Getting Personal...

Hi! If you are still hanging around here checking this deserted blog land...thank you! Since the beginning of my photography business adventure I have been trying to find a happy medium between being professional and sharing my personal life with you and I have been erring on the side of being professional. It is no secret that this poor little blog (and my facebook page...and my photography in general) has been neglected, so I feel like it is time to get a little personal.

The Facts...

You already know that I am a mother of 3 and expecting baby number 4. You probably know that pregnancy rocks my world a little bit with morning sickness - thus my absence from blogging - but we seem to be mostly over that hurdle now. What you probably don't know is that I am married to a wonderful man who is rocking his way through the Doctor of Nursing program. January marks the beginning of the end - the last semester of the program - but it also marks the beginning of an utterly insane life for me and my little family. Between clinicals and work, he will be working 5-6 12 hour shifts a week. And then you add in writing and implementing his capstone project (similar to a thesis)...and well, let's just say we will be so glad when he is finished and we get him back! Now all of this makes for a crazy life, but to top it off (because when things are crazy around here we make things really crazy!) we are planning to sell our home and move in the spring.

So why do I tell you all of this? Only because I figure it is best to be real with you! I know that smileabunch photography is still new to the photography world and right in the midst of the busiest season of the year for photographers, I was closing the schedule so I could cope with morning sickness. Probably not the best decision for business, but completely neccesary! And now that I am feeling a gazillion times better, I am setting out on what will definitely be the craziest couple months of my life to this point!

The Verdict...

I am super excited to get back behind the camera and start taking clients again, so I am scheduling sessions for January through April right now. My schedule will be closed for all of May and June for maternity leave.

I have some really fun things planned for the coming months and I do have an indoor studio that can be set-up in your home or mine for snow-free, shiver-free shoots. That said, I also know my limits and will only be able to take a very limited number of sessions during this time. So, please please please don't wait to schedule your session. I will not be able to take extra sessions once my schedule is full and last minute scheduling will be nearly impossible. I only have one opening left in January, so snatch it up quick!

Thank you to all of my wonderful clients for all of your support during my first year of business! It has been so wonderful and rewarding to capture your lives, relationships and experiences! I am inspired by your sweet families, adoreable children and faith in little old me as your photographer! Have a very merry Christmas celebrating with the dear ones in your life!

planning ahead

Now scheduling sessions...
for January 2011!

I was planning to close my schedule for the month of December to enjoy the holidays
with my family, but my family of 5 is soon to be a family of 6
(yep, that's an announcement! I am due in June 2011),
so I am closing the schedule a little earlier than planned so I can get feeling a little better.

If you have your heart set on a session before the end of the year,
give me a call ASAP and I'll see what I can do to make it happen!

And, on a similar note all print orders should be placed by 
DECEMBER 1
if you want to get them back before Christmas.

Urban Flair

As much as I love chasing little ones around capturing those adoreable candid moments,

it is always so fun to venture out on a shoot with someone who does exactly what I tell them to every time!



This gorgeous girl is modeling hair extensions for the fabulous Aania and we went totally urban!

Seriously fun!

fall leaves and a family of 15

What a delight it was to spend an evening in the canyon with the Hut family!
They have been so patient waiting for me to post their preview and I am so excited
about all the great shots we got! It is always so hard to narrow it down!
I may just have to add an extra post of all the kiddos individual pictures! Adoreable!

It was a busy night...

this family

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this family

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this family

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this family

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this family

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this fabulous family of 15 and a whole lot of chaotic fun!

the kids were adoreable!

and the big kids were pretty great too...

(I love the last picture...turns out the bug in your mouth did have an upside Jen!)

Thanks for the chaos and the fun and the applause at the end (and your patience)!
Many more to come in your gallery!

I heart faces - the orchard

The theme over at i heart faces this week is the orchard...and when I saw it, I couldn't resist entering a picture from our recent orchard trip. This is my sweet little girl and her amazing daddy. She would get so frustrated trying to pick the apples, so daddy would pick them for her and she would carefully place them in the bucket! I loved watching how daintily she placed them in the bushel basket! So sweet!

HALLOWEEN PHOTO BOOTH SESSIONS

Do you have your halloween costumes all ready to go?

