This will be the last post for a while, as I’m going to take a break from the computer/blog for a while and enjoy my family over the holidays. Please sign up on the right to get email updates each time a new post is added!

Happy Holidays!
I wanted to take a moment to thank you ALL for stopping by the blog, and even more… to thank my clients of this year for so many wonderful portrait sessions and experiences. It’s been an incredible year. Traveling throughout the Milwaukee area, photographing amazing, beautiful newborn babies throughout their first days and first years, photographing children with their families and all of the love and laughter that goes along with that… I have so many favorite sessions in mind. I’ve loved having the studio and the gorgeous outdoor setting for when you have come to me, too. And more recently having added the studio inside (for these crazyWisconsin winter months), it has been great to have indoor studio portrait sessions as an option. 

The studio has great plans for 2009!
- Many mother and child portrait sessions in the winter months to include a limited edition 10-image album- an incredible thing to document.  Click here to see a few examples of some beautiful mother & child images.
-Including complimentary maternity sessions when a newborn session is scheduled… another amazing thing to document!
- Mini sessions are going away! But not really… they’re actually just getting better! For the same session fee as as mini session has been ($125), you’ll now receive a full length studio session. I have sometimes found it difficult to limit a “mini” session to limited quantity of images, so in the new year, for the same session fee, you will receive a full length studio session that can take place in the studio or outdoors on studio grounds (or a combination of both!) Of course, on location sessions will still be available for newborn photography sessions, family sessions, etc… going on location for a newborn session (or an incredible family session) has always been my passion.  Click on “rates” above for more info.
- And finally, all sessions will include a mini storyboard. You may know them, the little 10×5 storyboards with two or three images that I have out on easels around the studio… those will be included with all sessions!

I look forward to seeing many of you again in January and February for mother and child sessions, for another new baby’s session or to create beautiful portraits of your family.
And after all of that, here are a few images with a beautiful new backdrop and setup that we have in the studio. Having the studio provides the opportunity for portraits with a very classic and timeless feel.

Have a joyous holiday, merry christmas, happy new year, all of that good stuff. See you in the new year!

Look at the gorgeous eyes on this beautiful 3 month old girl!

Quick note regarding the mother & child special portrait sessions… I’ve had a few bookings for *the first possible day* in Feb. for the winter special and as it turns out, we’re going to start them a little bit sooner!  The special mother & child sessions will be available starting the week of Jan. 12th!  One wonderful mom today scheduled a mother & child session, she is a mom of two gorgeous kids and plans to get one album focusing only on her with her daughter and then an extra album entirely of her with her son.  I was THRILLED when she asked… (thrilled but not surprised, since she’s one of the most thoughtful, sweet, loving moms I have ever met) because I just love the thought of these kids having those keepsakes when they are much older… what a wonderful heirloom.   An additional album will be available from the same session; one could be for grandma, they could be for each of your children… great opportunities!  I am looking forward to these sessions.  Something about portraits of a child with his or her mother just oozes sweetness.  :)   And you all know how I love it when the sweetness oozes!

I am SO excited about the mother child sessions… I’ve always loved these types of sessions and am happy to have any excuse to do more of them! It’s so important and amazing to beautifully document the relationship with your children, as a mother- that relationship changes and evolves so much… that’s what makes these types of images so special! I love to capture the real feeling and emotion between a mother and her child or children… just love it! Here is one recent adorable baby boy with his loving mommy…

Each mother & child session is $495 and will include the sitting, along with delivering an elegant, handmade album containing 10 individually edited images, completely retouched, giving each image it’s own unique feel.

The album is gorgeous, quite different from our beautiful session albums that you may be familiar with; these limited edition mother & child albums have exquisite cover material and are as unique as the images within them. We will have 15 options for you to choose from for your album, images of them will be available here the last week of Jan., and you’ll have the opportunity to select your album cover finish yourself when you are in for your portrait session with your child(ren).

Mother & child sessions takes place in the studio and will result in at least 10 4×5 images in your album, from which you may select reprints and enlargements. Images like these are incredible keepsakes for both you and your child(ren) to treasure as your relationship evolves over the years.

