Spotlight: Santa Claus!

We had a great time with Santa this year – check out what he did and all the kids who came to tell him what they wanted for Christmas!

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus!

If you have never read it before, please take a minute and read this awesome story! Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

Santa Claus will be here at the portraits shoppe all this weekend and next, Dec. 4th and 5th – just call us up or make an appointment on the web to get your children’s portraits made with him!

‘Twas the Week before Santa

‘Twas the week before Santa and all through the Shoppe
The photographers busied themselves setting up…

The costumes were hung in the studio with care,
In hopes that the children would like them to wear;

The backgrounds were ready, the lights metered right,
The props were all set and packed in rather tight.

And Shelly and Ashley arranged the décor
While Ryan called clients, and Michael swept the floor.

When all of a sudden we heard the door, “Jing!”
We looked and we saw the most wonderful thing,

A charming old man in gold colored robe
With a cloak and some slippers topping off his wardrobe.

With a head full of hair that was billowing white
And a beard set to match he was really a sight.

The glasses that sat on his nose were just fine
And upon his head was a wreath made of pine.

And we turned and cried, “Santa! We’re so glad you’re here!
We haven’t seen you since this time last year!”

And he laughed and he stretched out his arms open wide
And he gave us a hug, pulled us in to his side,

And he said, “Oh, my dears, I’m so glad I’ve arrived,
For being with you makes me feel so alive;

But the kids—oh the kids! Now they’re really the reason
That I come to the Portrait Shoppe each Christmas Season;

I love how they smile, how they laugh, how they play,
And the innocent fun that they have every day!

There’s no greater joy that I keep for my part
Than a young girl or boy who feels loved in their heart.

So bring on the children! I can’t wait to see
Who comes here this year to sit on my knee!”

Then laughing he went in the back to prepare
For the kids who’ll be coming to visit him there.

Now he’ll be here two weekends, but only those two
(for as Christmas approaches he’s got LOTS to do):

On the 27th and 28th days of November,
And also the 4th and the 5th of December.

So don’t miss the chance for your own kids to come
And see Santa before he will visit your home.

To make an appointment just reach us by phone:
Call Two, Double Seven, Six, Six, Seven One (277-6671)

We’re awaiting your call, so with Santa we’ll croon,
“Merry Christmas all, we’ll see you here soon!”

Christmas is for Love

Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages. But mostly, Christmas is for love. I had not believed this until a small elf-like student with wide-eyed innocent eyes and soft rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift one Christmas.

Mark was an 11 year old orphan who lived with his aunt, a bitter middle aged woman greatly annoyed with the burden of caring for her dead sister’s son. She never failed to remind young Mark, if it hadn’t been for her generosity, he would be a vagrant, homeless waif. Still, with all the scolding and chilliness at home, he was a sweet and gentle child.

I had not noticed Mark particularly until he began staying after class each day (at the risk of arousing his aunt’s anger, I later found) to help me straighten up the room. We did this quietly and comfortably, not speaking much, but enjoying the solitude of that hour of the day. When we did talk, Mark spoke mostly of his mother. Though he was quite small when she died, he remembered a kind, gentle, loving woman, who always spent much time with him.

As Christmas drew near however, Mark failed to stay after school each day. I looked forward to his coming, and when the days passed and he continued to scamper hurriedly from the room after class, I stopped him one afternoon and asked why he no longer helped me in the room. I told him how I had missed him, and his large gray eyes lit up eagerly as he replied, “Did you really miss me?”

I explained how he had been my best helper. “I was making you a surprise,” he whispered confidentially. “It’s for Christmas.” With that, he became embarrassed and dashed from the room. He didn’t stay after school any more after that.

Finally came the last school day before Christmas. Mark crept slowly into the room late that afternoon with his hands concealing something behind his back. “I have your present,” he said timidly when I looked up. “I hope you like it.” He held out his hands, and there lying in his small palms was a tiny wooden box.

“Its beautiful, Mark. Is there something in it?” I asked opening the top to look inside. “

“Oh you can’t see what’s in it,” He replied, “and you can’t touch it, or taste it or feel it, but mother always said it makes you feel good all the time, warm on cold nights, and safe when you’re all alone.”

