Elizabeth Ann Photography

Last Minute Holiday Gifts


While looking for a new jewelry vendor, I recently came across a new photo jewelry website.  Her work is beautiful and her prices are reasonable.  I want to share with you a few pictures of some of the products she offers and also invite you to click here to check out her website...Kathy Lo Rocks

Here are a few of her designs...


                                                                
                                    




What I also like about her designs is that you can totally customize your photo jewelry...you can choose to have pictures on both sides of the charms or you can have one side with a photo and the other side with an engraving or you can choose one side to be one of her beautiful art work designs.  Here is a sample of some of that customizing...


                                              



                                                                  



So here's the deal, she still guarantees Christmas delivery if you place your order before Dec. 15 !  That's only three more days!  (Shipping charges are only $10.75 if you place your order by Dec. 15.)  If you would like to use one of the pictures I have taken for you during one of your photo sessions anytime this year, please email or call me asap and I will place the order for you.  Just visit her website and choose your design and then let me know which piece of jewelry & design you'd like and which picture number(s) you'd like to use.  This would be a very special gift to give a  mother, grandmother, aunt, or even yourself! 


' Til Next Time,
Julie
 
636-978-8834
elizabethannphoto@charter.net



             




Holiday Pictures-Deadline to Order is Dec. 3

Well, there is less than 4 weeks until Christmas and if your house is like mine, we are taking down Thanksgiving decorations as we are putting up our Christmas decorations!  Whew!   Lots to do...I am sure you feel the same.  Not to put any pressure on you, but please remember that if you would like to order holiday photo cards, photo products or enlargements that you would like to receive in time for the Christmas holiday, you need to have your order turned in by Dec. 3 .  You can order from a recent photo session you've held with me or one from earlier in the year if you'd like.  Please call or email me to let me know if you need to view your online proofing gallery again or if you need to see any of the new holiday designs for cards or products.  (636-978-8834 or elizabethannphoto@charter.net)

Today I was shooting mini sessions at the Christmas Tree farm and afterwards, Larry and the girls met me and we picked out and cut down our enormous tree to bring home....this year it is 11 and 1/2 feet tall! 
It was my youngest daughter, Carlie's, turn to pick out the tree...and boy did she pick out a big one!    Maya, my 8 yr. old was in charge of taking pictures while Larry and I were trying to cut down this tree....okay, Larry was cutting down the tree...I was just in charge of holding it and trying to push it over....you can kinda get an idea of how tall it is because my husband is 6 ft. 4 inches...so here is a picture of him with the tree that Carlie picked out.



Here it is coming down....TIMBER!!!!! 





Here are some pictures of my girls checking out all of the trees...sooo fun!







It is so beautiful at this tree farm.  Pumpkins & Pines is the name of the farm and they are located right outside of Warrenton, MO. 


Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this time preparing with your family for the holidays....especially your young ones...they are only this age with this excitement for a short time so we have to savor it and capture it in images to preserve the memories!


' Til Next Time,

Julie






Fall is Here!

I am so excited because TODAY I really felt "fall" all around me.  The air was crisp and cool and the park I was at had leaves falling everywhere!  It was beautiful!  The leaves are just going to get more beautiful as the next few weeks go by.  This is absolutely my favorite time of the year! 

Yesterday, I met little Haley and her mom up at the park and she had the best time playing with the leaves.  She was finding pretty leaves, throwing the pretty leaves in the lake, and laying in the pretty leaves. Here are a few of the shots we captured of her...("sneak peek" for you Kristy!)


           













How cute is she!?!?!  And you should hear her talk!  Just adorable!  There are many more pictures, but I had to sneak a few of these in here to share with you. 

Also wanted to update everyone on the fall appointment calendar...Although I am booked almost through the end of November, I do have  a few spots open for indoor shots (and a couple outdoor) before the deadline for ordering holiday prints and greeting cards.  OR if you'd like to use pictures that I have already taken for you this year, just give me a call or email me and I can assist you in ordering. 

One more thing...I was invited to participate in a "vendor fair" for the Chesterfield Mom's Club and I am able to extend the invitation to any of my clients.  It is being held on Thursday, Oct. 23 from 7-10:30 pm at the Twin Chimney's Clubhouse in O'Fallon, MO.  They will have many small business owners that will be set up with their product displays and they will be giving away samples, discounts, and drawings for goodies.  I will have a drawing for a gift certificate which includes a free photo session and a free 8x10 and two free 5x7's .   Yummy appetizers, wine & soda will also be served.  This may be a good time to check out some of our local small businesses!    If you are interested in attending or you know of someone else who is, please email me (elizabethannphoto@charter.net) and I will send you the flyer.  I would love to see you stop by and visit me!

