Brand New Blog!!!

So I've been hinting and talking about all of the new changes that are coming...

I am excited to announce that one of the biggest ones is here!

I have just launched a brand new blog in a brand new location!


So please update your RSS feeds and any other way you may follow my blog! You can now find it at http://www.diandraann.com/blog!

This blog will remain here as a record of my work, but please join me over there for everything new!

BIG BIG changes!

Soooo....

I started this blog when I first started my photography journey. When I go back and look at the blogs that I posted at the beginning I am blown away by how far I have come.

I spent a week up in Big Bear with some amazing photographer girls last month (pictures coming in a future post). These girls are, in my opinion, some of the very best in the business. I was totally honored to be a part of such an amazing time. I was also completely impressed with their skills, not only behind a camera, but also in business. And I was challenged. Challenged to be a better photographer, challenged to be a better business woman, challenged to challenge myself. I made a decision that week to take it to the next level. To find my voice.

There are days that I go on facebook or even google... and I am overwhelmed by the amount of photographers out there. The ones who have been in business for years and the ones who are just starting out. There were times (not long ago) when I would spend my days with my face glued to the computer, scrolling through pages and pages of everyone else's work. I would finally peel my face away only to feel discouraged and incompetent. That's what comparisons will do to you.

I have decided it is time to find my voice.

I never went about photography the easy way. I pushed myself to learn and read everything I could. I asked questions, read books and chatted on forums. I know that I will continue to learn and grow, but I am at a place in my photography where I feel like I am finally beginning to grasp my own style... my voice.

For those of you who have followed my blog since the beginning, or even in the last year, you have seen me go through branding changes, logo changes, blog changes, and website changes. For those of you reading now, you are about to see me go through my biggest one yet!

In a little less than 3 weeks, I will be getting married. My name will be changing... I will now check a different box on forms... and I will have a little extra sparkle on my left ring finger. So why not throw a few more big changes in the mix?!? I have been working hard on a brand new website and blog that I am so so proud of. I want so badly to launch it RIGHT NOW. But there are a few more touches I am waiting on. And I want it to be perfect. I want it to show my hopes and dreams and passions.

So with all of this comes a brand new blog... at a brand new location! This blog has served me so well... it has been my lifeline... my place to vent... my place to learn... my place to grow and to track my growth. And it will stay here. There is NO WAY I am getting rid of this amazing record of how far I have come, but soon I will be posting somewhere new!

In the mean time, I wont be posting as often. Between all of the branding changes and working on the new blog, and planning my own wedding (and actually getting married)... my goal is to blog once a week for the next month or so until the new blog is launched. So keep checking back until the new blog link is posted! But don't be surprised to see fewer posts!

I am so excited about all of the changes.
Thank you to all of you who have supported me.
Thank you to all of you who have read my ramblings.
Thank you to all of you who have asked questions, and left comments.
Thank you to all of you who have made my dreams into a reality... a little at a time!
I hope you will continue on this crazy journey with me!!!

xoxo

BRAND NEW SITE!

Oh man can we say Indecisive?
I sure can.
Or maybe I'd rather say that I can't make up my mind.
Then again, I can be a bit indecisive.

But really.

I feel like my website has changed about as much as my hair color! Which, if you know me, is quite often.

But then Show it (the company I use for my website) launched this brand new, super cool set of designs by Promise Tangeman. I adore Promise. I think she is amazing at what she does. I've even toyed with the idea of looking into having her design a site for me. So when I saw this, I was so excited. I immediately looked into it and immediately fell in love with one specific design. Lucky for me it was the one already on show it! And so, I began to tweak and play with it.

There is something super addicting about website design... at least for me. I start working on it and I just. Can't. Stop. So only a couple of days later, I am ONCE AGAIN launching a new website and blog.

But this one...
This one feels like me.

I may play around with a few things here or there, but I think this one is here to stay.
At least for now.
Probably.
:)
Indecisive.
Told you!

Check it out and let me know what you think!





