In order to appreciate the magnitude of this contest, you had to be on the receiving end. When we started out, there were 51 new likes on the page on the very first day. What we expected was maybe a couple of hundred votes among the four contestants. What we got was quite different, but also very welcome.
There were 831 votes cast across four images… the Like button got pressed that many times on those photos. Impressive. The number of likes on the gallery alone was 128. Unfortunately, there were a LOT of people who liked the gallery, but did not like a photo as well. There were also over 150 people who voted in the contest by Liking a picture, but who never also pressed Like on the TLC Photography page.
I’m telling you all of this because you need to appreciate that there was a lot to review after the fact, and that for two of our contestants, the bidding was fast and furious right up until midnight on Saturday night. To ensure that no additional votes filtered in while we were counting, we closed the entire page (Facebook has a nice little “Unpublish” feature).
Without going into anymore details, let’s get to the results.
Here’s the honorable mention for the online contest. Little Mister Bennett was a virtual force of nature during his session. Combining his love of music along with his sister’s debut in the judged version of the contest, he made quite a splash with us.
Our second runner up (third place) is a friend of a family who has been a good client for awhile now. This little girl has been through a lot in her life, and we hope that these pictures reflect how wonderful a person she will soon become.
The first runner up comes to us from a long-time client, and a second-time entry into the contest. She has a very sweet disposition and we are sure to see more of her in the coming years. Miss Calissa.
We first met the winner of the contest a couple of years ago. Life has been an up and down rollercoaster for his family, and we were grateful to see him entered into the contest. He comes from a generous and wonderful family that has been a blessing to our area for so many. Meet our winner, Mister Aidric.
Afterthought… you should also know that between first and second places, there was only a difference of six little votes. They were practically co-winners. The difference was so small that they were both winners to us.
Congratulations to all, and we thank everyone again who voted and committed themselves to the effort.
Important note: This post is about the judged contest, which is for six to thirty month old children. The online contest will be announced separately.
We were so pleased to meet so many new children this year. It was great fun meeting them all. We had a couple of repeats this year, which probably made the difference in how things went with the judging.
But you’d probably just rather know who won, huh?
Okay. But we have to also tell you that there were five winners.
First, the honorable mentions.
Our first is little Miss Bennett. She is a first-time client and took to us immediately, at times climbing onto Tony to get the best photo angle. We dubbed her a dead ringer for Cindy Lou Who.
The other honorable mention is little Miss Mohr. Her mom is a long-time friend and former employee. She grew up right before our eyes, and this little bundle of joy is something that has given her whole family great joy.
So, now for our third place winner. Also a first-time client, little Miss Rinaldi was quite to warm up with her happy little smile. Her mom is a co-worker of one of our long-time clients.
And now for the runner-up. That would be second place to those of you who aren’t familiar with the terminology. Little Mister Lawlor was something of a mystery at first, being a first-time client and all. But he rapidly came out of his shell when he started realizing that our camera room is just a big playground.
That leaves only the top spot. It’s important to note that the winner of this year’s contest got a vote from all FIVE of our judges. So there’s little doubt that this was the winning entry. Our judges this year are a diverse lot, hailing from New York, Texas, Virginia, Canada, and Maryland. And not a single one said “this was easy,” because it never is. They’re all just too adorable.
But here’s your winner… Mister Bean.
Thanks again to all those who participated. Winners are being contacted individually with their prizes. I hope to be able to show you more pictures in the near future of our contestants from their contest sessions and other sessions to come.
There’s lots more to this year’s contest than just pictures. But first, here’s a copy of the flyer you may see around town. It’s the official mini-poster.
Now, on to a couple of additions for this year.
First, there are two contests. The one we have run for the past eight years includes portraits for children from six months to 30 months. You can read all about that one on the site, including some more picture ideas. The other contest is for children 31 months and older. In that contest, we will put all of the pictures on our Facebook page, where you can get your family and friends to vote by adding a “Like” to the picture you direct them to. The prizes are similar, and the entry fees are the same… session fees go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Second, we have partnered up with Jeni Harding of Dazzlin’ Divas, who provides a long line of beautiful hand-made tutus, hair bands and other accessories for your little divas. The great part about this is that she has contributed four matching sets that we can use for YOUR child’s pictures. You can also ask her to make one especially for your baby for their portrait session. Just look at some of the pieces she made for us:
To get involved, call our studio (304-263-3100) or email us (mbb@tlcphotography.com) to schedule your session. Pre-payment of the session fee is required to hold your appointment.
We’ve just had so many babies in the studio lately that it’s’ easier to catch up by posting a bunch of them at once. We really have enjoyed seeing all the babies. We look forward to many more. 🙂
That engaging smile just seems to radiate throughout the photos. For Hannah, we did photos at the studio and on-location at the farm where her horse is stalled. I enjoyed spending a very windy afternoon doing lots of photos with Hannah.
We’ve known his mom for awhile, and they come from one of the most generous and loving families I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. We’ve done a lot more with newborns in the past couple of years, and it was a genuine treat to meet this little one and photograph his first days.
