Amy Nieto Photography + Design

The reception was held at the gorgeous Mansion on Forsyth hotel.

Lauren and her dad danced to Phil Collin's Sussudio. Awesome.

Allright, let's crank up the music and dance! I have absolutely no idea why was Lauren pointing...

...but it might've been at her new husband who was a little too distracted with his pals!

This girl cracked me up. Not only did she apologize for "getting in my way" while I was shooting (she totally didn't), but she was GREAT on the dance floor and if she HAD gotten in my camera's way, all would've been forgiven.

This couple won the Imaginary Cupcake of Excellence for Best Dancers. They DID NOT STOP DANCING ALL NIGHT. Empty dance floors on weddings make Amy really sad. I'm so glad all the guests were in a jolly mood!

Even dad was gettin' jiggy with it like it was 1997!!

Every now and then, some people had to take a breather and mingle about.

Here is Alyson again. I love you, Alyson. ^_^

The ballroom had an impressive display of decorative hats, very Southern. I wish I'd more time to appreciate them better. At least we got funny pictures.

A moment between father and son.

Time for the last dance. I feared it would be Donna Summer's wedding staple "Last Dance", but instead, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" signaled the end of a night.

In the midst of the last song, Lauren and Evan began making out and for that alone, they get the Imaginary Cupcake of Excellence for Best Couple Ever. Seriously. More couples should totally make out while swaying to "Don't Stop Believing" at their weddings.

Thanks for reading!!

How great it is to you have your long-time friends lend you a helping hand on your wedding.

The pretty bride

I seriously wanted a ride in this vintage car. So awesome.

Instead I rode on the trolley with the bridal party before heading out to the reception. I had a little too much fun with this crowd! ETA: I just realized this was also the FIRST time I have ever stepped inside a Savannah Tour Trolley. And I lived there for five years. HA!

This little girl was a ray of sunshine, despite what the image shows. I always looked forward to her little smile

Lauren's bridesmaids receive the Imaginary Cupcake of Excellence for being the best bridesmaids I've ever worked with!

Recognize her? That's my homegirl Alyson, who is one of my partners in crime here in Portland. Also, I was in LOVE with Rachel's elegant hairpiece, which was pulled from her own wedding dress. Darling.

More to come!

I am STILL madly in love with her wedding shoes. How darling are they!

I loved how this couple matched!

"I SHALL EAT YOU ALIVE"

I.LOVE.SHEEP.

Warm weather prompted us to search ice cream. Then cupcakes. Then salty food. We ended up at The Pied Cow on Belmont. Awesome place {Thanks Summer for taking me here first!}

OH, on our way back, while still in the island, I encountered for the first time ever a deer in its natural habitat. It friggin' hopped OUT OF NOWHERE, across the road, and out to the meadow. While I was full of glee from seeing a deer for the first time, I WAS SCARED AS CRAP because that thing HOPPED OUT OF NOWHERE AND COULD'VE EASILY HIT MY CAR WHOSE LEASE WILL BE UP IN LESS THAN A MONTH AND OMG IF THAT HAD HAPPENED I WOULD'VE KILLED THAT DEER WITH MY BARE HANDS.

But it was still adorable. Hoppity hop.

How was y'alls weekend? Oh yeah, I would like to holla at all the men and women throughout our history who have had the balls of steel to join the Armed Services and fought for this insane country. Like, seriously. War must be HARD.

Oh, Portland...

Also this is my current To-Do list (plus a myriad of things I'm forgetting):
19) CD for Sara J. (19 is on top because I ran out of space on the page!)
01) Russellville proposal - for a documentary photo project
02) Revise proofing gallery services
03) Finish past clients promos
04) Install wordpress (amynietophotography.com WOO)
05) Choose portfolio pics (for new website!)
06) Call Hyundai
07) Storyboards for Alyson
08) Answer........... {I can't divulge this one, it's personal hehe}
09) Contact Eric at Hyundai
10) make care package for XXXXXX - it's a surprise! Can't ruin it!
11) Blog about Sara's wedding
12) Blog about Lauren's wedding
13) Small JPGs Lauren
14) Small JPGs Sara
15) Edit Tyler, Troublemakers (two small shoots)
16) CD for Zoe

Not included here is REDESIGN WEBSITE NOW. or WATCH STAR TREK. Because it frustrates me that I'm not doing those! GRRR I NEED MY STAR TREK!!!!

This is never-ending and all of these items require like at least an hour and I really don't have a lot of time in my hands. The internet is frustrating.

Happy weekend! {also, if you're on Facebook please join me as I celebrate SLOW JAM FRIDAYS. Just post a link to your favorite Slow jam... preferably from the 90s....complete with music video shot with soft filters. AWW YEAH}

I share with y'all Sketchbook Page #3, featuring the color green (or grass green, as I call it) and bright whites contrasted with dark blacks...and a wonderful mustard-colored Winter coat for good measure :) I've been thinking more and more about outdoor gatherings. I hope to host my own this Summer.

I have never hosted anything. Holy crap. Disaster!

