Spanish Adventures

I'm sitting at the computer tonight, so thrilled to be saying hello to you on my fourth day in Europe. I can't wait to share some pictures from Spain with you next week. Granada is a beautiful city surrounded by snow-capped mountains, filled with beautiful people and customs. Jess and my day's have been spent walking the city streets, shopping, sipping cafe con leche in small cafe's, shopping, sightseeing, me trying out my Spanish, and... shopping. We have managed to do some serious purchasing and I have discovered a new-found love for Zara. European fashion is the best.

So, funny story. Tuesday night, we went to a Flaminco dance at a local pub. The owner there took a liking to us and really tried to help us out for the evening. We arrived very early, so he recommended a wonderful place for us to go have a drink and tapas. When we came back, the room was packed with tourists. Most of the tourists were on a group tour and were exhausted. Throughout the show, they were falling asleep, which was a huge insult to the dancers. One of the dancers, an older woman, had a smile on her face the whole time, but was picking on the sleepers. When she sat down, she said in Spanish to the other dancers, "Everyone here is really ugly and I cannot get that one girl to stop taking pictures of me (not me, but another tourist who was pestering her)". Since Jess speaks Spanish, I got the inside scoop and we both had a good laugh as this woman was no spring-chicken.

We have been dealing with jet-lag and are short on sleep, but the company is sweet. We are staying with an American family that has been living here in Granada for 4 years. We have been well taken care of and I have truly been enjoying the new friendships of Garrick and Ziu and their children Evelyn and Mathis.

Tomorrow, we head to Madrid to finish up our time. Jess has been an awesome tour-guide this week. She has not spent much time in Madrid, so tomorrow will be a bit of a new adventure for us. I can't wait to post some photos of this amazing place next week!

Have a great day!

Trade-Off

Hi Friends!

I just wanted to share my latest read with you! Last week, I picked up Trade-Off, by Kevin Maney. I had heard about this book from one of my favorite photogs, Jasmine Star.  I admire her and her business model so much, so I thought that if she had read and enjoyed it, that it would definitely be helpful to me!

This is a book that explains reasons for why people do the things they do and the trade-off between convenience vs. quality in a business. Even if you're not running a business, it's an interesting read, similar to Blink or Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell. I'm halfway through this book and it's giving me a ton of food for thought about the way I run my business and how little decisions now can make a huge difference for me in the long run and how every decision is an important one. If you decide to read it, let me know what you think!

Have a great weekend!

January Happenings

So, we are 5 days into the new year and I’m not off to a very good start with my blogging! First, let me wish you a very happy new year! I hope that the holidays brought you much blessing, rest, and refreshment. For many people, 2009 was a difficult year, and so, we look forward with great hope to what 2010 will bring. I, for one, have been pretty lazy the last two weeks and it’s been glorious! Today is my first official day back in the office and I thought I would give you an update on a few things happening with me this month:

A new detox/get healthy program. Yes, new year, new diet. This week I jumped on the bandwagon with several friends and began a detox program designed to remove the bad stuff from the body and get us healthy. Thankfully, this is not one of those lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup programs. This is designed to give us all we need by eating lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and nuts. Of course, the milk, cheese, and sweets have to go for 2 weeks, but that’s okay. They say the first three days are the hardest. Today is day two, so I’m very ready to power through to the other side. Hopefully by then, I won’t be craving every bad food in the universe. I’m glad for the accountability of lots of friends to help keep me on track :)

A bridal fair – I am going to be a vendor in the upcoming NWA Bride Premier Showcase. The show takes place Saturday, January 16, 2010 from 10a-5p at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Springdale. September’s bridal fair was a blast and I definitely learned a few things to help make this showing even better! I’m in the process of thinking up some cool prizes and giveaways so stop by my booth and say hi!

