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

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!)

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 :)

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 :)

Hunter (6mos) & Delia... collage images

Well, Hunter is 7 months old now (what a GREAT age!), but here are a few glimpses of his 6 month pictures I took a few weeks ago (doesn't he look handsome in his tie!). I put them in a collage format, which is something I'm going to be offering more of in the near future. Prices are not nailed down yet, but something similar to this (long & skinny) would be available in a 5x15 or 10x20 print size. There are also some great long, thin canvas options that I will be making available for collages. If one picture is worth a thousand words, than think how many more words a collage is worth! :) Really though, I tend to shoot with the display of multiple images in mind (I love expressions and personality), so I think this will factor in well with my style.



I got some of him with big sister Delia as well. I thought I'd give these three images a try in one of my new holiday card designs! How useful is that... these can be used for just about anything. All of the holiday cards come with your custom wording, and of course I used a funkier font here, but something a bit more "pretty" is generally what suits the cards. This is a 5x7 design, as are most of the new holiday templates.


PS - Since I don't get to the blog as often as I'd like, I'm going to give you a sneak peak of some things to come... In addition to all of the new formats I have to offer now (the collages, canvases, baby annoucements, borders, etc.); and the updating of all of the galleries on my website (the HUGE project I got myself in to that will hopefully be finished soon, complete with a wedding and commercial photograhy section); and framing options I now have available (ask if you're interested, that flyer might not be ready as soon as I'd like); I am ALSO (drum roll....) designing my own line of modern little BABY BOOTIES!!! I am so excited about these little buggers! It all started when I decided the PERFECT BABY GIFT would be a newborn gift certificate attached to a pair of baby booties... and Voila! Some of you know I still design a line of jewelry (shannon tacheny collection) which used to include handbags. And while I did much of the sewing & production for those myself, this time around I've done the research, designing/sketches, and fabric choosing, and handed this project off to a seamstress for now to get me the first samples (I pick them up Thursday!). I've got the most adorable modern yet vintagey fabrics and I can't wait to post pictures for you all to see! Hopefully they'll be at least a few available at the boutique portion of my Halloween shoot, so perhaps you can see them then. All for now... have a great week everyone!

Christmas Photo Cards (& Baby Announcements)!!!

I am so excited about these new Christmas/Holiday and Newborn Templates that I just purchased! Up until this point I have been designing newborn or senior annoucements on a one-on-one basis and using only the holiday cards that my photo processor offered. I have had long time visions of designing my own line (including the resources, ideas, and know-how), but not the TIME!!! So when I saw these beautiful templates designed by two different, very talented designers, I jumped on the chance to add them to my offerings! (I am SO EXCITED in fact, that I decided to offer 10 free holiday cards to all of my Oct 13th outdoor shoot day clients! Details will be added to that post below).

The great thing about them is they are completely customizable. So if you like the concept of one but want to change the colors and text or layout, it can be done just to your specifications! Great as birthday invitations as well!

Here are some of the samples. Aren't they just adorable. Beautiful, modern, shabby chic. (A few of these I don't have, but there are some others not shown that I have too). Hopefully by the Oct 13th shoot I will have a full flyer to hand out at each shoot showing better examples of the designs and will be handing them out at shoots from then on.

HOLIDAY EXAMPLES (though some can double as baby annoucements and vice versa):


BABY EXAMPLES:



I will also be offering wall collages now as well - 16x20 or 10x20 sizes mostly. Something I've wanted to do for a long time but also haven't had the time to sit down and design the layouts for. Here's a few ideas of what those might look like:



I am currently in the process of completely updating all of my web galleries (thought it would be done by Friday, but I'm having to face that this is a MUCH bigger project than I planned!) and will have some of the wall templates with sample photos of mine directly on the new gallery.

