Lain Eubank Photography

This little blog has been good

2010-06-17T20:49:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! After much thinking, chewing on pencil erasers, more thinking, and finally taking the plunge I have decided to move the blog! Yes I will actually be blogging more now and you can see all the life, love, relationships of my fabulous clients and a peak into my crazy life over at http://blog.laineubank.com

Drop by and say hello sometime! I would love to hear from you!

See y'all next week!

2010-04-22T00:49:00.009-05:00

I'm headed down to the hill country tomorrow to go see my grandmother, the other musketeers (aka my cousins), play with the kids (goats) and cows, eat tons of my grandmother's yummy food, see my Uncle Bobby Joe and Aunt Diann, laugh like crazy, have a ton of fun, say goodbye to one of my cousins who is moving, and take a ton of fun photos! I won't have internet while I am down there, so I will be answering emails and phone calls when I get back on Monday. Happy weekend!

Hugs,
Lain Eubank
www.laineubank.com
806.549.5711

Las Vegas Desert Shoot

2010-04-18T13:15:00.005-05:00

Hey Friends!

Here is a sneak peak of a photo shoot I have been working on getting edited and posted. The shoot took place outside Las Vegas NV, and was organized by that fabulous Victor Sizemore. I heard about this photo shoot and jumped at the chance to attend while I was in Las Vegas last month for the biggest photography convention on the planet, the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International convention at the MGM Grande.

Happy Sunday!

Hugs,
Lain Eubank
www.laineubank.com
806.549.5711

Monday Morning Wake Up with Kari Jobe

2010-04-17T01:10:00.003-05:00

I can't sing worth a flip. I'll admit that. No, really, I am pretty bad! But I still like to sing so I just turn the volume up enough that I can't hear my warbly, off tune self belting out whatever song I have playing at the time. hahaha.....
Kari Jobe's new self-titled CD is a personal favorite that I love starting off my morning with.
This morning is no exception. I'm Singing praises to my amazing Papa God.

Good morning beautiful friends. Happy Monday to you all!

Hugs,
Lain Eubank

Things I Like Thursday And Some Blatant Blog Bragging

2010-04-17T00:42:00.003-05:00

Because I don't brag about ShootQ enough already, I am going to brag on them some more on this edition of Things I Like Thursday.....on Saturday (Better late than never right?)

If you are a photographer, you absolutely must check out ShootQ. Just what is this amazing thing? Well the geniuses over at ShootQ already said it best. So straight off the ShootQ website, this is what they are all about:

Helping Photographers Succeed.

From Beginning to End

ShootQ is your virtual studio manager, assisting you from the moment a prospective client contacts you until the final product is delivered. ShootQ keeps your job leads and workflow organized, always reminding you what needs to be done next.

Your Customer Service Manager and Bill Collector

The versatility and automation of ShootQ has been developed with studios like yours in mind, allowing you to condense the responsibilities of many employees into one robust platform. ShootQ acts as your customer service manager by giving real time updates on production status through a client login area, keeping trivial interruptions to a minimum. Everyone stays informed with ShootQ's notes feature, allowing multiple employees to track conversations with clients so everyone is on the same page. Forget to bill your clients on occasion? No problem. ShootQ can automatically send email reminders to get your clients to pay. Your business will run so smoothly that your clients will think you've really got it together - and with ShootQ, you will!

Connect the Dots

Do you feel like you work in data entry instead of photography? Transferring customer information between your address book, calendar, invoicing software, proofing solution and album software? By using a web-based platform, ShootQ connects people and software together, so data is shared between your solutions.

I considered singing this next part set to a song from the Sound Of Music. But then I realized I can't rhyme or sing for that matter, so I just stuck with some good ol' writing. Count your lucky stars you were saved from my singing.

Without further ado or singing below are just a few of my very favorite things about ShootQ:

First off, ShootQ has pretty much changed the way I do business and for the better!! I can't tell you just how stress relieving it is to have (1) all my client's info and all correspondence neatly in one place, (2) have my booking process be quick, easy, and paperless, and (3) when I log in it remind me of the next step that I need to do to stay on track with my timeline for each client.

