I had hoped to do a little work while up there…I thought for sure I’d be able to snag someone’s wireless internet or hit up one of the small town coffee shops for some free wi-fi, but wouldn’t you know it, there was none to be found.  My husband and I had a good chuckle as we were driving verrrrry slowly around the lake trying to pick up someone’s signal.  No dice. LOL The next day we headed into town, I thought for sure I could hit up the library or the coffee shop…NOTHING!  I thought it was crazy, but my husband reminded me that I shouldn’t be “working” on vacation anyway.  So, I apologize to those who emailed and got no response for several days.  I will be returning all calls and emails in the next couple days.

Before I left for vacation, I had the pleasure of photographing this next lovely family who happen to also be good friends.

Seth & Colleen…CONGRATS on becoming a family!  It was so SO great to meet you and your beautiful baby girl!!  She’s absolute perfection.

Isn’t she just the most precious little thing??!!  So so adorable!!

Love LOVE this one!!  

A few of my faves…

Sharing a bunch because I couldn’t just pick a few…

This one makes me smile.

Something I love LOVE about this one too…

The lovely ladies.

A few of my faves…

P.S. A big THANKS to Melissa for her referral. This family recently relocated from Kansas and Melissa was so kind to refer them to me.  Thanks girl!

I super love this one!

A lot of families request this shot…and I never tire of shooting it.  I love how each family fits together differently.  

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IN OTHER NEWS…

Another exciting announcement….if you’re a Facebook Fan you may have already seen….but I haven’t blogged it here yet…a couple weeks ago I designed an iPhone/iPad/iPod/Droid/Blackberry friendly website.  I think it’s pretty cool, if I do say so myself!   I actually don’t own an iPhone, but my iPad – WOOT! WOOT! – arrived in the mail last week and I’m lovin’ it (welll….when I can wrestle it away from my kids and husband)!!!  Many websites are Flash based websites which are not viewable via iPhones, etc., so with a lot of people browsing via mobile devices I thought it would be fun to have something for them as well.   For touch devices, you are able to scroll through the site by swiping the screen (which is SA-WEET!) and view slideshow galleries that look like Flash, but they’re not.

Sooooo if you have one of the devices listed above, you’ll have to check it out.  Go to the website as you normally would, choose “view site”, and it should automatically recognize your browsing device and route you to the new site!  If you don’t have one of the devices above, next time you’re in the Apple store, test out the new iPad and visit the site…or steal your friend’s iPhone to take a peek.

Here’s a little preview…

First up is this adorable family that is always such a pleasure to work with!  As you can see, baby number 2 (a boy!) will be arriving soon…and lucky for mom, just before the heat of summer comes around.  Good timing guys!  The weather was beautiful the day of our session…just perfect…and the colors are glorious this time of year.  Oh how I love to be able to be outside again!!

Big sis was so sweet with mom’s belly…

…giving the baby a little tickle.

…and some loves.

These adorable sun glasses were her bribe reward for taking “just a few more” photos. =)  When mom finally took them out of the bag and surprised her, she looked at us like, “WHAT? This is it?”  Too funny.  I love 2 year olds, especially cute spunky ones.

One from his newborn session:

And a few of my faves from his recent session!  Can you resist this cuteness??

I’m hoping to provide you with a little inspiration to get some ideas flowing of how you can display images in your home.  The style now is pretty much anything goes!  Easy as pie….right?  Not so much?  Photos can liven up almost any space in your home, I mean who can resist those smiling faces looking back at you every day?  It doesn’t matter if you have a little space or a lot of space, the ideas in the gallery below can be adapted to any space.  Some of the ideas don’t show actual photographs in the frames, but hopefully just the arrangements might spark some ideas.

Here are a few tips to get you going:

1. Mix and match frames for a more interesting display.  For a classic, yet contemporary gallery look, choose all black frames, but vary the frame size and thickness and/or photo and mat size.

2. Always use a mat!  Why?  Besides giving your display more of a modern “gallery” look, a mat separates the photograph from the glass and allows the print to breathe.  No mat means that over time, your photographs are likely to stick to the glass which will in turn ruin the print.

3. Don’t forget the unexpected!  Have a long skinny wall?  Or a little nook in your bathroom?  Don’t be afraid to add photos in unexpected places.  Don’t forget about kids’ bedrooms and playrooms, offices, entry ways, dining rooms…

4. Request a custom size.  Want a long skinny image for above your queen size bed?  Or a particular size for above your fireplace?  Ask for it.  Most photographers are happy to offer custom sizes to accommodate their clients.

5. As I mentioned above, anything goes.  Whether you prefer more linear or “organic” displays…there is a gallery out there that will work for everyone!  Five 16×20 frames in a horizontal row can make just as much of an impact as a display of several different size and style of frames.

6. While dreaming up your design, cut out rectangles the size of your frames (using old newspapers) and tape them to your wall to give you a visual aid to work from.  Rearrange as many times as needed.  This is especially helpful for hanging the gallery too.

7. Ask your photographer for suggestions!  We love that!  

Now on to the gallery of ideas!  The following images come from a little site I LOVE called DecorPad.  DecorPad is a *fabulous* website for anyone interested in interior design or people who are nosy (like me) and just like to peep at other people’s spaces.  DecorPad is full of design inspiration from popular magazines and also members who can upload images of their own spaces. You can search by room or color and with a click….POOF!…inspiration at your fingertips!  (For example, at the top choose “Photos” from the drop down menu then type “Kitchens” in the search box…BAM…beautiful kitchens!) OH!…annnnnnnnd…you might also feel the sudden urge to redecorate your entire home!

*Disclaimer: I’m NOT responsible for the ridiculous amount of time that can be sucked from your life by this website!  So proceed with caution!! 

