Designs by Prater Photography Blog

Still Alive

2011-12-08T07:26:00.001-06:00

Just thought I might check in here since things have been VERY silent on the blog for the past few months. My apologies! I didn't quite understand how much having our ADORABLE bundle of joy in the home would take up all my free time these first few months. :) But I am definitely back in business after maternity leave, and you'll start noticing some changes around here over the holiday break. Starting off with the look of my blogsite!

I've decided to update and polish my branding to better reflect my style and give everything a cleaner look AND to combine my website and blog into ONE blogsite to make information easier for you to find! So if you are reading this through an RSS feed, please head on over to the blogsite itself for a hint of what's to come.

So keep your eyes peeled for some positive changes here...and in the meantime, here's a little snapshot of our main man JD to put a smile on your face!

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Stationery card

2011-08-29T19:00:00.001-05:00

Hello Baby Boy Birth Announcement

Create beautiful birth announcements at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

news : maternity leave

2011-04-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know! I have been a HORRIBLE blogger these past several months...like non-existent! And I wish I could say I will be doing better these next few months, but that's probably not going to be the case. And here's why:

In case you haven't heard the news, the hubs and I are expecting a little peanut this August, so I will be on maternity leave from July through September. So from now until then, I'll be busy wrapping up my 2010 weddings (album designs and print credit fulfillment) as well as wrapping up edits and orders from 2011 portrait sessions.

But never fear, I promise to come back better than ever in October 2011! Here a just a few of my promises (to you and myself) of what you'll see upon my return:

- updated website and blog: I want something that is easier to get around and find what you need and more frequently updated with photos from recent sessions

- more streamlined product offerings and prices: up to now, I think I have erred on the side of giving too many options, thus causing confusion or buyer's block when it comes to determining what you want to order

- updated 2012 pricing: since my pricing in 2011 did not go up from 2010 (in anticipation of my maternity leave), I will be introducing my 2012 pricing in October. If you want to book a 2011/2012 wedding or 2011 portrait session with my 2011 pricing, hit me up before then!

- a client information packet: clients will receive a more polished information packet, with a contract, when they inquire about booking a session or a wedding. I will also be collecting portrait session fees up front when the session is booked; however, there will be a policy in place for rescheduling due to sickness or rain.

- a monthly newsletter: I will actually follow through with it this time :)

- complimentary gift with your print order: I love metallic prints, and now my lab lets you mix lustre and metallic prints in a single order! So, to introduce everyone to what a metallic print looks like, you will receive a complimentary 5" x 7" metallic print with each print order over $50.

- ordering appointments: for local clients, I'll offer a time for you to come to my home office to walk through placing an order together and show you sample of various products

So...what do you think?! Is there anything else you would like to see upon my return? Just let me know!

God bless :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : molly {starkville mississippi senior portraits}

2011-02-19T16:25:00.005-06:00

Picture it! 2005 - Starkville, Mississippi - a young girl moves up into the youth group where I am helping out by teaching Sunday school and chaperoning trips. Her name is Molly and she is just one of the sweetest girls you've ever met. Her only flaw - she's an Ole Miss fan! ;) Just teasing her!

Anyways, Toddy and I grew very close to Molly and her precious family and have missed seeing them so often since our move to Memphis. So you can imagine how THRILLED I was to get a message from Molly's mom one day asking me if I would do her senior portraits.

HOLD UP!!!! SENIOR PORTRAITS?!?!?

How could it already be time for sweet Molly to be graduating?!? It seems like just yesterday she moved up into the youth group when she entered the 7th grade. Wow, I am getting old!

But alas, time has flown and she has grown up to be such a beautiful young lady!

So, here is a picture of her with the youth minister taken the first year we met.

And here are a few of my favorites from her senior session around her house and farm in Starkville this past fall. Enjoy :)

To see the rest of the images from her senior sesh, visit her gallery! God bless :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter

Swagbucks, meet You. You, meet Swagbucks.

2011-01-13T10:15:00.004-06:00

So...this winter has been a very busy one playing catch up due to our busy fall wedding photography schedule and family matters. So I promise I will be catching everyone up soon on everything. BUT in the meantime, I wanted to share with you about this great search site called Swagbuck's! And here is why...In just 5 short months of knowing about it, I built up over $100 of Amazon.com gift card credit and just cashed them in to buy a new point and shoot digital camera for half price! (And had I gone with a lower-priced model, it would have been free) :)

So, you'll have to pardon the low-res picture from my (older model) iPhone, but hopefully you can see that along with my new pink Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS, I also got a case, a spare battery, battery charger, battery charger for the car, SD card, USB card reader, and some other accessories. So I only ended up paying $150 for $300 worth of camera and accessories. And here is how I did it.

Swagbucks - an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called "Swag Bucks", which can be redeemed for exclusive Swagbucks.com merchandise, including prizes and gift cards. You earn 30 swagbucks (SBs) just for joining, and if you join today with the code "GameTime", you'll earn an extra 20 on top of that.

Here is how you earn SB's:
Daily Poll - earn 1 SB a day just for answering the daily poll
Toolbar Use - earn 1 SB a day just for opening your browser in which the Swagbucks Toolbar has been previously installed
No Obligation Special Offers - earn 1 SB a day just for thumbing through their NOSO's; skip them all if you want and at the end of the 5-6 offer trail, you earn the SB
Trusted Surveys - earn 1 SB a day just for checking to see if you qualify for a survey; you can also earn extra SB's if you do qualify for a survey and complete it
Special Offers - thumb through them every now and then to see what new ones exist; earn big SBs by going through them to sign up for DirecTV, AT&T Uverse, etc.
Shop & Earn - earn lots of SB's just for shopping online and clicking over to your favorite sites through the Swagbucks portal; earn 2 SB's for every $1 spent
Daily Deals - buy your Groupon, Living Social, Mertado daily deal specials through your Swagbucks account to earn SB's on top of the great deal!
Swagbucks TV - earn SBs for watching videos on their site
Games - earn SBs for playing games (similar to Yahoo Games)
Search & Win - earn SB's through using their search engines, like you would Google or Yahoo
Swagbucks Codes - use the Swagbucks Widget (on an iGoogle homepage, for instance) to be notified when a special swagbucks code is out in one of 4 places (SB widget, SB toolbar, SB blog, or SB facebook page)

So, head on over to Swagbucks now by clicking my referral link and signing up! Remember the code "GameTime" to earn your 20 extra SB's. Then get your other friends to sign up with your referral link so you can earn more SB's! And happy earning :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

MINI Sessions & Christmas Cards

2010-10-17T14:02:00.005-05:00

Just a reminder about our MINI Sessions for a Cure! Your $50 session fee goes straight to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® through the Images For A Cure giving site. Donations are due by the end of October, but your session can take place anytime before the end of the year. For more information, click HERE!

And if you are interested in using these sessions to get that perfect photo for your Christmas cards, then I thought you might like to see some of our Christmas card designs!

To see more designs, check out our gallery HERE!

And aside from normal sizes like 5x5 and 5x7 flat and folded cards, we're also offering new custom die-cut Luxe cards that you'll instantly fall in love with just as I have! Check out the new sizes we now offer :)

Below are some sample designs for our Luxe cards:

As for pricing, here is what you can plan for.
25 4x5.5 Flat Cards - $50
50 4x5.5 Flat Cards - $90
75 4x5.5 Flat Cards - $120
100 4x5.5 Flat Cards - $150

25 5x5/5x7 Flat Cards - $60
50 5x5/5x7 Flat Cards - $100
75 5x5/5x7 Flat Cards - $130
100 5x5/5x7 Flat Cards - $160

25 4x5.5 Folded Cards - $70
50 4x5.5 Folded Cards - $130
75 4x5.5 Folded Cards - $180
100 4x5.5 Folded Cards - $220

25 5x5/5x7 Folded Cards - $80
50 5x5/5x7 Folded Cards - $140
75 5x5/5x7 Folded Cards - $190
100 5x5/5x7 Folded Cards - $230

25 4x5.5/5x5/5x7 Tri-fold Cards - $85
50 4x5.5/5x5/5x7 Tri-fold Cards - $150
75 4x5.5/5x5/5x7 Tri-fold Cards - $200
100 4x5.5/5x5/5x7 Tri-fold Cards - $240

25 Luxe Cards - $70
50 Luxe Cards - $130
75 Luxe Cards - $180
100 Luxe Cards - $220

- prices include custom design, white envelopes, and choice of paper stock (UV coated, linen, recycled paper, or pearl for standard sizes; Smooth, Pearl, Linen, or Watercolor for Luxe cards)
- bonus for you - post your favorite childhood Christmas memory on our Facebook page and receive 10% off your Christmas card order!

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

friday faves : furry four-legged creature

2010-10-15T23:04:00.005-05:00

SO...in order to motivate myself to post more often, we're going to start a new feature on the blog titled "Friday Favorites!" And yeah, I know, this post just barely made it in on Friday, but I had to work out a few kinks so I humbly ask your forgiveness ;)

Moving along, I thought it would be perfect to start this series by posting some images of my most favorite furry four-legged friend EVER!! Meet Lexie!! This sweet girl has SO many endearing personality traits and QUIRKS, that I just couldn't possibly begin to write them all out here. But I'll attempt to at least share a few:
- she is absolutely scared to death of vacuum cleaners and baby gates (which we use to keep her in the living room during the day)...i mean, she won't even go near them or try to walk past them to get to where we are. Bless her little heart :) but at least she doesn't still go crazy when she sees herself in the mirror
- she is perhaps the only Labrador RETRIEVER in the world who just CANNOT learn to RETRIEVE, much to Toddy's dismay
- she is the sweetest puppy ever whose only fault is that she just wants to kiss you ALL THE FREAKING TIME!! and hold hands with you
- it's just impossible to resist her puppy eyes and her puppy dreams make us giggle every time!

Well, I could keep going, but I'll spare you and just get on to the pictures!

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : dugger family {collierville family photographer}

2010-10-14T19:24:00.002-05:00

You may remember these next two guys from a senior/family sesh from last fall!

Well, they're back again, but this time it's their little cousins giving sweet kisses to their sister on those steps!

Welcome back Vaughans, and thank you for bringing your extended family with you this time! It's so nice to work with previous customers again and catch up with everything that's happened over the past year. Many thanks to their grandmother Janice for getting everything all set up and entrusting me to capture these special memories for her family :)

Without further adieu, here are some of my faves from this session!

To see more, visit their facebook album or proofing gallery :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wedding : ribbon + bj {oxford mississippi wedding photographer}

2010-10-12T23:16:00.006-05:00

WOW!! So thanks for telling me it had been THREE MONTHS since my last post :) yikes...so sorry about that! Todd and I have had a busy summer and fall, and I've been so focused on editing images that I had forgotten to blog. But I promise to do much better from here on out!

So let's get started with sharing some of Ribbon and BJ's wedding images! You may remember them from their engagement session in the Grove at Ole Miss. Well, we were back on the campus for their August wedding and ended the night at a Powerhouse reception just off the square. A fun time was definitely had by all, and I pray many blessings upon this super cute and sweet family of three! Enjoy :)

And special kudos to all of their wedding vendors for an outstanding job:
Flowers: Mimosa Flowers & Gifts (Diane Faulkner)
Caterer: Lynn Long
Cake: Laurie Lackey
Planner: One Fine Day (Claire Kiamie)
Alcohol Caterer: Jimmy Bruno
Band: One Mile South (Will Nelson)

And some very special thanks to my outstanding second shooter, Ana! Thanks girl for being such a blast to work with on all my August and October weddings :)

and one of my FAVORITE images EVER!!

...see more in their facebook album! :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

MINI Sessions for a Cure!

2010-10-10T21:20:00.006-05:00

Last year saw my first time to participate with an organization called Images For A Cure, in which 100% of the session fee for my fall MINI sessions went to breast cancer research. Well, it's time to give them our support once again! And here is how it works:

1 - Donate your fall/winter MINI session fee before the end of October - $50 for 30 minutes on location. You pay the session fee directly on their giving site and then forward me your receipt.

2 - Schedule your MINI session with me for anytime between now and the end of the year. Just shoot me an email/call a couple of weeks in advance to make sure I'll be available for your desired time slot! Some available times are coming up on Saturday, October 23 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. if that works for you :)

3 - Select your print collection and/or order from our a la carte offerings once your images are up on the DBP proofing site!

Collection #1:
$100 print credit
1 high-res digital image for DIY Christmas cards
$100

Collection #2:
1 11x14
2 8x10
4 5x7
25 5x5/5x7 flat Christmas cards
$125

Collection #3:
All high-res digital images with a print release
$150

4 - Arrive for your MINI session, smile, and have fun! :)

5 - EXTRA CREDIT : Refer DBP to your friends and family telling them about how much fun you had with me ;)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : ribbon + bj {oxford engagement photographer}

2010-07-19T07:34:00.002-05:00

One of the BEST parts about being a photographer is having the chance to shadow people around for a time and record their natural interactions with each other. It's just one of the best feelings in the world to come back home and find those images that you know the family is going to just LOVE and want to display in their home for years and years to come!

