I’ve seen this floating around various websites for awhile now, and love how simply and succinctly typography is summed up. Apparently created by a mystery designer, this guide is a wonderful tool to help define the style of typography you’re looking for in your branding. It also helps that it’s pretty. Happy Friday!
Hello friends! We’re back with another quick and easy business tip for you to chew on this week:
You can spoil your clients without giving away the farm – it’s the added surprise gifts that are the best ones, and the ones that keep clients talking about you! Since most professional printers also offer press-printed products, customized business cards are easy to order in small quantities – just add your client’s favorite photo from the session and include it with their order.
The possibilities are endless and, just like the old adage “happy wife = happy life”, happy clients make for happy… well… I’ll get back to you once I think of something that rhymes with “clients”.
Happy Wednesday!
Good morning, friends! We just wrapped up a ProPhoto Customization project yesterday with Dania Bagyi of Kidography by Dania! She came to us with an existing blog that needed some overhauling. Armed with information about her obsession with linen, similar textures and stitching, her love of pastel colors, and her desire for a clean simple design, we set to work.
She already had her logo and branding in place, and came prepared with a color scheme and fonts. She also provided this inspiration board for us:
This was her ProPhoto blog before:
And this is the final result:
It’s important to note that Dania’s site takes advantage of features that aren’t part of our standard ProPhoto Customization projects. She invested additional funds to have the menu items drop down when they’re hovered over, a custom search box, and some other small details that are limited within the confines of the ProPhoto theme (changing the location of the tags and categories, etc). Since she did away with her portfolio site, she also invested in a Client Site in addition to her ProPhoto Customization, which we built right into her theme with password protected pages that only her clients have access to.
Dania is in love with her new blogsite, and frankly, we are too! Happy Thursday!
The Creative Mama first approached us last November about redesigning their logo to give their brand a facelift. The vision behind the new brand was to create a design that can be used across many genres and applicable to anything from food pages to DIY projects. This is the logo we originally came up with:
Before going live with the new design, the team at The Creative Mama revised the final color scheme to reflect their ultimate vision – a change I certainly think is for the better! To see the full behind-the-scenes, including proofs they received every step of the way, visit their blog and read the article we wrote telling the story: The Art of Creating a Brand. Happy Tuesday!
Happy Monday friends! We’re excited to kick off the week with the release of The Gilded Deer – a brand new ProPhoto blog design and marketing set! Pulling inspiration from the layout of popular paperie websites, we’ve created a clean two-column design that instantly sets you apart from the popular one-column formats.
We’ve even taken things one step further this time and created a Pinterest board of the inspiration behind the initial blog design, as well as some creative ideas to carry the theme through to your packaging and the rest of your branding.
Here’s a peek at the Pinterest board:
This is what the ProPhoto blog design looks like (huge thanks to Benjamin Edwards for providing the perfect stunning photography):
Here’s a peek at all the individual elements used in the blog design (everything is fully customizable except for the background which can be replaced, but not manipulated):
Don’t forget the perfectly paired stationery suite:
And finally the luxury marketing suite:
S H O P P I N G I N F O R M A T I O N :
All of these items can be purchased at the following locations:
BLOG - www.prophotoblogs.com/buy-add-ons
STATIONERY SUITE - The Bee’s Knees
MARKETING SUITE – The Bee’s Knees
I have another recent NICU share for you today from a trip to St. Charles Medical Center I took before Christmas. I just love walking into the NICU and seeing Miss Annabelle’s face greeting you with a smile on a large 40×40 canvas:
I’ve photographed quite a few multiples in recent trips to the NICU, and I love every second of it. My time with Mia and Ali was no different. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with them just as much as I did!
One of my favorite things about photographing twins is putting them in the same crib together. Usually, their parents are seeing them together that closely for the first time since they were born. This series of photographs of Mia and Ali together made me laugh as I imagined a conversation they could have been having. As one whispered their escape plan, the other eyed me nervously:
And because she was distracted by me, her sister had to yell to get her attention: “WE’RE GETTING OUTTA HERE!”
And finally, a look of satisfaction. The perfect plan hatched.
Happy Tuesday!
Hey friends! Liz here. I’m excited that Jane has invited me to chime in every now and then to share a few quick and easy business tips. Everything I share with you is something that has proven to be beneficial in my own photography business. I am passionate about marketing and branding, and sharing the things I’ve learned with you is just the icing on the cake in my role with Jane Johnson Photography & Design!
One tool that I have grown to greatly appreciate in recent years has been Twitter. It is such an awesome tool to use to connect with your current and potential clients as well as other industry partners. You can use this social media site to share valuable information with people which in turn can help build your brand reputation. At the same time you can respond to tweets of the people you follow with words of encouragement and questions, which begins to plant the seeds of relationships with anyone you wish to connect with.
Easy tweets can include: Coordinate your clothing! Consider a make up artist! Twitter is also an excellent tool to help build relationships with other wedding industry professionals both locally and around the world.
The key with Twitter is to tweet valuable things and tweet them often (2-5 times a day). Stay positive, encouraging, and informative. It is a versatile little tool, and pretty fun to boot! If you’re not on twitter yet, what are you waiting for?
Happy Monday!
We can’t tell you how excited we are for the plans we have for 2012! Currently at the top of the list: our new home in the corner of the NAPCP forum! In the new “Ask Jane” category, we will be answering all your burning branding and marketing questions twice a week in as much detail as possible! You just have to be a member to participate!
Also, mark your calendars for the special live Q&A event with Jane: Tuesday, January 17th, 11am – 12pm PST in the brand new Ask Jane section of the NAPCP forum!
Happy Thursday!
After a flurry of activity on our Facebook business page for the last week, we finally have a winner of our Pinterest contest!
Congratulations to Miss Carli Rohner – she took the 1st place prize with a total of 302 votes! We will get Carli scheduled into our branding calendar and we’ll work closely with her to turn her inspiration board into a brand new ProPhoto blog template and perfectly paired marketing suite! And, as her prize, Carli will receive a complimentary set of both – valued at over $500!
Congratulations Carli! Click here to view her winning Pinterest board!
Happy New Year! Here we are in a fresh page on the calendar and, if you’ll imagine it with me, a freshly opened book. I just love the smell of a good novel waiting to be read. And I love the beginning of a new year, with all the happy details just waiting to be written.
We’re actually on top of things this year. Our 2012 rates have been updated on both our portrait and wedding sites. Our 2012 design rates have been published. And we have lots of exciting things in the works.
At the top of the list? Right here. Right now. Welcome to our first installment of Quick & Easy Business Tips – an unofficial weekly educational article on all things marketing. You’ll find tips, tricks, hints, and suggestions for taking your business, and your brand, to the next level once a week. Every week. Liz and I already have quite a list prepared of article topics but feel free to leave a comment if there’s something specific you’d like to hear us touch on.
And finally, onto our first marketing tip of the year:
I can’t tell you how many brands I design for photographers who list their email address as “somestudio@yahoo.com”. As a professional, seeing that is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I cringe. It’s my biggest pet peeve. And when it comes time to design stationery, I require that the client sets up an email account through their domain. It’s much more professional. The client takes you much more seriously. And it shows that you’re doing your job as a professional and not just a hobbyist.
Now we know the why. But the how is usually what trips people up. It’s very simple. If you have your website through a company like BigFolio, or something similar, they provide step-by-step instructions for setting up your email through your domain, or they’ll just do it for you. If you house your website as a wordpress blogsite, you can create email through your domain easily using googleapps. While they do have a paid business apps option, you can easily set up a business email using their free apps here: [www.google.com]
Here’s to making 2012 your best one yet! Happy Monday!
We’ve been running a Pinterest contest on our Facebook business page for about a week now, and we’ve just launched the voting app for the finalists!
Is this the first you’re hearing about it? Be sure to like our page to be in the know for future contests:
Here’s the rundown of the contest:
Fans on our Facebook page were asked to put together a drool-worthy pinterest board featuring everything they’re inspired by and would love to see in a new blog design template. Once their board was picture-perfect, they submitted the link to us through an app on our Facebook page. We’ve narrowed down the dozens of entries to our top five picks into a gallery and have now left it up to the people to vote. The board with the most votes will turn into a custom blog template designed by Jane and sold in the ProPhoto Design Store!
The best part? The winner will be heavily involved in the design process of the new blog template, and will receive a complimentary copy of their approved blog design as well as a perfectly paired marketing suite!
Voting is open until midnight on Tuesday, January 3rd. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 4th. Good luck to all the finalists!
It’s finally Christmas Eve, which is a little surreal this year. I suppose it’s surreal every year, but the fact that we’ve had no measurable snow in Central Oregon since before Thanksgiving is tricking my brain a little bit. Before I announce this year’s grand prize winner of our third annual 12 Days of Joy giveaway, I want to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Here’s a peek at our annual Christmas card photo shoot:
And finally onto the winner: congratulations to Bree Hester! She’s the lucky winner in our random drawing for the grand prize of a portrait session fee and print collection valued at $1,000! I just actually wrapped up a sparkly new brand for Bree’s project, The Creative Mama, which will be unveiled soon. In the meantime, enjoy this weekend with your families!
Merry Christmas!
Christmas Eve is nearly upon us, and we’ll be giving away our 12 Days of Joy grand prize of a complimentary session fee and print collection valued at $1,000 tomorrow! The anticipation is killing me! In the meantime, here are the winners from the last two days. Happy Friday!
Congratulations to Eva Clark, winner of a complimentary digital negative from any 2012 session:
And also to Selena Hulbert, winner of a complimentary 2012 session fee:
We have two winners to announce today as we countdown to our grand prize Christmas Eve giveaway valued at $1,000!
First off, congratulations to Kristina Fisher, yesterday’s winner of a complimentary 16×20 gallery canvas valued at $400!
And today’s winner is Carrie Coe, the winner of a half-off 2012 session fee! Happy Wednesday!
First Name *
Last Name *
Email Address *
Please note: all winners will be notified via email, so if you’re using a junk email address, make sure to check it regularly during the contest.
Email communication will serve as the only notification of your prize, aside from the announcement on the blog.
Congratulations to our winner for day 7! Tenna Hubbard, you are the lucky recipient of a $100 print credit applicable towards any new 2012 session! Happy Monday!
I’m sure many of you have been checking the blog every day this weekend looking for winner announcements, but I secretly hope that you were busy doing your last minute holiday shopping, decorating, and baking like I was. I apologize for the silence and the extra anticipation, but I just couldn’t bring myself to sit down at my computer this weekend! This is what my weekend consisted of:
I might have consumed my sugar intake for all of next year, but (at least for the moment) my sweet tooth is satisfied. Now onto the winners from the weekend that didn’t make it on the blog:
First up: Jayme Ford, winner of a complimentary set of 4×6 proofs:
Next: Daniele Springett, winner of three complimentary gift prints:
And last, but not least: Kimberly Anne Knox, winner of a complimentary 5×5 mini album:
Congratulations to all the winners from this weekend! We’ll be back later this afternoon with today’s winner. And don’t forget – there’s still time to enter. You’ll be put in the drawing for the grand prize drawing: a complimentary portrait session and print package valued at $1,000 to be given away on Christmas Eve!
Enter the Giveaway! * indicates requiredFirst Name *
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Please note: all winners will be notified via email, so if you’re using a junk email address, make sure to check it regularly during the contest.
Email communication will serve as the only notification of your prize, aside from the announcement on the blog.
We’re only a few days in and we’re already behind on our daily giveaways, which means we’ll be posting two today. First up: yesterday’s winner of a complimentary 11×14 print valued at $150. Congratulations to Jordan Chandler!
We’ll be back later today with the winner of Day 4 of our 12 Days of Joy Giveaway! Happy Friday!
Enter the Giveaway! * indicates requiredFirst Name *
Last Name *
Email Address *
Please note: all winners will be notified via email, so if you’re using a junk email address, make sure to check it regularly during the contest.
Email communication will serve as the only notification of your prize, aside from the announcement on the blog.
We’re on day two of our annual 12 Days of Joy Giveaway, and today’s winner receives a complimentary session fee valued at $175!
Congratulations to Miss Marcy Sucahyo!
Remember, it’s still not too late to enter! Just fill out the information below, and you could be tomorrow’s winner!
Enter the Giveaway! * indicates requiredFirst Name *
Last Name *
Email Address *
Please note: all winners will be notified via email, so if you’re using a junk email address, make sure to check it regularly during the contest.
Email communication will serve as the only notification of your prize, aside from the announcement on the blog.
We have another recent brand to share with you today, this time for a photographer hailing from Barcelona, Spain!
Paula Dietz Rauber also came to us this fall looking for a new brand for her photography studio in Barcelona, and she wanted her new brand to be an evolution of her old one. Not something entirely different, but progressively improved upon. This is what her original logo looked like:
And this is a peek at her new brand:
Hello friends! I’m thrilled to begin our third annual 12 Days of Joy Giveaway this evening, even if I’m still a little bit in shock that Christmas is nearly upon us!
If you’re already familiar with our annual giveaway, scroll right on down to the prize winner! If not, here’s the rundown:
We will be giving away one photography-related prize a day for the next 12 days, with the grand prize winner announced on Christmas Eve. The coveted grand prize is a complimentary session fee and print package worth $1,000 that you definitely want the opportunity to win! All prizes are good towards new 2012 sessions only and may not be combined with any other offer. Winners that are outside of the Central Oregon area may be responsible for any travel fees. All sessions must be booked by March 31, 2012 otherwise your prize is no longer valid.
And now for the important details: today’s winner!
Congratulations, Melissa – you are the recipient of a $75 print credit!
It’s not too late to get in on the giveaways – sign up here, or simply use the form below. Happy Tuesday!
join our mailing list * indicates requiredFirst Name *
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Please note: all winners will be notified via email, so if you’re using a junk email address, make sure to check it regularly during the contest.
Email communication will serve as the only notification of your prize, aside from the announcement on the blog.
On top of editing our holiday sessions, working on new templates for The Bee’s Knees, and tackling some new writing projects we have coming up for the new year, we’ve been busy behind the scenes here making sparkly new brands for photographers. I know – I don’t know how we do it all either. But we do have a couple new brands to share with you this week!
First up: Adele Lee Photography.
Adele came to us this fall wanting a new look for her photography business. Hailing from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, she is also from the mountains and she always wanted a logo that somehow displayed the contrast. She felt like her photography falls into two categories: land or sea. Green or blue. Beach or mountains. After investing in just defining her style for a couple of years, she was ready to move forward on a new brand with an established style that both she, and her clients, recognize. Photographers: I can’t express how important this is! Because she already knew exactly what she wanted, and specifically what her style was, it made my job incredibly easy. In fact, we nailed her logo in the first round.
The end result: a custom illustrated brand that strongly stands on its own, but is complemented by a subtle wood-grain pattern that is found both in the driftwood on the South Carolina beach, as well as in the forest of the mountains she loves. See for yourself in her branding board below. Happy Monday!
It’s finally that time of year again! Our tree is up in all its beautiful array. The mantle is adorned with garland, lights, and stockings. I’ve already had more than my fair share of peppermint white mochas, and we won’t even begin to talk about this year’s peppermint bark addiction. Everything is sparkly and twinkling – as it should be.
It also means it’s time again for our 3rd Annual 12 Days of Joy Giveaway! You know the drill, sign up here to be entered to win – even if you signed up last year. We’re starting fresh with a new entry list this year to make it fair for everyone! Just like in years past, we will be giving away one prize per day for 12 days beginning next week, culminating in one amazing grand prize to be given out on Christmas Eve!
Since I always wonder who wins the big sweepstakes that are advertised on tv, and because I love my clients so much, here are some photos from sessions of past grand prize winners!
Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here: [eepurl.com] , or enter your email address below:
join our mailing list * indicates requiredFirst Name *
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Please note: all winners will be notified via email, so if you’re using a junk email address, make sure to check it regularly during the contest. Email communication will serve as the only notification of your prize, aside from the announcement on the blog. Happy Wednesday!
*** UPDATED WITH THE WINNER ***
Congratulations to Sansaara of Sansaara Photography! She beat out nearly one hundred other photographers for a complimentary copy of the Branding & Packaging Inspiration Guide! Sansaara, Red Leaf Studios will be in touch with you regarding your prize!
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Red Leaf Studios approached us a couple of months ago about being featured in their new Branding and Packaging Inspiration Guide, and we’re excited to share it’s release with you! In their 120 page guide, Richard and Amy McDowell discuss the elements that make up a successful brand, explore tools which they use for their own personal branding, and provide you with some examples of beautiful packaging. They have also included an amazing list of resources to help you create or further develop upon your brand (which is where we come in).
I sat down with a glass of wine the other night and read every single one of the 120 pages. I can say in full confidence that their guide is an easy, inspiring read that demonstrates simple yet beautiful ways to create packaging that will take your product presentation from ordinary to extraordinary! And I can’t forget to mention their bonus marketing section. I promise, this is one of those guides you won’t be disappointed in.
And, lucky for you, we get to give one copy away! Save your $95 for an extra Christmas gift or two, and enter to win your complimentary Branding and Packaging Inspiration Guide by leaving a comment right here on the blog! You have 24 hours – we’ll announce the winner at 9:30am PST tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011)! Good luck!
It’s not often that you encounter triplets. And on my last trip to the NICU, not only did I meet Miss Lottie Belle who was originally one of triplets, I also met Cooper, Calvin, and Lily. Not only are they the latest addition to their family, they also have older siblings that happen to be twins. And happen to have just turned two. Mom and Dad will have quite the noisy, joyful house over the next few years with five children now under the age of three – but I think they have what it takes. They’re both pediatric dentists. Which means their kids will have the brightest teeth in the land!
This wasn’t my first time photographing multiples in the NICU, but it was my first time photographing triplets. Thankfully Kim was on hand to help maneuver the brood while each got their time to shine. I am happy to say that we also gave Mom the opportunity to hold all three little miracles at the same time for the first time since she had them. Cooper and Calvin were well on their way to being sent home, and Lily was just behind them. She still needed to be on oxygen in her isolette for awhile longer, but I think she also wanted to make sure she got one-on-one attention from Mom for a little while.
Cooper and Calvin both dressed up for me. I told Calvin when I first met him that he didn’t need to put on a tie for me. I think he might have blushed. Either that or it was gas. You can’t ever quite tell with little ones. Regardless, happy Tuesday!
I visited the NICU before Thanksgiving for another round of sessions, and every time I go in I think I leave more blessed than the parents who are getting the photos. On this particular morning, I was lucky enough to meet Miss Lottie Belle. And really, how can you not love her name? Lottie Belle is one of what was originally triplets, and she is the strong survivor that made it through to the end. Mom has from a bicornuate uterus (which means it’s heart-shaped) – a condition that accounts for up to 25% of all premature births. And the reason Lottie Belle and I met. Although she was eating during our shoot, she was the perfect little model.
I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of Miss Lottie Belle as she grows up into her cowboy boots in Prineville. Until then, enjoy her miracle story in photographs. Happy Monday!
For those of you that have participated in our last two years of 12 Days of Joy giveaways, you’ve helped create one of our most successful contests since we started our business. And the good news for you is that we’re planning on doing it again this year. We’ll begin announcing instructions for entering tomorrow!
We initially created the 12 Days of Joy Contest on a whim two years ago for our own photography clients, and it’s been a hit ever since with photographers and clients alike! Due to the overwhelming success, we decided to create a ready-made campaign for any business featuring 11 days of prizes all leading up to one grand prize to be given away on Christmas Eve!
Not only do we provide the same graphics we created two years ago, we’ve also taken the time to put together a list of marketing tips, pre-written statuses for social media avenues to create a buzz until your giveaway starts, and newsletter announcements ready for your email marketing company of choice. Hosting a contest couldn’t possibly be easier!
Head over to The Bee’s Knees and snatch up everything you need to host a successful Christmas giveaway in one pretty little package. The best part? You can just copy and paste the included text onto your Facebook or Twitter status and begin generating buzz today! Happy Wednesday!
The first wave of family arrived yesterday afternoon, with the rest of the bunch coming today. We’ve done the grocery shopping, and have begun early preparations. This morning, I squeezed in just a couple hours of work and got all the final details squared away for our 2nd Annual Black Friday Sale. I have to say… I’m pretty excited about it.
This year the sale will take place exclusively on our Facebook page. The only catch? You have to like our page to see the sale items. I will give away one secret: there are over a dozen ways to save on all things design. We are not doing any discounts on photography with one small exception. Curious what it is? You’ll have to be a newsletter subscriber to find out – it’s only been revealed to those special friends!
The discounts will hit at midnight PST, and will be available for 24 hours. Exclusive Super Savings that are available only to our newsletter subscribers are limited in quantity. Once they’re gone… they’re gone. So be ready to pounce! Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter by clicking HERE!
I’m off to make a pecan pie for my honey. And since I don’t plan on doing any work tomorrow, from the bottom of my heart, have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
We’re in the home stretch before Thanksgiving and while I’m scrambling to clean the house, make my early cooking preparations, and get on top of all photography and design projects before family comes, I’m also preparing for our 2nd annual Black Friday Sale!
This year our sale will only last for 24 hours. And we’re giving our newsletter subscribers a heads-up on the deals before going live with the information on our blog! What’s the perk of being ahead of the game? Getting on our calendar earlier than everyone else! January hits hard every year with clients that have a fresh new marketing budget and are ready to rebrand. It’s not uncommon for us to be booked out until May within the first two weeks of the year. Not only will you save some money on our most popular products, you’ll be ahead of the game in scheduling. And if you’re like me, you don’t want to get stuck on a waiting list for months until your name comes up.
Make sure to sign up for our newsletter by clicking HERE! Happy weekend!
It’s that time of year again, and this year we’re busting out our white Christmas tree and favorite new backdrop for a marathon of holiday portraits in downtown Bend beginning Thanksgiving weekend!
We just received our new backdrop today and we couldn’t wait to test it out on one of our favorite models:
Here’s the nitty gritty details:
We’re offering eight 15-minute sessions on two back-to-back Saturdays in the upstairs showroom of Edman Furniture in downtown Bend:
And did you see the part where the first 10 registrants receive a complimentary ornament frame? Rest assured – you want one on your tree:
And finally, those of you who want to use one of the photos for your holiday cards, we are also offering a set of 25 custom-designed flat 5×7 cards exclusively to our holiday session clients for an additional $50:
Call the studio today to reserve your 15-minute session on the calendar: 541.749.8517. Happy Monday!
Confession: I’m a creature of habit. I find one secret, private location and stick with it. I don’t like photographing where people can walk by or we’re blocking a sidewalk or a street, or generally inconveniencing those around us. I don’t like making it a show.
However, Megan wanted urban. So I went outside my comfort zone and ultimately rediscovered how much I love photographing in urban settings, despite the fact that it was a few weeks before Halloween and we got interrupted by a zombie parade.
We shot at a brand new location, so I had to think on my toes. And I’m in love with the nooks and crannies we found. The windowsill I discovered is the exact same color and shade I painted my studio so I imagine new sample canvases are in order!This is the fourth time I’ve photographed the Caston family. The first time, Olivia was barely walking and hardly talking. Sophia was just about Olivia’s current age. And Tiffany would wear whatever you put in front of her. Now you carry on full conversations with Olivia. Tiffany is almost in middle school (and fashion is top priority). And Sophia’s “professional” ballet career is blossoming.
This year marks the third year that Tiffany and Sophia have danced in the Central Oregon Ballet Company’s performance of The Nutcracker. And this year marks the first year that Sophia plays the part of Clara. She had just received the news a few days before our shoot, and her eyes were still glowing when I asked her about it.
Mom’s sense of style is incredible. And she can make anything you put in front of her. So I know anytime I photograph the family, I can expect funky patterns, lots of texture, and perfectly mis-matched yet congruent ensembles. Naturally, she brought along the girls’ ballet outfits for some photos toward the end, and they were perfectly contrasted against the grungy brick wall we found.
Happy Thursday!
When Miss Raistlyn came to my studio a few weeks ago, it was a big day for her. Not only was she still in her very first week of school, she had recently lost her first tooth, and it was her 5th birthday. And she was ready to work it for my camera.
Being the fashionista that she is, she hand-picked her outfit. And the accessories to go with – cowboy hat, pink boa and all. As we rocked out to Britney Spears (her favorite music), mom stood quietly in the hallway and had a moment. Her baby girl was growing up so fast. And by now another tooth is probably well on its way to filling up the gap the baby tooth left behind.
At the risk of sounding cliche, I’m glad we caught that first gap-toothed smile. Because even though time goes faster than we wish it would, the five-year-old Raistlyn and all of her giggles are perfectly stored in these photographs.
Happy Monday (and Happy Halloween)!
I met Kiel on a very chilly day a couple of weeks ago at a park in Bend to photograph his senior portraits. The combination of the chilly weather and the fact that Kiel was so cooperative and easy to photograph made for a very quick shoot. We were done in 45 minutes flat, and I had more than enough final poses to choose from. The more I photograph seniors, the more I realize how much I love doing it. We might be onto something here for next year. In the meantime, here’s Kiel. Happy Friday!
One of my favorite things about repeat clients is watching their family grow, and their kids grow up before my eyes. The Chavez family first came to us back when they were a family of three, and Ava was just 12 months old:
And then came Sofia:
Six months later, they came back to the studio:
And just a few weeks ago, we ventured outside for a family session with Sofia as a big one year old girl:
Chavez family, I just love you guys. Happy Thursday!
A month or two ago, we began noticing a trend. Clients come to our site, love everything they see, hire us… then expect to see a perfectly developed logo in the very first round of proofs. We do work miracles, but rarely that quickly. While we love the confidence you have in us, we also want you to keepin mind that creating a brand new logo is an involved, multi-step process. To help with this trend, we decided it might be easier if the logo designprocess was streamlined a bit more so you know what to expect when. That’s when we came up with The 4-Step Logo™:
Step 1: Strictly Typography – exploring colors, fonts, and arrangement
Step 2: Adding the Whimsy – building a mark or adding a border
Step 3: Revisions on Steps 1 and 2
Step 4: Final Polishing – last revisions leaving a brand new sparkly logo
I can usually tell immediately if a client is going to be a dream to work with based on the inspiration board they include with their design questionnaire, and Jaimee Morse fit perfectly into that pretty, happy mold. She came to us looking to rebrand her photography company to encompass all things Maine (where she was relocating with her husband), and she was our first client to use the new 4-Step Logo process. It worked like a charm! Here’s her branding board showing her gorgeous inspiration and her new final brand:
We’re still working on her stationery suite, that will pull everything together beautifully. Happy Wednesday!
Welcome to the beginning of another work week. I know, it’s Tuesday. But today is my Monday. Josh and I just got back late last night from a long weekend in Texas for his brother’s wedding that culminated in a spontaneous trip to Sunday night’s world series game in Arlington and some incredible memories that we’ll never forget:
It was such a blessing to be able to go. We are so thankful for the experience! But now it’s back to reality. Back to editing sessions. Back to creating beautiful brands for photographers. Back to doing what I love and loving what I do. Speaking of which, Tessa Swarthout recently commissioned us out of Georgia to rebrand her wedding photography company. She had multiple pinterest boards ready and waiting to give me a well-rounded idea of the style she was looking for: shabby chic vintage with a touch of romance. After multiple rounds of revisions and fine-tuning, this is the brand she landed on:
We’re still working on her stationery suite. More lovelies for her brand coming soon! In the meantime, Happy Tuesday!
I met Katheryn after taking over her session for another photographer who had to deal with a sudden health issue. Graduating from Redmond High School this year, she lives in Terrebonne. Which happens to be my favorite shooting location. So it seemed appropriate that we meet out there for her senior portraits, and the weather did not disappoint. It was perfectly warm for a late September evening, the Central Oregon light was just as beautiful as ever, the model was perfect, and the photographs speak for themselves.
Happy Wednesday!
As I left my house a handful of weeks ago, en route to meet my client at her house before driving to our shooting location, I wondered if we would actually be able to shoot. It was one of those Central Oregon late afternoons that brought with it a sky full of black clouds from the southwest, and a lot of wind to warn you of the possible storm to come. As we drove together, I kept my eye on the sky. And the clouds stayed just enough at bay that we were able to shoot. Without wind. In the most amazing light.
I took Annalise to my favorite shooting location at the base of Smith Rock for her senior portrait session. The cloud cover was just perfect enough that I was able to photograph in places I normally can’t in the evening. Places that are normally hit too harshly with bright evening light were beautifully diffused and I was absolutely delighted.
Annalise, enjoy every second of your senior year! Happy Monday!