Inspired??  Got some ideas?  I hope so.  Your life IS art, so get off your duff and hang those photos!

A few other display inspiration sites:
Cool Photo Ideas
Pottery Barn
How to Arrange Art in an Artful Way
Martha Stewart

If you are a Facebook Fan you may know that I was out of town attending a huge photographer’s conference in Las Vegas last week – WPPI – Wedding & Portrait Photographers International.  It is always great to meet new colleagues and see old friends as well as learn a thing or two, have a few drinks, and leave feeling totally rejuvenated and I N S P I R E D!

One of the many inspiring speakers I was able to catch was Tamara Lackey.  Among other things, Tamara talked about the importance of capturing families….this resonated with me.  MY family is the most important thing to me and I bet YOUR family is the most important thing to you, but yet many photographers shy away from photographing families (because hey, let’s face it, it can be a bit chaotic!) and many mothers shy away from having images taken with their children because of personal insecurities or physical hang-ups.  “I need to lose 10 more pounds.”….”I have nothing to wear.”….”I’m not photogenic.” Sound familiar?  I know it does…I’ve heard it all before, and I’m guilty of saying the same things myself….BUT…you know what….(well, besides the fact I can “fix” muffin tops a bit and give you a little digital botox if you insist)…heheheee….

Your kids don’t care!  Let me say it again, YOUR KIDS DON’T CARE!  Trust me, they really don’t.     How many times have your kids looked at images and said “Gee mom, you have a huge butt in that photo?” or “Wow, look at your muffin top!”…chances are, not too many.  Kids are most happy and most comfortable when surrounded by their parents, so why not embrace it?  It’s great to have images of just your children, but when you pass your photographs down to your children later on wouldn’t you rather have them remember you?  The close bond your family shares?  The way your family just fits together?  I know I would.  I don’t want my kids to wonder where mom was when all the photos were taken.

And that is my goal for 2010…to capture more families.  REAL families.  Not just families sitting perfectly in the grass smiling for the camera…but REAL families…interacting, laughing, embracing, heck, maybe even dancing…H A P P Y…REAL families.  I like to think of it as perfectly imperfect, because that’s what families are…perfectly imperfect. Now don’t worry, we’ll grab a few of everyone looking at the camera too, but let’s face it…that’s not REAL…it’s pretty, and nice, but how often does that actually happen?  If your family is like mine, not too darn often!  

So…this is your fair warning!  Don’t be surprised if I tell you to jump in some images with your kids…or (gasp!) your spouse…and don’t tell me you don’t want to because you look fat…because remember, this isn’t about YOU, it’s about YOUR KIDS (and ahem…I’m the boss)!  

AND…because I’m making you all do it…*I* will do it to!  So…to those photographers reading this….who wants to photograph my family??  Haha! Warning: I might have a muffin top and I’m not photogenic BUT my kids and husband are pretty darn cute, and gosh darn it, I want photos with *me* in them! LOL

© 2010 Sarah Ulrich. All rights reserved.

Edited To Add: Attention Photographers: I have had several requests asking if it was okay to share this on your own blogs. Yes, I have no problem with that. Feel free to share a link to my post or copy and paste the text with a link back to the original. Thank you!

Since I haven’t shared photos of my own kids for awhile, I thought now was the perfect time to share some…

We used this on her Valentine’s Day card this year…and I love it…because it’s not “perfect”, but it’s SO her, and that’s what I want to remember.

And I should also note that my girls are 8, 6, and 4…and this is the FIRST time I’ve ever photographed them together AND got them all looking at the camera and smiling!  

These mini sessions will be abbreviated sessions with 8-10 images posted for you to view in an online gallery.  The images will be fresh and fun (like always ) and capture all of your child’s wonderful expressions. Choose from custom designed 4×5 Valentine Cards OR a 5×10 “LOVE” mini desktop collage. I have done custom cards for my girls the last 3 years and they are always a hit…and super fun for the kids to have cards with THEIR own images on them! The collages are perfect for those of you who might not be handing out cards or want something to brighten up your desk space at work…they are also the P-E-R-F-E-C-T thing to surprise dad (or mom!…HINT HINT) with on Valentine’s Day!!

Sessions will be offered one day only….Sunday, January 24th!  Only 10 SESSIONS are available so contact me to reserve your session right away! Shoot me an email using the “contact” button above or call 486-9934.

A few more details:

- The session fee covers one child.  Siblings will incur a separate session fee and time slot.
- Sessions will be limited to 20 minutes.
- Due to the nature of the mini-sessions, babies must be able to sit independently without toppling over.
- Images from the session will be posted within a couple days. Orders will be due Friday January 29th, and will be ready to pick up the week of February 8th.
- A variety of Valentine props will be available for you to choose from.

I recently had a couple little models come in to show you all just how ridiculously A-DOR-ABLE and FUN the images are….here’s Miss Katie and her “LOVE” collage…

She’s a feisty one if you couldn’t tell!

Heheheheee! I *love* this one!

And next up….Noah….the ‘lil Heartbreaker! *melts*

Too bad ladies…..this guy only has eyes for his mama!

*faints from the cuteness*

I am honored.
I am humbled.
I am grateful.
I am blessed….beyond words.

Enjoy the slideshow below featuring the greatest “blessings” I had the pleasure of working with this year…
*Please be patient…it may take a few seconds to fully load.*

*If you can’t view the slideshow above, download the Quicktime plugin HERE .

I wish you all a very M E R R Y Holiday and a H A P P Y New Year! Cheers!

I mean seriously…it does not get much better than this. The brown eyes….and fauxhawk….*melts to pieces*

…and…since I know the holiday cards have been sent out….:)…