A lesson from children {Delaware Child and Lifestyle Photographer}

“Childhood should be a carefree time filled with wonder and joy..."

-Josh Bennet

I think we should all take a lesson from children.  They look at the world in a totally different way. They are constantly learning, constantly growing, almost everything brings them joy. Even the simple things, like jumping on the bed.

Tell you what, next time you are angry or having a bad day, crank up some Disney music and jump on the bed.  Just jump wildly with no abandon. Throw your hands up, scream, laugh, have fun. Let your inner child come back out.

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Shoot for the stars, no matter how far

Why is it that when you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, we tell them that they can be and do anything they set their minds to. Yet, when an adult is asked the same thing, if what they say seems to be outside the norm or unattainable due to some weird standard, we tell them to be more realistic with their dreams and goals, and are very ready to knock down their dreams.  At what point do we go from telling kids to shoot for the stars and don't be afraid to dream, to telling people that their dreams are too big for them, and to tone it down.  Is it because so many dreams my be unattainable?  Is it because others feel that since they have not accomplished their own dreams, they should knock down others? Who knows?  All I know is that I have a dream list a mile long, and I will slowly but surely cross them off.  Some may seem random, some may seem like they are never going to happen, and some are so big that they terrify me and even I think they are crazy.

But, if I don't dream big, what am I even doing here?  So here is a list of some of my dreams & goals, in no particular order:

• Become an actress (basically act in a show and be a member of SAG)
• Be interviewed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
• Photograph celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Steve Buscemi, Tom Hiddlestone, David Tennant and More
• Have a thriving and successful photography career and studio based out of NYC
• Meet Lupita Nyong'o and possibly become best friends
• Have an amazing re-do of my wedding
• Win a major photography competition
• Win the powerball
• Walk the red carpet and attend an award show
• Start a non-profit that creates and gives out packages to homeless people that contain Gore weather gear, packaging that converts to a tent, and money/food
• Start an animal sanctuary
• Be financially stable
• Vacation in Disney World at least once a year
• Meet, photograph and be photographed by Sue Bryce
• Have the wedding of my dreams, well now it would be a vow renewal
• Travel the world for photography
• Be interviewed on a photography blog
• Have my work featured on photography blogs
• Have my work in a magazine
• Attend WPPI

And that is just some of my dreams, just some. I'll be glad to come to this post and cross things off!

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Missing the summer

If you know me, you know I live for the warmer weather of the spring and the summer.  I was born in the summer, and I just love everything about it. The weather (as long as I can escape the heat with an AC every once in a while), the long sunny days, picnics in the park, and more. This past summer was absolutely amazing, and it involved a lot of travel.  Just after my birthday, we drove up to New York so I can photograph a Bar Mitzvah, and then right after that we drove directly down to Longport Beach in New Jersey so I can photograph a family session for one of my longtime clients.   Of course, I wanted to document Charlottes first time at the beach.

Call me corny, but i've always had a love for vintage nostalgia. The grainy, fast paced home movies that skipped every couple of seconds, laid with a soundtrack that evoked happy emotions.  So with my husbands I-phone and the 8mm video app, I recorded and made a video of our little trip and Charlottes first time at the beach.

Enjoy!

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Need a laugh?

I cannot get over this video. When I first saw it, I literally screamed from happiness.  So if you need a good laugh today, and like mash-ups...then this is for you

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My bucket list {Delaware Lifestyle Portrait & Fashion Photographer}

So as a photographer I have goals, and they are big. I work extremely hard to keep my business running, and even on days I feel like giving up, I have faith that these goals will come true.  For me, success is talent, drive, and opportunity. I am always working on talent and drive, I just need the opportunity.

I have quite a long list of goals of celebrities and famous people that I would LOVE to photograph. Just a simple, straight to the point portrait sessions. No frills, just them.  And then of course, if I had the opportunity to go all out with sets and props,  I would.  Here are just a couple of celebrities in no particular order that I would love to photograph, in my little home studio or their homes. I want to make tea, sit and talk with them, do portraits of them all glammed up, and then portraits of what makes them the most comfortable. They can bring their kids and family, we can go out and I can document the things they love to do. This is my dream. One day, not too far off in the future, I hope I can come back and cross these names off one by one.  I will make this happen

So here is my list of people I would love to photograph for various reasons. It has nothing to do with being star struck. It has everything to do with being genuinely interested in the lives of people, what they think about, what they do, and more.  Even if I was a celebrity photographer, I would never forget where I started, and that is with friends and family and clients in my local area, that I have to thank for getting me to where I am today. Even if I was a celebrity photography (which we all joke about), I would still be doing family and baby sessions in my home studio, and sometimes weddings.