I first photographed Miss Emily when she was still fresh from heaven:
And then again last Christmas when she had her red patent Mary Jane’s that she couldn’t wait to show me:
Shortly after Christmas, Amanda found out she was pregnant with number two. And I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing him when he was just 36 hours new. They left the hospital, and settled into a hotel room where I photographed the new family of four before they moved their lives up to Seattle first thing the next morning. And he couldn’t have been more perfect. Happy Wednesday!
We’ve photographed quite a few sets of twins in the last month or two, and I have one more to share with you. Demitri and Destiny were just across the hall from Bryson and McKenna in the NICU Of St. Charles Medical Center Bend. They were born on the same day, and had been enjoying their stay together for the same amount of time. I poked my head into their room after finishing up with Bryson and McKenna last month, and spent some time photographing them. I just love me some twins! Happy Tuesday!
Being a children’s photographer isn’t always easy. In fact, it’s rarely easy. Especially with the younger ones. I’ve gotten so used to rapid-fire shooting and moving quickly through poses to either capture a fleeting smile or capitalize on a few moments of happiness that when I photograph “big kids” I fly through the shoot in no time at all. Just last Friday I photographed a high school senior, and we were done in 45 minutes flat. But I digress. Back to the little ones.
I first photographed fraternal twins Sylvie and Brynn last November when they were three months old:
Brynn has since had surgery to repair her cleft lip, and I met up with them on a recent trip to Portland to take their one-year photographs. I will say in full disclosure that I did not get one shot of the two of them together. But I also didn’t really expect to. Getting toddlers to do anything specific for any measurable amount of time requires a bit of finesse. Getting two of them to do the same thing at the same time requires magic. Combine that with the fact that we were shooting outside when it was near 100° and I had no expectations. So we put the quilt down in the grass and played. And I sat back and photographed life as it was currently for Sylvie and Brynn.
It took a little bit of warming up:
And the security of some familiar friends:
Mom warned me early on that “Serious Sylvie” can be a challenge to photograph. But “Serious Sylvie” was soon happy as a clam:
Brynn had a more difficult time, and I soon resolved myself to the fact that I might only get teary, non-smiling photos like these:
So we picked up our toys, folded up the quilt, and went inside to the air conditioning. The girls stripped their clothes off, and recovered from the stress of modeling. And I began packing up my camera bag. And then… twenty or thirty minutes later… Brynn found a moment of happiness. And we ran to the front porch. There, the heavens parted. And as Mom held her, she began giggling. And I began shooting. While we were at it, we grabbed Sylvie for a matching happy shot. I think I might have jumped up and down with excitement. A few times.
Happy Monday, friends!
I meant to put this session share up yesterday, but the cold germs got the best of me and I spent my day in bed watching a Say Yes to the Dress marathon on netflix. Everyone needs a break once in awhile, right? Anyway, I’m thrilled to share this senior session with you. I met Lauren 12 years ago when she was only six years old. I was in college, and her dad was (and still is) the pastor of Calvary Chapel Corvallis, the church I went to (and ultimately where my husband and I met). Lauren and her mom, Susie, came out to Bend to spend the night with us, do Lauren’s senior photos, and get dinner together. It was so fun having them over on this side of the mountains, even if it was only for one night. You can see where Lauren gets her good looks from:
I took Lauren out to my very favorite, limited-access, amazingly beautiful shooting location, and photographed like crazy. She made my job so easy, laughing constantly (because I’m so incredibly funny), and she was so comfortable in front of the camera. We literally shot until there was no light left. And then we got a quick one of us:
Before settling in for the night with our tummys full of delicious thai food, bowls of ice cream, and reruns of The Office playing on tv. Lauren, I’m so glad you made the trip just to have my photograph you in honor of your senior year. You’re gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see what God has for you as you move on from high school! Happy Wednesday!
Happy first Monday of October, friends! I have quite a bit of sessions to share with you in the next week or two and have found myself back-logged again. While I travel regularly for out-of-town shoots, or my bi-weekly visits to Corvallis when I can squeeze them in) to visit Shawna, sometimes I leave important things behind. Like the external hard drive I left sitting on my desk in Bend last week, and didn’t realize it until I was nicely settled into Portland that evening. There wasn’t a lot I could work on last week, which means I have a lot of catch up to do. It doesn’t help that I picked up some germs in my travels, so my day has been spent sneezing, sniffling, eating cough drops like candy, and trying to work through my drug-induced brain fuzziness. Thankfully I have the luxury of working from home. In my sweats.
Anyway, enough of my sob story. Here’s a share from a session I photographed about a month ago. Happy Monday!
I have a beautiful set of twins to share with you today from a recent visit to the NICU. Have I said yet how much I love the staff at St. Charles? They are all amazingly kind and incredibly talented at what they do. I’m so blessed every time I go in to photograph their babies.
Bryson and McKenna were born nine weeks early on July 17th. Bryson weighed 3 lbs 11 oz. McKenna was just a hair smaller at 3 lbs 9 oz. Immediately after they made their debut into the world, they were placed in the NICU. After nearly three weeks in the only home they had known, Bryson had two episodes where his heart stopped beating. After the second, the doctors discovered a blood clot between Bryson’s heart and lungs. While his sister remained in Bend, he was flown to the NICU at OHSU in Portland where he underwent many tests, blood samples, pokes, prods, and the close scrutiny of doctors. Because he is fiercely independent, he was quickly off the oxygen, bed warmers, and feeding tubes and did everything he could to get back to Bend to be with his twin sister. At the time of our shoot a few weeks ago he was a free man, no longer in the NICU (in either Portland or Bend), and was receiving two daily shots of a blood thinning medication to alleviate the clot and prevent any future clots from forming. They scan for blood clots every two weeks. McKenna had done her part in gaining an additional two pounds, and was close to going home herself.
Another set of miracle babies. And another miracle story to tell. Happy Friday.
We’re getting into that time of year – the dreaded busy season. Because of the influx of portrait sessions filling our calendar, we’re now accepting new design projects for November. If you’d like to get something squeezed in before the end of the year, contact us sooner rather than later and we’ll do the best we can! In the meantime, here’s a peek at the things we’ve been working on:
E’Lisa Campbell of E.C. Campbell Photography just launched her brand new custom blog. She came to us in February looking for an earthy, vintage, artist type vibe. This is what we came up with, and she is in love:
Heather Thorne just made a quick addition to her Facebook business page, making it even easier for her clients to contact her using a custom designed contact form:
Robin Lin also decided to give her Facebook business page a makeover, commissioning us to design a custom profile image, welcome page, and contact form:
We’ve also (finally) released partner products to our Little Miss Sunshine 2 ProPhoto Blog Template:
The Full Marketing Suite includes:
- full stationery set (letterhead, envelope, & business card)
- cd case & disc templates
- client invoice template
- welcome tab for your Facebook business page
- installation of the Facebook tab once you prepare your file.
We’ve also released a matching Welcome Magazine complete with both PSD and INDD files:
Happy Thursday!
I’m a little behind on editing and posting photography sessions (ok a lot behind, but what else is new?), so I’m just getting to this session from just over a month ago. Our dear friends Tom and Julia brought Miss Ava to spend the weekend with us and celebrate Tom’s birthday. While they were here, we snuck in a quick family session. And before they left to go back home, Josh and I got some major cuddle time on the couch with the best Ava cuddle bug snuggled into her cuddle bug nest.
Tom and Julia, we love you guys. Now get out of Eugene and move your booties over here!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE CONTEST: Maria Hibbs and Katherine Vess! Red Leaf Studios will be contacting you with your complimentary set of actions!
Happy Friday!
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It’s yet another Monday around here, and I’m dreadfully behind already on my September release calendar. There’s a lot going on in my world these days, but I’m hoping to really buckle down and get some new holiday helps templates released in The Bees Knees by the end of the week. Now that I’ve said it out loud to a captive audience, it has to happen, right?
In the meantime, I’m super excited about a fun giveaway we have planned for this week with Red Leaf Boutique!
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get my hands on their Film Shift Signature Series II set of actions, and I was in love from my very first test run. I wouldn’t say I have a more complicated editing process, but I definitely combine bits and pieces from multiple actions to create my own signature look, and this limited edition set of actions by Red Leaf Studios is the perfect icing on the cake for my images. Did I mention that I loved them?
Here’s some quick before and after peeks for you solely using the Film Shift Signature actions, and adding some simple levels, saturation adjustments, and some sharpening:
Wondering what the Film Shift Signature Series II set of actions are all about? Allow me to tell you:
Did you catch the “limited edition” part? That makes me extra excited about this giveaway! Here’s the nitty gritty details:
We’re giving away TWO sets of limited edition Film Shift Signature Series II actions this Friday (September 16th, 2011). You have two different ways to enter giving you more than one chance to win:
- Leave a comment on this blog post
- Spread the word about the giveaway on Facebook by linking to this blog post and tagging both of our business pages. You can use this sample text (using our business names as tags):
“Oh boy! Jane Johnson Photography & Branding Design has teamed up with Red Leaf Photographer Boutique to give away two sets of limited edition Film Shift Signature Series II actions on Friday! Read all about it here: [www.janejohnsonphotography.com]
We’ll pick two lucky winners on Friday afternoon! Good luck!
We’ve been busy making businesses beautiful with custom Facebook tabs, and I wanted to give you a peek at our most recent projects. First up, a cheerful welcome page for the National Association of Professional Child Photographers:
We also put together a series of custom links for Kiss My Mutt, a wonderfully whimsical pet products company whose blog we designed last year. They received a brand new welcome page:
We custom built a boutique page featuring all of the products Kiss My Mutt carries, complete with buy-it-now links that connect directly to their online store:
And finally, we set them up with a custom built contact tab – my favorite of all the Facebook designs we offer since messages aren’t available for business pages. It’s so important to be easily accessible to your clients at all social media avenues!
After Jenn’s brand new Kiss My Mutt tabs went live, she sent me this email (and I couldn’t have said it better myself):
“Hi Jane, I LOVE IT! Thank you so very much! I can’t wait for everyone to see it, it looks really great! I love that it is bringing
my brand together and creating a unified look between everything. Thank you!”
For more information on building a unified brand with our custom Facebook designs, visit our design site or drop us a note through our contact form.
Happy Wednesday!
We all know how much photographers love to shoot in that yummy evening light. We try to schedule our sessions for that perfect golden hour… the hour right before sunset where the light turns soft and buttery. However, that hour is pretty late in the summer months for little ones. And while I do love to shoot in that light, I love shooting happy babies more. So I did something I’ve never actually done before. I scheduled a morning outdoor shoot.
The time wasn’t ideal for light, but I found a shaded area in my favorite new shooting location, and it couldn’t have worked more perfectly.Miss Ainsley is five months old, and she’s very much a daddy’s girl. As I began shooting, he began singing: “If I was a flower growing wild and free. All I’d want is you to be my sweet honey bee.”
He must have sang that line about a dozen times. And each time he sang it, she smiled. I’m talking ear to ear grin that lights up the whole face kind of smile. The kind that’s contagious.
I just love this family. And I’m in love with this session. Happy Weekend.
I know this photograph breaks a lot of technical rules, but still… I love it. Maybe because this is sort of how I feel today. A little bit fuzzy. A touch grainy. Slightly rough.
The creative part of my brain is buzzing with electricity, but I can’t quite reach in to find where. Or how. Or what to do with it.
So I’ll walk away from my computer. And go play shuffleboard with my husband somewhere outside of my house.
And maybe tap into that creativity tomorrow. Happy Wednesday.
I spent the evening with the adorable Grover family a couple weeks ago, and instantly fell in love. Like any other kids, it took some warming up. But once they got warm, the dimples started to show and the giggles came out in abundance. This family definitely got blessed in the genes department. Not only are the kids beautiful, their dad is the guy behind 11 Roasters and he spends his Tuesday nights roasting coffee. I might have to document that for my own personal research some time. In the meantime, here’s a peek at our time together:
It’s almost here! Final Touch: Perfecting the Art of Editing Newborns is an information-rich editing guide on all the tips and tricks both Lightroom and Photoshop have to offer to help you take your newborn photographs from straight out of camera to final presentation perfection! It’s already gone through the hands of our beta testers (and came out shining), and we’re just about ready to release it to the public. Did we mention it comes with our own custom created airbrush action and a sample RAW image to play with?
It’s ok. You can be excited. Because we kind of are.
Want to be the first to know of the release? Sign up for our mailing list here:
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It’s that time of year again. The time when photographers begin thinking about their busiest season and new the products and card templates they will offer to their clients this Christmas. We have a lot of things up our sleeve that will hopefully make your marketing lives much easier this year but in the meantime, we’re excited to announce our inaugural set of holiday card templates for Focused by WHCC – still dripping with fresh creative paint. We do have one more set in the works that will be released next week (we know you’re on pins and needles… one word: whimsy), as well as some designs that will be sold exclusively in The Bee’s Knees. We’ll also be selling our 2010 Best of Magazine as a ready-made template, a ready-to-market holiday contest, and we’re putting the final touches on our brand new newborn editing guide (complete with our very own handy airbrush action and a sample RAW image to practice with).
I know what you’re thinking. We have very big sleeves.
We’ll send you off this weekend with a preview of Jewel Tones featuring rich background colors, simple, subtle patterns, all paired minimal text and graphics that pack a powerful punch. We’ll let you know as soon as it’s available in the Focused by WHCC store.
Happy Friday!
After the ceremony, Jared led his new bride down the path to a meadow with his lime green kicks, stopping briefly to catch a well-wishing frog that crossed our path. And then stopping again to make a few wishes on some awaiting dandelion spores. And on the way back, as they prepared to leave for their reception, Jared took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs, and carried Aimee across the creek – a new twist on the traditional threshold.Jared is the proud owner of Flagstaff Sports on Main Street in downtown Baker – a shop that specializes in snowboarding, skiing, and other sporting equipment including bikes. So it was perfectly fitting that the newest Mr. and Mrs. Johnson rode up to their reception on an orange vintage tandem bike. The same bike that my in-laws took their own spin on later that night. And when they were done, Josh and I stole it.
Three of the five Johnson boys are now married. And they’re three for three on brunettes. We’ll see what happens with the other two. And David, I don’t care what you tell the others. I’ll always be the original favorite daughter-in-law.
Happy Wednesday, friends!
I’m fresh off of a whirlwind four weeks that involved traveling to seven different cities in three different states. As I drug my suitcase upstairs for the last time yesterday, I collapsed in my bed and slept for three hours. Then proceeded to sit in bed for the remainder of the day with my laptop and camera bag downloading and culling images. I never really knew what the term “no rest for the weary” meant so I googled it: “You must keep persevering no matter how tired or overworked you are.” Boy do I feel every word of that. But still… I love my job. I love that I get to be creative every day. While we were lounging in the lazy river of our hotel in Vegas last week, I kept thinking about the creative projects awaiting me at home, and I couldn’t help but be excited. I’m not sure if that’s a sign of simply loving my job, or a sign that I’m becoming a workaholic. Probably a little bit of both.
But just when my body questions why I keep pushing myself at this pace, I photograph a moment like this. And I’m inspired to keep pushing forward. Because really, I do have the best job out there.
Happy Monday!
Sweet friendship.
Not only did I have the wonderful pleasure of photographing yesterday’s beautiful family while I was in Vail, I also had Mom’s sister and her adorable four month old daughter as well! I don’t typically photograph children at this age, but it was fun forcing myself to get creative and see how many different shots we could get out of a baby that can’t even sit up on her own. It also helped quite a bit that she was an overall happy girl and hardly fussed.
Happy Tuesday!
I recently spent a week among a group of children’s photographers in beautiful Vail, Colorado. The Westin Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek was our home for four days as NAPCP members gathered from all over the United States, Canada, and even England.
Part way through the trip, a large number of families gathered in the resort lobby for a shooting clinic. Photographers were split up into groups, with each group being assigned to different families. I had the pleasure of facilitating my group, and we ventured outside together. As a facilitator, my job was to help guide in posing, make sure any questions were answered, and help provide a little bit of organization to the chaos.
As we began shooting, I discovered something interesting. I turned on my auto-pilot of tricks that I use with children, but I wasn’t pleased with the results I was getting. The girls we were shooting were cooperating wonderfully, and doing everything I asked of them. The problem was, I wasn’t loving how it was translating onto my camera. There was a disconnect somewhere.
In the beginning of our time together, I was getting images like these:
Technically good photographs. Everyone was smiling and engaging with me. But something was missing, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I tried a handful of things, redirecting, and moving from the hotel grounds to a field next door. With the top right photograph, I decided I needed to stop and think. What was the end result that was tucked away somewhere in my brain, nagging me until I nailed it? Maybe the girls should sit down:
After I shot the photograph to the left, I found it was getting closer… but still felt… contrived. It was time to break up the girls and get down to the basics. I took the youngest one and, after thinking for a few minutes about how to direct her to get the shot I wanted, I finally said “go to your happy place.” I asked her to think really hard about her very favorite things, and then tell me about them. As she thought, I photographed (above right). Even closer, but still not there. The grass around her was conflicting with her face, so I asked her to stand up. And then, somewhere in those next few moments, the vision tucked away deep in my subconscious merged with reality. And as my model thought about her happy place, I discovered mine:
I now had the foundation. And it was time to build upon it with the other girls:
And then grab mom, who looked absolutely radiant as she awaited the arrival of daughter #4:
It wasn’t until the next day, during an amazing talk by Leah Zawadzki and Deb Schwedhelm that I was able to process what exactly happened that evening. There was a 15 minute chunk of time built into their presentation that forced us to address any one of ten questions. And when I say forced, I mean it was 15 minutes of quiet journaling. Being the cynical person I am, I thought about skipping the exercise. But then one question grabbed my attention:
What does your voice sound like? What do you want it to say? Since I had nothing else to do, I began writing:
What does my voice sound like? A person’s physical voice is always different to others than what we hear reverberating in our own ears. And in the same way, people view my work in ways I don’t necessarily see. To them, it’s different. To me, it’s how I view the world. How do I want my voice to sound?
I want it to be authentic.
Deep.
Emotional.
When I pick up my camera, I can see the you that you want people to see. But I want to peel past the artificial and get to the truth.
The happy place.
What is my happy place? Three months ago my answer would have been much different. Three months ago, it would have been tropical shores, toes in the sand, and an amazing sunset before my eyes. Today… it’s simply moments.”
Shooting that evening in the Colorado field, I felt my perspective shift. I was less after giggles and more after calmness. Less about vibrant color and more about black and white.
Slowing down.
Being deliberate.
Enjoying the moment.
Because we don’t know how many moments we have.
I hadn’t photographed much in the last three months because of an influx of design projects and traveling. It was eye-opening to see how much one scenario with my best friend facing a serious life-threatening disease so deeply impacted my approach to photography on a level I would have never recognized if I didn’t take that small amount of time to just write. As an artist, my style is always evolving. Forever growing. I just need to be brave enough to push through the mediocre, trust my instincts, venture outside of my comfortable bubble, and wrestle it out until the fireworks go off.
And then do it all over again. Happy Monday, friends.
Happy Saturday, friends!
Eight years ago, when the diamond was still fresh on my finger and I wasn’t yet a Johnson, Josh came home from spending the day with a good friend.
“How would you like to move to Bend?” he asked.
“Sure!” I said. Who doesn’t love Bend? ”For what?”
“To help start a church with Brandon,” he replied.
It really was a no-brainer and, from that moment, we began praying and planning. We won’t talk about the fact that Josh nearly missed our first marriage counseling appointment because he was surfing with Brandon. But I suppose Brandon made up for it when he offered to abandon his post as a a groomsman and marry us when our pastor came down with a gnarly case of poison oak two days before our wedding. Four months later, we were tucked into our brand new, low-income, two-bedroom apartment in Bend and River Rock Fellowship was born. Brandon and Karie lived just a handful of blocks away. Livie and Mia were still very little, and Rayna was tiny – just weeks old. Josh and I affectionately refer to that time as “the good days”.Back when life was simple. He was a document runner for AmeriTitle. I was a barista at Starbucks. Our rent was $500 a month. We had no responsibilities. No mortgage. And my creative angst was released in the form of avid scrapbooking, creating beautifully laid out newsletters to friends and family as updates on our progress in Central Oregon, and cross-stitching complicated Christmas stockings. (I had to let the creativity out somewhere!)
Now, just over seven years later, River Rock has merged with Antioch Church and is thriving. Silas added a little bit of testosterone to the estrogen-heavy Reynolds family. I’ve abandoned scrapbooking for other creative avenues (that I get paid for). Our mortgage is much more than $500 a month. And I’m more in love with my husband now than when we were newly married.
Life is good. And it’s shoots like these that cause me to marvel at how far we’ve come. And all that God has done in this time. And I’m most definitely the person that says “I remember when you were in diapers!”
Reynolds family, thank you for owning the camera and making my job so easy. We love you guys! Happy Thursday!
Little Judah came to visit me when he was just three days new. Josh and I actually met him in the hospital when he was still less than 24 hours old, and he was pretty near perfect. The only thing that held him back from total perfection was the miniature Oregon beanie he had on his head. But his dad is a die hard fan, so we’ll let it slide. He even snuck an Oregon ornament onto our Christmas tree last year when we weren’t looking. Right next to the more appropriate Beavers ornaments. Next year, Trav. Next year.
Even if he grows up being trained to love the Ducks, we can rest assured that this little bundle of love will be raised right – his momma is the Children’s Ministry Director at our church. And she’s already the best Mommy there is. She even came to his session prepared with the cutest blue beanie that Travis wore when he was a baby.
The best part about this story is Judah’s new nickname. Travis has been affectionately called “T-Money” by his nieces and nephews for a few years – a name that has stuck among the kids at church. (And believe me, when you hear a little two year old call Travis “T-Money”, it’s just about the cutest thing ever.) When we met him for the first time at the hospital, Josh called him “T-Penny”. It’s so perfect that I think it might have staying power. Especially if Linda has anything to do with it.
Good work, Travis and Linda! You make the cutest offspring!
I’m down to the wire in preparing for our vendor table at this year’s NAPCP Retreat in Vail! I finished stuffing envelopes for the swag bags and tying them up with string this morning, and just received our 8-page branding catalogue from the FedEx guy a few minutes ago. If you’re one of the lucky 50 people attending, you have a photoshop tip on vibrance and saturation coming your way – because your photoshop editing style is just as much a part of your brand as your logo is. And we all know how difficult it is to push vibrancy without over-saturating skin tones! Here’s a peek as some of the treasures we’re taking to Vail with us:
As exciting as that is, we have something even more exciting to share with you: Jane Johnson Photography & Branding Design, LLC is now a bi-coastal team of four!
I met Liz over a year ago at my 2010 Be Thou My Vision: A Women’s Retreat for Photographers. We’ve stayed in close contact ever since, and actually began the discussion of adding her to my team seven months ago. Just a few days ago, after much praying, I finally made the leap. I’m absolutely thrilled to say that Liz has now officially grown my team to four. And since she’s in Virginia, we pretty much have this country covered!
Liz Cook is a reputable wedding photographer based in Virginia with a widespread design background and is now working with us focusing on brand development and print design. Like me, she enjoys designing all-things-paper and worked as a professional web designer before pursuing a full-time photography business. Her work has been featured in O Magazine and a variety of other local publications. Liz is known for her style of simplicity, bold colors and soft light, making her a seamless addition to our growing team. Traveling, spending time with her husband, and curling up on the couch with a good movie are just a few of Liz’s favorite activities. She is also looking forward to the new addition to her family this fall.
Beginning August 1, Liz will be working closely with me to not only assist in brand development and all things print design, but she’ll also be helping create our new line of templates designed specifically for Focused by WHCC as well as new template products for The Bee’s Knees. I constantly get asked the question “Jane, how do you do it all?” I’m proud to say that I can’t. But I have an amazing team around me. And together, we can. Happy Wednesday!
Yesterday I shared Brian and Jordann’s destination wedding at Azul Beach Hotel in Cancun. Today I’m sharing their day after session. Like I mentioned yesterday, all of our destination wedding packages include full wedding day coverage, the bride’s choice of engagement session, rehearsal coverage or a day after fashion shoot, a second photographer, and all traveling fees.
Jordann chose to take advantage of the day after shoot – an easy stress-free way to get a couple of hours of just you and your new husband without the pressure of awaiting guests or itineraries.
It also allows for much more creative shooting time during which I apply my fashion photography experience to this more outside-the-box session.In Brian and Jordann’s case, we walked up and down the sugar sands lining the Caribbean Sea and stopped when we were inspired. Lucky for them we had a handful of overwater bungalows to choose from, as well as a beachside hammock, canopy beach beds, and a picture-perfect pink sunset that provided the beautiful icing on the cake.
And as the last of the Cancun light slipped away, Brian and Jordann walked hand in hand back to their room, and I selfishly hopped onto the end of the dock with my husband for our own photograph. After all, it’s not every day that you find yourself shooting waist-deep in the Carribean Sea in your bikini.
Brian and Jordann, enjoy every second on your honeymoon in Spain!
I held off on posting this wedding for awhile, and then forgot about it altogether. That is, until I was sitting by the pool last weekend, dreaming about being back in Mexico. Better late than never!
This last January, Josh and I spent an amazing two week vacation in Cancun with the front end of the trip set aside strictly for photographing Brian and Jordann’s wedding. And I’ll be honest, going from four days of constant company with two dozen people to just the two of us was quite a shock to the system. The Kearns wedding was a small, intimate affair that took place at sunset looking out onto the Caribbean Sea. With the quaint Azul Beach Hotel as our home, we had our fill of hanging beds by the water and picture-perfect bungalow docks that were used for both the wedding day as well as their day-after fashion shoot. But even though the backdrop was perfect… the wedding was a question mark.
The day before the wedding, right around the time that the rehearsal began, Brian got hit with a lovely bout of Montezuma’s Revenge. Although he made it through the actual rehearsal, he wasn’t able to make it to the rehearsal dinner. As a bride I can imagine how emotional that could be, but Jordann was surrounded by her closest friends. And they encouraged her every step of the way.
The morning of the wedding greeted us with torrential downpours. The kind where you’re soaked to the skin if you’re out in it for just a few seconds.When I met Jordann in their honeymoon suite that morning, she was getting ready as if the wedding would happen. As if Brian would get better. Because, at that point, he still wasn’t. But she had her hair done. She followed her Laura Mercier makeup instructions impeccably. The sash was tied on her gown just as the designer taught her. And Brian came knocking.
Still feeling very sick, he rallied. He walked to the end of the dock to wait for his bride. And, after one last mirror check, she hiked up her skirt, and walked barefoot through the sand to meet her awaiting groom.
The rain was done for the day and, right before they had their official kiss, a flock of birds flew overhead. And though Brian was weak, he stayed through to the end of the reception. Even if it meant sitting in a chair while everyone danced around him. And as the couple made their way back to their room for the night, everyone else made a beeline for the ocean. And I set my camera aside and joined them. After all, a Carribbean party isn’t complete without a midnight swim.
Planning your own destination wedding? All of our destination wedding packages include full wedding day coverage, the bride’s choice of engagement session, rehearsal coverage or a day after fashion shoot, a second photographer, and all traveling fees. We also have upgraded package add-ons including signature albums, custom designed boxed sets of wedding day proofs, product credits and more to ensure you receive the photography package that perfectly complements your dream destination wedding. Just drop us a note for more information.
V E N D O R L I S T:
The Venue: Azul Beach Hotel by Karisma
Wedding Gown: Lena Medoyeff
Hair Piece: Untamed Petals
Everything Else: DIY
I got out of my Friday design posts habit and figured it was high time to get an update on this sorely neglected journal. Trust me, I have good reason for the silence. Things keep growing around here, and some days it feels like it’s coming in exponential numbers. In addition to our regular branding commissions, we’re delving more and more into the world of templates. For example, Fashion Sense – our latest Welcome Magazine:
This 20-page, 8.5 x 11 Welcome Magazine was inspired by our favorite fashion magazines and comes complete with a built-in referral program for both print and web. It also comes with a bonus referral card design that’s ready to print and affix to the back page of your magazine. Prefer to display the magazine virtually? We do! That’s why we’ve created built-in hyperlinks (in the InDesign files) making it extra easy for clients to send referrals and receive exclusive savings at the same time! To protect the integrity of the product, the sample magazine shown above uses dummy text in the articles. However, the purchased files (both Photoshop and InDesign files are provided) include pre-written text from the Welcome Magazine I use for my own clients.
The best part? It’s on sale until next Friday (7/22/11)! Get all the rest of the nitty gritty info on the Fashion Sense magazine in The Bee’s Knees!
