Why, thank you!

When I was somewhere around 15 years old one of my youth leaders at church taught me a very important lesson: how to accept a compliment. I didn't know I needed a lesson, but I did.

This doesn't seem like it would be so hard to do but think about how many times you've offered a compliment only to get a reply such as "Oh, no! I am not!" or "Stop it. You're such a liar!" How many times have you said something similar? I try not to be a "pet peeve" kind of person but I must admit that one of my biggest is when someone does not graciously accept a compliment I sincerely offer them.

I was taught that a compliment is a gift. If someone were to offer you a gift would you throw it back in their face and tell them their gift isn't good enough? So, why would we ever do that with compliments? Think about it. Is there anything worse that a bad gift receiver? Let me just tell you, there is not. Trust me, I know. My mom is a terrible gift receiver (but I love her anyway). Hi, mom!

As the giver of a compliment we must be genuine.

Likewise, as the receiver of a compliment we must be humble and sincere. Somebody wants you to know that you are great. Somebody wants you to know that you are special. Somebody wants you to know that you are beautiful. Somebody wants to give you something more special than anything material: a compliment. Why would we ever reject that?

So, the next time someone offers you a compliment I implore you to simply say, "thank you".

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Drumroll...

And the winner of my first "Favorite Things" giveaway is:

GREEK GODDESS!

Please email me (christycropperphotography at gmail) your info so I can send you your prize. Huzzah!

Big thanks to all who played along. Stay tuned for the next giveaway which will be my favorite kitchen gadgets.

Love&Rockets

My Favorite Things :: A GIVEAWAY!

Ahh... 
After the intense 30 day blogging challenge I needed a little break. The intended 7 days away turned into 10 (oops!) but now I am back in business. And back with what?

A GIVEAWAY!
Sorry fellas, this one's for the ladies!

I've been thinking a lot lately about what beauty is and about what makes us feel beautiful. While it is true that inner beauty trumps outer beauty on the importance scale, it cannot be denied that a little "outer beautification" can go a long way in making us feel beautiful. Please... I don't pluck my eyebrows for nothing, know what I'm sayin'?

After all... When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you do good.

So, in the spirit of lookin' good I want to share three of my favorite beauty products... and then GIVE THEM TO YOU!

photos via sephora.com & opi.com

• Urban Decay "Sin" Eyeshadow Primer: In my humble opinion, there is no point in wearing eye shadow sans primer. Within a few hours it has inevitably congregated in your crease or is just gone altogether. The best eye primer in the world comes from Urban Decay. I love the tint and shimmer of their "Sin" primer. It is perfect when you are in a hurry (or are lazy, like me) and don't have time for shadow. Layering shadow over it just gives that extra shimmer that I cannot get enough of.
• OPI "Austin-tatious Turquois" Nail Polish: Love OPI. Love this color. Need I say more? I think it's time for a mani-pedi!
• Hello Kitty "I Love Lashes" Mascara: The gal at Sephora recommended this one and I bought it. Only AFTER I got home did I realize it was by Hello Kitty. I felt weird about it. But after wearing it one time I was hooked! Plus, it is only $8!

I've channeled my inner Oprah and want to give one of you lucky readers these 3 fabulous beauty products!
The contest rules:

Just leave a comment on this post!

One entry per person. No one is exempt. Winner will be picked by one of those fancy schmancy random picking generator things on the interwebs ;)

Contest will close at midnight on Sunday, January 22nd.

Spread the word, spread the love!

The 30 Day Challenge: Day 30

Has it really been 30 days already?

30 days ago Tim challenged anyone who was willing to participate to blog genuine content every day for 30 days. I knew I needed that challenge to kick start my progress so I accepted. It was easy and hard and fun and frustrating all at the same time. For me, it was a game changer.

I thought I'd share some of the ups and downs of the challenge, what I would have done differently or the same and what I will do from here on out.

