UPDATE:  This year’s mini sessions are all booked!  I look forward to making this an annual tradition, so put it on the calendar for next year!

Yes, I’m already announcing these highly anticipated Bluebonnet Mini Sessions!  Bluebonnet season is just around the corner, and this special is too good to pass up. 

I’m only scheduling a limited number of theses sessions on this one evening, so contact me soon if you are interested!  You will need to pay your deposit to reserve your time slot.  These may be the only promotional mini sessions I have all year, so don’t miss out on this great opportunity!  Let me know if you have any questions.

I was beyond thrilled when our friend Mary contacted me to shoot headshots of Albert Cheng for the soon-to-be published book about his life.  Having known some of Albert’s background, I was so honored to be involved.  Albert is from Cambodia, and the road he took to get here today is definitely worthy of writing about.  Having escaped from a communist concentration camp, here is where he found himself next: “Emaciated and exhausted from four years of forced slave labor by the Khmer Rouge and barely alive from the past three months of seeking freedom running barefooted through the jungles of Cambodia, 24-year-old Albert Cheng had arrived perhaps 100 yards from the border with Thailand, and freedom. Yet, the danger was not over. Buried in the field before him were landmines and oft-times poisoned bamboo “punji” sticks. Behind him came Khmer Rouge troops and before him amidst the trees were Thai soldiers, all ready to shoot anyone they saw attempting to cross the border. Going back, staying put, were not options. Cheng thought to himself, “If I can cross, I can be free. But if I die, at least I will die free.”  He did survive that treacherous journey, but he was only one of two who made it across.  The book Grace Will Lead Me Home chronicles Albert’s journey both physically and spiritually that brought him to the United States and to the discovery of Jesus Christ.  He is truly a remarkable man.  Meet Albert:

This is Albert and the author of the book, Del Hayes.  This bay window was the place where they conducted almost all of their interviews during the writing process, and therefore became a very special place to both of them.  If you are interested in learning more about Albert, than you are in luck!  There is a pre-publishing special going on until March 31st.

Thanks again Mary, Del, and of course, Albert for allowing me to be a part of this project.  I look forward to seeing the final product in print!

If you are a photographer of any kind, you NEED to head over to the Bloom Workshops site and check out their Anniversary Giveaways!  I took this workshop over the summer, and I really can’t say enough good things about it.  Brenda and Kristy are celebrating their one year anniversary by having a huge giveaway every day of products from their awesome sponsors.  Today’s prize is worth $500!!!  What are you waiting for?

This is one of my FAVORITE new products, and they’ve already been a big hit! 

I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome these are.  They really make such a wonderful little gift for family and friends, and the really neat thing about them is that you can include so many images from your session.  You can include fewer images as well by spreading them across more than one panel – the possibilities are nearly endless.  The template designs are gorgeous as well!  The design process itself has become so much more streamlined since I added a separate viewing system for book and card design.  In this system you can ”Favorite” the pictures you want to use in the book, and you can also Comment on the images to leave notes about whether you want color or black and white, which images you want for the covers, and whether you want it to cover more than one panel.  I just used this system for the first time for this exact purpose, and it made it too easy.  I will also upload your final proof to the same system so you can make comments regarding any changes that need to be made.  Let me know if you have any questions, and as always, this product is available to past clients as well!

I know it seems early seniors, but graduation is really just around the corner!  If you want to send out graduation announcements that are a real reflection of YOU, then check these out!

These are just a few of some awesome new designs I have that can be customized to reflect your style using the best images from your session.  Honestly, who wants a plain card with your school crest on it when they could have one of these!    All of the text and colors can be changed to fit your needs, and these are also available on specialty paper like linen or with UV coating.  They make great Open House or Graduation Party invitations as well.  Please contact me if you have any questions!

Yes, you read it right!  My most coveted product will be on sale for this week only!  Both traditional and gallery wrap canvases will be 20% off if you order by Saturday!  This is huge savings – if you were even thinking about ordering one, don’t miss out on this!  I will reload your gallery at no additional charge if you are interested in this promotion.  Orders must be placed and payment received on Saturday to take advantage of this special offer.  Please email me if you have any questions!  Now I’m off to figure out what I want to order …

So I’ve been “stalking” another site recently called I Heart Faces where they have great photography tips, weekly contests, and access to wonderful photography from all over the world – both amateur and professional.  When I saw this week’s contest theme, I just had to enter this photo.  I’m sure you remember this wonderful senior from a few weeks ago.  Ashley is a very talented dancer and wanted to incorporate her ballet into some of her senior pictures.  I immediately thought of this spot down at White Rock Lake and this floating pier.  I envisioned this shot, but I wasn’t sure we’d be able to pull it off, especially in the very cold and windy conditions we met that day.  However, as a true testament to her talent, Ashley made it happen on a fairly narrow floating pier on rough waters, and she nailed it!  This may be one of my favorite all-time shots!  I added some texture as this shot just screams for a more artisitic interpretation.  Thanks Ashley!