Adding to the chaos around here, Monique has been receiving quite a few emails asking about the Little Miss Sunshine template. Our wildly popular inaugural ProPhoto design is still just as popular in retirement, so we mixed up some of the elements and brought it back by popular demand!
Don’t go looking for this one in the ProPhoto Design Store – it’s exclusively available in The Bee’s Knees.
And while you’re there, don’t forget to grab your Little Miss Sunshine 2 Blogsite Upgrade:
We’ve also been working on some custom projects like this splash page for the lovely Jess Kamm:
And this logo for Nahono Tsuruga:
And this peek at a newly approved blog that’s getting packaged up and sent to coding:
And this one that’s in the middle of the coding process:
And if all that’s not enough, I’ve been scrambling for the last two days to get a new branding catalog together in anticipation of the NAPCP Retreat coming up a week from Monday in Vail! (Did I mention that we’re a sponsor?) We also had WHCC come calling, commissioning us to design templates for Focused – their shop of templates specifically designed for their press printed products available to professional photographers. (That was a lot of p’s!) Not to mention a project we’re working on for Clickin’ Moms, and something we have brewing with SmugMug.
Add to that list two portrait sessions begging to be edited, half a dozen new logos waiting to be created, some blog nips and tucks for existing clients, and a handful of Facebook business page makeovers, and you have one very busy girl on your hands. And a lot of very good reasons as to why our “regularly updated journal” hasn’t been regularly updated these last few weeks. But I don’t mind if you don’t.
I imagine we’ll see each other again next week. But if you don’t hear from me again until August, have a margarita for me and leave some love on our Facebook page. Until then, happy weekend!
We recently launched Simply Classic, our second custom blog template, in the ProPhoto Blogs Design Store along with the luxury marketing pieces in The Bee’s Knees to carry the design throughout all marketing avenues. We’re still new in this world of designing beautiful marketing pieces for photographers at affordable template pricing, and have big plans to do more of it in the future. After all, not everyone can afford a custom developed $5,000 brand for their business.
With the Simply Classic set, you can still have the look of a custom developed brand at a much lower price point. How does a blog, galleries upgrade, and luxury marketing set for less than $900 sound?
Introducing Simply Classic, featuring classic custom fonts throughout the site, four masthead template designs, and flexible space that can be used for vendor ads, blogsite gallery links, client features and more. The colors have been professionally selected, but are fully customizable.
And for those of you that love the idea of your portfolio site and blog combined into one, we also offer a Simply Classic Blogsite Upgrade:
And since your marketing pieces will need to match your new blog, we’ve also released the Simply Classic Luxury Marketing Suite:
Including: business card, facebook welcome tab (including installation), cd case & disc, sales receipt, virtual welcome magazine, envelope, and letterhead
For the client that doesn’t necessarily need all the bells and whistles, we’ve also released the Simply Classic Stationery Suite:
Including: business card, sales receipt, envelope, mailing label, and letterhead.
Finally, we’ve released the 15-page Simply Classic Virtual Welcome Magazine as an a la carte item. Featuring pre-written text from the welcome magazine I present to my own clients, the template includes a special introductory note from the photographer, pages devoted to describing your studio, your style, what to expect with post production and viewing appointments, what to wear tips, signature products, and space for your complete pricing information! We also provide detailed instructions for embedding your Welcome Magazine into a password-protected page on your blog so it’s viewable like this:
(To protect the integrity of the product, the actual text included in the download has been replaced with dummy text.)
I believe the only thing we’ve left out is the kitchen sink. But those are too expensive to ship. Happy Thursday!
Just a quick post from me today from a recent session in the NICU, this time with adorable Miss Annabelle. She even gave me a few smiles through our time together. She had just graduated to an open crib an hour or two before I arrived, and her isolette was still sitting in the corner of room. If I were her, I’d be proud of myself and smiling too. Happy Tuesday.
Being a branding designer, I’ve come to learn that the process is never the same twice for any client. Some clients know exactly what they want, and the design is nailed in the very first round of initial concepts, like this client:
Other clients think they know exactly what they want, and go through the entire process before realizing it wasn’t really what they wanted in the first place. I’ve actually had a few clients that have gotten completely through the process and received their final files only to email me a few weeks later wanting to start over from scratch. It’s sort of like shopping for a wedding gown. The boutique employees know the process well enough that they bring in gowns that perfectly fit the description a bride-to-be gave them, and them maybe a few others outside of that. After all, you never really know until you see it on. And a lot of times the perfect gown is the last one that the bride would have normally considered.
Case in point, Stephanie and I went through most of the process, and were in her last round of revisions when she emailed me after chewing on it for a week. Try as she might, she just wasn’t in love. So we stopped everything completely and went back to the drawing board. New round of inspiration boards. New (shorter version) questionnaire. This was the logo we finalized initially:
This is Stephanie’s new final logo:
And her watermark:
Another example is Amanda Tung: she initially wanted to play off of her business name (Blueberry Photography) when she hit the brakes:
We’re now going in a completely different direction – less cute, and more formalized:
So I suppose the moral of this story is three-fold:
1. Over-communicate. The more information (visual and otherwise) you provide me, the better. If, at any point in the process, you don’t love where things are heading, don’t be afraid to put on the brakes. This is ultimately your business and your investment. I’m strictly designing from your lead, while also trying to provide some options you might not have thought of.
2. Have patience. If you get your first round of concepts back, and it’s not immediate perfection, don’t worry. You still have three rounds of revisions ahead of you, and a lot of magic can be done in that time.
3. Expect the butterflies. We won’t stop until you’re in love. That might require some additional revisions and concepts that do cost some more money, but it will all be worth it in the end. I promise.
Happy Monday!
Sometimes when I sit down to write a new blog post, I just sit and stare at the blank screen for a few minutes. This is one of those times. It’s one of those posts I don’t want to write because I don’t want to admit that it’s actually happening. But it is. The hard grace.
Two weeks ago, my best friend and I were enjoying a carefree weekend in Scottsdale to celebrate our birthdays a few weeks early. Look, here’s proof:
Playing cards poolside with an ice bucket holding our happy hour drinks:
On our way in to see Kenny Chesney:
It’s something we’ve done together for years. Six years ago, we celebrated in Portland with shopping, makeovers, and pedicures:
Two years ago, we celebrated here in Bend with Sugarland:
And last year, we celebrated in Portland with Tim McGraw:
And if you still don’t recognize her, you might remember my stories about her here, and here. Just a few days ago, life became not-so-carefree. Shawna was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer – likely colon – and needs all the prayers she can get. We’ve set up a blog for her updates so people know how to pray, and there will be a link up in the next few days for donations to be made for her medical bills.
Please go read the blog here: www.lovingonshawna.com and pray your heart out. Then tell everyone you know to read it and pray their hearts out too. And please make sure to check back for the donation link.
Clients, please understand that turnaround times might be a little bit slower over the next few months while I travel more and work remotely. Thank you all for your prayers and support!
Abbie McFarland commissioned us last fall to create a a new brand for her. We tackled her logo first, with instructions to create a simple, natural, serene, relaxed, light and airy, uncluttered, approachable brand. She wanted sophisticated vintage without being overkill. Mostly, she wanted people looking at her work to feel like they just lit a “clean cotton” candle and sat down with a mug of lavender tea. She included this inspiration board with her questionnaire:
And this is the brand we came up with:
Once we finalized her logo and stationery, we moved onto her custom photography blogsite. Abbie wanted to take advantage of soft, muted colors paired with a simplistic design that would perfectly complement her photography style while not overwhelming the images she posts on her blog. The end result is a shabby chic meets professional sophisticate design that carries out her branding from print to web seamlessly:
and her custom portfolio galleries:
Don’t forget to pour yourself a mug of lavender tea and visit her new blogsite here: www.abbiemcfarland.com. Happy Monday!
When I arrived he was wide awake, taking in the world quietly. After a quick snack, he fell asleep easily only protesting some of the shots with a little accident. Or two. Or three. Actually, come to think, of it I lost count. All I know is Mom was down to her last white shirt by the end of it, and both Mom and Dad had been “loved on” equally.As the rain fell outside, we set to work for a couple of hours. Right as I had said “Ok, I think we’ve got it all” and began putting my camera away, I looked up to see that Dad had laid down on the bed, and pulled Troy close for a quick snuggle. The unposed photograph is my very favorite of our morning together.
And the end result is the perfect combination of new family lifestyle bliss, and carefully posed newborn yumminess.
Welcome to the world, Troy. I’m so glad to know you.
Happy Sunday, friends!
The saying is true – you don’t know what the tea bag holds until you put it in hot water. And you don’t know what your faith can take until it’s twisted in ways you didn’t think possible.
On Easter Sunday, I settled onto our window seat with my Bible, journal, and One Thousand Gifts – the book I’ve been slowly making my way through in recent weeks that I quoted in the paragraph above.I had just done the newborn workshop a few days before, and began thinking about how posing a newborn is a lot like what God does with our faith. It’s really amazing how you can pose newborns into the bendiest positions. When you move them and lay them down, their faces crumple up and they begin to fuss. But if you hold them with a little bit of pressure, get in their ear shushing them, and rock them a little bit, they quickly settle down and sleep soundly in the new position they’ve been put in.
I couldn’t help but feel like that’s what God has been doing with my faith in the last year or two. He’s bending me and moving me into positions I don’t necessarily want to go into, knowing the end result is going to be beautiful. And if I just settle into it, trusting Him, He’ll work it all out for HIS glory. It might not be the result I expected or wanted. But I can count on the fact that it will be the one He had planned all along.
I’ve found myself recently having conversations I never thought I would be having. Facing the kind of adult things that I still feel too young to face. My faith bending into positions I never thought it could get into. But He knows the end result. And all I can do is settle into it and trust Him. Happy Friday.
In the fall of 2009, Ben Edwards and I taught an introductory photography class at Kilns College here in Bend. Just a few months ago, one of the students from that class asked me to talk to moms about tips on photographing their kids at the River Rim Coffee House, the coffee shop she owns with her husband and her in-laws. Shortly after my talk, Alissa asked me to photograph her daughter before she got too much bigger. Hazel was 10 months old, and she wanted to make sure to capture that fleeting, curious baby stage before it was gone forever. I was more than happy to oblige.
We met by the river on what promised to be a warm spring day. And it was. But as evening hit, the temperature plummeted quickly. We did what we could, and Hazel was a trooper. Here are some favorites from our time together. Happy Wednesday!
This is the last of my parade of newborns from my mentoring with Robin Long a few weeks ago, and she certainly has the best name of all of them.
Chamonix Bleu (pronounced “shaw-mo-nee”) was the perfect angel during her newborn portrait session as mom and aunt sat nearby enjoying a moment to themselves. After we posed, transitioned, re-posed, and and photographed her to our heart’s content, mom dressed her in the cutest Juicy Couture dress to take her home in.
Welcome to the world, little Chamonix. Happy Tuesday!
In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, it’s only fitting to put up some more photographs from my time with Miss Allison at her newborn portrait session. As Mom sat on the couch and read a magazine, I learned how to bend, pose, transition, and soothe these little ones. And I’ll be honest, I loved Allison from the second I laid eyes on her.
Happy Weekend. And Happy Mother’s Day!
Sometimes I feel like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Always running behind, and forever late to an appointment. That’s exactly the case tonight – I’m actually supposed to be somewhere right now, but I wanted to at least get up one photograph of sweet Allison before putting up more from my time shooting her newborn portrait session tomorrow. Happy Thursday.
As promised yesterday, here are just a few photographs of my first newborn model from a solid eight hours of shooting newborns with Robin Long a few weeks ago. Lochlan couldn’t have been more perfect. Unfortunately, between getting logo proofs and a new blog concept out, and getting images from a recent session proofed for a viewing appointment tomorrow, these are the only few I could crank out this afternoon. More coming tomorrow of sweet Allison! Happy Wednesday!
I’m thrilled to say that Robin delivered on every promise she makes on her website. Because of the specific instruction I was looking for, I opted for her 1:1 mentoring program, which typically includes two models, and two hours of post-processing tutorials and Q&As at the end. Since I didn’t really want the post-processing, we replaced the last two hours with an additional newborn, giving us a total of three wonderfully perfect, fresh-from-heaven models and a full eight hour day of shooting with a short lunch break in the middle. When I arrived, Robin had an assortment of pastries waiting for me, and we got right down to business.As we began talking, I said that I needed to run out to my purse and grab my notebook to take notes, and she presented me with a swag bag that included a pen and a journal featuring this quote on the cover:
“Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it.”
Also tucked in the bag was her signature PureBaby Nest Wrap, and some other treats including a lot of fantastic discounts (that I can certainly say I’ve already used). I also received a copy of her PureBaby Posing Book, featuring 80 pages of everything from posing to transitioning, setting up to prepping parents, soothing techniques, props, and post-processing. She thought of everything!
After some preliminary instructions, the first baby arrived and we got to work. After the second baby, we had gone through every signature pose, even touching on the best order of posing and easy means of transition so the babies are the least disturbed. When the third baby came around, it was my turn to take all the information and put it to good use. I chose the poses, I staged the set, and I hand-picked from her endless supply of headbands, beanies, blankets, and baskets. It was my show, and she stood by to provide any additional instruction along the way. I didn’t expect the last part, and it turned out to be the most priceless part of the process. I’m such a hands-on learner, and no matter how much I listen and watch, the second I do it myself it’s as if I hadn’t been watching for the last five hours. Everything flew out of my brain, and Robin talked me through the poses again as I did them myself. Here’s a peek at the first set I chose: a pale blanket that photographed beautifully, and a simple grey flower:
I’ll feature the other little ones throughout the rest of the week, but in the meantime I will definitely say that Robin’s workshop is worth every penny. It’s priced much lower than the other newborn workshops out there, and it’s clear that Robin teaches because she loves to. She loves photographing newborns and she loves mentoring other photographers. She’s not in it for the money. She’s humble, and she’s open with her information. She even sends you home with her full set of business forms, product and pricing information, and a priceless nursing guide that I would have never thought of. The best news is that she’s taking her show on the road, with six workshops throughout the United States (including a stop in Canada):
Chicago, IL Newborn Photography Workshop – June 20, 2011
St. Louis, MO Newborn Photography Workshop – June 27, 2011
San Diego Newborn Photography Workshop – August 22, 2011
Sacramento, CA Newborn Photography Workshop – August 26, 2011
Toronto, ON Canada Newborn Photography Workshop – September 24, 2011
New York Newborn Photography Workshop – September 28, 2011
Definitely check out her site here: www.robinlongphotography.com, and don’t forget to follow her on Facebook. Happy Tuesday!
I’m splitting today’s wedding into two posts because there are two very distinct parts to it, beginning with a traditional Vietnamese ceremony at the bride’s home on the morning of her wedding. When I arrived, the home was buzzing with excitement and family, and I was greeted by this adorable face:
Traditionally, on the day of the wedding, the procession of the groom’s family is led by the representative of the groom’s house (usually the oldest male – in this case, the groom’s uncle), followed by the groom, the groom’s father, then the rest of his family and close friends. In the procession, Ryan, his family, and his friends carried elaborately decorated lacquer boxes containing gifts representing the wealth the groom’s family will bring to the bride’s. As the Portland rain fell softly on this spring morning, Ryan’s family approached the house with their gifts covered in red cloth representing good luck (usually including, among other things, an abundance of jewelry for the bride).
Once the procession arrived at the house, electric fireworks were set off to welcome them.
Members of both families were formally introduced to each other, Ryan presented his gifts to Tricia’s family, and the fathers on both sides enjoyed a drink together:
After the drinks were shared, Ryan received permission to greet Tricia, who was finally brought out:
Once Tricia was presented, the permission ceremony began in front of the bride’s ancestor altar where Tricia and Ryan lit candle and burned incense sticks, asking for the blessings of their ancestors:
Then the couple each thanks their parents for raising and protecting them.
The groom’s gift boxes filled with jewelry were opened by each mother, who put them on Tricia for good fortune:
And finally, each family member in attendance was introduced to Tricia and Ryan, presenting them with gifts:
We stepped outside for a few more photos:
And the family had a feast:
What an honor to be part of such an important cultural tradition! For the rest of Tricia and Ryan’s wedding, please see the post below.
Just a few hours after the traditional Vietnamese ceremony, I met Tricia in the Gerding Theater at the Armory – a wonderfully restored building originally built in the late 1800s that has since been renovated into what it is today: Portland Center Stage. And it provided the perfect center stage for Tricia and Ryan’s evening wedding ceremony. I’ll let the photographs tell their wedding story for me, but before we go there, we must give credit where credit is due:
V E N D O R L I S T
Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier
Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo
Vietnamese Ao Dais: Ao Dai Vinh – Vietnam
Hair & Makeup: Nicole Wagner Makeup – Portland
Wedding Jewelry: Temi B – Los Angeles
Flowers: Family Friend
Rentals: Westcoast Event Productions
Ceremony Music: Duo con Brio
Wedding Cake: Sweet Tina’s
Catering: Culinary Artistry
DJ: DJ Ben Christiansen (DJ Royale)
Wedding Favors: Willamette Valley Vineyards
Love me some Badgley Mischkas!
Tricia and Ryan provided complimentary bottles of Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Vineyards for their wedding guests, and I made sure to have a glass or two poured as I edited their photos.
After dinner, the wedding party changed back into their traditional Vietnamese ao dais, and Tricia and Ryan greeted each of their guests, receiving toasts galore.
After each table had been greeted, the bridal party changed back for the remainder of the reception. The cake was cut:
The official toasts were given:
And the dancing began:
Tricia and Ryan, thank you for allowing me to capture your day from beginning to end. Happy Marriage!
Miss Alice got a makeover, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect after moving into a beautiful new home, and getting ready to welcome Baby Park to the world any day now! After we finally wiped the sweat off our brows from launching the NAPCP website, we turned our creative attention to her photography blog still housed over on blogger. Don’t get us wrong, blogger is a great blogging platform, and a good starting off place. But WordPress is by far the best blogging platform for photographers. And Alice finally made the switch!
I opened a brand new, blank photoshop canvas, and started fresh from her questionnaire. She described her style this way:”I am generally more classic, simple and real. I don’t love a lot of clutter in the background, so my images always focuses on my subjects and their expressions and connections with their family members.”
So I set out to create a simple, clean, classic design that her clients will love, and that she’ll love using to document this new chapter in her life. After many revisions, builds, re-draws, and modifications, this is where we’ve landed: a beautifully classic site that perfectly complements her stunning photography.
You can see her newly launched blog here: www.aliceparkblog.com. Happy Monday!
When I was little, I collected rubber stamps. Obsessively. I’m talking shoe boxes full of stamps. I had teddy bear stamps, book plate stamps, and more than one stamp of my name. I had roller stamps that made it look like Tinkerbell walked right across the bottom of the paper. I had self-inking stamps, and stamps that you could put together to create your own personal scene. I had stamp pads in every color, and even an embossing pad that I would use, then stand in front of an iron, meticulously allowing the heat to raise every surface of my graphic of choice.
I loved stamps.
It was no surprise to my mom when I texted her a picture of the first rubber stamp I had purchased in years (of my logo, no less) with a coordinating stamp pad appropriately placed in the shot. Of course, the size of the pad I needed didn’t come in the color I wanted. So I purchased an empty pad, and specially pigmented ink. After all, antique pewter is much better than boring old black. (I did also find that Michaels carries large stamp pads in silver, which is also a beautiful option).
The whole reason I ordered this stamp is to find a more affordable option than custom packaging. And my thought worked like a charm.I discovered that ordering a custom stamp, and buying some plain white gift bags at Michael’s, is a just-as-professional (not to mention beatiful) option to investing in customized bags printed with your logo. The best part? Image proof boxes, mini albums, CD cases, and packaged photos up to 5×7 nestle perfectly in a standard sized gift bag. And the larger bags accommodate everything else. Throw in some tissue paper with the complementary color of your choice, and you have yourself a beautifully packaged order with Anthropologie flair! (It’s even more pretty if you were professionally trained at the art of tissue paper gift bag filling at Hallmark like I was at the age of 16.)
The stamp I ordered is just over 5″ wide, and I will likely order a smaller one that’s sized more appropriately for the smaller bags. Below are some images of the stamp, shown on a white bag with silver ink, as well as a peek at my packaging station that I’m slowly but surely getting to the finished state that’s been housed in my brain all along. And yes, for my facebook friends, the tissue paper hanging on the wall is the same tissue paper I confessed to ironing last week. Hello my name is Jane Johnson and I’m a perfectionist.
And one last piece of good news to all future branding clients: I’m including your very own rubber stamp (and a stamp pad) with every full branding package beginning May 1st! Happy Thursday!
I love letterpress. It’s that simple. I’ve always loved it, but knew I had to have it as I sat with the likes of Alice Park, Tamara Lackey, Lisa MacKenzie, Heather Thorne, and Sara Harris at a Vegas restaurant tucked away in the MGM Grand. We were enjoying a last lunch, wrapping up another successful WPPI, when I got my hands on one. And then another.
Alice Park and the business cards she had made both for NAPCP and her own photography business had me at hello. Then, just a few months later, Alice further enabled the new found addiction by giving me a gift certificate to Studio-Z, a letterpress printing company in Mendocino, for my birthday. How thoughtful is that? So, being the good friend that I am, I used it. And will never look back.
I always highly recommend letterpress marketing pieces to my branding clients. At the very least, for their business cards. They’ve worked hard to set their pricing higher and invest in their branding to set themselves apart from their competition. A thick, sturdy, wonderfully impressed card showing off the branding you just invested in is the first impression a client will have. The feel of the card is instant luxury. You just know it was more expensive. It’s all part of being the brand you want to portray to your clients. Carrying it through beginning to end.
Amanda K and I had this same conversation as we wrapped up her branding. After evaluating the cost, and researching some companies, she finally bit the bullet. And once she received her cards in the mail, I received this email from her:
The letterpress company Amanda went through, A Fine Press, also loved her cards as much as she did. They featured her on their blog, and together they have plans to print her full stationery set later this year! They also sent me some photos they took of her cards:
And while we’re on the topic of Amanda’s beautiful branding, I also ordered a sample of the CD case I designed for her. I didn’t have high expectations for the actual product, but I will say that WHCC produces beautiful CD Cases! I even ordered one for myself that I’ll share tomorrow.
It’s just another day in branding design paradise! Happy Wednesday!
Welcome to our newly remodeled world – a very busy hub where all things photography and design meet. The place where we showcase featured projects, favorite sessions, and the occasional giveaway. Our blog hadn’t been touched since it first was in introduced in 2008, and it was quietly pleading with me each time I launched a new blog design for another client. Just like my Dad, I can’t resist the puppy dog eyes. So grab a cup of coffee, take a few minutes, and get yourself acquainted.
At the top of our list of announcements is the blog template we created especially for ProPhoto Blogs. Have you seen it yet?
Little Miss Sunshine was released last Friday in the ProPhoto Blogs Design Store, and quickly set a weekend sales record! Being one of the more customized templates ProPhoto offers, she boasts a truly custom feel without the matching price tag. For those of you that can’t necessarily afford a $3,000 custom blog, this template (and many more we plan to offer in the future) is available at a much more affordable $100!
The best part? We created a perfectly paired marketing suite so you’re set across the board! From business stationery to invoices, facebook welcome tab to twitter background, we’re making it easy for you to establish your brand across all avenues. You can even wow your clients with a beautifully presented virtual welcome magazine! Go ahead – let your clients think you commissioned us exclusively for your business – we won’t tell. The marketing suite should be available very shortly!
Click here to see the Little Miss Sunshine blog template in action.
Click here to get more information on the Marketing Suite.
And finally, just when you didn’t think we had anything else new to talk about, we do! Internet, meet Monique:
Monique is the newest addition to our team, and will be the first point of contact for new photography and design clients. She will also be the one scheduling session appointments and projects, sending updated invoices, and keeping track of payment schedules (among other things). It’s because of this that she’s earned the title “Client Honey Bee”. I love many things about her, but her heart for ministry and discipleship is at the very top of my list. Both of us prayed for weeks about bringing her on, and God has confirmed and re-confirmed the decision. Considering the fact that her official start date was yesterday, the timing couldn’t be more perfect as we’re breaking sales records and releasing new products!
I think that just about brings us up to date. Cheers to business growth, successful product launches, and answered prayer. Happy Tuesday!
Continuing with my most recent adventure in the NICU, meet Lily. After I got done photographing Miss Genevieve (whose photos were posted yesterday), I went around the corner of the NICU to visit today’s beautiful model, who was being loved on my her three older siblings. As I photographed each sibling with her, Mom and Dad told me Lily’s story. Born at 26 weeks, but only measuring at 24, Lily truly is a miracle baby. Mom suffered from HELLP Syndrome, a variation of pre-eclampsia, and once she arrived at the hospital they had 30 minutes to take Lily out or neither her nor Mom would survive.
Once the operating room was prepped, her doctors pulled Lily out, working for 15 excruciating minutes to get her breathing. Just as her doctor was about to give up, he gave CPR one last shot. And the cries came. Tears from a very relieved Mommy, and cries of life from Lily’s functioning lungs. Tipping the scales at a fragile 1 lb, 6 oz, she was finally breathing, but the odds of survival were grim.Lily’s stay at Hotel NICU lasted quite a few weeks and involved multiple rounds of resuscitation. Lily, it seemed, just needed some encouragement to breath. Finally, once Lily had reached the coveted seven day mark with no episodes, her parents finally received the green light to take her home. Which they gladly did.
Then, two weeks later, they awoke in the middle of the night to every parent’s nightmare. Lily wasn’t breathing. At 2:00 in the morning as the rest of the world slept, they frantically performed CPR to get Lily breathing again. I visited her on her first day back in the NICU. As her parents were sick with worry, fear, and frustration of being back in the hospital yet again, I was able to provide a glimmer of hope for their family for a small amount of time.
Because every gray cloud has to have a silver lining. Sometimes it just happens to be in the form of photography.
As I left the NICU that afternoon, I grabbed a quick shot of the hallway display that’s slowly forming to greet the visitors as they arrive. The first round of three 30×30 canvases were hung recently with more planned for the near future. For more information on the Pictures of Hope Foundation, make sure to visit their website. Happy Thursday!
So I crank up the heat a bit, pour another cup of coffee, turn on some Madeleine Peyroux radio and snuggle in for a productive day as the snow falls outside the window. Luckily today’s productivity requires that I look at the sweet face of Miss Genevieve, a recent NICU model I had the pleasure of photographing. She’s just the latest addition to an already studly family, boasting a teenage brother that can’t hide his love for his new sister, and parents that have a hip rockabilly style.
As I was shooting Genevieve’s dad holding her in the rocking chair recliner, I couldn’t help but notice the pink beaded bracelet on his wrist. Dangling from the bracelet was a small metal crown adorned with pink rhinestones. ”Ok,” I said. ”You’ve got to tell me the story with the bracelet.”Genevieve’s mom went into early labor late at night and, within the hour, she was born. There was hardly enough time to process that his love was being taken to the hospital, let alone the fact that his daughter (who was weeks from her due date) was suddenly the newest Bend resident. Shortly after she was born, he made his way down to the gift shop where he spotted the bracelets. He bought one for Mom, and one for himself. And they’ve worn them ever since.
It didn’t go unnoticed that her brother was wearing bracelets too. Purple ones. When I asked about those, he said they were anti-bullying bracelets that the kids at school were wearing. ”Of course,” I thought. And just when I didn’t think the family could get any more fun, they crowded around Genevieve, loving on her and not taking their hands off of her.
It’s clear this little girl has the two men in her life already wrapped around her perfect little finger. Happy Wednesday!
For more information on Pictures of Hope and a NICU photographer near you, visit the Pictures of Hope Foundation online.
A couple weeks ago, I spent the afternoon with 10-year old Carly in my studio. For two hours we danced to Lady Gaga, whipped our hair to Willow Smith, made silly faces, and did what we do best. For Carly, it was modeling. She hasn’t officially done it yet, but wants to. So her mom booked a session with me to build a portfolio for her. Remember this stunner?
It turns out she passed those same gorgeous genes to her daughter. And I must say, for a 10 year old girl that’s never done this before… she’s definitely got a natural gift. (It doesn’t hurt that she looks like a young Miley Cyrus, either.)
In anticipation of posting some of the highlights of my time with Carly, I also wanted to put together an FAQ of sorts for moms interested in getting their children into modeling. If you’re interested, you can read the full article over on the NAPCP site shortly.
Otherwise, here’s a peek into our shoot together. Happy Friday!
