A&R Portraits

Itty-Bitty Emails

2011-12-09T10:32:00.001-08:00

If you're anything like me, your kid's baby books are updated right up until about 4 months old. And I'm sure you are. After all, it's totally acceptable for me to put together a scrap book at my desk, but do I do it? No. So I stole an idea from some technology commercial, and started an email account for each of them. I sit at my desk all day long emailing clients and updating facebook, and now when I'm missing my little ones I can email them. I can keep them up to date about what they like to do right now. (Not sharing, and running around with their pants down. Basic boy stuff) So when they have kids of their own and are pulling their hair out and drinking 8 cups of coffee a day, you can give them the password. Maybe they'll read it and realize that it's all worth it.

Adventures in Reupholstery

2011-12-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

I thought I was going to be all Martha Stewart and teach people how to reupholster a chair as I remade this one for the studio. What I ended up with is basically a huge advertisement for professional reupholster-ers everywhere. I do have a few words of advise though.

1: When in doubt, use hot glue. (Seriously, this thing has so much hot glue in it)
2: Get a tetanus shot. (There are so many pokey weird metal things holding that chair together)
3: Don't count on finding anything cool in there. (All I found were some really old peanuts)
4: Invest in some Scotch Guard. (The first child to get chocolate on this thing faces certain death)

Now that this mammoth chair is finished, there is no way it is leaving my living room. It will be there forever. Or at least until it doesn't look pretty anymore. Then I will put it by the curb and laugh as the next Martha Stewart loads it into the back of their truck saying "I could reupholster that." Good luck lady, I used a pneumatic staple gun.

Not The Way I Pictured It

2010-09-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

We had our day all planned. A trip to the zoo with two groups of friends, and their boys. We had our giant picnic lunch packed and ready to go. Bert was excited to go to the zoo with his friends, and I was excited to bring my camera along and get some great photos of the boys. Phone call number one, "Eli is having an off morning, and we're just not up for taking him out." Ok, we can deal with that. Phone call number two, "Ummmm.... Lucas is still sleeping." Now being a mom that doesn't believe in arguing with a three year old when you don't have to, or waking them up when you don't have to, I was Ok with this. We broke the news to Bert, who's reply was. "Yeah, but I'm still gonna go ride my bike at the zoo." Crisis averted. So off we go to the zoo. A half hour in to our super fun zoo trip, and here comes the rain. Pouring rain. And we're at the back of the zoo. So we end up at Grandma's house having our "picnic" lunch on the living room floor in soaking wet clothes. The rain eventually passed by, and with clothes fresh out of Grandma's dryer, we decided to take Bert's bike out on the river trail. He had a great time splashing through the puddles. We still had the camera with us, so we propped it up on the edge of the stroller and set the timer. Nothing went as planned, but it was the best zoo day ever, with a great family picture to go with it.

Senior Stunner Contest

2010-09-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

OK, so we are starting our very first "Senior Stunner" Contest. Each of our seniors can enter their favorite picture from their session, and all of our clients get a chance to vote for their favorite image. The winning image will be used for all kinds of promotional materials for A&R Portraits. You will be the face of our studio for 2012. So, I just need our seniors to let me know their fav image #, and I'll get this show on the road!

I Want More Fun!

2010-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

As my kids get a little older, and a little wilder, I wonder why my family and children's portraits haven't done the same. After all, my recent family photo included one very happy upside-down two year old. I recently shot a family session where the grown up kids wanted to get a shot jumping off of the swings. It is one of my favorite pictures this year. So, if anyone else is tired of their boring family picture, let me know. I'm thinking trampoline jumping, beach swimming, furniture climbing FUN portraits. Is anyone with me?

Bold Color

2010-08-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Don't be afraid to wear some bold colors for your senior portraits. Show off your personality and style. Long sleeves and solid colors are great for your formal yearbook picture, but feel free to have some fun with your other outfits. Not sure what to wear? Bring in a few choices, and Amy or Rob can help you decide what's going to work best.

Bridal Show Tips

2010-02-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

Many of our clients will be attending bridal shows this summer. Here are a few tips to help you keep things organized.

Bring address labels. If you enter drawings you will end up writing out your name, address, phone number, and email a lot.
Only enter drawings of vendors that you would like to receive more information from.
Bring a bag with you. Some shows provide them, but others don’t. You will need something to carry all of your information and vendor giveaways in.
Make notes or stars on brochures for vendors that you like. When you get home you may not remember who was who.
Take a note book and pen with you. Write down information about vendors that you would like to remember.
Ask if your wedding date is available. You may love a vendor and spend time talking with them, only to find your date is unavailable.
Don’t fall for high pressure sales. Most vendors will give a discount for booking your wedding at the show, which is a great deal IF they’re a great vendor. If you’re sure of yourself, go for it and save a little money. If you’re not, take some time to think it over.
Bring your check book just in case there’s a vendor you feel you NEED to sign on the spot.
Wear comfortable shoes. If it’s a good bridal show, you could end up walking a lot.