Before ShootQ, I had tons and tons of papers, contracts, printed out emails, etc, etc, etc, floating around he desk waiting to be put into my clients folders. I am pretty sure ShootQ has saved a few dozen trees from my mad printing skills! Now everything from contracts, billing, questionnaires, and even emails are all nice, neat, and stored in their place in each of my client's ShootQ folders. I particularly LOVE the email part of the system. Instead of having multiple email folders for each client, I just send any correspondence from my clients straight to their ShootQ folder whenever it comes through to my email. Total peace of mind knowing that if I need to find an email, all I have to do is log into ShootQ -no more frantically searching through thee mounds of emails in my inbox or sub-folders of sub-folders.

When I am booking a session, wedding, or event ShootQ lets me set up a payment plan for my clients and does all the figuring for me. It even sends email reminders for me when the next payment is due. It takes all the stress out of invoicing and keeps everyone happy and on track. When I enter a new event lead into ShootQ, it will check with all my calendar to see if I am free that date so I don't end up with an accidental double booking.

My merchant account is linked to my ShootQ account so all the transactions are process safely, securely and automatically without any help from me. AND I can download all my invoices straight into quickbooks. That's what I call "easy peasy lemon squeezy!" Oh, and my clients can view all their invoices, print receipts, and see their account balances inside their personal client portal anytime of the day or night.

Next up: ShootQ workflows and they are fabulous! Whenever I book and event in ShootQ, I have the option of assigning it a workflow. Th worflows are set up as a series of checklist on a timeline. The timeline clock starts the day the event is booked and counts down until the day of the event. Each morning when I log into ShootQ, a list appears on the main page telling that I need to, send a thank you card or a questionnaire for filling out, or prep a blog post for an event that I just photographed, or that today is the day that I edit and upload a session to Pictage. The workflows keep me from having to remember all the "next steps" on a daily basis so that I have brain power for other things. Sounds nice right? I can also add meetings or reminders to my task list and ShootQ will remind me of those things too.

And last but certainly not the least, the coolest feature yet! ShootQ keeps working even when I am not. On the plane ride to WPPI, I booked a shoot. While attending the Pictage Studio 54 Party at WPPI, I booked and event. While I was at a baseball game with a friend last week, wedding payments were made. There is now way on earth I could hire a studio manager to come into my business and do all this work for $40 a month. ShootQ never stops working for me.

I encourage you to at least try it out. There isn't a contract and the first 30 days are FREE, yep that's right F-R-E-E! So literally you have nothing to loose. And if you email me for an invitation to my ShootQ Club, I will let you email me for the first 30 days with any startup, setup, and ho-do-I-do-that questions. Interested yet? Shoot me and email at lain at laineubank dot com for an invite.

If you are a current ShootQ user, leave a comment and tell us what your favorite feature is. And if you are thinking about ShootQ, leave your questions and I'll hook ya up with some answers!

Happy ShootQing (yes ShootQing is a word even if spell check says it isnt!)

Lain

P.s. all images are from the ShootQ website.

Linda | Beautiful

2010-04-13T12:08:00.001-05:00

Hugs,
Lain Eubank | Photographer
www.laineubank.com
lain@laineubank.com
806.549.5711

Monday Morning Wakeup

2010-04-12T10:54:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday morning to you all!!

Here's a little something from Taylor Swift to get you waked up and dancing on this fine morning here in Lubbock Texas! I'm loving Taylor's new song and all the photography in this video

Hugs,
Lain
www.laineubank.com
lain@laineubank.com
806.549.5711

P.s. Yes I admit it. I really do like Taylor Swift's music. What can I say, I just love me some country music!

Cox Family | Beloved Life

2010-04-11T01:28:00.005-05:00

Hugs,
Lain
www.laineubank.com
lain@laineubank.com
806.549.5711

Brennan and Braden

2010-04-10T21:06:00.006-05:00

Hugs,
Lain
www.laineubank.com
lain@laineubank.com
806.549.5711

Someday When I Grow Up....

