Hudson newborn

This is little baby Hudson. He is such a sweet little guy. And he only wetted one of my blankets, for which I am thankful. ;) Thank you Rebecca and Mark for letting me photograph your little miracle.
 
Just 2 for now so I can get caught up on blogging.  :)  If you want to see more, go here: http://www.campbellphotographyutah.com/2010-Portraits/Hudson/Hudson-Newborn

Tenuousness

I thought it's about time for you guys to get to know a little bit about me.  And I don't mean 'I'm Amanda and I like photography and I do this and that.'  No, I mean, get to know who I am.  I'm a believer in the thought that you can learn alot about a person from the kinds of music they listen to.  Now, if you've seen the bio on my website, you know I'm really into classic rock.  It's my favorite.  But sometimes I'll come across a current artist that I really love.  This guy... he is just so cool.  It's not like what he does in this song is all that novel.  My brother records and loops himself playing all the time.  But I really like his style.  Check out this video and let me know what you think of it.  I'll embed the youtube version, but I highly suggest going to the link here: Live performance of Tenuousness by Andrew Bird and watching it on From The Basement.  I really love the videography these guys do.  It may not be special to most people, but there's something about it that I just really like.  I'm sure I'll be showing you guys some more of their work in the future.  And now here's the youtube version (which has really inferior quality in sound and video... please go to the above link for the full awesome experience)

Dana & Monte's wedding

The minute I showed up to shoot this wedding with Bradley Donald I was super excited.  There were paper lanterns and lights in the trees, and the bride was wearing a knee-length dress and birdcage veil!  It was super cute.  And I haven't even mentioned her shoes.  They were fabulous turquoise with rhinestones on the heels.  Oh yes!   Their whole wedding was completely low-key, which I loved (although I do love super fancy events as well.)  They hung out with guests before the ceremony and then just had a casual walk down the aisle together.  It was really a great little wedding and lots of fun to photograph.
  
See the rest of the photos HERE

Decorations, DIY, and more from a Bountiful wedding: Wedding Planning Ideas

I thought I'd start something new.  As a photographer I get to see what works and what doesn't at weddings.  I decided to share some cute ideas that I've seen with all of you brides to be and hopefully it will be of some help to you.  Today I'm going to share my favorite ideas from Abbie & Greg's wedding.  (You can see the original post HERE)
First of all, if you can find a place with a chandelier, I highly recommend it.  This chandelier is from the Wight House in Bountiful, and I really want to take it home with me and hang it in my own house.  Chandeliers are classic and beautiful, and set the tone for a fancy event.

   

If you read Abbie & Greg's post you also know how much I am in love with the little paper birds they had on the tables.  They are a super cute DIY decoration that's both easy and completely adorable.  These ones were made out of paper, but they could also be done with fabric as well. 
   
Something that was a super fun addition to their wedding day was they took their close friends out bowling right after the ceremony.  What a fun way to celebrate your recent union!
  
Well that's it for now.  Hopefully this gets your creative juices flowing! 

Kenzie's baby blessing

I have really been slacking off on blogging lately!  Here's a cute little session to make up for it :)  I was honored to be able to photograph my favorite little baby again at her baby blessing.  She looked so adorable in her little white dress, and best of all, her mom made it herself!  Talk about talent! 
This first picture here is probably my favorite one I've ever taken of a baby.  Hehe.

 
See the rest here

Sneak peak of Seattle

We arrived home from Seattle early this morning after driving all night, and after I got some sleep I wanted to give all my wonderful Seattle clients a sneak peak of their sessions.  I had such a good time there between fun photoshoots and going to the beach and seeing the sights in Seattle.  If anyone wants to bring me back someday for more photoshoots I would be there in a heartbeat.  Thank you so much Jill for making this possible!  <3

