Well, my days with Blogger are done. They've been good, I just needed a change and yes, this is the second time I have changed my blog in the past two years. Don't hate. The first time it was because I changed the name of my business and this time it is because I wanted bigger images and more options!
So, please visit my new blog at http://www.summerjeanphotographyblog.com
I will no longer be posting to this blog so make sure you bookmark the new one!
Thanks!
I know, I know...I was on maternity leave for three months and now I am going on vacation. Well, it's true and I am looking forward to some sun and some warmer temps, I won't lie. My husband and I are both extremely busy in the summer so the winter is our time to play and relax.
We will be in SanDiego, CA for a week while my husband attends the annual GCSAA conference and then we will be going to Arizona to visit with my in-laws and brother in law. We'll be back on the 18th. :o)
If you need to get ahold of me, I will still have access to e-mail and phone although I will be checking it less frequently.
Here are a couple pictures of my babes playing in the snow a few weeks ago.
It is hard to believe that I am at the end of my maternity leave and that my baby girl is almost three months old! I thought that time went by fast with one kid...well, two kids is a different story! I hardly notice the weeks flying by now!
The time spent focusing on my family has really been wonderful. It feels good to have the time to clean my house, make a nice dinner, and to sit down and have a conversation with my husband again. A lot of people don't like Michigan because of the cold winters but I personally look forward to it every year because it forces you to slow down a bit. And, after a long summer of taking photos and editing until the early morning hours, the break is much needed by most photographers that I know.
But, I am getting the creative itch again! So, starting January 18, I will be accepting appointments for portrait photography.
There are a couple of changes made for the 2010 season. The first change is that I now have studio space that I rent! No more studio in my basement! WHEEEWIE! I am very excited about this as I hate putting up and taking down my studio for every session and I feel this new studio will give me a lot of room for creativity. The studio is located downtown Grand Rapids and has beautiful wood floors and nice big windows! I am so excited to work there!
Secondly, I am at a time in my life where I realize that every single day my children are growing and changing and I do not want to miss one single day of it. One of my biggest fears is that I will look back at my life someday and regret not spending time with the people I love the most. So, this year I have decided not to book more than two weddings a month and no more than five portrait sessions a month. This is going to be EXTREMELY hard for me as I hate turning down business. But, I hate not being a good mommy, wife, daughter, sister and friend even more.
So, if you are interested in booking a session or wedding with me, please don't wait to get a date on my calendar! There are a couple of months that are already full and I anticipate the others filling up quickly.
Thank you so much for all of the support I have been given. 2009 was an awesome year and I have so many people to thank for that. I worked with some awesome clients and vendors and consider so many of them now my good friends. I have learned a TON this past year and look forward to 2010 and what it holds!
And lastly, I leave you with some photo's of my kiddo's from last weekend! I am blessed!
I am once again offering Summer Jean Photography gift certificates! They make the perfect gift for the person in your life that has everything or is hard to buy for.
They can be purchased for any amount and have no expiration date!
Please contact me at summer@summerjeanphotography.com or 616-780-0194 to purchase one today!
I CAN NOT believe that it is the middle of November already and Christmas is just around the corner. Unbelievable. I am not even close to being ready. Haven't started my shopping, haven't even thought about who I need to shop for and all of the decorations are still tucked away from last year. It could be an interesting year in the Osborn house!
One thing that I did do in advance is design some Christmas cards!
This year I am not doing custom cards as I just do not have the time to devote to them. So, I have given you options!
If you are interested in having your photo featured on your Christmas card this year, you may select from the following. Text and some color options are customizable.
Cost for the cards this year is:
5x7 $1.30
4x6 $1.10
All prices include envelopes.
The deadline to order cards is Monday, December 7th. Any orders done after that time will be charged a rush fee.
Here are the options!
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
Please e-mail me at summer@summerjeanphotography.com with which card you would like, the wording you would like on it, and which picture(s) you want.
Michelle, my friend and event coordinator extraordinaire was in need of some head shots! So, we headed downtown GR this past week and she rocked it out for a fun little session.
If you or anyone you know is getting married or needs help coordinating an event, contact Michelle by visiting her website at www.MemorableEventsllc.com Michelle is so creative, personable, and she truly is so much fun to work with.
Michelle, I had a great time just hanging out with you that night. Thanks for coffee and for the "night out". As always, I had a great time!
Isn't she beautiful? Always has been.
We had an interesting little visitor right before this picture was taken. Actually, I think he was still there "just watching" :o)
Michelle, I think you look so pretty in this picture.
Look at those sassy shoes!
My September is filling up fast with family, kid, senior sessions and a couple of weddings. I do have a few openings left so if you are thinking of setting up a date, please contact me soon to make sure we can fit you in.
I will not be scheduling any sessions from October 1st through January 1, 2010 so that I can take some time to enjoy and adjust to our new addition. I will still be meeting with potential wedding clients during this time but will not be shooting any new sessions!
And because a blog post without a picture is boring, here is a picture of Carson that I shot at the Hudsonville fair the other night. He was having so much fun! 
Hi All!
