Madchen Studios Blog

Not Only did the Studio move, but so did the Blog!

2008-11-22T23:45:00.001-08:00

It's time to move your bookmarks folks! We have moved the studio and now we are moving the blog. You can find it here . The new blog will have way more options for linking and way bigger photos.

It's Officially Official!

2008-11-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

We are moving the studio! I have had my fingers crossed about this for a long time and I didn't want to blog about it earlier as I thought maybe telling everyone would jinx it somehow. Yesterday was a long day as I was tying up the loose ends in the office and processing as many orders as I could. I have to move the computers tonight and "with my luck" who knows how long those computers will be down!

So Marty's Business and mine will still be together and I will be housed in the back of his space. Officially I will be down there Mon-Friday 9 until 5 starting tomorrow. So all future sessions, meetings and pick ups will take place down at the studio on the bottom of Scholten hill.

I am really super excited to start this new venture with all of my past, current and future clients. Madchen Studios will have more room and the space is being practically built before my eyes with the comfort of you guys in mind. I hope to post some photos soon.

Until then I will close with one of the sessions shot in the old "home base". *sniff the end of a great first official era of the studio's progression IT seems only fitting that the shot is of this little sweetheart who is a membership customer. I had three sessions with him this year and it has been absolutely astounding to watch him grow!

sweethearts

2008-11-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

I did a session with these four little cuties a few days ago and have been wanting to post their sweet little faces ever since they stepped foot inside the studio. I first met them at a wedding I shot in July, and I was so very lucky to have such adorable children in the wedding party. the only one I hadn't met yet was the baby as she was still nestled in her mommy's tummy that weekend. I just found out that she made her appearance only a week after the wedding. These kids got along awesome in the studio and they all seemed to enjoy themselves (with exception of the little one who did super awesome as well) I really enjoyed seeing them again and can't wait to do another session with them in the future!

New life

2008-11-12T23:14:00.000-08:00

On the evening of the "laptop incident" I did a really fun session with Adam and Holly. They are expecting a brand new bundle of Joy right before Christmas. They are honestly super excited about their new arrival and it seemed like the more time I spent with them the more I was getting excited for them. Their easy going nature and tenderness that they displayed was contagious. These two are going to make a great Mommy and Daddy to this little one!

TLC

2008-11-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to begin this post. It's so sad to me I imagine myself telling the story in another dimension wrapped in a wooley blanket in front of some fireplace hunched over cuddling myself with the fibres and some very nice scotch. Instead though I am writing this in my husbands warm long underwear and a cup of java in my cool office. It seems as though one of "my best friends" is very sick. Last night after a super long day of shooting and processing I went downstairs to watch television with my hubby and blog about these 'oh so cute kids" that I had photographed in the last couple of days. I grabbed my laptop and plunked my very heavy midsection on the couch. I noticed right away when I tried to open it's beautiful silver lid. The bracket holding my mac was bent and where it closed, it was giving me this wonky half smile. "marty, something happened to the mac". He just looked at me and said " I know" . So now this panic sets in, I open it up and it looks okay, but it won't find the network. So as I do a restart so I can hook up to the computer upstairs he tells me this horrible story about how he took my "work friend" up to the washroom to check his facebook after work. He tells me that the dog came in to say hello. He the tells me that the dog used his nose and flipped my "friend" out of his hands and sending it crashing into the bathtub beside him. For those of you that know me even a little bit, you know that I love my family, my hubby, but I also so love my electronics. I was debating this little fact as I looked at him and the dog so comfortable on the couch, waiting for the mac to restart. Needless to say it didn't restart, just a blue screen. I got that "unreasonable and inconsolable" tone in my voice as I told he would probably never see me again because now that the laptop was gone I would be changed to my desk until Christmas because there was now no option of taking work anywhere else as my silver little buddy was dead. That they and facebook killed my machine that made late night blogging possible. Late last night as I was falling asleep I thought about my macbook and all of the little trips we took together. I thought about us in the dominican airport, on the patio sipping drinks, and camping out at Elkwater. I took it everywhere I went and it makes me so sad. All of it seems so long ago and so much like a dream. However this morning when I woke up I still got the blue screen and nothing else. A few hours of sleep did give me some clarity though...MY friend will be fixed...it just needs to go to the doctor for a few days. Now on to search for the perfect professional to work on my baby.

Anyways just because it does indeed make me feel better to look at these photos of the these cuties I will leave you with a few photos that I shot over the last two days. There were delightful to photograph and were so different even though they are fairly close in age.

The Sanders Family

2008-11-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

I had the awesome opportunity the other night to meet the rest of this little gals family. I must say that they are this little perfect threesome. I must admit I felt badly for the daddy as he had to squeeze into my basement studio as he was very well over 6 ft tall. I think the cosiness of it turned out rather nicely. I think the little one did extremely well since about half way through the session her teething symptoms really started to flare up. It a terrible way to get nice rosy cheeks, but they photograph so well. Here's your early peek mom and dad!

Two Weeks

2008-11-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

I have been very blessed in these last two weeks of business, and I want to thank everyone with their patience. Some of you didn't get your galleries up within the first 48 hours and I am very sorry about that. Also to all that are emailing and leaving messages, tomorrow will be the day that I sit behind my desk and get back to each and everyone one of you-Scouts honor. I did want to do a fairly large post because I have had so many favorite shots in the last ten days and I really want to share. So tonight I thought I would blog and put up some of the awesome moments I witnessed of these families and their interaction.

Also I just wanted to clear something up. My husband pointed out something horrifying to me today. I have been complaining for days about my sore mouth. the sides of my mouth keep cracking. It reminds me a lot of when I was a kid and freezies (being my favorite cold snack) would leave me mouth cut on the sides perpetually for the entire summer. In fact my whopper junior with cheese craving came to an end when I took my first bite and my split open. BTW I whimpered for a bit then finished my hamburger not caring whether I still wanted it or not. Anyways I was complaining to him again about it tonight and he says that they are cold sores. I looked at him and exhaustedly fell into his lap exclaiming "oh great everyone's been looking at my mouth this week wondering if I have cold sores!" He nicely kissed me on the forehead and said..."no honey they have been looking you all week and KNOW you have cold sores." Somehow his comment didn't make me feel any better. Mind you it's better than the "you just must have talked, shouted, opened your mouth or yawned too much response. Personally I think it's just winter settling into my skin and letting me know that I shouldn't have eaten that junior whopper. Does anyone else have this problem where their mouth just cracks? but I want to just say, so what if they are cold sores...that's obviously just going to be a part of my life and that's why I have photoshop! ;)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween blog readers! I trust that all of my little gys that I have shot this year are looking as scary and fabulous as ever! Feel free to drop them by for some candy. Oliver just had to be the Batman this year. I think he's pretty believable even though he's only 4 ft tall. (or at least he thinks so and has us all convinced, Moira was something a little different this year. So I thought we would play a game. Can you guess who she is? The first person to comment and guess correctly will receive a free 8X10 on any photo of their choice form a previous, current or future session. Good luck and happy haunting!

My Christmas Promo family

2008-10-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

This family was the winner of my Christmas Promo Contest. I was so excited to meet them and I think everything turned out pretty awesome. All of their products have been sent away for production so hopefully we will have a really good sneak peak of the actual items next week. I must say their daughter looked "oh gosh so cute" in the black tutu! They will get a ton of prints, cards, a story book and a canvas after the tenth of December. If you want to take a stop by and look at these goodies please call or email the studio. All of the products ordered can be found in the christmas packages.

Here is the sample of their 5x5 flat card.

and here is the sample of one of the folded cards

I am starting to get jealous (lol) Dara and Curtis

2008-10-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

I must say after my photographing my last two engagement session I am starting to get jealous. I am considering getting my husband some sort of lessons on how to be romantic. nah, he doesn't need it, he's romantic in his own 11 year marriage way. coffee brought home from work is a romantic gesture I am sure. Okay time to get back to Dara and Curtis. This is one girl who is super comfortable and home in her man's arms. I don't think I have ever seen a girl who is super care free and free spirited melt and get this romantic sereneness in her face when her man holds her, but Dara does. It makes me want to ooh and ahh a little. (of course in my own 11 year marriage romantic way).

There is one more thing I want to note. These photos were taken on saturday a few hours before the Medicine Hat sky went dark in the middle of the day with impending snow. It would seem to me that the Kraskos are very good with the weather and manage to avoid climatic catastrophe very well. (I think they may have a bit of X-men's Storm in them) I shot her brother's wedding in the summer and there were all sorts of thunderstorm, hail and tornado warnings all around them the day of the wedding at the farm. But low and behold all we got was great lighting under the clouds and great stormy skies. It's funny that his sister managed the same fate for her engagement shoot. As I drove away from the session I was looking at the snow coming and thought, wow those Krasko's are a lucky bunch. (in love and in weather!)

The Liefso Family

2008-10-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore being around this little guy. I must admit when I started photographing him he would wear me out pretty good. But that's busy little boys for you. He always seems to have the greatest expressions. I did a session for him and his mom and dad recently. I think he's really getting used to getting his photo taken as I really did have to chase him around with my camera like some crazy paparazzi. I love the colours and the happiness in these photos. When I look at them I always give a toothy grin and get the song "Shiny Happy People" in my head. Not the real version, but the one that was on the muppet show.

Andy and Kristin

2008-10-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

I shot these two love birds a few weeks ago. I wanted to blog them earlier, but never got a chance as it seems I have more "ooh I want to thats" then I have time for. We had a beautiful day, and a really nice time down in the park. Who knew that area used to be so flooded? Kristin and Andy are hilarious and it was great getting to know them throughout the session. Looking back on the photos I really liked the connection between them. It's hard to explain, but even though they are separate individuals, Andy takes really good card of Kristin and I think it shows. Also I noticed when kristin gets really close to Andy she gets a big smile on her face. Congratulations on your engagement you two!

