Thursday night I had the opportunity to sell some of my wood prints in the Mary's Finds booth at the St. Monica Holiday Bazaar. Even though the weather was starting to get bad, there were plenty of folks that braved the cold and sleet. The response to my wood prints was better than I expected! I sold many of the pieces created for the booth, and have had some custom requests. I'll be adding a Wood Prints section to my website soon to show some of the work. In the meantime, those interested in custom prints or any of the prints seen in the image below (deer and sheep) can send me a message through my Contact page. 
Hope everyone is staying warm! 

It’s an important question to ask because it can set the tone for your pictures. And my question to you would be: What look are you going for?

Here are a few style categories to spur your imagination:

• Classic: clean and simple  (ex. jeans, t-shirts, sweaters or blazers)
  
• Preppy: conservative and semi-formal (ex. polo shirts, khakis, argyle prints)
  
• Whimsical/Boho: flowy and eclectic (ex: tunics, tousled hair, headbands)
  
• Formal: prim and proper  (ex: dresses, button-ups, slacks)
  
• Girly Glam: pink and sparkly (ex: tutus, big bows, ruffles)
  
• Trendy: this tends to vary (ex: skinny jeans, Buddy Holly glasses, JNCOs in the 90s)
  

And a couple of questions that may influence the style you select:

1. Where are the pictures being taken? 
Your backdrop may gauge what you want to wear. If you’re shooting outside in a field or by an old barn, I would wear something casual and playful. If you’re sitting on the steps of a church, you can go more formal.

2. Where will you be displaying the pictures?

• Over the mantel in a Pottery Barn styled living room? Stay away from bright colors that would clash with the room decor
  
• In a princess room? Go all out - frills, tutus, sparkles. 
  
• A hall gallery? Think about what you want to see as you walk down your hallway. Take this opportunity to decorate your family like you want to decorate your house.
  

While keeping the above questions in mind, you also want to capture your child’s personality at the time the picture is being taken. If your 4 year old loves Batman and wears the same shirt every day (refer to photo shoot in post below), let him wear the shirt. In 20 years, when you’re looking back at these photos, you’ll be reminded of your 4-year-old-batman-wannabe. We’re preserving memories here! And there are always tricks to work the Batman shirt into the style YOU want….

             LAYER! ... boots, scarves, layered shirts, jackets, hats, headbands, neck ties

Not only will the layers create texture and bring more personality to the photo, but they can tie together outfits being worn by multiple family members. Keep in mind that the colors do not have to match exactly but simply go together. 

Here’s an example from a family trip last Thanksgiving. Everyone maintains their own personality, but the outfits correspond. Blues, grays, some plaid, and pops of red.

I’m hoping to create a post in the near future with some more visual examples…stay tuned! 

I can help with that too! 
Together we will create a one-of-a-kind piece. You pick the photos and what you want to communicate, and I'll come up with a few samples. From there, we'll collaborate on design and stylize the piece to perfection. 
Not only is this great for birth announcements, but Christmas cards, invitations, and graduations as well! 

I had been looking for a large piece of art to fill up some space on one of my apartment walls. I loved the idea of using my photography (makes it more personal), but wanted something unique rather than just another framed piece. The style in my living room is rustic/modern (yes, that's probably an oxymoron), and I'm on a budget. The solution I came up with was a print transfer onto a large piece of wood. I decided to use a photo I took on a trip to New Zealand last year. In order for the transfer to work, I needed to print the picture out using a laser printer. The largest laser prints I could get (for a good price) were 11 x 17, so I quartered the photo and bought a 22 x 34 piece of wood at Lowes. I then spread a gel medium over the wood, laid the prints face down, and let it dry over night. In the morning, I wet the backs of the prints using water and a rag, and scrubbed the paper off. It took about two hours to get it all and my fingers were sore for two days, but it was worth it! I love the way the piece turned out. Since then, I've been fine tuning the process, practicing on family portraits (happy anniversary mom and dad!) - This is definitely something I'll be offering in the future!