In this digital age, we all get our photos on our computer, and on a disc and we forget the tangible! Did you get married recently and have a favorite shot of you all dressed up? Are you one of my portrait clients and have a favorite photo of your little one(s)? Don’t let the photos you have invested so much in sit in a drawer in your desk, or buried on a hard drive that may not work in five years!

I am so happy I can offer canvases prices now that are attainable and affordable…and that are worth every penny.

The first shot of Stefan and I is a 30 by 40 canvas hanging at the top of your stairs in our home. I seriously grin every time I walk up the stairs each time because I see this gorgeous shot! (Thanks to our photog, Paul Von Rieter!)

Husbands, order your wedding photo for your anniversary, or for a birthday! Fathers, Mother’s Day is around the corner. I guarantee you will amaze her with this thoughtful gift!!!

Please email me if you would like to order and see below for the amazing prices!

11 by 14 – $70

16 by 20 – $90

20 by 30 – $140

24 by 26 – $200

30 by 40 – $260

20 by 60 – $260 (panoramic)

40 by 60 – $440

And Stefan absolutely outdid himself with this ring!!!! WOW

In a decision a long time coming, Stefan and I are packing up our belongings, him from CA and me from DC and we are meeting in the middle: Colorado! Say what!? Yes that’s right….we have decided to move to Denver, Colorado and we couldn’t be more excited to start a new phase of our life! A new home, a new state and new possibilities! What’s super exciting about this move is that it will also mark my transition from working part-time on my business over the last 3 years, to making year 4 a full-time endeavor!  I am SO stoked to have more time to focus on my passion, to service all my current and future wonderful clients, and to explore avenues that have been previously stinted due to time limitations.

One thing I would really like to say is how so very thankful I am for all the wonderful clients I have had the chance to work with over the last three years here in DC, and I am esepcially grateful to those of you who have been supporters and clients from year one and have seen me through to today!

While I am moving many miles across the country in June, I will still be spending a considerable amount of time in DC throughout the remainder of 2011, and even in 2012, so I look forward to still being able to schedule sessions in DC with anyone who wants one! I have spent time over the last week notifying all my 2011 and 2012 wedding clients, but for any prospective DC clients, or for those of you who look to me for family portrait sessions or other photography needs, please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have, and of course I am always happy to travel for a session or a wedding.

And because no post -even one with such big news as this one- would be complete without photos I give you Gwyn and John, my first Denver couple! Gwyn and John got engaged just 2 weeks ago, and in a stroke of fate Gwyn contacted me just in time for us to have a session last weekend when Stefan and I were in Denver house hunting. She suggested the GORGEOUS Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, and it was a killer location for an early morning engagement session. So here are Gwyn, John and their two adorable pups Dakota and Denali! Congrats guys!

I got 12th place in the ‘Emotion’ category with this image!

You can check out the other winners, and the judges comments here: http://www.agwpja.com/photography-contests/42-agwpja-q4-2010/04-emotion.html#12

Yay!

Well lucky me! (and hundreds of others who were inspired by his vision) He’s released an inspiring tool to help those of us who want to find more depth in what we do and that’s what I had been anxiously awaiting for the last three weeks. No, no, it’s not a fancy lense or camera, it’s not a special way to process photos or anything really tangible at all. (Except the beautiful packaging!) It’s called the Beloved Field Guide. (Beloved is a term he’s coined for this new approach to couples sessions) It’s his words, his vision written and illustrated by beautiful photographs of his own, guiding those of us who are interested along the path to something more.

This all sounds really hocus-pocus-y right? I know, but TRUST ME….it’s a good thing, and for any couple with sessions on the books with me in the next few weeks and months, don’t be surprised if I ask you to forget your notions of what your session will be and ask you to perhaps go in a different direction. (You can say no, but I promise its a good thing!)

I am so looking forward to putting some of Jesh’s methods into practice, making them my own, and hopefully seeing beautiful results unfold, not just in the actual photos I take but in the experience of each new session for both my clients and myself!

Isn’t it just so simply elegant?!?

In honor of the SUN and all things beautiful, spring-like and outdoorsy, I am happy to offer 25% off your portrait session fee if you book a session and mention this blog post!!!

And to get you in the mood, here’s a few pictures of three adorable kids hamming it up for the camera and eating ICE CREAM!

