Las Vegas... There's a new photographer in town!
The Winter Storm of 2021
The storm that changed everything.
I happened to be in Las Vegas the week the winter storm hit in Houston. My business partners (Terrance and Joe) and I were chatting at the kitchen table one morning, and I remember saying, “Ya know, I’m gonna have to move here soon.” I’ll never forget Terrance’s expression as he looked at me and said, “Yeah, you are. But I don’t think it’s gonna be some leap of faith like it was when you moved to Houston. I think God’s gonna make it obvious.”
The next night I dreamed that I moved to Vegas and I was so happy because I found a furnished apartment. I woke up thinking it was such a random dream…
Two days later, a friend checked on my house. He sent me photos of complete devastation. The ceiling had caved in in several places in the house. There was water damage all over and by the time the insurance company came to check everything out, there was plenty of mold damage, too.
I thought I lost everything… but I actually GAINED everything. Do you know what a blessing it is to suddenly be homeless with ZERO belongings? It’s the most freeing feeling I’ve had in my life.
Now, it’s time for a change.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
Sometimes God knows we won’t let go on our own…
So He strips things from us. I don’t think he does it to be mean… He does it so we don’t have to make the decisions on our own.
I don’t know how long it would have taken me to make this move… but I know it wouldn’t have happened right now without some divine intervention.
The first week of June will be my last full week as a Houston resident.
I’ll be leaving to set up shop in Vegas. Most of my time will be devoted to our sports media company, Franchise Sports Media.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t book me in Houston! I plan to live between both cities. From my new website, you can book me for photography or videography in both cities as well as Los Angeles. I’ll be keeping the calendars updated with the days I’ll be in each place. I’m still planning to do photography workshops and now I have an excuse to do a travel workshop in Vegas for my Houston peeps!
So.. Who’s coming? 🙌🏻
P.S. I have five weeks left before I move. If you want to get on my Houston calendar, you can book through my new website. Let’s go!!!
INTRODUCING LIGHTROOM MOBILE PRESETS from TRISHA LACOSTE
Lightroom Mobile Presets
Well, the day has finally arrived. I've been planning to do this for a LONG time. Today, I made myself sit down and create, organize, and upload my presets for Lightroom Mobile! (It's literally taken me allllllll day... it's currently 12:26 am.)
You can now make your photos look like mine with one click of a button.
All you need is Lightroom Mobile which you can download here.
I've written a very detailed blog with instructions (including photos) for how to download and save the presets in Lightroom directly on your phone.
You don't need a computer! (This has only been tested on iPhone so far, but I'm sure it works on Android, too. I just don't have one to test it on.)
With the being said, here are the 6 different preset packs you can purchase! They are priced at $15/each but you can get them for $10/each until March 20, 2020. Click on a photo to see before and afters and to purchase! (Scroll down for before and afters on this page, too!)
Get the entire bundle for $48! (regular $90)
Click here to get the whole bundle.
Click each photo to see more details about that set.
TRAVEL VIEWS - BEFORE/AFTER
These work best on landscape photos. They have a bit of clarity added which doesn't always look great on skin. (Clarity can be reduced in the app, though.)
SMOOTH LIKE BUTTER - BEFORE/AFTER
These are my favorites! These are made from the presets I use for all of my photos, personal and professional.
MONOCHROME MADNESS - BEFORE/AFTER
These are a bit desaturated with some accentuated reds for that color pop in your Instagram feed!
FILM FEELS - BEFORE/AFTER
These have lots of grain and a flatter look. Perfect if you're after that gritty film look. (Grain can be lowered in the app after you apply the preset.)
BLACK AND WHITE BLISS - BEFORE/AFTER
This set is a variety of my favorite black and whites! From moody and grainy to high contrast.
VINTAGE GLIMPSE - BEFORE/AFTER
This set gives you that orange and teal look without making skin tones super orange.
How To Download and Install Lightroom Mobile Presets
Lightroom Mobile Presets -- How to Install
If you've purchased my Lightroom presets for iPhone, these are the instructions for downloading them on an iPhone and installing them in Lightroom directly on your phone. You don't need a computer! If you don't have Lightroom on your phone, download it by clicking here! (Adobe Lightroom Mobile)
Step 1: After your download begins, you can find the zip file by clicking on the arrow in the top right hand corner of the browser on your phone.
Step 2: Click the arrow and then click on the zip file.
Step 3: Click on the zip file. The file will unzip and you'll have a folder of the presets in your files.
Step 4: Click on one of the presets. Then click the arrow in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
Step 5: If Lightroom Mobile isn't in your recent apps, scroll to the right until you see the button with 3 dots that says "more." Find Lightroom Mobile and click on it. Click on "Launch Lightroom Now."
Step 6: The DNG file will be in your recently added photos. Click on it. After opening the DNG file, click the 3 dots in the top right hand corner of the screen. When the menu opens on the bottom of the screen, click on "Create Preset." Type a name for your preset and click "done." Click the arrow in the top right corner to save the preset.
Step 7: You've now saved your preset. Click the preset tab to find your newly saved preset.
