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Get off the cross we need the wood

About Me

Maybe-not-really-20-something-anymore from Norway who likes to scrapbook and take photos documentarystyle and dreams of photojournalism when not working as a photojournalist and that's pretty much what this blog is about. And I like it this way.



My Scrapbooking

Been scrapbooking since late fall 2005. Currently fortunate enough to be a part of the design teams for Hambly Screenprints, Fancy Pants Designs and Pencil-Lines. ♥



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~~ Photosession: Verdens fineste Alma, part deux ~~

Posted by Ania On Wednesday, March 30, 2011 7 lovely comments

Well, that’s what her mom claims, and I’m certainly not one to oppose that statement! (Means “worlds finest Alma” in Norwegian)

What follows are the rest of the pictures from the photosession – or well – mostly the more amusing shots, like the crying ones, or the goofy ones and stuff. Part one can be seen here.

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I really, really love this shot.

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And this one..look at the tears welling up her eyes….awww…

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Aaand she cries! Ahhh so fun haha..honestly..love taking pictures of babies crying (not in a mean way, just think they look oh so cute when they really go for it…minus the volume, haha)

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The crying prompted a break: a lullaby and a quick powernap.

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Haha, this one is like, “yaaa-awn man, do we really have to continue shooting??”

Notice the spinning wheel in the background? I’m not sure if I placed it correctly – looking at the pictures I start to wonder if it should have been placed a bit closer to the baby – between the baby and the shelves in the background, and maybe to the left or something. That it should have been peeking from the left. I dunno. I just wanted to include it in some of the pictures.._DSC2715-copy

Definitely not have its wheel right behind the babys head…ahwell! Added this one because I find the pouting cute ;p It’s like she’s saying “oh god, why me!?”

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Hungry baby is hungry! Haha. Loveloveloved this blanket!! Since there’s no way I’m gonna crochet something like this on my own (and don’t even think about trying to get me started, yarn-friends!!), I might gonna start to scavenge flea-markets and similar for a blanket like this. Would be oh so fantastic for future photosessions, donchathink?? Darn. So cool. Really!

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*soft sigh* Lovelovelove the light (a huge window to the left), the background and her mellow expression…

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And her cheeks…and look at her hands...awww…it’s like she knew this was the last of the pictures and just gave up – like she’s thinking “alright cmon, let’s get this over with already so I can go back to my own business”.

I’m so glad we did these last shots because they’re my personal faves (along with the cry- and soothingpictures). Thank you so much for letting me borrow your precious Alma!

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This is soon on its way in the mail! :)

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For those curious – I decided to do this CD-envelope a little different than my past ones (aka minus using brads or buttons & thread to fasten the back). This time I just created a hmm, sleeve (?), decorated it and it’s holding the CD-envelope together when put on (no bulky buttons or brads). Just make sure it’s not fit too snugly around the CD-envelope so it’s difficult sliding it on/off.

Materials: Prima, tag from Elle’s Studio, letters from Pink Paislee and transparency from Hambly Screenprints :)

 

Now, on to something more personal, yet related...

I’ve started to time the time spent on the whole editing-process, to try and pinpoint the “correct” pricerange for the whole thing. It’s one of the ugh-part of the whole thing – trying to determine how much I’m “worth”. And actually registering the time spent on the post-procession has given me some eyeopeners, to say the least.

Yes, I know – I should not undersell myself (I’ve been spending too long time in that category – although I do not regret that – it has been necessary because I’ve needed the experience, especially to back up the whole “I’m worth this” thing – a great tip I’ve picked up is to up your price a little with every new wedding until you’re at a satisfactory price), and I spend probably too much time on the post-procession because I really, really can not hand out pictures I’m personally not satisfied with. A friend suggested that I could offer an own price-package for unedited photos, but tbh, to me that’s out of the question – I don’t know what it is (but my pride) but it would absolutely pain me giving others unedited photos. I’m like – ugh – no, no way – these photos aren’t done then!

And still – even when knowing I shouldn’t undersell myself, it’s hard pinpointing and giving people quotas (As a couple, who had seen my wedding-pictures and trying to back me up, told me at a party once – “Honestly, with your price quote, and if we hadn’t seen your pictures, we would think you weren’t good enough because you’re too cheap. You seriously need to raise the prices for your own sake.” That being said, I’m satisfied with the current wedding-price I’m at atm. It’s determining the other things that’s giving me a headache atm.). And some of my friends and past clients are great supporters of mine, helping me feeling better about my photography, my decisions, and even sending me more work… thank you so much, I truly appreciate you and the different ways in which you all have supported me and still do.

