Devine Memories and Little Heiress

HATS OFF FOR CANCER

I wanted to let everyone know that Devine Memories Photography is partnering with Little Heiress and KLAK for the Hats off for Cancer Benefit.

The event will be held Friday, May 11th from 11AM-1PM at the Shops at Starwood in Frisco. Little Heiress will be giving away a $100 gift certificate to their store, plus a $150 gift certificate from us!

Bring a hat for a child who has lost their hair from cancer treatments-Fun, Silly, Crazy, Whimsical, Colorful, Kid-Friendly Hats. Hat donations must be brand-new due to the low immune systems of the children receiving hats.

Listen for more details on 97.5 KLAK and I hope to see you all there!

(Side note--I must admit I had not heard of KLAK until this event...what a great family station! I haven't turned it off since!)

FATHER'S DAY SESSIONS AT LITTLE HEIRESS

Bring your kids out to Little Heiress for Father's Day Mini Sessions! We will be holding these mini-sessions on Monday, June 4th from 10AM to 1PM. Sessions are by appointment only and will include a complimentary sitting fee and 4x6 print ($170 Value). You may also choose to purchase a package that includes 1 8x10 and 2 5x7's, same image, for $150. ($275 Value)

Sessions will be short and sweet (15 minutes) and include up to 2 subjects. Additional subjects can be added for $25 each.

LITTLE HEIRESS is offering a 20% discount on all clothing purchased for these sessions! Stop by their store to sign up and do your session shopping. Space is limited and will go very quickly.

Prints will be available for pick up at Little Heiress the Friday before Father's Day.

Please call 972-596-5500 or email if you have any questions about the sessions.

Because she's probably sitting at her computer...

...hitting refresh over and over again until her baby's face pops up....

I am again proofing on Friday night. But who could resist this face!!

Oh the pressure

So many people waiting on sneak peaks in the blog right now...here's the first in line :)

I don't think I need to point out that this is an absolutely beautiful family. And I promise, H&P, that I am not just saying that because you've been waiting for these!!

This little princess took a little bit to warm up to the idea of picture taking, or maybe she was daydreaming about her big nap...but once we got going, it was pure perfection! Au Naturale...
She got into it and started making the greatest faces at me!


See you guys soon.

Website and email problems

1:05PM- Our server has been up and down all day today and at this time, I am not able to receive emails, and the website is down. Please call me if you sent an email today and I have not responded, or if your email bounced back to you.

I apologize for the inconvenience!
Deanna

Miss Behavin'

Another fun one year old...please if you have a one year old in DFW, call me. I love them. I have so much fun watching them walk with their hands straight out and speaking in their little babble language. And giving their puppies kisses.

She was so ecstatic to be allowed to do all the things she normally isn't. It just dawned on me that this is why one year olds love me. I walk in, all rules are out the window. Of course!

Going to be a total blabbermouth tonight.

I've got a lot to say, so pull up a chair, sit back, and stay awhile!

First of all, I've had an amazing response to my mention of a parent workshop. It's definetly on. I'm working on finding a suitable location and nailing down some dates. I know they will be on Saturday mornings, probably in June and July. If anyone has ideas for locations I'm interested in suggestions. The workshop would focus on parents who just want to learn some basics of photography so they can take better photos when I'm not there :) We'll have a model and some fun giveaways, so stay tuned for more info.

Second, in honor of Earth Day, I wanted to mention a few things I'm doing to help my business "Go Green":

1. I'm going to try and use less paper by emailing info packets and pricelists whenever I can.

2. I'm going to be purchasing "Smart Strips" for all of my equipment and appliances to conserve energy.

3. I'll be replacing my current lightbulbs with the energy efficient type.

4. I will be re-using the packaging my lab sends me for other needs in my business (boxes, packaging, etc)

5. I will be turning off my computer when I am not using it. I am the worst about leaving it on 24 hours a day so I don't have to wait for it to boot.

I have to say that after watching the Discovery show Planet Earth, and seeing the polar bear swim 60 miles to find ice and then die from exhaustion...it made me think. It takes so little on my part to make a difference. If you have further suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.

