Since it’s time for Spring, it’s also time for Beyond Photography’s Easter Portraits.

If you missed the previous Easter blog, we’ll be shooting in 2 locations:

In Little Rock [Chenal Downs]–March 12-14th

In Pine Bluff [at the Country Club]–April 2-3rd.

We’ve just received our Easter background, and just received our annual EASTER DUCKS!  But wait, there’s more! We’re bringing back BUNNIES as well!  You’ve patiently waited [thank you], and I finally have a sample of this year’s scene.  I think you’ll see why we’re scheduling a ton of sibling sessions on this background . . . even without the animals.  If you’ve missed the details about our Easter sessions, click here to open up another blog that explains the process and also lists package pricing.

Thanks to an enthusiastic following on the blog, we’ve already scheduled a few dozen appointments.  We still have several times available, although we’re quickly booking up the most popular slots [a.m. times for Saturday and Sunday].  If you haven’t yet, now is the time to schedule your session!  Call or email immediately.  501.766.5671  –  beyondphotography1@gmail.com

Sheree and I look forward to seeing you soon.

[I had to include this last photo of the world's most ridiculous child.  I picked up the camera for the FIRST SHOT, and before I said anything, this is the pose I got.  We've created a monster.]

–Lori

Lori was kind enough to share a little about her family’s experience in Destin, Florida.  When I first read her email, I chuckled to myself and thought, “Me, too!” [except my kids can't get enough calamari!  they're weird.]  More than any other trip, our family counts the years by our trips to Destin.  Each summer we see all-too-clearly how our own kids are growing up too fast.  I’ve mentioned in past blogs how our beach portraits are especially meaningful to Sheree and me.  Why?  More than most, those photos freeze time for us.  In our minds, for a moment, our kids are forever kids.  That’s why our theme for Beach Portraits is “Vacation Forever.”

More than most years, I am really, really looking forward to the annual trip to Florida.  I talked last week to a buddy who schedules condos in Destin, and he informed me that bookings are sharply UP from last year–already!  [If you're looking for a great place to stay in Destin, check out www.destingulfgate.com.]   Beyond Photography has only recently published our dates for Florida portraits, and we’ve already scheduled 4 sessions.  I guess I’m not the only one ready to go.

If you’re planning a trip to the Destin area, make your vacation last “forever.”  We are now scheduling sessions for May 31st-August 12th.

If you’d like to create a timeless vacation memory for your home, here’s the process:

*Check out the website:  Click here to view our “Vacation Memories” gallery.  There you’ll see some of our work from years past, and get some ideas about clothing, your favorite style, etc.  You may view our portrait pricing guide by clicking here. Due to the nature of beach portrait work, we ask all of our clients to invest in at least one 24″ print.  [Feel free to ask Sheree or me "Why?"]

*With all of our sessions, we ask for a $750 retainer to hold your session.  $100 of that is a location fee, while the remaining $650 applies to your portrait order.   We’ll ask for a larger retainer for large family groups.

*Call or email with your calendar in hand.  We only shoot at sunrise and sunset, so our sessions are limited.   I suggest scheduling your session early in your trip.  Don’t shoot on the first day!  Kids [and husbands] are tired of the car, and want to get out and play!  Don’t wait too long, though, as sunburns tend to get worse towards the end.  You’ll also need time to order your portraits while you’re still in Florida.

*Soon before your trip, we’ll email directions to the location, and some of the final details.

*We’ll meet you on location and create some fantastic images!  [ . . . and we'll have a great time while we're doing it!]

*Then, we’ll meet at your place, or our home–in Florida–for you to select/order your portraits.  Normally, this is the day after your session.

*If you’re a Central Arkansas resident, we’ll deliver your portraits/albums to your home.  If not, we’ll arrange to ship them to you via UPS.  [For many of our clients, this solves the question of Christmas gifts.]

***************************

This post features a few images from last year’s trip to the beach [this is not the aforementioned Lori].  If you’re a subscriber to the Bill’s Blog, you’ll be seeing quite a few more beach images in the next few months.  I’ll also be bragging about some of our favorite spots near Destin.

Sweet Robyn enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with a marvelous bundle of love!  Despite occasionally stinkiness [including during the session], this little man is magnificently scrumptious. 

But wait–there’s MORE!  This bundle of insane handsomeness travels with his TWIN!

These are a few images from our first session of 2010–could there be a better way to start the New Year?!  Thanks, boys, for inviting us to see you!  I can’t wait to see you again soon for portraits with y’all and your beautiful big sister!  

