Priceless Pictures Photography

Valentines Day

2012-02-13T09:50:00.003-06:00

The month of February is the month dedicated to love. I love all my clients, family and friends but only the children will be getting Valentine cards with gifts. The older boys just get excited over money and candy. The little ones are much more fun. This year they are getting the newly released Lady and the Tramp. Excited about watching it with them.

Seniors, it is time to make a date with us for your senior photo session. Most of Spring Break is already full. Graduation is just around the corner! Loving all this rain. We should have some beautiful flowers and green grass soon to use as mother natures backdrop for all those location pictures.

Happy Valentines Day

Congrats to our son and daughter-in-law

2012-01-27T09:05:00.002-06:00

New baby girl! Yea. Love photographing babies especially when it is my granddaughter.

SENIORS!!!

2011-12-28T21:53:00.003-06:00

Down hill all the way for you seniors now. Time to book appointments for your senior portraits.

During the month of January we are offering a great deal for our mini sessions.

30 min. session

Two 5x7's and 24 wallets - same pose

$75

offer ends 1-30-2012

Call now 512-863-0138 and ask for Ann

We also have several other senior packages to choose from

2011-11-19T12:34:00.002-06:00

Holiday Cooking

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup minced ionions 1/4 cup milk

1/2 t. worcestershire sauce 1 egg

1 t. salt dash pepper

1 T. parsley

mix together, roll in balls, brown in skillet.

Sauce

12 oz. Heinz chili sauce (jar) 10 oz. grape jelly

heat but do not boil add meatballs and enjoy

I alway triple this as people love them and they go fast.

Christmas Mini Sessions w/ CD

2011-10-16T17:30:00.007-05:00

THREE DAYS ONLY!!!

Mini Sessions in Studio (30 mins)

Bring Your Sugarplums in Their Finest Holiday Outfits

Along with any special props

that you may want

Dates - November 6 - 8,

Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday

call now to book as these date fill quickly

512-863-0138

$65 Two luster finish 5x7 professional prints

plus one image on CD (same pose)

2011-09-03T19:05:00.004-05:00

Holiday Portrait Specials

Sept. - Nov. 30, 2011

Holiday Season Family Portrait Packages.

Package One - $250

Free session fee

$250 print credit

A print credit allows you the flexibility to choose whatever products you desire to fit your family holiday needs within the dollar limit of the print credit. This could include any combination of portrait sizes & quantities, wallets, photo greeting cards or any other available products.

Package Two - $175

Free session fee

50 - 5x7 Holiday Photo Greeting Cards

1 - Unique 8x10 Desk / Gift Portraits

2 - 5x7 Desk / Gift Portraits (same pose)

Applicable taxes apply and offer expires November 30, 2011

Additional prints available for purchase.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Blue Bonnet Babies or Popping Red Poppies

2011-03-07T05:34:00.002-06:00

Spring is here! Join us for our favorite time to photograph in either the Poppies or BlueBonnets. Families love to do this and some even use the red poppy images to send as Christmas cards. This year we are offering a free mini session with the purchase of a $125 print credit / gift card. This is a savings of $100! Call now to find out more exciting details. Book your appointment now as this offer expires May 6th.

2011-03-02T19:04:00.003-06:00

March Promo ...... Get a free set of 24 wallets with the purchase any stretch print. Stretch Prints can hold as many as 6 images. Perfect for Seniors or children. Also have 5x30 frames!

Coming soon - our Blue Bonnets / Red Poppy event! Check back in a few days.

Fireside Supper

2011-01-21T09:47:00.002-06:00

Thought this might come in handy on these cold winter nights and it gets the entire family enveloped in the process.

1 (7 1/4 oz) pkg. Kraft Mac N Cheese Dinner

2 C. chopped cooked ham or chicken

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen peas & carrots, cooked and drained

1 C. sour cream

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 T. chopped parsley

1/4 t. rosemary

pepper to taste

Prepare dinner as directed on package. Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally.

Daycare Divas and Dudes

2010-10-09T19:52:00.003-05:00

This is just one of the little ones that we photographed last week at a local daycare. Such a treat for us to get those sweet smiles and funny giggles out of these tykes. As a portrait photographer, this was a bit out of our comfort zone but totally loved this new adventure.

Holiday Portrait Promos!!!!

2010-09-01T04:12:00.004-05:00

Holiday Portrait Specials

Sept. - Nov. 30, 2010

Holiday Season Family Portrait Packages.

Package One - $250

Free session fee

$250 print credit

Package Two - $170

Free session fee

50 - 5x7 Holiday Photo Greeting Cards

1 - Unique 8x10 Desk / Gift Portraits

2 - 5x7 Desk / Gift Portraits (same pose)

Applicable taxes apply and offer expires November 30, 2010

Additional prints available for purchase.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Summer Sizzle to Fall Fizzle

2010-07-19T20:42:00.008-05:00

As families gear up toward the new school year starting we also have to do the same.