Ok, and I know there was a third thing. I know it. But it's been the longest weekend EVER and I have mommy brain. Well, I guess I could show you the reason for my mommy brain, since she is 6 months old now (can you BELIEVE it??? Seems like just yesterday I was ridiculously trying to take your pictures with a giant belly)

For all you eye-color watchers out there...they're hazel, like mine!!! Never thought in a million years...

The sisters have bonded the past month... At Gab's soccer game Saturday. I look at her, I live with her, and I still can't believe how fast she's growing up.
Maybe tomorrow, if the Princess sleeps tonight (hahahahahaha), I will remember what else I was going to say. **sigh**

Meet the Freemans

I know many have been waiting for these pictures of last month's Emily Project recipients. To bring anyone new up to speed, Cindy and Bill were nominated to have portraits made by a wonderful friend of theirs who was touched by the way Bill is facing his terminal throat cancer. I took them as clients hoping I could give them something...instead, they gave me so much more-perspective, faith, and hope.
So without further ado, meet the Freemans. A family of infinite faith and love, and great role models for all of us.
Although Bill seemed very well to me at the time, his wife tells me he doesn't remember doing these photos. Although I made it through the photo session and proofing these images without crying, that information did me in. Please pray for Bill and his family.

If anyone wants to help Bill's family out with his expenses, please read here.

Great Article

I found this great article that made me feel a little better about the job I'm doing with my kids, and wanted to share.

10 things we're doing right

Making the Most of Your Session

Here I am on Friday night at almost midnight, proofing pictures...I'm such a loser ;)

Was moving some old files over to DVD last night and it got me thinking about the good sessions vs. the GREAT sessions. Here are some tips that I think make the difference between the two.

1. Let's talk about clothing since it is the number one question I get before a session. I have had people call me from the malls before, send me text messages with images of clothes they are deciding between, and just downright panicking about the whole "what-to-wear" issue. Here is what I tell them. If you are having to think about it that much, you're buying the wrong clothes. What you wear to church on Sunday morning is probably not what you should wear to our session. If you wear something out and someone says to you, what a great outfit!!! Don't wear it. If you wear something out and someone says to you, you look so great, what's different? BINGO! That's the one. Subtlety is the key. Also, for kids, sometimes some of the funkiest combinations make for the best pictures. Sometimes an outfit is just magic. One of my favorite things to do with little girls is let them go into their closets and create their own outfit. They look ridiculous...and you'd never let them go out in public like that...but look at how well it photographs:

(Shop here for some "can't-go-wrong" outfits for kids)

For family sessions, DON'T: wear perfectly matching clothes, a la the Temptations. DO: wear similar tones but clothes that are your own personal style. If you don't wear jeans and a black t-shirt ever, don't wear it for the pictures. For any relationship style picture, the clothes should take a mega back seat. Simplicity is key. When I had my pictures made with my baby, we both wore pink bathrobes for most of the shoot. It created a look of being at home and comfy with each other. I highly, highly recommend it for mommy/baby sessions.

I also love attitude shirts. My baby is about to have her 6 month pictures made in a shirt that says proudly, "Mommy's Girl", and the infamous tutu. Together.

Denim is a great answer 99.9% of the time.

I could go on about clothes forever but the truth is, there are exceptions to every rule. When you hire me, I'm yours for advice about things like this...so use me. I can come over before our session and go through your closets with you. Heck, take me and my girls shopping with you. It's our favorite thing to do!

2. What to do during the shoot???? The short answer is, BE YOURSELF! :) I always laugh when I tell clients that, easier said than done, right? After pretty much every session, kids going nuts and bouncing off the walls, not "behaving", Mom says "You couldn't have possibly gotten anything good with them acting like this..." Those are ALWAYS the greatest sessions. Kid being themselves and being silly = great pictures. Families laughing together and cuddling = great pictures. Don't force it. Don't try to emulate a picture you've seen somewhere on my website or from your friend. Don't over-animate your face (you moms are soooo guilty of this!) Let it flow-be yourselves-THOSE are the pictures you will cherish. If you feel stressed or put on the spot, you will look stressed in the pictures. Take a deep breath and concentrate on your family. If you had a fight in the car on the way over, I promise it will show in the pictures. Give each other a big kiss and hug before the session and then continue the fight later! :) Also, if you are not a kissy/huggy family, don't try to be one just because you think you should...it will also look unnatural. Just be yourselves, and trust me to figure out how to document your family dynamic effectively. This will give you the best results!