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Thank goodness it’s Friday! Happy Weekend, friends!
Since I’m a natural born story teller, I love to incorporate it into my business. Whether it’s a particularly good love story, a miracle from the NICU, or something that happened behind-the-scenes, you can count on the fact that you will do some reading when you come here. It’s a feature my clients have come to love (and regulars have learned to expect some tears now and then).
Having worked with the editor to build Central Oregon’s own parenting magazine myself from scratch, I thought it was about time to create my own magazine. So I’ve taken some time to compile my favorite stories, photographs, and design projects from 2010 into one beautiful e-glossy for you. The result? 60+ pages of fond memories all housed in one pretty place.
I hope you enjoy looking back on last year as much as I have, and fall in love with these stories all over again. And with that, I’m absolutely thrilled to give you our very first Jane Johnson Photography & Design: “Best of” magazine.
To view it in all its glory, click on the “fullscreen” icon below. Then simply click the screen to zoom in and move the mouse around if the text is too small for you. When you’re done, press the escape key.
Happy reading!
Our custom designed Facebook tabs for business pages are finally here!
We’ve proudly kicked off our collection with your choice of four tab options,
each creatively custom designed to match your unique branding!
No monthly fees. No long-term commitment.
Our custom tab options include:
- custom welcome page
- custom shopping page (with payment links provided by the client)
- custom featured gallery
- custom contact form
Want something not shown above? Just ask and we’ll give you a custom quote!
Whether you chooose just one, or the entire package, we provide the
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See the custom tabs in action on our own Facebook page here.
The latest issue of Cowgirl Magazine has been on stands for weeks now, and I am just now finding the time to blog it. The crew behind the scenes flew me to Santa Barbara last November to shoot the photographs featured in the fashion spread, the theme of which was “Santa Barbara Style: Resort Fashion for Any Age”, and our first model was quite possibly one of the most intriguing women I have ever met in my life.
Delois began her modeling career early in her 20s, and was quickly launched into one of the most sought-after models of her day, traveling the world in the height of her career. Her favorite city? Paris. It would be mine, too, if I had top couturiers wanting to design garments just for me. I tried to keep my jaw from hitting the floor when she began telling stories of being photographed by legendary photographer Richard Avedon as her makeup was being applied for our shoot. As she spoke about Avedon, I found myself wishing I could jump into her memories and see it for myself. She spoke of how, during one particular shoot, her makeup was done to perfection, and her hair was made to stick out in some crazy fashion. ”It looked like a clothes line in the back with the amount of pins they put in my hair to make it stay,” she said, laughing.
During that shoot, Avedon lowered his camera, and said “I want to photograph her in my shirt.” He interrupted the schedule to send one of his assistants to his apartment to retrieve one of his dress shirts. When the assistant returned, she put his shirt one, and he photographed Delois just as he envisioned. Years later, her son looked at the photo and noticed one small detail. ”My God,” he said to his mother. ”The shirt has his own label inside.” The collar was pulled over to the side just enough to see “avedon” embroidered into the neck of the shirt.
As we talked further, she mentioned some contact sheets she had of his. ”I’m sorry?” I said, dumbfounded. ”Richard Avedon never gave his contact sheets to anyone,” she said. A standard practice equivalent to a modern day photographer giving away digital files. But she explained that after another particular shoot, they stood together and pored over hundreds of thumbnails on a handful of contact sheets trying to select which photographs would be published in the magazine. Growing tired, she asked if she could take them home and look them over. He looked at her and said “I never let anyone take my contact sheets home.”
But he did with her. She still has them.
And as we shot at the Santa Barbara Mission, Delois would stop and say “remember Avedon’s pose? The model with the elephants?”
Of course I knew, and I laughed as she threw her arms up in the air just as the model had 55 years ago. My fascination with Delois didn’t end with her Avedon stories – those were just the beginning.
Years after she got out of modeling, Delois purchased the Goodall-Wooten mansion (now the Mansion at Judge’s Hill) in Austin, TX. Built in 1845, Goodall Wooten’s wife hired Neiman Marcus to redecorate the mansion in 1929 to the tune of $10,000 – today’s equivalent? $1 million. Delois bought it in 1979, and in 1983 she watched her dream come true: the Chemical Dependency Treatment Center of Austin was open for business. As she told me about it, she said she opened an alcoholic hospital back before it was fashionable to be an alcoholic. She had to jump through hoops to borrow that kind of money as a woman. And as nonchalantly as she talked about Avedon, she said: “Betty Ford came to my opening, and I went to hers.”
Shortly after the treatment center opened, she decided to go to school to become a therapist. Just so she would know the right therapists to hire at the center.
After we wrapped the shoot, I sat in Louie’s with the editor of Cowgirl, her sister, and Delois. I quietly drank my pinot gris, mesmorized by story after story from DeLois’ life. The craziest of all was her trip to Egypt just 10 or 15 years ago. She went with some friends and knew someone who knew someone. With the right connections, their party of 12 were able to stay overnight inside the Great Pyramid. At the time, this 60 year old woman spent the night in the King’s Chambers of the Great Pyramid, exploring the massive area and climbing into a sarcophogus. I couldn’t get past the fact that she spent all night inside the Pyramid. ”I’m sorry,” I said. “I just imagine that would be incredibly creepy. How in the world did you sleep??” Her reply? ”I said I spent the night. I didn’t say I slept.”
Here are some of the images from our day together – one that will fondly be remembered as my most interesting Cowgirl shoot to date. Callan and I ended our trip in the Santa Ynez Valley where I grabbed a quick headshot for her. Enjoy the photos. Happy Friday!
Monoamniotic twins are identical twins that develop inside the same amniotic sac, yet have separate umbilical cords for nourishment. The survival rate for them is typically only 50%. And yet again on this blog, I have a miracle story to tell about two amazing little ones that beat the odds.Mom was told about the rare scenario when she was 18 weeks pregnant. The girls were carefully monitored until it was clear that one wasn’t getting enough nourishment. Finally, Mom was hospitalized at 28 weeks, and the girls were pulled at 30 weeks. Weighing in at a combined total of 6 lbs, 23 oz, Brooklyn and McKenzie had spent a month in the NICU when I met them. Already victorious at this life thing. And fiercely loved by their older brother.
I photographed Brooklyn and McKenzie the same day that I photographed Robert, and it was fitting. The two Moms had become friends at the local Ronald McDonald house, bonding over something as heart-wrenching as your little ones being out of your arms and in a hospital bed for weeks at a time. And both went home with miracle stories to tell. Happy Friday.
I’ve been working closely with my coder to get this project off the ground, and have been chomping at the bit for this announcement! I’m so excited to say we’re finally getting close enough to put up a teaser!
COMING SOON: Custom Facebook pages for your business! Hyperlinked Welcome Pages, Buy It Now Pages, Contact Forms & more, all custom designed to match your unique branding! Send me a facebook message to get on the launch list and receive a $50 design gift certificate towards your Facebook Makeover! Tell a friend, and receive an additional $25 gift certificate as a thank you when they purchase! (They have to mention your name).
If we aren’t Facebook friends already, you can find me here, and like our business page here! Also, for a peek at a recently launched custom Welcome Page, make sure to visit Amanda K Photography’s business page! Happy Thursday!
Have you ever been to the circus and seen the juggler that spins plates? It’s a lot of effort to get all those plates balanced and spinning all at the same time. Wearing as many hats as I do in my business, I have a lot of spinning plates. Since I’ve been home from vacation, it’s been a delicate balance of getting everything up and spinning again. But it is Friday, and that means a design post is in order! Having prefaced that statement with my previous one, I only have one new brand to show you today. But it’s such a beauty, it really demands its own spotlight.
Allyson Crozier came to me a few months ago desperate for a new custom branding look. So she filled out my questionnaire and we worked closely together to fine-tune the revisions on her initially chosen concept. She loved yellow, and a touch of grey, but wanted an overall clean, simple look with a vintage spin. After all, her studio in New Jersey is located in a house that’s over a century old. The vintage flair was only fitting.
This is her old logo:
And this is the new brand we came up with together:
And a peek at her watermark embellishing one of her signature photographs:
Beautiful, right? But she’s one of those photographers that is easy to design for because her work is already stunning. The brand is really just the icing on the cake. We won’t mention that my first job was at Baskin Robbins when I was 16. I spent a few nights decorating their clown cones with a rainbow variety of frosting options. I must say, Allyson’s “icing” is much better.
Photographers: need a new custom logo or branding of your own? Make sure to visit our design site for more information: www.janejohnsondesign.com. Cheers to new branding and thoughts of yummy frosting! Happy Friday!
I met Robert on his 100th day of life - a day that brought him full circle. A day that, at one point, the NICU staff feared might not come. Sara Mosher (my go-to girl and the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Specialist at St. Charles) led me to Robert’s room and told me about how she gave Robert’s mother my Pictures of Hope card four or five days in a row, encouraging her to call me. Tami refused. After all, her son would be leaving that hospital with her. She would not entertain the thought of any other possibility.
Robert was among the 10% of premature babies born at 28 weeks at a delicate 2 lbs, 7 oz. For the first two weeks, Mom and Dad were unable to hold him. In fact, they couldn’t even touch him. Finally, in the third week, they received the green light to finally hold their son.Tami and Bunker were only able to hold Robert twice before he developed meningitis. The meningitis brought on seizures which led to a certain amount of brain damage, the extent of which they won’t determine until later down the road. If that wasn’t enough to worry about, Robert also developed cysts on his lungs from being on the ventilator. With the deck stacked against him, the NICU staff began preparing for the worst possible outcome.
When I met Robert, he proudly rocked a onesie that perfectly describes him: ”I might be little, but I’m tough!” On his 100th day birthday, Robert beat all odds. And after he finished modeling for me, Tami and Bunker packed him up, and walked out of the NICU for the last time with their son. Going home. Together. For good.
As the family of three drove off, Sara and an accompanying nurse walked back into the hospital shaking their heads at amazement. ”We never thought this day would come,” they said. And with a smile, they went back into the NICU to help write another miracle story. Happy Monday!
Today was a relatively lazy day full of eating, ping-pong, laying poolside with books and tropical drinks within arm’s length, more eating, and a long walk down the beach. I’m waiting for my husband to get ready for dinner (which happens to be opposite of the normal routine - typically he’s waiting on me), so I thought I’d take a minute to throw up a few more photos for you.
I rented a fish-eye lens for our trip, knowing I would use it for the wedding we shot on Sunday, but mostly because it’s a little bit easier to take self-portraits with. You need to place yourself just right to be caught without distortion, and even then you have long gumby-arms. However, it can also be used as a “damsel in distress” trick. For example, as we walked down the beach, we stopped for a quick self-portrait:
and another couple walked along, saw us struggling with a bulky camera, and offered to take one for us:
I might pull the “struggling for a self-portrait” card a few more times on this trip to see how many people we can sucker into being our photographer!
After our walk, we came back to the room, and I grabbed a quick shot of our home away from home:
and enjoyed this view on our balcony:
Josh just gave me the queue that he’s ready, so it’s off to eat some more. Maybe tonight we’ll top our record of dessert intake. Last night was four. Happy weekend!
There’s many things I love about Cancun. I love watching the light change every evening at about 4:30. The harsh sun softens into a wonderful diffused glow over the crystalline waters and each day, like clockwork, I have the incredible urge to photograph it. But I resist because I want to enjoy this time, and not be distracted with a camera to my face at every moment. And also because I know there are still plenty of days left to do it. And each evening will be the same.
Watching the moon rise over the ocean is incredible, and I’d be lying if I didn’t look at the clock and take note that, at least once on this trip, I need to get the money shot at 6:00. That’s the magic moment when the sun is down, the light is nearly gone, and the moon sits low on the horizon, its reflection dancing gracefully in a dazzling show of quiet beauty.
And so I’ll leave you with a few more photos of our time here. And maybe I’ll get that shot of the moon tonight. Or maybe I’ll simply enjoy it over dinner with my hubby just like I did last night. Although last night, our waitor swears he hung the moon especially for us. ”For the romantic hoochie coochie” he said in broken english. We laughed, and I squeezed Josh’s hand. Man, I’m in love with that man. Until next time.
Remember when I said I was going to update my blog with a photo every day from Cancun? Well, I suppose I had lofty goals. Obviously, that hasn’t happened. However, the first five days here at our first location were heavenly. Internet wasn’t free, so we didn’t pay. And I had no reception on my phone, so I couldn’t check in that way. I was, for all intents and purposes, unplugged. And it was (and still is) fantastic.
Traveling with a pack of friends is always more fun than traveling alone. Even if you don’t meet them until you arrive to your destination. But the crew gathered at Azul Beach Hotel for Brian and Jordann’s wedding was a fun one. And our days were spent lounging poolside, then oceanside. Ordering margaritas, cheese quesadillas, and nachos until we thought we might explode. If Josh and I disappeared, you would likely have found us here:
When we weren’t taking an afternoon nap on the hanging bed, we were standing waist-deep in the turquoise water soaking in the sun. Although, I will say, doing that at night is a little creepy when you see a dark grey cloud swim by, illuminated by moonlight, that proves to be a sting ray.
Two days ago, the last of the Kearns wedding party departed for the trip home to Oregon. After Sunday’s wedding, and Monday’s day-after shoot, I have hundreds of photos to comb through. But, let’s be honest, I don’t want to sit inside downloading photos while the Caribbean sun beckons me. So, off I go to eat some breakfast. Just my man and me. And then maybe a few hours of laying by the water, book in one hand, margarita in another. And maybe, just maybe, a long walk down the beach. Because we can. And because we have nothing else to do.
Until next time, I’ll leave you with this teaser from the wedding featuring a smiling Brian who rallied harder than anyone I’ve seen. But that’s another story for another day. Happy Wednesday!
I’ve been staring at a blank screen for a few minutes trying to figure out a creative entree into another inspiring blog post, but I’ve got nothing. According to my admin, I’ve done this 225 times now so it should be old hat by now. Or is the saying old hand? Tomato, tomahtoe. The truth is, I’ve been working frantically to get as many projects wrapped up as possible because Josh and I are about to leave on a long-awaited, much-anticipated vacation. Tomorrow: Portland. Thursday: Cancun. Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning. I think I’ve said that a few times on this blog, but I can’t help it. I love Peter Pan.
We’ll spend this weekend at the Azul Beach Hotel where we will shoot a destination wedding, and then we move to the Sun Palace for the last 10 days of our stay. Just my honey and me. And I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve been shellac’d, dyed, trimmed, and tanned (After all, fresh manis, pedis, and tresses make for a happy Jane). Passports are on standby. iBooks are loaded. Summer clothes have had the dust blown off of them. And the tanning oil is already in the suitcase.
As part of my vacation, I’m putting down my digital camera (for the most part) and picking up my dad’s film camera from 1978. I’ll document our trip that way, just for us. And I hope to also take at least one photograph a day on my digital SLR to post here. And since I said that out loud, I now have a lot of people to hold me accountable. But give me until Friday to start it. Until then, these recent happenings should tide you over:
I had the wonderful honor of being featured on Miss Davina Fear’s blog last week. She does an ongoing series on Women & Business, and she emailed me last month asking if she could interview me. I was so blessed to be a part of it! You can read the full interview on her blog, here.
I’ve still been doing lots and lots of custom branding and logo design projects for photographers and creative businesses, and just wrapped up a lovely new brand for a wedding favor boutique company that ended up in an entirely different direction than they expected when they first came to me. I, for one, am in love. (Well, I supposed it would be “for two” because the client is in love as well!)
Just a few days ago, I packaged up two newly designed blogs for two creatively blessed clients and sent them off to be coded while I’m gone. I can’t give it all away, but one is a brand new wedding blog, and the other is for a photographer in Atlanta, who also happens to be the creative mind behind the NAPCP (seriously, photographers and parents alike - go check it out!) Here’s a little peek at the new blogs, set to debut next month:
(I know, it’s a tease - I removed the logo and blurred the twitter info to save for the full debut. Don’t hate me.)
I can hear the giggles every time I look at this photo! Love everything about it!
Finally, I just wrapped up a branding project for Miss Amanda K, a wonderfully talented photographer in Medford that I can’t wait to share a latte with in person. I gave you a peek at her new logo in November, and here’s a peek at the rest of her branding package, including custom watermark, letterhead, envelope, and business card design, as well as a custom CD and CD case design for her clients:
And with that, I’m off to sit on my suitcase (to make sure it zips) and weigh it (to make sure I don’t get charged if it’s too heavy). Because I’m a chronic over-packer. I might just sneak some things into Josh’s suitcase when he’s not looking. But don’t tell him that - he already said I wasn’t allowed to.
Adios, amigos! Check back often in the next two weeks for Cancun photos throughout our vacation! Happy Tuesday!
Happy New Year, internet friends! I have no photos to show from my holidays, and part of me is sad. But the other part needed a break from all things business. So I took it. We ate well, drank champagne, and spent our Christmas day running around the house with my eight year old nephew, laser tag gun in one hand and walkee-talkee in the other. I even did a stealth drop and roll mid-run maneuver, landing on my knees and aiming perfectly. The little guy didn’t have a chance. We spent Christmas night ice skating with my family and New Year’s Eve snowboarding with friends. There are plenty of photos that other people took, but I don’t have access to them at the moment. Maybe that will be another post on another day.
Today’s post is an announcement for Be Thou My Vision: A Women’s Retreat for Photographers! I’m excited to say that we have a worship leader secured, and the pieces are all falling together perfectly! Complete details about the next retreat are listed below. Please email or call me if you have any questions! May can’t get here quickly enough!
Be Thou My Vision will take place May 1-4, 2011 at the Five Pine Lodge, in beautiful Sisters, Oregon.
To maintain intimacy and accountability, the retreat is limited to 12 people.
The cost of the retreat is $500, and does not include accommodations.
ITINERARY
The retreat will kick off on Sunday evening with a Welcome Reception in our main Cozy Meeting Room at the resort. Monday and Tuesday will include extended quiet time each morning, worship before and after each session, and discussions covering everything from vision, to building your business God’s way, and using your gifting for God’s glory.
The afternoons are open Monday and Tuesday, providing ample time to go into Bend or Sisters, eat, shop, grab a latte, and enjoy the company of other like-minded photographers. Or, you may prefer to stick close and take advantage of a more quiet afternoon next to the fireplace in your cabin.
The retreat will end by noon on Wednesday, so plan travel arrangements accordingly.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations are not included. A block of Five Pine Lodge’s gorgeous Caboose Cabins will be reserved for our group until Tuesday, March 22nd. It is highly recommended to reserve your lodging at the time of registration. If you decide to reserve shared accommodations on-site, you will be paired up with another attendee upon arrival. If you have a roommate preference, please specify upon registration.
WHAT DO I BRING?
When packing, make sure to bring your Bible! You may bring a journal, however a small notebook will be provided for you when you arrive. A camera isn’t required, but is always welcome!
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The total cost for the retreat is $500.
WHAT DOES THE FEE INCLUDE?
The retreat includes:
• Morning and evening teaching sessions
• A wonderfully gifted musician to lead us in worship before and after each session
• Breakfast each morning in the lodge and private dinner catered by the resort
• A nightly wine reception in the main lodge
• A beautiful setting in the heart of Central Oregon, providing a unique “get away from it all” environment to really press into God’s heart for your business!
Please note the cost of the retreat does not include the cost of airfare, transportation to the resort from the airport, or accommodations. If you are coming from out of state, you will fly into the Redmond Airport (RDM). The resort is approximately a 30 minute drive from the Redmond airport. A few past attendees have opted to fly into Portland and make the three hour drive instead to save some money. It is quite a beautiful drive if you have the time. Renting a car is recommended to explore the surrounding area, although you may opt to take a cab or shuttle to and from the Redmond airport. The resort is a walk away from Sisters, a short drive to downtown Bend, and in driving distance of countless lakes, waterfalls, and beautiful Central Oregon landscape.
WHAT LEVEL OF PHOTOGRAPHER DO I NEED TO BE?
Since the focus of the retreat is to pray and seek God’s heart for your business, it is preferable that you be using your photography for business rather than for hobby.
HOW DO I REGISTER?
Go here to register. Once you fill out the registration form, you will automatically be routed to the payment site. Once you have registered, your registration fee is nonrefundable. If you are unable to make the retreat, you will need to find another person to take your place.
Happy Tuesday!
All the presents are wrapped, the stockings are filled, most of my family is in town, and The Holiday is playing in the background. It’s Christmas Eve, although it doesn’t quite feel like it for some reason. Not that I’m really sure how Christmas Eve is supposed to feel. I think the 45 degrees outside when it was snowing like crazy last weekend is throwing me. But the calendar says it is the day before Christmas, which means it’s time to make chicken and dumplings, prepare for tonight’s Christmas Eve service, and announce our 12 Days of Joy Grand Prize winner!
Congratulations Miss Trisha! I can’t wait to photograph your beautiful family! And a huge thank you to everyone for your wonderful support this year! From the bottom of my heart, have a very Merry Christmas!
It’s the day before Christmas Eve and, though I promised myself a full day off, I still managed to squeak in an hour of advertising design. Don’t tell anyone. I’m feeling extra generous today, and am giving away our biggest prize yet (although it doesn’t hold a candle to tomorrow’s grand prize!)
But first things first. If you want your heart to melt, watch this - I think this is the best Christmas commercial to date:
One of the reasons I love doing the 12 Days of Joy is that I love how God has provided for me over and over and over again. I entered a Christmas contest myself a few years ago back when I first started my business and had no budget for anything. I was in desperate need of a website, but couldn’t afford the $500 to purchase one. It felt a little superficial to pray for one, but I felt God asking me to. ”What do you need? Just ask Me!” I felt Him pressing into my heart. And so I prayed… “Lord, I need a website. Will you provide one for me?” Bludomain was holding a holiday contest that Christmas, and they put a checkerboard of prize recipients on their blog. The prizes would be revealed underneath each winner’s photo on Christmas Eve - everything from gift cards to websites.
My photo turned out to be one of the selected winners, and I was thrilled to find out that I won not one but two websites totaling $1,000. It was the best Christmas present I could have received. But God didn’t stop there - He provided yet another one from BigFolio. I ended up keeping the BigFolio site for myself (and went on to get three others for all my other sites), and gave the two bludomain sites away. All that to say, I know how fun it is to win amazing prizes at Christmas and to watch God provide for things so specifically. Thinking back on that story, I was inspired for today’s prize:
Congratulations, Victoria! Christmas came a little early for you this year! See you all back here tomorrow for the announcement of the Grand Prize Winner!
Well, after tonight I’m supposed to officially be off the clock. Except for the last two giveaways in the contest, that is. The sad part is, with the amount of projects I’m leaving in various stages of construction, I’m having a hard time imagining taking five days off. Luckily, my family is coming into town and I’m being forced to. Which is good. And I’m thankful. Here’s hoping all you other photographers depending on me to make your business branding beautiful are doing the same thing! But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m thinking of squeezing just a few more hours in tomorrow morning before my parents come. That, however, is all dependent on how much cleaning I get done tonight. Speaking of which, I’m off to clean. But first, the winner of the Day 10 giveaway!
Congratulations, Lindsey!! We’re so close to giving away the grand prize of a complimentary session fee and print package worth $1,000!! Check back tomorrow for our last daily winner before Christmas Eve! Happy Wednesday!
I don’t know about you, but this week has been moving at warp speed! Once again, I’m a day behind on getting the daily 12 Days of Joy winner announced. However, I’m ahead on Christmas preparations. Yesterday was Josh’s one day off this week (not counting Christmas day), and he was kind enough to hang a chandelier for me that has been sitting for awhile. When we received it, things weren’t fitting together as they should be, so it sat for weeks. Until, in a phone conversation with a friend, she suggested I take it in to a lighting store and have them look at it. A light bulb (no pun intended) went off in my head, and I had one of those “why didn’t I think of that??” moments. Sure enough, an hour later, I had the right part. And last night, my masculine husband climbed a ladder and cheerfully hung the most feminine chandelier I could have picked out. And I couldn’t love it more:
In other news, I had the pleasure of second shooting a beautiful winter wedding in Sisters a few weeks ago with the rock star that is Gary Christenson. The bride and groom got married in the beautiful sanctuary of Sisters Community Church, with floor to ceiling windows showing off the beauty of Central Oregon right behind them. As Ava Maria played, it began to snow softly, and that one moment landed James & Anna’s wedding ceremony as the most romantic I’ve yet witnessed. A few days ago, Gary kindly sent me a few of his favorites from my contributions to the day:
And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: yesterday’s 12 Days of Joy Winner:
Congrats Miss Kristin! The photo box is the for custom designed box itself, and can be filled with up to 100 5×7 prints, or 20 mounted 5×7 prints, and happens to be my new favorite product I’m offering for 2011! I have one more post coming this afternoon with today’s Day 10 winner! Check back later!
We’re in the home stretch before Christmas, and we had enough snow fall this weekend to last us a week! I hope it sticks around that long so my family can have a White Christmas this year. They will all be descending upon Bend starting on Thursday, and I’m a busy little bee getting ready to host while also trying to get ahead on projects so I can have a relaxing holiday with my them! I’m not going to lie - I’m excited for the break, but won’t be taking a full week off between Christmas and New Years because of our upcoming destination wedding and vacation in Cancun next month. Speaking of which, I have a holiday schedule update for you:
We are currently COMPLETELY BOOKED for custom blog designs through the end of March 2011.
We are also COMPLETELY BOOKED for logo designs until February 15th.
We will be CLOSED Thursday, Dec. 23 - Sunday, Dec. 26, and Thursday, Dec. 30 - Sunday, Jan. 2.
We will also be closed Wednesday, Jan. 12 - Thursday, Jan. 27 with limited access to email.
I’m also proud to say I took a full weekend away from my computer which means I have THREE giveaways to do today! Hold onto your hats!
Day Six Winner (Saturday): Kirsten Chavez!
Day Seven Winner (Sunday): Kristina Brewer!
Today’s Winner (Day 8): Crystal Sully!
Happy Monday, friends! See you back here tomorrow for another joyful giveaway!
I can’t wait for 2011 to get here so I can show off my brand new client space, and all the fun new products I’m offering! I’ve given you some glimpses in recent weeks, but it will all come in one large post after the start of the New Year! In the meantime, here’s a quick peek at some of my new sample albums. The little guy under the nest just happens to be the prize for today’s giveaway!
Congrats to Miss Angela, today’s winner and the recipient of a complimentary mini album at her next session!
Happy Friday!
I’m a little late in getting my post up this evening but, on the upside, it’s an indicator of a successfully creative day! Not only did I finally wrap up the final page designs of a brand new wedding inspiration blogsite (which is going to be gorgeous), I also finalized two stationery sets for a couple wonderfully talented photographers, one logo concept for yet another, and an order of 30×30 canvases that will soon be displayed in the NICU unit of St. Charles Medical Center in Bend! Photographs for all of those will be coming later (because photographs of stationery sets are always better than the design proofs). In the meantime here’s a little eye candy for you, fresh from our flash animation kitchen designed especially for Miss Rosie Haberl:
How cute is she? When I look at it, I can almost hear the sound of the rope against the tree branch and the wind in the leaves! And then I look out my window and realize there are no leaves, it’s 30 degrees outside, and the space heater is on under my desk. Because it’s December. And because it’s nine days before Christmas. Which makes today Day 4 of our 12 Days of Joy!
Congratulations Miss Alison! And for the rest of you, it’s not too late to sign up! You just might win the grand prize of a complimentary portrait session and print package worth $1,000! Happy Thursday!
We’re right in the thick of our giveaways, and I’m still in shock that we’re in the home stretch before Christmas! But before I get to today’s winner, I have another special announcement to make!
It’s been an insane year, and I’ve finally had time to finalize our next retreat, set for next May, right here in Central Oregon! As much as I want time to just slow down for a few minutes, I also don’t think May can get here soon enough! There are a lot of photography workshops out there, and just as many “retreats” that are really workshops in disguise. This is truly a retreat in every sense of the word. It’s a throwback to a traditional women’s retreat found in any given church. We just happen to be a handful of photographers that are attending. And that’s really where any ties to the photography industry ends. There are no sponsors. No giveaways. No business tutorials, photoshop demonstrations, or beautifully prepped models. Just some girls with their Bibles getting real with each other.
You just might want to make this a last minute addition to your Christmas list. Complete information is on the retreat website: www.bemyvision.org.
And now, on to today’s winner!
I was so excited when Rebecca’s name matched up as lucky number 46! I think I know exactly what she’ll be using this prize for, and I can’t wait for it! Happy Wednesday!
