Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Where to find us now...

This blog has long been moved! Find Shannon's current photography work at:

www.featherbluestudios.com

and

www.featherblue.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Feather Blue Studios
{modern portrait art ~ St Paul, MN}

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Jillian & Erica - Senior Pictures

I had the pleasure of doing Senior Pictures for these two beautiful girls. Thought I'd share... Have a great senior year Jillian & Erica!











Friday, July 11, 2008

Twin Cities Kids Directory COVER PHOTO!

Cute, huh? :) In coalition with our Model Integrity division, the Twin Cities Kids Directory came on board as an event partner for our April 2008 Open Model Call event, designed to educate and give opportunities to aspiring models! Here's the result of the shoot with our two winning models in the 6-12 age group... Don't forget to check out some of our other child model winners at our Model Integrity blog.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Welcome Summer

Hello All! Summer is here and I think all Minnesotans are VERY glad about that. Lucky me, I got to shoot a beautiful wedding this past Saturday and then was still able to spend the next beautiful day lounging with my family. The sunshine and warmth were much appreciated.

While the lack of blog postings (guilty as usual) :) may imply that nothing is going on, in truth it seems everything is going on!!!!

Such as:
-Studio shopping (a definite possiblity on Grand Ave has emerged - no final decision yet - August may be moving month)
-Wedding season (photographing weddings of course, as well as dress shopping with my lovely sister who just got engaged on a trip to Italy, lucky girl) :)
-Website creating (a wonderfully new modern & luxurious Feather Blue website is in the works!)
-Fashion shooting (lots of shoots with the winners from our April Model Integrity event)
-And of course my fabulous portrait clients: babies, kids, a few families, and yes it's time for hs seniors again.
-Oh, and my two kiddos keep me busy as well (in photos and in life). :) Delia had her official last day of preschool today and I am feeling quite sentimental about it. Could I really have a Kindergartender?? Could I possibly have taken enough pictures of her over the last five years??? :) Hunter is 15 months going on 5 and while he isn't quite walking yet, plays with his sister like a pro. I am SO BLESSED.

Enough with words. Since it's been forever, I am going to post some random images here with no rhyme or reason to who or why or when. A tiny tasting of projects from the last few months. Just people and art and loads of fun...

(NOTE SINCE PUBLISHING: for whatever reason, the colors of some of the images in this particular posting appear to be off; and while computer screens do vary, my apologies to those of you whom see these as faded with a slight greenish-yellowish tint. That is not how they look in real life! And while that might not matter to anyone else, it is crucial as a photographer, so worth noting. :) You'll have to trust me that the colors are rich and vibrant in person, ;) and I'll try to figure out why the blog is converting them that way).

Some recent baby annoucements (with adorable babies of course):



An engagement session with my very own Intern from this past Spring, Autumn, and her fiancee Todd. Congrats Autumn!












A family session with one of my current "elite petite" babies:






And my very own munchkins (these happen to be their modeling comp cards). Hunter at about One Year old (his hair is even bushier in real life) :) and Delia at Five.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

New Studio Name!!!



Well, it's final! The new studio name is Feather Blue Studios
{modern photography by Shannon Tacheny}.
Feel free to click on www.featherbluestudios.com to see the very tiny beginning of our new site. The old website, www.stphotoanddesign.com, will remain up for now, and even once we have the new site ready, we'll link the old to the new. Please do forgive that much of the old site (particularly the galleries) are outdated and be patient with us as we get the new site up. We promise it will be worth the wait! ;)

I'm sure this month will come with a bit of transition between the two names, so try not to be too confused as you see both names in different places... :) There are still a lot of updates to be made.

In other news, we've launched our Model Integrity site, and are looking forward to that exciting Open Model Call event coming up Sunday April 27th, in Minneapolis! You can check out all the details at www.modelintegrity.com.

Have a great week all!
Shannon :)

Friday, March 14, 2008

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" you ask?

Has it really been a month since I last blogged? After being sick for about three weeks, it has been a crazy couple of weeks trying to catch up, but I am taking a very quick break to give you a little update on "what's going on" here!

- The STUDIO NAME CHANGE is in the works and the new name could be annouced as early as next week!!! I have a brand new graphic design intern/project assistant, Britta, who is taking on the new logo and website look (with probably more input from me than she would like) :) and once the logo is done and the paperwork is complete, we will make the big annoucement!

