Coffee With Carol

Crusin' Into Senior Year

Ask any teenager what they can't live without and you'll probably get two answers--their cell phone (gotta keep in touch with friends after all) and their car, if they have one. And these days, most do. So what is more fitting for senior portraits than pictures taken with a seriously cool car? Oops, that's an 80's term. What is it now? Awesome? Sweet? Chill? Dope? Gnarly? Scratch that, it's so Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Anyway, we've been having a lot of fun with our seniors this summer and, with the cooperation of a couple of local businesses, had the opportunity to take some really chill images. See, I can speak teen--kinda, in a non-cool way. It just doesn't flow as well for me as cool, neat, and wow.

Below are images of Stephanie, one of our senior models, posing with a 1965 Ford Fairlane in an awesome shade of turquoise. This car was loaned to us for a few minutes courtesy of Mark Faulhaber at Oswego Motors Inc. It was one of the few hot days we had this summer. Here are a few of our favorites:

Another of our seniors, Ashley, was happy to take advantage of a chance to pose with a 1969 Jaguar owned by a local businessman here in Oswego. We were also lucky enough to gain access to a small salvage yard with a grungy rusted car for the urban setting the seniors love--we just had to get in and out quickly before the bees got too mad and stung someone. Here are a few from that shoot:

Of course we could have suggested posing with my Chevy Trailblazer but it just wouldn't have been the same. However, if we can talk these nice guys into loaning us a car for the afternoon sometime, we'll see ya as we cruise out of town for a nice, long drive in the country!

Introducing...Images on Disk!

After much thought I have decided to start offering images on disk.

This was not an easy decision for me, as I am by nature a complete control freak, and I want to make sure that (1) The beautiful images you receive actually get printed, and (2) That the images you receive are printed to my stringent expectations and in the highest quality.

So, why am I doing this? The simple answer is: Because you want them!

Ten years ago, there was a certain mystery about photography. You booked a portrait sitting, the photographer used his film camera to take your portraits, and in the end you received beautiful images that were printed from the photographer's negatives. Not anybody could do this.

This is not the case anymore. I'm getting asked more and more for this type of service, and hey, who am I to say no? Many of my clients want to have some images printed for Grandma, Aunts and Uncles, or maybe they are scrapbookers and want to use them in their scrapbooks. In other words, this is the way the world is going, and a smart businessperson will give their audience what they wants.

So, from here forward we will be offering 3 levels of sessions, as outlined below:

The Platinum Session: Our traditional portrait sitting.
* Up to two hours of time spent photographing in locations of your choosing - indoors or outdoors (or both!).
* Approximately two weeks after our photography session, you will come back to the studio for your private viewing/ordering appointment. Carol will help you choose which images and sizes would work best for you and your home.
* Then all you have to do is relax while we take care of everything. Once your portraits arrive, you simply pick them up, take them home and enjoy!
* Your portraits will be put in our private online Client Gallery for two weeks in order for you to share them with family and friends.
The fee for the Platinum Session is $150 at my Studio; $175 at your location. Cost of prints are extra. See print pricing below for an idea of our Ala Carte pricing. Portrait Collections are also available.

The Gold Session:
* This session will last anywhere from 45-90 minutes. Indoors or outdoors (or both!).
* Approximately two weeks after our photography session, you will receieve a disk with up to 35 images from your session.
* The images on the disk are full-resolution, touched up, and ready for printing.
* You will be given a release that gives the permission of Carol & Company Photography to allow you to have your images printed.
*  We will recommend to you our source for high-quality digital printing.
* You will also receive one 16x20 Gallery Wrapped Canvas of your favorite image from our session (no substitutions please).
* Your portraits will be put in our private online Client Gallery for two weeks in order for you to share them with family and friends.
The fee for the Gold Session is $775. Collages and other special order items may still be purchased at our regular pricing.

The Silver Session:
* This session is a 25 minute mini session for your family of up to 4 people. Indoors or outdoors.
* Approximately two weeks after our photography session, you will receive a disk with between 15-20 images from your session.
* The images on the disk are full-resolution, touched up, and ready for printing.
* You will be given a release that gives the permission of Carol & Company Photography to allow you to have your images printed.
*  We will recommend to you our source for high-quality digital printing.
* Your portraits will be put in our private online Client Gallery for two weeks in order for you to share them with family and friends.
* This session can only be purchased for children 6 months of age or older.
The fee for the Silver Session is $350. Collages and other special order items may still be purchased at our regular pricing.

Fun Facts to Amuse You

Some days you just need a laugh, a snort, a giggle. It might be inspired by something someone around you has done, and it's always more amusing if they are absolutely unaware of it. Or perhaps you did something rather silly or stupid and can laugh at yourself. And occasionally we read something that just strikes us as funny.

Below is a collection of strange or amusing facts gleaned from a variety of resources which will be listed at the bottom of this post. May at least one of them elicit a laugh.

*The French have a doughnut called "Nun's Fart." This one is for the male readers, as body functions are always a source of amusement for them.

*The average four year-old child asks over four hundred questions a day. No wonder why I wanted quiet at the end of the day when my children were that age!

*27% of female lottery winners hid their winning ticket in their bras. I wouldn't know about that.

*The only flying saucer launch pad in the world is located in St. Paul, Alberta, Canada. Wonder how many landings they've had?

*Ketchup was sold in the 1830's as a medicine. It tastes good on a hot dog, but taking a teaspoon or two as medicine? No thanks.

These were found on amusingfacts.com and funnyfact.com. Do you have any amusing stories, facts, blogs, or videos to share? Leave them in our comment section so we can laugh with you!

Have a great day! Hugs!