Time to catch up for the weekend

2008-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

The last ten days of shooting has been fabulous! I have met some great people and have seen some awesome family dynamics. I always get a little warm fuzzy in my heart when I see my families interact. I want to thank all of you for your patience if you were waiting to see yourself up on the blog. I truly loved everyone of the last sesions that we all did together, but unfortunately I got to spend way more time under my desk, and less time blogging than I wanted to. Anyways, I put together a little collage showcasing some of my favorite images from the past few sessions. Enjoy!

ten shoots behind and ten lessons learned.

2008-10-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how this happened, but my poor blog is neglected and now officially ten shoots behind. this week has been a busy one, but it has been a ton of fun to be constantly out these meeting new kids and families. I must say I enjoyed every minute I was away from my "old friend" aka my office. Here's the deal, suddenly my office has decided that I have committed some terrible crime(for which I can say I have not) and is now totally making me pay the price from it. So my dear blog I have lots of things to tell you in the lessons learned from my office. Do you remember the saying all I needed to know I learned in kindergarten. well, the saying doesn't seem to be true in my office,(it is in the rest of the world) the office is a cruel and jealous mistress and it has made me all the wiser this week.

Lessons

1. Networking- I used to adore this saying. It meant buddy time or mingling with other people with simular goals and interests. Networking in my office means no sleeping for almost 4 days. It mean that when you have a two macs set up with a windows computer and your printer suddenly decides to go offline, that you should just give up and
a. start drinking and
b. start the crazy serial killer laugh and stare as you will do this often as you search google for the answer.

2. I am a mac. nope, not a mac daddy, but as in, hello I am a mac, and hello of there goes my pc. The pc portion of my mac has now been taken out and windows is now on it's own only for Marty's work and none of my own. I think I am one of those happier divorcee's now that the pc is out of my office life

3. That "woot woot" I love my friend JP. He is honest and truthfull and tells me when I am crabby, but he is THE man when it comes to
a. calming me down and
b. sending me in the right direction when I need answers to my networking and printer issues.

4. Sleep- This you may not actually need. I have had so little, that I am actually finding ways to get my wayward printer back together with my network while I lay in bed. I seem to be doing quite fine minus all the crying spells. so maybe naps are still a requirement of life, but actual sleep I am rethinking

5. Printers- These are not your friend. No matter how they help you and print gorgeously when you are trying something or really don't care if it prints. It will at some point get this big chip on it's shoulder and completely refuse to give you an inch if you desperately need it. In fact I think my printer pointed out the fact that there is a pen and paper on my desk that I should think about using once in awhile.

6. Memory Cards- This was a rather large betrayal. I have babied these little guys since I got them. they all have their place in my life just like my kids. In fact they are even numbered according to adoption in the MAdchen Studio family and what they are used for. Well I got home from my sessions on Sunday. I felt that I had gotten a lot accomplished so I even had a lay down with the hubby. Little did I know that while I was snuggling with my husband that my jealous office was working on a scheme that was so malicious that I almost think I should have this room blessed so I can work in her a little easier. I go to plug in the card and voila (corrupted data). WHAT?!? I had heard of this and know others who have been affected by it, but had never experienced it before. I had three sessions on that card! No worries though folks, as I bought a nice little program and spent 4 or 5 hours recovering files (which I got all back!!) I am sure my jealous printer was over in the corner smiling and thinking "oh honey you think you are stressed out now, wait until you see the doozy I have planned for you!" The main lession learned in that lesson though is always to shoot on little cards and use two cameras. That way if you ever get a bad card then you still have all of the photos from the other card.

7. Mexican Chili Potato chips are a way bigger comfort food in the middle of the night then a triple triple.

8. If you can't beat your printer, but a new one. Oh yes, there will be jealousy later I am sure!

9. My photo sessions are a great way for me to get away. I think I may rethink the name of them and just call them my "calgon"

10. That office quarrels can be resolved when all parties have had their say. All in all there was only one electronic casualty (the memory card) and we are working together very nicely now. just like kindergartners.

3, 6, and 9 months

2008-10-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

I was very fortunate in the last few days to photograph these little cuties! The first little gal I met was 3 months and super happy to be photographed and in the studio. Honestly these is nothing more precious than that little 3 month old grin. She was ecstatic to be naked and the accidents were minimal! Here's a little sneak peak from her "cheeky" session

The next little guy to come and visit me was Declan. I had the opportunity 6 months ago to photograph him while he was still brand spanking new to the world. He was a delight! I absolutely love to see how much they have grown in the past little while. It's also super cool to see how much he looks like his parents as all of his expressions and features are growing past that little itty bitty baby stage. Here is his little sneak peak, this no we had no accidents to report, (mom and dad, I don't think Declan is going to win the 2008 Madchen studio body fluid award this year!)

This last little gal, i must say is a very serious 9 month old. she did some serious playing and lots of leaf removing as we begged her to look up and smile. Isn't she a sweet heart? We had a lot of fun with her, moving her to different locations to see if we could get her full attention. I guess you could say we are just not as exciting as grand old mother earth!

a little help from my friends

2008-10-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

spell check is most definitely my friend. This is especially true in the minutes before my morning coffee starts any effect in my body. Currently, as I take a bite of my tim hortons boston cream donut, I see 6 red underlined errors. now normally I don't think my spelling is that atrocious, but I think it's the level of motor skills need to type away when half asleep, or half awake, depending on where I am in my morning coffee. I honestly think there should be two level

it seems that everything is a go for the studio closure on Saturday except for one thing. I am having trouble getting a hold of my 1:00 appointment. If you know of someone who has an appointment with me this weekend who's name is Krista or anyone who has a 1:00 session, will you please let them know that I am trying to get in touch with them and that I can be reached at 403-979-2676.

On a side note, (which is weird as this is a photography blog) Here are just 3 from my last two sessions. This little baby I shot on Thanksgiving afternoon. They say hair is one's crowning glory, if that saying is true, this one is going to rule the roost as she was given the most precious amount of hair that I have seen on a newborn.

This family I managed to squeeze in over the holidays. they were delightful as they wrestled the two littlest ones into their arms for a quick family session.

A great loss

2008-10-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. This year, it has been changed forever. One of my closest friends lost her father on Saturday night. Thanksgiving will never ever be the same for her or her family. He was an amazing man and the loss of him is not only great for his family and loved ones but for our community as well. The situation is so sad and so hard to understand as he was one of the most kind and welcoming men I have ever met. I feel honored to have served his family's photography needs in all the important events of the last year and a half.

I will be unable to shoot on Saturday, as I will be attending the funeral. I will be closing the studio for the day. All phone calls and emails will be returned on Sunday evening. For those of you who have sessions booked with me, I will be in contact Tuesday to reschedule. Sunday's sessions will continue as normal. I would like to thank everyone ahead of time for their understanding regarding this matter.

Madchen Studios Holiday 2008

2008-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

I know I have been promising this for quite awhile, but the Holiday packaging was revealed this week and I and very proud to post the holiday specials for 2008.

I will be running 4 packages these all include the session and digital negatives and many, many more goodies. If you are a membership customer and already have a session, you will be given a gift certificate for a portrait session (gorgeously packaged I may add) for a stocking stuffer. Here is the link for the Christmas Packages.

As well I am posting card samples. These are not just templates as I custom design everything for all of my clients. These also can be found HERE You will have to scroll down a bit to see them.

This holiday page is a work in progress, but I really wanted to get it out tonight. The bugs will be ironed out as the days go by.

Those of you who have been waiting to see the canvas samples they are also found on the same page...but you can click here if you like, again, you will have to scroll down to see everything.

I want to thank everyone for the patience regarding the wait for these. You guys are awesome and I really couldn't ask for better clients! Happy Holidays everyone!

Been Waiting Along time

2008-10-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to post these family photos. I have been wanting to photograph this little one since I saw him at a funeral (doesn't sound great does do it? ;) ) and i saw his gorgeous eyes. Over the past year I would see little glimpses of him. Then a few months ago when his mommy and I hooked up as friends on facebook I would look at her fabulous photos of him and just gush at how cute he was with his big eyes and little outfits. when april asked me to do their family photos I was immediately excited. However, there's some added pressure. Her hubby is well knowledgeable (okay that doesn't even look like a word, but spellcheck says that it is) in camera and Mac technical aspects, so I with my somewhat insecure mind was like ahh, this has got be perfect. They as a family take such great photos of their own that I really wanted to give them something special. Anyways I am super excited to give you a sneak peak, as when I woke up this morning I fell in love all over again with their little boy.

Fall Season is in Full Swing!

2008-10-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend started the fall season off in full swing.

First things first. Moira had her science fair this weekend. I stopped by in the middle of sessions to see her project and wish her luck in the judging. I had just left when I got the phone call that her and her friend received the 2nd place ribbon. I am such a proud mommy as I barely went to the science fair let alone entered it. In fact, I saw the science fairs at the mall when I was a teenager, but I always just wondered if they got time off from the fair to just hang out at the mall.

Anyways on to all things photography. I had quite a few shoots this week and I don't want to be a blog hog. Is blog hog a term? It's been super tough to narrow the photos down to post, but I have to post some as I promised a sneak preview while my families wait for the sneak peak before their galleries are up.

This is Mr. E. Isn't he fabulous? I swear American Eagle should send him his modeling contract now before he becomes in demand. Seriously even I am sold I know that the blue suit can't possibly fit me.

When this family asked me to meet them in River Park in Redcliff I had no idea that the location would be as beautiful as it was. The fading light was perfect to highlight this amazing family and the personalities. I fell head over heels with their little one who has these gorgeous piercing eyes.

I got to know this Family in the Summer when I tooks Sam's Graduation Portraits. It's nice to know that they got together twice this year as some of them live all the way over in Australia. Sorry about the mix up guys, but you portraits turned out fabulous and hopefully it was worth the wait. I appreciated you understanding on Saturday morning!

