Welcome to my photography blog! You'll find samples of my latest work here as well as other useful tidbits! To be the first to know about special promotions and give-aways click the like button below for my facebook page. For additional information about sessions visit http://denisewilliamsphotography.com/ or email me at denise@denisewilliamsphotography.com

Friday, June 1, 2012

New Blog!



I am excited to direct you to my new blog! This old blog will remain up, but will no longer be active. You can now find all the latest at Denise Williams Photography blog  HERE!

See you there. :)

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Mini Session Families!

Last Saturday was the mini-session event I held for Father's Day.  I was super excited to find a new spot and had a great time interacting with all the families. Most brought the dads (instead of surprising them).  So as you can see, you can use the mini-sessions for whatever fits your needs. It's doesn't always have to be related to the theme!

I'll showcase two of the families today.

First, meet the Menkes...







I adore this photograph of dad and daughter!


I'd photographed this family before but this was the first time I got to meet dad. What a nice guy! They even brought their little dog, Bella!



Next up, the Chamberlains....



I had a blast with Julia and Christian! Loved seeing their sibling love.






I love getting to know new families and having fun together at their session. I leave feeling like they're old friends!


Click HERE to see what was included in their mini-session package!

Storyboards tell a story {collages}

I have always loved photo collages. When I hit the teenage years, my friends and I would sit down and make collages out of pictures of ourselves and phrases from magazines. We'd glue a picture down and then cut out something like, "best friends" or maybe something wacky and silly.  Maybe you did this too?  There's something about grouping several images together to tell a story that I love. Every picture tells a story don't it? That's what Rod Stewart says and I agree! Today, I still love to create these collages with the images I create for clients (sans the silly phrases!).

If you are like me, then these collage options might catch your eye!


This collage is a 10x20 print, mounted on a 3/4" standout.  Recently, this very collage was included in my mini-session package. It's a clean, contemporary look.




It comes ready to hang!



Another way I love displaying collages is framed in one of the custom Organic Bloom frames I offer. These unique frames, come in 16 unique shapes and many different standard and custom sizes. What a way to add a little pizzazz to your collage AND your room!






This storyboard is called "faces" and I think the reason why is obvious! What a great way to showcase every bit of who your little one is at any age!


For the person that likes to tell a story with their images, collages are the perfect fit. It's a great way for families to compile several images from their session, showing each individual and the group as a whole. And high school seniors? The options are endless!

To find out more about collage options, shoot me an email! denise@denisewilliamsphotography.com

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Making the most of your digital files: Father's Day

I have to be honest. Digital files are not high on my priority list of products I want to sell. While it would be easier for me to shoot, burn, and be done, it's not what I desire for my clients. I want them to have portrait art that makes them smile every time they walk by it.  Wall images that take them back to the exact moment that made those smiles appear. Heirlooms that they pass on to their children.



That being said, I still make some exceptions and offer digital files.  They might be part of a mini-session package, sold as a bonus item, or purchased to make a holiday card. I am talking just as much to myself when I say this, but there's nothing worse than going through the whole session process, and then doing nothing with the images.  So with Father's Day around the corner (June 17th), I thought I'd throw a couple of fun gift ideas your way to help you put those files to good use!

It seems like a lot of people have iPhones these days. Not everyone is a convert, but I see a lot of them out there. If your dad or hubby owns one, then an iPhone case from Uncommon is the perfect gift! This vendor makes iPhone cases with your photo (or any design, if you are photoshop savvy!) on the back.  My friend Jamie turned me on to this site and I LOVE my iPhone case!







Mine is the deflector model and costs $34.95 before taxes and shipping. This case is a great way utilize your digital files AND make dad smile on Father's Day! He can show off his family every time he uses his phone.

Your dad not an iPhone user? Then how about a personalized photo notepad or notebook for the office? Shutterfly has these for $12.99 and up and often has sales on these great products.

I made these notebooks for clients at Christmastime and even made one for myself!





I hope these ideas have helped you come up with some ways to use your digital files, whether from a professional or your own point and shoot.

Leave a comment below and let me know how you have used your files as gifts!






Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Session Album

When a client books a photo session, they often come to me not knowing how they want to use or incorporate the finished portraits in to their lives. All they know is that they want updated portraits of their family.  This is all A-OK because when a client hires me, I am at their service.  I am here to help them figure it all out.  I am proud to offer high quality, professional products that fit the needs of my clients.  If I don't offer it, I know where to find it!