Only 15 mother & child sessions will be scheduled between Jan. 12 through the end of March, please email or call the studio to schedule your customized session. Session fee of $495 (plus tax) will be collected to reserve your time and your limited edition album with 10 amazing artist’s choice images will be available 2-3 weeks following your session. Reorders and enlargements may be selected when you pick up your album. Please contact us with any questions, we look forward to beautifully documenting the different facets of your relationship with your children. Call 262.781.7878 or email allie@proudtointroduce.com.

Keep a close eye on the blog in the coming days… I’ll be announcing an amazing winter special that I imagine many of you will be interested in! As you can imagine, this crazy fall and holiday season is very busy, however in a few weeks after Christmas things will get quiet… come January and February, I’m looking forward to a few maternity and newborn sessions at the studio, but we’ll also be rolling out an incredible winter special… I’m excited about it because the idea of it is something very close to my heart.

It has to do with images like these, that all are so very beautiful in what they capture…

As mothers, it can be so invigorating to take some time out of your hectic schedules and treat yourselves to having images of you with your children beautifully capturing your relationships… those amazing relationships that you share with your children. Whether still a baby, or if they’re 4, 5, or 6- if you have one of if you have 6, portraits like these are never something you’d regret. Your little ones depend on you and love you so much and vice versa, I know it. I can not even express how much it means to me to capture that relationship, be it sweet or silly interactions, a classic and meaningful pose together… Check back within the next week or so for details on the winter promotion!

Also, both websites (children/family site and the newborn/maternity site) have been updated. They both received some some fresh pregnancy and new baby images and have also been updated with the 2009 offer of a complimentary mini maternity session with a reserved newborn session! I love maternity portrait sessions but have noticed that often it is difficult to splurge and invest in portraits of that fleeting stage when you are expecting the bulk of your portraits that you desire to be of your sweet new baby. Maternity portraits are such a treasure, because it all goes by way too fast… and it’s important to me that my wonderful new mom clients have some beautiful images of their pregnant curves! I’m excited to do more maternity sessions, hopefully with every newborn that I have the honor to photograph!

One more peek from the fundraiser… I couldn’t resist (and some prodding from mom never hurts either!)

This little guy… I loved LOVED photographing him with new mom and dad about 7 months ago when he was a sweet newborn baby boy… here he is- same basket, same baby- minus the great blue wall!  So glad he made it into the fundraiser.  While it was wonderful to meet so many new people, we were so pleased that we saw so many familiar faces too!

I hope you’re warm inside with your little one during this Wisconsin blizzard… have some hot chocolate and marshmallows!

Finally- the long awaited Santa portrait blog post! Thanks for your patience. The studio has been swamped lately… that’s the understatement of the year!

A few words about the fundraiser: we raised over $5,000.00 for the Well-Rounded Maternity Center!! Coral Slavin, the director of the Center is so honored that so many amazing families came out to support it, it was truly incredible.  Coral has many plans for the funds, most of it will go towards building improvements (new carpet) and much of it will be allotted to help financially with birth-related classes & services.

The turnout for the fundraiser itself was far more than what we’d anticipated, and we are thankful for everyone’s attendance and for their patience. I know that some moms waited upwards of one and a half hours, we can not thank you enough. Next year we’ll have the whole center available for keeping busy and having fun while you wait, it was quite cramped in the waiting area- and I can’t begin to imagine how much it means to Coral that so many people toughed it out to show their support for the Center.

A huge thank you to the amazing women who helped out the day of the event. Most of the helpers were employees of the Center who were not planning on helping, but arrived and saw how much they were needed. We appreciated them so much. Santa was great too- thanks to all who contributed to this wonderful event! Here are some images:

And for the many, many little ones who were scared of Mr. Clause, next year we will have other options for them… along the lines of cookies & milk… babies wrapped in gift boxes, opening gifts and peeking into stockings! This time when the little ones were intimidated, we did the best we could and captured some simple, classic portraits.

Thank you again; your support, patience, and donations mean so much to the Well-Rounded Maternity Center. We hope you’ll join us for next year’s Santa & Holiday fundraiser event in Menomonee Falls, with raising over five thousand dollars already turned over to the Center, we look forward to supporting this amazing asset in our community for many years to come. Be sure to take advantage of the Center’s great new line of Melissa and Doug toys at 25% off through Christmas day, when you stop in to pick up your portraits! They will be there for you on Friday, 12/12- enjoy and have a happy holiday!!

