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! 

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.....

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!

Try this!

First, I need to start off by saying what a gorgeous day it was yesterday! It was 62º 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.

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!

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!

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!

The Leonard Girls

I've known Emily and her mom for about 7 or 8 years now. I met them when I was a second grade teacher. Emily came to my class for math one hour a day and I knew her mom because she was a substitute teacher in our building. I remember Emily as a  bright, bubbly, model student. I really enjoyed having her for that hour a day.

Fast forward five years or so. My sweet Maddy was of an age where I felt like I could leave her with a babysitter. We usually used the grandparents, but they were not available this time.  I panicked for a moment until I remembered Emily! Even though I only had Emily for about an hour a day for a year, I didn't forget that personality (plus I knew her mom already - BONUS!). So she became our go-to babysitter when the grandparents were unavailable. My girls love her!

This year Emily is a sophomore and I can't believe it. My daughter is now the age Emily was when I met her. What an awesome role model this gal is for my girls! I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after I read her pre-session questionnaire. I was amazed that a 16 year old could be so wise.  I know I wasn't at 16! This wonderful girl is an honor student and involved in everything under the sun at school. She walks to the beat of her own drum (or as she put it, the opposite direction in a crowd), she is creative, loves to write, play piano, sing (she's in a rock band!) and have fun with her friends.  I thought I'd get in touch with her mom to get some tips on raising my girls. ;)

Meet Miss Emily and her lovely mom and sisters....

What a gorgeous bunch!

I may post a few more as I edit. Stay tuned!

Tween time, part 2

Going through the photos of my session with Marissa, I realized I wanted to post a few more!

Marissa spotted the Liberty Tax guy in costume across the street!

Tween time!

Yesterday's temperature was a very welcome break from the crisp, 30º temps of the prior week.  Just in time for my session with Marissa! As a tween, (not a little kid, not a teen) I knew we'd have lots of laughs.  Real ones, and the fake ones in our laughing contest.  I wanted to capture who Marissa is in this stage. Still a playful kid, but on the horizon of being a young adult!

We headed to a new location to discover some new spots and had a lot of fun in the process. Here are a few of my favorites!

To see more, go to part 2!

I pledge......

...to take more photos of my family this year and DO SOMETHING WITH THEM! The "doing something with them" part has been eating at me for the last year or so as I fall further behind in creating family photo albums. (Not to mention my second child is 2.5 and there is no baby book in sight) Enter the 52 week family photo project! This is NOT my idea, but I love it! I learned about it through a wonderful photographer I follow (Brooke Snow) and she learned about it from her friend Rhonda. I have heard about the 365, photo-a-day projects, but this one fit my lifestyle so much better. I can do 1 photo a week! So I have set out to follow along with these two gals and have myself a fun little album full of memories at the end of the year.  Rhonda explains the whole project HERE. I love that she sets some rules to overcome her perfectionist tendencies, as she puts it. (wow, I relate to that!) I am already behind a bit, but no worries. At 1 photo a week, I can catch up. ;) I'll be posting a few of my photos now and then and per Rhonda's rules, I won't be changing anyone beforehand, straightening up anything or always dragging out my 5d (my rule). My iPhone will do just fine. Heck, I probably won't edit most of them.  Get 'er done. Capture the moment. Won't you join me?

The first week was photos in the car. We spend a lot of time in the car. I think a lot of moms can relate! This was snapped on the fly with my phone. Oh, and I was stopped in a parking lot, not driving!

Valentine's Day Cards

Just a sample of a cute little 4x5.5 card you could send to family, friends or classmates for Valentine's day. No one else will have one like this! This one would look great printed on pearl paper. Other sizes available. Don't miss out on this fun opportunity! Sessions still available. Read the post below for details.

sweetheart sessions! {valentine's mini-sessions}

New Year's Greetings! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are ready for a great New Year! I sure am. I'm planning lots of great things for YOU! First up are Valentine's Day mini-sessions! Valentine's Day is right around the corner and this is a great way to show off your little sweetheart! Maybe with some custom Valentine's Day cards or with just a few portraits or a digital file so you can go make your own cards.  I will be doing mini sessions on January 21st at the Country Club Cafe in Shawnee. 

What is a mini-session you ask? It's an awesome way to try out custom photography or get a few shots of the kids in between your main session. To find out more, see the flier below or get in touch and I'd love to fill ya in!  Oh, and be sure to pass this on to anyone you know who might be interested. There are only a set number of spots that day, so call soon!

Did I mention we'll have lots of fun? ;) Hope to see you there!

Laura and kids {Joplin Smile}

This family was my last session on the day I spent in Joplin. I felt so blessed to meet them. They are all great kids and Laura is a great mom and such a gentle spirit. They survived that horrible tornado and lost their house, but they have each other. You can tell they are a tight group and they take care of each other. It was hard to choose only a few to post. There are many more!

Meet the beautiful mother of this fun crew...

It's Yainer's senior year and we were able to grab some fun shots for he senior portraits while we were at it!

The Whites

It was so fun meeting and working with the White family! They were playful and open to fun ideas. Even had the awesome idea of the first image you see below.