2010-04-09T23:05:00.007-05:00

I joke that my middle name should be Grace. The very irony if it was would be absolutely hilarious. You see, I am so very klutzy, especially when it comes to accidentally inflicting bodily harm to myself. I have learned to keep a supply of medical tape, band-aids, Alieve, and Antibiotic ointment with me particularly when I travel.
Don't believe I could be that klutzy? I give you the example of just this week:

For starters I decided to play ultimate frisbee with some friends on Sunday. Knowing me I should have known this was a bad idea. I successfully stopped a frisbee with my wrist which resulted in a glorious 2.5" oval, brown and purple, bruise so ugly it causes people to gasp in horror and exclaim, "Oh my gosh! What happened to your wrist!!" I decided a light jacket or long sleeves were a good choice to wear this week!

The next day, I managed to royally burn my hand on my curling iron which resulted in a penny sized bright red swollen blister that hurts like heck. It hurts because I manage to smash or scrap it at least half a dozen times a day.

Wednesday I smashed the joint on my right hand index finger while I was cleaning my house. Yes only me. Since I am right handed this has made my week interesting since I can't bend that finger very well. It really makes clicking my computer mouse and camera shutter button an adventure.

Earlier today, I stopped off at the post office to grab the mail. I was flipping through the usual assortment of bills and bank statements as I was walking towards the main door and that's when it happened. I had a total brain lapse and ran smack into the door. At this point I had to laugh at myself. I mean, geez, I ran into the front post office door in front of God and everyone!

And finally tonight, without thinking, I rubbed lotion into my blister that is now raw and open.

Someday when I grow up I hope not to be such a klutz....hahaha...until then I will keep a healthy supply of bandages and pain killers around and hope that someday my future children do not inherit my klutzy genes. And that they survive my klutziness for that matter!

I'm sincerely hoping the blowing party tomorrow with my cousin leaves me unscathed! Last time I went bowling I ripped a finger nail clean off. Don't ask me how that happened.

To all the klutzy people of the world, I salute you and I can say that literally I feel your pain.....at least I hope I'm not the only one!

Karly Lubbock 2010 Senior | Beautiful

2010-02-10T17:38:00.004-06:00

You might have seen Karly on the blog before with her sister's or niece, but this time she totally rockin' her own senior session! Here is a quick tease of her session yesterday out at the apples orchards near Lubbock. More to come later!

Back When We Were Stars

2010-02-08T15:26:00.001-06:00

If you don't mind, I would like to share a story with you. You see, I love stories probably more than anything. They are the best. If worded well, a story can take you on amazing adventures, to worlds never before explored, leave you sighing with delight over love you just experience, or have you gasping for breath just having narrowly escaped the clutches of danger.

This is a story a Friend told me not that long ago. Its not very long, but I think its one of my favorite stories ever. I really wish you could experience the story like I did when He told it to me. I will try my best to help you experience this story in the retelling, but you will have to use a bit of imagination and pardon my writing. I'm not a very good story writer you see. But anyhow, wrap up in a warm blanket, grab a steaming cup of coffee, and sit back while I tell you a story that happened centuries and centuries ago. Its a story about you and me. And really its a story about everyone.

When We Were Stars

The first thing I remember was simply that I was aware of my existence. I'm not sure really when I realized I existed and in fact I really didn't care. I was curled up in a little ball, floating on air. I didn't have a care or concern, I was totally content with where I was. I didn't really know where I was, but then again that didn't really matter either.

As I became more aware of my existence I began to feel. I slowly began to feel a tingling. It was a funny sensation I was not used to but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. At first I couldn't figure out what it was. I laid there quietly trying to focus on that feeling. The strange feeling stopped. I waited and then finally I felt it again.

"I don't think that feeling is coming from something outside me, I think its coming from me. It has to be coming from me, nothing is around me."

I began searching. The I saw something. It was strange, funny looking long pink thing with other little slender pink things sticking out from the end of it.

"Its, what is that? Its an arm. That's what they're called, arms. And I have got two of them."
I stretched out my arms and wiggled my fingers and smiled.

"Yes, yes! Silly me, I was feeling my arms and fingers move and I didn't even know it. Those are my arms" I thought. Beginning to feel a little more bold, I stretched and wriggles about a little.

"Legs and feet! I have those too!" They were the other part of the strange feeling I had earlier.

As I explored my arms and legs and wiggles my finger and toes I couldn't imagine what they would be used for.