I will be out of the office until Tuesday, June 16th. I do have internet access but I am unsure how often I will be able to check e-mail. So, please feel free to contact me via e-mail or by phone and I will get back with you as soon as I can!
Tonight I about lost it. Really, I did. I was tickling Carson, having a great time, and we were just starting to get ready to go up and give him a bath when he decided to hit a few keys on my laptop. He knows this is naughty! I mostly use my laptop for e-mail and personal pictures so I normally don't get too upset.
Well, to make a long story short I lost one of my mailboxes. He hit just the "right" keys.
If you sent an e-mail to summer@summerjeanphotography.com (from my website or blog also) and I have not responded to you, please resend me your e-mail. I know that I had a few inquiries in there for weddings and senior sessions.
I am so sorry for the inconvenience!
WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that sjo Photography has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!
In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means sjo Photography is one of the very best wedding photographers.
Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.
“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”
sjo Photography would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award! It truly was an honor to be a part of your lives and I hope to see you all again soon!
Who doesn't want beautiful, clear, glowing skin? I know that I do. I have not been blessed with flawless skin. I wish I had been but I know that it also could be a lot worse. I just hate being almost 30 and having to still deal with pimples. Ugh.
A few months ago I started going to Kathy at Skin Care Plus, LLC. She is a Holistic Skin Care Practitioner out of Grand Rapids. I knew Kathy from working at the chiropractors office last winter. She is awesome. Not only is she have a kind spirit but she is hilarious. I love talking with her and I usually talk the whole hour and a half I am there. Imagine that. :)
Kathy is very good at what she does. All of the products that she uses on your face are natural and pure. She uses ultrasound, diamond micro-dermabrasion, and light therapy in addition to putting some fabulously smelling things on your face. It is an all around incredible experience and my skin feels awesome after going.
A few weeks ago I took some pictures for Chiropractic Plus's website and while I was there Kathy asked me if I would mind taking some pictures of her with a coat that was given to her by some of her lady friends. We had just had a snowstorm the night before so it made for an awesome backdrop.
Isn't she beautiful?
If you are looking to improve your skin before your upcoming wedding or in general, have a super relaxing experience, and to make a new friend, give my friend Kathy a call. 616-485-1905
That's right! If you have currently placed your order for any portrait session done in 2008 and you are dying to have those digital files, today is your lucky day!
It is NOT December, is it? Really? Wow, this year is a little fuzzy all of a sudden.....
I am really looking forward to 2009. I have some awesome weddings planned and some incredible people to work with! This will officially be my 3rd year of photographing "full time" and I couldn't love what I do any more.
Because the beginning of the year is a time for new beginnings, I wanted to give you all a heads up that I will be raising my wedding and portrait packages sometime in the next month.
If you have been interested in booking me but have not done so yet, you may want to do it soon because the beginning of the year my wedding and portrait packages will be increasing. To take advantage of my 2008 prices, you will have to book me before December 31st.
Although things have slowed down a bit, there is still much to do to get caught up. I have had some great sessions lately and I have two very fun weddings coming up at the end of this month.
So, stay tuned!
Ladies, if your husband is leaving you for a weekend of deer hunting then I have the place for you to come and have a little shopping therapy!
Saturday, at the Allendale Township Hall from 10-3 there will be a Fall Open House. There will be many companies represented included SJO Photography. Although I will not actually be present at a booth, I will have a couple displays up and will be stopping in periodically. Other companies represented are: UpperCase Living, Tastefully Simple, Lia Sophia, Party Lite, and Silpada. There are others too that I just don't remember. :o)
If you are in the area, need to get some shopping done, or just need to get out of the house then make sure to stop by!
There will be door prizes too and I will have a couple of good giveaways from SJO Photography that you won't want to miss out on.
To those of you on my mailing list, you received information last week about a special contest I am going to be having. Well, here are the details for your chance to win a FREE session with SJO Photography and a FREE 16x20 Canvas Gallery Wrap!
All you have to do is submit your favorite photograph to me no later than June 16, 08. It can be on the subject of your choice. I just ask that it is "appropriate".
I will select my 5 favorites and contact the authors by June 18,08.
June 23 I will post the 5 finalists on my blog.
You will have until July 21,08 to vote for your favorite.
The person with the most votes on July 21, 08 at 9:00 a.m. will be the winner!
I will announce the winner via my blog and via e-mail on July 22nd.
Now, here are the rules.
Professional photographers may not enter. Sorry peeps!
You must be the author of the photograph.
You may need to have a model release form on file with SJO Photography before your photograph will be posted, if selected.
You may not vote more than 1 time a day (I will be monitoring this!)
So, send me your favorite at info@sjophotography.com and make sure to tell your family and friends to vote for you!!!
Have fun and good luck!
Planning a wedding can be a lot of fun but it can also be very stressful. I remember when I planned mine. I thought I was just going to hate all the little details and the planning process but it turned out to be a lot of fun! I loved picking colors, coordinating details, looking for a photographer and all of that. However, I do remember stressing out about the details of the wedding day. Who was going to take everything at the church down, who was going to set up the reception hall, who was going to be there to answer questions? Now, those were the details I didn't enjoy!
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