Images that record how all it takes is one sly little look from dad to make mom blush and smile for days.

And images that record one of the biggest smiles possible from sweet baby boy...

...that makes his parents just go gaga over him and squish his little face with kisses at the same time!

Or a close-up image of sweet boy's little eyes that just want to melt your heart!

Well, whichever moments are most important to you...that's what I love capturing! To see many more special moments from their session (and lives together), click HERE to see their facebook album and HERE to see their proofing gallery.

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wedding : mary + steven {memphis wedding photographer}

2010-07-11T16:02:00.002-05:00

It's evident by how his face lights up when she enters a room and how a crinkle in her nose forms as she laughs at something funny he just said. Or maybe it's all the millions of kisses they like to sneak in when they think no one is looking, or just don't care if they are! The love these two share is pretty remarkable and I am blessed to have been able to capture it and all the special moments of their big day as they confessed their unconditional love and lifelong support for each other in front of all their friends and family. Enjoy some of snapshots of a day that they nor their family will ever forget :)

God bless you two!! And many special thanks to Jennie Lee for helping me photography this fun day :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Engagement Sneak Peek + 2011 Weddings {memphis and north mississippi wedding photographer}

2010-07-08T17:24:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy spring booking Fall 2010 weddings, and I'm SO looking forward to all the fun places they are going to take me like Vicksburg, the Chapel on the campus of Ole Miss and Old Waverly out at West Point, as well as the Botanic Gardens right here in Memphis. It's going to be a festive fall wedding season, and it's JUST around the corner!

And yes, you heard me right! This DIEHARD Mississippi State fan/alum/former employee is looking forward to a wedding at Ole Miss (of ALL places). In fact, I was just there this weekend for a sweet engagement session with the uber fabulous BJ, Ribbon and Jackson...IN.THE.GROVE! Enjoy a few sneak peek photos and see more HERE...

RibbonBJ 01

RibbonBJ 02

And I can't believe it is already after July the 4th! This year is flying by, and 2011 will be here before you know it. If you or someone you know is planning a 2011 wedding, this is a perfect time to book and lock in our current 2010 wedding collection pricing. I'll also be introducing a new Digital Wedding Collection for all you brides who want to have ALL your edited images on DVD, as well as some special incentives if you choose to pay your wedding collection up front with cash or check. Contact me if you are interested in booking us for 2011 or hearing about our incentives!

P.S. Anyone who REFERS a wedding to us will receive a complimentary 11x14 canvas gallery wrap from your session (for existing clients) or a complimentary FOCUS session + small print package (for new clients). So get to dropping our name!! ;)

Oh, and....GOOOOOO BULLDOGS!!! But BJ & Ribbon...I still love you guys and will LOVE being on the campus of Ole Miss for your wedding...sincerely! :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

session special + dave ramsey + lexie

2010-06-22T21:22:00.000-05:00

So...the hubs and I have been following this guy for a awhile. You may have heard of him. He worked his way out of a lot of debt and is now a millionaire, on top of being a super smart business man...goes by the name of Dave Ramsey??? Yeah...that's the guy! :)

Well, we've been working on his baby steps this past year and so far have Step 1 under our belt and are working real hard on Step 2. And it's a good thing, too! Because we've had a lot of extra expenses thrown at us this summer that we weren't expecting and wouldn't be able to pay for with our normal monthly budget.

Earlier this summer, we found out that our vehicle was going to need new tires. So now part of our emergency fund will go toward keeping us safe on the road. Then we found out that I'm going to need a root canal on one of my teeth. NO FUN!! And because they say things come in 3's...last week we got a little reminder from Shelby County that our car tag and registration on the Murano is due this month, too. sheeshhhhh....please tell me that is all that is coming down the pipeline!

So...in order to replenish our emergency funds and help keep us sane while we get through all of this, I'm going to run a LIMITED EDITION portrait special that should hopefully interest some of you who have been wanting to book a session for awhile but have had a limited budget to work with! I'm thinking about calling it the Dave Ramsey Portait Special :) But there will only be FOUR of these available...

DAVE RAMSEY PORTRAIT SPECIAL
- Up to two hours on location (within 30 miles of Collierville)
- Up to five people, $10 each additional person
- As many locations and wardrobe changes you can fit within the allotted time
- All your edited images on DVD with a print release
$250 (this would normally cost $400)

Think about this for a minute! Our normal session fee is $100 for two hours. So for the extra $150, you'll have the rights to print as many 4x6s, 8x10s, 11x14s (and so on) as your heart desires...at your own lab of choice...as often as you want! Of course, you'll still be able to order any prints and products from me, too! I highly suggest coffee table albums from your sessions ;)

So here is the fine print! Only 4 of these are going to be available...on a first come, first served basis. Payment must be made by the end of July, and sessions must be used by the end of the year.

And here is a bonus to entice you just a bit more: The names of the four clients who purchase these will be put into a drawing to win a complimentary 8x10 canvas gallery wrap which will come ready to hang in your house!

So...any takers? Contact me at susan@designsbyprater.com if interested! In the meantime, enjoy a little cuteness as lexie girl is ready for her close-ups ;)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wedding sneak peek : mary + steven {memphis wedding photographer}

2010-06-13T22:42:00.003-05:00

Weddings are a time for families to join together in support and love for their children, and that's just what Jennie and I witnessed on Mary and Steven's big day last weekend! It was such a joy to watch both families celebrate this special time in their lives, and we had such a BLAST documenting every moment.

While a full blog post will be coming later this week, I couldn't make their parents wait any longer for a sneak peek! Enjoy :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

june newsletter : win a free portrait session

2010-06-02T17:32:00.002-05:00

What does this photo of Marianne & Cory have to do with a FREE 30-minute MINI session?!

reflections

Those of you who signed up for our newsletter before today already have the inside scoop! But if you missed out, no worries...take a peek at June's issue right HERE! And if you want to make sure you get the inside scoop for our future photo contests, sign up on our mailing list HERE. From here on out, you won't find them publicized anywhere else but in our newsletter!

Before I go, I will leave you with some ground rules and more detailed instructions for our monthly photo contests:

- Photo must fit within the monthly theme, but be creative!
- Photo must be taken within the past 12 months by you or a family member.
- Photo must be clean and tasteful and not violate any of Facebook's terms and conditions pertaining to posting photos.
- Photo must be posted to the wall of our Facebook page. Just click the little picture icon where you would normally write on our wall! You will have until the 15th of the month to post your photo. Give it a fun title or caption, too!
- Fans/Likers of our facebook page will then vote on which photo should win. The image with the most Likes and Comments by the last day of the month will be declared the winner! So make sure to tell your family and friends to Fan/Like our page.
- The winner will receive a complimentary 30-minute MINI session. This includes our time and talent; prints and products will be available for purchase afterwards.
- If it turns out you live too far away to make arrangements with me for booking your session within 365 days, we'll swap it out for an iTunes gift card.

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

faq : cropping ratios and presentation ideas

2010-05-13T23:26:00.000-05:00

A few times I have had a client who has ordered an 8x10 print ask why not all of their image printed out as they saw it in their proofing gallery...and the short answer is cropping ratios. I'm no expert on this, but I am going to try my best at explaining it, as well as offering up some suggestions for when cropping a particular image (say to an 8x10) is less than preferable. So let's get on with it!

Courtesy of About.com:

Aspect ratio is the relationship of an image's width to height, or its proportions. Digital cameras produce files with an aspect ratio of 4:3. But many common photo print sizes have a different aspect ratio. For example, a 4 by 6 print has an aspect ratio of 3:2; an 8 by 10 has an aspect ratio of 5:4.

So...that may not make much sense at all, but hopefully it will once we look at it visually. The below picture shows an image exactly as it comes from my camera:

And this next image shows what it might look like if we ordered it as an 8x10:

The faded top and bottom portions would be cropped out, and we would be left with an image that really just doesn't do the pose and setting of this particular image any justice. Now, I could move that shaded area up and down to try to get a different portion of the image in my frame, but I'd either lose his feet and the ladder or the window above the door. It just comes down to personal preference sometimes!

So, before I get to what you can do if a regular portrait size (i.e. 8x10) won't work for your image, let me give a disclaimer first! Please don't think I am saying not to order 8x10s. Many images work just fine and do not lose any of the pose or setting when cropped. But if you are worried that a particular image might, just ask me to send you a quick mock-up of what it might look like in a certain size, and I'd be happy to show you!

But if we do find that a common size won't work for your favorite image, think outside of the box! Don't be afraid to order an 8x12, 9x13...or dare I even say it, a 16x24. :) There are several options for you when you can't find those odd-size frames at Target or Hobby Lobby...and they don't have to be as expensive as custom framing.

Option 1 - 11x14 Print with matboard or styrene backing sitting on a floating wall shelf

Option 2 - 8x12 Print with matboard or styrene backing sitting on an easel

Option 3 - 16x24 Canvas gallery wrap that comes ready to hang on your wall

And those are just a few options. We could get creative and come up with many more, I'm sure! Anyways, I hope that was helpful :)

And I must say special thanks to ANabs Photography for letting me tag along on a recent engagement shoot to grab that precious photo I used as my cropping example. Can't wait to share the rest of my images from that session...stay tuned!

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Newsletter Sign-Up {memphis photographer}

2010-05-12T12:32:00.001-05:00

We are excited to announce that we will be launching a Designs by Prater electronic newsletter next month! Not only will it be super informative (full of tips and photo before & afters) but it will also give you the latest news on any specials and contests we will be running for clients and Facebook fans/likers.

Here is what you can expect to see in each edition of our monthly newsletter:
- Spotlights from our latest sessions
- Before and After photos showing you some of the basic edits we use
- Session/Product Specials (aka discounts and freebies for sessions booked that month)
- Contests (a chance for you to submit a photo for a particular theme to earn DBP prizes such as free MINI sessions and print credit)
- An FAQ answered (highlighted from recent blog entries)

SO...if this sounds good to you, sign up now! Just fill out this little form and you'll be on our list. :)

And if for some reason this form isn't working, just click HERE!

Also, because no post is good without a photo, here are a few from a cupcake swap I hosted at my house a couple of weeks ago! We had a blast :)

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wanted : love affair workshop seat {memphis photographer}

2010-04-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last year, I tried my hand at winning a coveted spot at the Love Affair photography workshop in Atlanta, GA. While I did not win or get to go, I did have another friend who went and said that it was WONDERFUL! So, I am going to give it another go around this year and try to win a scholarship for one of those coveted spots, as well as some other neat prizes!

So, here is my official entry for today, and if you want to know more about this fabulous workshop, check it out HERE! :)

“I want to win the Get It Together Kit & a seat to Love Affair Workshop. GO read the details or register! http://www.loveaffairworkshop.com”

I'm so bummed I missed out on the chance to win the UNO DVD yesterday, but the Get It Together Kit would be another fabulous prize to win, too. If you want to know more about either of these wonderful products for photographers, just click their images below! Take care and God bless :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

faq : do's and don'ts with images {memphis photographer}

2010-04-27T23:00:00.000-05:00

A popular topic amongst both photographers and clients alike is what is allowed versus not allowed concerning a photographer's images from a portrait session or wedding. Personally, it makes me silly happy when I see my clients “stealing” their pictures from our blog or facebook fan page to use on their own personal facebook profiles, blogs, etc. It's a major compliment that you adore them enough to want to proudly share them with your friends and family...so we love that kind of stealing!

That said, here are a few DO’s and DON’Ts that you should keep in mind when re-posting these images (as taken from Mom*tog - a popular blog for photogs who are moms or who hope to be soon (like me...haha) or moms who just love to take photographs):

1) DO ask your photographer what their specific policy is on taking pictures off of their blogs. Some photographers encourage it and some don’t allow it. If this is important to you, this is something you should ask BEFORE you hire your photographer!
- DBP fully endorses this as long as the next few points are adhered to

2) DO include your photographer’s name and website under the images (a link would be super nice!). That’s just the polite thing to do :)
- DBP is making it a point to include these in the images before they are posted to our blog or facebook, so this shouldn't be an extra step to you!

3) DON’T crop out their logo, and unless you have paid for the digital negatives, don’t alter the files in anyway. Most photographers use their blogs to advertise their work and do so as a courtesy to give their clients a sneak peek. If a client crops out the logo then how will other people know who took the picture?
- DBP hopes you'd want to keep our logos in anyways, as the more people you refer to us, the more referral rewards you earn to go towards prints and products from your session :)

4) DON’T edit the picture in any way. Taking the pictures is only half of a photographer's job; the other half is editing. If you think you can do a better job or want to edit out some of your wrinkles or use selective coloring, please don’t show and/or tell your photographer. That is super insulting. If you don’t like your photographer's editing enough to want to edit it yourself, then maybe you need to find another photographer next year.
- Perhaps a nicer way for us to say the above is to just state that we hope part of the reason you are hiring us is because you already love OUR STYLE! So why would you want to put more work on yourself when you have already paid us for this? If there is an additional edit you would like, just ask us!

