Let’s celebrate summer evening fun in the sun!
This is the session of the summer! We can play,
have a picnic, jump, sing, have a tea party,
whatever our heart sings! One thing is for sure,
you will have beautiful images when we are done.

Details:
25-30 minute appointments
Wednesday 7/20 Quail Ridge Park (rural setting)
Thursday 7/28 Soulard (urban setting)
6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8pm appointments

Packages:
A. 20 for images online ordering and 8×10 print…$100
B. 20 images in summer designed brag book…..$175
C. 20 images on disc with copyright release…….$250

Quail Ridge Park is an awesome park on the border of O’Fallon and Wentzville right off Hwy 40. Soulard is off Hwy 55 and has some awesome places for photos.

Well, the voting is over and the results are in. There were a total of 693 votes between the three categories, pretty awesome don’t ya think?  I sure do!   Three awesome families will get a photoshoot on me!  Are you ready to see the winners?  I am so excited at having a fun photoshoot with them, that is for sure!  I won’t make you wait any longer, here they are:

Age Group: Under 1

Miss Lola, age 6 months

Age Group: 1-4

Master Almin, age 22 months

Age Group:5-10

Miss Georgia, age 5

Congratulations All, Let’s set up those sessions.  I would also like to extend an offer to all who entered for $20 off a regular session fee.  Thanks again!!

I have been asked a few times over the last year if people could join me on newborn sessions, if I would mentor them, or if I would hold a workshop. After much thought and prayer I have decided to offer a workshop. This was not an easy decision but it is one that I am proud to have made and am excited for the adventure of it! I truly hope you will too! So, here is the deal. I will be offering this class to no more than 8 photographers. I would prefer you are a photographer that already is well versed in your DSLR and have a complete understanding of light and shooting in manual. While I will cover some of my personal camera techniques it is not a full class on how to shoot in general, rather a class on everything newborn. How I work with them from beginning to end and all that is in between. This will be a hands on workshop. That is how I learn best so I want to extend it to you. You will watch me pose and shoot and use props and then you will practice with my help. How does that sound everyone??
I have a friend photographer that graciously offered her new office space/studio for us to learn in. Thank You Michele Garthe for that. Her new space is located in High Ridge Missouri, just a hop and skip from Downtown St. Louis. The date is set, it will be July 9th. So, clear the calender get signed up before all 8 slots are gone. I am so excited that I can hardly stand it!!  Oh ya, and I am trying to work on some deals with a few of my favorite vendors.  Whoo Hoo.

I ended up getting 31 Fun entries for the Fresh Faces contest. They were all under the age of 10 so I made a decision to split the age groups differently! They are: under 1, 1-4, and 5-10. So, here is how to vote, the photos and numbers for each age group are here and on facebook. So, there are three polls on the Life Reflections Photographic Art page, one for each age group. Find the corresponding number and vote. That is it! Send all your family and friends over to vote too. How fun is that. In the end, there will be one winner for each age group who will receive a free session with me! WHoo Hoo for them, and me too! Go Vote now, the voting will end in one week, so you have till May 30th at 11:59 pm. Have Fun!

Thank You to All that Entered!

Please note that Facebook is released by each entrant or participant. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

What fun, lets do a contest. I wanted to get this listed early today but I had to read through and make sure that I understood all of facebook’s new rules for contests. Email your photos now of your babies and kids to be entered. Email the photo, name and age of the child to julie.lifereflections@gmail.com. We will get them ready to be put the contest. The deadline to get photos in is Sunday, May 22 at noon. We will have all photos ready for voting Monday morning. The voting will only be for 5 days so get all your family and friends on over to my page to vote. While you are at it “like” the fan page to make sure you get all the updates on specials and contests. The winners will be announced here on the blog and will be notified by email by Sunday May 28th. Whoo hoo. This is gonna be fun! Are you Ready???

Oh how I love Photographing Newborns.  Did you know that! I actually love photographing mommies to be through the amazing birth and finally those sweet, sleepy, squishy newborns.  How could I not right!

Well, in the photography world, there are many photographers that prefer not to do newborns.  Many that do them but admit they are not their favorite subject to photograph.  NOT me!  I would photograph only that if I could.  I am just in love with it. Well, there is one problem with that. I fall in love with all these families and babies and then want to watch them and photograph their growth over the years. I absolutely love now that I have a few clients that have been with me for the duration for 4+ years.  We have watched each other grow!  How amazing that is!

Why do I love photographing them?  I love everything about babies.  I love that every single one truly is a miracle, whether you know it or not.  I love all their tiny details.  The toes, fingers, dimples, creases, rolls, lashes, monkey fur (you know your baby had some), sleepy grins, and more!  I love their new smell.  I love seeing the joy among the families of these new little beings.  So, many times they poop and pee on me and my stuff.  I can not tell you how many times that I have gone home with a lap or shirt full of it.  Part of the job though, and I do not care.  It washes.  I truly hope I can continue to be a part of this journey with many more families and of course the families I have already been blessed to be a part of.

So, you may ask, why do many photographers not want to photograph newborns?  Well, with all those compliments I just said, the simple answer is, it is not easy.  Many newborn sessions last longer than others, let’s face it those little beings need lots of things.  The eat, sleep, and poop A Lot!  While many newborns sleep a lot, it is not always easy to move them, position them, and get them in those sweet squishy poses in all kinds of poses and in things while keeping them sleeping.  It definitely takes a photographer with a great deal of patience, time, and I believe a true understanding and love of the subject.  Not to toot my own horn but I have all of those things.  Some of my clients have called me a “baby Whisperer”.  Sometimes, I think I am as well.

So, if you know anyone expecting be sure to send them my way.  I would love to be a part of this amazing new joy they are about to experience like none other!  Here are a few images of newborns I have photographed in the last few months.

Many of you may know Jessa, I met her in November 2009 when she brought her sweet young Parker for holiday photos.  I fell in Love with all of them immediately.  They were the sweetest young couple/family and he they came dressed cute and ready to take some fun images.  I love that!  Then after the session, Jessa immediately began texting me about how much fun they had and how they loved working with me.  After I showed them the images she continued to text and call and post on facebook.   The reaches this girl gets to are amazing.  I continued to photograph Parker and the family multiple times after that.  Each time the same thing, she would talk to me about the sessions, text about them, tell everyone around her how much she loved the images.   Jessa then decided to hold a portrait party.  Now I have done these before but, Jessa shew.  She booked two complete days of friends and families having sessions.  It was crazy!  She continues to tell people about me.  To date, I have lost track of just how many people she has referred to be that have actually booked the session.  I know it is well over 35, possibly over 50.  She has also referred two booked weddings to me.  This girl knows some people.  I feel we have become more than just the client/photographer relationship and that happened a long time ago.  We frequently text or call ideas, links, and all sorts of other things.

I was delighted when Jessa told me they were expecting their second child.  Imagine how that delight grew when she found out that it was not one child but Identical Twin Girls. I am so excited for her.  This past weekend I was blessed to go to her “twin Sprinkle”  shower.  I have been sick but I would not have missed it for the world.  This girl truly has so many people that love her and I am one of them.  My gift was an easy choice!  Jessa really wanted the birth photographed but as she found out they were having twins and the details that surrounded that she was not sure they could do it or not.  I gifted her the birth session and newborn session.  I did of course include a cute little outfit for each baby, how could I not.  I love babies!  When I saw the excitement in hers and her mom’s eyes I was full of Joy.  What is better then giving a good gift?  I can not wait to meet these babies and continue to photograph this family and become long friends!  Here are a few more images from over the past year and a half, including one of her carrying these special girls from the shower.