"I'm floating. They're isn't a thing around me. This is so silly. What ever would I need arms and legs for. I think they are just going to get in the way and they are awkward!" I thought, "Oh well it doesn't really matter."

Just then I began to notice large dark smudges of color began invading my soft white surroundings. As I watched the smudges began to take shape and more colors appeared. Then a heard something. I don't think I have ever heard anything before, but yes, I knew this was a voice. I continued to simply lay there, warm and contented, while I watched the smudges and colors move and change shape. The voice continued to make sounds, some of which I could recognize as a word. Yes, I think that's what they are called, words.
After some time, thought I don't know how long because I really was not sure what time was or felt like or looked like, the shapes weren't blurry anymore. They had definite lines and looked as though they were solid things. One of the shapes kept moving. The voice was also coming from the moving shape.

By now I could understand most of what the voice was saying. I could tell it was really excited about what it was making.

"Yes! That's it! That moving shape down there looks like me! Or maybe I look like it. Well, we have arms and legs and finger and toes so that must mean we are alike." I thought to myself.
I'm not sure how I knew, but I knew the moving shape was making something. It was sitting at a tall work bench. The work bench was inside of something. I could now see the walls and the floor. The moving shape had its back to me because I couldn't see its face. I could feel that it was excited about what it was making. It kept reaching for different tools.

There were tools everywhere. Hanging in uneven rows within arms length of the moving shape. The shape would grab a tool, work for a few minutes, then pick up a small thin tool and hunch over the work bench and and carefully, slowly do some extremely delicate work. When it was satisfied it had done a good job on the part, it would pick up another tool and go to work again.

I was FASCINATED watching the moving shape! I couldn't see what it was working on but I knew it had to be wonderful! I kept hearing the shape's voice say things like, "Oh how I love this one!" the voice would almost shout. The in a quiet tone that was so gentle it would say, "I am especially fond of this one." The moving shape seemed to quiver and shake with excitement. The air tingled and vibrated from the moving shape's energy.
I never got tired of watching the moving shape. I knew that I could go on like this forever, just watching and listening.

Slowly I began to feel a tugging sensation. It wasn't strong at first, but I couldn't ignore it now. I began to panic. Something was trying to pull me away from my warm spot where I was floating up in the corner of the room! I reached for something to grab, anything would do, but my hands came up empty.

Everything went dark. For a terrible few minutes, I couldn't see anything but I could still feel the tugging. As I peered into the darkness, straining to see anything, I saw a dim light. It grew bigger and bright and I could see fuzzy shapes moving about.

As my vision cleared I saw for the first time the face of the moving shape. He was so gentle and kind. I realized I was laying in his lap. We were still sitting next to the work bench. His eyes were beaming. His lips parted in a smile that peeked out from behind a rough beard. Some of His hair fell down around his face as he held me in his strong muscled arms. The cloth that covered his body was homemade but soft. I had expected Him to be covered in wood dust maybe, but he wasn't. There were smudges and flecks of clay on the front of his shirt. His great big hands were rough from working with tools and building, but they were not unpleasant to the touch.

I began to settle down in my new environment and again, I felt safe and content laying in His arms. After a long moment He began to speak to me and I turned to look up into His deep, soft brown eye, "Hello my love. I made you, every last detail of you. You are perfect and you are Mine." Then in the most tender voice that was almost a whisper, with His eyes glistening with tears, He looked deep into my eyes said, "I am especially fond of you."

Texas, how weird thou art!

2010-02-04T23:31:00.006-06:00

I was eating out at Pei Wei's with a friend the other night and somehow our conversation turned to the weirdness of Texas - more specifically the never ending amusement that can be found by whipping out a Texas map and reading off the names of obscure little Texas towns.

"My friends and I took a trip to East Texas and since its a 6.5 hr drive we entertained ourselves with reading the names of all the ridiculous little towns around Texas. I mean Kickapoo! Really, if I lived in a town named Kickapoo I couldn't say my town name without laughing. I mean the town name has POO in it!"

At Laura's last statement I almost choked on my honey glazed chicken and rice. Needless to say much laughter ensued.

