The Big Announcement
January 28, 2008 | Filed Under Inside the Booth | 2 Comments
After a couple weeks of research, tons of drawings, countless hours of building, and one nervous night we are finally ready to announce:
Gordon’s Photo Booth
We still have some tweaking to do, still bouncing around different names, and still researching an exact price, but we are ready to schedule the photo booth at your event starting in February. If you are interested, drop me a line at meredith@meredithgordon.com or call me at 614-314-4794.
Here are some pictures from Richard’s 30th birthday party.
January 25, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Big announcement coming soon!!!
En Garde!
January 21, 2008 | Filed Under Personal | Leave a Comment
While my sport of choice is running, my husband’s is fencing. Yesterday he competed in a team tournament at his club, and I went along and took some pictures. The lighting inside the gymnasium was terrible and I couldn’t use my flash, but here’s a few of the pictures I came up with of a couple different kids and Dave.
January 17, 2008 | Filed Under Personal, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Two years ago I became unemployed after a corporate restructuring. After a couple months of searching I received an offer to switch careers and go into IT. I have been at that position for two years and I still don’t know what the heck I am doing. In November I began pursuing an engineering position that was exactly like the one I had at the previous company. In December I learned the offer was mine and I accepted the position.
Tomorrow is my last day at my current job. I’m not really sad about leaving the job, but I am going to miss my friends severly. I’ve made great friends here and I am hoping we continue to be friends outside of work. I have cleaned out my desk and today I will be cleaning the personal things off my computer. It has been fun going through all the old pictures.
One of my life list goals is to visit all the major league ballparks and see a game. Two years ago I went to see the Boston Red Sox in Boston and in Anaheim. This past year I was lucky enough to go to the first playoff game for the Cleveland Indians vs. the Yankees.
Here’s the pictures I’ve been pulling off my work computer from Boston, Anaheim and Cleveland.
A New Look
January 14, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Finally, I think I found a blog template that I actually like. This one was specifically designed with photos in mind. What do you think of the new look?
I am really suffering from a case of the winter duldrums already. Despite that you might guess Oregon or Washington to be the cloudiest state, Ohio is actually the cloudiest state. And in the winter it turns grey and we don’t see sunlight again until late spring. I am having a hard time motivating myself to get out and take pictures while everything is grey and brown. Any suggestions for picture ideas? I want to keep practice and improving my skills.
And because I’m two weeks away from the beginning of training for the Boston Marathon, here’s a photo from the Flying Pig Marathon last year. Dave was so gracious to take pictures of me at my events last year as the pictures were required for my sponsorship with Team StayPut. Check me out! I’m one of the featured athletes right now.
2008 Goals
January 12, 2008 | Filed Under Business | Leave a Comment
Being that it’s the 11th day of January, I suppose it’s time to start making some resolutions and goals for 2008. Since this business is only two months old, I should have oodles of goals. But I don’t. I’m struggling right now because I don’t yet have anything booked for 2008 and being that I have restructured my prices and products, it’s hard to determine any financial goals. However, I have been thinking about a few things:
–Bring in a minimum dollar amount average per month that would allow me to consider this a full time opportunity in the near future
–Purchase the remaining amount of equipment deemed “necessary.” Included would be:
–70-200/f2.8 telephoto lens
–fisheye lens
–extra battery and hand grip
–lens hoods
–diffuser for flash
–more lighting equipment
–controller for flashes and lighting
–monopod/tripod
–Blog several times per week
–Achieve one day when this blog received more then 50 unique visitors
–Second/third shoot at least two weddings
–Book at least one wedding on my own
–Book at least 30 family sessions
–Take my camera everywhere and create opportunities for photographs and networking
Am I missing anything? Am I selling myself too low/too high? What are your thoughts?
