photos by jo L.L.C.

I know, right!

I've been toying with this idea for a while...   actually making a small company out of my photography obsession.   After much thought, I've decided to try it out as a limited liability company.   

I also realize this will be more about my friends and their friends.   And offering a good deal to those I care about, and those they care about.   I'm not looking for a 2nd career... just a way to feed my hobby. 


My plan is this:

I can charge a small amount to help cover my costs.   ($50 session fee)
Only do on-site photo sessions (like parks, river front, etc)
Events would be negotiated (but very cheap)
Reinvest everything back into equipment.
This is a way to indulge my guilty pleasure (photography).
I will gain experience in taking the pictures and digitally working with the images.

Here's the BEST part:
I GIVE ALL the photos to the owners on a disc.  
I know, I know.. not very business savvy of me!!   

But, but, but.... I've purchased photo packages both ways.   I've bought the expensive photo packages and walked away not knowing if I should have picked another one.  And as a Mom... leaving adorable pictures of my kid behind... it ain't easy baby!     And I've also experienced a package deal where I was given the CD and a waiver to full printing rights.    (a waiver won't be needed until i get my logo finished)   I left there feeling ahead instead of behind.

 *** with that being said... I'll gladly guide people to websites that make
           quality prints.   but this is the digital age!                   

Photo books are a little different.  I don't mind (for a small fee) making the book.   I know Seniors really like to have them.   To be done correctly... it takes hours, but I enjoy working on them.  And again... this is ONLY if you want one.  I make a bad salesperson. 

I'm kind of excited about kicking this off.   I know my price is reasonable.  $50 and all the images are yours...  (and I separate the images into two files... those I've worked on and those straight from the camera)

I took this beautiful young lady's Senior pictures this past weekend. 

Now... HERE is the catch.. it's only $50 if I can use the images on my "photos by jo" FB page (I will not tag you, but feel free to tag yourself in those images), this blog and website (soon to come).     If you'd like to have pictures taken and not let me share... It'll be $75.  See?  I can be tough if I need to be.

I'm still working on the website details... there are a few directions to go with it... and I haven't settled on one.  

But pleeeeeeeeease click on my Facebook "photos by jo" page and "like" it.   It makes me feel popular.   I'm needy like that.    I'm going to add more pictures and photography sections to it.

BUT... I am now president of a company. 

You may now address me as "Mrs. DogFace"!

  

I had a dream...

... and it wasn't near as noble as Martin Luther's dream.

First off... know this... I had cereal for dinner.   No weird food.  I didn't even take my antihistamine.   But I had the craziest dream.  Now, I know.. no one wants to hear about crazy dreams... so this is where you make your choice... to read... or not to read.     (Cause this dream was some random weirdness)

What had happened was:

I was driving to Texas for some reason.. and wrecked my vehicle.  (no worries.. I wasn't hurt...).   This led me to high jack a city bus. (made perfect sense at the time).    I am driving the bus down Youree (which looked nothing like Youree drive). (and yes... there will be a lot of parenthesis in this story.. I told you.. random weirdness) 

So anyway...  I had to ditch the city bus.. because obviously the chic that knocked out to steal it, had woke up and reported it (duh!).    AT this point, I'm in a red one piece bathing suit and cowboy boots (Ummm chics that weigh over 150... do NOT wear red bathing suits... we wear black)   I'm at a gas station and trying to figure out what I'm going to do.  And in my mind... I'm terrified of my husband finding out.   Thinking he was gonna be sooooooooo mad I jacked that bus.  It's at this point I hear people talking about the stolen bus and how the person who stole it had wrecked it.   But not before dragging a dog to death.  Damn... I did not see the bus driver's dog tied to the bumper. 

Anyway... this older man shows up.   AND my husband pulls up..  and asks why am I in a bathing suit.  (he made no mention of the cowboy boots.. which to me.. just made the whole ensemble pop)   The old man snitches me out to Ron.   Tells him all about my crime.     At the same time..  the Po-Po show up (that's the police for you peeps raised in a brick home with air conditioning).  One of the Po-Po is a detective (who is an administrator where I work)... so yeah..   random weirdness is the theme.   I'm call the detective Eminem, to protect him (and my job.. ha).   Soooooo  My husband... being the gent he is... tells me we have to go.  I get in the truck and hunker down low so Eminem doesn't see me. 

Next thing in the dream... I'm turning myself in and my Mom (and she looked lovely.. she was the healthy Mom) was with me.  Because she was being arrested for harboring a fugitive (me!).   She sat there telling me she loves me and it was worth it and she'd do it again.  Mom's are the coolest (my children need to know however that if you commit a crime, I will narc you out in a heartbeat... it's not personal.. I'm just too pretty to go to prison)    OK...  so,, the "jail" is more like a waiting room... as we're in the jail/waiting room.  We hear a ruckus ( I like this word... ).   And in comes Eminem with Ron in hand cuffs.   Ron makes a poor prisoner.   He ain't happy.  At all.