This is Mr. C., cousin to Mr. E. Isn't he a sweetheart? It's been awhile since I photographed a nine month old in the great outdoors. Man they are on the move. But what's a little exercise for the photographer who spends her weekdays in front of the computer.

Please meet Michele and Ryan. They were an awesome, easy going and relaxed couple. Michele and I had been playing phone tag until noon the day of her session, but we got all the details worked out and think we were able to get a glimpse of their life together. They brought their dogs to the session, which always makes the photographs fun and light hearted. I wish them all the luck as they tie the knot next year up North!

Two Teacher in a family makes for some fun dynamics as an observer. Seriously though, this family I am getting to know fairly well as 2008 comes to a close. they are alot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of being around them. I even got to meet zack who seems to be as energetic and "crazy" as my dog. However Zack is way better at posing for family portraits.

All in all it was a fabulous weekend. The weather was gorgeous and even the rain held off as best as it could. Autumn in Medicine Hat is gorgeous, and I was happy to experience it this weekend with some fabulous people!

Congratulations to Megan!

2008-10-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

So here it is folks. Thank you for all the entries. the Christmas Promotion was super popular and it was awesome to hear about all of the families. It's nice to now that the blog readers are so kind hearted to one another. I was in the middle of making the video when Oliver decided that he wanted to participate, little did I know that in the end he would do the whole thing. I think I will make him my full time video blogger. He even ad libbed some super nice things to say about the comapany! Man I love that kid! Please excuse the quality, as of today I was unable to locate the HD video camera so we used Moira's canon powershot. (not too shabby for a little camera hey?) Woot! Woot! Canon!

I must say that making this post has given me a whole new respect for video bloggers! My hats off to you for all the work you put into each post. This one took me over two hours and the quality just isn't there.

Congratulations to Megan Willerton who won the draw! I will be in contact shortly and we will work out the details!!

Laura and Joey

2008-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

It's a shame that I can't leave Leo and Lauren on top of the page for awhile, nut it's going to be a couple busy weeks so the blog should be changing almost daily. I am excited to preview Joey and Laura's engagement session though. they were so cute together, I just wanted to pinch their cheeks! We had a lot of fun, waiting for twilight to arrive. Joey and Laura are both actively involved in theatre, in fact that's how they met. That story, though, is one for a different time and one that they should tell you as it's super funny and makes me laugh every time I think about it. Because they both are actors we decided to shoot at the Esplanade. The Esplanade is a great place to shoot with it's luscious grass, cool architecture and great reflections. Here you go guys, here is your preview, just a little later than 24 hours as promised. But hey look, no lint! Good thing you brought that brush Laura! Thanks for the fun guys!

Leo and Lauren

2008-10-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Marty and I were given the honor of shooting Leo and Lauren's wedding in Calgary. This wedding was special not only because the bride is a super sweet gal, but The groom Leo, I have known since he was an itty bitty boy. He was one of my little brother's friends, they attended the same babysitter as young preschoolers and then later played hockey. IT's funny, because everywhere you go here in the Hat if someone knows Leo you can hear them say "oh I know Leo, he's so nice." Now Leo is all grown up (and married BTW), and he has found a true counterpart. I must say that she is equal to him in all aspects of his warm and caring personality. I have not known Lauren very long, but I can honestly say that she has the same spirit in all social aspects. I love them both dearly and wish them all the happiness, if you know them you can honestly say that they will have no trouble being happy in the future. I believe the saying goes "to know them is to love them" and if you looked up that phrase there they would be.

I couldn't help myself, I have a ton of photos of the flowers as the cala's were just bursting with warm colour!

Marty as usual did the guys's shots, but I put together this little montage of their ride from the elevator to the church just because I thought it looked so fun and quirky

This here is the paparazzi that was waiting at the house for Lauren to emerge in her gown. She had a ton of supporters that obviously love her very much!

I love the way she is looking at him here...gorgeous!

My baby turns ten

2008-09-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but my baby turned ten last week. There's a milestone that will put crow's feet under your eyes! She of course is ecstatic now that she's in the double digits. She walks around now calling herself a tween. Don't ask me what is it...I still have to wilkopedia it myself. My guess is that she's starting to feel more grown up now that she can officially write two numbers down when she has to write her age out. We just had a small family party, the bigger "sleepover party" with giggly girls and no sleep will come in a few weeks. This weekend Marty and I reminisced about our grade 5 years and all the things we knew about or had done, that our parents didn't know. It was horrific thought to think our little baby might be the same. nah, oh wait she has our genes so it's bound to be the same *sigh* Nonetheless, she still has the child bit at heart, we noticed this as she ate her cupcake and managed to get the same icing mess on her face as her little cousins which ages start at 6 and go down from there. So without further adieu...Moira's birthday..

We waited with baited breath...and thank goodness, no boyfriends! yay!

yes those are fingerprints, but are they the 6 years olds or the pregant ladies prints? Only Oliver and I know for sure ;)

The grand sugarfest begins!

uh oh, it looks like too much sugar or too many kids has made me go cross eyed! lol

My baby at ten, still beautiful and still mine...for now...

The Rumors are True -baby girl and The Waiting List

2008-09-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a ton of emails and phone call about both of these rumors. yes, it's true...to both! Marty and I found out a little while ago that we are having a girl. Or so they say. We all know that sometimes boy parts like to hide. Those of you who know the Schultz side in my house by find it hard to believe that boy parts do hide in this house, but they could, every baby is different. We have the name picked out...that will be our only secret for now. ooh and we also just hired a photographer to come in and photograph the birth! This poor baby isn't going to get a break from being photographed at all.

Now on to the other rumour. For the first time ever, Madchen Studios is experiencing a waiting list. Unfortunately, all of my spots for new customers are completely filled up. Please feel free to still call as I am giving out some great referrals and the waiting isn't that long. It's only got about 5 or 6 people on it right now. Thank you again to all of my clients who have helped me book up the rest of the year, You are going to make the end of 2008 so exciting. I am also still selling gift certificates and other goodies so if you would like information on that, please give me a shout. To all of my Membership customers, the waiting list does not apply to you, this is one of the perks of having a membership. I have left some spots open for you folks

I also have two more exciting announcements to make regarding the studio and moving forward into 2009, but I will leave those announcements for later. I still have a birthday, a family session and a wedding to blog. I have no idea where the time went this week, perhaps I will find where it went when I get around to cleaning up my house.

Rylan is Six Months Old!

2008-09-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of my membership babies. He is so gorgeous with his spiky tough guy red hair. Lets just say, I may not be a sucker just for babies, but the red hair....! ooh I just love it. He just got over being a little sick, but you would never know it. He smiled and smiled at his mommy. This one is also a great traveller, i had to be super fast to get him before he decided he was going to roll away. I can't wait until he's one and I get to see him again!

Natasha And Family

2008-09-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

This was a super fun shoot, not only are the Schiebelbeins a completely cool family to shoot for, but as a five some gave me a really good up close look at how my family is going to change. I met Natasha kind of through our kid's school and kind of through professional networking. she owns and operates Elegant Events here in the Hat. I haven't had a chance to work with her yet, but I can tell you she's got a good head on her shoulders and is super friendly as she loves to chat and also talk about the industry. We went downtown for their family urban session. I love the freedom and different backgrounds that comes with shooting families in a different environment. It's definitely a little more fun for the kids as well. Thanks for the great morning guys! IT was please to watch you guys interact and have with each other.

It's been a wild week

2008-09-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a crazy week. I went to see good old Neil Diamond in Concert. I must say that he is absolutely fabulous. And I don't really think you need to be over 30 and pregnant to appreciate what he has to offer. I will say that I felt rather mature sitting in my seat with at least three blue haired ladies sitting amongst me in my row. They giggled with each-other and were whispering in each other's ear. I can only imagine what was being said! Obviously if it had to be a secret it was way too much for my little ears.

Then on Friday my son had the most horrible accident while trying to reclaim his popcorn from our dog. I still really don't know what happened, it's all really a blur. In fact my denial would like to keep me from recalling it, but his "steristripped" forehead keeps screaming at me, "look at what happened!" Thankfully I had a client at the house that was better together than I an managed to get some paper towel. Yikes, you would think that being on my third child and all, I would be better emotionally equipped to handle such emergencies! Thanks again Christine for all of your help!

More about Christmas, Fall Portrait Sessions and Maternity Leave

2008-09-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

First off I would I want to take the time to thank all of my clients this year for being so incredible. Without the unique spirit in each of you and your gorgeous babies your portraits would have been unobtainable. We all know that it takes more than great gear and a knowledgeable photographer to make a great photograph...you guys are the icing on the cake and I want you all to know it! I was very nervous at the start of the year. When I thought about quitting my career and taking the leap to serve the public with portraits I was so scared...but I have to say you have made it all worth it. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. You guys have made my heart and soul very happy!

It looks as though the fall is going to be very busy for portraits. Madchen Studios has approximately 4 weekend spots left before November 1. So if you have been meaning to contact me and need a weekend, please do so as soon as possible as these dates will fill as a first come first serve basis. Also I have approximately 6 evening spots left in October. September is completely sold out. If you absolutely need portraits and find that I am booked, please give me a call anyways, I have a few names that I can give out as a referral.

I have the Christmas Packages almost finished! I hope to post those by Tuesday. Madchen Studios is very proud of the XMAS 2008 Cards and packages as there are some fantastic savings and even better yet, some major one stop shopping, so all of you can "knock" a bunch of people off your "I don't know what to get them" shopping list!

