Maggie + Jimmy : Engaged

I met Maggie and Jimmy a while back this year to talk about hiring me to shoot their wedding. If my memory serves me correctly, it was...OH! WAIT! I have it written in my calendar! It was the 18th of July 2009! (Thanks, iCal!)
Anyway, I got such a great vibe and energy the minute we met! They are so fun, sweet, laid back, relaxed, and so totally in love!!

Their wedding is not until June 2010, and I wanted to work and see them before that, so we scheduled an engagement session right before I went on holiday! When I asked if Maggie had any suggestions for a location, she asked if the Capitol here in Austin would be alright. Want to know why? Because that's where they had their second date!!! How sweet is that?! It's such a great date idea, too, because let me tell you: the Capitol is BEAUTIFUL! I was so excited for this session!!!
























Maggie and Jimmy, I had such a blast with you two on this session! I know I said it during the shoot, but I totally cannot wait for your wedding! Thank you for everything!!!

Soon, I'll post a few pictures from my first Christmas with James as an engaged couple (and first Christmas we have ever gotten to spend together)!!

If I don't see anyone/post before it, Happy New Year, everyone!!!

xoxo

Maggie + Jimmy Sneak Peek

Just one picture, and these few words as a sneak peek of Maggie and Jimmy's engagement session in Austin, TX!



These few more words and than I'll be off:

SO MUCH FUN!

Happy Holidays and I'll be back to blog this great session before the new year!

xoxo

Save 10% on Photography for Your 2010 Wedding!

Announcing, as seen on the website, a great deal for 2010 weddings!




So, if you know anyone getting married in 2010, let them know they could save $245 or a whopping $285 on their wedding photography if they book Dandy As Lions Photo before 1 April 2010! Have them check out the site to see my portfolio and to see everything that's included in the packages on which they can save!
Oh and don't forget that you could get a free photo session or even cash if they book me and mention your name!!

Melanie + Lloyd + Baby Trip [Maternity]

Many moons ago, thanks to everyone, I was able to offer the first ever "Free Session Saturday!"
Do you remember? I know it was a while back ("FSS" was on the 14th of November), but I'm happy to show some pictures from that day!

Remember Melanie and Lloyd? Well, they took advantage of the "Free Session Saturday", and boy (emphasis on the boy! That's what they're having and they're naming him after his Daddy and Grandfather; but everyone calls him "Trip" because he's the triple [III]!) was I glad they did! They decided to use their hour long session to get some maternity photos done!

Here are some of my favourite photos from the session! We had it at a park near my apartment. I was looking so forward to the session, but when I woke up at 6:00 AM, it was so incredibly foggy! We made the session time for 6:45 AM, but with the fog, I knew it might be difficult to get light filled shots. I called at around 6:30 and told them to take it easy getting to the park and to go ahead and grab some breakfast and to just meet me at the park at 7.

It was still incredibly foggy by 7, but we were all optimistic! I'm glad we chose to go ahead and shoot, because we got some great shots!

Just a kiss because they love one another! So natural! I love it!

This next shot is probably my favourite from the entire day! Like I said, it was really foggy when we started...but of course, five minutes before our session was over, the sun started creeping in! I was so happy, because I had an opportunity to snag a few shots like this one:

I just LOVE this photo! It's so romantic and beautiful to me! (If I may say so myself!)

I always have such a great time working with you, Melanie and Lloyd! I can't wait to meet little Baby Trip one day! Happy Holidays!

Free Session Saturday

Well, this past Saturday (yesterday) was the "Free Session Saturday" and a past client of mine took advantage of it!

Remember Melanie and Lloyd? Well, Melanie is now a bit over seven months pregnant, and decided to use the FSS as her chance to get some maternity photos with her husband!

Photos will come soon, but I just wanted to say "Thank You!!!" again to everyone that helped people discover my website and services!!!

Have a great Sunday evening!!!

You Did It!!

Congratulations, everyone! You did it! You are all responsible for getting the site 250 views and thus having a FREE SESSION SATURDAY!
I want to thank all of you SO MUCH for everything! To reward you all for helping me, I promised sessions lasting an hour to hour and a half at any location in Austin, TX; one CD with the best, high resolution images with basic editing for light, colour, etc; an online password protected gallery so you and your friends and family can view the photos online and even order prints! When prints are ordered via the website, additional editing and retouching will be done to ensure flawless prints! You'll also be given Reprinting Rights and internet permissions!

Now, I said I promised that. I did promise that! Then I started thinking of all of the people that helped me reach this goal. I also started thinking that there are only 24 hours in a day...and out of those hours, generally only 12 give off sunlight. That means that for the free shoots, there would only be five time slots available! Now, I want peoples' opinions. Would you (since you all really reached this goal) all rather go with the hour-hour and a half long sessions with only five slots available; OR would you rather meet me at one location where I will be for a certain amount of time and have 30-minute sessions. You will get all of the extras either way, but I want to know what you'd all prefer! SO, all you have to do is simply go to http://www.dandyaslionsphoto.com and send me an email through the contact page telling me what you'd prefer! I'll need the votes by Monday the 9th of November so I can make arrangements and announcements! Majority gets the rule with this, so don't forget to vote! :)

Thank you to everyone, again!

