Mystery Diagnosis - Michael Iniguez

My good friends, Stuart and Sherrill Iniguez and their son Michael were featured on Mystery Diagnosis last night on the Oprah Winfrey Network. We first met when we both enrolled our kids in preschool, they are 20 now so we've known them for a long time. At one point we both lived in Petaluma and frequently socialized together. I miss them very much living in Texas now.

I remember emailing back and forth while her son was recuperating and her telling me the events of her son's illness and how he almost died. But to see their story on tv was so surreal and it just hit home so much more. I was crying thru the segment and wished I was home in Petaluma to have been able to offer my love and support.

I want to take this opportunity to educate people on Lemierre's Syndrome. This is the disease that Michael had and took a specialist to diagnosis it. And thank God he did, otherwise he would have died in the next several days.

It's a blood clot in the neck caused by bacteria and it slowly loosens up and runs through your entire bloodstream. First symptom is a sore throat, followed by fever, ammonia and then organ failure and you become septic. It's very rare and why several doctors could not diagnosis him.












Here is the link to the show: http://www.oprah.com/own-mystery-diagnosis/mystery-diagnosis.html

I pray that you never have to experience this for yourself.

Kim Hoegger Home

I have some of the most talented, amazing clients and I just love to share stories about them. I first met Kim Hoegger two years ago when she was referred to me to photograph her oldest son's senior portraits. We hit it off immediately and I have since photographed her daughter's senior portraits, their family portraits and executive head shots for her husband's company. We have worked quite a bit together and it's always a joy and a pleasure.

When the whole family came into my studio last year I was immediately in awe of how much their family laughed, joked, and loved each other. And we are talking Teenagers! They were a joy to photograph and I wanted to bottled up her motherhood skills! Doesn't this family look like it that truly cares and loves each other?

She recently has taken on a new adventure by opening up a wonderful home store in downtown Rockwall. What makes her store unique is that it's an all in one kind of place to shop. She offers Lattes, the best baked goods ever - and yes I know first hand how good they taste lol, women's clothing, shoes, jewelry, baby's clothes, candles, picture frames, furniture, dishware, and hard to find one of a kind items. Lot's of vintage too, which I love.

Kim is a very talented Interior Designer who received her Bachelors Degree of Fine Arts with a minor in Architecture from the University of North Texas. She Graduated in 1987 and began working in the Hospitality field as a Hotel Designer as soon as she graduated. She still continues to work as an Interior Designer if you have a room that needs a face lift.

I hope you take advantage and stop by her store and say hi, have a cup of coffee or tea, sit and chat with friends and of course partake in my favorite activity - SHOP!

Her tag line is: "Kim Hoegger HOME will deliver a very uncommon market." I LOVE THAT!

Kimhoeggerhome.com

She is located at:

Historic Downtown Square

106 S. Goliad

Rockwall, Tx 75087

972-722-9995

Meet Kim

PPA's Imaging 2011 Convention

I was one lucky girl to have just spent the last 4 days in beautiful San Antonio where I attended the Professional Photographer's Association Annual Convention. Every year I look forward to attending classes, working the trade show, and I always have fun.

I've been attending conventions for over 15 years and I truly believe you should never stop learning. If I just pick up one great tip/lesson per class I'm a happy camper. But, I have a confession: the best part of the convention is networking and meeting other photographers. As a whole we have a wonderful profession. We are generous in sharing our knowledge and genuinely enjoy connecting and I have a blast. I must say, some of my best friends are photographers.

What other profession willingly and joyfully mentors and teaches your competition? Why do you think they aren't very many magicians? lol So... A big huge thank you to all of those that have shared and have mentored me over the years and now I enjoy mentor others. I can't take without giving back! Thank you Jon Allyn, Robert Pierce and Marilyn Garry Mulkeen. Love you.

I also love working with Graphic Authority at the trade show. I must have talked to over 100 photographers and some of those that I have meet at the booth are now my friends.

Life is wonderful, go enjoy and share!

