LT recently had the opportunity to work with SPC Creative Photography. SPC Creative Photography from Houston Texas specializes in portraits, sports and event photography.

Shelly writes to us:

I am convinced that given a nice cape and a tiara I could save the world – or at least photograph it for posterity.

As a child, I was the one who always brought home stray dogs and people – and then wouldn’t rest until they were safely fed and cared for. Then when I grew up, I learned that I really could do my part to save the world by working for a variety of nonprofit and health awareness organizations. In 20 plus years I did it all: Public relations, program management, fund raising, event planning, education, volunteer management, grant writing — and naturally photography often fell into my realm of responsibilities.

Just any old snapshots simply wouldn’t do; I wanted mine to be great, so I signed up for a lighting seminar with portrait guru, Dave Newman. Suddenly I saw everything with fresh eyes. It was like falling in love for the very first time, and I couldn’t think of anything but the pictures around me waiting to be captured.

So . . . I added more classes to develop and polish my skills and then launched SPCcreative as a sideline business. Before long, I was blessed enough to take it full time. My nonprofit/PR background gives me a unique perspective for telling my clients’ stories through imagery.

I believe that the photography experience should be stress-free and fun for everyone involved. I enjoy portraiture, weddings, action sports , product photography, nature, and travel. Most recently, I have added boudoir photography with a special niche for women who are 40 and older. After all, beauty doesn’t stop at age 25 and 125 lbs. The women who have paid their dues DESERVE to show off their beauty – if only for themselves and their husbands. The other day I had a session with a gorgeous 59 year old. Talk about FUN!

Few things make me happier than sharing a picture with someone and seeing them smile. It doesn’t matter to me if the picture is a portrait or candid snap, a game-winning touchdown, or the intricate stamen of a tiny orchid. I still get downright giddy at my prospects when I see a beautiful child in perfect golden-hour light. I love to watch storms approaching. Teenagers moody expressions light up my engines just as much as their million-dollar smiles. God gave us a beautiful world and I just want to photograph every square inch of it, every special occasion and every day-to-day moment that will become a memory only if it is recorded for the future

One of my funniest photography stories included a big lesson learned. I started shooting high school football for our athletic booster club. At my very first game, I positioned myself on the field after halftime alongside several other more seasoned photographers. We were going to catch the team running onto the field behind a couple of brawny flagmen who carrying huge flags. These banners are at least 8 x 12 feet, no joke. I had a fantastic shot of one of these guys coming straight at me. As he got closer, I decided it was time to get out of the way. BIG MISTAKE. He and I danced left and right all the way to the sideline. That was when I learned to stand still and get as small as I can. If the ball is not in play, these guys will go around me. During play . . . I am pretty strategic about where I stand, and I place a great deal of trust in my guardian angels who protect me every day.

Visit SPC Creative Photography to see more images..

Back in 2008, I had the opportunity to work with Cathy Hartman Photography on the customization of her smugmug site. At the time, her photography business was “Treasured Moments” photography.

Cathy recently contact us for ‘an extreme makeover’ to her site with new colors, banner, logo, slideshow, content and music. LT worked with the Cathy on implementing the modifications. Most importantly, LT did not have to ‘recreate’ the customization of her smugmug site. The customization is design specifically for ‘extreme makeovers’ and enhancements for photographers who change there market brand strategy. This results in both a savings in time and money and expedites the redesign process. LT also work with Cathy to design and develop her wordpress blog which looks exactly like her smugmug web site.

Cathy writes to us “I have loved photography since I was a kid. It was always a great hobby, but not something I had time to pursue professionally. Most of my images were of my six children, 10 grandchildren, and students at my dance studio. Three years ago I sold my dance studio and last year became an empty nester. This gave me the opportunity to take my photography to the next level. I am very passionate about my photography and feel so blessed to spend every day with my camera. Some days I think I only want to be a baby and child photographer because I absolutely love the little ones. Then the next day I change my mind as I have a blast with a senior. Weddings are awesome – who doesn’t love a wedding! It means so much to be able tell the story of the couple’s special day through my images. And, I still have my passion for dance, but now as a dance photographer. There is nothing like capturing the beauty of a dancer whether on stage or leaping through the park. ”

Before – Treasured Moments Photography

After – Cathy Hartman Photography

After – Cathy Hartman Photographys Blog

Congrats to Cathy Hartman Photography on the new implementation of her market brand and “awesome” job LT!
Visit Cath Hartman Photography to see more images..

Steve and Marian Uffman from Louisiana enjoy using smugmug to store and share their family memories.

Steve tells me why he selected smugmug – “Photography is old hobby that I had put on the shelf some years ago – and then along came grandkids – with digital photography and a run rate of about 1000 photos per year per grandchild, printing was no longer feasible or a good method for sharing. Hence, we turned to the web for a solution and found nirvana ( at least so far). Being a retired CEO and founder of a technology business, I took on the project of gathering family photos from near and far that I could put on a website. After auditioning several sites, I found SmugMug to my liking but wanted to put some pop and professionalism into the site. Well as the story goes, handling and organizing over 10,000 photos is a big enough job by itself. I needed to find someone that could help get the site just as I wanted. Along came Jerry and in very short order we have a site that is rocking and rolling something that my family all enjoys whether they are in Louisiana, a hotel on a business trip or doing volunteer work in the remote areas of Mozambique. Not only has having a medium to share photos being wonderful but it also has inspired me to vigorously dust off the old hobby! I am either with my grandkids or in the outdoors 365 days a year, so there is plenty of opportunity to capture magical moments of all matters of wild thing – whether it is a critter or grandchild, it such a joy to capture the moment and then relive them day after day on the website. Thanks Jerry for all the great help and support.”

Visit Steve and Marian Uffman’s Family Galleries to see more images..