My "maternity leave"
Ok we all know I am not going to be taking a real maternity leave, I am just going to slow things down. Here's the deal. I will be closed to the general public Officially November 12-Jan26. This means that I will not be taking single session new clients during that time. However I will still be scheduling my membership customers until November 30. Membership information can be found HERE I do still want to encourage my clients to give me a call if any of my writing confuses you or if you have any questions. Please know that I am available to answer any questions or concerns you may have about my so called "maternity leave"

Full of Energy

2008-09-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

This little guy made me laugh, I must say had me so tired by the end of our shoot. He explored with amazing enthusiasm. There was so much exploring to do he didn't even stop long to watch this little frog that had jumped into the pond. He had his dad a running too, it's amazing how fast kids are at that age. It's sad to think we slow down in our pace and enthusiasm as we get older. there is no way my kids could move that quickly now. I was a little sad as I made my way home...I miss my kids being that age and all the wonderment they had in simple surroundings. He was a joy to shoot and I hope the photos i share illustrate that.

BTW I met his mom throughout my summer as she is a fantastic Make up artist. she worked on several of the weddings that I shot this year. If you want to see some of her finished work, head on over to my weddings website and you can take a look at it there. If you are looking for someone to do cosmetics for you, give me a call I would be more than happy to refer you to her. As I said, I have watched her with her clients, she is caring and conscientious and listens to what you want, and all her finished work has been breathtaking.

Seriously, that little hat that he is wearing is the bomb. I loved it!

Photographing a Photographer

2008-09-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is the second time that I have been asked to photograph Jamie and her very "easy on the lens" family. It was a great morning as I tried in earnest to win over the hearts of her kids...and I think in the end I might of won them over. Jamie said that her daughter thought that I had hair like a princess. lol...wow if princesses only had the problem with gnarly Pregnant natural curly hair like me. She also has the natural wave...lucky girl. We all know that little girls wear their curls oh so adorably and this one was no exception. Man I wish I could just pull mine into a bow like that! Her little boy has become quite the model over the last few months which I must say was a dream come true. It was fantastic to watch them interact with eachother and play the little games that we all play with our kids to distract them from what we are actually trying to do. Maybe if you look close, even you may be able to see "sniper" from wear he was hiding. Thanks guys it was a lot of fun.

So What's the deal with Christmas 2008?--Free photos

2008-09-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's getting to the point and time where I am designing Christmas packages. There are tons of goodies and gifts to put together to make shopping way easier on my clients. So here's the deal, I need a family to do a super early christmas shoot so that I can send away for all of these goodies to show everyone as samples of the packages that I am offering for this years christmas season. So here's the deal I am going to give a way a free christmas shoot. Not only that I am also going to give all of the goodies that comes in their packages to them after December 10 as my gift to them for letting me use these items as display and samples. Sounds pretty cool hey? Okay here's how we are going to do it.
Here are the Rules

1. The family must be nominated by someone (if you really want to nominate yourself, have your friend do it!)
2. They must know that you nominated them. Hey I don't want to be some crazy photographer stalker phoning random people about free photos
3. The family must contain between 3 and 6 members
4. They must live in Medicine Hat. That may seem unfair, but I will be nine months pregnant by the time this is all done, and I am sure we don't want me running around alberta delivering photos in the snow.
5. They must be available October 5 for a two hour Christmas shoot
6. They must be willing to allow me to use their images for Holiday Promotions for the Christmas season of 2008

Ok, we got the rules down now here's how to do it.
Shoot me an email, click on
Rachel@madchenstudios.com nominate your friend and give them a call to let them know you are doing. In your email be sure to include:
1 Their Name
2. Their Phone number
3. Their Email Address
4. How many there are in their family
5. And just a little bit of information about them.

Then on October 1 I will do a live draw in the afternoon and give them a ring to let them know the details of their shoot. That's it, that's easy!

The list of things they will receive when all of this is over will be

A canvas to hang It will be one 16x20 or two 8x10's, depending on a variety of factors,
Prints (Everything form Wallets to 8x10's
Over 50 Christmas Cards (They will get some of these early so we don't mess up the cards getting to people on time!)
A photo session Story book
Cd of their session with Printable Digital Negatives. (they can go and print more photos if they like at the lab of their choice!)

So the package value is well over 400.00. So if you nominate someone you should mention that it would only be fair if they nominate you back in return. lol...it's all about being a good "neighbor" Christmas

If you have any questions please leave a comment in the comment box and I will answer all of them there so everyone can read the answers to the questions I didn't make clear. That's it, Good luck and I hope to hear from you soon!!

Kynnlei

2008-09-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to see kynnlei and her family again! It has been over six months, which to me is a little long, but perfect for photos. It's amazing how fast these little ones who slightly resemble their last session have changed. The last time I saw her she really couldn't get away from me, but now that she's running and oh so busy, she is a healthy match for my pregnant belly and heavy camera. But I have to gush and gush and gush...she's is absolutely adorable. I think I have finally driven my husband crazy....I'm like "look at this one, oh and this one, look how cute she is here" Needless to say he is now making parts in the garage while I blog. Poor guy, I may have "over cuted" him tonight. There are so many photos from this session that I adored there was no way I could blog all of them, so I made some collages thanks to the "blog it boards". Otherwise this post would eat up the entire page as it would be full of photos. I had a great time with this family and I hope to see more of them in the future. D and S you guys are super duper parents and she is a beautiful girl. I am honored that you had me capture her at this age!

I think this one was my favorite(That's why it's on top of this post as well), just because she is making direct eye contact with me right before she decided to run off and explore. We are under a bridge, just her and I and the light there was gorgeous.

Ilona and Brandon's Engagement Session

2008-09-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Early on Sunday morning I met with Brandon and Ilona for their engagement session. When we first got to the park the grounds were fairly wet which was a little limiting for some of the things I wanted to do with them. That's okay though, because they did amazing at everything we did. I must say and I know I've commented before, but Brandon knows how to shop, because her ring is absolutely gorgeous!! Congratulations to Ilona and Brandon, I am sorry about calling you Josh, I can assure you that there is no Josh in Ilona's life! I do have quite a few favorites from their session, but you have to check this shot first shot out! It's probably my favorite spontaneous action shot for 2008!

I think they look like a couple of Rock Stars here! I love it!

I twas fantastic hanging out with the two of you, and it was great to finally get to know you guys as a couple as well. I hope that you have a great time planning your wedding and I can't wait for the date!!

The Derouin Family

2008-09-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

I met Cindy and Miley back in the winter when I did her newborn photos. She was as gorgeous then as she is now. In fact, I have one of her newborn photos on the wall in the studio, just because I love to look at her beautiful eyes. On Saturday night I got to meet the rest of her fabulous family. Cindy told me she wanted things a little different but wasn't sure how different she wanted to be.so we started her shoot in an alley downtown and ended up in the park later so we could have the best of both worlds. Personally I think they looked amazing as they were decked out against the concrete wall. After the shoot Cindy and i made our exchange. ( I purchased some awesome maternity clothes from her!) It's so nice to be in jeans again. I have to say I had a great time with this family. (I want to be them when I grow up) They seem to have it all together, their kids were fantastically behaved and everyone got along great. Thanks for fun evening guys!!

BIRS Annual Fun Run

2008-09-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend the BIRS annual Fun run took place. The Brain Injury Relearning service hosts an annual fun run to raise money for funding their local projects here in Medicine Hat. I was asked again this year if I would donate my time and take finish line photos for association to help their cause.. I am truly honored to be able to help out and donate my time. You can find out more about BIRS and what they are about here. If you are looking for Race photos, you can view the images down at the BIRS office located at 770-7th St. S.E., right beside Brewmaster.

This year they were graced with the presence of Patch Adams. He set off the start gun for the 10km/5km race. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to meet him or hear him speak later that evening. Congratulations to Murray Barker who won the men's 1/2 Marathon.

A special thanks to Jerry for helping me shoot this one. The pregnant lady appreciated all the refreshment and bathroom breaks!

Well worth the wait

2008-09-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Morning I got to meet this "little" guy. I say little, because he is just a month old, but he's really not so teeny. He had his parents wait the full two weeks over his due date, before he came into the world. But I Feel that he was definitely worth the wait. Again my little studio was filled with the ooey gooey goodness of baby. and there was lots of it as this little guy was over ten pounds and counting. His dad brought in his motorbike helmet to use for some of the photos which I think was perfect for this strong little guy. Absolutely perfect he was in every way! Thank you for letting me in on your best kept long awaited secret!

Another little man at 6 months.

2008-09-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

I met this little guy back in February when he was a newborn. I must admit that time flies so fast. It's so hard to believe that he is already 6 months old. The last time he was in the studio he was in the studio he made a typical newborn mess, (he didn't hold that crown for long though) but oh this time no messes and lots of crazy super cute smiles. When his mom told me what he was going to wear, I was so excited. There is nothing better than a baby in a hat. The little hats just seem to make their faces and characteristic smiles sparkle. I can not wait to have him come back in. It's a shame that I will have to wait another 6 months. "sigh"

The K. Family

2008-09-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning I got to meet this sweet family from out of town. The older little girl and I gelled pretty good. I must say she was a complete natural. She did absolutely awesome for a little girl her age. The smaller one took a little coaxing, but with some magic and bubbles we managed to pull out a few smiles. The poor gal had her shots earlier in the week and she was still feeling the after affects. But boy when she smiled, the whole photo lit up. But seriously, who needs smiles when you have eyes as bright and gorgeous as theirs!! Even mom and dad got in on the photo action.

Glen and Debbie

2008-08-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Glen and Debbie's wedding marked Madchen Studios last 2008 wedding in Medicine Hat. We had a blast with this couple. The ceremony was wrought with emotion. These emotions were so strong that they are still evident and captured in their receiving line photos. Glen and Debbie were together for 12 years before tying the knot. Wow what a celebration and party they had to commemorate their nuptials. Glen and Debbie I trust that you two will be very happy and will continue to be each other's joy and support for years and years to come!

Here are two outtakes as well. just because I thought it would be funny to show your guys are positions for some of these photos. I will admit though that this was the first time Marty climbed a tree to get a shot.