Successes:

• I edited through my sessions sooner and faster. I did a fair number of family sessions in December and the need for blog content pushed me to edit through the sessions faster than normal. I was able to show the clients their sessions sooner and get their photos to them more quickly. I realized just how excited people are to see the results of their sessions and it was so fun to hear their reactions while they were still riding the high from the session.
• I thought. A lot. Putting these thoughts down on paper (computer?) was therapeutic. I think there is a lot to be said about putting our emotions into words. After sharing these thoughts I was comforted knowing there are others out there who think and feel the same way. It was nice connecting with people, not just visually through my images, but verbally as well.
• Even on days when I thought I was just posting junk there were people reaching out to me thanking for me for posting what I did. It just goes to show that there are so many different ways to connect with people. Someone might not like everything you say or show but surely there is at least one thing they can identify with.
• People are reading. I loved the comments I received on the blog. A lot (hint*ahem). Big shout out to Rychelle who commented almost every single day! I hope you understand just how much your support means to me! I was surprised to find out that it wasn't just the commenters who are reading. Several of my acquaintances mentioned that they'd seen my posts and loved the photos I'd posted. That felt good.
• Working hard to get posts written, images edited, etc I was reminded how hard every other photographer/blogger works to keep up their content. Reading their blogs on a more regular basis connected me to them, inspired me to see differently, to push the boundaries of my own work and thoughts. It gave me an appreciation for how unique each of us are as photographers. 
• I thought more, planned more and made more decisions about my business in these last 30 days than I have all year. Knowing that I had a blog post to write everyday kept my business at the forefront of my priorities... right where it should have been all along. It got me, and kept me, excited about building my brand and perfecting my craft. This was far and away the greatest benefit of this challenge.
• I realized how much my work has improved and evolved over the past year. I was looking back over some sessions from earlier this year that I could blog and there are a few of them that I just didn't like anymore. It's not that they were bad, it's just that my style as been refined and my skill has improved. My initial instinct was to be horrified but then I got excited realizing my progression and looking forward to how much better my images will be this time next year. Seeing how far I have come has lit the fire underneath me to work hard to improve.
• The clients now have a way to know me better. I shared some intimate things that I feel will help them be able to relate to me and want to hire me as their photographer. As a side note, I booked a wedding because of this post.
• My blog now contains a better "database" of work for clients to view. I was proud to show my work and can now show future clients what certain locations look like in a shoot, what other clients have done with wardrobe, etc.
• They say it takes 21 days to form/break a habit. 30 days of blogging has definitely formed a habit of frequent blogging.

Challenges:

• The daily deadlines were not my forté. I didn't always get my posts up by noon. Shh... don't tell Tim (Hi, Tim!). If I didn't get my post done the night before I struggled to make time amidst that daily to-dos (ie- it is currently 3pm and I am just not getting around to writing this post). This often meant staying up until 2am to blog. 
• I am not a fast blogger. Rarely was I able to put a post together in less than an hour. Obviously editing photos takes time and waiting for them to upload, etc etc. I love to write but I find myself writing then editing then rewriting then rereading over and over until I feel it is just right. Making the time for this every day was definitely the hardest part of this challenge.
• Overload. I noticed that as the month wore on there was less buzz. It's easy to be excited about anything in the beginning. The challenge becomes keeping that excitement alive.
• Timing. I'd recommend doing this challenge to anyone and everyone. However, think twice about doing while trying to plan Christmas, your sisters birthday party, your parents going away part, New Years, road trips, holiday parties, etc. On a day where everything is focused on family the last thing I wanted to do was break away to write a blog post.