I am worth it! (and you are too): Why what I charge is not too much

The further I get into my photography business, the more I realize how hard it is.  Photography is a unique business.  Whereas many businesses are selling a product, photography is selling your heart and soul.  At least that's what it feels like.  Every photo I create is a work of art that has ME written all over it.  When people decide not to go with my business sometimes it hurts, because they're not rejecting just a product, they're rejecting the work that I have poured my soul into.  I'm sure any photographer or artist knows what I'm talking about.  The worst part is when they say it just costs too much.  I understand budgets, and I am a penny-pincher myself, but it just bothers me when people don't realize what a deal I am giving them.  I recently got an email from a bride that said that my prices are really good compared to other photographers at my level.  Then I've had other brides that decided that my prices were too much, because they could have someone else do it for free.  The problem with that is, you get what you pay for.  It's well-accepted in other areas, but for some reason some people think that anyone can do photography.  And maybe someone can take ok pictures on an overcast day outdoors... but professionals can handle any crazy lighting situation you throw at them, and make it come out great.
About random relatives (who are not professionals) doing your photography, this has been said: "Family members have not spoken to each other for years and long-time friendships have been irretrievably broken over botched attempts at it.  Wedding photographs are intended to be treasured for a lifetime...  It's not simple, it's not for the faint of heart, and it's hard work." (http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/ While this article is way outdated in some respects, this quote still applies.)
 So why is a photographer who charges what I do an affordable photographer?  It's still hundreds of dollars for just one day of work, right?  Actually, no.  There are so many costs to a photographer, that honestly my prices would never keep me afloat if I were the sole provider for our home.  It takes me a very long time to save up enough for just one piece of equipment, which is a big part of my business expenses.  For example, the next lens I want (just one lens of many I'd like to have) is well over $2,000.  Add in the costs of websites, file storage & backup, traveling, etc. and you've got alot of money going out of my bank account.
And that's not even mentioning how much time it takes me from when I first start talking to a client to the time all of the photos are sent off and the prints are all made.  For every hour of shooting it usually takes a good 3 hours of editing, sorting, backing up, and preparing the images.  If I price it out, I'm earning less than minimum wage.  Which makes it seem ridiculous when people think that what photographers at my price level charge is too much.  See more about this at http://brianx.com/lifestyle/photography-prices.html
Plus, a wedding is something that happens once, and then it's gone forever.  You can't have your exact same wedding ever again.  Are you really going to trust your once-in-a-lifetime day to someone who doesn't really know what they're doing?  When brides are surveyed about what they wish they had spent more on, the answer is almost always photography.  You can spend all you want on flowers, dress, cake, etc, but if you don't have a professional photographer who knows how to perfectly capture those details, then it was kind of pointless to spend the money on them in the first place.  No one is going to remember much about your wedding except for what they see in pictures.  Professionals know how to capture the unique emotion of your day and display it exactly as it was.  You deserve for this one day in your life to have your precious memories recorded beautifully.  In a few years it won't matter very much how much money you spent on your photography, but what will matter is how much you will love looking through beautiful photographs of you and your spouse on probably the most important day of your life.  These photos become family heirlooms and maybe someday your grandkids and great-grandkids will get to see how happy and glowing you two looked on your wedding day. 
I feel like this is kind of a jumble, but it's been swirling around my head for weeks now, and it's about time I let it out.  In summary, I am worth what I charge and more, and you are worth the money it takes to get professional photos on your wedding day! 

PS, a sneak peak of Wil & Kim's wedding... Yes, this photo was worth more than what they paid for it :)

Sneak peak of Carolina & Mauro

The wedding yesterday.  Congrats you two :)

Campbell Photography is going to SEATTLE!

Next week I will be doing a photoshoot in Seattle, and it would be a great time for any of you who live up there to do a photoshoot with me (and without travel fees!)  I haven't set which days I'm going to be there, so any day from Monday the 9th to Saturday the 13th will be open for picture taking, and I'll set my schedule around what days people want.  If you know anyone who will be in the Seattle area next week please let them know.  Thanks!
And... a sneak peak of a very awesome engagement session.  I'm doing her bridals tonight and their wedding is coming up soon.  I can't wait!