Here is the list in no particular order:

• Idris Elba
• Queen Latifah
• Ellen Degeneres
• Oprah Winfrey
• Beyonce and Jay-Z (and baby Blue)
• Tom Hiddlesotn
• Zachary Quinto
• Rihanna
• David Tennant
• Matt Smith
• Patrick Stewart
• Johnny Depp
• Scarlett Johnansen
• Zoeey Dechanel
• Amber Riley
• Laverne Cox
• Michelle Obama
• Kerry Washington
• Melissa McCarthy
• Mila Kunis
• Lady Gaga
• Zoe Saldana
• Lucy Lui
• Gina Torres
• Drew Barrymore
• Pink
• Emma Watson
• Will Ferrell
• Jimmy Fallon
• Lupita Nyong'o

Again, this list is no particular order, and it's not the complete list. I add people and new pages all the time. Right now the pages sit folded in a blue jar on my fire place.  It's basically my wish jar.  I believe if I put out my intent on paper and give it to the universe and make it known, it will happen.  And one day, ONE DAY, I will be able to come back and cross these names off. I will make it happen. How? I don't know. But that's part of dreaming right? Have a goal, and do whatever it takes to get to it.   

So here's hoping!

And continuing with my randomness, here is a self portrait of myself that I am EXTREMELY proud of. I don't think you understand, photographing myself is a task upon itself.  I know how to photograph other people, especially women.I know what light looks good, what clothing looks good on them, how to dress them up, how to pose them, etc.  So this image, I am extremely proud of. Since I love color and black and white, you get to see both!

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Good work don't come cheap

"Good work don't come cheap", or "You can have cheap, fast, or good...pick two", are among a couple of the sayings that you can find as your journey as a business owner progresses.  If you run a business that is in anyway part of the creative field, you will at some point and time, be asked to do work for free. Now, I am not here to say free work is bad, or collaborating for projects where everyone puts in an equal amount of work for a set outcome is bad.  But there will be people who expect your skill and your time to be given to them freely because you are new, or you are looking for exposure.

Now, I am not going to be one of those photographers who sits and tells you that you are de-valuing the industry by working for free, because I firmly believe that there are clients and photographers for every market out there. From free to six figures. My concern is building my business to where I am successful.  Besides, I haven't been in this long enough to earn those "old head" stripes, and even if I did, I still wouldn't change my view point.

So what's the point of me telling you all of this?  If you do request work, good work, work that people get paid for, for free, do not be surprised when people tell you no. And definitely do not respond like this guy did:

http://www.tickld.com/x/i-wish-i-worked-with-this-manhes-hilarious Pin It

Blogging everyday? Harder than it sounds! {Delaware Lifestyle Portrait & Fashion Photographer}

There's a photographer that I follow for numerous reasons, but the two main reasons is because she is so honest and open with the business aspect of photography and running your own business. She has stated numerous times to blog every day, to be consistent, and your brand will grow.  So for January, I did blog every day. If I couldn't make it every day, I made up those days. Either way, I had 31 blog entries for January, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

I find it easier to strike up conversations with strangers on the street than to pick a topic and blog about it every single day.  I can talk up a storm in person, but writing? I go completely blank.

But I will try. I will try to blog every day. I will continue to work hard and grow my brand, grow by business. And if some days, my blogs get views then great! If not, at least I still blogged?

I don't expect it to come easy, but I do hope that it gets easier as time goes on. That my ability to write interesting and relevant content comes easier, to the point where people are looking at my blog for inspiration.

So does that mean I will blog about other things besides photography? Yup! I hope to keep them relevant to photography though. And if not, peeks into my life, running a business and the like.

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Giving up and sticking it out {Delaware Lifestyle Portrait & Fashion Photographer}

Many of you know that I am a night owl, and I get much of my work accomplished at night while everyone is sleeping.  And now thanks to the new scheduling feature on Facebook, I can schedule my posts in advance without it looking like I never sleep.  Any who, before I go on a sleep deprived rant, I just posted this over on my page:

"You'll hear it a thousand times as a photographer, "Don't compare your work to someone else's". But to be honest, it's the hardest thing NOT to do. You question everything about your work, why you aren't famous, why you aren't successful, etc. And the whole time you are trying to define your own style, stay true to your own style, and make waves at the same time."

