Emails are already pouring in with dates and contracts. If you are a bride or groom planning your special day, please email me with the date and we can get you started! It's easy I promise :) 

Let's chat about your day, the details, the timeline and all the goodies that come with my packages! 

It is never too early to schedule a family portrait session or to give me a heads up for a brand new baby. I am still booking 2015 weddings and would love to chat about yours. Here is a reference calendar for my current availability :) 

It all started when I found the perfect corbel. Originally I had wanted it to be old and covered in flaking paint for character, but this one was only $10 at a consignment shop as opposed to the $40 ones I had been eyeballing. New-made-to-look-old corbel it was then. 

The actual door haunted me for months. Yes, months. I looked on Amazon. I scoured craft stores. I googled around for local hobby shops that featured miniature doll house supplies, which apparently don't actually exist anymore. Eventually, I remembered there is a boutique in Chelsea, Mich called The Potting Shed. The have an entire little room of fairy items meant to make outdoor fairy gardens. They were selling a door made of clay that was hand painted. Again, much cuter than the ordinary wood ones that I would end up having to paint, so already made garden door it was. 

The rest was easy. I had a vision of a whimsical front porch adorned with pearls and greenery. I bought the trunk rounds, moss, clay pots, succulents and miniature fencing at Hobby Lobby. The blue chair came from The Potting Shed as well. The pearl beads I already had left over from that short point of time when I decided "I make jewelry now". 

I painted "206 A" on the planter outside the front door to imitate an apartment within my sister's house. The doormat was made from a scrap of burlap from my wedding decorations. I painted the tooth and "welcome" onto it. There is even a small key hidden under the doormat, because, let's be honest, we all hide one there. 

The rest was just comprised of patience and a bunch of hot glue burnt fingertips. My office now smells like a craft show, but I am hoping it will give them joy for all her young, tooth-losing years. 

As most of you know, I spend a majority of my time as the photographer/owner of [coll.neu] photography. After four years serving and bartending at Carson's American Bistro, I will now be pouring beers at Original Gravity Brewing Company in Milan, Michigan two or three days a week. 

I am excited to join their small crew and to chat with a whole new set of regulars. If you are looking to enjoy a sweet patio, craft Michigan beers, and delicious grilled sandwiches then  stop by for a visit! 

A recent change for [coll.neu] photography is switching from a USB delivery of files/images to a digital download via Dropbox. This was a really hard choice, but ultimately, I had to decide whether to spend my investment on product delivery, or investing in new equipment for better images. I'm choosing the latter for now. So, for 2014 I will be trying a digital download delivery (a standard in this industry) and will reevaluate after the fall to see if it is best to continue on or go back to old ways. 

Unless you use Dropbox frequently, it can be a little confusing at first. Here is a visual guide to viewing and downloading your images. It is best to be on computer for these steps. 

Once you get a Dropbox link from me, click on it. You will get to a screen that looks similar to below. If the edits are in a folder, just double click the folder to get to the images. Notice, I will always include your Print Release for your convenience. 

Once you get to the list of images, you may click on each to view. If you would like to download all at once, which is how I recommend to get your images, select all. I didn't see a "select all" button, but if you click on the first image, and scroll down to the last while holding down the SHIFT key, all will select. 

Once all the images are selected, a "download" icon pops up. All the images will download at once, instead of one by one. The link will remain active for two weeks, and may not be available after. 

If an outsider took a look at our family and had to determine which female was the photographer, all signs would point to my mom. I am notorious for leaving the camera at home when I am not working a job or session. 

Thanks to her being a shutterbug though, my sister and I have ALBUMS of memories to look back on from us at every age. I love being able to relive our childhood through images. My dad captured video of us putting on talent shows, ballerina dances and singing. Man, we were always singing. These are things that I vaguely remember doing myself, but it is so special to SEE it and experience it all over again. 

My mom likes to cook and bake from scratch and I remember "helping" her do so. We weren't tall enough, and let's face it- I am STILL not tall enough, so we would pull out the cabinet drawer and stand on them to reach and see. 

One of my favorite parts was getting to lick the beaters. One for me, one for Kelly Jo. It didn't matter what kind of batter we were making, I wanted one of those beaters. 

When I first posted my desire to offer lifestyle sessions, I got a lot of questions about them. If you have ever attempted to take pictures with small children, let's face it... they do not do what you want when you want it. Oh, you want them to NOT lift up their dress AND smile... pick one. 

