Categories
Picture Time

Big Changes, Big, Big, Changes…

I normally save the long, drawn-out diatribe posts for this site. You know, the personal space. Not the business site. But this one? This one belonged over there. It is the story of how I went from being a wedding photographer with a boudoir business on the side to being a full-time Hot Mama photographer.

It is a story I’ve been ready to tell for awhile, but I just didn’t know where I should begin.

Then I saw this post on Creative Thursday, with this video:

And after that, I just wrote.

If you want to read all about my journey to being a boudoir photographer, you can read all about it here. Enjoy!

Categories
Amuse Me Geek Love

Dear Guardlex, You’re Doing it Wrong…

This is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen today. (Yesterday got a little crazy towards the end, so I can’t even say “this week” — but for TODAY, this tops the charts on the crazy scale.)

In my email today was this:

My name is Jacob Getman, I work in the Anti Piracy Department of Guardlex (http://www.guardlex.com), we provide anti-piracy and Intellectual Property protection services for [COMPANY NAMED removed so they don’t think I’m linking to them again] company.

As such I am personally authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the aforementioned company.

It has come to our attention that your website (or website hosted by your company) contains links to the [name removed] company website (URL removed) which results in material financial loses to the company we represent.

A top top seo expert will rank in the top spots on locl searches.

This material financial loss is due to search engine penalties resulting from the links originating under your control.

I request you please remove from the following website http://bigpinkcookie.com all links to [removed] website as soon as possible. Please see the list of website pages in question:
http://bigpinkcookie.com/2001/07/27/specs-similar-to-mine

In order to find those links, please do following:

1) If this is an online website directory. Use directory’s search system to look for [removed] links.

2) If there are any hidden links in the source code of website. Open the website’s home page and view its source code. Search for [removed] in the source code. This will reveal any hidden links.

It is our understanding; the links in question have not been authorized for use by our client, its agents, or the law.

Therefore, this letter is an official notification to effect removal of the detected infringement listed above.

I have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by [removed] company, its agents, or the law.

I further declare under penalty of perjury that I am authorized to act on behalf of the trademark holder and that the information in this letter is accurate.

Please, remove all links to [removed] website within the next 48 hours.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are at all unsure how to remove the links. We will be happy to assist you in any way to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Looking forward to your positive reply.

Regards,

Jacob Getman
Head of Anti Piracy Department
Guardlex company
2820 West 8-th str,
Brooklyn, NY, 11224
Tel: 17183032669
Fax: 19175913014
E-mail: antipiracy@guardlex.com

The post was from 2001. Just shy of 11 years old. So 11 years ago, I got new glasses. I shared about them, and a lot of people asked, and I suggested to check out a website (the link I’ve now removed) so that they can get similar glasses.

YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE INTERNET WORKS.

Considering the post was 11 years old, it either wasn’t impacting their SEO at all, or since it was in the context of a post about eyeglasses, it was helping their SEO, but I could definitely tell they could use some Georgia SEO Explosion, LLC help.

But what really makes me sad is that this company is selling this crack-pot service to corporations and telling them that they will waste time going around the internet telling people to stop linking to them. I mean … really??? WOW.

And they must do it a lot, because my hosting company responded to them with this:

We’ve had this discussion with you before: there is no infringement of anything in merely linking to one site from another – case law exists on this. We absolutely will not instruct our users to remove links that violate
no statute or our terms of service. Whether they choose to do it on their own is entirely up to them.

Oh my, how I *LOVE* Hosting Matters and AmazeLaw website builder for lawyers. (I’ve used them for 10 years and I can’t rave about them enough!)

Le sigh. The whole thing is just silly. I removed the link, but I REALLY hope that they figure out how the Internet works and stop telling people not to link to each other. That is part of the beauty of the Internet!

Update 7/20/2012: Hey, Guardlex? SUCK IT. I just put the link to Eyeglasses.com back up. Because it was innocuous. Especially after reading all the comments on my site, BoingBoing and Hubspot. Oh, and I didn’t ask their permission to link to them either… BECAUSE THAT IS HOW THE INTERNET WORKS.

