• You're a fabulous woman. You have a kid or two or seven. You value portrait photography. You also value owning the CD of the photographs you've commissioned, so you can print 5x7's or scrapbook photos or gifts for Grandma to your heart's content. We get that, and we're happy to get the portrait CD into your hot little hands.

    Each of our photography collections, priced from $1250, include your favorite high-resolution digital images. Each collection also contains a custom portrait album, ideal for telling your family's story in a timeless manner. Fine photographic prints are available and are priced from $65. In addition, we offer mini session days a few times each year for those who prefer to make a smaller investment in their family portrait photography.

    Finally, we'd love to see you at an Essential Imagery event -- find details about each one below! All events are held at 122 East Lancaster Avenue, Suite 300, Wayne, PA. We're on the 3rd floor, above Gene's Urban Baby Boutique. Please feel free to contact us via the 'Contact' link above or by calling 215-206-3689 if you have any questions or would like to schedule your portrait session.

    -- Kristen & Haunani, Essential Imagery owners

  • Pets for Haiti Studio Event

    Come celebrate the launch of our line of Essential Imagery pet photography! Buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a $500 portrait gift certificate and goodies from our favorite local boutiques, sample Sweet Jazmine's baked goods, and help us choose the best Pets for Haiti image! All proceeds benefit Doctors Without Borders.

    April 6; 6 - 8 p.m.

  • Mini Sessions

    We've scheduled three days of mini-sessions for 2010. These feature a clean, modern white background, a 20-minute portrait shoot with Kristen, and a private gallery of 10 images for online ordering. Mini portrait packages start at $250.


    March 27 --- July 17 --- October 23

  • Book your mini-session now - just $25!

  • BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT

    Forget school pictures from the big-box studios! Our Back to School event features fun props and a simple backdrop, resulting in images you won't dread buying. One day only! Your $65 fee includes 2 5x7's and 8 wallets of your favorite pose.

    September 11

  • Book your shoot, including a mini portrait package, for $65!

03-16-2010

BLACKBIRD FLY CAMERA REVIEW

Blackbird Fly camera, image copyright http://www.japantrends.com

My Blackbird, Fly 35mm toy camera is orange.  And you all know I’m a sucker for orange.  I received it as a gift a few months ago and haven’t yet blogged about how much I love it!

The twin reflex Blackbird, Fly allows me to shoot at waist level, maintaining eye contact with my subject or pretending to be fiddling with that orange contraption in my hands while firing away.  The camera’s use of 35mm film makes it easy to find photo processing services that ring in at less than $20 per roll, and the turnaround time for 35mm photo processing is typically less than twenty-four hours.  I can have my CD of Blackbird, Fly camera output back and blogged all impatient-like.

The camera is reasonably well-constructed; I have no doubt that if I drop this bad boy, it will stay together.  There’s no need for batteries — another bonus — and rewinding film is easy-peasy.  Loading the film is a bit of a beast, as it’s unlike the standard 35mm camera construction, so you’ll need your instruction manual.

The Blackbird, Fly retails for $119.99 USD.  Its use of 35mm film will quickly offset the expensive-for-a-toy-camera cost, and you WILL be stopped by strangers to ask about its unusual qualities and color.

These images were shot on the Blackbird, Fly inside Terrain at Styer’s.  If you haven’t yet visited this gorgeous local nursery, go!  Go now!

1/125 shutter speed, 400 ISO Kodak film. Soft greenhouse light from above.

The final images were shot on a visit to the Bamboo photography studio in Mt. Airy, Pennsylvania.

1/125 shutter speed, 400 ISO Kodak film. Outdoors with cloud cover.

The Blackbird is akin to a jaunt around town in a vintage convertible: fun, memorable, and retro all in one.  It’s worth it if you intend to shoot vertical 35mm images and want to indulge in the look of film without the heavy vignetting or unpredictable focus of other toy models like Diana or Holga.

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Karyn - gosh darnit woman. you’re making me spend all my birthday money already. I wants one!

03-15-2010

INSPIRED

When I took this picture, I was in San Diego about to attend a photography workshop.  I was nervous, excited, elated, and so happy to be by the sea.  These sea baubles had washed up and were literally glittering in the sun.  I was inspired.

