The bestest thing anyone has ever asked me...like, EVER!

I'm at a shoot. Like always, I'm snapping group pictures like a mad dog until I'm pooped out (ha ha...you'll get my pun in a minute). Then I say, "Hey, let me take some single shots of your cute kids."

Awesome mom (who just so happens to be a nationally published writer...urg...no animosity there) says, "sure."

Kid numero uno comes over and I shoot him. He's cute, I can see why the girls die over him at his high school, and I convince him to do an awesome back flip.  I'm happy.

College-grad sister is next. She smiles at the camera and I nearly hate her because she's flawlessly beautiful...but then I decide I love her because she makes my pictures look WOWZA!

Then, I come to second-oldest boy. He's leaner than his older buff-football-playing brother, but his smile is adorable. After a couple head shots straight on, I decide to switch things up a little. I say, "Hey, let's try a different angle. Squat down."

Second oldest boy says, "Like I'm pooping?"

I drop my camera, letting it hang around my neck and I bust a gut laughing. I can't stop laughing for nearly five minutes because that is the most awesomest thing anyone at any shoot has ever asked me.

When I gain my composure, my answer is, "Yes."

Question for ya.

Mark and I have moved a lot. And now we live in Utah (if that's any big suprise to you, than we obviously haven't spoken in like 3 years. Get with it, will ya?)

I was thinking today about WHY we live here. And that got me thinking deeper thoughts...stuff like, why do you live where you do? I mean, really, you could pick up and live whereever you want. So I guess what I want to know is:

WHY do you live where you live? 

Thanks, I'm just curious.

A Day in the Life.

1. Roll out of bed. Jump out of bed with a smile on my face, ready to confront the world.

2. Fall back into bed Take a moment to reflect after sneaking a glance at your bed-raggled, and puffy-eyed self.  and comb out your lovely locks.
3. Wait till the baby monitor crackles with sounds of your kids squawking like baby birds.

4. Pull on favorite teal sweats -- ah, take a moment to thank the Good Lord that He inspired Mom 15 years ago to sew a pair of sweats instead of buying a $10 pair at the Walmart (frugalness rocks).

5. Get something to eat for the kiddos, flip on PBS, and steal away to the office where the computer is always left running.

6.  Mess around on facebook, read a few blogs. Check emails.

     a. Click all 23 spam emails and mass-delete

     b. Rejection - put in REJECT Folder
     c. Photog Client - smile huge because they love their rockin' awesome shots.
         Photoshop is a God send.
     d. Rejection from the-one-and-only-agent-I'd-sell-my-soul-to-the-devil-to-be-her-client.
              i. Read said rejection again. And again. And again. Double check to make sure the agent is postive about not wanting to represent your work.
             ii. Blink twice, and read once more.
             iii. Make the ugly sobbing sound Clair Dains popularized in ROMEO AND JULIET

             iv. Bawl like a friggin' baby. Cry. A lot.

7. Drive kids to store to buy diet coke and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

8. Commiserate with friends about loser-ness and ignite a firestorm of arguments on facebook when you leave a small comment about said sadness.

9. Thank the Good Lord when sweet couple cancels their shoot because of the wind the Good Lord sent. He knows I needed a night off.

10. Rush to Macaroni Grill (one of the three restaurants that I'll actually eat at) and drown sorrows in a big bowl of Penne Rustica.
11. Meander through the Riverwoods, and discover a store created just for me!!! It's all candy and toys and candy. Heaven on earth.

12. Come home and laugh A** off when reading the firestorm that brewed on FB.

13. Realize that my writing was never perfect in the first place, and it's time to edit.

14. After staying up till 2am, and drinking unfathomable amounts of DC, thank the Good Lord once more when sweet hottie hubby brings you a burger for lunch.  And it's just the kind I like.

Scratch that. "Son of a #$%@!"

Better said, this post should be labeled When it rains it pours or What it looks like when the CRAP hits the fan, or Three Reasons a poly-style beating on your kids is okay. 

That may sound harsh, but I'm sure by the end of this post you'll understand my point.

