Check out our new and improved website!!!

It’s winter in Wisconsin… and for professional photographers that often means hitting the books, reorganizing for the upcoming year and reliving all that the year past brought to us.   January for us has been no different…

After returning from the photo convention, I was all hyped up about all the things I was excited to do and share with everyone… AND I am happy to say, that I have already put several of these items into action!  Not too bad for only having been back for about 2 weeks!  (*pats myself on the back)

Now, with the first day of February upon us, I am even more pleased to say that I have completed revamped and updated our website with fresh images, new links to pricing and a few other added surprises!  Let me tell you, I now have a new respect for all you techy people out there-talk about working on a project outside of my comfort zone!  I am the queen of trial and error and man, did I try! ha ha  Our site was created and managed by a company called Rendering Effects, and we adore them and all they do… but last year I asked to have the option to have a bit more control on the look and the ability to add and switch images anytime I felt inclined… big mistake… ha ha… I got through it, but I see now why we had been paying someone else to do it for so long! HA!

Anyway, go check it out and let me know what you think… or if you find any spelling errors! Improper grammar is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves, but sometimes spell check and other programs change things on us that shouldn’t be…… my last name is spelled S-C-H-M-I-T… no D, one T… why can’t you learn that, spell check, why!?!  LOL Ok, I’m over it…

With this one big task off my plate, I am moving onto all the other things that are on my post-convention to-do list… oh, where to start…

Happy February everyone!!! -Ash  🙂

Jan. Recap… We are Storytellers:

As per usual, we take January, being our ‘slower’ month, for a little R&R…

Deb took a few days to South Padre Island with some friends and I went down to one of my favorite places, Nashville!  My trip however was paired with a little education…

I attended the ImagingUSA photography convention/seminar~ and I loved every second of it!  Having attended several other similar conventions over the last 15  years, I had obvious expectations and each and every one of them was far surpassed.  It was a great few days of classes, live shoots, testing new equipment, seminars and networking parties and I am beyond excited to implement some of the new things I gathered during my time there.

Of course, I was able to send a few days ‘playing’ in downtown Nashville and had a great time wondering the streets filled with music and taking in all that the city has to offer.  Made my first trip to the Frist Art Museum as well, which was fantastic~ I recommend it if you find yourself in TN.  Took in some amazing live shows and enjoyed that lovely Southern hospitality around every corner.

Our biggest highlight was watching the people of TN totally FREAKING OUT about the fact that is snowed (and by snowed, I mean, a few flurries were on the ground) twice while we were down there.  I watched kids ‘playing’ in the snow and adults scraping on their windshields with anything and everything that was not an ice scraper.  Even watched a man pouring hot water on his car and looking at it perplexed when it simply froze right back over again… ha!  It was a good laugh, for sure.

Deb and I both had a heck of time attempting to return home from our trips, with basically all of the Southern state’s airports all but closed, due to ice.  Deb and the girls basically took part in a roll of ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles,’ driving from one place to another to catch a flight to do the same and on and on, just to get back.  I basically spent an entire day in the Nashville airport awaiting our flight, a flight, any flight, to take off! Ugh… the joys of travel…. I did get to catch up with several other photographers from the Midwest, also waiting on a flight out, while there, so we did manage to pass the time.

All and all, it was a great week and I can not believe that the Holidays are over, January has almost come and gone and here we sit, almost a month into 2018.  After one of the classes I sat through, I just couldn’t help but reflect on what we are really doing here as photographers… preserving memories for others and in reality, giving them a gift that will be treasured for years to come.  This particular speaker was attempting to remind everyone why we do what we do. Why we have dedicated our lives work to photography. To art. To others.  That really stuck with me.  As a photographer, we are storytellers.  We are all storytellers and I am dedicating 2018 to all of those who have a story to be told.  THAT is why I became a photographer…

So here is to all of you, fellow storytellers~ May you tell your stories in and of 2018 with pride, joy and a smile!  May we all remember to not only share our stories, but to listen with open minds and full hearts, as well. I can’t wait to hear yours…

Happy 2018 & happy storytelling!  -Ash 🙂

The studio will be closed THIS Friday…

FYI:  The studio will be closed this Friday, Jan. 12th… we apologize for any inconvenience due to this closure.

On a related note, Ashley will be out from Wed. to Wed. to attend IMAGINGUSA, a photography convention/seminar in Tennessee.  Excited to see what new ideas and education she comes back with!

Happy Holidays…

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Debbie Daanen Photography!  Please note our Holiday hours.  We hope your Holiday is wonderful and wish you blessing now and in the new year!  🙂