We are young...Dallas, TX senior

"Tonight, We are young, So let’s set the world on fire...We can burn brighter than the sun" We are Young by Fun

Toni. A Dallas Texas native. College Senior. Something was so magical about this session. I am not sure if it was Toni, or the first sight of that hazy warm sun that graced us, or the crisp weather... or a combination of it all. But THIS is the very reason I am a photographer. For the days that magic appears. For the clients that "get me" and can easily translate my vision into a reality. That allow my lens to catch a glimpse into their soul and allow my photographs to speak words that have never been spoken outside of the quiet of her mind. That moment that offers an unspoken connection between myself and the person I am photographing only to be interrupted by my lens. This is why I am a photographer.

Free to dance...

Sometimes it is hard to just allow yourself to be FREE. To follow your heart and go where ever it takes you. I have been struggling lately with allowing myself to SLOW DOWN and listen to what my heart is telling me. To dance outside my comfort zone and allow all fear of judgment, approval, and opinions to leave me.

I have recently decided it is my turn to dance. To be free and see where the music takes me. Some might like it, some might hate it....But in the end I will DANCE... to my own beat and I will LOVE ME. I will no longer allow myself to live in doubt. I will not second guess my art and I will not listen to the words in my head that allow me to question who I am. Today I have decided...

Today, I DANCE.

SPANK.stagrams | Galveston, TX workshop

Image credit: Gretchen Blair

Another workshop weekend has come and gone. I am left with the "Workshop Mondays" ...the day I unwind from a fast and furious week of planning and organizing and a weekend full of FUN. Mondays are bittersweet. It is the day I get to relax and spend time with my family...but it is also a day I am left missing the new friendships I have made. It is a day I am reflecting on the weekend, that moment each person walked through the door with a mixture fear, excitement, doubt, insecurity and hope on their face. We hug hello and introduce ourselves.... but by the time we all part ways we hold on to those hugs a little longer. This weekend we shared our hearts and we opened our souls to one another. We are now forever a part of each others journey.

1. Hello papa.papa-razzi ...

2. some call it posing in the sun, others call it warming up.

3. The view out of the BED from our house. I will miss the crashing waves putting me to sleep each night.

4. My generous workshop host Rosie whom I mentored 2 years ago!

5. Ann. THIS is who I want to be when I grow up. LOVE HER!

6. Just taking some time to soak it all in on the beach.

7. Thank goodness for my awesome friend Shane AKA the STUD model!

8. Ashby doing what interns do, holding the camera and taking BTS iPhone shots!

9. Angela was a Simply Spanki girl turned in person workshop girl! so glad to finally meet her in person!

10. Layla taking a moment to capture the true beauty of our location.

11. Every morning we would all stand at the windows taking pics of the view!

12. Fun times with Gretchen at the shootout!

13. Laura sacrificed herself and the warmth to be our posing model.

14. Jen rocking out the light and the stud boy model...

15. Lacey enjoying time by the waters edge.

16. SHOOTING!

17. if you look close you can see our little dolphin friends who joined us for coffee.

18. It wasn't cold and windy...not at all! ;)

19. yes, we had a SELFIE portion to the workshop at the attendees request! They should all be professionals now.

20. Amy and Tisha, these ladies are a blast!

Image credit: Tisha Rackley

Image credit: Amy Jones  ...and love this image. sums up the weekend filled with reflection and dreaming.

can we be besties?

Have you ever wondered how I pick my workshop locations? How I get it all done sight unseen and MILES away from my home… well it would NEVER haven without YOU!

I asked my sweet friend Laura to do a quick write up on what it was like to be a hostess for "A Day with Spanki" workshop for you.

Spanki Workshop

I’m was strictly a wedding photographer when I asked to take a senior portrait, and instantly fell in love. It was like a girlie makeover day with outfit shopping, hair, makeup... the works! I knew I had found a passion. Showing teenage girls, on the age of woman-hood, how to be tastefully beautiful. I started tasteful stalking other senior portrait photographers blogs that I loved when I ran across Mrs. Spanki Mills. For a moment my world stopped. Her portraits, her lighting, her location, and her poses... seriously, they couldn’t get any better! I was her average social media follower for a few weeks until she announced she was hosting a workshop. All I knew is it was far away, but I going to do what ever I could to get both me and my daughter (who’s also a photographer) in that workshop.