January 9, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
I cannot say enough good things about my sister in terms of helping me start my photography business. She has been recommending me out the wazoo and has been really encouraging. So not like my sister! To thank her I bought her an iPod. It’s something I know she wanted but I knew she would also never have one for herself. From what I hear, she listens to it all the time. And with the iTunes gift cards she received for Christmas, I heard she downloaded like 75 songs in one sitting!
But Amy one-upped me. For Christmas my sister got me four vintage cameras to place in my office. One was from 1916, one from 1930, one was a video camera from the 1960s, and then was the Kodak Duaflex from the 1960s. Nice job, Amy.
Am I Pregnant?
January 7, 2008 | Filed Under Business | 1 Comment
Ha! I knew that title would get some attention. This is not about pregnant and NO I AM NOT PREGNANT!
Being in my 30th year (YIKES!), I have struggled with knowing that I’m not getting any younger but also feeling very young and having a lot of fun. Dave and I have also had to deal with the pressure of being in our 30s, being married for over five years, and being childless. We just don’t feel ready. But are you every really ready?
Saturday Dave and I went to the Columbus Bridal Show. We pretended to be a newly engaged couple and hit the show checking out other photographers’ booths. We watned to get ideas for the booths, the products they were providing, and their pictures. We had only made it through two aisles when we came to the Stouffer’s Photography booth. Jim Stouffer is the brother-in-law of a close friend from college. I have been intending to e-mail him for months, but haven’t. Instead I introducted myself at the show. Two hours later, we were still chatting and Dave and I didn’t make it any further at the bridal show.
Paying the $4 for parking and $16 for admission proved invaluable. The two hour conversation I had with Jim was like attending a conference. He taught me about equipment and lighting and business techniques and everything else. I intend to meet with Jim again and learn, learn, learn.
Being at the bridal show and conversing with othe rphotographs made me feel completely inadequate. I don’t have much experience; I don’t have a huge supply of equipment. Starting this business is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but never felt ready. I still don’t know if I’m ready. No one is ever ready for a baby. This business is my baby. I may not be ready for everything that has happened or will be happening, but I’ve got my foot in the door and I’m grabbing for the doorknob.
I promise to post more pictures to my blog soon. 
The 2008 Challenge
January 3, 2008 | Filed Under Business, Uncategorized | 2 Comments
While eating tacos and sipping margaritas at 10:30pm (after having the stomach flu the next day, I will not be eating tacos or drinking margaritas for quite a while) a challenge was introduced. My friend–let’s call him Mr. MoneyBags–has been wholeheartedly encouraging when it comes to my photography business. MoneyBags, though, is really good with money (obviously with a name like that) and thinks that photography being my main source of income is still several years off. From the response I have received, I think being a full time photographer is closer to 6 months to one year away. So Mr. MoneyBags posed a challenge. If I can meet a certain financial goal within a year, Mr. MoneyBags has agreed to buy me dinner at Mitchell’s.
I do love a good challenge AND a good meal.
2008
January 3, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
It’s here.
I have typed and typed words here and backspaced all of them. I do not know what to say about 2008.
I took a much needed break for the holidays. This break I needed to clear my head and define clear cut goals for myself for 2008. Most of the break I spent screaming about how miserable I am with my job and how I was not going to return to work. Today started with many choice four-letter words as I headed out. It was supposed to be a good day as I had an offer in-hand from another company and was ready to put in my notice. As it turned out, though, my manager never came to work, my friends tried to talk me out of it, and even after discussing it with my manager’s superior I was more confused than when I started.
This would be so much easier if….
I won’t have to do this any longer when….
I’m only committing a year….
I want to run more. I want to set a new personal best in the marathon. I want to take more pictures, attract more clients, and go full-time with my photography business. I want to get a tattoo. I want to throw a big party for my 30th birthday. I want to be a better friend. I want to pray more. I want to watch TV less. I want to spend less money. I want 2008 to totally rock!
I love resolutions. I love goals. I love lists. But today….I’m just trying to make it through today.