Let's do this!

Three camera bodies,
5 lenses,
 two flashes,
oodles of batteries for each electronic item,
one computer,
one Ipad, 
MiFi Wireless
a tridpod,
 a mono pod
Battery chargers
CF cards
and a cooler with plenty of water and snacks.

I will be pretty much MIA this next two weeks.  If I'm not working, I'll be shooting, or editing.
My work days will be approximately 8am to 11:30 or 12 from now until Sunday.  As reception will be awful where I'm at, I will likely not be able to keep up.  So if something important happens, call my hubby or BFF and they will get me the messge.

It's a mixed bag, because it's absolutely exhausting work.  Everyone at the studio is affected.  But the upside is, it's everything everyone worked towards.  The end of the year showcase, if you will. 

The studio is getting so big a whole extra cast was added.  How cool is that?  But with that adds two extra days from last year.

I'm photographing the whole event from start to finish.  I will likely take about 25,000 pictures over the course of the week.  Probably more.  After I'm done taking them....I edit them.  That takes a little more time.  However, my goal this year is to get them up and loaded as quickly as possible, so I'll be working double time.

Who cares though.

I'm excited to see how the show turns out.  It absolutely amazes me every year how they pull this off.   All the teachers and students come together.  Their collaboration, choreography, practice, costume choice, run throughts, rehearsals, all coming to fruition.

Dance teachers absolutely amaze me.  How they choreograph new dances every year for all their classes, and actually remember them is so cool.  How they keep all their classes straight and their students..... very impressive.

This is the time of year all their efforts will pay off.  And family members and friends get to see the hard work of their loved ones.

As the photographer I will do my best to capture every cute moment, every leap, every ounce of attitude that I possible can.  I will put on makeup and inevitable cry (or "tear") it off when I see how much the students have grown from the year before.

I have been at this studio since 2004.  Some of my very favorite students are graduating this year and we will have to say good bye to them.  I will likely never photograph them dancing again.  It's going to be a tough recital for me (as well as others).

I am very much looking forward to it and I can't wait to see how it all comes together.

Is it a lot of work?  YOUBETCHA
Do I still get excited every year!  DARNED RIGHT!

My fingers will be crossed for every dance that starts.   And I will, no doubt love every dance I see.

And I will no doubt feel blessed, once again, to be part of this studio!!  After all, it is shaping who my girls are becoming.  And I'm pretty stinkin' proud!

Happy Tuesday