Commercial Interests

I wonder if the advertising people ever really stop to think that what they do can either make me want to buy a product or make me NEVER want to buy a product.

Like the commercial for Hydrolize. I would NEVER ever ever ever never buy this stuff. I wouldn't even want it for free. Why? Because the commercial is so freaking annoying. They have been celebrating their millionth jar sold for about 8 months now. Enough already. And do they really think I'm stupid enough to believe all of that "if you call in the next ten minutes" crap? Because they have been saying you can only have the deal "in the next ten minutes" for the same 8 months.

Then there are the various stores that always have "the lowest prices of the season" sales. What season? Because I'm pretty sure there are only officially 4 of them, but the stores have a new commercial about it every week. What planet are they on? I was SO curious about this one that I actually froze the TV to read the fine print. It seems "season" is defined as their sales period. Hmmm.

And don't even get me started on the commercials for, well, umm, THOSE things. The ones that blow your hair back. It takes me forever to get my hair dry and styled. Why in the heck would I want to buy something that makes it stick straight out like that. Seriously? I read the fine print on that commercial too. Do you know that you can't buy those in Georgia? Thank goodness. But you gotta wonder why.

The one product I do want to buy, though, is a Hover Round. And no, it isn't for the included plastic cup holder or magazine pouch, although those are both fine selling points. Because if I were unable to walk and needed to choose a scooter, that 89 cent cup holder would totally make the extra few hundred dollars worth it. No, I want to buy a Hover Round because the little old man selling them is so darn cute. Call them. Right Now!

A New Year!

A new year. This is the time when I sit down and make a list of all the things I plan to accomplish this year. Starting a blog was on the list from three years ago!

First of all, I have to take time to thank all of my clients, without you I wouldn't be where I am today!

A little background: after being in the accounting field for too many years to count, I was given a camera as a birthday gift. I excitedly ripped it out of the packaging, expecting to take the most fabulous photos on earth. In reality, the first pictures were HORRID. The camera was not a "look at the screen on the back" and click kind of apparatus. I actually had to learn how to use the darn thing. One day my very very significant other rented me some studio lights, just to play. I fell in love. I loved the ability to change the way a photo looked just by turning the lights up or down. Or by moving the lights from one position to the next. After that I just wanted to take pictures. I took so many of my kids that they became permanently scarred, now they see my camera and duck. So I begged people from the gym to bring their kids over. Robin G's darling babies were my very first child subjects. Then I advertised. I took pictures for free for six months before I charged my first client.

In the meantime, I was growing more and more unhappy with my 'day job'. Putting up with verbal abuse on a daily basis was no longer fulfilling for me. After a particularly bad incident I packed my desk, dropped off my key, and walked out the door. I never dreamed I would be able to take pictures as a career, I just knew that my career was getting in the way of me taking pictures. Bella Bleu was born! Now I work way too many hours for not enough money, but I couldn't be happier doing it.

And all of this is thanks to my clients. Obviously there are way too many to name, but Casey Jones and everyone at the Stingray Cheer Company deserves a HUGE thank you for helping me to get started.

So in the new year I hope to see many more of you. I have set up the capability of setting your own appointments, enjoy!