TWO WEEKS AGO:

I walked in from outside, having just gardened the front yard while the kids watched a PBS show. In the kitchen I found Theodore (a.k.a. the Destroyer) with a lovely walnut-sized seashell in his hand.

"Whatcha' doing?" I asked.

He promptly hid the shell behind his back and gave me a sly grin. "Nothing, momma."

I narrowed my eyes on him, knowing without a doubt that this little three year old was, in fact, LYING! A quick glance around the kitchen confirmed my suspicions. The fridge beheld the work of Teddy and his lovely little shell.

"Son of a *%*$!"

Ok, so I didn't say all that, but I wanted to. And I'm telling you, Mark (the hottie-hubby) doesn't get mad easily, but this little act sure did test his patience. Teddy was sent to his room to think about how rubbing a sharp shell on a stainless steel fridge is NOT EVER a good thing. 

ONE WEEK AND TWO DAYS AGO:

Mark and I finally splurged and chucked our static-cursed T.V. purchased at a yardsale in '99, for a beautiful 42" LCD flatscreen. Oh how we love it.

TWO DAYS AGO: 

I attended a baby blessing with just the two older boys. When I came home I found Mark standing outside on the driveway with his fists clenched and a murderous look drawn tight across his face.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"I can't go inside or I will kill him."

"Who?"

Mark raised an eyebrow that ended our conversation. I suddenly knew exactly who he was talking about. I had left Mark home with Teddy and Ruby.

I raced inside to find tear-stained Teddy with his knees pulled tightly to his chest.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I play with little skateboard on TV," he said in a small voice.

"You. Did. WHAT?"

Oh, you better believe a few choice words were dropped like a bomb. And for the rest of the day, Teddy cleaned every nook and cranny I could find with lysol wipes to teach him that scratching brand new TVs with a mini-skate board is NEVER a good thing.

TODAY:

Back in Black rang out in the library before I could silence my cell phone.

"Hello?" I answered in a hushed tone.

It was Mark. He told me that he'd come home for lunch. Mr. Peacock from next door stopped by and wanted to speak to him. Apparently, while the Peacocks were out of town, and their beautiful new Acura was parked in their driveway, someone marked it. How, you ask. It appeared to be by bicycle handle-bars. Say, about the size of a bicycle my DEVIL kids might ride.

Oh, YES! 

You know what's coming, right?

After a bit of prodding I dug the truth from my two oldest sons. George and Henry rode their bikes in the Peacock's driveway because ours had been a pile of rubble last week. While circling the Peacock's new sleek Acura, Henry dodged a rock. And the cost of skirting around the offending rock was paid in a long scratch that runs from one end of the car to the other.

Awesome, I know.

There will be no pictures of the lovely Acura, because at this point I can't even look at my kids, let alone snap a shot of my neighbor's vehicle. 

So you see, when it rains it pours.

I love LOVE.

Much to my Mom's chagrin, (I know because she recently edited my sappy love story) that I'm way more of a chick-lit romance lover than like 90% of the world. I'll devour a good book in one sitting. Because, baby, once I'm hooked, I'm hooked...even if that means reading til' three in the morning.  I'm the publishing industry's ideal customer. If I had the money, I'd buy and buy and buy every new book with even a hint of romance in it.

Sigh.

I guess that's why I like shooting engagements the most. More than seniors (graduating seniors...not old people, though they're great to shoot too), more than bridals, or families, or babies, or even the actual wedding, my favorite shoot is an engagment shoot.

I shot this picture last week. It's one of my favorites. Like, ever. Honestly, it's not super special. I didn't use a new awesome shooting techinque, or super expensive lighting. I just pulled out my camera, and my good ole' standby lens and shot this one in the moment of the kiss. And, I love it.

Just saying.

Have an awesome Thursday. Go kiss someone by an old truck.

Luv, erin

Publishing News: I have three awesome agents that have requested either a partial or a full of my manuscript.  Does that mean I'm going to one day get published? No. But it gives me hope.

