Archive for 'hints & tips'
See those smiling faces? That’s my Granny & Papa when we were celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. 65 years. Woah. That’s some love there.
My favorite thing about the celebration? Other than the hugs, laughter, and Granny’s homemade coconut cake, of course. The photos.
Granny brought out all kinds of photos from their 65 years together. We’re not just taking bad mullets here, this collection had everything. Including the poor hair and outfit choices my mother made for me. Thanks, mom. Really. Thanks.
What was really cool about this was that we got to pick up and hold these prints in our hands. They appreciated in value from the time they were printed until now. They became heirlooms. Precious items to our family.
All of my weddings come with the edited digital negatives and I always urge my couples to go ahead and make prints. Why?
Because accidents happen. That flash drive can quickly become a teething toy for the baby (whoops!). And no matter how many times you back up your photos, DVDS only last so long and harddrives fail after a few years.
Because technology changes. How many of us have a huge stack of video tapes but no VCR? Guilty! On the other hand, quality archival prints purchased through a professional photographer or from a print company like Mpix.com can last 100-200 years when stored properly (avoid direct sunlight).
But mostly because we don’t live on Facebook.
Take that in for a second. Social media is important for most of us. It’s how we connect with our friends and family, especially the ones who live far away. Shout out to my friends in England, the Netherlands, Germany, Kuwait, Australia, and China! It’s important for all those friends and family to see photos of us (and it’s fun too).
But, I love looking around my home and being reminded of great moments by seeing these printed photos. And the conversations when you take out your parents wedding album are wonderful and hilarious. And I know I’ll always have these (ok, realistically as long as there is no natural disaster or flood).
So go ahead, make prints for you to enjoy your whole life through! Your great-great-great grandchildren getting to see them is a perk too. Just for kicks and giggles, here’s a quick cell phone photo of me with a photo my Great Aunt Peggy brought down from NY of me with her and my grandmother’s dog waaay back when I was 4. Who would have known I was quite the cutie?
I’ve had a little something in the works for a while now. I’m pleased to announce my newest addition: a portrait pricing guide! Have questions about pricing or looking for some awesome tips? Those babies are all in here. So check it out on my lifestyle portrait link or download it directly by clicking here. Can’t wait to see you on the other side of my camera!
I absolutely love it when people leave happy reviews on my FB Fan Page. Wanna make my day? Pop over there and leave some kind words and a whole slew of stars. One of my brides, Catherine, left these words of praise: “Ansley is an incredibly talented photographer. She’s done my engagement and wedding photos, which have all come out beautifully. She’s very personable and easy to work with. She also has a knack for making everyone feel comfortable when being photographed.”
Bob & Catherine and I met years back through a fellow photographer over a sushi dinner. It was my first time having sushi. Now I brave white tuna and eel with the best of ’em! But back to the love birds.
When we started talking about their engagement session we brainstormed on their favorite places. Anyone can take their clients to abandoned locations (wait, is that just me?), but their favorite place is Disney World. And, it’s a small world after all, cause I love that place too! Map? Who needs a map? Just drop me somewhere on Disney Property that isn’t a swamp and I’ll find my way to Splash Mountain.
For our first adventure, we spent 3 whole days at Disney. It was absolutely a blast! Let’s see if you can name all these locations!
Epcot has absolutely slews of unique locations for portraits.
Remember when Catherine said I have a knack for making people comfortable?
This is exactly what she was talking about! 🙂
Click here to explore the rest of their engagement session.
Bob & Catherine ended up moving to the Orlando area for work. Which means their annual passes came even more in handy! They decided to celebrate their marriage in Orlando’s trendy CityArts Factory.
Bob has custom chucks made for him and his groomsmen. Under their license just happened to be their unique ceremony.
Yes, that says “zombies”
Catherine’s dress was short and gold! Exceptionally fun!
Their celebration, vows, and hand-fasting ceremony took place on stage where they were surrounded by a semi-circle of friends and family members.
Downstairs they had a glass-blowing demonstration during the cocktail hour.
Never have I ever seen something so interesting and unique at a wedding!
And to top it all off, there were some epic rounds of RockBand!
Please note: groupies are not provided by Ansley and must be your own adoring fans.
Click here to explore the rest of their wedding celebration.
Bob & Catherine, thank you for leaving such wonderful words about me and letting me share your beautiful (and fun!) wedding.
Above from left to right: 8x10 inch aluminum metal print, 16x20 inch ChromaLux display, and 11x14 inch gallery wrapped canvas samples.
Ansley Studio has always worked to ensure the fine art portraits we produce will last beyond our lifetime. We’ve also worked to be the best green business we can. Owner & Master Photographer Ansley Simmons uses digital media to cut down on chemical use, only purchases rechargeable batteries for our equipment, uses electronic delivery for proofing images as well as online marketing, reduces paper waste by reading online, and encourages our clients to only print the photos they want to display – all traditions started on day one in 2006.
Today, we’re joining forces with a print company in California to offer eco-friendly specialty products. Now when you order a gallery wrapped canvas of you and your sweetheart, a ChromaLux display of your favorite wedding image, or an aluminum metal print of your funky teen, you can proudly say it was produced under the greenest conditions currently offered. Our wood comes from USA reforestable farms, we never use OBA (or bleached) canvas, and our coatings are non-solvent and biodegradable.
When Ansley says our products are museum quality, archival, and made to last around 100 years, she means it! Want to see the phenomenal quality for yourself? Request to see the samples at your next ordering session. Visit AnsleyStudio.com for more info and call 229/224-6021 to chat about your on-location, natural light portrait session.