I was instantly drawn in to Nate & Erin when I met them during our first consultation, and getting them in front of the camera for their recent engagement session only confirms my suspicions. These two are madly in love with each other. I know…most people who get engaged to each other are in love, but it was especially meaningful to me to be invited to witness the deeper connection this couple has. They had a definite fearlessness in front of the camera–freedom to be goofy, spontaneous, and tender with each other without caring that everything looked perfect for the photo. There was never an awkward moment. I feel like I could hang out with them every day of the week and never tire of it! I’m looking forward to their June wedding, which will be expertly designed and coordinated by Rebecca of New Creations Weddings. Congratulations Nate & Erin! So excited for the coming chapter in your lives!

After several months of silence on the blog, I’m excited to share some photos of my beautiful daughter Mia. She is number four in our line-up of totally cute children (yes, I know I’m biased!). She is pictured here (in purple) at nearly 7 weeks. I’m just starting to feel like things are settling down from the epic transition time that comes whenever a new child joins your family, but despite the challenges, it has been a truly wonderful time. I’ve been spending lots of time in ‘mommy’ mode for my whole crew, and these early weeks with baby are something I wouldn’t trade for anything. In the midst of our family transition, I’ve been keeping up with my incredibly supportive clients (seriously, all of you are stellar!), and I have a number of exciting sessions & events coming your way in the next few weeks. Until then, I’ll share a few favorites of Mia and her adoring siblings.

One of the most satisfying parts of my job is creating one-of-a-kind wedding albums & coffee-table books for my delightful clients. I absolutely love designing albums because it allows the couple (and hopefully all their friends and family also) to re-live the wedding day in context rather than a single image here, a single image there. The progression of a wedding day is a story that never gets old to me. From the preparations, anticipation, excitement, and last details, to the moments that mark a definitive change in the status of a couple’s relationship – the vows, the rings, the kiss, and the retreat back down the aisle as an inseparable unit, followed by a celebration with the most important people in their lives, I love that even with similar components in many weddings, each one turns out so unique. Because every couple and every event is unique, I love the process of making a completely custom and unique layout of their wedding day story. Pictured below is the bundle of goodies I’m getting ready to deliver to my awesome friends/clients Jaime & Ben who tied the knot last summer. They decided on our 12x12in custom coffee-table book with lay-flat pages, and accompanying their book is a custom DVD and case. They’re such a terrific pair, and I’m excited to share their book with them!

Just before Christmas, Katie & Chad tied the knot in their casual style during an intimate home-wedding that was decked out for the holidays. I loved the warm atmosphere and the simple fact that for them, this was all about celebrating together with the people they love most. It was the most relaxed wedding I’ve ever been to, but perfectly so. Katie & Chad seem so ‘at home’ with each other, and ready to begin a new chapter in their lives. Thanks so much, Katie & Chad, for having me out for this very special event!

I recently discovered this gem of a post on another photographer’s blog and think it is a worthwhile read for anyone who is at the crossroads of trying to decide on the best photographer for their wedding or family photos. These ideas also apply to florists, wedding planners, or really any service-oriented professional, so I hope you find this article helpful!

Shared with the permission of the author, Katie Duda of Claire Alyse Photography.

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If I were you…I promise I’m not trying to be smart… I mean it literally. If I were you, the client. Well, a potential client actually. Here’s what might be on my mind.

“I want professional photos of my family (or wedding), but my brother’s friend’s cousin’s daughter’s babysitter just got a really nice camera and she’ll take photos of us and give me a disk of all the images for only $xxx. She has a website, so she is legit.”

Here is an analogy for you:

I have bad hair. It’s too thick, it’s sorta curly, sorta wavy, frizzy and a bad ashy brown color. My brother’s friend’s cousin’s daughter’s babysitter Jackie will cut, weave and blow dry my hair for $90. My other option is going to Jeff the hair stylist at the salon across the street. He charges me $250 for a cut, weave and blow dry. I decide to try both.

