9 Months

The girls are now 9 months old. There are no words really that can be said to express the amount of cuteness...

Miss E.




Miss P.




Both girls together....Pure Sweetness!


Thank you so much for sharing your girls with me this past year...it's been a real blessing.

Candid Family

I had such a fun time on this family session despite the frigid temps. I had gorgeous scenery and a gorgeous family, there was no going wrong on this one. The best part (for me, at least) was when I let the family just be them...The candid shots from this session really spoke to me. I even created a new finish for them. Check it out:

First up: A posed family shot with GORGEOUS scenery (this is my "Classic Color" treatment):


My new "Airy B&W"


My "Classic Color" treatment:


Same picture with my new "Faded Glory Days" treatment:


More "Faded Glory Days":


Thank you guys so much for such a great time. Your beautiful family was an inspiration!

A Boy and His Ball

I had a great family session this past weekend with wonderful weather and gorgeous Fall colors. The family was one of my first Maternity/Newborn clients, and it was so great to see their little baby boy all grown into a sweet toddler. I loved watching his quiet, inquisitive nature as he explored the scenery, and all the location had to offer.

He did bring with him his favorite puppy, Sparky, and his baseball. They were rarely out of his sweet little hands. I have never seen a baseball bring so much happiness to a little boy. He sure loved that ball!

I had a great time with you guys on Saturday! I loved being able to see Mr. H. all grown up. He sure is sweet. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!











I had to capture this moment when he set down his beloveds to tend to some important toddler work: Cleaning up and crumbling leaves.

Muy Caliente!

I had the chance to do something very different than anything I have done before. This couple wanted a session that captured their love for one another. They wanted something that wasn't from their wedding day, something fun but professional, and it needed to show how much they loved one another. It was a tall order, but it was so fun, and well worth it. I'm so jealous. I want pictures like this with my hubby! Something that sparks a fire each time I look at them.

Admittedly, this shoot was a bit nerve wrecking at first, for both parties involved. After we got going, though, it was hard to stop. This couple was specifically looking for black and white portraits, but I think some of the color was too good to miss.

I hope you guys enjoy your sneak peek! This session was too much fun!

More Fall Fun!

Do you remember these boys? Well, they're ONE! Happy Birthday! I was able to fool Mother Nature again this weekend with this combo 1st birthday/family session. It was threatening to rain on us and ruin our shoot, so we bumped up the time and narrowly escaped the rain! (Literally it started to rain as I left the parking lot). I am so glad we got to meet though, I had so much fun with these boys and their parents. Despite how cold it was, they were good sports. They smiled and had a good time. I have to admit, it was hard not to smile, the colors this weekend were B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Just check them out!

Some family shots:




The boys together:


Mr. W.


Mr. N.


I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! Congrats on making it through the first year!!

News and Info For You!

From September through December each year, photographers around the country go crazy! It's the busy season, and I thought I wold update everyone on where I stand as far as pricing, availability, and cut off dates for ordering. Also, I have some fun new stuff I want to share with you too!

First, I have 3 holiday/family sessions left for this season! They are all in November so if you are interested, please either email me via the contact page at www.beenblessedmaternity.com (have mercy that site needs updating, pardon my laziness on that end), or leave a comment at the end of this post. I would love to meet with you and your family in order to capture this special time of year. If you are expecting a new blessing or have just been blessed with a new baby, please contact me as soon as you can. I set aside special time in my calendar for those types of shoots!

If you are wanting to send out Christmas cards with an image from your session, or would like to have pictures in time for the holidays, the cut off for orders is December 5th. I know that sounds like eons away, but it really is just around the corner. YIKES!

As mentioned above, my website is officially archaic in the sense that it hasn't been updated in over a year...that's a whole other post. With that though, there have been some changes to products and pricing starting this past August.

First the fun stuff. I have switched vendors for my coffee table book and also have teamed up with another photographer to create custom designed pages for these books. They are now a 10x10, hinged page (this means they lay completely flat when opened), and you have the choice between a leather, fabric, or photo cover (all hardback). These coffee table books are a great way to be able to walk away from a session with all of your images, with out having to think about where you will hang everything on your walls. They are great for the Maternity/Newborn sessions or for the 1 Year Plan. Also, they work great for single sessions where there are a lot of images such as family sessions or Senior sessions. Really, everyone should have a coffee table book...they are just that great!

Also, I have put together a system that allows me to show you how to design your walls with your new portraits. Many times clients will tell me that they are so happy with images, but they just don't know where to display them or how to arrange them. I can help! Now, with your proof book, you will see a few wall displays put together for you, complete with image size, arrangement, AND I will use the images from your session to show you what it looks like. HOW COOL IS THAT!! Here's a sample of what I'm talking about...



My clients so far have loved them! I have loved them! Let me know how I can help you arrange your walls so that you can display your blessings beautifully.

Lastly, pricing. First, I am now charging a session fee. I know, I know! You are thinking, "Yuck!" Here's the good news: 100% of your session fee goes towards your prints as a print credit! (See that wasn't so bad.) Session fees are $150 for a single session or $225 for a Maternity/Newborn. They are due at the beginning of your session. If you are interested in a 1 Year Plan, we'll discuss pricing because everyone has different ideas as to what they consider milestone moments that first year of life, and I am all about flexibility. Also, I am now offering packaging. With these packages, you can mix and match images or you can choose all of the same images. It's your choice, and you'll save money by ordering your images as a package! Click on the sidebar for packaging info and pricing. If you don't see a package that suites your tastes/needs, no worries! I still offer prints al la carte. Prints start at $20. Check the Side bar for more detailed pricing.

WHEW! I think that's it! If you made it this far, congratulations and thank you! You are officially updated. :) I hope to see you all soon!

-Mandie

Fall Family Fun

I was so happy to get to photograph this family. Believe it or not, I have been waiting to photograph them for over a year! When our schedules finally matched up it was the weather that would get us, or someone wasn't feeling well, or something funny would pop up last minute. The key this time was we planned it only days out, and we left a huge time window open just in case the weather tried to interfere. Good thing we did! Mother nature tried to ruin our party, but we outsmarted her by meeting 2 hours before our scheduled time. I am so glad we did! The lighting was beautiful, and there was just enough of a breeze that day to give the pictures some life.

Well, a breeze and some Cattails. Oh, Heavens, were there Cattails!

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!









Look at that mischievous face!


You know what happened next, right?