Oh and did you notice the blog matches too?? YAY!

A whole lot of new!

Sometimes life throws you curve balls.
I have felt like one big flying curve ball for the last several weeks.
It's like everything has all hit at once. I am trying to take things piece by piece... one by one... task by task... so that I don't get overwhelmed and buried.
But it's also very good news because I've been so busy. I have SO MANY things to blog... and I'll be working on getting them up on the blog in the next couple of weeks. I still have some exciting pieces of news to share... and I am gearing up for even more business. But I'm so blessed!

You may have noticed some changes to the blog. I have been working on re-branding and re-designing everything for the last several months. The blog is still a work in progress, but along with this, I have also launched a brand new website! Check it out at www.diandraann.com!!









I have to say a very special thank you to Show It. I've talked about it before, but for anyone who wants to do their own website, and have control, this is the very best way! I love Show It because I can change my mind. All. The. Time. It's fantastic.

I also want to say a very special thank you to my fantastic friend Ala, of LoveAla.com. She is FABULOUS! She took the photos that I used for my site of myself, and I couldn't love them more!




Chris and Erinn Austin of White Haute Photography get a big thank you as well for the photos they took of me a while back. A few of those are gracing the top of this blog.

Cant wait to share some awesome shoots with you over the next couple of weeks!

Spiders, Publications and +Sites

Last night I was sitting in my house with my mom watching the ever addicting show, Glee, and one of my worst nightmares came true.

There was a spider crawling across my sweatshirt.

A SPIDER.

ON. MY. SHIRT.

I panicked.
Then I squished it.
With my hand.

WITH MY HAND!

Maybe I need to reiterate that it was a spider!
By now I'm freaking out and my mom is looking at me like what is wrong with you?!?!?
So I did the only thing imaginable.
I started to cry.
Then I made my mom check to make sure it was dead.

Maybe I should take this moment to tell you all how afraid of spiders I am. Or maybe you've figured that out by now...

My mom (who has recently joined twitter) suggests that I tweet what just happened. Trying to grow up and stop crying, I quickly tweet: I just killed a spider. That was walking on me. With my bear hand. And then I cried. And panicked. And made my mom look for it.

Then I am ready to continue watching Glee, which thankfully has been paused on our tivo. And then I hear my mother laughing. Not just a giggle, but a full on guffaw... complete with tears.

"Your BEAR hands? You have BEAR hands???"
I am confused.
Then she points out that I misspelled bare.
"Well, to the spider my hands were probably the SIZE of a bear."

What can I say, I blame the spider.

In other more exciting news, Some of my photos were recently featured on an amazingly wonderful blog called Wiley Valentine. If you haven't checked them out, you should!







Another very exciting thing I cannot wait to share with you is a whole lot of NEW that is coming this way! I am finally going to have consistent branding... everything will match soon! I don't want to launch my fabulous new website (Thanks to the amazing Show It) until everything is together, but take a look at my new +Sites. This is an option for all of my brides and grooms, and I think its a much better alternative to the wedding websites offered by a lot of providers out there!

Check out a recent couple of mine, Ryan and Nicole. These sites showcase your engagement photos, your story, and your wedding details. Once the wedding is over, the details are replaced with a wedding slideshow, and you can enjoy your website even after the wedding! Click here (or the photo below) to check out their site. It will also give you a sneak peak of my new branding!

Chrysanthemum

When I was a child, I loved to read.
I'm sure that came because of my parents' love for books and words.
I used to read book after book.

We would take afternoon trips to the library, and I would come home with PILES of books. Many times I would begin reading before we were even out of the parking lot.

I remember hiding under my covers with a flashlight after I was supposed to be in bed, so I could read one more chapter of "The Baby-Sitter's Club" Or "The Saddle Club" (Apparently I liked Clubs?). When my parents would come in to check on me, I would fake sleep so that I could get back to reading (sorry mom and dad!)

