Lifestyle Photography.

Journalistic Photography.

Visual Storytelling. Photographic Storytelling.

Somewhere along the journey of finding who you are as a photographer, each of us will find ourselves starting to lean in one direction or another in our style. When I first started out, I squeezed all of my photoshoots into a little box. To each client I said “You stand here, and you stand here, and you stand here. Now put your chin on your fist and smile!” And I would snap snap snap away. The results were nice, of course, but I just couldn’t fall in love with any of the photos from those sessions and I had no idea why!

I have figured something out since those days, and it has re-ignited my passion for photos in a HUGE way.

I realized that the entire reason I love photography is because it captures and preserves the way the people and places I love once were. My former business name, “Ricordi”, means “Memories” in Italian. I love memories. I love flipping through our old yearbooks and old photo albums. Sometimes I go back to the very first photos I ever posted on Facebook and scroll through chronologically. It’s a fascinating and wonderful way to watch my kids grow up all over again. I love to look at the photos from the hospital that my friends and family snapped when my kids were born. I love to look at the way our house used to be decorated in the background of pictures of my husband snoozing on the couch, and reminisce about all the hard work we have put into making this place our home. Of course I love formal portraits and photos of events like birthdays or Christmas, but I have found that the ones I treasure the most are not the ones where we were all prettified and posed, then told to look at the camera and smile. The ones I absolutely adore are the every day shots of life as it is! My son doing his first Kindergarten lesson at the kitchen table or my daughter posing in her colorful bedroom with diva sunglasses on. I love shots of my kids playing together, running up the slide at the playground or sitting on daddy’s lap in the recliner in our living room. One of my all-time favorite photos of my daughter was taken in a dimly lit book store.

Through that realization, I found my style and true passion. I want my photography to capture life. I want to give myself (and you) the gift of a photographic story to look back on and “read” when the kids are grown or a loved one has passed away. My goal in each session is to only minimally provide direction for interaction and activities, and rely largely on families/couples/pets natural “way”. Storytelling sessions can take place at any location that you choose (provided we are granted permission to private locations)! Your home, the playground, a coffee shop, a book store, a hospital, a grocery store…the sky is the limit. Sessions like these will produce photos that are portrait quality – definitely worthy of being framed or put in an album – but with a distinct “day in the life” feel that is unlike any other classic portrait session you may have had before. I guarantee they will be a treasure and an heirloom. I feel so blessed to offer this type of service and I am super pumped to define my business in this way!!

I am working hard to form shoot packages and products that work well with this style of photography, but I am also always interested in working with the budgets and limitations of those who value and treasure these kinds of sessions! Please contact me if you are excited about a Storytelling session with me, even if you think you can’t afford it.

xoxo,

Corrie

So, let’s dive on in.

A) I’m doing away with my “prints only” preference and package structures. Do I want you to have the most beautiful prints possible? Do I want your prints and products to come through me from my professional print lab so that your colors, contrast and crops aren’t all wonky? Yes, absolutely! This new pricing will include the digital files and print release for printing yourself AND up to $100 of print credit through me.

Did you know? Right now, the vast majority of my clients love their photos so much that they spend at least $500 on prints and products per session, even if they had originally budgeted for less. Under the “old” pricing structure, they did not recieve the digital files for that price. Under this new structure, clients can spend the same amount of money and still order beautiful pro-grade prints through me, but also have the option to print elsewhere. Better, right?

B) All types of portrait sessions (excluding weddings and special programs like First 48 and Remember Me Tiny) will have the same pricing structure. Newborns and high school seniors are not more expensive.

C) There are TWO portrait packages, Basic and Boutique. (UPDATE: I have added one more, for a total of three packages! Woot!) Read more about them here: Pricing 2013

D) My print pricing is simpler than ever, and more affordable than ever. Most prints have taken a 50% cut in price so that it is not such a financial burden to order from the pro lab through me. Print pricing information is also available on the page linked in point C (above).

Even though this pricing is for 2013 and it’s only November 2012, I decided to go ahead and update my pricing because I am booked through the end of the year (with the exception of one group of mini sessions that will be announced soon). All sessions booked for 2013, starting now, will be using this pricing structure.

So check it out, then get in touch with me about your Winter or Spring 2013 photo session! Pricing 2013

Psst…don’t tell my husband, but I’ve got the baby fever!

These are my favorite photos of my dad. Top left, his Army photo. It’s green and old and doesn’t look anything like my dad when I knew him really! But I love it. Top middle, my mom always called that his “penguin suit”. So handsome. Top right, this is the most recent photo of just him we had when he passed. We used it for his funeral. Bottom left, me and my dad on my wedding day. For some reason, I took the photo and put some sort of weird effect on it and now I can’t find the original file. Uh-oh! Bottom right, me (dark blue shirt) and my brother and older sister and dad. This is how I remember the guy. Big bushy Jesus beard and navy mechanic’s uniform.

My dad had his flaws, yes. We all do. But dang I miss him. And now that he’s gone, all I have are photos. Most would say they have the memories, but in my case I really don’t. My memory is the worst! I barely remember anything, and the things I do remember are usually not accurate. His passing was the burr in my saddle that pushed me to start taking photography seriously, because if I had more photos I would remember.

My dad and I had a very rocky relationship the last 5 years of his life, and I have so many regrets and things I so wish I had done differently. If only I had tried harder, if only I had been more forgiving. So, those of you that read this, go hug your loved ones. Tell them you adore them no matter what and they are precious to you. Spend time with them. Take their picture. You will never wish you had fewer photos of the people you love. In fact, I guarantee you’ll wish you had even more!

xoxo

And take a look at this first photo – believe it or not, I did nothing to her eyes. You should see them in person!

From the U.S. Copyright Office’s website:

Oscar’s 7th birthday was Sept. 11, 2012. That makes him 49 in dog years! We took him out right at sunrise last weekend and got some really irresistibly adorable photos of this little weenie dog. Did I mention I love him? He used to be my dog, but now he lives with my mom. I miss him! Dachshunds are such a fantastic breed…This guy can’t be replaced, but I still hope to have another one someday! (:

She turned one on the 17th and had her party last weekend, so this weekend was for her birthday photos and cake smash in Northwest Arkansas, where my mom lives. Her aunt Sarah did a great job on her cake, and based on Kylie’s reaction, she loved it!

I got SO many shots I loved, it was nearly impossible to narrow it down. Enjoy these photos of my super sweet one year old!