Hello 2010!! I’m so pumped to report that I’ve officially crossed 5 things off my “2010 TO DO” list. It feels so great! We got a new computer yesterday with an external hard drive so I can actually spend more time working on images then uploading and deleting one session at a time. Yeah, most photographers would laugh at the way I’ve been doing things, no lie! Anyway, this session is my good friend (and college roomie who has lots of incriminated stories on me) Liz and her hubby of 1.5 years, Keith! They moved to SC last year and I literally haven’t seen her since. Needless to say, this was so much fun reconnecting and watching their sweet love just surround them. This is the first session after my mentor session with the Rhoads and I’m so excited that all the new camera tips and tricks I learned produced such beautiful images. I just love love love them! Hope you do too! Also, if you’re a new photog or generally are passionate about ANYTHING… keep reading so I can share what I’ve learned over the last year about branding your biz.

I want to take a minute to talk about the social media movement and how to use it to your advantage. This is a topic I am VERY passionate about, almost as much as taking pictures. If you want to build your brand there has never been a better time to do it.

Today, the cost of doing what you LOVE  is very minimal, very, very minimal. Lots of sweat, lots and lots of time and sweat, but the cost is zero. There are 300 million people on Facebook right now.  300 Million!! HUGE companies are no longer spending the bulk of their $$ on traditional advertising, interruption marketing doesn’t work anymore. We don’t trust it, we change the channel, it’s all the same. They are hiring people to interact on social media sites. I’m not making this up! Brand building is taking a massive shift back to word of mouth due to the power of the internet. Statistics have proven that word of mouth converts opinion of a product or service at the 80th percentile. 80th! While a TV ad is only at 12%!  People are more connected than ever before and this movement is growing at the speed of light! I laugh inside when someone says something about Facebook being a fad or that people are losing relationship or that people are too connected. Too connected??? Anyway, back to word of mouth. Never before has the weirdest 37 year old weirdo in Michigan, sitting in his grandmother’s basement, and playing the Wii all day been able to give his opinion about anything on 100 different medias and influence 6000 peoples view on… anything! We are being connected where our word of mouth explodes. That’s game changing.

If you are a coffee nut and know everything there is to know about coffee and can’t stop talking about coffee to everyone you meet, go get your passion! Create a blog, stay up till 3 in the morning reading blogs and commenting on blogs, get involved in 3 great online coffee communities, know your crap, research, research, build relationships with coffee people, respond to emails, comments, give a crap about these people, genuinely. sweat, sweat, sweat. Rely to every @reply, every Facebook message, every blog comment, every email. The minute you lose your caring for those who are interested in what you have to say, you lose it, fast. If you want to do what you love for a living, make $$ with your passion and finally leave that terrible job you hate. Don’t come home and get on the Wii or watch season 2 of LOST for the 4th time, stay up till 3 in the morning, like I said and sweat, work, sweat until you’ve built your brand and people are paying you to put their add on your video, website, blog post or asking you to consult them on thier ____ <— insert your passion here — business.

Phew.. I get going when I think about this stuff. Never stop and you’ll be living your dream before you know it! I hope to one day be giving mentor session on this topic (as well as photography) and getting other photographers set up on this track. Until then, I’ll be up till 3 in the morning, crushing it!

Much of this info and excitement is inspired by Gary Vaynurchuck’s AMAZING branding book, “Crush It”.

Also, if you love the pics or the info… leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!!

find us one facebook: click —> http://www.facebook.com/knoxvillephotos

So, for those of you who don’t know, David and I took a wee little trip over to Seattle a few weeks ago for a totally rad 8 hour mentor session with the great photography duo Chris and Sarah Rhoads (www.sarahrhoads.com). Our brains were basically gooey-mush by the end of the day, but chocked full of tips, tricks and inspiration. Our wheels have be turning ever since. The Hensley editing room has been turned upside down and inside out. Computers were bought, files were ditched, cameras were programed, our website has experienced one heck of a facelift and Adobe programs are in the mail as we speak!  (and my husband just purchased his first box of tea, at Target lol, thanks to the Rhoads!) Phew… this isn’t last year’s  Lori Hensley Photography. I’ve experienced a major change in how my images are turning out straight out of the camera and I am thrilled with the results! I just edited my first session, post Seattle, of my friends Liz and Keith and I CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE THEIR BEAUTIFUL FACES! It was the best session I’ve ever shot. I’m just so thankful for finally being able to tackle my dream head on. God is so amazingly gracious. I don’t deserve this chance or His great love at that.

During the monumental mentor session we had a chance to shoot a couple (photographically speaking of course) along side Sarah and Chris to see how they work. Most of the time I was watching, taking mental notes and taking it all in.  I did however get a chance to snap a couple of shots  of my own. This experience will forever be what changed it all for us. We are so grateful to have met Chris and Sarah and now consider them friends. Looking forward to this new year and all that it has planned for us! Enjoy these shots and the stunning backdrop of Seattle woodlands.

3214 Fountain Park Blvd. is a beautiful home in the historic community, North Hills in North Knoxville.  This home has been completely remodeled from the plumbing and wiring to the landscaping and new driveway.  It was “flipped” or “rehabed” by Anthony Bell of Bell Properties. We met Anthony last year when we first drove upon another “flip” of his. He does such great work we immediately went home and listed ours for sale! Unfortunately, with the market the way it was a year ago, we missed it. The same thing happened with 3214 Fountain Park! Anthony puts such great care into the details of every home he rehabs they don’t stay on the market long. To see more of Anthony’s work, visit www.bellproperitiesonline.com! Or Anthony can be contacted at:

ABell@bellpropertiesonline.com

865-712-9710

Anthony is also looking for homes to rehab. If you suggest a home to him and he chooses to flip it, you will be compesated once it sales!

downstairs bathroom

finished basement

screened-in sunroom, entrance by the kitchen

sunroom leads to large back deck + back yard

living room with working fireplace

living room

1 of 3 bedrooms

bedroom #2

full bath upstairs and down

bedroom #3