I gazed into the empty box. “What is it Mark,” I asked gently, “that will make me feel so good?” “It’s love,” he whispered softly, “and mother always said it’s best when you give it away.” And he turned and quietly left the room.

So now I keep a small box crudely made of scraps of wood on the piano in my living room and only smile as inquiring friends raise quizzical eyebrows when I explain to them that there is love in it.

Yes, Christmas is for gaiety, mirth and song, for good and wondrous gifts. But mostly, Christmas is for love.

Author an Publication Unknown

Sneak Peak: Paw-traits 2010

We specialize in photographing kids. But something we’ve grown into in the last couple of years is taking portraits of the furriest children…that’s right, pets! Last year the Portrait Shoppe introduced its first annual Paw-traits modeling contest: a chance for your dog (or dogs) to come to the Portrait Shoppe and show off their goods with the chance to win some cool prizes. Well, it was such a hit last year that we can hardly wait to start that up again and see more of those adorable canines! Here are some of the basics about the contest:

1) You must be a dog to enter.

2) Your owner must think you’re cute (or pretty, beautiful, handsome, dashing, etc.)

3) You must come to the Portrait Shoppe to have your portrait taken for the contest.

4) One image per session will be chosen and entered into the contest.

5) You may chose to enter into either the Reality or Imagination category, or you may enter both and give yourself double the chance to win!

6) Winners are chosen based on size (small breed, medium breed, large breed) and category, so there are six category winners!

7) All judging will be by PetSuites of Lexington.

Contest begins Jan. 1, 2010!

If you have questions, please call us and ask (yes, we speak “woof”). Pets truly are simply furry children, we can’t wait to celebrate them this season! We’ll see you soon!

Christmas time has arrived!

Christmas time is here again!

Christmas ‘09 is shaping up to be AWESOME here at the Portrait Shoppe! We’ve got Santa coming back right after Thanksgiving, we’ve got a brand new background, and even some staff changes from last year!

Be sure to be on the lookout for a Christmas Postcard in the mail from us with all the details on how to book your Christmas Session. Keep in mind: Call us early to get the day and time that’s best for your family! The later it gets the busier it gets, so call now and get it scheduled while you can.

Also, in the meantime, keep reading our blog and looking for updates on Facebook and Twitter! Thanks so much for following us there – we’ve really enjoyed it! See you on the web and in the studio!

Halloween Fun – Angels and Hippies

We had a BLAST on Halloween! We had a few great sessions, and all in costume, baby! Check out these awesome images from one session with 3 little angels, courtesy of their mom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 3rd little angel isn’t in these shots because she’s only 2, and she wasn’t quite up for playing with us. The portraits turned out great, and (as you can plainly see) we had an awesome time! Thanks to Jill for providing us with the pictures from her own camera!

P.S. What do you think of Ryan’s hippie outfit?

9 Halloween Photography Tips

So it’s Saturday evening, your kid’s all dressed in full Halloween garb and about to hit up all your neighbors for sweets and holiday goodness, and you want to commemorate this oh-so-adorable event with a few pictures. Here are 9 tips from the photographers at the Portrait Shoppe that may help you capture the mood and feeling of All Hallow’s Eve in your portraits:

1. Know what your subject is

There will be no end to the things you can shoot at Halloween: from jack-o-lanterns to scary decorations to kids in costume. Figuring out exactly what it is you want to photograph will make your photographs much more pleasing to look at and easier to understand. Halloween is a time of color, emotion, and its full of all sorts of interesting subjects – take them one at a time , pick one to be your main focus in each shot, that way each one will stand out boldly.

2. Find interesting details to focus on

All good images have something in them that holds the attention of their viewers. Rather than taking all wide shots from 5 feet up, find the details that make the moment memorable. For example, instead of having the kid hold the pillow case of candy up by his head, have him reach in a grab as much as he can and hold it up by his face. That is a much more emotional and exciting photograph! Find the little details about her costume that really make it special and use those as your focal points. Everything you’ll see on Halloween will be full of detail – like the point about picking your subject, don’t try and focus on too much at once.

3. Fill the frame to increase drama

Zoom in! (But please, whatever you do, DON’T use the “digital zoom” on your camera!) Get in close and fill the frame with your subject. This helps to crowd out unwanted distractions in the background and it heightens the drama of the portrait. Whether its people or objects, getting in close will usually at a good punch to your shot.

