Abby’s had quite the variety of looks for her senior pictures. Here are some of my faves.

Happy New Year!  Now that the holidays are over, we are so excited for our annual Vintage Valentine event.  We have added more beautiful wardrobe, accessories and furnishings to our already huge assortment. This year’s look revolves around soft peachy pinks, blush, and our gorgeous new settee and custom canvas background.  We also have a selection of adorable vests, bow ties and caps for boys to coordinate (please call to discuss available sizes for boys and girls).  As always, our wardrobe selection will include the colors palettes shown from prior years.  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.

Our journey with Crissy and Anthony began a few years ago with the birth of their son, Gabe.  When we heard they were getting married we were of course thrilled they wanted us to photograph it.   It’s a special treat to be photographing a wedding for people we know so well, so it was no surprise their engagement session was a joy.  I felt like a fly on the wall watching these two on a long date.  We started at the brew pub where Anthony proposed and had a beer (or two), then it was off to the lake.  Crissy was just coming off knee surgery and was a real trooper during our long stroll in and out of the water.  Thank you both for including Stef and I in this special time in your lives.  We are excited to hear what the future holds for you.

Today is our Reilly’s 12th birthday!!  And breaking news in the past few hours…the 14th grand baby on the Hays side of our family is going to share a birthday with his cousin.  Such a fun day!  To my brother-in-law and sister-in-law today–treasure every moment, as it will go by in the blink of an eye and before you know it, you too will have a 12-year old.  The past 12 years have in ways felt like minutes, but in others like an entire lifetime.  We have been blessed with two amazing and completely different daughters.  Reilly, our firstborn, is so smart, determined, and always mature beyond her years.  A perfect student and competitive gymnast, Reilly is always up for the next challenge; she definitely keeps us on our toes!  Take these portraits, for example; a few nights ago, she informed us she wanted a photo shoot the next day.  She immediately started tearing apart her bedroom, choosing outfits.  At that particular moment I wasn’t exactly in the mood to style her session, and will admit, I wasn’t into it at the moment.  Morning came and she had clearly not lost momentum, as she plugged in the curling iron and sat on the stool in the kitchen, beckoning me to curl her hair for her photo shoot.  I curled and sent her and James and their way to the studio (I have learned from experience that things go much smoother if I stay home for these sessions!)  I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised when James started showing me the images.  These images represent more than just my 12-year old daughter; they represent our daughter becoming an independent young woman.  Looking back, I’m glad I wasn’t “into it” that day, because had I been, these images may have reflected too much of me and not enough of Reilly.  Happy birthday Reilly!  We love you!!

We received this incredibly heartfelt letter from the mother of one of our recent high school senior graduates and just had to share.  Her words describe the gift we have given to her, but really, her letter, her daughter, and their entire experience is the greatest gift–to us.  A great reminder that the senior portrait session is so much more than just pretty pictures.  Thank you Linda for allowing us to share your words.

“I wanted to let you know what Madeline’s session with you did for us. If I can sum it up. . . . It was transformative. . . . It was important. . . . It was a rite of passage. . . . It did for us the favor of seeing Madeline in a new light. . . . All grown up – at the beginning of something grand. Every change of costume showed us something different about her. The train station was everything I could have dreamed of. My girl, at the beginning of her journey, hopeful and timid, but brave. The white flowers and the white dress showed us her softness and vulnerability. And the balloons with the hoop skirt. . . Well, that showed us that there is no one else in the world like her. She is a true thumbprint. Sherlock Holmes meets “Up” – that could only be Madeline. And finally, The Striped Corset. . . she is strong, she is fierce and she is bold. When I showed my sister-in-law that shot of Madeline she literally gasped. In that moment I knew we’d done it and that my daughter was ready to take on the world.

When I told you on the phone that we chose you because we knew you could give us what no one else could, I knew I was right. In one very fun afternoon you managed to capture her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for an unforgettable experience and the enduring memories.

Fondly,

Linda”

Santa once again visited our studio to listen to the wishes of hundreds of boys and girls.  I’m wondering how many of those Christmas wishes will come true!  Over the two days, we had such a great time seeing everyone and are so grateful for the wonderful toy donations collected for our local Toys 4 Tots organization.  The official toy count this year was 380 toys; not only were we thrilled with the quantity of toys donated, but also the quality.  There will be some very happy children this Christmas thanks to all of those who so generously donated–thank you!  Below are a few of our favorite images that capture the child-like joy and wonder (and sometimes terror!) of the season.  Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and merry Christmas!!  Don’t forget to pick up your Santa prints at the studio this Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21 from 11am-1pm.

Meet the Medeiros family; we had the pleasure of photographing them in Old Sacramento and had such a great time exploring  nooks and crannies around the town with the girls.  They were so much fun and up for nearly anything (especially Miss R, as we’re pretty sure she had a crush on James :-).  Since their session we’ve gotten to know this family even better and feel so blessed to have met them–so genuine and loving!

Reilly and I spent the last couple of days in Santa Cruz, Monterey and Carmel with her church group.  It was a whirlwind trip and we crammed a lot in a very short time.  The weather was perfect and the skies were crazy blue which made for some cool black & white photos.   Here a a few faves.

We are so excited to announce our relationship with the new owner of SWAK clothing boutique at the Fountains in Roseville!  Jodi, the new owner, is wonderful and so on fire to bring beautiful and unique fashion & accessories to women of all ages.  If you haven’t been to SWAK or it’s been a while, it’s definitely worth a visit.  Soon you will also be able to see some of our images on display there (featuring SWAK clothing, of course!).  When you shop at SWAK, you can also earn portrait session credit with us (see below; these cards are available in the store).  The most exciting part of our new relationship–we are now sending SWAK gift certificates to you wonderful people that refer new clients to us!!

Also, be sure to mark your calendars for Friday, June 28.  SWAK will be hosting a re-grand opening party, featuring appetizers from various restaurants in the Fountains, beverages, giveaways, AND….Enchanted Images will be there offering fun, fashionable new profile photos for all of your social networking needs!  Many of you have been asking when we would be doing another Ladies’ Night Out, and this is it!  There will also be makeup artists on hand for touch-ups to get you camera-ready.  The cost, you ask?  It’s absolutely free!  The party will start at 7pm, but SWAK VIP’s only will have exclusive entrance from 7:00-8:30pm.  After that, it’s open to the public.  All you have to do to become a SWAK VIP is go visit the store before the 28th and join their VIP list (no cost, no catch–I promise).  If you have previously been a SWAK VIP, be sure to go in and make sure you’re on the new list, since ownership has changed.  Can’t wait to see you there!

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.