the Photographer's Resource
From time to time, those that really deserve to hit it big in the music industry actually get their break. I am so glad that I was here to see it. 
Some of you guys have been wondering about some twitter comments we have been posting and it’s time to finally share the latest and exciting news in our lives!
It’s been four years since we have been married, and after paying off our debt and then saving, saving, saving, Zach and I will no longer be renters and are buying a home! Once we officially started the process, it’s moved very fast, but we had been ready and prepared and this has been a long time coming.
So to catch you all up a bit, we set up a meeting a few weeks ago with a highly recommended realtor, Melissa Archer, President of Cobalt Premier Properties, looked at a gazillion properties online, and then a few days later looked at our favorites that met all of our qualifications. One of the places was absolutely perfect so we visited the home like 4 times (and believe it or not, we actually looked at this place about 4 months ago for kicks and had been in love with it ever since!) and then decided to put in an offer! After meeting with Melissa again and submitting the offer, it was accepted the next morning!
We are pumped and thrilled and are now just holding our breath and making sure everything goes smoothly on the seller’s end. We just had the home inspection and closing is set for Feb 5th, barring that all goes well! There always can be hiccups so keep us in your prayers!!
We would show a picture of at least the front of the place but 1) it’s not entirely official yet, and 2) we recently had some friends buy a home, put the pic up online, and someone tracked them down on the internet and left a note on their car at their house. Ah! Have no worries though, we will put some shots up once we seal the deal!!
Sooooooo, for now, we will leave you with a picture of this lovely chair that I think would look killer in our dining room around our black dining room table… of course with 5 more of them as well (not sure if I can convince Zach on this baby though)… =D
We have maybe jumped the gun a little bit thinking already about how we are going to decorate, but we can’t help it! On Sunday, we hit 6 different furniture shops and all the stuff was TOTALLY lame. We like contemporary. We’re definitely diggin’ things along the lines of Pier 1 Imports, IKEA, liking some stuff from Restoration Hardware… but it’s so hard to find furniture that you really, really like and want in your home, you know? And there’s so many elements to having a greatly designed and decorated home, where do you begin? Furniture, paint, knick knacks, ah!!
Any suggestions are welcome so send us web sites to check out Bring ‘em on!
(Image by: Shaul Schwarz)
Unless you have been living under a rock you have heard about the earthquake in Haiti that has wreaked devastation on the country and people who live here.
We spent some time online reading the news, looking at images and watching the stories and began to feel the “important” things of our life beginning to fade. There is nothing like a good dose of perspective to help you realize how the things that seem so hard and difficult to us, really are not as bad as we think.
(Image by:Jonathan Torgovnik)
So, what can we do to help this awful situation? We can pray and we can also give. However, we’ve heard that some have been leery of giving due to the corruption in the country. How will we know the people will actually get it? How do we know that once the aid has reached the country that it will go to the right people?
We were sitting in church yesterday and were told that we (Journey Church in Franklin) actually have a team of people who were already in Haiti before the earthquake came through at a mission’s project called Conduit Mission – a Christian non-profit organization based out of Franklin, TN with the goal of being a “conduit” of God’s power, God’s love, and God’s resources. The Conduit partners with organizations that are providing basic living needs such as food, clothing, shelter and medical care.
What’s even cooler is Conduit Mission has been investing in the Haitian people’s lives and are there to stay, not just to give food/water/clothing in this time of crisis, but they are also invested long-term.
(Image by: AFP/GettyImages)
CM has a challenge for everyone to donate $25. That’s one meal at a restaurant, a new t-shirt or five Starbucks drinks… For the last week we have been looking at furniture (which we will share more about super soon!), but we were thinking MAYBE they need that money a little bit more than we do…
If you have been wanting to give, or feel called to give, Conduit Mission may be the option for you. For the next few days, all donations will be sent straight to the relief efforts in Haiti and they are working on getting into a city that has yet to see any relief of any kind.
Below is a short video up on Conduit Mission’s site…
For those of you still on the fence about attending Jason Aten‘s workshop on January 25th, he is extending the $150 discount until January 22nd and contributing 10% of all registrations to Haiti Relief. Fore more information on Jason’s heart behind this visit him here.
