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Silas Owens Mini Sessions

It’s that time again!  I really loved being able to do mini sessions for Kohlton last year, and I’m tickled pink to finally announce the details for the Silas Owens Mini Sessions on July 20th!  I only do mini sessions once a year, and they aren’t for my own profit.  If you’ve wanted to have some photos taken by me but haven’t been interested in or able to afford a full session, this is your only chance until next summer.

If you missed my blog post on why we’re doing this fund raiser for Silas, you can take my word for it that he and his parents are awesome people… or you can go read the blog post here.  In short, I can’t really tell you what medical condition he is facing because they don’t know yet.  Their trip to Miami in August is so important because we hope they can finally get some answers and guidance that local physicians have been unable to provide.  I could tell you some of his symptoms here, but I’d rather take the time to tell you that he’s adorable.  He drools a lot, but when he smiles and laughs the rest of the room does, as well.  No one seems to care about the drool.  He is adored by all who know and love him.  And you can get some great images by supporting him and his family!

If you participated last year it’s much the same with a few small modifications based on lessons I learned along the way.  I was going to only release a few session times and then release more if they all booked up, but before I even had a chance to announce the details I had booked three sessions… so the times I’m going to announce are IT, and I will update this page as session times are booked and/or become available due to lack of payment.  The details are in the image above, but if for some reason the file won’t load for you, here’s the skinny:

CHILDREN’S SESSIONS

  • 15 minutes
  • child(ren) must be able to sit independently
  • maximum of two children per time slot (if you’d like to have more than two children photographed, we can accommodate – but you’ll need to book two back-to-back time slots)
  • we will be inside in an air-conditioned facility with multiple backdrop options
  • the cost is $50 and you will receive a minimum of 5-10 full resolution digital images
  • may be booked as a separate generational portrait session – see below for details
  • CURRENT AVAILABLE TIME SLOTS: 9:15, 10:45, 1:15, 1:30, 1:45, 2:00, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15

FAMILY SESSIONS

  • 20 minutes
  • maximum family size of four
  • we will be outdoors in the shade for these sessions – please plan and dress accordingly
  • the cost is $75 and you will receive a minimum of 10-15 full resolution digital images
  • CURRENT AVAILABLE TIME SLOTS: 7:40, 8:00, 4:20, 4:40

I’ll confess I really prefer emails or texts, but you can also call after 5pm if that works best for you.  I still work full-time so if you call before then I likely won’t be able to answer the phone. Oh, and the contact link at the top of this page works, too!  850.292.1771 / info@jessicawhittlephotography.com 

Payment is due within one week of reservation to hold your session time.  We booked almost the entire day last year, and I hope we’re able to do it again!  If the day doesn’t book completely, I kind of reserve the right to contact you and ask you to adjust your time some – though I will give you at least a week’s notice and I will be mindful of things like NAPS!  ;)  Payment is accepted in the form of cash or check made payable directly to Silas Owens.

If you think 15 or 20 minutes doesn’t sound like enough time, please trust me.  First of all, I’ve been shooting children since 2009.  (With a camera. Duh.)  I would not book such short sessions if I wasn’t confident that I could provide you with the number of quality images I’ve promised in that amount of time.  And I also have a contingency plan.  While there are some limitations on what we can do with children who absolutely just don’t want anything to do with us, you should read this post about what we did in a particularly challenging situation last year.  Patience is key when working with kids, and there will be plenty of patience.  And snacks.  And bribes (we’ll ask you if this is okay when you check in… don’t worry, we don’t just give out sugary goodness to your kids without asking first).  And FUN!  There were a lot of laughs last year and I’m looking forward to a repeat.

OH!  And have you been interested in getting a generational mini session done?  You can book a Children’s mini session and bring up to four generations of one side of the family for your very own generational photo!  These are usually $125 when booked individually or $75 when booked along with a regular session, so you’d be saving a good deal of money.  You’ll need to bring your own 8×10 or larger frame with you.  Please let me know when you book your session if this is what you’d like to do so we can plan accordingly!  If you book a generational session you will receive ONE full resolution image (with the largest number of generations).  All other images will be available in a gallery for purchase if you’d like.

Solemn but still adorable Kaylee

Kaylee decided that she just wasn’t going to give me a single smile at her last session, but that’s okay!  I still think she’s adorable even if she isn’t smiling.  And I’m told she smiled all the way home afterward, so at least the session didn’t leave her in a bad mood.  ;)  It’s hard trying to engage a 5 month old for an hour straight and get the results you want sometimes.  Especially when she’s transfixed by the trees and the birds and the cars driving down the road.  And teething, so perhaps much more interested in getting her favorite toy in her mouth than letting us rattle it in front of her.  I still love these images, though.  I was a quiet baby and liked to just take it all in, so perhaps I can just relate.

Darren and Emmy are black and blue

Who’s ready for something completely different?  Valerie sent me a message saying, and I quote, “I have a unique situation where both of my children have black eyes!”  Without a doubt that’s the most interesting way anyone has ever begun an inquiry about booking a photo session!  She wanted to embrace those black eyes and do a boxing themed session.  I was happy to oblige, especially when she started talking props.  We had a lot of fun shooting this session this evening.  Little Emmy had me cracking up because she can’t help but smile for pictures… and that wasn’t quite the look we were going for.  ;) And speaking of looks, my editing on these is pretty different from my normal sessions – the theme called for some darker/moodier edits, so that’s what I went with.

Maelee being ridiculously adorable

I had a really hard time picking images for Maelee’s one-year sneak peek because she was just in such a good mood and gave me so many great smiles.  I also loved the area where we were shooting – and I just pretended like no one mentioned the possibility of snakes as I walked into the field with grass higher than my knees.  It was one of those “la la la, I can’t hear you” moments.  Come to think of it, I probably should have just used a zoom lens.  ;)  But it was totally worth facing my fear for some of these shots.  And we had just the right amount of cloud cover, too, for shooting in the middle of a field!  It was like all the planets aligned perfectly for this session.

Tara - June 12, 2013 - 10:38 pm

Jessica they are so good, thank you!

Those Hill and Frazier Gals (and their boys)

While I am technically a day late with this sneak peek (I try to have sessions posted within two weeks) I hope Sherrin and Stephanie won’t think it’s a dollar short.  I had so much fun getting to know Sherrin’s sister and her nephews while they were in town.  It could have been a huge struggle to shoot two adult women and their almost-grown “kids” but there was no reservation from these boys.  They were so open with their personalities, and I really felt like it was a great session.  Sometimes I walk away feeling like I have failed in getting someone to open up for me during a session, but that was just not the case here.

And I’m not playing favorites here or anything, but Justin (the one with the adorable girlfriend) plays bass for a band called The Avid Light, and they have been tearing up the iTunes charts since their album was released.  They made it to the top 40 of the iTunes Christian chart.  I highly recommend heading over to check them out.

Dara - June 10, 2013 - 8:48 pm

Wonderful pics! You have a beautiful family, Sherrin!