Every year my model team splits into groups and plans their own theme. They plan their outfits, hair and makeup, location and theme and I come out and make it happen. This group decided they wanted to do a Pretty little Liars theme and they knocked it out of the park! Check out a few of my favorites below!
Class of 2020 I am almost all booked up for Fall, and spring is filling in quickly! Class of 2021, I am taking names for my VIP model invite list next year! If you'd like to know when applications go live, shoot me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your Name, Email, School and Instagram ID!
It's that time of year! Shawna Marie Photography is looking for a group of girls and/or guys who want a fun senior photo experience over the course of their senior year! Who wants just a one and done session? Your senior year should be celebrated with much more fun than that! Get fun themed group shoots, a senior session that truly expresses who YOU are, a raw beauty shoot, an opportunity to earn a session in a destination city (So far we have done Chicago and Nashville, TN. My team votes! These can be repeated or new cities can be explored) the chance to be the cover model for our next magazine, chances to be entered into other magazines, help creating your own influencer brand and so much more! Applications are now live! Acceptance is on a first come first serve basis, so don't wait! Applications will close when all spots are full.
What are you waiting for? Sign up now! and make it a senior year to remember.
So it's your senior year, and you're ready to get those photos and show them off on Instagram right? But who wants to show off the same old stuff everyone else is doing? Step out of the box and let's create something awesome! Stay tuned the next couple of weeks as we visit some different ideas for your photo shoot!
This week : GO RETRO!
We don't have to just go to a park and take some pretty pictures. We can depict who you are, or what you are interested in! We can create amazing things that will have all your followers double-tapping your pics! Is there a time period that you would just love to go back to? This awesome 50's diner shoot was a blast and the girls had a great time doing their hair and makeup for that era ... There are many other options for going back in time, just think about it! 80's with roller skates on a rooftop somewhere ... 1920s ... the women were beautiful and elegant, 70's ... it's fun to dress up for that era, and the modern boho trend makes it easy to find outfits that reflect that era as well! Pick your decade, pick your place and play the part! I promise you will have a blast! If you don't want that to be your full senior session, we offer a great add on option! After you have done your regular session and ordered from it, for $350 you can do an add on mini AND that is the only kind of session I offer that INCLUDES THE DIGITAL IMAGES, so there is nothing to order after unless you just want more awesome products, like our amazing acrylic albums to show off your mini session!
Keep thinking, and look back next week for more fun, off the wall suggestions! :)
This week : GO RETRO!
We don't have to just go to a park and take some pretty pictures. We can depict who you are, or what you are interested in! We can create amazing things that will have all your followers double-tapping your pics! Is there a time period that you would just love to go back to? This awesome 50's diner shoot was a blast and the girls had a great time doing their hair and makeup for that era ... There are many other options for going back in time, just think about it! 80's with roller skates on a rooftop somewhere ... 1920s ... the women were beautiful and elegant, 70's ... it's fun to dress up for that era, and the modern boho trend makes it easy to find outfits that reflect that era as well! Pick your decade, pick your place and play the part! I promise you will have a blast! If you don't want that to be your full senior session, we offer a great add on option! After you have done your regular session and ordered from it, for $350 you can do an add on mini AND that is the only kind of session I offer that INCLUDES THE DIGITAL IMAGES, so there is nothing to order after unless you just want more awesome products, like our amazing acrylic albums to show off your mini session!
Keep thinking, and look back next week for more fun, off the wall suggestions! :)
What a year! I'm so excited for my class of 2018 seniors and all of their accomplishments! I had so much fun shooting each and every single one of these sessions, and we hit some really fun locations! This group realized there was so much more than parks! We shot in Diners, Laundromats, Locker rooms, softball diamonds, Culinary classrooms, football fields, downtown, in water, at fairs, in parks, and on a lot of personal property! We shot with cows, horses and puppies too! I can not wait to see what the class of 2019 comes up with! It's your turn kids! Sky's the limit! Let's see what you've got! June is all booked up, but I have a few openings in July, Aug, Sept and Oct, so don't wait! Call 317-319-6045 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to schedule your session!
Bailey is graduating from Pendleton Heights High School this spring. She wanted a Fall look to her personal session, so we went out in Oct and got a very gloomy day, but we didn't let that stop us and we got some really great, unique pictures! There are also a few of her Model photos here from our waterfall shoot, and from a shoot she did in Panama City, FL.
I am still taking a few more girls for my 2017 model program and I am now booking Spring sessions for Class of 2016, and Summer/Fall sessions for Class of 2017 so shoot me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give me a call! 317-319-6045 We will get you all set up!
I am still taking a few more girls for my 2017 model program and I am now booking Spring sessions for Class of 2016, and Summer/Fall sessions for Class of 2017 so shoot me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give me a call! 317-319-6045 We will get you all set up!
As usual I am behind on sharing on the blog! I am sure 90% of my blog posts start out this way! Ha! This one will be jam packed I have a couple adorable newborns to share here and NEWS! I posted on my Facebook fan page (Please go like if you don't already! www.facebook.com/shawnamariephotography ) that I am really wanting to focus on my newborns this year. I want to really expand that part of my portfolio. Normally my newborn sessions are $125 if you come to me and $200 if I come to you. My first 20 newborn sessions that I sell this year are only $50! That is a HUGE savings! I have sold many of them already, but there are still some up for grabs, so be sure and book ASAP! Your baby doesn't need to be here yet, in fact booking while you are still pregnant is the best way to do it! It's also a GREAT shower gift if you are looking for something different! There are 3 stipulations to this price. ONE : You must bring the newborn to my location. TWO : Newborn must be 10 days old or younger! THREE : You must sign a model release so that I can use the photos on my website and social media. That's it! What are you waiting for?