One of the books that has stuck with me even into my adult days is a book by Kevin Henkes called "Chrysanthemum". It is the story of a little mouse whose name is Chrysanthemum. She loves her name, but then she goes to school and the children make fun of it. It's too long... it sounds funny... it almost doesn't fit on her name tag...it's different.

My mom used to read this book to me, and I identified so much with this little mouse. My name was long, and sounded funny, barely fit on my name tag... and it was different. I remember going through a phase when I wanted to be called Kristy. I loved that name. Then in high school I decided I would shorten my name and go by Dia (you know, like "day" in Spanish?). My poor mother. She thought my name was beautiful and perfect.

Now as an adult, I am grateful for a name that is unique. I think my name is beautiful and perfect. I am even more grateful for it as a business owner with a business that is centered around me and my name.

I have been in the process of branding and finding my own uniqueness as a photographer. And I am soooo excited to release my brand new LOGO! I have a wonderful graphic designer (Elise Hogue) who also happens to be one of my 2010 brides. She did an AMAZING job taking my signature and creating a logo for me.

So thanks Elise, for a beautiful logo.
And thank you, mom and dad, for a beautiful name :)

New Website!!!

I was 16.
I still remember the smell of the acrylic.
I sat in the nail salon nervously anticipating the full set of acrylic nails that were being created on my hands. I was nervous, and excited and I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I'd had long fingernails before... you know, the press on ones you buy at the drug store? But these... these were real! They were an extension of my actual fingernails!

Tonight I feel like that 16 year old girl all over again. I've had websites before... and the most recent one was even pretty good, but it was a template. I wanted something real... something that would be an extension of my eyes, my heart, my camera lens.

Thanks to Show It Fast (once again!), I was able to create my very own website without a template. And I kind of love it. Even more than acrylic nails.

www.diandraann.com

Client Sites!!!

So I have been raving about Show It and my brand new website. I absolutely LOOOOVE it. But it just got a little bit better. Especially for my clients :)

There are so many awesome wedding websites out there... and some great tools and resources for even creating your own website to tell your friends and family about your upcoming wedding. I've always thought that is such a neat thing. It's almost like your very own electronic save the date card! WITH PICTURES! Which, of course, is my favorite part!

I am so excited to start offering these to my clients! I created one just for my blog readers (and future brides!) so you can see exactly what they're all about. Here's a little screen shot:




If you want to see the complete site, check it out at http://www.sample.diandraann.com/
Keep in mind that while this is an actual couple of mine, these are not their words... I created this site as an example :)

FAQ: Having Fun, Posing Clients, and Vendors

When I was a child, I always asked "why?". I always needed to know WHY things were the way they were. My mom would ask me to do something and I would respond with "why". She would answer, and again, I would have a "why" question. We would go back and forth like this until she would finally exclaim "Because I'm the mom! That's WHY!". Yes, my mother resorted to the one argument that no child could return with a "why".

Today I am answering some questions because... well, I like to... that's WHY! :) But seriously, I am not an expert at all. I am simply answering according to my experience and what has worked for me. That's all I have to go on. Hopefully for some of you these things will help, or give you ideas of your own!

How do I get over being so nervous!? I am shooting my first wedding this weekend and am so nervous.
If you figure out the answer to this questions, PLEASE let me know! Seriously. I am ALWAYS nervous before a shoot. If you follow me on twitter, you may have read tweets that talk about how nervous I get before shooting. Sometimes I think I am more nervous than the bride. I don't know if there is a cure for nervousness... I will tell you this... the more I shoot, the less time the nervousness lasts. Now when I start shooting it usually goes away. Okay, I admit it, sometimes I dance it out. But whatever. If someone has a better answer, please fill me in :)

How do you get out there and have fun while shooting?
The best answer I have to this is that I absolutely LOVE what I am doing. I think that when you're a photographer because it's what you love rather than just trying to find something to pay the bills, you're going to have fun (and maybe manage to pay the bills too :)). So how do you go out and have fun? Just HAVE FUN! If you're having fun, your clients will too, which will result in you having even MORE fun!