After reading about the workshop details on Spanki’s blog, the last line caught my eye “Contact me if you’re interested in hosting a workshop in your area....” Oh. My. Word. I didn’t even second guess it. I emailed Spanki, probably sounding like a over-excited teenager talking to a movie star, “I adore your work and would LOVE to host a workshop if you’ll come to California.” In the back of mind thinking, she’ll never respond, and if she does, Texas to California is too long of a trip. To my surprise, she responded immediately with a “when should I be there?” response.

We set a date. That made things much more official and my first thoughts were, now what? Spanki made what could be a stressful idea, into a fun adventure. We both started to advertise the event. Once we had a final attendee list, now it was time to work on venue. As a hostess, part of your obligation is to do the leg work in your area. Spanki and I messaged each other 20-30 times a day (I’m not kidding), going over details. First where to host the event. From hotel meeting rooms, to a restaurant banquet room, to a house rental. Then food. We had chosen to rent a house so we chose to bring food in. The planning of what type of food. From where? Did they deliver and if not, how was it getting to the house? Supplies. We needed to fill the house of day-to-day necessities for a house that would home 8 women for a weekend. That meant shopping trip for me. And that was only lodging and food. I was so excited I even had t-shirts made!

Next we needed models and a shoot location. I scouted the area sending photos to Spanki of ideas. Once it was chosen, then we talked props. What ever we needed I was going to need to bring or build. I started my own model search. Since our attendees were a mix of family, wedding, lifestyle, and senior photographers, we needed a few of each. I ended up with 2-senior models, 3-mid 20’s female models, and 1-couple. With the help of Spanki, we hand picked 2-3 complete outfits per person. Not always is a hair and makeup artist brought into the event, but to host a workshop you HAVE to love planning, and to me this was to me part of the fun. I worked within the community of beauty consultants and had someone volunteer for hair and another for makeup, in exchange for portfolio building portraits of the models.

That was months of planning turned into a few paragraphs. Then the even weekend arrived. As the hostess, I picked up the keys to the house early the day since I knew Spanki was flying in late that night. I went to the house, delivered all the supplies, and made it feel a little more homey. Left the key hidden outside (that’s another story on it’s own), and headed home knowing the next morning the fun began. This entire time texting with Spanki back and forth letting her know how everything was unfolding.

Day of. Yes, it was here. Woke up to Spanki’s Instagram feed of “I’m in California!” I wasn’t sure who was more excited, me or her? As the hostess I had to make sure I was at the house a few hours before the workshop began. I brought bagels, donuts, fruit, and of course my Keurig machine. Arrived to see Spanki on the porch taking detail pictures of the house. We had talked so much about so many things for so long, but seeing her made it real. I was with Spanki Mills! We hugged with excitement and the weekend began to unfold like magic. All our meticulous planning and hard work had paid off and it went off without a hitch.

As the workshop attendees arrived and the workshop began, it was perfect. As a hostess, yes you have to be on your A-game and ready for anything but because how we had prepared, I didn’t miss a thing. I gained not only unforgettable knowledge of our industry, but a best friend. Thank you Spanki. You simply came in and changed our worlds.

So there you have it… it DOES require work on your part, BUT I try to help the best I can to make sure we make it a weekend to remember a LIFETIME!! I also forgot to post a few images of our cute little home away from home while we were there…

If you are interested in hosting a 2014 workshop in your area… email me with SUBJECT:  "Host a workshops in YOUR TOWN" and tell me how we can make it work there!  info{at}spankimill{dot}com

SPANK.stagrams | Chicago Trip

Not going to say a ton about these since the REAL camera post said it all….but I couldn't resist posting all my iPhone images too. These people are my whole HEART.

Why not...the tales of last minute.

"babe, can we REALLY make this happen in ONE day"? For some very strange reason…had nothing to do with the fact that we have FOUR kids and we lost our thought process a LONG time ago… I just assumed my kids got out of school for the Thanksgiving holidays on Tuesday just like the rest of the surrounding schools. Never did it cross my mind that they actually got out on the Friday before! The minute we figured it out, we…as in ME…started scheming a last minute trip.