I'm going to be completely honest, and tell you something, and this is me baring my soul... I want to give this up. Every. Single. Day.  Owning your own business is tough to begin with, but when your job is that of photography, in which you literally put your heart and soul on the line to be judged every time you post an image, as an artist... you must be crazy. Which I suppose why people think most artists are crazy.

This job is not stable.  I work harder than I ever did at a regular job working for someone else.  The finances are up and down. The scheduling, while I am grateful I get to make my own schedule, I have sacrificed a lot of my time. A lot of time with my daughter, with my family, and with my friends.  There were many events that I missed with family and friends because I was photographing weddings, and any other gig that would come my way. I was essentially the starving artist.

Almost every day, I want to give up. I want to sell off the equipment, gear and props that I have acquired, and go back to something stable. Something where I don't have to push for my own creativity. I am told what to do,  how to do it, and get paid for it.

And then I remember. I remember the reason why I started my business in the first place. Another photographer told me I couldn't do it, and being the person I am, I had to prove them wrong.  The drive to prove them wrong kept me going. And then as time went on, many people, including my husband believed in me, more than I believed in myself, and they helped me build myself as an artist and as a business woman. I couldn't just simply give up on them because the struggle is not what I expected.  And then there is my daughter. I have a career, that while it may not stable, I am able to be at home with her, every single day, and I don't miss anything. I get to watch her as she grows, as she learns, and she turns from an amazing baby into the most amazing child I know.  Then of course there is the instant gratification I get knowing that I capture the love between families, the moments I capture, making mothers and women feel like a million bucks with my skills.

Am I where I want to be? Nope! Nowhere near it in my eyes. Am I going to get there? I hope so!  I have worked too hard not to keep going. And I just can't give up now.  I've been invited into too many lives, witnessed and documented too many weddings, too many families going from two to three and more.  Am I successful? Still working on it. Everyone has their own definition of success. I know that I am not where I want to be, and I am continuously working on getting there. The hardest part is not knowing for sure if I am going to accomplish what I set out to.

It's a struggle yes. And every time I find a reason I want to give up, I find 101 reasons why I shouldn't.  It's a constant learning experience. I clap and jump and giggle when I learn how to do something new in Photoshop.  I genuinely get joy out of what I do, no matter how hard it is, and that is why I stick with it. My husband likes to tell me that it took Pixar 12 years to become the powerhouse in animation that they are today, so don't give up. I'm still "new".  

So here's hoping that one day I can have an amazing story like Pixar. Pin It

It's almost Valentines Day! Still looking for a gift! {Delaware Family, Wedding, & Fashion Photographer}

The day of love is right around the corner. That's right, Valentines Day!  This year, I didn't do a special since I was so busy and wanted to take a breather, but I do have some good news. I have gift certificates available! They are big and pretty and nice! And you can purchase them online, and I can hand deliver them to you, or you can stop by and pick them up!

What will you get with the gift certificate, the basic is the session fee, which is valued at $275 and two 8x10" prints included!  Love all around!  You can use this session for a newborn, baby, child, family, Love/Engagement/Couples Session or even a Boudoir/Glam/Fashion session!

I will be available to drop off and pick up gift certificates today, tomorrow, as well as Valentines Day! Although, I will not wear a big heart and do a song and dance if you plan on having it delivered that way.

Happy Valentines Day! I had to use an old image of Charlotte back from when she was about 1 and a half, and when she was cooperative for the camera!

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Guess what's back! {Delaware Family & Wedding Photographer}

Well, technically it did not go away. I gave it a break so that I can spend more time with my family and reflect on my business and focus on the direction that I wanted to go in.  There was a time when I photographed exclusively weddings, and that was up until I was pregnant. Yes, I was photographing weddings all the way up until I was 36 weeks pregnant, crazy I know.  After Charlotte was born, there was much contemplation on whether or not I would go back to weddings.  I mean, I love weddings, I absolutely love them. I love love. I love two people coming together in front of friends and family and sharing their love for each other and vowing to spend the rest of their life with one another.  I love that people choose me to capture their amazing love story.

