Hello, Iowa!

But more specifically, Albia, Iowa! My name is Abbi. I’m new to town! I recently moved from my home state of Minnesota.

I’m a photographer. I mainly do Portraiture and Landscape, but I dabble in just about every type of photography. Within the realm of portraiture, I enjoy shooting senior photos the most because it’s a lot easier to get creative and make true art. My landscape shots are also available for purchase in my Shop, both as mounted prints and greeting cards!

So why am I here, you might ask? Well, I went to Iowa State University, and it was there that I met my fiancé. He’s from the area, and we decided to settle down here. After graduating with a degree in Animal Science, I began working at a hog farm, but due to some circumstances, it was time for me to find a new job, which led me to live back home for a while.

The right opportunities have opened up at the right time, and now, here I am! Although I will always miss Minnesota (and my family of course), I have visited Albia many times and I can’t wait to now call it my new home!

Albia is a unique town with quite a lot to offer. I am eager to explore all the shops on the square and celebrate the local festivities, including the Victorian Stroll and Restoration Days! In the two weeks or so that I’ve been here, I have been made to feel very welcome.

So go ahead and introduce yourself in the comments below! I can’t wait to get to know you all!

Your Senior Photoshoot - What to Expect!

From my own senior photoshoot (almost 8 years ago), I remember having fun, I remember having an incredibly tired face, and I remember being really excited to see the pictures afterwords. My parents took care of booking the photographer and paying her. But I also remember not knowing what to expect.

To my future Senior Photo clients (both parents and seniors), this blog post is for you!

Before Your Shoot

When you contact me for a session, you can expect me to offer you a half-hour consultation with you and your soon-to-be graduate. I usually like to meet up at a coffee shop, because coffee is life, am I right? This allows me to get to know you and your soon-to-be graduate, but it also allows you to get to know me. Getting in front of a camera can be intimidating on its own, but having a stranger behind the camera can add even more pressure. Knowing who’s behind the camera can make the experience a little easier.

During the consultation, I’ll ask questions such as, “How/where do you plan on displaying these photos?“ “What colors do you have in your home?” “What school activities is your graduate involved in?” “Do you have any specific locations in which you would like to shoot?” “What is your graduate’s personality?”

These questions can help you figure out what colors would look best in your home and gives me an idea of how I want to portray the person I am photographing. I want to be able to capture who they are.

We will also discuss any questions you may have, such as cost, how many photos you may getting, how I will get your photos to you and other options and products I offer.

After your consultation, we will discuss scheduling a time that works best for both of us. I set aside between one and a half to two hours of shooting to allow for walking around, traveling to a different location, or outfit changes.

During Your Shoot

When we meet at our agreed-upon location, I will give you a run down of any ideas I have already come up with. We will then discuss outfit changes, so we have a clear-cut plan to streamline the process.

After we get coordinated, we start shooting! I like to have fun and I do my best to keep the experience low-key and relaxed. The last thing we need are photos that come out looking forced and stressful. I like to walk around with the client and let my creativity come to me, but I am always up for outside ideas. So if you have any ideas, don’t be afraid to stop me!

I have a list of my go-to poses, but as an artist, I always work with the location and the individual to achieve something completely unique to each client.

Once we are done shooting, I will give you the run down of what you can expect in the next couple weeks, and I will answer any questions you may have. I will provide you with a printing release and a business card if you hadn’t already received one. I will also collect payment at this time.

After Your Shoot

I will upload the photos to my computer right away. As time allows, I will edit a few and post them online so you can have something to look forward to! I usually allow two to three weeks to get all the photos processed.

After the photos are complete, I will send them to you on an online portfolio or I will send a flash drive in the mail (or both depending on our agreement). It will be at this time that we discuss professional prints and mounting options, if that is something in which you are interested.

I want my clients to have as much fun as I do. It is my job as a photographer to make sure you have a seamless and enjoyable experience in front of the camera.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s schedule your shoot!

Δ Abbi

Why Competition is a Good Thing.

You might be a photographer like me, or you might be something completely different. Whatever your profession or hobby, competition exists.

The illusion is that the competition is a bad thing. My message is: don’t be fooled by that!

Competition keeps professionals on the edge. The downside to this, of course, is that somebody is going to fall short, but the beauty is that everybody has a chance to shine! If others are doing better than you, evaluate why that may be the case.

