Been an interesting day here today

Not sure how many of you know but we have orders to Naples Italy!!!!! We are so excited, the time to go can't get here fast enough. Anyway....
The hubs and I had to meet with the Orthodontist this morning. We have one child that is still in phase 1 and ready for phase 2, one that has finished phase 1 and should be ready for phase 2 around July. The 3rd they are hoping can hold off until she is a bit older. Any way we were there today to decide what route we want to take for phase 2. We can do just plain extractions and make it all much better. Or he can have surgery and extractions and make it "perfect". I am pretty sure we are leaning towards just the extractions and make the best of what we were dealt. But the real question comes into play with no knowing what Naples has to offer for dependants with braces. So tomorrow at some point I get to try and call or go into Boone clinic and talk with Dental to find out if they have the orthodontic facilities or not. So that was sticker shock, insurance will only pay another 750. Our portion is almost 4000 dollars. Not counting what we have paid for phase 1. But we have started this process, we need to finish it I guess.
Once that was over we actually had lunch together as the hubs was going to miss it on the ship by the time he got back. He left back for work, I tried to schedule that drs appt. that I have been trying to get since Friday still with no luck. Worked on some photos, and took the kids to Soccer practice. It was parents against kids scrimage. Yeah that was a mistake. Pretty sure I broke my toe lol. It won't bend and it hurts like crazy to walk. Go figure, that is my luck. We are home and settled in for the night. While fixing dinner on the George Forman I burned my arm, blisters and all lol. Now waiting on the hubs to get home, as he warned me that this week will be late nights due to training.
So yeah I know this has nothing to do with Photography but I figure if I get into the habit of posting regularly the photography part of it will fall into place lol.
Hope everyone had a more productive day than I have. As I am still trying to search for answers about our DL's (North Carolina and Texas) as we need them valid for the entire length of the OCONUS tour.

Update for Father's Day

"A Father carries pictures where his money used to be - so why not give him a wallet with a picture on it for Father's Day!"

I said yesterday that I would post an update with more info on the Father's Day Specials. I am awaiting the samples from the company to actually show you some of the products. So until then I will just post a reminder that we have until June 14th to hold the session and get the session fee at 50% off. As soon as I get the samples I will update the post. So check back often!

Father's Day Specials!!!!

Book a session now for Father's Day!! 1/2 off the Session fee (some restrictions apply for locations) Hold your session between June 1st and June 14th for this special. Session fee is $75! That is 50% off. I offer many items that make great gifts for dad, mouse pads, mugs, wallets, shaving kit bag etc... Call or email to book your session!

Amanda & Antwan

I had the pleasure of photographing Amanda and Antwan's Wedding last August at Fort Monroe. It was a beautiful intimate beach side ceremony. They had their reception inside the Bay Breeze Community Center.
Absolutely beautiful ceremony and couple. I hope you guys have a wonderful life together. Well atleast once he gets back lol.

Lots of new updates coming soon

Unfortunately I had a major Hard drive failure last weekend. I found out on Friday that nothing was recoverable :(. So after running software recovery on all of my CF cards I was able to get most everything back. I am missing about 6-8 months worth of clients and personal photos. I have since learned that you back up tha back up. So with the new click free hard drive having arrived today and the first one being defective I am in the process of backing everything I saved up. With that said there will be lots of updates coming from past clients that I just haven't had time to post.

If you take nothing but one thing from this please make sure you BACK UP everything!!!

Gotta love it!

This is my husbands command and it honestly doesn't shock me at all.
Click the title and it will take you to the article.
But basically it comes down to he had "sexual relations" (lets be politically correct here lol) with a female officer onboard the USS Truxtun. He apparently got caught. And has thrown his career down the drain. Yes we all know he is innocent until proven guilty. But the funny part about this whole thing is there weren't rumors or anything until about the time it was to hit the news. My husband received a call and was told the news. It was on the news within just a few minutes.
I think it is a crying shame that people flush their careers for a few "good" minutes. Seriously? And lets take this a step further, another military wife left her opinion about this on my facebook last night. We have people fighting to get women on submarines? Yeah how many would blow their careers then? That said, you didn't have these issues when women weren't allowed on ships! Don't get me wrong I am all for equal rights, but there has to consequences all around. Any way that is a different topic for a different time.

My broken A700 :(

Here are some images of my unfortunate accident :(. I learned my lesson. You don't leave a 70-200mm 2.8 attached to the camera for extended periods of time and then pack it into a camera bag backpack. I did this but accidently dropped the bag and it snapped the lens off the camera :(. Oh I was sick. Thankfully I have an extened warranty and Insurance. The lens appears to be ok thankfully and the camera is out for repair. I sure hope they get it fixed soon so that I can have it back.

Any way try not to make the same mistake I did.

Sorry for the crappy quality it was low light and with my P&S.

The 2010 Norfolk Snow

Here is a pic that I quickly snapped with the p&s about an hour and 15 mins ago. Sorry for the crappy quality, but I had no shoes or jacket on and it was COLD lol. Snow was blowing in the door etc... So I quickly snapped it and came back inside :D

There will be more later once we take the kids out to play in it.

Published!

I was published in the Military Spouse Magazine February issue. They featured a few photographers and the founder of the organization for Operation Love ReUnited (OPLOVE). I will try to post a copy tomorrow. But for now here is the link to the "extras". Hope you enjoy. I am honored to have been published.

