WHO'S THAT BIG GUY??

I'd like to introduce my assistant & partner in business RAY! Most people claim their sweetheart is the better half, but Ray is my BIGGER half.

We've been shooting together since Day 1 and are also madly in love. :-) Bonus! He usually assists at every wedding and since Ray's a bodybuilder he can carry LOTS of stuff and I never hear complaints about it. His only request is a few Krispy Kreme donuts and hugs when we finish off the day. Even the bridesmaids get a kick out of his muscles. I remember at Crystal and Joey's wedding in September, the MOH reached out her arm to poke his neck and asked "Are those things REAL?" It cracked everyone up!!! Ray's from the Bronx, he's been lifting weights for over 20 years, he's fabulous with people, loves animals and is incredibly easy to work with. I love him to death and can't thank him enough for the support and great attitude he brings to the table. He's also crazy funny and keeps everyone relaxed while I shoot. I'd like to say he's my secret weapon, but really there's no secrets to what I do. But Ray is ALL MINE. He has a background in Graphic Design and Pre-Press printing so he gives great critique of photos and has an eye for detail. The BIG change yes I know, its HUGE is that Ray SHAVED HIS MUSTACHE OFF! I hardly recognized him the first time I saw him without it. Had to do a doubletake! At any rate, he's the BIG guy with the camera at weddings. I have other assistants who are awesome to work with when Ray's not available. My sweetie serves in the Coast Guard reserves, a big patriot and fan of humanitarian work. The Coast Guard seriously saved the day when Katrina hit last year. Maybe one day Ray will actually pop the question. No pressure Ray, take your time. But hurry up already I don't have all day! Hint, hint, hint. Ladies you know what I'm talking about....

This is so cool! I got this from Opensourcephoto.com David Jay looks like Nick Lachey, ha! wHAT A STUD MUFFIN! GO TO: myheritage.com

kEEP it REAL. This is the phrase I've come to OWN through my sweetheart & business partner, Ray. I'm not a traditional chick and my life since moving to the US has been pretty traditional unfortunately!! I have to go back to my roots and refresh that sexy glamourous twist to shooting every so often. To keep it real, I recharge through my favorite photogs like Helmut Newton, Anne L. and Ritts. When I'm ready to shoot whether it be a wedding, Mr. & Mrs., or headshots I love for my subjects to OWN their skin. If they can feel good in their own skin that's all I need and more. One of these models struck a deal with a famous German photographer [Sylvie Blum]. She's phenomenal, one of my favorites. Can you guess which model struck it lucky using these photos for their portfolio?

Hey folks, I've been dying to post this for a while but always had something BETTER to post, like: an engagement session, exciting news, or latest photos. But today, I have to give props to one important factor that got me through hours of post-processing and editing. At one point I was glued to the PC 14 hours a day and cranked out 6 weddings in one week. Yowza. So who's to thank for the solacing of my nerves? Simple answer: the sugar-free fudgsicle. This summer, I estimate I've gone through 10-15 boxes. I used to nibble on gourmet chocolates while editing. I found that constant munching left my stretch jeans all stretched out! One morning my jeans looked at me, gave a loud "MOO!" and jumped back in the dresser drawers. It was an ugly scene.

Sugar-free popsicles are all chocolately and yummy but without all the calories. I LOVE them! In a hurry to get your photos back? Bribe me with fudgsicles!!! :-)

SEE MY WORK PUBLISHED HERE:
WOW! I was browsing the magazine stand today with my boyfriend and came across NEW BEAUTY magazine. Boom, there it was 2 of my pics in the magazine! Its a very cool feeling getting published. In fact, its been a very exciting first year as a freelancer. I opened my business when I was 24 with little or no experience as an entrepeneur. My first year I profited about $864.00. Woo wee look out world! Its been 2 years in the making and the referrals and business have exploded. I had a hard cover book published in Dec. 2005, a 4 page spread in Seattle Industry magazine in Summer 2005, an article in the Seattle PI in March of 2006 about my photographs for the Steel Mill, and today I found my work in the NEW BEAUTY special edition! Not to mention I will be shooting in Beverly Hills in 2007 for an upscale wedding. Also, we're flying to Puerto Rico in July to cover a big event! On top of that, I also have an upcoming ad in Seattle's Spring/Summer 2007 edition of The Knot weddings (on stands next week). I initially started my business because I wanted to make friends. Seriously. I wanted to get to know people. Hard work=happiness. Getting to know the business has all been possible through the intense support and education of the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) and also the support of seasoned photographers in the Seattle area. Personal thanks to these great people: Bill Rugen, Kate Baldwin, Kelly Chandler, and Shawnna Rovinsky (graphic designer). Thanks for the wonderful referrals and great business relationships! Happy Thanksgiving!

MARSHMALLOW EXTRAVAGANZA!

On Thanksgiving Eve I will devote this post to my favorite sweet and fluffy friend of the tastebuds: the marshmallow.
Soft, sweet, and extra-fluffy, JET-PUFFED® marshmallows consist of a perfect blend of ingredients including corn syrup, sugar, modified cornstarch, and gelatin.

