.  Personally, I have thousands of snapshots of my children and much less professional looking images that I really should, and probably definitely less than  most people expect because I’m a professional photographer.  But, the candid moments are captured and there to look back on with my showcase pieces that you have large and hanging and walk by every day and still can’t stop looking at them.  They are the ones that you look at, take a deep breath and say “wow, my child is so amazing” and it brings an overwhelming feeling that takes you to events before during and after that image was taken.   As much as every photographer would love for me to say you should have these type of images done every year… well, I have kids and know the reality of such a production.  But if you can do every 3 years or even every 5 years – it really is an amazing experience… trying to capture that one image that you have hanging 24×30 on your wall of your child, you as a couple, or your family.
I feel very lucky that I can shoot a mixture of styles so that most of my clients are very long-term… I’ve been photographing them for so many years that I have actually went from birth to graduation  – from toddler to wedding, from high-school senior portraits to their first child.  It is truly an overwhelming experience that I get to be a part of so many families as they change and grow.  It is an honor that I don’t take lightly and that makes me smile every day.  I’m not going to lie, it is a very self gratifying job – I get invited to photograph in my clients homes where I see my images framed and showcased.  Many times my clients are so excited when I visit to show my how they have displayed their images over the years – and honestly – as proud as they are to show me, I’m humbled by that pride.  While my husband may long to have me work a Monday-Friday 9-5 job and have every weekend open for my own family… well, honestly… most of my clients are or become my extended family too.  It is a selfish and selfless job if that makes any sense at all.
So, while clients come and go – photographers come and go – I don’t fear the competition, I work very hard and I ride the breeze whenever it comes my way.  I keep my amazing clients as close I can without smothering them – and yet try not to let go.  When they drift away, I try to win their love back.  If this sounds like a relationship – that is EXACTLY what it is – I have relationships with thousands of people and that is what I love most about what I do.  If I have photographed you now, I am grateful.  If I’ve photographed you in the past, may our paths cross again.  If I have lost you, I hope that I can get you back.
All of my love to the very many people that have filled my life and made it possible to be a professional photographer for 23 years.  My never ending gratitude to you for the support you have given me as friends, and allowing me to do what I love most as my work.

Photographer: Jeanine Thurston