Introducing one of those products.....the session album.







What makes it a "session album"?

A session album includes twenty images from your session, printed on UV treated,  professional quality photo paper (it's an actual photo, not press print or magazine style paper).  

This high-quality album is handcrafted in the USA and is custom made just for you. It's not just picked off a shelf of pre-made products. Because quality takes time, these albums take two to three weeks. They are well worth the wait!

There are a multitude of genuine leather and suede cover options to choose from. Is your style hip and funky? Got it.  Clean and classic? Got ya covered. A cover no one else has? Got that too.  The cover cut-out is optional, but I think it's pretty cool!



The session album design is clean and classic. The intent is that it will remain timeless. An heirloom. No funky design styles that are cool now, but not so much ten, twenty, or fifty years from now.  You can customize the layout to allow for vertical and horizontal images without cropping. Or you can do a full page image to vary up the design.



The pages are a lay-flat style and nice and thick.  Lay-flat means the pages are hinged in the gutter (the center of the album).  This eliminates arched pages that tend to make a book want to close.



For the client that can't part with all their images, this is the perfect product. It's also a great keepsake for high school seniors, families, or children. It looks snazzy on a coffee table, or on a nightstand next to your bed. Really, these albums would spice up any room!

Wanna know more? Shoot me an email at denise@denisewilliamsphotography.com



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

3 minis left!

Mini sessions are a little over a week away and there are only three left! You can read more here: http://denisewilliamsphotography.blogspot.com/2012/04/fathers-day-mini-sessions.html

Email me at denise@denisewilliamsphotography.com to grab one before they are gone!


Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Wright Family

I had a great time with the Wrights last Saturday. What a laid back family! (I love photographing laid back families. I always hope some of that laid-backness will rub off on me!)  It made for a relaxing session as we explored the park and had some fun! This is a family that loves hanging together outside, so this was the perfect location.











Click HERE to see what this family ordered!

Simple Wall Grouping

There are so many wall grouping options out there. (sizes, arrangements, canvas or standouts, framed and unframed) Whew! Even I get overwhelmed when I think of which options to present to clients.

If you have never tried a grouping before, this combo of three photos is a good place to start.  It's classic, simple to hang, and looks beautiful above a bed or on a smaller wall. Groupings look great in threes and threes work great to display a family photo and a couple photos of individuals.

This grouping shows three custom framed images in 11x14 and two 8x10s. It would take about 3-4 weeks to create. If ordered on 3/4" standout mounting or canvas, you'd be looking at a week. Looking to fill a larger space? This grouping would look really nice over a couch in larger sizes.

If you more of an album person, this might not be your thing. But if you are like me and like to see photos big on the wall, you will love this!

To learn more about wall groupings, go ahead and email me at denise@denisewilliamsphotography.com






20x30 canvas with two 16x20s on either side.


Wanna know more?  Email me at denise@denisewilliamsphotography.com

Monday, April 30, 2012

Father's Day Mini-Sessions


I love the weather this time of year, but not the increasingly busy schedule! If your schedule is like mine, you probably haven't even thought about Mother's Day, let alone Father's Day in June! However, Father's day will be here before you know it and those daddies need us to love on them!

How about doing that with a Father's Day mini-session?  Even though I have called these sessions "Father's Day Mini-sessions", you can truly use them to meet YOUR photography needs.

Some possibilities:

Father's day (surprise dad, or include him!)
Gift for grandpa
Update family photos
Siblings only
Mom and kids
Try out custom photography


This was taken at our family session by my good friend and fellow photog Meghan. Mark and I love having this priceless photo of he and the girls! It's on the back of my phone case!




HERE'S THE SCOOP.....

May 19th
Antioch Park
starting at 7:45 am

mini-session includes:
•15 minute mini session, up to 5 people, $10 each extra. ($50 value)
•10x20 mounted collage (see pics below) ($75 value)
•3 of your favorite photos on cd with rights to print up to 8x10 ($360 value)
•5-7 online proofs to order from
•20% off of additional a la carte products

$300 + tax  ($485 value)
$150 due at booking & remaining balance due a week before session.


A la carte products available for purchase: (take your additional 20% off)

•gift prints (8x10 and smaller) $35
•11x14 print $50
•additional photo on cd $60 each (that is half off! Plus you get 20% off w/ your collection!)
•additional 10x20 collage (same as ordered w/collection) $60
•3x3 accordion albums (set of 3) $100
•standout mounting (up to 11x14) add $20 to print cost
•canvas gallary wraps  8x10 $180, 11x14 $200, 16x20 $300


Keep reading! The most important info is down past the photos!



