Storyboards are my favorite product that clients order. These are my favorite because they are super customizable and are beautifully stunning when displayed on a wall.

This weeks featured size is a 16×24 storyboard.  These 16×24′s are very popular for all types of sessions.

16×24 storyboards are one of our most popular sizes by far! The tricky part my clients face is picking the right amount of images and the orientation because it really matters!  This week tip I focus on 3 to 4 image storyboard because thats the average number picked.  I’ve done up to nine images on one board though!  These are great visual layouts to help pick images because whether its a canvas or in an Organic Bloom frame the goal is to make the images look balanced.

I first met this happy baby girl back in 2011 when she and her big brother visited our studio for portraits.  We stayed in touch online and through the wonderful community of moms at Bellani Maternity over the years.

We were on our Holiday break this year when I saw the story spread over facebook.  A family in our community was struggling with the recent diagnosis of their young daughter.  She had gone into the doctors with a stomach bug and then their world had changed.  I soon found out it was Belle and her final diagnosis was pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) .  I just couldn’t wrap my head around the sudden news.   I sent mom a message as soon as I heard.  Whenever she was ready, whenever Belle was ready, I wanted to be there for them in any way that I could.

I have worked with many families fighting childhood illness through The Tiny Sparrow Foundation over the past few years.  It has been the most meaningful part of what I do as a photographer.  I know how much photos can mean to families fighting through treatment and recovery.  I also knew how much Belle’s beautiful curls meant to her mom.  Not for their physical beauty, or the soft way they framed her baby doll face, but because they were a symbol of Belle’s babyhood.  They were a symbol of Belle before their world was turned upside-down.  I know I would have felt exactly like Belle’s mom did.  Yes, those curls will grow back, surely more beautiful than ever, but I would have wanted to hold onto them as long as I could.  I had to get to the hospital and capture Belle’s curls.

Belle and her mom are some of the strongest girls I’ve ever met.  Mom has been incomprehensibly positive and tenacious for her daughter.  They amaze me and everyone else they meet.  Belle had already fought through over two weeks of treatment and wasn’t feeling great the day I visited.  We had endless fun, girly, dress-up toys to make her smile, but she mostly wanted her Elmo, her mommy, and her cozy blanket.  You know what?  That Elmo and blanket looked pretty perfect to me and there is nothing more beautiful than a mother’s love.

Plus, this isn’t the last photo shoot you’ll see with Belle here.  We’ll be catching up again, when she’s feeling much better.  She has plenty of tutu-twirling ahead of her!  This summer, her hair will be growing back and I probably won’t be able to keep up with her as she runs around outside.  For now, I’m happy to have captured those sweet curls before her next chapter begins.  You can read more about Belle’s story in her mother’s words on the Kent Macaroni Kids Blog.

If you would like to help Belle and her family, please visit  Belle’s Youcaring.com Page or check back in with us for the many opportunities to make a difference for Belle in the coming months.

Oh my gosh, is this not one of the cutest babies you have ever seen?  I was totally in love with her from the first second she looked at me with those big brown eyes.  Little Star sessions are some of my favorite and especially when babies are at this age.  It feels like I’m just hanging out with mom and dad, playing dress up with their little one.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m working!  M was so sweet.  She indulged us in plenty of adorable outfits and sets.  I’m wondering how I’ll ever choose favorites for this gallery!  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Sweets + a sweet model = an epicly sweet shoot! Shoots like this remind me how much I love my job.    Sweet Indulgence called us the day before this happened and asked if we wanted to pop over to their shop for a quick shoot, and I had no idea that THIS would happen! We started out shooting the table of cakes and candy, then added in our bridal model to create a ‘fashion’ shoot to show off the stunning wedding cakes that Sweet Indulgence now makes. The tiers of lace in the background, her dress, and then the ruffles on the cake all came together for a vintage-elegant look.

Wedding cakes and dessert table: Sweet Indulgence

Bouquet: Flowers By Semia

Dress and Accessories: Couture Bridal

Lashes: Ch’i Spa

Makeup and Hair: Dion at Magnolia Salon

~ Mariah

Seriously, how handsome is this little guy?  Those big brown eyes and sweet curls just kill me.  He was such a little flirt with the camera too.  O was a fast little guy, but I somehow managed to keep up as he explored the studio.  We had a fun session celebrating his first birthday last week.  Mom and dad wanted a sports theme for his cake smash so we made a sporty bunting to hang over our soft blue background.  Turns out that warm up suits are perfect for cake smashes because O’s kept him totally clean underneath!  Maybe our next outfit should be a poncho   Enjoy your sneak peek!

