Session of a Lifetime!

I think I just had one of a lifetime shot in front of me. I had a family booked a session for family portraits the days before Christmas...so far all normal, done plenty of those. The night before the session a family member calls and gives me notice of something unusual is going to happen tomorrow, its certainly the first for me, and they want it captured on film.

So they come, we do the normal family shots (like above), and then out of the blue, at least for the girl, the boyfriend gets on one knee and proposes - which of course I photographed.
One in a lifetime shots, how many people have a photographer on hand to record the proposal? Well obviously the girl was shocked but accepted so we got an engagement shot for the paper as well.

Congratulations to the happy couple!
What a way to end the year ...

2009 will be here before you know it...

With the new year comes a new website!
I'm in the process of building my new website where you'll be able to browse my portfolio, read a brief intro about me, and I'm also adding Customer Login Pages. I will offer my clients a private login and password to access their images, view them in the comfort of their own home and hopefully after New Years also place an order and pay online.
So check back after the new year, it should be up and running. :o)
With Christmas & New Years fast approaching I have a few limited sessions left to offer, and my coupons (link removed - see new link to the right of this posting.) are still valid til the end of the year, so hurry and take advantage of them! After New Years I'll come with some new specials for you to use during or after your sessions.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Almost Christmas time again.

Almost time for my favorite season of all; Christmas. I just finished up my autumn portraits, mostly various family photos done, I did get to try out the bridge I got several months ago on my kids. I was hoping my oldest would be into the whole "fishing" theme but not so much. The youngest is 2 so obviously getting him to listen is hard. My daugther was a good sport though and got some cute ones of her. I also managed to bribe all 3 of mine for a fall portrait, I doubt I'll get them to co-operate for a Christmas photo, but I thought this one was kind of cute, hopefully I'll be able to work it into some sort of Christmas card.



My oldest had another birthday so time for annual portraits of him as well, I do think I like taking pictures of other peoples kids more than my own, my own always put up such a fuss. My oldest is very much into fake smiles and he kept insisting they were genuine 'til I showed him one of his worst fake smiles he gave me - after that he was all about joking and cracking up. Whatever works I suppose, its like bribing my youngest with a sucker for his. :o)
Be sure to check out the rest of the photos in my galleries (link to the right of posting)!

Autumn is almost past.

Its been a quick autumn, seems like it came and left so fast this year. I was really hoping to get out to get some outdoor fall portraits but the leaves turned so fast I didn't get a chance to this year. However I did get to take some fall themed portraits this weekend:
I took some of my kids and their cousins, not the easiest thing to do with such a wide range of ages: 8,5,2,2, and 4 months. But I think we got a few printables, this one was my favorite. I also took a fall portrait of just my niece and nephew - never seen such a happy 4 month old either, we got a lot of good shots of him.


And of course Aunt Sue has to be cruel and try her new prop even though he's gotten almost a bit too big for it. The tea cup! I had to see how it would turn out. Not bad huh, sort of cute and different, I think the best part was his expressions.

Until next time....

Autumn is coming!

With autumn coming it is a perfect time to get some family portraits done with the shifting colors outside and cooler temperatures. Seniors: Its not too late to book a session yet either, your outdoor portraits will be nice with some richer colors too (see specials and coupons for money saving offers!).
I have added some new backdrops to use as well as a few new props, a chaise for anything between family, to maternity and bridal portraits. A bridge to use with infants-children's fishing theme (complete with bamboo fishing pole and JD bibbed overalls) and a new tea cup to use with infants and a few other goodies. And with autumn coming I'll be featuring my "haybale with wagon wheel, apples and leaves" again - such a simple and perfect setting for fall portraits. (Picture of fall set below, picture of bridge set coming soon!)

I also added some new links to my blog; a link to my temporary website until I get a new one launched - hopefully in the next few months. Also a link to my specials and coupons page I've got listed on my temporary website - use those coupons and specials during your next session. I also started offering Gift Certificates for your purchase, a great way to give family or friends some new nice portraits. Pay for the session, or give them some pre-paid prints, its up to you.