That’s the way I feel after spending the past week in Las Vegas for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Convention, soaking up classes and meeting new friends.  I’m so happy to have met people I admire, people I adore, and artists who inspire me during my travels.

My travels will continue as I journey to New York City this week and to Phoenix next week, so phone and e-mail returning will take longer than usual.  I promise to share images and perhaps video along the way.  (Oh, and I bought a new film camera — for the reason, see the Totally Rad Actions blog entry about it.)

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03-06-2010

TRYING MY HAND AT VIDEO.

Photojojo was kind enough to provide me with a Zumi digital camera for review, and I played with it on a trip to New York City this week.  I spent the day capturing snippets of the city’s hustle and bustle in snippets of twenty seconds or less, then edited scads of tiny pieces of video and a few still frames into a little over a minute of ‘finished’ video.  Ever mindful of copyright laws and artist’s rights, I used Paulette Dixon’s Bite of the Sky for the video soundtrack.  I was with Paulette Dixon, exploring New York and flipping over her gorgeous loft whilst running around town while shooting this little diddy, so it seemed appropriate.

I’m saving my technical review of the Zumi Digital Camera for the Totally Rad Actions blog after WPPI, but the artistic aspects of this little video camera are outstanding.  The Zumi is ultra lightweight — about the size of a roll of old-school 110 film — and made me feel like a spy on a super video mission.

The Zumi’s macro function captures fabulous out-of-focus crowd scenes and lights when used improperly, which I love.  The slight vignetting also trips my trigger, and the old-school color shift the Zumi provides is delightful.  Any video camera capable of hitting me with a wave of artsy excitement is ok with me!  You can pick up a copy of the Zumi Digital Camera in the Photojojo store, where it retails for $170 USD. (I recommend adding the battery and MicroSD card for an additional $20.)

Wait, there’s more!  The Zumi camera can also capture stills!  I didn’t use this feature too terribly much, since I was in video capture stealth mode, but the ability to switch between ISO 100 and 800 will come in handy.  (Oh, for an iPhone camera function that would do the same thing.)

Since life as a family photographer means it’s Moms who read my blog: yes, the Zumi will survive unharmed if your three-year-old drops it.  Yes, it’s simple enough for your five-year-old.  (You can have your iPhone back.  You’re welcome.)  And yes, your seven-year-old can help you upload the videos to YouTube if you’re having trouble.

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ajira - Loved this video! Really fun to watch and the music was just perfect. Thanks!

03-02-2010

ALLENTOWN FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER sydney

Did you know that I’m happy to zoom up 476 from Wayne to be your Allentown family photographer?  That was the case with this shoot!  The fabulous Shoshana Gosselin of Designs by Shoshana has been working with Haunani and I to spiff up the loft this winter.  (Painting, shelf-installing, and rearranging our wall portraits for maximum impact have been weighing on our to-do lists for the past month.)  The loft is looking spiffier than ever before, thanks to her fab ideas!

Knowing how fun and stylish Shoshana is, I was super-excited to see her home and meet her family for this shoot in the Lehigh Valley.  The miserable temperatures kept us inside, but Shoshana’s style and Sydney’s giggle kept the images fresh.  (The gorgeous window light didn’t hurt, either.)

That super-awesome wall has been featured on Shoshana’s blog, and was created using a pizza box stencil.  Seriously. Check it out. If only I could convince Matt to get pizza tonight…and then to help me paint!

Sydney and I played games, sang songs, and had a tickle battle.  She shyly admitted to being proposed to last week, but the poor guy got turned down.  Such is the life of a popular Kindergartner…

Oh, and I totally should have taken a few pictures of the bedroom!  Shoshana uses crown molding and beachy textures to bring her master bedroom alive.  It’s stunning!

I’ll end with a darling little series of father-daughter portraits.  Dads are often shy about being included in our portrait shoot, but with some good old teasing, heckling, and piggyback-riding, all works out for the best.

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ajira - What shoshana said! For sure!

shoshana gosselin - You capture AMAZING moments Kristen!!!

03-01-2010

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SEASONS

Dear Summer,

Please come back and don’t ever leave me.  I will make you lemonade every day if you will play with me again.

Love,

Kristen

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Elaine Gates - i hear you! bring on the warm weather!

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