2009 January | ESSENTIAL IMAGERY, Philadelphia photographer

You'd love to have a family portrait session that fully captures who you are, how you connect, and how much affection surfaces when all the members of your family are present within the camera frame.

We're happy to capture your family in our studio, complete with gorgeous light and minimal distractions, or in your comfy-cozy home full of familiar toys and routines. No matter where our session takes place, we'll delight in your delight. And we'll encourage you to pay attention to one another instead of the camera, because there's no 'add happy' button in Photoshop.

We don't care whether you're barefoot or wearing fuzzy slippers, and we won't be sending over a twenty-page list of suggestions about what to wear. (We can make you look beautiful in sweat pants if you love each other.) We just want to capture your family. Your habits, your quirks, and your love. And when you view the images we've created together for the first time, we want the depth of love you feel for your family to grab you by the collar and bring tears to your eyes.

The video below provides a peek at how portrait sessions unfold. If you have questions or would like to schedule a portrait session, click on the 'Contact' link above or call 215-206-3689. Oh -- and thanks for stopping by, lovely!

-- Kristen & Haunani, Essential Imagery owners

P.S. That's Kristen up in the header -- Haunani is camera-shy.

Monthly Archives: January 2009

DARWIN 1, KRISTEN 0.

If I hadn’t been born in the twentieth century, I would have been wolf-meat by now. Seriously — I’m the blind animal that gets left behind when the rest of the herd runs from the predator — because I can’t see more than six inches in front of me without glasses.

This is normally not a problem — I have contacts, and glasses as backup. Only sometimes, the new glasses & contacts are on their way, leaving me without backup, and some beauty product that weighs approximately two ounces falls on my glasses in a feat of physics that snaps my glasses in half, rendering me, for all intents and purposes, BLIND.

I called Matt from work, begged him to come home and help me, and this is the result:

Yah. But you know what, lemons? Now I can cover my glasses in black and gold electrical tape, and people will think I am an *even better* Steelers fan. Oh yah, I’m makin’ lemonade!

(Also, when Matt steals my iPhone, I should pose, instead of continuing to beg him to put the phone down…)

Posted in Philadelphia children's photography

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ICE, ICE BABY

It was a bit icy in the Philadelphia area yesterday. And by a bit, I mean there were accidents on every major highway in the region, and the meteorologists had that gleam in their eye that only happens when a big storm hits.

I used the storm as the perfect excuse for a day off to hang with the MattMatt and to do some shooting just for me. As long as you weren’t driving, it was gorgeous weather!

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SUPERBOWL!

If you grow up in Pittsburgh, or near it, you’re a Steelers fan. And since I am no exception to this rule — I’ll be rooting for the Steelers, come February 1st. If you’re from Arizona, I feel sorry for you, really. No, seriously, I’m boo-hooing over here for how much it’s going to hurt when we tromp all over you.

I joined the facebook group ‘2/3 of the world is covered by water…the rest is covered by Troy Polamalu,’ and you should too. [image from newyorktimes.com. I wish I had been close enough to grab this image.]

I’ll also be bringing a *snazzy* side dish to the par-tay, and it will actually make me look like I can cook. What is it? Where can I get the *best* *appetizer* *ever,* you ask? Why, you would get it from Homecooked, in Paoli! Call Claire, the owner/menu-meister/genius behind the biz, and ask for the buffalo chicken dip. Or click here to order. Or just drive on over to Paoli and pick some up.

If you’re diggin’ it, pick up some other meals. Homecooked provides tasty meals that are fresh-frozen, so you can get the credit for ‘em when you take them home, bake ‘em, and serve ‘em up to your kids and kittens. In lieu of the options for feeding your family that are awful — fast food, crazy-salted frozen goods, and good ol’ hot dogs — try out Homecooked. And go Steelers!

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ON TO PHASE THREE…

There are three phases each couple must go through before they consider having children. This is the way of things. My Mom says so.

Phase one: plant. Check. Matt and I got a cactus for our wedding, and (we think) it’s still alive. It’s hard to tell whether a cactus is dead or not.

Phase two: cat, or cats. Check, and check. They’re still alive and kickin’ — Big Kitty and Little Kitty. Ok, you know what? YOU have one cat that weighs six pounds, and one that weighs sixTEEN pounds, and try sticking to real names.

Phase three: puppy. Matt dragged me into the pet store at the mall last week (yah, they still have ‘em), and I ran around and EEPed like a four-year-old. At which point he dragged me back out, with much protesting and whining. Again, like a four-year-old. They have puppies smaller than Little Kitty! Triple EEP!

Come on, tantrum with me now: I! WANT! A! PUPPY!

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SERVED-UP-FRESH.COM

Tomorrow, we launch Easy As Pie, which offers common-sense pricing strategies for the modern photographer. The lovely & talented Alicia Caine asked me to help her with this project, and it is nothing short of rocktastic. Seriously!

If you’re unsure about how to create a pricing structure that works for your business, how to determine your costs, how to create portrait collections, how to raise prices, and/or how to free yourself to be the best businessowner you can be — grab it!

If you need help with a business plan, do not buy it. Likewise, if you’re looking for a get-rich-quick shortcut, don’t fork over your pennies. The PDF download only addresses pricing. I repeat: common-sense pricing strategies for the modern portrait photographer. We don’t mention weddings, or mitzvahs, or your cousin’s birthday party, though what you learn will most likely translate to these arenas. Got it?

Good. The introductory price for this badboy is $129, and you can also snag a year’s worth of blog access for an additional $49. Blog access is where Alicia and I answer those business questions that kiiiiinda fall into the pricing category, but you’re also just being nosy about. :)

Seriously, people, that first sale that’s 2 or 3 or 4 or even 5 times what you’re used to making will justify buying the PDF *and* that last lunch run to Chipotle.

If you want to snag a *special* deal, enter essentialblogROCKS at checkout, and you’ll get $15 off the PDF + blog combo. If you join our facebook group, you’ll get an *even better* way to rock the checkout. ;)

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