Whitney Lin Photography: September 2010

The Bird Family {Miles City, MT Photographer}

I finally feel like I am getting caught up on editing, but that feeling won't last long considering I have my sister-in-law's wedding to shoot Saturday, and have a number of shoots including mini sessions coming up the following week! I love being busy with photography, and the weather has been cooperating perfectly for fall photos so I will continue to squeeze in as many shoots as possible before the weather turns cold.

Before the wedding craziness really starts, I wanted to share this family session shot in Miles City. You may remember Tess from her senior shoot. (Click here to view Tessa's senior shoot) However, she really wanted to do a few in town, and her mom really wanted to have some family photos taken as well. You can see where Tess and Ash get their good looks from-what a beautiful family. I have really enjoyed getting to know the Birds and feel very lucky to be able to call them family. (My hubby is Jim and Linda's nephew)

Jim was a good sport even though I am not sure he knew exactly what he had gotten himself into that day.

I will be taking most of tomorrow and Friday off in preparation for the wedding. My parents as well as my sister will be here friday, and wedding festivities begin out at the Bird ranch tomorrow afternoon! I am so excited to spend time with everyone, and so excited to photograph it all!

Matt and Cassandra + their little ladies {Miles City, MT Family Photographer}

Sometimes you walk away from a shoot so completely excited about it that you can't wait to get home to your computer. This was exactly that type of shoot. Cassandra and Matt didn't seem stressed or nervous at all. They were incredibly comfortable from the get go. Baby Sloane was smiling the second I laid eyes on her, and Memphis was full of energy and excitement. I think kids do much better in front of the camera when their parents are comfortable, and Memphis and Sloan were little Rockstars in front of the camera.

I love photographing children in part because I can give them some direction, but they really don't need much direction to be adorable. It is very different than shooting seniors, and weddings because seniors and couples want more direction. They want to be told how to pose and where to look. It doesn't work that way with kids, because they are gonna do what they want, and the photos end up conveying their personality in a way that I could never plan for.

Although I think traditional portraits like the one below are important, I also think the spontaneous moments caught on camera are a more realistic portrait of a family. The spontaneous portraits are the ones that tug on your heart strings just a little because they bring you back to that moment. They are an accurate portrayal of your children at that moment in time.

Aren't these two just the cutest sisters ever? This one is my favorite of the girls.

Sloane's face in the above photo is so stinking cute. This is my favorite of all four of them.

Memphis was such a little model and look at those eyelashes!

Thanks Cassandra and Matt for letting me spend the afternoon with you and your cutie pies!

Senior Sneak Peek-Cody

Here is a quick sneak peek of Cody's senior photos shot in Miles City, Montana. Cody was not at all shy in front of the camera which is not always the case with boys. He was very comfortable and really seemed to be enjoying himself which makes it so much more fun for me. Plus, he and his mom were incredibly nice, and up for any location I suggested. I really enjoyed getting to know them both, and meeting new people is one of the things I love most about my job.

This first one is my favorite from the shoot.

Kalli- A few more senior photos

Last week I shot a few more senior photos for Kalli. To view her earlier seniors click here. It was really important to her that we take some spots portraits which only makes sense considering she lives for sports. :)

This one below is my fave out of both shoots!

Mini Session Details-Three Forks, MT

As mentioned in my previous post, I will be providing portrait mini sessions in Three Forks, MT on Sunday Oct. 10th. The good people at the newly remodeled and absolutely beautiful Sacajawea Hotel have agreed to let me host the mini sessions at their awesome location. The Sac offers perfect outdoor locations for portrait sessions, and I am very grateful that they agreed to let me do this.

Here come the details- Sessions last 30 minutes and cost $100. After your session I will edit 10-15 of your images and present them to you on a disc with shared copy rights. You can order a print package and/or Christmas cards from me if you choose. This is an excellent option for family photos, babies, and kids, couples, baby bellies, and even seniors if you are looking for a cost friendly option for your senior portraits.

I am also a big time photo gift giver! I am always coming up with ways to give photos to my loved ones, and it seems as though they really appreciate it. My parents' home is covered in photos of my sister and I, and my mother will always make room on her wall for a portrait. So it might also be a great option to have photos taken of you and your sibling as a Christmas gift to your parents. Your grandparents would appreciate it as well.