My favourite Time of year

2008-08-28T09:28:00.001-07:00

I love fall. I especially love when August tries to sneakily gives hints about the months to come. These hints are everywhere. From the back to school fliers, to the little droplets of yellow spattered in a leafy green tree. I love the cool kitchen in the morning with a hot cup of coffee. I love the kids goings back to school and I especially love hot soups, chowders and chili's cooking all day on the stove. The beginning of autumn holds a lot of romance for me, as it's when I do my best reflecting on the months ahead.

Yesterday I tried out a bisque that I have been contemplating for at least a month. A few weeks ago Marty and I ate at the 502 south. this little restaurant was remarkable in the way it satisfied every little maternal craving of mine. In fact the only thing that would have made my meal better would have been a glass or six of wine. (but alas that will come in the new year) My taste buds have been longing for the cured pork and vanilla bisque that I sampled that evening. I have been scouring the internet for recipes on how to make it, but haven't found one. Yesterday, I got up the courage inspired by the cooler weather and made it on my own. There was quite a mess in the kitchen when I finished....but it was oh so worth it and oh so good.

Today was Oliver's first day at Cape School. He was a little nervous with starting a new school, especially since his sister is still on holiday. He didn't eat very much breakfast, which is unusual for him and the fruit loops. So we made sure we packed him some extras in his lunch as I assured him he would be hungry later. He was annoyed when I stopped him on our way out the door to take a few photos. Oliver is pretty great a humoring me though, so he didn't argue. When I got out of the car and headed for the school this little hand grasped mine. ahh that's nice I thought, I had no idea that it was still cool to hold moms hand. I am glad he still does what he feels instead of worrying about what others might think. I took him inside to find his classroom and low and behold there were some kids who also had transferred from his old school. As I started to talk with the parents about the summer and my growing belly he went into the classroom to put his backpack away. Some time had passed before I peered into the classroom expecting to find him chatting away with his new teacher or other kids, but he was no where to be found. It seems as though he snuck right passed me and went out to the playground to start his big adventure in Grade one. It makes me a little sad to think that he doesn't need me like I think he should, but how can I not be proud to raise such an independent go getter.

Foster Family

2008-08-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday Evening was absolutely gorgeous. It was a little hot, but the sky and partial overcast provided a perfect time for family photos. I met the Foster Family down in Strathcona for some photos. Their little boy kept me on my toes (as most two year olds do). We really got a chance to mix things up and keep it fresh and fun for him. Here are some of my favorites from that outing.

Road Trip

2008-08-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Marty and I went to Calgary this weekend to visit our friend who spent the week in the hospital. It's unfortunate that we waited as long as we did. we really care about him and wanted to be there for he and his family. A special thank you goes out to Christa who let me move her shoot early Sunday Morning. Without your understanding we may not have been able to make the trip. We had a marvelous evening thanks to our friends and our favourite hostess Heather. Man that girl can entertain. Marty and I really regretted not taking the camera out to get shots of the party. I don't know if the photos would have illustrated what wonderful company we were surrounded with. On the way home I managed to pick up a very sweet lens to add to the Madchen Studios Family. Of course I managed to snap a few shots on the way home. They are only bits of the car interior and one of Marty in our office. I was a little worried about buying a 50mmL 1.2 as I never used my 50mm 1.8, but I am sure glad I did. she's a beauty for sure.

Oliver

2008-08-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I am without my little girl this week and it's making my son stir crazy. He is missing his sister so much to the point he would even admit it. I had a ton of work to do this week so he settled into the other desk and drew, watched videos, tried to write stories and learned to play the games on hot wheels.ca . I can now officially say that I know most of the words to Empire strikes back now. Anyways, to break up the monotony, I took him outside to play a little and take some shots.

Daniel and Mike

2008-08-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Mike and Danielle Tied the knot. I really don't think this statement can even begin to illustrate what a union this was. Not only did it unite them as a couple, but untied their children and the immediate families as well. It was a remarkable evening as I witnessed the joining of these families. The speeches and toasts where filled with love and whole hearted support. Both sides of the parents were beaming as they expressed how proud they were of their grown up children and the fact that they had found the love that was right for them. Call it hormones, (I also know I wasn't the only misty eyed person), but the speeches made me tear up. We took a ton of photos and each of them seems to have it's own charm. Also there were so many elements to that day that there is no way that this little sampling of photos is going to give you even half the feelings, ideas, and general nature of the event. In the end I took a small sampling of moments, Some fleeting, some with great meaning and some that were fun. Mike, Danielle and boys I know that you guys will take great care of each other and Marty and I wish you all the best. You five and your extended families are a true inspiration.

Everyone Loves Twins

2008-08-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

so on a gorgeous Wednesday Morning I headed out to meet these two little sweethearts. They are 6 month old twins and are about as different as night and day. However they were both super sweet and so lovable. The multi tasking that was involved when I took these photos reminded me, that maybe I can re do this mother hood gig again. Thanks, Jennifer for letting me meet your two super precious one. Every time I look at the photos they totally brighten my day!

Ready for the Pro Model Series

2008-08-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

This little guy is one of my girlfriend's babies. Honestly, I haven't seen much of her this summer because I have been working so much. I must say that I have totally missed out. Rylan is oozing with that "gerber" baby goodness. He was an absolute pro when it came to giving us the expressions and smiles that we wanted. It is too bad that I haven't been able to bask in his baby glory earlier...but that's going to change. His smile and mannerisms are infectious....and I am now addicted to this little one!!

Back in the Studio

2008-08-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

I shot a real sweetheart yesterday. she was twelve weeks old absolutely stole my heart. I don't think she felt the same about me though. In fact think I may have bored here a little. You see, I got lots of clam straight looks out of her, but no smiles...and no tears. She did smile for mom and Dad though, so we did manage a few keepers. Here are some of my favorites.

Shannon and Rob

2008-08-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

When I met Shannon a few months ago, I was immediately excited for Shannon and Rob's wedding. She was so vibrant and so excited that it was contagious. I don't know if it is the hormones or just the honest chemistry between the two of these crazy kids, but I seemed to get misty a little more than usual at this wedding. Shannon looked gorgeous and Rob so handsome, it was absolutely pure joy when they saw each other for the first time. (oh and I have the photos to prove it, but I want them to see them first so they will not be posted for a while. This wedding was truly special and unique in a traditional rooted way, from the personal vows, the jewelery, the collection of friends and the reception location. The location was beaten up pretty bad from the recent thunderstorm and tornadoes that were in the area. Good Luck Shannon and Rob, you two are going to have a marvelous future!

Happy Anniversary Renee and Byron!

2008-07-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I was honored to shoot for my photographer friend Renee (Flare Photography). She and her hubby also chose the glorious art of Photos to express their anniversary love. You may remember that she just shot for me a couple of weeks ago. I returned the favor hoping that I would do just as Fantastic of a job as she had done. It was wonderful to meet her better half. I knew Renee from before and I thought she was great, and then I got to meet Byron...and as cheesy as it sounds...they complete each other. Together they are the full youthful package of full grown love. Congrats you guys!

My first Doctors Appointment

2008-07-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

On a personal note, i finally made it to the maternity clinic. After an hour and a half we know know that the babies heart is good, my weight gain is almost where my pregnancy was at full term or and the pain in my hip isn't exactly normal. It looks like it's back to physio I go. The kids got to hear the baby today and I think it was a great moment. My son even held my hand when they were applying the jelly on my bump. All in all it was good day in maternity land. I felt so good this morning I even snuck down to the studio for a quick couple shots.

Tara and Brian's Wedding

2008-07-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went from a farm out in foremost to a farm out in Shaunavon Saskatchewan in less than 24 hours. Needless to say that Sunday was a day of R'nR. I will have to say that even though the Phalen Krasko wedding was one of the longer weddings I have ever shot, it was also one of the more fun as well. Wow! what a great family party their reception was! Tara had a gaggle of bridesmaids. Most of whom I found out were from high school and younger. The last two join the crew had been a friend for the past five years, but you couldn't tell. These girls were so supportive of one another had so much fun, it made me yearn for those days when my own girlfriends were so close. Tara's parents were super hospitable and treated me not only as an important worker but as a guest as well. They made every effort to make sure that I had what I needed. Even Tara, the bride herself was so selfless that day, making sure that all her girls had what they needed to make the day fabulous. I really can't say enough about this wedding. I can only hope that I managed to capture all the closeness and intimacy that this family has for each other, anything less would be unfortunate. Tara and Brain thank you so much for allowing me witness your big day. I will always remember how gracious you all are!

The Fort Tara played as a child.

Rick and his crew

2008-07-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

This Friday I travelled to the wonderful area of Foremost. I hadn't been there since early 2002 during my Funeral Directing days. I had forgotten who beautiful that area of Alberta was. This shoot was a ton of fun as I shot one large group family photo and several smaller families. There were quite a few kids involved which may make my job a little tougher, but they make up for it in the spontaneity and honest smiles. This was my first time shooting in a field, but it won't be my last time that for sure!!! There is something very magical that happens when the evening light bathes the foliage in a golden glow. Here are some of the ones that I really liked!!

Happy Anniversary Baby!

2008-07-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

So Marty and I are celebrating our eleventh Anniversary! We had tried every idea under the sun for gift ideas, except for a hot sunny vacation. Alas, that didn't happen either. This year we decided to get some photos done without the kids. We wanted something chic and cool. I contacted Renee from Flare Photography and told her what we wanted to do. She did an amazing job and we are super pleased. In fact, we are still in the process of deciding which three we want for our bedroom.

Looking back on the experience I would have to say it was a good thing. It reminded Marty and I that it isn't easy being on the other side of the lens. Sometimes it sucks. Renee did such a good job directing us...even photographers need directing sometimes ;)! that everything worked out so well. I don't think we could be happier with the results. For those of you who want to see the photos on her blog, please check them out. They can be found here and hey if you want feel free to comment on how cute, or young or in love we look!

Thanks Renee...for everything, including hiding my 4 month bump!

Maria turns one!