Learn about our annual baby photo contest by going to the MBB Site.
Maybe you remember that Cameron is my grandson. Every year, Cameron comes in for a portrait session somewhere around his birthday. We usually do something that he wants to do, and a few things that I want to do. The first picture was my idea… the rest were based on his ideas.
He’s a cool kid. 🙂
This is bridal show season. Everyone and their uncle’s brother’s sister’s relative from Europe is putting one on in some fashion or another. In year’s past, we have participated in many of them. And they can be a lot of fun, but are also a lot of work. In most cases, there is about two hours of setting your booth, and another 5-7 hours of talking with brides, grooms, parents, other vendors. Well… it’s exhausting.
In the past few years, we’ve narrowed it down to just one show a year. The best reason I can give you is that shows cost money, time, and are a lot of work. Since only about 15% of our business is weddings, we just cannot justify the additional expense for the return. This Sunday, we are attending a bridal show in Hagerstown, hosted by The Herald-Mail. If you’re going to be around the Valley Mall from 11-6, please feel free to stop by (psst, free chocolate!!!
We always look forward to meeting new people, talking about the latest and greatest venues and hoping against hope that we aren’t bombarded with an overload of noise from a nearby booth. So far, that hasn’t been an issue.
Have a great evening!
Not a reference to the Spongey fella that lives in a citrus fruit.
When I first started in photography, I was in high school. It was a pretty cool experience to play around with exposure and development settings in the darkroom. Most photographers starting out today have not had to spend hours in a darkroom to get results, and are satisfied with instant gratification. Count me among them, of course. I relish my days of darkroom tedium, as it has prepared me for the patience I would need later in my career. But I also like looking at the back of the camera and thinking “okay, that worked!”
As I branched out in my career, it was important for me to learn from other professionals. There were really three types of educational opportunities; internship, apprentice and assistant. I interned with one photographer, but for only a short time. I apprenticed with two photographers for about two years. And I assisted whenever I could. I can’t remember how many photographers I assisted. But that’s not the point.
The point is that instead of just picking up my camera and starting to take pictures, I worked WITH a seasoned professional. I learned (practically absorbed) everything possible, even if it didn’t seem to have bearing on my future as a pro. Then, I wasn’t sure that professional photography would work out for me, and wanted to be prepared for whatever might happen next. By the time I was in my fifth year, I knew a LOT about flowers, dresses, tuxedos, cakes and music (or at least playing it).
Which leads me to the post’s title. What I have long offered is the ability for any student or young photographer to intern or apprentice with me. No, internships don’t pay money. Apprenticeships pay little. The payback is the experience, exposure and thrill of working for and with someone who has had the long-term experience to pass along. But this is not just an offer to work with me as an intern.
It is also a big time request for you to intern, apprentice AND assist with anyone who could help further your career. Offer to take out the trash, clean toilets and sweep the porch in exchange for some “sit in the corner and watch” time at the next session. Go visit a church (or ten) and watch how a wedding unfolds… and ask questions. Offer to do something for the church in return for putting up with you.
Photography evolved beyond the darkroom.
But it did not evolve beyond the absolute need for photographers to get experience WITH experienced professionals. Don’t be lazy… go help someone, and help yourself in return.
Ever wonder how much your brain can hold? I have a theory (not scientifically based whatsoever) that your brain retains everything you’ve ever learned or seen, heard or done. Yes, all of it. Over time, though, your brain has this keen ability to relegate those things which are “useful as experience” to less than a “remember every detail” role.
With that in mind, I have an opinion about how we decide how things are done in our lives, especially as it relates to those things we do on a regular basis. Driving, for example. We take for granted that the car will start in the same way, that we’ll engage the transmission, pull back or forward to leave the driveway or parking spot and then drive on to our destination. With those repeated instances, we begin to use that experience as things that we will do naturally.
The same kind of thing might occur within our jobs. Someone who may come to me for a portrait session may not realize that a “hidden” part of my job is to size up their family, to analyze their face, or to evaluated their wardrobe as part of how I plan to pose, light or create their images. To me, it is routine… part of what I do… and is the experience which allows me to do my job without much in the way of complication.
Going back to the driving analogy for a moment… suppose you are traveling at 70 mph (although I realize some of you may travel faster). You are buffeted in your path by a car some 100 feet behind you, a tractor-trailer beside you and a car 300 feet ahead of you. Suddenly, the tractor-trailer begins to veer into your lane and intends to occupy it – all without having given you the courtesy of a signal. What do you do next? And if you hesitate, you risk quite a bit.
As the driver of a motor vehicle for over 35 years, I know what I would do.
As the driver of a camera in hundreds of weddings, thousands of portrait sessions, and for hundreds of thousands of people in all… my experience comes into play every day.
Every. Single. Day.
What happens if something goes wrong? My brain instantly uses all that experience and comes up with the best possible solution. And all that without letting you know that anything might be wrong.
Experience counts.