-We are busily working on a super exciting brand new event for the Twin Cities, from a new division of the studio, called MODEL INTEGRITY. This OPEN MODEL CALL event will be a chance for models of all ages (kids, teens, adults) to come enter to win a photoshoot or modeling experience and also get a FREE INFO SESSION with upfront HONEST INFO on how to break into the Twin Cities modeling market. The event is set to take place Sunday April 27th at a large Mpls hotel. We are currently looking for event sponsors, so if you know anyone in fashion/beauty/kids/health/etc that might want to jump on board with us, send them my way! We have full sponsorship packets available. The MODEL INTEGRITY WEBSITE should be launching hopefully by the end of next week and will have all the details for attendees. Check out our stylish new logo...


-Finally I wanted to share a pic of me and my first intern, Autumn, who has been handling much of my event planning and public relations responsibilities for the past month or so. She is cheerful and hardworking and has been nothing but a joy to meet with. (Of course she's tenatively on a trip out of the country, but everyone needs a break now and then.) :) Here we are on one of my new fabric backgrounds...

-I am still looking for commercial STUDIO SPACE, preferably on Grand or Selby Ave in one of my favorite St Paul neighborhoods, but will probably hold off until after this Model Integrity event (in order to keep my sanity). Perhaps by mid summer we will be opening a new storefront space, with a "boutiqe studio" - lots of photos and fun with a little bit of art and fashion sprinkled in.

That's about it from here... never any shortage of plans and ideas! Have a great weekend, and look for new news soon!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

My new Fabric Backgrounds!

I'm so excited to finally have a chance to post these images of my new fabric backgrounds! Luxurious and chic, these add a great eclectic aspect to any portrait. I'm excited to say I've already had the chance to use them for some clients. (These pix also are a great chance to get some ideas on how to dress your children... a commonly asked question). :) Thanks so much to my little models - you were all wonderful.

And now I will let the images speak for themsleves...


















Thursday, January 31, 2008

Ideas/Changes/Updates!

Well, it is already the end of the month, and while I have vowed to blog more often (once a week perhaps?) I have not been doing a very good job.

On the one hand, there is nothing much going on right now... this is always the "slow" season for photographer's; post-Christmas no one wants their picture taken for a good long time. :) So I am only doing limited client shoots right now.

On the other hand, there is A TON going on! Photographers use their "slow" season to make changes for the new year, and I am sure I am making more than most! I am at such a point of mixed emotion, and mixed excitement, and mixed changes right now. I can hardly seem to focus with so many new projects on my plate.

I'll try to keep it short and sweet (though I probably won't do a very good job of it)... :)

First of all, as all of my wonderful clients know (per the letter I sent out earlier this month), I am finalizing my price changes. (Oh the glories of accounting for time and expenses). :) At the risk of divulging too much information, but with the desire to remain transparent and human, I confess this indeed makes me sad. The thought of moving into a new price range and potentially losing some of the clients I have grown to love is not a happy thought. But, to move into a more pleasant (& business-friendly) :) thought, the quality, style, service, & experience that you will be getting with my 2008 pricing will truly be an incredible value, well worth the investment, and hopefully an experience/product that is different from anything else you can find - I have so many exciting new things to offer! All of these new things will be made available as time goes on, but hopefully in six months my vision will be complete. (Fyi, while the webpage won't have the final pricing up for another week or so, current clients will be getting an email very shortly with the new price list).

Secondly, the biggest news of all, is that I will probably be making a business name change (which will come with a new website). (Again this makes me a bit sad - the nostalgic loss of Shannon Tacheny Photography & Design). But really I am very excited about this! It's going to commemorate the new image, style, artistic vision, and experience that I want to create for my clients (though don't ask me what that name is exactly yet!). :) In the photography world, I intend on opening what is known as a "boutique studio." It will be a little bit art, a little bit shopping, a lot of pictures, and a whole lot of fun! I have always been drawn to the unique, the boutiquey, the one-of-a-kind, the art fairs - why shouldn't I take my business in that direction too! A unique style & experience in photography, and unique product all around. Modern, shabby chic, memorable, fresh yet vintage... everything that makes the quaint St Paul homes & neighborhoods what I love! In a way, I will be closing down one business and making way for a new one. (But don't worry - it will still be me!) :)

With this name change, comes potential for the new studio I mentioned in my letter. I am hoping to find rental space on or near Grand Ave or Selby Ave - such adorable and unique shopping districts in St Paul. But I am trying not to rush this decision. I really need to find the right space, and will make due with what I have for the time being, though moving in the next 3-6 months would be ideal.

