It's true, my holiday is almost over. How do I know? I got my notice from the Ministry of Finance today, asking me to pay up my PST.

Waaaaahhhhh!

Sorry. I'm just sad that the Christmas season is drawing to a close. I'll be back at work next week, and I've got a few shoots lined up in the coming while, so I will be posting new stuff again!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Given the last week or so has been spent with a lot of reflection, finding that some things change, and others stay the same, and how some change comes along all of a sudden (Congrats to my friends Cheryl and Hiroo who welcomed their baby girl into the world today!), I am determined to try to have a more positive outlook on the world! Giving thanks for the things that have shaped me into the person I am today, including all of my past (including Lite Brites!) and thanking everything that happened in 2013, both good and bad.

I hope you all have a safe, healthy and prosperous 2014!

I apologize for SERIOUSLY slacking off in the posting department, but Christmas season being what it is, I've been a bit busy as of late. But today is my birthday! And I have been getting a flood of notes of people wishing me well!

So I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you well! I hope everyone is having a great week and that you'll all have a fantastic 2014!

Wherever you are, whatever your family looks like (blood or chosen), whether you celebrate Christmas or not, may your holiday season be filled with joy, peace and happiness, surrounded by those you love! All the best in 2014!

Yay! We got Hart in for a picture!!
So as is tradition, continuing with the theme of celebrations, Halcyon had a little get-together last night for our little Christmas party. Celebrating being done a heavy concert season, jobs well done and the chance to relax and enjoy each other's company for a change. Plus, as there are several new members in the choir this year, we made a point to play some get-to-know-you games while we were at it. It was tons of fun, and I even set up a little photobooth. Too bad some people took off too fast to make use of it! Plus, as our space ended up being somewhat co-opted, I had to work in a tiny hallway so I didn't have a lot of room to work. But we still had a lot of fun and here are just a few examples of some of my favourites...

It is the time to celebrate, isn't it? It's the first day of winter, and you know what that means... with the Solstice, comes the knowledge that the days are going to be getting longer again! And I don't know about you, but I'm getting quite eager for more sunlight hours.

Even if you don't celebrate Christmas at this time of year, it is still a time of year when many gatherings of many sorts occurring. And I will blame these gatherings, in part, on my inability to post more on here!

Just last night, after a somewhat anxiety inducing dress rehearsal only 3 hours earlier, Halcyon performed with Tenore (rhymes with "Amore" and not to be confused with Il Divo) - If you are looking for some Christmas Music to help you get into the season, this group might be just up your alley. Check out their website here. One reason to celebrate? While there were technical difficulties at the opening of the show, Halcyon was able to step up and help out, performing one of our favourite choruses from the Messiah, "And the Glory of the Lord". While we weren't supposed to do it until the beginning of the second half, we ended up replacing THAT with one of MY favourite Messiah Choruses, "For Unto Us A Child is Born." Page 62 is the best! And while the technical difficulties early on had a few people tied up in knots, it ultimately ended up (to me anyway) making it easier to relax. Sometimes that's the beauty of live performances. For the audience, it helps to humanize the performers. And sometimes you get a few laughs out of it too!

Afterward, I hit Brewsters with a few friends from the choir and had a nice, relaxed visit with shared sensibilities. As they say, all good things must come to an end, and at midnight I was still pulling work together for a client meeting for this morning with Brittany and Andrew. I always appreciate it when clients have considered what they want for their wedding photography ahead of time, and with a few months to spare, this young couple know what they want and know the value in hiring a professional. Plus, Brittany is also a former member of Halcyon!

Another reason to celebrate? I received my Square reader today! What does that mean for you, dear reader? It means that I am now able to accept Credit Cards for Payments, Visa, Mastercard and Amex!

And finally, with only 4 more sleeps til Christmas, it is the time of year when we actually spend quality time together. And regardless of your beliefs, quality time with family is always a good thing.

So it's your turn: What will you be celebrating in the coming days?

It seems to me that this whole social media network is not unlike the London Underground that Josh's family visited together - it's huge and complicated and scary (or at least it was to a small-city girl like myself!). Finding my way through London, just this past fall, was a daunting task to be sure. I felt lost at every turn and winded too (well, only once, upon trying to exit a turn-style where I didn't realize you were supposed to surrender your ticket when leaving. I got that metal arm to the gut but good!).

But scary as it was, I did manage to get where I was going. And I am confident that I will get there, somehow, with all the social media sites I'm on too. And if you're like me, and the whole thing makes your palms go clammy and beads of sweat form on your brow, you might want to seek out the help of Brandi Good, of BLG Business Solutions. Brandi has an excellent article here about navigating through social media sites and knowing which might be important to you and how sometimes _less_ is more.

If you are looking for professional images to use for your web presence though, I can totally help you with that! Just fire me a note at [email protected] to set up an appointment - we can tailor the photos to best represent you and your business! Or, if you're looking for family photos? We'll work together to make images that best show you as you are at this moment in your life, whether you've just returned from overseas, or there are other big events going on in your life!

So in the same vein as my post yesterday, wanting to change things up a bit, I've been toying with the idea of trying Etsy out again, in order to sell some of my art cards/prints. Though some research suggests that a Big Cartel site might actually be a bit more practical.

At any rate, I'm trying it out, though I need to get more inventory onto the site. But it's up! It's running! I'm hoping to get more stuff posted closer to Christmas! But if you need some last minute Christmas cards to send...
Check it out!
http://www.andreanorbergphotography.bigcartel.com/

Maybe not so much, but I've got your attention now, right?

It is not, likely, the end of the World coming, but the end of the year definitely is, and as such, some changes and renewals and new pushes for business are right around the corner. As such, I'm looking for YOUR input! What would YOU like to see more of in this blog?

I've also been thinking about possibly having themes for each day of the week, to get a bit creative with my postings. Themes such as:
    - Meaningful Mondays (posts not all photography related, but with musings about ongoing work on myself or major projects going on in my little world)
    - Tip Tuesdays (tips for the viewer/reader on how to make the most out of your photo sessions)
    - Wisdom Wednesdays (too similar to Mondays?)
    - Thursday Throwbacks (in the same vein as Facebook/Twitter postings, showing some old work that may or may not be as glowing as I once thought!)
    - Friday Favourites (pretty self explanatory)
    - Saturdays Behind the Scenes (partly because I'd like to get into the habit of capturing some b-t-s images of my work to remind me of the good times, and the things to work through...)
    - Selfie Sundays (One Selfie of whatever I happen to be wearing/doing/seeing once a week)

Which of these ideas spark your interest?

I have been cursing mother nature fairly regularly the last week or two. And while the cold is REALLY getting old, winter does, occasionally, bring some very picturesque scenes. I was sorting through some old photos (some getting VERY old now) and stumbled on these. So we'll call this a throw-back Saturday!