We’re holding a boudoir “petite” session day, just in time for Valentine’s Day! For those that want a quick, stunning, (jaw-dropping!) gift for their significant others, we’re offering 30-minute sessions on January 10th, 2013.

Petite Boudoir Sessions   |   $600

• 30-minute session on January 10th, 2013
• One look, or outfit
• 15 full-resolution, fully edited images on DVD (picked up on or after January 31st, 2013)

Just come to the studio with your hair and makeup done, one outfit with accessories, and you’re good to go! We highly recommend having professional hair and makeup done for the best possible portraits, and have fabulous salons to suggest when you call!

Restrictions:  The Petite Boudoir Session includes photographer’s time and talent, custom image preparation, and 15 fully-edited images on DVD only. DVDs will be available for pickup on January 31st, 2013. Hair and makeup is NOT included. All prints and products are not included. The Petite Boudoir Session must be scheduled during our normal business hours and based on our current availability.  During the winter months, all sessions must start by 3pm due to the availability of natural light in the studio.  There are no rain checks and the session is non-transferable in the event of rescheduling.  There is NO minimum investment.

How do I book?
Call the studio (401-864-1919) to schedule and submit your session fee for our Petite Boudoir Session. Please note we are here to answer your calls Monday through Friday 9-5pm.  Calls during non business hours will be returned in the order received.  The studio WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY from December 21st through January 1st, and will re-open on January 2nd.

<3

We love these Little Star sessions! Little J was the best model- she gave us the cutest smiles in every set and every outfit we put her in. How can you not smile yourself when looking at these? I hardly have a serious face in her entire gallery!

Such a happy girl! And a stylish one…her football outfit was custom-made for her. Can you even stand the little football leggings? Her Christmas dress and headband are also just too cute. 

~ Mariah

We’re so excited to be bringing back our December Deals! Every week from now until the new year we’ll be offering a special deal for a Heidi Hope Photography session.  Each deal is available for ONE WEEK ONLY.  After one week, the deal, and the opportunity, expires! If you’re a newsletter subscriber, you’re already in the know about the entire series. To hear about future promotions, sign up for our newsletter here.

This week’s deal (expires 5pm EST, December 21st, 2012): Book a Senior Portrait session for the Spring of 2013 (before May 31st), and receive 32 free wallets of your favorite pose, plus a free yearbook photo!

We’re already thinking Spring for senior portrait sessions, and want to make sure we have sessions free for the class of 2013 and 2014! This deal is perfect for seniors who want to remember their last highschool years with more than just a studio yearbook portrait. We personally make every shoot unique, and provide stylists for professional hair, makeup, and wardrobe styling throughout your session. This Spring, show off your magazine-quality shoot with free wallets and a yearbook photo!

How do I take advantage of this deal??

Call the studio (401-864-1919) this week to schedule and submit your session fee for a senior portrait session. Please note we are here to answer your calls Monday through Friday 9-5pm.  Calls during non business hours will be returned in the order received.  Session fee must be submitted before 5pm EST, December 21st, 2012.

Please visit our SENIOR PORTRAIT WEBSITE to learn more about Heidi Hope Photography sessions!

~ The Heidi Hope Team

I loved this little birthday girl and her gorgeous family!  S was so full of personality.  She loved crawling around the studio and was so proud of her new standing skills.  Mom and dad were up for anything and chatting with them made our shoot fly by.  We started our session with some sweet family portraits that I know they will love having with baby S while she’s still their little baby.  Then S stole the show!  From our simple classics in all white to our colorful cakesmash, this is going to be one huge gallery.  Enjoy your sneak peek!

I am loving the portraits from this maternity session.  Mom-to-be was perfectly gorgeous and up for anything.  We had a fun casual session capturing her growing bump.  I always love getting to know clients through maternity session.  By the time they arrive with their newborn, I feel like we’re old friends!  Enjoy your sneak peek!