Shannon Holden Photography

Hannah is a cherished friend to our family, so it was truly an honor to create her Senior Portraits. We headed out into Historic Roswell on a gorgeous evening, just before twilight. Hannah is such a beautiful and genuine person. She is natural, funny, intelligent, and warm. She has all the personality of a vibrant young adult, yet she has a wisdom about her that makes her seem much older than her years. She is also quite creative, and it was so fun working with her on this session. She came up with many of her own poses, spotted a few interesting nooks as we explored, and was even adventurous enough to climb a tree for a great shot … twice! She made her mom and me a bit nervous, but isn’t that a teenager’s job anyway? And I had to laugh when  Hannah’s mom tweeted an iPhone picture of me shooting Hannah mid-session. Gotta love modern technology!

Hannah, I hope you enjoy your senior year to the fullest! Thank you for the opportunity to be your photographer. It was my pleasure!

I didn’t know what to expect from this holiday season. The months of September and October are generally the busiest months of the year for a portrait photographer, and I work around the clock, it seems, during those months. But I wondered, with the state of our economy and this shaky time for our country, if this year would be different. And so, more than ever, I have been truly amazed and grateful for the flurry of calls and emails I’ve gotten in these last couple of weeks. Just today I posted an update on my Facebook page that I only had a few openings left, and my inbox was full in no time. Wow! And so I must say thank you … Thank you for the opportunity to capture these moments in your lives. Thank you for the investment you choose to make in my art. Thank you for your enthusiasm and for helping my business grow as you have in these recent years.

As of tonight, my holiday session schedule is fully booked for the remainder of 2009. I have saved room, as always, for newborn clients.

**If you and I are already in dialogue about your session but have not yet chosen a date, please know I have saved a tentative spot for you on my schedule, so don’t panic! I will hold these tentative places for approximately one more week to give us time to plan your session. But please let me know your chosen date as soon as possible!! If you are interested in a holiday portrait session, I invite you to still contact me, as I will be keeping a waiting list in the event of schedule changes or cancellations (but I cannot guarantee an opening will become available).

A reminder for those of you currently scheduled for sessions … The holiday order deadline for this year will be November 15. Please plan accordingly!

Thank you again! I think I have the best clients in town. Blessings to all of you!
Shannon

I really looked forward to Amanda’s portrait session, but I had even more fun than I expected. Chatting with Amanda and her mother as we explored Historic Roswell was the perfect way to spend an evening. She is amazingly photogenic, and so natural in front of the camera. I told her she should be modeling! And more than that, she is beautiful inside. She is warm, funny, intelligent, and kind. I hope my daughter grows up to be someone like her.

We planned our evening session in hopes of some great sunset light, but unfortunately we were dodging clouds and praying for no rain the day of our session. Thankfully the rain held off, but we didn’t get so lucky to have clear skies. Then, as we called it a night and headed back to the car, the clouds parted for about 90 seconds to let a beautiful beam of light fall through! Amanda being the perfect model she was, was ready instantly to pose right where I showed her, where the backlight could fall on her fantastic curly hair. Voila! I love it when that split-second photo opportunity comes together just right!

Thank you, Amanda, for the opportunity to create your senior portraits. You are a remarkable young woman with a brilliant future ahead. I can’t wait to see what life has in store for you next!

Hi Friends!

It’s been such a great week, having a little time off work to play with my kids during Spring Break. Tonight I relaxed with my hubby in the backyard while the kids scampered about. And then it hit me … that itch to have my camera in hand. I can hardly go more than a few days without the urge to photograph something.

You see, it was the yummy, yummy light! About 6:00 in the evening, with the warm Spring light filtering through the trees, reflecting off every blade of grass, every curl in my daughter’s hair. I just can’t resist the photography opportunity! I’m such a sucker for backlight.

So it triggered not just my photography craving, but an idea … I’m thinking about offering a special price on Sunset Sessions for a limited time. The sessions would take place around 6:00 in the evening, in the Roswell or Alpharetta area at a location of my suggestion, and would likely be limited in the number of subjects. First, I’d like to see what kind of interest is out there … so drop me a line, ok? You don’t have to commit. Just let me know if you love the idea and would consider a reservation. Once I see what kind of response I get, I’ll nail down the details on price and dates to be offered.

And yes, I gave into the craving tonight. I grabbed the pettiskirt, which conveniently matched the crocs she refused to take off her feet, and captured some of the exuberant toddlerhood in that delicious light. Gee, my girl doesn’t like being the center of attention, do you think?