It's.HERE!

Detailed info on the 2008 Holiday Mini-Sessions can be found below, but here are the high points of the package:

When: Saturday, November 1, 2008 beginning at 8:15 and running until 3:15.
Where: a super-secret creekside location within the city limits
Cost: $275

20 minutes of photography time
5-10 proofs presented in a private online gallery
25 custom-designed cards
your choice of any 3 print units
10% off of any and all other products we offer

THE DETAILS....
Session and Proofing
Your reserved slot includes 20 minutes of photography time for a single session type. Due to the limited time, I will focus on capturing the type of session images you specify: single child, OR siblings, OR family, up to four people. As time allows (and children cooperate!) I MAY be able to get some additional images, but I can't guarantee that in this timeframe. Each additional person over the original four will add $25 to the session fee, and the entire session fee is required to reserve your timeslot and card design.

Your proofs will be presented to you in a private, password-protected gallery that only you can see. I guarantee at least 5 proofs, but there may be more than 10.

Holiday Cards
Your mini-session includes 25 custom-designed cards with envelopes. I've designed 20 cards, all in 5x7 flat format, and each card design will only be sold once ensuring that all clients get unique designs. You will choose your design when you book your session, and then choose your image(s) when you see your proofs. Cards are press-printed on heavy card stock through my professional lab. These are NOT printed on photographic paper - the result is similar to a high-end greeting card. Each card comes with a coordinating back that has a spot for one small image. One revision is included in the price after the initial viewing of your card with your chosen image(s). You have the option of choosing linen, pearl, or glossy finish for your printed cards. Additional sets of 25 cards can be purchased for 10% off the regular list price. (Contact me for more information if you don't have a copy of the 2008 Price and Products List.)

The 20 designs are shown below.



Gift Prints
Your mini-session also includes 3 photographic print units to keep for yourself or to give as gifts. A print unit is one mounted 8x10, OR two 5x7s, OR four 4x6s, OR eight wallets. You may choose any combination of these units to make up your three. Additional prints, albums, canvases, and storyboards are available for 10% off the regular list price.

I'm sure there are other questions that will pop up, and I'll try to address those in future posts. Until then, check your calendars and reserve your time!

it's.beginning

...to look a lot like Christmas!

At least in the retail stores, anyway. Even though Autumn has officially begun, here in Texas we won't see actual fall weather for many weeks. But it *is* time to start planning for those Christmas card sessions.

I've gotten so many inquiries about holiday shoots that I've been feverishly working to put together a plan for how to make it all happen in a timely, organized manner for everyone! I've just about got it nailed down, and wanted to give you all a head's up that it's coming.

Here's the lowdown:
Holiday mini sessions to be conducted in a one-day blitz, and the package includes cards, gift prints, and a discount!

We're headed to Big D for my 20 year high school reunion (!!!), but I'll be back on Monday with the details.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

splash.makers

WOW! You ALL take your voting seriously!

As of midnight last night, there was a total of 15,282 votes.....wow.
The top three all received over 4000 votes: Image 2, Image 9 and Image 10. These are the three that will be featured on the new splash page, and the 8x8 bevel mount. The other runners-up will rotate through as the featured images as time passes. Thank you all so much for voting!

I'm off to pack more boxes....

Have a fabulous day!

re.move

As in....move....again!

Hey all!
I can see that you all have been busy voting in the contest, and that's great! I will keep the voting open until Wednesday, and then I'll announce the winners.
Until then, (and after also!) I'm going to be buried in moving boxes, packing tape and the like: we are scheduled to move back into our house on Saturday! We are very excited to be going *home*. Apartment living has been a great adventure that none of us will ever forget, and the kids made great strides in their swimming skills, but I'm ready to be back in my house.

I'm over all of us being on top of each other all the time and having no place to put anything. (Those of you who know me know that I like for everything to have it's place....I'm hoping the twitching will stop soon after we're back home, lol.)

I'm tired of housing my 'office' on a 4 foot folding table that's shared with another computer and printer in the corner of the living room.

I'm weary of having to get down on my hands and knees to see what's in the back of the fridge here.

I'll happily say goodbye to the 'th-dump, th-dump' sound made by every.single.vehicle as it comes through the entry gate that's just below our bedroom window.