This is a sample layout of the 10x20 collage that comes in your mini-session collection. "DAD" letters are optional.

Example of a 3/4" standout mounting. This will be how the 10x20 collage will be mounted.




Back of standout. Your 10x20 will come ready to hang. Or this would look great on a picture stand on dad's desk! 



Ok, now for the best part. You can get your session fee waived! (The mini would cost $250 instead of $300) Refer two friends who book and you will get $50 off! 

Email denise@denisewilliamsphotography.com to reserve one of the remaining spots! 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

my peeps know me

Do you have good "peeps" in your life? Not just any peeps, but I mean PEEPS. I use the word peeps here and there, but what I'm really referring to here are my people. Still need clarification? My people are those awesome souls in my life who I don't have to explain myself to because they already know. They have seen my best side and my very worst and they still love me.  I'm blessed.

Every Thursday, for at least ten years, my family and I have been doing dinner & doing life with some of our people . Sure, there are some Thursdays when nobody can make it. But more often than not, we meet for dinner every week. Rotating from house to house. Our group has grown from ten plus adults, to ten adults plus ten children. It's a crazy time, but I love it! It's getting tricky, but I do my best to schedule everything around Thursday dinner.

The host cooks the main dish and everybody brings everything else. Not only do I get to catch up and have some good laughs, I get to skip making dinner several Thursdays in a row. Double bonus!

Tonight, my contribution was dessert. One thing my people KNOW about me is that 99% of the time, my dessert is going to be chocolate. It just is. I try other non-chocolate recipes, but it's always back to the chocolate.

In searching for what to make, I ran across this gem of a recipe today and I want to share it with you. (peanut butter cup brownies).  It's a gem because it is so scrumptious AND so easy. I really need easy these days. Oh, and you saw that it has chocolate and peanut butter? That's right up there on my list of weaknesses. I've run across people who don't like the combo and well, I just can't believe it.

If you are fellow chocolate lover and you like easy too, you've got to try these. Oh chocolatey goodness.

Let me know if you try them! You can find the recipe on the blog Baked Perfection.


Incase you want to see my people, here we are on our last trip (in classic elementary school photo pose). Two are missing from the photo.....



Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Sylvia C. Jewelry GIVEAWAY!

Calling all moms, husbands married to moms, or people who have a mom :) ! Mother's day is already next month! (May 13th to be exact) Do you know what you will get your mom/wife/self? Well for one lucky person, I can help you out! I'm partnering with the awesome and very talented Sylvia C. Hall of Sylvia C. Jewelry to give away $30 to her Etsy Shop! If you have never seen her fabulous jewelry, please stop (right now), and go look! Her work is incredible. I own one of her stamped pieces and it is one of my favorite! (I bought myself my own necklace for Mother's Day last year!) Read below the photos to learn how to enter.








The giveaway starts today, April 11th and goes through 12:01 am Monday, April 16th. To enter go to the bottom of the box below and follow the instructions. You can enter up to 4 times by liking my dwp fb page (1), Sylvia's (1), and by posting on your Facebook page (2) about the giveaway. Make sure you click "like" and post a message to your fb page for your entries to count. Increase your odds and try all three. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell your husband. Best of luck!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Try this!

First, I need to start off by saying what a gorgeous day it was yesterday! It was 62ยบ and sunny out and it's February.  I couldn't ask for more!

I've been wanting to get some new images of the girls for some Wild Sorbet frames I ordered back in November but it's just never been the right time. (weather is bad, clothes are wrong, one is napping, one is in school etc).  I don't worry too much about what my girls are wearing when I take their photos, unless it's for something specific. Since these are going on the wall in the space I use for ordering sessions, I wanted them to be somewhat coordinated. Well, yesterday the girls happened to coordinate really well and it wasn't on purpose! So couple that with this gorgeous weather and a little outdoor fun, and walla! I've got myself some images for my walls.

I'm just coming off a photography class taught by the incredible Brooke Snow and I learned so much. I thought I'd pass along a little tip I learned from Brooke that immediately impacted my images.  It's not something that I hadn't heard of before, but it is something I hadn't been intentional about trying, until I had someone walk me through it. And that is what I hope to do for you. Encourage you to try something new that will improve your images!

