2012. REFRESH. SIMPLIFY. CONNECT.

The new year has arrived!  2011 was an incredible year for me both personally and professionally.  An engagement in March, a marriage in June complete with my wedding being featured in Southern Weddings magazine, a new family, new friendships, my business continues to grow... so many great memories and things to be thankful for.

But I’m ready to take on 2012!  And it’s already shaping up to be a fabulous year.  Here’s a look at what I want to accomplish this year....

• REFRESH my home:  I love my home.  It’s a beautiful house that my husband built about 5 years ago.  I moved in 5 months ago & I'm looking forward to infusing my tastes & style into our home.
• REFRESH my business: I’m thrilled to be working with an incredible company to solidify my business, brand, logo & website.  I also have plans to complete renovation in my studio space which I’m really excited about.  Everything will be launching later this year so stay tuned! 
• SIMPLIFY what I shoot: instead of being the photographer that shoots everything, I’m narrowing down the type of photography I shoot.  I’ll primarily shoot women & children year round & families in the spring & fall.
• CONNECT with others:  I know the importance of staying connected with family, friends & peers.  I really need & want to be more connected with people but struggle to find the time.  I get so caught up in the day to day things that I end up not being able to spend as much time as I’d like with those closest to me. That’s going to change this year!

Wishing all of you a happy & successful 2012!

Xoxo,

Camille

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THE GILLILAND FAMILY | DULUTH, GA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

WHAT TO WEAR | FALL/WINTER {FAMILIES}

How many times have you scheduled a portrait session only to be left wondering “what do I wear”?  It’s a question I get often so after a little brainstorming I thought it would be fun to start a series of ‘What to Wear’ posts.  It also provided the perfect opportunity to collaborate with my friend and stylist Jamie to provide some inspiration and tips for choosing the perfect portrait wardrobe.  She’s always impeccably dressed and has been styling family and friends for nearly a decade.  I value her fashion expertise and I’m thrilled to have her be a part of this.

In this post we’re focusing on families.  Fall is probably the most popular season for family portraits.  Jamie has come up with four looks that work beautifully for families (whether it's a large or small group).  My hope is that you feel more confident and inspired when choosing your outfits after reading this post.  But, enough about what I think...  

JAMIE'S THOUGHTS:

I know first hand that it can be stressful and overwhelming when deciding what you and your family should wear when having pictures taken.  You want to look like yourself, if you had access to a professional stylist, hairdresser and makeup artist.  Yourself, only better.  Believe me, it is worth the time and effort to put some thought into your look.  Gone are the days of being super matchy with white shirts and jeans.  Coordination is the key.  It really is okay not to have everyone match (and is also more visually pleasing).  You can plan for each family member’s personal style but tie the look together with a few select colors.  As a general rule, I recommend staying around 3 or 4 colors.  When in doubt, start with a neutral base and work in a couple of your favorite colors.

FAMILIES: SMALL GROUPS {around 4}

Small family shots can be so fun to dress for.  I usually like to let my kids stand out so I will plan the color palate around a great outfit or item that they own.  Dark, deep colors such as burgundy, gold, deep teal green, and navy look fabulous for the fall and winter months.  I suggest staying with just a few colors so as to keep the overall look cohesive and pulled together.

Another thing to think about is tones of color.  If most everyone wears dark colors and one person wears a light color, your eye will automatically be drawn to the person in the light color (or visa versa).  Try to stay within the same tone or spread your lights and darks equally throughout your group.  Don’t be afraid to get creative and show some of your family’s personality with how you dress.  Props can be fabulous with this as well.  Some of the best pictures I have seen are when the family does something a little different and outside of the box.

FAMILIES: LARGE GROUPS {8 or more}

Working with a large group of people can be a challenge.  With large groups lots of color can be overwhelming and can even end up clashing.  Neutrals in either the gray family (black, gray, white) or the brown family (brown, tan, cream, khaki) are great options.  Make it interesting by using lots of different textures and accessories.  You can even choose to bring in one or two muted colors such as olive green, dark blue or a mustard yellow, which are all great for fall.  Everyone doesn’t have to be in a color but it can be a nice addition in small doses.

Consider everyone when having photos taken with a large group.  The photographer may take shots taken of the entire group as well as several different combinations of people.  Each person’s outfit will need to work both alone and in the group.  Yet another reason why it’s often best to work with neutrals.

