Okay. So far, it has been a summer full of smoke from the Great Dismal Swamp fire.

Every day in Virginia Beach and Norfolk we wonder if the smoke is going to have blown off enough to go outside. Can today’s photo session happen or not? Is the smoke too bad to breathe at the location? [Which changes from hour to hour] It is getting kind of depressing not only for myself, but for other photographers across the Hampton Roads area as well. A real rescheduling nightmare! Can you say “studio,” anyone?

But, finally there is something burning that I’m anxiously awaiting! July 10th is the date of the Burn Notice premiere.

Honestly, I never watched an entire episode of Magnum PI back in the day. In fact, I never really got into the action genre on TV or even in movies before, but the superb, smart writing and acting on this show has really reeled me in. Heck, my whole family can’t wait for the first episode this season. July 10th can’t come soon enough for us!

Generally, summer tv is boring. Treat yourself to something good: Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar and Bruce Campbell as Michael Westen, Fiona and Sam.

Rent the entire first season or download it onto your Tivo from Amazon. You have time to catch up and watch the incredible finale before July 10th. You won’t regret it.

Forgive me if you’ve heard me say this before, but custom photography is not for everyone.

For some people, leaning up against a carpet covered stand at a bargain photo chain and saying “Cheese” is great. The price is right. Everyone is managing to show their best forced grimace smile. Done.

For other people, average just isn’t good enough. They want more. They want something special. Something that spotlights the individuality of their family. They know that hiring the best photographer to capture the images of their family is tantamount to getting timeless, one-of-a-kind portraits that will be passed down and treasured from generation to generation. These are the people that choose to go with a custom portrait photographer.

A custom photographer that will take the time to help show different sides of your family’s personalities in your favorite surroundings. A custom photographer isn’t rushed. That means they are 100% invested in giving the clients what they really want to remember. They want to capture memories that show who their clients are.

As for the parents, they want to show Sally’s first tooth and how shy she was when she was that age. Or how adorable Baby Lucas’ tiny foot was when he was just 5 days old. Or they want their teenaged daughter to see the beautiful woman that she has become. Or they want to see how in love Mom and Dad looked during their vacation in Virginia Beach. There are as many possibilites and/or reasons for doing custom photography sessions as there are people that want them.

A while back a friend of mine passed along an article that was published in Real Simple magazine about professional custom photography. [Click on that green text to visit the link.] This article asks you to think of what is really important to you. I think most of my clients will agree with several (if not all) of the points made in it as they have already made capturing their families and their personalities a priority in their lives. They are my only session for the day. They get my full attention. They can take as many breaks as they need to rest, change clothes or diapers, snack, nurse, etc. Your child can hold their treasured “lovey” or you can sit on your quilt that Grandma lovingly made for you. Whatever you want. That is why they call it custom. …And it will be unlike any photo session that you’ve had before!

Hiring a custom portrait photographer means never having to hear:

“Sit here.”
“Chin up.”
“Say cheese.”
[Flash, flash]
“Okay, we’re all done here. …Next!”

Never!

Leslie