And now, I'm realizing, all this advice may be missing the point completely. Because the point is simplicity. Don't overthink it. Just be you, because that's what you are hiring me to capture.

Contemplative on a Thursday night

I'm so, so, behind. I don't have any pictures to show you guys because I've been shooting so many pictures, I haven't had time in between to proof them. Playing catch up stinks.

I did, however, want to write about my experience with my first ever "Emily Project" recipients. Our session was last night. Words absolutely cannot express how grateful I am to have had Bill and Cindy Freeman come into my life. Can you imagine having terminal throat cancer, having three children under the age of 10, planning your own funeral?? Now just maybe you can imagine that...but can you imagine looking death in the face and being downright GRATEFUL, EXCITED, for the opportunities and joys you receive from God through the process? I myself have been seriously ill before...and went through the whole "Why, meeeee?" thing. Bill immediately knew there was a purpose to his illness. He is sharing his love for God with anyone who will listen, and he has faith that everything he is going through has a purpose. He also has 100% faith that God will take care of him and his family through all of this, and because of that, God has. Checks for EXACT amounts needed for bills showing up in his mailbox with no sender listed. Situations like that, over and over and over...you just couldn't listen to Bill's story and not believe that God is holding him in His hands. I am a better for person for having talked with this family for just the hour and a half I spent with them last evening.

I will have some images from their session very soon (having computer issues on top of being behind!). In the meantime, there is a fund set up for Bill's family---please donate if you can to help with medical expenses, etc.

William Freeman Care Fund
PO Box 1087
Frisco, TX 75034
or deposits can be made at any Capital One Bank.
Checks or deposits should be made out to the *William Freeman Care Fund*

I also wanted to share this month's recipient of the Emily project:


The family I would like to nominate - Mike, Janet, Thor, and Kenzi. A few years ago, Janet and Mike did in vitro fertilization after years of trying to get pregnant. Four eggs were implanted...Janet lost one baby somewhere around 4 or 5 months, and then after complications galore (lots of bed rest, cervical cerclage x2, hospitalizations, etc.), the water broke with one of her triplets at just before 32 weeks. She made it 5 more days before infection set in and she was forced to go ahead and deliver all three babies. Hunter, the smallest, and the one whose water had broken, did not survive. Thor and Kenzi spent considerable time in the hospital, and ultimately, Kenzi has severe cerebral palsy - Thor is perfectly healthy.
Janet works tirelessly with her daughter...she has devoted much of her life to giving Kenzi the best quality of life possible - traveling all over to try new remedies for various symptoms of the disease - it is just an amazing kind of love. Mike still rocks Kenzi to bed each night, and she can hardly stand to be away from her daddy for any amount of time. Thor has had his own set of issues to deal with being the twin brother of an especially needy sister.
Janet expressed to me that she desperately wants some great pictures of her kids, but no one has ever been able to do great things with Kenzi, and they have never wanted to spend a lot of money on pictures when getting good ones is just so difficult! I told her about you (but not about the Emily Project), and that you have such a way of drawing kids out and capturing them - an amazing gift and talent straight from above!
She was going to look at your web-site and couldn't wait to see the most recent pictures of our little angels. If anyone deserves special pictures of their beautiful family, it is this family!!! They are all just amazing - but professional photography has been something they've denied themselves for lots of reasons. Please consider them for this gift you've chosen to give of yourself...I'm crying just thinking about it.

Please keep sending in your nominations-we'll be selecting this month's at the end of April. Read here for info and send nominations to nominations@devine-memories.com

Thanks for hangin' in there on this long one. You guys are the best readers/clients a girl could have!

Texas Spring

Wanted to pop in and let everyone know I've been really sick the past couple of days, so I apologize to those who are waiting on me...I hope to be back working by tonight.



I also wanted to share these beautiful bluebonnets in Ennis, TX with you. Prints of these may be purchased for the following



8x10 ...$75 on metallic paper ....$125

20x10 (panoramic) ....$250 on metallic ....$325