LAST CHANCE to take a Class

Hey guys!  So I've gotten a little busier than I originally anticipated for this summer. I'll only be teaching one more Photography session and one more Photoshop session. If you want to take it, this is the last chance.  I am planning on starting classes again in September, however, that is just a plan.  I can't say 100% for sure if I'll still be offering classes after this summer session.  You know, life.  Just saying. 

Anyway, if you're interested or you know someone who is, follow this link:

TAKE A CLASS

M&Ms?

I blame my mom. Not for everything, but when talking about the chubby weight hugging my mid-section I can only thank her...and my obsession. I am an M&M addict. And it was brought on by years of my Mom's training. She had a tin (which has now been passed on to my younger sis, Rach) that was always filled with M's. And if we were good, we'd get one or two, or even a handful.

So of course now when I want a treat I go for the plain M&Ms. But, I recently tried the pretzel M&Ms. After close inspection, I decided they were blah, yuck, not worth my tastebud's time.

Or so I thought after first try.

Of course I tried again. Afterall, they are M&Ms.

And now I'm addicted to them too.

Have you tried them? What do you think? 

Stop and enjoy the view.

Since I started shooting weddings I've made it a tradition to snap a shot of the wedding view. A few weeks ago, I shot a wedding at the Mt. Timpanogos temple in American Fork, UT. This is the same temple Mark and I got married 11 1/2 years ago. And finally, I captured it in a picture that I like. 

I love the cherry blossoms on the tree and the sun coming up behind the temple. 

Lovely. 

Hope you have an awesome Wednesday.
Oh, and on a side note: I finished editing my book, STALKING 101, for a second time and now I'm on to a third edit! But I have my fingers crossed that this will be the book to get published. Sigh. If not, I'll just write another. 

luv, erin

Hair today, gone tomorrow.

No fear, concerned friends and neighbors and relatives and blog stalkers--Mark has not become a member of Al Qaeda. He is not a serial killer. And as far as I know he's not planning to ditch our family for a tent in the woods and a shovel for bathroom facilities.

But it seems that everybody wants to know what the beard is all about. At first I think it grew out of sheer laziness. He didn't want to take the time to shave everyday. Mark grows hair like I eat M&Ms (or did, but that's another story). It's practically a super power. By 5:00 PM he doesn't have the "five o'clock shadow". No my friends. He has what other men consider "two day's growth."

In short, Mark is one hairy dude.

So as the days passed, and Mark's hair grew and grew, he decided to use his super power for the good of mankind (well, for the good of Xango's employees, and the kick they'd get out of a Xango inspired beard cut). On the 5th of May Mark shaved his burliness down to two X's criss-crossing his face. And in return he won the Xango annual mustache contest. 

So hot, right?

Believe me, it didn't last long. But Mark is uberly pleased that he won the contest. And I have to admit, the gift basket from Bath and Body Works smells pretty dang good! 

Public Service Announcement from S.S. Summerill

For that which I would risk my life.

On Friday, I was late! And as you know that's a compulsory thing for me; however, when it comes to a photo shoot, I am always on time (Okay, 99% of the time). So when I was already five minutes late and the dude sitting in the truck two cars ahead of me slams on his breaks in the middle of State Street, of course I might swear under my breath. But I didn't. I just smiled and swerved around him.

As I pulled alongside Mr. Truck, I realized why he'd stopped. Just feet from the threat of his tires was a tiny charcoal kitten. My bleeding heart leapt in my chest, and panic flooded me. The kitten was headed across four lanes of traffic (two northbound and two southbound).

Like Mr. Truck, I slammed on my breaks and allowed the kitten to pass. But with horror I realized the kitten's death was sure to come. Just a half mile down the road the next stop light turned green and on-coming traffic approached at a sickening pace.

Without thinking, I flipped a U-turn on State Street, cutting across all lanes of traffic. I threw the van into park on the opposite side of the road (the side that the baby kitten was headed) and flung my door open. With one hand I motioned for the on-coming cars to stop, while using my other hand to honk the horn like a mad-woman. The cars in the lane nearest slowed. But beyond that lane, a semi-truck barreled down State Street headed right toward the tiny kitten padding its way across the road.

