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.
… I would blog 2-3 times a week?
It was pretty regular, too. Sometimes 2-3 times a day! Oh, yeah.
But I got behind, and busy, and didn’t have as much time to do it anymore. And I still don’t. But you will start seeing them again soon. The best reason I can give you for why you will see them is because I have been asked to do so. So, here goes…
First, before I start in on blog entries for the sessions, weddings, and more, I have a couple of new projects we are getting ready to roll out. Both take full advantage of the fact that we have a super, large studio with state-of-the-art facilities and lots of space. Having a studio gives us a unique opportunity to create new stuff that we sometimes can’t do on-location. Once we’re ready to reveal them, you’ll know what I mean. One of the projects has been in the works for about twelve years, and the other going on three years.
Some news items for you, too. Diana’s birthday is November 6. Please feel free to wish her a happy birthday. We won’t be at the studio on her birthday (it’s a Sunday), but will be all this week thru Friday. She likes purple, Scottie stuff, and sugar-free licorice. 🙂 We will also be closed on Saturday, November 5 so that we can celebrate her birthday in style.
There are really no holiday cutoffs this year. However, if you want your print products for Christmas gift delivery, they need to be ordered by December 17. A few items should be ordered earlier than that, such as books. Please ask if you aren’t sure.
The studio will be closed for Thanksgiving and the remainder of that weekend. We’ll reopen on Tuesday, November 29. The studio will be closed for Christmas and New Year’s from December 24 through January 2. As always, we will be happy to try to accommodate your holiday portrait requests during those times, but we won’t be at the studio for you to pick up or place orders during those dates.
Model calls. We have three model calls coming up. One is for a model for one of the two projects I discussed above. We have one model already, a young lady we have photographed before, but we’d like to have another to kind of round things out. The next is for newborns… this is not specifically a model call, but we have changed a lot of things about our newborn photography, and we welcome anyone whose had a baby, and who is no more than ten days old, to contact us about getting a complementary session. The last is for next year’s high school seniors (Class of 2013). Senior models get two full sessions, free products, cash, and discounts on their future orders. For any of these, email me or call 304-263-3100 and talk with us (or just leave a message).
I think I’ve said enough for one email. Hope you’re looking forward to the new blog entries as much as I am.
When you have a cute kid, you just want to show them off. And when you’re having fun during the portrait session, it’s time to get involved and get some pictures with your cute kid. This was one of the most entertaining portrait sessions all year. 🙂
Renee (Hair Designs) has been doing my hair for a long time. She’s like a good bartender, though, and will listen to your problems, give advice, and make you feel good about yourself.
Diana and I adore her.
This is our signature contest’s eighth year, and we could not be more proud. This year once again we are raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A portion of every session fee is donated to St. Jude for their research into children’s ailments.
To enter, all you need to do is call, set up a session, then pick your contest entry. Prizes, announced in a week or two, will well exceed our prizes from prior years.
Here’s the flyer… feel free to share it with your friends who have babies!
When I first set up this blog, it was my hope to update it as often as there was something new to talk about. Well, in addition to several new posts coming this week, I will also be able to post from anywhere via my phone.
Interesting.
Here’s a picture of the screen for a post that you can see on Monday morning. Let’s see what else I can get into. 🙂
There are times when eyes alone tell a story. This young man is no exception. He was just shy of his 7th birthday when we took these photos, and his expressions seem to show off just how proud he is. He has a lot to be proud of.
Yes, I’m boasting a bit. He’s also my grandson.
This was part of our Free Facebook Portrait Day awhile back. Brandy and her sisters came to us basically saying “we just want a nice picture for family.” They were thrilled!
To keep up with the next Facebook promotion, click here!
In the past, we have had several different holiday session fees. One for in-studio, one for mini-sessions, and one for on-location sittings. Well, no more. We have decided to create just ONE sitting fee for the balance of this year for all family, baby, pet and event sessions.
And yes, this applies to on-location sessions, too. No more on-location fees for the remainder of the year. So, if you would rather have your portraits done in your home, a favorite family location nearby, or in one of our area’s beautiful parks, there’s no extra charge. That could save you as much as $150! The only requirement is that the location be within 20 miles of our studio.
A quick note about our studio before you decide to have them done at your favorite location. In addition to our large, state-of-the-art studio facility, we also have a large portrait park in the backyard of our studio. It sports 18 fixed sets, including a gazebo, porch swing, Spanish house, barn (complete with hay), fountain area (see picture below), double-sided rock wall (dark on one side, light on the other), park bench, beach and much more. Because we grow ivy, most of these sets remain green year round.
But you need to act fast. We have already booked nearly half of the weekend slots available before the holidays, and that’s BEFORE we sent out this information. You must call to reserve your time and date, and you must pay the non-refundable session fee of $50 to hold your date/time. We are happy to give you a quote for out-of-area sessions, special events and other types of photography.
Just call… 304-263-3100 (out of area, call 888-349-3686) 🙂