In the next few weeks I will be adding a new sub album in my gallery, I've had requests for art prints, so I will be adding some nature, landscape and still life portraits that will be available for purchase. So keep an eye out for those. I'm sure there will be quite a few lighthouse pictures among those, those are my new obsession - I adore lighthouses and got to see plenty of them on our recent vacation to South Carolina and Georgia beaches.

-Susanne

Maternity Sessions


Really behind on these, these were taken in April if I'm not mistaken? These two girls wanted to take some maternity pictures together, never done anything like that before and apparently neither has anyone else, I was trying to find some poses for two but everything out there is couples. So we improvised a bit. I had them pick their favorite poses and we tried to make it a dual pose. They came up with the Tennis rackets, they both used to play Tennis in high school so it was a bit personal to do that one.


I also added some sibling photos to this one, I never got to do a session with siblings involved and thought these turned out so precious, in fact I did a collage showing off a series of these with her looking, listening, kissing and hugging the belly. It was too cute.


And my favorite photo from each of their individual sessions. There was a lot of the same poses, but these two really stuck out as my favorites for each of them. The blond girl had seen a similar pose elsewhere and wanted to try a "toga" portrait for hers, I wasn't really thrilled with it til I started playing with black and white and different "actions", I LOVE how this one came out with a glow. And seeing the brunette was a bit further along (about a month), she was rounder around the belly so she got some great belly shots. I loved this pose with the booties the first time I tried it, and love it still - its dramatic lighting and a simple pose. My favorite.

Pre-School Portraits


I'm a bit behind on posts, these were taken end of May.
It was that time again this spring (May), to do pre-school pictures. I got a chance to do some more traditional poses I like, and this little pre school graduate let me try some new ones as well, I think with a little tweaking it might be a returning pose for me (sitting on the books).
He did good and we got some nice poses of him.
I also took some portraits of my daugther as she graduated pre-school but for variety I just put this little fella up here - my daugther's portraits can be seen in my portfolio in the link on the side here.

2 Year Portraits




These were taken 2nd weekend in July as well.
Our little stinkpot turned 2 in July, so portrait time for him too. Well clearly he isn't as keen on portraits and posing as his sister, I had the hardest time getting him to sit still, we tried all sorts of props to get him interested. Despite our troubles I think I got a few that I liked myself (with the help from suckers as you can see!), just wish there was more and better. Maybe better luck next year? And those who know us, know how much our oldest LOVES his dinosaurs, as you can see on the last image, "little bit" has inhertited that love for dinos too.

5 Year Old Portraits


These were taken 2nd weekend in July.
Time to take portraits of my kids again, my daugther just turned 5 and of course we needed some new snazzy pictures of her. This way mommy got to try out her new investments (backdrops). Of course the one we tried had to be pink since she LOVES pink.
I do think I just got some new favorite portraits of her, she did fabulous this year.

Newborn Portraits


These were taken at the end of May/begining of June.
Got to take some newborn portraits again. I must have really bad luck with newborns, they never sleep like you see all these little babies do in other portraits. Mine are always active and alive, at least this little fella was at least co-operative. Got myself a new favorite portrait too, this portrait of him and his mommy I find absolutely adorable, almost wish it was myself so I could print it big and frame it!

Standard Portraits


These were taken first weekend in May.
I had the pleasure of taking pictures of Granny in the begining of May. She's such a sweet old lady, and for being so weak she sure did wonderful taking the portraits, she's a young 91 years old. Her children wanted some nice portraits of her and in collaboration with her children we came up with these studio portrait settings. We got some nice headshots of her as well, I just liked these because they showed off the settings - it was hard coming up with something age appropriate, esp since most of my props are more kid-oriented at the moment.


One of her daugthers also wanted some portraits of herself, when we were talking about doing Granny's portraits. I do believe these were taken in the begining of April. We did simple headshots and sitting in chair portraits. I like how these two came out myself.