Now ... here are a couple of the little beauties I have had recently :)
Now ... here are a couple of the little beauties I have had recently :)
The blog is going to go crazy today. I have so much to catch up on! This was back in May before the 8th Grade formal dance at Greenfield Central Jr. High. I held mini sessions before hand. A lot of these girls are athletes and they wanted to showcase that. I love what we ended up with! This will totally be an overshare, but I had to show all of these! :)
Meet Aimee. Isn't she beautiful? Aimee was my first session with Magic Hour http://www.magichourfoundation.org/ If you are unfamiliar with them, go check them out now! I'll wait :) ....
It's ironic that I am just ready to blog this session, and it just so happens to be breast cancer awareness month. Or maybe it isn't :)
Aimee showed up to her session a bit nervous, but she totally rocked the session like she was born to do it. I'll show you a few pics from our session, and I will close with Aimee's story in her own words ... I hope that her story leads others to get their mammograms early! I know it's got me thinking ...
Now ... Aimee's story
July 2012 was just like any other month with the exception of having a free mammogram screening. I had thought about having a mammogram since I was about 34-35 years old since my grandmother had breast cancer about 33 years ago, that resulted in a mastectomy and removal of all your lymph nodes on the left side. I felt like the timing was right and really didn’t think any of it. I would receive a letter once the tech looked at the film. Two days later, I received a phone call, not what I had expected. The film came back with irregular shape and it could be nothing but since I did not have a baseline mammogram the technician wouldn’t know what was normal for me. I went in for a 2nd mammogram along with ultrasound. I walked past the light box and glanced at the first film. I noticed a spore (a star like design) looking white spot on the hanging film. I knew instantly that shape didn’t look anything like the smooth spots which were cysts. It sparked new meaning to the following exams. On my drive home, It hit me even before the results came back that it was Breast Cancer. A had a MRI with dye, needle injections with radioactive material to locate the lymph nodes, ya know the WORKS.
What I had was Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. Stage one. It measured 1.5 x 1.9 cm. (it had been growing for the past 5-8 years)
I had a biopsy that is supposed to be practically painless but in my case, I busted into tears because I instantly felt pain in the middle of the procedure. The doctor performing the procedure said it was not a good sign because “cancer cells” reject or repels the numbing agent that is used to gather tissue samples. He tripled the dose to numb me and then asked for a bigger needle. It wasn’t final yet but being told upfront made me tougher. Three days after the biopsy I received a call that changed everything. The nurse did in fact say it was cancer. My response caught her off guard. I said, “Ok, What do I do now?” I really wasn’t afraid or scared because after seeing it first hand on the film, I had time to adapt and process what I was seeing. I felt strong and positive, for the moment. I had to be strong to get myself through this. We scheduled the surgery for October 5th. That gave us time to run the BRAC1 and BRAC2 tests to investigate if I was a gene carrier for breast cancer. I researched my family tree and I leaned I had relatives who had Ovarian and Uterine Cancer. If I carried the gene then that would give the surgeon and myself the option of an elective mastectomy surgery. The weight of those tests weighed heavily on my whole family’s mind, especially my mother. I had started to prepare for the worst, which losing my hair would not be the end of the world but being reconstructed and healing is a longer process. Having long hair I told myself I could go short and do things that would be out of the norm for me. I would try to see the brighter side of things. Being in constant contact with the lab after 6 weeks we finally got the results back and I didn’t carry the gene but we learned that it was estrogen fed type of cancer. The results were good and what the doctors wanted to hear.
I had more doctor visits and I was scheduled for surgery on October 5th 2012. I have never seen so many doctors in my life. I was anxious for it to be over. Surgery went well. There was a drainage tube in my side, which kept me up for a week until I had it removed. I loathed it and it was no picnic. I missed going to my routine Zumba classes but still kept a positive attitude. Next, after surgery, they sent a sample to a lab to make sure there were clear margins. That means when removing the cancer site the pathologist wants to see good tissue on the outside of the cancer site. Mine came back positive so I would need another surgery to gather more cells around where the cancer took root. November 6th - the appointment for the second surgery. I voted then off to outpatient surgery. The waiting game began again. 5 days later, No need for a third surgery. Thank goodness.
A couple weeks later, I went in for a follow up, and it was good news. I could finally heal. However, I still had Radiation treatments to go through. The party wasn’t over yet. I did try Zumba a couple of times in December, while fun and missed it; Not a good idea. ;)
During my journey, I blogged about my ups and downs on FB . I was an advocate for early detection.
The 4th week of radiation I found out that I had melanoma on my nose and cheek. Therefore, my face was a blistering mess and my chest felt like it had been lit up with gasoline. Great.
Into the top of the 6th week, radiation was a little tougher. I woke up one morning with my skin on fire and the tears just flowed. I just couldn’t make the drive one more day. I still had 6 more visits or so but the burning sensation was just too much. That Wednesday was the only day where I truly had pity for myself. I felt that I had let my guard down. It affected my head. Nevertheless, I had church groups and an army of prayer warriors on my side and I vowed to get myself together and get through this. It’s known that having a peppy attitude and positive outlook makes for a quicker recovery. I was going to prove this to myself. The last 5.5 months was a long journey. I didn’t want to stop now. I finished my radiation and I really couldn’t wait to just rest from all the driving. I started to feel tired, not motivated or determined to get anything done. I knew from other patients that this was the battle. I tried to follow their advice and just laid around and didn’t care. I’m a busy body and I don’t like to be kept still. Well, I rested. Then my old Zumba gal pal picked me up for class one day in March. It was great to be back but I was not feeling it. It’s mid-march and I knew if I didn’t get moving, I wouldn’t get “Me” back. So after a few weeks of just going to one class I bumped it up to 2-3. I had this renewed energy to get in shape. I was exhausted. I went to the hard class…Boot Camp. Two months into classes and I felt like I was getting stronger. I participated in the Komen cure race that my Zumba team built in my honor, and in August, I participated in the Warrior Dash. There was one wall that I couldn’t climb due to my arm weakness but I finished the race. I accomplished many feats and felt like I had a great come back. I walked with my daughter in the color run and I have not stopped Zumba-ing.
