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    • Cheryl MuhrCheryl Muhr

    Session Share: Family Mini Session

    August 30, 2010 | Posted by Cheryl Muhr

    Inspiration: The light.  Warm, buttery backlighting at sunset.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

    Favorite Element: The belly.  It’s an added extra element that speaks so loudly of love and hope and magic.

    Biggest Challenge: The timing.  Sunset is always challenging because the shooting window closes so quickly.  Also, mini sessions are typically only around 20 minutes, so we work fast!

    What Clients Said: “These are so, so, so wonderful.  I have watched the slide show about a 100 times today.  And the song!  ….I want to buy the digital collection.”

    Final Words from Photographer: This family sums up my experience so far in Austin.  Beautiful people, beautiful children, beautiful sunsets.

    Alice ParkAlice Park

    Session Share: Harper’s 1st Birthday

    August 30, 2010 | Posted by Alice Park

    We always love a good party, especially when most of the details were DIY projects mom did herself at home!  For today’s Session Share, we’re sharing images from Harper’s 1st Birthday and asking mom about the inspiration behind it all.  Enjoy!

    Tell us about the theme of Harper’s 1st Birthday Party.  What was your inspiration behind it?

    The theme was created around the Varsity Truck, we wanted to celebrate Harper’s Atlanta roots, and the Varsity makes it easy to cater the party because they do everything from the food truck!   We had a previous Halloween party using the Varsity Truck and people really enjoyed it, so we thought we would do it again!  Harper’s middle name is Elliott, “Ellie”, so we incorporated a baby elephant with a circus design, which fit well with the Varsity Truck.  This was the overall theme for the party!

    I found the party to be an excuse to try and do many new craft projects!  I love to sew and craft so I made many of the items, when I say “I”, I also mean my Mom and I, plus the rest of the family that helped!

    Tell us about the details!  The invitations, the party favors, the treats, etc!

    The invitations, thank you’s, cupcake toppers, party favor beach pail and stickers, animal cracker tags and animal cracker bags, and all paper goods were created by Nico and Lala in Nashville, TN.  We did all correspondence by email and they were amazing to work with!  They even included a photo of Harper on the invitation!  Plus, they customized each beach pail favor with the child’s name printed on waterproof stickers!  We chose pastel colors for the invite in honor of Harper still being a baby, playing up the pink!  Nico and Lala can provide everything from the paper goods to party items.  I took all inspiration from the invitation!

    The fabric name banner resembled the banner on the invite.  I appliqued “HARPER” on one side and “WISHES” on the other, as it was seen from both sides.  I made a simple triangle template for a pattern, so each piece would be the same size, this way it could be as small or big as desired.  The banner helped bring the invitation to life!

    The decorations were all handmade, the hanging pom poms were made from tissue paper purchased at Michael’s and directions from the Martha Stewart Wedding website.  The pom poms took specific tissue paper, so one may need to make a mock up, prior to making the final pom pom.  The pom poms were some of Harper’s favorites!

    The sticker garland was made from directions and stickers from Paper Source.  The garland is pictured on the back of their label packets.

    The plywood elephant cutouts were made by Harper’s grandparent’s.  The elephants were about 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide.  I made a mock up from cardboard and Papa used it as a template to cut the plywood.  Nana then painted each elephant a pastel color and made matching yarn tails.  Papa drilled a hole in the trunk, so we could hang balloons from the trunk.  The elephants were placed all over the yard and the kid’s enjoyed playing with them!

    I made Harper’s first birthday dress using Liberty of London fabric, tana lawn sarah’s secret pastel garden, purchased from Purl Soho.  I digitized/scanned the elephant from the invitation into the computer and appliqued it on the small pocket of the dress.  The elephant has a pink braided cotton floss tail!  I am hoping to make her a party dress each year for her birthday.

    The party favors were pastel beach pails from Nico and Lala, they customized each pail with the name of the child printed on a waterproof sticker, which corresponded to the invite.  The pails were filled goodies!  One goodie was an elephant appliqued t-shirt or onesie, depending on the age of the child, which I appliqued on my home sewing machine.  Party crackers were handmade, following the directions from the Martha Stewart website.  The crackers had finger puppets and a small wooden toy inside.  They were made from crepe paper, which was ordered online at Blumchen because it is very hard to find crepe paper in sheets (not streamers) in local stores.  The outside party cracker paper was from Paper Source.  Plastic pastel pinwheels and silly straws were placed in the pails.  Nico and Lala created bags of animal crackers for each of the “Party Animals”!   And Nana created homemade elephant shaped iced cookies were also a take home treat.

    Her birthday hat and bib were also appliqued using the same elephant from the invite and dress.  The elephant fabric was purchased from Etsy at the J Flair Goods shop, they have many wonderful Japanese products.  I sewed the hat using a neighbor’s hat as a template and as a reference.  The flower ribbon on the top of the hat is a hair clip for when Harper is older and has hair!  The inspiration, direction, and ribbon are from Nicholas Kniel.  The bib was purchased at the Atlanta Sewing Center, then appliqued and embroidered to match the hat.