… Kathleen with comment #4!  Congratulations, and I’ll be contacting you with more details!  Thank you very much to all of the entrants for your very kind feedback!  To show my appreciation, all of the contest entrants will receive a free 8×10 if you book a full session with me in 2010.  I hope you will continue checking in and leaving some love every once in a while.  

And to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d leave you with a couple of other shots of this dashing couple … enjoy!

          If you or someone you know is expecting a little one in 2010, then this is for you!  There is nothing more special that you can do for your new arrival than to memorialize that time forever through photographs.  That extra-tiny brand new sleepy smiley baby stage is so fleeting, and those early days can be so disorienting for the parents, I think it is so important to capture that moment in time to treasure forever.   We had so many troubles early on with my daughter that I didn’t get around to “officially” photographing her until she was one month old, and it just breaks my heart.  I would give anything to go back and make sure I had some really good pictures of her in the first couple of weeks!  In the hopes that others won’t have that same regret, I’m offering this newborn special.  If you book a newborn session (i.e. pay your deposit and pencil in a date based on your due date) before March 15th, you will receive 25 free custom 5×7 flat birth announcements.  You can choose from a selection of beautiful templates and then we will customize it to your liking using your favorite images from your session.  If you book a Belly & Baby Package or Baby’s First Year Package (which already include free announcements), you will receive a $50 Print Credit (may be applied to prints only).  The sessions may take place any time this year – if you are due in 2010, then you are eligible.  This would also make a fabulous gift for any expecting parents that you know.  It’s so hard to choose a baby gift that won’t be “grown out of” within a few months – this is a gift that will truly last.  All sessions puchased as gifts will be beautifully presented on a printed gift certificate. 

           The best part about booking a newborn session with me is that I come to you!  That’s right, I remember all too well that the last thing I wanted to do with a week old baby was go anywhere.  So, I bring my portable studio to you.  This includes backdrops, blankets, and some great props like hats, “pods”, angel wings, baskets and more!  Sometimes the most meaningful images are the ones taken around your own home, if you wish.  The master bed and nursery make for beautiful and intimate backgrounds for newborn photography.  And lastly, I get to cuddle and love on your newborn for several hours.  Okay, so that’s more of a perk for me, but I still thought it was worth mentioning.    Please let me know if you have any questions, and please share this great opportunity with any other expectant parents that you may know!  There are great little buttons under this post for emailing and sharing via Facebook and Twitter that make it all too easy.  Thanks for checking in! 

UPDATE: Due to extensive power outages in the area, I’ve extended the contest through Saturday night to make sure everyone has a chance to enter!  A winner will be chosen on Sunday!

Yay!  You are looking at my long-awaited much-anticipated brand spanking new blog!  I’m so excited about it, I can barely contain myself!  It ended up being a MUCH more difficult process than I originally thought thanks to some interesting domain/hosting/server issues, but it was well worth the trouble.  A few of my favorite  new features are: the BIG pictures, a Clients (only) tab where my clients will be able to download all of the necessary paperwork and have access to slideshows of card and product designs and more, a few extra tabs that may help you get to know a little more about me, and the News section that stays at the top so that you won’t miss any important announcements and specials.  And don’t even get me started on the design – I love how my colors and backgrounds have all been incorporated to make this feel like it is truly my own.  I could not have done that without wonderful Heather of Lovebugs Photography Designs.  She customized the entire blog for me AND put up with my perfectionist tendencies and endless questions.  You can find a link to her site under my Favorites tab above.  I hope that you will take the time to explore and look around, there are so many new things to see!  To celebrate this wondrous occasion, I’m having another contest!  The prize is $50 off of a full session fee (that’s 50% savings) AND a free 8×10*!  This is too good of a deal to pass up!  To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite new feature is.  To get a second entry, either “tweet” or facebook post about my new blog (you can use my sweet new icons under the post), and then add a second comment telling me where you posted.  The contest closes on Friday February 12th at midnight, and the winner will be drawn via the Random Number Generator on Saturday the 13th.  Let me know if you have any questions (there’s a contact form on the About Me tab )!  Oh, and I almost forgot the most important thing … update the blog address in your favorites or your reader to http://www.lindsayhorn/blog. 

*Other full session fees including the Print Minimum and any travel expenses still apply.

And a recent shot of my angel …