(Side note, while the style is similar to mine, all of the examples here are straight from the designer, so the photo credits go to either them or whatever talented photographer they used photos from). :)

Details on the holiday cards:
-All of these new templates are 5x7 and will include white envelopes (though they could be printed as 4x5 if preferred)
-The same 4x8 holiday cards that I offered last year are also still available
-Flyer showing exact designs should be available sometime in Oct
-Pricing has actually gone DOWN from last year, as now I can offer quantity discounts. Prices will be as follows:

20 cards for $45 ($2.25ea)
40 cards for $70 ($1.75 ea)
60 cards for $85 ($1.42ea)
80 cards for $95 ($1.19ea)
100 cards for $115 ($1.15ea)
120 cards for $130 ($1.08ea)
150 cards for $150 ($1.00ea)

Complete text customizing (based on the space of your chosen design) included.
Color or layout changes depending on your needs - one time $10 fee.

FYI, Last day to shoot and get reprints in time for Christmas is Wed Dec 5th, though getting your session in by November will give you more time to decide on your order.

Merry Christmas Everyone! (These can't help but put me in the holiday mood). :)
-Shannon :)

PS - HS Seniors, do not despair! I have an awesome new line of Senior Annoucements available now as well! Modern, hip, urban. Samples will be up on the website shortly and I will eventually have a flyer of these as well.

Announcing a Fall Family OUTDOOR SHOOT DAY!!!

-Scheduled for Saturday October 13th, 2007-
-OUTDOORS at Como Park in Saint Paul-
(Only 9 slots available!!!)


Bring the family and get that
perfect outdoor picture!

Scheduled to coincide with peak autumn
colors (though one can never be sure). :)












This special all day shooting event offers you:
- a 45 minute outdoor session time
- an 8x10 print included
- an online gallery of your images for you to view and/or forward to friends and relatives
- a discounted session price of just $59 (for up to 6 people)
- NEW! 10 Free Holiday Cards to all Outdoor Shoot Day participants (these will be given as a bonus on top of any other cards you might order; no card order necessary to receive the 10 free).

While these sessions are intended for FAMILY PHOTOS, they are open for CHILDREN ONLY sessions as well. Shooting separate photos of kids together and/or individually is part of each family session.

Each relaxed session will include casual photos of your family playing / walking / cuddling as well as the more traditional family portrait with big smiles aimed at the camera.

Other details:
-For families of more than 6 people, please add $5 per person.
-In case of rain, clients will have the option of: 1) shooting indoors at their same day/time, 2) rescheduling for the next day Sunday Oct 14th, or 3) reschedling for a morning or afternoon slot during the following week, based on current availability.
-Payment is required in advance to reserve your spot and keep the day running smoother, and can be made by check or credit card.
-Slots will be booked on a first come first serve basis.

Time slots are as follows:

9:45am - confirmed, Nyberg
10:30am - confirmed, Dobrovolny
11:15am - reserved, Peters
-
12:45pm - confirmed, Wallace
1:30pm
2:15pm
3pm - confirmed, Such
-
4:15pm
5pm - confirmed, Fahning

Please contact me with your first, second, and third requested time slots. Email: stphotoanddesign@juno.com or visit www.stphotoanddesign.com for other contact details. Once payment is complete your spot will be confirmed. The week of the shoot, final directions and details will be emailed out. Online galleries will be ready to view approximately 10 days after the session.

Halloween Costume CONTEST!!! Free event!

How cute is your kid going to be in their Halloween Costume this year!?!? Adorable, I'm sure of it. I love seeing little ladybugs, brave spidermen, and beautiful princesses dance around the neighborhood each year.

(Delia and her friends in their costumes a couple years back. Note: we'll be using a white background for the upcoming event, not black).

To see as many cute little munchkins in their adorable little costumes as possible, I decided to offer a "Halloween Costume Contest!" (this is INSTEAD of the Halloween shoot day I had planned on earlier). And it's FREE!!!

You might see some of these posters floating around local coffee shops and such:


Here's the details as the poster might be hard to read at this size:
- Ages 10 & under allowed to enter.
- Get a free photo taken of your little one in their costume!
- TREAT BAGS for every child!
- Gourmet snacks and treats for moms & dads.
- Boutique items to browse & purchase.
- Prize entries for parents!