Right Brain / Left Brain

Last night I attended the local Dallas Professional Photographer's Meeting and the topic was on print competition. The very talented and entertaining speaker was Larry Lourcey. He talked about coming up with original ideas and how important it is to be creative. And that some people enter images that are not creative or have impact and their prints will not score well in competition. That some people should just not be photographers. I thought to myself, how lucky I am because I consider myself a very creative person. I would be crushed if I was told that I'm not cutting it as a professional photographer.

This made me start thinking about what it is that makes some people creative and others not. It's that whole Right Brain/Left Brain theory that came to mind. So I did a little research this morning and yep... I'm very much Right Brained. Of course, a little "Left" is in there too. My whole family talked about the characteristics of each personality type. We decided that my husband and daughter are Left Brained while my son and I are Right Brained. We had a good laugh over, "OMG mom is that why you are such a spaz?"

There are many articles on the web about RB/LB. Check some out for fun.

This is what I found:

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images

present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

Signs of Change

It's so much fun setting up all the decoration with the spirit and excitement the upcoming holiday Season brings, I love this time of year starting in the fall with the temperature finally cooling down from those hot Texas summers, the changing of the leaves, and the approach of the blessed Holiday Season and the start of the New Year. .

Well what goes up must come down, this past weekend my family did the yearly ritual of taking down the Christmas Tree, the wreaths hanging on all the doors, the garland on the staircase, the Manger set, and rereading all the wonderful Christmas cards and pulling a side the picture Christmas Cards which I keep every year. But more significantly to me the taking down of the Christmas decorations always get me to start reflecting on the start of the New Year, NFL Playoffs/Superbowl and upcoming Photography Conventions and Trade Shows.

Another favorite time of the year for me... if you follow my blog you know how much I love football and baseball... I love the playoffs, and I look forward to all the big Photography Conventions. They all happen within the first few months of the year. I love seeing what is current, the new options to offer my clients, and participating in all of the excitement.

As photographers I think it is extremely important to stay current and to see all of our options available at the trade shows. This weekend I leave for San Antonio for PPA's biggest convention. (Professional Photographers of America which I have been a member of since 1989!) It's non stop networking, trade show and classes.

I can't wait to see what I come home with. Stay tuned. lol

Graphic Authority Commercial

I was thrilled when Graphic Authority asked me to participate in their commercial. Landon Day and Deborah Winnett were in the commercial with me and they did an awesome job. We had a lot of fun working on this project.

I could never endorse a product I didn't believe in or love using so I was very happy to lend my name to Graphic Authority's products. Thank you Charlie Mosher (the owner) for the wonderful products that make my life so much easier. The commercial was produced by Ross Hockrow with Fusion Cinema. Ross did great job.

Note to self - next time don't sit on a swirling chair!

Thank You!

With the start of 2011 you can't help but look back on 2010. I hate to say it but I'm happy to see 2010 go and I'm really looking forward to 2011. The old saying "If you don't have your health you don't have anything", is so true. I never really thought about that saying because I have always been healthy. Well, I was very sick for about 6 month and I thought I was tough. I've learned that I'm not! Luckily, I'm back on my feet and ready to live life again.

I want to thank my regular clients for hanging in there with me, sending me flowers, the phone calls, and writing notes. You guys are the best and are the reason I love what I do. When you are appreciated for your time and talent it makes all the difference and makes me what to work even harder for my fabulous clients.

I have a lot of great clients, but in this post I want to give a shout out to John, Debbie, Carrisa and Katrina! I feel a strong connection to this family and have absolutely loved watching the girls grow up. They are my longest running clients at around 20 years. I have photographed their wedding, her sister's wedding, both pregnancies, and the children and/or family every year for the last 17 years. This spring will be 18 years with Carrisa's High School Senior Portraits!

They both could be professional models. They are beautiful on the inside and out and know how to pose! It's always a joy to photograph them. The biggest challenge is coming up with new ideas and locations every year.

Here we are from their latest session. Love you girls!

Thank you!