Would'ves & Could'ves:

• I cannot emphasize enough the necessity of PRE-BLOGGING! Had I planned well enough in advance I would have taken a few hours at the beginning of each week and written 4-5 posts and scheduled them to post on a predetermined day. It would have been the same amount of work with a quarter of the daily stress. 
• Promoting my own work on Facebook and Twitter was key in building readership. What was ten times more effective was when my clients would act as my promoters. I saw my readership increase ten fold on one particular day when my darling client wrote up a Facebook post and linked to my blog for her family and friends to see. In retrospect I should have asked all of my clients to do the same instead of just hoping they would. More cyber word of mouth would have increased readership even more, I'm sure. After all, this is the exact reason I got interested in photography in the first place. 
• I wouldn't even begin to think that I am anything of an expert in this field so I don't have the gall to write a "how to" post about anything photography related. In retrospect I wish I would have been more helpful, less "Me, Me, Me". I should have blogged links to posts or tutorials that I have appreciated. Or maybe I just needed the guts to write about how I do things because my readers aren't all professional photographers, after all. Maybe I could help someone who, like myself, is starting their photography journey by reading a photographer's blog.
• Looking back over the past 30 days of posts I'm seeing what is missing. I need to build a catalog of Senior portraits for example. If I haven't shown any senior portraits on my blog how is someone looking going to know that I can do it for them? In order to promote what kind of a photographer I am I have to show what kind of photographs I can take.

Observations:

• The stats tab on my blog was very valuable in figuring out how to best promote my blog. I found the majority of my readership came from Facebook links. As a rule, the minute I put up a link to my blogpost on Facebook my readership spiked. This is a great resource but it has me thinking about how to reach the clients who aren't following me on Facebook.
• Posting every single day definitely felt like overkill. I'm thinking 3 to 4 posts per week is ideal for me right now. Perhaps the daily contact could come through Twitter. 140 characters is much less overbearing than an entire blog post.
• From January to November I blogged exactly 12 times. No wonder I wasn't getting as much work as I wanted! In just one month I more than doubled that. Consistency is key!

As I said before, this 30 Day Challenge has become a game changer for me and my business. I am forever indebted to dear old Tim for giving me the proverbial kick in the butt I needed.

I am curious to know what your thoughts have been on this challenge. Was it good? Bad? Ugly?

I'd also love it if you would leave me a comment just to say 'hey' in order to satisfy my curiousity about who is actually reading this old blog of mine.

CHEERS!

Jane

A few years back I introduced my friend to Jane. To this day my friend still talks about how Jane is the most beautiful woman she has ever met. I cannot disagree. This girl is simply gorgeous.

Jane has the most infections laugh and contagious smile any one person could have. To be around her is to be happy.

Jane came along with Tru and I last week and we convinced her to step in front of the lens and flash her pearly whites. Ain't she purdy?

The Tolleys

It was the coldest, windiest day of the holiday break so of course that's the day we chose to brave the weather. The Tolleys were super troopers! It was a race to unbundle for every shot then bundle back up as quickly as possible as soon as the shutter finished clicking. Brr!

Natalie is one of my nearest and dearest. Unfortunately, I live on the left coast and she lives on the right coast of the country so we don't see each other often enough. As fate would have it we were both in Utah for the holidays and were able to match up our schedules. It was such a pleasure spending the day with her and her family. They just suit each other perfectly. And I couldn't get enough of those delicious little girls!

34 for 34

Happy My Birthday, everyone!

Today is the big day and I really do feel another year wiser. I can't wait to see what awesomeness this year beholds.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." -Helen Keller

I present you with my list of 34 things I want to do this year to make it super duper awesome (list subject to change depending on whether or not I think of even awesomer things to do).