Now many of you that know me, know I am NOT a planner and I rarely commit. I am not sure what it is about those two words but they give me the hives. I am a FLY BE THE SEAT OF MY PANTS kinda gal. My mother HATES it and I have given my husband more gray hairs than he cares to mention that he will point out as named SPANKI. I just like to live on a whim. Why does that have to be a bad thing? Okay so yes, a few things in life are better planning, but when I say I am NOT a planner I MEAN it. Not one of my children were planned, HECK even my marriage to my husband wasn't planned, my business wasn't planned….nothing. But they have all worked out. It just works for ME…and I like it.

So Friday when we realized our kids were getting out for a long holiday I started searching my weather app to find the nearest predicted snow. We live in Texas and it is HOT all the time, and yes a cold snap was coming in but lets face it cold just isn't as much fun without snow. Once my oh so logical husband caught on to what I was scheming, he started doing the math (another word that gives me hives) and for a family of six to drive 12 plus hours would cost a pretty penny. And that is when my husband of fourteen years said something I NEVER expected to come out of his reasonable mouth… "why don't we search flights somewhere". The words no sooner came out of his mouth and I was already on Expedia. We searched our favorite spots... California, Vegas, Colorado, Chicago…what! CHICAGO tickets for TOMORROW are less than I have EVER seen them. but it is for TOMORROW!

so my friends, we booked a flight for the six of us, called and got a hotel reservation and picked the kids up from school with HUGE news… we are leaving on a jet plane.

Our flight landed and we got checked into the hotel about 9pm and decided to walk the streets to visit Gino's East for some deep dish Chicago style pizza…I will have to admit that night we were thinking we were NUTS, it was 20* and with the windchill it was a feels like -2*. We honestly didn't know how we would make it through the next few days… But surprisingly enough, it wasn't bad at all! Sunday morning we headed to The Magnificent Mile for a heavy jacket for Paysli and we were off to explore the city!

We finished the evening off with a stop at a hot chocolate bar our friend had told us about, it was so fancy and fun for the kids, you got to add your own toppings…and Heath and I got to add our own alcohol. SCORE.  We HAD to vist the American Girl store for Paysli, she got her very FIRST American Girl doll for an early birthday present, the boys got to hail us cabs, and we ate dinner at Portillo"s Hot Dog and finished the evening off with some indoor swimming at the hotel. Every meal we ate we did off recommendation from native Chicagoans and they KNEW what they were talking about!! 

Years ago when my husband had to go to an Allstate conference, He and I stayed in a little town outside Chicago called Glenco. From that moment on I was in love with this little city and knew I waned to go back. So Monday we took the train (those of you who ride trains often don't low how exciting it is for us Texans to see an entirely different lifestyle) we got us a few bags of Garrett's Popcorn and headed out! As soon as we got on the train we started seeing snow flakes…again us southerners were EXCITED!!!

My heart skipped a beat to get to watch my kids experience such an amazing time on the shores of a great lake while it was snowing! We got back on the train and headed right back to the Bean for more iceskating and MORE deep dish pizza, this time at Giordanos. 

Seriously I loved Chicago before, and I knew I wanted my children to experience it with me, but i had no idea it would turn out to be such a PERFECT trip…see, sometimes living on a whim is a GOOD THING! ;) Have a fun, safe, and Happy Thanksgiving friends. I know I am blessed beyond measure and truly thankful for each of YOU.

Spank.stagrams | giving from the heart…a life lesson

a baiting suit barbie, new baby diaper bag, the iPad air… it is that time already, time to get the Christmas Gift list. My three boys, our little PayPay, the in-laws, my parents, his brother, my 3 nieces, my sister and her new husband… the list can go on and on…but lets face it. I am not sure about all of you but I am OVER how we do the holidays. When did we go so far off path. Why is it ALL. SO. WRONG. What am I teaching my children? We are easily too consumed with "What did I get so and so last year and how am I going to out do myself this year"…Really? Money is love? I was done. I was not going to participate in Christmas festivities if THIS is what it was going to be like. I was pouting. I begged my husband to pack us all up and lets just take a family road trip and escape it! Well that didn't go over very well, we do still have to have Santa come to our home and I do want to have memories as a family in our home. So we decided to make a change. We already did the 3 gift rule with our children…you know the "If Jesus, our SAVIOR was given THREE gifts…why do you deserve more" rule? We don't limit them to read, wear, want… but we do give price limits (y'all 4..FOUR kids is a LOT to buy for). But every year it isn't the kids we end up stressing, it is the family… the family that SHOULD already know that the holidays aren't about GIFTS, it is about LOVE and TIME together! But it easily gets out of hand. This past year we decided to teach our children that it isn't the amount of money you spend it is the thought and heart you put into it. So we had a family gift making day and build our gifts!