' Til next time,
Julie






Back to School


My "babies" went off to school this week.  Monday was a bittersweet day for me as my youngest daughter, Carlie, started first grade.  She was totally excited to start, but it was me who was sad to let her go.  First grade for us is a full day of school compared to Kindergarten where I would pick her up at lunchtime and have the afternoon to spend with her.  Yes, I cried the whole way home from dropping them off.  But now I am looking back at these last few days and I have been able to accomplish a lot during the day with my business and home.  I have felt so refreshed when I pick them up after school ready to devote my time back to them.   So all is good! 

Before school started I had to schedule my own photo shoot with my girls which I did  last week.  I know it sounds silly, that I have to "schedule" my own photo shoot, but honestly I am so busy taking everyone else's pictures that it seems my own children are the last ones to get photographed.  Anyway, the first night we went to McNair and Blanchette park.  It was a beautiful night and the girls were in a great mood, but then Maya got stung by a huge bee TWO times.  This put a damper on the night, so we called it quits after awhile.  Here are some shots from the first night....




                        


  


The next night I took them up to O'Fallon Sports park to play on the playground.  This is not a fancy park, but back behind the soccer fields is a large field area that just has tall grass, straw and wildflowers growing.  I convinced them to walk back into the tall grasses (despite the bugs & spiders that they thought could be lurking in there) and I got some amazing shots of them.  Here are some of my favorites...


         

I had to share this one on the right with you because it totally shows the personality differences in both of my daughters.  My oldest is much more reserved and shy and my youngest is so "dramatic" and silly...you know she always wants the spotlight on her. 

This next one is my favorite of the whole bunch....



I love the emotion in their faces and body language. 

More favorites....

        


     


    





I can't wait to get these blown up and printed onto canvas gallery wraps to hang in my home.  Canvas gallery wraps are taking your photos and turning them into large, beautiful pieces of fine art.  The detail is hard to show you in a small picture online, but here is a sample of how the finished piece of art looks. 

     

The canvas print is actually wrapped around the wooden frame so it creates a seamless picture.  No need for a frame of any sort; you just hang it on the wall as it is.  Just gorgeous!


BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPECIAL
Anyway, I was trying to think of a Back-to-School special for Elizabeth Ann Photography and I thought I could offer Mini Photo Sessions for the remaining weeks in August.  This is my first time offering Mini Photo Sessions and it will only be offered at certain locations and on certain dates.  Mini sessions are half price ($25 or $20 for past customers) and last for 30 minutes or less.  Since the park I shot at in the pictures above is not a big elaborate park, this is a perfect location for a mini session.  If you are interested in booking a "mini session" at this park in O'Fallon this offer is good through Sept. 3 , call or email me (space is limited)!  All discounts will still apply to enlargement orders as well.  If you are a first-time customer you will also receive a free 8x10 and if you are a returning customer you will still receive 10% off your enlargement total.  Since there is not a lot of shade here, the best time to shoot at this park location will be in the evening, between the hours of 5-7pm.  The sunset look will be beautiful!  Plus, your children still have their "summer color" so skin tones also look great!  Please pass this email blog onto friends and family who might be interested. 

' Til next time,
Julie
636-978-8834 or email: elizabethannphoto@charter.net

Tropical Visions


Many of you have mentioned that you have not seen any blog entries from me for awhile...and once again, I am sorry for the amount of time that has passed before updating this post.  One of the reasons I was closed for a little while was due to our vacation.  Study the image below and see if you can figure out where my husband and I went to celebrate our 10 year anniversary in May....




If you guessed somewhere "tropical", you guessed right!  This is a close-up image of one of the many palm trees that surrounded our resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico.  It was a beautiful place and being there for a week was such a blessing for us.  I have never been a big "landscape photographer"...I have always enjoyed taking pictures of people more; but during this week, I was so excited to capture all of the outdoor beauty that God provides for us so I could bring those memories home to share with our daughters.  Not that I haven't been to tropical places before, but seeing it through the lens in different angles and lengths made it even that more beautiful.  And I guess it helps when you don't have the kids with ya!  You actually have more time to photograph all of those details! 





Elizabeth Ann Photography is still very busy shooting family, children, and high school senior portraits and candids among other photography jobs.  In fact, we are starting to book for the popular fall photo sessions.  My goal is to update this blog on a weekly basis and roll out my new website starting this fall.  My little Carlie (my youngest daughter) will be going into first grade and will be in school full day starting in August.  This is bittersweet for me, because when I resigned from teaching (over four years ago) to do only photography,  it was primarily to be home with my girls.  And now they will both be in school full day.  It will be sad not to have my special lunchtime and reading time with my Kindergartner after I pick her up at noon, but then I will also be able to spend more time on my business.  I have so many new ideas of what I want to implement and this will give me more time to explore those new ideas!  (More to come later!)

