1000 “Likes” Contest

LAURA TURNBULL PHOTOGRAPHY·THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017

Greetings all. I am so excited about this 1000 "Like" milestone. It probably seems silly to most, but it is a marker of sorts for me. Please take a moment to read.  I put my heart into this.

It has been 2 1/2 years since my dad died.  I have had lots of ups and downs.  It’s about the memories. Mom always encouraged my photography.  She loved taking photos also.  Always allowing me use of her camera when I was a kid.  Then 23 years ago, mom died of cancer.  Who am I?  Simply speaking, on the business side, I just didn’t know what to do with myself.  I would do some photo shoots, then I would take time off again. Up and down. Who am I? Am I a photographer, really? Can I pull this off as a business? Am I wasting time? I would go months without touching my camera.  Because every time I picked up that camera I was reliving a memory of mom or dad.  Whether consciously or subconsciously.  And it hurt.  A lot.  I considered quitting photography completely.  An image may make me smile, laugh, or cry.  I was afraid. Tired & afraid of the pain.  Afraid of succeeding? No.

I pondered that thought many a night.  Aside from a few years working for my husband during tax season and doing nanny work the last 4 plus years, I have always been my own boss. I shot my first wedding at 16 by myself, did house cleaning jobs, home party sales, endless ideas of what I could do or make at home. Being my own boss while still taking care of my mommy duties.  My husband has said numerous times through the years "that I don't know when to quit." 'That I have a one track mind and won't get an idea out of my head.'  He's right. It's a blessing and a curse as they say.  It is the entrepreneurial side of me that won't give up and keeps trying to figure out how to make this work. 

But I am not afraid anymore.  I am excited and ecstatic. Booking jobs. Reaching out.  Volunteering to do free photo shoots.  That helps me and the other person.  And that is a good thing.  Writing notes to myself, thoughts, do this try that. I am becoming me again. Gradually, you will see it again and realize that I am back. 

Photos truly are time capsules. Every image I shoot has emotion & a memory of some sort tied to it. It connects me to it.  This “silly” little contest for me tells me ‘Yes, you can be the photographer you want to be.’  It means I have healed a lot and that every emotion I feel from past images and memories I will always see in my head, are safe in that little time capsule, that little box.  My box of memories.

And that all the new emotions and memories I see in all of the events I photograph from this point on, ARE a stepping stone, a path of stones that I needed to lay out & step on one at a time to keep me reaching out & pushing myself. I have much to say, but just this for now.

On the technical side, my page says in the past 28 days my “likes” have gone up 325%. That is a commendable number for sure.

And thank you truly for being a part of this adventure with me. Thank you for helping me.  Every “like” is one more stone down my photographic path. This note should help you understand me maybe a little bit more.  But we all know that those "likes" are not what gets any of us down our own path. It's us.

Wholeheartedly,

Laura Turnbull

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]]> (Laura Turnbull Photography) children little boys busy https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2015/6/sometimes-you-just-have-to-dance Mon, 08 Jun 2015 03:08:43 GMT https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2015/6/this-little-guy-enjoys-life

]]> (Laura Turnbull Photography) https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2015/6/this-little-guy-enjoys-life Mon, 08 Jun 2015 03:07:26 GMT https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2015/5/quite-a-little-character

]]> (Laura Turnbull Photography) https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2015/5/quite-a-little-character Tue, 19 May 2015 05:16:05 GMT https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2015/5/corbridge-family

     Something I have had difficulty with for the past 3 years,( there I said it), is deciding on a Logo for my business. We have several photographers locally named Laura as well and some of us like the same colors and I simply did not want it to appear as if I was being a little copycat. Lol. I know these ladies would not have been offended by a similar logo. We are all different people with different skill sets and different photographic specialties. Meanwhile, I have been biding my time, always pondering the logo issue. Sketching and doodling on scraps of notebook paper as one does when a thought hits you. Yet never in a hurry to decide. That fault is mine alone and lies solely with me.

     And then there is branding?  How, what in the world to choose??  My mind would just spin. What to do? So, I took the easy way out and just put the decision off. I have been reading about what specific colors signify in business and will probably use that as a guideline. But I won't use a color I consider horribly ugly just for the sake of its meaning. I don't consider that being true to myself.