A few months before Christmas I was in a very nice boutique full of amazing home decor. I was immediately drawn to the large horse silhouette on barn wood hanging above the bed… went over to see the price and saw $1,500.00!!!! Um YIKES, I was in the WRONG store! So this was it. THIS is what we were giving to our family. and we did.

1. the inspiration that cost $1,500.00

2. the kids did EVERYTHING, we even let them use the saw with daddy's supervision.

3. distressing the wood happened to be the crowd favorite!

4. measure once…cut twice? yep that is what you get when 12 yr olds are doing your measuring!

5. STILL distressing… that was the FUN part

6. staining the wood…and every piece of clothing we were wearing and a little bit of our skin too!

7. every one of the kids had to participate in each step of the project

8. we keep on waiting… waiting for the boards to dry (in my best John Mayer voice)

9. then we had them dry brush white paint over the stained wood and scrape it off with a wire brush

10. we added 2 strips of smaller stained wood

11. I hand drew the horse outline and let the kids color it in

12. STOP…hammer time!

13. we used chalkboard paint but that was only because it was what we had in the garage.

14. FINISHED!!

15. pretty close to the inspiration if I do say so myself and ours ended up costing us less than $80 and had 100% more LOVE!

Gifts were give to the grandparents and the tears began. it was the most rewarding moment for our kids to see their efforts so greatly appreciated and loved. The kids area already starting their search for what we get to make this year…YAY Christmas is back to fun, exciting, and THOUGHTFUL!

*we made the same thing, just a bit smaller for the aunts and uncles knowing the size homes they were going into.

its the small things in life...

I was just trying to get a few head shots. And along came a little visitor and well…this was all captured on film! It is surprising that I even have friends! haha

Those are some typical SPANKI expressions at their finest right there! Hope you enjoy your day, don't forget to treasure the small things…you never know how long they will stay around! ;)

Austin, TX Lifestyle Photographer

"There is no one else I'd rather take our family pictures than you" are words every photographer dreams to hear…let alone when those words come from another photographer!!! What an HONOR!

Holly attended a workshop of mine about a year ago and immediately we knew… we. just. KNEW.

We were meant for each other. God had a plan and a friendship with her was it. Her family has quickly become a part of me.

Can't you just hear the giggles from this sweet little girl! Her laughter is contagious and her energy…well I wish it was too!

I adore sweet momma and daddy moments!

I love capturing the LOVE this family has for one another… I am so grateful to have been chosen to capture this season of their lives…

Just look at how BEAUTIFUL my bestie is!!!!

so I told you I'd tell you…

You are minding my own business walking down the sidewalk on your way to meet a friend for lunch when all of a sudden the sidewalk reaches up and grabs your shoe, and next thing you know you are stumbling around like a drunk idiot….do you pretend it never happened and pray that no one saw you, do you look back at the ground because clearly you must have tripped over that hand from The Addams Family. Do you laugh?  When I said on Facebook that I am the weirdo who will announce to the world what I did. I am not kidding. I would have stopped the nearest walker by and through the tears of laughter pointed to the ground and showed with hand gestures exactly how it all "went down"!

So we had briefly met, we were both photographers from the same town and our kids were in the same grade. Last minute we decided to plan a trip to the WPPI together. FIRST. NIGHT. THERE. with my new friend.

We go to bed, about 4am I wake up having to pee (thank you to the vodka tonics we had the night before, BUT I was NOT drunk…that makes this that much more funny) My bed was the one near the windows, furthest from the bathroom so I grab my phone to use the light of the screen to sneak into the bathroom so I do not wake up my new roommate… turn on the bathroom light to pee then turn it off and flick on my cell phone again to use the dim light to find my way back to bed. Well apparently my eyes had not adjusted from the bright bathroom light so I was having to McGiver my way to my bed… I am patting my hands out in front of me (you know you have done this too) and finally felt the foot of my bed.