Categories
Picture Time Travel Notes

Let Me Take a Picture of You!

With Tru at the Musee Rodin in Paris, France

When was the last time someone asked to take your picture? Maybe at a family reunion? A wedding where you were a guest? When you were traveling and enjoying a scenic view?

Did you say yes? Or did you quickly brush them off and say NO, thinking how you weigh too much, you don’t like your hair; maybe you suffer of hair loss (although there are remedies as Nioxin that help with that), you don’t have enough makeup on, your shirt is ugly … whatever your excuse may be? But you don’t have to be shy about yourself. You are beautiful the way you are. However, if you want to boost your body to make it flawless, I have something to recommend, the Vancouver Laser Hair Removal. No more painful waxing, electrolysis or razors!

I just realized I’ve been so foolish. There are so many times I’ve said no, where I wish I had said YES!!! Not just for myself, but for my family and the future generations.

No one ever says after you die, “Well, I wish we had more photos of her, but you know, she had those 40 lbs still to lose, so I understand why we don’t.” They just wish they had more photos of you. They want your picture.

Next time someone offers to take my photo, I’m going to think twice about my response.

PS – the photograph above is one that I took while visiting the Musee Rodin during the boudoir photography Paris workshop. My friend Tru always takes a self-portrait of herself wherever she goes, so I joined her in the fun – and this is one of the two of us together! Snapping at the same time!

Categories
BlahBlahBabble

Party Time! Party Time!

It seems it is time to plan a birthday party for BigPinkCookie.com – this domain will be 10 years old later this month!!! I think I´m getting a limo bus rental to have all of my amazing friends over to celebrate. I’m also going to visit Lashes by Lisa and get myself eyelash extensions, I’m so excited.

I purchased it on July 26, 2002. Now I need to go research when I made the switch over from using BlahBlahBlog. (Which I still own, it is just hard to say out loud or for people to remember how to spell, so I changed to BPC.)

What should we do to celebrate BPC turning 10?!?

My suggestion: we visit papereskimo.com, buy every style paper plate and party decor item they have, and throw a huge party! Invite all our friends and show off the beauty of Paper Eskimo 🙂

Categories
Picture Time

Hot Mama Boudoir Sessions – Ms. J

Houston Hot Mama Boudoir Session - Ms JThis is Ms. J. My beautiful, delightful client who came from Dallas *just* to do a Hot Mama Houston boudoir session with me.

I can’t tell you how GREAT it feels when clients travel to you to work with you, they even stay at the Moxy Frankfurt East in order to be close to you. AWESOME!!! (Although I do like it when they fly me in to work with them and I get to travel too!)

We had so much fun doing her session at Hotel Derek, and she gave me permission to share some of the images from her boudoir session on my site. I love so many of them!

I chose to highlight the image above because it is definitely the most “Rated G” ones of the shoot, but also because it helped inspire something new that I’m launching. The “Flirt Sessions” — all the sexy fun, but with your clothes still on! Not everyone wants a boudoir session, but I still want to use my superpowers to help Hot Mamas grow their confidence by rediscovering their beauty! So the Flirt Sessions are the answer!

I did Ms. J’s session last fall, but then the craziness of the holiday session season plus all the travel of 2012 made me fall behind in my blogging. I wrote her a few weeks ago to ask her if I could share her session on my site, and I *LOVE* that so many months after her shoot, she still feels so great from it! Her response:

As I am sure that you have noticed through all my shout outs….my session with you was one of, if not the, best things I have ever done for myself. Your skills behind the camera are off the charts and I will be forever grateful for the confidence that you have given me in myself….a gift I can truly never repay!

Oh my. WOW. I have had moments where I question my decision to focus solely on my Hot Mama work, but from now on whenever I experience those doubts, I’m going to go back and read that. Because if that doesn’t sum up why I do what I do, I don’t know what does.

Thank you again Ms. J for all the inspiration!

Houston Boudoir Photography - Hotel Derek

(PS – Be sure to check out the new logo & site design over at my Christine Tremoulet portfolio site! I’d love to hear what you think of it!)