NEW BLOG ADDRESS

Hiya Folks.  My blog has moved.  You can visit my new blog at: www.mishkaphotography.com/blog.  Please update your bookmarks and/or Google Reader to reflect the new address.  This blog will no longer be updated!!  As always, visiting www.mishkaphotography.com will give you the option to access the blog or my regular site.  Thank you for your understanding – the new blog is super sweet – check it out!

Introducing Miss Charli

How cute is this little one?  Charli is 10 weeks old and was an absolute dream to work with – she is such a laid back little lady.  Amazingly adorable – I can’t get enough of her beautiful eyes and her fantastic little lips!!  Thank you Mom and Dad for choosing me to photograph your family.  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Shhh. What’s that Noise? Do you Hear that?

Its the sound of summer.  I know, I know.  I’ve completely lost it.  But it is currently 7 freakishly cold degrees outside and I keep crossing my fingers Mother Nature will be kind and summer will make an early debut.  In the meantime, these photos from the end of last summer are the only thing that keep me going during the end of these winter months.  Its been a nasty season weather-wise.  I really need to feel the sunshine on my skin, the water on my toes and the wind in my hair.  Sigh.  Not too much longer. . .but for now this is as close as I can get.

Baby Sydney. Take Two.

A few posts down, you will see Baby Sydney less than 24 hours old.  Here she is 8 days old and just as adorable.  It took her a bit to fall asleep (she really wanted to work it for the camera), but it was well worth the wait.  Look at this little angel.  She has the greatest little lips!  The best part about photographing little Sydney is that she is signed up for my Baby’s First Year plan, which means I get to see her again in three months!  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for inviting me to your home to spend time with you and your little one – she is a joy.  Here’s your sneak peek!

Oh Baby. Come to Mama.

The drooling has ended.  The wait is no more.  I *finally* have it in my paws.  The Canon 5d Mark II.  Ohhhhh how I love thee.  I was put on the list before this bad boy was even released and my loverboy, Rick W., at Adray Camera called yesterday to let me know it was my lucky day (FYI- I was 22 on the list and there are more than 300 waiting at this store alone). 

And one of the first shots with my new baby.  For my fellow photographers who check out the blog – - this was taken at 1/80  f/2.8  ISO 4000.  ISO 4000!!!!  Holy Moley.  I am smitten.  You can start to see a bit of noise at 4000, particularly on the walls but I can tell you this baby performs like a charm at speeds in the 2000-3600 range.  Fantastic-o!  The only issue I ran into is that the 5dM2 RAW files are not compatible with Adobe Camera Raw for CS3 (and adobe is not making a plugin for CS3 as CS4 is now available).  RAW files are, however, compatible with Lightroom 2.2 which can then be imported into an older version of PS (i.e., CS3/CS2 yadda yadda).  A bit of a pain, a bit more cash.  Worth it?  Heck yeah.

More Birth Announcements

I’ve added more birth announcements to my ever growing list of boutique items.  Note that most of my templates can be customized for boy or girl. 

Baby Sydney

Beautiful Baby Sydney.  I had the pleasure of photographing her at the hospital less than 24 hours after her arrival in this world.  Simply adorable, simply sweet, simply girl.  Check back soon for more photos of Sydney as Mommy and Daddy have an upcoming newborn session scheduled! 

Some New Boutique Items

I’ve been busy creating new templates.  The square templates are printed at 20×20 or larger and the rectangle template is printed at 11×20 or larger.  These can be printed on professional grade photo paper and professionally framed.  Note that all of my prints over 8×10 come mounted (ensures longevity of your print).  These would also look fantastic printed on canvas as they make an incredible statement on a wall when printed large.  As always, templates can be completely customized to suit your taste and home decor (font type, color, background color, etc., etc.) – each one will be unique!  These are not reserved just for new clients, past clients can take advantage of the new templates as well.  Pricing starts at $90.

Wordless Wednesday

Business Headshots

I’ve recently taken on some work with corporate clients looking to update professional headshots of their employees.  These here are for BSDD Law Firm in Detroit.  If you, or someone you know, need updated photos for website, brochures, business cards, monthly newsletters, etc., please get in touch. 

Mr. Animated and a New Set Up

I swear my kiddo has 3,000 faces.  Here’s just a handful.  Oh, and by the way, check out this snazzy studio set up.  This is a faux-wood Pergo floor that just snaps together with a very funky damask background.  I also have the same drop in pink/brown.  I really like how this set up looks as though it could be in anyone’s home – it is a bit more relaxed, a bit funky.  I’m diggin’ it!

Wordless Wednesday

Baby Belly

Okay, so its technically three-year-old-preschool-belly, not baby belly.  But its adorable nonetheless.  My little guy is obsessed with his belly button – - he was even busted during his Preschool Christmas Program with his dress shirt up and playing with the sometimes innie, sometimes outtie (depending on how much he’s eaten that day!).  Maybe its just my mommy goggles, but his belly is awfully cute.

