Expecting Miss "C"

I try really hard not to pick favorites, but I think maternity and newborn portraits ARE MY FAVORITE!!!!   I especially loooove photographing a couple who is clearly in loooove and flirt and tease each other to boot!

THIS session was such fun... the weather was beautiful (though H-O-T!!) the couple was a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e and it was my first session with my new assistant Alysha!!!  She did a great job helping out with the shoot... she was practically reading my mind as she would be right where I needed her the moment I needed her! Thank you Alysha!!!  And this precious couple... expecting their first child, a sweet baby girl we will get to meet in September! Mom was literally glowing with anticipation and Dad was cool as could be, not nervous or scared and willing to do whatever we needed him (aka... Mom asked him!) to do!   I am humbled and honored by their choice to invite me to "grow with their family," allowing me to capture this moment as well as baby "C"'s first pictures once she arrives!  Thank you V & C!  Can't wait to meet Sweet Miss C! Until then, I hope you enjoy these portraits of your exciting time of anticipation! I sure did enjoy taking them ;)

Such a fun and beautiful couple!!  Now all you need to do is take care of yourself Momma, and get lots of rest.... see you soon!!

Oh the anticipation is killing me!!  I LOVE MATERNITY PORTRAITS!!

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Announcing: Our Newest Product!!

I am beyond excited to present to you our newest product we are so proud to offer: The beautiful, versatile easy to clean, and ultra-customizable Gallery Block!  It is available as a single, set of singles or even as a collage - 
the Floating Gallery Block! 



OK, I know you are asking...


What is a Single Gallery Block™?

It is a professional photographic print adhered to a solid wood structure through a custom process that produces a unique wall décor product.

What is a Floating Gallery Block™?

It is a series of professional photographic prints adhered to solid wood structures and united on a larger backboard which produces a hanging three-dimensional effect.

Here, take a close-up look at the one you'll see below:

What I love about them is their sleek, modern look and that you don't need a frame... they come ready to hang! You just clean them with a damp cloth when needed, easy!  And they are the epitome of unique!!! As your photographer, we can create a collage that is unique to you and your family, making it coordinate with your nursery or family room decor! You can choose if the image wraps around the block or if you want a color or design around it instead! No matter what you choose, it looks beautiful!! 

I love hanging gorgeous art on my walls, but I love it even more when the artistic prints are of MY FAMILY!!! However, I kind of feel like too many framed prints one after another get redundant, even if each print is different. These Gallery Blocks will definitely add spark to your display! 

And what BETTER WAY can you think of to show off your most precious family moments? 

I CANNOT WAIT to get my Gallery Blocks on my walls!

I do have a catalog of ideas available upon request, but remember... it is COMPLETELY CUSTOMIZABLE!!  

Single Gallery Blocks start at $60 for a set of 3 5x5s, and the Floating Gallery Blocks start at $120 for a 5x5 on a 14x14 backboard. Yes, they are a bit more of an investment than taking your CD to Wal-Mart for some prints, BUT they are much more stunning to look at and show off display!  

You can see more prices on my pricing page, but for a better idea of your investment for the design you desire, please call/email me directly. 

If you have questions or need more info, call or email me today! I'd be happy to discuss them with you!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a great day and remember to ... focus on moments! Don't let them slip by!

Blessings,

Dianne

A Very Special "April Special"

To kick of our "grand re-opening" we are going to hold a very special April Special in honor of a very special and beautiful itty bitty baby named Scarlette...


You see, her Mommy went in to preterm labor, too. However, the doctors were not able to stop it, and her precious baby was born at 25 weeks. You can read all about Scarlette's story here. The huge blessing is that Scarlette is alive & well, but she is fighting for her chance to go home from the NICU. Her story touches my heart to its core for many reasons, but mostly because we just went through the scare of preterm labor ourselves. No one knows what causes preterm labor, and why sometimes the doctors can successfully stop it, and other times they cannot. I am eternally grateful that they were able to stop mine when it started at 29 weeks. But not a moment went by that week or in the weeks that followed that I didn't think of sweet Scarlette and her Mom, KA, realizing they were not as lucky. When I went into labor again at 36 weeks, this time, they were unable to stop it. But our was born healthy and strong, despite the doctors' many warnings of all the problems he could have had. Again, I Thank God for this blessing, but I have to wonder why? Why do some babies make it just fine, some struggle and  still many others never make it at all? 


It is the goal of The March of Dimes to research and find answers to these and many other questions. And now, KA and her husband Jeff, have started Team Scarlett to obtain sponsors for their walk in The March of Dimes. We consider it a privilege to partner with them and be able to offer two April Specials in their honor:

1. %10 of all sessions and sales from the month of April will be donated to Team Scarlette at The March of Dimes.
   
   
2. Anyone who books a session for the month of April and mentions Team Scarlette will receive a free $50 print credit, good towards any combination of professional prints up to $50!  (Remember, you also get a high resolution CD of all your edited images with your session fee!)

We are praying for baby Scarlette and we thank you for helping us support them! I look forward to hearing from you!

"M" Family Maternity Portraits

I LOVE LOVE LOVE shooting maternity portraits! I adore the glow the mom-to-be has, and the anticipation on dad's face. I love the connection between the two and the inevitable kiss ;) I also love the interactions with the older sibling(s).

This shoot was no different! Both mom and dad were so excited, and big sis was bouncing off the walls! (Whether due to excitement or the fact that she is 2 is debatable, LOL!) But it was so very fun to shoot this sweet, adorable family! I was honored and thrilled when mom-to-be "J" called asking me to do the shoot- we go way back & recently reconnected on facebook! I've known J since high school and have so many fun memories of field trips, orchestra trips, and her great sense of humor; she would always crack me up! So it was no surprise to see that come through on camera! Hope you see some of it, too! 


I must announce this, too! The precious baby boy inside her belly was born yesterday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY B!

J, J & I, here is your preview! (a bit late now, *blush*) But I hope you like what you see so far! It was so fun shooting these with you three, thank you for allowing me to photograph you beautiful growing family!!

Portfolio Building - AT LAST!!!..... Maternity Portraits

After studying for what feels like forever, I finally feel ready to begin my portfolio building! I have asked several friends to allow me to practice on them and was honored and thrilled to have some takers! In the first week I had two sessions already! One was for maternity portraits and the other for baby portraits. I'm so excited!

Here is the first session, my first maternity shoot. I learned so much just by actually shooting these pictures. Reading books and blogs can only do so much. I realized actually getting out there and shooting really is the best way to learn! In a previous post I wrote about conquering my fear; I was so nervous it almost kept me from doing this shoot. But I think the key was doing it despite the fear. My friend who is a photographer in Nashville told me that the more I shoot the more tricks I'll learn - and I see now why! Thank you  for your tips and encouragements Joy! When I looked through them after I got home I immediately noticed things I could have done and said differently to get better results, so I am so glad I went through with the shoot. On one hand I feel bad for my friend M that they aren't perfect like I wanted them to be, but I am grateful for the experience.

Thank you so much J & M for this opportunity! M, you are always beautiful and especially so when expecting! It was a joy to shoot these portraits, hope you enjoy them as much I enjoyed shooting them!