A trip to SPAIN!!! – Last month, I was talking with my friend Jess, when she mentioned that she was going to Spain in January to visit some friends. As we talked about her trip and how much fun she was going to have, we began brainstorming about whether or not it would be possible for me to go too. I love to travel and am a little bit impulsive so it took me about 5 minutes to decide that I wanted to go and start hunting down plane tickets. Fortunately, I was able to find a great deal on tickets, and so… we’re off to Spain for a week beginning January 17! I’m so excited!!! The best part is, Jess used to live in Spain, so she gets to visit her old home and knows all the good places to see, eat, and shop!

New changes to Kristin Hartness Photography - I am so excited to announce that there are some new changes coming to Kristin Hartness Photography in the coming month and year. Change is always a bit hard for me, but is necessary in order to grow and develop. I’m learning this to be crucial when running a business and, so, I’m excited to see what these new changes bring. The last three years have been spent learning and just trying to get my feet underneath me. A lot of this was about developing technical skills and the confidence to market myself as a photographer. As this has begun to fall into place, I’ve had the opportunity to begin thinking about the kind of business and brand that I want to develop, one that will allow me to continue to learn and create a better experience for my clients and be true to who I am as a person and a photographer. Several changes that will be implemented soon to reach this goal are:

1. A NEW NAME! Kristin Hartness Photography will be Kristin J. Portraiture within a few weeks. With a new name comes a…
2.  NEW (fancy-schmancy) WEBSITE and, in the near future, A NEW BLOG, better designed to keep you posted on what’s happening over here.

As I said, it is my hope that these will be just some of the beginning changes  to bring cohesiveness and create a fabulous experience for you, my WONDERFUL clients. So, stay-tuned!!!

And, because every post is better with a picture, a few of the things I'll be munching on the next few weeks...

Great-tasting? I wouldn't go that far, but it's not bad... :)

Happy Tuesday!

Merry Christmas

Yesterday afternoon, we kicked off our family Christmas celebration. We gathered at my brother and sister-in-law's house, and headed off to the Christmas Eve service at church, all bundled up and excited with the anticipation of a possible white Christmas. Over the years, the Christmas Eve service has become one of my favorite traditions and the thing I look forward to the most. For me, this is a time of reflection and worship; a time to remember my great Savior who humbled himself by being born as a baby in order to bring salvation to a sinful world. His life and sacrifice gives us a true reason to celebrate.

After the service, we headed over to my parent's house. Mom and Dad decided to try a new thing this year and make breakfast for dinner. We all loved it so much I think it will become a long-standing tradition. Over eggs, bacon, and hash-brown potatoes, we enjoyed conversation, laughter, and each other's company, just happy to all be together. Today was spent watching movies, working on a puzzle, eating, and enjoying our first White Christmas in a long time; a special gift from the Creator to His children.

I hope that you've had a wonderful and blessed holiday. Merry Christmas!

Northwest Arkansas Portrait Photographer: Emily

Meet Emily! She's a beautiful senior from Bentionville. We met down on Dickson for her senior portrait session. Emily is so fun and LOVES to smile and laugh which made for a fun day and some great pictures. Congratulations Emily!

Happy Wednesday!

Northwest Arkansas Portrait Photographer: Schulte Family

Meet the Schulte family! Candice and I have been friends for awhile now, and when she asked me to shoot some family pictures for their Christmas card I was thrilled! This was their first photo as a family of 3, so fun!!! We were fortunate to have beautiful weather and we got some great shots!

Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer: Dan & Julie

It didn’t take them long to know. He was a fire fighter from Portland. She, a beautiful, smiling girl from Arkansas with a love for nature. They met one night, both assigned to a forest fire. Julie, was in a different place on this night. Usually working on topographical surveys in the office, this time she was on the ground, in the middle of the action. It was on this night that she met Dan. THIS night, was followed by many more together. Over many hours spent working and late night chats, literally, sparks flew.

Dan and Julie, thank you so much for allowing me to get to know you and be a part of your beautiful day. You both are such amazing people and I am in awe of what you do. Thanks for teaching me about all that goes into fighting forest fires. I have already wowed people with my newfound knowledge :)! I hope you had a wonderful time on your honeymoon!