Because this is my first go at mini-sessions I will be offering a discount to the first 3 sessions booked. If you are one of the first three people to book a mini session, the cost will only be $75 and you will receive 20 edited images. So get on it! Christmas is just around the corner,(seriously it is-time flies) and wouldn't it be nice to get your Christmas cards done a little early this year?

To book your session, email me at whitneylinphotography@yahoo.com

Morning and afternoon sessions are available so please include your preference in the email.

Click on the poster below to make it larger

Sunday Fun!

Awe how I love Sundays. Sometimes I spend my Sundays shooting photos, other Sundays are spent golfing, some are spent with family, and some like today, are spent at home. I try not to edit on Sundays if I can help it, but sometimes that can't be avoided. This evening I will spend some time editing because I really want to get a good jumpstart on the week, but I also want to spend some time updating my web page and working on an idea for upcoming mini sessions. I am also looking forward to watching my favorite show tonight-Mad Men. I am crazy about the imagery on that show-I wish I woke up every day and put that much energy into how I looked-the women of that time were stunning and classically beautiful. I love all things vintage so I am quite obsessed with the show.

As for updating my website, I really needed a few new photos of myself for my "Whitney" section. The one I have on my website is a few years old, and is in desperate need of updating. My sister was passing through today, and she was kind enough to snap a few quick photos of me. These are my favorites...

I think it is good for me to every once in awhile be in front of the lens...It makes me think about what can make having photos taken somewhat awkward for people...For me it is not smiling or the "serious face." I have never liked a photo of myself not smiling so I don't really attempt it anymore. I do however always ask my clients to not smile or to give me a sexy look in some photos-some people absolutely ROCK it, and others just don't quite pull it off as well. If you are like me, and hate it...Just tell me and I will stop asking for it :)

Of course I had to take a couple with my puppy Penny. However, today we were calling her pig "pen" because she had just shoved her face in the wet grass and mud, and she had some of last night's spaghetti in her hair. (the spaghetti was absolutely my hubby's fault) She is also starting to look a little raggedy so it might be time for a haircut

This last one is my favorite. These were shot in front of an old bowling alley that is no longer open. I just love the colors.

I really want to start including some more personal blog posts. I feel like it is important for potential clients to get to know me before they ever meet me. It is my goal to make your photography experience as comfortable as possible, and I truly want you to walk away from it saying, "That was a lot of fun." I also want people to know how willing I am to travel to you for photos. I recently moved to Miles City when I married my husband, but I still photograph in the Gallatin Valley a ton. Most of my weddings are in the Bozeman area, and I spent half of my Summer in Bozeman/Three Forks for weddings and portrait sessions. (I do not charge extra for traveling to the Gallatin Valley.) Kevin, is on location for work a lot, so it is easy for me to head home to visit my family, and friends and to work a couple times a month while he is out of town. (after our crazy busy summer, we are just now getting to enjoy married life) I try to schedule as many sessions as possible for when I am in the Bozeman area, so please don't ever hesitate to ask when I'll be available for photos. Odds are it will be sooner than you think.

As for the mini sessions I mentioned earlier, well some of the details are still being ironed out but the tentative date is October 10th, and they will be in Three Forks, MT. I will be announcing all the details early this week, and I will also be offering a discount for the first three sessions booked!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Dan and Shari-Very much in LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

The best part about being a photographer is capturing love. It is that very reason why I LOVE shooting weddings and engagement sessions. It always warms my heart to see a couple in love. I am a hopeless romantic, and photographing couples will be something that never gets old for me. Dan and Shari are exactly what I hope for when I photograph an engagement session. They are very very in love.

I have known Shari since my freshman year of college, and she is one of the kindest and nicest girls I have ever met. The day of their engagement shoot was the first time I had met Dan, and I could not be happier for Shari. Dan was incredibly friendly, easy going, and obviously crazy about Shari which made my heart happy. Plus neither of them were camera shy. Dan was very photogenic, and Shari takes gorgeous photos which was no surprise. I mean look at her, she is STUNNING.

I am very much looking forward to photographing their wedding in July, and I am also looking forward to meeting their new baby boy Wyatt. We will be doing a family shoot in the fall among the pumpkins!