Godspeed, boys.  Proverbs 3.3-4.  Love,

-mr. bill

One of the things that Sheree and I both noticed about Crested Butte–it’s filled with the Beautiful People!  No kidding . . . it’s the haven for the SSOBP [Secret Society of Beautiful People].  I brought this to the attention of one of the locals–who happened to be one of the beautiful people, of course.  She chuckled, knowingly, and agreed!  Her theory:

1.  If you are a local, you’re most likely athletic.  You moved there because you love to ski, snowboard, backpack, hike, raft, or mountainbike.  Usually all of those.

2.  If you are a local, you live there because you really want to be there!  We met very few people who are true natives of the town.  Either way, it’s not the kind of town where you find yourself stuck, thinking, “I wish I could get out of this one-horse town!” That being the case, she speculated, people are overall happy.

As a dude who values his marriage, and his health, I don’t typically snap photos of other women.  This girl, however, really, really caught my eye!  WOW!!!  Since Sheree wasn’t nearby, I risked the chance of shooting a photo that she wouldn’t see.  Of all the beautiful people I saw in Crested Butte, here is the second-most beautiful girl I saw:

mr. bill's crested beauty

Now she’s mr. bill’s Benton Beauty.

Me and Carson

You may have noticed on our studio’s calendar that we’re shooting portraits in San Antonio, TX, soon.  Does it seem odd that we’re traveling to San Antonio, in February, to shoot?  Bill wouldn’t mention why we’re going when we are, but I will.  He’s been preparing for nearly a year for this trip, and spending alot of time alone lately, collecting his thoughts.  He gave me his first preview today, and now I know–we’re going so that he can brag about you!

Bill is the first to deflect any credit for his work, but you should know that he is a very, very serious student of the industry.  It’s no accident that his work improves dramatically every year!  Bill is his own worst critic–he says that he’s only created about 6 portraits that he thinks are truly “great.”  In almost 9 years! (He has incredibly high standards.  A “great” photo to him is one where he wouldn’t change anything at all).   Each year he spends several thousand dollars investing in his education, and he reads constantly.  (CONSTANTLY!  He gets worse when we go on vacation.  I think that I need to set our computer’s SPAM filter to block Amazon.com.)  I’ll bet that he has about 5 books–right now–that he’s reading.  He is such a bookworm, he even writes notes to himself in the book!  (I think he does it so that I can’t resell the books).  Anyway, a few years ago Bill attended a class in Texas taught by the Homans–a couple from San Antonio that have become dear friends.  They’ve watched the growth of our business, including the ironic growth from closing the storefront.  Almost 1 year ago, Trey Homan asked Bill to speak to the San Antonio guild of professional photographers.  So–February 17th (the day after Bill’s 37th Birthday), he’ll address a crowd of other Professional Photographers.

As Bill reviewed some of his notes with me, I realized something that he kept coming back to–GRATITUDE.  He kept mentioning (sometimes without even knowing it) how we’ve been so blessed by the clients who choose us.  We know very well that any success we enjoy is because of people like you.  So ultimately, Bill is going to San Antonio to brag about you!

And while I’m bragging . . . . Our photo lab is the largest in the country (I think.  I’m pretty sure–if not, it’s close) that serves professionals only.  Bill and I were driving to Dallas (for another meeting with his Mentor; more education) several months ago when the lab called Bill’s cell.  They invited Bill to be a member of their speaking team!  They are now sponsoring Bill to speak, and giving out his contact information to other Photography guilds.  That’s my Hubby!  Another thing you may not know about Bill:  I think that his truest gift is teaching.  He taught Sunday School for 6 years when we first married, and it was always a great class.  Before then, even when he would preach, he would ask questions to the congregation to engage them in his sermons!  He never asked a question to someone directly, unless he got permission first.  But when he did–you should have seen everyone else perk up and pay attention!!!    .

So thank you!  Bill and I are so thankful to all of you who have chosen us.  We know that there are plenty of other Photographers you could pick, and we don’t take for granted that you call us.  We know that our success is YOU.

-SHEREE

P.S.  I just asked Bill about the books he’s reading now.  Wanna know?  Why She Buys, Basic Economics, My Stroke of Insight, What the Dog Saw, Your Attention Please, Photography (it’s like a textbook that I bought him), Personal Best, The Death of the Grownup, The Age of Napoleon, Memory Power Plus, blah, blah.  I love my Nerd.  There were more books, but I tuned him out.