Don't You Dare Grow!

2010-02-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

I heard someone say that you should bring your baby in for pictures when you look at them and think "Don't you dare grow any more." Maybe that's why there are over 50 files filled with Bert's pictures at our office. I think that's a daily thought for most moms.

American Girl

2010-01-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

Miss S. Came in with her American Girl doll and a whole lot of horses. We had so much fun doing this session. It's great to see a little girl with so much personality. Click to see the video.

New E-Newsletter

2010-01-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

A&R Portraits now has a monthly newsletter that can be emailed to our clients. You can sign up by clicking on the link at the bottom of our web site, www.arportraits.com. Newsletters will fill you in on each month's special, as well as photography tips and links to other helpful sites.

Jessica

2009-09-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Posting videos of bright sunny days makes you feel a little better about the rain outside today.

Jeffry

2009-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Jenni

2009-09-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Jenni came in excited to get her pictures taken, and it shows in every one. Thanks Jenni!

Family Pictures

2009-08-27T18:22:00.001-07:00

"Sassy Girls" make family sessions so much more fun!

Alex

2009-08-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

We got the sunshine that Alex wanted for her senior portraits. It looked iffy there for a while! Thanks Alex and Kelly, we look forward to working with you again in the fall.

Erin

2009-08-21T14:28:00.001-07:00

We never did find the bridge that we were looking for, but we got some very pretty shots along the way. Click to see the video.

Naomi

2009-08-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Animal Prints... that could work. I think it did!

Full length DVD's

2009-08-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for your great comments. Rob and I really enjoy what we do, and hopefully that shows in our work! We have had a few inquiries on the price of full length DVD versions of the slideshows on our blog. So, here are the prices! Full length DVD's are available for $99 for seniors, families, and children. The cost for a wedding DVD is $199.

Allen

2009-08-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

We wanted to do something a little bit different with Allen's football pictures. I think we got it! Click to see the video.

Kelsey

2009-08-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

We love our clients. Especially the ones who will hang out with you under the overpass while you try to figure out why your car won't go into reverse. It was well worth it though. Check out the video.

Bailey

2009-07-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

I had a great time taking Bailey's senior portraits. Click on the video to see some of them.

Aimee and J.C.

2009-07-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Aimee and J.C.! The wedding was beautiful. Click to see the video.

2010

2009-07-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

All of the new backgrounds and props are rolling in for the 2010 seniors. I am so excited to use them all! Click to see the latest video.

Baby Pictures

2009-07-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

This little one was so good during her pictures, and her big brother was a great help! Click to see the video.

It's Senior Season!

2009-07-06T12:21:00.001-07:00

Senior season is finally here for the 2010 graduates! Here is a sample of Brandon's senior portraits. Click to see the video.

Jeff and Brecken's Wedding

2009-06-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Jeff and Brecken! Click to see their wedding video.

Welcome Our Newest Kid's Club Member!

2009-06-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our newest Kid's Club Member! Newborn Sessions are always free at A&R. Click to see the video.

New and Improved DVD's!

2009-05-29T12:42:00.001-07:00

We have added DVD Slideshows back in to our product offerings, and they're better than ever! Check out Joel and Piper's engagement video.

Perpetual Motion

2008-10-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

This session was great! She has so much personality, and it shows in every picture!

Multiple Exposures...

2008-10-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

This has been the month for twins at A&R. In one month we have had two sets of twin seniors, a pair of twin babies, quadruplet two year olds, and soon to come in, triplet three month olds! I was lucky enough to go out to the park with these twin seniors, who seemed a whole lot more like friends than brother and sister. It is always nice to work with such great seniors, with so many great ideas.

The Last of the Summer Heat

2008-09-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

We really had to brave the heat and humidity for this one! We headed out to Geek Rd. Park for some great nature shots. By the time our session was done, we were both ready to retreat into the comfort of the AC. It was worth it though. The lighting at the park was great. I love the way the sunlight looks on her blonde hair.

Senior Session

2008-08-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Another great session. I had so much fun with this one. She had such a variety of clothing to work with. She also brought along a ton of her own artwork and photography for me to play with. I love it when seniors bring in things that really tell who they are. We were able to go to MSU Gardens for some outdoor portraits. After waiting out the rain for a few minutes, we were lucky enough to get some beautiful lighting.

2008-08-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun session to do.

She is such a photogenic girl. We were able to go to a couple of the parks in Corunna for some great nature portraits. I have also been trying some new lighting techniques for our backdrops at the studio. So far, I really like the bright colors we are getting.

Our First Post

2008-08-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

Robert and I have started a blog to keep our clients updated on what is going on at our studio. Make sure to check back frequently to see our favorite portrait of the week. You never know, it might be you! To start us off is my current favorite, my own family of course!