How do you pose the clients? Whether a child or a couple or a wedding party, do you get up beside them and show them how to pose?
I have no space bubble. Seriously, it's a problem. I am a hands on person. I don't do well sitting back and watching... I want to be in the middle of the action. So yes, I get all up in their space and show them how it's done :) But seriously, I can explain until the cows come home, but it just doesn't work as well for me. I have a tendancy to SHOW my clients what I want them to do. It just seems to work better.

I was wondering how you got ready for the shoot as in, do you put your ideas and poses on paper or are they in your head?
The simple answer is Both. I have a notebook that I keep ideas in. When I see something in a magazine or on the internet that I like, I cut it out (or print it out) and put it in the notebook. I carry the notebook in my shootsac in case I get stuck at a shoot. But I also spend a lot of time thinking ahead of time about the shoot. By the time I've actually made it to the shoot, I have an idea of what it's going to look like. I usually have seen to location (even if I just show up early), I have talked to my clients about what they're wearing and what kinds of props they're bringing (or what the wedding is going to look like) and I have ideas in my head. I also encourage my clients to come with ideas and again, just to have fun. This really helps me not get stumped when I'm shooting.

Who are some of your favorite vendors? For weddings, or otherwise, who do you love working with (or wish you could work with)?
Oh the list. I have been fortunate to work with some amazing vendors, and there are some that I look forward to working with in the future :)
Here are my go to vendors, and the people that I will quickly recommend:

• Hair and Make-up: Courtney of Flourish, Lindsay of LabelMe Lindsay
• Flowers: Angie of Angela Nicole Floral Design
• Cakes and Goodies: Melody of Sweet and Saucy
• Event Planning: Carter and Cook Event Co.
• Amazing Accessories: Lauren of Lo Boheme
• DJ: Sean Sand (sean.p.sand@gmail.com)
• Paper Goods: Posh Paperie

Who did your website? And blog?
Oh internet. How I love you and loathe you all at the same time. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out ways to do my own website and blog. I've made some attempts that were okay... but the thing that single handedly changed my business is when I decided to use Show It. You can read a little more about my website journey and my desicion to use this AMAZING company in this blog. It is quite possibly the smartest investment I've made in my photography business. As for my blog... I wanted something that looked great, but didn't break the bank. After looking around, I found Designed by Leslie and she was INCREDIBLE to work with. She did exactly what I asked for and was even able to tweak things to my liking. And she did it all for a fraction of the price that I would have spent for someone else to do it. I have been very pleased with her work.

I hope that some of these answers can help someone out there! Again, I'm soooo far from knowing it all, but I have had some experiences that can maybe benifit some of you! :)
Happy Saturday!

Technical Difficulties

I just wanted to let you know that I seem to be having problems with my website. Apparently the link is broken. I'll be fixing that tonight hopefully, so for those of you trying to get on my website, feel free to spend some time looking around my blog and hopefully I'll get it fixed here today. :)

On another note, I'm writing this from the cafe at Point Loma Nazarene University... my Alma Mater. I brought 5 teenagers down for the next 2 days to check out the school and see if they might like to go here. It's kind of crazy to go back to my college days. Wow... Ive come so far since then!

Have a happy Thursday!

Website... Fo' Real!

When I was young, I don't remember ever really going without much. My dad is a pastor and my mom teaches young children. Not exactly the highest paid jobs around. Yet, they managed to make sure that I had everything I needed, and most of the things I wanted. I am an only child, but I wouldn't say I was SPOILED... just well loved.

I do remember certain things, however, that I did not have. Like Adidas socks. You know the ones... they were white, mid calf length socks, with a little blue Adidas symbol on the top. When I was in middle school, I wanted those socks soooo badly. They were just super cool. But my mom didn't understand why it was so important. The plain white socks were cheaper! We could get them on sale at Fred Myers on the day after Thanksgiving!

