Shannon Holden Photography

This just cracked me up. My son, age 4.9, is watching Animal Planet. I’m sitting at my desk editing. Just after the commercial break, he walked up to me and threw his arms around me. He said, “Mommy, Duncan Hines brownies make me feel happy. One day I want to make Duncan Hines brownies for you so you can feel happy, too. I love you, Mommy. And I love Duncan Hines brownies.”

Then his attention was back on the show. And now I’m craving brownies. But the love and smiles from my son were even sweeter than chocolate could ever be.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

P.S.
I just had to share Part 2 of this story. After I posted this to the blog, including the impromptu session to capture these photos of my son to go along with the post, I called my husband, who just happened to be at the grocery store. Here is the conversation:

“Hey honey, have you checked out of the store yet?” I asked.

“No, why?” he replied.

“Can you get some Duncan Hines brownies before you leave?”

“Sure. What kind?”

“It doesn’t matter. They just have to be Duncan Hines.”

“Uh, why do they have to be Duncan Hines?”

“Because they do. I’ll tell you when you get home.”

(pause)

“Um … are you pregnant?”

Well … I should probably say, “Suburban Baby.” This is Mr. D. Two years ago, I had the honor of photographing his big brother for his first birthday. This year, it was D’s turn.

This was another session that seemed jinxed, because we had to reschedule at least 4 times due to rain. D’s mom and I worried we might never get a sunny day to create his portraits. Finally, we did! We met at The Forum in Norcross. I loved this setting! Park benches, a fountain, lots of nooks and crannies with bricks and stone and beautiful landscaping. And the soft shade from the store buildings gave us ideal light with lots of room to let the boys explore.

Just look at that adorable smile! It is contagious, isn’t it?

I loved this photograph. Near the end of our session, the boys were intrigued by the toys inside Orvis. Little boys window shopping for stuffed animals. Too cute.


I’m so glad we finally got to meet for our playdate, D! You are a very handsome young man, just like your big brother.

PS – My newsletter went out this morning. If you are on my mailing list and you did not receive it, or if you want to be on my mailing list, please email me.

In the newsletter, I let everyone know that next week I will be making some changes to my email system, in hopes of solving my ongoing and incredibly frustrating problem of vanishing emails. At any given time June 2-5, my email could hiccup during the transition. If you email me next week (or anytime) and don’t hear back from me in a reasonable time frame, please contact me again by phone or email. I really hope my email troubles will be resolved after next week. Thank you so much for your patience and cooperation.

Erica cannot wait to be a big kid. She’s 21 months old, going on 12 years it seems. She wants to do everything her big brothers do. It’s precious, if not a little scary. This past weekend, she was determined to try out her brother’s scooter. So we fitted the helmet and let her have a go. She was so proud of herself!

It looks like we’ll have a pink helmet and pink scooter in our near future. Baby Girl, don’t grow up so fast, ok?

And on another note, who out there is super psyched about the season finale of “Lost” tomorrow night? We are counting down the hours in the Holden house. Can’t wait!

And on yet another note, I have a portrait session opening for Saturday, June 21 due to a reschedule. If you are interested in that prime spot, please contact me asap. It will go quick!

I just learned about a wonderful, in-depth article written by Marianne Drenthe on Custom Photography. What is custom photography, and how should you choose a professional photographer? Why does custom photography cost so much more than the chain studios? What exactly is Lifestyle Photography or Photojournalism? This fantastic article addresses all these questions and more.

I especially like her breakdown of the time involved in just one portrait session. Many people might not realize just how much time goes into a single portrait session. For instance, did you know that I rarely photograph more than 3-4 clients in one week? I estimate my time per session to average about 12 hours. If I photograph 4 clients, that makes a 48 hour work week. This summer, I have only reserved a maximum of 3 clients per week, sometimes only 2, because I want to spend some time with my children while they are out of school. During the holiday portrait months of September and October, with the loving support of my husband and family, I accept 5-6 sessions per week to meet demand. That means I often work about 60-72 hours per week in those months! So now you know why I take December off!

How does one session require so much time? Here is an excerpt from Marianne’s article with a breakdown [with my personal averages added in brackets]:

• session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
• [up to] one hour travel time TO session
• 15 minutes prep time at client’s home
• [1 to 2 hours] with client photographing subject
• [up to] one hour travel time FROM session
• 30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
• 30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
• 2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
• 1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
• 2-3 hours time with client for ordering images [my average is less than 1 hour since I do not usually meet with clients in person for ordering]
  
• 1 hour sorting through and checking order
• 30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
• 30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
• any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, [questions regarding images, changes in finishes, etc.]

As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

This list does not include some of the time requirements for running a business in general, such as bookkeeping, phone calls and session planning with prospective clients, time spent on the phone or in person with my accountant, lawyer, or insurance agent, market research, website and blog maintenance, and ongoing photographic study and artistic development. It really adds up!

Take a peek if you’d like to read more … http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com