2012 Resolutions
As you probably figured out on your own, I’m talking about resolutions for the year 2012 – not the number of resolutions I have. So we’re all squared away on that. Moving right along.
- No more working on Sundays.
If you’re a client that already has a Sunday in 2012 booked with us, don’t worry – we’re still on. I’m just not going to book anything else on Sundays this year. There are a few reasons for this. One being that I’m a Christian and would like to follow along with the day of rest and would also like to make it to more of our church events this year. However, I think we all know that what “rest” means can be open for debate. I think having one day of the week that I know is opened will not only give me a better chance of spending more time devoted to God, but also to my family, friends and personal health. Being that Saturdays are the most popular for weddings, I’ll probably still miss a fair amount of church, but it will be nice to know that Sundays are spoken for. - I will surf at least 5 times this year.
I know that’s not a lot, but compared with last year’s one trip it is. - Discounts and promotions will be aplenty, but their terms will be a little tighter than in the past.
You probably know I am a people lover, and I like to make people happy. It’s part of why I do what I do. However, the truth is, a business cannot sustain with a push-over at the helm. I will still offer great customer service, great deals and plenty of reasons to want a discount or special. I just need to make sure that I get to have a little more nutrition in 2012. i mean I like ramen and bologna, but I’m only 31 and my body acts like it’s 72. The Graffs are going to eat in 2012! Jessica and I would also like to have a baby one of these days, so I’ll need a little extra flow for diapers at some point in the next several decades. :) - I will try much harder to put my money where my mouth is. :$
I recently left Wells Fargo bank and when asked why I was leaving, I told the banker that it’s not quite right to ask people to come to me instead of Wal-Mart when I was banking with the Wal-Mart of banks. My $0.25 is now sitting in a local bank. Some things are unavoidable on a budget, but you can find lots of great stuff for not that much more if you shop locally. If you’re beating the drum of needing more jobs in our country and economy, don’t shop at mega-stores when possible. If the local restaurant isn’t so great, try reviewing them with helpful info on sites like Yelp! and Google Places. Give them a chance to respond to the public and then try them again. If they still stink, then go to the chain, but local places can’t improve without useful feedback from the community. Useful meaning specific and helpful not just a simple “this place sucks”.
So that’s not too many resolutions, but I want to be sure I can meet them. Not to mention there are already a lot of goals I am working on behind the scenes. Have a happy 2012, and come visit the new studio sometime soon. The doors should open in a week or so, and I’ll be sure to post all the details.
-JG
Fuquay-Varina Family Portraits | Galvanek
Paxton contacted me recently about getting some portraits made of his family as a gift for his wife. Not only was I happy to oblige smart thinking like that (hint hint), but what can I say?…this is a good looking bunch. Look at the eyes on those kids of theirs! They wanted to stay away from backdrops and too much posing, so we hit a historic park here in Fuquay-Varina. Well it’s more than a park, it was once a pretty big tourist attraction before there was blacktop connecting the dots of Raleigh and the beaches.
It was certainly a pleasure to photograph the Galvaneks here in Fuquay. It’s nice to have the support of other local business owners (they have Strafe Gaming Lounge and Jump & Laugh to name a couple) and even better to be behind the camera instead of the computer screen! Remember portraits are a great family activity any time of the year. Having portraits made can literally be a walk in the park and a nice breath of fresh air.
-JG
Hilltop Christian Senior Portraits | Kristen
What can I say? Kristen was one of the most laid back subjects I’ve ever had the pleasure to photograph. While most teens seem want to look older, upon telling her that these photos were really looking more like photos of a woman than a kid she lamented that she wanted to stay young. I can’t say that I blame her. Thanks Kristen (and Jeanine) for being so fun to work with.
Enjoy your youth, no matter your age!
-JG
R.I.P. Alberta
We lost one of our newest pet family members today. She brought 4 little new kittens to our door about a month ago. We found out Monday that she had a bad infection. We got her some medication, but it didn’t help her and she got worse. Today she had to be put to sleep. Her kittens are doing well and we’ll be looking for homes for them very soon.
Alberta was a very sweet cat. She trusted us with her kittens and was full of purrs and ankle rubs up until the past couple of days. We’ll miss having her around.
Hug your pets for us, for you and hug `em twice for them.
-JG
Raleigh Family Portraits | Shearin
All I can say, is “what a beautiful, warm family”. These folks were referred to me by another client, and they were so nice and welcoming. Jessica and I really had a great time photographing them in and outside of their home. They epitomized the old saying that “home is where the heart is”. I think it shows in the pictures, but we were both impressed with what a nice big brother the oldest of the boys was. It sure is nice to kick off the holiday season with a family portrait session like this. Thanks Shearin Family!
-JG
Sweet Beverly Ann | Launched
I’m happy to announce that our new brand, Sweet Beverly Ann, has launched. Jessica is the baking and decorating whiz of the brand, and I take the photos and handle the web stuff. Oh…and I get to be the sampler/test kitchen. Not a bad gig.
From the website:
My hope is to spread infectious smiles with my homemade treats; inspired by Mom, handmade by me, and loved by you.
-Jessica Graff
Go check out the new site, and be sure to give us a thumbs up on Facebook.
For Sale | Nikon 70-200mm VR f2.8 G IF-ED
SOLD!
I’m selling one of the best lenses I’ve ever owned. Here’s the pics. The details are on the Craigslist posting here: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pho/2663735798.html
$1600
Please buy it! :)
Jebb
Run! Because Zombies.
It’s October. It’s that month where Halloween is on a lot of people’s minds. Either “what costume do I wear to this party” or “why do I have to be too old to trick or treat”? Then Strafe Gaming Lounge comes along and announces the Strafe Zombie Run fundraiser for the Fuquay-Varina High School Technology in the Classroom Initiative. So there’s your answer. Be a Zombie, or a slayer and run to help out a cause other than eating all the Reese’s before the kids come to your door! Mmmm….peanut butter cups. (more…)
We’re Back!
Code is the worst, but also the best.
As you may know, the Graff Creative websites were recently hacked and have been down while I worked on getting the server cleaned off and ready for a re-do. Well, here we are again. I decided to take advantage of the downtime to re-design some portions of how the sites will work. First of all, “sites” has become “site”. Yep…one cohesive website to house the photobooth, portraits, blog and whatever other services I offer. One exception, is my wife’s upcoming release of her custom cupcake business. I’ll link to it, and talk about it from here, but in all likelihood it’ll get it’s own complete website.
Welcome back, and please stay tuned for lots more updates in the coming months. Not necessarily exciting news kind of updates…but I’ll be restoring a lot of old content. I decided to go live before everything was complete because when a small business’ website is down (especially a photographer’s) the money stops coming in and the bills don’t get paid.
Speaking of. For your patience and for the hassle, I’m having a $100 portrait session sale. Book a session by October 15th, 2011 and it’ll only cost you $100. That’s $150 off the regular price. The session only has to be booked by then…not completed. Call for details, and get yourself some pretty pictures.
Please let me know if anything funny is happening on your end regarding the website, and I’ll see what I can figure out.
-JG
Baby Portraits | 9 Month Old L.C.
I was delighted to photograph this sweet 9 month old last week in her home. She was a most hospitable host, and was all smiles especially when hearing her mom sing “The Wheels On The Bus”. I love my job.
-JG
