Archive for July, 2009

August Special

July 31, 2009

I’ve had a bunch of people ask me lately “what would it take to get the negatives from our sessions?”  Some people want them just to have them to keep as a part of their own photography archives.  Some people want them to print for projects or because they regret not ordering more at their first ordering session.  I can’t tell you how many times people have seen shots of their own child on the site or in the studio, even years after they were photographed, and said “I can’t believe I didn’t buy that one! What was I thinking!” Well now’s your chance to own them all.  :)

So… since I have no time to offer a session special this fall, I’m going to offer one on negatives from past sessions. For those of you who have been wanting to purchase your digital negatives, I’m offering a once-a-year chance to own them at a reduced price.  The special only applies to past sessions where prints were ordered, and the negatives are offered in full session sets only.  I have sooooo many people who have taken advantage of our Little Blessings Club over the years, and I’m offering y’all an amazing deal if you purchase sets from three or more sessions.  Email or call and let me know what sessions you’re interested in, and I will see if I still have your negatives and give you a quote — prices are based on the number of prints that were ordered from the session and on how many sessions you’re interested in purchasing.

But hurry — this offer ends on September 1!  Our negatives are regularly $300 per file, so take advantage of this fantastic once-a-year offer while it lasts!

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The Artist at Work

July 28, 2009

As promised, a few shots of Charlotte’s painting project from a few weeks ago.  I let each of the kids paint their own bulletin board, so they can show off their drawings and keepsakes in their own rooms.  Bugs chose to draw her design first and then fill in with color.  Mac chose to just paint and see what happened.  It’s so interesting to see how differently they approach the same project!  Both ended up looking really cool and they’re already covered with their latest work.

Now that I am doing more in-your-home work, I’m considering offering this type of “lifestyle photography” project as an add-on to regular portrait sessions for the older kids… capturing them in action, doing something they love, in addition to the more “traditional” portraits I normally create for you.  What do y’all think?

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Brothers

July 28, 2009

I’ve known Javier’s older brothers since they were born, and it’s so cool to not only see how much they’ve grown, but to see how well they’ve transitioned to being the big boys in the family.  As for Javier, he’s a delightful little guy with a smile that will melt your heart.  He’s such a sweet boy, and he was perfectly wonderful at his session.

We did this session in Javier’s home and it was great — the boys could take a little break when needed and they were very comfortable because they were in familiar surroundings.  So for those of you who feel like “there’s nowhere to shoot in my house!” I promise you: we can find a place and it will be beautiful.

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Creativity

July 10, 2009

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I subscribe to a lot of blogs. One of my favorites gets updated every Thursday: the aptly named Inspire Me Thursday.

As many of you know, I have been going through some serious photography burnout. I absolutely love the families and kids that I get to meet, but after a stretch of being too busy I start feeling really uncreative… which usually means that I need to slow down, take a break, stretch, and try some new things. Even when I don’t take the time to interpret the weekly topic, Melanie’s posts and links always help me start thinking down new creative paths.

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Can You Catch the Moon

July 10, 2009

So far this summer I’ve managed to come up with fun projects to keep the kids busy while I’m doing things, but yesterday I was out of ideas. So, I let McCurdy use one of my older cameras. As I heard him clicking away around the house, sometimes in odd places or from odd angles, I thought he’d have one or two “keepers” on his memory card… but I had no idea he would come up with so many cool shots. When he was done, I realized that he had shot in RAW and so we had a lesson on digital darkroom processing.  I think I might need to offer him a job. Here is a sample of what he shot and processed yesterday:

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Charlotte painted her a bulletin board for her room, and I’ll share some images from that process later on.

Working on: King, Carter, Reese.

Today’s editing music: “Summer Breeze,” Seals & Crofts (and the sound of this much-needed rain on my windows).

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Shots

July 9, 2009

From last night. She is in a remarkably good mood for a little girl who just got 5 shots.

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Posted in Mommy Monday, Portraits | 1 Comment »

Classic

July 8, 2009

People always ask me — how do you make those babies look so old-fashioned?  I really can’t take credit for it — yes, I can provide the right sets and props and lighting and treatments to get an old-fashioned look, but really, it’s just that the babies that come in for portraits are classic beauties. And in this case, her mom provided a really great floral headband. :)

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On a more personal note, someone needs to keep me off of Etsy.  It’s a dangerous place to browse if you like handmade stuff.  Here’s the story of our day: the kids got shots this afternoon so we spent some time just hanging around the house. Mac only needed one shot, but Charlotte got FIVE. So, she was feeling just a little under the weather this evening and we sat and looked at some “beautiful things.” We’ve already ordered her a new headband, but she’s making a wish list on the other computer as I type this.

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Waiting on the Tooth Fairy

July 6, 2009

Does anyone know how much a lost tooth is worth these days?

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Thursday is the new Friday

July 2, 2009

This has been such a great week!  I’ve gotten to spend time with long-time client friends and their kids, some photographer friends, and I got to meet some amazing new people, too.  Plus, I am getting to spend more time with my kids this summer, and that is the best part of all. I know this is a short week for most of you, so I hope you all have a safe and relaxing holiday weekend!

On Monday night I had the honor of speaking to the Austin Professional Photographers Association. What a friendly and talented bunch of people! It was a fun night and I got to visit with old friends and make a few new ones, too. Thanks, Tracey and Sue Ellen and everyone else, for inviting me out to spend the evening with y’all!

I also got to work with some clients who have been bringing their children in for years now, and I just want to say how thankful I am that you’ve let me share in their lives! I have some great images and I know you’re anxious to see them!  We were blessed with cooler mornings this week, so we didn’t end up soaked at the sessions.  I have suspended late afternoon sessions for the time being, unless they are in your home, because it has just been too hot for the little ones outdoors in the afternoons.

The kids and I also made pizza last weekend, and I took some shots of the process.  For the past few months, we’ve been trying to eat a healthier diet, and that means that I spend a lot more time in the kitchen.  We’ve fallen into the rhythm pretty easily, though, and everyone seems to feel better and have more energy.  I’ve also discovered that I really enjoy cooking when I don’t feel like I should be doing 20 other things instead, and when I know that the kids see it as a fun experiment.  There is something really satisfying about cooking from scratch, and enjoying the finished product after all that “work.”  The dough was surprisingly easy to make, and we had a lot of fun.  Here’s the recipe, if you’d like to try it at home with your own kids.

The dough, after being refrigerated overnight:

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With sauce and cheese, ready to go into the oven. You can see Mac back there, asking “exactly HOW long will this take?”

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Say cheese!

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And finally, Charlotte showing off the finished product. I’d recommend getting more than one ball of dough out of the fridge, unless the pizza is just for you. It’s very popular at our house and that first pizza is gone before you can blink.

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