5) DON’T try to print from the files on the blog. For me specifically I know that the files I upload to my blog are too small to be printed in a 4×6 size. It’s not cool to invest in a family session and then print the images off of the blog and not pay for prints. Make sure you know how much the prints cost before the session to avoid sticker shock. Same goes for scanning prints that you already bought. Not cool!
- The reason we post most all of our pricing publicly on our DBP blog is so you can have a good idea of the average investment BEFORE you make the decision to hire us. We also provide many options on the front end to give you the most bang for your buck via our print collections and digital portrait packages. We're here to give you both value and moments frozen in time that you will treasure for a lifetime...not to nickle and dime you. But we do have to make a living so some cost is involved. ;)

So there you have it! Let us know if you have any other questions pertaining to this topic...or if you want us to cover something specific in our next FAQs post.

And because no post should ever go without a picture, here is another of my faves from a recent senior sesh with Shelby! It was snapped right as she was finishing up a conversation with either her boyfriend or her sister. While I can't remember exactly what was being said, I can only guess that it was probably something funny! Why doesn't everyone take a stab at what she was saying by giving this photo your own caption in the comments...ha!

To see more, visit her proofing gallery HERE and her facebook album HERE! God bless! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

sneak peek : shelby {olive branch/collierville senior photographer}

2010-04-24T17:12:00.003-05:00

it's time to meet another one of our class of 2011 senior reps - shelby! she had been sitting on pins and needles waiting to see some sneak peek photos from last sunday's spring mini session, so we shared these on facebook earlier in the week. but once again, we got a little too busy to post them here on the blog. but better late than never, right?! haha :)

along with our first senior rep, rachel, shelby is another junior in our youth ministry at church! they both are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside, and we look forward to celebrating their senior years with them as they continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom of the Gospel!

here are some of her sneak peek photos...to see more, visit her facebook album HERE! ENJOY :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

shutter squared : photo safari with the lewis family {collierville/germantown photographer}

2010-04-24T17:00:00.003-05:00

please forgive me for the lack of posting this week! it's been busy but a good one :) these photos showed up on facebook earlier in the week, but i wanted to take a moment to share a few with my favorite blog readers!

jennie and i headed out to this wonderful garden/park in germantown last saturday because we were just dying to shoot some photos while everything was still in bloom...it was azalea bushes galore! we are so thankful to the lewis family for being such great models. enjoy some of my faves here, and then go visit their facebook album to see the rest HERE!

take care and God bless! :)

post signature

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

spotted : collierville firemen/EMTs

2010-04-17T22:01:00.002-05:00

After a quick photo safari at this new spot in Germantown we found earlier this week, Jennie and I decided to head to the Collierville square to play with our cameras a little bit longer. While walking around, two of Collierville's firemen/EMT guys sitting on their bench right outside the station spotted us and asked us what we were doing. We answered that from time to time we like to just get out and take photos for fun...and the next thing you know, they had become our next models!!

And the coolest thing you MUST know about these two is that they are regulars in Collierville's bluegrass pickin' Friday nights...sincerely! So the next time you are at home on a Friday night wondering what to do, head to the square to listen to them play!

Enjoy the photos :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

faq : the editing process {memphis photographer}

2010-04-14T22:45:00.004-05:00

I've decided to start a new feature on the blog where I will from time to time take one of the FAQ's I receive from clients and post the answers on here for all to read. I hope you will find it as beneficial as it is informative! And if you have another question that you would like for me to cover in a future post, please leave a comment and let me know what you want to talk about next...

today's faq : we've booked our session and have now completed out portrait session. what's next?

the answer? the editing process

step one : in the first week following your session, i will blog and upload to facebook a few sneak peek photos for your viewing pleasure.

step two : once i have culled through all the images from your session, i will narrow it down to the best images from each location/outfit/pose and take them through the initial editing phase where they will each receive one of my two favorite looks - a simple pop of color or a vintage black/white conversion.

example of color pop:

example of vintage black/white conversion:

step three : all edited images will be uploaded to my proofing site within the second week AND more of my faves from your session will join the sneak peek photos already up on facebook and the blog

step four : we both learn which photos you like the best and hopefully you place an order! ;)

step five : final edits are made to the photos you ordered just to make sure they are looking their absolute best before the order is officially placed with my printing lab. this usually entails removing any final blemishes that may have been missed during the initial editing phase or removing unwanted items in the background of your photos or simply adding a little bit more pop to the image. for example, on this next photo, i quickly learned that it was one of marianne's favorite photos and that she was going to want it in lots of different sizes. so i wanted to make it absolutely perfect! so we removed a few of the smudges on the structure they were leaning up against, pulled out its color just a bit more, and brightened up their faces a bit more, too. now, you tell me what you think of this final edit :)

step six : your order comes in and you proudly display them in your home and give them as gifts...we hope at least! ;)

step seven : for extra credit, you send me photos of them in your homes so i can blog them as a client share later on!! pretty please...haha

Well, I hope that gives you a better idea of what to expect after your portrait session is in the books! take care and God bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : rachel {collierville senior photographer}

2010-04-13T18:20:00.004-05:00

Aside from being one of the wonderful girls in our youth group at church, this lovely lady has signed on to be one of our Class of 2011 senior reps, representing Houston High School. And later next week, you'll be meeting Shelby, our Class of 2011 senior rep from Center Hill High School. Our senior reps each receive a complimentary 30-minute MINI session in the spring, as well as a discounted regular-length FOCUS session later in the summer. Each rep also has the chance to earn free prints and products as more and more of their friends book a senior portrait session with DBP! If you know of someone who might be interested, please tell them to contact us! We are currently still looking for senior reps from any of the following area schools: Collierville High, Germantown High, Olive Branch High, and any other East Memphis or North Mississippi high school/academy. But tell them to hurry; we are only taking one rep from each school.

OK...now that we are finished with our DBP commercial, let's get on to the photos! :) I had SUCH a blast with Rachel and her family, and I can't wait for her full-length FOCUS session later this summer, when we'll have even more time for lots and lots of wardrobe changes and locations. But in the meantime, enjoy some more faves from last week! And to see the rest of her photos, click HERE for her proofing gallery and HERE for her facebook album!

she TOTALLY matched these trees that afternoon and it was a TOTAL coincidence!

this one is quickly becoming one of my faves from the shoot! it just screams america's next top model :)

and yea for jumping photos!

this is her excited face!

and this is her sweet face :)

and here she is with her lil' siblings, sydney and carter!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

mini : marianne + cory {memphis engagement photographer}

2010-04-13T17:42:00.004-05:00

So to tell you that Marianne was excited to see the rest of her photos would be an understatement! Within 30 minutes of letting her know that her proofs had gone live, she had already pushed the GO button on her first order...ha! We love those kinds of clients :)

Well, without further adieu...here are some more faves from their session. To see the rest of them, click HERE to go to their proofing gallery and HERE to view their facebook album!

i love this next one! they were laughing while trying to read a sign some guy was holding up!

major thanks to them for being such troopers to get these next few shots...they were getting sun baked while taking these shots:

it's the little candid shots like this next one that are the most fun surprises to see when editing photos...LOVE THIS ONE!

and it's all about Lucy in these next two photos:

thanks to Marianne and Cory (and Lucy) for being so great to work with! Enjoy the rest of your engagement...it goes by all too quickly :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

A Makeover Story

2010-04-10T19:43:00.002-05:00

We decided that after a great first year of business, we'd take a little time to freshen up our look and all our marketing materials. You'll see a few things changing a bit here and there over the next month, but never fear, they'll only be for the better!

For starters, here is a look at our new logo. Not much difference, just a simpler, fresher look:

You'll also notice that we have updated both the website and blog to highlight our most recent work. And we promise to update them more frequently in the future. :)

Well, that's it! Just wanted to let you know you weren't going crazy if you noticed the slight change in our blog and facebook photos this past week...haha! God bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

sneak peek : marianne & cory {memphis engagement photographer}

2010-04-10T12:39:00.006-05:00

Marianne contacted me a couple of weeks ago to take some photos of her, her fiance, and their first child - their beloved golden retriever, Lucy! Marianne and Cory will be getting married later this summer in the OBX of North Carolina, so I'm super excited to get to do this mini engagement session with them at home in Memphis before the big day.

While I finish editing all the photos from their session, I couldn't resist sharing a few sneak photos...mainly because Marianne would shoot me already if I didn't! Ha...just teasing :) Anyways, enjoy...

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

client share : canvas gallery wraps

2010-04-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

I love it when past clients send me photographs of how they have displayed their original Designs by Prater photographic art in their homes! Below are some pictures from Amy in Starkville. She was so creative in selecting her favorite black and white photos to group together in these two collage frames:

and then my favorite...CHECK OUT THIS EASEL!! What a great way to display a canvas gallery wrap of one of your favorite photos :)

And on that note, I wanted to spend a few more moments talking about canvas gallery wraps. I just love them! They always come out so gorgeous and there is NO need to worry about framing. Just hang it on a wall by itself, prop it on an easel, or find a floating shelve to display it on your wall. Just so many options!

So speaking of options, we are now able to show you what a particular image would look like on canvas. Below are some mock-ups I created with some of my favorite images from last fall!

Alex showing us how great she would look on a square canvas:

Maddie looking oh so precious on a horizontal wrap:

and Mary and Steven looking oh so flirtatious on a vertical wrap:

Wonder what one of your images would look like on canvas? Just ask! For the months of April and May, mention this option and receive 10% off your canvas gallery wrap. :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

sneak peek : rachel {collierville senior photographer}

2010-04-07T17:50:00.004-05:00

Meet Rachel...one of our Class of 2011 senior reps! She loves her Jesus. She loves her family. And she loves singing! You'll get to know more about her as the spring unfolds but I just couldn't go another day without posting some sneak peek photos for you...and let's be honest here, for her and her mom, too! haha...they have been dying to see a few of them :)

enjoy!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Springtime is Here!

2010-03-24T07:19:00.002-05:00

Aren't you SO GLAD that warm weather is finally here?! Well, minus one day this past weekend where snow decided to randomly fall in parts of my home state of MS...but I digress! Flowers are blooming, winter clothes are going back in bins under the bed, and my camera is ready to come out and play. :)

A few weeks ago I told you that we were looking into offering an ALL SEASONS PASS, which would be paid for up front and give you FOUR 30-minute sessions to redeem throughout the next 365 days. Well, this seems like a perfect time to roll it out as we'll be offering Spring MINI sessions the following upcoming Saturdays: March 27, April 3, and April 10.

So, here is the deal! You can book a Spring MINI session all on its own or as part of an ALL SEASONS PASS.

Spring MINI session:
- 30 minutes on location
- up to six people; $10 for each add'l person
- approx. 20-40 edited images
- online ordering and proofing site for 90 days
- $50

Spring digiMINI session:
- same as above, PLUS
- 4x6 proofs in image preview box AND high-res DVD of ALL edited images
- $200

ALL SEASONS PASS:
- FOUR 30-minute sessions on location to redeem in a 365-day period
- up to six people each session; $10 for each add'l person
- approx. 20-40 edited images from each session
- digital download of favorite image from each session ($140 value)
- online ordering and proofing site for 90 days
- $200

ALL SEASONS digiPASS:
- same as above, PLUS
- 4x6 proofs AND high-res DVD of ALL edited images
- $350

Contact us via email, facebook, twitter, or phone (901.651.6955) if you are interested in booking a session! Here is a a montage of some of my favorite photos from last spring :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

To Sell or Not to Sell...

2010-02-23T22:49:00.010-06:00

...digital files. Actually, that was NEVER the question...because the answer to that is ‘TO SELL’. The real question, however, for me has always been ‘How to Sell’. Trying to find the magic number that reflects the proper worth of a digital file is a bit tricky for me. And identifying how much you want to or can invest in an assortment of prints, products, and/or digital files can be a bit tricky for you. You've already spent money on the portrait session itself and you want to have access to those digital images, in this digital day and age. I totally agree and have NO problems offering them!

So I begin the task of determining a price that properly reflects their value, as with each product we offer. What do I mean by that? Well, the price should reflect the time I have put into education and equipment, practicing my technique and brainstorming new ideas, editing the final images and getting them ready to present to a client, and any time being pulled away from other things or people that also deserve my time and attention.