If your student is renting a new band instrument from Ken'z Guitars in Georgetown, you should also be getting a special offer coupon from us.

They'll have coupons from us at the store that offer a free 5x7 color portrait of your student with their new instrument with purchase of our Families Go Back to School professional family portrait promotion.

Check out our:

Families Go Back To School

Family Portrait Promotion

Up to one hour mini-session

One 11 x 14 & two 5 x 7 color portraits (all same pose)

$85 + sales tax

offer expires Sept. 15, 2010

Call now to book your appt. with us. 863-0138 Thank you.

BLUEBONNET BONANZA

2010-03-05T13:04:00.002-06:00

BLUEBONNET BONANZA

mini sessions in April when Bluebonnets are in season. 10% off if session is booked and paid for in March. This package comes with a 5x30 or 10x20 stretch print and includes up to six images. $99 + tax

Frames available for purchase.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T18:52:00.003-06:00

Ring out the old and ring in the new!

December of '09 was quiet as I had blocked out three weeks around the holidays for family time and vacation. Now it is time to start moving and shaking again. Putting some final touches on our upcoming focuses. Have lots of ideas for the new year and how to reach and better serve our clients.

Our HS Seniors have already started booking for their Spring sessions. Now is the time to call for your appointment.

We recently added a baby / maternity plan which has been fun. Babies are always charming and nothing more beautiful than a new mom.

Blessings to you all in this new year.

Holiday Portrait Specials

2009-10-07T13:55:00.002-05:00

Oct. - Nov. 30, 2009

Holiday Season Family Portrait Packages.

Package One - $250

Free session fee

$250 print credit

Package Two - $175

Free session fee

Free 50 - 5x7 Holiday Photo Greeting Cards

3 - Unique 8x10 Desk / Gift Portraits

2 - 5x7 Desk / Gift Portraits (same pose)

Applicable taxes apply and offer expires November 30, 2009

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Busy with Babies

2009-09-16T22:00:00.003-05:00

Our studio has developed a wonderful Baby Plan for your babies first year of life. We also have introduced a Maternity / New Born Plan which we are very excited about. Gift certificates are available and the prefect gift for the new parents.

Call now to book an appointment to capture those quickly passing moments.

Smile on,

Ann

2009-09-11T08:26:00.000-05:00

Freedom is not Free.

2009-08-24T11:11:00.003-05:00

Baby Plan!

School is back in session. Caring for a sick grandbaby this a.m. Hoping this was going to be a restful day but no such luck. Can hardly wait to hear all about the bigger grandboys day at school.

Getting ready to introduce a new baby plan. A little nervous as this is so new to our studio. We have a pregnancy + newborn sessions as one plan. In addition we have the Baby Plan which consist of three unique sessions during the babies first year. Please inquire about details.

Smile on,

Ann

Weddings & Event Venue

2009-07-21T17:37:00.002-05:00

Found a wonderful venue and well kept secret that I want to share.

Schwertner Ranch Event Center near Salado, Tx.

Weddings, Celebrations, Birthdays, almost any event. Very nice people to work with and the setting is beautiful, even has a lake!

http://web.me.com/maddenmorris/Schwertner_Ranch/Schwertner_Ranch_Event_Center.html

Smile On

T - ball & Photography education

2009-07-14T02:36:00.002-05:00

T - ball is so exciting. Was so into the game that I forgot to even pull out the camera and do any sports photography.

A friend recently expressed interest in a photography career and ask how to get started. This is what I told her and if any other photographers have input, please share.

Here is the short version -
I know nothing about the Nikons. My young neighbor, a photo j major, always had Nikons but for graduation asked for a Cannon 40D. We have a 20D & 30D with extremely good lens. On occasion we think about buying a new camera but we get wonderful results with what we have. Top quality lens is huge. Here is the thing, people usually stick with which ever brand they originally buy when it is time to upgrade because of the lens investment. We always buy Cannon because of our lens and Cannon does a good job of coming out with improvements. They are always thinking and pushing the envelope as far as technology.

Please don't think of starting a business until you have gone to school. I went to school for 5 years before I retired from the school district, just taking one or two classes a semester. Learned what I needed to know to get started. See if UT has a photo tech dept. Wish they still taught film because learning film has helped me so much with digital. Oh well. Education is key, don't skip it. Talk to your wedding photographer and see if she can recommend classes or let you shadow her.

Next is equipment and continuing education in your field. Join PPA. Join your local Tenn. PPA and get active. Go to conferences and soak up what the speakers have to say.

There is a lot to it but I love every minute of my job.

Smile on

bowling

2009-07-12T19:45:00.001-05:00

Went from on bowling party to the next yesterday. 6 hours of bowling or rather watching others bowl, gets old quickly. It actually was a lot of fun.

hot outside

2009-07-10T17:11:00.002-05:00

Been really busy this week being a taxi service. Next week want to do some simple cooking with grandkids. We actually started by making pudding today and then moving into banana pudding. Not a big fan of banana pudding but this was very fresh and tasty.

