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

December has come and gone, but we have one more deal to share with you for 2013!  This 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, January 15th, 2013): Book a Maternity session for January-March of 2013, and receive 20% off your session fee!

A maternity session is the perfect way to create stunning, heirloom portraits for your family to remember your pregnancy. We love to get older siblings involved in sessions, and husbands, too! To see more maternity photos (from almost a year ago, when Heidi was pregnant with Grace!) click here!

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 maternity 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.

~ The Heidi Hope Team

“Do you think I’ve gone round the bend?”

“I’m afraid so. You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”

- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

It never seems to happen like I plan.  The idea for this shoot started out as something completely different.  I found the skirt last year at a time when Giuliana was obsessed with ballet and princesses.  I could picture the joy on her face when she got the chance to twirl around in it.  I thought it would be amazing for Grace’s newborn portraits.  I envisioned Giuliana finding her new baby sister swaddled in a basket, deep in the woods.  That shoot never happened.  It turned out to be much too lofty a goal for a sleep deprived new mother.

The summer came quickly and I had a new vision for the skirt.  I could see Giuliana running down the beach at sunset, the tulle of her skirt skimming the shallow water, stomping in tide pools, twirling in sunflare.  That never happened either.  Then autumn approached and I pictured Giuliana as a woodland fairy gathering fallen leaves and picking apples.  You guessed it… never happened.

And so, the skirt collected dust atop a pile of props in our studio basement.  Every time anyone tried to pull a prop, the skirt fell down and consumed them in a maze of tulle.   Everyone began asking me, “Are you ever going to use that skirt?”

I was.  But when?

I had started thinking that perhaps I would wait for a snowy day and finally get the pictures of Giuliana in the skirt before she outgrew it.  I was waiting for the perfect winter day.  I needed fresh snow cover, but warm enough temperatures that my kids wouldn’t freeze or be miserable.

Coincidentally, this past Friday I started looking around for a favorite photograph I took of Giuliana in the snow a few years ago and found that the original is gone.  All I have is the watermarked version from Flickr.  Do you remember this one?

Still grieving the loss of my favorite snow photo, on Saturday morning I saw the forecast for the weekend and decided I would FINALLY use that skirt for once and for all!  While I was at it, I would recreate my old favorite portrait and include Grace in it as well.

Contrary to popular belief, Giuliana does not like modeling for me and no amount of bribery will change her mind.  When I tell her we are going to take pictures she gives me a giant “aaaawwwwwww  I don’t want to!” and proceeds to hide behind the nearest large object while sucking her finger.  She’s a typical four year old, only probably worse because she’s had a camera in her face her whole life and she’s a pretty shy kid.  I actually showed her the “Princess Skirt” that I bought thinking it would be her dress-up dream-come-true and she immediately whined, “Mom, I’m not wearing that!  It’s silly.  It’s too big.  I don’t want to do pictures.”
Given her aversion to having her picture taken, whenever I do a photo shoot with her, I have to turn it into something fun so she forgets she’s having her picture taken.  As I hurriedly shopped and plundered the studio for the shoot, the idea for a scavenger hunt came together.

Giuliana ended up having a ball running through the woods, trying to sound out the words scribbled on tiny slips of paper and finding each of the treasures I had hidden for her amidst the snow.  Sweet Indulgence was the icing on the cake, giving us some sweet little confections to scatter throughout our set.  G has never met a jellybean she doesn’t like!  We even brought Grace out at the very end for a quick snap to pull off the infamous bunny tea party, version 2.0.

It all came together even better than I could have planned.  Sometimes, things just happen that way.  Here is my Alice, in her winter wonderland.

“Lastly, she pictured to herself how this same little sister of hers would, in the after-time, be herself a grown woman; and how she would keep, through all her riper years, the simple and loving heart of her childhood: and how she would gather about her other little children, and make their eyes bright and eager with many a strange tale, perhaps even with the dream of Wonderland of long ago: and how she would feel with all their simple sorrows, and find a pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child-life, and the happy summer days.”

- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

I had so much fun planning this first birthday session with mom!  Both baby A and her big brother B have December birthdays so she wanted to create something fun and Holiday inspired for our cakesmash that she could take out and display as part of her Christmas decorations each year.  She also loves candids and natural smiles (me too!) so we filled our session with plenty of playing and laughs.  Big brother B is at that age when kids see a camera and automatically make a “cheese face”.  I know it all too well with my four year old, and just about every little one I photograph at this age.  The trick is to make them forget they are having their picture taken!  Usually I make a complete fool out of myself in the process.  After taking lots of fun family portraits, we focused on the birthday girl, baby A.  She was so full of personality and very quick crawling around the studio!  I love all of the expressions we caught and all of the fun memories of our session.  Enjoy your sneak peek! 

It’s FREE! Book a full Heidi Hope Photography session for 2013 before January 11th and earn a FREE Valentine’s Day Mini Session at our studio!

Mini Sessions will be held on: January 17th, 2013
Deal Expires: 5pm EST, January 11th, 2013

Exclusively available to our 2013 clients, the Valentine’s Day Mini Session is a great way to get to know us at the studio and capture a few keepsake images for you or your child’s Valentine cards!

• A 15-minute shoot that captures up to three people in a custom Valentine’s Day set in the Heidi Hope Studio.
• Post-session custom image preparation with attention to each image by our team of editors.
• Approximately 5-8 images presented to you in an online ordering gallery available for 1 week.
• 24 free custom-designed wallets that you or your child can give out as Valentines!
• One custom Valentine’s Day-themed Facebook cover photo for showing off online.
• No minimum investment.

How do I take advantage of this deal??

Call the studio (401-864-1919) today to schedule and submit your session fee for your Full Session (must take place in 2013) and receive a complimentary Valentine’s Day Mini 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 the deal expiration date above.  If you already have a session booked for 2013 and would like to come in and visit us for a Valentine’s Day Mini, just give us a call and we’ll get you in the schedule.  We can’t wait to see you!

Restrictions:
The complimentary Valentine’s Day Mini Session includes photographer’s time and talent, custom image preparation, 25 free wallets, and 1 week online gallery hosting only.  All prints and products from your Valentine session are available for purchase approximately 2 weeks after your session in your online ordering gallery and are not included.  There is no minimum investment and no purchase necessary.  Online ordering gallery will be available for 1 week and will not be eligible for reactivation.  The Valentine session must be scheduled during our normal business hours after booking a full family shoot for 2013.  Session Fee for full photography session must be submitted in full to schedule your free Valentine’s Day mini session. Full photography sessions include family, boudoir, newborn, maternity, senior, or modeling sessions. Full photography sessions do NOT include Little Star or other special Heidi Hope Photography sessions. During the winter months, all sessions must start by 1pm 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 after a Valentine’s Day Mini Session.

Hope to see you in the studio!

~ The Heidi Hope Team

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