In what now seem like a very rash decision, I took a HUGE LEAP from standing at the foot of my bed to where I needed to lay… one problem.

in my moment of blindness, I am not sure what I was feeling…but it wan't the foot of my bed because when I took my HUGE leap onto what I thought was my bed was really that space between the two queen beds… you know, that HARD FLOOR PART! yep

THUMP

that was the sound of my entire weighted body hitting the floor between my bed and hers! OMGoooosh!!! I JUMPED to my feet real fast thinking if I recover quickly she wouldn't wake up (as though the noise never happened) After startling her from her slumber, she asked "are you okay" "um yep, yep, I am good, just stumped my toe, I am fine…totally in my bed, I made it in my bed, I didn't fall, I am good…in my bed, night"

3 seconds later….LAUGHTER…uncontrollable LAUGHTER I couldn't hold it in, I had to fess up to what she missed..."hey did you see what I just did, I JUMPED onto my bed but it wasn't my bed, and I hit the floor" MORE LAUGHTER…

On top of that, I had to text my husband, YES at 4am to tell him what an idiot I was. Woke up the next day with carpet burn on my knees and sore legs and shoulders which was a constant reminder throughout the day of my awesome DIVE onto the ground which then prompted to tell any and everyone we came across… "wanna know what I did…  you won't believe it"…..

SERIOUSLY. this happened to me. I don't even know what to say. such a SPANKI thing!

Now, just a tiny heads up… for the past 3 workshops in a row someone has wiped out…just walking and talking and the next thing you know they are gone…GONE, you look back and there they are, laid out on the ground… I am contagious. and THIS is why my workshop girls really do get the ST END half of my BE-ST FRI-END necklace!

**wanna see more from our trip, check it out HERE.

Jenna and a day of Renewal

"hey I need a model for a mentoring session… I have a vision and I need YOU… you ready" After going through the emails I had with my ONE on ONE mentor Tiffanie, I knew where she was struggling and what she needed help with. I had an idea and location that would be a perfect challenge for her. I had been in a funk my own self, just felt like I was in a shooting "rut" and this mentoring session came at a PERFECT time. Not only do I love seeing a new photographer so excited and full of hopes and dreams but it helped remind me WHY I too love this job. We met in the town I recently moved from which is also the same town where I started my photography business. We were eating in the local hometown cafe that happened to still have the walls decorated with images I had taken years ago of my very first few high school seniors. As we ate and went over notes, in walked Chris Whaley. If you do not know that name then you must not be from TEXAS. He is an AMAZING player for the Texas Longhorn Football team and has HUGE potential. He is the hometown hero for this tiny little town, and he happens to be one of my first few seniors. A surreal reminder of where it all started for Spanki Mills Photography.

So as we sat and talked, and I found myself getting excited about not only Tiffanies business, but my own business as well… In the middle of a town that introduced a photography business to me, in a cafe full of love for my images, and now a table away from one of my very first REAL clients…it was surreal. It was as though God put Tiffanie in my life at this very moment, and had us meet in this town, a town that means so much to my business, my family, and my heart….and He walks a past senior in to sit a table from me. Everything about this day was so so so good for my soul….and then Jenna meets us. Jenna who also happens to be a past senior client of mine, comes to the session with SUIT CASES <--- yes plural! CASES FULL of clothing. ready to be AMAZING! 

There are just some people who know are meant to be in your life… the same goes for my clients. I know RIGHT off those that I will work with and love, but after it is all over it is over. Others I know immediately will develop into friendships that will last forever. Whether it is the senior or the senior's momma. I just know. and Jenna is one of those that is just meant to be. If ever I feel the need to just shoot for my soul…she is the girl. and today was no different. She brought it. and with the light, and the model and the mentor and the zealous for our love for photography… THIS is what we created. My heart is once again FULL. This day was meant for me. For the friendship I made in Tiffanie, for the renewal of my spirit, for the humble reminder of where I started, and for the amazing love I have for the town I was shooting in. God had shown his buttery Sun Shine down on us and we created. To see more on what a ONE on ONE mentor is look HERE.

some BTS from the day… Chris, Tiffanie doing her thang, and Jenna seeing herself in my promo!

what is a one on one with Spank?

