Why photography? Why not?

My entire life I was going to be a doctor and deep down I really wish I would have chased that dream a little longer, but....life happens.  Right as I was going to start getting all my ducks in a row, two lines appeared on this little plastic stick!  Yep!  I was pregnant.  Could I got to school for 10 more years, take out a ridiculous amount of student loans, rely on my husband to support our family of 3 and be away from my baby for hours and hours and hours every single day?  Nope.  It wasn't in the cards for me to be a doc.....and I am cool with that.

So I decided to take it down a notch and become a nurse.  The medical field has always been the only way I wanted to go.  I loved blood and guts.  I loved helping heal people.  I loved a stethoscope and scrubs.  Yep, I am that girl.  So I did it, even though there were plenty of people that said I couldn't, I went through a fast track program and was a nurse before I knew what happened.  When I say fast track, I mean FAST TRACK.  I went to school Monday-Friday from 745-4 or 5....so when am I going to work?  Well....I'm not!  Yeah right!  If you know anything about me, you should know that I like money.  I like my own money.  I like to shop.  So....I picked up my camera like I had done thousands of times in the past.

Right before I started nursing school, I had been really enjoying a part time stent as a "fauxtographer."  You know? The mom that got the camera, that thought she was good at picture takin'?  I had a few families toot my horn and tell me that I did good and they wanted me to do their pictures....so I did!  Never would I accept money....I couldn't do that!  I wasn't good enough.  I may have an "eye" for it, but that eye didn't produce images I would hang on my wall.

Once I started nursing school, I started not only studying how to start an IV and put an NG tube in, I also started reading up on my cool camera and all the neat things it could do.  I was hooked!  Three months into school, I started advertising for sessions for literally dirt cheap.  Not because I wanted to be rich, but because I wanted to help my hubby pay some bills and support my Starbucks obsession.

I did sessions periodically, more for family than for clients, but I practiced.......a lot.

Then nursing school ended, I had my ugly white nursing cap and see through white scrubs.  I had my first job lined out before I even graduated and literally got pinned on Thursday and started working on Monday.  So much for down time after graduation!

That first job....yeah I hated it.  It was not the "nursing" job I had dreamed of.  There were no needles, no splints, no blood pressure cuffs....heck, we could hardly wear scrubs.  I toughed it out for a while, but people are people and it ended on a note that we can discuss in private if you so desire LOL

Then came my dream job.  I was working amazing hours at an Urgent Care.  I loved the company.  I loved my coworkers.  I loved the randomness of patients that came through the doors.  I loved the job.  I would literally work 7 shifts in a row, ranging from 12-14 hours.  Then I would have 7 days off.  That's right, a vacation twice a month.  It was beautiful :)

Then.....I got pregnant.  No biggie, right?  Until you are put on bed rest at only 15 weeks :(  There I was at a job for 4 months and then comes the unthinkable.  I was told they would hold my job because I was great at what I did.  We all thought that I would have a couple weeks of bed rest and then I could talk my favorite doc into letting me go back to work.  Nope.  Quite the opposite happened.  I was told I needed to see a high risk doctor because things were not looking good.  I was not only put on bed rest.....I was put on STRICT bed rest at only 20 weeks.  That soon followed with hospital bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy :(

That's right!  HOSPITAL BED REST!  Let me tell you how much that sucks!

Unfortunately, my two weeks of leave turned into 25 weeks followed by 6 after delivery.  They couldn't hold my job that long.  I couldn't make them.  So there I was.  Jobless.  But that is ok.

They took Ryan 6 weeks early and she was small.  Really small.  Nothing like the 8 pound chunker of Brock.  Not only was she small, she had 3 heart disorders that she would need to see a cardiologist for. Surgery?  She may need surgery?  No way.  Through God's grace, she has been able to live a normal life thus far without any surgeries or complications and I pray it stays that way forever.

