Artists Needed!

(This is a postcard advertising last years' event - this year the art fair will be August 11th)).

Hey All!

I am looking for ARTISTS, CRAFTERS, & DESIGNERS to particiapte in SummerFest 2007, an Art & Craft Fair (in coalition with a children's carnival) that my church hosts each year. I am the Art Fair Coordinator for this exciting event, now in it's 3rd year, and we are always looking for new creative people to apply! If you are interested, or you KNOW SOMEONE who might be, please read on...

SummerFest is a lovely one-day (10am-4pm) outdoor event with a reasonable entry fee of just $25 (+ a $5 jury fee) for a 10' x 10' outdoor space. This year it will be on Saturday, August 11th, and is held on the grassy lawn of River of Life Church in the beautiful suburb of Shoreview, MN.

The event is lightly juried to keep the quality up and multiples of artists in the same category down. We are looking for ORIGINAL handmade and/or originally designed product from artists & crafters of all styles.

We have a multi-faceted marketing campaign, including professional signage, ads in local Shoreview papers and the Twin Cities Kids Directory (see it in July!), a door to door drop, and a direct mailing to art & craft buyers, amongst other things.

This art fair and children’s carnival event is free to those who attend, and includes live entertainment, free snacks, a $1 lunch, kids games, and more! (So save the date and bring the kids!)

THE DEADLINE: We need applications in by JUNE 30th! (Some late entries may be accepted if we do not fill all the categories, so if you end up reading this in July, please shoot me an email).

Please click HERE to pull up a pdf of the artist "fact sheet" and an application. If you have any questions, you are welcome to email me at stcollection@juno.com or Debbie at info@findtheriver.net.

Thanks! We look forward to hearing from you!

Introducing: The new "elite petite" baby program!!!

I'm excited to announce my new baby program, designed for the 3-6-9-12 month stages!

The "elite petite" baby program (thanks to all my friends and family who voted on the name - it won by a landslide!) will offer parents of new little ones the opportunity to get 4 sessions in one year at a discounted rate, in addition to elite freebies (such as the onesie pictured - available in blue or pink), free prints, and special discounts.

Please click HERE to see the ever-adorable pdf flyer that will give you all of the exciting details! (which can also be found on my website)

SPECIAL OFFER: Give your friend of family member the gift of photos for a whole year! $20 off any "elite petite" gift certificate or membership purchased in June or July 2007; regular price of $215, sale price of $195! Perfect as a group gift for an upcoming baby shower. :)

Please call or email if you have questions: stphotoanddesign@juno.com, 651.489.8281.

PS - If you have current "baby plan" coupons from the former program, they are still valid through your expiration date (through your child's one year session).

Coming Soon... Custom Framing options!

The search for Custom Framing...

I have been looking to offer some framing options, particularly a custom collage type frame with 4 openings to display a baby's 3-6-9-12 month pictures. This seems to be impossible to find in your basic retail store, so I did some investigating and found a custom framer who can do this at a reasonable price - it will be directly through me, so need to make an extra stop!

Thanks to those of you who voted as I was considering the best possible style! Over 75% of you would prefer a black wood frame with 4 4x6 openings, so that will probably become the "standard" which I can buy in multiples and will be available at a slightly better price. For those of you who have a different preference, other sizes and moulding will be available, for a slight upgrade.

High-quality custom framing is never cheap but I should be able to offer it at a reasonable price (probably the $75-$95 range - yet to be finalized) compared to purchasing it at a custom frame shop on your own. The quality is significantly better than what you would buy retail (though nothing like this seems to exist anyway), as the frames will be actual wood and the double mattings are acid-free archival quality (most retail frames are just plain old paper that will not effect your photos well in the long run and many "wood" frames are actually pressed saw-dust).

I will also be offering a line of assymetrically-matted frames for larger prints, for those of you that want a modern look like me. Samples of both these will be in the studio in the next 4-6 weeks, and once they are I will put images up on the blog!

Recent Shoot - Taly

Earlier this month I had the honor of doing a photo session with Taly, who is the newly adopted daughter of my friend (and former boss) Deirdre. Taly is 5 years old and came home with Deirdre from Ecuador in February. Deirdre also brought back this beautiful outfit - traditional dress of Ecuador - for Taly to wear in the shoot. Taly is a fun, active, happy little girl who will be keeping Deirdre very busy! :) We look forward to seeing more of her, as she is very close in age to my daughter. Here are a couple of my favorite pix from the shoot.




Fyi, Deirdre is an artist who owns her own jewelry design business, Deirdre Handcrafted Jewelry (which I used to work for!). You can check out her really cool stuff at www.deirdreandcompany.com. If you're looking for an original gift or just something fresh and new for yourself, her stuff is perfect. And if you know anyone who has adopted overseas, she has a new line for adopted children and families, which make very special gifts. Check it out!

NEW Online proofing system! (& more!)

After much research and months of planning, I am excited to announce I now have my NEW ONLINE PROOFING SYSTEM set up and ready to use! This system will be used for all children/family and high school senior sessions.

Effective May 1st, 2007 all clients will receive an online proof gallery with their session, (rather than printed proofs).
Why is this great for you?

- One less appointment... no need to make an extra trip to pick up your proofs!
- See your pictures sooner... All galleries should be up within 7-10 days of your shoot (sometimes even sooner).
- Sharing privileges... now you can email your gallery link to grandma in your hometown or your favorite great aunt in Paris!
- Easy ordering... place your order directly online; no need to mail or drop off an order form.

A sample gallery can be viewed by going to my website and clicking on the "Client" section, then "Public Galleries." Questions? Please let me know! My goal is to make the process as user-friendly as possible. At each shoot, you will receive a sheet filled with information regarding the ordering process.