I panicked. The kitten's imminent death flashing in my mind. I didn't stop to think past that.

And I ran straight onto State Street. Holding my hands up, as if that might stop a Semi. But maybe it was luck on my side, or Heavenly Father watching over me, but the semi stopped in time. I reached down and picked up that kitten.

Or so I tried.

That damn kitten ran from me after I risked my life to save it! I chased after it for a half second and pounced on it. As I returned to the side of the road, with the little gray furball clutched to my chest, car after car passed with a thumbs up and a wave. It took at least an hour for the pounding beat of my heart to slow. You know, risking your life and all can really kick your adrenaline into overdrive.

And now, I present to you the newest member of our family:

State Street (Lizzy) Summerill

Picking Favorites.

Whenever I take someone's pictures, I'm always surprised that my favorite image isn't necessarily their favorite. I know they pick images for different reasons than me, but sometimes I wish they would choose the one I would choose. It's like a validation thing or something.
Last night I went to the capitol and shot bridals for the most lovely girl. Absolutely stunning. So when I got home and sifted through the pictures, I had a hard time deciding on my favorite one. But after I edited this one, I decided this one is it (or at least one of the top ten). There's something so charming about her in this image.

I'm not sure what I like so much about it, and I even asked Mark. But all he said is, "Yeah, that's nice." Uh, ok.  Anyway, you can decide for yourself...but for me, this one makes me smile with pride.

Eh you. Long time no talk, o wat?

(Translation: Hey you over there. Has it really been that long since we've spoken?)

I'm a terrible blogger. I ride the Bi-Polla' roller-coasta'. So sometimes blogging is all I do and than life hits and I fall off the face of the planet . . . which really means, I hide away in my cave of an office and spend countless hours EDITING - my book or my pics. Either way, my butt's often glued to the cheapo, vinyl office chair I snagged at a yardsale a couple years ago for 5 bucks.

Weekly Update:

1. Cruised around with awesome authors like J-Rall (Name drop-Janette Rallison) at the LDS Storymaker's writing conference. Met a fab agent and a super stylish editor (CSE-cute shoes editor) and pitched my book. There will be more to come on this subject.

b. Frantically worked on finishing and polishing my book to send to the aforementioned fab agent.

III.  Hit a hard wall of writer's block halfway through the week when I recieved my first 'I hate your photography' message. Sigh. It made me sad and I cried cause when it comes down to it, I'm a bit of a wussy.

4. Came back from my sad slump by shooting a KICK-A engagement shoot with the oh-so-awesome Tonja Merryweather taking position as the assist. Together we rocked the engagements.  Here's a sample.

You can check out the rest on my photo blog:
www.erinsummerillphotography.com/blog

5. Then I read the most AWFUL book yesterday. Ugh. I felt so angry that I couldn't think straight. Thus, this is the reason I'm blogging and not writing. The book is City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I've heard the other two books in the series are good. But honestly, GAG!  I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to read on. 

I hope your week rocked. Let me know what's up with you. And leave a comment, because really I'm a sucker for it and with my low self esteem and all, it makes me feel fuzzy and good inside. Just sayin'.

STALKING

I was doing research for a book I'm writing and found the following tips online. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
 
Stalking is tough. But it doesn't have to be! These three tips will help:
1) Megaphones are stalking cancer. It may seem like common sense to some, but they're loud, they're visible, and frankly, they're unnecessary. Try stalking without one and you'll finally realize how stupid you were all these years.
2) Cancer is stalking cancer. Nobody wants to be stalked by some sicko (gross!). Instead, stay super healthy and light on your feet by not having cancer.
3) Dress for success. A nice leafy green jump suit, with a blazer that has twigs and leaves on it will work very well when you're hiding in nearby shrubs. Don't wear anythign that will stand out, like a yellow vest or a hat that's on fire. That's basically it. Happy Hunting!

Feel like this ever?

ha ha ha! This is one of my favorite commercials. Enjoy your mid-week laugh.

Trade? Anyone?