Well many of you saw a few images on my IG feed from my ONE on ONE day with Tiffanie and started asking questions. What is a ONE on ONE and how is it different than a workshop? A workshop, obviously is a group setting and is intended for those who are already started in a photography business, no matter what level you are at, but we do not go over the start up (like getting legal)… we dive right into pricing, marketing, clients, shooting and selling. It is a FAST weekend FULL of information and shooting. That is one thing so many, including myself love about the workshops too, it is a weekend FULL of laughing, learning and growing with friends. A ONE on ONE session is really for anyone, new or established, it is catered to YOUR needs and some people like the more slow paced personalized day. Some of  you learn better this way. We go over where you are and where you are struggling most before we meet so I know how to schedule our day. The shooting portion is specifically catered to help where you need the most improvement. Including going over camera settings and shooting in manual if needed.

The ONE on ONE is VERY similar to a workshop it is just formed to work around your personality and schedule a little more, that is all… and if you are interested in a TWO or THREE on ONE, let me know… you can make a fun friends trip to me….or I can come to YOU.

My day with Tiffanie went a little like this:

We met at about 10:00am ate a little and chatted, I love getting to REALLY know you and hear your story. I want to know why you reached out to me and how I can help. (we did some of this prior to meeting via email as well) We talked, and she took notes, we went over the tools and templates I use for my clients and shared my emails, promo pieces, and marketing ideas until we stopped to eat lunch. Then we started going over my client process (using the model we were going to shoot later that day) I showed Tiffany how I interact with my clients not only for booking but for location and styling to create a session we BOTH love. Then we packed our things up and walked around location scouting, looking at light and getting ready for the model. We shot our model in a few of my favorite locations and I challenged Tiffanie with lighting by shooting in a building, shooting in open shade and in full sun. I wanted her to be put in situations that my come up during a real session and help her problem solve while I was there to help so she felt better about it when she was shooting on her own. After we shot we went to dinner and while we waited on our food we uploaded our images from the day and culled… we rushed through our food because we were so anxious to start EDITING!!! here are a few final images Tiffanie sent me! WHAT WHAT…they are AWESOME!!!!

Since our day together I have been in contact with Tiffanie via email, going over any more questions she runs into along the way… when our day is over our time together is just beginning. I LOVE getting the opportunity to watch her journey unfold and take flight before my eyes.

"I had such a fabulous time on my day with Spanki. A tell all is exactly what you get. Spanki does not hold anything back!!! I feel so much more confident and I am ready to tackle the next aspect of my business!! Thank you Spanki"

If you are interested in a ONE on ONE  ( 2 on ONE, 3 on ONE, etc) email me and we will chat… I only open a few spots a year as it is a FULL and lots of emails and skypes through out the year. Can not wait to see what this next year has in store…

**to see my images from our day together look HERE

the places this job has taken me...

It is almost fall and with the change of the weather, in our town the people start talking….talking about the local "corn maize" at P-6 Farms by the Poole Family. Well I was asked to come out on "media" day and help get some images of the new and very secret design for this years maze! It stormed like CRAZY that day and we were all on stand by… I mean this WAS my first time in a real helicopter… but the clouds parted and it was all a "GO" . It didn't really hit me until I was driving to the farm and I could see this tiny object hovering high in the sky and I realized it was the very helicopter I was about to go in!! What an amazing day. It was so awesome to see my ENTIRE town from this view!!! And do you not just LOVE the maze design? "In God we Trust" in the American flag with the eagle…YES, I LOVE my town! and I can not wait to take my family to get lost in the maize!!!!

Avery | A&M Consolidated Senior

you will see me shoot here often. I ADORE this place. The light is all I think about and I would love here if I could…never mind it doesn't have a door, is missing part of the wall and is covered in BUGS. I still am in love with this place. Avery was so much fun and game to hang out by the big nest of yellow jackets…all to get the image… hello…did I mention I LOVE her! 

Here is a little "Behind the Scene" for  you…

Reese Family

Oh my goodness where do I even begin. I have been a part of this sweet family since this little diva girl was only days old. I was just a "photographer" they hired to do sweet baby Kinsey's newborn images and in the years since, I can honestly say this family has become one of the dearest families to me. Not only are they amazing clients, but people I call upon as friends. Who knew Spanki Mills Photography was going to be a permanent fixture in their lives! 

