Blog design!

I am having so much fun with blog design! Here is a recent update- my cousin wanted a blog refresher for her family blog. I think it turned out so cute!

Before:

After: To see a larger sample of the new blog, click here.

Henry and Teddy

I got to meet another baby for the first time! Teddy was a rather new surprise when I shot my first session with Henry and now he is growing up so fast! Henry and Teddy are a bit of a flashback for me because they are 21 months apart, just like my boys. Henry loves his little brother but was more interested in playing with his trains than interacting with Teddy. That's okay, they were both so happy and did incredibly well. Sometimes you just never know with a 2 year old and an infant!

A few of my random favorites...

Chloe- 6 months

I'd like to introduce Chloe! When I last shot her, she was in utero. Now she is 6 months old and I got to meet her for the first time! We shot her session on location in her home. Although I love the convenience of having a studio, I LOVE shooting on location so much more! I love the challenges of working with new light and also getting to work in a new environment. Not to mention, everyone is just so much more relaxed in their own home and the photos will be more meaningful.

Here's a shot from our session last April:

Isn't she perfect?!

Gotta love drool!
Chloe had this colorful and fun rug in her room:




It was hard to narrow it down to just a few favorites! Next time you see Chloe she will be a year old! I can't wait!

New Blog Sessions!

I love blogs! Even more than that, I love designing blog headers! Did you make a New Year's resolution to start blogging this year? Do you blog already but want yours to look stylish and fun?

I know that I have mentioned blog redesign in the past but now I am offering a fun new combo to my clients. Here's what you'll get!

$350
-One hour studio session (or outdoor New Prague location)
-FUN family photos and individual photos taken of each member of your family
-CD of your entire session in low-resolution (perfect for blogging and facebook- but can print up to 5x7)
-Custom blog design featuring your photos!

Here are a couple of examples of banners that I have designed for my own blog and for my friend's blog.



This special is good now through April. After April the price will increase to $450.

If you have had a recent session with me and want a blog designed using the photos from your session please contact me for pricing! Let's face it, blogs are here to stay- why not have yours feature fabulous photos, represent who you are and reflect your style vs. a generic template that looks just like everyone else's?

2009 Goals

1. Be active! When I was in 4th grade, I was the only kid in the entire elementary school to be awarded with the Presidential Fitness Award. That means that I scored 85% or above in each of the categories- mile run, flexed arm hang, etc. Remember those? There was a girl in my grade who was so athletic that when the principal announced that there was only one winner and that it was a 4th grade girl, I thought for sure it was her. Much to my surprise, the principal announced MY name! Well, it's been a long time since 4th grade, but seriously what happened to me? So... this year my goal is to be more active. I don't want to bring weight loss into it, I am hoping that is just a pleasant side effect of being more active. I was thinking a class, co-ed softball league, or something else that would be fun.

2. Strengthen my relationships. This is pretty self-explanatory. I want to work on being a better mother, wife, friend, daughter, and sister. This would probably involve spending less time on the computer.

3. Further my photography career. I hope to further my photography career by participating in a workshop or two this year. For the longest time I always felt like I was working toward something like being able to quit my job or having a studio. Now that things have finally "settled," I feel like I need some new inspiration or a new goal to work towards.

4. Travel! I say this every year but this year some trips WILL be taken! Play more, work less is the general philosophy!

So, those are my main goals for the year. I am super excited to start off with a clean slate and see what this new year has in store for me!

Loved it.

Valentine's Day Special!

When: Saturday, January 31st
Where: My studio, 105 E. Main St., New Prague
What: All day mini-sessions
Who: Anybody that wants updated photos of their loved ones! Couples, families, kids, babies, boudoir, and maternity. Groups of 6 or more, please add an additional $50.

Cost is $150 for a half hour session. You will receive a custom designed 4x6 digital Valentine and a CD of high-resolution files featuring 15-20 images from your session. Additional products are available such as mini-photo albums and high end cards.

example of 4x6 digital Valentine- you will receive this as a jpeg file and are welcome to print at the lab of your choice and pass out to family and friends! Each Valentine will be custom designed with the wording of your choice and can feature up to three photos from your session.



Please contact me to book a session. A $25 non-refundable retainer is required to reserve your time slot. The number of time slots are limited. If you are unavailable to book on Saturday, January 31st, this special will be valid through the month of January.

OWP Facebook Page

Hello loyal blog readers and Happy New Year! One of my goals for 2009 is to stay on top of this blog and get back to being personal. For awhile I was just so busy that I barely had time to post sessions yet alone keep you up to date on what is going on with me. Now that it's the "slow season" I hope to get back on track.

For those of you on Facebook, I created a page for my business. Next time you're on, come by and check it out! If you're not on Facebook yet, sign up now! It's such a great way to stay connected but I must warn you, it's highly addictive! I know it may seem daunting and overwhelming to start up but trust me, once you're on you'll be a regular in no time. Look me up and add me as a friend!

My sister also got me started on Geni.com. It's another networking site, but it's an awesome family tree builder. It's really cool to see how extensive your family tree branches out, especially if you have a large family. Check it out!

Meredith and Paul

I never knew winter weddings could be so beautiful until I had the chance to shoot a couple this past season. I wanted to kick off the new year with a New Year's wedding I just shot. For many of Meredith and Paul's friends and family, this wedding was an "it's about time!" wedding since they have been together for many years. I just think you can't rush perfection and this day was truly perfect! These are just a few of my favorites!

Typically, I come up with creative shots in the moment depending on the location. However, I've had this ring shot in mind since about a week ago and couldn't wait to shoot it! I found these blue stickers when I was going through some boxes and they just happened to be the color of Meredith's shoes!

She was full of smiles all day long!
The white board in the bride's room. :)
I was so in love with her vintage inspired dress! The bottom was my favorite.
Jesus loves me. :)
The bride's room was so fun and full of energy! The girls had the music going (which I decided is a necessity!) and there were lots of laughs and lots of dancing. :)
We braved the cold right before the ceremony... SO worth it!




We snuck them out during dinner to have some fun in this funky skyway at the Mankato Holiday Inn.



Thanks M&P for having me! Have a wonderful time in Mexico!

Happy New Year!

As I reflect on the past year, I can't help but feel overjoyed at this year's success. I had such an amazing year! I acquired a new studio, shot my first destination wedding, and worked with some amazing new people! I am so thankful to each and every one of you who have supported me since day one and all of the new clients that I met this year as well!

I put together this slide show of each of my sessions and weddings that I shot this year. I look forward to some exciting new things for 2009. I have some exciting studio news as well as additional client services that I can't wait to announce. For now, please enjoy a look back at 2008. It was so fun looking through all of these sessions. Some of them I felt like I shot so long ago. It's funny how time goes so fast, yet can seem long at the same time.

Have a wonderful New Year! Cheers! Click here to view in a full window.

Holiday schedule update...

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday week spending time with your loved ones. We had a great Christmas, but unfortunately since then the nasty stomach flu has moved through our house. We all have it with the exception of Aidan, so it's been a challenging past couple of days with both parents sick and my oldest sick as well. Has everyone had this thing? It seems as if everyone I have talked to has had it recently. Viruses=yuck!

I will have a limited working week this week hoping for a speedy recovery and celebrating New Year's. This definitely isn't what I had in mind for some much needed vacation time but I am also glad I didn't have to cancel any shoots. Thank goodness for the 80's movie weekend marathon on Encore! I've been confined to my bed but am catching some classics such as Ferris Bueller and Dirty Dancing! Yessssss!


I hope to update soon along with a look back at 2008 with a year in photos as well as my exciting new plans for 2009!

Until then...

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!