These sessions are meant to capture the "everyday" and your routines. The little moments that may seem insignificant now but will blossom into memories. The Cox family let me into their home for a couple hours one Sunday morning to freeze Callie at age three, loving playing princess and prepping for Easter. 

Lifestyle sessions are available in two hour increments for $250. For full day coverage, please contact me for special rates.

To celebrate my victory in finding a super awesome album printer (new for 2014 clients), here is an equally super awesome blog post about it. 

All of my wedding clients receive a 10x10" hardcover album included in their package, but these are available for purchase for any occasion or session. Most albums are priced between $75-200, and are custom designed by me for each client. This printer offers high end album options at affordable prices and is easily tailored to your preferences.

Before deciding that this company would be my new printer for hardcover albums, I tested them out using my own wedding images. Taking advantage of the 50% off for a "studio sample", I ordered one for myself. 

To order one for yourself, email me today to set up a consultation and to pick your preferences :) 

With the popularity of Pinterest and the ease of acquiring DSLR cameras, there is a big trend of "let's take them ourselves" for newborn photography. What people may not know from looking at an image like the one to the left, is that this image is a composite. 

A photo composite is created in photoshop from two or more images to create one complete image. The trick to achieving a good composite image is to stay in the same place relative to the subject. A camera on tripod is ideal, but a steady hand works too. A newborn assistant is a MUST. Ideally, this person works with you for every newborn session. In a pinch, a parent can be used, but remember that they are not trained to do this, and it is really hard to get the hang of. Lastly, you need a VERY sleepy and snuggly baby. The trick to getting these poses is to have a baby that is swaddled tightly, so the limbs can't move, and asleep so he/she will not be fussy or wiggle. 

While continuing reading this post please remember: 

This was actually the first time I tried this particular pose. I had the world's most cooperative newborn and a seasoned assistant. The wrap was a jersey knit and swaddled Olive nice and tight. Kelly was able to support Olive from the right side the whole time. Now that I said that, I am sure all of your eyes darted up to the picture to see where I cloned her out. I'm not going to sit here and say that image is flawless, but I can tell you it was done SAFELY. 

The trick to getting a good set of images eligible for composite is to get one with the top of the head/face by supporting the lower half and chin. Then to get another that is supporting the head, showing the body in full. Ideally, I would've shot a third of just the background in case I needed to touch that up. It would've been the difference between an "ok" composite and a great one, but I forgot. It happens. Still confused? Let's see it in action. 

This is to show you how I determined where to use the eraser and where to clone. If you are a seasoned photoshop-er you may notice I don't really use layers. Not exactly the "right" way to do things, but it works for me. 

Below is another example from Olive's session where she is supported at all times. This is a very stable pose for newborns. If they are very sleepy, and the room is warm, they usually don't wiggle out of this one. Sometimes they will startle awake and really jolt their bodies. That is why Kelly is supporting the head and neck. Even though Olive is on the ground and doesn't have anywhere to fall, that motion and movement can still do serious damage. Safety first my friends! 

My final tip for this post…. do not pressure your photographer to do anything he/she is not comfortable doing. I didn't start newborn photography with these tricks in my bag. I do not always get the chance to have an assistant available, and I won't usually attempt them without one because I don't like putting the parents in that position. If you are interested in poses like these, hire a photographer who can do them and do them safely. 

If you are unsure of whether they can or will do them for you, just ask ahead of time. Newborns don't just "pop up". You have several months to let your tog know what you want and to decide if they are the right fit for your session. Timing is key too. For sessions like these, and poses like these, I prefer to shoot within 10 days of birth. Anything over that I consider the baby sort of "unpredictable". They move more and become a liability for their own safety. 

Thank you for reading and comment with any questions! 

The thing that I absolutely love about engagement sessions is the chance to get to work with the bride and groom BEFORE their big day. 

I get to see how you react together, how you touch, and how you play. All of these things help me make better wedding images for you! 

There is an opportunity to shoot in a location that means a lot to both of you, but is maybe out of the way on your wedding day. My husband and I had our first real date playing putt-putt… something like that. You both love to read, let's head to the library or bookstore and grab a coffee. 

Engagement sessions are also a great way to try out a potential wedding photographer. If you haven't booked one yet, like their style and want to try it out- this is the best way! 

To me, these sessions are priceless.