A few weeks ago, Josh’s schedule changed. He no longer has weekends off, with his new “weekend” falls on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So today, as I write this post, he’s braving the frigid temperatures to put up our Christmas lights outside in preparation of my family coming next week. And two gallons of paint await him to give our bedroom a brand new makeover. Combined that with the surprise new flooring he did for me last month while I was in Phoenix, and I’m getting pretty spoiled this Christmas. What flooring, you ask? We have a brand new beautiful client meeting space that I can’t wait to show you. Maybe I’ll get some photos as soon as things slow down around here. Meaning after Christmas.
And now, on to today’s 12 Days of Joy winner!
Congratulations to Jen Lewis, the winner of four complimentary gift prints at her next session, valued at $200! Don’t forget to get signed up so you can win some prizes in the next 10 days! See you back here tomorrow! Happy Tuesday!
It’s late on a Monday afternoon, and I can officially say our tree is up (and decorated), the stockings are hung, the Christmas cards mailed, and I’ve had a delightfully productive day! Which means this blog post is just the perfect way to wrap up my Monday!
I’m so excited to kick off the second annual 12 Days of Joy contest and giveaway! For the next 12 days, I will make a daily visit to www.random.org to generate the lucky number of the day. If your number on our mailing list matches the number picked, you win! Winners will be announced daily on the blog through Christmas Eve, and will be notified by email.
Remember, in order to be entered into the next 12 days of free prizes, you must be subscribed to our monthly newsletter: an inspiration board of children’s fashion finds, featured clients, things we’re inspired by, and other news at Jane Johnson Photography & Design, LLC. Don’t worry - you won’t receive a million unwanted emails. I’m lucky if I send out a newsletter quarterly. And they’re usually a nice distraction from your day. Or so I’ve been told. Just one more note before we get to it: for the least amount of confusion possible, please enter anew for this year’s giveaways. I want to give prizes to the people that truly want them - not someone that signed up long ago and is no longer interested. I promise you won’t receive multiple copies of the same email. Duplicates will be deleted. Unless, of course, your name is Amanda and you sneakily entered the contest with three different email addresses. In that case, you get points for creativity, but will also receive three different newsletters.
If you haven’t already entered, it’s not too late! Sign up for our mailing list right here! One lucky winner will receive the grand prize drawing of a free portrait session and print collection worth $1,000 to be given away on Christmas Eve! And now for our first winner!
Congratulations, Miss Annelie! Look for an email from me with instructions for claiming your prize!
In other news, have you seen our brand spankin’ new splash page? Just a preview of future changes, including my own blog makeover for 2011!
See you all back here tomorrow! Happy Monday!
Happy December, friends! It’s that time of year again! Time to pull out boxes scribbled “Christmas” with old Sharpie markers and see what kind of treasures you’ve insisted on keeping through the years. Time to get creative in thinking of that perfect gift, and then managing to keep it a secret until Christmas Day. I’ve had a hard time with the keeping it a secret part. In the past, I’ve been known to buy Josh upwards of five or six gifts because I can’t stand the excitement and give them as soon as they arrive. Let alone the fact that he has the uncanny ability to look at a wrapped box and guesses what’s inside.
This year, I’m getting smart. I won’t purchase anything until just a few days before and, as he asks for hints, I make things up. Last night I told him the brand of one of his gifts starts with a “k” (really, I can’t remember the brand of what I have in mind, but I went with it). This morning, as I pulled our coffee out of the cabinet I said out loud “Darn! I should have gotten more espresso when I was at Costco!” A light bulb went off and he started down the line in his brain. ”Costco! Kirkland…. kerosene…” Yes, honey, I got you kerosene for Christmas.
Don’t worry friends, kerosene isn’t on the list of the giveaways for this year, but many other fantastic things are! Back my popular demand, I’m so excited to announce the second annual 12 Days of Joy!
Here is last year’s Grand Prize winner, using her complimentary portrait session for her engagement photos:
You can see more photos from their session here, and be prepared to see even more of them in the coming months. Josh and I are headed to Cancun next month to photograph their destination wedding! Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here: [eepurl.com] , or enter your email address below:
join our mailing list * indicates required First Name * Last Name * Email Address *
Please note: all winners will be notified via email, so if you’re using a junk email address, make sure to check it regularly during the contest. Email communication will serve as the only notification of your prize, aside from the announcement on the blog. Happy Wednesday!
Happy Black Friday! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was eventful. It was one of those years that things just didn’t go as smoothly as I would have hoped. But Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a Martha Stewart magazine, as my husband lovingly pointed out. And really, who cares if the cranberries burned to the pot, the drippings all drained out of the mystery hole in the bottom of the roasting pan, and the yams were forgotten in the oven? Thankfulness isn’t dependent on perfection and even then, perfection isn’t always reality, For that, I’m thankful!
What else am I thankful for? Sitting in my kitchen with a good friend, Bibles open, discussing faith, doctrine, and the book of John until time escapes us. I’m thankful for God’s constant and very real provision in more ways than just financial. And I’m also thankful that I get to wake up to this handsome face every day:
I spent a good part of Wednesday afternoon putting the final touches on today’s sale: Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined into one big blowout sale for all things photography and design! For you photography clients, this is a rare opportunity! I’ve almost never offered a sale - let alone one as big as this! I’m just so excited about our new products and portrait plans for the new year that I couldn’t wait to announce them!
And for you branding clients, there’s guaranteed to be something you’ll want to take advantage of! As you all trickle in from your crazy middle-of-the-night shopping, pour a fresh cup of coffee and read on for nearly a dozen ways to save or receive complimentary items with your purchases! As always, gift certificates are available and make the perfect holiday gift! Happy Shopping!
P H O T O G R A P H Y S A V I N G S:
L O G O S & B R A N D I N G D E S I G N :
All other logo & branding design items are 10% off! For a complete pricing list, please visit my design site here: www.janejohnsondesign.com.
Please contact me if you have any questions! Happy Black Friday!
A baby is simply an angel whose wings decrease as legs increase.
Author Unknown
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice,
And everything nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.
Miss Alyssa turned 1 in Scottsdale a few weeks ago, and I had the pleasure of photographing her on the big day, just before her birthday party.
Happy Monday!
The Nov | Dec Holiday Gift Issue of Cowgirl Magazine is now available at your favorite bookstore, western retailer and resort! I just received the tears from this issue’s 15-page fashion spread, and couldn’t wait to share them with you! I’m headed south to shoot the Jan | Feb cover and fashion spread on location in Santa Barbara today, so this post was fitting timing.
Also, don’t forget about our big Black Friday Blowout Sale one week from today! Watch the Facebook Business Page, and sign up for our newsletter here for all the sale information! Happy Friday!
A year and a half ago, two days after my birthday, I had the pleasure of photographing Miss Emily, fresh from heaven:
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing her again. Though she is now 18 months old, she still smelled like heaven. We met for a quick portrait session in between Portland down-pours. Emily was the best dressed newborn then:
And she didn’t disappoint on that wet, fall day in Portland. Dressed to the nines with a big white flower in her hair, adorable grey sweater dress, white tights, and red Mary Janes, I found myself wishing I could have her outfit in my size. Which isn’t surprising because her Mom is always beautiful. Every time I see her. Whether it’s to photograph her family, or to meet for our happy hours of old and talk for hours over a glass of Pinot Gris. Or two. But never three. That is, before they said goodbye to Central Oregon and moved to Portland. Now our happy hours are spaced out a bit more. But every bit the same in every other aspect.
Lenke family, you are missed. And well-loved. Thanks for dodging raindrops with me to catch the ironically beautiful light between showers! And Emily? Well, she can’t possibly get any cuter.
One thing I love about children this age is the wide range of emotions, and the ability to catch all their signature faces. Like these, photographed within seconds of each other:
Cheers to the upcoming holidays! Now I’m off to find myself some bright red Mary Janes. But somehow I don’t think they’ll look as cute on me. Happy Thursday!
I’m back home from shooting some family and children portrait sessions in Scottsdale only to unpack my bags, do some laundry, and have a few days to regroup myself before hopping on another flight to shoot on-location in Santa Barbara this weekend.
I’ll be sharing a handful of sessions over the next few days in a desperate attempt to get caught up on my blogging, and I couldn’t wait to get up the photos from this beautiful family.
Tami and Byron met me in the gorgeous courtyard of the amazing Royal Palms Resort in Scottsdale where I also met their two beautiful daughters. I soon discovered Addy’s adoration for all things Minnie Mouse, Brynn’s easily-won smile, and their shared love of bubbles. Together, we explored the grounds of the resort and became fast friends.We chewed on leaves (ok, maybe just Brynn), tickled Daddy (ok, maybe just Addy - if I did, that would just be awkward), danced like Minnie, and counted the bubbles. And as the patience wore out, Addy smushed her nose up against Brynn in a loving sister embrace that made my heart melt.
Tami and Byron, thanks for sharing your family with me. It couldn’t be any more perfect! For all the Scottsdale families looking to squeeze in last minute family portraits before the end of 2010, you won’t have the photos in time for Christmas cards, but you can certainly send New Year’s Greetings that won’t get lost in the shuffle of the other holiday mail!
We’re now booking our last 2010 Scottsdale portrait sessions for early December! Happy Wednesday!
Every Thursday night (and usually more often throughout the week), Josh and I gather together with six other couples for our small group. We only joined the group less than a year ago, but the friendships that have been built have quickly grown tightly knit. A few weeks ago, we all met out at the base of Smith Rock for some quick mini-sessions. I love giving gifts - especially gifts of photography - and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend an evening than photographing the friends we see regularly. That way they could have a great photo for their Christmas cards this year.
So we gathered together, all 15 1/2 of us (including little Duke and his little sibling on the way), plus four dogs and even a cat. Everyone had their turn in front of the camera, and when someone was uncomfortable three others came over to make them laugh. As the sun set and we wrapped up, we ended our night doing what we do best: eating dinner together and enjoying fellowship.
How did we get to be so lucky? Happy Tuesday, friends!
It’s 10:30am on a Friday morning, and I should technically be somewhere over northern Nevada right now. However, in my true spontaneous fashion I pushed my flight back to Monday to stay in Arizona through the weekend. Since I returned my rental car last night, my two options for today are being stuck at the Brous house, or getting up much earlier than I’m used to and accompany her to work. So here I am, officially declaring it “take your sister to work day”, and filling an empty desk at the creative offices of DFDia as she sits right behind me rendering away on a project for a potential client:
Until I distract her:
Yesterday I was half-watching The Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo as I worked until one line caught my attention: “Starbucks is not a food group!” Wait… what? That’s just crazy talk, since my breakfast this morning consisted of a triple tall eggnog latte (an upgrade from my double short). I told you - I’m not used to getting up early to be at work at 8am. Let alone adding a 30 minute commute to the mix. In Bend it takes 10 minutes to drive across town tops. I needed the extra boost.
I’ll refrain from rambling on any longer, and get on to the feature of today’s post: the latest and greatest custom logo and branding projects for photographers that have come and gone through my trusty 15″ screen.
The first is a full branding project for the lovely Danielle Aquiline, who’s blogsite just went live this morning! We began with her custom logo six months ago, which led into a custom pattern design, stationery, and photo watermark. Here is a peek at her lovely inspiration board next to the final logo and custom pattern, as well as her final stationery and watermark:
The final phase of her branding was her blogsite featuring her new custom branding and a handful of custom designed portfolio galleries:
In addition to Danielle’s branding, I’ve also branded a handful of happy clients in the last twelve weeks:
And we’ve also gone live with a couple of other blog designs:
Amy Smith Photography - http://amysmithphoto.com
and Treacy Mize - http://treacymize.com
If you’re looking to be rebranded for 2011, please get on our waiting list as soon as possible! We’re currently booked out until February for new blog designs and current branding projects are slated for completion in early March. Also, keep checking the home of Jane Johnson Photography & Branding Design on Facebook - we have two big sales coming up very soon! You’ll want to take advantage of our special 24 hour pricing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday starting Friday, November 26th!
For more information on custom logo and branding design for photographers please visit my branding site at www.janejohnsondesign.com
That’s it for me on this Friday. Happy Weekend!
When I neglect my blog for any amount of time, I feel as if I’ve lost momentum. In this particular case, my poor blog has sat neglected for quite a bit of time. I just looked back to see the date of my last post and was actually shocked to see that it’s been nearly a month. These last few weeks have flown by at warp speed, with no lack of photography and design projects begging to have their spotlight here. Yet I open a brand new post - a blank canvas just waiting to be prettied up - and I’m at a loss.
For some reason, as I sat there trying to think of the perfect segue to make the transition from month-long silence to a yet another chatterbox story entirely natural, I had Meg Ryan’s voice in my head.
“I like to start my notes to you as if we’re already in the middle of a conversation.” I love You’ve Got Mail, and I love that line. It’s almost as good as when she’s smelling the scotch tape and Tom Hanks is talking about bouquets of sharpened pencils. But I digress.
This note finds me in the middle of my first week of the Scottsdale portrait shooting season, fresh off a few days of some necessary R & R. Miss Heather Thorne flew in from Dallas to meet me at the Royal Palms Resort for a girls’ getaway with plenty of shopping, coffee, happy hours, antiques, and a morning at the spa. She even got to meet my twin sister at The Vig where we shared dinner and a bottle of wine al fresco:
Of course, during our stay, I snuck in a family portrait session and made sure to take full advantage of the beautiful property at the resort, originally built as a private winter retreat in 1929 for a couple escaping the cold east coast winters:
But that’s not the point of this post. More images from that family portrait session will come along later, assuming I find the time to actually get it on the blog!
Today, however, I want to share the small, intimate wedding of a very close friend who I talked about here. Last month, Josh and I flew down to southern California to attend the affair, and I had the pleasure of documenting every memorable moment. As I arrived in Shawna’s room at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, the champagne was being poured in celebration of a moment nobody ever really thought would come. But it did. And it was overwhelmingly joyful. As the final touches were applied, Shawna put on her perfect wedding shoes, took one last look in the mirror, and went to meet her husband.
As she came to greet him, they embraced. Then Kaleb came and hugged them. Then Kushaiah did. And finally Trenton. And for a moment, all five of them stood in the breezeway of the gorgeous resort, and time stood still.
The ceremony took place at sunset at the beautiful Corona Del Mar in Newport Beach - a small cove surrounded by rocks and cliffs where two people pledged their love to each other and to their children. The same children who had arrived prior with their grandparents, and drew the aisle in the sand: two long lines that led to a giant heart where they stood for the duration of the ceremony. As the vows were spoken, I fought to shoot through the tears. Because God truly does work all things out for good. All things. And that day…. that day was good.
And our God… our God is good.
As evening faded into night, the party made its way to the Rusty Pelican. The meals were eaten. Loose teeth were wiggled. Stories were shared. And there was laughter. Lots of laughter. Then came the time for a few toasts. And Kaleb, in all of his nine year old glory, stepped up and thanked everyone for coming to the wedding of his mom and his new dad. And again, I fought the tears. Because I’ve seen the old. And I’m watching the new.
And our God… our God is good. Happy Thursday!
Cassidy is a children’s footwear developer at Nike, and sometimes his job calls for him to travel. One of those occasions took him to Vietnam where he stayed for an extended amount of time. While he was in Vietnam, Sarah came to visit him. And while they traveled the country together, he found the right moment, slipped a ring on her finger, and asked her to marry him. The thing about Sarah and Cassidy is that they both have passion. The kind of passion that is contagious. And kind of makes you wish you had it. Passion for life. Passion for traveling. Passion for God. Passion for each other.
And it wasn’t more apparent than on their wedding day.
There is a saying that says rain on your wedding day means good luck. I actually like the theory behind it - a wet knot is harder to untie than a dry one. If that’s the case, then Cassidy and Sarah have a lifetime of good luck ahead of them. We met before the ceremony at her parent’s private estate in Crosswater, near Sunriver, under cloudy Oregon skies that seem to accompany fall. But Sarah was unphased by the rain drops. In fact, she was quite possibly the most relaxed bride I’ve ever worked with. After I arrived, she got dressed, we shot a few photos with her family and bridesmaids, and then she made her way to the garage for a heated match of air hockey with her mom. In her wedding gown. Followed by an intense match of ping pong with her dad.
As the ceremony time approached, she circled the property to see how everything was coming together, and took a quick peek at they sky. Maybe it would stop. Maybe it wouldn’t. But that day she would marry the man that causes her face to light up, rain or shine didn’t really matter in the end.And in the end, the rain persisted. And her dad walked her down the aisle with her arm in one hand, and bright yellow umbrella especially ordered for the event in the other. After all, you can’t ever trust fall in Central Oregon.
While Cassidy and Sarah where in Vietnam, they came across an owl sketch they instantly fell in love with. Kerry Bergler, one of the faces behind the fantastically talented Events by Mint, took that owl sketch and worked with Cassidy and Sarah to make it the brand of their wedding. The owl kissed everything from their invitations, to the custom made ring box, to the umbrellas the bridal party held throughout the ceremony. Every detail of their wedding day was carried out with perfection.
The reception was marked by a special concert by Annie Bethancourt, a friend of the couple’s who happens to be a wonderfully talented singer/songwriter whose music led into an impromptu first dance the couple hadn’t planned on. Shouts of competitive rivalry spilled from the garage as the ping pong and air hockey tournaments ensued, and eruptions of laughter exploded from the dinner tent as the groomsmen (and grooms-woman) fought to one-up each other in the most entertaining, creative toast I’ve seen to date.
And then, as the day came and went, the new Mr. and Mrs. snuck off to Wyoming for a romantic, adventurous honeymoon. Hand in hand. Their passion contagious to everyone they meet.
Cassidy and Sarah, thank you for the pleasure of capturing your day. Below is just a small glimpse at your wedding day. Congratulations!
V E N D O R L I S T :
Bride’s gown: Lena Medoyeff - Portland
Bride’s ring: her grandmother’s ring, redesigned by Dyke Vandenburgh - Lake Oswego
Grooms suit: custom made in Vietnam
Groom’s ring: Twist - Portland
Flowers: Lemon Halo - Bend
Catering: Incredible Edibles - Bend
Special Music: Annie Bethancourt - Portland
Wedding Coordinator: Events by Mint - Bend
Josh and I spent last weekend in California to watch one of my closest friends get married at sunset on Corona Del Mar in Newport Beach. The weekend couldn’t have been better for so many reasons. Not the least of them was actually having a few days without my laptop, or projects to work on, or emails to answer. Yes, I was technically working, but when you’re shooting friends who might as well be family, it somehow doesn’t seem like work.
In that moment, waking up in the morning with my hubby, walking one block to Starbucks and another block to the pier with our fresh lattes and hot breakfast sandwiches in hand to sit on a bench and simply stare at the ocean was luxury. The dolphins swimming nearby were just icing on the cake.Maybe it was the fact that our trip also included a stop at Disneyland, but as I pulled out one photo from that Friday evening ceremony to edit for Shawna, I found myself humming the Cinderella love song. It seemed to be a perfect fit for this particular photograph.
I have so much more to blog, including the full post from this wedding, last month’s beautiful wedding at a private estate in Crosswater near Sunriver, and the recent 8-hour shoot I had with Cowgirl Magazine for their November - December fashion spread. Not to mention all the other design projects and blogs I’ve been working on. But until then, this will simply have to do. Happy weekend!
So this is love
So this is love
So this is what makes life divine
I’m all aglow
And now I know
The key to all heaven is mine
And I can fly
I’ll touch every star in the sky
So this is the miracle I’ve been dreaming of
So this is love
It must be tough growing up a boy. When I was little, the most dramatic part of my day was when one of the neighbor boys ruined my freshly painted nails. As a matter of fact, we were just in California next week and I made Josh carry my purse out of the hotel for me as we walked to dinner. Because I didn’t want to smudge my freshly painted nails. Some things never change.
Thankfully I never needed stitches, although I did receive an errant black eye after riding my bike for the first time without training wheels. I was so focused on balancing that I forgot to steer and ran straight into a parked car. I suppose I should retract my initial statement, and change it to say it’s tough growing up in general. That whole steering thing… it will get you every time.My family portrait photo shoot with this adorable family was postponed no less than four times. The first time Wyatt had just gotten stitches out of his chin the day before our shoot, and the red brag mark on his face had not yet faded. The second time Wyatt decided to go head first over the handlebars on his bike and scrape up his forehead the morning of our shoot.
The third time we were rained out. The fourth time we arrived at the shooting location beneath black skies, rumbling thunder, and rampant lightning. We managed to get halfway through before a torrential downpour forced us to run for cover in our cars. Wyatt even drew a picture of it and sent it along with his mom at their viewing appointment last night:
Please excuse me while I mop up my heart that just melted onto the floor…
By the time we met for lucky session #5, we were greeted with clear blue skies. Little Miss Emme was this tiny little newborn when I first met her:
And now she’s a vibrant, busy 18 month old that loves to play in the dirt in frilly pink dresses and a giant red bow in her hair:
Wyatt is just as cute as ever, and remembered me from our last shoot over a year ago. It seems he’s more than a little disappointed that Josh beat him to the husband card first, but that didn’t stop him from jumping onto the nearest stage with his guitar and serenade me with “I Want to Kiss a Girl” (otherwise credited to Keith Urban) in all of his five year old charm:
After the shoot was over, he sat with me for a photo:
And then he asked me out on a date to ice cream with his parents. Sadly, I had another shoot to get to that evening. ”But next time,” I promised. He seemed satisfied with that.
R E F E R R A L P R O G R A M
While we’re here, I want to also take some time to mention my referral program. All my past clients know that referring their friends to me for portraits means a $50 credit good towards photography, prints, and products at their next session. I can say in full confidence that Miss Brittany (the beautiful mommy of these adorable kids) has been, without question, my biggest cheerleader and has fully taken advantage of this opportunity. She had earned enough referral credits for a complimentary photo session, and $25 off her print order!
To top it off, she was on my mailing list last Christmas when I did my wildly successful 12 Days of Joy promotion which, incidentally, will make a comeback this year, so be ready! Brittany happened to be the lucky winner of a 16×20 canvas print that she happily redeemed after our session together!
There’s lots of reasons to get your photos done with us, not only because you have the capability of earning complimentary sessions, but also because I love building relationships with your kids. I love it when your kids remember me more than you do. And I love watching them grow up. And have crushes. And send me pictures they’ve drawn just for me. So I suppose it’s selfish. But that’s ok. Loving kids isn’t a bad thing.
Enjoy the peek at the rest of my shoot with this adorable family. Happy Thursday!
You might remember a previous session I did with this wonderful family here. It was supposed to be a sibling shoot, but Miss Raistlyn was absolutely uninterested. She didn’t fall for any one of my tricks, and when we were finally able to sneak her in (because she thought her brother would fall off the chair - don’t judge) she refused to smile. I demanded a rematch. And I won the battle.
We met at the same family farm in Tumalo where Raistlyn’s parents were married and as I drove, I prayed that Raistlyn would be so full of joy during the shoot that she wouldn’t even be aware of the camera. And that’s exactly what happened. Maybe it was the chickens running around the property, or the cats who would sneak up and then dart away.Maybe it was the tea set, the bubbles, Mom’s pocketful of candy, and the abundant supply of dandelions to make wish after wish upon. Maybe it was the fantastic fairytale light that kissed everything it touched with a little bit of happiness.
Whatever it was, it worked. And with the very first shot with Raistlyn sitting down where I suggested and giggling at my jokes, I looked at Mom. And she looked at me. And her eyes filled with grateful tears.
And so, on this Thursday, I won a small battle. And I can confidently travel to Newport Beach to watch a relatively new friend make a very old close friend a very happy woman for the rest of her life. And I’m willing to bet there will be some fairytale light.
Happy Thursday!
If you haven’t yet read it, grab a box of tissues and pick up Kim Meeder’s book, “Hope Rising: Stories From the Ranch of Rescued Dreams.” ”A 16-year-old girl, mute since the loss of her parents, speaks her first words-to an abused and emaciated horse. This moment was really the birth of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon,” writes Meeder, the founder and operator of the ranch that rescues abused horses and gives disadvantaged children a chance to care for them. I had the privilege of visiting Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, camera in hand, on a very special day in June. Dr. James Dobson would be arriving in a few hours, with his wife and Steve Reiter, manager of audio production at Family Talk Radio in Colorado Springs. They would spend the day hearing story after incredible story of a very big God acting on behalf of some very precious children. I simply had to follow them and shoot. Quietly photographing. Listening to stories of brokenness and hope. And marveling at what a mighty God we serve.
I’ll never forget stepping out of my car that day, and quickly feeling the presence of God in a way I hadn’t felt for a long time. I knew my job was to provide photographs. I didn’t know that sharing my experience of stepping onto holy ground with Dr. Dobson that day would be the introduction of a two-part radio broadcast on the ranch - a ranch that began as a dream of a little girl who found solace in a horse instead of attending the double funeral of her parents after a terrible murder-suicide forever changed her world. A ranch that was once a cinder pit of dead land and has since been transformed into a veritable oasis. I was reading in Isaiah yesterday and was struck by a description highlighted in the amplified version of Isaiah 59:19:
“…when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him, and put him to flight, for He will come like a rushing stream which the breath of the LORD drives.”
What a beautiful picture of the living water Jesus promised the woman at the well in John 4! Once Kim and Troy purchased the land, it was as if the breath of God drove a rushing stream into it, allowing for lush grass and plants and trees to grow while the property is still surrounded by dry sage brush and lava rock. It’s a small picture of the mighty work that God is doing both in the landscape and in the children coming to the lush piece of safety and restoration. As I walked around the ranch on that chilly, windy day in June, I stopped and watched one girl riding in the arena. As the wind picked up, I saw in my mind’s eye an invisible tornado of wind surrounding her in a tightly knit cocoon of protection and healing. She thought she was just riding a horse. But God was doing a powerful unseen work.
As the time of Dr. Dobson’s arrival got closer, we walked to the entrance of the ranch, and I talked with Troy Meeder, Kim’s husband, and was struck by the love that was emanating from him. I told him I had just finished reading 1 John, whose overwhelming theme over and over is love. Loving God. Loving people. I told him that he was an outworking of 1 John, and as the words left my mouth a young teenage girl ran up, gave Troy a big hug, handed him a card, and went back to her friends.”Did you catch that?” he asked. ”I’d like a copy of that photo.” He went on to explain the time when she first came to the ranch - she would have nothing to do with him. She hated men, the result of her mother living in over two decades of marriage to an abusive husband, the same man who was an absent father. One day Troy made a point to hug her and hang on a little bit longer. He told her he was proud of her. And something changed in her. Now she calls him Daddy.
“What did she give you?” I asked.
“A Father’s Day card,” he replied with tears in his eyes.
Dr. Dobson arrived, and the interviews began. Some time later, there was a gathering of children by a picnic table near the entrance of the ranch. One girl in particular caught my attention immediately, and I began shooting. And immediately, she ducked beneath the table. As I moved to catch her under the table, she darted further away and hid her face. It came to my attention later that this particular girl wasn’t to be photographed. I found her mother and for the better part of the next hour, we chatted. And just this morning we sat in the corner of a coffee shop, hot lattes in hand, and she told me her story in detail. A story that a mother and a very young little girl should never have to endure. Some time ago, by faith, she packed up everything she owned and came to a place she had never been, to live in anonymity after fleeing from a man who had been horrifically abusing her daughter. Now, her daughter is thriving. She has returned to the little girl that counselors said she would never be again. And she has a love for Jesus that is contagious and convicting all at the same time.
I ended up photographing that little girl anyway that day, with her mother’s permission. After all, just because a photograph can’t be published doesn’t mean it can’t be taken. And those shots were just for her mother.
As we wrapped up the day, Kim stood by a map riddled with small red pins, and described the significance of it to Dr. Dobson. Through the interviews they’ve done with Family Talk in the last six years, God has exploded the reach of the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch ministry throughout the entire United States. And in the last 15 years that the ranch has been in existence, they guess somewhere around 50,000 children have been ministered to at no cost to their parents.
One terrible loss led to a chance and healing encounter with a horse, which led to a dream, and now a far-reaching ministry. Sometimes there aren’t enough words to describe a movement that’s happening. Maybe that’s why it’s taken me nearly twelve weeks to tell this story. Each time I try, the words simply can’t do it justice.
But the stories are worth hearing. And reading. Kim now has three books out, and Family Talk radio has done a handful of broadcasts on the ranch. All are worth the time. To listen to both broadcasts in the two-part series on the ranch, go here (part 1) and here (part 2).