So... in a dreamy/dramatic fashion I run to Ron telling him I love him and I'm so sorry.    He is too angry with Eminem to even notice.   The guard make me go back to my seat.   I cry and tell Mom I HAVE to talk to Ron.   And I couldn't understand why they were separating us... just because the males and females are kept in different areas.    RIDICULOUS! 

So... Mom helps distract the guards and I run through doors to find my soul mate and tell him how much I love him.   He let me know he loves me back (JUST like real life, huh?) and he made the choice to hide me.   (swoooon..  he's my hero, even in my dreams)

And then... I'm worried, because I've begun itching and have spots hurting.   OOOOOOO whoa!..   worms are squiggling under my skin... let me repeat... WORMS ARE SQUIGGLING UNDER MY SKIN!!!   I'm trying not to panic but assuring the guards.. I need to go get help for this.   The worms we're breaking the skin surface.  I was able to pull a couple out.   But one I had to smash under the skin because it begun climbing up my shoulder and into my neck (and all I could imagine was that freaking worm getting into my brain..ugh!)  The guards were more concerned with catching my worms than getting me treatment for my worms.   Eminem shows up and says he'll take me to the hospital.

So he handcuffs me. WHAT?   It's uncomfortable and I can't balance myself.. and they chaff.. and yeah... I whined... a LOT!    He kept telling me that I had to wear them.  All the while escorting me to his sports car and bragging about it.     (Like I care about Eminem's sports car.. I am a prisoner.. and I'VE GOT SKIN WORMS!!!)    He keeps raising the seat, demonstrating the car functions, etc.    Then he puts down a paper liner for me to sit on.  Now mind you... I DO realize I got the skin worm condition and all, but manage to still find this insulting..lol.   Finally Eminem can no longer stand my complaining and takes the cuffs off.    (about freaking time!)    He then takes me to the hospital... And there was a "prisoner" entrance.  Good gravy, really?  I was mortified.  Me a prisoner.    

So... this is wear things got weird(er).  Eminem leaves me there.  They only have a bed on the pediatric unit.  Which is open bays.  and by open bays, I mean the beds are right next to each other.   I was next to a little girl on a vent (through her trach) who kept giving me the stink eye.   I tried to be nice to her..  but she was annoyed with me for some reason.  (And I didn't get the feeling that it even had to do with the skin worms) And a lil 4 yr old boy who kept climbing in my lap.  (kids love me.. I'm like a cute kid magnet... still don't know why the lil trached girl was uncharmed by my smile) . I told him not to.. he'd catch my worms!!!    But eventually just laying a blanket between us and snuggled the lil feller.

I begin thinking of an escape plan. 

Then I woke up.  

Sooooooooo... last night I have another dream (which I wont even go into, because no one wants to hear/read a story about some one's weird dreams) but at one point in the dream I go out to get in my vehicle.  And It's gone.  Finally after searching... I remember it was impounded the night before when I was arrested.   CRAP!   It hits me.  I'm on the lam again... to turn myself in or not to turn myself in... hmmmm...

Dream interpretation?   Not sure I really want to know what THAT all meant.   I like to just think of it as random weirdness... 

Something will be missing this year...

My mom. for all of my adult life, has called me at exactly 2:10 pm every September 7th to wish me a happy birthday.   I have always imagined her sitting there... watching the clock for that exact moment.   It was that important to her.  So it was important to me.   I have watched the clock waiting on my mom to call on my birthday.  

    One year I'd worked the night before and slept through the call.  I felt bad.  Not for me... but for her... because I knew it was important to her.

So this year... will be my first without Mom's call.    I miss her.   I know how important I was to her.  And she always made sure my birthday was always a big deal.  I recall the home birthday parties.   Not the expensive ordeals kids today get.   I remember my mom decorating with paper streamers and sometimes a cake, sometimes homemade... always ice cream to go with the cake.   And I remember LOVING those parties.  

As time progressed and I grew up, Mom would remind me of upcoming birthdays... including my son's and my own.   lol   This always tickled me.

I'll miss those reminders.   I'll miss my 2:10 call.    I'd give anything to rewind to a previous birthday.    ...To have her ask me if I knew what happened at that time, however many years before (as if this was the first time she'd ever asked me this question on my birthday)...  

I skipped Mother's Day... stayed home... buried in.   I know I can't do this every birthday and holiday.  It wouldn't be healthy.. and it wouldn't be what Mom would want for me.   I've always associated my birthday with my Mom...  after all.. she did all the work.  I kinda just.. showed up.   :)

Miss you Mom.  And this Wednesday at 2:10.... I'll miss you even more.

