Upcoming Minis

Well once again it has taken me quite awhile to post something on here. I was doing so good at sticking with it too! But life gets busy as you all know so some things tend to get forgotten. I hope you can forgive me.

Today I want to give you all the wonderful details on our upcoming mini sessions that we will be offering at Brick Street Studio. We have a few in the next couple months and would love for you all to participate if it’s something that suits your needs. During all of these minis, Marisa and I will both be shooting giving you more time slots available to suit your busy schedules. Keep that in mind while reading about them!

Spring School Minis | March 25th

This weekend, March 25th we have our Spring School Minis. The Spring School Minis are only $25 for a 5 minute session and 2 poses. You also get a cool little book with

2 8×10’s | 2 5×7’s | 8 Wallets | 1 4×6 | 8 Mini Wallets

These school minis are a great opportunity to update your child’s picture on the wall and get some great prints in the process. If you have more than one child that you want to particiapte you can add them on for an additional $15 per child. You do get a sibling picture as well if you have multiple children!

Sign up for your mini here

Spring Family Minis | April 15th

On April 15th we will be hosting a Spring Family Mini Event. These will be hosted at a location soon to be determined. It will be somewhere local to us though whether that be Ionia or a park in Lowell.

The Spring Family Minis will be $75 for a 20 minute session with 10+ images in an online gallery OR $100 for 20 minute session with 10+ images in an online gallery and the digital downloads with a print release. Print products can be purchased separately.

4×6: $10 | 5×7: $14 | 8×10: $25 | More product sizes and options available!

Sign up for your Mini here

Apple Blossom Mommy & Me Minis | May 13th

On May 13th we will be hosting our Mommy & Me Minis at Pierson’s Orchard in Ionia. This time of year is prime time for the apple trees to be blossoming those beautiful pink and white flowers. They are just stunning! Bring your little ones down and get some gorgeous images with them amongst the trees.

The mommy and me sessions are $75 for a 15 minute session, 5+ images in an online gallery, and the digital downloads with a print release. You can purchase the entire set of digitals (15+ images) for $50. Print products are also available for purchase.

4×6: $10 | 5×7: $14 | 8×10: $25 | More product sizes and options available!

There are only a few slots available so get yours booked today!

Sign up for your Mini here

IHS Pre Prom Minis | May 13th

I have hosted IHS Prom Minis for the last four years. I love photographing all of the lovely students in their prom attire. It is so magical seeing them all dressed up for one night of fun. We love photographing them down on Main Street and capturing that historic and beautiful look of their home town.

Prom Minis are only $30 per couple or $55 for a group of 4, $10 per person after that. You will get a 10 minute session and 5+ digital downloads with the print release. If you have a larger group be sure to let us know so we can accommodate more time for your group! There are a variety of poses that we can do such as individuals, full groups, couples, best friends, and more! These are filling up quickly so be sure to check them out and pick a time that will work for you!

Sign up for your Mini here

I hope to see you at one of these awesome mini sessions! We are excited for them to get here and excited to capture your memories that will last a life time. Be sure to check out our website for the new studio here and follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on all the new things coming up!

Senior Models

I can’t even believe it is almost March of 2017 already! This year has just flown by and I don’t even know where the time has gone. I also can’t believe that it hit 64 degrees in February in Michigan. Was anyone else loving the wether this week?! Gets me excited for spring and what spring has to offer. Gorgeous flowers and beautiful green grass. Trees with leaves on them and crisp fresh air. Spring also means that senior season starts. I get to start working with my senior models and getting them excited for their big final year of high school that is to come.

Brick Street Studio is still accepting Senior Model applications. Are you interested in becoming part of our senior model program? It’s quite simple and you get tons of discounts and freebies along the way. We will be taking applications until March 18th and then will be choosing a few models to represent our brand and work with throughout the next year. You can check out the Senior Model Program here.

One great thing about being a senior model is you get a FREE mini session before any of your senior sessions so we can get you some rep cards made up to pass out to your friends and classmates. Those rep cards will get you some great freebies and could even win you some money depending on how many you get back to me. Another great thing about being a senior model is you get to be involved in a group session or two at some point throughout the year and have a that chance to meet some of your fellow models that are on our team. It is a great chance to make some new friends and to just let loose and have fun during your session.

Pictured above are a few of the 2017 senior models that I had as a part of my team. These girls are from different schools but they had so much fun together during this shoot. They all were really involved and were have a blast getting to know each other! We went to the Wittenbach Center for these photos. Its a gorgeous park with trails and fields to walk through. My favorite part about this park would have to be the rows of pine trees lining one of the gorgeous trails. It is just absolutely stunning. 

Most of these girls met for the first time the day of this shoot. They knew each other from Facebook and from our Senior Model Facebook group but other than that this was their first time meeting in person. It was just wonderful to see them all able to chat with each other and have so much fun in the process.

In case you missed it above, to apply to our senior model program you can do so at this link: Senior Model Application. We are taking models from all different schools and are accepting male and female applicants. If you have questions prior to applying, please don’t hesitate to ask! We also accept applicants within 100 miles of Ionia County. Refer a friend to apply for the program or to get their senior portrait experience done by Brick Street Studio and get a $25 credit added to your account.

I am looking forward to hearing from you and giving you the best senior experience around.

Mr. & Mrs. Hardin

I had the privilege of photographing this adorable couple on their big day two weeks ago!

Kelley and Travis met in Greenville, MI in 2005. They dated & lived together for 5 years (2005-2010)…separated for a year/traveled ect. We reunited in 2011 and have been together ever since. We met April 2005 and having our Ceremony April 2016. They also have a beautiful little boy who came into this world not to long ago!

