friday's feature

normally this is where you'd see my Five on Friday; however, i decided to start changing things up a bit for the new year. change is good, right?!! 

the photography community is very small but very powerful. there are some AMAZING, and I mean AMAZING, photographers out there. i'm constantly inspired and humbled by them. so, why keep them all to myself? i decided to pass some goodness and eye candy onto you. 

my first guest photographer is Holly Clouse from www.hollyclousephotography. she is incredibly talented and oh so sweet!

get to know her a little bit more and then make sure to head on over to her Facebook and Web site for more eye candy! Thanks Holly for participating!!

~ Tell us a little bit about yourself! (name, husband, kiddos, business name etc.)

My name is Holly Clouse, I live and operate my business in Spokane, Washington. I've been married to my husband, Nathan, for 6 years, and together we have two sweeties, Landon, who is 5 & Emmalia, who is 3 1/2!

~ Tell us something most people don't know about you! Crazy, funny, embarrassing, etc.

I LOVE music! I listen to all kinds, almost everything under the sun, from rap to country to jazz and classical. I love the lyrics of songs, and I listen very closely to them, and I sing alot when no one is around. :) The funny thing is that my brother loves music too, but his is more 1970s and older music. I like to say we complement each other well; between the two of us we know pretty much every song that's ever been written. Ha! My current obsessions are 'Raindrops' by Lifehouse and 'Better Than Love' by Griffin House.

~ What are your favorite movies or books?

This is such a hard one for me! I am not really a movie person, I can't sit still long enough, but I do love 'While You Were Sleeping'. Definitely high on my list of chick flicks! Some of my favorite author's are Francine Rivers, Nora Roberts & Francis Chan. I love my kindle, and no matter how late it is , I read for a few minutes before I fall asleep, every single night.

~ What does your typical day look like?

I get up at 6. I have my Bible-study time, catch up on emails, drink copious amounts of coffee, work out & get ready for my day! I homeschool our kids, so that takes up 4 mornings a week, as Landon is in Kindergarten, and Emma in Preschool. Next comes lunch time, and then quiet time for the kids. The hours from 1-3 is when I get the bulk of my business work done! Late afternoons are for errands, walks to the park, and playing. Rainy or snowy days we have movie afternoons. :) We have dinner, and then the kids play games or watch a movie. Some nights I work, and some nights I'm all mommy mode. After the kids are in bed, I routinely stay up till 12 or 1 working.

~Tell us your business name, and give us all and any link so your website/blog/social media.

I own Holly Clouse Photography. My website is www.hollyclousephotography, blog is www.hollyclousephotography.com/blog, Facebook is www.facebook.com/hollyclousephotography, Twitter is twitter.com/hcphotog and Pinterest is www.pinterest.com/hollyclouse1

~ Give us a brief description of the business and how long have you been in business. 

I am an on-location portrait photographer, who specializes in baby photography. I like to say that I photograph babies and the ones that love them! I also photograph seniors, children, and the very occasional wedding, usually a referral from past clients. I officially started my business 3 1/2 years ago, in 2009.

~ What do you love most about having a small business?

I absolutely love what I do, I love my career, but if we are just saying "small business" in general, I LOVE having something that is my own. I am very proud of what I have built and where I have taken it, because it was a dream of mine for quite some time before I made it a reality. I love interacting with and meeting new clients, new friends, really. It is so, so amazing and fun to capture their lives!

~ What is the hardest part about having a small business?

There is a huge amount of responsibility. I wear all the hats; I'm in marketing, customer service, photography, post processing, accounting, book-keeping, you name it. Alot of people that call me for advice think you just "start a business" and that makes you a "professional." Not! There is alot of very hard work, and cost, including equipment, insurance, taxes, business licenses, etc. etc. etc!

~ What are your biggest inspirations? (other photographers, the outdoors, family etc!)

This is such a hard question for me, one I stared at forever, trying to figure out how to answer. Each family inspires me in their own way. I talk to them for a few minutes if I don't feel I know them well enough already, and just watching them talk and interact gives me a feel for them. The individual personalities, and their love or humor or steadiness or calmness inspires me to create each session just as their family is. Alot of my families tell me they were captured exactly how they are, and feel the pictures are very true-to-life of their family. This is always my goal, as the images are ultimately the memories that they will have forever. 

~ Where do you see your business in five years?

I hope to have a studio. Being an on-location photographer means you are always working in someone's space, or outdoors. I can't wait to have a dedicated spot for my clients! Ultimately, I love my clients, and hope that in 5 years, I am still here, having the opportunity to capture their memories and watch their families grow!

Thanks Holly! I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into Holly's life. Have a great weekend!