Its true, Texas has a wondrous array of charming, odd, weird, funny and highly entertaining town names that, well, make you wonder just how in the heck they were named that way. For your amusement and consideration I give you:

Maud
Mineola
Desdemonia
Seymour (pronounced See-More)
Smiley
Ben Bolt
Tomball
Tarzan
Austonio (One would think Austonio would be between Austin and San Antonio. If one did, then one would be wrong. It's between Houston and Dallas (Houston County).
Point Blank
Cut and Shoot
Gun Sight
Gun Barrel City
What can I say, we Texans like our guns and are proud of it!
Munday
Hot Coffee
Raisin
Oatmeal
Noodle
Kickapoo
Fluvanna
Latexo
Fink
Grit
Lawn
Nada
Voca
Zorn
Arp
Needmore
Jot 'em Down
Nameless
Study Butte
Looneyville
Notrees (One of my personal favorites)
Bug Tussle
Chocalate Bayou
Hoop and Holler

Do you live in a town with a funny name or know of one nearby? Leave your funny town name in the comment box, I would love to hear it!

Winter Desktop Wallpaper

2010-02-04T21:59:00.002-06:00

It was 2 days after the winter storm blew through Lubbock, leaving the whole town shivering and covered in a brilliant white layer of snow and ice. When I woke up that morning I could hear the rapid sound of water dripping of the eaves of the house in a rhythmic, drip, drip, drip, drip sound.

I hopped out of bed, and drew back the curtains to look outside. The sky was a brilliant cerulean blue. The sun, unobstructed by the Grey clouds of the previous two day, put on a show of special brilliance. It was as if it was saying, "You might be able to keep me away for a few days, but now I will show you just how bright I can be!" Its warm rays beat down on the snow and ice. Beams of light bounced and reflected off every inch of the ice covered world outside.

Since the roads were now clear, I jumped at the chance to head to the gym. The bi-polar Lubbock weather had kept me from safely venturing out the last few days and I was beginning to feel like a caged animal. Quickly pulling on some gym shorts, a t-shirt, and my running shoes I snatched my keys and headed for the door.

Despite the fact the sun was now out, the cold air hit me like a ton of bricks as I stepped outside. Running to my car, I noticed the ice covered trees. They were dazzlingly brilliant. The trees looked like they had millions of diamonds clinging to their branches. Knowing the ice would probably be melted in an hour or two, I shivered and ran back inside for my camera.

For the next 20minutes, I stood outside in the snow in my little black gym shorts snapping away at the trees. Yes, I probably looked crazy to those passing by, but whatever.

All the images are desktop size and resolution. Feel free to download them to give your desktop a new look.

Karly | Model

2010-02-02T23:49:00.006-06:00

A special thanks to Karly, one of my 2010 seniors, for modeling the custom gray felted hat designed and made by Michaela Proper.

I am NOT a morning person

2010-02-02T22:52:00.000-06:00

My Mom is a greeting card fanatic no question about it. If you don't believe me I will show you the overflowing file of greeting cards she keeps in the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet. I think if buying greeting cards was an Olympic sport, she'd win gold. Hands down, no doubt about it. I have know my mother to spend an hour at a store reading and laughing profusely at one of the dozen or so cards she has in her hand. And even on the rare occasion I have known my mother to buy that PERFECT birthday card for a friend as much as a year in advance. No kidding. One July afternoon, mom walked in from the store, eyes sparkling and a wide beaming smile and made the announcement, "I can't wait to give you our birthday card! I found it today and its PERFECT!!" My birthday is in January.

Another example of just how much greeting cards make my mom days is from last Christmas when mom and I were out Christmas shopping on afternoon. Mom and I happened on a cute little shop that had a line of greeting cards Mom loved but had only seen on in shops on the East coast. At one point while mom was laughing over the cards, a shop employee walked over to see if mom was ok. You see, mom was laughing so hard the cute little college aged employee thought mom was crying. That's how much mom loves cards that make you laugh until you cry. Rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-until-you-cry, cards-that-are-JUST-MADE-FOR-YOU, because-laughs-are-the-best-present greeting cards are just her thing. Its one more thing on the list of a thousand things that make Mom fabulous.