Brotherly/sisterly/sisterly love!

YUM

Yum again!

Don’t you think they should make these in grown-up sizes!? And who says you need rain to wear rainboots…

No, no….I didn’t just learn how to lose money..(though I did learn that too, and not by gambling but MAN…eating in Vegas is PRICEY)

Anyway… I spent last week attending the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) annual conference. It definitely can be said that its one of the industries best gatherings of photography  masters and novices alike, totalling about 14,000 photographers in attendance! You spend your days walking around the trade show, going on shooting excursions, attending classes led by top wedding and portrait photographers around the globe, and even squeezing in some partying in here and there!! ( I didn’t get to go do any shooting myself, but check out local photographer Leo Druker who has some amazing shots up from the 4 shooting workshops he attended)

My brain is so full of info that I have 22 pages of notes, and about 14 different ‘What Erin should do in the next year’ lists regarding this lil ole business of mine. But I have to say, the best thing about my time at WPPI was that I didn’t just learn facts and figures and how to be a better photographer….(but of course I did) more so…I feel like I learned a little bit more about how I can be a better person, a better asset to my community, a better ME.

And that is priceless!

Here’s a little bit about my time in Vegas at WPPI………….Welcome to WPPI!

A great part of the trip was getting to meet and talk to a bunch of the photographers I admire and follow, some who i already knew and some who I was anxiosu to meet! I can’t possibly write about even sinle highlight of the conference, but here’s just a few!

If any bride, wedding photographer, or female photographer period. hasn’t heard of Jessica Claire, well….you are living under a rock! Not only is she one of Orange Counties most sought after wedding photographers, but she’s also the co-creator of one of the best camera/lens bags on the market (and most stylish of course too!). I got to stop and say hi to her for a few minutes at her ShootSac booth:

And Here’s Jessica herself (shes the one smiling):

Then I got to stop over at Kelly Moore‘s booth. Again Not only is Kelly an amazing photographer but she too has taken the common complaint of us girl photographers ‘Why aren’t their any cute camera bags that are actually functional but don’t make me look like a total NERD’ and turned it into a wonderful and stylish product: The Kelly Moore Bag. And did I mention she’s also super nice? Here she is showing people the bags and all their features:

Next I went over to say hi to Tony Bisson from Laguna Albums. I actually used to freelance some album design work for Laguna Albums…and Tony and I know each other from a few years back. He too is a Delaware Native. Thankfully we’ve both moved to better ground though (Sorry Delaware!) I got a picture of the two of us, and then a picture of Tony giving his good adivce on excellent album design. (It’s not as easy as it looks!)

Last but not least by any means is when I got to talk for a minute with the ever amazing Jesh De Rox. Jesh is truly an inspiration. His photography of course is stunning, but more so even than that he himself is just about one of the most geniune people you will ever meet. He makes you think about things you would never think about, and pushes people to grow their business out of love, not money….nor the love of money haha….but he really is a phenominal asset to the photography community. I also had had the pleasure of attending his jam packed 8am 2 hour long class the night after a party (yeesh) and I have to say I am SO glad I dragged myself out of bed. I truly enjoyed every person I heard speak throughout the week, but if I had to choose a favorite it would be Jesh! I was excited to get a picture with him!

I’ll close this post with a precursor to the next posts….as I have a lot to share from my trip! I closed out the week in Southern California where Stefan lives, only a 3.5 hour drive from glitzy Vegas. Stefan had been my companion throughout WPPI, and so reluctant as I was to leave the convention Wednesday afternoon…we got out in time to catch the sun setting over the desert and I got this image which I was pretty excited about (and Stefan was jealous of…snicker)

So stay tuned for more posts on the rest of my trip, including California Fields and some new portraits of me and Stefan, as well as the San Diego Zoo!!

For those in Haiti who don’t have basic needs like food, shelter and water, or healthcasre in this time of nationwide disaster, 781 will go a long way to help. SO give yourselves a pat on the back!

** For those that were the top bidders, you will be receiving and email in the next 2 days with instructions on how to make your promised donation and receive your print.

Again, thanks so much for contributing to such a great cause.

If you missed out on the print you wanted, you still have a few hours to head over to Switchcities, as their auction runs until 11:59pm tonight.

Thanks!