For more information on the ranch, how you can help sponsor a horse or make a donation, or for information on purchasing Kim’s books, visit the ranch’s website at www.crystalpeaksyouthranch.org.
Happy Thursday!
Below is the perch above the ranch that Troy built just for Kim to escape and write.
The photo on the left is Troy and his beloved horse, Eclipse.
Below is Kim talking to one of the children that comes to the ranch.
The windows were down, my feet were on the dashboard, and I was reading a series of random questions from a book he always had stashed in the passenger door for occasions like this: Over 6,000 Bible Questions and Answers. We happened to be in a more difficult part of the book (probably deep in the heart of the prophets), and the answers weren’t coming to him as quickly as he would have liked. He was frustrated. He should have known the answers to every single one of those questions after spending an intensive year in biblical ministry education.
One of my favorite memories of that year is pulling into the park where he and his good friend were studying. Dawson had fallen behind on his journaling, and Josh was pushing him to get caught up. As I drove up, Dawson was sitting on a picnic table in the shade of a large tree, and Josh was walking in circles just beside the table. Both had their noses buried in their Bibles and were taking turns reading out loud. Josh lived and breathed in that Bible, now falling apart at the seams - a powerful indication of someone who is not.
Incidentally, I just got up to photograph the tattered Bible he still refuses to replace and then I remembered… it’s in his truck. Right on the cut out of the dashboard he says was created just to hold his Bible. But I digress.
As the frustration built on that summer day seven years ago, I put the book down and we drove in silence. And then I saw an image in my mind’s eye of a healthy, lush plant being hopelessly drowned in large amounts of water. As I watched, slowly but surely that water seeped into the ground, providing future sustenance just when the plant needed it.”Percolate!” I said.
Josh gave me a confused look, and I explained what I had just been thinking about. The idea of percolation could also be applied to what Josh had just experienced. His year in the School of Ministry is likened to standing in front of a fire hydrant, something typically not recommended to the average person. For three terms, Josh he was hosed with a powerful and constant flow of information. And on that day, fresh from graduating, there wasn’t near enough time to process it all. Percolation with that amount of “water” could take years!
I tell you that to tell you this. I’ve wanted to tell another story for awhile now…. but until this morning, I just didn’t feel like it was time yet. I had to let it…. percolate.
However, because today’s story has already gotten long enough, I’ll leave you with a photograph I took of Josh on a large format film camera while stopped in the middle of one of our road trips. He’s sitting (unposed) on the hood of his beloved Mazda Navajo (which he affectionately called Blue Steel) with his long hair (which he cut the day he graduated from School of Ministry) waiting so patiently while he thought I was photographing the river behind him (which I wasn’t).
I developed the negative myself, printed it in the darkroom, and mounted it on matboard to present for a photography assignment. Because it’s mounted, it’s too large for me to scan so you’ll have to settle for a photograph of a photograph that just so happens to be my very favorite image of the man I fell in love with in college.
Tomorrow, I’ll share the story of my experience at the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. But today… today I’ll be thinking on God’s past faithfulness. I’ll be thanking Him for a husband that loves His word. And I’ll rejoice over the new doctrinal truth of percolation. If it doesn’t make sense now, let it sit for awhile. It will later.
I’m dreadfully behind on blogging this summer’s weddings. I’ve had a handful of out of town weddings (in Portland as well as Medford), and also had the creative pleasure of second shooting with Mr. Ryan Phillips a few times. However, I just finished editing the recent wedding of Dave & Wendy, and I wanted to blog it while it was still fresh.
Dave and Wendy got married on a perfectly beautiful August day at the Tetherow Golf Club, quietly nestled between the Deschutes National Forest and the Bend city limits. As Wendy was getting ready, she was surrounded by her best girlfriends, all representing various stages of her life. And the love was apparent in the air.
I mentioned in their engagement post that Wendy is also known as Dr. Wendy Weintrob, the owner of Glow - an integration of Western, Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine. I visited Wendy on a few occasions for accupuncture, and on more than one visit she commented on how much she loved my perfume. I had read on another wedding blog somewhere about a bride buying brand new perfume for her wedding day. That way, whenever she wore it in the future, her husband would remember their wedding day because there is such a strong connection between scent and memory. I shared that with Wendy, and she went out and bought the new perfume and refrained from wearing it until this particular Friday.When her hair was done, her makeup meticulously applied, and the bow on her dress tied to perfection, she slipped on her shoes, and sprayed just enough Coco Chanel Madamoiselle for Dave to catch as he nuzzled her neck. And then, after one last look in the mirror, we hopped into the golf cart and drove to the bridge where her new husband was waiting to see her.
She came up behind him, he turned around, and nuzzled her neck. And for the rest of his life, whenever she sprays just enough perfume for a special occasion, he will remember the moment he saw his bride in her wedding day glory for the first time. He’ll likely also remember the prayer flags full of well wishes from loved ones hung at the ceremony, the vows spoken between tears beneath the chuppah, stomping on the glass before walking back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs., the amazing sunset that painted the sky that evening, and dancing to his favorite song as everyone else in the room melted away at the reception. He’ll remember the toasts, the champagne, and the surprised look on Wendy’s face as he slipped a diamond wedding band onto a finger that already contained the ring she expected.
And he’ll smile as the memories flood him, and he pulls his wife closer to catch another whiff. Congrats, Dave and Wendy. Thank you for allowing me to capture your special day! Happy Monday!
For all intents and purposes, Dawn Rae’s pregnancy was a dream. And then the heartburn began. It was nothing out of the ordinary at first, but it was persistent. It wasn’t long before Rob was buying over the counter antacids in supermarkets all over Bend. They tried everything. And then they called their doctor.
The day that Dawn Rae went to her doctor, they sent her straight to the hospital. Within hours, she was delivering their baby. It turned out she had HELLP Syndrome, a life-threatening complication usually considered to be a variant of pre-eclampsia. Born weeks earlier than expected, Rob and Dawn Rae were overcome with emotion when they met their son, Maxwell James. Growing up, both Rob and Dawn Rae loved the 1964 classic, “Where the Wild Things Are” and it was natural to name their son after Max, the main character. And his middle name? A loving tribute to Rob’s grandfather who taught him what a man is.
Rob spent the first few nights running back and forth between the NICU and his wife’s bedside. He slept in a recliner just inches from his first son’s isolette, finding fitful rest between the noise and beeps of the machines, and waking every three hours to return to his wife and help her pump. And if the emotional stress of having both an ill wife and a premature baby in the hospital weren’t enough, Rob received a phone call he never wanted just four days later.Rob’s grandfather had died. He left his legacy in a little five pound fighter of a man, greeting heaven as the angels still cheered from the fresh delivery of God’s latest creation. Max’s place in heaven was still warm, and his great-grandfather sat down beside it for a front row seat to watch his namesake do what he had taught his grandson to do so well: become a man.
I met Max on his one-month birthday in the NICU. His progress was astounding, and they just needed to wait for his lungs to develop a bit more before taking him home. And as they waited, I went to work. Having done a number of these sessions before, I was struck at the connection Rob had with his son. There wasn’t a moment when Mom or Dad wasn’t touching, caressing, kissing, or whispering in his ear. And when they laid Max down in his isolette, Rob crouched down beside with his hand resting on his son’s back. As Dawn Rae and I talked, I heard Rob talking quietly to Max: ”I’m so proud of you.” And my heart melted.
As I left, Max slept. And I’m sure that, as the story goes, he sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day to meet his Great-Grandpa in his dreams. I imagine they sat together in heaven, with supper prepared by angels waiting for them. And it was probably still hot.
As much as you want to fight it, it’s that time of year again. Retailers are slowly stocking holiday treasures to get you thinking about Christmas nostalgia. And as much as I hate jumping the gun, October is really the best time to plan on scheduling your holiday portrait sessions. The leaves are arrayed in their best colors, the snow hasn’t yet begun to fall, and noses aren’t turning red and sniffly in the cold temperatures. Having your family portrait session in October will also ensure plenty of time for your prints, products, and holiday cards to be ordered and shipped to you in time for the holiday rush. Albums themselves typically take between four and six weeks for assembly and delivery, so the more time you give yourself the better!
If you’re a past Jane Johnson Photography client, keep an eye on your mailbox! We recently ordered our holiday promotional piece: a 16-page Holiday Wish Book featuring all the new products we’re offering this season and believe me, you don’t want to miss it!
I’m also excited to announce our 2010 Holiday Collection! New this year, the Holiday Collection features a one hour portrait session, our 8×8 20-page signature album, and 50 holiday cards for $1,200. The good news? The earlier you book your session, the more money you save! If you book as early as Monday October 11, you’ll save 30% off the full retail price - that’s a $360 savings! Make sure to also book early because sessions are limited! All sessions in the Holiday Collection must be completed by November 1, so plan accordingly! Call 541.749.8517 to book your session, or email me today. Happy Wednesday!
It only seemed fitting to take one of my favorite Bend families to one of my favorite Central Oregon shooting locations at the base of Smith Rock for their family portraits. Together, we drank too-sweet strawberry soda, chased bugs with butterfly nets, and played the classic hand-clapping games that children in every generation seems to learn.Sophia told me about Tiffany’s boyfriends. Tiffany told me about Sophia’s. And Olivia told me about her teddy bear.
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“Teddy,” she said. Of course. Silly me.
We caught every last bit of amazing evening light that I swear is unique to Central Oregon, and piled in the car for the 30 minute drive home. It didn’t take long for Taylor Swift to be cranked with little voices belting out every memorized word into imaginary microphones. As dad drove, I sat in the backseat and danced and sang and laughed and and danced some more. And Megan watched her girls from the front seat with absolute adoration on her face.
I just love this family. Happy Tuesday.
I’m on my way out the door for a girls’ weekend with the best college roommates a girl could have ever asked for:
Before I go, however, I wanted to put up a sneak peek from a session I did a few weeks ago. There are many more favorites from this shoot that I’ll get to posting next week, but in the meantime enjoy a few teasers featuring one of my favorite Bend families. Happy weekend!
We tucked summer into hibernation this weekend with an epic slumber party at our house on Sunday night, fresh lattes and cinnamon rolls yesterday morning, and a Labor Day BBQ with our Monday night small group. The evening was full of horseshoes, badminton, tennis, and pingpong (all for the boys), during which the wives gladly sat around the outdoor table for hours chatting. As evening faded into night, we wrapped ourselves in blankets, turned out the outdoor heater, and kept our perch telling stories until the ping pong tournament ended. The boys trickled out from the garage telling tales of their feats, and we each went our separate ways. I brought my camera with me, and intended to take some photos. But sometimes it’s best to just leave it on the counter and simply enjoy life.
A few weeks ago, however, I most definitely used my camera with the promise of a private jet and two beautiful models on standby to provide the perfect complement to Cowgirl Magazine’s 2010 Fall Fashion Guide. As promised last week, here are some outtakes from the shoot. Happy Tuesday!
Deborah Donohue is wearing a bronze sheared beaver jacket with silver fox trim by Morris Kaye & Sons. Deborah’s stunning “Elegant Ranch” sterling silver and Kingman turquoise collar ($3,900) and matching earrings ($219) are from Two Grey Hills in Corrales, New Mexico.Reed Pocos Reflections, also known as “Roxy,” is an American Quarter Horse mare owned by Julie Miller of Twisted Wire Ranch.
Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Cowgirl at your favorite bookstore, western retailer, and resort! Finally, if you think you have what it takes to be a Cowgirl model, you’re invited to come to the open model call this Saturday from 1pm - 4pm at Desperado Couture, located in the Old Mill District in Bend. Both male and female fashion models are welcome! Happy Thursday!
Exactly one year ago today, I announced the official launch of our Custom Photography Blogs website, and I had no idea how quickly this little idea that I accidentally stumbled upon would explode!
As a huge thank you to our current clients, clients on our waiting list, and even to future clients who have all been so patient with through our large growth spurts and frantic expansion, we’re offering an exclusive Anniversary Sale!
Beginning today, and lasting through next Wednesday, September 8th, we will be offering 10% off everything! The sale isn’t just limited to Custom Photography Blogs - I’m so giddy about all the amazing support I’ve received from my branding work that I’m extending the discount to everything on my branding site as well!
That’s 10% off standard blogs, blog sites, client sites, twitter pages, splash pages, logo designs, stationery, marketing materials and more! If you need it custom designed for your business, it’s on sale!
Speaking of branding, I’m also excited to announce another addition to our branding development offerings: Photography Consulting!This exclusive consult is $300, and only available in full branding packages of $2,500 or more. Why photography consulting? Because your portfolio is just as much a part of your brand, if not more, than everything else! It’s always helpful to have an extra pair of eyes go through your work to highlight your strengths, yank the photos weakening your collection, and help you fine tune your niche. Together, we will spend time on skype going through each image in your portfolio to build the best representation of your work possible. Purchase the consultation this week with your custom branding package and save $30!
Hurry! Items must be purchased by September 8th at midnight! Want even more savings? Tweet about our sale and you might be the lucky recipient of a $500 gift certificate towards custom blogs and branding. Just tweet the following: “Oh happy day! It’s an @customphotoblog Anniversary Sale! 10% of everything until Sept. 8th! [bit.ly] ” Happy day, indeed!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making Custom Photography Blogs and Jane Johnson Branding Design such a huge success! Happy Wednesday!
It’s Friday! And Friday, for whatever reason, tends to be the day I put up my latest design projects. Maybe it’s my way of tying up loose ends as I head into the weekend. At any rate, this particular Friday marks the launch date of our latest creative custom blog design, which also happens to mark custom blog #3 between the two of these extremely creative sisters!
The domino effect began with the launch of Miss Kristen Beinke’s photography blog in January. (If you have a few minutes, you’ll want to hop on over to the Santa Barbara Wedding Style Blog to see a feature of a recent wedding Kristen shot!)
Kristen’s blog was followed by the launch of Colour Luxury, a collaboration between Kristen and her sister, Jennifer, where they share their passion for all things home decor. You’ll also want to check out Lucy and Ellen, their Etsy store. It was named after their grandmothers, and it’s there that they sell all kinds of fabulous vintage finds including this gorgeous jewelry box:
Just as soon as the Colour Luxury site went live, we began piecing together the concept for their next blog (Jennifer’s venture): Kiss My Mutt, an online dog boutique that is quickly gaining popularity. How creative is that name?
Their signature reversible puppy bandanas were recently featured in OK! Magazine, and it’s no surprise! I’m looking for an excuse to buy them, and I don’t even have a dog!
We just recently wrapped everything up on their new site, and the official Kiss My Mutt Blog went live just a few hours ago! Hop on over and take a look for yourself, and pick up some presents for your favorite pooch!
Jennifer and Kristen, I can’t wait to see what you two come up with next! Although I hear the next big thing is wedding bells! Congratulations, Kristen! Happy Friday!
For more information on custom design projects for your business, please visit Custom Photography Blogs and Jane Johnson Branding Design.
Rick called me on a whim one Friday afternoon a week or two ago. He was vacationing in Sunriver with his family, and wanted to schedule a family portrait session. After all, his oldest daughter (but forever his baby girl) was leaving for college in a few weeks. It was, although nobody actually said it, a last hurrah as a family of four living under one roof.
We had lofty plans, and a beautiful landscape. We were going to take an hour on a beautiful summer evening to capture their family being…. their family. I was going to get individual shots of the girls (because their individual beauty demanded their own spotlight), some group shots, and then sneak in a few of Mom and Dad. After all, this all began with them.
Saturday came, we met at the previously agreed-upon location, and I quickly got to work:
But somehow the mosquitoes were tipped off on our plan, and decided to crash the party. Being the driven person that I am, I thought I could work quickly and stay ahead of them. I soon realized how wrong I was. As we walked along the path, hunting for the perfect shooting location, I waved my hand back and forth in front of me. The amount of bugs hitting my hands felt the same as it would if I were doing it in winter and we were in the middle of a snow storm. There were that many mosquitoes hitting my hands.
In a desperate last ditch effort, I quickly posed the Felt family and pulled my camera up. Looking down, there were four mosquitoes in a clump on my leg, feasting through my pants, and countless others foaming at the mouth.
I did a quick dance, shook them off, and grabbed this shot:
And then this one:
And then we ran for cover. Our one hour shoot was quickly cut short to 15 minutes. Mosquitoes: 1,000. Jane: 0.
At least in this photo, you can tell I’m not exaggerating. I counted no less than 23 blood-suckers, and those are just the ones who happened to catch the light. But my favorite part about this family is that, even though we were slowly getting eaten alive, they laughed the entire time.
Felt family: thank you for at least indulging me for 15 minutes. You were so easy to photograph, and I can only imagine what else we could have gotten. I demand a rematch. Only next time perhaps somewhere away from the water, armed with mosquito nets, and vats of bug spray. And Abby: have so much fun in college! Happy Thursday!
Little Miss Sofia came to me at the ripe old age of 10 days old, and she graciously gave me a good hour and a half before she decided she would rather know what I was doing than sleep through her modeling debut anymore. I can also say that she was the perfect lady and didn’t have one accident without her diaper! Her big sister is already teaching her manners and etiquette. Good job, Ava!
Sofia, I can’t wait to watch you grow up, and see how your personality evolves in the next year! And Kirsten: you are good at this baby-making thing. Both of your daughters are beautiful! I just wish I knew what Sofia was dreaming about that put such a smile on her face. I imagine it was something reflective of heaven, since she’s still fresh from the heavenly arms that fearfully made her! Happy Tuesday!
It’s a good thing she said yes!
Dave moved from boyfriend to fiance overnight, and the two quickly began planning their wedding, taking place at Tetherow in just a few weeks. Wendy and I discussed wedding details as I lay on her table and she expertly found the pressure points for the acupuncture needles. We talked about the dress she had found, possible wedding venues, and the idea of an engagement portrait session.Our original date for their engagement shoot was re-scheduled because of an unruly thunderstorm. I was kicking myself that evening when a gorgeous sunset made its way through the sky, and even more so a few days later when a fire broke out less than 20 miles away. We met shortly after at our decided location, beneath smoky skies, while the beauty of Central Oregon wrapped its ever loving arms around us. I couldn’t have been more thrilled with the light.
Yes, fires are devastating. However, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t partly thankful for the effects of the fire that night - quite possibly the most amazing light I’ve shot in to date! Because of that fact, I have quite a few photos I want to share with you. Don’t worry, I doubled up the vertical shots to give your scrolling finger a break.
Dave and Wendy: congratulations on your engagement! Thanks for being so amazing and indulging me in my creative vision! Happy Friday!
I am now officially in the height of the summer season, and I can’t imagine how October will look when families will begin planning for their annual holiday portraits. A word to the wise: book early. Due to the high demand for both graphic design and photography projects, holiday sessions will be limited!
I have a number of sessions that I can’t wait to share with you, but in the meantime I wanted to post a few recent branding design projects I’ve done for some other photographers:
A series of 5×7 cards for Jenn Di-Spirito featuring everything from a welcome message and pricing information to what to wear guides for specific sessions. Each card is individually printed so Jenn can customize a welcome box unique to each client’s particular session:
A few custom logo designs for Lavender & Twine (website coming soon) and TSJ Photography:
And finally, a few custom blogs that have recently gone live:
and Lane Marie:
We also created client sites for both Eydie Nelson and Lane Marie matching their new blog designs:
These projects are just a sample of what’s been going on in my world of design. They don’t include the half a dozen logos currently being designed, five blogs currently being coded, and half a dozen blogs sitting in the queue just begging to be created. No wonder I have three empty coffee mugs sitting on my desk!
For more information on having custom logo and branding design work done for your business, please visit www.janejohnsondesign.com and www.customphotographyblogs.com.
Happy Wednesday!
I just found out this morning that the recent cover I shot for the Summer Travel Issue of Cowgirl Magazine has been blown up and is now on display in the front window of a prestigious art boutique in Rockefeller Center in New York, right across the street from Radio City Music Hall!
Here’s a few pictures showing the display at An American Craftsman. If you haven’t already, go grab the Summer Travel Issue! Also, keep an eye out on September 1st for the newest issue, and possibly my most favorite to date. We shot the fashion spread with a $7 million private jet as our backdrop.
Please excuse me while I pinch myself.
The very thought of you
and I forget to do
Those little ordinary things
That everyone ought to do
I’m livin’ in a kind of daydream
I’m happy as a queen
And foolish though it may seem
To me that’s everything
(The Very Thought of You - Billie Holiday)
I received the phone call just a few days before making the trip into the NICU. I chatted with her dad (a youth pastor at a local church) for a few minutes, got some general information and, before hanging up the phone, I asked one last question: “What’s your daughter’s name?” ”It’s Jayden,” he said. I wrote it down, circled it (because somehow I think it will help me remember), and set it alongside the model release form on my desk in preparation of the upcoming shoot.
As I entered the only home she has ever known, I found her curled up snugly in Mom’s arms, erroneous wires snaking out of her blanket and finding their way to their various monitors. Dad was busying himself on the laptop right next to the recliner before getting up to introduce himself. The lights were dim, the room quiet.
Even though it wasn’t necessary, I found myself whispering. Whispering pleasantries. Whispering adorations over how perfect Jayden is. And quietly asking her if she was ready for her big modeling entree.
As I began shooting, they shared their story. Married for nine years, and having tried for a few years to get pregnant, they finally got a positive result. From the day Jenn found out, she called her growing child their miracle baby. It didn’t take long to decide on a name. One that would hold so much more meaning than they ever anticipated. Jayden, meaning “Jehovah has heard.” He heard their prayers for a child of their own. And He would hear their prayers, and the prayers of countless others, as Jayden’s birthday approached.
About a month before her due date, Jayden’s parents went in for an ultrasound. It was at that appointment that they discovered Jayden had a form of dwarfism. Her arms and legs were growing much too slow, falling 8 weeks behind in measurement. Even more heartbreaking was the fact that her chest cavity was also much too small. There was a possibility that her lungs had not fully formed and she would be unable to sustain life on her own. The original diagnosis? Less than 1% chance of survival.
From that appointment, Chris and Jenn traveled two and a half hours west to Eugene to meet with a specialist. The initial consultation again indicated that Jayden had the type of dwarfism that develops no lung tissue. As a result, she would be unable to survive after birth. However, after doing some digging and looking more closely at the ultrasound of her tiny little body, the doctor was able to find some lung tissue.Enough to possibly sustain life? They couldn’t say, but suddenly, there was hope. And there was waiting. And there were tears.
And there was prayer.
On June 16th, Jenn was induced. And later, she would have a c-section. With 45 friends and family in the waiting room, hundreds of others praying from remote locations, and a number of doctors surrounding her, the moment came. And everyone held their collective breaths. Waiting for the cry.
Waiting for the miracle.
And it came. And the tears came. Not only streaming down the face of Chris and Jenn, but on the doctors bringing her into the world. Her lungs were still small, needing a push to deliver enough oxygen to her body, and the first few hours were questionable. But she was breathing. And that, in itself, was a miracle.
I met her when she was two weeks old, already free of any oxygen assistance whatsoever, and continually showered with kisses from her parents. Tucked into her crib was a small stuffed bunny that has been with her since her birth. Jenn held it throughout her entire labor and when it came time for Jayden to go to the NICU, it went with her, carrying her mother’s scent. An act of faith from a mother filled with hope.
The initial prognosis was that Jayden would be in the NICU for at least twelve weeks. She went home in four. And it’s no surprise why. There have been, and continue to be, over 2,000 people praying for her - the proof is on her the Facebook page dedicated to that very thing.
As I drove home from the shoot, I cried. Not for sorrow, but for joy. Joy at the stories I get to hear. The lives I get to document. And the miracles I get to witness. God is so good. I’ll leave you with a quote from a friend of Chris and Jenn’s:
“I have always pictures angels to be 8 feet tall and have 10 foot wing spans. Today I met an angel named Jayden. She was only 5lbs, 15 inches tall, and dressed in pink with a wing span that wraps around my heart a million times.” Phil Price.
For more information on the Pictures of Hope Foundation, visit their website at www.picturesofhopefoundation.org.
For my first six or seven years of life, my Grandma lived just down the road from us. And after that, she was just across town. We saw her multiple times a week, and there aren’t many childhood memories I have without her involved in some way. She used to pay me 25¢ to dust and vacuum her house, and I was meticulous. I even dusted the chairs, and family members have been known to slide right off of them once I was done.
I spent the night at her house after I had some teeth pulled and, just like every other time, we got fresh sheets and blankets out of the cedar chest at the foot of her bed, and put on new “pillow slips”. As I settled in for the night in the “pink room”, my teeth were solidly under my pillow, and my hand was solidly wrapped around the container. I was determined to catch that Tooth Fairy in the act. I woke up multiple times only to find the teeth still there. To this day, I don’t know how she managed it, but by morning the teeth were gone and money lay in their place. And as I ran out to show off my spoil, I was greeted by the scent of burnt toast and freshly brewed irish cream coffee.
For a short time, she was a Jafra representative. I don’t know how long that gig lasted, but I do know that she had two full cases of nail polish samples that my sisters and I would raid regularly. And I could always count on her having my favorite foods: Tato Skins, curly Macaroni & Cheese, thin bread, and pudding pops in the freezer outside.
She was always on hand for a good back scratch, a quarter for the offering plate at church, another quarter for a donut after, and a Starlight mint forever on hand in her purse. She was ever ready for a good card game. She faithfully repeated her cherished peanut butter ball recipe from heart when I called (every Christmas). And she always had a perfect manicure. Always.
The summer my family moved to Oregon, back in 1991, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Six or seven years later it came back. Another six years went by and I had a dream shortly after Josh and I were married and moved to Bend. In my dream, she told me she had breast cancer again. Sure enough, just a few days later, I got the call. She came face to face with breast cancer (a disease that has killed nearly 40,000 women this year alone) three different times. And she beat it every single time, and had the scars (and double mastectomy) to prove it.
The thing with cancer is always something that’s been a little bit further removed from me. Sure, I was close with my grandmother, but hearing her diagnosis at age 11 wasn’t much of an impact on me. Everyone that I’ve known of who’s had it is usually a generation or two older than me. It’s always someone’s grandparent, aunt, or long lost uncle. And that’s sad enough.
But it recently hit much closer to home. And it’s that much more real. And it makes me that much angrier.
The same year that my grandma was first diagnosed, I meet Hannah. We were in the same grade, attending the same elementary school (she was in my twin sister’s class). We became fast friends, and remained that way through junior high, high school, and even college.
A year and a half ago she found a lump in her breast. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 28, and underwent a mastectomy. Just four months ago, they found the cancer in her other breast. Nobody should ever have to deal with cancer, but suddenly someone my own age fighting this vicious disease is a reality slap in the face.
Hannah has her own team for the upcoming Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Portland on Sept. 19, and my mom and I are both on her team. If you happen to be in Portland that weekend and want to join us, you’re more than welcome. If not, please make a donation to help find a cure, or to pay for one Komen funded mammogram for an under-insured woman. You can make a donation by clicking here. Together, we’ll find a cure.
DeAnna is the beautiful mommy of two just-as-beautiful little girls, living in Sacramento with her handsome husband, Freddie. When she heard that I was going to be in Napa in June, and I realized that she was only going to be an hour away from me, we quickly began brainstorming the best possible way to take advantage of the scenario. So, on my last evening in Napa, I met the Gallardo family in the parking lot of The Meritage Resort & Spa for a different kind of portrait session. With cupcakes, petit fours, a vintage table, a mini porcelain tea set, and a few stuffed animals in hand, we set out to create our world of make believe in the field alongside the resort.As soon as it was set up, the girls happily played, and I photographed away. I was amazed at how long they sat there, and wanted to jump into their brains (if only for a moment) to see what was taking place in their imaginary world.
Then, when the light began to fade, we packed it up and spent the remainder of our time in the vineyards trying to convince an almost two year old that it really is ok to sit still and smile. Good luck with that one. And finally, when she just couldn’t take it anymore, we cut them loose and I caught the last bits of yummy Napa evening light with just Freddie and DeAnna. Where this family all began. And judging from the way they look at each other, their love is only getting stronger.
DeAnna, thanks for making the drive from Sacramento and indulging my desires for a vintage tea party shoot. If only the miles between there and here were smaller. Much smaller. I’d be a happy girl.
Happy Friday!
Its not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
It isnt your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
Its just the nearness of you
When youre in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If youll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
One of my favorite things about my job is very quickly becoming the time I spend in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Charles Hospital with the Pictures of Hope Foundation. And, lucky for me, I was able to have two visits in the few weeks! I love entering the little world these families have been immersed in for weeks at a time, and hearing their miracle stories. This is Violet’s.