As always, click on image to view bigger.

Sunday was a lazy kind of day (though I spent a great amount of it editing and editing). It was PERFECT. My sweet roommate E rolled out of her room, I took a quick glance in and saw the heavenly light shining through. I HAD to capture it. I simply love how her room is what a lazy Sunday afternoon should look like. Bright, bed unmade, boots right next to the bed, thinking of squeezing fresh orange juice and maybe plotting a quick run around the neighborhood. Effortlessly styled.

Things are still a little shaky down here in the Amy Nieto Division, but my golly, scenes like this elevate my spirits.

How was your weekend? Did you accomplish all your goals? I did, surprisingly (edit, work out, convert old sheets into curtains for the dining room, clean the bathroom, and cook).

Hearts.

I am having delusions of grandeur and am currently plotting a Puerto Rican dinner for friends sometime this Summer.

Also, the very-close-to-the-equator Caribbean in me is STILL fascinated at how it can be bright as day at 8 o'clock in the EVENING, despite having lived in the States for 7 years. Seriously. I think it's AWESOME. You Americans better not take this for granted.

The Business Workshop featured several renowned photographers who talked about setting your brand apart from the rest, how to create direct-mail campaigns, genius ways on selling prints by the millions, how to pamper your clients, etc, etc. I left the conference feeling optimistic and ready to take Portland by storm with my new fancy marketing skillzzzz!....

It hasn't happend yet (granted, I do have a day job that is supposed to be part-time but we all know that's not how it goes. And granted, I do EVERYTHING in my life by myself, laundry, errands, cooking. And granted, I do have time-management issues - but none of that is the point right now). It's been dead slow (have you noticed?) and am struggling with structuring the pricing of my services so I can be a pro like all those gals and guys at the conference.

But something a friend and previous client told me made me stop altogether. She hired me earlier in the Fall 08 for a fun shoot with her boyfriend not only because A) she loved my work, but B) also because my pricing at the time was accessible to her (it was in my super newbie phase). It was very tough for her to find a photographer whose work and rates matched what she needed. She appreciated their photography, but just couldn't shell out $500. Immediately I felt defensive about why we photographers MUST charge what we charge, because guess what? The Conference taught me that we must search for the higher end clients who CAN afford $1000+ on a family session because they're the ONLY ones who appreciate the value and time that we provide with our services.

Wait, how did I let myself believe this, even for 5 minutes? So not true. Yes, photographers - and clients, alike - must be aware of all the expenses that go into that $200 session fee + $300+ Hi-Res disc CD fee (this website offers a pretty realistic breakdown). I can't charge $100 for session and CD, it is nowhere near cost-effective for me. That's a no-brainer. Don't forget freelancers must reserve approximately 30% off every money we receive, ideally, to be put into a No-Surprises-At-Tax-Time savings account. The Conference taught us we should not be ashamed to upsell.

Is this reason enough for me to charge hundreds, upon hundreds, and even thousands of dollars for my service? I grew up poor, in the projects of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. We could never have even thought we could afford something like this. Accessibility for the lower-classes has been a very sensitive subject for me throughout my upbringing. I wanted my photography to be accessible to those families who love photography, candid memories of their little kiddies, or to a couple who understands the value that wedding picture will have in 50 years - PRICELESS. Yet, I let myself believe that's not the income bracket I'm supposed to be gunning my energy.

What's wrong with NOT demanding a mininum of $500 in prints collections alone? What's wrong with NOT upselling like a car-salesman on crack? What's wrong with providing a service for PEOPLE LIKE ME? Am I, college-educated photographer, really that damn exclusive? I may get laughed at for taking this stance, accused I'm selling myself short. That's fine. While it may work great for others, I just have no desire in charging $7000+ for a wedding, no matter how many pretty custom albums I offer in a package.

In my last course in college, a lady came to our class to sort of "audition" for us with the hopes of attaining a teaching position with the program. After she was done, our professor asked each of us our opinion of her audition. A few students expressed she needed to travel more, in response to the body of work she presented, which featured photographic "portraits" of her Southern rural town. I inwardly rolled my eyes. Another student finally expressed what I felt: So what if she hasn't traveled (not that we knew anything about her life, really); is the vision of a woman or man who has lived in the same town for his/her entire lifespan less relevant than that of the constant world-traveler? The answer? Not at all. My own answer shocked me, as I've always been of the thought of "OMG how can someone live in the same town for over 50 years?!??!".

This late-night essay by no means is meant to offend photographers who have higher pricing structures. It is what you do. I'm just trying to figure out how to do what I love, to make people smile, to make them laugh, to make them love, in an accessible manner..... all while being able to friggin pay off my student loans. Seriously, $100,000* just to cuddle with large-format cameras?!? (mmm Cambo 4x5, though mmmm)

Crazy. Thanks for reading, though.

* To be honest I had a FULL scholarship (because I'm** so darn smart) sponsored by Coca-Cola for college. Yet I graduated owing $25k. WTF??

I'm doing allright... just.... annoyed and frustrated. I need my 80 degree weather NOW.