But how could I leave my little girl at home while I went and worked 12 and 14 hour shifts?  You know most nurses do that?  Geeeesh!  I couldn't!  So I picked up a part-time job doing pediatric home health and once again, I fell in LOVE with my job and my patient.  I really found what I was meant to do.  Pediatrics had always held a special place in my heart, but after starting this job, I knew that it was where I was meant to be.  Time went by and Ryan grew bigger and got healthier.  I needed more.  More responsibility.  More work.  More money.  More. More. More.

I did it again.  I started taking online photog classes and mentoring sessions with my photog idols and I really started pushing my business.  My baby.  My other love.  I worked hard.  I practiced different manual settings.  I just did it!  I dove into one of the top 3 amazing creations that I MADE....my photography.  I talked to an attorney.  I got insurance.  I hired an accountant.  I got all my ducks in a row and I advertised, and marketed, and networked.  I literally poured my heart and soul into my business and though it is far from being where I want it to be, it is me.  I did this.  I had no help, just lots of support.

Please know that this is not a get rich quick kind of gig.  I seriously LOVE what I do and could not imagine ever loving something this much.  I see other people all the time that think that it is merely a cool camera and a person to push the button.  It is so much more than that.  Actually, that is not even 10% of the job.  If that were all it meant, I would be a superstar by now.  I wish you could sit with me just one day and truly get a feel for what I do.  It is a lot more work and sweat and tears than you could ever imagine.  My day is centered around my kids first and foremost, but when they are asleep or it is my editing day, I am slaving away at my computer.  I spend hours each day marketing in various ways.  I pay 35% of every single dollar I make back in taxes.  I pay an attorney.  I pay my accountant.  I do these things because I want to be the best.  I want to have that name that other photographers are like, "I want to be as good as Natalie Renae one day!"  I want to be better.  I strive to be the best.  I am here to stay and I am thankful for all I have been through that has led me RIGHT HERE!

So.  Now that you know even more, I hope you stick around and let me share my passion with you!

Small town girl, big city dreams

I asked a question to a few of my clients the other day.  I wanted to know that if I could make a blog post, what they would want it to be about.  After a little discussion, two of the three clients said they want to know more about me.  They see my work and hear my jokes via Facebook, but few know who I am.  Where I came from.  How I got to be where I am today.  This post has been a work in progress because I go back and read it and have to delete a few things here and there or add something to the timeline, or start all over completely.  Truth of the matter is, I like to consider myself an open book when it comes to my business, but when it comes to my life, I am rather hush hush.  So here I am, three days after starting this post, getting ready to hit that one orange button.....PUBLISH!  Eeeekkk....I hope to not scare you away :)

Well, most of you know me as Natalie Renae.  I get asked all the time, "what is your real last name?"  My name is actually Natalie Renae Chilton.  I wear that name with pride because thanks to my husband, my saving grace, I was able to leave behind the last name that I resented for my entire life, but I will get to that later :)

I was born and raised in a little town about 2 hours from where I am currently.  That little town was Sallisaw, Oklahoma, the county seed of Sequoyah County.  I attended school at Sallisaw from Kindergarten all the way through my senior year (((Class of 2002))).  I knew early on in life that it was not the place for me.  I needed more, I needed bigger, I needed....well.....better.  I always dreamed of graduating high school and moving far off for college and I had the grades to do so, but due to finances and family circumstances, that was not logical.  A full ride scholarship will get you to the school, but it will not pay your bills, or buy your food or put clothes on your back.  So....there I was.  Stuck in Sallisaw.  No worries though, I had a fantastic group of friends that made it worth my while to stay for a little while.  I got an amazing town house when I turned 18, moved out on my own, worked 40+ hours a week waitressing at a local steak house and went to college full time at a local JUCO.  I was having a ball and living life as most other 19 and 20 year old kids do :)