Because you see, as much as I LOVE photography and Designs by Prater, 'photographer' is only one of the many hats I wear as 'client' is only one of the many hats you wear. And as much as I long for you to know me as a photographer, I also want you to know me as someone who cherishes every Sunday, Wednesday, and all our other hilarious and spirit-filled outings with the wonderful students in my youth group. I hope you know me as someone who purposefully invests in my relationship with my husband and being the best wife I can be to him. I hope you see someone who has placed everything in its rightful place UNDER a personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ!

PLEASE don't misunderstand me here...I pray you truly understand that the time I take to run this photography venture (dream of mine) is VERY special to me and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE recording your memories and presenting to you a quality product that you will CHERISH for generations to come. When you book a session or wedding with me, you have me hook, line, and sinker! And I really do look forward to getting to know you better...and all the many hats you wear! :) I just wanted to take a moment of time on my blog to better explain that I APPRECIATE you investing in me and that I am always looking to see how I can offer more value to YOU.

SO...on that note, I have modified my prices for individual digital files and DVD's of complete digital files from a session, as well as created 2 versions of the FOCUS portrait session that include the session fee + digital files on DVD for one price. You can view these new options on our updated PORTRAITS and INVESTMENT pages (linked in the above navigation menu).

And because every post needs a photo and I didn't include one in the last post (shame on me!), below is one of my faves from one of our recent snow/ice days! If you look closely you can see the cross on top of our church building through the icy branches. See the rest of them HERE at my proofing site!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Best of 2009 (the second half)

2010-02-23T12:20:00.000-06:00

It's time for updating our promotional materials...yea!!! We have selected our top 2-3 images from each of our sessions from the second half of 2009, but we need your help in narrowing them down to the top 4-5 photos to use as we update our website, blog, business cards, promo postcards, brochures, etc. So...here's the deal!

We have uploaded our favorites to a new photo album on our facebook page, titled 'best of 2009 (second half).' All you have to do to vote for your favorite image is hit the Like button or leave a comment on the photo. Vote on as many images as you like, but remember, the top 2 vote-getters for portraits and the top 2 for weddings will be declared the winners! So encourage your family and friends to visit our DBP Facebook Fan page and vote for your favorite images. (Note: Facebook mandates that you Become A Fan in order to "like" or leave a comment on a photo. And I cannot lie, more fans for DBP would be much appreciated!) :)

Oh, and did I mention that the winners will each receive a complimentary 11"x14" of their winning image to proudly display in their home or give as a gift to show your appreciation to one of your voters?! So start your voting now! Good luck :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Out of Hibernation

2010-02-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

I can admit it! This blog has been pretty silent since last November/December. :) We've kinda been hibernating just a bit this winter...recharging our batteries, taking a good look at our first real year of business, and looking ahead to what we want to see come from 2010. So you may see some changes in the next few weeks, but we think you'll agree they are all for the best! Here is just a bit of what we've been thinking :)

Updated Promotional Materials
We're going to be running another contest on our blog later this week to help us select your favorite wedding and portrait images from the second half of 2009. Your top two vote-getters in each category will be highlighted on our new marketing materials and in updates to the blog and website. Plus, the lucky ones featured in those photos will once again receive a complimentary 11" x 14" of their winning image. So stay tuned to the blog later this week to see what images are in the running!

Simplified Sessions and Packages
We can also admit that we MAY have gone a little crazy in setting up our packages this first year of business! Looking back I can see that sometimes too many choices can actually just confuse a client more and keep someone from hitting the GO button. So after hearing feedback from our clients, we will be simplifying our sessions and packages. A FOCUS portrait session can be used for any type of photography, newborns to high school seniors to newlyweds, etc. One session fits all! (NOTE: We will still offer our weekday vs. weekend sessions to fit the amount of time and date of the week that works best for you. And we'll also still be offering our Shutter Squared sessions with Jennie Lee Photography and a more simplified baby plan package.)

Digital Portrait Packages
Most of you are already familiar with the fairly recent trend of photographers offering sessions that include all your photos on a high-resolution DVD with a print release. Later this week, I'll also be posting my thoughts on why we have been a bit reluctant to offer these packages in the past and what has changed our minds, as well as unveiling our new digiFOCUS sessions that we feel are worth your money as much as they are our time. If this is something you have been waiting for, please stay tuned to the blog!

ALL SEASONS family portrait pass
This is where I need to hear from you! What holidays and/or seasons would you love to have family portraits centered around? Looking ahead to 2010, we are contemplating offering an ALL SEASONS family portrait pass in which we'd charge an up-front fee that would cover 4 30-minute sessions to be used throughout the year and digital downloads of your top 10 images from each session. While one person might want to use it for Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas, another person might choose to use them for photos in the snow for winter, in a garden for spring, in a cotton field in the fall, and at a Christmas tree farm in the winter. You'd have the freedom to redeem your 4 sessions at your desired times throughout the year! Send me an email or leave a comment on this post if this is something that would interest you!

Well, that covers a lot of what we have been working on so far this year! And because no post looks good without at least a few photos, here are some of my favorites from some sessions that I got to be a shadow on with Beth of b.mo.foto. You can see the rest of them HERE!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

just because : autumn fields {collierville photographer}

2009-12-20T15:05:00.003-06:00

I love driving down the road and finding random spots that I think would make for a great backdrop in future photo sessions, and this next location was one of those spots I was dying to shoot in late autumn. So I put out a casting call of sorts on my blog several weeks ago for some kids who'd be willing to play in some fields one Friday afternoon. The below photos are some of my fave shots from that afternoon. Thanks again to Araceli and Alison for being brave souls who allowed me to take their little ones deep into the field. I'm sure they had lots of fun giving the kids their baths later that night! :) Enjoy!

First up, the oh-so-sweet Maddie:

and add in her beautiful and loving mom!

next up, it's one half of the smith twins...meet the wise for his young years, Carter!

and because I couldn't decide if I liked this next photo better in color or b&w, I am posting both!

and because i love eyelash photos for some reason...and look at those curls!

the other half of the twins...the always silly Sydney!

switching over to their older sister, the gorgeous Rachel!

and because I love genuine laughing photos:

then bring back in the twins!

time to add their beautiful mom!

thanks again to everyone for being so willing to jump in! I will leave you with this final photo of the kiddos :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : burchfield {starkville photographer}

2009-12-11T17:00:00.003-06:00

Wanted to share some of my favorite images from a recent shoot in Starkville with the Burchfield family. I had such a blast with them and can't wait to find out which images are their faves! In the meantime, here are a few of mine... :)

i absolutely LOVE this one...so candid and so much fun!

happy baby aubree :)

sweet kenzie claire...

...and almost all grown up rylee!

the gorgeous momma, Amy

the dapper dad, Kevin

To see the more images from their session, click HERE for their facebook album and HERE for their proofing gallery.

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Win a Free HP

2009-12-09T22:41:00.000-06:00

Nice looking computer, eh? Did you know the monitor is a touch screen? How cool is that! I just entered to win this multiple times on multiple blogs...and you can, too!

It's a catch-22 really! The more ways I tell other people to enter to win this computer, the more chances I have to win it, too. But the more I do to increase my odds, the more people I tell who end up going to enter as well. So, is it really helping me? Probably not! But at least I am trying. :)

I have had my eye on this computer for awhile and am actually saving up to buy it. But how great would it be to win it and use those funds for something else, like a new camera or lens. haha!

Anyways, here is where you can go for you chance to win one. There are at least 5 being given away!

- Win one at Kelly's Korner

- Win one at A Year of Slow Cooking

- Win one at My Charming Kids

- Win one at The NieNie Dialogues

- Win one at BooMama

Good luck to you...but not too much luck! I want to win one, too ;)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Coming Up : Black Friday Sale

2009-11-25T22:15:00.005-06:00

DBP clients - past, present, and future - if you have been waiting for the perfect time to book a session or order some prints & products, you just might want to take advantage of some of our Black Friday specials! We'll be offering discounts on future sessions as well as on prints from past sessions and some of our favorite products. The sale will start this Friday (11/27/09) and carry on through the next Sunday (12/6/09).

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

FOCUS sessions
- Book a 1 hour or 2 hour FOCUS session to be completed between Black Friday 2009 and April Fools Day 2010, and take $20 off the regular-priced session fee. Payment is due upon booking.

Lustre and Metallic Prints
- All prints will be automatically marked down by 15% on my proofing site or you can contact me to obtain an order if you would rather not order them online.
- Add a little punch to your favorite photo by ordering it on metallic paper! Just add $5 to the cost of each print. Contact me directly if interested in purchasing metallic prints.
- NOTE: If your gallery is no longer on our proofing site, contact me to have it uploaded again to be able to order prints.

Coffee Table Albums
- Take 25% off the purchase of any size coffee table album, hard cover or soft cover.
- If your session is no longer on our proofing site, I will re-post it for your convenience once you have paid for your album.
- If you intend on booking a session between now and April 1, 2010, you can even prepay for your coffee table album to take advantage of this special.
- Contact me directly to order an album at a discount.

Accordion Mini Albums
- Buy one, get one free.
- These make great brag books for grandparents!

Gallery Canvas Wraps
- Take 15% off one wrap, 20% off two wraps, or 25% off three or more wraps.
- If you'd like to see how a certain print would look in a particular size, contact me to have a mock-up emailed to you.
- Contact me directly to order wraps at a discount.

Creative Storyboards
- Take 10% off all storyboards.
- Colors, fonts, style, etc. is completely customizable by you!
- Contact me directly to select size and photos so we can begin design.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And come Friday, happy shopping! :)

Oh, and because every post deserves a photo, here is a sneak peek of one from a recent session with the Burchfields!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

News & Updates (part three)

2009-11-24T23:32:00.001-06:00

The last session I have for you right now is for an engagement session with the very happily engaged lovebirds, Mary and Steven! They were up for whatever and didn't mind at all kissing for just a few shots. Well, OK...more like didn't mind kissing for ALL of their shots! Ha...but in all seriousness, this couple is head over heels for each other, and I cannot wait to shoot their wedding in June! Here are some of my faves :)

To see more of their photos, visit their facebook album HERE and their proofing gallery HERE!

Stay tuned to the blog tomorrow to see all about our Black Friday sale!!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

News & Updates (part two)

2009-11-24T23:14:00.000-06:00

Next up is the Vaughan family! Johnna contacted me a couple of weeks ago after seeing Ashton's senior sesh and wanted me to take some pics of her senior, Alex. And who says the younger brother can't have fun, too?! So we threw him in some pictures so she'd have photos of both her children. Here are some of my faves!

Meet Alex, who the last I heard said she was going to attend my alma mater, Mississippi State University...woot woot!

Now for some of Alex and Grayson together!

sweet, huh??

it's payback time, sis!

and let's throw in a few with the parents for good measure! see where they get there good looks from :)

and even though I already blogged this one for their sneak peek, it's worth showing again...I love it so much...

To see more photos from their session, click HERE to see their facebook album and HERE to see their proofing gallery.
One more sneak peek, and then the Black Friday update...oooo, aren't you just on pins and needles by now??

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

News & Updates (part one)

2009-11-24T23:11:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to take a moment before the holiday season really kicks in to share some favorites from recent sessions as well as give an update on some sales we'll be offering on Black Friday and the week afterward.

First up are a few of my absolutes faves from an in-love session with Jason and Jessica...who by the way were an absolute delight to photograph. Their love for each other was so incredibly evident, and I hope to have more shoots with them in the years to come. :)

anyone want to take a stab at their last name? ;)

To see more photos from their session, visit their facebook album HERE and their proofing gallery HERE!

...stay tuned for our next post on the Vaughans...and then our Black Friday Sale!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : vaughan family {collierville photographer}

2009-11-08T00:15:00.005-06:00

First thing's first...this family is a bunch of hams! And I say that in the most loving way possible. :) It all starts with the dad and then moves its way down through the rest of the family. I can just imagine how much fun this household is on a typical day, and I am blessed to have met them and witnessed just a few hours of it!

I was contacted by Johnna to take some senior photos of Alex, but she also wanted to bring her son along so we could get some photos of the two kiddos together. Well, luckily dad decided to tag along as well, so we got a few photos of the entire family together. Enjoy this sneak peek and stay tuned to the blog for more to come later this week!

P.S. Major thanks to Jill and Ashton for referring this family to DBP! Y'all are the best :)

some of Alex:

and some of the family:

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : mary + steven {collierville engagement photographer}

2009-11-07T19:24:00.005-06:00

Engagement photos are so much fun...and especially easy when the couple is not afraid to be all lovey-dovey in public. Like these two crazy kiddos. In skimming through my photos from the session, I'd take a stab that almost 75% of them show the two smooching...haha! :)

But in all seriousness, they were a delight to work with and I can't wait to share all the images from our session in the Historic Downtown Collierville Square. But for your patience, I thought I'd throw a bone your way and show you some sneak peeks...enjoy!!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : jason + jessica {memphis photographer}

2009-11-07T12:01:00.005-06:00

Who says you have to have a reason to have professional photos taken?! I was SO excited to be approached to take photos of these two for several reasons with the first one being that she just wanted to have them taken for fun. They have been married for a couple of years now and their love has grown even stronger...so why not celebrate that with some updated photos! And secondly, Jessica and I used to work together in the athletic department at Mississippi State University, so it was lots of fun to catch up with her and meet her sweet hubby, who also worked for the athletic department when he was there! (Go State!!)