Also effective May 1st, there is a new FLAT RATE session fee (for up to 5 people) of $65 (rather than various rates for the number of individuals). And the price of adding an additional look has gone down - now for just $20 (rather than $29), you can add a second (or third or fourth) outfit change & background to your session!

Reprint prices have also been adjusted, while still maintaining their affordability compared to other photographers of the same caliber & style. These can be viewed on the price pages of my website.

Because pictures is what it's all about, I know you may want 4x6s of all your favorites! Currently, a set of printed 4x6 proofs (your choice of either 16 or 24 different images) is available at a reduced cost (60%+ savings from ordering each 4x6 on its own). These can be ordered alone or with your reprint order. All other reprints are ordered a la carte as always, though various packages and specials will come and go. (In the next couple months, there should be price breaks available for ordering multiples of the same image (ex: 10+ of the same 4x6), or similiar scenarios, once the online system is updated).

Creative, original photography is truly an investment for a lifetime of memories. Each print, a work of art for your home, office, or as a gift, represents a moment in time never to be forgotten. My goal is to be creating fresh, artistic images that genuinely capture the personality of the child or individual I'm photographing. My sincere thanks for valuing what I do! I look forward to continuing to offer you the best in original, modern photography.

For more details, please check out my website at www.stphotoanddesign.com.

And if you're interested in a sneak peak at some of the never ending array of new ideas I'm developing for the studio, you can check out my "Ideas, Ideas, and more Ideas" posting from a few days back, as well as other postings below. Feel free to email over your own ideas and keep your eye on this blog to see if they become reality!

I can take Credit Cards!

I can now officially take credit cards (in person or over the phone, not just via paypal email). Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. And my new proofing system allows for you to place your online reprint order with a credit card as well. Just one of the ways I'm making things more convenient for YOU! :)

Some recent shoots...

Just wanted to put up some of my favorite images from a few recent shoots... all are from families I have had the privelage of working with before. What fun to watch these kids grow!! (Plus I know you all want to see more pictures, and less words). :)



















All images are COPYRIGHTED - copyright2007 Shannon Tacheny Photography & Design

Ideas, Ideas, & more Ideas!

With all this time on my hands (well, more like since I'm spending hours and hours feeding my newborn and am unable to use my hands!) I have nothing to do but THINK!!! And with me, thinking is a dangerous thing, as it produces IDEAS almost non stop. Ideas that I can't wait to get to, will never get to, or have no idea how to get to! I have resorted to leaving notebooks around the house in places where I feed my newborn Hunter so that I can write them down and get them out of my head, lest they swirl around and around and around!

I wanted to share some of these ideas regarding my business (primarily the child/family aspect, as that's what I've been focusing on expanding lately) that I thought might be of interest to you. Hopefully you will be seeing the realization of all of these ideas in future posts.

- The "elite petite" baby photo program (thanks to family & friends for voting on the name!) - been working A LOT on this lately, so it will be "unveiled" very soon... can't wait to get the baby onesies with the new "elite petite" logo on them that are being printed as I write!!!

- New ideas for shooting newborns... I want to create something original here. Newborns are not always easy to photograph because they don't do too much; and since my editorial style relies a lot upon the subject interacting with me or his/her surroundings, this can be tricky. Spending lots of time with a newborn (as well as being inspired by other photographer's work) is striking lots of ideas here. Hopefully I can do a test-shoot using some of my ideas soon - I will need to "borrow a baby" though, as Hunter is getting too big!

- Shannon Tacheny Original baby annoucements - I have a game plan set up to create birth annoucements like you've never seen before - part handmade-feel, scrapbook-look; part modern photo feel printed on high quality photo paper to give it an artwork print feel. I'm hoping to find the time to create some of these samples soon (in the next couple months?) and get them posted (hoping being the key word). :) Hold me to it!!! (And while I've been doing individual hs senior annoucements, I'm hoping to create a more complete line for that as well).

- A Summer Fun outdoor shoot day!!! If I can nail down a free weekend (or a couple half or full weekdays), I'm hoping to offer a full day of outdoor shooting (at a discounted rate) to capture kids having summer fun! Think bubbles, balloons, maybe even ice cream (??) - and YOUR KIDS running around (in their beautiful bare feet) having a blast, the beautiful green grass in the background. Bright colors, simple outfits - think Gap ad or Pottery Barn catalog. Interested in this? - email me with your thoughts!

I also have ideas for updating my bathroom, re-covering my living room chair, and organizing my studio, but my guess is none of those ideas appeal to you. I have spent WAY too much time in that rocking chair lately. :)

Hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful spring weather! LOTS more news to come soon.

Our Newest Addition... baby Hunter!

Well, here he is! Our newest addition is Hunter Peter Tacheny, born March 3rd, 2007. I took these photos just recently at about 6 weeks old (he's already becoming quite expressive, even as a newborn - these are a few of my favorite faces). We're managing well, though time is always limited with a newborn, hence the reason I am writing this post-midnight (I'm kind of a night owl and sometimes the freedom is worth the lack of sleep!)

Thank you to all my wonderful clients who have wished me well and sent congrats... it is such a pleasure to hear from you!

Well, all good things (freedom) must come to an end, so I must get to bed now! I will be up in an hour or two for another feeding as it is (he is a hungry little guy!) :)









(This was his birth announcement. Photos taken at 5 days old).

My New Blog!

SO... this is my new blog. A place for you to get to know me (if you're interested!), check out some of my latest photography work (and perhaps other creative projects), and get updated on promotions, special offerings, and my latest business news. The timing of this coincides with the birth of my new son & a brand new photo proofing system to be implemented in the near future! More on both of those soon. :)