As I entered the NICU building, was buzzed in by a nurse, scrubbed my hands and arms up to my elbows, and got buzzed into the second security door, I was greeted with a somewhat tense silence that tends to accompany a NICU. Understanding that parents have spent days, weeks, even months within these walls, praying for their little babies to fatten up and gain the strength to go home is heart breaking and somehow slightly heart warming all at the same time. Because of that ironic fact, I want to hug the neck of every nurse that walks by. God created something special in them.
I quietly entered Room 1 and introduced myself to Violet’s mom. And she, in turn, introduced me to Violet–a strong little warrior who was in the middle of her 67th day in the only home she has known since she was born. Ironically, it would also prove to be her last day in the NICU. Just a few hours later, she would be transferred to a family birthing room for the next two days while being transitioned for the monumental trip home.She would be going home on oxygen, but still… she would be home. And that, in itself, is a miracle.
As I got to know Violet’s mom, I also had the pleasure of meeting her big brother (who has 17 months on her), and her dad–the kind of man with a deep, soothing voice that you could listen to for hours. Not only would Violet be saying goodbye to her home at the NICU that day, she also got to meet her big brother for the first time, and I had the pleasure of capturing the moment.
We talked for awhile, I shot for awhile, and soon it was time for big brother to go home for a nap. As the session came to a close, the monitor gave a small warning to mom. In the silence of the room, mom gently swayed Violet, staring at the monitor and rubbing her back. As quickly as it began, the alarm stopped sounding, and I stopped holding my breath. ”It’s nothing unusual,” she said. ”She just forgets to breath occasionally and needs to be encouraged.” Nothing unusual for her. She’s grown accustomed to the warning signs. But for me, it was yet another reminder of how fragile life really is. And how strong Violet has become in all of her 67 days of life.
For more information on Pictures of Hope, please visit their website at www.picturesofhopefoundation.org.
As the children (professional models with CITY Model Management) gathered in the hotel lobby with their parents, I started chatting with one of the moms, and soon began chatting with her daughter. Isabella was shy at first. I’d ask her a question, and she would blink and look away, unsure of how to answer (or even if she liked me enough to).
But by the time we left the resort lobby and began making our way up to the vineyard, we were stomping on each other’s shadows. And when it came time to split up into groups, she made sure I was in hers.The point of the shooting clinic was to spend 2 1/2 hours wandering the vineyards, getting shots of as many children as possible that they can then use for their portfolios and call cards. Their portfolios are then able to be shown to any one of CITY Model’s high end clientele including Anthropologie, Chanel, Pottery Barn, Bumble & Bumble, and Nordstrom (just to name a few). As a matter of fact, Isabella will be featured in the next Pottery Barn Kids catalog–keep your eye out!
My time in the vineyard didn’t quite end up like it was supposed to. Ok, I’ll be honest. I got so attached to Isabella that I spent 90% of my time with her. And it was worth every second, because when it came time to part ways she hugged my neck in a “best friend forever” sort of way. Not the “I’m hugging you because I have to” kind. Many thanks to Miss Heather Thorne for proof of the moment–dirt on my back and all. Don’t judge. Just doing what’s needed to get the shot!
Finally, after much wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’, plannin’ and dreamin’ each night of his charms… he dropped to his knee. And she said yes. Luckily, Jordann happened to be the grand prize winner in my 12 Days of Joy giveaway last Christmas and knew exactly how she would be using her session!A few weeks ago, I walked into our starting shooting location 26 stories above Portland in an empty penthouse apartment. Beautiful hardwood floors led me to the main room with gorgeous light and floor to ceiling windows, and one lone prop: a gorgeous Anthropologie chair that made me giggle with excitement. We went from there, to the balcony, and then spent a few hours exploring the streets of Portland during their engagement portrait session. Jordann and Brian will be getting married on Azul Beach in Cancun in January, and I have so many ideas for their wedding and day after fashion shoot that I might just explode.
Brian and Jordann: congrats on being well on your way to becoming Mr. and Mrs! Happy 4th of July weekend, friends!
This last weekend officially brought me into the season I’ve been mentally preparing for since January. I came back from Napa on Wednesday evening, had one full day to recover, and then met the weekend with two back to back sessions. I am now backlogged on editing about six sessions, while also juggling all my branding design and custom blog projects. I will more than likely be looking for both photography and design interns in the very near future, so if you’re looking for something like that (or know of someone who is) please throw me an email!
As I scramble to pull all the photos from the stacks of memory cards on my desk, I do have another peek for you of what I was up to in Napa!
We arrived at the Meritage Resort and Spa on Sunday evening and were greeted with the most wonderfully prepared welcome bags. I’ve been working closely with Alice to get files designed for the retreat that were beautifully letterpressed by Miss Zida at Studio Z Mendocino, and it was so great to see the final products live and in person. Zida also recently printed my own beautiful letterpress cards, and I’ve never been so in love with a 2×3.5 card in my life! Here is a peek at the back of my card (sized down because I used it as the page image for the contact form on my new branding site and, let’s be honest, I’m too lazy to go hunt down the original file):
And here are some images of the beautiful NAPCP collateral from the retreat, courtesy of Miss Alice Park (the photographs can’t begin to do the letterpress products justice):
We were able to kick everything off with a wonderful welcome reception where I could finally put so many lovely faces to names, and hug a few clients’ necks as we toasted their new branding over a glass of wine. I’m sure some photos from the reception will find their way to the blog eventually, but I’m proud to announce that I attended solo. As in, without my camera. So I don’t have any to show you. I’m a little sad about it, but it was nice to have an “off” night.
To be honest, I didn’t do much shooting in Napa, aside from the shooting clinic in the vineyard, and one family session (also in the vineyard) before I left. However, we did go on a winery tour and I couldn’t resist getting this shot of my place setting in the center of a 40-person table, tucked between a maze of wine barrels at Merryvale Vineyards:
I’m not much of a cheese person, and I’ll pick white wine over red any day but, surprisingly, my favorite pairing was the one right in the middle: a gouda cheese with a cabernet sauvignon. Yum!
And finally, to tide you over until I get all my other recent sessions proofed and posted, a peek at yet another beautiful model from the shooting clinic in the vineyard. I’ll be posting one more round of photos in the next few days from the beautiful Bella (my favorite model of the day). In the meantime, meet Clara. It’s ok… you can wish you had piercing eyes like hers. I kind of do. Happy Monday!
I’m currently sitting on my balcony in the peaceful and somewhat magical Napa Valley. The air is still, the sky is clear, the Meritage Resort vineyard is just feet from me, and I couldn’t ask for a more restful morning.
I came here on Sunday afternoon after a weekend in San Francisco seeing the sights, and poking in a few vintage stores with Miss Heather Thorne. We arrived in Napa for the first NAPCP Retreat, and have been connecting with some fellow children’s photographers, enjoying a glass or two of wine, and building new friendships. I also did a quick 30 minute presentation on some photoshop tricks yesterday that (I hope) provided a few lightbulb moments for the other photographers here.
Yesterday evening was spent exploring the vineyards with about a dozen beautiful child models who currently have contracts with City Model in San Francisco. I ended up forging a new friendship with a beautiful little girl named Bella, who quickly became my BFF in the short hour we spent together. I’m kicking myself a little bit for not wandering around a bit more to get my camera on some of the other beauties just begging to be photographed. I did, however, get a quick shot of this little girl. I will admit, I’m a little bit jealous of her hair.
More of my photos with Bella will be coming later. Until then, a tour of the wineries is beckoning.
Happy Tuesday!
It’s finally here! Yet another culmination of my creative blood, artistic sweat (and, fortunately, not so many tears). I reserved my domain a year ago, and have finally found some time to put my branding site together into one cohesive peace. At long last, my branding and logo pieces finally have a home of their own. And a beautiful one at that!
Many thanks Mike Caston and the fantastic Big Folio crew for taking my creative vision and making it a sparkly new reality. They built the sketches straight from my ever cluttered brain into a beautiful site that is perfect down to the very last cursive “t”. Believe me, if there were a way to have rhinestones pop through your screen, they would be there. But even without them, I think it’s just perfect.
Please feel free to take a peek at this latest extension of my business–one that I accidentally stumbled upon yet God had sovereignly planned from the very beginning: www.janejohnsondesign.com. And then, if you’re in need of a logo makeover, today is your lucky day! I’m running a contest until next Friday, and two lucky winners will receive a complimentary logo makeover valued at $500 each! There are two ways to enter:1. Go to my brand new Facebook page and leave a comment as to why you need a logo makeover.
2. Post the following tweet on twitter: “RT @jjohnson_photo: the new branding site is live!! [bit.ly] RT & win a logo makeover! Random winner picked 6/25!”
One person will be selected each from the Facebook page and the twitter entries next Friday, June 25th!
In the meantime, I’m packing up and driving south to San Francisco tomorrow for a much-needed girls’ weekend, and then hitting Napa on Sunday for the NAPCP Retreat! I have quite a few clients who are also NAPCP members that I have the pleasure of spending face time with, and Custom Photography Blogs is also a key sponsor which means there will be giveaways! Alice has also asked me to speak at the retreat on Photoshop Tips & Tricks, which means I need to get this post up and go figure out what I’m going to say!
Happy Thursday, friends! Thank you for all your wonderful continued support!
However, on the few occasions that I get the older kids, my job suddenly gets much easier. Meet Delaney, Jack, and Ryan: an energetic threesome that is part of family of five, and well-loved by their daddy.
I can always learn a lot about kids’ personalities after only spending an hour with them. And in my hour with this family, I discovered that Delaney is very easy-going. She loves to smile, she’s very outgoing, and she has just enough sass to push the envelope. My kind of girl.
Jack is almost the opposite of Delaney. He’s more serious. Introverted. Inquisitive. He smiles only when he thinks something is very funny, and most of the time that’s directed at his dad.And then there’s Ryan, a goofy (and very funny) six year old that made sure to tell his parents to behave themselves, or it would end up on the internet. He’s the same one who’s shadow I would catch trying to sneak-attack me while we were getting shots of his parents. It never worked. I always tagged him first.
We spent our time together exploring Washington Park on a perfect June evening in Portland, playing tag, wrestling with Dad, and talking about future NFL quarterback careers. This is a rare shoot where I loved many of the photos in black and white. So did Mom. Delaney, Jack, and Ryan: thank you for making my job so much fun! Happy Monday!
Just a quick post from me this afternoon. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Miss Christina for her senior portraits, and the girl brought her A-game to her session! We managed to find an afternoon between raindrops and wind in this unusual June weather we’ve been having in Central Oregon, and really… here photos speak for themselves. Here are a couple of my favorites. Happy Friday!
I think I’ll take a moment to celebrate my age. The ending of an era, and the turning of a page. Now it’s time to focus on where I go from here. Lord, have mercy on my next thirty years.
Fitting words from the man who gave me a private concert two weeks ago. Never mind the thousands of other people that happened to be in the Rose Quarter with me at the same time in Portland that night. He really did sing right to me the entire time. No lie. He accidentally called me Faith a few times, but he has a cover to maintain. I’ll forgive him… this time.
The Tim McGraw concert | girls’ weekend getaway was the perfect kick-off to my 30th birthday weekend, and I couldn’t have asked for better company.
We started at a good friend’s downtown apartment with the most gorgeous views:
Yep, that’s me sandwiched in between two sparkly brides-to-be. Incidentally, I’m doing Jordann’s (on the left) engagement photos this weekend in the penthouse of her apartment building, so you’ll be seeing more of that breathtaking view (and beautiful face) very soon! But we didn’t stay long because Tim was waiting for me. And we soon found ourselves here:
I promise I’m usually more reserved than this… Ok, maybe not. But girlfriends and great music just bring something out in me.
And then, as quickly as it began, it was over. Tim blew me a kiss goodbye, tipped his signature black cowboy hat, and disappeared into the night. I know he misses me already.
In between then and now, I hit that magic number that has been so far off for so long, and then just showed up out of nowhere. The number that somehow changes everything and nothing all at the same time. I’ll admit, I couldn’t be happier to be out of my 20s. But I’d be lying if a small part of me still has some semblance of the adolescent mentality that 30 is… old. Even if I know it’s not. However, it does mean that I really am further from my college days than I’d like to think. It means that I’m officially and unequivocally an adult with responsibilities, never ending to do lists, and a mortgage payment. And most of our friends live at least a few hours away.
However, just over a week ago, a dozen of them made their way over to Bend for an epic celebratory weekend that I will remember… well… until I can’t remember things anymore.
We laughed. We danced. We made spaghetti at 1am. And we talked until our voices were nearly gone. These friends (as well as many who couldn’t make it) have had so much impact in my life. We all met in college, part of a very large, and thriving college ministry. And one by one, we coupled off. We’ve known each other so long that we’ve become family. And as everyone gathered at 10 Below on that Friday night, the stories started. The kind of stories that have been re-told a million times, but you never get tired of. Stories of deer hooves and chaps. Mullet hunting and jet skis. Laughing because a late night then was 3am, and now we’re tired at 10. Remembering the moments when friendships turned into romances. And who caught the bouquet at which wedding. And who was mad that they didn’t.
After all, that’s the stuff that life’s made of. To all my friends, thanks for making the trip. It blessed me more than you know. And let’s be honest, welcoming a new decade of life with someone like this to kiss me makes it that much sweeter:
Happy Tuesday.
Today she is one of my best friends. Her young son is now nine years old and nearly as tall as me. In that time, our relationship shifted from discipleship to two peas in one crazy little pod. We’ve both seen our fair share of the storms of life, and walked through them together. Encouraging each other. Praying for each other. And laughing until our stomachs hurt.
I was thinking back to those days this morning, so incredibly thankful for my time with Shawna then, and our friendship today. From all our years together, there are two things that I will never forget:
1. Life is vanity. We’re never satisfied in our current season. We will continually be looking for the next thing. If you’re single, you want to be married. If you’re married, you want a baby. If you have a baby, you wish they were walking and talking. When they grow, you can’t wait until they get out of the house. If you have curly hair, you wish it was straight. In the summer, you can’t wait for a cozy fireplace as the snow blows outside. And in the winter, you curse the cold weather. All is vanity. We need to be content in the season we’re in, enjoying every second of it and pulling out the little nuggets of truth we find along the way.2. As we sat on the couch so long ago, when I was a young single college student and my biggest worry was what I was going to do that night, Shawna told me to dig my wells. I had the freedom then to spend hours upon hours reading God’s word at Starbucks and journaling my little heart out (which I did, and it accounts for the Starbucks addiction I have today). And as I did that, I dug my wells deeply.
I filled a journal every three or four months with prayers, incredible truths that were marked by a little sketch of a light bulb when something hit me over the head, stories of His faithfulness, dreams and pictures… I was swimming in a deep ocean of His incredible Spirit that would be unique to those few years spent in Corvallis. Shawna encouraged me to dig those wells as deeply as possible so that as life went on, and I didn’t have as much time and freedom, I could return to those wells and pull from them and have my soul watered.
I can’t tell you how right she was. When I come up against some road block, the things that I’ve learned and have written over and over in my prayer journals plays like a recording in my brain. He is still faithful. His timing is still perfect. And His goodness is still unquestionable.
A few weeks ago, we drove to Corvallis to celebrate Shawna at a surprise engagement party. Scott, you don’t know how dang lucky you are.
Happy Friday, friends.
As countless friends have gotten pregnant with their first, second, and even third child, and Christmas photos boast of continually expanding families, we smile and toast to the F-U’s.
No, it’s not what you think, although the humor factor of that assumption alone certainly helps. Kelly affectionately refers to them as the fertilly-unchallenged, and it’s a moniker I’ve quickly adopted for myself.
Last fall, Kelly and Travis came to terms with the fact that it would be near impossible to get pregnant on their own, and began embarking on a new journey of adoption. And through it, we still met for happy hour and she would re-tell the long process–one, I might add, that is extra difficult for someone who is as much of a type-A personality as I am. We talked about the never ending amount of paperwork. The panic-inducing paranoia that is the first home study with a case worker. The phone call that they had been picked, even though their profile shouldn’t have even been shown yet because technically they weren’t approved in the system. But somehow it got slipped into a stack that was shown to a birth mom.
I bet if you took that profile today, and put it under a spiritual black light, it would have God’s finger prints all over it. Because with Him, there are no coincidences.
We sat at a coffee shop and cried together just days before they were to meet with the birth parents. We talked about the “what ifs”, the fears, the anticipation, and the reality of not letting yourself get too excited.
And then we waited. And prayed. And I checked her blog. And asked her questions. And bought her another glass of wine.
And waited.And then, the morning of my 30th birthday, I hopped onto facebook and saw the post. Their four year journey was finally culminated in 5 pounds and 12 ounces of absolute perfection, and Mom and Dad were there to witness every single second of his birth. Travis was even able to cut his umbilical cord, and together, Kelly and Travis gave him his first bath.
The doctor later said that it was the most remarkable delivery she had ever been a part of. It was all she could do to get through her part after he was born without succumbing to the tears stinging her eyes. Because the love that filled the room was so thick that it was near impossible for her to continue.
I bet if you put the delivery room from that day under a spiritual black light, it would have God’s finger prints all over it.
The Biblical Canon is the set of books that are considered scripture and that make up what we know of as The Bible. The Canon is the genuine and inspired word of God. The word Canon is derived from the Hebrew word קנה “kaneh” meaning reed. Since reeds were long and straight, they were often used as measuring rods, so the word “reed” came to mean “a standard”. Ultimately, it became “an authoritative standard”, or law. The Canon is the standard to which all else is measured.
Used as his first name, it is the prayer of Kelly and Travis that Canon will set the standard, be a leader among his peers, and be genuine and true to his creator. Canon is God’s inspired masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good things, which God prepared in advance for him to do. (Eph 2:10)
Little Canon Christopher came to my house 84 hours into his well-loved life for his very first portrait session–something Kelly and I had discussed for months and months prior. And as I curled him into the perfect position on top of my favorite wooden prop, we marveled at how perfectly God worked every single bit of this journey out for this brand new family of three.
And He left His perfect fingerprints all over it.
I was at Jack’s house on a recent trip to Scottsdale for a portrait session. We were on his turf, in his domain, and his dog ran by with the occasional bark to remind us that she was important too.
During our hour conversation together, he told me all about the girl he has a crush on. He told me that if he can’t be a rock star when he grows up, he’ll probably be an architect just like his dad.And he recounted as many of his friends’ names as he could in only ten seconds. Believe me. Jack has a lot of friends.
Our portrait session is the perfect example of why I love being an on-location photographer. If you’re a parent overwhelmed by the number of photographers available to you, and can’t decide between in-studio and on-location, I wrote an article that was published on the NAPCP blog this morning about that very topic. But be warned, I have a biased opinion.
You can read the article here, and see a few more images from my shoot with Jack. Happy Friday!
As I read through my twitter feed this morning, I saw a post from @louiegiglio, pastor, speaker, and founder of the Passion Movement that began with a desire to see spiritual awakening come to the college campuses of the nation and the world. His tweet said this:
Josh and I have a jar on our counter that holds a handful of rocks–some with gold painted numbers on them and some without. The ones with the numbers have a corresponding story in the journal next to it, recounting a tale of some big thing God did for us in the time we’ve been married. The ones without numbers are stories waiting to be told of what He has yet to do.
Borrowed from the old testament, they are our “rocks of remembrance” or memorial stones. And when our “children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’” we will tell them of the great things God has done for us (Joshua 4).
And if I follow the trail of provision and answered prayer in my journals over the years, starting with those stones, I end up at the beginning: on a field in the middle of Shelby Farms in Memphis, Tennessee. My relationship with God started much earlier than that day in Memphis, but this one event is my springboard. It’s the very first page in a well worn stack of over a dozen prayer journals from the last ten years. It’s where I learned to pray, laying in a tent next to a good friend, listening to her talk to God like she was just in a normal conversation.
The day is best summed up in Louie’s words:”More than a festival or concert (no names were used in promoting the event and we didn’t even call it Passion), OneDay 2000 was a day purely set aside for God. Though students arrived in the days prior, no one set foot on the OneDay field until the morning of May 20…with the exception of those who read the Word over the ground 24 hours a day from a wooden tower erected in the middle of the vast grassy slope.
And when the crowd did arrive, they arrived in silence. As you would expect with Passion, clouds were overhead and a steady, misting rain met the morning. But the weather only seemed to add to the serious tone as tens of thousands of people made their way from the various campsites onto what we all felt was holy ground.” (you can read the rest of the story here)
As I think back on that day, and read words written on the first pages of a brand new journal as a sophomore in college a decade ago, I realize my prayer still remains the same: that I might be part of a holy chain reaction.
“Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we will wait for You; Your Name and Your renown are the desire of our hearts.” (Isaiah 26:8) Happy Thursday, friends!
I was thrilled to put together a concept for her, and had a concept in her email within weeks. She fell in love immediately. Long story short, this little blog project quickly turned into an entire overhaul of the entire NAPCP site. So I pushed up my sleeves, filled my coffee mug (a few times), and began tackling page after page.
When the design was finally applied across the board, I handed it all off to Mike, the coding guru at Custom Photography Blogs, to make the designs a reality.Mike and Alice have been pulling near all nighters these last few days to get all the final loose ends tied, and I’m so excited to finally announce the debut of the brand new design of the NAPCP website, as well as the debut of their new blog!
The NAPCP blog will connect the world’s most talented child photographers with parents yearning for inspired ideas of all things children. In a single, visually stimulating place, NAPCP members can effectively showcase their skill and creativity for prospective clients who can then easily select and contact them using the up-to-date membership directory. In short, the NAPCP blog is the central source of inspiration and connection for parents.
Make sure to check back on the NAPCP blog in the next few days–I’ll have an article on there discussing studio vs. on-location photography featuring some images from a recent Scottsdale portrait session! Happy Wednesday!
Skip was good to me.He made me a cowgirl for at least a few minutes, even if Josh shakes his head and mutters something about a “city girl” under his breath. That’s ok. He’s not as country as he would like to think, although he can wrestle a young bull to the ground with ease, and he does look nice in a pair of wranglers…
(P.S. Don’t be jealous of my hair in this photo of Skip and me. And don’t be fooled by the “I hate my life” expression on his face. He really loved me.)
All that to say, I love horses. And I fell in love with Emmi, the Paint mare cover model for the May | June issue of Cowgirl Magazine. As promised in my last post, here are some outtakes from the shoot I did back in March.
Happy Friday!
I’m excited to say that the May | June 2010 issue of Cowgirl Magazine is on stands now, and I can finally show you some of the shots we did during our all day shoot in the Central Oregon Badlands in March!
The day involved both the cover shot, as well as a fashion shoot for one of their featured articles: ”Desert Rose - High Desert Meets High Style on a Sagebrush Catwalk”. Many thanks to Mary Donohue for styling the feature and making my job an easy one! I actually loved her styling for the one of the concepts channeling Georgia O’Keefe so much that once we were finished shooting it, I got a few more of the model just for personal use.One of those personal “just for fun” shots ended up being the opening image for the 10 page spread, and it’s no surprise. The model was gorgeous!
ON THE COVER: Cowgirl cover model Tori is wearing a saffron linen shirt by Ryan Michael, a “Gunslinger” hat, sterling silver beads (both from Gunslinger in Bandera, Texas) and a couture chinks by Stellar Ranch. For Tori’s makeup, see page 36 of the magazine. CB Pocodo Lady (Emmi) is a registered Paint mare owned by Amelia Ramsthel.
More of the actual photography from the shoot will be coming tomorrow! In the meantime, you can pick up a copy of Cowgirl at your favorite bookstore, western retailer and resort nationwide!
Happy Wednesday!
Little Travis had been comfortably living in a balmy 98.6° until three days ago, and near identical temperatures outside meant I could take the sleepy little guy into the yummy evening light and he would sleep right through. At least that was my plan. And I’m pleased to say that little Travis was a perfect gentleman and followed my plan perfectly.
Travis is an extra special little guy, who is now the man of the house until September. That’s when his Dad (who gave Travis some beautifully well-mannered genes) will return home from Iraq to meet his son live and in person.I can’t wait to do their first family portrait session when I return to Scottsdale for the 2010-2011 winter shooting season in November! Until then, I can speak for Travis when I say a hearty “Thank you!” to his dad for so proudly serving our country in the United States Air Force. Even as I type these words, he is out on convoy, and I know both Travis and his mom would greatly appreciate your prayers for his safety.
Travis, you were the perfect little prince, and the ideal model for our session. Take care of your mommy. And Jessica, I hope you enjoyed every second of your very first Mother’s Day! I’ll see you in November!
Happy Birthday Miss Maggie. You are just about the cutest ever.
Beneath the glad sun, may the glad-hearted one mold the world to the tune of her gladness.
Happy Monday!
I’m very excited to finally show you the fruit of a 12-week custom branding project for Miss Heather Thorne, a Dallas | Fort Worth portrait photographer. The project is still dripping wet with fresh creative paint since her splash page and websites went live this morning–just in time for Heather and her husband to leave the states for her annual mission trip to Brazil with the LEAP Foundation.
Heather has recently left the wedding photography industry to pursue her passion for portrait photography with a speciality in children and seniors. With that change came a brand new studio, and the need for a whole new look for her business. We began the branding process in early January with an elegant custom logo that fit perfectly with her emotional style, vintage letterpress inspiration, and personal love for all things Anthropologie.
Her inspiration board looked like this:
This is where her custom brand began (with her sparkly new logo):
And this is where it ended: with a full welcome packet (including complete pricing information, a trifold brochure, and custom designed portrait contract), stationery package (including business card and letterhead), custom sales receipt template, twitter page design, splash page design, and two customized BigFolio templates for separate children and senior sites.
For more information on branding packages, please email me. Happy Friday!
I’ve been a busy little bee behind the scenes at Jane Johnson Photography & Design, and I thought I’d come up for air on this beautiful Friday to give a quick update on the projects that have passed through my trusty little computer in recent weeks.
We’ve been cranking out quite a bit of logo designs recently. Here are a few that have been finalized this month:
We’re currently in the middle of some big projects with Custom Photography Blogs, and two blogsites are currently being coded as we speak. As soon as they’re live, we’ll announce them on the blog so you can check them out for yourself!
Next week I’ll be back with a peek at a complete branding project that is still wet with fresh creative paint. In the meantime, if you haven’t seen our most recent newsletter, you can check it out here and then subscribe here to get it personally delivered to your email at the beginning of every season! Happy Friday!
I recently did a session with Miss Maggie, who is the beautiful daughter of Mike Brisk–the behind the scenes magic worker at Custom Photography Blogs. For those of you that don’t know, May marks the end of our winter portrait sessions in Scottsdale, and we will begin booking again for November. I think Maggie is as excited as I am to announce our upcoming spring Scottsdale portrait sessions!
We’re now booking newborn, child and family portrait sessions in Scottsdale for Monday, April 26 through Friday, May 7. To review our portfolio of children and families, visit [www.janejohnsonphotography.com] . There are a limited number of spring sessions available, and they book quickly. Please call or email today to make sure you get on the calendar!
As promised last week, here are some behind-the-scenes shots of John Michael Cooper of AltF at work on a conceptual shoot with the Big Folio team in the Las Vegas desert. You can see the final product on their blog here.
Jen Thompson snuck in a shot of me when I wasn’t looking:
And since we’re on the topic of behind-the-scenes, I recently did a cover shoot with Cowgirl Magazine for their upcoming May | June issue in the badlands - a 30,000-acre wilderness just east of Bend. Here’s a peek at our compound for the day:
Outtakes from the shoot will be posted once the magazine hits stands nationwide in May.
Finally, make sure to stop at the Totally Rad Actions blog to vote for one of the five finalists in the My Branding Sucks contest! Happy Monday!
So, your branding. Let’s talk about it. Let’s say you…I don’t know…created it yourself. Or traded a box of wine for it. Let’s say it no longer reflects who you are or where your business is going. Just this once, that’s good!
You could win the first ever MY BRANDING SUCKS giveaway from Totally Rad Actions, sponsored by Custom Photography Blogs! We’re offering one lucky (badly-branded) blog reader a custom logo and splash page overhaul.This package, valued at $650, includes two logo revisions and a whole barrel of awesome.
To enter: Go to the Totally Rad Actions Blog and comment on the contest post with an active URL to your current branding — either website or blog. Tell us why your current logo could use an overhaul, too!
Five finalists will be chosen on Saturday, the 28th, at Noon EST, and public voting will take place for 72 hours. Good luck!
