"I've Got Some Bad News and Some Worse News!" 11/14 Last chap!

[javamom]

The Biltmore looks amazing!

 

[karebear23]

The Biltmore is so beautiful! If my hard could only be half as beautiful .

 

[Dizneydawn]

Love Biltmore. Really wanted to stop there on the way home from Tennessee but it was hours out of the way. Haven't been there since I was in my 20's. Gorgeous then and gorgeous now. I got the biggest kick out of the indoor bowling alley.

Just so much is beyond what I can imagine. My favorite part is the outdoor terrace on the main floor. I also loved the kitchen....I could do some serious cooking in there!

Is it sad they I have lived in NC all my life and never been to Biltmore?
Yes it is sad. Very sad. Plan a trip there soon. I would love to see it at Christmas time!!!

Edit: And apparently I need to NOT read your TR before bed, because I dreamed last night that I was with your family on y'alls farm, and we were picking wild onions from your garden. Yeaaaaaah....

What did you eat before bedtime?

I think I need to start reading your Tr's when Sarah is not around she now wants to visit all the places you have been. First Key West, now Folly beach and the Bitmore. Jeez you are really killing the vacation funds.
Rhonda

Sure blame me. They all do!

Anyways didn't want to just be a lurker and can't wait for more.... by the way this was a few months ago and I cant remeber if I told you but I made your chicken salad recipe from your previous TR for my friends babyshower and it was delicious and a big hit with everyone especially mommy to be since it has pickles in it

Hi! Thanks for sharing that and I think the only recipe on this TR was a great dip I made...I need to share more!

The Biltmore looks amazing!

Hey you! How is your son doing???

The Biltmore is so beautiful! If my hard could only be half as beautiful .

I assume you meant house not "hard!" Then I thought you could mean hand because you might be a hand model on TV!

Well guys I can finish the last installment up tom! We do not have much left!

But I will be doing a huge TR for our trip we leave for in 2 weeks!!!!

 

[javamom]

Hey you! How is your son doing???

He's doing as well as can be expected. His platoon won a competition, so he got to call me for 5 mins! He sounded profoundly worn out, but he's hanging in there. It was really, really good to hear his voice though!

We are getting ready to head to WDW, and we are going to miss him. I had to post about him in my PTR.

 

[karebear23]

I assume you meant house not "hard!" Then I thought you could mean hand because you might be a hand model on TV!

Well guys I can finish the last installment up tom! We do not have much left!

But I will be doing a huge TR for our trip we leave for in 2 weeks!!!!

I meant my Yard lol! Although I wouldn't mind being a hand model.

 

[mentul77]

Dawn - I found out why they call it "Stinkin Creek"

Go Here

 

[Dizneydawn]

Dawn - I found out why they call it "Stinkin Creek"

Go Here

This is glorious!!! I cannot thank you enough for being so thoughtful. We just passed that place again and the beautiful mountain scenery in our drive to Knoxville a few weeks ago. I wished we would have known that or had time to stop!!! Now I want to go vacation in that area for sure!!!

YOU ARE A DOLL!!!

 

[mentul77]

This is glorious!!! I cannot thank you enough for being so thoughtful. We just passed that place again and the beautiful mountain scenery in our drive to Knoxville a few weeks ago. I wished we would have known that or had time to stop!!! Now I want to go vacation in that area for sure!!!

YOU ARE A DOLL!!!

Completely different than how it sounds if you just hear the name huh?

 

[fairestoneofall]

oh! i love the most recent posts!

i have seen bums sleeping under the pier. in fact, i saw one in june that my client and i were worried was dead. to the point where we were talking about calling the police or something. but alas, he was just really REALLY asleep.

anyhoo, it's almost time for you to come back! i hope you have a safe journey and cooler weather!

and i am sorry for the loss of your friend.

 

[Dizneydawn]

NON TR UPDATE!!!!