NOV. 21 Marketing update: Just for giggles I posted the graph of hits to my website aprilgreer.com

Other than a spike last Thursday (Thursdays are the busiest days of the week) the numbers hit an all time low this week! We average about 150-240 hits per day. Since this is my first year focusing on web marketing, its been really fun learning about consumer trends and seasonal statistic models. GOOD NEWS for wedding photographers: According to theknot.com 42% of brides get engaged between Thanksgiving and Valentine's day! We hope to get busy real soon...see our availability here.

WHAT'S THE SKINNY?

During this rainy season people naturally become more reclusive. The couch becomes our best friend. At the same time, its easy to forget about the rest of the world! Reading puts the world right beneath my nose and brings me up to speed with current events. Like many Army Brats, the whole global perspective becomes an addiction of sorts. I constantly crave a sense of global community. Lately, with all the elections and political unrest going on, my curiousity for the Middle East prickled. I picked up two really interesting books on politics and Big Government that I want to share with everyone in case they felt compelled to read up on the situation. Stretch your mind with these two VERY different takes on foreign affairs.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (4 stars) by John Perkins

"Economic Hit Man are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars."

See No Evil (4 stars) by Robert Baer

"Provacative... A spy's eye view of CIA intrigues by one of the agency's best."

TOTAL WOMAN SPA & SALON

253.565.0177

~ 2310 Mildred St. W , Tacoma~

Total Woman Spa & Salon


My good friend Susan Leeming opened up her own spa inside Total Woman's Health Studio in Tacoma, WA. I'm SO excited with the turnout of her spa. She's an amazing inspiration to me as a female entrepeneur, but also a genuinely nice person with many goals and ambitions! Also, I'm celebrating the fact that my spa photos of her are featured about 3 1/2 feet tall in the studio windows!!

She treated me to a detox facial solution that had AMAZING results. I'm quite versed in spa treatments having visited spas all around the world to include: Alanya,Turkey, to Baden-Baden,Germany and over to Merano, Italy. I have to tell you even compared to those world class spas, SUE's services were TOP NOTCH! Not to mention in the same facility they offer a pool, weights, personal trainers, DAYCARE and aerobics classes! They're offering 20% off treatments for a limted time to new and existing clients! A bit about Sue: originally from England, Sue & Dan moved to the states a few years ago. Dan coaches for a soccer league in north Seattle (he's a star soccer player from the UK). Sue is a delightful person, very devoted to her clients, and is an expert on European technologies and treatments! Total Woman Spa & Salon includes facials, massage, body treatments, tanning, waxing, permanent make-up, microderm, and EYELASH EXTENSIONS! A MUST-have! Don't overpay and be disappointed at other salons, you definately want to pay her a visit and treat yourself! You deserve it! Visit Total Woman Health Studio @ 2310 Mildred St. W in Tacoma, WA.

Almost finished with Megan & Trav's wedding pictures! These are two of my faves. Standing next to them, I feel like an onion!

David Jay, awesome photographer and king of referrals keeps me on my toes with his AMAZING attitude towards photography. He's adamant about improvement and kindness in life. He motivates me. David's blog mentions John Maxwell, a well known leadership speaker and writer. John's quote: "The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure."

Heard of Lynyrd Skynyrd? I think they are what John refers to as "achieving people." They were told in high school they would never amount to anything. They got suspended for growing their hair out. The band members put vaseline in their hair (eew) to keep the length a secret from their PE teacher. They eventually dropped out of school becuase the PE teacher haggled them to no end! The metal heads named their band after the one person who never thought they'd make it: Mr. Skinner. Couldn't we improve ourselves if we make an achievement out of failure? We all experience our fair share of rejection, failure, and mistakes, it takes a real champ to dust her shoulder off, and keep on trucking. Thanks David for posting, you're an inspiration to us all! John, you rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd: the best revenge is success!

TIME TO CELEBRATE! I've been accepted for membership in the WPJA! Its an elite organization, only the top 5% of photographers are accepted for membership. Intense judging and following rigorous guidelines earn an applicant the right to be included with the nation's top photographers! Go me. Go me. Its my birthday~Shake my...

SEATTLE NEWS: Monsoon season has arrived. As I photoshopped away in the office, I swore Noah's ark passed by the window! Seriously, WHEN does it stop raining here? I'm posting this photo for everyone who wishes the rain would go away. In the meantime, get your Vitamin D elsewhere, because the sun won't be back until like, um....JUNE. Thanks to hawaiipictures.com we have this amazing visual getaway...

On Tradition:
Lately, we've had a swarm of of lovely couples who request our services, but label themselves as "traditional." Tradition is woven into our daily life, for your WEDDING, why not spice it up?
As much as we'd like to merge our vision with the masses, its impossible to adjust our style for each couple. Its painful and akward to go against the grain that took us years to define. The emphasis on unconventional binds us with the amazing clients who discover us from around the world. It would be like asking Gucci to do a "Burberry" collection or something. Or worse yet, having Liz Claiborne create a line of AppleBottoms poly-blend. Can you imagine?

Exciting news! My portrait work of two plastic surgeons was featured in a recent medical ad:

Here are some of the latest promos! We're the featured advertiser used as an example of brochures and tile listings on mywedding.com!