Tag Archive for: holiday

Family Portrait Fundraiser for Foster and Adoptive Families

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This fall has been busy, but it’s been a blessing and an inspiration! I’ll jump right back to where I left off so we can get caught up. In my last post, I shared a message from an inspiring guest blogger and friend about how she and her husband felt called to foster-to-adopt three little ones over the course of 15 months. She told me about this amazing organization, the Foster Love Project, and how it provides for foster children and the families who care for them. After witnessing this precious family grow through adoption and hearing about the Foster Love Project, I knew I wanted to do something to support foster and adoptive families through photography. In one day, fifteen families raised $750 through the Family Portrait Fundraiser on November 3rd. With this money, the Foster Love Project can provide for specific requests from families like cribs, bunk beds or strollers; as well as specific requests from kids in foster care such as special bedding, sports equipment or school supplies.

Here are a few highlights from our Family Portrait Fundraiser.

first family portrait

mini-session fundraiser

sisters

all smiles for mama

And here is one of the many families I’ve been blessed to meet through this fundraiser with the Foster Love Project.

family portrait

This family was so much fun to photograph, just look at these charming faces!

little sister portrait

big sister close up

little brother portait

big brother close up

And here’s the couple that started it all!

the couple who started it all

I want to thank everyone who participated in the Family Portrait Fundraiser and I’m definitely making plans to do something similar next year. If you’d like to stay in the know about this and other opportunities, please subscribe! Plus, you’ll get a bonus Session Planning & Style Guide, written by yours truly, with exclusive tips from over 10 years of experience in photographing families.

How to Get Fabulous Christmas Cards Without Going Crazy

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I love everything about sending Christmas cards. It’s something I’ve enjoyed since my husband and I were first married. Every year, we’d plan a custom photo card and up until recently, our dog Brownie has graced the front of our cards (he was overlooked last year with the birth of our son, and this year, you can find him on the back of our cards…poor guy, but that’s how it goes). Anyway, I love coming up with the idea for the design and photos, all the way down to the details of the envelopes and stamps.

Mind you, I skimp on other holiday joys like baking cookies, but Christmas cards are kind of my thing. And there is a lot of work involved from beginning to end. And if you’ve ever created your own cards, I think you know what I’m talking about. I’ve seen the wearied faces of parents at the photo kiosk in Target trying to select images off of their thumb drive with those painfully slow Kodak machines. And even though there are lots of options with custom cards available online these days, it’s tough to beat having fun family portraits by a pro! So this year, I offered a set of 25 custom cards with my holiday mini sessions to make it easier for everyone to have fabulous Christmas cards with stunning photos! And I’d love to share Amanda and Chris’ card because I really love how they styled their wardrobe for this holiday mini session.

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Aren’t they cute with their fun winter wear (and Chris’ hunting cap and jacket)? It’s the details like this that personalize a session. And what better attire for a photo session amidst fresh cut Christmas trees at Reilly’s Summer Seat Farm? We also used the greenhouse there for part of the session because it was a great place to warm up and it was brimming with poinsettias.

So just by booking a mini session, planning their attire, and coming out for a 30-minute photo shoot, Amanda and Chris made their Christmas cards to do list a breeze. After their session, they selected their three favorite images and the card design was emailed for their approval the next day and delivered the following week. And they had an online gallery of images to order prints from as Christmas gifts for their family! Check and check!

And I guess I’ll share our cards too for some variety since we didn’t want to take our son out in the cold with a cold. I set up a backdrop and some lights in our family room and lowered my expectations because it’s always tricky photographing your own family. But I was thrilled to find that Brennan actually enjoyed it (for the most part)! We spent maybe 10 minutes in front of the camera. Sweet!

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And I think I’ll also offer on-location sessions like this next year so clients with young kids have the option of checking the session off of their list without having to leave the comfort of their home. If you’d like to be kept in the loop about opportunities like this holiday mini session and custom cards, please let me know so I can add you to our email list.

Captivating Imagery Photo Op!

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I’m getting all ready for our first-ever holiday mini sessions and as part of my preparations, I’d like to do a test shoot. So, I’m looking for a family who would like to be my model so that I can create an image to use in my marketing that will give everyone an idea of what to expect with our mini sessions.

Here’s how I’ll choose this family: please write a short essay (300 words or less) on what family portraits mean to you and send me a snapshot of you and your family. By doing this, you’re giving me permission to share your story and photo on my site and Facebook page. I’m planning on doing this test shoot on November 19th at 4 p.m. So your family will need to be available at that time. The winning family for this Photo Op will be selected next Wednesday, on November 13th. So time is ticking!

Get Your Holiday Mini Session On!

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I’m so excited to be offering holiday mini sessions (for the first time ever!) at Reilly’s Summer Seat Farm on November 23rd and 24th! We’ll be shooting by the Christmas trees and I’ll have some fun props to add some color. The sessions are 30 minutes long and include 25 custom-designed, flat holiday cards (5×7, 5×5, or snowflake-shaped 3×3 inserts (great if you already have your cards, and they make awesome ornaments!) You’ll be emailed an online proofing gallery on November 25th, which will remain active for one month. If you make your image selections for your holiday card by the 26th, we’ll have your cards ready for you by the first week of December! The session fee is $150. Sessions are limited!

Announcing 2011 Holiday Cards by Captivating Imagery

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It’s hard to believe it’s already November and the holiday season is right around the corner. So if you’re the type who likes to send custom holiday cards (I am! Our dog Brownie usually graces our Christmas cards…), it’s the time to start thinking about ordering yours before the Dec. 9th deadline. Here’s a sample for Katherine and Robert who were married this July at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. This design is great for newlyweds who’d like to share a wedding portrait with their family and friends. I also have designs for family and newborn portraits.

Christmas cards

These flat 4×5.5 cards are full-color and two-sided with space for you to write a message on the back. The cards include envelopes and are sold in sets of 25 for $35 (sales tax included).

Here’s what the back looks like:

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I’m working on my order now so that I can have them ready to go before all the hustle and bustle begins. The turnaround time for design, printing and shipping is 10 days. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to email or call me. I’d be happy to talk with you!