Looking for newborn babies during the Months of Jan/Feb

We are looking to create a new line of baby announcements in our digital photo candy business.  This is where we offer our templates for cards and albums.  Go here to see the site. 

http://www.digitalphotocandy.com

Our studio mainly photographs weddings and seniors.  So we are looking for 3-5 babies (boys or girls, doesn’t really matter)  We need to photograph them on a white background and with little to nothing on.  Down to a diaper.  They will need to be sleeping, so we want NEWBORNS WITHIN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS OF LIFE.  Preferably right after their belly button has fallen off.  A Parent or Parents will need to wear a white long sleeve shirt in case we need to use you in the background of the image.  We are going to spend at least an hour with you and want to create a timeless look.  We cannot add siblings to this offer, sorry.

What you will receive, a free session from us ($80 value) and your favorite image as an 8×10, (a $47 VALUE) if you would like additional images from the session, you can purchase them, but there is no obligation at all.

We need you to sign a model release for use on our websites.  If you would like to be part of this, please give me a call at the studio.  319.266.3618

I’m not a baby anymore…sob sob sob

Zelle, our three year old started saying to me, “Mommy I’m not a baby anymore, I’m a big girl.”  I can’t believe three almost four years is gone already!  She’s my last one, so I savor every moment with her in a different way then I did with Wyatt.  When the crib left our house, I cried.  But I felt a little better that it went to my sister’s house for my niece Emily, so at least I can visit it

Now that she is gaining her independence, I am so proud, but also sad that we are leaving the time in her life where she is all kisses and hugs and runs to greet you at the door with open arms. 

We have SO many pics of the kids growing up, which is awesome, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them, until I created a baby book.  See some of the page spreads from Zelle’s through out this post.  Now I am obsessed with it, and making one for Wyatt and then a yearly one start in 2002 the year Wyatt was born.  It is sad to just have a little shoebox full of images, when picture books are available.  This little library will grow as they do and will soften the blow (a little) when they start to drive, graduate from High School, and get married.

Fast Forward to 2022, you will see me on the sofa with a coffee with creme brullee creamer, my books spread around me and a box of kleenex.  :O 

I love this idea SO much that it is the new direction our baby plan is going in.  The new and much improved baby plan will include 4 sessions and a finished fine art table top book.

Stop by the studio if you want to see Zelle’s whole book in person.

Jen and Dustin August 23, 2008

We had the best time at Jen and Dustin’s wedding in August.  They are both go-getters very focused and so in love with each other.  But you would never know about all their accomplishments since they never like to brag about it.  When I got to the church Jen was in the bathroom doing pushups.  I have to say that was a first. 

Jen has such a sweet sensitive side and cried when she saw Dustin for the first time.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  The above image was captured at the first look. This is Jen’s mom who was so proud!  One of the most unique moments at the ceremony was the wedding party distributed communion to the guests in the form of homemade bread, that was followed by a family prayer.   What a great way to start out your marriage! 

The beautiful Wartburg Campus was the site of the ceremony and I love the way the bright light plays with the fountain.

Dustin is an amazing wrestler, so we HAD to get a shot of him wrestling the best man, who was also his brother.  This probably was a familiar sight growing up.  Jen is the referee.  It was a fun way to incorporate his interests into the images. 

They are both beautiful inside and out.  And Woody and I SO enjoyed getting to know them and their families.

Samia and Matt

One of our most favorite events this year was the small intimate wedding of Samia and Matt in Waverly.  It took place outside at Matt’s parent’s home which overlooks the Cedar River.  The trees and the path down to the water made for such beautiful images.  We started early and the light was fantastic.

Samia is originally from Brazil, and just was so much fun the whole day.  She laughed and laughed and I was such a treat for Woody and I to see so many “real” moments shared between Samia and Matt.  They are both in the engineering field which doesn’t always make it easy to let us inside to create the images we were born to create.  But Samia and Matt were a beautiful exception.  They are just simply so in love with each other that is radiates from inside.

The scenery and the lighting just came together in such a beautiful way. 

With the rain clouds threathening, the ceremony started 15 minutes early.  A sand ceremony symbolically united the couple with Matt’s great kids.  There was just enough time for a little champagne before the downpour started and the party was moved inside.

Since brazilians LOVE to dance.  One of the sweetest parts of the evening was an impromptu dance that was supposed to happen outside on the back deck, but because of the rain, was moved to the garage.  Samia and Matt and their families didn’t miss a beat.  They had a blast anyway.  Thanks for letting us be such an important part of your day!  Best wishes for a long and happy life together filled with music and dancing.

Cassidy Class of 2009

Cassidy came in late fall for her senior portraits.  She has legs for miles and I WISH I looked like her in high school.  But beyond that she is so very sweet and unaware of how beautiful she is.  I think we need a few more people like that in the world!

This brown tone with the colored jeans was one of her faves.

