A New Website!
Drum roll, please!
I am excited to announce that we have launched a new website!
It has been a long time coming, but www.photographybybrandi.com 3.0 has officially been launched!
Fresh, updated images, brand new content, sleek behind the scenes technology…all in all an awesome outcome! I could not be happier with the final product. It is exactly what I had in mind.
A huge thanks to my fantastic hubby! He spent hours and hours creating a beautiful website, while at the same time handling my absurd and crazy requests like the pro that he is!
What is Today?
The first person to accurately guess what today is will receive a surprise gift!
Any guesses? Make a comment below.
EDITED TO ADD:
Congratulations goes to Shawna!! You are correct, today is the anniversary of Photography by Brandi! Eight years ago, I had my first session!
Wow, where does the time go? As we begin our ninth, I am just in awe of all the babies I have photographed; they are growing so quickly. Now, my high school seniors are getting married and even having babies of their own!
Thank you all for your support, business and friendship over the last eight years, I look forward to many, many more!
Shawna will be receiving one of our new custom made photo keychains…not even available for sale yet! Of course, I loved everyone’s answers so much that everyone has to get a goodie. For all you who commented, watch your mail. You will be receiving a Blog Addict Gift Certificate! Thanks for all the awesome guesses. You all made me feel very loved today!
There are a few guesses that deserve special attention:
- Most Creative goes to Dara for her “National Squirrel Day” guess
- Most Accurate goes to Anne for knowing that it was eight years
- Most Guesses also goes to Dara for her three very unique guesses
Thanks again, you are all awesome!!
Nashville Country
I have just returned from my annual Professional Photographers of America convention. This year it was held in Nashville, Tennessee. I would love to tell you that I truly experienced Nashville, saw lots of great sites, heard lots of great music and really got in touch with my country roots. Unfortunately, I can’t say any of those things.
As cold as it has been in Kansas City, it was as cold or colder in Nashville, a place that is not prepared for it!
On the positive side, the convention was held in the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, which is an all enclosed small town on its own. It is a beautiful area, with lots of plants growing in a greenhouse style environment, restaurants and coffee shops and even some Nashville shopping opportunities.
So, as you’ll see by my images, I never left the warmth and comfort of the hotel!
Not only was that because of the cold, but also because of the jam packed classes, parties and special events that I attended every day and night. Leaving very little time to catch my breath!
However, it was all completely worth it! I was very inspired by the speakers this year. I felt that they were very real and very motivating. It is nice to know that there are others out there, just like me, working like crazy until 2 AM, cranking out the holiday orders like the holidays are just around the corner, AND loving every moment of every minute they spend with their clients, getting to know who they are and capturing their memories to create works of art that they will treasure forever!
Thank You for an Awesome 2009!
Another wonderful year has come and gone, all in the blink of an eye! It has been a blessing to work with each of you! Watching as your families and children grow and change, and capturing these changes in memories and art that will last a lifetime, is an opportunity that I will forever cherish.
I thought you might have fun learning some of our facts from 2009…
- In 2009, we had 147 sessions. Bringing the grand total, after almost eight years in business, to 1,263 sessions!
- The majority of our sessions can be broken down into the following categories: Babies (49), Children (60), Families (27) and High School Seniors (7).
- To my continued awe and amazement, we have clients who come from all over the country. This year they came from Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and of course Kansas and Missouri!
- Of all the sessions we did this year, 81% were with repeat clients. Clients who I have photographed at least once in the past. Just amazing…thank you all!!
- Of our new clients, 74% were referred by our existing clients. Again, thank you…we couldn’t keep growing without each of you!
And last but not least, a quick “Year in Review”! I went through the year and picked out the highlights of from each month, both personally and with the business:
January - Professional Photographers Convention in Phoenix
February - Decorated Blackbob Pet Hospital with Beautiful Pet Portraits
March - Family Vacation to Walt Disney World
April - Bed Head Kids Event
May - Installed Generator and 3 Zone Furnace Upgrade to Keep the Studio Running Smoothly
June - Helping Paws Event and Ten Year Anniversary Trip to Colorado
July - Ladies Night Out Event and Trip to Minnesota to Visit Our Lab
August - Trip to Arkansas to Visit My Grandparents
September - Client Appreciation Picnic
October - Participated as a Team Leader in the Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk
November - Launched New Products, Including Fabulous Jewelry
December - Survived Another Holiday Season!
Thank you all for another great year! Here’s wishing you a wonderful New Year’s celebration! I can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store for us!!
Happy Holidays!!
Wishing you a holiday season filled with wonder and beauty!
The Year of Newborns
I was working on organizing some of my favorite images of the year when it occurred to me that I photographed quite a few new little ones this year. So, we looked it up - I photographed 14 newborns this year!
Though you have to have a vast amount of patience and time to photograph newborns, it is one of my most favorite ages. They are just so tiny, precious and moldable!
Each one of my little ones is amazing and unique. Some have hair, even very dark hair, and some have no hair. Some arrive all chunky and pudgy, while others are skinny and scrawny. Some are obsessed with having their hands by their faces, while others are more relaxed and sprawled out.
Of course, almost every one of them “marks their territory” in my studio! (Usually in more ways than one!)
In the end, we end up with adorable images of these teeny, tiny creatures.
I can’t wait to watch and capture all of them as they grow and change! I have the best “job” in the entire world!
Holiday Cards Are…
…D - O - N - E!! Yippee!!
It’s official…today, with the mailing of my own holiday card, I am officially done with anything and everything related to holiday cards!
This year, I designed, printed and delivered over 2500 cards for my clients!
It’s fun, every year, to see what people gravitate to and therefore what’s popular. This year, the favorites seemed to be the big 5×7 cards with full framed images. The popular messages revolved around the love of friends and family. I think we are all appreciating, and valuing, those people who stand by our sides and support us in hard times, good times and all times!
For Your Wall
Our framed and matted collections are some of our most popular items! They’re a great way to show personalities, the love of a family, the adorable itty bitty parts of a newborn or even just the different expressions of a high school senior.
Our newest addition is the Quad! The images are 6×8, which is a great viewing size. However, the overall piece is not huge, ensuring it can hang with other pieces or even by itself on a smaller wall.
It’s a must have for your next session!
Just In Time, Just For You
Just in time for the holidays, I am excited to announce that we are releasing a handful of new products, just for you!
These brand new, must haves, will make perfect holiday gifts for all the loved ones in your life: Custom, Handmade, One of a Kind Jewelry and Accessories!
We are now working with my client and friend, Kristin, to bring you fun, creative and custom pieces made just for you. You can select EVERYTHING: from the image or images, the size of the image, the type of chain and even charms to personalize your jewelry - including birthstones or special memories. Be as creative as you can be!
Contact me today to order your holiday gifts - for family, friends or even yourself!
Happy Halloween!!
Joey and Pebbles want to wish you a Boo-riffic Halloween!!
Also, to see all the winners from the Land of Paws Monster Bash last weekend, mentioned in my Cutest Puppies in KC post, click here!