Hey all,

So lately I've been trying to fix up our house.  And our funny home-owners insurance has decided that we don't need as much money as we think we need to fix the basment. Or even get it back to where it was before the awesome flood of 2010. 

Anyway, that puts me in a bit of a predicament.  If you know me, you know I can't sit still with a giant mess in my house.  So here's my proposal.

First, Im all about trading.  What you can do for what I can do.

If you know how, or know anybody who knows how, to do the following, and you want to trade for a sweet photography package including prints and frames, let me know:

1.  Drywall and mud (1 1/2 walls) / ceiling texture in one room.
2.  Concrete patio over the area that is now a giant mud pit.  (Of course, Mark will help out).
3.  Soffett (is that how you spell it?) and gutter so our ceilings don't cave in from all the bird nests and poo up in the attic.

There you have it.  If you want to trade, I'm game.  You can email me:

erinsummerill(at)hotmail.com

Rue and Bear : Photography Tips for Kids

1. Have an assistant. I've been trying for weeks now to get a good shot of Ruby, but that squirrly girl won't have nothing to do with it. Every single time I get the camera out, push out my light and prop her little buns on a chair she starts screaming. Luckily for me, Shanna from JUST SO stopped by. She helped me wrangle in this wild one for some cute shots. Without her, Ruby just might have escaped yet another day of picture taking.

2. Use Candy. Candy works wonders, believe me, I know. If you tempted me with a box of Hot T's or some M&M's, I'd probably do whatever you wanted...well you know what I mean. In the first shot Ruby is looking at the candy, and in the second shot, she's kissing Teddy so she can get her piece of candy. 

3.  Shoot in Continuous focus on your Auto Focus or switch to manual. It takes to long for your camera to lock on a target when they're all squirrely, so make it easier on yourself.  Continuous shooting is the way to go!

To find out more random photography tips, you can always check my photo blog: www.erinsummerillphotography.com/blog

Or take a class from me.  Email for more info.

To Mark : Luv Erin

grateful.

I'm grateful that I have debt to pay off. A lot of debt.
Because it gives me something to work for. A goal at the end of the road.
It keeps me busy.
And it keeps me focused.
Photography started as a way to pay down Mark's school loans, and to help with our finances when he was out of work. Since I started, I can't say it's been easy, but I finally feel:

Busy.

Not a little, but so busy that sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Like I'm drowning in To-Dos. Sometimes, like yesterday, I didn't have time to change out of my PJ's until it was too late, and then I realized it was time to go to bed.

Today I woke up feeling a little cranky about how busy I feel, but then I realized I'm ungrateful.
Truly ungrateful for what I've been given. Ungrateful for the debt that gave me my college degree, and home, and even my babies. Ungrateful that being busy, could just possibly be my talent. My calling. Me.
So, I sat down today, forcing myself not to complain, and thought it out.
I would be sad if I had nothing to do. Depressed by boredom.  I'm ADD that way.  I need to be moving, doing, working, or helping to keep my mind alert and my psyche sane. I feel a constant need to be a productive human being. I NEED to be busy.
Does that even make sense? (I know sometimes, especially to my sweet hubby, it doesn't.)

So busy as I a may be, and stressed as I may seem, without all these things to keep me busy, I wouldn't be

ME.

Good Lookin' Old People

Today I shot my mom and dad...Nothing special.  Just a Sunday shoot, in regular clothes.  After I edited the image, I amused myself with the following scenario.  I repeat, the following is a figment of my imagination. 

Setting:  Somewhere in small town, USA in the not too distant future.

Old Lady:  Now, Vern, that there is some good lookin' old people. 

Old Man:  Why yes, Lucille, I quite agree.  Since when did folks like us get so gosh darn good lookin'?

Old Lady:  Since that dearie Erin Summerill presented those cursed with wrinkles with her wise photoshoppin' abilities. 

Old Lady:  Amen, to that Lucille. 

Disclaimer:  Lucille and Vern are fictional characters.  No old or wrinkled people were hurt in the filming of the following image.  (ha ha snort).  But the dog may have been a little traumatized.