WINDY!

Holy Hannah! Have you been outdoors in the wind yet? Jeepers!
Well... I was at a continuing education seminar earlier this month they said the smell of CHRISTMAS envokes a feeling & helps clients feel more at ease, and tend to spend more as well. So I super "smell-ified" my studio. He he he... Boy oh boy I love Christmas! My kids are already having me play the 70's Christmas CD in the truck ha ha ha!! Now at my other job, since telling my boss this little hint I learned, has gotten cinnamon scents to set out... Well now here I am smelling cinnamon sticks listening to the wind howl and want to take a NAP!! LOL!
This weekend is our mini-sessions & we have a bunch of them both Friday & Saturday. I am not a fan of Mini sessions simply because I lack control when I photograph. I had a college professor once say You cannot SELL, what you do not SHOOT. Since then I have been on over shooter. Even switching to digital did not help, just made it worse I swear. Have a wonderful weekend all!

NEWBORN BABY SESSION!

We photographed a newborn baby this past weekend... and it went WELL! As many of you know I do not photograph newborns regularly. Even with 3 kids of my own, babies still kind of scare me. I know they won't break... but I often feel that way... and that is where Jill comes in. LOL her 20+ years of childcare helped me tremendously. This particular newborn is first born baby to a woman I graduated high school with. Funny... I was so nervous to see HER... but it all went well.  I had the studio temp cranked up plus a heater to make it super toasty for baby... however I was sweating like a pig. At that point as I was preparing for the session, sweating profusely I decided we graduated 15 years ago WHY was I worrying about what she thought of me this many years later? LOL... In fact I was flattered that she came to me out of so many fellow photographers out there. There are MANY photographers out there, and MANY who can photograph a newborn like no body's business... and she chose ME! I certainly hope I do right by her decision, and  she likes the images we captured of her new little guy. He is so adorable! As I edit the images, I noticed how perfect his skin tone was- hardly any messing around with the skin tones. He truly IS a cute baby! SOOO made me miss the newborn stage of my own kids. Totally got my baby fix.. and I did not even hold the little guy.

Former customer deal

Well... we are putting together a deal to get past customers back in for updated portraits. If we have photographed you in the past... wedding, high school senior- whatever and are in need of updated portraits taken... THIS is the deal for you!! Maybe we took your SENIOR portraits, and now you have a child, or are about to be married? Just needing portraits for a Christmas card? CONTACT US!  For only $20, you get a mini session (15-20 minutes) and 1 FREE portrait ~ any size you want up to an 8x10!!! PLUS, if you refer someone we photograph we will give you MORE FREE PORTRAITS!!! We also ask you being a non-perishable food item for the local food shelf. Giving Back when we can...
We will be setting up the sessions in the next few weeks depending on how many customers we have come back in. Email me at kellie@kellieallynphoto.com or in-box me on facebook! We would LOVE to photograph your again!

Long over due

I apologize! I have had so much PERSONAL let's just say CRAP going on... I have neglected my blog!

What is new at Kellie Allyn Photography?
Well I went to a continuing education meeting last night that was unenlightening and has given me some new added "oomph!"

personally, here is the scoop...  my family moved to a new community. Our son is in a new school. My 15 year class reunion is THIS weekend and I just cannot muster the courage to GO...  We have a new babysitter.... one we know VERY well.. and is SO much closer that I LOVE it! Zander goes to the before school child care program & we are loving that! SUPER CHEAP!

As for me... I am trying to re-discover my photography. I have many new props & gadgets, but have been soooo busy in other areas in my life I have not been pursuing new clientele as I normally do. We have our fall Mini sessions to get families their 2011 holiday cards.... and will be doing a returning client appreciation session soon as well!
Thanks so much for continuing to follow the blog here at Kellie Allyn Photography!

Busy

Uffda! Ok... my husband is very Scandinavian, and I am a lot Swedish so I can use that phrase. LOL! Well... We did Rockford Prom photos last weekend, a wedding the weekend prior, and one of my former cheerleaders just had a newborn baby & is to come in hopefully tomorrow afternoon for a newborn session.
So I have been stuck in front of my computer.

Working on my computer has been difficult because the hubby has been spending any free moment painting the new house, and then the kids are CRAZY here while I (try) work.
I stopped by the new house today... and WOW. Spencer painted the porch such a neat color it looks amazing! He is over working on the main level large bathroom (we have 4 bathrooms!!) and the master bedroom tonight.

