Lane Crabtree: Spotlight Photographer #2
March 31, 2008
{The Questions} My name is Janice Lane Crabtree…Janice to my customers and Lane to my friend…and I am from Canal Winchester, Ohio – BUCKEYE country!!
The website: www.janicecrabtreephotography
.com
1. How long have you been in business? 4-1/2 years
2. How long have you been shooting senior sessions? 4-1/2 years. I learned early on I didn’t like kids or brides – hehe! While I really do love children, I found my niche early on with seniors – I love teenagers!
3. Describe your style: It’s funny you would ask that! I was recently working on an assignment and I actually asked that question of my peers and clients. Many of them had the same answers I would have said – clean, fresh, creative!
4. Your drug of choice: Canon or Nikon? Canon
5. How & when the photography bug bit: I’ve painted and taken photographs my whole life – it wasn’t until recently that the photographs outweighed the painting and it has now completely replaced it!
6. My most embarrassing photographer moment: It might have to be the time I fell off a ladder onto railroad tracks at a client shoot, or maybe it was the time I fell off a ladder onto a playground, or, I don’t know, maybe it was the time I fell off a ladder in my studio!! Do you see a pattern here? I apparently bounce because I’ve never been hurt and more importantly, neither has my camera!!!
7. I can’t live without: Iced tea – even my customers bring it to me! On a serious note, my family – they are sooo supportive of me and my quest to become the best photographer I can be!
8. Inspiration: Everything around me – I think most creative people are like that – we tend to look at everyday things a little differently!
9. Five things I have to have on a senior session:
- Make-up bag
- Bug Spray – I like to shoot near water!
- Baby wipes
- Gum – for me, not them!
- Flip flops – in case I want them to go someplace I would worry about their shoes or being barefoot!
10. Most visited website or blog: www.pro4um.com – I love the inspiration and friendships there!
11. Who do I want to be when you grow up? Photographically? Tim Schooler, Fuzzy Duenkel, Kirk Voclain – the female versions of course! Personally? I would most like to be like a friend of mine – Elmo Kallner. I always say his mommy raised the nicest, most caring human being on the planet!
12. Things I still feel I need to learn: The technical side of shooting – I’m more of an intuitive shooter!
13. My guilty pleasures: I eat one square (ok, maybe two) of dark chocolate a day. I read somewhere dark chocolate was good for you and I’m sticking with that theory!!!!
14. How do I stay focused and or organized? That’s an easy one - I don’t! I think that creative side of me prevents it (and I’m sticking with that theory too!)
15. Weirdest thing in my car: A broom! I use it on shoots to clear cobwebs, dirt, and small creatures! My husband tells the seniors it’s my “ride” in case the car breaks down!
16. Reality show addiction: I love American Idol but I think it’s because I have a smidge more time to actually watch TV this time of year! I have a hard time with the crazy auditions portion but am addicted to the rest! I would love to be able to sing and admire anyone that can. I maintain that I ruined my daughter’s chance of carrying a tune because I sang to her as a baby and she probably thought that’s what real singing should sound like – eeekkkk! I also love America’s Next Top Model – not necessarily the drama but the photo shoots intrigue me.
17. The newest fashion craze that I LOVE or HATE: I have a love/hate relationship with the bigger, babydoll type tops and dresses. Love them – they are adorable and can hide a multitude of sins! Hate them because I have to make sure I don’t make someone look bigger than they are!
18. Country music and classic rock currently fill my ipod!
19. Your favorite beauty products? Bare Escentuals and Victoria’s Secret Lip Gloss!20. If I were a F*R*I*E*N*D who would I be and why? Probably Ross – I’m kinda clutzy and a little on the shy side.
21. My secret desire for 2008 – I recently lost a few LBS and want to lose 20 more. It’s a challenge I’m going to put up on my BLOG – hopefully if I have people keeping track of me, I’ll do it! That and photoshop – I’m not that great at photoshop! Of course, if I learn to liquefy, I can just do that to myself and not lose that 20 lbs!!!!
Business Forms on Sale this weekend only!
March 28, 2008
Business forms on sale. Normally $75 for the complete packet. From now until March 30, purchase the packet for $60.
The Photographer’s Business Packet is perfect for those just starting out and are wanting to get themselves organized. Also included, which we are truly proud of, is the business plan template. True believers in that everyone who wants to open shop should have one. The template makes the daunting task of creating one easier.
The packet is on sale from March 27 - 30 only. Click the buy it now button if you’re ready to be organized!
{Sale over}
Our first feedback…yay!
March 12, 2008
“I just wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU for the Asuka book actions. They worked wonderfully and with such ease!
I know I will sell more Asuka’s now, as my time to design has been DRASTICALLY cut. You’re a genius!
Thanks so much!
Stefanie” of Stephanie Weber Photography
Is that not the coolest thing ever??? Our whole purpose with the album action sets are to make things easier for you…simpli-fly!!