Ready Set Ride Update

A few weeks ago I told you of Ready Set Ride, an incredible place for special needs children to receive therapy while riding horses, giving them unparalleled freedom for a short time each week. I was priviledged to be asked to preserve memories of this experience for them and their families. Some of their siblings also enjoyed having their picture taken as well. Following are a few more images from this special time. I am excited to be going back again in August.

 

Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! HUGS!

Cell Phones from Tots to Teens

Cell phones. Call them a business tool, a way of keeping in touch or, if you're a teenager, an absolute necessity, without which you would just die. For parents a cell phone can often be a mode of entertainment when a young child is fussy and for photographers it can wind up being a prop.

Such is the case with the above one year old. With the phone he was content, even happy. Without it he was crying and heading for a meltdown as one year olds will do a few times each day. It gave his parents a glimpse of what may happen if they take his phone away as a teenager--even if they don't realize it yet.

And I should know, I have a teenager. Been there, done that.

For these parents, who have twin boys, they have twice as much fun, anxiety, laughs, and discipline to look forward to...especially if they take away a cell phone. Here are a few more images from that session:

 

But don't worry boys, Dad has it all figured out. He just has to start saving now for those cell phone bills!

Lush Gardens

While I am truly sick and tired of all the rain we've had, I must admit there has been one very visible benefit. The perennial gardens behind the studio are absolutely lush and gorgeous! Those very gardens were the primary reason I chose this location over any other and the investment pays off with shoot after shoot as clients are so pleased with the results--and so am I.

One of my long-time clients returned a few weeks ago with the newest addition to their family as well as their niece. From pulling out a few flowers to patiently sitting on the favorite shabby-chic chair, the resulting images were sweet and bursting with color.

Here are a few more from that session:

It's Summer--Time to Trash the Dress!

  

Trashing the dress is a summertime senior favorite! There's just something appealing about putting on a fancy dress and being encouraged to play in the local creek as the steamy heat swirls and birds twitter overhead.

At first most of our seniors dip a toe in, laugh, and are a bit unsure of the whole thing. It isn't long, however, before they are laying in the creek as the cool water rushes by. Hestitancy swiftly turns to interest and posing becomes second nature.

Seniors can choose from our dress selection or bring one of their own. Either way, the resulting images are beautiful, fun, and are always among the favorites chosen by our clients! Call by August 1st to receive half off the session fee and you'll also get five Facebook images for free!

Before I sign off for today, let me leave you with a couple more refreshing images--and get ready to Trash the Dress!

Would You Agree to be 17 Again?

I photograph many high school seniors every year and my assistant, Lisa, and I agree--we love every moment of it. Contrary to what many adults think, teenagers are not scary, intimidating, or really all that different than we were when that age. They are fun, creative, smart, and a whole lot more in tune with what is going on in the world around them than they are given credit for. Certainly more than we were when we were in high school...only five years ago or so. Ok, so it's been a few more than that, but it doesn't feel much more than that a lot of the time.

Of course, we are not their parents so generally we don't get the attitude from them--unless we ask for it. And call us crazy, we always do. That teenage attitude, you know, the look that says, "You've got to be kidding me" or "You just don't get it" or "What the...", well, it just makes for some amazing images. It also captures a look that parents readily recognize, one that captures just one facet of the many each teen has.

These images are of Megan, a 2009 senior from Yorkville High School. She was fun, laid back, game for anything we asked of her, and, did I mention, beautiful? Her natural beauty, complete with amazingly perfect skin, had us saying again and again, as her images kept popping up onto the screen as they were downloaded, "She is so..." pretty, beautiful, amazing. They seem to be making the girls much more beautiful now, with a natural poise, than I remember all of us being at that age. Mostly my friends and I felt more awkward than the girls do now. Of course it might have been the '80's big hair days that did it. Or maybe it was the parachute pants that were so popular.

 

 

So before I post the last couple of images, let me ask you, if you had the chance, would you agree to be 17 and a high school senior again? I would, especially if I could take back with me the self-confidence, attitude, and knowledge that I have today--but only as long as I don't have to wear penny loafers or painter's pants again. I am so over that!

 

Cheesecloth and Organic Imagery

Introducing baby Liena. This beautiful little girl, the granddaughter of a friend, was only six days old when these images were taken. I love organic photography and the cheesecloth was a perfect blend of creativity and organic imagery.

Fathers and babies are another favorite of mine. The images can show the contrast between strength and fragility or the bond between a parent and child. Each image is precious and shows many different facets of fatherhood. Here are a few more from the same session:

I hope you enjoyed looking at these as much as I enjoyed capturing them. Have a great day!

Ready Set Ride--A Way to Give Back

Once in a while a particular organization really touches your heart. Ready Set Ride in Plainfield has definitely touched mine. I first learned of them several years ago when my niece, Kelly, began volunteering there. You won't find a more dedicated group of volunteers than those people who dedicate their time to special needs children.

Since 2001, the Ready Set Ride Therapeutic Recreation Facility has served countless special needs and terminally ill children by providing horseback riding services. It is their goal "to assist these children in achieving the highest quality of life possible through the use of horses and individualized activities focused on the needs of the student."

For many of these children, the horses provide mobility that is liberating, something they struggle with in everyday life. Each child, through the creative use of games and activities, barely realizes they are receiving physical, speech, occupational, developmental, and recreational therapy. What they do know is they are having a marvelous time on "their" horse.

Kelly has felt very privileged to be a part of Ready Set Ride and a few years ago even asked me to use their facility for some of her senior portraits. Below are a couple of the images from that shoot.

I, in turn, am very privileged as tonight I will be providing my expertise as a volunteer. I have been given the opportunity to photograph these children on their horses at the barn and I am excited to provide them with something that will help them remember this special time in thier lives. It will be an experience that I am sure I will never forget.