My best friend, Tierney, had been going to OSU, as did my boyfriend, so I made it a habit to stay in Stillwater almost every weekend.  Stillwater was my getaway.  My home away from home, my reason for getting away.  We went to parties and games, met lots of amazing people and did lots of shopping.  I LOVE Stillwater and the atmosphere that surrounds it.  Tierney moved back home, the boyfriend and I didn't stay together and there I was....back in Sallisaw!  But I had my BFF in town, so we lived it up!  A few months later, she told me she was moving to Tulsa :(  Well....I could live there.  I didn't say anything to my mom other than I was coming to T-town to see Tierney and her mom.  It happened to be the same weekend that she moved here.  I literally drove to Tulsa in my shiny green, country girl truck and T and I went applying for jobs....all over Tulsa!  We had no idea where we were, what side of town was "good" or "bad," what we were going to do, or where we were going to live.  By the end of the first day we had accepted jobs at the same place and found an apartment, right by where we always said we would live....next to a mall LOL

I drove home later that weekend and told my mom I was moving to Tulsa THAT NIGHT! OMG!  Of course, she cried and asked for me to stay, but I knew that if I didn't leave then, I would never get out.  I would always be that girl that never left her hometown and I do believe that I have more dislike for my hometown than any single person ever has.  Why?  I had a, well...for lack of better terms....not so great childhood from an early age.  My parents divorced when I was young and the man that should be my "dad"......well he isn't.  Not only is he not my dad, he is one of the "big wigs" in the town....you know...the Sheriff, the city commissioner, yada yada yada.  I am not going to harp on it because I have spent many years not liking where I came from and to be honest, not liking who I came from.  I am over that.....I just hate going to the town that a lot of others think so highly of him and want to ask me how I have been and if "he" knows I am in town.  It never fails.  It always happens.  So....I stay away.

Well....here I was in Tulsa!  I was moving into an apartment I couldn't afford.  Working at a job that didn't pay well.  Loving life!!!!  Then it happened.  I had been in Tulsa only a few months and spent all my days off at the swimming pool in my apartment complex.  One day, I was laying out at the pool and there was this guy there with two kids.  I assumed they were his siblings.  Come to find out it was this cute guy and he said his name was Nico!  What kind of name is that?  He had gone and got his niece and nephew to spend the day with them and they wanted to go swimming! After hours of not even noticing he was there, he came up to me and introduced himself and gave me his number....and the rest is history LOL!

Now here I am, the person you know as Natalie Renae.  Since that day at the pool, almost 9 years ago, we are married with two beautiful kiddos, Brock and Ryan.  Not a day goes by that I don't think my lucky stars for my family.  I also think my family, both the good and the bad, for teaching me that I could never walk away from my family.  That unconditional love is forever and that no matter how bad the situation gets, your husband and your kids will always come first!

I hope this answers some of your questions on who I am....for real.  Where I came from.  Why I am the way I am.

It's all {{fair}} in Tulsa!

Cotton candy. Turkey legs. Funnel cakes. Beer. BoBo the clown. Worlds smallest horse. Bands. People watching. Rides. Shopping. Outdoors. Carnies. Running into old friends. Family time. Photo contests. Did I mention people watching?

We were at the fair on opening day last year and happened to be on the news!!!

The fair symbolizes fall.  Fall means cooler weather, sweaters, scarves, boots, hot chocolate, pumpkin spice latte, movies, hanging with friends, festivities at my sons school, Halloween.......oh the list could go on and on.  I love fall and I love the fair!!!  This year I am going to make the most of the two weeks that are set aside for the Tulsa State Fair.  I am going to be doing photo shoots while at the fair.  Though to some all you can think about is crazy people in the background and dirty carnies, please know that none of that will be seen in your images.  I want to capture you, your family, your kids in an element that is guaranteed to make you smile.  Can anyone go to the fair and not have a good time?  I don't think so!  That is why it is the perfect time for family photos.  Not only will I be doing a few posed shots, but as always, the ones that I love the most are action shots......eating cotton candy, walking hand in hand down the strip of rides, playing the games, riding the rides, trying to dunk BoBo the clown, enjoying the bands, etc.  What better way to capture a family being just that, family?