2008-07-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

I photographed maria a month ago. I had almost forgotton how adorable she was. Looking back over her edits my hearts just melts at the site of some of these. I was talking to her mom as one of my faves is a photo of her crying. It turns out mom likes crying photos as well!

This was a birthday session, complete with the balloons and homemade cake. Doesn't it look fabulous. And the tutu? I think it's fabulous and really brings all the colours together in the shots! The photo just go to show you that anything can happen with a one year old. Birthday cheers soon turn to birthday tears.

New Brunswick Part one

2008-07-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

The count is in! We took a total of 537 photos while we were away. I say we because Marty had the camera at least 50% of the time. IT was nice, that way I actually got to prove I was on this holiday as there are finally vacation photos with me in them, and I got a little break from my job. Mainly Marty did all the extended family people photography while I did our kids and landscapes. I have only managed to process a few photos from the trip so far. Here's a peak at some of the gorgeous Eastern Canadian Landscapes and a few family photos from the beginning of our holiday.

These two were taken on our second last day in Alma, NB. We arrived at night when the tides was high. I had trouble sleeping so when the sun rose I set out to the beach to find that the water had receeded, leaving those little lonely boats on land.

This one was taken just outside Cape Cassie where my inlaws had rented a cute little cabin. We got there just in time to take in the sunset on the beach as well as all the mosquitoes!

This is all four and a one half of us just before we left Alberta. Yucky direct flash...This is not a representation of my work lol!

Less than two hours after we arrived we hit Parlee Beach in Shediac, NB. It was gorgeous little beach and well worth the $9.00 it cost for the day pass. The water was incredibly warm. I was told that it gets near 30 degrees at various points in the summer. There were a ton of jellyfish in the water which really made me scared about me and family going in, but as it turns out these little guys only have a mild sting that can be removed with sand. Who knew?

This is precisely why you sould bring little things like a razor with you on your trip. I hadn't had a chance to primp much on the grooming so I was stuck in my beach cover up. I didn't want to be the only person scarier than the jellyfish!

Next we hit the town of Shediac, looked around and shopped. We even took 4 cooked lobsters back to our hotel room to gobble up before we headed out for the evening!

We are back!

2008-07-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, my family and I just got back from a whirlwind vacation in Eastern Canada. We had a fantastic time and I can not wait to post some photos. However, it seems that I have a ton of emails and phone calls to return and my posting of more than a few photos will have to wait. Here's a little taste of us fooling around in Cavendish PEI.

Sam's Grad

2008-07-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Evening I went out with Sam and his friend Jessica. We did some shots around City Hall, hoping to get into Riverside Park. Unfortunately the park was full of people as there was church service going on. After finishing at City hall, we went over to Finlay Bridge. I always find the bridge to be challenging to me creatively. There are lots of photographers that shoot the bridge in pretty much all the same way. I really like to personalize each session so coming up with new ideas at the bridge can be challenging. I did go for some of the standard shots on the bridge, because all the elements seem to come together. Jessica is not from here, so here we had a "fresh view" so to speak with an awesome sky and warm setting sunlight. So it may be standard shot, but you can't recreate the mood or the sky so I believe that takes it out of the ordinary.

After the park we headed over to Kin Coulee to do some family shots complete with grandparents. IT was nice to see an extended family such as theirs all together to celebrate Sam's graduation from high school!

The Johnson Family

2008-07-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Early Sunday morning, The Johnson family and I went down to strathcona for some family photos. I must say that they were a great bunch and very lively so early in the morning. They had two little sweethearts with them. I seemed to have won over the older of the two with my camera...and only got to steal little shots of the younger granddaughter. However, she did look up and now and then with the old age phrase of "cheese". This family worked really hard getting the little ones to smile. I am posting one of my favorites. The little ones are exactly camera perfect, but I love the way Paddy is leaning on her husbands shoulder. I love these sweet little moments that are found amidst all the laughter and chaos.

Natalie

2008-07-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Thia Saturday Natalie, her mother and I headed downtown to do some relaxed graduations shots. Why not, we all know tha parent spend more than enough on dress that should be worn more than once. Natalie is so easy to photograph as she has a sparkling personality and a carefree spirit. It was pretty warm and only a few clouds shaded us, so when it came time for Natalie to get into the fountain I think it came as a nice relief to the heat!

Ben and Jill

2008-07-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

I swear this wedding took place on the hottest day of the year! However, it was absolutely gorgeous. There was not one single cloud in the sky the entire day...and believe me I looked! Is this the way that "the heavens" tell you how pleased they are? If the weather is any indication I would have to say that the wedding of Ben and Jill have made the "powers that be" very, very happy. Marty and I had such a fabulous day shooting this wedding. This one was a two person deal though, we started early in the morning as the boys set off for golf and then ended the reception with the Madchen Studios photo booth. I tell you, the photo booth is a riot. I am still laughing as I go through the photos. I can not wait until Ben and jill see them! Here is a little sampler from the day, we went to so many places and took so many photos that choosing the images for the blog was once again difficult. I hope Ben and Jill are having a great time relaxing and getting away from it all!!

Aren't these shoes FABULOUS?! I am so happy that I got to shoot them twice!

Grad 2008 is over!

2008-06-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

AS the summer has finally began, grad season is officially over. The young adults that I shot this year will start their last somewhat worry free summer with their friends from high school. It's hard to believe that in a few short months they will be back at the books starting to make a place for themselves within the world. I ended grad season this year with a bang. in fact I had three grad shoots within 36 hours. Here is a sampling of the fun from last week.

The First of my grads last week was Jocelyn. My son accompanied me on the shoot and I must say he is quite enamored with her at the age of five. She was super sweet, of course gorgeous and was super courteous. She had such a pleasant demeanor and that made her very easy to photograph. Good luck at U of C next year Jocelyn!

The next grad I shot was Belinda and her date. I must say that they are a very sweet couple. They both made me laugh. In this shoot we went through it all, spiders, catapillars, gust of wind and of course a bees nest. What grad shoot isn't complete without the appearance of a nice bees nest. Thank you for allowing me the oppourunty to shoot your grad day, it was fabulous getting to know you and your families!

The last shoot on Friday was with Natalie and some of her friends. It was great to see the excitement as everyone arrived and saw eachother all "gussied" up for the first time that day. It took quite a bit of organizing, but we did get everyone involved at the end, and the girls did some great "sex and the city walking" to finish off the shoot in style. I can't wait until Natalie and I get together next week to really give my camera a work out!

Bridals-one of my favourite things!

2008-06-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week Janice and I got together a few days before her wefding to shoot some bridals for her. I think we picked one of the windiest evenings to shoot. She looked absolutely stunning as a bride. She is one of those gals who can wear class and elegant so easily. Here are some of my favourites from that shoot. Janice I hope your wedding day went fabulous and that you are adjusting easily to the great big move. Take care and good luck in your future!

Corey and Stacey

2008-06-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

11 years after catching my bouquet my girlfriend Stacey broke the news that her man Corey popped the question. They traveled from Lethbridge to the hat for their engagement shoot. Even their sweet dog Sadie Joined in on the fun. We traveled throughout the Hat looking for some bridges to put some graffiti on and settled on a place by the river. What we didn't know was that we would soon be attacked my swarms of mosquitoes and tent caterpillars. Yuck! The did manage to find some romance amongst the critters which I think would be hard to do. They did it though! Thanks guys for being such good troopers. Here are some of my favorites from their set!

And of Course nothing says "love" like a good old ass slap!

Little William

2008-06-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

At last little William has arrived. I believe he was 7 days late for mom and dad, but well worth the wait. He came into the studio at 5 days old and still full of the newborn newness. He did really well. In fact I would have to say we had the cleanest newborn session ever!

Maria

2008-06-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I had a little sweetie in the studio again. Maria did so well during her session. I managed to snap quite a few photos with different backdrops before she even thought about making a fuss. She is part of the membership program, so I am super excited to watch her grow so more this year!

Sydney at 6 months

2008-06-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

On my birthday day, I had the pleasure of shooting Sydney. I have been photographing this little one since she was born and it has been amazing to see her grow! This little girl has a great personality, loves to wear sunglasses and doesn't mind hats. hmm..I wonder if she will stay a girly girl like that.

She makes me smile everytime I look at her photos!

The birthday suit

2008-06-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

After long deliberation within myself, I decided I would post this old photo of myself as it pertains to today's post. Today was my 32nd Birthday and I was blessed with so many wishes. I took some time out of busy schedule to look within today. The last few months have been so crazy and today I managed to take a time out and really think about my adult life. I have been wanting to do a "things you didn't know about your photographer" post so I thought today would be a suitable day for such a post. So here is the photo, untouched, not airbrushed, without flattering lighting and posing...it's just me...Rachel.

And here are 32 things you didn't know about your photographer.