I love themed costumes for the whole family...last year was bug themed:

spider, ladybug, butterfly, OFF bug spray and fly swatter!

This year we are going with a baked goodies theme:

Brynn is going to be a chocolate cupcake with sprinkles,

Chloe is going to be a pinkalicious cupcake,

Morgan is going to be a gingerbread man,

and Seth and I will be the pastry chefs!

In honor of all the work that goes into planning, creating, and
parading around in fabulous halloween costumes,

smileabunch photography is hosting:

Halloween Photo Booth Sessions...

and they have really snuck up on me!

Tuesday, October 19 from 4-6 PM

(yep, that's next week!)

My backyard studio

$30 gets you a 15 minute session with
3-5 edited images on a print-released disc

Costumes or Halloween outfits are required.

Sessions are by appointment only.

I will have a white backdrop studio set up as well as

an outdoor set up for playing in the fall leaves.

Your disc will be ready for pick up by October 26

(or you can opt to have them posted for download)

Contact me to book your session:

801-413-3622 or smileabunch@gmail.com

Want to win a FREE photo session?

Well, you are in luck! And it is easy peasy to win! I have made some fun updates to the smileabunch photography facebook fan page and now I want people to see!

All you have to do is:
1. Go over and "like" my page if you haven't already (click the link above)
2. Tell your friends to go and "like" my page and leave a comment on the wall telling me you sent them
3. When we hit 200 fans, whoever has referred the most friends will get a free session!

Some other stuff to know:
If all of my fans play, you will only have to refer 2 or 3 fans to win.
The free session can be given as a gift and must be used within 6 months.
When I tally it up, both you and the people you referred must still be facebook fans.

So, start referring those friends!

the session that almost wasn't...

this was the session that just wasn't meant to be...

scheduling conflicts,

leaves that didn't change colors,

and a brother getting hit by a car and taken to the ER the morning of our session

(I am told that all is well with him now, just a little sore...don't want you to worry)!

...but I am so glad we made it happen anyway!

The Wood family is so dear to me.

I can call them in a pinch and I know that they will be there to help.

If my kids are getting restless being cooped up with Mom all day,

I can call them and a playdate/lunchdate/mommy break materializes!

If I am feeling like the whole mom job is way to hard,

she is there to commisserate with me and listen to me whine!

So, it is no wonder that it was a fun session...

it was just hanging out with dear friends!

two spunky girls

(and I think these two might even like each other)

and two fabulous parents

having lots of fun together

Dancing with dad...

laughing with mom...

Love them all!

mission pictures - 18 months

This sweet girl is heading to Brazil in a few months to serve her church for 18 months.

no cell phone, no texting, no tv, no radio, no friends or boys or dating or family...

just 1 girl from Salt Lake City, one companion she has never met and the spirit of service!
And she is up for the task!

I am so excited for this new adventure on which she is about to embark!

She is beautiful inside and it shines through on the outside!

Thanks for letting me share in your mission experience, Janessa!

We'll be rooting for you back home!

Gift Cards Now Available

I love giving gifts, but finding something someone will really love can be hard!

So, I have a solution: the perfect gift for anyone on your list....

smileabunch photography gift cards!

Perfect for birthdays, moms to be, Christmas gifts, or just a little something to make your wife happy

(hint hint - family pictures hanging on the walls make wives happy)!

Available in any amount and already beautfiully wrapped!

Easy peasy and everyone goes home happy! 

Silver Lake *plus* Fall Leaves *plus* 25 minutes *equals* LOVE

Every time I run a mini-session I am amazed at how many fabulous photos can result from 25 minutes of shooting, and the Fall Minis at silver lake were no exception!

I had a blast hanging out with my dear friends the P family

(and I got a great workout chasing after little mr. P - he is fast)!

these two have fun together...

can you tell?!

Thanks for hanging out with me and the ducks P family!

Good luck choosing your favorites...it will be no small task
'cause there is more fabulousness coming in your gallery!

Adoreable knit hats for kids and babies!

I have had so much fun doing some commercial photography for Beatknits.

Just check out all these fabulous hats and then head over to the etsy shop for the fabulous prices to match,

not to mention some adoreable newborn cuteness...