We met up along the banks of the Mississippi River in Downtown Memphis and decided to just drive around the downtown area, finding fun spots and hopping out the vehicle for photos. We also thought it would be fun to grab some photos inside the Peabody, but we accidentally showed up at exactly the same time as the ducks were about to come down from the roof. While it was cool to be there for that, it made getting photos without other random people in the background a little difficult, but a fun time was still had by all. :)

Here are a few of my favorites, but you can visit their facebook album HERE and their proofing album HERE to see more...enjoy! :)

we had to get a picture at this spot since their last name is smith!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : young family {mississippi delta photographer}

2009-11-06T07:07:00.001-06:00

The next bunch of photos you are about to see are of some people that hold a very special place in my heart...the sis-and-bro-in-law and my nieces! While they get to naturally reap the benefits of having a photographer in the family (i mean, look at them...they are such an attractive family and my camera loves them!), I was honored that they wanted to officially book me for a session...a paid session on location! ;)

We had a blast and the kiddos are SUCH HAMS for the camera! We made the trek to their hunting camp in the MS Delta along the banks of the MS River and battled the wind and cold temperatures to get some great shots. But they were troopers!

Enjoy some of my faves, and then click HERE to see more over on Facebook and HERE to see their entire session on my proofing site.

see...HAMS!! the girls come by it naturally :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : ashton (collierville senior photographer)

2009-10-26T19:31:00.004-05:00

I know you have been waiting on pins and needles to see the rest of the images from my shoot with the beautiful Ashton! Well, to reward you for your patience, I am ready to share my most favorite images from her session. I'd share WAY more, but I fear it would be just too much for you to handle at once. :) But if you must see more, check out her Facebook album HERE and her proofing album HERE.

In the meantime, enjoy!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

unsung heroes : terry + angela

2009-10-14T17:55:00.002-05:00

This post is dedicated to all the unsung heroes of photo shoots...you know who you are! You're the family member who offers to take your grandchild or niece/nephew to the park while mom and dad meet up with the photographer for a "we are still hot and in love" couples shoot. Or maybe you are just good friends who love any excuse to babysit a "not really our niece or nephew but we love them so much so we say they are" kiddo. Ha!

Well, these pictures are for two people who fall into the second category! Uncle Terry and Aunt Angela have been very close friends to John & Amanda for years, and as far as little Evan knows, they are a genuine aunt and uncle. So it was a no brainer for them when they were asked to accompany us to the Memphis Botanic Gardens for this SHUTTER SQUARED session. After we finished up the family photos, Terry and Angela took little E off to another part of the gardens so we could get some great photos of John and Amanda. But before they left, we did manage to get some photos of them with their nephew!

P.S. Until Terry gives in to me and Jennie, this is as close as poor Angela is going to get to Terry doing a photo shoot with anyone. I will consider it my greatest success when he FINALLY agrees to be our model...ha!

Anyways, enjoy! :)

And these last two are just thrown in for fun because I love hanging out with these people!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

shutter squared : amanda + john {memphis photographer}

2009-10-13T22:45:00.001-05:00

Finished editing my photos from the Asbells SHUTTER SQAURED session last night and thought I would post a few more of my favorites from the day! I can't wait to put all my photos together with Jennie's and present them to the family. It's always neat to see how Jennie and I can vision different shots and create unique images from the same session and locations. :)

If you would like to know more about our SHUTTER SQUARED sessions, you can read about them here. Enjoy the photos!

he was very excited to discover the next coolest rock that he would attempt to eat :)

then it was Terry and Angela's turn to play babysitter to Evan so we could grab some photos of just the two of them! Don't they make such a hot couple?

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Images for a Cure teaser : Ashton {collierville senior photographer}

2009-10-12T23:18:00.002-05:00

A week ago, I got a wonderful email from Jill saying that she wanted to have some senior photos taken of her daughter Ashton that really captured her free spirit and beautiful smile. And that made me smile! These two were an absolute delight to work with, and I could have continued on with this session for another hour. But alas, we were losing daylight and they had to get back home before all their guests arrived for a Columbus-Day-we-are-out-of-school-so-why-not-have-a-party Party ;)

Also, I wanted to note that I was absolutely honored that they wanted to help me participate with Images for a Cure and donate their session fee to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®! She even went above and beyond and donated more than the normal session fee. Thanks you guys!

Here is the gorgeous mom and her beautiful daughter!

And here are a few teasers to hold them over until I finish editing all the other yummy photos :)

she could make a fantastic PSA spokesmodel, couldn't she?! :)

can you say STUNNING?!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

happy anniversary teasers

2009-10-12T23:11:00.002-05:00

In honor of John and Amanda's 7th anniversary today, I thought I would share some teasers from the couples part of their SHUTTER SQUARED session at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. These two are still as hot for each other as they were seven years ago, if not more so! Congrats you guys :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

b.mo.foto coming to town!

2009-10-09T06:55:00.000-05:00

I am honored to get to serve as host to Beth of b.mo.foto this weekend as she continues on with her almost 2-month long tour of the south this summer/fall offering up portrait sessions to old and new clients along the way. And what's really neat about this is that we went to college together at Mississippi State (Go Bulldogs!) and were both very active in the Baptist Student Union so it will also serve as a bit of a reunion.

But what's even cooler than that is that while we both knew each other and had a lot of the same friends, we didn't get to really know each other too well being a few classes apart. However, we have been following each other's blogs over the past year, and have really started to bond over our desires to serve Christ with our whole hearts and lives, as well as through our passion for photography. So, this weekend is going to be really neat to be able to "talk shop" with Beth all while deepening a friendship that began almost 10 years ago when I started college!

Meet Beth! Doesn't she have a killer sense of style?! (Beth's photo comes courtesy of Red Fly Studio.)

I look forward to assisting her with some of her sessions this weekend and will post some teasers from them as we go along.

Also, this is perfect timing for me to tell you about this contest that Scarlett Lillian is hosting on her photography blog, in which several lucky people are going to be the winners of free copies of MCP Actions' Magic Blog It Board action sets. You can read more about it and enter for yourself HERE! I just entered and hope to be a lucky winner myself :)

Also, Scarlett is another photographer who is SOLD OUT for the Lord and using her photographic talent to further serve Jesus Christ and grow His Kingdom. AND Scarlett and Beth know each other because Beth was a lucky winner of one of her previous contests and got to Spend A Day with her. So, it was really cool to go to Scarlett's blog today about the contest and see Beth's photo pop up in one of the examples using MCP Actions' Magic Blog It Board action sets. Can you figure out which one is Beth?

Anyways, go check out both Beth and Scarlett's blogs, as well as the MCP Actions website...you'll become avid subscribers to their blogs like me! Stay tuned for photos from my weekend with Beth :)

Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Happy Wednesday

2009-10-07T06:06:00.000-05:00

Just a few quick notes for you this beautiful Wednesday morning! Our Images for a Cure MINI sessions will be taking place this Sunday and we still have openings. In fact, we are thinking we'll split up some of the available time to also offer 20-minute very-mini sessions for $30 if you are looking for something quicker. We've also added an additional location where we will be setting up a very autumn-like display in a giant field if you were hoping for some pumpkin-ish type photos :)

Remember, 100% of these session fees are going straight to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and can be paid online via a secure server on the Images for a Cure website. I'll give you complete instructions once you book your session.

On this note, I must give God praise! My mother-in-law got a good report yesterday in that the small mass they removed from her breast last Friday was not cancerous. They will continue to check up on her with another mammogram in 6 months, but she is so relieved, as are we!

And because no post is great without a photo, I must share a few teasers from part two of mine and Jennie's SHUTTER SQUARED session with the Asbell family this past weekend in the Memphis Botanic Gardens. More to come soon...enjoy! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wedding : phyllis & jed (part two)

2009-10-01T13:10:00.005-05:00

You may have already seen some of these on Facebook, but I wanted to share my faves on the blog from part two of Phyllis and Jed's recent wedding. After the ceremony, my fabulous photog partner in crime and I joined the family in the Historic Downtown Collierville Square for some more laid back wedding photos of the bride and bridal party. Enjoy! :)

i just love how excited she was to smooch him here :)

these are the best moments to steal - love it when they don't realize I am still snapping away:

and I agree with his new step-daughter - he has an infectious smile when he laughs :)

something made the proud grandson very excited! maybe he thought he was going to get some of their wedding cookie:

since the family had a wedding cake for the couple back at the house for their intimate family reception, we decided we'd visit our fave local coffee shop, Square Beans, and get a cookie for them to ceremoniously feed each other for the wedding photos! the leg lamp makes for a nice backdrop, eh?! :)

i love this red brick wall! i must take everyone's photo by it...ha

and I must post this photo because it looks like a scene straight out of one of my favorite TV shows - Burn Notice! Look - it's Fiona and Michael after they just rescued a child from a burning building!

and here is who Mom has to thank for her beautiful wedding! her two daughters made sure her special day went off without a hitch :)

To see more photos from their day, click HERE for their facebook album and HERE for their album on my proofing site! God bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Operation: Provide Hope - Commence!

2009-09-28T23:11:00.004-05:00

Wow...can you believe the drop in temperatures we have experienced in the past 24 hours?! We just left the softball fields not too long ago and everyone was in sweatpants and long sleeves carrying blankets and asking for hot chocolate. Fall is officially here, and I love it! And the colors of autumn make for great backdrops for pictures...hint hint!! ;)

But in all seriousness, too, I have been wanting to remind everyone about our fall MINI sessions we'll be having on Sunday, October 11 in Collierville as part of Images for a Cure. 100% of your $60 session fee would go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®, and you'd also receive a complimentary high-res download of your favorite image, as well as 10% off all other prints and products. This is a great way to honor anyone you know who either is fighting or has fought a courageous battle against cancer recently or in years past.

As for why I am doing this? It's not to book sessions or to sell photos. Yes, that would be a major plus for me, but this issue runs so much deeper for me right now. Let's backtrack a few months (and posts) ago...I shared that after participating in Relay for Life, my husband and I found out that his mother had been diagnosed with uterine cancer. Well, she had surgery to remove the cancer cells and she is recovering quite nicely. And then there is her neighbor, Beth. Beth went in to the health clinic on the Columbus Air Force Base in MS about a year ago because she was experiencing dehydration and was running a fever. It was in the next few weeks they learned that she had cancer of her liver. A year later, she is still fighting a courageous battle and some cells are growing back while new cells have formed. She is a fighter though; please keep her in your prayers and read more about their story here.

Well, fast forward again to when I made the announcement that I would be a participating photographer with Images for a Cure. It was only a few short weeks later that my mother-in-law had another scare at the doctor's office. During her regular mammogram and office check-up, they found some abnormalities in her breast that worry them...so she is undergoing additional tests today to see what all is going on. Having lost her mother to breast cancer when my husband was a toddler, I'm sure you can imagine how scared she has been (and our family) since the doctor told her a few weeks ago that he's found something else that worries him.

Now I know we all have these stories, too. Cancer has affected and will continue to affect us all in some form or fashion. But there is hope! There is hope in the bond that cancer survivors share. There is hope in the bond that family members of those who lost their battle with cancer share. There is hope that a cure is within reach! Please be a part of that hope. Please participate in some way in this fight alongside us. Whether it be booking a little ole mini session with yours truly, walking in your neighborhood's next Relay for Life, shopping at The Avenue at Carriage Crossing this weekend during their Pink Tie Event, donating directly to the American Cancer Society, or whether it is just praying for or cooking meals for a family you know who is fighting this tough battle. Please just find your place to get involved and provide hope! Thanks, and God bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Quick Update on DBP Fall Schedule

2009-09-25T14:47:00.003-05:00

Yea for the weekend being here again finally! Just wanted to give a quick update about our schedule the next few weeks in case you were thinking about booking a session or wondering when we might be visiting your neck of the woods.

Sat/Sun, Sep 26/27 - Starkville, MS
Fri/Sun, Oct 2/4 - Home in Collierville
Sat, Oct 10 - Columbus, MS
Sun, Oct 11 - Collierville (Images for a Cure MINI sessions)
Sat/Sun, Oct 17/18 - Cleveland, MS

If you are interested in a FOCUS or MINI session while we are visiting Mississippi, give us a call or drop us an email! Details on our FOCUS sessions can be found here, while info on our MINI sessions is below:

MINI Sessions
- 30 minutes on location
- up to five people; $10 for each add'l person
- approx. 20-40 edited images
- online ordering and proofing site for 30 days
- $50

The Print Collections and A La Carte pricing on items that can be ordered after the session can be found here. The different collections include several print sizes and available products that can be purchased together for 30% savings.