If you have any problems downloading or installing the presets, email me and I'll be happy to help!
Sessions for India // Documenting Gracyn's Adoption
Big Things Happening in 2020...
If you haven't read my post on The Dream Village website, click here to check it out!
I'm selling discounted sessions over there to help raise funds to cover my expenses to travel to India and document an adoption. (EEEK!! This is my passion!!!) But I also decided to offer something over here.
Discount Photography Subscriptions...
I've decided to sell 4 of my yearly subscriptions for half price. This is a passion project for me and I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure I get to India.
This is the BEST deal you'll get from me all year!
I'll be selling two of my 12-session subscriptions and two of my 6-session subscriptions. They will need to be paid in full in order to get this discount, though. The 12-session subscription will be $1350 (regularly $225/month -- $2700 total). With the discount, each session costs you less than $115. The 6-session subscription will be $900 (regularly $150/month -- $1800 yearly total). This means you get each session for $150.
These subscription sessions can be used any time in 2020. It will be your responsibility to schedule them. Once 2021 hits, you will forfeit any sessions that haven't been used.
Jump on these before they're gone! Click the images below to purchase.
Travel Photographer || Bali, Indonesia
Travel Photography
I've always wanted to be a travel photographer. My first major trip was to India in 2014 to document an adoption. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to travel the world and document moments that matter. Over the last 5 years, God has blessed me tremendously!
Bali, Baby
When Roz asked me to go back to Bali to document her fitness retreat, I was all in. My second trip to Bali was even better than the first. We had more time to explore and made sure to take advantage. Roz and I spent our first day with the best tour guide in Bali... Mano. (instagram.com/mano_balitourguide) He took us to an amazing lookout where we had a gorgeous view of Mount Agung.
Then we headed to the Lempuyang Temple in Kuta. It's an Instagram famous temple that is a little bit of an illusion. There is a man who takes the photos with your phone and uses a mirror to reflect the top of the photo to the bottom. It makes it look like the temple has a pool of water below it, but in reality it doesn't. However, it was still AMAZING and beautiful. We also went to a water garden (Tirta Gangga) and the water temple, Taman Ujung. If you want a place to take Instagrammable photos, these should be on your list!
The rest of the week was spent doing a workout at the Muscle Gym at the Komune Hotel, hiking Mount Batur, scoping out the market and learning to cook traditional Balinese food, biking through rice paddies, and enjoying the city scenes. Our last two days were spent in Canggu relaxing and eating amazing food. Everything we ate in Bali was fabulous. I will definitely go back and spend more time trying new restaurants!
If you have any questions about where to stay, what to do, or what to expect, shoot me an email. I'd love to share more of my experience with anyone who wants to hear. :)
Editing Workflow - Deliver Client Galleries FAST
I had a lot of people interested in seeing my workflow to understand how I have a turnaround time of less than 24 hours. Watch the video above to see! There are no crazy secrets, guys. Just simple tasks that I've learned to do quickly. You can do this, too!
Moody Portraits // Houston
She's an artist. A photographer. A kindred spirit.
It rained all day leading up to Cassidy's session. We went back and forth about rescheduling but in the end just decided to shoot rain or shine. I'm SO glad we did! Cassidy had let me know that she hoped it would be windy and foggy... so I knew she wanted a moody vibe. We definitely accomplished that!
If you want to keep up with Cassidy and her art, follow her on Instagram!
To book a session of your own, click here!
The Dream Hub
It hit me like a brick...
Have you ever had to be hit upside the head before you realized you had a skill that could really help others? Well, I have. You see, for years I've done my own websites, branding, marketing, etc. I've also helped friends with their branding but I've never gone full force as a marketing agency (even though that's what my degree is in)!
Well, recently, I got hit upside the head with "WHY ARE YOU NOT OFFERING THIS TO MORE PEOPLE?"
The missing piece...
Enter my friend/business partner of nearly a decade who has every piece of knowledge that I'm lacking which completes the puzzle. I'm in charge of making sure your stuff looks good. He's in charge of making sure your stuff gets seen.
We know we can help others because we've grown our own businesses (and others) with the tools that we're going to offer you. Whether you need social media marketing, help with Facebook ads, a brand new website, photos, a promo video, an SEO consultation, or some combination of all these things, we can help get your business where it needs to be.
How can we help?
The issue with most businesses today is that they focus on one aspect of marketing and branding but they never invest in the whole package. What good is a website that no one ever sees? Or if everyone sees your website but it looks terrible, that's even worse!
We know you have something valuable to offer your target clients. Whether that's a service you offer that they need, a product you sell that will make their lives easier, or a piece of inspirational advice that will change the way they look at the world, the thing you offer is NEEDED.
Let us help you get it to the people whose lives you will change.
Visit www.dreamhubonline.com for more info. Email us if you're ready to set up a consultation. work@dreamhubonline.com
Why your branding matters...
Branding in these digital times is everything. Have you ever been torn between two companies? Maybe you need a new logo. So you start googling graphic designers. You'll more than likely find a couple designers whose work you like. So how do you choose between them? Their presentation is the determining factor. How easy is it to navigate their website? How clear is the content on their site? Are the images professional? Is their website easy on your eyes? Does it look professional?