I also remember wanting to wear Calvin Klein. It didn't matter what, just SOMETHING made by the fabulous designer. Preferably with his name BLASTED across the front in big enough letters that the kid on the other side of the cafeteria would know that I had arrived. I was wearing Calvin Klein.

But I wasn't allowed to wear Calvin Klein. The ad campaign that Calvin Klein ran when I was in junior high featured young teenagers in provocative (and sometimes only partially dressed) poses. My mom felt that we shouldn't support this, and as a result, I wasn't allowed to wear Calvin Klein. I would love to say that at 11 I completely understood and agreed with my mom's view and I was happy to boycott the scantily clad ad bearing company. But I didn't. And I wasn't. I was just mad that I wasn't going to be cool.

Why do I tell you this random story of my awkward junior high years? Because now that I am an adult, I have realized that company values... and the faces behind the company... make a big difference.

When I got into photography, I was doing everything I could for free. It was a hobby that had kind of turned itself into an every once in a while job, and I knew I wanted to move forward with it, but I didn't want to go into debt, nor did I have a lot of extra money laying around. So I did everything I could for free. Including my website. If you have been following my blog from the beginning, you can see the succession of websites I tried. I have never been 100% happy with any of them. But I have done everything for free. In the mean time, I have looked longingly at Show It and the incredibly amazing sites that normal, everyday people have built with them.

I have been working AGAIN on re-branding and moving forward with my photography, and so I started playing around with Show It's free 5 page site. I quickly discovered that I definitely had to do something bigger than 5 pages. So I took the plunge and I am so proud to say I am now a full fledged Show It user.

I am proud of this for the simple reason that, while the company is amazing, the people behind it are INCREDIBLE! I have had the privilege of sitting and talking with David Jay, who never once pushed his company or business or skill on me. He simply sat and talked life with me. He shared his story, his difficult lessons, and his life with me for that time. He answered my crazy questions and encouraged me to no end.

I have been fortunate to spend time with both JD and Sean who have both offered me their expertise and advice and friendship, without any expectation of a sale. Simply because they care, not just about me as a customer, but as a person and as a friend.

Any company that has a group like that behind it, is well worth doing business with. So without further ado... I present the first website I have every been REALLY proud of and happy with (even though I have a feeling it will be changing every now and then, because with Show It, you can do that!).

www.diandraann.com

Last Chance!!!

I love sales.
Like LOVE sales.
I rarely buy anything full price... I am a master at finding things I love (and often get compliments on), for much cheaper than they were originally priced. I find that I have a very hard time paying full price for anything... I'm always trying to find a coupon, or some secret sale and figure out how to save that extra 50 cents :)

I am so excited that things are going so well with my business. I never would have thought that I'd be here right now... and I am so thankful that I am doing something I absolutely LOVE. I've had lots of opportunities to shoot in the last several months and have learned so much from those experiences. Some things are changing as my business continues to grow, but I wanted to give my loyal blog readers one last chance to book a shoot at the current rates :)

So if you are like me and you like a good deal... book with me this month for September or October :)

Here are the sessions I am currently offering:

• Happily Every After (commonly known as Trash the dress, or Day After) $200.00
• Everyday (just for fun) $175.00
• Wiggles and Giggles (infants and children) $150.00
  
• Love Story (couples and engagements) $175.00

And if you are looking for a wedding photographer, i have still have some dates available before the end of the year.

For more information or a detailed description, head over to my website and click on "investment". You can also email me at diandraann@gmail.com.

Keep checking the blog... lots of pictures are coming in the next couple of days :)

5000!!!

I cannot believe that I have reached over 5000 hits in only about 2 months! That is incredible! THANK YOU for thinking that I am interesting :) I love coming on here and seeing all the little red dots on my map and reading the AMAZING supportive comments you all leave me!