I’m not really sure if this is the correct place to write about all this, especially in a photosession-post, how tacky haha. But – it’s been on my mind for a very long time (about a year and half or longer – but more pressing the last half year), so it’s not about this session nor the latest ones. It’s simply about moving on, I think. At least trying to tell myself it’s about time. Oh I know – I do have so so much more to learn, and I learn new things during all my sessions – but I am also past the newbieish-phase and I guess it’s time to acknowledge that. And it feels good typing this “out loud”  – yet.. although I have a strong support among my closest re adjusting my prices, it still feels difficult for me determining it, sticking to it and saying or typing the price to potential clients when it comes to that.

I’d love to know your experiences and opinions on this, whether you’re a budding photographer, a seasoned photographer, or just on the other side of the business i.e. clients – what’s your thoughts about prices and what to expect from someone you might be considering to hire as a photographer, eventually – what’s your past experiences and thoughts re these?


7 lovely comments

~~ Goodbye, Pencil-Lines ~~

Posted by Ania On Monday, March 28, 2011 3 lovely comments

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So, this is it. My last, official contributions to Pencil-Lines. LG guested and created the sketch we used, #231, and funnily enough we actually used the same patterned paper for this one as well.

It’s been three+ wonderful years with Pencil-Lines, but well, all good things has to come to an end – it’ll be somewhat funny and weird not having to do PL anymore..Thank you so much for the wonderful time together, Anna + PL!! It will be fun to follow the new team on the sideline :)

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Nevertheless..the papers are from Pink Paislee (from the Sweetness-collection), and the flowers from Prima and Kort & Godt.

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I decided that since it was my last, official contributions (and I really liked the sketch as well), I might aswell do another CD-card (plus, I needed to make two of’em at once, so :p). Once again – papers and stickers from Pink Paislee (Starlight-collection)…I really like this collection, despite it being “4th of July”-themed – it’s still not that typical and quite versatile enough that I’ve used it a lot in the past. Am actually creating a layout with these papers atm too…

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As you might notice, I turned the sketch some for this one.


And since there’s been quite a bit of photos on my blog lately, I figured I’d throw in another card, hm?

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A quick card I created for my mother-in-law, who needed a card for her sister’s birthday. I used a mix of Fancy Pants (the base), 3ndypapir (the illustration of the girls + butterflies), Hambly Screenprints (love the birdcage-motif – one sheet of that transparency lasts forever the way I use them and is perfect for such cards/layouts :) ) and flowers from Kort&Godt and Prima.

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I sprayed the image with glimmer-mist, it doesn’t show too well here but shimmers in reality :)

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I love to pair two or more butterflies like this – it’s become pretty popular lately, and hey, one have to admit it looks better than just one butterfly alone? :)

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Oh, and even a leftover-strip of Pink Paislee snuck in..haha..actually the same scrap I used for the first card in this post I just discovered :)

 

I do have a number of layouts I’ve created lately – but am not able to share yet (I think I count three or four waiting to be shared). Just sayin’, since it might seem like I’ve gone total cardmaker-y on you. I promise I have not. Not entirely, anyways :)

 

And for my yarn-friends (you know who you are!) – this looks like a great idea, doesn’t? Or will the birds think that’s like, food, and that’ll be bad? Eeh…


3 lovely comments

~~ It’s a girl! Card+peeks from the babysession ~~

Posted by Ania On Saturday, March 26, 2011 4 lovely comments

Okay, so I sort of promised that my next blogpost would be scrapbook-related. And this one is. Half of it, anyways. I’m in the middle of editing the babyphotos I mentioned earlier and they’re like, way too cute not to be shared like, immediately…sooo.

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Right, card first ;) This is actually a CD-card I created for the babysession before this latest one – and I used Pencil-Lines sketch #230 and Fancy Pants Designs-papers for this card.

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I used lots of older products on this one – this babyline is an older one, the badge from American Crafts and the journaling from Making Memories aswell. All part of my grand scheme to shrink my evergrowing stash (as if it helps ><)

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Right.

