First off - today sucks!

No, No…today is a great day, I am just a little sad.  Today is my daughters 2nd birthday.  I know, I know - it is cause for a celebration (and we will) however I can’t stop thinking about her growing up.  It literally brings me to tears thinking about the eventual day that my baby will be too cool to cuddle with me.  Kids are life changing and I am the luckiest guy in the world.  My kids have rewarded me more than I could have ever imagined.

I just clicked, and am in the process of clicking some more, on a few additions to my repetoire.  My phone number has recently changed, so I had to pick up some replacement business cards for a corporate event I am shooting next weekend.  Also, I am currently in the process of placing my orders for some new albums that should be pretty awesome.  I am picking up one “budget” album, as well as a premier album so that people can have their choice - and see the difference. 

Quality albums are important - the inexpensive ones just don’t cut it for your wedding day.  I had a recent situation where I purchased an “average” book for a client (my first wedding actually).  It just didn’t cut the mustard…..so I decided to switch to the higher end books.  The $100 books look like $100 books….and the $500-$900 albums really make your images special. 

I am actually thinking of taking my own wedding pictures, and putting them in an album for myself….it is just such a special way to keep them.

Also, I am really looking forward to my new “proofing section” on www.williamainsley.com.  The whole site is going to be changed….every last image is likely going to be removed, and put back up…..and this proofing site will go up with the changes.  Basically, when I shoot your event, wedding, baby, maternity, portrait, car, dog, mailman…whatever…..your images will go up on the proofing site for you to take a look with your own secure password.  All the images will be corrected, and balanced, etc….and should you wish to pick up some of the prints they will be totally processed and enhanced.  The best part, you can select your size and quantity - and even order it directly!

Anyway - I gotta get back at juggling - I gotta few balls in the air this week.  With the site changes, the new products, and the special birthday party planning…..i’m out!

So many exciting things are happening, and it seems like it has all been in the last couple of weeks.

To put a cheesy spin on how things are working as of late….I will compare it to the forecoming spring.  My photography has been simulating the season changes.  In winter - it was slow, and stale.  I have been craving through the winter months to start getting creative again.  Of course photography up here in Southern Ontario slows down a bit in winter (less weddings, not much to shoot outside, etc.  Which reminds me - I should post about a shoot from a few weeks ago - that I entitled the ‘frostbite’ shoot.

Anyway - as the snow melts, and the sun starts to shine - my photography is beginning to start again.  The itch to take my camera and find anything and everything to shoot is exactly the feeling you get when you want to bust out that spring jacket.  Even though you might be a couple degrees ahead of the weatherman, you can’t wait to get out there. 

So what is coming up?  Well, as a reminder that I am not “just” a wedding photographer - I am planning a number of great things to share.  Of course, some/most of them have to do with the upcoming weddings I am shooting - but I will slip some posts from my life, and my other shoots. 

So in a nutshell, here is what is coming up: 

This weekend I am looking forward to what is looking to be an awesome engagement shoot for Deanna and Michael.  Their story is so great - and how they found me is so flattering - that I will save the details for their own post.  On the same day, I am celebrating one of the loves of my life - my baby girl.  My daughter is turning two, and this weekend is the celebration. 

I just finished working with the very talented Manuela Valenti from www.manuelavalenti.com.  She is a fine artist and fellow photographer, however she also designs custom albums as well.  After some talking, we thought that it would be great to have her design my first album, and hopefully continue with more.  Wait until you guys see this album - I am pretty excited about it.  I will post a blog post about it with pictures when it arrives - but it is going to be sweet. 

I am working on reorganizing the website as well, and (obviously) getting going with this blog as well. 

There are are a few other things as well, but I just got a text message from my wife saying that she is on her way home.  Usually not a worry - however tonight the kids and I made a huge mess!  I am going to flip on the hockey game, and start tidying. 

P.S.  Congrats to Martin Brodeur.