I will admit, as much as Kinsey should be used to me and my camera by now, this is the first year she actually warmed up to the idea of having my camera following her around. What a poser this one was! I ADORE her sweet spirit. We even stopped the session a few times to watch a little family of rabbits eat and check us out, and we had a guest appearance from Miss Lady Bug… you know, all the things that make a session TOTALLY cool with little ones! 

STOP IT. I am in loooove with this reflection image of K.

and Mr Grady, what do I say about this little boys spirit. he is ALL boy, we even had to stop a few times to watch a little highlight reel of some football games to keep him going. he was a trooper! 

The weather has really bummed me out lately with a few of my sessions but FINALLY mother nature did her job and gave me that dreamy light, fair temps and a HEAVENLY session!!!

online marketing class

join me for an evening of fun. bring a warm cup of coffee or a fabulous glass of wine...lock yourself in a quiet place and just enjoy the evening with me. I will tell you my story and how I got to my breaking point and decided it was time to run my business and STOP letting it run me. I will go step by step in helping you think outside the box and reach the clients you only dream of without having to "sell yourself". We will laugh...we will cry...okay so not really (well maybe I will, I am a baby like that) we will take LOTS of notes and you will leave feeling like there is HOPE! One hour of "class" and one hour of open conversation... no question is off limits. JOIN ME.

workshops you say?

Well, why this surprised me I have no clue, but it seems like someone has opened the flood gate and all of a sudden my inbox is drowning in local workshop requests. I am not real sure why I have never really thought to host any aside from the Austin workshop... but here we go...

let the planning begin.

So here is what I am thinking and I REALLY need you to weigh in on the topic since this is for YOU. But some of you have said you'd like a workshop ASAP before the TX heat subsides and clients really start rolling in...others of you have said after the holidays would be better, once the season slows down a little and you can come up for air and have a pocket full of holiday session cash burning a hole in your pocket...because that is how it really is right? I am not sure about you but I never seem to have extra money laying around.

Any whooo. Let's stay focused and chat about what would work best...

IDEAS:

Before the holidays, like quick fast and in a hurry a workshop HERE... in my OWN HOME. Why not? kind of like a slumber party of sorts. I mean if you don't mind the luxury of sleeping in bunk beds, what is mine is yours!  ;)  I am about an hour and a half North of Houston and about 2.5 hours south of Dallas so if you need a workshop soon... this is a happy medium sort of!

Montgomery, TX: October 26/27th

Houston/Galveston area: January 25/26th  (location TBA) 

Dallas area: February 8/9th

**If you just want the SHOOTOUT and not the workshop, you can do that too, but because I like to try keeping it a one on one shooting ratio (or at least close) I will need you to reserve your seat to that as well so I have a headcount for models to get.

HERE is more info on workshop pricing and how it all goes down. $400 holds your seat!! (seats can be re-sold but not refunded)

Email me if you are ready to hold your seat. I am opening them up NOW since there seems to be so much interest. Hope to see you there!!! ----> info [at] spankimills [dot] com SUBJECT: city you are wanting to attend.

PS. If you are NOT from TEXAS, check out my next few out of state workshops...we have room for YOU!

SPANK.stagrams | Laguna Beach Workshop

Laguna Beach. "A Day with Spanki" the super cool thing about this workshop was it was a weekday workshop... so it was half the amount of attendees, it was slower paced (even though we were cramming it all in) and it was a little more laid back. We rented the most adorable house... one that was COMPLETELY different than the house for Monterey but just as much character and charm. So the girls met us bright and early and we dove right in. I cracked the whip and didn't stop for lunch until TWO! Thank goodness Denise brough her yummy homemade salsa to hold the two preggo mommas and the rest of us over!! We rode the trolly downtown and had a fun lunch, then met all the models and spent the rest of the day shooting! We headed back about dark and finished up the editing/workflow portion of the workshop before we parted ways... it was a FULL FULL day, but what a great time we had! I seriously LOVE my workshop ladies!

here are a few of the instagrams from our day together... if you want to see more from "A Day with Spanki" workshops visit #adaywithspanki on Instagram.

1. Misty and I started our journey from Monterey south. We had the entire day to make it to Laguna Beach...and we got to our house a little after midnight...we used every bit of our day!