So in honor of 5000... here is a google image :)


I would also like to take this moment and tell you all about the best birthday present EVER!!! For my birthday this year, my grandma let me pick out my own birthday present (thanks grams!) and I got the brand new Palm Pre phone. It's AMAZING. It's the Palm/Sprint answer to the iphone and I love it. It is making my business so much easier and I cannot wait to use all of the applications... Ah! It's wonderful! So for any of you using sprint that want a cool phone... GET THE PRE! It is worth EVERY penny!



AND... In honor of my 5000 views, I'll be getting another set of actions from Totally Rad Actions. They're amazing and have really helped me develop my style!

Thank you all for your support and encouragement! :)

World Wide Web... ography?

Internet, you are amazing.
Connecting people from all over the world...

The more people you know, the more you know. That's why I love networking. Every time i get the chance to talk to someone about photography, I learn something. Maybe something new about this business, maybe something new about equipment or technique, or maybe even something new about myself.

I have been blessed with some amazing "chance" encounters that have helped and shaped my life and my photography. Last night I attended a SMUG (smug mug user group) hosted by Jasmine Star and had the opportunity to meet more people who love photography. I'll blog more about that later.

But today I wanted to share with you something I think is incredible.



That is a map that is on the bottom of my blog. I saw it today and I could not BELIEVE how many of you read from all over! I am blown away!

I'd love to have a face or name to put with a dot... so leave me a comment and tell me who you are and where you read from! So cool!

Have a blessed day!

My website is live!!!

Usually I try to tell you some great story about my life... or something interesting at the beginning of a post... but I am so excited (and it's so late) that I cannot think of one thing to say except...

MY WEBSITE IS FINALLY LIVE!!! Check it out HERE! (www.diandraann.com)

I've been working on it for months! Seriously. I have gone back and fourth and around and around with different sites and ideas, and I am so excited to announce the launch of my new site (completely created by.... ME!!!). So take a look and let me know what you think. :)

I wasn't crazy about my old site, but I needed something up quickly so that's what I used. But after all of the many hours of work, I LOVE this site! Let me know what you think!

Here are some screen shots:

Follow Me...

Well, internet, you are quite the trend.

Seriously... who needs advertising when you have such a great friend.

I think I'm addicted to you. Just a little bit.

And for all of you out there who are addicted too... here are all the different ways you can be my friend :) Because I LOVE friends!

You can be my friend on myspace by clicking HERE.

Or a member of my facebook group by clicking HERE.

You can follow me on twitter by clicking HERE.

And you can always check my website by clicking HERE. I'm getting ready to launch a brand new one which will be 10 bajillion times better. Here's another little preview for you:
I love love love hearing from you! I love love love having friends... on the internet and really actual, "lets get together and have lunch and talk business or not" friends. So PLEASE don't hesitate to contact me and we'll totally share life!!!

Friends with Benefits

When I was in junior high, there was a boy in my life who was like my big brother. Our families were great friends and we spent a lot of time together. There were days we got along, and days we didn't... I suppose like a real brother and sister (I am an only child, so I dont know this for certain). When I was in 6th grade, he was in 7th grade. We were finally at the same school and I thought it was so cool that I knew someone in 7th grade. One day he came out of his class and told me he'd written a story about me. I was blown away and I couldn't wait to read it. But my little heart was crushed into a million pieces when I began to read and realized that he'd made "me" into a fat, ugly annoying girl named "Beatrice". Now I have nothing against the name Beatrice... but ever since that day, every time I hear the name, I cringe.

Words are powerful. So powerful they can motivate people to act, tell a story of a place faraway, or do irreperable damage to a young child.

Today I received my first negative blog comment.

I am no longer a child, but the words still hurt my adult, almost 24 year old heart.

I am new in this industry and love what I'm doing. I am trying to find my own voice, and my own style. With that comes criticism. I suppose I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when. I would love to be one of those people that reads it and moves on... but I'm not. I read it and held back tears.

I started photography as a hobby. It was something I loved and something I wanted to pursue. After a couple of really difficult years (read more about that HERE) I am at a better place in my life than I ever thought I would be. I am surrounded with people who love and support me, and I am dreaming big and doing something about it.