I hope I can continue to service your photography needs throughout this fall.  Call or email me to set up your appointment!

' Til next time,
Julie

Mother's Day Ideas!

You know what is coming right around the corner?  Mother's Day!  What a treat it would be for your mom, grandma, or even yourself to receive a photo handbag with your children's picture on it.  You can use a picture from a photo session we have had before or you can send me your own special picture that you have taken and I can order you a beautiful handbag to arrive just in time for Mother's Day!  The handbags range in all sizes and styles.  You can see samples of most of them on my website .  Plus, I have pasted a few pictures below of some of the newest styles.  Right now, I am offering FREE Fedex ground shipping & handling (an $8.95 savings) if you place your order before April 14th!  (Final deadline for Mother's Day orders without the discount is April 28th.)

 


Another unique present for a mother is a  Photo Session  for the family. You can present her with a lovely, hand-made gift certificate or if you schedule a session by the end of April you will have beautiful portraits to give her of her children or grandchildren. 

Call or email me today to get a head start on your Mother's Day present, for yourself or for your mother!

' Til next time,
Julie

Exciting New Changes!

Hi Everyone,

What do you get when you mix adorable baby pics with beautiful music?  A slideshow that will tug at your heart.    Read on....

I have been working on the new changes for Elizabeth Ann Photography and I am really excited about it.  In order to keep up with the volume of pictures and photo sessions, I have had to make some changes to how I handle proofs and orders.  Some of the changes include:  a flat rate session fee with unlimited shots taken up to an hour, an online photo slideshow for viewing and sharing with family and friends, a new personalized, private online proofing gallery with a shopping cart.  Up and coming changes include credit card payment processing and a fresh new website, plus periodic "specials" advertised on my blog.  
I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from other clients who are excited about these changes too!

Although the winter is typically a slower time of the year for me, I have had the pleasure of photographing lots of little babies in my home.  I wanted to give you a "sneak peek" at the photo slideshows that I have been presenting to my clients over the last couple months.  Lisa (mother of Ben, 7 mos. old) was nice enough to allow me to share her slideshow with all of you.  This is the third time I have photographed Ben and he just gets cuter every time I see him...






How can you not want to see more pictures of him?  Click on the link I have pasted here to view the slideshow of Ben...

Ben's slideshow


Well, I hope you all are enjoying this "snow day"!  I know it's hard to believe, but Spring IS right around the corner...only 16 more days to go! 

' Til next time,
Julie










Happy New Year!

Okay, I know I'm a little late on the "Happy New Year" thing, but it's for good reason.  I have been working on some really exciting changes with Elizabeth Ann Photography.   I want to thank you all for a SUPER fall season that had me working to the "wee hours" of the night many times from September through December.  I have met so many wonderful new families and also continue to service my "regulars".     In order to keep up with the photo sessions, picture orders and the "changing times"...I have decided to go DIGITAL!  Yes, some of you may be saying FINALLY!  I have actually been filtering it in with my film, throughout the last few months and it has been working out beautifully.  My only problem is I am shooting  sooo many pictures, it is hard to decide what to have printed as proofs.  So that is where some of the changes will be coming in, but I am really excited about it.   Make sure you check my upcoming blog entries to hear more of the details. 

I had promised you all that I would be sharing some of my favorite shots from this past season throughout the next month and as I was just going through some of my "digital" images (conveniently saved on my computer to upload to the blog website,   )...and I came across some of my favorites I had shot with a friend of mine, Kelly, and her two little boys.  Looking at how many pictures I actually shot for the "red wagon scene" was literally obnoxious!  But it is so funny to look back on them now in sequence.  Let me set the stage for you...

Kelly wanted to get a picture of her two sons in grandma and grandpa's red wagon and give this picture to them for Christmas.  Well, wouldn't you know we waited until the end of the photo shoot to do this little setup, so by now her one and three year old were a little reved up!    Here is how it goes...



Sit the boys in the wagon...





Tell boys to smile, but not listening so Kelly (mom) starts being really silly....






I mean REALLY silly....(don't you just love how genuinely happy they are in these shots...just like kids!)






Tell boys to settle down and just "love each other"....






Give boys a break from wagon....





Put boys back in wagon....still looking for that perfect shot... 



 

More "lovin"...





One year old wants out of wagon...








Three year old is getting tired of this....






Sit them up, one more last shot....




Kelly, if you are reading this now,  I hope Grandma & Grandpa liked their final picture.    But what we should've ordered for them is a framed collage of ALL of these....