Kelley shared with me the story on how Travis proposed to her. It is just so sweet!  “Travis proposed on our property (We had recently purchased 12 acres of totally undeveloped land to “start our life on”). One day, we had to mark out the ‘intended driveway placement’ for city/building approval & permits… and Travis proposed there as I was placing the marker-flag. It was a big symbol of our future ‘path’, and I was totally surprised!”

Their wedding was held at the Ionia fairgrounds where they have worked most of their summers running their concessions stands. I first met Kelley and Travis as a couple at the fair when they had asked me to take photographs of them around the fairgrounds to remember their time there.

The fairgrounds is a beautiful location that the Grand River runs though. They got married right on the river with the bridge in the back ground. It was a gorgeous ceremony!

“Travis proposed on our property (We had recently purchased 12 acres of totally undeveloped land to “start our life on”). One day, we had to mark out the ‘intended driveway placement’ for city/building approval & permits… and Travis proposed there as I was placing the marker-flag. It was a big symbol of our future ‘path’, and I was totally surprised!”

Kelley and Travis decided to do a “first look” on their wedding day. The first look really gives the bride and groom a chance to be completely alone (aside from photographer of course) when they first see each other. It allowed them to have a private moment during the day where they could just talk to each other and have those special moments when the groom first see’s his bride.

In the words of Kelley “Those of you that know Travis and I, understand that ‘tradition’ is less important to us than doing what is actually best given the time and situation! Our Wedding ceremony held true to that also! We did a “First Look Session” with our Photographer and I’m so glad we did! A couple hours prior to the Ceremony, Travis and I met eachother to capture the intimate moment of seeing eachother all dressed up. These are just a few photos from the preview… I’m excited to see the rest ♡”

I can’t wait to share with them their entire album! I had a wonderful time photographing these two. You can really see how much they truly love each other. Its such a beautiful thing!

Lens of My Dreams

Well if you follow my Facebook you will have noticed that I recently got a new toy! I was finally able to purchase my dream lens after 3 years of dreaming. I bought the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8.

Let me tell you, it is amazing! I have only used it a handful of times now and have only really photographed family members or friends but I was able to shoot with it yesterday during our Easter get together and I am so in love with the images!

The people in these images mean the world to me! They are my siblings, my niece and nephew, and of course the fiancé with our baby boy.

These were just taken at my parents house in the field next to their house. I could not be happier with these images! I definitely cannot wait to start using this thing during my senior sessions and weddings!

Enjoy!

What’s your ideal photo session like?

Have you ever thought about what you would want your photo session to be like?

Do you want it in the summer? The winter? Maybe sometime in between?

Today’s post will show case some work done throughout all seasons giving you an idea of what it is like shooting in certain seasons.

Winter

Since we are in the season right now (hopefully not much longer) here is Renae and Ryan from their January wedding in 2015! Shooting in the winter has a lot of ups and really only a couple downs.

For one, the snow is gorgeous! We don’t always get to see the snow so showcasing it in some of your images will definitely set you a part from everyone else. You can also do some fun things with the snow like Brittany and Chris are in the image below. When shooting in the snow just have fun with it! The only real downfall is how cold it can be sometimes and I suppose your feet could get wet if you’re not wearing the right shoes.

 

Spring

Moving on from the snow, who really likes spring here? Spring is a favorite of mine. I can kick off my boots and put on my favorite pair of ratty converse again while sporting my ankles in my new capris.

These are some of my favorite images from the spring of 2015. Plus all of these people were such a joy to work with, how could we not get some adorable spring images! What is your favorite thing about spring?

 

Summer

Onto those scorching hot summer days. Oh how I love summer though, everyone is just so happy in the summer. I don’t know if its the joy from being outside every weekend with their families or just the fact that the kids are on summer vacation. Either way, everyone is smiling in the summer. Plus we photographers always find a way to work around that bright summer light and give you the best photos you can imagine from the summer.

Summer is one of my favorites because that is when I get to take the most senior portraits and shoot the most weddings. Everyone loves going to the beach for their senior portraits so it gives me the chance to switch it up a bit and get creative when heading to some of the same locations. I also love the summer because that means the fair is in my hometown of Ionia. The Ionia Free Fair, the 10 best days of summer they say. I love it now that I am a photographer because I get the privilege of taking photos for families out on the midway with all of the lights and rides at night. They are so much fun! Everyone’s most requested shot is getting one done in front of the ferris wheel.

One more thing before moving onto the fall, I just love summer sunsets. The light in the sky leading up to that perfect sunset is just gorgeous light! One of my favorite times to shoot during the summer as I’m sure it is everyone else’s. Here is a little side project I did for myself, some images of my nieces just before the sunset on a July evening. I swear they could be models, they are growing up way to fast.

 

Fall

Onto my favorite season, Fall. Fall is my favorite not only because my birthday is in October and soon to be my wedding anniversary, but just all of the colors and that early fall light in the evening is just stunning.

Fall has got to be my busiest season in such a short amount of time. September through November is when anyone and everyone wants to get photos taken. I definitely don’t have a problem with that! I love fall photos for all of the colors, the pumpkins, the wonderful light coming out of the sky and just the atmosphere of everyones anticipation for the incoming winter months.

Seasons

Well there you have it. A few examples of my work from the last four seasons in 2015. Each season has its perks for photography, if you have any questions about getting photos done in a certain month feel free to ask! As you have read above, you know what I love about each season.