Love, Me Blog

So, by now you have heard about the 2010 the World Should Know Calendar and read my shameless promotion to sell 2010 Calendars … after all, Love WINS in 2010!!!

Well, I’ve decided to up the ante … BIGTIME and I am so stinking excited to do it because after all, Giving is Awesome!  Last year I participated in the Giving is Awesome campaign founded and carried through by my lovely friend Kristen Kalp.  All of you nominated families that were deserving of a complimentary photo session and I had the pleasure of meeting the Jones Family last year during our shoot in January.

Well, this year, instead of having a nomination contest, we wanted to give you the opportunity to spread your love.  We are offering …

A Complimentary Photo Shoot AND the High Resolution Files with a Print Release from your session to ONE person who has purchased a 2010 The World Should Know Calendar!

Total Giveaway is worth $2250!!!!

The fine Print

1. The shoot must take place in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Texas area before July 2010.
*If you live out of state and want to make a trip to Texas, you can win!

2. The session is for one immediate family or siblings, a couple, or individual (no events or large groups)

3. Proof of your donation to Revive Africa by purchase of at least one 2010 The World Should Know Calendar

5. You can enter more than once by purchasing more calendars. Each calendar equals one chance!  OR spread the word via facebook, twitter or your own blog.  Each link where you did so equals another chance!

6. You can enter for other people too

To enter:

1. Make sure you can be in DFW by July 2010 for the shoot OR know the person you are entering for wants a shoot with us

2. Purchase at least ONE calendar  (make sure to use drop down menu if you want it shipped or want multiple calendars)

Quantity

1 Calendar $15.00 2 Calendars $25.00 1 Calendar plus shipping $18.00 2 Calendars plus shipping $28.00

***EXTENDED*** Winner will be drawn the on Valentines Day (February 14th)!  THERE IS STILL TIME!

If you win, we’ll contact you via email and announce your name on the blog Now, go spread your love and encourage others to do the same!!!

XOXOXOXOXO Love, Me

Many of you have followed Love, Me’s journey to Africa and back.  If you missed it from the beginning on this year you can go back and read about it starting HERE. Not only did you follow, but many of you lifted us up in prayer and gave what you could (we received donations from $5 to $1000 an raised over 3K in just a few short weeks).  Now its time for us to have the immense pleasure of sharing with you only a small part of what was made possible because of YOU.  This project has truly been a labor of love. I’ve hidden many of the photographs I took while I was there away, storing them up like treasures waiting to be unveiled (and there are still many more that we hope will make it into a book eventually).

The Calendar was created as a way to spread our LOVE and to give you the opportunity to do the same. We wanted to give back to charities we believe in, the ones that we feel spread HIS love in real, tangible ways.
There was no doubt in our minds what we thought the world should know in 2010, thus our choice for this year’s calendar was an easy one. Because Love, Me traveled with Revive Africa to Sierra Leone this past March, we were able to experience first hand the desperate needs of 94 beautiful orphans in the tiny village of Wellington. Hopefully the images of these children and the insights drawn from numerous first hand experiences, beautifully written by Paul Shabay, co-founder of Revive Africa, along with his brother Chris, will give you what YOU need to know in 2010.
Whether it’s the realization that the starving children you see on TV are, in fact, real little souls with hopes and dreams not unlike our own, the confirmation that you really can make a difference in their lives simply by purchasing this calendar, or most importantly, the illumination that their is a God who is with us in this battle against poverty, hopelessness, and death and He is ever so present and alive in the spirits of these remarkable children.  Just look into their eyes and listen … because He has something incredibly powerful and personal to say to You.  Thank you for showing your love, and thus, spreading His.

Here’s what others are saying about the 2010 The World Should Know Calendar after they purchased! (note: neither of these woman have traveled to Sierra Leone or have ever met these children in person)

“Beautiful!  Amazing! I finally had a chance to sit down at my desk and really look at the calendar. One of my favorite things are childrens’ fingers and toes (so cute!) – the back cover brought me to tears!  Can’t exactly tell you why, it just hit a nerve!”