Happy weekend to all! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Backwards Garage Sale

2009-09-25T14:12:00.000-05:00

SO...I'm in the process of setting up a small studio/office in our home and collecting props for future photo shoots, and I got to thinking...I bet my wonderful clients and blog readers can help me out! I've started compiling a mental list of certain items I'd LOVE to find and am wondering if you'd have any of these you wouldn't mine donating to the cause. Or at least let me know if you run across a great find at a garage sale, flea market, antique shop, etc. I'm thinking about paying you back in DBP Bucks, good for sessions and prints. What do you think?

Here is the deal...below is a running list of items that are on our DBP wish list. If you have or find something on this list and want to participate, shoot me an email and we'll see what kind of a deal we could come up with! Obviously the bigger ticket items will get more DBP bucks than smaller items. OK...here we go:

Distressed Wooden Photo Frames
- picture frames made from scrap pieces of wood like old barn doors, etc, in all sorts of colors, shapes, and sizes.

Vintage Luggage
- luggage from previous generations that have that old timey feel

Wooden Benches & Chairs
- vintage/antique/old wooden bench and/or chair you might find that has been sitting in a garden for years; would love one that's brightly colored with a worn-out paint-chipped look

Antique Chairs & Benches
- furniture that has that old Victorian style feel to it

Wheel Barrow
- old wooden or rusted up wheel barrow that won't give me tetanus

Vintage Cameras
- of any kind...lots of them!

Tutus
- colorful fru-fru tutus for babies and young children

Baskets & Bowls
- the fun ones you always see babies in for newborn photography

* Note - we'll be adding to this list as we come up with new ideas so check back often :)

* Fine Print - we reserve the right to politely turn something down if it is not quite what we had in mind or we are already overloaded on that item. Thanks!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wedding : phyllis + jed

2009-09-23T23:08:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I had the incredible honor to shoot the intimate wedding ceremony of Phyllis & Jed in a local church that had the most amazing stained glass windows serving as backdrops! And what made this wedding even more special to me is that I was asked to be the photographer by my dear friend Amanda, who was serving as bridesmaid and daughter to the bride.

This wedding was a special one for so many reasons! One - it was a blessing to see two daughters love their mother so much and pamper her the way any bride should be on her special day. Two - it showed a courageous woman, who years after losing her husband to a tough battle of cancer, found her way to opening her heart again to love someone new whom God had placed in her path. Three - it showed daughters who, while always holding a very special place in their hearts for their father, found themselves able to also open up their hearts and lives to a stepfather. Four - I saw a groom welcomed into a new family with open arms. And finally - because I can only imagine that Amanda's dad, sitting with our Heavenly Father above, looked down on them that very special day - proud of his daughters and full of joy for their mother.

Well, without further adieu, I give to you PART ONE of the wedding photos showing their ceremony at Faith Lutheran Church in Collierville, TN. Stay tuned for the second half of their photos showcasing the happy couple and other family members taking a pre-reception stroll through Historic Downtown Collierville...

and I must give a very special shout out to the son-in-law who loves them as his own and took up Best Man duties on top of providing the music for the bride to walk in to with :)

and I am not sure what it is, but something about this picture just warms my heart! perhaps it is the sweet smile of the bride!

p.s. do they make a hot couple or what?! just sayin'

he snuck a lot of these in during the day ;)

so did they!

ok...everyone shhhhh! DO NOT tell Amanda I posted this picture; she may not like it. BUT I DO! It captures her spirited personality and just makes me laugh. :) and hopefully, she won't kill me since I posted the normal photo, too...

stay tuned for part two! God bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wedding : foster - maxcy (part two)

2009-09-14T23:06:00.004-05:00

I hope you've been waiting on pins and needles for Part Two of Laura & John's wedding! But before we get to that, I wanted to give proper credit to some of the other vendors. (If you aren't mentioned here, please let me know and I will come back and add you.)

Location - Lake Tiak O'Khata in Louisville, MS
Cake - Hailey Peterson
DJ - Scott Burns

Now on to the photos, starting with some of my favorite detail shots!

Time for the ceremony!

And off to cut the cake and dance the night away!

even the vendors decided to have a little fun...look at the other photographer and DJ dance :)

To see more photos from the night, click here to see them on our Flickr site and here to see them on our Facebook page...enjoy! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Spread the Love Tour 2010

2009-09-14T06:26:00.001-05:00

After being out sick almost a full week along with our internet at the house being down a few days, I was especially overwhelmed this morning when I opened up my Google Reader to see that I had over 700 unread posts...yikes!! And yes...I have had to cheat a bit and mark several at a time as read even though they had not been, but I am SO glad I did not do that on this one particular post!

Justin & Mary Marantz are two fabulous photographers from New England and each year partake on a 20-city Spread the Love Tour to meet, inspire, and encourage other photographers in their journeys. Well, here is where I need your help because I would love to be one of them! They are running a contest to let us pick the 20 cities and I am hoping that Memphis can be one of those 20 cities.

All you have to do to vote is to visit their blog here and leave a comment on the Spread the Love post telling them you want them to come to Memphis...it's that simple! Will you join me? Right now, Memphis is not even making the Top 25 vote-getters... :(

Thanks so much! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

wedding : foster - maxcy

2009-09-12T09:56:00.003-05:00

My deepest apologies for going AWOL on the blog this last week! I was bitten by the sinus allergy bug as the weather took a turn from the cooler temps we had been having back to the hot humidity we are used to experiencing this time of year.

Well, I had promised a sneak peek from a fabulous wedding I got to shoot last weekend, but I think I may do you even better since you had to wait so long. What about I just go on and post PART ONE of the wedding photos instead? But first, we must recap the story of these two and why their wedding proposal was also a most memorable event from 2008!

Picture it! Sicily - 1922... Oh, wait, sorry...wrong story! Picture it! Louisville, MS - December 2008 - the wedding of Heath and Rachel is just wrapping up as all the single ladies are lining up to catch the bouquet before we usher the happy bride and groom off to their honeymoon. Seems like a normal enough scene when the bride lets go of her bouquet, until we realize all the other girls scatter away leaving just one groomsman's girlfriend left to catch it...which she does. And then right at that moment, the groomsmen comes from nowhere, plops down on one knee, and all mouths drop. He's proposing!

See, don't you see all those mouths dropping in the background?! She was completely taken by surprise and it was a really cool moment to witness. Ask my husband, I think he is still bouncing around somewhere in shock! (The wedding videographer got the whole moment on record, and the funniest part of it was seeing my hubby bounce around in the background; click here to see if you can view it on Facebook. Click here to see the rest of my photos from that moment.)

Back to the story...of course, she said yes! And now several months later, we find ourselves at their gorgeous wedding at which I have the wonderful opportunity to second shoot alongside the uber-cool Jenny of Pink Ink Boutique.

Without any further adieu, here are the photos from Part One that lead all the way up to the ceremony. One might ask how everything that happened before the ceremony could warrant it's own post. Well, this couple had so many fun moments just hanging out with their bridal party beforehand and so many great details to photograph that I just couldn't stop snapping away. That's one of my favorite parts of journalistic photography - some of the best moments come in between all the posed photos.

And no, this next one is not posed...it's what a room full of bridesmaids genuinely looks like before a wedding! :)

Had I told you yet how stunning this bride was yet? Well, if not - take a look for yourself...

And no, the groom wasn't too shabby himself either!

Oh, how I love First Looks - when the bride and groom choose to see each other before the ceremony for the first time and have those special moments together before all the crowd comes in...

love this shot...pure gold!

sharing a funny moment as the rest of the bridal party starts to join them for the photos:

have I mentioned how much I loved the details of this wedding? just look at these gorgeous flowers!

yeah - they were pretty much like this the entire time :)

One word - STUNNING!

and yes, this is what the groomsmen were like the entire time, too! just wait for the reception photos :)

this is when they were giving me their best cheerleader pose!

and we also had some uninvited guests to the picture taking!

the girls' reactions...

but no worries, the groom is here to save the day!

I'm not really sure what instructions they were given for this photo - kinda scary, huh?

the next two shots were simply timeless shots of her that I just love!

and I just love it when the bridal party bring their own cameras to get their candids of the day, too - I always do, too!

Part Two with photos from the actual ceremony and reception are coming soon...stay tuned! God Bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Desktop Freebie : A Sunrise Praise

2009-09-03T18:37:00.003-05:00

It's been entirely too long since we shared with you our monthly desktop freebie. I mean seriously...we were only three months in, and then we went AWOL! Please forgive us...

Anyways, I have wanted to share this picture as a desktop wallpaper since April, but I kept forgetting where I placed it on my computer. Well, I finally found it! It comes to you courtesy of my puppy, Lexie, because it captures a scene found early one morning on our daily trip to the back door to let her out to take care of business. For awhile, Lexie's biological alarm clock would always wake me up 15 minutes before my own alarm clock would go off...FIFTEEN MINUTES PEOPLE!! You may be laughing at me now, but those extra fifteen minutes make a world of difference to someone like me who is much more of a night owl than a morning person.

But I did thank Lexie this particular morning because without her tiny bladder, I wouldn't have had the blessing to experience this awesome display of splendor and glory that God so chose to show me that AM. Unfortunately, these moments no longer come courtesy of Lexie. Her biological clock has now shifted to start waking me up at 3 a.m. to take care of business. Stop laughing!! Oh, well...at least she is cute :)

To download this wallpaper, click HERE and then press the ALL SIZES option above the image once you are on my Flickr site. It will then let you choose from along several sizes to download a copy for you. Enjoy!

P.S. Please hold me to posting a new photo each month...thanks! ha

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Images for a Cure

2009-09-03T11:39:00.006-05:00

Before I announce something really cool that Designs by Prater will be participating in this fall, I want to give you a little back story into why this news is so important to us! This past June, I got to take part in our hometown's Relay for Life with my husband's workplace, The Awards Place. If you are not familiar with what it is, it is a night for the whole town to rally behind cancer survivors, remember those beloved friends and family members who lost the courageous battle with cancer, and raise funds for cancer research. And if you happen to have a little fun in kickball tournaments and womanless beauty pageants, too, then so be it! :)

Below are some pictures from that night's festivities.

Well, it wasn't a few short weeks later that my mother in law was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and our family found ourselves in a very scary place as we learned more about her cancer, course of treatment, and chance of survival. You see...both of her parents had passed away from different forms of cancer when my husband was very young, so it was hard to keep our minds from jumping to the worst case scenario. But praise the Lord, since her surgery all reports seem to show that the cancer was removed 100% and so far no new cancer growth has formed.

Well, fast forward another month or so and we have now discovered that one of the people who actually participated on our team in Relay for Life has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's also had surgery recently and from what I have heard seems to be recovering as well as can be expected. I have not yet heard the latest on whether they were able to remove all the cancer so that still remains a prayer request of mine.

SO...why do I share these stories with you today? Well, I have recently signed up with Images for a Cure to join other photographers nationwide to donate all session fees for one day to The Breast Cancer Research Fund®.

Here are the details if you're interested in booking a session:
Date: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Location: Historic Downtown Square or Johnson Park & Nature Trail in Collierville, Tennessee
Time: 30-45 minute Mini Sessions from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Cost: $60
Bonus: Free high-res download of your favorite image! And 10% off all prints and photo products.
PLEASE NOTE: 100% of your session fee will go to The Breast Cancer Research Fund®.

So here is how it will work. Contact me to get your session set up and I will send you instructions on how to donate your session fee. Then we'll nail down your time and location. You can also go HERE to start the process as well as make a donation just because!

P.S. Did I mention that the photographers participating are being given access to the Images for a Cure Blog so we can post sneak peeks there from our sessions. You could be famous!

Anyways, please do let me know soon if you might be interested in scheduling a session so we can get the ball rolling and you on the calendar before the sessions fill up. Which I hope they do for this wonderful cause! Also, if you have another (close by) location in mind, do let me know...we might be able to work it out if we schedule you at the beginning or end of the afternoon.

Thanks, and God bless! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Healing Hand of God

2009-09-01T08:30:00.003-05:00

This morning on my drive to work, a familiar voice came on the car stereo. One of comfort and of experience...one that's felt unbearable pain before and been able to make it to the light at the end of the tunnel. This voice is that of Jeremy Camp. If you are not familiar with him, allow me a second to briefly introduce who he is and what his words have meant to my life.

Jeremy Camp is a very well-known Christian musician and worship artist who has experienced more pain than one would want to go through in an entire life, let alone just the first 20 or so years. Jeremy was married to his first wife, Melissa, in October of 2000 - only a few short months before he lost her to ovarian cancer in February 2001, when he was only 21. Some of his early songs on his album "Stay" reflect the struggles and emotions he dealt with during her battle with cancer and her death.

