It’s that time of year again!  We’re so excited to announce this year’s Mommy & Me Portraits for the Cure charity event.  All of the event specifics are below, but we thought we’d share a few extra details here because we know there are always questions that come up.  First thing to consider–clothing!  We will be using the grey background shown below, so they sky is the limit as far as color options.  Bright, dark, and deep colors look great on this color, but pastels can work, too.  We would suggest avoiding white, as it can appear a bit stark against this darker background.  Since this is a Mommy & Me event, the question often comes up about who can be a part of this portrait; this event is specific to “moms,”  but grandmothers are welcome as well.  The beautiful 5×7 print you will receive  will be available for pickup at our studio on Friday, May 31 from 11am-1pm and Saturday, June 1 from 10am-noon only.  There will also be an option to have your print(s) mailed to you for a small handling fee if you choose.  That’s about it for the details, so we hope to see you on May 19 to help a cause near and dear to our hearts and receive a beautiful portrait at the same time!

Happy New Year!  Now that the holidays are over, we are so excited for our annual Vintage Valentine event.  We have added the most amazing wardrobe and accessories ever (thanks to our talented friend from Wrapped in Clover).  This year’s look revolves around our gorgeous new vintage blue angel wings, incorporating soft creams, tans & splashes of blue.  We also have a selection of adorable vests, bow ties and caps for boys to coordinate (not shown–call for sizes) with the new look (our classic pinks and browns will still be available as well).  We will be offering beautiful custom Valentine cards and other newly designed offerings made to showcase your timeless portraits.  These sessions will fill quickly, so please call early to reserve your date/time.

Hard to believe we’re talking about Valentine’s Day when it’s not even Christmas yet, but it’s just around the corner!  This January we will offer our 4th annual Vintage Valentine mini-sessions, and we’re more excited about this year’s stylings than ever!  If you’re at all familiar with any of our previous Valentine events, we will still have our lovely pinks, browns, and neutral angel wings and tutus available, but this year our new look starts with these gorgeous, vintage blue angel wings.  Our talented friend of Wrapped in Clover custom made tutus and dresses with interchangeable belts and flowers that are in a word, exquisite.  This post is just a sneak peek of some of the details of our new wardrobe to whet your appetite; the actual promotional images and information will be posted closer to the new year.  We did, however, want to give you all the opportunity to mark your calendars, as the event will take place January 17-19 and will sell out quickly.  Can’t wait!!

We are overwhelmed with the support shown this year once again for our Toys 4 Tots Santa portrait charity event.  We were thrilled to see nearly 300 families and collect such amazing toy donations from our generous community!  We also want to thank our co-sponsor, Northern California Dance Conservatory, for their help in making this event a success.  Below are just a few highlights from last weekend’s event.  If you attended, please don’t forget that your prints will be available for pickup (at the studio)  this Tuesday, Dec. 18 from 11am-1pm and Wednesday, Dec. 19 from 4-6pm.

I can hear the sleigh bells already!!  Just in time for the holidays, Santa will be visiting the studio as we co-host our annual Toys 4 Tots Santa Portrait charity event with our friends at Northern California Dance Conservatory.  For one new, unwrapped toy donation per family (minimum $20 value please), you will receive a beautiful 5×7 portrait of your child(ren) visiting with our lovely Santa.  The event will run over 2 days and no appointments are necessary (see below for details).  The prints will be available for pick-up at our studio on Tuesday, Dec. 18 11am-1pm, Wednesday, Dec. 19 4-6pm.  Purchased digital images will be emailed by Wednesday, Dec. 12.  PLEASE choose the option to have your print mailed to you if you are not positive you will be able to pick it up.  We have so many orphaned prints from last year that were never claimed–so sad!!  To make the event run as smoothly as possible, and for your convenience, please fill out our online registration form, print it out, and bring it with you to the event–this will save you the time of filling it out in person.  Click HERE for online registration.  We can’t wait to see everyone on Dec.8/9!

We thought we’d whet your appetite a bit for the big Costumes & Cans post still to come with a few of our own girls.  We get so busy with our Costumes & Cans charity event each year at this time that getting our own kids into the studio in their costumes is a bit of a challenge (code for–we didn’t even get them in the studio in their costumes last year!).  I was feeling pretty guilty and decided we could squeeze it in today between school, homework, and Teagan’s guitar lesson.  The girls were excited to get in full costume with hair and makeup (which may not even happen to this extent on Halloween since Reilly will be at gymnastics until at least 6:30pm!).  Our 10-year old, Reilly, chose a gypsy/fortune teller costume and Teagan chose a flapper costume, even though she has no idea what a flapper is! (the power of sequins and feathers for a 7 year-old!).  Teagan was so impressed with herself that she requested to be on next year’s promo piece for our Costumes & Cans event!  Here are a few favorites…they each chose their full-body individual images here–we are getting a taste of how picky girls can be about themselves in portraits!  Happy Halloween!!

It’s that time again!  We’re thrilled to announce our 4th annual Mommy & Me Portraits for the Cure event.  This is an opportunity for all the moms out there who are often behind the camera to finally get a great portrait of themselves with their kids, all while donating to a wonderful cause.  We will be photographing on the background shown here, so please plan clothing accordingly (the background is lighter with pale pinks and greens).  Our biggest rule of thumb when it comes to clothing choices is to make sure you aren’t mixing lights and darks too much.  We will have prints ready in time for Father’s Day–hint, hint!  Hope to see you there!

Just when you think the holidays are over–it’s time for Valentine fun!  Once again we’re offering our exclusive Vintage Valentine mini-sessions, complete with custom made tutus, angel wings & headpieces.  This year we’ve added a new vintage look, showcasing the blacks, reds & creams along with our traditional pinks and browns.  The new wardrobe and accessory options we’ve added this year give us the largest selection of styles and sizes yet!  Our wardrobe for girls is still a bit more expansive than for the boys (sorry boys!), but we have added some various sized vests, caps & a few shirts for the boys this year.  Please inquire for sizing availability for your individual cherubs.  We will also be offering gorgeous custom Valentine cards, along with newly designed offerings to showcase your timeless portraits.  These sessions will fill quickly, so please be sure to call early to reserve your date/time.

You may remember these lovely folks from their wedding sneak peek a while back.  There were just too many great images not to share more, so enjoy this, the story of two wonderful people committing their lives to each other and allowing us the privilege of capturing it, beginning with the wedding rehearsal!

In an effort to make Costumes & Cans 2011 run as smoothly as possible, we now have an online information form for you to complete before coming to the event on Sunday.  Please be sure to complete this form, print it to bring along with your canned food donation, and submit it online as well.  Every child photographed will need one of these forms completed to turn in at the event.  We are making every effort to make things as simple as possible for you at Costumes & Cans 2011.  There is also important information on the form that you will need, so if you’re planning on attending, please click here to complete your form today!  Thanks so much and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday, October 16 from 10am-2pm at our studio at 950 Reserve Dr., #130, Roseville, 95678.