    Any last thoughts of it all?

    I found the party to be an excuse to try and do many new craft projects!  I love to sew and craft so I made many of the items, when I say “I”, I also mean my Mom and I, plus the rest of the family that helped!  Harper’s Nana made all the delicious cupcakes and the darling smash cake, which Harper so daintily enjoyed!  Nana also made all the elephant shaped sugar cookies with homemade royal icing, tinting them all the perfect pastel colors, which all the guests savored!  Harper had a wonderful first birthday party, it was extra special due to all the love of family and friends, we had a memorable day!

    Thank you for sharing, Courtney(mom)!  We loved all of the details!



    Linda De Los ReyesLinda De Los Reyes

    Clients’ Photo Displays

    August 29, 2010 | Posted by Linda De Los Reyes

    Besides the actual photo shoot, one of the things I love doing with my clients is sitting down with them to whittle down the many fabulous images to the favorite few. This is a process that generally takes about one hour, sometimes longer, sometimes less. This particular client knew exactly where she wanted to put her favorite images – on her bedroom wall near the sitting area. This is a space reserved for complete relaxation after a long day at work or running around with her kids. She wanted to be able to look up at her wall, see her children and smile.

    We started with ideas for a mix of portraits and storyboards as there were so many images she wanted to display. But as we filtered through the photos, she realized that what she really wanted was a simple, uncluttered look on her wall. With large portraits of her favorites, she would be able to enjoy each one more fully. Since she has two children, we decided on the best single image each of her daughter, son and the kids together. In the chosen image of her daughter, she loved the gleeful look in her eyes as she shoveled yet another pile of sand into the bucket. In the photo of her son, she loved how the image displayed his natural exuberance and playful spirit. And the middle image of her son and daughter together touched her heart because it shows how close the two of them are. (The side portraits are 16″ x 20″ and the middle portrait is 20″ x 20″)

    In fact, each of her kids really wanted to have a photo of them together in each of their rooms. Since it would be in her kids’ rooms, Mom decided to make them extra special and went with 1.5″ deep canvases. The one in her daughter’s room (left, yellow wall) is 16″ x 16″ and the one in her son’s room is 16″ x 20″ (right, blue wall).

    Another client of mine just happened to be an interior designer. This was obvious when I saw how she set up her twin sons’ nursery. It looked like a room straight out of Pottery Barn. It is beautiful, to say the least. She reserved the wall above the cribs for baby photos. She loved the baby parts storyboard idea but wanted to somehow include her and her husband’s images in there as well since someday, she plans to give her sons their storyboards. I thought it was a fabulous idea (how I would have loved to have photos of my own mom and dad when I was born!). These storyboards are 16″ x 16″.

    I love it when my clients send me photos (or have me come over to take some photos) of how they displayed their images. Not only does it warm my heart to see art I created on their walls, it gives other families ideas to consider when they have their photos done.

    Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    Happy Fridays: Delicious No Cook Recipes!

    August 27, 2010 | Posted by Kristen the designer

    Even though school is back in full swing, summer isn’t quite over. There are still plenty of nice warm weekends to entertain and see friends and family! And with Labor Day right around the corner, I have assembled a list of quick and easy recipes to whip up for any special occasion. Even the pickiest eater can’t resist some of these :)

    Salads/Snacks



    Salads and snacks can sometimes make up the majority of s festive spread, so you want yours to stand out!

    My favorite recipe is for the Zucchini and Chicken Salad (bottom left):

    Prep Time: 30min
    Total Time: 30min

    Ingredients:

    1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    Coarse salt and ground pepper
    1 1/4 pounds zucchini, thinly sliced
    1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    1 bunch (about 8 ounces) spinach, chopped
    1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
    3/4 cup chopped pecans
    1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

    1)  In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini; toss to coat, and let marinate while cooking chicken.

    2)  In a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown and opaque throughout, about 7 minutes per side.

    3)  Toss chicken with zucchini mixture, spinach, onion, pecans, Parmesan, and mint. Serve.

    Quick, simple, easy and delicious!

    Desserts:

    I have to admit this next recipe certainly caught my eye, and my appetitie! Tiramisu Sundaes make an excellent summer treat.

    Prep Time: 15min
    Total Time: 45min

    Ingredients (serves 4):

    1 cup heavy cream
    1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
    3 tablespoons brandy (optional)
    8 store-bought ladyfingers (about 4 ounces)
    1 pint ice cream or gelato

    1) Whisk cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form; cover with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

    2) Combine espresso and brandy, if using, in a medium bowl. Break 4 ladyfingers in half; dip into espresso mixture until soaked but not falling apart, several seconds. Arrange two halves in a layer at the bottom of each parfait glass. Top with a scoop of ice cream. Repeat with another layer of soaked ladyfingers, and top with a scoop of ice cream. Garnish each glass with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve immediately.

    I hope this helped give you some yummy ideas for your next social get together or even a cozy evening in after a long week. As always I want to thank Martha Stewart for having so many great ideas on her site. Stay tuned for for next weeks Happy Friday post!

    ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARTHASTEWART.COM

    Alice ParkAlice Park

    NAPCP Member Spotlight: Brandy Anderson

    August 23, 2010 | Posted by Alice Park

    Sometimes it feels like the Monday blues, this time of year when that sinking feeling starts to set in. Life is about to get full on crazy busy with little reprieve between now and the holidays. We love this business with a passion but are constantly looking for ways not to feel all-consumed.  Enter award-winning photographer Brandy Anderson, who has been there and seen the other side. In our Member Spotlight this month, Brandy shares about her business, her life, and five simple things you can do to keep from being overwhelmed and dishes about how she juggles it all at home.

    NAPCP welcomes our August Member Spotlight:  Brandy Anderson.

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    Brandy Anderson, started Fresh Sugar in 2005: “I was an avid scrapbooker that wanted to take better photos. I portfolio built for a year and then started taking full paying clients in 2006.”

    Brandy is often asked why she chose the name Fresh Sugar Photography: “It’s because my sister-in-law is a wedding photographer here in Calgary, and I thought it might get confusing using my name. I was prepared to use Fresh Photography, but discovered there were many others using that business name, so I added my favorite word – sugar and Fresh Sugar was born!”

    Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
    In 3 years things will change considerably. My youngest will be in school full time, which will enable me to shoot sessions during the week. I will still have to do families on the weekend, but it will be incredibly helpful to my schedule to be able to do newborns and babies on weekdays and reserve more time on the weekends with my family.

    In 5 years?
    I’ve resisted the HUGE urge to have a studio space for these past few years, but we’ve started looking for properties that have not only a house but a separate building that I can turn into a studio. So hopefully in 5 years I won’t be driving around nearly as much. I’m not a big fan of driving, especially in winter.

    What photographer most inspires you?
    I fell in love with Jenn Hudson’s work a couple of years ago and was fortunate enough to attend a recent workshop that she put on. Her work is ethereal, creative and she is a master at posing women. While she is not really a child photographer – there is a wealth of knowledge to be found from outside our genre.
    For child photographers, I am truly lucky to have so many talented friends that I could never just pick one that inspires me. They all inspire me daily!

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    Secret to achieving bright, fresh, look?
    My most often used lens is my 24-70mm. I love the wide angle, I think it plays a big part in my style. I use the surroundings quite a bit, and try to find the most colorful aspect of my clients’ homes. When it comes to PS, I shoot in RAW and do the majority of my processing in ACR. Then if something needs an extra “boost” I run Itty Bitty Action’s color pop on it and adjust the opacities to my taste.

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    Best advice re: photography?
    I know a lot of people don’t agree with the “fake it ’till you make it” philosophy – but I really think it’s key for those of us that are self-taught. I’m not saying that you should start charging when you aren’t ready or lie to your clients – but being confident at your sessions is really important. Clients want that direction, they want to know that they are in good hands. When I followed this advice, it was much easier for me to connect with clients at sessions because they expected me to be the expert, so even if I felt nervous or scared – faking confidence worked very well.

    Advice to those starting out?
    Make sure you really research what owning a photography business entails. I’m not saying this to be snarky, but to truly help those that want to succeed. I see so many women decide to start a business, get a website and put some prices up because hey – any money for doing something you love is great, right? But these same businesses are gone 6 months later. I know that I had NO idea how much was involved – taxes, licences, insurance, business plans, accounting, advertising, budgets, photoshop, emails, blogs, etc. Also, be prepared to invest a lot of time and money for the first couple of years and not make much profit. Those are the years to purchase equipment and get big tax write offs. Know your worth – you will realize quite quickly how valuable your own time actually is.

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    Biggest challenges professionally?
    Right now my local market is incredibly saturated, there are a number of incredibly talented photographers and it takes more effort on my part to get ahead of the pack. Just a few years ago, I was pretty much one of the only natural light, on-location photographers in Calgary. Now I am one of a hundred. I have to get creative with my marketing ideas and make sure my client connections are really solid. I’m happy to say that this year has brought me more repeat clients than any other year, so things are still looking good for me!

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    What is your desire and hopes for our very specialized and unique industry?
    I have big hopes for our industry. I would love for these big organizations put a larger focus on child photography. I personally don’t understand why there are several different categories at image competition for weddings – yet children are one lonely category. I would love to see our various branches get more respect – maternity, newborn, baby, family, etc. Gone are the days where portraits are ONLY done in studio with one backdrop. (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) Child photographers all over the world are doing some crazy cool photographic work, that rivals our wedding photographer counterparts. I’d like for all of us to receive more respect within the whole photographic community, there was a time not too long ago where “wedding photographer” was snickered at, so I don’t think it’s unrealistic at all for us to get more respect as time goes on. I think that NAPCP is going to be fundamental with uniting child photographers, and I hope that we can all rely on one another to bring our industry higher.

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    To see more of Brandy’s work, get to know her better, and check out her workspace, members – click here.

    You may also find Fresh Sugar here:

    Web:  http://www.freshsugar.ca/

    Blog:  http://www.freshsugarblog.com/


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