WHEN:
Two different days & four time slot options to come on over and show off your Halloween get-up:
A -Tues Oct 30th, 10am-noon - lots of availability
B -Tues Oct 30th, 12:30-2pm - lots of availability
C -Wed Oct 31st, 3-4:30pm - some availablity
D -Wed Oct 31st, 4:30-6pm - FULL
(updates are as of Sunday, Oct 28th)
REGISTRATION WILL BE TAKEN THROUGH Monday for Tues sessions, and through Tues for Wed sessions).

1) REGISTER:
Email me at stphotoanddesign@juno.com with your name, email, phone, and the number of kids you're bringing, plus YOUR CHOSEN TIME SLOT (A, B, C, or D). You will receive a confirmation email with directions the week of the event.
(There is a MAXIMUM number of kids allowed for each time range, so register early to get the one you want!)

2) Show up anytime during your time range. Allow for about 15+ minutes (possibility of additional wait time depending on when people arrive).

3) Kids get to goof off in the studio and get their photo taken (no fee, no purchase obligation, photos will be available to see in an online gallery).

4) Kids & moms/dads/friends hang out and enter to win great PRIZES, enjoy SNACKS & DRINKS, shop the "mini-boutique" of photo items and holiday gifts, and more!

I will choose three (3) cute little ones (finalists) to post on my blog, and then anyone and everyone will have one week to vote for the Halloween Costume Contest Winner! Winner will receive a $20 Target Gift Card, as well as a Fantastic Photo Frame, & Free 5x7 Print. (The three finalists will be chosen based on their costume AND their photo. Winner is responsible for picking up their prize. All 3 finalists will receive a free 5x7 print).

So sign 'em up, dress 'em up, and bring 'em on over!!! Can't wait to see all costumes. :) Email me to REGISTER!!!

FYI, if you're not familiar with my photography business, you can check out my main website at
http://www.stphotoanddesign.com. I am a contemporary photographer with a cozy little studio in the Como Park area.

Blog Oops!

Ok, so I will naively admit that I just realized that those of you who are signed up to "get my feed" - where the blog posting comes automatically to your email, rather than you actually going directly to my blog - are getting an un/pre-edited version of each of my postings! So I am sorry for the misspellings, strange photo order, or anything else that might look/seem a little off with each one (maybe you've been thinking I'M a little "off!")

The reason for this IS: when I create each posting, I tend to shoot down my ideas, upload the photos, etc. and then immediately "post" it so that I can see what it actually looks like, and then go back in and make 1, 2, or 5 different edits depending on what problems it's having (if you're at all familiar with blogging, you'll know that the "preview" option does not really allow you to get an idea for what the posting will actually look like, so I've found it more convenient to see the actual post before editing - particularly where photo placement is involved; they tend to overlap or be odd colors, or do all sorts of weird things).

So, OOPS! If you have been getting this "rough" version sent to your email, I apologize for my "faux pas." I'm really a little more meticulous than it may seem. :) If you don't believe me, click onto my actual blog (you might have to hit refresh) and check out the "refined" version of each posting. Or don't waste your time... I'm sure you have better things to do. :)

Cheers,
Shannon :)

Feed My Starving Children - fall photoshoot donations

Last year around Christmastime I had the honor of spending a day at a Feed My Starving Children location. FMSC is a very unique organization that has a very real answer to world hunger. We took part in packing up actual meals (think the perfect nutritional "instant rice mix") that get sent to real kids who are starving each and every day. We heard wonderful stories of malnurished children who had been nursed back to health through the food source of FMSC. And we heard some tragic stories too. Desparate mothers who felt it was better to abandon or "dispose" of their child rather than let that child face the painful reality of a slow death via starvation. It is hard for me to write even now.