One of the grandkids used my camera today. The camera is as big as he is and he was really struggling with it. He didn't get discouraged because he could see that he was getting some good shots and he loved that.

Plan to see the Austin group tomorrow. May have time to do a quick photo session with the one year old. He is so much fun and not walking well which means he will stay where I put him.

Smile
Ann

Round Rock donuts

2009-07-06T07:46:00.002-05:00

Taking Round Rock donuts to one of my grandboys in Austin. Who am I kidding....I just want RR donuts this a.m. The grandkid will be lucky if there are any left by the time I get there. Ha.

Cloudy out this a.m. A little rain would be nice.

This felt like a flat 4th of July. Did not go to the park, did not grill. Did help move furniture. Did watch fireworks in Gtown. Even the fireworks didn't seem to go as high in the sky this year. What I am in the mood for is to go the one of the RR Express games and watch their fireworks but it is going to have to get a lot cooler.

Time for coffee. Have a happy Monday folks.

Ann

Independence Day

2009-07-04T04:24:00.000-05:00

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

Grandson photo contest

2009-07-03T18:23:00.003-05:00

Two of my Grandsons plan to enter the photo contest at the library in Georgetown. The oldest one has already taken some pictures and found one that he really liked. I gave him a refresher on some photoshop skills and he created a really cool shot. Might be a little more than the library had in mind but he loved his final result so that is all that matters. He is determined to also photography the Salado Creek which means I have to drive up there with a good camera. Kind of scares me when he gets around water with my camera. I'll post their images after the contest is over.

Photographing Fireworks

2009-07-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

Tips for Photographing Fireworks

It’s time to get ready for Fourth of July celebrations and the amazing fireworks show that accompany the barbeques and other events. Want to get some amazing images? You can capture some spectacular scenes if you take a few tips with you before you begin shooting.

Scout Your Spot: If at all possible, get the event early and take a look around. See if you can get an unobstructed view or if you can position yourself where other onlookers’ heads won’t be in the way.

Try a Tripod: With the combination of low light and fast action (the fireworks), a steady surface can greatly aid in helping you record that perfect image. We offer a number of high quality styles including compact, professional and monopod styles

Add a Remote Release: A remote release can free you up to focus on your images and keep your eye on the sky. They are inexpensive and many photographers find them to be an invaluable accessory

Slow Your Shutter Speed: A long exposure often works best with fireworks since they are moving events and contain bright light. Experiment with keeping the shutter open long but don’t overdo it because you can overexpose the image. Alternate between using a burst mode to capture the action as well as holding the shutter open (by pressing the button half-way at the beginning of the action and continue holding it down until the fireworks burst is complete) in a single shot. Each location and event has unique circumstances so keep experimenting as you go along until you find the effect that works for you.

Forget the Flash: Your flash can be more of a hindrance in this case because it may signal to your camera that you need a shorter exposure time. The flash only helps when your object is a few feet away, so in this case, even though it’s dark, keep the flash turned off.

Happy & Safe Fourth of July!

2009-06-30T12:10:00.002-05:00

Can't believe it has been so long since I blogged. High School Seniors have kept me busy since before Christmas. We are re-doing our photographic studio. It will be very nice. Sometimes I am amazed at how much we can get done in such a limited space.

Went to the Austin PPA meeting last night. The speaker is heavy into infants and babies. I am considering doing a "baby portrait plan". Working with children is always fun and babies just bring another element to the table. Lots of ideas.

Would appreciate any input on a baby plan.

Pete Souza

2009-01-19T20:16:00.002-06:00

Congrats to Pete Souza. He was an official photographer for President Reagan and now is doing the same for Obama. Souza is a wonderful photographer and captures the emotion of the moment. It will be fun to hopefully see lots of great images of the two little daughters growing up in the White House.

Not sure why but our photo biz was busier after Christmas than before. Not complaining. Have already done a couple of HS Senior sessions. They are so much fun and it never feels like work.

We have been doing re-modeling on the house. It is a never ending project. One thing just leads to another.

Smile on,
Ann

2008-12-28T18:39:00.008-06:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. We are gearing up for a busy Spring with our HS Seniors. Even if you don't happen to have a HS Senior wanted to keep you updated on current specials. Thank you. Ann

HS Senior Special

New Year Portraits

10 % off regular package prices

+++ extra set of 24 wallets!!!

Offer expires Feb. 14^th, 2009

Call to book appt. now

Priceless Pictures Photography

512-863-0138

Williamson Co. Sun

2008-11-06T06:01:00.002-06:00

Check us out.....Wednesday, Nov. 5, pg. 5A under Business Brief.