In the past two months, I have gotten two of those cards myself. I think I see a pattern emerging. What can I say, Mom knows me best!

I am pretty sure if I looked through photos of when I was a kid, I would find one that looks similar to the one above.

Josh, Lauren, Autumn, and Emily

2010-01-29T21:31:00.016-06:00

Lauren, Josh, Autumn, and Emily spent a few hours with me having some family portraits taken last fall. And today I received this note incredibly sweet note in the mail from Lauren. I have crazy fabulous clients.

Lain,

I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank you again for the wonderful pictures you took of our family. I am so thankful for the way you captured out family. Many of our friends and family members have complimented your work. God has given you a gift!

Thanks again - & God bless you.

Lauren and family

If you would like to book your own session, shoot me an email at lain@laineubank.com or give me a call at 806.549.5711. I'll love to meet you!

XO,
Lain

Hello World!

2010-01-26T11:34:00.005-06:00

Hey Blog World, Friends and Family!

You have probably noticed I've been absent for quite awhile. Some not so nice things happened last fall that shook my resolve and caused me to question whether I would ever pick up a camera again. Not wanting to give up on a dream but lacking any desire to pursue it, I decided to take a few months off for some personal time, space to think, and evaluate where my business is and ultimately what my greatest desire is when it came down to photography.

After some time I can finally say I'm super excited about the things God has been teaching and showing me. I can't really say that all the experiences of the past months were great to experience at the time. But now on the other side of those growing experiences I see Papa uses everything for good of His children and turns tears into laughter, joy, and beautiful things. Many good, wonderful and exciting things are coming for this little world of Lain Eubank Photography and I can't wait to share and experience them all with you!

Because I love music so much, I would like to leave you with a few songs that spoken volumes to me in the past few months. I hope you can enjoy them as much as I did.

I'm Singing by Kari Jobe

Everything Glorious by David Crowder

Love,
Lain

Add Some Flava to Your Desktop!

2009-10-27T18:21:00.005-05:00

I was going through some files of photos on one of my backups and I found a folder of photographs I took earlier this year when I was in Charlotte NC. After a workshop on the coast I headed up to the Myers Park area of Charlotte to stay with a friend for a couple of days. I don't think I have had a more fun afternoon the one I spend walking around the neighborhood photographing any and everything that caught my eye.

Here are a few fun low resolution photos from my time in Charlotte, NC. to change up your desktop. Simply rght click on the image and and choose 'Set as desktop background'

Enjoy!

I LOVE Christmas Cards!

2009-10-27T14:44:00.004-05:00

Yes, Christmas is definitely my favorite occasion to celebrate and its already on its way to Lubbock Tx! I would go as far as saying I love Christmas even more than birthdays and 4th of July. One thing I love most about the holidays is the Christmas cards and photos of all my friends I have not seen in ages. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without festive cards and smiling faces from all my friends in far off place.

Here is a sneak peak at some of this year's holiday card designs!

If you are interested in booking your holiday mini session with me here in Lubbock, you can do so by emailing me at lain@laineubank.com or calling me at 806.549.5711.

HOLIDAY MINI SESSIONS:
1 hrs on location
30 images fully retouched
Images in a private view/ordering gallery for 2 weeks
Free custom holiday card desing

Prints, albums, and canvas wraps make the perfect gift for those hard to buy for parents and grandparents. Space is limited so call to book your session soon!

And the winner is.......

2009-10-14T21:59:00.006-05:00

Soooo the big announce is finally here! Sorry it is a day late, but I wanted to my new mentee to be the first to know.

In case you missed my last couple of posts this last week, I opened up a mentoring opportunity for one of my fellow photographers. I was so humbled by how many photographers left comments and emailed me. It was hard to pick just one person for this mentorship. I really wish I could have picked you all. Thank you all for taking the time to write me emails and leave comments on my blog. You all are a group of awesome creatives.

I feel fairly certain that I will continue offering mentorships in the months and years to come. So if you were not picked this time around, keep going and don't give up on what you are doing! Check back every 6 months or so and another mentoring opportunity may just pop up!

without further ado..........................

Meet my fabulous and awesome new mentee..........................

Shanna Russell!