My favorite song from that album,"I Still Believe," was the first song he wrote after her death. While I have been blessed to not know that exact pain, there have been many times where I have felt pain, confusion, and loss - and the words to that song have refreshed my soul and given me new cause for praise. It's meant so much to me that no matter when or where I hear it, tears always well up in my eyes...

I Still Believe
Scattered words and empty thoughts seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before, seems I don't know where to start
But it's now, that I feel, your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

I still believe in your faithfulness
I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Though the questions still fog up my mind with promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind, it's my heart I see you prepare
But its now, that I feel, your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

I still believe in your faithfulness
I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Well the only place I can go is into your arms
Where I throw to you my feeble prayers well in brokenness
I can see that this was your will for me
Help me to know that you are near

I still believe in your faithfulness
I still believe in your truth
I still believe in your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Since that time, Jeremy has been blessed with a new family in his wife, Adrienne, and two daughters, Isabella and Arianne. Even in those times of sorrow and confusion, he held fast to God's sovereignty and promises that His grace was sufficient and that He had wonderful plans still for Jeremy's life.

Even with those promises, though, there is no guarantee that suffering will not come again. Just a promise He is there in the middle of the storm to guide and protect us, providing peace and comfort when we reach out to Him. In the past few weeks, Jeremy and his wife Adrienne have felt that suffering again as they have had to grieve the loss of their unborn child. Yet even through their pain, Jeremy's tweet (on Twitter) was quoting the following Scripture - "I will love You, oh Lord, My strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God my strength in whom I trust." Psalm 18:1-2

I say all of this to ask for your prayers for my friends Jennie and Landon Lee, as well as their extended family. I shared in a previous post that she had been confined to bed rest in the hospital because of complications during her pregnancy. It is with much sorrow and pain that I have to share that their son Wyatt is no longer with us but being held by the Almighty Comforter and Healer. I can't begin to imagine the suffering the Lee and Overstreet families are experiencing right now, but I imagine the next few days, weeks, and months are going to be very difficult for them as they continue to cope when the routines of daily life start to settle back in upon them. I ask you again to cover them in prayer as they look to Him and ask for His healing hand to surround them with peace and contentment.

May the words in this song sung by such a familiar voice to me give them the strength and comfort they long for...

Healing Hand of God
I have seen the many faces I fear in the pain.
I have watched the tears fall plenty from heart ache and strength.
So if life's journey has you weary and afraid, there's rest in the shadow of his wings.
I have walked through the valleys, the mountains, and plains.
I have held the hand of freedom; it washes all my stains.
If you feel the weight of many trials and burdens from this world, there's freedom in the shelter of the Lord.

I have seen the healing hand of God reaching out and mending broken hearts.
Taste and see the fullness of His peace, and hold on to what's being held out.
The healing hand of God.

I have touched the scars upon His hands to see if they were real.
He has walked the road before me; He knows just how I feel.
When you feel there is not anyone who understands your pain,
Just remember all of Jesus' suffering.

I have seen the healing hand of God reaching out and mending broken hearts.
Taste and see the fullness of His peace, and hold on to what's being held out.
The healing hand of God.

Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you.
He's near to the broken and confused.
By His stripes, our spirit is renewed.
So enter in the joy prepared for you.

I have seen the healing hand of God reaching out and mending broken hearts.
Taste and see the fullness of His peace, and hold on to what's being held out.
The healing hand of God.

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Memorable Engagement Stories

2009-08-29T14:28:00.007-05:00

Second to the year I got engaged, the year 2008 will go down in the history books as a year of memorable engagement stories! And this summer is the year that I was to witness two of them come to fruition.

Earlier this month, I got to cheer on Hayley and Jordan as they exchanged their "I Do's" in a very elegant afternoon wedding at our church! Now, their engagement story goes back several months ago to a scene in our church's worship service when our Pastor was just about to dismiss the Congregation for lunch. But before that happened, two of our college students walked onto the stage to perform a little skit that was to tell us about all the important announcements from the church bulletin...so we thought!

Well, the last announcement was plugging a married couple's retreat, and one of the guys jokingly asked the other - don't you have to be either married or engaged to go on that? Well, that's when the light bulbs started going off in everyone's mind as everyone slowly started to turn their heads to the section where Hayley and her family always sits. Before we could all take a collective deep breath, Jordan said "Well, there's something I can do about that!" Before you knew it, he was walking off the stage right toward Hayley and dropped down on one knee to ask her to be his wife. And let me tell you...there wasn't a dry eye in the place at that moment! And Hayley? I think we are still picking her jaw up off the floor..she was elated!

Well, fast forward to a few weeks ago, and their dreams became reality as they took one another's hands into their own and pledged their life, love, loyalty, hopes, dreams, and sorrows to the other as long as they both shall live. While I was not their official photographer for the wedding, I was very happy to take my camera along with me for the trip to snap some candids so I could do something special with one of them to serve as our gift for the couple! To see the amazing photos from their official photographer, click here and look for their names under "weddings."

On a sidenote, I must give props to our friend and usher for the day, Jordy, who just so happened to give me a seat with a great view, even though he did happen to place my husband right behind the only lady in the sanctuary wearing the biggest Kentucky-Derby-style hat I've ever seen in person! And what makes this whole story even more hysterical is that Todd was one of the guys helping direct cars to spots in the parking lot, and when he saw this lady pull up, he thought - Man, I sure feel sorry for the poor sap that will have to sit behind her. Haha...True story!!

Anyways, now for the pictures!

and I just couldn't get enough of the fab details that made up this beautiful wedding cake; didn't Hayley do a great job selecting a cake?!

To see other snapshots from the wedding, click here to see the album on Facebook!

Oh, and PS...stay tuned! Next weekend, I have the honor to serve as second shooter at a wedding that involves a couple from my other most memorable engagement story of 2008. Those pictures will make an appearance on the blog, along with their story, very soon! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Now Live - focus : stranges

2009-08-28T00:08:00.004-05:00

Last week, I had a hard time narrowing it down to just a few photos to show as a sneak peek of my recent session with the Strange family. So you can imagine that narrowing down the rest of the pictures to blog 20 or so images tonight was even harder. This family is just so stinkin' cute!!

and I just couldn't decide which of these two I liked best, so I posted them both! :)

To see the rest of the images from their session or to place an order, click on the image below!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

I'll Praise You In This Storm...

2009-08-27T21:42:00.004-05:00

Today has been a very long day. One full of shock and amazement, sadness and praise. I've gone through the entire spectrum of emotions since 7:00 this morning that I can't even seem to find the words with which to begin. So we'll start with this picture:

This is Jennie. As I like to dub her, she is my fabulously stylish photography partner in crime! She's half the brains behind my newest venture - Shutter Squared - that was only just introduced to you this week. But she's also so many other wonderful things.

She's a free-spirited eclectic soul. She's a warm-hearted courageous woman. She's a gracious and compassionate sister in Christ. She and her husband are a beloved part of our small group at church. She's a strong-willed and responsible daughter to some very proud parents. And she is also the proud mother of a 20-week in the womb baby boy! But today, she has been through the entire spectrum of emotions more so than me.

Today she has been a shocked, scared, worried, prayerful, elated, and patient woman. Shocked when her water broke at 2:30 this morning. Scared when the thought that she might be losing her baby rushed through her mind. Worried about what the doctor would tell her after being rushed to the hospital. Prayerful as they waited to hear what was going on. Elated when she heard her baby's heartbeat still going strong. And patient once she was told that she would have to stay in the hospital on bed rest until her baby boy's lungs had developed enough for early delivery when her body tells her that's as long as it can carry him.

And now we are all patient. Now we all pray fervently alongside her, her husband, and the rest of their family. Now we praise God that He is there in the middle of this storm, and that He will give them the comfort and strength they need in the next few weeks and months. It's going to be a long road no matter what happens. The chances are against "bun" as everyone so affectionately likes to refer to their baby. He will indeed be a miracle baby if he can hold on long enough for his lungs to develop enough where he can have a fighting chance at a premature birth. But we serve a sovereign God who is still in the business of miracles. So please pray alongside us for one!

With a humble heart, thank you!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

End of August Specials

2009-08-26T09:43:00.003-05:00

We'll be running a sale on a few items as August closes out. If you've been sitting on some photos for awhile and just are not sure what you want to order, perhaps one of these items might be up your alley!

Canvas Gallery Wraps
- Buy one 20x30 canvas gallery wrap for $300, and get a second one free.
- Buy one 11x14 canvas gallery wrap for $150, and get the second one half off.
- Buy a 16x20 canvas gallery wrap for $180 ($40 off original price)

Metallic Wall Prints
- 11x14 metallic print (with non-warp styrene mount) for $30
- 16x20 metallic print (with non-warp styrene mount) for $55

Coffee Table Albums
- 8x8 20-page hard cover album for $130
- 10x10 20-page hard cover album for $170

This sale ends Sunday, August 30. So contact me soon if you are interesting in ordering, and I will make sure your gallery is live again. Thanks!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Now Live - shutter squared : asbells

2009-08-25T22:32:00.004-05:00

Shutter Squared is now open for business! We may still be working out all the kinks as far as logo and website go, but we are officially ready to release the photos from our first shoot. As a reminder, a SS session is simply a session with two photographers - each grabbing photos of the same poses from multiple points of view simultaneously and each editing our photos with our own sense of unique style!

What follows are just a few examples of the different points of view Jennie and I took from the same set-ups...

To see more photos from the session or to place an order, visit their gallery by clicking on the image below!

If you are interested in a Shutter Squared session, contact me for all the info...God bless! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

shutter squared : asbells

2009-08-19T22:38:00.006-05:00

The next set of sneak peek photos are going to help me introduce a joint venture I'm undertaking with my fabulous photog partner in crime, Jennie Lee! We have had so much fun heading out for photo safaris every chance we could get, that we decided we ought to offer some photography sessions where clients would get both of us at the same time. We offer very distinct yet unique points of view and editing styles, and we thought it might be something really cool to offer clients.

While we are still working out all the details of these sessions, we do have a name - Shutter Squared! Partly because you'll be getting two photographers and two cameras, but also because we came up with this idea on our beloved Collierville Square in Square Beans Coffee Shop. This will not take the place of either Designs by Prater or Jennie Lee Photography, but will be something extra we'll offer for anyone who likes the idea of twice the photos from multiple points of view. While the SS website/blog is still in the works, feel free to contact me if you might be interested in a Shutter Squared portrait session.

Anyways, on to the photos. This sneak peek is only going to show you a few photos I took this past Saturday, but a full blog post will follow later on that shows the comparison of our different takes on the same shots. I was going to wait until Jennie was ready to go, too; but it is just so hard to say "keep waiting" to an eager mom. ;) Ha!

Can't wait to see what Jennie comes up with! God bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : stranges (part uno)

2009-08-19T22:13:00.004-05:00

Rain, rain, thank you for finally going away! The Strange family and I have been trying to knock out their focus session for months now. We're talking since April people. :) But thankfully, the weather held out for us this past weekend, and we ventured out for part one of their shoot in the always wonderful Historic Downtown Collierville. This place has so many wonderful spots for photographs, and I always find a new spot each time I visit.

The parents wanted to focus on the kiddos during this portion of their shoot, but we still managed to get the 'rents in on some of the shots. And let me tell you...these kids have got to be tied with my nieces for the most precious kids ever. The hubs and I have the awesome pleasure to hang out with these two girls almost every Sunday in Kids Church, and they are a joy to have around. And this little boy...watch out girls, he is going to be a heart-breaker!! That is no lie :)

But I have to tell you the best part about this shoot. Mom decided that at first they would wear outfits that all complemented each other, and this is totally OK! But then she made my day by telling me that she brought second outfits for all three of them; each one would change halfway into the shoot into another outfit that really matched their individual personality. Now don't you try telling me that she didn't just rack up some major brownie points with me.

Anyways, on to the sneak peek photos! Much more to come later this week :)

Meet Miss Spunky!

Meet Miss Sophisticated!

and Meet Mr. What-a-Ham! aka Heart-Breaker ;)

Mommy and her two precious girls:

and Daddy makes an appearance, too:

Stay tuned for more photos from their session coming up later this week...God bless!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

In the Eye of the Beholder

2009-08-14T21:14:00.005-05:00

What I love most about artistic expression is the many forms it can take on, as well as be interpreted. Beauty definitely is in the eye of the beholder. When one person might look at the side of a building as, well just that, a side of a building, someone else might see it as a magnificent piece of art. For instance, take the side wall of Oby's, a very popular restaurant in Starkville, MS (aka God's country!). One need not be a genius to figure out why I love it so much. Take a look at one of our engagement photos I just HAD to have next to that wall. Thanks Kathy (of Kathy Stephens Photography) for indulging me! ;)

But seriously, I seem to find myself always snapping pictures of the tops of buildings against the bright blue sky, random sides of old run down buildings and barns, intricate patterns found in mundane items, etc. You just never know when I might suddenly decide to stop, look up, and grab a quick shot. So I got to thinking, why not make a collection out of all these random images.

