I’m so proud of this business and its impact on our town, county and region….

We’re inundated with multiple requests daily, we meet amazing new people daily, and we exceed expectations daily…

Angles. Lighting. Emotions. Perspective. Preparation.

Pow.

I love the moments in photography that give me goosebumps, and I love that I get goosebumps every day.

The world is crazy-wonderful-astonishing-vibrant-full-of-coincidences..….

I just pulled up this photo to make a blog post — the picture taken while celebrating the grandparents and grandchildren on the 60th wedding anniversary of the grandparents (in Bloomington) — and as I’m uploading the image, I get a notification that Bloomington was named a Top Ten town in America to retire in, per AARP.

Grandparents, 60 years together, Bloomington photo session, retirement, Bloomington Best-Of list (it’s a long parade of awards — it’s always in top five for best college campuses, best college towns, best spot for career opportunities, etc.).

The Gods were just having some fun with the coincidental timing of this one, though….

Whether retiring, going to college, growing up, starting your career as a young professional, launching a business, just visiting for a weekend or simply driving through, Bloomington is an oasis for the soul. There aren’t, at any given moment, too many, if any, places I’d rather be. I’m so deeply proud of our little corner of heaven (and am awed, humbled and honored to be Bloomington’s leading photography business)….

I’ve been so blessed to have accomplished nearly everything I ever dreamed of achieving in my lifetime.

For some reason, there are one or two life-goals that I’ve still not attained, and I’m thinking more-and-more about pursuing those shortly, too. One is finally reaching second-nature status as a guitarist. I struggle with finger/chord positions, and, rather than feeling unfulfilled, in the limited scope present-tense, I’d like to finally be able to play most of my favorite songs, looking ahead to the end result.

The second is, broadly speaking, writing.

Through a series of miraculous twists-and-turns, with a mentor who rallied me on unceasingly, I wrote an article my senior year of high school that was shortly-after named the nation’s best feature story of the year (for high school students). That, in turn, brought me three scholarships, which, unfolding, got me into Ernie Pyle Hall and the prestigious Indiana University School of Journalism….

As life moves forward, interests, goals and priorities evolve. I was disappointed at the striking gap between what journalists were paid and what could be earned in other occupations. There was absolutely an element of “starving artist” versus pragmatic young professional in my thoughts, and I chose the latter.

That has all been positive.

However, regardless of whether I wrote personal letters, opinions for law journals, business documents or my daily “To Be Content” list, I’ve thought often about writing, and with a sense of unfinished potential. My novel/memoir/autobiography is coming, and I can’t wait to experience the process.

A guitar, a typewriter (old school is elegant!), always a camera, of course, and a never-ending cup of coffee. I love how my mind sways among music, writing/reading, and photography. There’s so much to appreciate in our lives, but it’s important, for me, to make sure some of what we appreciate is our own growth. Our own accomplishments.

I’m looking forward to the ongoing process. I’m looking forward to pausing, sitting, strumming, typing and evolving. Words and language and the absence of words and language and melodies and harmonies and paragraphs and sentences and questions and exploration and 1970’s campfires with friends and faith and spirituality and open roads and so much to hear and a little bit to say and hope and fulfillment and peace.

Might be the hardest I’ve laughed all year…

Right before I shot this photo, I asked the couple “How long is your honeymoon?” At the exact same moment they both smiled ear-to-ear and said “Ten ___” and then the bride finished HER sentence with “…days”, while the groom finished HIS sentence with “…nights”.

They realized the hysterical comedy immediately, too, and we all laughed like little yellow mischievous minions!

What a wonderful world…

Google has been a phenomenal partner in business. While an enormous corporation (is there a word bigger and more apt than enormous?), the Google customer service and willingness to collaborate with me has been uniformly outstanding. Kudos and thank-you, Google.

Facebook is exactly the opposite (except for the part about enormous…!). For businesses, Facebook/Instagram is 100% pay-to-play, in a seedy, creepy (is vile too strong a description?) way…. While building a business, Facebook is an excellent tool to share content and build an audience. Somehow, someway, however, once built, Facebook then pulls a trap door on businesses and prevents those who have “Liked” a business page (quick aside: the entire concept of “Likes” is so trite, is it not?) from actually seeing new content unless the business then pays for a “boost” for each successive post of new content. Folks take an action (clicking “Like”) to follow a business, thus interested in seeing new content. However, Facebook won’t actually show new content without weekly payment (were this the high seas back in the day, this might be called extortion…) from the business.

It’s absolutely true that a parallel-universe manner to consider Facebook’s position is that it’s entirely fair and ethical to charge an advertising fee to a business to, in turn, publish business updates. Okay. But the twist is that, with Facebook, in building a business and using the Facebook platform as one branch of content sharing, there’s no disclosure that, when the trap door suddenly and surprisingly opens, content won't even be shared to those who have expressly shown an interest in receiving updated content. I would agree wholeheartedly that a business ought be charged a fee to find new interested potential clients (newspaper, radio, magazine advertising, for example), but disagree vehemently that current interested folks (who have expressly requested updates) are shut out of seeing new posts on a free, public platform (without Facebook getting paid). I find the scenario unseemly.