1. I went to an all girls boarding school in Saskatchewan for high school.
2. I took one year of nursing and almost finished hairdressing thinking it would further my career in funeral directing
3. During those two years of school I managed to squander 10,000.00 dollars of my student loan and have nothing to show for it
4. I have not had any sambuca since i was 19. Actually I had one shot of it last year and then remembered why I hadn't had any since.
5. I have saved someone's life once
6. I am still in contact with two of my friends that I have had since kindergarten.
7. I have on occasion 3 or 4 Tim Horton's triple triples in one day.
8. On that same day I also had a latte from starbucks (with two shots) eek
9. I manged to break my glasses running backwards and somehow falling on my face.
10. I once shaved a triangle out of the back of my head just because I thought it was cool.
11. Just this year I checked to make sure that i can still make fart noises with my arm pit.
12. I also can make fart noises with my knee, but only in the bath tub. The skin has to be wet.
13. I can pinch super hard with my toes.
14. I have passed off store bought cookies as my own at a bake sale.
15. Okay, I actually have done that numerous times.
16. I can't watch horror movies without reading the spoilers on the internet first.
17. I still prefer to buy cd's rather than download them from Itunes.
18. I cry at each of my clients weddings.
19. My husband and I did not like eachother very much when we first met
20. The night I told my husband that I liked him I was very drunk, and it seemed like the thing to say at the time. (who knew that it actually brought out the truth!)
21. the night of my husband and my first date we got into a car accident.
22. When I was 16 and went to Disneyland I met a boy and told him my parents were hippies and they named me "gibson". He wrote me for two years with all the letters addressed to gibson.
23. I have played the guitar since I was 11 years old.
24. I quit piano lessons in grade 12, and now can only play grade four level music.
25. I went to Germany when I was 18 with my high school choir group.
26. I am super excited every time the maxim hot 100 comes out, and have bought a issue every year.
27. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how to link my next child's name to U2. I think Bono would be too obvious and Marty would figure it out.
28. I have a tatoo that I got on a whim, but it now looks like a marker streak.
29. when I was 29 I denied my age and told everyone I was 24. I did it so much that year, that I actually had trouble remembering how old I was.
30. Once a week I put my underwear on inside out. No, not because they are dirty, but because I am just not paying attention
31. I have not fully read any Harry Potter books, but started them all, read the spoilers on the internet and then read the last few chapters.
32. I have never learned how to whistle and I still try at least once a month.

Grad in Blue.

2008-06-17T22:54:00.000-07:00

first off I want to apologize again to Kaitie and her mother for being so late for their shoot. Kaitie was awesome as she came up with a ton of ideas and concepts for her photos. I love it when people have input. Her dress was great too, it was the prettiest shade of blue.

Only a few days to go.

2008-06-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

As I looked at my calendar last week, I said to myself that I couldn't take any more bookings for June. My schedule was full of chicken scratches marking out the next two weeks as completely booked. Then Simon called me. He needed a family/maternity session done. No problem I thought, then he tells me that she is due in a week, so the session would have to happen soon. Her personality and honest earnest in his voice urged me to take on the session. Who would of thought that I would meet such a cute. It was a great session even though it was incredibly hot. These guys were a blast to work with and I wish them all the happiness as they progress through the rest of this week waiting for the little babe to arrive!

A Purpose for the Future

2008-06-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I did a Grad session with Chalynn. She is a remarkable young woman who has her eyes set on the future. For personal reason she had chosen to go into the field of Nuclear Medicine. It was a pleasure working with her as she was a natural in front of the camera both in the studio and outside.

The Humphrey's Celebrate at last!!

2008-06-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

This entry serves as the latter part of Blair and Talitha's wedding story. They were married two weeks ago in Coleman is a private ceremony surrounded by family. This last Saturday they got dressed up again and had a great party! It was a lot of work for them, but I think it really paid off. They had a great time and looked so much in love as they celebrated with all their friends.

Talitha's Fabulous Shoes!

Catching Blair in the Act

It's so nice to see them "get lost together" when they are surrounded by a crowd.

True Story

2008-06-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

We all have our favorites in life. For those of you that know me well, they know that I love my starbucks. I did however marry an "Anti starbucks" fella. So I have also learned that a triple triple (when done right)still beats any coffee that I can make in my house. My hubby has started a very nice tradition of bringing starbucks home in the morning. Yesterday I slept a little later and awoke to a very nice hot coffee brought home just for me. I was working away at edits when I looked down at my cup. hmm, I thought, camp day is over, it's time for them to change their cups. I then looked at the lid that is usually marked with a 3 3 only to find that it wasn't. I looked at it closer and low and behold I read "i love you" What? Immediately I thought, isn't that sweet. I commented to Marty about how cute that was and he looked at me like I was crazy. He says "I didn't write that, they must have. They were fooling around alot when I was ordering. It looks as though my husband has a secret admirer. Maybe that's why he likes Tim Horton's better than starbucks! ;)

Grad Weekend Part 2

2008-06-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have been speaking with Janice off and on for some time now regarding her upcoming nuptials. I am unable to photograph her wedding on the 28th of June, but if you are a photographer who is available, please contact me!

This weekend I got to finally meet Janice and Her daughter Lauren. Everyone in this group looked fantastic as they were going to the grad banquet. Again I want to state that 2008 was the year that all my grads were so mature and so gracious it makes me very optimistic about the future that they are all walking into. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

Grad Weekend part one

2008-06-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

This Friday I got to meet two great Grads. They were both sweet and mature young ladies. I met the this family through a previous client. Thanks for the referral Judy, you now have a 30.00 credit on your account here at the studio to use as you wish. I photographed Bailey in her Grad gown the previous day. It was a nice change from the regular cap and gown photos as we were outside instead of some stuffy studio. Baiey was nice and easy going and completely refreshing as she was "just being herself" We didn't put her into any stiff poses, but instead used her personality to guide the photos. The next day she showed up in the fabulous green gown which made the outdoors only prettier.

New Policies

2008-06-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Over the past year I have been hosting everyones online galleries indefinitely. This was great for my first year of official business, but it poses two problems.

1. The event page is cluttered and slow to use and upload upon. This is because I had over 2000 images hosted on the site. Most of these order had been filled long ago and from viewing the statistics I could see that some of galleries hadn't been accessed in months.

2. The galleries will get slower and slower as I add more to them. The studio has a ton of wedding coming up and they eat up alot of space on the website. Madchen Studios can purchase additional web space, but would have to pass those costs to our customers and that's something I don't want to do. The whole idea of Madchen Studios is to make portraits affordable and I feel adding to the overhead would be counter productive to what the studio is trying to do.

The new company policy as of June 1, 2008

All galleries will be online for two weeks. Once the order is complete the gallery will be removed. Any orders that are not completed in the two week time frame will be subject to a 20.00 fee to maintain their online gallery until and order is placed.

This policy will exclude all weddings. Weddings will be online for one year from the date of the wedding.
I hope this doesn't cause any inconvenience any of my clients, please feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the new policy.

Annual Birthday Photos

2008-06-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

I shot the Selwood's annual birthday photos yesterday. I have been taking photos of these kids for their birthdays for three years now. It's amazing to see how much they have grown. I must say that the session was quick, easy and fun! Both kids were ready to get it done!

Blair and Talitha's Big Day

2008-06-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

It has become customary for me to post a teaser a few days after every wedding I do. Since I am becoming more organized we don't have to wait so many days any more. Because we are not done with Blair and Talitha's celebrations yet, I decided to post only a few "artsy fartsy" shots so that there will be still a ton of surprises to come.

I must say that everything was beautiful for Blair and Talitha. Talitha was absolutely glowing, Blair was happy, the bridesmaids were gorgeous and the groomsmen very proud. It was the perfect end to all of the waiting for this big day. And for anyone who knows them, we all waited for this day and knew it was going to be awesome. Even the children were super present during ceremony as if they knew something big was happening there. This day was special. I know this family very well and I was happy for everyone there. There were so many great shots, but I pulled these ones out as they stuck out and begged to be posted. There was a lot of love, care and genuine passion shared between these two which makes their photographs fabulous and another reason of why it was so hard to choose which ones made it on to the blog.

I had a second shooter for this wedding. His fabulous shots will be shown at a later time as again I want to keep some of these surprises under wraps.

On a business note: I want to thank my dear friend JP for helping me out on this shoot. It was an honor to work with you and I honestly believe that you helped out with a lot of the magic that happens when you photograph such a great event. Thank you for all of your support.

The Lovable Quin!

2008-05-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to go a family shoot for Jenn and her family. She brought along her handsome hubby and adorable little boy Quin. He has gorgeous blue eyes that sparkled with wonder and mischief as he wandered around the park. Of course he was much more interested in playing and running than getting his photo taken. That's par for the course with toddlers though! This was a special shoot as Jenn also owns a photography business here in Medicine Hat. I believe her business is called A Day in the Life Photography. (Please click on the name if you would like to view her blog. )It was an honor to do this shoot for her family.

Samantha

2008-05-24T11:23:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I got to meet Samantha, she needed grad photos done to celebrate the end ofh er years at McCoy High School. she had brought along her date for a few shots as well. We started off inside as the weather was very unpredictable yesterday. It was fantastic to get to meet her. She has amazing brown eyes and super creamy fair skin. We did manage to get outside for the end of the shoot. The overcast lighting really brought out those great features!

shootin for fun

2008-05-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

As I was busy at work today, I noticed the clouds rolling in before the rain set in. I figured I had about 20 minutes before I had to pick up the boys from school. So I grabbed my camera and ran out to the car. I was surprised that it was so chilly out. I forgot all about my nice case of carpal tunnel, (I wearing my brace of course) and managed to get a few keepers. I must admit, it was nice to get out there with just me myself and I!

Mason graces my studio

2008-05-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, the day after the wedding I got to meet sweet little Mason. He was just 2 weeks old and cute to boot. I spend the majority of the morning in bed and he was just the ray of sunshine I needed on such a day. I think that everyone can admit that there is nothing like a newborn to refresh the soul. Mason is so intune with his mother, it was amazing. I have never seen a newborn calm so easily when the mommy "shhed" We shot some photos while he was awake, the cute little guy frowned every time the flash went off. We did finally allow him to sleep and cuddled him up in a little seashell and let him get some shut eye. Here are some of my faves from his shoot.

Jennie and Kelly

2008-05-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

I must say that this wedding was classy, fun and romantic all wrapped up in one day. Jennie was one super classy lady and Kelly was super handsome as they went about their wedding day. Everything was pretty much perfect from the beautiful weather, the memorized vows and the uniting of family at the reception. I had a great time shooting their wedding. It took me forever to figure out which images I wanted to blog as I have so many favorites from the day. In fact, if I blogged tomorrow I probably would have a whole different swack of images to put on the blog. So I decided to post a few from different areas of the day, without giving too much away. Anyways without further ado...here is a tiny sample of images from the day.

I hope Jennie and Kelly take a well nice romantic break on their honeymoon!

something special...