Why–when the weather turns inclement–should I desperately need bread and milk?  People rush in droves to the grocery store, those sacred halls of panic, to ravage the dairy and bread sections.  I have a wife and three small children, and I really want to provide for their needs.  Is there some special cold-weather-vitamin-nourishment-elixer of milk and bread that I know not of?  If anything, why don’t we storm the bastion of chili and hot toddies?  Or the new sushi bar at our local Kroger?  [Note to the reader: I do not serve hot toddies to my children, but they do love some chili and sushi, respectively.]

My eldest son [8 years old] just sat down with me.  I just explained what a blog is, and he wants to write.  So I’m typing as he talks.

Dad:  “Big C–what would you like to tell everyone about the ice we just had?”

Big C:  “It was fun to play in the snow.  It was very cold.  Well, I didn’t really play out in the snow.  You just wrote that down?!  [laughs]  What are you doing?!  Okay, I’m going.”

Now that we’ve survived the great Ice Age of 2010 [1 day out of school], it’s time to think of Spring.  If you haven’t seen the main site for Beyond Photography lately, the calendar is plotted out until mid-October.  You’ll notice that we’ve planned several Spring events, including a trip to Ponca, Arkansas, to San Antonio, a Black and White event, a local outdoor special . . . and of course . . . EASTER PORTRAITS!  Why should you schedule your kids for Easter Portraits?

*Most Moms buy something special for their kids to wear.  What better time to create a portrait?

*Portraits make fantastic gifts for Mother’s Day [Mom:  it's okay to buy this gift for yourself].

*THE DUCKS RETURN and bunnies too!

Yes, the rumors are true.  Beyond Photography is the studio that features the now-famous baby ducks for our portraits, and they are returning for this year’s event.  If you’d like to see more than those here, click on the “Easter Portraits” or “Easter Portraits 2008″ archive to the right.

Let me see if I can answer some of the most common questions we hear:

~What if my kids have outgrown the animals?  Can we shoot without the ducks?

I actually begin every session without the animals.  If you don’t want them at all, we’ll let the the fowl & fur take a break.  We’ll create a few dozen wall portraits from our Easter sessions, and most of those will not feature the ducks.  As always, we’re shooting for a wide variety. I’m glad to create photos of all the kids together, individually, etc.  It won’t cost extra.

~What will the background look like?

AMAZING!!!  It’s hand-made, and it’s so brand-spanking-new, the makers haven’t finished it yet.  It’s a creme/multi-colored, textured background.  Sheree and I saw a sample in January, at the conference in Nashville.  We both immediately knew that it would have to be our Easter background!  Truth be told:  Sheree knew immediately, then I immediately knew after she informed me that it would be. We’ll also have a really funky/elegant, stool/ottoman/thingie. I’ll have photos posted within 24 hours of it arriving to our home.

~When and where will you be shooting?

More exciting news here!  We’ll be shooting again in Little Rock, back in Chenal Downs.  We’ll also be shooting–for the first time–at the Country Club in Pine Bluff.  We’ll see you in Little Rock March 11-14.  We can also meet you in Pine Bluff on Easter weekend:  April 2 & 3rd. We’ll email a confirmation, with directions, to all of our sessions.

~Is this a Quick Pic event or full-sessions?

Yes.  For those whom we’ve not yet met, our Quick Pic events are seasonal/thematic events with discounted packages.  I’ll shoot fewer images, as a Quick Pic session only lasts about 15 minutes.  You’ll preview and purchase your photos immediately after your session.   The packages are slightly discounted, but the poses are limited.  See the bottom of this post for our Quick Pic packages.  Most people, though, will schedule full-sessions.  This allows for a much greater variety, since each session lasts about 45 minutes.  Full sessions will return the following week for an ordering session, when we’ll be able to slowly walk through the images to decide.  There is no pose limitation, since everything is sold ala-carte from our standard pricelist.  [You can preview our pricelist by clicking here.]   With either session, we’ll ask for a retainer to hold your appointment:  $175 for Quick Pics, $350 for a full session.  25 of those dollars will cover our event fee, while the remaining amount will apply to the purchase of your portraits.

~How do I schedule an appointment?

Call our studio line–501.766.5671, or email–beyondphotography1@gmail.com.  We’ll gladly take appointments as long as they’re available.  Understand, though, that our ads have just hit the stands and we’ll soon be fielding dozens of calls . . . and premium times will book within the next week.

~Will there be more of the famous [infamous?] duck blogs?

