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Indianapolis Family Photography A few weeks ago I received an email from Shawna telling me that her husband Jeremy would be coming home from Iraq. Shawna is a photographer herself and realized that she couldn't hug and kiss her husband and snap all those "Welcome Home" shots. So she kept me up to date about Jeremy and we hoped that I would be available to photograph their day. After a couple changes he finally came home today....although his plane was delayed by three hours, they all waited patiently like good soldiers:) I'm not sure who to thank for the service to our country. Jeremy, who was finishing a second tour of Iraq...Shawna, who was home taking care of three children.....or the kids themselves, who gave up their dad this past year. As we waited for Jeremy's plane to arrive, his dad told me how proud he was of his son's service to the Army. He himself had been a Marine serving in Vietnam and had three brothers who also served. A rich history of men giving themselves to the Red, White and Blue.
The youngest of the kids was a bit shy with me at first... |
| But then we became the best of buddies:) His sister seemed anxious to see her dad........... |
| and their brother focused on a game of Twenty Questions to keep himself occupied.... |
| And as the time drew near we headed through security to the gate. When the plane finally made it's wait to the gate, the butterflies grew. |
| Jeremy came home for two weeks of R&R in July....he left a surprise behind:) |
| All together again, they headed toward the main terminal where family and friends were waiting... |
| A very proud dad and his son............. |
| Sometimes you just need to keep touching to make sure he's really there:) |
| Daddy's princess for sure........... |
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Zionsville Family PhotographyHow do you thank someone who has helped to raise your child? Back in 2003 our youngest was only ten years old when he began tennis lessons at Team Witsken Tennis. Rick Witsken began his business in 2001 to honor the life of his brother, Todd Witsken, who like Rick, had gone from high school to college and then to professional tennis. I remember meeting Rick for the first time in late 2003 when I drove Adam to one of his first lessons. During the lesson I heard Rick say things to my child that he would repeat over and over again for the next 7 years. What Rick drilled into my child's head was that to be a good tennis player you have to work on the fundamentals and practice. To be a great tennis player you have to have a good attitude, conduct yourself with the utmost in sportsmanship, look people in the eye when you speak to them, ask others about their lives, enjoy the people who surround you, make friends wherever you go....and work on the fundamentals and practice. I give Rick one third of the credit for the young man my son has become.
Flash forward to last night. I did not want to go out in blistering winds and snowfall that Indiana was being pounded with, but I would not have missed Rick being inducted into the Indiana High School Tennis Hall of Fame. Along with two other inductees, Rick was honored not only for the outstanding high school tennis player he was, but more importantly for the work he has done in tennis since then. As a testimony to how much he is respected, three of his current high school players felt the need to witness his induction. My son being one of them. Along with Rick's family and friends, the boys were able to acknowledge with their presence how much Rick has given to their lives.
So Rick....Congratulations. But more importantly....thank you. |
| Yes, they are very close:) |
| and the only image from last night that was worthy of color.....Rick and Whitney's daughter, Brittany. (It was so dark in this venue!) |
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One of things that I hope all of my clients would say, if asked, is that I am fair, honest and straightforward regarding my business practices. A photographer lives in two worlds most of the time....the world of artist and the world of business. I try on a daily basis to make sure that all of my clients have a wonderful shooting experience, are thrilled with the end product and recognize that value of the finished product. This week two totally different companies, both in the business of customer service, left me with two TOTALLY different tastes in my mouth.
My husband has been looking for a new vehicle. His current vehicle will be sent out west to our college student so that he may use it for an upcoming internship he has acquired. So the car shopping process began. In a 24 hour period, at a Honda dealership in Avon, Indiana....my taste for car salesman took a serious drop in the honesty polls. I truly believed that things had changed in car sales with the introduction of Saturn, and their no haggle pricing. Gone supposedly were the days that you felt violated when you left a car dealership. Not so......and I will not name the Honda dealership in Avon, IN....but if you Google the name of the town....
And then the other side of business....the good side. A few weeks ago, Old Betsy....our loud and crabby furnace...decided to start her journey to furnace heaven. We call our local heating and air-conditioning company,Control Tech, to have them take a look. A blower motor was replaced, but the technician warmed us that Old Betsy was passed her prime. And to add insult to injury, her sister, Miss Freeze....the air conditioner....had blown her last bit of cold air....and we would be wise to replace both while all those federal and local rebates were floating around. A few days later Jim Bridges, Control Tech's sales manager came out to explain our options and presented three different units and the benefits of each. Never during my conversation with Jim did I feel pressured to pick the most expensive unit. He spent a good amount of time explaining the various options and then left my husband and I to make the final decision. A week later Jeremy and Adam, Control Tech's technicians came to install the units. They arrived on-time, were courteous and friendly and answered any questions that I had about the new equipment. My home was left in the same shape it was before they arrived, but now I had a new heating and air conditioning unit that is keeping us toasty again.
The difference between these two businesses?? The car dealership claims "TLC" toward their customers but never delivered. The heating and air-conditioning company claim "great customer service" and delivered it over, and over, and over again. I know that Control Tech will forever have our business. I know of one car dealership that will never see a dime of our money. I hope my clients always feel that I treated them with respect and honesty....and if I can't deliver that, I need to get out of the business.
And since a post is always better with a photo.....here are the new additions to our family. Beauty and the Beast:) |
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I "heart" my 2010 seniors!!!
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Zionsville Senior PhotographyI loved my 2010 seniors....and I have a few more to go this spring. You all were wonderful to work with and I am really excited to hear what you do in your future endeavors. I know your parents will keep me posted:) Enjoy this last semester of high school. It goes by so fast:) |
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Phoenix...Hiking....MUD!!!
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Currently out in Phoenix AZ inspecting a house that we are planning to purchase....more of that to come with pictures and information. My friend Linda and I hopped on a plane Thursday evening to make our way to Arizona. Of course the weekend we chose was the same weekend that Arizona was experiencing a week of rain. Not a problem except that the night we flew in TORNADOES were touching down!!! The people of Arizona were all a flutter....we folks from Indiana just took a tornado warning in stride:)
Inspected the house on Friday, picked up my son Jeffrey from ASU and then headed over to visit with a girlfriend from grade school/high school. We hadn't seen one another in over 20 years....although when we started chatting it seemed like last week. Donna and her family live in Chandler which is only a fe miles away from the home we are purchasing. Wonderful to have built in resources. On Saturday Donna invited us to hike the Superstition Mountains with her and a family friend. The scenery was absolutely incredible and we hiked for 3 1/2 hours!!!
My favorite shot of the day..... |
| Girlfriends never get old....just wiser:) |
| My baby...the bonus of a house in Arizona is that we get to see Jeffrey more often. |
The hiking team...notice everyone's shoes....the recent rain left parts of the trail impassable without getting muddy! It just added to the fun!
Donna and Steve....thank you for an amazing hike through Superstition. As we make more visits to Arizona, I hope we can explore many more. |
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