     I have taken several photography workshops this spring and wouldn't trade that experience and knowledge for anything.  We all learn at different paces and in different ways. Sometimes family circumstances prevent us from plowing ahead with our new found knowledge because our mind and heart are being pulled to take care of those necessities. The back burner is there for a reason, to set things down that don't have to be immediately handled. It is not that those things are unimportant, it is just that they can take a breather and cool off while we focus on the most important things.

    Blogging is another aspect of the business that I would like to spend more time doing. I have always loved to write and it is truly therapeutic and can be quite calming. Calmness is a necessary trait.

    My plan is by the end of the week to have accomplished these long sought after goals and in many ways...........start again.

Laura

I am so looking forward to the changes I have in mind. A better website, a simpler workflow, and alot more joy to do what I love! Exciting times in my near future and I hope you will join me on my path!

Have a great weekend and keep warm!

Laura Turnbull

I just opened this sweet girl's photo gallery today. We had a fun session and got alot of great shots! Kaylia totally rocked her session!

]]> (Laura Turnbull Photography) https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2013/10/a-bashful-pose Thu, 17 Oct 2013 02:46:55 GMT https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2013/10/a-new-cousin

]]> (Laura Turnbull Photography) https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2013/10/a-new-cousin Thu, 17 Oct 2013 02:46:06 GMT https://www.lauraturnbullphotography.com/blog/2012/11/-girls-just-wanna-have-fun

Today, was a glorious day. But  WHAT   do 2 moms on the loose about town do to unwind? Get a massage?   Spa day, mani-pedi?  Nah!  A day for 2  friends to drive with the windows down, music blaring, https:// brucespringsteen.net/, & we met the "the most interesting man in the world". This New Yorker article sheds some light on who he is. Kinda cool.       http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/02/07/110207ta_talk_paumgarten Where, pray tell?  Where else?   At the Central Mall ;)    Thinking about 80's music that reminded you for a while that your 40's aren't so bad. Finally, a day to not think about the stresses and just be. But Oops, Lana wanted a donut, but alas Russell's had already sold out. We were too slow. :(  local.yahoo.com/info-26477705-russell-s-donuts-lawton   Cuz they are just that good!!   THANK YOU RUSSELL'S!  What to do?  No worries, we pressed on and laughed a lot and she thought I sat awfully close to the steering wheel for having such long legs. And the pitiful fact that I was wearing short red and white polka dot socks because I couldn't find any knee socks, was a source of conversation while we ate the gummy worms that I had in the van.   www.candywarehouse.com/candy-type/gummy.../gummi-worms/ Lawton, Oklahoma gave us a goreous day to be out and about.www.travelok.com/. Here are some shots from our adventure together. Livin la vida loca

     Double checking homework times 4 kids is a lot but their dad and I had a system going and it worked for us. Having a copier at home was handy when one triplet forget part of their homework. Time doesn't stop though. There were projects, and homework that could not be done while at school, that one still baffles me, endless supplies of Kleenex are needed for these people, not to mention the hand sanitizer. But spending time together, laying in bed reading with them for those final few sleepy moments, priceless.

      Always an essay to write, especially as they got older. And they were very hard workers too. But I'm here to tell you those days go by too quickly. I wish I had them back.  When you are tired and have practiced those spelling words 50 times, go over them one more time. You won't regret it.

      So as this fall gets started, look for the little details, take notice of all the ways our children help us out. Even if we asked one of them 10 times to please take out the trash. What they did for us, whatever it was, was necessary, and it helped YOU as the parent and taught the CHILD a lesson in return. Despite a possible grumble or two, our child was actually happy to come to our aid.  And they will remember it.  How it made you feel and most importantly, how it made them feel.

     And what is fall without those "Friday Night Lights"?  Take time to enjoy them with your family. Turns out football plays on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and sometimes Thursday. Dare I say, lol?  And this Season opened for me on a Wednesday. Try to remember all the things you did as a kid or wished your parents had taught you. Maybe this fall is the time to take advantage of that.