Well... I will post some new pics here of the prom pics I just did, and the maternity pics Jill just did.
Jill's work is pretty nice. I am so proud of her! her editing skills are IMPROVING... I may be able to leave all the editing to her...ha- she will read this & call me up giving me the what-for... ha ha ha!
My goal (not sure how much I have actually filled HER in on this) is to have her be the main studio photographer, and have her photograph the kiddos, and babies, etc... he he he... I like maternity photo shoots... but I am much more risque. I like to do the semi-nudes, and show off that darn belly! But Jill's pics were wonderful... not being risque as I am. It shows our two different styles.
Until next time Buffalo....  ;)

Moving

Well... life has been crazy lately... to put it in a nutshell. We are, officially moving. We found a house too good to pass up.. however it is in the despicable "boonies" that I completely I despise... and even make fun of a guy work with for living out there. Which now, we will be probably a mile or so from him. How will I live without CHARTER?? I LIKE my super-fast high speed internet. I do not want to go back to DSL.. but have no choice. Wonder how different it will be uploading a wedding album to the lab with DSL? (GULP!) The house though is HUGE! We are going from a 1980 sq ft house to a 3600 sq ft house! It has a 3 season porch, a nice deck off front and back. 5 bedrooms. It even has a completely separate entrance to an apartment on the lowest level. Technically a "mother-in-law apartment". Which actually we WILL be having my mother-in-law stay there with us. Eventually I could turn this lowest level into a studio... but no time soon. I LIKE not having my studio NOT at my house. Yesterday I was at the studio all day with sessions & it was nice to get OUT of the house. I worry if I have the studio at my house I'd feel like I was too "Stuck" to my house. The nice thing though is S-T-O-R-A-G-E! I will have a in-home office & craft room! Yay! Maybe someday I'll get back to scrap booking! I have enough Creative Memories stuff I so need to get going on. I am the type of scrap-booker who does NOT believe in any digital scrap booking in any way. I LIKE having the "real" stuff in the scrapbooks... otherwise what it the point?. That is my opinion. I have Zander's 1st report card, his 1st band-aid... etc... I LIKE digital books, just NOT for scrap booking at all.

Anyway... getting off track here. The house is on 200ft of lake shore with a huge bonfire pit by the lake. Have I mentioned my husband is obsessed with bonfires? We have bonfires every weekend with our neighbors until there is snow. Which is fun.

So now we sit & wonder... WHERE do we start with all the packing? I have been selling clothes on craigslist like crazy. Made $350 so far & have TONS more to go. SO perhaps I will be able to get rid of a lot of stuff that way so I do not have to pack it ha ha ha!

Yesterday in studio we did a high school senior, a fun business session, and a maternity session. So we will get some to show soon. Actually I will post the business ones here on the blog today.

Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, we are going to church first, then the kids have a big Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow, then a huge feast. We are in charge of bringing Spencer's famous Cheesy potatoes... that we got the recipe from our neighbor's LOL. Happy Easter Everyone!

APRIL

Hello All! I have been busy with personal stuff lately & have neglected my blog. Sorry. This past Monday I went with a fellow photographer friend to the monthly TCPPA Seminar. It was neat. The speaker was all about weddings, and was showing us ideas & how he shoots into the sun, and also how he has images instantly up on an Ipad for some thing he does. Me.. I am just not that technically savvy. I wish I were. However meetings as these have been helping me... a year ago I had a super old version of Photoshop... and in a year upgraded to the latest, and have learned a LOT. I have another photographer friend who he & his wife are in Elk River who has offered to help teach me editing techniques... I just have to get my butt over to his place.
Currently we are debating on WHICH school to put our son in next year. A house we are leaning toward is in the MAPLE LAKE school district... however he does not do well with change, so debating on Buffalo or Maple Lake at the moment, as Buffalo he'd have hockey & baseball friends at least. He is super excited about the Easter Bunny this year as that darn Bunny hid his basket in a tree branch outside last year... so he is already thinking of places where he may find his basket. 
Well...those of you in or near the Buffalo area saw in last weekend's paper our big color-wrap ad we did. We are having a great deal in High School Senior sessions... Please get the word out! I will also be offering a couple different Family Sessions as well. Details have not been hashed out quite yet.
Please EMAIL me if you have any photo needs or want to set up a session. Happy Weekend all!