catching up

okay! so whats worse, not to have a blog or to have one I can't seem to keep up to date? With all the processing, galleries for clients, backing up and more backing up there never seems to be time for doing new creative work or posting here. I was going to try and put together a post from all the pre-holiday sessions but I think I'm going to just jump in and add a few right now for fear I don't get around to all of them. So here's some random family stuff

maybe more to come, click to enlarge

Head Shot

"Start the new year with a fresh new look"
Now is a good time to get a fresh headshot for your business or social networking profiles.
First impressions! you don't want yours to be a blurry blob, and at only $125 it's worth the investment.

If any of you go to the YMCA in Oak Park you might notice this ad running on the T.V's there.

Want more than a head-shot?
would you like to show your place of work, you and your staff in action then you might what the full package. First step lets set up a meeting to discuss your needs.

Maybe you need just one shot, but you want a conceptual image, I would be delighted to work on that, first step let's meet and brainstorm.

Founding Mom, Jill Salzman

The founding Mom of The Founding Moms, Jill Salzman had her book launch last night at Maya Del Sol and I was there to be the "photog" for the night.
"Found it" A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs is now available for purchase from The Book Table one of the sponcers of last night event.

There was lot's of great food, so great I never got to take a photo of a full plate. Brill illustrations from the book up on display and crafts by Aunt Peaches for the young at heart.

And the snow did not keep people away, the place was over flowing with a wonderful mix of people.

A fun night was had by all, for all the photos visit http://emphotography.zenfolio.com/foundingmoms

Snow Day 1

It's here, the snow is finally falling.
And who better than my little companion Siofra to share the first few steps in the fresh show with.

Click images to enlarge.

She was pretty happy to get outside and crunch around.

I will be available for snow shoot in the next few days.

Birth photography discount

My first discount of the new year is on birth photography. Up until now the births I have photographed have been home-births but I am available to photograph where ever you are planning to birth your baby.

The intensity and emotion is so powerful during these shoots I just want to do more. Birth photography is priced a little different than most of my other sessions. It is done in a documentary style. Although one may not want large prints of all the images on the wall most people would like a copy of each image to tell the story from start to finish, so I give the client a disc with all the images (usually in B&W, some color additions) so they can then make an album or book. The fee is usually $600, birth can take a long time, but for anyone planning a Jan or Feb birth I am offering it for $400. If you are interested drop me a line to discuss the details of how it all works. Since one usually doesn't know when the baby is going to say the time is right, we have to makes plans so we're all in the right place at the right time.

Pricing for Fine Art prints has come down a little this year. I will also be adding framing and archival mats to my products since a lot of you ask about framing. Check back in Feb to see example of what I have to offer.

Holiday Cards and Images

For much of Nov and Dec I am busy with holiday card images and family portraits that will be used as gifts during the holiday season. Some cards I design, some people use photos I've taken to build cards elsewhere. The most fun (and the most work for me) is the concept card. I only do a few of these a year and here is a couple.

I worked with this family for the first time last year, you might remember the elves working hard with the baby santa giving orders from her highchair, this year we added in Mom and Dad. I take no credit for the wording they did that, but I think it pulls the concept together perfectly.

This next one is also a return client, 5th year in a row. The parents are totally open to whatever concept I come up with which is always great.

Front, Inside and Back of the card

and ANOTHER return client, for the 3rd year. Elegant is the word that comes to mind with these two girls this year, seeming so grown up since the year before.

This image was used on the front of a tiny print designed card, I took it at the end of a family portrait session. Two more of my photos were used on the back, but more from that shoot later.

Not all cards are concept based, most are a single nice portrait, or a series of lifestyle shots.

Here I took the photo and used a card design by florabelle

Some I never even see, some clients take the digital files and I never get to see what they do with them, but Im sure they make family and friends smile. And there is one every now and then that doesn't get used because I design a card and the client only needs prints.

Lots more to come from the season

Happy New Year 2012

Start of a new year means changes. Today I'm moving my blog back over here, I haven't posted here in a couple of years so bare with me as I get the design and layout figured out. I hope to redo my whole website this year.

My main areas of focus for the first part of this year will be environmental portraits and documentary photography.

The three projects I am most proud of from 2011 are a home-birth I photographed, the day I spent photographing children for Flashes of Hope, and a little street photo project I did one day, so I definitely want to work more in these areas.

Since having children family photography has dominated my work, this year I want to work a lot more with professionals developing their image, especially small business owners.

So anyone out there looking for a networking profile image, a new business portrait or a series of image to show who and what you do and where you do it please contact me, I am excited to get working on new projects.