Let me preface this by saying that these parents are incredible and these newborn baby girls are just precious… as if you won’t notice.  Their new mom and dad are the most doting, loving, sweet and schmoopy new baby parents I’ve seen in a long time.  To say that being in their home for their newborn’s portrait session was a pleasure… well, it would be an understatement!  We spent a lot of time getting some very special and loving interaction captures, but first… these newborn images… I’ll save the other good stuff for another day!

Now for some of their individual portraits… they’re so beautiful, aren’t they?!  They were about 3 and a half weeks and just BARELY 4.5 and 5 lbs I believe.  I was so honored to come to their home on their 2nd day all being home together.  Such an amazing time in their life!

In the four years that I’ve been going on location to the homes of new parents and children for natural light newborn, baby and children’s photography, never once has a parent taken a photo of me at work.   Thanks to this great dad who took a few images of me posing his newborns, in action… now don’t laugh.  Here I am!

Right after that shot, I looked up and couldn’t help but to smile… and HE had to tell ME (while laughing at me) to not smile… a little role reversal!  I’ll spare you my very cheesy smiling picture.

I know many of you are checking in often to see some of the fundraiser images from our portraits with Santa day.  I promise you they are coming. 

Are these going to be the most beautiful thank you cards for these newborn twin babies?!  You can only imagine the gifts that must be pouring in, we had an INCREDIBLE photography session in their home with these baby girls, just incredible… here’s what their notecards will look like…

(The smear on the bottom is to blur away their names.)

I asked if they’d mind if I just moved in and photographed those baby girls daily and lucky me, they said I could!  I seriously could photograph newborn baby twins every day and never grow tired of it… what a dream.

I’ve been swamped!  Let me catch up a bit with the blog here by posting many images of some gorgoeus chidlren and babies that were photographed outdoors at the studio, on-location at their homes, or inside the studio… santa portraits from last Saturday’s fundraiser coming soon!

Enjoy!

Same basket, 6 months later!  She’s so beautiful, so expressive - gorgeous eyes, beautiful hair… she’s quite a treat to photograph!

LOVED this 6 day old sweet baby’s session in Wauwatosa.  This little guy had the sweetest big brother and big sister with their precious new baby, and we got some fantastic sibling shots too!

One of the LAST outdoor mommy & me portrait sessions… it was quite freezing for this baby girl!

Look at these gorgeous eyes!

I adore these eyes, this little face and this sweet expressions… gorgeous little one.

Well, first this sweet new baby.  He surprised everyone by arriving a week earlier than expected (and we were expecting him a few weeks early, at that!)  He was so gorgeous, precious… all the words that describe a perfectly amazing and adorable new baby… here are just a couple.

And now some fundraiser talk… THANK YOU!  We were anticipating 25-35 people and we had double our expectations!!  It was an amazing turnout!!  Coral Slavin, director of the Well-Rounded Maternity Center was in tears at the amazing support… I can not thank you enough, from Erin and I, here, and from her… thank you for coming out, waiting, and having portraits with Santa.  The images that we captured are AMAZING, the kids and parents were just delightful…

I personally had the incredible pleasure of meeting SO many fantastic moms and babies and dads and kids that I hope to see again in the future- what an experience.  I must say- that the wait time for many was much longer than we anticipated.  Next year (and of course there will be a next year!) we’ll have it planned such that the wait time should never exceed a few minutes.   With an overwhelming turnout like today, Erin will have her own assistants checking people in and out, as well.  Your patience amazed me, and I am so grateful for the kindness and patience of everyone who joined us.  Thank you again- and certainly keep your eyes on the blog for some images from the event.  And because we ran out of goody bags pretty early in the day, a few tidbits here… Portraits from the fundraiser will be ready to pick up at the Center on Friday 12/12 during boutique hours, or if you opted to have them mailed, you’ll have them by Wed. 12/17.  Be sure and check the goody bags that did go out, a few had gift certificates in them and all of them had a special offer for Proud To Introduce Photography.  I am excited for each and every one of you to see your portraits… what a FUN day!