Sweet newborns
Kiddos
Couples 
Family
Posted on November 21, 2011
Holy smokes! There is a fantastic giveaway going on with TONS of awesome prizes. Where you might ask? It’s over at the ubber talented Laura Winslow’s web page. The prize value….$10,000! Oh yes, you read that right. $10,000 big ones! You HAVE to go check it out. Go see all the fabulous prizes from all the SUPER talented vendors.
Go check out Laura’s page, and you’ll be glad you did.
Laura Winslow’s Favorite Thing Giveaway!!
Have a fabulous Monday!
Posted on November 14, 2011
Here we go for week 2 of our Thank YOU specials! It’s a fabulous one, and you’re going to be jumping up and down when you see what it is! The special for this week is…
10% off all The Organic Bloom frames! Oh yes, you read that right. 10% off for this week only. Special ends on Monday morning. Hurry and order your beautiful frames from The Organic Bloom. Just a little bit of eye candy to get you even more excited! Makes my heart flutter. The color and style options are amazing. You know you’re wanting to get your hands on the frames, and what better way then when they’re 10% off! Contact me through the contact tab to order your frame!
Posted on November 3, 2011
It’s time for Talk To Me Thursday! This talented gal joins us all the way from Australia! She is amazingly talented, and has always been a huge inspiration to me. She just released an awesome pin up calendar, a project that she talks about later in the feature. I’ve known her for just about 2 years now, and of course met her through a forum. Well, heck. How else would I have met her?! I don’t get to go to Australia that often. 
So, since you’re probably dying to know who I’m talking about, let’s introduce this talented Aussie! Say hello to…
Shanna Jones – Jolie Jones Photography
Canberra, Australia Photographer
Website
Blog
http://joliejones.com.au/blog/
Where are you from? Where do you currently live?
I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada but I currently live in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia!
What does photography mean to you? What attracted you to photography?
I love photography. I love creating beautiful images. I can’t imaging not doing it. I have always loved taking pictures as far back as I can remember. One of my first purchases when I got a job at the age of 16 was a camera.
Describe the area of photography you specialize in? Why did you choose this area?
I specialize in maternity and newborn photography. I chose this area because I love babies and pregnant bellies. It wasn’t easy for us to conceive. It took three years, many tries at different fertility treatments and finally IVF before we were finally pregnant. Becoming pregnant and having children is a very special topic for me. It is something to be cherished and never forgotten.
How long have you been a photographer?
I have been into photography for most of my life. I use to shoot film and develop it in the dark room back in my high school yearbook days. I don’t think I started calling myself a photographer until about 4 years ago when I started my own photography business.
Is it only you with your business, or do you have an assistant?
I’m a one woman show. I WISH I had an assistant though!
Are you self taught or have you attended formal schooling? What workshops/seminars have you found useful to you?
I am mostly self-taught. Google University, photography forums, trial and error. That’s how I learned most of what I know today.
Morning or night owl?
Definitely a night owl. I have a hard time waking up in the mornings. LOL
If you could describe your style of photography in 4 words, what would they be?
Simple, clean, soft, contemporary.
Who is your family? Include some pictures of them since we all know that our family is always in our photographs.
My husband’s name is Ron. He has supported me a great deal in my photography. Not only buy picking up the slack around the house and with the kids while I have been very busy with my business but also by investing in me. It’s not cheap to run a photography business and I certainly didn’t have the funds to start one on my own. He is suppose to be my “silent partner” in the business but he’s not that silent most of the time… ha ha
Then there is Jolie, my 4 1/2 year old. She was my inspiration to start my own photography business. When she was born, I picked up the camera again and never looked back. I love taking pictures of my two beautiful girls. Although, I must admit that I haven’t done it a lot lately. Too busy doing it for other people these days.
Then there is my baby Jemma. She is turning 3 soon! She keeps me on my toes. Just today she decided to paint the carpet in one of our rooms while I wasn’t looking. Yep, she’s in her terrible twos alright. LOL Gotta love kids. 
What is a project that you would like to do this year with your photography?