You may not even realize you're asking these questions in your head, but I promise you are. When it comes down to deciding between two companies, you're always going to choose the one that looks more professional.
So why do you have selfies on your website? Why are you trying to get by with a janky website that communicates to people that your presentation isn't important to you? Do you realize that trying to sell high quality products or services with low quality branding isn't gonna work? All you're communicating is that you're not willing to invest money in your own project. If that's the case, how can you expect other people to invest their money in what you're selling? You've got to show the world you believe what you're selling is the absolute best option for them. The only way to do this is to pay for high quality branding that is aesthetically pleasing.
Not sure where to go for this? I offer everything you need to brand yourself or your business. Photos, videos, web design, graphic design... I do it all in house. No out sourcing. This means you communicate your vision once and it comes to life. We work together from start to finish and you walk away with branding that you can display proudly.
In 2019, my business partner and I are merging some aspects of our businesses. He does audio production, sound design, SEO, social media ads, and social media marketing. We're investing a lot to create a new brand that represents both of us and shows what we can accomplish for you. This means that prices will go up in 2019.
So if you're dragging your feet on your branding, NOW is the time. Stop saying you can't afford it. You honestly can't afford to lose any more customers because of a low quality online presentation. You don't even know how many people skip right over your instagram because your images don't speak to the quality of your work. Let's change that before the new year! Drop me an email and let's get started!
To see a sample branding project I've done, click here.
The Dream Village
I've been keeping a secret and I can't hold it in any longer. For you to fully understand, I have to take you back in time a bit...
When I was 14, my family adopted my brother, Trevor. I watched his birth mom make the selfless choice to give him a life she couldn't provide at the time. The emotions I witnessed on both sides of the story stuck with me. A few years later, my aunt and uncle adopted a baby boy. Then my parents welcomed a daughter from Haiti. After that, my aunt and uncle adopted a baby girl. And then my parents added another brother to the crew by adopting Titus from Haiti.
At this point, I was grown, married, and had 3 biological kids, but adoption had become a part of my DNA. I knew that I wanted to adopt one day and mentioned it to my midwife after the birth of my third child. Two years later, I had a voicemail from her: "Trisha, give me a call. I need to ask you something."
What she asked changed my life forever. "We have a young girl coming in the office. She's planning to give her baby up for adoption. Do you want him?"
The short version is that YES, we wanted him. Jayden's adoption was quick and very surreal. Within three months, I became mother to four little ones. From the moment he was born, Jayden was spunky and stubborn and ALL boy. I'll never forget the terrifying day I learned just how spunky he was. At three years old, he hid in the closet, struck a match, and started a fire that had covered my whole closet door by the time I got to him. Pulling him out of a burning closet with flames on both of us was the moment I KNEW unconditional love. That kid is just as much mine as my biological kids and the love I feel for him isn't any different. Adoption isn't a second-hand substitute for having biological kids. It's a divine, unexplainable calling that can't be denied. When you feel it, you KNOW.
Over the last several years, I've done everything I can to highlight adoptions. It's my purpose in this life. I've done photo shoots for adoptive families for free. I've traveled to do photos for Show Hope, an organization that gives grants to adoptive families. I've raised money to travel with adoptive families so I can document the moment when they meet their children for the first time. I've shared my story with anyone who wants to know what it's like to adopt.
But that isn't enough for me. I can do more. There's a better way... a way to create a movement that helps families fund their adoptions and provides a way for the documentation of more adoptions at NO COST to the families.
This is where my secret project, The Dream Village, was born. I've traveled extensively for the last 5-6 years and have been blessed to take photos at incredible places all over the world. When people started asking to buy my prints, I knew this was my solution. Not only will I sell my prints, but the profits will be used for GOOD.
When you buy a piece of art from The Dream Village you aren't just decorating your home or office. You're helping a family bring their child home. You're giving a family the gift of having the memories of their adoption documented forever. You're joining us in a movement where we encourage those in the adoption process, give hope to those who are waiting, and inspire those who feel the call but haven't made the commitment yet.
I've never sold my work this way before. I've made a living off of selling my service as a photographer and videographer. This idea came to me because I wanted a solution to a problem. I'm not trying to get rich off of this art. The profits from The Dream Village will go in two separate accounts... a travel account and a fundraising account. When purchases are made with a family's coupon code, 50% of the profit will go into the fundraising account to be paid to that family at the end of the month. The other 50% will go into the travel account. When there is enough money in the travel account, I'll choose a family from the applicants I've gotten and accompany them when they pick up their child. Maybe they aren't going overseas to adopt and just have a powerful adoption story they want documented. Wherever the story takes place, the travel account will be used to cover expenses associated with documenting adoption stories.
The Dream Village website will go live in just a few weeks and I need your help to share it. Post about it. Tag your friends. Comment and like! In the meantime, sign up here to be the first to know when the website goes live.
It takes a village to raise a child but it starts with ONE dream. This started as my dream. But now this is OUR dream--The Dream Village. Join the movement.