2008-10-22T19:25:00.008-05:00

Christmas Special '08

Portrait Package $160 + tax

Up to one hour session
Georgetown area location or studio

One 11 x 14 Four 5 x 7's

*Inquire about Holiday cards
http://www.poundslabs.com/cardgraphics/

Call now to schedule an appointment
512-863-0138

offer good through Dec. '08

Protest to Peaceful or Sweet & Sour

2008-10-18T12:06:00.005-05:00

Not all babies are "picture perfect" at all times. Let's face it, they spit up, have smelly diapers, and yes, sometimes they cry...........loudly. This baby was only a week old when his parents came for photographs and we did get some with eyes open and not crying but he really never had that peaceful look that we were shooting for. Finally he just howled! It was great! The peaceful shots of the fingers and toes were done with window light and he was a happy camper at that time.

Smile on,
ann

Bride on Canvas

2008-10-08T19:09:00.008-05:00

Just got back from the Southwest Professional Photographers Association fall conference in Arlington, Tx. Saw some old photography friends and met some new ones. Got my creative energy revived and learned a couple of new tricks. Bay Photo is introducing a new way to do canvas so I came home all inspired and put this photo together to have done in a metallic canvas for display. Have not decided if I want color or B/W, it would be fab either way. Also, plan to expand our line and add Christmas cards to my client options this year.

Matthew Philip

2008-09-12T04:57:00.003-05:00

Newest grandson is here! Matthew Philip was born Sept. 10. 9 lbs 1 oz, 21 in. long, fuzzy hair. Seems I have moved into an area of photography that I find very interesting with two new grandsons under the age of three months.

Last Sunday afternoon we had a session with a family and new baby. It was a family that we had photographed before so I already had something in mind when we went to their home. After I got there, I looked at the light in their bedroom and it was great, all light and creamy so we just piled the family up in the bed with lots of pillows. It was more of a photo-J shoot than true portrait and the family had a great time.

Smile on,
Ann

HS Seniors / Facebook / Sept. Specials & Palin

2008-08-30T04:51:00.005-05:00

With all my portrait work with the '09 Seniors, I decided I had better start connecting on Facebook. Phil and I both have accounts as well as the business. All my friends that are on have been motivated by someone a lot younger.

Our September Special -
48 additional wallets with any HS Senior portrait package purchased before Nov. 12th, 08. Oct. is Family Portrait month but more about that later.

Had a wonderful summer with all the grandboys. They are so cute and all with such different personalities. I have not seen Beckett as much as I'd like. He is just not old enough to hang with Grams yet. However, I can already tell he is going to be fun and very lively. Amy's baby is due in about two weeks, so soon we will have 5 grandsons.
I'll add a quick post when her baby arrives.

OMGosh! I am finally excited about the election now that McCain has picked a running mate. I was always going to vote for him but now have looked at him in a different light. He is less boring than I had orginally thought. It isn't that he has picked a woman but the kind of woman she is...........smart, fearless, an active mom. Phil likes her because she hunts and fishes. I don't vote for (or against) someone based on their gender or color of skin but Palin has my interest.

Almost forgot to mention, we took a couple of the older grandsons on a little vacation just before school started. I would post a couple of pics but we took an old film camera and used film! No, I'm not going to bother to scan it. On occasion I still love to use film and am teaching the oldest grandson photography. If you have a film base, learning digital is easy.

Smile on!
Ann

Sizzling Summer Portrait Package Special

2008-07-07T20:46:00.006-05:00

Through August 31st we are offering a great summer portrait package special:

Package includes:
30 minute mini-session
1 - 10 Inch Desk/Gift Portrait
2 - 7 Inch Gift Portraits
4 - 5 Inch Gift Portraits
8 - Wallets

$160 + tax

Call now to book your session!

Newest Grandson

2008-07-06T05:32:00.005-05:00

Our newest little grandson is here! He arrived June 24th in Austin. Such a cute little guy and very alert. He already does not like to be put down and wants to sleep with his head on somebodys shoulder. Just snuggles right in. His older brother, age 3, is a little put-out by this new development in his life but will adjust fast.

Already starting to dread school starting. I have so much fun with my grandboys in the summer that I miss them when they go back to school. With grandchildren you get to be a kid again and see the world through their eyes.

As far as our photography, we have recently done a wedding, family portrait session, bridal session, and a hs senior rep. I love photography, I absolutely love it! We also get to work with some of the most wonderful people. Our brides are always sweet. At the moment we are getting to know our hs senior reps and they are so much fun and think will do a great job for us.

Enjoy and celebrate life.
Ann

Baby & Child

2008-06-22T07:27:00.010-05:00

Recently entered three portraits in Millers Printing contest. I had looked at past winners, some were fab while others were just OK so I decided to see how my work would do. Of course there are over 600 entries from Millers customers so .......
Anyway it was fun to do. I did enter one of one of my grandsons and even though it is well lit, color balanced, and meets several other professional requirements, the image doesn't have a chance. I say this because almost all of past winners are little girls or babies. Out of all the entries, each person only gets one vote. I'm sure I'd like to vote on several but it is really easy for me to spot "the money shot". These are my entries.