“I love the calendar! The photos are just beautiful…awesome! And I love the words, the quotes and the personal touches. [details about each child she connected with through the calendar and what the words said about them, let's just say she had several favorites] … I could go on and on. They are all just lovely~ very powerful photographs. Thank you so much for putting your heart into your work on behalf of the least of these. God is moving in the hearts of many and truly blessing these children through you, your gifts, your obedience, and your servant’s heart…”

LOVE WINS IN 2010! Help us reach our goal of selling 2010 Calendars!  Because all printing costs were taken care of by our generous sponsors, every single penny you give toward the calendar will go directly to the orphans. We have potential to raise a MINIMUM of 25K if all calendars are sold!!!  That equals REAL change folks.

So, buy a calendar or two, give some away as gifts, forward to your friends and family, and/or offer to help us sell a few.  Feel free to pay via paypal below if you are long distance or contact us via email at info@lovemephotography.com for local pickup at our new studio in old town Roanoke!!

Quantity

1 Calendar $15.00 2 Calendars $25.00 1 Calendar plus shipping $18.00 2 Calendars plus shipping $28.00

Thanks for spreading YOUR love this holiday season   Blessings!

Now, here is a sneak peek at the full calendar.

Oh my goodness.  I don’t even know where to start with blogging again! I have SO SO much to share with everyone and I know there are still people out there impatiently patiently waiting on me.  (I’ve gotten all those emails!)  2009 has been a remarkable year for Love, Me Photography and I feel very blessed.  Blogging has taken a serious backseat to editing and processing orders in time for the holidays.  Tomorrow is my birthday and Friday my baby girl turns 3! I can’t believe it!  I’ve promised myself some much needed time off and one special little girl lots of mommy time coming up. I’m hoping during the next few weeks to be able to share all the families I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with this fall. It’s been a whirlwind for sure.

A note to clients:  All orders have been processed and are at the studio ready for pickup, so watch your inboxes!  I will be here from 9-2 on Thursday for anyone that wants to drop by and pick up their orders. If that time doesn’t work for you, please just email me and we will work out a better time.  Also, if you have tried to call me in the last few days (possibly week) my phone has decided to stop ringing all together.  It’s crazy timing to be having phone problems, but the funny thing is that for months I have been waiting for my birthday to get an iphone!  My contract is up as of yesterday, which means I can officially switch over to AT&T and enter the world of greatness

A note to photographers: I’ve received several emails with questions about all sorts of fun stuff lately! I don’t want anyone to think I wont respond, I literally just don’t have time to reply to each individual email at this moment, but I hope to get to that very soon! I also am going to start blogging some photographers FAQ for everyone to read and hopefully answer many of same questions in one spot.  So, thanks for being a fan (its so humbling) and thanks for feeling comfortable enough to reach out to me. It truly means a lot and I hope to give back what I can!  Thanks for your patience.

OK, now for the fun part. I had the honor of photographing Sutton a while back for her senior year! I just love seniors in general, but Sutton was especially fun to photograph. She is obviously gorgeous, but she also was so sweet and relaxed! We had such a great time dodging traffic and driving all around one of my favorite places on the planet to shoot … good ‘ol Decatur, Texas Because Sutton doesn’t necessarily need her senior pictures before Christmas, her ordering session has been pushed back week after week, so that is why she is the first for me to share after my blogging hiatus!  I promise to share a little peak of each family from the fall eventually!

I had such a hard time narrowing down which images to share. I just loved them all!  Hope you enjoy.

Because everyone always wants to know … this next one is my absolute favorite.  sigh: lovelove.

and the last one.  a close second behind my favorite.  Is she not stunning?

I just realized that several of these are serious. She actually has the most gorgeous smile too!  lucky

OK, I had to go back and add a super smiley one to show off her personality and beautiful smile!

than a naked baby hiney???

…. oh wait, there is! TWO naked baby hineys

am I lucky or what?