Of course!  If you haven’t seen any from the past, you’ll find them on the aforementioned Easter tabs.  I don’t know if I should be proud of this . . . but the popularity of the duck blogs have launched our site to #7 in Google’s search for “Easter Portraits.”  That’s #7 . . . in the entire Google universe.  [thank you, kind readers--including the following in Texas.]

Be on the lookout for much more information.  If you haven’t yet, go to the top of this page and subscribe to the blog.  That means you’ll always be notified when I post something new [which will be quite often in the next few weeks].  I’ll look forward to seeing you soon.

-mr. bill

We’re fully adjusted to life without a storefront, and the move has been wonderful. We’re having fun again, enjoying our sessions more, and I’ve been blessed to benefit from more training. As we’re looking toward 2010 [we've plotted our calendar through October], Sheree and I are thrilled for a year that is better than ever. If you’re reading this blog, then I likely have you to thank for our success. I know there are dozens of other Photographers in our area, and I don’t take for granted that you could choose any one of them. Thank you.

I thought I’d share with you an image from our last session of the year. Sheree and I had driven by this home scores of times, and we always said: “What a great place for a portrait!” We had been looking for a unique location for these 5 boys [FIVE BOYS!!!!], and the homeowner was kind enough to loan his broken-down truck. There are more photos of these handsome devils on our website. If it’s been awhile since you’ve surfed around the site, I’ve finally updated the galleries, and the calendar is current. If you’d like to check it out, click on the photo below.

Happy New Year! It’s great to be back to the blog, and great to be gearing up for a fantastic year. God bless,
–mr. bill

It’s 3 pm on Wednesday, November 4th.  Why should that matter to you?  Simple–in only 18 hours, Santa will appear in Little Rock for his annual pre-Christmas visit!  Fortunately, I also have the chance to be there, with camera in hand.  Yeah, Santa avoids the paparazzi, but freely allows ME to photograph him.  Why?  Again, it’s simple–I’ve been at the top of the “Nice” list for a long time.

Okay, that’s not exactly true . . . Sheree has.  I’m not entirely on the “Naughty” list, I hoover somewhere in the “Tolerable” category.  Sheree also tops the “Holy-Smokes-She-Is-Still-With-Him!!!” list.  Since she’s earned a spot on both of those lists, and because Santa likes my kids, he allows us to photograph him when he visits.

If you’ve been wondering what a “Norman Rockwell” Christmas scene looks like, wonder no more!  We managed to sneak a few photos when Santa popped in to chat a few days ago.  We still have a few appointment times available, so if you’ve waited to schedule a session, call immediately!  Our studio cell is 501.766.5671.  Click here to learn more about package pricing, etc.  I hope to see you soon!

-mr. bill

“What do your Christmas cards look like?”

Here’s a preview of the designs that Sheree has baked up for this year.  If you haven’t scheduled your appointment yet, THE TIME IS NOW!  Our fliers are hitting mailboxes today and tomorrow, so the phone is getting hot.  Remember that we’re scheduling full sessions and Quick Pics with and without Santa.  We’ll be in Chenal Downs November 5-8; and in Pine Bluff November 20-21.

Some folks merrily gather round the Festivus Tree, others gleefully mail taxes to the IRS.  Still others gather in the same home for Christmas Dinner, some never miss the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Hot Springs, AR [the shortest St. Patty's Day parade in the world; thank you very much.  Don't believe me?  Click here].  Thanks to some diligent, thoughtful parents, I also have the chance to see some of the same kids, every year.

Two of my favorite sisters meet me each year for their portrait session.  I’ve watched these two ladies grow for several years now–even before sister #2 had arrived!  Somehow, the girls seemed to have aged this time!!!!  In my mind, they’ve always been the same age, forever locked into “little girl land.”  Alas . . . I think they’re growing into young ladies.  Sigh.  Thankfully, my own little Bella Grace will always stay small and giggly and always love snuggling with her dad.

Those of you who know our work at Beyond Photography know that most of our sessions are outdoors.  If you’ve had a session with me that is unlike everyone else’s, then you can thank the folks who hire me every year!  These parents force me to find new locations and shoot something different than they’ve already seen.  This year, I enjoyed shooting images of the girls in Downtown Little Rock.  If you’d like to compare the last two years’ sessions, click here for last year’s blog.

I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season, and you enjoy some of your own yearly traditions.  Right now, I have to get back to one of my own traditions . . . cooking the “rainy-day-in-the-Fall-pot-of-chili.”  I hope that Bella likes it a little scalded on the bottom.