I just had my check up and I am in remission up to date. Awesome news. I am on frequent visits with an oncologist, and we are still trying to work out the kinks with medication that agrees with me to cut down the producing of estrogen so I don’t have it come back. I’m looking forward to each new day with a new outlook on life. I am a woman with a mission, and it’s not sitting on the sidelines watching life pass me by.
There are many support groups out there and you have to find the one that fits your needs. I joined Indy SurviverOars- paddle team. It is a dedicated group of breast cancer survivors and supporters that race and practice in a dragon boat on Geist Reservoir. All these women know what you are going through and of all ages and stages of fight.
My doctor told me I could wait until I was 40 to have my first mammogram. At age 35, I should have one a mammogram done or the option to have one but it wasn’t a factor. Now, I urge all my girlfriends and strangers to have a test performed at a young age so when you do reach an mature age the doctors will know what a healthy breast looks like compared to any irregularities they might see in the new film. It’s never too late.
It's ironic that I am just ready to blog this session, and it just so happens to be breast cancer awareness month. Or maybe it isn't :)
Aimee showed up to her session a bit nervous, but she totally rocked the session like she was born to do it. I'll show you a few pics from our session, and I will close with Aimee's story in her own words ... I hope that her story leads others to get their mammograms early! I know it's got me thinking ...
Now ... Aimee's story
July 2012 was just like any other month with the exception of having a free mammogram screening. I had thought about having a mammogram since I was about 34-35 years old since my grandmother had breast cancer about 33 years ago, that resulted in a mastectomy and removal of all your lymph nodes on the left side. I felt like the timing was right and really didn’t think any of it. I would receive a letter once the tech looked at the film. Two days later, I received a phone call, not what I had expected. The film came back with irregular shape and it could be nothing but since I did not have a baseline mammogram the technician wouldn’t know what was normal for me. I went in for a 2nd mammogram along with ultrasound. I walked past the light box and glanced at the first film. I noticed a spore (a star like design) looking white spot on the hanging film. I knew instantly that shape didn’t look anything like the smooth spots which were cysts. It sparked new meaning to the following exams. On my drive home, It hit me even before the results came back that it was Breast Cancer. A had a MRI with dye, needle injections with radioactive material to locate the lymph nodes, ya know the WORKS.
What I had was Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. Stage one. It measured 1.5 x 1.9 cm. (it had been growing for the past 5-8 years)
I had a biopsy that is supposed to be practically painless but in my case, I busted into tears because I instantly felt pain in the middle of the procedure. The doctor performing the procedure said it was not a good sign because “cancer cells” reject or repels the numbing agent that is used to gather tissue samples. He tripled the dose to numb me and then asked for a bigger needle. It wasn’t final yet but being told upfront made me tougher. Three days after the biopsy I received a call that changed everything. The nurse did in fact say it was cancer. My response caught her off guard. I said, “Ok, What do I do now?” I really wasn’t afraid or scared because after seeing it first hand on the film, I had time to adapt and process what I was seeing. I felt strong and positive, for the moment. I had to be strong to get myself through this. We scheduled the surgery for October 5th. That gave us time to run the BRAC1 and BRAC2 tests to investigate if I was a gene carrier for breast cancer. I researched my family tree and I leaned I had relatives who had Ovarian and Uterine Cancer. If I carried the gene then that would give the surgeon and myself the option of an elective mastectomy surgery. The weight of those tests weighed heavily on my whole family’s mind, especially my mother. I had started to prepare for the worst, which losing my hair would not be the end of the world but being reconstructed and healing is a longer process. Having long hair I told myself I could go short and do things that would be out of the norm for me. I would try to see the brighter side of things. Being in constant contact with the lab after 6 weeks we finally got the results back and I didn’t carry the gene but we learned that it was estrogen fed type of cancer. The results were good and what the doctors wanted to hear.
I had more doctor visits and I was scheduled for surgery on October 5th 2012. I have never seen so many doctors in my life. I was anxious for it to be over. Surgery went well. There was a drainage tube in my side, which kept me up for a week until I had it removed. I loathed it and it was no picnic. I missed going to my routine Zumba classes but still kept a positive attitude. Next, after surgery, they sent a sample to a lab to make sure there were clear margins. That means when removing the cancer site the pathologist wants to see good tissue on the outside of the cancer site. Mine came back positive so I would need another surgery to gather more cells around where the cancer took root. November 6th - the appointment for the second surgery. I voted then off to outpatient surgery. The waiting game began again. 5 days later, No need for a third surgery. Thank goodness.
A couple weeks later, I went in for a follow up, and it was good news. I could finally heal. However, I still had Radiation treatments to go through. The party wasn’t over yet. I did try Zumba a couple of times in December, while fun and missed it; Not a good idea. ;)
During my journey, I blogged about my ups and downs on FB . I was an advocate for early detection.
The 4th week of radiation I found out that I had melanoma on my nose and cheek. Therefore, my face was a blistering mess and my chest felt like it had been lit up with gasoline. Great.
Into the top of the 6th week, radiation was a little tougher. I woke up one morning with my skin on fire and the tears just flowed. I just couldn’t make the drive one more day. I still had 6 more visits or so but the burning sensation was just too much. That Wednesday was the only day where I truly had pity for myself. I felt that I had let my guard down. It affected my head. Nevertheless, I had church groups and an army of prayer warriors on my side and I vowed to get myself together and get through this. It’s known that having a peppy attitude and positive outlook makes for a quicker recovery. I was going to prove this to myself. The last 5.5 months was a long journey. I didn’t want to stop now. I finished my radiation and I really couldn’t wait to just rest from all the driving. I started to feel tired, not motivated or determined to get anything done. I knew from other patients that this was the battle. I tried to follow their advice and just laid around and didn’t care. I’m a busy body and I don’t like to be kept still. Well, I rested. Then my old Zumba gal pal picked me up for class one day in March. It was great to be back but I was not feeling it. It’s mid-march and I knew if I didn’t get moving, I wouldn’t get “Me” back. So after a few weeks of just going to one class I bumped it up to 2-3. I had this renewed energy to get in shape. I was exhausted. I went to the hard class…Boot Camp. Two months into classes and I felt like I was getting stronger. I participated in the Komen cure race that my Zumba team built in my honor, and in August, I participated in the Warrior Dash. There was one wall that I couldn’t climb due to my arm weakness but I finished the race. I accomplished many feats and felt like I had a great come back. I walked with my daughter in the color run and I have not stopped Zumba-ing.