Beautiful brown eyes here.

I love the gritty dirty look of this with the overlay.  Get this overlay for $9 at our design site www.digitalphotocandy.com

We had the best time with Cassidy and her mom Dawn.  Can’t wait to see what life has in store for her.

Identity Theft

I’ve always heard if identity theft hasn’t happen to you, just wait, it will.  And it happened to us yesterday.  I was absentmindedly checking our bank statement and saw five transactions to foreign places, I think it was Spanish.  In a matter of hours our entire business bank account was drained and in negative territory.  I couldn’t believe it.  You would think the bank would have a way of red flagging International transactions at 3:00AM, but apparenly they do not.  So over the course of 5 seperate transactions between the hours of 2:30 and 4:00 am on Veterans Day, we lost a little over $5000.  (so far, there are two other transactions pending.)

Now we are playing the waiting game it will take 10 business days to sort it all out and we are hopeful that all the money will be returned.  But I am always a little skeptical, waiting until the funds are actually in our account to celebrate.

The best guess of the bank is that they had a series of debit card numbers and just punched in different combinations on their machine until they hit the jackpot.  I feel violated.  Someone else has control over my life (through our finances) and that doesn’t sit well with me.  Not to mention that it is our business account and if you own your own business, you know that it runs on credit. 

So far we’ve been hit with $200 in NSF Fees and a couple hundred in credit card fees.  Please say a little prayer for us that is straightens out soon.

Rhian and Jim July 12, 2008

We had the best time at Rhian and Jim’s Wedding in July.  Their lime green, black and eggplant color scheme was fun, mod, and just them.

Their wedding party was a ton of fun too.  Jim’s little nieces were adorable as flower girls and with both Jim and Rhian having 5 brothers and sisters each, it was very much a family affair.

We stopped at the Wartburg Campus before the reception and got some nice images, then we stopped to see Rhian’s grandma at the hospital where she was recovering from cancer complications.  It was so important to Rhian, which shows you just how much she truly cares about other people.  I had to smile a little when the first few words out of her grandmas mouth were, “Let me see your shoes!”  That must be where Rhian gets her great taste from.

Rhian and Jim are both just great friends.  They’ve been together a long time and met many challenges along the way.  I can’t wait to see where their journey in life takes them.

P.S  Rhian’s wedding cakes were AMAZING!!!  From Yummy’s Gourmet Cakes in Coralville.  It was truly THE BEST CAKE I have ever had.  (An needless to say, we’ve eaten a lot of wedding cake!    )

Check out their website here:  http://www.yummysgourmetcakes.com/

Anne Class of 2009

We had a lot of fun photographing Anne Shepherd from Fairbank this year.  I love this one down by the beach with her hair blowing.  It wasn’t a windy day, so Woody created a little artifical wind with the reflector.

The Dramatic lighting on this Black and White makes it ROCK!  Look how beautifully lit the mask of her face is.  It also helps a little that Anne is GORGEOUS!! :0

This was one Anne’s mom, Teresa’s faves.  The neon look, dramatic lighting and sunglasses all combine together so beautifully.

Image Panel Competition 2008

Just got my print case back from competition at the fall seminar.  The rules for image panel are simple. 8 images must be from the same session on one board.  Considering I didn’t even think about it until Wednesday of last week, We are thrilled to be honored with a 2nd place and honorable mention on 2 out of 2 entries! 

We got a 2nd Place in the State of Iowa for Weddings and Brides from Allison and Kevin’s Bridal Session.

Can’t wait until their Nov 15th Wedding!

Our other panel was from Leilani and Casey’s Wedding in June.  It received an honorable mention.

What’s Been Goin’ On

Hello portrait lovers!  We’ve been working and working almost 90 hours a week at the tail end of the season.  Taking family portraits and a few seniors who got a little bit of a late start.  Again, the guilt set in since I am a little far behind getting the weddings edited that I refused to post until I got two of them on their way to retouching.  (I was raised Catholic, it’s hard to get that guilt out of your system!  )

We got a new retaining wall and flower bed put in, so I am just itching to fill it with all kinds of beautiful goodies next year. 

I’ve also been spending lots of time with the kids.  Wyatt is learning to read.  He amazes me everyday!  I hope that reading becomes a love for him like it is for me.  It just sort of clicked this year with me that my most important job on the earth is to participate in the growth of these two unique people.  To spend the time and teach them life lessons.  (I guess I’m starting to feel my own mortality, probably had something to do with the life insurance appointment we had on Monday.)

And we’ve been watching the wild roller coaster ride that is the Dow Jones Industrial Average!  I don’t even watch the news anymore.  It used to be that journalism was a noble profession.  But anymore it is fraught with negativity, hype, and pessimisim and I don’t have space for either in my head right now. 

So with that, back to what I know, beautiful portraits and lighting!  Bring it on!!