BTW, ‘Simpli-fly’ trademark in the works 
Our Deepest Fear
March 12, 2008
Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson
Marianne Williamson’s poem, Our Deepest Fear, has been inspiring people for decades with its deeply resonating message about our fear of greatness, of standing out from the pack.If you’ve ever felt that paralysing fear of stepping forward and presenting yourself to public scrutity, you may find your first impulse is to label it a fear of failure.
But in Our Deepest Fear, Marianne Williamson addresses the other side of that feeling, the fear of being better than your peers, perhaps even daring to be the best.It’s a powerful message!
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.- Marianne Williamson
Prema Buck- Spotlight Photographer #1
March 6, 2008
{ T H E Q U E S T I O N S } My Name is Prema Buck and I live in : Temecula, California.
My Website: www.thepbstyle.com
The Blog: getthepbstyle.typepad.com
1. How long have you been n business? 3.5 years & shooting senior sessions? 1.5 years
2. My style is edgy, candid, and tells a story.
3. My drug of choice: Canon or Nikon? Nikon
4. My most embarrassing photographer moment: Oh, yeah..there’s a few, but the funniest is while on a senior session last spring (I think) as I lifted my camera up to photograph my client her face went white….I’m now alarmed and she said, “there is a bee on you!” Well that’s a horrible thing for me because I am totally afraid of them, even though, I have never been stung. So, I freaked out in the streets of Old Town Temecula. Everyone is is laughing at me as I am swinging my arms in the air with my camera around my next and taking off down the street without my client! (((sigh)) awful I know. I felt so bad about that, but she understood as she was afraid too!
5. Oddest thing you take on a shoot or have in your camera bag: hand sanitizer? doesn’t everyone?
6. One thing you cannot live without? My sweet kisses from my little girl!
7. What or who inspires you? Oh boy, let’s see. First of all prayer, passion and the desire to inspire, help others and grown in this biz! As far as my art, I’m inspired also my what I see in my daily life…I’m inspired by design, marketing and music videos!
FIVE things you have to take with you on a senior session:
- “Fabulosity” in all I do (ha,ha) / personality
- Cool pair of shoes
- A clean car
- Breathe freshener
- Hip songs on my ipod w/ a small docking station
8. Most visited website or blog: Jessica Claire! I love her stuff and I want her to do my family session.
9. Who do you want to be when you grow up? Me…only wiser and even more talented!
10. Things I still feel I need to learn: Photoshop and management of my time.
Like right now I need to finish my interview but I’m off to grab a Starbucks really quick! I’ll be right back:-)
11. My guilty pleasures: Starbucks almost everyday ((sigh))
12. How do you stay focused and or organized? Ha! Yeah right! Did you read above peeps?
13. Tell us about your reality show addiction: America Next Top Model and Kimora Lee Simmons…OMGosh she is something else!
14. What’s in your ipod? I like so many different types of music and artist! I do play a lot of Alicia Keyes right now and I LOVE Lupe Fiasco “Superstar” and Finger Eleven.
15. Your favorite beauty products? Burts Bees believe it or not!
16. Favorite designer? Oh boy, let’s see….I like Juicy Couture and L.A.M.B
17. Your secret desire for 2008: “[B]eing efficient is the key element to being successful” ………By [b]ecker My goal this year is to create a workflow that truly “flows”.
The Name…
March 5, 2008
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 2.2
As Marci and I talked about names, many crossed our minds. We had many good laughs with what we could call ourselves. Instant messaging back and forth, we came up, ‘weknowwhatshot.com,’ ‘heresourstuff.com,’ and a personal favorite, ‘anothervendorsellingyousomething.com.’ All of these said jokingly of course. We honestly did have some serious discussions about what to call our new adventure.
We knew we wanted the word ‘couture.’ We loved the thought of ‘the warehouse.’ One name that came to mind early on was Zero to 60. Another being 12thstep.com. We thought of many, but none were IT.
So we talked some more. More laughs, more serious talks and then finally, it hit us.
We had played on our initials several times before…ME (Marci & Erika). That was a bit too corny though, so we knew we didn’t want to go with that. Then, during one of our discussions, totally off topic of the new venture, we started to discuss our names.
Marci’s middle name is Ellen. My middle name is Leigh. Playing off the idea of using initials, we started brainstorming. We took the El of Marci’s name and the Le of my name…hence Elle. Knowing we wanted the word Couture in there, we became Elle Couture.
On the search for a domain name, and my insistence we have a dot come name (LOL), we started out with The Elle Couture. Again, not being completely satisfied with that, wanting something a bit more ‘high end,’ we decided to go French (or Spanish, whatever your language pleasure is) and came up with Le Elle Couture. Me being anal, switched the Le to L’, giving us L’Elle Couture.
And that’s the story behind our name. It’s fashionable…it’s fun… it’s perfectly us!
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Favorite Vendors
|Blogs for Photographers|
|SharedInk Albums|
|Asuka Books|
