Shannon Holden Photography

I’m adding a new feature to the blog. Frequently I’ve run across a new product, sometimes photography-related and sometimes not, that I have thought about sharing on the blog. So today I thought, “Why not?” Many of you have told me how you enjoy the little personal tidbits I throw in here and there. So just for the fun of it, I’m creating a new blog category called, “Today I love …” . I’m sure it will cover a range of topics. And though I may not actually post on this topic every week, I’ll strive to share these little doodads often.

So here we go!

Today I love … my digital picture frame! I admit, for a long time I thought these things were a bit silly. I also thought they were overpriced and liable to break quickly. Last year, I bought one to test out as a potential client product. While I opted not to offer these through my business, I discovered just how much I enjoy this frame! I have a very small 5″ digital photo frame by Pandigital which sits on my kitchen counter. I have filled it with images of my family and kids from the past few years. They aren’t all perfect photographs. Some are even just snaps off my iPhone. But they are all treasured memories.

This past Christmas, I gave a frame as gifts to my dad and my grandmother, and in doing so, spent a full day scanning OLD family snapshots to add to the frame. (Remember, scanning copyrighted photographs including professional portraits is a no no!!) I added these images to my frame as well. Well, whadya know … I LOVE this frame!

Even as a professional photographer, I am ashamed to say that MOST of the photos I take of my own children never leave my computer. Until now. I may not get them printed and into albums as much as I’d like, but at least I am getting them onto the digital frame and ENJOYING them! They aren’t trapped on a hard drive anymore. I sit at my kitchen island in the mornings, eating breakfast with my kids, or enjoying some solitude with a cup of coffee, and just watch the memories scroll by. My daughter loves watching the slideshow and pointing out all the familiar faces. She has even learned to recognize loved ones who have passed, which helps my heart to know they are not faceless names to her. We can both share their smiles as we relive those joyful moments of years gone by.

I’m looking forward to upgrading to a larger frame soon, and maybe even having multiple frames throughout the house. I may be out of wallspace but I’m not out of megabytes yet.

Looking for a Mother’s Day gift? You can’t go wrong with this one.

Much love,
Shannon

There was a young girl who dreamed in hues of pink and sparkling silver. She filled her days with imagined stories of white horses, whispering fireflies, and noble, heroic mice. She was too young to pine for Prince Charming, and yet nonetheless, she knew how happy she felt to dance with her own handsome prince (whom she called Daddy). Through the power of her imagination, her nightgowns became ball gowns, and her sandals became glass slippers. This little girl never lived in her own castle, but the halls and archways she dreamed of were real enough for her. In her heart, she was most certainly a real princess.

My daughter is a real princess, at least in her dreams. I cherish every second of this precious age in her life, because I know the clock will strike midnight all too soon, and she won’t believe in the magic anymore. That is why I am more excited about these limited edition sessions than anything else I’ll do in my business this year.

We now have dates set for our Atlanta Fairytale Princess Portrait Sessions!! These sessions will be a partnership between Shannon Holden Photography and Heather Lickliter of Stylized Portraiture in Athens, GA. Those of you who asked to be notified should have received an email by now. Sessions will be booked first come, first serve for the weekend of May 1-2. Contact us for more details on pricing, location, and times available. Tick tock!

I love my iPhone. It’s actually quite sad how much I love this phone. As a photographer-on-the-go, it is the perfect tool … having my calendar, my client information, and my email with me as I drive all over Atlanta from session to session. I’m all set with playlists for my kids, for my quiet time, for my afternoon jog. I’ve got my mini photography portfolio handy in case I meet a new client. I have apps for my kids to practice their math drills. And I’m one of those moms sitting in the carpool line at school every afternoon checking Facebook. Yes, I love my iPhone.

So naturally, I flipped out when I saw these custom iPhone cases. I couldn’t wait to order one of my own.

Want one of your own, complete with images from your Shannon Holden Portrait Session? Just email me and we’ll talk!

Much love,
Shannon

Announcing a new product from Shannon Holden Photography! I fell in love with these when I saw them at the photography convention I recently attended. I ordered my first sample hours after I got home. And I love it even more now that I’m holding it in my hands!

Introducing our heirloom Memory Boxes. Custom matched to your baby’s nursery or your child’s room, each box is a work of art in itself. You choose the treasures to keep inside … baby’s hospital bracelet, a first lock of hair, and a copy of his birth announcement. Or maybe it can be a collection of snapshots from your son’s 5th year, along with the ornament he made in Kindergarten, and the note he wrote to you on Mother’s Day this year. Even high school seniors can store their memories and snapshots of senior year, their graduation announcement, and the tassle from their cap. I’m designing a box for each of my sons who were baptized this year, where they can keep their memories of their baptism day, the cards from dear friends, the photos of their baptism, and their personalized Bibles which were a gift from their aunt.

The outside measurement of the box is 9.5″ x 9.5″ x 3″ deep. The inside of the box is lined in black cloth. (Please pardon the blurred area on the sample box below. I try to keep my subjects’ last names off my blog for safety reasons.)

I just love these, and I hope you do, too! They are available now in our online store. You can find them in the Specialty Items section.

Much love,
Shannon

P.S. I’m anxious to design a few more of these, so how about an introductory offer? Everyone loves a sale, right? I am offering $50 off all boxes ordered in the next three days. Just email me or visit the online store! Sorry, this offer is only valid on current or previous sessions, not future ones. Expires February 3, 2010 at midnight EST.