Off to church and a busy day. Still no new grand baby but soon. Feel torn because our daughter and family that live in Salado while our son and family live in Austin and they both could use some help today. Want to take a casserole to take to Austin to the pregnant mom but our daughter asked for help unpacking boxes. Can't be in two places at once and gas prices and time won't allow both kids to get me today. Guess I'll have to flip a coin!

HS Senior Reps

2008-06-21T06:55:00.002-05:00

Looking for a few more high school Senior Reps for this year. This is such a great deal for us as well as the senior. Simply put, the Rep brings us other senior clients and we give the Rep sweet rewards. Easy, breezy!

Just still can't believe it is HS Senior time again. This is my favorite so I am not complaining. Gotta love those Seniors.

Ann

Babies - not ours yet

2008-06-16T06:04:00.003-05:00

Did a photo shoot yesterday for a family of 3+. First the pregnant mom, then pregnant mom with her little three year old daughter. So sweet and such a bright child with lots of blond curls. Finally the dad got into a few shots. I find that most dad's really like to do this and seem to have fun.

This session was already scheduled when our son called to take his dad to lunch for Father's Day. Of course by taking his dad out that left me without my favorite assistant. Of course, we had to "take five" to give hugs all around, especially to our grandson before all the guys went out.

Saturday, we did an unusual session with a nursing mom and her baby. It was very quiet and dark. Used a dark background and draped the mom and baby in a chocolate wrap. The baby is almost 6 months old and was very interested in everything that I was doing. Such a beautiful experience, I actually teared up a couple of times.

We seem to be having a rush of babies within the past few days. Must be getting us ready for our new little grandson that is due any time. We can hardly wait.

Busy Summer

2008-06-12T12:04:00.004-05:00

Grandboys are going to church camp this week. So much fun (for all of us) and the camp has asked me to do a special photo project. Don't mind volunteering for such a worthy cause.

Still waiting on our newest little grandboy to be born. Daughter-in-law is due any day. Our daughter is due with another boy in Sept. but more on that later.

Summer seems to be slow as far as photography and yet, I had two sessions yesterday. One is a little baby girl that has just turned one year old. Did her mom's pregnancy pics last year. Now the mom is pregnant again and wants to schedule another session. Thank goodness for families that just keep growing.

2008-06-03T21:13:00.011-05:00

Brides, brides and more brides..........along with the grooms!

Are we just crazy to be doing engagement sessions outside in this heat? Yes, but with some of the fun couples that we work with, it is worth it. We always shower and go to the shoot minty fresh but when it is over, I am a wet, salty mess. That is why I always give the couples a hug in the beginning and a distant hand shake at the end.

A few days ago we photographed Katie and Matt at SWU in Georgetown. Had planned to do most of the session in the Student Center using natural window light but the building was locked early. Tried to find campus police to unlock - no luck. As you can see from the images, the couple was fine with the great outdoors.

Just for fun, we actually shot some medium format film in addition to digital. I am the one that went kicking and screaming into the digital age. Dear gosh, what was I thinking?! Love our digital cameras. Do plan this summer to introduce our oldest grandson to film just so he will have that level of learning before he get all excited about digital. I want him to see what a thin or underexposed piece of film looks like and the print results.

Often people ask me what is my favorite thing to shoot. I really have to say that it is whatever project I am working on at the moment. HS Seniors probably are my favorite with weddings and children running neck & neck. Seniors are just fun, weddings always make me shed a tear of joy, and children have those wonderful big eyes that just melt your heart.

hugs,
Ann

Engagement session in the park

2008-05-25T14:05:00.007-05:00

We've gone from relatively mild early Texas summer temperatures to mid-summer mid-90s temps in short order. This makes for somewhat warm photo sessions outside in the daytime but never-the-less we had a great engagement session yesterday with Chelsey and Vinny in a local park.

A wonderful couple to work with. Vinny was not feeling his best but held together great for the session.
We found an area of the park along a walking trail close to the river that had the desired lighting needed for shooting during sunny mid-day conditions. A tree line with bushes and shrubbery to one side and lots of overhanging limbs and branches along with an open sky area on the other side provided the directional lighting we needed. Waiting later in the day would probably have reduced the amount of shade needed and made it more uncomfortable for all involved in the session.

We shot this session with our newest lens a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS. This lens is providing some amazing images with wonderful image element compression and soft backgrounds.

-Phil

Trying to Catch Up....

2008-05-21T12:12:00.012-05:00

Yeah Yeah - we've been neglecting our blog...

Let's try to get back up to speed here.

This spring has been really busy and we're just now starting to feel as if we're getting caught up.

We had lots of exciting HS Seniors to photograph this spring and it was a blast working with them. Lots of really nice fresh faces.

A big highlight for us this spring was attending the 2008 Texas School of Professional Photography. This is an annual professional photography school sponsored by the Texas Professional Photographers Association.

Texas School as it is called is an awesome opportunity to study for a week with some of the most recognized professional photographers in the nation.

Ann studied with Jen Hillenga and my class was with Don MacGregor.