I just had my check up and I am in remission up to date. Awesome news. I am on frequent visits with an oncologist, and we are still trying to work out the kinks with medication that agrees with me to cut down the producing of estrogen so I don’t have it come back. I’m looking forward to each new day with a new outlook on life. I am a woman with a mission, and it’s not sitting on the sidelines watching life pass me by.
There are many support groups out there and you have to find the one that fits your needs. I joined Indy SurviverOars- paddle team. It is a dedicated group of breast cancer survivors and supporters that race and practice in a dragon boat on Geist Reservoir. All these women know what you are going through and of all ages and stages of fight.
My doctor told me I could wait until I was 40 to have my first mammogram. At age 35, I should have one a mammogram done or the option to have one but it wasn’t a factor. Now, I urge all my girlfriends and strangers to have a test performed at a young age so when you do reach an mature age the doctors will know what a healthy breast looks like compared to any irregularities they might see in the new film. It’s never too late.
Today for the final day of my charity features, I am going to share a few things with you.... as you can see, I am involved in several different organizations. I am a part of 2 others that I am currently inactive in. I have my reasons for each, which I will explain ... and I am also going to share my OWN idea. Well, maybe it's not my own, as it came to me while in prayer.
First off is Red Thread Sessions: Red thread is an organization that does photos for adoptive families. I think this is great and important, and if someone eventually comes to me for one of these, I will happily oblige. I haven't stayed really active in this one because I haven't seen a great desire/need for it in our area. Not that no one is adopting, but not a lot of interest in the free session.
Second : NILMDTS otherwise known as Now I lay Me Down to Sleep (where we take photos of babies who are about to pass or who were stillborn so that their parents have something to remember them by) ... This one is very, very important to me, and I actively served for several years. However, having 4 kids always going here and there and 2 young ones who can't be left alone yet made it extremely difficult. Sometimes you have to just GO right now or you miss the last few minutes of a baby's life... the last few precious seconds that a parent gets to hold their living, breathing newborn baby. You can't miss that. But I couldn't always leave RIGHT NOW. I spread myself too thin and something had to go FOR NOW. As much as I hated it to be this one, this is the one that I can't say I'm sorry I can't take this one. This is the one you may have to leave in the middle of a ballgame or a bedtime story, so for now I had to become inactive, but when my little ones are a little older, I will definitely go back. It is the most heartwrenching thing I have ever done, but knowing what you are giving those parents makes every tear you cry all the way home 100% worth it. If you are a photographer and you have the time for something like this CHECK THEM OUT! You won't regret it.
Last but not least ... last year was a rough year for our family. We struggled financially, our daughter was diagnosed with a condition we had never heard of, she had brain surgery ... and I just kept praying and asking asking asking every single day for help, for provision for her health and total healing. God came through for us, just as I knew He would and one day I found myself praying and instead of asking, I asked Him what I could do for Him. I asked Him to use me to bless someone else ... and then the idea came to me. I love teenagers. I mean they baffle me at times, and drive me crazy, but I love them and I LOVE doing senior photos. I have such a great time, and I hate that any senior can't have them because they can't afford them. I hate the idea of a teen being teased and bullied all through school. I want to take them out and take amazing photos of them and show them how amazing they are! So each year I will be accepting nominations for teens who can't afford photos, who are or have gone through something difficult, who are being bullied, teased or feel horrible about themselves... I have the stories sent to me, and there is NO WAY I could choose one winner (and no way I could afford to take them all on, though I wish I could!) so I pray over them, and then draw one out. I know every time, the person who gets this session is the person God intended for me to bless. Again right before graduation I will ask if anyone was unable to get photos and then I will do a day of mini sessions and gift one 8x10 to each kid. I really want to make the full session BIG. If you or someone you know is interested in donating a Hair and Makeup session, clothing, a clothing allowance, print credits *at cost (I give a CD with the session. There is no cost to the teen ever) anything that could make the session a big deal, shoot me an email or give me a call! I would love to team up with you on this!
Thank you so much for reading these this week. I am so thankful for every one of these organizations and really want more people to know about all of them! We can't give them if no one realizes they exist:) I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
First off is Red Thread Sessions: Red thread is an organization that does photos for adoptive families. I think this is great and important, and if someone eventually comes to me for one of these, I will happily oblige. I haven't stayed really active in this one because I haven't seen a great desire/need for it in our area. Not that no one is adopting, but not a lot of interest in the free session.
Second : NILMDTS otherwise known as Now I lay Me Down to Sleep (where we take photos of babies who are about to pass or who were stillborn so that their parents have something to remember them by) ... This one is very, very important to me, and I actively served for several years. However, having 4 kids always going here and there and 2 young ones who can't be left alone yet made it extremely difficult. Sometimes you have to just GO right now or you miss the last few minutes of a baby's life... the last few precious seconds that a parent gets to hold their living, breathing newborn baby. You can't miss that. But I couldn't always leave RIGHT NOW. I spread myself too thin and something had to go FOR NOW. As much as I hated it to be this one, this is the one that I can't say I'm sorry I can't take this one. This is the one you may have to leave in the middle of a ballgame or a bedtime story, so for now I had to become inactive, but when my little ones are a little older, I will definitely go back. It is the most heartwrenching thing I have ever done, but knowing what you are giving those parents makes every tear you cry all the way home 100% worth it. If you are a photographer and you have the time for something like this CHECK THEM OUT! You won't regret it.