So, here you go! Here are the first few images I am happy to submit to this new collection I'm dubbing dbp archi/textures. Because that's what this collection is all about = architecture and random textures! Enjoy, and God bless :)

and because I don't find too many bulldogs up here in tiger town:

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : angela in downtown memphis

2009-08-13T06:18:00.003-05:00

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - Psalm 139:13-14

You are beautiful...and those aren't just empty words. It's a promise! Not one person on this earth should ever feel they are less than desirable. Because there is One who desires intimacy with us; WHO created us just as we are - down to every last mole, freckle, pudge roll, crooked toe, flyaway hair, sparkling eye, etc. Our creator knew just what he was doing when he made each of us; and of each, he thought "That's beautiful!"

Yet somehow we forget that promise so many times. No, scratch that - somehow we CHOOSE to not believe that promise. But that doesn't make it any less true!

So, you may be asking yourself right now...why in the world is she posting this on her photography blog? Isn't that something she should reserve for her personal blog? Maybe. But I think not. Because this reason alone makes up such a HUGE part of why I love photography and why it is such a passion of mine to take photos of other people.

Because YOU need to be reminded of this promise. It is my belief that every person should be made to feel as beautiful as God created them to be. And it would be my pleasure to help by photographing HIS awesome workmanship! For some reason, we have led ourselves to believe that the only time we need nice photos taken of us are during the BIG moments like graduation, the birth of a baby, your wedding, etc. But sometimes it is nice to just have some photos taken for no reason at all. To be reminded of the fact that you are beautiful...just the way God created you!

So, on the heels of my little soapbox, I wanted to share with you some recent photos of my dear friend Angela, who so graciously agreed to model for me and Jennie for a fabulous urban session in downtown Memphis. If you like what you see, she's already taken guys! But seriously, if you like these kinds of images, give me a shout and we'd be happy to book an urban FOCUS session with you! If for no other reason at all than having some cool new photos for your Facebook and MySpace profiles ;)

this next one is tied for my absolute fave from the shoot!

this next shot we HAD to grab because we found her husband's name etched into the sidewalk; do you see it?

this next shot is the other one tied for my absolute fave shot! love the sun flare and burst of teal :)

Enjoy your Thursday, and God bless! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

It's finally here!

2009-08-08T00:57:00.004-05:00

Our brand spankin' new website is finally here! We have been working on it for the past few weeks and we couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out. A major thanks to all the people at ShowIt Sites for offering such an amazing product...with a FREE version. I mean, who could ask for anything better than that?!

So, without further adieu, I would love to introduce to you the new website for Designs by Prater! We'd love to hear what you think about it, so please do come back here to the blog to leave comments. Just click on the image below to hop on over to the site. You can also get to it by typing in www.designsbyprater.com. God bless! :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

sneak peek : angela

2009-08-04T21:51:00.003-05:00

My fabulous photog-partner-in-crime (Jennie) and I were just itching to spend a day in downtown Memphis this weekend for a photo shoot, and luckily our awesome friend Angela volunteered to be our rad model for the day. It was a perfect day for it, too; sunny but not too hot! We found a lot of fun spots with some great flare, and I can't wait to have my next shoot down there soon.

Before I get to the sneak peek photos from the session, I wanted to share some exciting news with you! And no, Amy, we are not expecting. This is exciting DBP news. Our brand spankin' new website will go live THIS Friday. I can't wait! I am also thinking about implementing monthly or semi-monthly contests on the blog where readers can vote on their fave photos from past sessions - where the winning photo will get to fill an honorary spot front and center on the homepage.

Anyways, on to the photos...enjoy!

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Vintage Black & White Photos

2009-08-02T19:41:00.000-05:00

If you have been following this blog for awhile, you have probably discovered by now that I have a huge love for black and white photos, especially those that have a really soft vintage feel. There is just something so beautiful and emotional in them. That's not to say that I don't equally love capturing images with lovely vibrant color; it just goes to show my passion to present you with a mix of both wonderful options.

On that note, check out some of these b&w's I captured of my husband's extended family during Memorial Day Weekend. These pictures also go to illustrate why we offer SHADOW sessions; there are some special moments you just have to capture on film. And that means you need to be in front of the camera instead of behind it!

You'll recognize that many of these are of little Hannah, for whom we did a newborn session back in the Spring:

Great grandmother feeding her great granddaughter:

Great grandfather holding his great granddaughter the same way he carried around his children and grandchildren:

Love this picture of his strong masculine hands holding someone so tiny and delicate:

Can you tell someone is just about ready for her nap?

Such little things as monkey grass can create such wonder in the eyes of a child:

son's first trip to the rock quarry behind his grandfather's farm, where mom used to always sneak off to with her cousins:

skipping rocks across a river like his mom used to do when she was a child:

cousins walking back from the rock quarry together like they used to do when they were kids:

the grandparents farm as it will always stand in the memory of the cousins:

riding bikes down their long driveway alongside the pasture:

If you're interested in capturing timeless images of your family just spending time together, we'd love to hear from you! God bless :)

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

Storyboard Incentive for August Sessions

2009-07-30T07:11:00.000-05:00

Please forgive me for being a little silent here on this blog so far this summer. It's so crazy how fast time can fly by! But it sure has...I mean this weekend is AUGUST. wow!

Well, with August comes the start of the school year...and what better time to schedule a photo shoot of your kiddos than when they still have their tans and now have an updated wardrobe of school clothes! And as a special incentive for anyone who books a FOCUS session in August, you will receive a complimentary 5" x 10" storyboard designed exclusively for you by DBP with any $50 print purchase. So, what are you waiting for?! Shoot me an email and we'll get your session reserved!

Also, we are working on creating a brand spankin' new website to compliment this little ol' blog! Look for it to hit the online airwaves in the next few weeks.

And because what good is a post without a picture, here are two shots I recently took of my nieces at a T-Ball tourney in Cleveland, MS...which by the way was won by my girl Peyton's team! Woot woot!

God bless :)

Peyton

Macie

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

DBP Design Shop Launch

2009-07-01T19:46:00.012-05:00

Designs by Prater is happy to announce that we are bringing back our graphic design services. Whether you want a custom invitation for your wedding, a logo and business card designed for your new business, or a promotional poster and schedule card designed for your athletic department, you can find it all available right here in the DBP Design Shop!

Logo Development $150
- Consultation via email, 3 design concepts, and up to 2 additional rounds of revisions on the chosen concept. Also, receive your logo in 4-c and b&w versions in .ai and .jpg formats.

Business Card Design $100
- Consultation via email, 3 design concepts, and up to 2 additional rounds of revisions on the chosen concept. Also, receive your card in .pdf and .jpg formats. Add $20 for each additional person who needs a card customized.

Letterhead Design $50
- Consultation via email, 3 design concepts, and up to 2 additional rounds of revisions on the chosen concept. Also, receive your letterhead in 4-c and b&w versions in .pdf and .doc formats.

Custom Branding Package $250
- Logo development along with business card and letterhead design

Postcard Design $100
- Custom design of a one-sided or two-sided promotional postcard, with up to two rounds of revisions; $25 for each additional round

Invitation Design $150
- Consultation via email and custom design of a Save the Date, wedding invite, shower invite, etc.; production estimates from 3 different vendors for printing (not included in design cost) or print on your own

Schedule Card Design $150
- Custom design of a one-sided or two-sided single, double, or triple panel promotional schedule card, with up to two rounds of revisions; $25 for each additional round

Brochure Design $250
- Custom design of a bi-fold or tri-fold brochure, with up to two rounds of revisions; $25 for each additional round

Schedule Poster Design $400
- Custom design of a promotional/schedule poster, 11 x 17 size or larger, with up to two rounds of revisions; $25 for each additional round

Miscellaneous Design Services $50/hour

Stock Photo Purchase $25 per image

Click here to see examples of previous work on athletic marketing materials.

Select a pre-made wedding invite from our wedding invitation gallery to customize for only $50.

post signature
Fan Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter

focus : jeff + lindsey

2009-06-14T07:55:00.002-05:00

So, the sneak peek photos just posted from Jeff and Lindsey's shoot won't have to feed your hunger for as long as originally thought! While the hubs was out umpiring baseball and mowing the lawn today, I was able to get caught up on editing their pictures. Here are some of my favorites!

P.S. Since we already had them out for a business shoot to get headshots for their website, we thought we'd take advantage of our time together and give them some fun personal shots for their home, too...

To see the rest of the images from their session and/or to order prints, click here!

post signature
www.designsbyprater.com

Introducing Drs. Jeff and Lindsey Carr

2009-06-13T21:19:00.004-05:00

Even though they have been mentioned before a few times on our blog, it is time to officially introduce to you Drs. Jeff and Lindsey Carr from Natural Potential Chiropractic in Collierville, TN. They will be opening up their clinic later in July, and we are so excited for them! A little bit of info about them taken from their website:

Located in Collierville,TN, the health professionals at Natural Potential Chiropractic are dedicated to helping you achieve your wellness objectives -- combining skill and expertise that spans the entire chiropractic wellness spectrum. Drs. Jeff and Lindsey Carr are committed to bringing you better health and a better way of life by teaching and practicing the true principles of chiropractic wellness care.

I have been blessed to work with them in their exciting new venture and create artwork for their business cards and promotional t-shirts, as well as take headshots of them for their website. I had a lot of fun with them on their photo shoot last week because they wanted to also bring along their "children"...two Great Danes, Doc Holladay and Annabelle!

While we'll be sharing more pics from their shoot later in the weekend, I wanted to give them a sneak peek at some of the photos!

Dr. Jeff Carr

Dr. Lindsey Carr

The Carr Family

Visit their website now to sign up for their newsletter and view all sorts of helpful topics on chiropractic care as well as other topics that will help you live your life to...well, its natural potential!! ;)

post signature
www.designsbyprater.com

What's New (and almost new)

2009-06-04T19:12:00.003-05:00

Since this summer will be our first in business here at Designs by Prater, we thought we'd usher it in with a bang! We'll be producing new marketing materials for prospective and current clients, revising our portrait packages, introducing new products, having more frequent sales, and much more!

1 - New portrait packages are coming to DBP on July 1, 2009. If you want to book a MINI session at the current rate, contact us to pay your session fee and book your appointment BEFORE July 1. The session can take place after that date, but it must be booked before then. Our new packages will help streamline our sessions and offer you several "collections" that hold different products at reduced rates. MINI sessions will not disappear altogether, but will only appear for special occasions, like Mother's Day, etc.

2 - Speaking of sales, here is a BOGO one for you right now! Buy one large print at regular price (16x16 or larger), and get another one of equal or less value absolutely FREE! P.S. The cool part about this special is that your two prints do not have to be from the same image or even the same size. Check out your gallery on our proofing site to make note of the images you would like to purchase and contact me directly to order your prints. This sale ends Monday, June 15!

3 - Here's a new product you might be interested in - Thin Wraps!

Choose your size, material (Lustre, Metallic, or Canvas), and finish (Glossy or Satin Laminate). Add an optional Easel Stand or Mounting Block to complete the display at no extra cost.

Now through June 25th, these babies are on sale at 30% off!
- 8x10 for $45
- 10x10 for $50
- 11x14 or 12x12 for $55
- 16x16 or 16x20 for $85

Again, if you are interested in purchasing one of these from your session, check out your gallery on our proofing site to make note of the image(s) you would like to purchase and contact me directly to order your prints. This sale ends Friday, June 26!

Stay tuned for more exciting changes!

post signature
www.designsbyprater.com

What A Cool Bike!

2009-05-22T16:07:00.003-05:00

What a cool photography prop this would be!! Talk about all the people in town that would be lining up to ride in my super cool bicycle bucket :)

Click the link below to read more about the bike and see how you could earn a chance to win this bike, too! Here's to hoping one of us wins it!

post signature
www.designsbyprater.com

50% Off Canvas Update

2009-05-21T17:22:00.002-05:00

Haha! Apparently I misread the special that my color lab had going on. But don't worry...it's in your favor! Not only will someone get a chance to purchase a canvas gallery wrap for 50% off, but anyone will be able to as long as all wraps are submitted in the same order.

SO...I am extending the deadline until Sunday night! If you want to order a canvas gallery wrap of any image from your session, contact me with the file number and size you wish to purchase. I will still send you an invoice via Paypal and will place the entire order on Memorial Day. To see the images from your session, click your event below! Please allow 2 weeks for delivery.

More info on canvas gallery wraps: Each Canvas is hand wrapped around a 1.5" frame and properly finished with a wire hanger and bumpers. You can choose to leave the back open or cover it with backing. In addition, your canvas will be coated with protective spray which protects your work from harmful UV rays and other atmospheric contaminants.

post signature
www.designsbyprater.com