I was super excited when I read the email Shanna sent me last week answering my questions about why she would be a good fit for the mentorship. Congratulations Shanna, the mentorship opportunity is yours. I am stoked about the months to come!

I have to say I am really in awe at modern technology. If it were not for email, vonage, and skype, and Facebook this mentorship would not be possible seeing as Shanna is living in England right now. It just goes to show that no matter where you are, today there are unlimited means to reach out, make new friends and build relationships.

Uptain Family | Beloved Life

2009-10-04T18:24:00.009-05:00

Happy Sunday from this Lubbock Texas Photographer!

About a week ago I has the pleasure of doing a family holiday photo session here in Lubbock with the Uptain family. This family is totally awesome because they live in the country, have 2 big ol' farm dogs, love to ride horses together, and totally know how to rock western outfits! For their session they brought out the boots, fancy belts, spurs, their 3 horses, and or course the "boys" sported their stetson!

There is nothing more natural and fun for my clients than to have their session take place at a comfortable location doing something that is fun for the entire family! And this session was super fun for that very reason because David, Julie, Jordan and Ella decided to have their photo session take place at their house riding horse. I absolutely love it when clients want to have their photographs taken at their house. It's was so fun to be invited into their world for an afternoon to capture them having fun and being a family. Thanks Uptain family for allowing me the honor of stepping into your world for a day to capture your beautiful family!

If you are interested in a holiday session for your family, you can Contact Me through my website, email me directly at lain@laineubank.com, or give me a call at 806.549.5711.

Contest: 6 months of FREE business mentoring!

2009-10-02T19:12:00.008-05:00

photo by Lynsey Jones Photography

Here's the chance you have been waiting for! You have been searching, hoping, and wanting someone to and help you take your business to the next level, now is that time! Are you ready to get your business off the ground and in order? I can help! This contest is for my fellow photographers who are looking for a personal one-on-one business mentor. I am holding a contest to find one person that I will mentor for six months for FREE... Yes, FREE!

Over the next 6 months I will take you through the step to learn how to run your business and everything in between! You do not need to be local, you can be from any part of the country to enter this contest. All the mentoring calls and assignments will take place via phone calls, skype, and email correspondence. All I ask of you is that you have the drive and excitement to learn and a strong desire to grow as a professional photographer.

To be considered for this mentorship, post a comment or shoot me an email at lain@laineubank.com about WHY I should pick you! At the close of the contest I will read the comments and pick the one I think is best! The contest will come to a close October 10th - just 7 days from today! Your comment does not need to be long, just powerful! Be sure to include a link to your blog or website if you have one. Also make sure to include in your comment a way for me to contact you (email or phone number)

The finalist will be selected the following week and will receive a 15min phone interview with me. The winner will be announced October 14th.

Can't wait to meet you!

Lain

Conversations With Papa

2009-09-05T12:30:00.006-05:00

I was reading through my friend David Esquire's blog this morning and came across one of his posts with this quote in it.

"People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be
shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind.
Think BIG anyway

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack if you help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway."

- Anonymous

I cannot tell you just how true this quote is. Especially this last week in my life has proved that. Papa (my favorite name for God) has been teaching me that it does not matter what people say, do, how they respond, or how they treat me, what matters the most is doing His will and following His word. Yes, it may make me unpopular, I may loose friends, people may get angry with me, and even hate me. At other times though, they are loved, they are blessed, and they are helped, and they are healed.

In the last few months, Papa has taught me that I can't judge a situation and say it is good or bad based on people's attitudes and response. I can't see what He is doing in them. I can only follow His leading and speak the words He gives me and trust the rest up to Him. Ultimately nothing matters except Papa. So I do whatever He has asked me to anyway.....

Along the road of this journey, Papa has blessed me with some of the most amazing friends and incredible experiences. I would not trade a single one of the hard times and trying experiences for an easier road. They have built my faith, strengthen my relationship with Papa, blessed me in so many ways, and made me who I am today and I rather like me.

So I will do whatever He has asked me to anyway....

On the road again!

2009-08-16T09:35:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! I am hitting the skies again! This time I am heading to Las Vegas for Skip's Summer School www.mei500.com I won't be answering email or phone calls until I return thursday. Have a fantastic week!