4. Experiment with fresh camera angles

It’s probably the case that the day after Halloween, photo sharing websites will be filled with images of pumpkins and ghosts with winter coats on that all look very much the same. Make your images stand out by finding fresh angles to shoot from. Try getting super low or super high and see what difference it makes. And if you really feel bold, angle your camera a little bit. The key is to experiment; some angles will be absolutely terrible, some will be a breath of fresh air – play around and see what you like.

5. Pay attention to the background and surroundings

A great picture of your child in costume can be totally ruined by the TV on in the background, or the dishes in the sink peaking out from behind her head. Remember, even though you may only be focused on how cute she may look, your camera is picking up everything in its field of view. Move your subjects in front of a simple background, or one that doesn’t have a lot of distractions in it. If you can, remove everything from the scene that doesn’t belong in the “period” of the costume: for example, there were no wristwatches in the medieval period, nor were there bookshelves in neverland. One other thing to consider in your surroundings and background is color – something too similar to the costume may blend in to your subjects, but something too different may clash. A little attention to these things ahead of time will result in images that really pop.

6. Turn off your flash (if you can)

No holiday is more dramatic, edgy, and dark than Halloween. Photographing your little ghouls under bright lights or the flash of your camera will severely dampen the effect of this mood that characterizes the holiday. If you can, photograph them in natural light – sunset lighting is AMAZING for these pictures! Make use of interesting light, such as candles, to add a really cool mood to your pictures. Just remember to tell your subjects to keep still while you get the shot!

For those who have cameras with the capability: 1) increase your ISO – the larger your number the more sensitive your image sensor is to light and the darker conditions you can shoot in without having to slow down shutter speed. 2) slow down shutter speed – choosing a longer shutter speed lets more light into your camera. On the downside you’ll see any movement in your shots blur (which might add to the spookiness of the image but could also ruin it). Consider using a tripod if you lengthen your shutter speed. 3) use a larger Aperture – this widens the hole in your lens and lets more available light in. It will also lessen the depth of field in your shots.

7. Jack-0-lanterns

A special note about photographing Jack-o-lanterns: it is particularly tricky to get the full effect of the eerie glowing inside. Instead of just the one candle you keep in there normally, it’s probably a good idea to use 2 or 3 for added light. Then set your camera down on a tripod or something sturdy (table, chair, etc.). Don’t forget to keep your flash off!

8. All about the attitude

“Hey, look here and smile!” Come on, how many superheroes want to pose like a little kid? Do you really think that a witch is going to try and look pretty for you? This may be your kid’s one big chance in the year to bring out their inner actor – let them perform! Ask them to go overboard with attitude…trust me, you’re kid knows how to ham it up! Encourage this by addressing them and interacting with them as though they really were Spiderman, or Peter Pan, or Aurora the princess. Kids LOVE this stuff – let them be completely enveloped by their character, and make sure your shots capture the energy they give!

9. Tell the story

Finally, don’t just take random photos throughout the night – chronolog the event through your images. Take the before shots of the kids getting into costume; take the after shots of the kid asleep at the Halloween party. Try to get some candid moments of the trick-or-treating and please don’t forget to catch the excitement in their faces when they get their first piece of Halloween candy! Photograph the moments, not just the stuff – your images will stand out from the crowd!

Spotlight: Danica and Ravyn!

Today’s Spotlight is of two girls whose family has been coming here for almost 6 years! Check out these lovely ladies!

DANICA

RAVYN

Thanks Ladies! We had a GREAT time, and your portraits are amazing!

Happy Halloween! Have fun trick-or-treating!

Spotlight: Triplets!

We are starting something really cool – we are going to Spotlight the most important part of the Portrait Shoppe: YOU! Well, your kids, probably…but don’t worry, they’re the cute ones anyway! This Spotlight feature is going to be a regular section of our Portrait Shoppe Blog, so make sure you check back often to see the latest and greatest coming out of our studio!

Today, we get to feature something 3 times as fun – TRIPLETS!!! We had an adorable triad of 9-month-olds come in together, and all in UK Blue – too cute! Check it out!

Mason

Eden

Kylee

Thanks to mom, Kristy, for bringing in these awesome three! We look forward to seeing them as they grow!