My class with Don MacGregor was an excellent experience that focused on large wall decor portraiture primarily captured in the environment. Wall decor portraiture has become a very desirable way to furnish our homes and offices with large custom images of those things most precious to us instead of purchasing generic prints or faux paintings.

We came home with lots of new information, techniques, and a little lighter in the business's bank account after purchasing some new photo equipment including a Canon telephoto zoom lens, and a couple of large Larsen studio reflectors.

It was a demanding week of total immersion in professional photography with lots of fun parties and food in the evenings. Our only real disappointment was not winning any of the approximately $50,000 in prizes given away. Last year the grand prize was a custom Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This year they awarded $30,000 in photo lab fees as grand prize that was split equally among 3 winners. Next year another Harley is to be given away again. Wow. Maybe reason enough to go back next year.

-Phil

More Pretty in Pink

2008-02-09T05:18:00.000-06:00

The theme for the Miss Georgetown Scholarship Pageant this year is "Pretty in Pink". Ladies, even if you have not signed up for the pageant and would like to do so, it is not too late. They had a Feb. 2nd sigh up but there is still time to join this group.

Miss Georgetown awarded over $5,000 in scholarship money last year! Get on the band wagon and join the fun. Plus you have a chance at some serious money for your education.

The contestants will compete in Casual Wear, Interview, Formal Wear, and Talent competitions. Workshops will be held every Sunday at McCoy Ele. in the Cafeteria at 2:00 pm.

If you have any questions call Jonna Chambliss 635-0400 or Tiffany Case 826-6539

Pretty in Pink

2008-02-06T09:39:00.000-06:00

Thought I would have more down time in January to add more to our blog but as you can see that didn't happen. I vowed to clean out closets but that didn't happen either.

Anyway, last week we photographed an adorable little girl. Her mother and grandmother brought her to us for her "One Year Old" portrait session. We included the grandmother in a few shots since little Gabi and her grandmother almost share the same birthday. Too sweet together. This is one of my favorites because it shows the twinkle in her eyes.

Many of our clients come to us because they already know us and our work or have been referred by a friend. Gabi's dad owns a local contracting company and recently did a major re-model of one of our bathrooms. He saw samples of our work while here and booked an appointment for his daughter. I mention this because I want to tell my wonderful readers how pleased we were with this contractor. He is honest, a man of his word and very creative with design. His suggestions were very helpful.

We are getting ready for our HS Senior portrait sessions. This is probably my favorite time of our business. Seniors are so much fun and fresh to work with.

Happy Valentines Day,
Ann

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-10T15:46:00.000-06:00

The holiday season is here and we've been busy with holiday season photo shoots. Many folks want images for holiday greeting cards and gift portraits for their immediate and extended families to preserve the memories of the 2007 holiday season.

We've been running a Christmas Special Portrait package that many have been taking advantage of and keeping us busy.

The weather has cooperated for the outdoor portraits for the most part. Yesterday was interesting - we photographed a wonderful family in the morning and other than a quick rain shower the weather was cloudy and mild. The image to the left is from our morning shoot with Joy and Phil, their two teenagers, and one of their 5 Dachshunds.

In the afternoon we had another shoot but by then a cold front had moved thru. It was still cloudy but the outside temperature had dropped considerably since the morning shoot. Needless to say the outside portion of the session was kept to a minimum and we moved inside a university building out of the cold and wind to continue the session.

Photographing during cloudy conditions is actually very nice as it provides a nice diffused ambient light and minimizes eye squinting common in bright sun lit conditions.

Best of Seasons Greetings!

Summer's Over

2007-11-09T07:38:00.000-06:00

We are back!

It has taken me a while to get back into my blog. We have been on vacation in the Great Smokies of Tennessee. Needed the trip, the color of the changing trees, and to see family. Mostly I needed the mountains!

Did a high school senior's photo shoot while I was there. My second cousin is graduating from Oakdale, TN High School this year. I think he was really excited that we were doing this and it turned out to be a lot of fun with him. He is a hunter and outdoors kind of guy so it was perfect to do everything on location. Congrats to William, 2007 / 2008!

The calendar is getting very full for the rest of the year. I have a demo booth at FBC Georgetown's Christmas Bazaar. Three days of meet and greet. I could and should just do all my holiday shopping while I am there. However, we were busy enough that I really could not leave my booth, which is a very good thing. Nice to see old friends and meet new ones.

In case I don't blog again soon, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and safe traveling.
May His blessing be upon you.

Ann

Weddings

2007-09-24T16:03:00.000-05:00

Photographed a wedding Friday at Chateau on the Creek in Round Rock. Very refreshing after all those hot summer weddings. As usual, lovely, great food, and wonderful couple. Looking forward to photographing many more weddings there. The owners are charming.

We have recently joined the Chamber of Commerce in Gtown. This is an active group. Not too sure I can keep up with even half the opportunities but it will be fun trying. There is a new B&B in town that I want to check out. It is called Glass Chapel.