On a different note, I am happy to announce that I now have a couple of interns/assistants working for me - Autumn (my public relations and event planning intern) and Aeysha (my marketing coordinator and spokesmodel). (I will have to make them get their pictures taken and post them). They are primarily helping me launch a BRAND NEW EVENT that will take place in April (if all goes well!) that will be an extension of my model consulting & fashion photography. These "Model Integrity" events will help models of all ages gain honest information on how to pursue the modeling industry and avoid the scams that are so prevalent, while also giving them the opportunity to win modeling jobs with local businesses! Much more on this to follow. We will have a whole model integrity website up in a month or so.

And since I wouldn't want to leave out the HS Seniors in the mix, I will let you know we have lots of new exciting features coming for you as well. Cool graduation announcements, fun shoot themes (think urban outdoors & lush studio looks), and exciting new packages such as coffee table style albums & DVD slideshows (both of which will be made available for my children/family clients as well).

The new galleries should be up on the website in a week or two, and I think you will be amazed at the quality and style of my images since the last update (which was like two years ago). This new gallery system will allow me to update them on my own, thus giving you more glimpses into my new work.

Today I am doing a test shoot on some new fabric backgrounds with some fun furniture pieces (trying to keep things fresh and new!) and I will try to post those in the next week for you all to see.

Well, I didn't succeed on being short :) but I did succeed in giving you a glimpse into the new direction I'm heading. Sometimes I forget that you can't read my mind and actually need me to TELL you what's going on. :)

Cheers all!
Shannon :)

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Back from my photography conference!

Well, I'm home again after just spending 5 days in Tampa, FL at the Imaging USA photography conference, put on by PPA (Professional Photogarpher's of America) of which I just became a member. There were... drum roll.... 7,000 photographer's there. Unbelieveable. I totally missed my kids (who my hubbie so kindly watched for 5 whole days), but it was worth it. This was exactly the inspiration I needed after feeling a bit stressed out over my workload the past few months.

Here are some cheesy pix of me, and one of my roommates Barbara (who I just met when I got there!) in front of Tampa Bay, which was right next to the convention center. (Please excuse the photo quality, as I only had a lowely point & shoot with me at the time). :)



The conference (which was mostly educational seminars, as well as a giant trade show) was INCREDIBLE!!! (For those of you that think I sat by the pool, guess again... :) I was up at 6am every day, which is incredible for someone who is "not a morning person" and each day was packed with information; but I LOVED every minute of it!) I have come back with SO MANY new ideas that I am hoping to implement over the next year. I am trying to be realistic and remind myself that I cannot change everything in 3 months, so I think I am going to write out a two year plan to create the business that I have in my head. :) You are all really in for a treat if I ever get to the end point. :)

First of all, my website needs a huge overhaul, as I'm embarresed to admit that the galleries have not been updated in way too long. But that is in the works and at least the galleries should be updated by the end of this month, and then hopefully some other factors will soon follow. My 2008 pricing should be listed shortly as well, and hopefully some new product lines.

I found the coolest framing company that I know all of you guys (my clients) are going to love. I just fell in love with the style - it's shabby chic, which works perfectly with my simple, yet modern style of photography, and I know is a favorite amongst many of the older homes that have been remodeled here in St Paul. The company is called Wild Sorbet, and you can check her out at www.wildsorbet.com to see more samples - they only sell to photographer's though, so look for samples I'll have in the studio soon! I orderd a pack! (This will go along with the standard line of custom framing that I'm offering now as well). Here's a couple pix from Wild Sorbet:






I also bought quite a few "digital" items that are going to really give my images a killer kick to them! While all prints in the coming year will include basic retouching, I am thinking of offering two lines or print pricing to accomodate the more standard print, and the art print, as there are so many unique artistic effects I can now create with some extra time and a creative eye. My goal really is to offer the best and the most different products that are out there, and that's something I'm going to strive to do more and more.

Well, I could go on and on, but I will spare you all. :) I am making it one of my New Year's resolutions to update my blog more often so you all can get a better taste of my work and my business as I continue to create images for you and help them compliement your home and your life. Wish me luck. :)

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Friday, December 21, 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I am so very, very behind on my blog postings, as there are many recent shoots and ideas I have to share... But alas, as I surely will not get caught up before the New Year, I want to take this chance to say MERRY CHRISTMAS. I wish you holiday blessings as you and your loved ones celebrate this precious time of year.
-Shannon

Monday, December 10, 2007

Halloween winner

Well, I'm way behind on updating this, but I wanted to officially annouce that we had a winner of course to our halloween costume contest... it was Luccus dressed as Flash! Congrats to Luccus and his family.


