As much as I love the holidays and everything they encompass (friends, family, birthdays, my wedding anniversary and a whole lotta hockey!), I also look forward to taking a deep breath when it’s over and digging in to the new year.  January is a month of planning, inspiration and a lot of catching up!

This year I decided to do something that I’ve always wanted to do…a 365 Project (366 this year!).  A photo a day, for ME, every day.  In the past,  I’d start out with good intentions and then on January 4th I’d realize I’d already missed the first four days and, well, what was the sense in starting then?

Well, I’m happy to say that this year is different!   I picked up my camera on January 1st, took a photo for me, and have maintained it every day so far.  (yeah…I know…I’m only 8 days into it but I’m still feeling pretty good about it!)  It’s made me pick up my camera again for me and for my family.  I was at a place where I would, more often than not, choose to leave my camera behind when it came to my own family experiences.  I hate to admit it, but bringing my camera with me made me feel like I was ‘working’ and I just wanted to be present and part of whatever activity we were doing.  I am still mindful of that….of being a participant and not just the photographer….but I am also documenting our family more.

Oddly enough, it’s already had another effect on my family.  My kids, who are typically the first to turn away from the camera and groan, are now anxious to see which photo I pick for the day.  :)

Here are my photos from the first week (yes, I cheated twice….there are two photos represented on 2 different days.  I’ll work it out later!)  At this time of year most of my photos revolve around hockey.  With 3 kids playing on 2 teams each and a backyard rink it’s all hockey all the time for us!

My current process is a simple one….I shoot, pick the image of the day, save two files (one for print and one for facebook/blog).  Then I print a 13×19 image on my Epson Stylus Photo R3000 (a fabulous printer…particularly for b/w prints!), date the print along the bottom and add it to an archival storage box.  I have some other ideas when the project is over (a coffee table book, etc…) but for now, I’m doing the two things that I think are most important….saving a digital version and immediately PRINTING one so I have a hard copy.  (something I feel very strongly about…..it’s important to have PRINTS, not just files….of your images).

Check out the following links for more info on 365 Projects…

365 Project

365 Project Blog

photojojo

Flickr Group – Project 365

Digital Photography School – 52 Weekly Themes

If you haven’t started but wish you had, please don’t be like I was and throw in the towel because you didn’t take a photo on day one.  It’s NEVER too late to document the times, places, people, things, etc….that make up your daily life.   I highly recommend it!

Have fun!

And now it’s time.

Time to grow and expand the studio.  Time to form a team.

Interested?  Know someone that might be?  Read on!

ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHER(S)

A great opportunity for any photographer that loves the thrill and art of photography, capturing emotions, personalities and relationships….but doesn’t carry that same passion over into the marketing, sales, editing, etc….stages.   (if you are this person you know EXACTLY what we mean!)

The perfect candidate(s) for this position will have:

• a background in wedding and/or editorial photography  (and/or a STRONG desire to learn)
• the ability and flexibility to work under pressure
• a friendly and motivated personality
• the commitment to become part of a team
• availability on weekends
• reliable transportation
• professional gear and liability insurance required
• a great sense of humor

Is it you?  Are you the perfect associate photographer for the studio?  Please submit a cover letter, portfolio and references to jobs@staceykane.com.   (And hurry….we can’t wait to meet you!!)

SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN(S)

Are you addicted to blogs, websites, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc…etc…..?   Do you innocently search for a topic on Google only to find yourself deep into another topic, pages and pages and hours from where you originally started?   Is that you?  Oh…. you’re going to LOVE this position!

As our SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN(S) you will be responsible/have opportunities for:

• maintaining all social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, etc…
• researching topics and suggesting topics
• creating and developing content for our blog(s), including managing other contributors
• monitoring all social media for relevant topics and undiscovered audience members
• making recommendations based on feedback
• developing brand awareness
• creating press releases and publicity campaigns
• helping with the development of new blogs

As an intern extraordinaire,  you will need to be familiar with all major social media platforms so you can help us grow our audience and increase engagement. Superior writing in a casual tone and with a sense of humor is a great asset!

This will begin as an internship where you will gain substantial work experience and unlimited letters of recommendation for your efforts.  There is a strong possibility for a long-term paid position upon completion of internship.

If interested, please send a resume and brief description of why you’d be great for the job to jobs@staceykane.com

FYI…..   We have some BIG & EXCITING plans in the works….!!  ;)

STUDIO ASSISTANT

Here is the grab bag, jack-of-all-trades position!   The list of opportunities and activities associated with this position is endless…and fun!   Here are some (just to name a few):

• scheduling
• studio correspondence
• organizing
• studio decor and upkeep
• packing and shipping
• vendor relations
• community relations
• client care
• photo session assistance
• research
• studio event preparations
• possibility of travel
• etc…etc….etc…. (insert your own ideas here!  ;)  )

Candidates for this position must be focused, flexible, creative, friendly, patient …. and have a terrific sense of humor!  (we like to laugh a lot around here!)  If you are self-directed, organized and despise sitting still for any period of time please apply for this position by sending a resume and brief description of why you’d like to join our team to jobs@staceykane.com