Last but not least ... last year was a rough year for our family. We struggled financially, our daughter was diagnosed with a condition we had never heard of, she had brain surgery ... and I just kept praying and asking asking asking every single day for help, for provision for her health and total healing. God came through for us, just as I knew He would and one day I found myself praying and instead of asking, I asked Him what I could do for Him. I asked Him to use me to bless someone else ... and then the idea came to me. I love teenagers. I mean they baffle me at times, and drive me crazy, but I love them and I LOVE doing senior photos. I have such a great time, and I hate that any senior can't have them because they can't afford them. I hate the idea of a teen being teased and bullied all through school. I want to take them out and take amazing photos of them and show them how amazing they are! So each year I will be accepting nominations for teens who can't afford photos, who are or have gone through something difficult, who are being bullied, teased or feel horrible about themselves... I have the stories sent to me, and there is NO WAY I could choose one winner (and no way I could afford to take them all on, though I wish I could!) so I pray over them, and then draw one out. I know every time, the person who gets this session is the person God intended for me to bless. Again right before graduation I will ask if anyone was unable to get photos and then I will do a day of mini sessions and gift one 8x10 to each kid. I really want to make the full session BIG. If you or someone you know is interested in donating a Hair and Makeup session, clothing, a clothing allowance, print credits *at cost (I give a CD with the session. There is no cost to the teen ever) anything that could make the session a big deal, shoot me an email or give me a call! I would love to team up with you on this!
Thank you so much for reading these this week. I am so thankful for every one of these organizations and really want more people to know about all of them! We can't give them if no one realizes they exist:) I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
So you've had your session and your viewing session. You love the photos, but aren't really sure what to do with them or what sizes to buy. If you need advice, I am always here to help! I am going to begin selling wall collections at a discount compared to the a la cart prices. Look how great this set would look over your living room couch! This is a 20x24, 16x20, and 20x24 (all mounted prints) . If you purchased them seperately your total would be $415 plus tax. If you purchase them together as a wall collection you can get them for $375 plus tax. You could also buy them as a grouping of gallery wrapped canvases or acrylic prints also discounted for the group. I will be sharing some different wall groupings over the coming weeks. If you have a session before they are all up, no worries. I will show you some with your own photos in your ordering gallery!
So what are you waiting for? You have saved and planned for your custom photography session, don't settle for a few 8x10s that will lay in a drawer somewhere! Decorate your home with them! Share them for years to come:)
So what are you waiting for? You have saved and planned for your custom photography session, don't settle for a few 8x10s that will lay in a drawer somewhere! Decorate your home with them! Share them for years to come:)
Had a great session with these guys at South Eastway Park. They were great at posing themselves and made my job super fun and easy! Here are a few of my faves :)
On Saturday, Oct 22 I am going to be holding mini sessions on Center Street
where the old "Center Street Shops" and Barnabees used to be in Greenfield. These mini
sessions are geared toward holiday cards and holiday gifts and these prices are
unheard of ! I will be offering 3 session packages. You pick when you book
... then you may of course order a la cart on top of these after the session if
you like.
Session 1 will be $50 .... for that you get your mini
session and one digital file to use however you like. You can make your own
holiday cards with it at Walmart or on Shutterfly or Mpix, wherever you like. Or
just have copies made for gifts for family! Up to you! You can do as you please
with it as you will have a print release!
Session 2 will be $100.00 .... for your session and 3
digital files with print rights... Make a more complicated card, have different
choices for different gifts etc. Again, the options are unlimited! My digital
files are usually $150 each, so this is an incredible deal and it won't be
offered again before next Holiday season!
Session 3 will be $300.00 ... that will cover your session,
you'll get digital files of each image in your gallery (up to 10 images will be
shown. No fewer than 6!) You will also get a set of 25 custom designed 4x6 Christmas
cards and 15% off any a la cart prints you may purchase.
Now for the nitty gritty ... Mini sessions are for immediate family living in
the same household only, up to 5 family members. No specialty sessions such as
cake smashes, newborns or seniors will be allowed. These sessions will last
about 15 minutes. Long enough to get a good family shot for your Christmas cards
and a few shots of the kids to update family albums for you and your loved ones.
There will only be 14 mini slots available so this is first come first serve. Your time slot will not be
considered booked until it is paid for in full. If it should rain, there wll be
a rain date to make these up. No refunds will be given for no shows. Please
arrive 5-10 minutes early for your session in case I am running ahead and to
fill out paper work if you didn't fill it out online.
If you prefer a full session for your holiday cards and gifts, please make
sure you schedule soon! I am booking quickly for fall! My deadline for custom
cards will be December 1st. They must be ORDERED by this date to ensure that you
have them in a timely manner to mail before Christmas. My order deadline for
gift prints is December 17th.
where the old "Center Street Shops" and Barnabees used to be in Greenfield. These mini
sessions are geared toward holiday cards and holiday gifts and these prices are
unheard of ! I will be offering 3 session packages. You pick when you book
... then you may of course order a la cart on top of these after the session if
you like.
Session 1 will be $50 .... for that you get your mini
session and one digital file to use however you like. You can make your own
holiday cards with it at Walmart or on Shutterfly or Mpix, wherever you like. Or
just have copies made for gifts for family! Up to you! You can do as you please
with it as you will have a print release!
Session 2 will be $100.00 .... for your session and 3
digital files with print rights... Make a more complicated card, have different
choices for different gifts etc. Again, the options are unlimited! My digital
files are usually $150 each, so this is an incredible deal and it won't be
offered again before next Holiday season!
Session 3 will be $300.00 ... that will cover your session,
you'll get digital files of each image in your gallery (up to 10 images will be
shown. No fewer than 6!) You will also get a set of 25 custom designed 4x6 Christmas
cards and 15% off any a la cart prints you may purchase.
