Happy September, folks! If you know where that line comes from, kudos to you! I'd love to see who does. I LOVE that movie and it has one of my favorite actors in it. 
With the start of September comes excitement about a new school year, the anticipation of jumping in colorful crunchy leaves, hope of staying sane and making it til Thanksgiving with your faculties intact (teachers will get this), and of course, Fall evening shoots, which are my absolute fave. As you know if you've been reading my blog, you know I want to do shoots with lots of leaves this year. So, I have an offer for you: if you collect a garbage bag full of leaves (not hard in NYC once they start falling), I will include TWO FREE 5x7s with your session (the only catch is they have to be the same photo). That's a whopping $60 savings for you. Who's going to be first? ;^)

~ Susan

Ah, summer. It's almost gone and the new school year is rapidly approaching (for which I am not yet ready). Did you know I'm also a Substitute Teacher? Yup. Kids all over NYC have experienced the "Bibula Stare", which is most powerful and effective.

Facebook can be fickle. Or rather, its fans can be. You know what I'm talking about you if you have a business page. I'm the last person to complain about changes on FB. I mean, it's free. Seriously. I am very appreciative of having a place to connect to people and show off my photos from time to time and I could care less about changes they make. Today I'm going to talk a little bit about fans.
Numbers. What do they mean? If you have a lot of "likes" does that mean people actually
genuinely appreciate your work? Hmm, hard to tell. Have you ever heard of those ladders where you "like" a bunch of pages and people "like" yours back? When I first opened my page and saw them, I truly didn't know better and participated in a few. Of course, honest me only "liked" pages I actually liked, expecting the same. Boy, was I mistaken. Turns out that these fickle fans, as I like to call them, are there solely to gain "likes" so that they can look like they're the ones doing well! You can imagine my dismay at such a revelation. So if a person has a low fan count, does that mean they're new? They stink? What? If a person has a crazy number of fans, does that mean they're "successful"? It's so hard to tell, which is why I suggest contacting the photographer if you're interested in booking. Most photographers will gladly open up and start gabbing about what they shoot, where they like to go, and all that. You'll soon discover if this person is legit, or they have puffed up their page with phony "likes".
I take my "likes" very seriously and only support people and businesses I actually like and want to support. Sure, I know everyone is not like me, but I do hold myself to a very high standard as a woman, photographer, and just human being trying to make something for myself. 
So often on Facebook I see a photographer justly complaining about being writing negative comments or stealing a photo. I don't even have words for that. I can only imagine their hurt. What I can imagine is how it feels to try very hard and feel the sting of not being appreciated for hard work. This is a seriously tough age to be a photographer, what with pretty much everyone owning some version of a camera. 
I won't discuss the frustrations of free marketing on Facebook, or any other business-related woes that so many and yet so few will understand. After all, if you're not in the business, what good will it do to read someone's complaints? I will say that your support means everything to me. I think if you can give a kind word, or tell a friend about a page (even if it's not mine), or tell people about your shoot, then I will no longer consider this fickle Facebook fan a problem. 
I love photography more than I can say. I know I will be happy photographing families my entire life, but a word out there to anyone who is reading, as you may know someone guilty of this silliness. Behind every page, every website, every photo, there is a real person trying to make a business work in an extremely difficult economic climate. We should be encouraging each other, not bringing each other down. Support people and businesses your admire and respect!
I cannot recall who said it, but I try to live by these words: say what you mean, and mean what you say. If we all did that, perhaps Facebook and the real world would be a whole lot happier.
I hope this heavy photo/business talk finds you well on this gray Saturday morning (perfect for shooting, I might add). Have a lovely weekend, friends!

~ Susan

Well, it finally happened. I went on vacation! I hadn't been anywhere in 2 1/2 years and it was starting to get to me. So I decided to go to Michigan and visit my relatives and meet a very special friend for the first time (in person!) The week flew by and I could not have loved my trip more. Here's a photo that my friend took of me at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio. It's such a lovely zoo and it's ranked #2 in the nation!
I am SUPER excited to post photos of this very special friend's family session. She had, and I kid you not, THE cutest, sweetest, most lovable, and funny grandson. Ugh, I could have eaten him! Stay tuned for photos :^D

Susan

Hello, fans! Clearly this is a weak point for me. I admit it! Blogging isn't something I'm great at, so I figured this month's theme (at least for myself), would be blogging! I would love, love, love to hear any advice you have about the subject, who your favorite photog bloggers are, and what makes you come back for more.
Mistake #2 I'm willing to admit: I momentarily forgot there weren't 31 days in June. That's how I missed the month. Sheesh! I promise to do better! If you know me, you know I take my promises very seriously. 
So on to photography. I had a new addition recently, and no, it wasn't a baby, though I sort of consider my lenses my babies, as many pros do. I bought a new lens! That's a big deal for me because I'm not the kind that has an entire shelf to choose from. I like to keep things simple. My new baby has already gotten plenty of use and of course I'm in love :^)
And now for the offer! You've been to my FB page, right? I have a seriously great offer and anyone in the NYC area is open to take advantage of it. It's been a dream of mine to shoot births. I am really itching to do them and while I'm building that part of my portfolio, I am happy to do a few for free. Naturally spots are limited since babies' arrivals are unpredictable. Go check out the offer. There are zero hidden fees. Truly, I just want to photograph the journey. Hope to hear from you soon!