Thought it would be fun to post just a few of the adorable collages that resulted from some of our Halloween cuties...





(They decided to use their Halloween pix as a Christmas card!)

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Halloween Costume Contest FINALISTS - Vote for your Favorite!

Well, we've finally done it... narrowed it down to three very cute little finalists for you to vote on!

The Costume Contest was a blast and it was a great fun to see all the dressed-up kiddos. With the help of five others (and I truly needed their help), I narrowed it down to these three as our finalists (it was definitely not easy). Based 50% on their costume, and 50% on the resulting photo, here they are:


Please VOTE below for YOUR FAVORITE costume/photo!!! The voting will be open for just one week - until Thurs Nov 15th just shy of midnight. Only one vote per person! The final winner will receive a $20 Gift Card to Target, a 5x7 print, and a specialty photo frame. All three finalists will get free 5x7s. Congrats to these three and THANK YOU EVERYONE for participating!



Parents, family members, and friends can view the whole gallery & order prints by clicking here:
Online Halloween Gallery.
(please note, all computer screens vary, and while online images may look dark or faded, all final prints are of the highest professional quality and will appear sharper and brighter). You can also always get to the gallery by going to my website, clicking on the "client" section, and then on "public galleries" which will lead you to a list that includes the Halloween Costume Contest gallery.

In addition to basic print packages for this Halloween gallery, we are proud to be offering two exclusive specialty collage styles, "Crisp White" and "Vintage Orange," both original designs by Shannon Tacheny Photography & Design. These can include one to four images on each (though they are best suited for two or three), and are both available in print sizes of 5x7 or 8x10, with the vintage orange also being offered in scrapbook-ready sizes of 8x8 or 10x10 (also great unique wall hanging size). The photo placement may vary based on the number of images you choose, and whether they are vertical or horizontal, but the basic look will remain the same. The top line of words is completely customizable, so you can include the costume names, or your own line like "Hunter's first Halloween" or "Our Little Pumpkin." "Halloween 2007" will remain on the bottom.

Samples (using my two little costume-kids) :) are shown below:

CRISP WHITE (style for 5x7 & 8x10):



VINTAGE ORANGE (style for 5x7 & 8x10):



VINTAGE ORANGE (style for 8x8 or 10x10):


Feel free to contact me with any questions as always.
-Shannon :)

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Baby Booties!



Well, I am taking a break from my exhausting workload right now (it has been a VERY busy couple of weeks and I am not sure I have been to bed before 2am more than once or twice in the past two weeks!) :) to post some photos of the BABY BOOTIES from my new line! (I think I am going to call the new baby line "Paisley Pie").

Yes, I designed these little buggers (soon to be joined by baby bibs perhaps?) and look forward to making them available at the Halloween Costume Contest (which will have a little boutique section) as well as at the trusty Chickadee Boutique (which is a great eclectic mix of all sorts of arts, crafts, gifts, etc. located in a cozy cottage in Shoreview MN) where my jewelry (and some handbags, cards, and other items I whip up) are shown/sold each winter & spring. Check out details & directions for the Chickadee here. (Perhaps eventually I'll also dip into a few other retails shops and such, but I don't have the time to take on any of that right now!) :)

My bootie designs consist of 15 different modern patterns for boys & girls (I agonized to get it down to that many!), each featuring a quilted sole, elastic so that "yes-they-actually-stay-on" unlike most baby socks/shoes, and another funky pattern on the inside. Right now they are available in two sizes: 0-6m & 6-12m, but possibly in the future a 12-18m size will be added (though right now they don't have non-skid soles, so they're more like slippers for older/walking babies rather than shoes). They are washable and all or almost all of the fabrics are 100% cotton (flannel or light-weight cotton).

While I have designed jewelry and handbags in the past and still have a line of jewelry on the side (shannon tacheny collection), these booties were actually born out of an idea for my photography business. The main purpose for them is that they will be sold as a combo with Newborn (0-6week old) photo session gift certificates. How PERFECT of a gift is that! And great to pick up last minute if you're heading to a shower and don't have a gift yet. (Oooh, and then the adorable little newborn can come to me and get their photo taken with thier new booties on! I can't wait!)

Well, enough talk already. Here are more images of my test-samples. I will be receving my first large order in about two weeks (handmade by a lovely production seamstress, as I am far too busy to sew) so all the varieties will be available soon! (Register your kiddos for the costume contest and come see them then!)

Let me know what you think! (I believe you can add your comments below).

Cheers,
Shannon :)