I just added this post as a page to my  blog to show the difference between the stages a portrait goes through from start to finish.   Thought I’d also make it today’ post.  This may help explain the reason you wait for your proofs, why custom portraits cost more and why it is important to choose a photographer skilled in all aspects of digital photography.  I’m not going to get too technical here, but keep it straightforward and simple.  The easiest way to explain is to also show, so I have some examples below.

For my Senior, Engagement and Portrait Clients:

Every picture that will be presented to you in your proofs and your presentation in my studio will be ARTISTICALLY EDITED in color and some in black and white.  I wanted you to see the sometimes subtle, but powerful, changes that take place from start to finish.  Beautiful girl, right?  There’s really not much to do, but  brightening and smoothing her skin add a healthy, radiant BUT realistic finish.  My style is to not “over-do” this stage.  I don’t want you to glow like an angel or be  smoothed out so much that your nose disappears or your skin looks plastic.  I want you to look like YOU – the REAL you.  I won’t be applying make up to you; in my opinion, if you wanted make-up on, you would have worn it to your shoot.   I will, of course, remove any blemishes, under eye circles or bags, crazy stray hairs and brighten up your smile and add a twinkle to your eyes.  All the time, being careful to keep things true to you.

For my Wedding Clients:

Your wedding package with Thrive includes a flash drive loaded with hundreds of full-resolution, edited images that are ready to print.    These digital files are ready to go and I have great labs to recommend so you get amazing printed products.

During your wedding day, your two photographers will shoot thousands of shots.  Those shots will be downloaded and backed up (twice) immediately following your wedding.  Those shots are the RAW IMAGES or SOC (straight out of the camera).  You will never see these.

After your images are downloaded, Heidi will carefully go through every shot and eliminate duplicates, bad shots, unflattering shots, etc. and eventually get down to a very rich assortment of shots from the whole day.  Every single one of those hundreds of images will be EDITED.  They will be vigilantly perfected for exposure, sharpness, cropping and color-correction.   A percentage of these will also be converted into black and white.  They will be ready to print.  These will be the images on your on-line gallery and on your flash drive.

Any image from your day that Heidi blogs about (and that is usually close to 100) or puts on her website, will be ARTISTICALLY EDITED.  These will also be included in your online gallery and on your flash drive.   Each of these images will go from the EDITED stage and be brought into Photoshop to be completely perfected, and maybe some special effects added.   This is where skin is smoothed, stray hairs are removed, light is made flawless, and many other things done to create a true work of art.    ANY image from your online gallery that you or others ORDER from Thrive or that you pick for your album will be ARTISTICALLY EDITED.

In the example, you can see that it is a great picture in the edited stage.  In the Artistic stage, I gave the picture a bit of vintage color to it, the skin was smoothed, the bride’s arm was contoured and the groom’s chin was made a little more defined.

Jamie and Chris came to me because they have an incredible sister who gave them a gift certificate for my Belly & Baby package as a shower gift.   I can’t think of a better gift…lol!  No really, what a special gift to give; this will never be forgotten because of the irreplaceable images that were captured of a time that will never come again (at least not with baby Allie).   My Belly & Baby package includes two sessions; a maternity shoot somewhere in your 7 or 8th month at a location of your choosing and then a newborn session when your bundle of love is between 5 and 9 days old either in your home or in my studio.  This is a digital package so that you can have all the pictures that you want to do whatever you want with them.  Baby Allie was just so beautiful and wonderful and mom and dad are proud and in love!

Until next time…

FIND ME AT:

It’s time for Thrive Creative Studio’s Annual Mini Session Day!   Scheduled for Saturday, October 30th at Sar-Ko Par Park in Lenexa.  This beautiful park has big, beautiful trees, a pond, a old red barn, bridge, gazebo and even a caboose!  There are plenty of spaces to create portraits perfect for family’s or senior pictures.  It’s a great deal!   For only $300, you get a 30 minute session, 12 proofs to choose from and 3 digital files with which you can print, print, print to your heart’s delight!  Perfect for creating wall portraits, Holiday cards, posting online or what ever you want!   There are just a limited number of spots available, so call soon to get on the books!

Until next time…

FIND ME AT:

I have so many irons on the fire right now, that I’m forgoing the “small talk” to get to right to my favorite four today! 

Talk about a good looking family?  Wow!

My first Pictures of Hope Foundation complimentary NICU session was with the beautiful Smith family and one of their twin boys.  I met with them again to capture brother.  Both boys are home now and doing great.  Prayers answered!

The adorable Park maternity session was such fun and memorable.

The Rebers took advantage of one of my Mini Session Days this fall to get this and other great family pictures. 

Blessings to you until next time…..

FIND ME AT:

Senior Pictures -  www.thriveseniors.com

Love | Marriage | Baby….Life -  www.thrivecreativestudio.com

Facebook Fanpage:  www.facebook.com/ThriveCreativeStudio

CONTACT ME AT:

email:  heidiabbott@thrivecreativestudio.com

phone:  913.526.9991

Well, we’re almost there….the end of the month…the end of February Favorite Four.  Without delay – today’s 4 favs!

I already posted one picture from Matt & Tracy’s maternity session, but I mean, are you kidding me with the absolute stunning glowingness of Tracy????   An all time favorite of mine, no question.

Brittany drove quite a ways to meet me at The Plaza for her senior portrait session.  She was so wonderful to work with!

Same with Shelby – she came a bit of a way too for her senior session.  We had a gorgeous day to take this gorgeous picture.

For a few years now, I have been recruited to create some posters for the Blue Valley West football team and softball team.  This picture reminds me that spring is just right around the corner!

Blessings to you until next time…..

FIND ME AT:

Senior Pictures -  www.thriveseniors.com

Love | Marriage | Baby….Life -  www.thrivecreativestudio.com

Facebook Fanpage:  www.facebook.com/ThriveCreativeStudio

CONTACT ME AT:

email:  heidiabbott@thrivecreativestudio.com

phone:  913.526.9991

Well, I missed a day!  I was so, so busy yesterday getting my new website launched that I never made it over to my blog to update.  Before you check out today’s favorite four, click on this link and see my newly revamped website for wedding, engagement, maternity, newborn and family photography.    Click on the LEFT box  “All Things Love” for my new site.

Now, onto today’s FAV 4!

Another great wedding that I had the opportunity to second shoot with Laurel Austin of Living Moment Images.   It was a HOT one, but doesn’t the green grass and the sunshine looks so amazing right now?    I don’t know about you, but I am ready for it! 

This next picture is from a couple who did a Belly and Baby Session with me.  We had a blast shooting their maternity session at the River Market and I posted a fun picture from that a couple weeks ago in my Favorite Four.  Today, I picked a fun shot from their newborn photography session when Kallie was just 10 days old.  This shot was their idea because they both have very big feet and Kallie was born with feet that actually went off the page for the birth document! 

Kimmie is an amazing senior from St. Pius X High School and this is one of my favorite pictures of her.

Another amazing senior from Olathe Northwest, Lauren, had a shoot full of fall goodness – sunshine and vibrant leaves. 

Blessings to you until next time…..

FIND ME AT:

Senior Pictures -  www.thriveseniors.com

Love | Marriage | Baby….Life -  www.thrivecreativestudio.com

Facebook Fanpage:  www.facebook.com/ThriveCreativeStudio

CONTACT ME AT:

email:  heidiabbott@thrivecreativestudio.com

phone:  913.526.9991