Last Sunday we went to a five hour birthday party for a three year old. Of course, I am not complaining because the birthday boy is our youngest grandson and he is so much fun to watch. The perfect age! The older grandboys are now in school and I miss them being around.

Check out our next blog which will be in a couple of weeks. Stay safe and be happy!
Ann

50th Wedding Anniversary

2007-07-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

When you have been around as long as we have, you know a lot of people and most of them were at an event we photographed this afternoon. The Parks celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Congrats to them!
This morning we photographed a wedding at a local B&B, the Harper Chesser House. Lovely location with lots of great photo ops. This was a fun wedding to shoot. Everyone was relaxed, everything went smoothly, even the sun decided to shine.
Tomorrow, I am going to a friends surprise 50th birthday party. I just love a weekend full of parties, even if I have to work at some of them. Don't think I'll take my camera to my friends birthday celebration. It is my day off.
a

Busy Summer

2007-07-27T21:33:00.000-05:00

We have been very busy this summer with weddings and events. .....................AND grandkids! Looked out in the driveway the other day, there were boys of all ages, sizes and shapes. The only thing the little one got to do was wave a flag and say, "drivers, start your engines" for a new race to start. I am having so much fun that I don't want school to begin and take these little darlings away.
Back to photography. Our recent weddings have been as far away as Lampasas and Horseshoe Bay. Horseshoe Bay is a really nice location with a beach but does require extra care when shooting to avoid bathing beauties in the background. Also, photographed a wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin for a long-time friend. Beautiful, up-scale location.
Met a group early one morning to do a family shoot. One of the sons was getting ready to leave for China to teach and study for a year. Fascinating!
This is another one of those wonderful crazy weekends. Wedding tomorrow morning, then a 50th Anniversary in the afternoon. Love is in the air.
a

TPPA Kerrville Summer Seminar 2007

2007-06-28T21:01:00.001-05:00

We made the trip over to Kerrville, Texas as "first timers" at the Texas Professional Photographers Kerrville Summer Seminar. We drove over Sunday morning and returned home Tuesday evening. The TPPA Kerrville Summer Seminar is a gathering of TPPA's members for professional photography classes/seminars and a photographic print competition as well as a social and networking gathering.

Sunday afternoon we visted the print competition judging which was very interesting and educational. Some incredible images are submitted to the print competitions and it was interesting to hear the judge's critiques and comments when a print score was challenged.

Monday and Tuesday was spent in attending professional photography seminars/classes. Several were offered and we each attended different sessions and topics.

The seminars we attended were excellant and provided concentrated servings of professional photographic technical, business, and motivational information. The amount of information presented can be overwhelming and copious note taking was the order of the day. We'll be going over our notes with each other soon to pull out the information we think will be of possible benefit for us.

We were somewhat exhausted after full days of seminars but the evenings had vendor displays to visit with complementary beverages and snacks to sample.

We hit the road late Tueday afternoon to head home. We stopped in Marble Falls, Texas for dinner little knowing that later that night and early the next morning that area would be inundated with 12-18 inches of rainfall that caused extensive flooding and damage. Luckily we had decided not to stay Tueday night in Kerrville or we might have had problems getting back home after the huge rainfalls and flooding.

Fun was had by all

2007-05-20T19:22:00.000-05:00

I ate & photographed my way though the weekend. I seem to have this talent for being about to snag bits of food from a buffet table while on the run with camera posed for the next great shot. It is my version of multi-tasking.

Saturday I had the pleasure of photographing a mother & daughter luncheon for HS seniors getting ready to graduate. The only tears were mine because I knew so many of the people there. Some of these young ladies I have know since they were very small and it was a delight to see them again.

Last year at about this time I was very ill. In ICU and hospital for about a month. I was reminded of this yesterday because two of the ladies that were at the luncheon yesterday came to see me while I was in ICU and gave comfort to my family. For that I am more grateful than they will ever know. I thank God, friends, family and several really good doctors and nurses for being there for me.

Today, Sunday, I was invited as a vendor to an open house at a new wedding / event venue in Round Rock, Texas. The name of the venue is Chateau on the Creek on Sam Bass Rd in Round Rock. Lovely. I noticed attention to details inside. Outside there is a huge shaded lawn and creek running by. The owners are Kathy & Mark Hunt.

Some of the venors were B&G Entertainment Mobile DJ, Fancy Florals by Joycelyn Lawson of Georgetown. Cakes by Kathy has melt in your mouth wedding cakes. Also, sampled food from Kenny's Coffee Co as well as Courtney's Catering. Did I mention my talent for snagging food?!!?

Just when I thought I could not hold anything else and was ready to depart, I was handed a Kenny's Special with White Chocolate. When I got home and waddled in the house, my husband as well as talented photographer, reminded me that my purpose of the day was to promote our photography business, not eat the other vendors food!

Stock Image Photography

2007-05-12T18:06:00.000-05:00

A small part of our business is capturing images for stock sales. I'm primarily the one whose interest leans towards taking images for stock photography.