In the case of photography, you have to look not only at the quality of the photos, but also at customer service strategies and activity on social media. There are so many reasons why others might be more successful than you. It’s okay to imitate how others gain success. They’re successful for a reason (don’t plagiarize though, that can get you in trouble)!

In photography, there was film, and then things changed to digital. The photographers who refused to learn digital became irrelevant because they couldn’t offer what the market was demanding. That’s not to say that there is no longer a market for film photography. Sometimes it’s good to be able to offer a variety of services. So if you were someone who preferred film, keep it as a hobby and offer it to clients who may want that option, but don’t forget to evolve with the market!

What I’m trying to say is, if you find that you aren’t gaining success, look to those who are and get inspired by them! Instead of getting discouraged, try celebrating your competitors because there is so much you can learn from them.

If we didn’t have competition in the world, things would never improve and there’d be no reason to innovate the industry. You know the saying: “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” That doesn’t apply to everything, but I think it applies here!

Let competition be fun! I’d definitely like to hear what you guys have to say about your experiences dealing with competition! Share them in the comments!

I hope your year is going well so far!

Δ Abbi

What is your New Year's resolution?

I’ve made big strides this year. There are many things I achieved that I didn’t think I would, and there were other things on which I fell short. That doesn’t mean I still didn’t improve on those things, it just means that I didn’t get as far as I wanted.

I am so excited for 2019! I have so many ideas and plans for the new year! My new online shop will be debuting in January. I can’t wait to make this big business step. There is so much I can’t wait to learn from this experience.

I also can’t wait to continue my personal improvement. I think we all try to improve ourselves each year but after a while, we get side tracked or we forget our goals. Sometimes we set goals but put them off because we don’t feel like we’re ready. The truth is, we’re never really going to be comfortable making big changes. You just have to do it and learn as you go.

That may seem scary, but if you have the right attitude, it’s not! I encourage you all to make big goals this year and stick to them. Your goals might seem farfetched or impossible, but if you take action, you can do so much more than you think you can.

If you start now, you will be so much farther ahead of yourself than if you were to put it off and start later. You will be glad you did!

Lastly, don’t give up on yourself. You may not have control of everything, but you have control of yourself. If there is something you want, work hard to get it. If you have a dream, settle for nothing less. And encourage others to do the same.

If we’re all a little nicer, a little kinder, a little more supportive of each other, this place will be a lot easier to live in.

Okay, I’m done with the cheesy speech. I hope you all enjoy celebrating the new year!

What goals will you be setting for yourself in 2019? I can’t wait to hear them!

Δ Abbi

How to go on an adventure.

Do you find yourself waking up every morning at the same time, going to the same job, doing the same things, eating the same lunch, seeing the same people, etc., etc.? Me too! I sometimes feel stuck in my own life, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.

Here’s the thing, just because you feel stuck doesn’t mean there is something wrong with your life. It just means that you’re in a rut and you need a change of pace.

Studies show that animals need a changing environment to maintain cognitive health. For example, many people will rotate their dog’s toys every week. Basically, they have half of the dogs toys available to the dog, and the other half are tucked away and hidden. Once a week they are rotated, and to the dog, it’s like getting all new toys each week!

So maybe you can’t afford to take a vacation all the time, or you can’t get away from your work. That’s okay! Just try implementing small changes in your life.

Instead of waking up at your normal time, force yourself to wake up 30 minutes earlier and do an easy 15 minute exercise. Listen to some different music on your way to work, and maybe take a different route! Go out for lunch for once (or bring your own lunch if you often go out). Join a club and meet some new people, or just make some small talk wherever you go! You don’t have to do these things all the time, but if you’re getting a little bored, try something new.

I often find myself wanting to do the same things over and over again every day because it’s what I’m familiar with and it’s what is comfortable to me. Because of that, I don’t always go out and take photos as often as I should, or I put off all the editing that I need to do. When I’m in those moods, I try to change things up to get myself out of the rut.

Adventures don’t have to be anything extravagant. Most of the time, it’s about the attitude. We get stuck because we get too comfortable. Being comfortable feels good for a reason, but if we get too set in our ways, it can ironically make us uncomfortable.

So go out and make a change. Make your own adventure. Be spontaneous! Most of all, don’t let your rut turn you against yourself!

∆ Abbi