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Spring has finally sprung!

On Saturday, I met Jen & Ian at Lakewood Park in Statesville for Cal's 9 month session. It's hard to believe how much he has grown since our last session. It was perfect Spring weather for the shoot & we had lots of fun! Here is a quick sneek peek of Cal & his Easter basket...look for more to come soon!

New Children's Collections

With the spring season just around the corner, I thought this would be a wonderful time to introduce several new Children's Collections now available at Stephanie Raechelle Photography. I'm very excited about these 3 new collections for children newborn to 5 yrs. old. For pricing for these collections, visit my website at www.sraechellephotography.com.

The Bellies & Babes Collection





The Bellies & Babes Collection includes a mommy session during the last trimester of pregnancy at the outdoor location of your choice and a session during the first 2 weeks of your baby's life in the comfort of your home.

This collection includes a personal online gallery of retouched portraits for you, family & friends, as well as a 5x7 session album with 20 of your favorite portraits from the sessions & 25 custom-designed birth announcements.

The First Year Collection





The First Year Collection includes four sessions at the location of your choice to capture the milestones of your baby's first year. They include...
lifting up 3 mths
sitting up 6 mths
pulling up 9 mths
standing up 12 mths

Each of the four sessions will include a personal online gallery of retouched portraits for you, family & friends for 4 wks, as well as four 8x10 matted portraits. Following the 12 month session, you will receive a complimentary 8x10 designer mat box to display your first year collection of 16 matted portraits.

The Growing Up Collection







The Growing Up Collection includes five sessions at the location of your choice to capture your child's developing personality & growth from baby to childhood. Those cute little chubby cheeks, pouty faces, and toothless smiles won't last forever, but these portraits will be treasured for a lifetime.

The Growing Up Collection includes sessions at...
talking 18 mths
walking 2 yrs
running 3 yrs
counting 4 yrs
schooling 5 yrs

Each of the five sessions will include a personal online gallery of retouched portraits for you, family & friends for 4 wks, as well as three 8x10 matted portraits. Following the 5 year old session, you will receive a complimentary 8x10 designer mat box to display your collection of 15 matted portraits.

Spring is almost here!

I hope everyone has enjoyed this crazy winter weather we have been having. We had 6 inches of snow at our house just three days ago & it's supposed to hit 77 degrees tomorrow! I really hope the warm weather stays since I have several sessions scheduled for the next couple weeks. I can't wait until Spring -- it's definitely my favorite time of year & it's just around the corner! Now through the end of May, I will be offering weekday mini sessions in celebration of Spring (Monday through Friday). Be sure & book your session early...and don't forget to tell all your friends...our new Refer-A-Friend rewards program allows you to receive free prints for you & your friends for each booking you refer (Yay!) And hey, this would be a great Mother's Day gift for Mom or even for Grandma!



Please email me at sraechellephoto@yahoo.com to schedule your Spring mini session today!

Yay....a new album!

Well, I just got in one of the albums that I designed for my upcoming Bridal Expo & wow, it's amazing!

Even the packaging was exceptional with all "green" materials including handmade paper, recycled pineapple leaves and a paper ribbon made of recycled mulberry leaves!



I chose two textured leathers for this cover...a lucious brown and an accent of sage...with an image cutout. I just love how the colors work with the image of Artie & Melissa!



And the images on the inside of the album turned out fabulous with all the vibrant fall colors!





I can't wait for everyone to see this one for themselves at the Expo! And I have another album on the way...I'll post again when it arrives...I'm sooo excited!

Featured Gallery: Travis & Nicole

Visit the latest featured gallery on my website...Travis & Nicole's engagement session! We had a ton of fun with this shoot in Blowing Rock. The very cool weather was perfect for this winter session & I absolutely love the portraits at the Moses Cone Estate!

Statesville Bridal Expo

2009 Statesville Bridal Expo here I come!I'm very excited to have a booth in this year's bridal expo at the Civic Center on Feb. 22. From 1-5 pm, brides and their guests will scope out local vendors, see the latest fashions in a bridal fashion show, and register for a chance to win a free wedding package provided by Darshana Hall Plantation, Farmhouse Bakery, Moore Buds and Bows,Events Unlimited, Nash Farms, ACMoore, & Crystal's Cards. My booth will feature information about engagement & bridal sessions, as well as wedding packages. I've ordered samples of my albums & other various products to display at the booth & plan on having several portraits printed for display. Best of all, I will be offering a free bridal or engagement session to one lucky bride who visits my booth...and a special wedding package discount for each bride that stops by to say hello. I can't wait!