1. Ride a horse (This has been on my list for the past 3 years. If this doesn't happen this year, I'm giving up all hope in life)
2. Visit South Fork (The home of the infamous Ewing clan)
3. Watch 'Gone With the Wind'
4. Run a 5k, a 10k and a 1/2 marathon
5. Learn to shoot film
6. Rebuild my dad's old bike
7. Learn to play the ukelele 
8. Go to a demolition derby
9. Tour the White House
10. Compile my maternal family tree (I have lots of cousins and have no idea how we're actually related)
11. Take up yoga
12. Take a cooking class
13. Go to the flea market in Santa Monica
14. Have a spa day
15. Buy a sewing machine
16. Go camping
17. Hike Mount Charleston
18. Take clogging lessons (I've wanted to learn to clog since I was 5 years old. Never too late, right?)
19. Go kayaking
20. Take swimming lessons (I cheated in swimming lessons when I was 5 years old)
21. Watch the sunrise with a friend
22. Learn to play the piano by ear
23. Go to a symphony
24. Ride in a hot air balloon
25. Go to the San Diego Zoo
26. Read 'Les Miserable'
27. Go to the 4 Corners Monument
28. Do a Segway tour
29. Make a friendship bracelet
30. Grow an herb garden
31. Fly a kite on the beach
32. Go star gazing & learn the constellations
33. Do a 365 iphone photo project
34. Host a dinner party

"There is fun to be done!" -Dr Seuss

Tru

A couple of days ago this lovely gal and I took to the streets of downtown Provo for a birthday photo session. She is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. She is sweet and sassy and strong.

I had the opportunity of spending a few days with this beauty this week and I may or may not have called her butt-face on more than one occasion. I can say things like that to her because she is my sister and that's how sisters are. Also, she may try to convince you that I'm a brat but I contest that she is a bigger brat. She will also smile and giggle when you ask if she is my younger sister and just happen to forget to inform you that she is indeed my older sister. See? Brat.

Although she may be a major pest, she is amazing and I love her. She is one of my favorite people in the world and we always have fun together. I love that she's my sister and I love that I get to pester her forever and she can't get rid of me. *wink

Happy Birthday, sis! Love you to the moon and back.

2012: The Year of Committment

I can feel it in the air. 2012 is going to be an amazing year. Great things are going to happen. I can't begin to imagine what will come to pass but I'm so excited for it!

I believe that luck (or blessings) favor the prepared and fortune favors the bold. So I will not sit idly by in 2012 and wait for good things to happen. I will do everything in my power to make them happen.

I have dubbed this year "The Year of Commitment".

I don't want this to be yet another year when my new years resolutions fade after a few months or weeks. I am committing to become the person I want to be, to make my life what I want it to be. I am committing to taking care of my mind and body, my relationships and my work. I am committing to balance and adventure, to health and to courage. I am committing to building my business and giving of my time and talents. I am committing to living every day purpose and helping others on their path.

2012. Bring. It. On.

2011: A Retrospective

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I went through some of my toughest times this year. What amazed me was how many amazing blessings surround each challenge. It was a year of learning and growing and figuring out what I want out of this life. As I reflect on the year there are so many blessings that come to mind as well as a few lessons.

The lessons:

-What would life be without family and friends? I am surrounded by amazing people. Family and friends who would rescue me from any situation, who love me, who make me laugh and who make everything better. I learned that these relationships must be fostered with love, with time, with forgiveness and understanding, with unselfishness and with laughter. I understand just how lucky I am to have my family and friends supporting me and I thank God daily for them.

-I believe hard work is the key to building character. I had to learn to work hard and work smart But alongside learning to work hard was learning to balance. Jack Nicholson vividly taught us what happened when life is all work and no play (yikes). I think equally damaging is a life of all play and no work. So somewhere in between we must find a balance. Though I may not have applied the lesson this year I definitely learned the importance of balance between work and play. I have long loved the motto "Work hard, play hard".

-If it takes a village to raise a child it takes a community of photographers to raise a photographer. I cannot deny how lucky and blessed I was to become one of the infamous J*Jets, to have learned directly from the even more infamous Jasmine Star. What I learned this year was how crucial it is to go beyond your walls of comfort, to take the risk and get involved in the community of photographers around me. Between the CreativeLIVE community, a PUG group and SmugMug meetup as well as Skip's Summer School I have met some amazing people who have taught, encouraged and inspired me.

2011 I bid you adieu!