Now for the nitty gritty ... Mini sessions are for immediate family living in
the same household only, up to 5 family members. No specialty sessions such as
cake smashes, newborns or seniors will be allowed. These sessions will last
about 15 minutes. Long enough to get a good family shot for your Christmas cards
and a few shots of the kids to update family albums for you and your loved ones.
There will only be 14 mini slots available so this is first come first serve. Your time slot will not be
considered booked until it is paid for in full. If it should rain, there wll be
a rain date to make these up. No refunds will be given for no shows. Please
arrive 5-10 minutes early for your session in case I am running ahead and to
fill out paper work if you didn't fill it out online.
If you prefer a full session for your holiday cards and gifts, please make
sure you schedule soon! I am booking quickly for fall! My deadline for custom
cards will be December 1st. They must be ORDERED by this date to ensure that you
have them in a timely manner to mail before Christmas. My order deadline for
gift prints is December 17th.
If you will be graduating with the class of 2013 and would like to apply to be a Rep for Shawna Marie Photography you may now fill out an application. Just click the link in the toolbar that says become a senior rep! Or go to www.shawnamariephotography.com/becomearep and fill out the form! Also, go like my facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/shawnamariephotography and start sharing with your friends! The more bookings I get off of you, the more awesome free stuff you get! Sooo start talking about us!
I am working on getting my fan base to 1000 on Facebook. www.facebook.com/shawnamariephotography . When I reach 1000 fans I will be giving away an 8x10 Organic Bloom (style June) photo frame in the winners choice of color. These frames are amazing! Go to www.organicbloom.com to check them out! They are only available to photographers, and I am a registered vendor. So what do you have to do to win it? It's simple! Tell all of your friends to go to my facebook business page and click LIKE at the top! After they click like, just have them comment your name on the wall. Simple as that! The person who gets me the most new fans wins. Then check my page because when I hit 1000 fans I will be posting the winners name and waiting for you to claim your prize!
Needed to make a template for an order the other day, so I decided to share the template. http://www.mediafire.com/?tkv1zzx4jl520s2 (Photos not included;) ) Feel free to use for personal or client use, but please do not sell! Thank you! :)
Here is a sample of the template with photos on it! Just uses clipping masks so drag your photo on top of the layer and use a clipping mask... scale as needed to fit
Here is a sample of the template with photos on it! Just uses clipping masks so drag your photo on top of the layer and use a clipping mask... scale as needed to fit
I have had a lot of demand for a smaller, less customized session than I usually offer. I offer a boutique style brand, with a custom photo spot, custom editing and your own ordering session either online or in person by your choice. My typical photo session lasts at least an hour, if not longer and I deliver 20-30 fully edited proofs for you to choose from in your gallery. I am finding that some of you just want to capture a moment in your child's life, but don't necessarily need the full session. So Capture the Moment sessions are born. Playing a sport? Want a more custom photo in your uniform than the dime a dozen team sport photos? Graduating preschool, Kindergarten, 6th grade, 8th grade? Just want a quick shot or two for remembrance? That's where these sessions come in! These are for ages 4-18 and One child per session only. Sessions will last no more than 20 minutes in one location in the Greenfield area. I will deliver up to 7 proofs for you to choose from. You pay $50 for the session and 2 digital images with print release. You may upgrade the session to $75 for the session and 3 images or $100 for the session and 5 images. These sessions will be available on a first come first serve basis as I will only be fullfilling a certain amount per month and they are not available on weekends. Schedule yours today!
I am also adding GAME DAY Sessions! For $200 I will come to your child's ballgame and photograph them playing and you will receive a disk of all of the 4x6 images with print release. Again, these sessions will be on a very limited basis, so schedule yours ASAP to make sure you get one! You may share this session with one other person on your team if you like.
I am also adding GAME DAY Sessions! For $200 I will come to your child's ballgame and photograph them playing and you will receive a disk of all of the 4x6 images with print release. Again, these sessions will be on a very limited basis, so schedule yours ASAP to make sure you get one! You may share this session with one other person on your team if you like.
So we all know that word of mouth and referrals are the biggest way small businesses get their business. Shawna Marie Photography is no different! I rely on your referrals to keep my business running! In the past I have used a Senior Rep program to bring more awareness to my senior offerings. This limits the referrals to people my reps know though. So NOW EVERYONE is or can be a rep for Shawna Marie Photography! Right now, I am working on building word of mouth for my NEWBORNS and my HIGHSCHOOL SENIORS so this is how you get your FREE, BRAND NEW 32 GIG IPAD ... Get 10 Newborn OR High School Seniors booked/paid with me within a 30 day period. I will keep track from the date of your first referral. That is what will start your 30 days. All 10 bookings must be Newborns or High School seniors and ALL 10 of them must choose their date and PAY FOR THEIR SESSION in the same 30 day time frame. Just make sure they give me your name when they book! That's IT! That's all you have to do! This is a limited time offer. I am not sure how long I am going to run this promotion (however, be assured if you start, I will honor your 30 days regardless). Anyone can win one. You don't have to be a High School Senior to make the referral. Just make sure your referrals have your full name, and if you are sending me referrals, be sure to fill out this short form http://www.shawnamariephotography.com/referforipad so I have your contact information should you reach your goal! :)
As many of you know, volunteer photography is a big part of my business. One of my favorite organizations is Inspiration Through Art . Through them I have met some incredibly inspiring children. I never thought one of my own children would be eligible for an ITA shoot. As far as I knew, I had 4 very healthy children. Then things changed. Back in January my 13 year old daughter was at basketball practice and she got hit in the back of the head with someone's airball. She saw stars, got a little dizzy and had a headache, but carried on with practice. She came home later that night and told me about it and that her head was still hurting. I was like well yeah, I'm sure you do have a headache. Take some motrin and go to bed. She woke up the next morning and said her head still hurt. I was a little concerned but she wasn't showing any concussion like symptoms so I had her take more motrin and sent her off to school. When she got home her head still hurt, so I called the doc. We got in the next day and she said she had a mild concussion. She gave her no restrictions and told her to keep medicating with motrin and or tylenol as needed. For about 3 weeks she had a constant headache. Then it subsided to only when she was active, playing in her basketball games, practicing and when she practiced hitting and pitching for softball. She is such a tough kid. She still did it all with the help of motrin before she would go to practices/games. We let it go for awhile thinking it was post concussion syndrome, but when it didn't go away and started happening more intensly so back to the doc. He thought the same, that it was more than likely post concussion, but he ordered an MRI to be sure all was ok. The MRI came back and they told us she had a chiari 1 malformation. This is something she was born with, but she didn't have symptoms until she got hit. We were told by many "oh that's nothing, a lot of people have them, nothing to worry about" ... etc etc. So I was starting to feel better, but then our doctor wanted us to go see a Neurosurgeon at Riley. That's when I got scared. I read everything I could get my hands on and by the time we saw the neuro in May, I pretty much knew everything she ended up telling us about it. After examining Makayla, she said at this point we could wait and watch as her symptoms weren't all that bad, but she recommended surgery because it did seem to be affecting Makayla's quality of life. She was right. It was. My once very athletic kid was coming out of the pitcher's circle in tears in the middle of games. Her coaches were needing to ask her before games if she was going to be able to pitch or not. Did she have a headache, how bad was it etc. So we opted to go with the doctor's advice and set up her surgery. We held off til after the world series so she could finish out the season with her team, but it was evident there that she really needed the surgery. The last few weeks before her surgery I was having to drive her to and from school (she usually walked) because her backpack was too much for her back. So what is Chiari? Here's a little thing I put together with some basic info.