2008-05-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

On Monday I had a fantastic oppourtunity. One of my very best friends asked me to photograph his baby. Since we live in different cities this was the first time that I had seen his daughter. She was absolutely gorgeous. It's funny to think that her Daddy used to do sommersaults on the lawn for no reason. It makes me wonder if she will be like her parent. Her dad is an avid U2 fan, a whiz with technology and so funny when it comes to female matters. He's one of the few men I know that has an ABBA Cd. Her mom is breathtakingly gorgeous, a super hostess and funny to boot. I wonder if Caitlin will get these amazing qualities. I have to admit when I saw her for the first time i was overcome with amazement and tears. Looking back on her photos I can see the great physical qualities that she has inherited, I can only imagine that she will recieve many of their other qualities.

Grad Season Starts

2008-05-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Wedding Season is around the corner, but my the grad season has already started. I must say that Courtney was the perfect start to that season. She is amazing young woman and I feel blessed to have met her and her mother. She looked gorgeous and her dress was to die for. I hope she had a great time at the banquet and I wish her all the luck in the future!

This one's got the eyes of super model!

2008-05-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph another newborn yesterday. It took Declan about 40 minutes to get settled, but when he was ready he seemed to be happy as a clam. The mood of the baby is always worth the wait! but oh! is he gorgeous! He has this little newborn face, but with these adult eyes and manly expressions. I am so happy that I got to meet him and his little messes. I tell you Declan obviously eats very well. Please don't ask me how I know..a photographer never tells. Let's just say he holds the record.

Seriously though...he was amazing!

the Importance of a Wedding Coordinator

2008-05-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to blog about my meeting with Laura for awhile now, but the studio has been so busy. It's funny we met last weekend so that I could show her my new wedding albums and to show her my newer portfolio, and I haven't stopped thinking about her. Not in that weird kind of way though :)

I have only worked with a coordinator barely a handful of times, but I can tell you the good ones are worth every penny. I have been to a ton of weddings where everything does run smoothly, but mom and dad and the aunts that help are so busy making sure all of the details are in place that they are literally exhausted by the time the speeches are made. Laura from Noteworthy designs is professional, fun and personable. I have met with her twice now and she has finger on the pulse of what is going on in Medicine Hat wedding circuit.

The other element of Laura's business is wedding stationary. The stationary that she creates is astonishingly beautiful. She also designs everyday stationary as well as special occasion cards. In fact I was so taken with some of her ideas I hope to be working with her for the creation of my baby announcements.

I want to personally thank Laura for being there when I first was starting out and for sharing her great info on Becker. You are awesome and I already have read everything that was written and watched every video.

If anyone is interested in checking any of her work and want to view her site you can find it here

New Gear!

2008-05-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

I spent the last few says researching and making final decisions on what gear I wanted to add to my arsonal for the summer of 2008. After a ton, and I mean a ton of deliberation I settled on a new 40D and another beautiful piece of L Glass. For those readers who are Canon users, the L lens professional series is a group of lenses that we all apsire to own and collect. They are sharp as a tack and sturdy as a tank. Here are some of my first few shots that I have taken with it. Again, a special thanks to my daughter for allowing me to photograph her even though she had just gotten home from school and really wanted to watch family channel instead!

family portraits

2008-05-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

I had a very nice ending to a weekend of shooting. On Sunday afternoon I shot the Selwood family's family portraits. The four of them had such an easy attitude! It was fantastic to catch a few shots of Brody stroking his brother in a such a gentle way. I had thought that we would take these photos into a direction that I hadn't tried before, we went for more "relationship" style photos. I really think we managed to catch them "in the act" of being a great loving family! Thanks for the lovely afternoon guys!

It's getting hot in here!

2008-05-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to do another TFP shoot with Adriane. She took me out to this garage where her and her boyfriend have been working on their Lotus. For anyone who knows me knows that I know nothing about cars except for washing them. It was pretty cool and I would have to say that even I was floored by such a fun looking car. We shot some in the one that she is currently working in and then shot a little with one that was already finished and for sale!

Sitting fees

2008-05-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

I rarely post anything here but photos and studio happenings. I want to talk about sitting fees, and since it's directly related to Madchen Studios I think it belongs here. You will find sitting fees at most portrait studios. Why do we have this weird fee some may ask. This fee includes a ton of different elements in getting you to the studio to posting your photos on your gallery. The studio fee session includes;
1. The initial phone consultation (advice about backgrounds and clothing choices)
2. Setting up the studio for your session. (every session in completely unique and I try to get everything ready before you come.) Typically the hour before you come I spend setting up lights, putting up the appropriate backdrop, making sure that the props we need are all ready to go, and doing test shots.
3. The time spent shooting. Generally this is only an hour, but sometimes it happily runs over.
4. Clean up of props and backgrounds. (lol...sometimes we have little ones who pee on the props, those definately need to be washed!) Seriously though, all of my toys, blankets and backgrounds are cleaned after every use.
5. Unloading and indexing the photos onto the computer.
6. Backing up the session's raw file to an external hard drive and burn it all to disk as well
7. Going through all of the photos, taking out the "blinky" eyes and weird expressions as well
8. Making minor adjustments to photos
9. Developing each photo into an image. (because I shoot raw I go through each photo individually and convert it into a tiff or jpeg image after making some adjustments.
10. Fully photoshoping a few selected images so that they are remastered for colour and clarity.
11. Loading everything into an online gallery
12. Customizing your online gallery (everyones password is different!)
13. An email or phone call letting you know that your gallery is ready for viewing
14. All consultations and advice about your ordering process.

Suddenly the $60.00 sitting fee looks super reasonable! Honestly, I love doing it and I love the entire process especially when my clients get exactly what they are looking for in their photos and their photographer.

I just want to remind my clients that the sitting fees are due at the time of the session. IF not, I do all the above work for free and that doesn't seem to be the right way to run a business.

These are my kids letting me test some lighting on them. Note the dirty knees, faces and the fake hey I like you smiles!

and then my hubby allowing me to test some things on him.

And the Winner is...

2008-04-30T21:33:00.001-07:00

First off, I want to thank all of my clients who participated in the spring survey. Your answers provided so much insight and valuable information. Hopefully I can use your responses to make some changes (for the better of course!) and provide you with even better service in the future.

We made the draw tonight for the $60.00 worth of "Madchen Money" My "lucky" hubby got to participate. He really started to giggle when he saw how serious I was taking the draw. I made sure every entry was the same size, I set up the studio lights and backdrop, but he really started to laugh when I started shaking my can. I told him I just wanted it be fair and very official. I am sure he is still rolling my eyes. I took some photos of the event, so you will have to scroll down to see who the lucky winner was. I will be getting in contact with them shortly.

Thanks again to everyone! This year has been amazing and I owe it all to you guys!! (even you Marty!)

First I shook it

Then Marty had to give it a real good shake (hence the blur)

Then he made the draw, because I really wanted to take the photo!

Drumroll Please!

Congratulations Dara!

Kara and Kristi

2008-04-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

This session was a breath of fresh air. These girls were very fun and eager to pose and had great ideas. Kara wanted something "sex and the city"ish so I came up with some concepts and they brought the clothes and the attitudes! Here are a few from their session.

Blair, Talitha and the kids

2008-04-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

I did an impromptu session over at Blair and Talitha's on Thursday. it's nice to see such a loving family that doesn't sweat the small stuff. This couple truly enjoys what their children have to offer. It was a busy morning with both little ones but we managed to snap a few keepers that really show off what I thought was a wonderful vibe from this family.

Moira's Stock

2008-04-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

I managed to devise a plan to get Moira into posing, at least not as reluctantly. Moira and I are now profit sharing in her stock photos. Here is some of her latest. there is one of the dog, but Moira was instrumental ingetting the dog to look in the right direction!

I thought it was April showers, not April snow!

2008-04-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

So we had this humongous storm this weekend. I stewed all morning desperately wanting to go outside to take some cool photographs. I really didn't want to haul my poor kids outside for some snow shots. Actually I asked them and they looked at me like I was crazy. So I waited and waited for my hubby to get home from work. He was tired, but agreed on one condition. He wanted to wear his suit. For those of you who do not know, my husband loves to wear suits and ties. In fact if he has the opportunity to even get remotely dressed up, he will wear his suit. We went out to this junk yard to take a few shots, but the snow came down harder and harder, pretty soon it got too difficult to focus the camera. We were only out an hour, but I think we got some great shots anyway.

Flames versus the Oilers-it's an age old tradition I think!

2008-04-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph the Selwood grandchildren all together. It's was chaotic at times, but a lot of fun. The session took a little longer than I think the parents expected, but I think the kids did fantastic! After all, we've got 4 children under the age of 10 and one teenage boy. Let me tell you this, I know these kids pretty good and only two of the really "wanted" their photo taken. So all in all, I think they all cooperated wonderfully and I can't wait to do it again!

Schultz-Party of five

2008-04-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it's finally official we will be a party of five in the new year. It's funny because I actuallt just thought I was bloated. Here is a photo from the night a found out and my teeny weeny baby bump!

Adriane's first go

2008-04-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last month I posted a statement in my news section of my website looking for models who would be willing to trade time for prints. I wanted to increase my portfolio in stock photography and lets face it, my kids are so tired of doing stock work. The idea I had in mind would help build a portfolio for anyone who is interested in modeling and also build up my portfolio as well. IT's a win win for the photographer and the model. Adriane contacted me a few weeks ago, signed her model relase contract and away we went. The TFP session usually run about two hours. the first hour is spent doing stock work and things that I want to do. The second hour is for whatever the model want to do or portray in her photos.

The first two are stock work and the next set are what Adriane wanted to shoot.

Full of energy, but oozing cuteness

2008-04-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

The other day I met Everett. Wow, he is a busy, busy, busy little man. He definitely has a sparkling smile and gentleman's personality. He was very active so there no posed shots in his session. Just Everett at his best candid and fancy free.