The color board photos (and credits) can be found on my Color Schemes board over on Pinterest.  Clothing and shoe suggestions came primarily from J.Crew, Anthroplogie, Piperlime, Ralph Lauren & Nordstrom..

FALL PORTRAITS | DULUTH, GEORGIA CHILD & FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

Can you believe October is almost over?  It’s hard to believe it but Thanksgiving is just 4 weeks away!  So if you’ve been thinking about getting fall portraits made, now is the time.  This year I've created a Holiday Collection that I think is perfect if you're wanting photos, Christmas  cards and prints for gifts.  Of course, my regular portrait sessions are also available.

The Holiday Collection is $499 & it includes:

- pre-session consultation

- a custom on-location or studio session

- private on-line slideshow gallery (active for 7 days)

- 4x6 proofs of the images from your gallery

- in-studio ordering session

- a framed & matted 5x7 print (your choice of frame)

- 50 custom holiday cards (envelopes included)

- 4 gift prints (perfect if you’re planning to give prints to family for Christmas!) 

The regular Portrait Session is $150 & it includes:

- pre-session consultation

- a custom on-location or studio session

- private on-line slideshow gallery (active for 7 days)

- 4x6 proofs of the images from your gallery

- in-studio ordering session

- $50 print/product credit 

Prints and products are available to buy a la carte.  More information can be found under the ‘Products’ tab above.  Interested in Christmas cards?  Our 2011 designs and more information can be found here.

Finally, be sure & “like” our page on Facebook, where we post current happenings and occasional specials!

If you have any questions about anything or would like a complete price list, don’t hesitate to contact the studio.  Call 770.676-6771 or email camille@camilledeann.com.  We look forward to connecting with you! 

DISPLAYING PRINTS & THOUGHTS ON DIGITAL FILES

DISPLAYING PRINTS

Recently I walked into a clients home and was greeted by the sight of beautiful wall displays on the main and second levels. Many of the photos were my work (that I printed for her) mixed with photos by other photographers. This particular client loves photos and loves to decorate her home with her favorite images of her sweet family. I have many clients like this and nothing excites me more than to work with them. Interior design and home decor have always been a passion of mine. When you marry that with beautiful photographs... ah, heaven!

Now, you may be thinking, "why should I order prints through you versus getting the images on a disc and printing them at Target or Costco?" Everyone has a different point of view on this but here are five reasons why I encourage my clients to order prints through me. 

1. I use the best professional labs in the industry that maintain very high standards for color consistency & professional quality archival prints. 

2. Before an image goes to the printer I crop (if necessary), retouch the skin, sharpen and make sure the color and tonality is what it should be. 

3. I put the same care into the actual print as I do the capturing and creating of the image.

4. I save you time by doing the work of ordering the print for you. Plus, this is my expertise, it's part of what you get when you invest in me as your professional photographer.

5. The best reason of all? Your prints arrive in beautiful packaging, it's like opening a gift!

DIGITAL FILES

Because everyone wants to have a copy of their photos to email, use in social media and to store on their computer, I frequently get this question, "are the digital files included?" That's a great question and my response is this. With every print order you get 1) a high quality (300 dpi) digital copy of every print you buy, and 2) a digital copy of every image from your gallery (sized perfectly for your screen at 72 dpi). I do this to ensure that the prints you order are the very best quality they can be and because I want you to have a copy of the images you purchased for archival purposes (for example, if you lose the print over time or it gets damaged). Plus, the 72 dpi files make it super easy for you to upload to your computer, post on Facebook and even email to Grandma! I've created what I hope is the best of both worlds, high quality prints AND the digital files for my clients.

I don't say this enough but I am so grateful for all my past, current and future clients. I know that my clients could hire anyone to take their portraits. It means so much when they choose me to be their photographer and capture their memories. It means they're trusting that I will deliver stunning portraits and amazing customer service from start to finish.

So... what are your favorite ways to display your prints? Table-top frames? Canvas wraps? Framed prints in serendipitous groupings on the wall? What kind of frames do you like? Gold, silver, black, white? Clean & simple frames or ornate & bold? I want to know! Leave a comment below & share your thoughts.

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney! It's a must-have style manual that was published just last month. Deadline to enter is Tuesday, October 25. Winner will be announced on Wednesday the 26th. Don't miss out!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Comment #3 - Ashley Brooke

Congratulations Ashley!!!  I'll be emailing you shortly.  Enjoy the book!