Guess what?! It's almost that time of year ... time for sweaters, blue jeans, boots, scarves and coats!  Not to mention we have already felt the first taste of fall with our cooler than normal temperatures.  If you know me well, you know that I'm a summertime kind of girl ... I LOVE hot weather but for the first time ever, I'm thinking, "Go ahead and bring on the cooler weather".  I'm ready to see the beautiful colors of the trees and foliage reflected on everything it shadows.  I can honestly say I've never been anywhere more beautiful than the Great Smoky Mountains in the fall.  There are just no words to describe it.  


I'm also going to my first football game in about 10 years! Well, it's a "pee-wee" game, but still.  It counts.  Even if my nephew does like to sit on the field during practice and dig for worms, we're still going to go cheer him on and be the proud aunt and uncle. :)  Expect to see bunches of pictures coming your way!


In studio news, we now have 2 full-time staff (My husband and I) and a part time graphics designer/editor (Katie).  It's truly become a family business.  I am so very blessed that our studio has become able to support a staff of 3.  We will be offering sports and events photography in the very near future (possibly under a whole new brand).  Stacey will be heading up this division of the business.


Ok, now that I've rambled on and on about fall and studio stuff, here's the good part!  MINI-SESSION time!
This year's sessions will be a little different, in that you will be able to pre-order your package, view the images online, and choose your favorites to get digitally.  What this means is that for those of you who like to design your own cards, etc., you will have the shots to do it with.  Now, that being said, you don't HAVE to go with the digital shots.  You can also choose to exchange the digital images for any size desk print (8x10 or smaller).  It's your choice! 

To find out the difference in mini-sessions and custom portrait sessions, see this blog post.  As for custom sessions, I only have room for 3 custom sessions the last week of October.  The rest of the month is booked.

Here is a quick little reminder of what the mini's from last year looked like ... (when we were still Images By Courtnie Photography)

We've all seen the "Mini-Sessions" advertised.  So what exactly is a mini-session?  I can't answer that for any other photographer but for myself, it goes something like this. 

We come up with a "theme" or setting, choose a destination and book sessions for 15-30 minute time periods.  There is a limited number of shots and a limited number of packages.  Most times, the packages are chosen at the session and delivered within a couple of weeks.  (Think sports or school picture time frame).  We don't photograph any large families (over 5 people) in our mini sessions and sometimes, it's only one shot just like with our recent "One Great Shot" sessions.  Mini-sessions are done on a very limited basis -- at the very most, once every 3 months or so.  We shoot such a high volume during the mini's that we can only do them sporadically. 

Our custom sessions, however, ARE completely customized to the person or family I'm photographing.  I have either a phone or in-person session consultation with each client to let them know what to expect, offer tips on clothing choices, and go over our pricing and product lines.

Sessions normally last from 1-3 hours based on the type of session booked.  After the session, we post a quick sneak peek online so that you can see a sample of what we saw when you were being photographed.
All images are then processed and you come into the studio for your ordering session where you will watch a slideshow of all your images and then choose your favorites.  We walk you through every step of the ordering process and suggest products or print sizes based on the image and specific needs of the client.  Custom gallery wraps, framed wall portraits, albums and jewelry are all included in our product line-up.  EACH AND EVERY image that you order is gone over with a fine-tooth comb and retouched to remove blemishes, soften lines or wrinkles, whiten teeth when needed and blending or removing stray hair.  You also receive a low-resolution file for facebook, instagram, snap-chat, etc. FREE for every image you order.

I realize this is all a lot to take in so I've made a chart to show the differences in Mini-sessions vs. Custom sessions.  I hope this helps clear up an questions you may have when deciding on which type of session to book.

Whichever session you choose, you can be assured that we take every aspect of your session into consideration ... from posing to lighting ... you will still receive the Dena Howard Portrait Design standard of photography.

This sweet little guy came to visit and I'm finally getting him blogged!