Hunter is 6 months old now and pretty relaxed; but in his "early days" :) he was a hungry and demanding baby. Even on a well balanced schedule, being fed every 3 hours with solid naps in between, when he woke up from his nap he would scream at the top of his lungs, like he was facing death itself, until he got his bottle. Sometimes it was hard not to laugh at him, so intense and upset over something that took just 3 minutes to prepare.

But even with my good sense of humor over the crying uproar, it passed through my mind many a times the horrible heart-wrenching reality that many mothers across the world hear their child scream in hunger and have nothing to feed them. It was then that I decided to do a fall fundraiser for FMSC.

Fall is my busiest time of year by far. For each regular family/child shoot in Oct, Nov, and Dec, I will be donating $10 to FMSC. While I can and will continue to support groups like FMSC and World Vision on my own, I knew this would also be a good chance to raise awareness about FMSC and what they do.

So check out www.fmsc.org and learn more about how you can help them on your own. I'm hoping to volunteer again this fall, but I do know their food packing sessions fill up fast - it is such a unique and hands-on opportunity that many church and school groups book their times far in advance. But take your family if you can (they even do kids birthday parties!) - you will not regret it and your familiy (as well as one across the world) will benefit from the experience.

(note: these photos are from the FMSC website, and photo credits belong to the designated FMSC photographer who took them).

Need a Mortgage???

A few months back my hubbie started his own mortgage business, Neighborhood Lending, Inc., and I have been meaning to write about it ever since! Yours truly got the gig of designing his "creative identity" - logo, business cards, web layout, etc. Check out my handiwork at his website. (I should note that BWoods Design put up the web page for us, and she also does a great job with all of my behind-the-scenes "technical web stuff.)

So if you happen to be in need of refinancing, looking for lending for a new home, or perhaps adding a second mortgage, get in touch with Tim and see what he can do for you. He's been doing mortgages for eight years, so he's one sharp cookie! ;) But even more importantly, he's sincere, honest, and will look out for your best financial interests.

Tim is looking to transition into another type of job in the future (management? law school?), but he plans on hanging on to Neighborhood Lending either way, so keep him in mind. A little bonus is that this new business has allowed Tim to work from home for the past few months, so Delia, Hunter, and I have been enjoying his company. :)

My Sister's Married!!!

My younger sister Erin got married this past weekend "up north" in Crosslake, MN where my parent's have a cabin. She married David Olson, and while we haven't known him for long, we're happy to welcome him into the family!

The wedding went beautifully, the weather was great, and despite the fact that I was not the photographer (rather a bridesmaid) I managed to take over 400 pictures. Don't ask how... I just can't help myself! Here are a few of my favorites, and a funny one or two as well. (And I'll throw in a couple engagement pix that I took just 3 months before - yes, they planned their wedding in just 3 months - an incredible accomplishment). :)























While not your typical lighting, I thought this photo came off as rather striking.






One of the few photos of me; pinning my sister's dress up so she won't trip.















An especially gorgeous picture of my two other sisters. :)


The reception was held at this location, the White Fish Lodge & Suites in Crosslake. We had the pleasure of staying there for two nights; the hotel is very unique - it has a high-end, up-north feel. (Delia didn't want to leave after spending two nights on the top bunk of her log bed, watching TV in the corner of "her own" room).




























While we couldn't actually get a good picture of my own family, we did manage to get this cute one of Delia & Hunter with their "Bapa & Mimi" - my parents.


Delia and two of her beautiful aunties.


My sleepy little flower girl (but she came through when it came to walking down the aisle!)


















She had these beautiful birch bark candles all over the reception... elegant but rustic.




Hunter "and guest." 6 months old now! Flirting at the reception with a "slightly older babe" - the daughter of my friend Jennie - in his sophisticated get-up.
















Erin & David's engagement pix - we took these back in May. Engaged over Memorial Day Weekend, married Labor Day Weekend!

Nora - 9mos old

Little Nora (9mos old) is one of my favorite babies to shoot. And how could she not be, with those giant beautiful eyes of hers! Plus in every session with her, there's one photos where she looks like she's got it all figured out... this first one is the one.