Isn’t she?  You may remember little Aubrie from a few weeks ago. I got to see her again when she was almost 5 weeks.

She wanted NO part is sleeping for me. She had other plans in mind, and I think I should have listened to her from the start

My first newborn in the studio.

I just LOVE her little feet here, and especially those little rolls .  She’s had those since the minute she was born.

And, she was the perfect little model for my new hat.  We did manage to get a few sleepy ones, but I wanted to share these since they are so different from my normal newborn work.

The best part is … I get to see her again in TWO days!  Yaya!  Aren’t you jealous I get to smooch those cheeks

Once again, I LOVED this session.  I’m only sorry Sheila doesn’t have more daughters I could shoot with these girls every single weekend!

Even though we went to same locations as her sister, the images all look so unique to Miss Shelby.  I loved her funky sense of style, and well, everything else about her.

Here are just a few favorites from our time together.

I’ve used this spot before, but I am in love with her expression here.

it was FREEZING … but she rocked it out anyway!

YES, we are where you think we are   Totally her idea and I LOVED IT.

Fridays are Mommy and Mia Grace day!  Yesterday, it was much needed after all the long hours I’ve been putting in.  We went shopping, had lunch and went to the studio to “play”. She’s getting better, but she’s still smart enough to know that me taking her pictures isn’t “playing”. I improvised and mainly just chased her around and captured what I could.

I’m still figuring out the lighting up there and everything is still in disarray … I usually don’t crop my images at all, but I had to for a few of these to hide things like doors that are off the hinges and piles of tools and painting supplies

You have to let me know what you think about my version of “studio” portraits … seriously, I want your honest opinion.

The brown wall is where she wanted to start.  Not the best lighting here, but ok … “you’re the boss”.

Then, she wanted the brown chair.

Don’t think for a second, I posed her like this … it was all her doing.

By the fourth outfit change and daddy showing up … she was really over this whole thing. The only reason she’s smiling is because daddy is over there

Probably my favorite and the last one of the day!

Just so you have an idea of what I am working with here.  The door wont stay open, so I was holding it with one foot and balancing on the other foot while taking this shot. Notice the dirty floor and the random doors I didn’t bother to move. We are still finishing up the painting, so these little “testers” are good for me to really get an idea of how this whole “photographing kids all over my studio” is going to work. I’m excited and a little nervous that I wont be as pleased with the results (of my images). I am just so used to boundless space and gorgeous light outside!

Oh, and if you are wondering where the other outfit is, stay tuned for a new CourtneyCourtney style that is to. DIE. for. So cute.

… all the time.

I really miss my baby girl lately.  During this SUPER busy season, I just crave time with her and pray she will forgive me for how much I’ve been away lately.

I hope she makes you smile too

Super LOVED this session. Everything about it … the girl, the outfits, the mom, the locations … and yes, the STEER!  The best part is, I got to do it TWICE. Syndney is a twin

I know you ladies have waited WAY too long!  I just had to pick a few favorites and show you before I see you next week.

First up, the fav fav … the one that will make me happy for a long time and will show up on my senior site FOR SURE.  You are gorgeous Sydney!

This location was TO DIE FOR, and I didn’t even hunt it down. I just hopped in the car, and they took me there!  An old school house … isn’t it amazing?!!  ( I really needed a new spot as all my others are getting taken over AND people are starting to charge to shoot there!)

There’s no need to explain … the girl LOVES her Steer !  ( I must admit, I was so nervous about shooting a steer.  I am a Texas girl, but I know nothing about livestock. I was imagining good ol’ Elsie, the Bordon Cow, and wondering how on Earth I was supposed to make her look artistic!  I had no idea steers were so darn cute … he even got a “blow dry” before our 15 minutes together.

… are my favorite clients

Love this family and LOVE these sweet girls. Thanks for another wonderful session Miss Emma and Miss Ava!

*sneak peeks are small right now because I am working to get everyone’s entire galleries completed. blogging is getting put on the back burner just while we make the transition to the studio.*