I have been so blessed by wonderful people who have helped me along the way... and I do not by ANY means claim to have "made it" or be the best at what I do. I am still so new and learning so much, and I am still trying to find my style in this huge world of photography. But I have been endlessly supported and inspired by a few wonderful people in the industry who have been generous with their time, resources and gifts. I am endlessly indebted to them because their passion has rubbed off on me. I would NEVER purposely copy someone else's work or style. I don't claim to know everything, and I openly share about the fact that I look to other people to inspire and help me.

I suppose I don't have to defend myself, or my work... but this blog is a record of my growth and progress for myself, as well as my bumps and road blocks along the way. I suppose I will receive more negative comments in the future. I wish that weren't the case. If people could simply love and support one another, even when they're competitors or in the same industry... if people could learn to work together and share life with one another, I think the world would be a better place. I hope and pray that I will one day be a fraction as good and successful as my friends in this industry... but for now, I will continue to work hard and love what I do.

Thank you so much to those of you who have supported me and loved me through this journey. I am blessed to have you in my life... whether that is every day, or one chance encounter. I am better because of you!

On another (somewhat related) note, Chris and Erin Austin just launched a brand new website and it is INCREDIBLE! I would encourage you to check it out and see what they're up to. They are a great talent and are doing really well for themselves. I met both of them at a Trash the dress shoot that they hosted. I was so fortunate to be one of the models (if you can call it that). One of my favorite pictures of me from that day is featured on their new website:
Make sure you check it out HERE and give them some great feedback!

Branding

I am in love.

There, I said it.

I am in love with office supplies...
...paper, pens, post it notes... ooooh, post it notes...
I can spend hours at Staples or online looking at stationary stores.
I never go into WalMart or Target without walking down their office supply aisles...
...twice...

You may have noticed some slight changes to my blog in the past few months. And in honor of this post... a new banner :)

I am working on branding my company. You see, I am very indecisive. And I like change. It is for this very reason that I have had brown hair, red hair, orange hair (accident), dark blond hair, green hair (another accident), and platinum blond hair. My natural color is blond... but I love to change it. I've also had bangs, no bangs, side bangs, long bangs, short hair, long hair, medium hair, layered hair, and even fake hair (yay extensions!). It is a well known fact that I cannot make up my mind. It seems to be the same story with my company branding.

But I have started to make some progress. You may remember THIS POST. Where I talked about my new business cards and post it notes. That was the first step to my new brand. From there, I decided it was time to re-do my website. I love my blog... and I kind of like my website... but it was really something I put together just so that I could have something up. But I want to LOVE it. So I am working on re-designing and really finding my brand and my style.

Here is a sneak peak at what may be coming...
I am still determined to eventually use ShowIt for my site because I think they're amazing, and I think David Jay is quite possibly one of the smartest business people and photographers out there, and I LOVE the capabilities that you have with his company. But until I really get things going, I will be doing my own.

AND... I just have to mention that I have hit over 1000 visitors! In just about 2 weeks! I can't even believe it! When I started writing this blog, I think my mom was the only one that read it :) So thanks for making me the happiest girl ever today! And I totally copied some other bloggers that I love, but why not... here is what I found when I googled "1000"... I think it's kind of fitting!
Happy Tuesday :)

Changes Changes...

Still making some business changes and decisions... I have 3 exciting shoots coming up in the next 2 weeks, so you'll be seeing some more posts of shoots... but in the meantime, I'm pretty excited about the new branding and the new direction of my business and how that's going... You may notice some changes to the blog coming soon... my website will be changing as well, along with some other things here and there :)

But since every post is better with a picture, here's a picture (from my cell phone :) of me with the jeep I'm working on getting. I've wanted a jeep since I was 10 years old and playing MASH with my friends. I always used to pick the jeep as my car! I've been looking for one for the last couple of months and this is IT!

My site is up :)

So make sure you check it out...

www.diandraann.com

I'm pretty super excited.