Even with all the gripes of taxes and politics and the list can go on, we really are so blessed to live in the country that we do. Thank-you Lord for the roof over my head and running water…
Sooooooo you all know we have iPhones now. Amazing. So we thought we would share what Apps we have put on our phones, how they have revolutionized our lives and see what aps you think we might be missing out on!!
Our Favorite iPhone Apps
- Starbucks finder: Locate the closest Starbucks in your area and even get hours of business, address, phone… any info you want!! Ummm… AMAZING!! Though the program is pretty cool, it does need to be updated. When we were in FL it took us to a closed Starbucks. Boo…. You can also customize your own drink on your iPhone, but we really don’t know the point behind that… maybe soon you’ll be able to “Bump” your phone to their register and your order will automatically go in their system. Just another form of human interaction eliminated…
- Echofon: Our fav Twitter app to use and find out what everyone is up to every second of every day!
- FaceBook: Enough said (we could say more, but we just said “enough said.” You know what I mean?)
- WordPress: Love it that we can approve and read comments right from our phone! Suh-weet!
- Xmas Radio: Who doesn’t love Christmas music any time of the year??? Or should we say 365 days a year! Oh yeah!
- You-Version Bible: Gotta love technology! To be able to carry 66 books of the Bible all on your little iPhone to read at any time… pretty awesome
- Bump: The quickest way to exchange all of your info with a new contact – just a bump!! Finally got it to work the first time with Sara France.. yay!
- Flashlight: How many of us stumble around the bed at night with the lights off – do it no more!! Use your handy-dandy little iPhone Flashlight app and you’ll get a strong, consistent light for your every walking need in the dark.
- To Do’s: I (Jody) am a Queen of writing To Do lists and getting great satisfaction out of checking each item off… Just started using this one… Let me know if there is a better one out there!
Games
- Pac-man: A classic!
- Lineup: This little addicting game that anyone can play as long as they aren’t color blind and can tap their iPhone screen… It’s amazing…
Fun
- iSwap Faces: So we have just played with the trial version but it is HYSTERICAL! You can swap faces of people within ten seconds and you’ll die cracking up…. A Zody head (Zach and Jody combined) looks really weird… It was great fun the first few times.
Alright, so what’s your favorite app and what app’s are we missing out on? We definitely like the ones that make our lives easier!!
We are super pumped to be hosting the amazingly talented Jason Aten at our studio in downtown Nashville for his his Starting Out Right workshop on Monday, January 25th!
Jasen is pretty much the bomb when it comes to business and you do NOT want to miss this. We will be there at the workshop all day as well and this will not only be a great time for getting inspired to take your business to the next level, but also to have some great one on one time with us and Jasen as well.
REGISTER BY January 15th, and SAVE $150 dollars!! Check it out!
As a photographer you can have great images, but if you don’t have great BUSINESS skills or knowledge, it will be hard for your business to take off and be successful. The cry for more business workshops has been answered by Michigan based photographer and speaker, Jason Aten and his one-day intensive will be taking place right here in Nashville, January 25th at our studio space in downtown Nashville.
Jason brings a background in management and marketing from working at as an executive at a Fortune 100 company, and the experience of starting – and building a successful boutique studio based in the midwest.
You’ll leave with answers. You’ll leave with a PLAN. You’ll leave with the best practices and key strategies to help grow a business built to last.
View the Starting Out Right: Business Help for Photographers website for more information!
Learn about Goal Setting, Marketing and Branding, the Client Experience, Setting up Systems for Success, and Workflow and Sales.
Who should come?: Photographer/Small Business Owners. Whether you’ve been doing this for less than 2 years or more than 10, this workshop is designed to help you learn best practices to grow your business.
Cost: $450 ONLY $300 per person! Includes all materials [business planning and budgeting tools, contract worksheets, participant manual] and lunch. Also includes chances at some pretty cool giveaways, including a 6 month free subscription to ShootQ, a Livebooks subscription site, a one-year Pictage Lite membership and MORE!. More giveaways to be announced shortly!
Dates/Locations: Workshop will run from 9AM – 4PM and will be held at 808 Broadway, Nashville, TN at the Gray‘s Studio.
Sponsored By:
For those of you reading this who do not live anywhere near Nashville, never fear, this workshop is being taken to San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Cincinnati, Jackson (MS) and New Orleans.
Copyright © 2008–2013 Zach & Jody Gray