Thinking about visiting the Bridal Expo? Join my facebook event titled, "Statesville Bridal Expo" by joining the group "Stephanie Raechelle Photography."

Travis & Nicole: Sneak Peek

Travis & Nicole met me yesterday afternoon in Blowing Rock for a wintery engagement session. And might I say, it sure was cold! I had so much fun though...travis & nicole have such great personalities! I can't wait until I get to take your bridal portraits, Nicole -- you are going to make such a gorgeous bride! (And PS - thanks so much to my two photography assistants...you guys were fabulous)

Blessings!

First of all, I wanted to let everyone know that this year is bringing a new chapter in my photography business. As many of you know, I have been working full-time as a photojournalist for nearly the past three years in addition to growing my freelance photography business. Well, as of the first of the year, I am officially going full-time with my business which is a huge personal accomplishment! Although it saddens me to be leaving behind my Taylorsville Times family whom I dearly love, I am very excited to be able to pursue my dream of doing my photography fulltime! I especially am grateful for Marty (my fabulous husband)who is standing behind me in this new endeavor...without his love and support, I know I wouldn't have the courage to step out on my own (so thanks honey!) In addition to taking on a fulltime role in my business, I am also teaching photoshop through the Photographic Technology Program at cvcc...my first class was yesterday & I really loved it...photoshop is a passion of mine & I think it will be fun sharing that with my students.

I feel so blessed right now in my life & just thought I'd share it with you guys! I have a family that loves me, a husband who is more than I could have ever asked for, friends who I know would do anything for me (and likewise), and a Lord that has truly blessed me with so much! It's funny how slowing down & just having time to think about your life can reveal so much that you overlook in the hussle & bussle of this chaotic world.

Secondly, I would like to thank all of my 2008 clients for allowing me to take part in your lives. I had so much fun this past year & each shoot, although each was very different, holds a special place in my heart. I wish all of you a wonderful 2009!

Here are just a few photo updates from some of my recent shoots...

Melissa & Artie





Jennifer & Ki-Ma







And here are a couple more shots of the new session albums that I'm offering in 2009!



Notice the thick pages of this style of album!





Each album features 30 portraits...here are some of the pages from a recent album I did for Candee and Jordan!

Featured Gallery

What better way to show off my clients' sessions, than by giving them their own gallery that shows more than just a few of their final portraits. I have just added by very first "featured" gallery on my website that features Candee & Jordan's recent engagement session. Be sure & check this gallery periodically...I plan on featuring a new session every few weeks!

New Session Albums

I'm quite excited to now be including a 5x7 album with each of my 2009 portrait sessions (including engagements, bridals, & family sessions). These $200 sessions include a 1-1.5 hour shoot at the location of your choice, a personal online gallery of retouched photos for proofing, and a 5x7 session album featuring up to 30 of your favorite portraits.

Like the designer albums that I offer in the "ultimate" wedding package, the new session albums are of the highest quality. With a wide variety of leathers and fabrics to choose from, these one of a kind albums are perfect for expressing your personal style.

Check out this textured brown session album that was created for the Kirby Family (I added a polka dot ribbon to this album & really loved it!)...



More photos to come!

A First Look

Ok brides, I know it's a big tradition (esp. in the South) for the groom to not see the bride until she walks down the aisle (and I completely respect this), but have you ever really thought about why this is. I mean, who says it's bad luck to see each other & what does that really mean anyways -- Will you end up with a disasterous reception or have children that look like 3-eyed martians? And since when was seeing each other early on your wedding day grounds for divorce? (Did you know that this tradition started back in ancient times when marriages were arranged by families and were often nothing more than good business deals. To ensure the groom wouldn't have second thoughts at the sight of a bride perhaps less attractive than he's assumed, the groom was prohibited from seeing the bride before the wedding.)

I know it may sound silly, but have you considered that seeing each other before the ceremony can be a very romantic & tender moment...maybe even the best moment of the entire day!?!

Imagine this brides, your hubby is standing in a private location with his back to you. You walk in behind him and surprise him in all your beautiful, radiant glory. He gets to see his almost-wife in an intimate, private setting, where he can feel free to express his love and emotion without a hundred pairs of eyes studying him and judging his reaction. You can hug, or kiss, or whisper sweet nothings, exchange gifts or just laugh and have a good time.