Off to the photos: please meet sweet, sweet Alma! :)

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Such a sweet sweet girl, I truly enjoyed shooting her (even when she started crying and required a nap to be able to tolerate even more shooting :p).

Now, notice the catchlights in her eyes? Sure, it’s just details, but hm, do you think it looks silly when they show at the bottom of the eyes? I *think* I read somewhere they should be between 10 and 2 o’clock sorta, to look somewhat more natural…which I ofcourse forgot about when I shot her. The catchlight here comes from my reflector, by the way.

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At least the catchlights are “correct” here, hm. Hi Alma!

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Starting to show the first signs of “do I really wanna cooperate?” :p
(now, I know this picture should be culled, but I have a hard time culling and I find such non-perfect pictures pretty darn cute still)

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Look at this chubby, cute baby! *soft sigh*

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Ofcourse – the mandatory must-have-feet-and-toes-picture…:)

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Adding this picture just to show how we (ok, mostly her mom) tried to make her stay happy and watch in the general direction we hoped she’d look at for the pictures and stuff..teehee..

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So darling…

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This picture sort of has a serenity I just love being able to snap. I have at least another picture like that too, of mother and child, but I forgot to check w/her whether it was ok to have her on the blog as well so not sharing it here.

 

Right. As mentioned - I’m almost halfway through editing these pictures – hope to be done by Monday or Tuesday – and will probably share more pictures by then. The last pictures we shot were the best (think: awesome, vividly colored grannysquare-blanket) – I have no idea how I’ll pick which pictures to edit from this part of the session, sigh..I’ll probably just keep most!


4 lovely comments

~~ The Christening ~~

Posted by Ania On Thursday, March 24, 2011 6 lovely comments

First – thank you so much for your warm and lovely comments about my grandmother in the last blogpost – and that you (who were vocal anyways) didn’t mind me sneaking in some lots of private photos :) So – here’s the rest of the photos from Oslo – namely from the christening of my nephew.

Warning: there’s a shitload of photos incoming – but hey – it’s a christening – a big, important day – and all of my family live on the other side of the country, so I figured they could watch some photos here while waiting for the CD with the images in the mail…

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Let’s start off with grandma taking her place in the church. That’s my mother on the right, and her brother on the left..

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Let’s just be clear – I cut my hair w/bangles WAY before her. Like, one or two weeks before her! So typical littlesisters! She looks great though ;p

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She’s beautiful when she smiles :) (hm..she’s beautiful nevertheless :p)

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The kids were playing around the altar before the whole thing started. Whenever they do these kind of things I’m torn – one – I find that it yields such cute images, so I keep snapping them, probably encouraging them as well….but two – ahem..they should be sitting in their places, no? :p

Ps.Love the colorscheme of this church, yellow, grey and teal. Such a sweet combo!

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The father and his mother..

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My oldest niece was carrying him and the youngest took off his hat (which by the way was borrowed from my friend – THANK YOU so much! My sister’s was too small for him, and I couldn’t find mine..). Nevertheless – love how Tuva expressed her exitement here.._DSC2254-copy

…aaaand he cried…

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…and cried some more…

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That’s the whole host of godparents..

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Hmm..I just like this picture..

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The annoying thing with groupphotos and lots of photographers is that people tend to look anywhere else but me!! ;p

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See..my nephew is looking at somebody else!! ;p

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My sweet, gorgeous niece..

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Making faces…my stepfather to the right..

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The proud papa!

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Love this image because of two things; my grandmother doing her “really??”-face, and my daughter sneaking in trying to touch her cousin (she loves him and keeps caressing his face all the time)

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Grand-grandma and grand-grandson :p

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The parents..

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My mother, sister & nephew..

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Love this shot!! :D So full of life :)

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My father giving a speech..

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Hi Becca! :)

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One of the cakes – my mother spent hours trying to create the perfect babyface ;p

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Tried to get some shots of the mainperson…

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Like this one…

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And finally – the final picture…

 

Right, thanks for watching through my images here…sigh..I miss him and my nieces so much :)

Mmm…the next post will be scrapbook-related, I promise…plus, I have a wonderful babysession to share with you soon too! :)


6 lovely comments
    -Get off the cross we need the wood-