A couple years ago, Facebook unilaterally decided that a lovely page I started — with nothing but goodwill and heartfelt sharing in mind — was a “business”. It’s a photograph of our pug, with a corresponding quote, posted once-a-week, and wholly opposite in every way from what a business is. The page had quickly grown to over 8,000 “followers”, and with each post I would feel I’d planted a cherished, small, quiet seed of love, pause and reflection for thousands of people I’ll likely never meet. The moment Facebook demanded payment for the 8,000 folks to see each weekly post, however, I decided/accepted that only 100 or so would see each new update (that’s all that’s included in a “free” business package). What I learned wasn’t business-related, but rather the important lesson that it likely doesn't matter how many people we touch, but rather 1) that we’re actually putting forth the effort — that we’re trying to do good, and 2) even with a fraction of an audience-potential, we are nonetheless positively affecting those people. Each life is as important as is every other — not by breadth, but by depth.

One final note on the matter before I go pour another cup of coffee (on what I’ll deem “Wedding Edits And Awesome Music Sunday Morning”)….. Check out the Google landing page of a search for “Jeff Norris Photography” (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=jeff+norris+photography&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8) and tip your hat to the truth that Google offers this — and so much more — cost-free for businesses. It’s literally all you need. The word is spread. The word grows. Clients find you and your business grows (given good service/products, etc…). Business doesn’t need Facebook. And a blessed little post about a pug and truth and faith isn’t a business (https://www.facebook.com/MaggieThePug). And the quest for more-and-more-and-more-and-more money is (wait for it…..) meaningless and shallow.

Halfway through 2021 (how insane is that?) and it’s already been an extraordinary year.

The second half of ‘21 is booked 99.9% already, and then we’re taking an amazing three-month January-March 2022 trip before picking back up again next April in B-Town, refreshed and ready for another amazing spring, summer, autumn of photography in ‘22….

I love the cycle of it all. Refresh, give and receive incredible energy, refresh, give and receive incredible energy. And so on.

The world is magical and wonderful and awe-inspiring and filled with hope (and oftentimes bittersweet loss), and I’m fulfilled helping folks have visual reminders of the entire remarkable shared experience.

We shoot 25-30 weddings each year, and each one is unique, fascinating and fun!

We’ve photographed weddings with five people total (couple getting married, officiant and two photographers) and we’ve photographed weddings with 250 folks in attendance — and I’m sure every number between the two!

There’s an interesting consistency in the arc of emotions for couples throughout a wedding day. Nerves are the primary sensation during the preparation stages, of course, giving way to joy, to relief, to relaxation, to celebration. I’m always watching for and capturing those emotions as they evolve during the events….

Cameras, love, beauty, hope, commitments, sharing and fulfillment…. Weddings are on unfolding series of extraordinary moments, and I’m fortunate to experience so many of them up-close-and-personal with couples and their families/friends.

To-Do List:

Dauntingly Long

Grateful List:

Even Longer

What a lovely compliment, and an insightful comment, from an upcoming client….

This week we got a call from a woman who wanted to book an autumn session for her daughter’s senior pictures. As Siobhan chatted on the phone with the soon-to-be client, the woman, who had gone through the website and our online presence carefully in advance of the discussion, asked, “OK, what is your REAL price?”

Most photographers charge a session fee, and, from that baseline, charge either per-image or have a mandatory minimum print order that’s required on top of the initial price. To me, it’s always felt like a bit of a bait-and-switch approach to a business, and it leaves me disappointed, both as a photography client and on behalf of my profession. I hear weekly that people simply don’t like to have to pay more, or feel squeezed by the number of photographs they can have, and, related, that they love to have access to the entire session’s catalog of images.

Siobhan told the woman "The entire experience is only $345.00. You get every image (typically 150-200) from our 90-minute session. There are no mandatory orders or minimum number of images you’ll receive. There are no hidden fees or extra costs, whatsoever. The only ‘surprise’ you’ll get will be how beautiful the photographs will be for your daughter and family!”

After a pause, the woman expressed her shock, delight, appreciation and heartfelt thanks that we provide this ideal niche of fair price, wonderful quality images and treating others exactly as we believe ought be the norm (in this profession and all others).

Other photographers are of course welcome to charge anything they choose to charge. That doesn’t affect me in the slightest, and I wish them all the very best in their careers. I even understand that they’re simply trying to maximize their income through leveraging off of an existing client. It makes sense.

But it doesn’t pass my gut check.

I’m honored to own a business where I charge a fair price for the marketplace, take gorgeous images, meet new friends weekly and give those good Hoosiers hundreds of photographs that are meaningful and appreciated.

“What is your REAL price?” Reputation, dignity, pride and contentment. When you realize you already have “Enough”, you understand that you don’t need anything more than that.