Marvelous Night for a Moondance

If it weren’t so dag blasted cold last night I would have danced under the moon.  It was beautiful – - lighting up our freshly fallen snow and creating shadows and silouettes of bare trees.  Gorgeous, yes?

Wordless Wednesday

Giveaway Results

I had 12 people nominate their loved ones for my Christmas giveaway.  People were hesitant to post comments on the blog and sent emails directly to me taking precautions to preserve their privacy.   With that being said, I’d like to let everyone know that when you make a comment here on the blog, your email address is not visible to the public and I will never, ever, not in a million years relay your email address to anyone. 

I wish I could offer all of the entrants free sessions – it was very difficult to choose as there were stories that were both uplifting and heartbreaking.  The most compelling story, however, is that of the Wells family.   Just going by the small snippet of information that was submitted for the giveaway, the Wells family is truly deserving of some time in front of the camera.

Congratulations Wells Family!  I’m looking forward to meeting your family and capturing special moments for you!

My Baby’s Third Birthday

You’d think that turning three would cause me to not call him a baby anymore.  I just can’t help it – he’s my baby.  Luke had a fantastic birthday and was spoiled, spoiled, spoiled.  Between birthday and Christmas, my house is littered with ridiculous amounts of pirates, batman figures, hot wheels and everything Scooby Doo related – some toys seem to be just the right size for me to step on when I’m not paying attention, especially those darned pint sized pirate swords.  Happy birthday baby – let’s not rush this year as I think this is my favorite time with you so far – I love three!!

‘Tis the Season! My First GIVEAWAY!!!!

Let’s face it.  The economy is less than ideal at the moment and people are struggling to make ends meet this Holiday season.  Sooooo, let’s have a GIVEAWAY!  I’m giving away a free session (did you hear that?  FREE!!!!), along with two 8×10’s, four 5×7’s and two sets of wallets from the session.  FREE, FREE, FREE.  Come on folks, who doesn’t love to hear that word this time of year, right?  This giveaway is worth over $250.

Here’s the clincher: you cannot nominate or enter yourself in this giveaway.  Here’s what you need to do.  You need to nominate someone you know who you believe deserves a free session and prints – a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, your old high school flame who still has abs like a rockstar.  Leave me a comment at the bottom of this post and tell me why they deserve a FREE session and prints (Tom just lost his job, Betty’s husband is serving overseas, Randy and Renee just had triplets and are ready to be sent to the looney bin).  Please make sure you include your email address in the comment form so I can contact you if you win.  Deadline to submit is yep, you guessed it, Christmas Day. 

I want to sincerely thank all of my clients for blessing me this Christmas with your business.  I honestly did not expect my first Holiday season to be so busy and I am grateful to my clients, my friends and my family for the support they have lended while I turned my hobby into a business.  I’ve adored meeting each of your families and I look forward to capturing moments and memories for you next year!

 

***The Obligatory Fine Print:   The winner’s session will take place after the New Year and must take place within 6 months of January 1, 2009.  The winner should live in, or be willing to travel to, Southeastern Michigan for their session.  Session can be at location of choice outdoors or in my home studio.  All responses will be voted on by my immediate family who are not eligible for the contest and probably wouldn’t submit anyway as I’ve already burned their retinas from photo-taking.

Mr. Serious

I recently met Cameron and his parents.  Cameron was such a serious little guy, but adorable nonetheless.  Thanks Mom and Dad for choosing me to photograph your family!

Hamming it Up

Adam was an absolute blast to photograph.  He completely surprised his parents and was a total ham in front of the camera!  I loved this little man and wish we could have spent more time together!  Merry Christmas “P” Family!

Playing Catch Up

Haven’t posted client sneak peeks in awhile – I’m sorry for that!  Here are a couple I did over the weekend.

So the photo below with the flower should look familiar – I’ve used it a great deal for advertisement purposes, on my website, etc. (Thanks Mom & Dad for your permission!).  The photo on the right was taken this past weekend, six months later.  Matti has grown so much!

And this here is Matti’s cousin.  I photographed Carson at the same time last year.  As you can see by looking at the comparison, he’s become a little man and is still simply adorable.  I love his curls!

Jaegun and his Little Red Wagon

I have been crazy-busy with sessions, editing and portrait parties and I have neglected the Blog – I apologize for not sharing more sneak peeks, but I have just been posting clients’ photos directly to their galleries.  I am grateful to my clients for making my first Holiday season in business a busy one.

The poor blog.  Its been pushed to the back burner lately, but I had to make time to share this one.  I met this little man a couple weeks ago.  Jaegun brought his own red wagon with him to the session.  This little guy makes me smile!!!

A Quick Trip

Headed down to Miami/Fort Lauderdale to visit a good friend of ours for the weekend – he was very kind to entertain us aboard the World Ship a/k/a Residensea.

So, for the photos.  I really worked on avoiding obligatory beach photos and instead tried to concentrate on details. 