We got back Carsyn's senior pics and the company who did them has changed their format a ton since Treyner. I do not think we will use them for Baylor. They want $60 to put up 3 of her pics in an online format so I could show them here or she could put them on FB! In fact they wantd $30 to put 12 on line on their secured sight so family that is far away - could choose what they wanted for 8x10's etc. Let me tell you...people are not happy.

So I have taken pictures of the pictures I am purchasing to show you guys here. I understand that you do not want people just making copies of the pictures that the professionals spend tons of hours and time on...but what I do not get the harm of allowing a few pics on FB in decent quality if I am already purchasing almost $1,000 in photos between the sitting fee, my pics, their Dad'd pics and other families.

That tells me they know where they can make money at. Most of the other studios around here at least allow a short window for family to view to pick and order from. Paying for people to see the pics so they can can than pay to purchase them seems ridiculous.

I know we have some parents with kids in HS and some photographers here - please help me get this.

Anyway, obviously these are not high quality since they are pics from proofs. No touch ups or anything but they give you an idea of the ones we liked.

How's that for a post! Can you tell I am sad the TR is going to be over when I get the real next one done!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I love the last picture and the ones with her feet in the lake!!!

I have no understanding of the latest senior picture deals since my kids are nowhere near that and we have not had any studio pics done for a few years. It stinks that they will now nickel and dime you so much.

 

[manntra]

I like the 1st one, 3rd one, all the water ones and the last one the best. Does that narrow it down?

I think I had 2 options......one with my cap and gown and another dressy one

Tracy

 

[Dizneydawn]

I love the last picture and the ones with her feet in the lake!!!

The last one is one of my favorites - it is in a Sepia tone and it looks fuzzy here! The water ones turned out great and I did not even show you the one she is getting a big one of because it keeps coming out too dark when I try to get a pic of it - I will try again!

I like the 1st one, 3rd one, all the water ones and the last one the best. Does that narrow it down?

The first one is the one she is putting in the yearbook and likes a ton. Some of the water ones he had her put her foot at an odd angle. I love the 3rd one too but she hates it. Doesn't like the way her bangs were braided back but I think it looks great. Typical girl. Not happy with something in almost every one but they will fix blemishes etc...She had just gotten back from a camping weekend in KS and had broken out from sweating her hind end off!

I think I had 2 options......one with my cap and gown and another dressy one

Tracy

A friend's daughter had over 270 pics taken. Carsyn had like 50 maybe and then some of them were produced with a sepia tone or some of the same pics they put a soft filter on it in developing them to get 2 different options for the same photo.

I graduated in '89 and around the Minneapolis suburbs area, they have never done a cap and gown shoot. You always had these big photo shoots. Not as many clothing changes as they do now though.

 

[fairestoneofall]

i am the most easy-going photographer ever. i always do an online gallery so that those out-of-town can see the pictures and order. and i always post a few on FB and tag the client so that they can use them on their FB page. my only request is that they not crop out my logo. i figure, it's free advertising. and i have had seniors book me because they see their friends' pictures and how great they are. so, i don't get the charging for that. i think sometimes those in my field "dollar to death" the clients. and that maybe we should all be a bit more understanding. word of mouth is HUGE and the best (or worst) advertising you can get.

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

Those pics are absolutely GORGEOUS!!! I love all of them. Was this at a studio? Our school did the same studio, but they only had one outdoor area, so everyone's pictures always ended up looking somewhat similar. She gets to pick which one goes in the yearbook? I'm jealous. Yeah, they let us get however many we wanted taken, but you had to do a mandatory pic with a black shawl for the girls and a fake tux-front for the guys, and that's what they used in the year book. And it made me mad, because they didn't tell me my earring was crooked when they took that, so it's forever in my senior yearbook that way. Of course, this went great with my freshman year shot, when I am missing an earring. And they were dangly, so it's fairly noticeable. Personally, as someone who dabbles in photography and has a seriously dabbling Dad, I think the photographers should be aware of this. I understand that they shoot thousands of pics of hundreds of kids each day, but if you know that THIS is the shot that will go in their yearbook, I'd at least give them half a glance to make sure everything looked okay.