I announced several openings a few weeks ago and they filled up rather quickly because I am only doing 3 full sessions at the fair.  Why?  Because this is MY family time too.  Brock LOVES to ride the rides, but only the "big kid" ones.  He gets all bent out of shape when we walk into kiddie land :)  This year Ryan is big enough to actually enjoy the fair and ride the "baby rides."  My favorite part is walking around the QT Center, checking out the amazing vendors and doing some shopping.  However, my hubby and I share a favorite and if you haven't already guessed, it is people watching {{don't judge us}}.  It is always funny to see the people that come out to the fair, between the carnies and everyone else, there is no shortcomings when it comes to variety.  A few years ago we were at the fair and while Brock was riding one of the rides, the carnie got to talking to Nico and said he was so drunk he didn't care if the kids stayed on the ride all day.  Nico was laughing so hard and got to actually chatting with this guy and next thing we know the kids had been on the ride for 17 minutes according to his timer : /  Hope none of them left with a belly ache!

I want to offer up 2 more sessions though!  I have been asked by several if I would do a session for their family and I just can't say no!  Sooooo.....here is your chance to get a FULL session at a discounted price.  Normally a full session with a custom DVD would be $225-$275, but if you want a session either this Thursday or Friday, please comment on this blog post with your email and I will contact you to set something up.......for $150!  That will include the custom DVD of edited images :)

Under Blogged and Over Budget

Blogging.  Something that I absolutely LOVE to do, but never find the time to sit down and type what I want to out.  Everyone always tells me that blogging is the way to connect with your fans, let your clients know who you are, talk about personal things without feeling like you are clogging up a newsfeed, etc.  If that is the caswe, why do I find it so hard to do?  Maybe it is because I don't like the WAY my blog site looks?  True.  I would love to find that one person that can make my site look like I want it.  Look like "me," like I have always wanted it to, like I dream about.  ((if you are that person....hit me up)).

Perhaps if I could get it to look the way I want, I would put more effort into connecting this way.  Do people even read blogs?  I know I do!  I follow some of my "photog idols" on their blogs and subscribe to the newsletters and EVERYTHING!!  Am I one of those techy weird-os? Ummmmm.....YES!  I am living proof that the technological world has given me my clientele, my fan base, my friends and also keeps me in touch with family around the world.  How did people survive without Facebook?  Without websites?  Without cell phones?  I couldn't even imagine venturing out and opening a real live studio {{back then}}!

Studio?  What about a studio?  I would LOVE a studio that is mine....all mine!  My hubby and I have been really talking in depth about the possibility of that happening, and happening sooner than I would have dreamed.  Only problem?  I am picky and I have designs drawn up in notebooks all over the house and in my brain.  Want to know what I see when I think of MY STUDIO?  I see a log cabin with H.U.G.E. windows all over the place.  One little office that is my saving grace with my hard drives, my iMac, my laptop and my calendar all in one safe place, far away from the hands of my little ones.  Then the studio.....oh the studio!  It would have the prettiest little room for viewing on a huge flat screen with canvases all over the place.  A cute little pink couch ((the one I have been eyeing for so long at the Trading Post in Jenks)) with dainty little decorations placed every so lightly all over the room!

Where will this studio be?  I don't want some place along a busy street where you can't find a parking spot close.  I want it to be somewhere off the beaten path, somewhere in the country, somewhere that we could step outside and do an outdoor session, but could come enjoy the AC if need be.  A creek, I see a creek and trees and wildlife and wildflowers! 

Can you tell I have thought about this for awhile now?

Next step to Natalie Renae Photography's studio?  The lottery!  Yep, that's right!  I have to hit the lottery :)

I will stop now.  I have obviously spaced out and jumped from one thing to another rather quickly, but here I go with my attempt at blogging more often!  Does anyone see this LOL