I’m sitting in Jackie’s laundry room waiting for her to gather her things when I realize she’s going to wash my hair in the utility sink. Leaning over the sink kneeling on a folding chair proves a little difficult, she gets shampoo in my eye and water drips down my neck into my shirt. We go in the house and she sits me down in her dining room, her husband is sitting on the couch watching Nascar and drinking a 40. He leans forward to grab a bag of chips and I notice his butt-crack. I remind myself that Jackie only charges $90, she probably can’t afford to rent a station in a salon, so I divert my eyes and forgive her. She begins to cut my hair. It seems to be taking quite awhile. She looks a little nervous. I remember that she’s still fairly new to cutting hair. I rationalize that she’s still better than I’d be at it, after all. Plus, she has like 500 fans on her Facebook page, and that has to mean something, right? Jackie disappears to mix my color. She’s gone for a long time. I get nervous that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. What if she screws it up and my hair falls out? I start to wonder… maybe there is a REASON why she only charges $90. Is that the only way she can get clients? Then Jackie weaves a beautiful blond into my hair. I try to forget about my nerves and begin to get excited. A cut and color for only 90 bucks, I can’t wait to show everyone my hair! She finishes up the blow dry and I turn to the mirror to discover its really yellow and brassy. The cut is a uneven and boxy. I take a deep breath and calm myself down. Well, it looks better than it did before, I guess, and I only paid $90. The next day I meet up with some girlfriends for drinks. No one says anything about my hair, and I’m afraid to ask what they think because I know it just looks average, or maybe even bad. I feel disappointed. $90 seemed like such a great deal.

I suppose it’s only a deal if the value is greater than $90.

Two months pass and I find myself sitting at Jeff’s station in the salon across the street. The receptionist offers me a cold drink and the most recent issue of People magazine. Jeff comes over introduces himself and asks me what I’d like to accomplish today. We talk for a few minutes about the specific color of blond I’m looking for. He asks me questions about how I style my hair, what I like, what I don’t like, and tells me a little about whats in style right now. Jeff seems as excited as I am for my new look. I look around to see all the latest flat irons, blow dryers, collections of brushes and combs. Jeff rattles off instructions to his assistant while examining my hair and she’s back in a jiffy with 4 bowls of color. As Jeff begins to weave in and out of my hair with light blond and medium honey and chestnut brown I close my eyes and listen to the calming music on the satellite radio. I feel relaxed and confident. I trust him. I sit with my hair under the dryer and once again I’m offered a cold drink and a magazine. Jeff comes over to inspect the progression of the color. He exclaims how perfect it looks and brings me to the shampoo station. There is a big cushy leather recliner. I put my head back and he begins to wash. The shampoo smells like mint and lavender and he spends an extra few minutes on a mini scalp massage. Jeff dries and styles my hair with ease.

When he’s finished he spins my chair around and I hardly recognize myself in the mirror. I look like I belong in a fashion magazine. The cut frames my face perfectly. It’s sassy with a hint of modern, just the right amount to suit my style. The color shimmers as I turn my head. It seems almost as if there are thousands of shades of blond intertwined throughout the locks of hair. It reminds me of what my hair looked like when I was little, after spending all summer in the sun. I feel proud. I meet up with some friends for lunch the next day. They must have commented on my hair 10 times. One of them demanded Jeff’s phone number and asked me how much he charged. “$250″, I told her. She replied, “Well it looks a-MAZE-ing, what a great deal.”

The $90 Jackie charged me wasn’t a great deal. The $250 Jeff charged me was. How is that possible? They both gave me a cut, weave and blow dry.

The difference was the experience and the quality. The $250 that Jeff charged me included a cold diet coke, and comfy chair, state of the art equipment and supplies, experience, knowledge, and a quality product. It included a feeling of pride and excitement that lasted until it was time to return for more. The $90 Jackie charged me included cheap dye, dull scissors, a wet shirt and a butt-crack.

When I thought about it later, I thought, well wouldn’t it be great to find someone who was somewhere in between, you know, someone who is amazing and cheap? But the problem is there is no such thing as in between. When someone offers quality, they have to charge for it, they have to cover the cost of running the business, continuing education, supplies, marketing, and they have to cut themselves a paycheck. Otherwise they are not running a business, they are the proud President of a Non-Profit Organization.

So if you find yourself presented with what seems like a “great deal” for your family photos, ask yourself if the [low price] is worth an experience with Jackie. Personally, as a client, I’d rather pay [more] for an experience that feels priceless, than waste [one penny] on something sub par. Value is a magical thing.