Jersee

So last weekend Dan, Caydan, and I went exploring and found this GORGEOUS location for photoshoots...I was so excited about this spot that I wanted to take photos there as soon as possible...so I put out an ad for a free photoshoot (free prints or a heavily discounted cd) for the perfect little girl that would fit into the pictures I had in my mind...

Lo and behold, the very first responder was exactly what I was looking for! Her daughter is an absolutely ADORABLE little girl who was extremely photogenic and cute as a button. :) And she even had a beautiful name to match - Jersee

So bright and early this morning (8:30am on a Saturday!) we all trekked out to this location along with Jersee's big brother and their father. Their parents were super kind enough to bring a bunch of wardrobe changes for both kids and the whole family so that we could get a variety of pictures.

The shoot was everything I had hoped for...and I'm going to be trying this location out for a few different looks - I actually have another shoot there this afternoon with a beautiful woman who I will post more about later :)

And for anyone else out there - if you would like your very own family pics here, just let me know and we'll schedule a shoot for you. :)

So here are a couple of pics I have gone through so far...I'm heading out for some family time before my next shoot - so I'll post more later or throughout this upcoming week....lots of fun stuff to come!

Thanks Serree and family for everything!! :)

Webpage Updates

I started myself on a kick, and now I can't stop!

I've decided to redo my whole website....I started with the front page yesterday, and it's now led to the main page being redesigned...and now I just have to follow suit and redesign the rest of the site too!

Let me know what you think....after you click on the link at this link, it will be the page immediately following.

:) :)

http://www.averyjamesphotography.com/

Website Splash Page Update

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've updated my website splash page (the first page you see)...I really like it...much more urban feel which I find myself drawn to. Of course I used a picture of my little boy for it. :) :)

Check it out and let me know what you think: http://www.averyjamesphotography.com/

Eventually I'm going to have to redo all the pages though because the transition from black to brown is just not appealing at all.....but it's gonna be a lot of work to change all the backgrounds...so I'll get to it eventually. :)

Free photoshoot!

http://www.averyjamesphotography.com/

I have a fantastic offer for the right person...I found a fabulous new photo location this weekend while doing some scouting and I am uber excited to do a shoot there ASAP.

I have this Saturday morning open and so I would love to do it then if I can find who I'm looking for...I have a somewhat specific look that I'm looking for and hopefully that person is reading this, or rather their parent is!

I am looking for a young girl who is photogenic and not too shy...somewhere from 2 and a half years to 6 years old...I don't have a particular look in mind this minute, but I will know it when I see it.

If your daughter fits this brief description, and the two of you can be in the South Bay area (I'll give specific location details to the person I pick) this Saturday morning (3/21) at 8:00am (bright and early!!), and would be willing to allow me to use the final pictures in my portfolio as well as possibly in future marketing materials (postcards, flyers, etc)...then I have an offer for you in return!

You will receive one of the following two options:

1. $50 towards prints/products from the photoshoot (prices/sizes at http://www.averyjamesphotography.com) - you can bring the whole family as well and I will take a few family photos

2. A digital cd of all of the photos from the shoot (can range from 50 - 150 images) for $50.00 (currently priced at $150)

If this sounds appealing to you - please send me an email (crystal@averyjamesphotography.com with the following info:

1. Your name
2. Your daughter's name
3. Your daughter's age
4. Other family members you will bring to be in the pictures (if any) and their ages
5. City of residence
6. Would you like to be added to my mailing list to be notified of future specials, rates, etc.?
7. Include a picture/snapshot of your daughter or a link to it

I will be hand picking the young lady I use for this shoot - but please know that if I do not pick your daughter, it by no means implies they are anything less than perfect - just not the look I am seeking for this specific project.

As an added note - my rates will be going up in September 2009 - so book your photoshoot while there are spaces available to get locked in at the lower rate ($150 for a cd of all images).

Thank you so much and please let me know if there are any questions!!

Birthday Party at My Gym

Caydan and I attended a birthday party for an adorable 4 year old recently. She's the daughter of a co-worker and her party was at My Gym. This was only the second time I've been to My Gym, both for birthday parties...and I just love it there! Eventually I'd love to get a membership for Caydan, or at least somewhere similar.

The party was full of bubbles, swinging from ropes, games with a skunk (not a real one of course!), spray bottles, balls and hula hoops, and so much more!

Here's a few of my favorite pics from the day...including a couple of the birthday girl's baby twin sisters...soooo adorable!!

Celia Evans - Final Post

I FINALLY finished going through all of my pics of Celia (bad slacker Crystal!) - the amount of back photos piling up is just overwhelming right now....but I'm really trying hard to get caught up - but I don't see it happening anytime soon.......

So here's a few more of the beautiful and talented Celia Evans. I snuck in a couple of her and my little boy playing and saying their goodbye's. :) :)












Check out Celia's music at http://www.myspace.com/celiaevans

This is her production company, Sea Star Films: http://seastarfilms.com/

A trailer for her current project that will be shown on major networks, Planet Fashion : http://seastarfilms.com/trailer2009.html

And a video of her doing one of her songs (my favorite) "Give It To Me" at Venice Beach:

Watch more YouTube videos on AOL Video

The Compassionate Friends - South Bay Chapter

For those unaware, I participate in a support group called The Compassionate Friends (http://www.compassionatefriends.org/)

It's a support group for those who have either lost a child, grandchild, or sibling. This group has been one of a very few things in my life that has kept me sane throughout the loss of my beautiful son, Avery James.

I recently volunteered to be webmaster for the South Bay chapters website...so basically I have to create it from the ground up, and then continue to maintain it. I love giving back to this group, and I am constantly looking for more ways I can help...this so far has given me the most fulfillment because I know what it is like when you first lose a child - and you want to read as much as you can on the subject because you are just constantly looking to grasp onto anything that makes sense anymore...

Having a multitude of information is extremely helpful, especially when you read things written by others who have experienced the same tragedies...you finally find someone you can relate to again, that understands the extreme emotions that you feel...

For many, with the technology age we're in, searching for information on the web is key...many of us do not want to leave our homes, especially the first few months, and so finding information from the comfort of our home computers is very important...

The national website is wonderful and has tons of resources - but it's also comforting to be able to connect to something local to you....

I am so excited to have responsibility over this website, and I'm really excited to see what it becomes down the line...I have tons of ideas and I just can't wait to implement them all.

For starters, I wanted to share this picture of Caydan that I've decided to use for the framed pages...this was from the 2008 TCF Candle Lighting. This is an annual event held around the world in memory of children and siblings of any age who have passed away.

You can view the website and keep up with its progress here: http://www.tcfsbla.org