This is my favorite from the trip, and I knew it would be when I spotted the scene from the cab on the way to our hotel when first arriving.  It was the red kayak that jumped at me and I had no idea this shot would turn out this way.  Taken at about 1:30 a.m. and the wind was whipping – I think I still have sand in my ear!  It almost looks like its from another world.  I’m going to frame it I love it so much!

 

And, here’s a collection of a few others.

Wordless Wednesday (with words)

So today’s Wordless Wednesday is not wordless.  I did not have an opportunity to take any photos today as I was in a Photoshop Seminar all day – I’m on information overload!!!  These photos were taken earlier in the week.

My youngest is very photogenic and loves to have his picture taken.  In fact, he sometimes begs for me to take his picture.  This week was a different story.  He was being soooo goofy that I could only capture him hiding or roaring (because he *really* does think he’s a dinosaur) – which is okay with me because he’s adorable no matter what and I’m all about capturing his personality.  So this is what I came up with:

But then.  Then I came up with this keeper and it made all the outtakes totally worth it.  I recognize it breaks so many “rules” of photography, but I love it because it shows his sparkling blue eyes, his creamy soft skin, the little chip in his front tooth, his still pudgy little fingers, his personality and just one of his many, many expressions.

Baby Jack

It is such a compliment to have clients return to me for photos.  I met baby Jack about five months ago and I photographed him again this past weekend.  Look how much he’s grown!!  Jack is such a good little guy – every time I see him in person or look at his photos he just sends me over the edge smiling.  Simply Adorable.

Portrait Party Preview

Here’s a sneak peek from a portrait party that I photographed over the weekend.  This was a great group!  Thank you, again, for inviting me to your home!

Baby Beckett

Meet Baby Beckett.  He just turned one and is so, so, so adorable.  Blonde hair, blue eyes, a big smiler and ALL BOY!  He’s gonna be a heartbreaker.  Thank you again for choosing me to be your photographer!  Here’s your sneak peek!

A Bun in the Oven

This mom-to-be was such a trooper!  She let me toy around with some new ideas for her photos.  Mommy and Daddy-to-be be are going to make such wonderful parents!  Looking forward to meeting baby when she makes her debut!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

In an effort to get myself thinking outside of the box and taking photos of more random subjects, I’m starting up something new here on the blog.  Wordless Wednesday.  Each Wednesday I’ll post a photo of something I’m doing/have done or something that I’ve seen that Wednesday.   Now my reasons for Wordless Wednesday are multiple: (1) I love taking photos of people, which my business heavily relies on, but I also love taking photos of virtually everything else – devoting some time each Wednesday to take a photo of something random makes me happy; (2) My applicaton to submit work to istockphoto.com was recently approved so I need to get on the ball and send in pieces of my work – this is a great opportunity for me to work on stock photography; and (3) I like to chat, so making a post each week without words to describe the photo is going to be a challenge for me.  So, without further ado, here’s the first Wordless Wednesday photo. 

Get out and VOTE!

Election day is tomorrow!  For Oakland County residents – If you are unsure of where you should be voting,  please visit HERE to find your polling location.

The Ryder Clan

I had the pleasure of photographing the Ryder Family on Saturday.  They were such a fun and laid back family and Jamie and Shauna’s girls are so, so, so adorable!  Thank you for choosing me to photograph your family – I had a great time!  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Local Photo Contest – 2nd Place

I know I posted this photo in the First Fieldtrip Post, but I just had to share that I came in second place with this photo!  And a cash prize to boot!  The theme was “Fall Happenings” and what better way to celebrate the Fall months than with a warm and sugary cider mill donut!  Mmmmm. 

Giving Back – The Littlest Heroes Project

I am excited to announce that my application to participate in the Littlest Heroes Project was recently approved.  The Littlest Heroes Project, started in January of 2008, is a non-profit organization of professional photographers nationwide who provide free photo sessions to our Littlest Heroes – children who are suffering from a serious illness or life altering disability.  The Littlest Heroes Project is an effort to open the eyes of the world to a part of it that so many ignore or pretend (or maybe do not even realize!) exists.  It is my hope that I can record precious moments for families – moments that can be cherished for years to come.

I am honored to be a part of this organization and plan to put forth my greatest effort to this cause.  For more information, please visit: www.littlestheroesproject.org

More Christmas Card Styles!

In addition to the cards previously posted, I am now offering a whole new set of cards!  I’m all about offering choices for ya!  These are a bit different than the other style.  These cards are one-sided and are printed on 5×7 photo paper or linen paper.  Anywhere you see red can be changed to PINK for a fun and funky look.

Pricing for a set of 25 with envelopes:

Photo Paper: $45.00

Linen Paper: $55.00

 

 

And, just for reference, here are the other cards I’m offering.  Everywhere you see green can be changed to RED!

Pricing for a set with 25 envelopes:

One sided, printed on photo paper: $45.00

One sided, printed on linen paper: $55

Two sided, printed on linen paper: $70.00