There are many other things that can go along with Chiari, but this is basically what we are dealing with with Makayla so far.
When we started going through this, the photographer in me decided we were going to document through photos and create an awareness video. I am still working on putting that together, as I want more information included. Plus, I want to add an "after" story for her. So a few weeks before the surgery I applied for an Inspiration Through Art shoot. Only I specified that I wanted to do the photos myself. The only reason I was signing up is because ITA features their Heroes and tells about their illnesses. It helps spread awareness, and that is what we are looking to do. This isn't well known, and the information you can find is very conflicting, as well as the fact that it's hard to find success stories out there. My request got accepted and then I took her out and did phase one of our story.... Here are a few of my favorites from that session.
This kid is such a fighter. She is so strong. I can't imagine doing all of the things she did with constant head pain and dizziness and neck and back pain. She is an inspiration to me.
She never let it keep her down. She got out there and pitched some of her best games. When she wasn't pitching, she played short stop. A position she's never played before this past season, and she did it so well. This kid likes to win, and she'll do what it takes to make that happen. That's how I know she's going to win the fight against chiari.
Look at that smile. She's got this! :)
Did I mention she's tough?
Through all of this, my one constant has been God. I have grown so much in my relationship with him during this time. In fact, his faithfulness during this time led me to take the next step and be baptised last week. I hope that Makayla and my other children are learning by my example to lean on Him and trust in Him. I have gone back and forth between thanking Him and pleading for her health and asking why, and then realizing how many people have it so much worse and thanking him again that this is something that we can manage and find treatment for. I have prayed for full healing. I have prayed for her ability to cope with whatever she is dealt, and mine as well. I prayed for her surgeon and her nurses and anything and everything I could think of that would help her. Facebook was an amazing tool for creating prayer chains. I am pretty sure there was someone in every state and in a few other countries praying for my girl. It was humbling and overwhelming. Her softball team was incredible. We have been a part of some great teams (great as in the players, coaches and families have been wonderful) and some not so great ... but this team. The Indiana Diamond Batz has exceeded our expectations. They are a good solid Christian based organization. They do great community service projects and teach our girls more than just softball. They are shaping them and becoming family while they are at it. Nearly every girl on the team made it to the hospital to see her, as well as her coach who also made a point to come up during her surgery to support us as well. Our families of course were amazing, but we are spoiled with great families and that was to be expected!
So on our surgery day of course we were nervous! VERY Nervous! Here's Makayla getting her mask all smelling like Dr. Pepper for when it's time to be put out. I think it just hit her here what was about to happen ...
sending her back for surgery had to be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I gave her her hugs and kisses and we both cried... and then when they wheeled her down the hall I turned to the hubby and bawled some more. And then when we saw the fam up in the waiting room ... AGAIN. lol.
Here we are FINALLY reunited with her :)
I have many many pics of all the family and friends who came to see her, but that would take way too much room on this blog. At the end I will include a link to our full album on Facebook. I did want to post this one though... what a precious moment. Her best friend came in the room and that was the first time she opened her eyes and smiled after surgery :)
The first thing she wanted to eat was about 24 hours after surgery and it was McDonalds Chicken nuggest. lol... whatever it takes to get her to eat!
She did really well after surgery. She slept a lot the first night, but the next day she was awake all day. It was probably her hardest day, but she mainly complained about not getting a regular room. Apparently we hit one of the busiest weeks ever at the hospital and they didn't have a bed for her on 9West so she was stuck in ICU longer than normal and she was not happy about it!
Here she is out of bed for the first time after surgery :)
and I did want to show the pic of when most of her team was up... a couple of them came up the night before, but this group was there all at once, so we got a group shot. Such wonderful kids and families! :)
and of course we need a photo of the scar ... isn't that amazing? Dr. Jodi Smith is wonderful and I highly recommend her! She did a fabulous job.
Makayla's surgery was Wed afternoon and the following Sat morning we were on our way home. I am amazed at how fast the recovery has been so far. I know we may not be through all of the rough days, but she is doing very well right now!
