W A N T E D

Alrighty all you fabulous clients of mine...here's what I'm lookin' for. I've got some ideas I want to play around with so am looking for a few models. Here's what I need:

1. Girls ages 3-5...all they need to be is cute and able to take direction well!
2. Baby girls ages 6-18mos... Now, for these, she needs to be at LEAST sitting up by herself.

I have some wonderfully girly pictures that I want to try, which we will discuss more in detail when you call or e-mail me. The requirements for these pictures are simply what's listed above, that you must travel to me to take these, and finally, that you must sign a model release form allowing me to use these for marketing and on my website. These sessions will be fairly short, not my typical sessions, as I will just be trying out these specific ideas. Family portraits, etc, will not be done at this time.

So...what do I get? You're asking yourself... Well, for your time and as a thank you for helping me out, there will be no session fee, 30% off any prints that you would like to order from the session and a mini-album showcasing a few of my favorites from the session. Of course, there is absolutely no obligation to this. Your proofs will be placed in a password protected gallery online for 10 days, at which time you may order, but as I stated before there is absolutely no obligation.

Finally - for those of you that KNOW someone who would be perfect for this, pass along this info to them. My referral bonus will still be applied for these sessions. So, that means a free 8x10 or two free 5x7's for you, just for spreading the word...

If you're interested, call me (847-970-8055) or e-mail me (info@essenceportraits.com) and we'll discuss what I'm looking for, see if it's a good fit, and if so, set up a time. These sessions will take place in August, and I have only Sunday's available, so you must be open on one of those days.

Oh, and for those of you with boys...don't you worry. I've got some boy shots I want to try in the fall, so stay posted for that!

Thanks everyone!!!

the best kind of friend...

You ever have one of those friends with whom you can not talk for months at a time, then - BAM! - you get together or chat on the phone and it's just like good ole' times...like nothing at all had changed? You could pick up right where you left off. The kind of friend you just know will be a forever friend no matter where your paths take you?

I'm sure you see where this is going... yep, I got me one of those friends. And, I had the pleasure of not only photographing her and her beautiful family while I was on vacation, but sitting down for a night of wild & crazy girly-ness!! I tell you what - you get us together and the laughs just don't stop... from spilled drinks to pulling a fast one on the restaurant manager (alright Jenn...you're probably the only one who's gonna get those jokes....unless of course said manager is reading this!), it was just like we had talked every day, five times a day. And that, my friends, is a wonderful kind of girlfriend to have.

So, I was going to post this whole blurb when I did her pictures as a featured session, but I just couldn't wait. It's my dear friend's birthday today and what better day to tell her what a wonderful friend she is?!

Anywho, a sneak peek at some of my favorites from her session... Happy Birthday Jenn! I love ya!!!!

A sneak peek...

Well, I came home and hit the ground running, starting right away on an engagement session I did two days before we left.

For this session, I traveled into the city and am so happy that the couple suggested that! No where else would we have been able to get the unique and urban shots that we did... However - Mother Nature was relentless for us - it was SOOO hot! We actually rescheduled once due to the heat and I think we may have been spared a bit, but not much!!

I know I'm cheating a little here, but wanted to give a sneak peek at this session... So, Jennifer, if you're reading - here's just one of the many great ones we got!! :-)

I'm BAAAAAAAACK!!!

As spoken just like the little girl in Poltergeist!

What a busy, busy vacation we had! It seemed like it was non-stop the entire time, but what a great time we had! Of course, family was all excited to see how much the little guy had grown - and all his new words and how his personality has formed! He, of course, had a ball as well...still asking for Mama Nae (my grandma), Papa baba (my grandpa - Bob... :-), Mama Gaaaaaail (said in as southern of a drawl as a midwest boy can get), and many (many...) of the others we saw!

Even though I worked a bunch while gone, it still doesn't seem like "work" - guess that means I love what I do! For that I'm SOOO thankful... Not sure I would have made it through the last two weeks without loving it!! :-)

Well, I'll be a busy little bee for the next month - proofing all my sessions and preparing for new changes to my website and launching new collage actions for my fellow photographers! And, no, I never sleep... :-)

Not enough hours in the day...

Well, that's an understatement. I am frantically trying to tie up all my loose ends before heading on vacation starting Monday. I am hurriedly trying to proof my latest session - Kelley, if you're reading this, they're coming, I promise! - and get all that stuff lined up that you manage to forget about when going on vacation! So, before I go I will not be posting any more featured sessions, much to my disappointment. However, I hope to be able to as soon as I return.

While on "vacation" I will have six sessions - many of whom are return clients so can't wait to see how the kiddies have grown! For those of you with sessions scheduled in Sioux Falls, I will be contacting you a day or two before your session to iron out details on location and such.

Finally, for those interested in booking a session or design consultation, I am currently booked for the remainder of July, with my next available session date on August 5th. For those interested, please call or e-mail me!

Ok....so really finally this time... I will be unavailable via e-mail from the 10-21, so if it is an emergency (though not sure what kind of picture emergency could arise!), you can reach me at 847.970.8055. Also, for those who have sessions with me during this time, should you need to get in touch with me, please use that number.

So, I bid you farewell until the end of the month! Enjoy the next couple of weeks - I know I will!!!

Our pretty little tootsies...

Just a couple shots from yesterday...how cute are these flip flops they gave us to wear?!?!? I only wish they were thicker than a piece of paper - I'd wear 'em all the time!!

Enjoy the 4th everyone!!

Just another day?

Nope! Today's is my mom's birthday. She's going to be 27 this year. Yep, she's getting up there. And, she doesn't look a day over 24.

My sisters and I have planned a surprise "girls pampering party" for her today (which she already guessed...). Manicures, Pedicures and food! What could be better?!?!? I'm going to try to get some shots today to document our day and can hopefully post later... But, I make NO promises!!! It seems when I get out of my "photographer" mode, I turn into a typical person - always "forgetting" to document the days!

Well, Happy Birthday Mom!! Love you!

The Simple Things

So...I was reading the blog of one of my very favorite friends** about the innocence of childhood. It's something that's here and gone in the blink of an eye, yet something that we all take for granted most of the time...

Just once, I'd love to see the world through my
son's eyes... What does he see? What does he hear? Think about? Dream about? What are his worries? Does he have any for that matter? I can imagine that if I DID see the world through his eyes I would see the leaves on the trees rather than just the tree... I would see the bee on the flower, rather than just the flower... I would actually HEAR the music playing, rather than tuning it out.

He's already growing up...learning new things...experiencing new things (PB & J!)...saying new words... All right before my eyes. I can only hope that I will remember to take the time to look, listen, feel, hear and just ABSORB the world around me. So, that the next time I'm in my own world and he says, excitedly - AIRMANE!!! (translation - airplane...) and points to the sky, I will know immediately what he's saying rather than trying to clue in to it and having my ears "finally work". The first time that happened, I actually thought to myself - I didn't even HEAR that airplane... Why? Well, I suppose it's cause I'm not a kid anymore. Though I try hard to be... :-)

Have fun this holiday weekend...be safe...be careful...and absorb your children. They'll be grown before you know it.

**To see my friend's blog on childhood innocence, visit: www.tiffanisunshine.blogspot.com