I don't know exactly what the package was for my senior pics, but I do know that I got a CD with all my proofs on it, albeit with a watermark, but it still allowed me to put them all on FB.

They were also running a special where you could get a 16x20 for the same price of a 14x12 or something like that. So my mom bought it. Let me tell you, that thing is freaky. It's just a headshot, so in our living room there is this giant, larger-than-life Me staring back at you. So uh, just something to take into consideration. Dad calls it the Scarecrow. And I have a hard time disagreeing with him.

 

[Dizneydawn]

i am the most easy-going photographer ever.

That is why I am having you do some family pics for us...letting ya know! And I totally agree with the FB thing...it is the best and cheapest global advertisement you are going to get. They are shooting themselves in the foot for $60.

Those pics are absolutely GORGEOUS!!! I love all of them. Was this at a studio? Studio both inside and out and then the Mississippi River. And it made me mad, because they didn't tell me my earring was crooked when they took that, so it's forever in my senior yearbook that way. It is a big deal to the person experiencing the moment and that is what a good photographer should be concerned with. I am assuming though by the sounds of your set up that it was one photographer(s) or company that the school had set up. So they were getting paid because they were the only choice. Here in MN there are hundreds of senior portrait photographers and they all need your business so usually, the service is great.

It's just a headshot, so in our living room there is this giant, larger-than-life Me staring back at you. So uh, just something to take into consideration. Dad calls it the Scarecrow.

Nope! I am not one to get a huge portrait of myself/wedding etc. done or the kids bigger than a 11x14 unless it is a huge family picture with a ton of people in it and you need it big to see everyone. I know someone getting divorced and she asked me what to do with a massive pic of her and her ex. I swear it is like 24"x24." The other thing is all I could ever do is look at that pic every time I was at their house and wonder why she had such a hideous dress. Nobody wants to remember fashion trends from 20 years ago or even 10. Dresses come and go in style, veils, hats etc...colors...they look good at the time and then after a few years...we think not so much. So why do I want a Farrah Fawcett sized poster to remind me how skinny I used to be or how bad fashion was when everyone had the country goose on their over wallpapered kitchens or bathrooms?

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

So why do I want a Farrah Fawcett sized poster to remind me how skinny I used to be or how bad fashion was when everyone had the country goose on their over wallpapered kitchens or bathrooms?

It was just one company. A few people did go to someone else for their less formal poses, but Jostens was the main company that my school contracted through, so you HAD to use them for at least your official yearbook photo.

Ironically, even though it's only been a couple of years since that photo, I look NOTHING like it anymore. I guess that's what happens when you start dating into a pageant family.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Just found this, will try to get caught up!

 

[MEK]

Hey Dawn - those pictures of Carsyn are fabulous. Brian didn't get his senior pictures this summer cause he didn't want to shave (lol), so the reshoot is in October. I was just going for the basic cap and gown, but I can definitely see what the girls like their own photo shoot. Its beautiful.

 

[LisaKeys]

Hi Dawn. I've been missing from the boards for a bit - decided I couldn't wait until January to "get away" so decided a bout of Diverticulitis would give me a nice vacation in the hospital! I am now home and on my way to what I hope is a full recovery. Better now than January!

I loved all of the senior pics. She is such a beauty - it must have been hard to scale down the selection. I think it is highway robbery what they charge now-a-days for senior pics. I mean - this is HIGH SCHOOL - not a wedding or a professional portfolio. Unfortunately, it means there are quite a few students who will never be able to afford having any pictures at all.

I am with you regarding your final post coming up - all I can say is I hope your next trip anywhere is soon. I love reading all of your posts - especially the one heading down to the Florida Keys - start to finish.

Looking forward to reading you soon.