That class led into a collaborative friendship that is a gem in a typically competitive industry, and I’ve been amazed and humbled as I watch Ben use his creative gifts to worship God daily.
Ben and I collaborated together on a shoot for the most recent issue of Cowgirl Magazine last January. Just this month, he teamed up with the fabulous Kevin Kubota to launch Kubota Texture Tools. Each of the 100 total textures (shot by Ben over a period of two years) was individually created with his unique editing style in mind.As if he weren’t busy enough with all that, and shooting consistently, he’s also a key member of World Relief Next - a local chapter of the larger World Relief organization that involves individuals and churches to do what they can, with what they have, wherever they might be.
In this particular case, Ben happens to be over in Africa on the tail end of a three week trip that’s taken his team into Southern Sudan and Eastern Congo.
Before he left, we were able to launch his brand new custom blog design–the lastest to come through the Custom Photography Blogs factory. A peek at his new blog is below.
To read up on their trip, make a stop at the World Relief Next blog. And be sure to check out Ben’s new blog to see some amazing photos from Africa like this one:
I am long overdue for an update on my poor little dusty blog. Settle in with some coffee–there’s a lot of stories to tell!
If the recovery time after spending a week in Vegas is any indication, then WPPI’s annual trade show and convention was a successful one! While the event was jam-packed with dozens of classes, I ended up attending just one. My social life got the better of me for most of the week, but I made sure to not miss Miss Elizabeth Messina and her breathtaking and romantic love affair with film. Every second of her two hour talk was well worth it. She’s incredibly humble (which I love), and incredible talented (which doesn’t hurt). With Heather Thorne and Beth Daane just before Elizabeth’s talk began:
Other highlights of Vegas:
- dinner with a wonderful group of women (and a husband) who all happen to be members of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP), founded by the amazing Miss Alice Park:
- the PIF Party put on by the PIF Photo Blog I sponsored with Custom Photography Blogs. Music, dancing, contests, and prizes always makes for a great recipe. Combine that with a smokin’ gold sequins dress I picked up at a vintage store in Central Phoenix, and you have yourself a party! Never mind the fact that I didn’t last much more than an hour in my shoes. I danced until the bitter end, and connected with a good handful of prospective clients. I think I finally dragged my weary self to bed around 2:30. In Vegas time, the party is just getting started. But when you had to be downstairs in the lobby at 7:45 the next morning like I did (all bright and chipper), 2:30am is painful.
Just a few short hours after the party ended, I met up with the same lovely women in the lobby of the MGM to squeeze in some quick promo video footage for an upcoming NAPCP Retreat in Napa Valley. You’d never know with all the smiles and dancing that we were going on little sleep. We’ve spent the last week putting together a website for the retreat in June, and it sounds like it will be amazing! Follow the NAPCP on twitter at napcp_tweets to be the first to know when registration is open (sometime tomorrow)! In the meantime, you can sneak a peek at the promo video. If it doesn’t load, you can also watch it here.
Come join us in Napa… from alice park on Vimeo.
Just as we wrapped up shooting the footage, I hopped into an awaiting car with Heather, Beth, and Erin Orias, who all attended the first Be Thou My Vision: A Women’s Retreat for Photographers last August. We left the smoke and chaos of the Vegas strip behind us and headed out to Red Rocks for some fresh desert air, and some time to pray together. This one hour was by far the highlight of my trip:
I ended my trip hanging out with the amazing Big Folio crew, hitting a few slot machines and trying our hand at lady luck. We spent our last evening on a dry lake bed in the Las Vegas desert (a photographers’ dream). Big Folio did a conceptual shoot with the ever creative John Michael Cooper of AltF that began with vintage costumes on the dry lake beds, and ended in-studio with a custom 1931 Bentley. Here are a few behind the scenes peeks at the shoot. More to come once they’re posted on the AltF blog.
More updates on Custom Photography Blogs coming tomorrow! In the meantime, happy Tuesday!
I’m getting ready to travel to Las Vegas for the 30th annual Wedding & Portrait Photographer International’s Convention and Trade Show. The last time I went, I had just started my business, and didn’t really know anybody in the industry. This time will look much different. I anticipate a jam-packed week of catching up with friends, meeting with clients, drooling over new products, taking some classes, and (of course) doing a little bit of shopping.
I’m also going out on a limb and sponsoring one of the many parties filling next week’s calendar! Many of you know about the hugely successful launch of Custom Photography Blogs six months ago. We now have a three month waiting list, and custom blog design and branding for photographers has become a full time job!
I’m excited to say that Custom Photography Blogs will be one of the sponsors of the 3rd annual PIF Party hosted by the Pay It Forward Photography Resources Blog!If you’re a photographer, and are planning to join 500+ other photographers at the party, make sure to be one of the first in the door.
The first six people at the MGM Grand Studio on Tuesday night will receive a mini bottle of champagne with an exclusive Custom Photography Blogs gift certificate tied to the neck!
We will also be giving away a $750 gift certificate at the party, as well as a Free Makeover Package worth $800 that includes a custom splash page, custom twitter page, and a custom blog header!
As if that’s not exciting enough, I also finally get to wear the gold sequins cocktail dress I scored at a vintage store in Central Phoenix last month!
Happy Weekend friends!
As we discussed whether or not a custom, plain text logo is “enough,” I pointed out that many well known brands that have proven staying power are, in fact, text only. And for good reason–logos are more memorable when they’re simple.The beauty in creating a simple logo is that it can grow as your style grows and changes. You have the freedom to add somewhat temporary patterns or designs to your letterhead and business cards, knowing that you aren’t tied to it forever.
Below is a peek at the brand we decided on for Lane’s photography business including a custom logo, watermark, business card design and stationery. Up next for Lane? A custom blog-site. Happy Friday!
As promised, here are some outtakes from the Cowgirl Magazine shoot! Nicole, who is featured on the cover of the March | April issue, is wearing a deer suede mini dress embellished with pearls and shells by Montana Dreamwear and deer-hide shawls from JK Brand. The stallion, Neopolitan Savona 84, nicknamed “Fabio” is an accomplished dressage mount noted for his gentle personality, great work ethic and intelligence. For more information on Fabio, email crbouma@yahoo.com, or visit cblipizzans.com.
I had the pleasure of collaborating with the amazingly talented Benjamin Edwards a few weeks ago on a fashion shoot for the brand new Cowgirl Magazine based here in Central Oregon, but available on newsstands, in western retailers, and in bookstores like Borders and Barnes & Noble nationwide.
The magazine features the best of the modern west including stylish accessories for horse and home, hot fashion, luxurious dream getaways, cool western design trends and expert equestrian advice designed to inspire, educate and entertain the modern cowgirl.This month’s feature happened to highlight elegant western weddings, and couture western wedding dresses designed by some of the best in the industry of western wear. I was drooling over some of the cowboy boots our models got to wear!
We travelled throughout Central Oregon shooting for the magazine, from Pronghorn to a private ranch in Tumalo. Here are a few scans from the latest issue of Cowgirl. Some of the outtakes will come tomorrow. In the meantime, go pick up a copy and become a fan of Cowgirl Magazine on facebook! Happy Monday!
Baby showers are always the same–shrieks of laughter, ooo’s, awww’s, and the occasional forbidding of saying the word “cute”. Moms are inundated with gifts, necessities, and all the preparation they need for their new little one.
Why not give friends and family a gift that’s entirely unexpected?We just received a brand new shipment of Jane Johnson Photography Gift Certificates, entirely customizable, and available in any amount for any occasion!
The gift of custom boutique portrait photography is a luxury that will bless any new mommy! Please inquire for more information. Happy Thursday!
I just love watching children grow up before my eyes. Just yesterday I joined one of my favorite Bend families (who also happen to be clients) for lunch after church. One of their daughters was wearing a shirt with some jeans that she had worn as a dress for a shoot we did last summer. It’s so cliche, but yet so true: they grow up so incredibly fast!
Miss Reese is no exception. I first met her last spring when she was newly walking. Reese recently celebrated her second birthday, and I was there the day after for a play date in the park of the Clubhouse at Windgate Ranch. I was relieved to be in good shape, because this very active little two year old gave me quite the work out.We ran the length of the lawn (a few times), climbed on walls, over fountains, up play structures, and around the swings. We rode the teeter-totter, and explored the outdoor living areas of the ranch. She is your typical head down, camera-dodging, running at full sprint, toddler. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sore the next day. Or the day after that.
However, I mark those pains as evidence of a successful shoot. Of course, only secondary to the actual photographs themselves.
Happy Birthday, Miss Reese! And Happy Monday to everyone else.
My favorite part of traveling here half a dozen times a year is exploring the many vintage stores with my twin sister. The girl has incredible radar for funky vintage jewelry, and currently has more than one overflowing jewelry box in her closet. When we were young, we happened to inherit our grandmother’s vast collection of costume jewelry that we played with to our heart’s content. There was one sparkly ring thrown in the mix that Robyn fished out, and proceeded to wear daily. She swore up and down that it was real diamonds, and there was no persuading her otherwise. The rest of the family would just roll their eyes and play along. After all, Busia had lost her wedding ring long before that. Or so they thought.
Finally, my mom took the ring in to get appraised for nothing else than to finally prove to Robyn that the ring wasn’t real. She was shocked when they told her it, indeed, was real. And an antique. And a unique one at that.My dad’s side of the family is polish. And to that end we called our grandparents with their traditional Polish names: Busia (boo-shah) and Dziadzio (jah-jaw). The family has hypothesized that they got into an argument and Busia took off her ring, burying it in her jewelry box while telling Dziadzio that she threw it away. It was never mentioned again. Until Robyn dug it up. Just like she digs up all the other treasures she’s found over the years in vintage stores stretching from big cities to near ghost towns.
That kind of thing is contagious. And as we shopped, I found myself scouring the jewelry cases for unique must-have necklaces. Robyn has one particular purse shaped pendant that she dug up in Jerome at a vintage store that has since closed. It is quite possibly her favorite treasure, and she happened to spot an identical piece buried in one of dozens of very full jewelry cases in Scottsdale. This one was on a keychain, and I snatched it up before anybody else could.
I’ll be posting photos early next week from my recent session at Windgate Ranch. In the meantime, enjoy your Wednesday.
As soon as he came through the door, I swooped him up and kissed his irresistible cheeks over and over. Until he just couldn’t take it anymore. And then I took a breath. And did it again.
I just spent an amazing week with my second love (Josh doesn’t mind sharing me), his amazing mama, and his (second favorite) auntie. He’s the only three month old I’ve ever met that needed a haircut before modeling for me. And he rocks the ‘hawk like nobody’s business.
I already miss his toothless smiling face. Happy Friday.
Remember this adorable, ready to expand at any minute, family?
The little guy (now at the ripe old age of six months) that has now made this a family of four paid me a visit at my downtown rooftop studio this week, and he couldn’t have possibly been any cuter!
His big sister is my new best friend… as long as I don’t have a camera in my hand. When I do, her favorite (very adamant) words are “No pictures!” However, I’m starting to think it’s all a cover. After my shoot with Mr. Tavin, she went home and played “picture lady” for two hours, getting on her tummy and taking pictures “just like Jane”.
I’m looking forward to our re-match this summer when Tavin is walking. I’m confident I’ll get his sister just as excited about being in front of the camera as she is about being behind it. In the meantime, enjoy a few photos of this little GQ ready face! Happy weekend!
I just love January. Every year is the same. The Christmas decorations are taken down, the house is cleaned up, and I take a deep breath. Suddenly the chalkboard that’s been written on and erased and written on and erased more times than I can count is clean. Brand new. Chalk-free. Just waiting for me to modify, re-organize, sketch, dream up, and tackle new projects (and still try to finish some old ones).
Being based in Central Oregon, we’re lucky if we get out of the 30s during the day, and photography is at a stand still. However, this year more than ever, graphic design is picking up, and I have a long list of clients waiting for custom blogs.Because the design process is much longer than the photography editing process, my poor blog starts to gather dust every now and then.
However, I just wrapped up some new logo projects, and am now on to carrying the custom branding through to a couple fun new custom blog designs. In the meantime, we have two new designs for Custom Photography Blogs currently in the coding process, ready for launch in the next week or two. There’s a large flurry of activity continually going on at my desk, and my trusty new Macbook Pro has quickly become my very best friend, helping me to pound out projects like these:
A custom logo design for Miss Eydie, the lovely face behind Eydie Nelson Photography in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We’ve been working on her logo for quite awhile, and finally brought it around to a final concept that she didn’t expect, and has fallen in love with.
A custom logo design for Partners Trust International, a school of theology and leadership in Burundi, Africa designed to educate pastors in biblical studies with an in-depth understanding of Old and New Testaments for contextualization in Africa, while facilitating the collaboration between Christian ministries’ and the Government of Burundi on public issues where the voice of the Church needs to be heard.
And finally, a concept from a current branding project I’m working on. We’re taking the brand in an entirely different direction, but I still loved this one. Happy Friday, friends!
Micah was the ripe age of 15 the summer that Josh and I were dating. While on a trip to visit his family in eastern Oregon, we packed up the car and headed up to the mountains. After a long day of driving, we made our way to a campsite at Wallowa Lake. Before I could blink an eye, Micah had the entire site set up and ready for camping complete with our food meticulously lined up on the back tailgate of Josh’s Mazda Navajo (or “Blue Steel” as it was known to some). The kid was (and is) a natural born boy scout.
Now a 21 year old studying engineering at Oregon Institute of Technology, Micah has met the love of his life.
Sharon was nearing the end of her soccer practice with the Hustlin’Owls women’s soccer team, dripping in sweat, and a little bit cranky. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted someone dressed to the nines approaching the field. Micah had joked with her previously that he was going to “fake propose” before the real thing to thwart her increasing ability to know what he was up to.Thinking that he was pulling one over on her, she rolled her eyes and called him a name. He smiled. And got down on one knee.
Micah and Sharon came over last weekend and braved the snow for some super fun (and very chilly) engagement portraits. The afternoon marked day three of a bubble of freezing fog that had been hovering over the area, kissing the landscape with an immaculate layer of perfectly formed ice crystals on top of some snow we already had on the ground. Sharon was pristine. I’m not sure how these Johnson boys do it, but I couldn’t have asked for a better sister-in-law. Josh’s parents have called me their favorite daughter-in-law since we got married. Never mind the fact that (up until now) I’ve been the only one. It looks like I have some stiff competition ahead of me!
Congratulations, Micah and Sharon! Here’s just a taste of your session. Happy weekend!
Here we are in a brand new sparkly decade, and if the full rainbow I saw on the way to breakfast this morning with the love of my life is any indication… it’s going to be a good one. And I do believe I had the same optimistic notions at the beginning of this last one. It was so long ago, that I can’t quite remember. But there are a few things I know for sure.
My decade started like this:
And ended like this:
- a 19 year old sophomore at Oregon State that had the world by the tail
- rocking a super short haircut that was all the rage
- working at a desk job in a library
- a sister and daughterNOW I AM:
- a 29 year old entrepreneur and small business owner
- vowing to never again cut my hair short
- my own boss
- a wife of almost six years this incredible man:
And an auntie of almost eight years to this incredible Tober-face kid:
I’ve lived in two towns, four apartments, and one house. I’ve been a barista (on three different occassions), a pee-on office girl, a marketing coordinator, a make-up artist, and now a photographer, and freelance designer. I’ve been on a train twice, a plane 19 times (give or take), and have traveled across the state more times that I can count. I’ve owned 10 vehicles (my husband suffers from car-ADD), filled 16 (and a half) journals, completed at least four Beth Moore bible studies, and taught at four women’s retreats.
I’ve been to countless weddings, two funerals, and one adoption ceremony. I’ve watched the sun rise on the Brooklyn Bridge, the moon rise in Rio de Janeiro, the snow fall in Bend, and the tide go out in Mexico. I’ve found a wedding band while snorkeling in Hawaii, hiked up a waterfall in Jamaica, and survived the attack of 9-11 while sitting on airplane.
As I look ahead, I can certainly make lists of goals, aspirations, hopes, and dreams, but one thing I’ve learned is that lists and goals don’t necessarily mean anything if it’s not on God’s list for my life. His plans are specific. His goals are guaranteed. And no amount of planning on my end can change them.
So my hands are off. My eyes are up. And my soul is encouraged.
It’s been a full ten years. Cheers my 2009 friends. And here’s to wishing you all the best in the decade to come. Happy Friday!
I’m not even halfway through editing this session, but I couldn’t resist posting this one. More to come!
I met Miss Samantha at her grandparent’s house tucked up against the mountains deep in the heart of Scottsdale. Her family was in town from Memphis for Christmas, and commissioned me for their family portraits while they were home. I was more than happy to, and Sammy and I embarked on an adventure together–one of balancing rocks on our heads, tackling Daddy, doing our best to not stand up (and dissolving into giggles when we did), and loving on four month old baby sister, Julia.We played “I Spy”, explored the family’s Secret Garden, and loved on Bunny. And oh, how Sammy adored Bunny: a well worn, much loved, matted and nearly threadbare stuffed bunny that was member number five for this Scottsdale family. At least Sammy liked to think so.
For over an hour, we explored the family’s extensive property and sucked up every bit of evening desert light. Outdoors. In December. Without shivering. That’s why I love being a Scottsdale children’s photographer.
Check back later this week for a stark contrast to Arizona portraits–I did a super romantic Central Oregon engagement shoot yesterday shrouded in snow and frozen fog. So cold yet so beautiful. Happy Monday!
It’s a very quiet Christmas Eve in our house. Josh is working today, and I’ve been cleaning, cooking, painting my nails, and trying my hardest not to work.
As I sat down this evening, opening my newsletter mailing list alongside www.random.org in a new browser, I stopped and quickly prayed that God would hand-pick the one person He wanted to particularly bless this Christmas season. I took at the random number generated, looked for the corresponding number on the mailing list, and couldn’t stop the big smile from crossing my face.
I’m so excited to announce the grand prize winner of our 12 Days of Joy Contest!
Congratulations to Miss Jordann Henkleman, winner of a $1,000 grand prize that includes a complimentary portrait session fee and print collection! I have a feeling I know what she will be saving this one for.
Have a very Merry Christmas, and enjoy celebrating the birth of Jesus tonight and tomorrow. May God richly bless you!
I’ve mentioned in previous posts how busy we’ve been with our Custom Photography Blogs. We are currently booked out until April 2010, and are receiving about a dozen inquiries a day for new blogs. If you’re looking to update your blog, or to jump on the blog wagon for the first time, now is the time to get your place reserved on our calendar! Our prices will be going up the first week of January, and clients are scrambling to get in at the current pricing.
Here’s a peek at our most recent custom blog design to go live for the delightfully talented Skye Hardwick:
And now onto the giveaway! We’re so close to announcing the grand prize winner of a complimentary session fee and print collection package valued at $1,000! It’s not too late to sign up for our newsletter and have a chance to win! The big winner will be announced on Christmas Eve (I can’t believe it’s already tomorrow!) Sign up here!
Congratulations to Miss Rena Snippen, winner of a free set of 4×6 proofs for Day 11 of our 12 Days of Joy contest! See you all tomorrow for the announcement of the big grand prize winner! Happy Christmas Eve Eve!
Another successful photography trip of Scottsdale portrait sessions is in the bag. I fly home tomorrow morning, ready to fully tackle my ever-growing list of design projects, custom blogs, and branding identities.
I’ll put up some more photos from this trip in the next few days, but in the meantime, let’s announce today’s winner for our 12 Days of Joy contest!
Congratulations to Tambi Alderin, winner of a complimentary session fee! We’re just two days away from announcing the grand prize winner of a complimentary session fee and print collection package valued at $1,000! It’s not too late to sign up for our newsletter and have a chance to win! Sign up here! Happy Tuesday!
I had a super fun evening Scottsdale portrait session today with the cutest little family. I’ll be furiously editing the images tomorrow morning, but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come:
Loved this little four month old whose smiles were somewhat elusive at first, but I eventually broke her:
And finally, today’s winner! Congratulations to Kyle Johnson, winner of one free coveted digital negative for Day 9 of our 12 Days of Joy contest!
Get in on the action, and have a chance to win a complimentary portrait session and print collection (prize value: $1,000)! Sign up for our newsletter here!
With the distraction of being out of town, and more specifically H&M, I forgot to put up the prize winner for Day 8 yesterday! So today you get two posts. You’re so lucky.
Congratulations to Miss Brittany DeBels, winner of Day 8 of our 12 Days of Joy contest!
Get in on the action, and have a chance to win a complimentary portrait session and print collection (prize value: $1,000)! Sign up for our newsletter here!
That’s fine with me. We’re in Phoenix again for December sessions, and waking up in the Valley of the Sun makes for a happy morning.
Yesterday afternoon we hopped another plane and, two hours later, were greeted by 75 degrees, palm trees, and a beautiful desert sunset. Driving home that evening, we had the sunroof open and my sister had her seat warmer on.It is, after all, their winter. Which would also account for why we woke up at 6:00 this morning sweating because the heat in our part of the house was set to a balmy 77 degrees.
Today, we played the part of tourists. We grabbed our coffee, drove two hours north, and spent the afternoon exploring Montezuma’s Castle and a nearby ghost town. We were befriended by Bill, a local who is one of only seven people actually still living at the Gold King Mine, and took our time exploring every crevice of the fascinating property. Below is just one shot of many I took. More to come later.
And let’s not forget about today’s winner for our 12 Days of Joy contest! We’re over half-way through the contest, and getting closer to the big Christmas Eve giveaway!
Congratulations to Kim Bruhn, winner of a $100 print credit!
Get in on the action, and have a chance to win a complimentary portrait session and print collection (prize value: $1,000)! Sign up for our newsletter here!
On a recent trip to Portland, I met up with this adorable family of three (soon to be four), and the impossible happened.
I met my match.
Miss Madison is a picture perfect girl that loves chocolate, her little lamby, and all things princess. And she was leery of me. We met at a super cute little property that provided the perfect insta-backdrop for her family’s holiday mini-session, and she buried her head in her dad’s neck. I got some shots of Mom & Dad as she sat on a picnic table bench. Slowly but surely, the tears came.
I tried sending Mom and Dad away. I tried talking about Princesses. I tried setting my camera down and walking away. I even tried handing a four year old my camera, and offered to let her take pictures of me. Nothing worked. She was onto my every trick, and refused to fall for it.
I managed to get some shy smiles of her interacting with her parents (she’s obviously Daddy’s girl), and took one for the team.I am fully convinced that if we had a full one-hour session, I would have broken her. But it’s ok. I can admit defeat every once in awhile.
I did get one shot of her by herself. As I pulled the camera out and turned around to try to catch something… anything…, she had curled down on the stump, hugged her legs, and was ready to let the tears flow.
Even though I didn’t manage to get a shot of her looking straight at me and smiling, I love the emotion in this session. And I felt her pain–when I was her age, I was as more shy than a clam. (Are clams shy?) If you were to ask me a question, I stared at you, and my twin sister answered for me.
Madison, someday I will get a smile out of you. It is now my challenge in life. And when I do, I will count it as my greatest victory.
Make sure to scroll to the end for today’s winner for day 6 of our 12 Days of Joy contest! Happy Friday!
And now, today’s lucky winner of a free 5×5 mini session album: Congratulations to Miss Amy Fraughton!
Want in on the action? Sign up for our newsletter here!
I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by! Things should be slowing down about now, and they are for photography, but the design part of the business is still going strong! It seems all the other photographers have finally found some time to breathe, and are thinking about re-branding. My email inbox is proof. By the way, if you’re a photographer thinking about a new custom blog design, get your place on the calendar now! We’re now taking reservations for April 2010, and our prices will be going up in a few weeks!
And now on to today’s winner: congratulations to Denise Bumgarner, today’s winner of three free gift prints!
Want in on the action? Sign up for our newsletter here! Happy Thursday!
A little late today, but we made it! Congratulations to Molly Matteson, today’s winner of a 10×20 storyboard!
Want in on the action? Sign up for our newsletter here! Happy Wednesday!
We’re moving right along with our 12 days of prizes, now onto day three. Today’s lucky winner receives half off a session fee! Congratulations to Shannon Wells, hailing all the way from Florida! Shannon, enjoy some sunshine for me today!
Want in on the action? Sign up for our newsletter here! Happy Tuesday!
It’s day two of our 12 Days of Joy contest! Today’s lucky winner receives a complimentary 11×14 from their next session! Congratulations Miss Lisa Tyacke! (It seems “Lisa” is a lucky name around here!)
Get in on the fun by subscribing to our newsletter here!
And finally, a quick peek from a recent session. The full preview will come later this week! Happy Monday!
I’m so excited to kick off the first annual 12 Days of Joy contest and giveaway! In order to be entered into the next 12 days of free prizes, you must be subscribed to our monthly newsletter: an inspiration board of children’s fashion finds, featured clients, things we’re inspired by, and other news at Jane Johnson Photography.
For the next 12 days, I will make a daily visit to www.random.org to generate the lucky number of the day. If your number on our mailing list matches the number picked, you win! Winners will be announced daily on the blog through Christmas Eve, and will be notified by email.
If you haven’t already entered, it’s not too late! Sign up for our mailing list right here! One lucky winner will receive the grand prize drawing of a free portrait session and print collection worth $1,000 to be given away on Christmas Eve!
And now for our first winner!
Congratulations, Lisa! Look for an email from me with instructions for claiming your prize!
See you all back here tomorrow! Be blessed on this Sunday!
World Relief NEXT started as a project of collaboration. Imagine an Irish woman working in Tanzania, a Burundi born development worker, a church planter, a videographer living in a travel-trailer, and you’re beginning to see the DNA of World Relief NEXT. Now throw in World Relief and the picture is almost complete. NEXT is truly an unlikely bunch of dreamers, thinkers, innovators and artists collaborating about new ways to do missions, relief, and development. It was launched by World Relief to research and develop a platform to connect and harness the power of open sourcing and collaboration.Their mission is to be a ‘hub’ where churches and individuals from across the world can dream, think, and work together to maximize local resources to better serve the worlds most vulnerable… and they’re located right here in Bend!
Antioch Church is heavily involved with the projects and vision of NEXT. Matt Smith, one of the pastors on staff at Antioch, shared a video on a recent Sunday morning that jerks you out of the sugarplum fairytales and plants you right back to the proper perspective of Christmas.
The amazingly talented Beth Fischer edited and produced the video, and Conor Miller wrote the score.
The Christmas Tradition from World Relief NEXT on Vimeo.
If you have the time (about 50 minutes), and want to view Matt’s full message from that Sunday morning, go to Ken Wytsma’s blog, click the video icon next to “Antioch Messages” at the top of the page, and select “Christmas Sedition”.I’ve recently teamed up with Matt and Ken to create a Christmas Catalog for Antioch. Twelve pages of over 20 unique local and international opportunities to give a gift this holiday season that makes a difference.
Go deeper. Give smarter. Start to change how you think about Christmas.
To view the full catalog online, click here.
Don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list, and be automatically entered into our 12 Days of Joy contest beginning Sunday, Dec. 13!
While in Portland over Thanksgiving weekend, I had the opportunity to meet this adorable family and their 3 month old for a quick holiday mini-session. I must have said “oh my gosh, he’s so cute!” 100 times during our brief time together. I can’t help it! The chubby cheeks and perfect little lips kill me. Enjoy a little peek at their session. Happy Monday!
Don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list, and be automatically entered into our 12 Days of Joy contest beginning Sunday, Dec. 13!
I met this adorable family for some family portraits before my most recent to Scottsdale a few weeks ago. They met me at the rooftop studio, and Miss Rhys was ready to model for the camera! Her little sister took some warming up, so while she stood with her face to the wall, entirely uninterested in anything I threw at her, Rhys and I got to play for a little while.
The best part of siblings is that if you have some fun with the older one, and make a lot of noise doing it, eventually the younger one will come around and want in on some of the action. Slowly but surely, Stella warmed up to the idea of letting me photograph her. That didn’t last long, and the end of the session required a lot of bribery. But we managed to squeeze out some smiles.I say that to say this: when all was said and done, and the family was saying their goodbyes and leaving, Stella ran over and gave me the biggest bear hug around my legs as if we had been best friends her whole life.
I’ve said it on my website, and I’ve told many parents who are nervous about how their children will react to a session, and it proves to be true over and over again: don’t be surprised if I’m BFFs with your child by the time the session is over! This session was yet another example of that point.
Rhys and Stella, thank you for having some fun with me on the roof, and for making me love my job even more! Happy Friday!
Don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list, and be automatically entered into our 12 Days of Joy contest beginning Sunday, Dec. 13!
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