' Til next time,
Julie










Merry Christmas!

Believe it or not, last week I finally did my own children's Christmas pictures.  It has been such a blessed, busy season for photography, I have literally not had the time to do my own children's "photo session" !     So, at 9:15 pm (yes, that is 9:15 pm on a "school night" , the night before the deadline for turning in holiday card orders to Keepsake Designs ,  the new company I am using for photo cards) I tell Maya & Carlie to get on their Christmas jammies and get by the tree.  No studio lights, no setup or props.   I only had time for an old-fashioned snapshot that required some "parental bribing" !  This bribing included allowing them to have Dairy Queen if they cooperated.  Well, they cooperated but my camera didn't!  After a few shots, I realized my battery was completely dead!  So, I had to charge it.  So, Larry (husband/daddy) drove them quickly to Dairy Quenn to get the "bribe",  on the premise that we would continue the "photo session" when they returned.  At 10:15pm, with a slightly charged battery, we were shooting away again.  This lasted until around 11:00pm because now we had some pretty tired babies on hand so the cooperation was a little slow.   To all my parents out there whom I have done photo sessions with...no, I do not have that same patience with my own children.    I do try though...here is a few shots of why I was losing that patience.    it's funny now....

                                          



                                          

Ah, yes...there were many of these shots! 


Needless to say, we did manage to get a few worthy of sending out on our Christmas card.  Although I was tempted to add one of these silly ones  just to make the card more "real life" , if ya know what I mean.    So I did get my photo card order in on time and although many of you will be receiving it on Christmas Eve, you will get to see the "final cut".  (Heidi at Keepsake Designs did a great job as usual designing the card...you should check out her website, www.keepsakedesigns.net , her designs are beautiful and reasonably priced.)

But wouldn't you know it, that only two days after I ordered my cards, a beautiful snowstorm came to the St. Louis/St. Charles area and had it been a little earlier, I could've used the snow outside for our backdrop.  Oh well.   We actually  drove home from a family Christmas party the night of the second wave of snow and as we were unloading out of the car around 9:00pm (again), I literally told the girls to run over in front of the house so I could shoot a few in the falling snow.  So since those won't be on my Christmas card, I will share a couple of those with you now...

                                               

Notice the snowflakes showing up as white spots in the picture...pretty neat...it was a pretty night!


                



And no, I didn't "torture" them long...only about 5 minutes this time! 


Well, that is all I have for now.  I have so many pictures from the last couple months that I want to share with you, but as you know these next few days are crazy...so hopefully I can log on to touch base with you all after the holidays. 

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas with your family & friends!

' Til next time,
Julie





Meet My First Customers!

Meet my first customers...The Hand Family.  That's right, over 5 years ago, my business started, when Sheri (the mom), asked if she could hire me to take her children's pictures.   Many of you know that I used to be a first grade teacher.  I was Kelsie's (her daughter) teacher at the time and Sheri noticed all of my daughter's black & white pictures on my desk and she wanted to pay me to do her children's pictures!  Well, I loved photography and my interests were taken to a new level when I had my first baby...so I had experimented with some classes after my husband surprised me with a new 35mm film SLR camera for Mother's Day.  Needless to say, I said "Yes" and the rest is history.  I had so much fun taking pictures of them at the park and sharing the pictures with them, I thought this is something I would love to do!  Sheri spread the word and shared her pictures with many others and people started calling me to do their family pictures.  I started taking more classes and collaborated with other professional photographers who taught me a lot.  Anyway, most of you know, the rest of the story...so many people were calling for photo sessions I had to turn them down because my first job priority was teaching.  So after a lot of prayer and discussions with my husband about staying home with our now, 2 daughters, I decided to resign from teaching when the school year was over and continue this home-based business.  And let me tell ya, I LOVE IT!  Thanks to Ken, Sheri, Kelsie, & Cameron for starting me down this path!  Here is a quick look at my very first photo session on October 5, 2002...

Meet Kelsie (pictured here, age 6) and her brother "Cam" (pictured here, age 4)...



                 
                                                                 



This family is so fun to photograph because they are so laid back and comfortable with each other, which always makes for great shots!


          

          



          




         
Well, every year since 2002, I have been shooting their family pictures.  The most recent was this October 27, 2007.  Look at how Kelsie and Cameron have grown up!  Still cute as ever though! 




          




                                            



                                            




There's always some sort of "playing around" at my photo sessions....


              



Here is Sheri with the kids....She made me promise not to share the best shots of the day, since she had ordered those to her Christmas photo card that she will be sending out soon.  But I had to share these other good shots with you.



                                            



             


Thanks guys! 

' Til next time,
Julie