2. We HAD to stop in San Luis Obispo and find the gum wall....eeeeew

3. After we "workshoped" we all took the trolley to down town Laguna, and stopped for lunch before we had our shoot.

4. Trolley Ride

5. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I show my girls how I pose a model I turn around and find this... I am in the line of fire! I think this post would probably be more fun if it were their "behind the scenes" of my crazy faces!

6. Stopped along our HWY 1 trip to take in the SUN...we finally had SUN!!! (this is way out of order)

7. SELFIES on the beach...this is what you get when you have a group of photogs at a beautiful sunset!

8. Crazy dog! doesn't mind heights!

9. Our little red convertible... this was the rental car Misty and I had... we were trying to fit in.

10. Group shot!!! I had a blast with these girls! Fun memories and friendships made!

Melissa

Okay Melissa is seriously what I call a ROCK STAR. This girl braved the cold gloomy day and still brought her A-Game! Can you tell we were shivering the entire time? Nope... rock star I tell you!

as if these images weren't AMAZING enough, we had planned for her to finish her session with a few water images but I will be honest...after I felt how cold the water was I just assumed NOT A CHANCE. But this girl was BRAVE and insisted on it, how do you say no to that!

success. what is it.

 

"What exactly is success and when do we know we have become successful"? It is a question I often start with at my workshops. What is success? Isn't is something we ALL strive for? The ultimate "I AM SUCCESSFUL" means I have "made it". Right?

But. What does that REALLY mean?  What are you chasing?

When I first started my journey with photography I followed a few photographers blogs. Photographers that I admired, looked up to, and dreamed to one day become as "successful" them. As I started booking clients and really working as a photographer myself, all of a sudden I noticed my focus changing. Yes, I was still following those photographers, but now I spent more time focused on how many times they were posting, how many new clients they were blogging. I looked at each blog post as a "client booked" and heaven forbid they would post an old image or a silly recipe instead of a full session, one I had never seen before, I would immediately begin to think...and in some twisted world of thinking, I hoped it meant they weren't as "booked" as I once assumed they were. Oddly enough, and at the time I am not sure I even knew I was doing it, but I think by hanging to every move they made...or every move they DIDN'T make, it made me feel like they were slipping, and the more they seemed to slip the more I validated myself with how "successful" I was becoming.

Months went on and my calendar became more and more full. Upwards to 8-10 session a WEEK (this all seems so silly now, but follow me). I no longer had time to follow those blogs but that was okay because my blog had a constant flow of new sessions being posted. One on the outside looking in (or following my blog) would think I had "made it", but I was sinking. I was so busy I was never home, my husband was cooking dinners, taking my children to their baseball games and tucking them in at night. I was gone and if I was home I was so in up to my eyeballs in computer work that I might as well had been gone. I was missing out one everything, I was miserable.

It got to the point where I couldn't keep up with much of anything. Not my house work, not my family...not my blog. What? I couldn't keep up with posting to my blog? Humm I wonder if anyone "following me" started to assume I wasn't booked? I wasn't "succeeding" at my job? Well I was. ..in the terms of "busy means successful". But not to me. Not to my family. THIS was NOT SUCCESS.

That is when I stepped back and asked myself...okay well that is when my husband took me by the hand and sternly asked "what I was doing". Is this REALLY what I want. Is this REALLY what success is? And success to who? Who is determining what MY SUCCESS is? How many blog post I had? How many sessions I had marked on my calendar? WHO was I trying to prove my "success" to? And at what cost was I doing it?

Finally I sat down and decided I was going to take control of my business. I was going to determine what SUCCESS was for ME. By doing what was right for ME and MY family... but I had to ask myself what was I working for? Have you asked yourself that?

What are YOU working for?

For some of us we are trying to supplement income so we can eventually go from working a full time desk job to become a full time photographer and a full calendar of bookings is what you want. For others, we are just working to pay for our family fun time, vacays, school clothes, etc so one or two sessions a month will do. Whatever it is you are working for, YOU determine YOUR OWN SUCCESS. Don't worry about what others are doing, YOU do not know WHY they are doing it so to compare it only cheating yourself.

So. GO. DO. Work for YOU and YOUR family. Determine your SUCCESS!!!