She had a hard day the day after she got home from the hospital, but it was my fault. I let her go too long between meds. Once we got her back on track it was all good. She spent the first week hanging around the house, resting on the couch mostly, but near the end of the week she made it out to 2 school football games, then she did a community service day with her softball team, went to church on Sun and this week less than 2 weeks after surgery she has returned to school half days. It will be 2 weeks tomorrow since her surgery! She says she feels like she never had brain surgery. Her head hasn't really been hurting other than some minor sinus headaches a time or two and she said she can carry her backpack again without pain in her back. I can't wait to see how she does when she's allowed to get back to her sports. I know it's all in God's hands and all I can do is trust that he's got this and no matter what happens, it's all part of his plan. I am so happy we went through with it though. Her surgeon said it was much worse than she had thought it to be and it's a very good thing we got her in. Again, lots of prayer led us to that decision.
I plan to do an update at 6 months and a year post op. In the mean time, if you'd like to see ALL of the photos from this journey, go to the album on facebook here :) http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151083279916539.482743.113535496538&type=3
There are many other things that can go along with Chiari, but this is basically what we are dealing with with Makayla so far.
When we started going through this, the photographer in me decided we were going to document through photos and create an awareness video. I am still working on putting that together, as I want more information included. Plus, I want to add an "after" story for her. So a few weeks before the surgery I applied for an Inspiration Through Art shoot. Only I specified that I wanted to do the photos myself. The only reason I was signing up is because ITA features their Heroes and tells about their illnesses. It helps spread awareness, and that is what we are looking to do. This isn't well known, and the information you can find is very conflicting, as well as the fact that it's hard to find success stories out there. My request got accepted and then I took her out and did phase one of our story.... Here are a few of my favorites from that session.
This kid is such a fighter. She is so strong. I can't imagine doing all of the things she did with constant head pain and dizziness and neck and back pain. She is an inspiration to me.
She never let it keep her down. She got out there and pitched some of her best games. When she wasn't pitching, she played short stop. A position she's never played before this past season, and she did it so well. This kid likes to win, and she'll do what it takes to make that happen. That's how I know she's going to win the fight against chiari.
Look at that smile. She's got this! :)Did I mention she's tough?
Through all of this, my one constant has been God. I have grown so much in my relationship with him during this time. In fact, his faithfulness during this time led me to take the next step and be baptised last week. I hope that Makayla and my other children are learning by my example to lean on Him and trust in Him. I have gone back and forth between thanking Him and pleading for her health and asking why, and then realizing how many people have it so much worse and thanking him again that this is something that we can manage and find treatment for. I have prayed for full healing. I have prayed for her ability to cope with whatever she is dealt, and mine as well. I prayed for her surgeon and her nurses and anything and everything I could think of that would help her. Facebook was an amazing tool for creating prayer chains. I am pretty sure there was someone in every state and in a few other countries praying for my girl. It was humbling and overwhelming. Her softball team was incredible. We have been a part of some great teams (great as in the players, coaches and families have been wonderful) and some not so great ... but this team. The Indiana Diamond Batz has exceeded our expectations. They are a good solid Christian based organization. They do great community service projects and teach our girls more than just softball. They are shaping them and becoming family while they are at it. Nearly every girl on the team made it to the hospital to see her, as well as her coach who also made a point to come up during her surgery to support us as well. Our families of course were amazing, but we are spoiled with great families and that was to be expected!So on our surgery day of course we were nervous! VERY Nervous! Here's Makayla getting her mask all smelling like Dr. Pepper for when it's time to be put out. I think it just hit her here what was about to happen ...
sending her back for surgery had to be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I gave her her hugs and kisses and we both cried... and then when they wheeled her down the hall I turned to the hubby and bawled some more. And then when we saw the fam up in the waiting room ... AGAIN. lol.
Here we are FINALLY reunited with her :)
I have many many pics of all the family and friends who came to see her, but that would take way too much room on this blog. At the end I will include a link to our full album on Facebook. I did want to post this one though... what a precious moment. Her best friend came in the room and that was the first time she opened her eyes and smiled after surgery :)
The first thing she wanted to eat was about 24 hours after surgery and it was McDonalds Chicken nuggest. lol... whatever it takes to get her to eat!
She did really well after surgery. She slept a lot the first night, but the next day she was awake all day. It was probably her hardest day, but she mainly complained about not getting a regular room. Apparently we hit one of the busiest weeks ever at the hospital and they didn't have a bed for her on 9West so she was stuck in ICU longer than normal and she was not happy about it!
Here she is out of bed for the first time after surgery :)
and I did want to show the pic of when most of her team was up... a couple of them came up the night before, but this group was there all at once, so we got a group shot. Such wonderful kids and families! :)and of course we need a photo of the scar ... isn't that amazing? Dr. Jodi Smith is wonderful and I highly recommend her! She did a fabulous job.
Makayla's surgery was Wed afternoon and the following Sat morning we were on our way home. I am amazed at how fast the recovery has been so far. I know we may not be through all of the rough days, but she is doing very well right now!
She had a hard day the day after she got home from the hospital, but it was my fault. I let her go too long between meds. Once we got her back on track it was all good. She spent the first week hanging around the house, resting on the couch mostly, but near the end of the week she made it out to 2 school football games, then she did a community service day with her softball team, went to church on Sun and this week less than 2 weeks after surgery she has returned to school half days. It will be 2 weeks tomorrow since her surgery! She says she feels like she never had brain surgery. Her head hasn't really been hurting other than some minor sinus headaches a time or two and she said she can carry her backpack again without pain in her back. I can't wait to see how she does when she's allowed to get back to her sports. I know it's all in God's hands and all I can do is trust that he's got this and no matter what happens, it's all part of his plan. I am so happy we went through with it though. Her surgeon said it was much worse than she had thought it to be and it's a very good thing we got her in. Again, lots of prayer led us to that decision.
I plan to do an update at 6 months and a year post op. In the mean time, if you'd like to see ALL of the photos from this journey, go to the album on facebook here :) http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151083279916539.482743.113535496538&type=3