Some ME time (well me and some of Minden's past citizens)

What would YOU do if you had a morning to spend to yourself?   (Well Jake wouldn't wake to go with me... so I ended up alone) 

Take pictures of a historic cemetery?  OF COURSE you would!     Well maybe you wouldn't.. but me?  I'm all over that.    I'm not warped (much), it just takes me to a happy place.

I have been wanting to photograph the Minden Cemetery for a couple years now and never made time to do so.  I needed to go to Minden today, so I decided this was my opportunity.

Was it creepy being alone in the cemetery?   Not at all.. kind of peaceful.   Just me and the headstones.   I probably didn't wear the best shoes.. had on my flipflops.  :)  My boots were in the truck.. but when I got there.. I was too anxious to start exploring the cemetery.  

Minden Cemetery has some rich history, but for the most part, very humble headstones.  No large angels (my favorite...)   And far less military graves marked.   But modest and ornate headstones I admired and respected just the same.

 I enjoyed my time alone.   It is a time that I can think of colors and angles and life and God and the past and the future.   It's MY time.   It's therapuetic.   It makes me whole.    I crave this.   The aloneness, but the comfort of knowing I will go home to my menfolk.    And I've not done this  several months, go spend time taking pictures for the sake of taking pictures.   For me, this is almost as satisfying as fishing.. almost.

When I got home to do some editting, I think I was in a black and white mood.. I converted so many over.   But this one is straight from the camera... no edits (except for the red arrow..lol...  I added that):

See the Orb???  I wasn't alone out there.   Ok...Ok... I admit it was probably just the reflection of the sun off my lens.. but the orb thing makes for a much better story

I hope everyone has that thing, that place... your cemetery exploring, fishing, amatuer photography, walk in the park, etc,...For me I find this inner peace and reflection always tends to be outside.   Find that place that you're alone and surrounded by God.    We all need it.... a place, some time, the reflection, some pray in the outdoors.    It makes us better people, wives, moms, citizens, employees, etc,..    It makes me a better version of me.

I *heart* Mom

             Everyday I miss the lady.  Much.   I'd give anything for a hug.

Zombie Jo

                                                             How I feel after I've poured a bowl of cereal, only to find out there is no milk!

Lake Trash, Fishing, Jefferson, Angels, Death, Garbage Truck, Mom... (I think the technical term for what takes place in my head is called Associated Looseness)

My goal in life is to grow old and be Lake Trash.   Is that too much to ask?  I want to walk out my back door and drown a worm while sitting under a tree.    We go to Crips camp often.   And enjoy our self and getting to see friends.  But... there were a lot of folks there this weekend.   Took away from the relaxing part of our weekend.  You can't rent peace and quiet. 

Ron and I enjoyed our time there (despite the sometimes crowd)  We caught bream, saw friends, visited Jefferson, TX and I took a lot of pictures.  We visited a cemetery in Jefferson and I was in heaven (pun intended).   There were beautiful angel monuments everywhere.   By the time I inspected the beautiful face of one, another would catch my eye.   There is just something so special about these hand carved memorials.   The people long gone that bought them to memorialize those that came before them.   I love the bit of dark marble they use in the angel's eyes to form the iris.  And angel feet... always barefoot...   Always one foot stretched.    One was a little girl, a toddler.   

Ironic, I love memorials so much, but I want to be cremated. So does my husband.    I have no special requests... or at least I didn't.  Always figured you can mix me with clay and make me into an ash tray for all I care.   But my husband said the most romantic thing to me the other day.   :)  He wants to mix our ashes.    Seriously.. can ya get any more romantic than that?   I think not!   We plan to keep the other's ashes and when the survivor passes... have them mixed together (Ryan, this will be your job).    A mixtures of his & hers.    That is TRUE love.   My husband wants them to go in the Atchafalaya Basin (Also your job Ryan).   Death will imitate life... I always tell him, " I do what you do".    Let me just add though....that I will be furious if I'm the one that goes first, he remarries and my ashes end up in a garbage truck.   ( Like how I went from the lake to Jefferson to death to being thrown in a garbage truck?  I know... it's a gift.  HA!)   And no Honey... we can't all three be mixed together.     I know, every man's fantasy, right?  

I dusted Mom the other day.   Her ashes sit on a table in the foyer (or as we plain folk call it, the doorway) area.   I have to take them where she wanted to go.  I don't look at the urn and cry or anything.  It's the actual "letting go" and the act of taking the ashes out there that has me procrastinating.    Surely Mom would have understood and not minded spending a bit of time on the shelf overlooking her daughter's living room.   I used Pledge.  If you're curious.  To dust the urn.  It's wood.  

I'll need a look out, while I spread the ashes. This could include a cute bright orange jumpsuit!!!    Any takers?



(just an added note: if you google anything with the word "looseness" in it... you'll find interesting data on bowels, vaginas and such,..)