I will sing praises when I no longer have to play garage door roulette to see just how many times I'll have to push the remote button for the door to go all the way down. (Over the course of the entire summer it's gone down on the first push a mere 5 times. The record is 17.)

And these guys.....

need the structure, routine and familiarity of their own home, belongings and surroundings.

I'll be back!
Keep Voting!

new.view

Time for a contest, people!

I've got a new website in the works, and need to update the splash page images. There are three slots, so we'll have a contest to determine which three will be the chosen ones. I've chosen 10 of my favorite images from the past year, and you all get to cast your votes! (That part was actually verrrry hard - I had to list all of my favorites on slips of paper, and then I had my kids draw out the first 10. Please don't feel offended if *your* image isn't among those here....I can guarantee you it was likely in the original pool of 26 entries!)

The 3 images with the most votes will be featured on the new splash page! The winners will also receive a complimentary 8x8 bevel mount of their winning image.
You can vote as many times as you wish, and be sure to send your friends and family by so they can cast their votes too!

Let the voting begin!

Image 1

Image 2


Image 3


Image 4


Image 5


Image 6


Image 7


Image 8


Image 9


Image 10

deja.vu

Can I just say how much I looooove working with models old enough to drive?

I LOVE IT!

We started with Miss H., the graduate , who was the perfect, drop-dead-gorgeous subject....



...set up in an amazingly lovely back garden...



....took visual advantage of the wonderful pool...




...added in some fabulous evening light....



...and finally, we mixed in the super-beautiful siblings for a hike to the creek...



...to result in the perfect session! It was getting really dark by this point, about 45 minutes after the sun went down. The light was still wonderful, but we had to hurry!

The age spread of these guys mirrors that of my own kids. Photographing them and working on their images was a little like looking into my own future! I pray my own children grow into such promising young adults and have a bond as strong as these three.

L., I'm looking forward to showing you all the rest tomorrow!

Have a faulous Monday, all!

insurance.agent

.....aaaaaand we're back.

Well, mostly.

For those of you who know the history, I've almost completely recovered or re-created all of the business stuff that was lost in the hard drive crash of last month. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the short version. The hard drive on my working PC died, taking with it most of my business files that had been altered since January, and a good portion of my photoshop files. Think contracts, logos, order forms, price lists, collage templates, slideshows, dvd templates, texture files, brushes, background papers, working storyboards.....the list goes on and on....
...and on.

I keep 'finding' things that are missing.

I panicked. Then I cried. Then I checked to make sure all client files were safe. (They are, whew!) I cried some more. And then I took a deep breath to get started on the hours and hours (and HOURS) of work to be done to recover.

And then we went on vacation! It could not have come at a more perfect time: with our house still under renovation, our current living space of small square footage (1 apartment fridge +5 people = NO bueno), and Grant's crazy travel schedule, we ALL needed a break.

To Florida we went. Stayed at the beach house of some dear friends, and had a fantastic time. The kids loved the sand, shells, alligators, and the airplane trip.

I've just about got everything that's 'vital' to the business of doing business back online.


But that's not what this post is about.
This post is about that picture at the top. Isn't it pretty? I love it. I took it of my kids on the beach at sunset on July 1, 2008 in Marco Island Florida. My babies are 5, 4 and 2.5 years old. My older son starts Kindergarten in 6 weeks, my middle man will start his last year of Pre-K, and my baby embarks on her own preschool journey.

They love being together, the linked hands show that. They were playing a game to see who could get closest to the waves without the water actually touching them. They also drive each other crazy: see that one there in the middle? He's holding on *just a little* too tightly, lol.

This picture says all that to me. It is the perfect representation of their lives and personalities at this point in time. Do you have one of these of your kids? If you don't, I can help with that, but that's not the purpose of this post either.

This post is about how sad would you be if you lost *that* photo forever?

You see, along with the business files (which are religiously backed-up after every session) that were lost in the hard drive crash, I lost the bulk of the personal photos I've taken since January. I take pictures every.single.day. Those, sadly, were not backed up. Hundreds of images.
Gone.

That my friends IS the point of this post. Go out today, buy yourself a spindle of dvds and start backing up those personal pictures. You'll be glad you did if the day comes that *your* hard drive decides to take a nosedive.

I'll be back in a few days with some images of some fabulously beautiful college kids, so stay tuned.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!