I have just completed a project that I have been working on all year. I have always been intrigued by pin-up photography and decided to just teach myself how to do it this year by planning to shoot a 2012 calendar. So, after about seven months of planning and shooting I can now officially call myself an expert in the pin-up photography field as well. ha ha The calendar is DONE and on sale now!
How do you balance work, and your family?
I don’t! LOL I need to be better at spending more time with the family this year…
We all want to know…what’s in YOUR bag? What lens could you not live without?
Currently I use a Canon 50D, a Canon 50mm 1.8, a Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 and a Tamron 90mm 2.8. I shot all of my pin-up photos this year with my Tamron 28-75mm 2.8. That’s it! That’s all! I have never been a fancy, L-Glass type person (wish I had the money for that) so I have done with what I do have for a couple of years now. Although, I do admit that Nikon is calling my name when it’s time to upgrade. I shoot with strobes so I find that my current equipment works fine for me as I don’t shoot that wide open anyway.
If you could photograph any person in the world, who would it be? Why?
Good question! I have never thought about that before. hhmmmmm Perhaps P!NK! I like her style and I’d love to use it as an excuse to hang out with her for the day.
If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?
Well, before I decided to turn my photography into a career I was working in the Financial Industry. I worked for a bank in their Treasury department using their money to buy and sell stuff on the stock market. It might sound exciting but it was boring. ha ha I would probably still be doing that if I never had my children. Although, when I was growing up I always wanted to be an actress. A girl can dream, can’t she?
What are 4 words your husband would use to describe you?
Talented, distracted, sexy, busy. ha! I don’t know. Should I ask him? ha ha
What helps keep you motivated with photography?
Trying new things. Challenging myself.
Tell us about some of your long term goals (with photography or personal life)?
hhmmmmm…I’m not sure if I have sat down and thought about any long term goals. I would like to have an exhibition of fine art one day. I have always wanted to have a calendar published of my work like Anne Geddes. Little did I know that it would be about pin-ups instead of newborn babies. I guess I can cross that one off my list.
What blogs do you love to stalk (doesn’t have to be photography related if you don’t want)?
I haven’t stalked any blogs in a looonng time. I don’t even have any in my favourites anymore. I got to the point about a year and a half ago where I didn’t want to look at anyone’s work anymore just in case I got “inspired” and ended up copying them without realizing it. Especially local competition. Instead I end up “liking” other photographers on the other side of the planet on Facebook and watch what comes up in my newsfeed. Some of my favourites are Jinky Art(Children), Baby as Art(Newborns) & Desiree Hayes Photography(Boudoir) to name a few.
When you’re not shooting, what are you doing?
Cleaning up after my kids, editing, paperwork…that’s pretty much all I have time for these days….LOL
Where is one place you would love to travel to?
The pyramids in Egypt. What a photo opp that would be!
If you listen to music during editing, what music just totally keeps you going?
Top 40 stuff. Dance music. Pink, Black Eyed Peas, Glee stuff… ha ha
What is a quote that means a lot to you?
“Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow.”
Okay, so that doesn’t really mean a lot to me, but I do tend to do that… LOL Especially when I’m too busy to cope!
If you could pick one photographer in the world to do a session for you, and your family, who would it be and why?
Well, I have always wanted to have Barb Uil from Jinky Art do a family session for us. Luckily for me, we had the opportunity last year. I can die a happy woman now. <3
If you could photograph one area of photography for a day, what would it be, why? (Something other than what you photograph, i.e. architecture, food, boudoir, birth, etc.)
Boudoir! Love boudoir. I got to shoot my first boudoir session last Sunday and I LOVE it! Definitely want to do that again…
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting out in photography, what would it be?
Read, practice, ask for feedback then start all over again. Read, practice and ask for feedback. If you get to the point where your feedback is starting to sound positive, then you can start to think about adding “charge” to that list.
What magazine could you not live without?
I don’t really read magazines. Does Facebook digest count? LOL.
Please include some of your favorite images….
Shanna, thank you so much for joining us. Your work is absolutely magnificent, and so inspiring. So glad that you were able to complete your pin up project this year. It looks fabulous!
Since I love trying to help my fellow photographers…
For all you that are wanting info on the pin-up calendar..click on the link below, and it will take you to the site for purchasing!
Thank you again Shanna! Loved having you join all of us!