You get to ENJOY the moment...a private moment that you normally wouldn't get to enjoy until after the wedding reception. And it doesn't take away from your hubby seeing his wife walk down the aisle; it just adds to the day!

After you have both fully taken in the excitement of seeing each other & spending 15 mins. of private time together, designated just for the two of you, then we can focus on getting some wonderful & creative portraits of you two at the location of your choice that you can display in your album and around your home. You can both relax and enjoy the experience, rather than rushing to finish before the sun sets, or worrying about getting to the reception on time, or being surrounded by a bunch of family members who make those intimate moments just a teensy bit awkward.

Following your special session, the groomsmen & bridesmaids and family can join in for group photographs. And, after the ceremony is over, you get to the reception with your guests, so you can spend even more time dancing and enjoying your loved ones. It’s pretty much a win-win situation for everyone!

So why not take part in a "first look" and make your wedding day even more special for who truly matters most...you & your honey!

Check out these images from a "first look" session that Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves posted on her recent blog....they are gorgeous & if I had to do over, I would love to have some shots like this of me and Marty on our wedding day! I encourage my brides to consider this too!~

New Payment Method!

I've made it even easier for you to purchase prints online through my website! Pay pal will allow you to place your order online & pay with a debit/credit card...quick & easy. Still prefer to mail me a check for your order? No problem, that option is still available too (just select arrange payment offline in the payment menu). Hope everyone is having a great day!

A busy fall season!

So this past month has been soooo busy! Between working fulltime at the newspaper & doing my photography fulltime, it's been crazy! I've truly been blessed & I can't believe how many sessions I've had the opportunity to shoot this season. I know you guys have been waiting to see sneak peaks of my most recent shoots. So, here ya go -- I'm finally posting some pics!

Candee & Jordan - This session was absolutely so fun! Candee & Jordan are so great together, always making each other laugh! We took a drive up to Hangin Rock park for these pics & I must say if you've never been there, you should go...it's beautiful! More sneak peeks to come from this session!



Kirby Family - Can you say picture perfect? This family was such a pleasure to work with...when I thought of photographing 14 people (with five of those being children) plus 2 dogs, I thought I'd have my work cut out for me. But, boy was I surprised! The kids were wonderful & everyone was just so relaxed! And what a great day for photos...the weather was great out at the Iredell Art Museum & the old buildings served as a great backdrop!





Ralph was so good for the pictures....It's amazing what a little candy corn bribe can do!



These boys were having so much fun with each other...I couldn't resist this photo!



Cal - Cal is just such a cutie with those big blues! Girls you better watch out...he's going to be quite a looker!







Bath time was so precious with Cal! He just giggled and giggled! Can't wait to see you guys again in a couple weeks for Christmas photos!


Jennifer & Ki-Ma - This was one of the most inspiring weddings I've been to! From the pink and brown satin sashes to the creative bouquets, this was a beautiful ceremony! My favorite part had to be the groomsmen and bridesmaids entrance...each groomsman came in and leaned against a pew (very GQ) & then the bridesmaids came in one at a time & grabbed the arm of their man as they walked down the aisle. If I had my wedding to do all over, I would def consider doing something unique like that!





A gorgeous dress for a gorgeous bride!





My favorite picture of the night! What a magnificant clock tower in downtown Mooresville!


Melissa & Artie - I love you guys! Your wedding was so much fun...It's always wonderful to see friends unite in marriage, but it's even more wonderful when you get to take part in a couple's big day. Artie & Melissa, I hope ya'll are enjoying being newlyweds... marriage truly is something special!



I love these flowers! What beautiful colors!







This wedding party was so much fun to work with! You guys have some great friends who really care about you!

Happy Holidays!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? I sure can't...This year has really flown by! It seems like Christmas was just yesterday & it's almost here again.

I just wanted to let everyone know that my 2008 holiday card designs are now online (in a gallery titled "Special"). And yes, I know I'm behind on blogging but I promise to have sneak peeks of my recent sessions soon!

Jingle Bells!

With Christmas & New Year's quickly approaching, yes Dec. 25th is less than 2 months away, I can't think of a more wonderful way to wish your family & friends a happy holiday season than by sending them a personalized greeting card!

I am offering a new collection of card designs for this holiday season...below is a few samples of the beautifully elegant designs! Look for more designs on my website in the next few days as well as special holiday pricing. And hey, with a little tweaking these designs would also be perfect for birth announcements, invitations, save-the-dates, etc!

Aren't these designs just fabulous?!!?