But from when my daughter was born in 2011, and when I partially gave up weddings, my family and baby business grew. And by grew, I mean it grew a  lot.  I did almost three times as much work photographing families, babies, and kids, and it has been amazing to watch my business grow.  And thanks to so many friends in the industry that are also photographers, I have not only picked my niche, which is babies, families, and kids, but I can still have the opportunity to step outside of that niche and dive into fashion, which has been absolutely amazing!  I have been able to be even more creative and utilize techniques that I have learned from watching other photographers with posing and lighting. Lighting? Yes, you heard right. The girl who vowed to never use studio lights, uses them pretty consistently now.  And the crazy thing is? All for of these images were done in my little home studio.  So lesson here folks is you make due with what you have!

If you can stop by my Facebook page and give me some likes and share the page, I will love you forever, and don't forget to visit the actual website, www.marisaseasan.com  to see more great images, plus the photographic series I am doing with different subjects.

Ok! Moving right a long! Weddings! The love, the dancing, the food, the laughter. I am now accepting weddings for the rest of the year and for 2015. The only catch is that I am only accepting a very limited number of weddings. Years in business, I have learned to take what I can handle and not burn myself out. Plus, I already give my clients all of me during their sessions. I want to give all of me PLUS more to make your wedding images extra magical.

I know that through the years of me being a business owner, I have continued to grow. I have learned different styles of photography, how to pose people, how to interact with crowds, what to expect during weddings, baby sessions and more. I think that experiencing all of these types of photography has helped me to become a better photographer and a better business owner.

So when you have time, please visit my updated wedding website: http://www.marisataylorphotography.com/weddings    And if you know anyone that is getting married, spread the word!

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More Steampunk Awesomeness!

I did it! I did 31 blogs for the month of January. Now mind you, I did not blog every single day, some days I had to play catch up, but they are all there!  All 31 of them! Will I do this challenge again? We will see. It definitely opened my eyes up to time management and coming up with interesting content. You would think that after being in business for close to five, or is it six? years now, I would have mastered time management.  The truth it, some days I am a pro at it, other days I am so exhausted, I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Now on to other news! Some of you know that I will have a vending room at The Steampunk Worlds Fair.  This is the first time I am vending, and I am so excited and so honored to have been chosen!  I will be doing Victorian inspired boudoir sessions and creative portraits for ladies and gents. Trust me when I say, people go all out on their costuming! It is an amazing thing.

I have recently teamed up with Goth Fae-Steampunk Doilie, and she will have some of her items in my vending room that people can wear during their shoots. She seriously has amazingly gorgeous clothing and lingerie, so I suggest that you check her out!  Tell her that I sent you! https://www.facebook.com/GothFae.SteampunkDollie

If you are heading to the Steampunk Worlds Fair this year, be sure to stop by my vending room and visit me!!!!

Oh, and I will be doing the first of a couple of sessions for my Steampunk series over on my fashion/creative portraiture website, www.MarisaSeasan.com  Be sure to stop by soon and check it out. Pin It

Super Bowl Sunday and my new favorite treat {Delaware Lifestyle Portrait & Fashion Photographer}

Last night, sometime past midnight my husband and I were sitting in bed and were trying to figure out the date. He still thought it was January, so when I told him it was actually February, but February 2nd, he was baffled.  It seems like we missed two days of time!  And then a Star Trek episode came on that dealt with the ship going through a worm hole and skipping 24 hours of time.  Weird, huh?

So before I go off on my nerd tangent about space and time, let's talk about today, and it being Super Bowl Sunday! I am actually more excited for the Puppy Bowl and the Half time show. I don't necessarily have a favorite team. But one of my favorite things about super bowl Sunday?  Hot wings!  Well, I love hot wings anyway, and I can literally eat them every single day of the week.  Since today is the day where pounds of hotwings and ranch and bleu cheese dressing will be consumed, I of course wanted wings. But with no wings in the house, what was I to do?

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites!

That's right, buffalo cauliflower bites. The recipe is here: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/spicy-buffalo-cauliflower-bites.html

The verdict? They are absolutely delicious! I have no idea how, but it tastes like chicken! Even down to the texture. My family loves it, and it is so much healthier than hot wings. This is my new favorite snack! I just wanted to share.

So go off and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Oh, did I mention? I blogged the entire month of January! I completely my goal!

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