Now, I'm obviously not a writer by trade, so I apologize if this gets wordy! The simple, but wonderful tip is to interact with your subject(s) to elicit authentic emotion. (And I mean more than just saying, "Smile!" or "Johnny, look over here!") Forget about getting everyone to look right at you. Forget about getting everyone just right and resist saying, "Smile!".  Now, straying from this traditional method of photographing might force some of you out of your comfort zone (It did me!) and it may take a few minutes longer but I think you will love the results.  I talked a little about it in this post.

I have leaned towards the just right, posed set-up for many years in my business and with my own kids. Everyone is situated just right, clothes and hair in place, everyone looking at the camera and if they don't, the blood starts to boil and the bribes/threats come out. 1, 2, 3, "Smile!"  Click. {Camera smiles} My images were nice, but nothing like when I tried this out. As I think back on many of my ordering sessions this past year, I recall moms saying, "That's a good photo, but that's just not his/her real smile." Well, this will help you get that smile. The proof is in the eyes.

What I did:
•I told the girls we were going to go out and play and I was going to take some photos of them playing.
•I gave the girls things to do. (spin around, play ring around the rosie, run towards me, hug your sister tight) Or I talked with them about things until I got the reaction I wanted.
•I snapped away!





Can you see it in her eyes? (Yes, this 7.5 year old smile is in transition!:)

Pretty doable, right? Now don't worry. Every photo doesn't have to be of your subjects laughing. Change it up a bit. Wait through the laugh and catch the smile at the end. Or try for the soft smile, or serious look.

So, next time you take out your camera try these interactive tips. Have your kids play a little game. Have them give the other a bear hug. Ask them questions about their lives and then wait.  Wait for that moment and SNAP. Grab that authentic emotion and freeze that moment.

Thanks for reading my long post and checking out the tip I learned.  Hope to sprinkle more tips in my posts here and there in the next months. Let me know if you try it and tell me what you think! You can comment or email me directly.






Monday, February 13, 2012

How do I love thee?

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I knew I wanted to work something subtle in to my session with the Poindexters. The poem I referenced in this blog title is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and is meant for one's true love, but I used it as inspiration for the session I had last week with this trio of siblings. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought it would be neat to capture the kids having fun doing activities that expressed their love towards each other.

To start, the kids had some fun making Valentine "cootie catchers" or "fortune tellers". It was fun to see the sayings they put on the inside and watch them take turns trying them out on each other. Next they each made a heart for one of their siblings sharing what they loved about them or were grateful for. Although the statements were short, they were still sweet!

I hope you get to do something fun with your someone special tomorrow! Have a sweet Valentine's Day!
















Monday, February 6, 2012

The Scholtens Family

I had a great time interacting with the Scholtens family this past Sunday! Yes, I interact with all my clients but it was a little different this time.  I've been taking a wonderful class by Brooke Snow and have been learning some great practices! One of which, is the role my interaction with my subjects plays in eliciting authentic laughs and smiles. It's easy to get caught up in setting up a shot, getting the right camera settings and even getting that "camera smile" from my subjects. I am learning that that camera smile is good, but I want better. I want that raw emotion.  But to elevate my photography to that level, I need to help my clients feel comfortable in front of the camera so that authenticity shines through.  I've found I'm not at a point where that is second nature while I am shooting. I can interact and have fun all day, if that's all I have to focus on.  The challenge for me is to hone this so it becomes automatic amongst all the other things I am thinking about during a session.

These photos were taken using some of the "invites" and games I've learned about. I still have a lot of practice to do, but I sure like the results so far!











Friday, February 3, 2012

Emily and 52 week family photo project.

Wanted to add a couple more of Emily.  For those who might try to read what is on her hand, it says, "We  must be careful of what we pretend to be."  She keeps a quote of the day on her hand. ;)

On another note, if you decided to do a 52 week family photo project, how is it going? I am a little behind! So far the photo themes have been: in the car, group photo, mealtime. And that is where I have left off! I hope to catch up today. Click here for the original explanation of the project and here for this week's theme. Don't worry if you are behind. Jump in today! I'll post some of mine in another post this weekend. (have a girls weekend planned to catch up on my family photos!) Remember, throw perfectionism out the window on this project. Just take the photos! You will notice, mine are not edited. The color might be off, etc. Just do it!

Happy Friday!