Stock photography is defined by Wikipedia as: "Stock photography consists of existing photographs that can be licensed for specific uses. Book publishers, specialty publishers, magazines, advertising agencies, filmmakers, web designers, graphic artists, interior decor firms, corporate creative groups, and others use stock photography to fulfill the needs of their creative assignments."

There's great turmoil in the stock photography business with the advent of "microstock". Microstock is the sale of stock images at a low price per image - typically less than a few dollars. These images can be sold and resold untold numbers of times. Typically the photographer receives a percentage of the selling price. With microstock the photographer's percentage can result in his pocketing as little as $0.25 for an image sale depending on the selling price of the image. Stock images are uploaded to, marketed by, and sold thru web sites run by the stock image companies.

Considerable work is done by the photographer to prep an image for sale after the image is captured. So there is more involved than just snapping the shutter for a lot of images and then uploading them for sale.

All stock images must pass strict quality control checks by all the stock agencies - micro and non-micro - before acceptance for sale.

Traditional non-microstock stock image pricing can range from $10's, $100's and even $1,000s of dollars for very high quality images using professional models in exotic locations or settings.

The volume of sales seems to be quite different between the microstock and non-microstock agencies/portals. The low pricing of micro stock appeals to a broader spectrum of possible purchasers and seems to result in greater volume of sales per image. The more traditional stock outlets sell less in quantity but at higher per image prices. The are also differences in the image licensing.

I understand the points of both sides in the turmoil of micro vs. traditional stock sales.

I've been putting images on several microstock and one more traditional stock image portal for a bit over a year now. But I've requested payouts from and removing most of my images from the microstock sites in favor of Alamy and a newcomer called Photoshelter Collection. My portfolio is small at present on these stock web sales sites but have had sales which is encouraging. I need to shoot more images for stock with people doing everyday activities in the images and edit for upload.

Link to my Alamy portfolio:

-Phil

H S Seniors

2007-04-29T09:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems we are almost finished photographing our HS Seniors this season. What fun! They are the best. We photographed a young man yesterday that only wanted cap / gown. It was almost impossible to hold back on the session and not do more but the client was firm with the request. We still have a studio session with one young lady and that it is for the season. Odd thing is that we are getting interest calls at this late date. I like a time challenge so I would not turn down a senior no matter when they call.

This month will be a lot slower with a few famlies. Matter of fact, we are shooting a family this evening. Group of 9 with small children. The adults are all about the same height so we will have to be creative in placement.

Went to the Red Poppy Festival in Gtown yesterday. Zipped around with the grandkids. Phil had one of the cameras doing some stock photography. I am active with the Miss Georgetown Scholarship Pagenant so we wanted to make sure that we got a shot or two of their float.

Met another photographer at the festival and we exchanged cards. Always interested in talking shop.

Last weekend, we had the grand-dog. This weekend we have our youngest grandson while his parents are out of town. We have had so much fun together. Just buy a kid a balloon and that will keep them entertained for hours. When the fun stops there, invest in a container of bubbles. I think we are going to check out the Red Poppy again this afternoon.

Take care
Ann

Sunday evening

2007-04-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

Today's photo shoot was great. Mom-to-be totally was in the moment and ready for whatever I wanted to do. Husband was in a few shots too and got involved. Just one of those days when I have shots planned that work then my creative jucies kick in and off we go.

Off to see our daughter and her horses. The grand-dog is still with us but our son will pick him up later tonight. Dogs are a real responsibility.

Ann

Sunday morning

2007-04-22T07:54:00.000-05:00

First client comment was from my old buddy Carla from Indiana. No, she has not aged or gained any weight in the past 25 years. I'm not happy about that. I said I am her friend, not a saint! Her son lives in Austin and we were only too happy to photograph his wedding. We captured the mood of the day, their story. Also captured the fact that Carla still looks young and wears a size 5. Until now I had not thought of aging her through Photoshop and I'm sure I could add pounds. Just the idea gave me grins.......of course I am not going to do that but fun to think about.

Up early this morning. My mind is in a whirl and won't let me sleep. We are doing a pregnancy shoot this afternoon and it may be a bit tricky. Plan to go to early church which will give me more time to have every last detail in place when the mom-to-be arrives. Now to keep my mind on the service and not let my thoughts drift to the days work.

We have been very busy with our HS Senior photography lately. I think this is my favorite group to work with. They are so much fun! Teens bring youth, hope and energy to the table. I find it encouraging to be around this.

We have been grand-dog sitting this weekend. Murphy is a Jack Russell terrier with lots of personality and well mannered. A real people pleaser. We have not hit our stride in walking together yet. I want to stroll however he thinks he should run down the street while bouncing me behind him.

Happy Sunday
Ann

Welcome

2007-04-12T10:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our photography blog.

We'll be sharing information and thoughts about photography, the business of photography, and some images.

Our web site: Priceless Pictures photography by Ann & Phil Duff

Feel free to comment. Comments are moderated before being shown on our blog.