Susan

Wow, April went by so quickly that I completely forgot to blog! (Can you tell I'm still not addicted yet?)
Anyway, it's May, it's lovely, it's flowery, and... it's my BIRTHDAY! I don't know about you, but I love a good birthday cake. A friend is making one JUST for me! I'm lucky :^)
Ok, on to photo stuff. Have you seen my insane birthday gift to my fans?! It's on my FB page. If you haven't checked it out, you're totally missing out. Hey, that rhymed! I'd like to blame my "extra energy" on cake, but I haven't had any yet :^p

No, I'm not Irish, even though I do have green eyes. I'm just anxiously awaiting the start of Spring. I know I'm not the only one.
Even I, the biggest hater of summertime in NYC (it's serious), have had enough of this weather.
I rarely complain about the cold, but hey, it's affecting my shooting! I LOVE to shoot family sessions outside in the blowing grass and full trees. Did I mention I like my clients to be able to feel their fingers?  Sigh. 
This year I would love, among other things on my list, to shoot a family session surrounded by cherry blossoms! Eek! How gorgeous and amazing would that be? You know you're totally interested in doing that, right? What are you waiting for? Shoot me an e-mail and let's get started! 

January was a pretty rough month for me. Instead of thinking about photography, I was thinking about survival! After suffering through bronchitis (I have asthma), the flu, and then strep, I was way too tuckered out to be blogging. But now I'm back and am happy to be here :^)
What's been on my mind lately is growth. I want SBP to really grow this year. As you know (or maybe not), one of my personal and business goals this year is to begin photographing births. I am just aching to do it! Have you ever longed for something so much, even though you've never experienced it? I can't explain why, but photographing births is something I need to do. 
Something else I've been thinking about is sharing knowledge. With everyone and their dog in possession of some sort of camera these days, everyone is snapping away. However, not everyone is getting what they want from their photographs. I would love to help. I want to host a Q&A over at my FB page (https://www.facebook.com/SusanBibulaPhotography) and would love for you to be there. Yes, YOU! Do tell your friends. I'm countin' on ya ;^)

Talk soon,
Susan

To me, New Year's Eve is just the end of one month and the beginning of another. Still, as a photographer I definitely set (reasonable and attainable) goals for myself and business.  In fact, my goal (that I made in November) was to do one blog a month!
Do you make resolutions? What kind? Why? Do you stick to them?
I think your motivation has a lot to do with your success. I'd love to hear YOUR goals (yes, you, reading this at 11 o'clock at night). Post them here and let's get talkin'

~Susan

Eek! Six months since my last blog? Can you tell I'm not a serious blogger? Will have to work on that!

Anyway...
anyone who knows me well knows I LIVE for Fall! I absolutely love the crisp clean air,  amazing foliage, smell of school supplies (hey, I teach too), and hearing that crunch under my shoes.
While I love to shoot all year (duh! :p), Autumn is when I just get insanely excited about shooting outside - especially with little kids! Goodness, they're cute when they throw leaves, jump in piles, and carefully examine each leaf as if it were the most incredible find on Earth.
I have no fear of cool weather, so if you're interested in a family session, or if you're too shy and just want the kids photographed, shoot me an e-mail. I'm super quick about getting back to clients ;^)
See you out there!

~Susan

It's been a great day so far! It's gorgeous out and I have not ONE gray hair ;^p
What's more exciting, though, is what's happening in my apartment. There are so many goodies to shoot with! All I need are babies! Spring is my second favorite season (it's hard to compete with Fall - you know it). The trees are sweet, the air is warm and lovely, babies are born. Ah...
Make an appointment and let's get your family outside for a shoot!

Looking for models!

Good Spring to you all! I adore the season and the sweet soft light that comes through my windows.
Since I have a studio to show off now, I'm offering a Spring special: FREE newborn session (newborn must be between 4-15 days old at time of appointment). If you'd like to purchase a cd of the images, you may do so for only $50! Prints are NOT included but offered. Book quickly as there are limited appointments. Currently offering TWO weekend appointments per day. E-mail at: sbibula@gmail.com or call: (347) 429-4280 after 5pm. Thanks!

The bean bag is full and the cutesie items are plentiful! I cannot wait for my first newborn, a girl, to come to the studio. Ao many fun things to try!

Spring has finally arrived! I don't mind saying it's my second favorite season, Fall being my favorite, but with all the new goodies in the mail I'm just SO excited! If you want to book an outdoor family session, do so now!

Great things are happening at SBP! New items are in the mail and I could not be more excited to use them. Need those teeny precious newborn models! :^)

I love Spring, and not just because my birthday occurs when everything is in perfect bloom. I love it when people lie on grass and read, babies walk barefoot in parks and splash water on their teeny toes and I love photographing families among the greenery!
This Spring I am really looking forward to shooting in my studio and great places like Central Park and The Cloisters. If YOU have a favorite spot, remember that you need only to request it at the time of booking! If it's not practically in New Jersey (no objection, I just don't have a car!), I'll probably be willing to go!

I am so very excited to offer my photography services!