Click the title "published" and it will take you the page.

Finally in Nashville!!!!

I am finally in Nashville and settled. My day started about 7am. I hit the road for Raleigh at 8am. Made it to RDU with no issues. Got my bag checked and through security all so my flight could be delayed lol. Wich is a rare thing for Southwest Airlines. Any way, made it in, Monica picked me up. We then waited for her cousin to get in. Hungry we settled on Macaroni Grill. Once we were done eating we went over to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel where I am staying. After a looooooooooonnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggg line to check in I am finally in my room and ready for Imaging USA!!!!!!!
There will be lots of new information to pass along to my photography clients when I get back :D

This is for Sommer

My dd loves this song and video so I have decided to put it on here for her. As we have now banned them from youtube. So there may be several more to come lol. She loves Miley Cyrus and since she can't get Party in the USA on CD yet, I am posting it here so that she can still watch and listen when ever she wants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M11SvDtPBhA

Kari and Davids OPLOVE session

Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph Kari and David. They are such a cute and loving couple. I truly enjoyed their session and truly wish we could have gone outside for a little more variety. All the same I think the images turned out beautifully. Here is a sneak peek of one of Kari. I will as more as soon as I get dh's computer all set for photography, so if the colors are off etc... I apologize ahead of time. My computer was sent back to the shop for the umpteen hundredth time right after Christmas. It is driving me insane, as dh's computer is slower, doesn't have all of my actions etc... So it slows me down tremendously.

Kari and David,

Thank you both again for allowing me to be a part of your session. I look forward to working with the two of you again.

The Picture A Day posts start today!

I started shooting them on the first like I said I would. I will not post them everyday because I know for one that I will not get on here everyday and 2 that will bog down the site. So I will try to post every few days or so. With that said on Friday the first I decided to shoot a ring that was inscribed. In my photography course one of my photo projects was to photograph something with the smallest Apeture. I have an idea for this but it is just too cold for this girl to go outside unless I absolutely have to. So I decided to try it with a ring instead. With a ring I knew I would need my macro lens so I pulled it out and opened it up to 2.8. I shot it at several flash settings (which automatically disqualifies it for the assignment as no flash can be used). Any way I didn't get exactly what I wanted, should have actually stopped it down just a tad. But I am sure I will have plenty of chances to keep trying since it will be so cold here this week lol. Hope you enjoy the BW of it.

With the new year comes new changes to Breezy Cranford Photography

Well I am certainly hoping that 2010 will be better than 2009. Many things happened in 09 good and bad. My husband was a geo bachelor in Mississippi while we were here in Hampton Roads VA until May, which certainly has it's challenges. Family sicknesses, cancers, surgeries and deaths. I hope they are all behind us now.
But with the bad there was some good too. The kids and I were able to go to Charleston SC to visit Daddy while they were commissioning the ship. We wound up in DC just to get away. We went to Oahu and Kauai over the summer for our family vacation. And then Disney had to put out their Military Discount that is always too good to pass up. So for Thanksgiving we wound up at Disney World. So lots of good traveling atleast.

I met some great friends and clients in 09. Photographed lots of couples, families and weddings. OPLOVE really took off here, so much so that we can't possibly help everyone who requests it.

With all of that said I am ready to start 2010 off right.
I am enrolled in a photography course, cause as we all know you can never learn too much. I am always looking for new ways to do this or that. I have a photoshop course lined up for later this year.
I don't make New Years Resolutions, so I am going to make "goals" instead.
A few of my goals personal and business wise are
* to get fit.
*get more organized and balance my time better (purchased software to help with this and made schedules)
*Practice new lighting techniques.
*Spend more time together as a family since the hubster will be home for the majority of the next 6 months.
*Try to remain open and understanding when the talks with the detailer starts for new orders (this is probably be the hardest of them all lol)
*And I hope to take atleast one photo everyday.
I will post the images here but it probably won't be everyday. But I definitely plan to post here atleast a couple of times a week. So be on the look out.
I have 6 photo projects that I need to get done hopefully before I leave for Nashville and Imaging USA. I had an idea today that I practiced with but unfortunately it won't work for my project. I will post it here later and start fresh again tomorrow.

Also if you are following this blog please friend/fan me on facebook as I have an awesome contest going on.
For all of my facebook friends/fans I am asking you to help me get more fans for the new year. From Jan.1 through Jan. 14th at Midnight who ever refers the most friends to my photography page will win a 2010 calendar with a collection of images from our Hawaii trip. I will do a different contest starting the 15th through the 31st. These contests will continue through June 30th. At that time who ever has referred the most people overall will receive a complimentary Snaptotes clutch bag with the portrait of their choosing. With your help I know that 2010 will be awesome. If you refer someone please have them put your full name in a message so that I know who referred them. If you click on the title of this post it will take you to my photography facebook page.
Thanks for your help and I look forward to meeting many new people, reuniting with old friends and making new ones.

Amanda's OPLOVE homecoming

Click the first image to view the slide show.

Here are some images of Amanda and her husband reuniting after a long deployment. Matt is stationed onboard the USS Arleigh Burke DDG 51.
Thank you guys again for allowing me to be a part of your special day. Hope you guys enjoy the images.