Update on 'Free Session Saturday' Challenge!

Hi everyone! Just a little update on the "Free Session Saturday" Challenge!
Well, today is the FINAL DAY to get all of the view requirements! As of right now, according to Google Analytics, the site only needs five views to reach the 250 requirement and only 10 absolute unique visitors (10 different visits from 10 different computers with 10 different IP addresses) for the "Free Session Saturday" to take effect!
So, tell all of your friends and family to check out http://www.dandyaslionsphoto.com TODAY!
Information on how to receive a free session on "Free Session Saturday" will be given out tomorrow! So check back here to see how you can be one of the lucky people to get a free session!

Thank you to everyone for helping me!
xoxo

Elocin Renae Scarves Shoot

Today I had a fun shoot with one of my best friends, Nicole! We've been great friends since Pre-Kindergarten, and these days she is a master of the art of crochet!
This year, she has started making custom scarves and hats! I must say, and not just because we're friends, her scarves and hats are AMAZING! They're great for the holidays, too!


This scarf is apparently everyone's favourite! I have to say, I sure do love it! I love the colour and the stiches!!! So pretty!


I also adore this one, personally! Green is my favourite colour, and the yarn is soooo soft and cozy!






Her prices are amazingly good considering all of the work and details that are in each piece! Check her out on Facebook here!

xoxo

Website Deal!!

Hey everyone!
This is just a little post to give everyone the heads up on something!
As you know, if you've read this (or even if you haven't), I now own a site.
As of about three days ago, I had 195 views overall.
Now, to some, that may not seem like much; but I celebrate the little things - you just have to sometimes!
I think 195 is GREAT, considering the only advertising I've been able to think of doing is posting the link on sites like Facebook and Twitter!

Yes, 195 is great, but I want to challenge people. So, I want to offer this challenge to everyone (and yes, you will be rewarded)! If, according to Google Analytics, the site receives 250 views and/or 100 Absolute Unique visitors by Saturday the 7th of November, then a day will be set aside where all photo sessions on that day will be FREE! 100% FREE! The free session date will be held the following Saturday - the 14th of November! All shoots on that day will:

- be an hour to hour and a half long at any one location in Austin, TX
- include one CD of the absolute best, high resolution images (unlimited number) with basic editing including light, colour, exposure, etc correction!
- include a password protected gallery on the website that even allows you to purchase prints from me! All images purchased from me as prints will receive further editing to ensure beautiful prints!
- include Reprinting Rights, so if you'd rather pay an outside company for your prints, you are welcome to do that with no additional charge from me!
- include internet permissions!

EDIT: I'm happy to say that as of today (29th of November), the site is up to 211 views with about 21 Absolute Unique visitors! We're well on the way to what I'll be calling 'Free Shoot Saturday'! This will be easy, I can feel it! I may have to do this more often! :)

Thanks, everyone!

Sneak Peek - Nate's + Emily's Wedding!

Here's just a little sneak peek - I promise not to go too long without a full update! Hopefully it will be up by the middle of next week!

I shot the wedding on the 19th of September, and it was such a blast! Don't worry, just because I'm blogging it so late, doesn't mean they've yet to get their media. I happily gave it to them and showed it all to them about three weeks to a month ago! :)
This wedding was such a blast and breeze to shoot! Hardly any editing was needed at all!
More soon!

xoxo

I'm (a)Live!

Big, Good, Fantastic News!

After months and months of saying "I'm just waiting until I book X weddings so I can get a site" I finally just took the plunge and bought a site!
Thanks to bludomain.com I am now a proud site owner on the internet!


Yes, that is a screen shot of my very own website!
http://www.dandyaslionsphoto.com

I can't tell you how excited and happy I am about this site! I think it will really help my business!
Be sure to check it out, and let me know what you think! Shoot me an email at my new business email:
alyssa@dandyaslionsphoto.com (you can do that in the contact section)!
Also, be sure to check out all of the great deals & specials I'll have going on!

xoxo

Jackie's Bridals

I was so excited for Jackie's bridals! It was the day before I moved into my newest apartment, and everything was a mess at my place! But stepping out onto the grass at the park that we were having the shoot just made everything else unimportant!

The photos, in my humble opinion, are just so great and beautiful! I'm excited to be able to share them!

I'm not sure what it is about this (^^^^) photo, but I absolutely love it!



I LOVED working with Jackie and her mother and sister during this session! These bridals were such a joy to shoot and to edit!

Jacqueline + Joe

On New Years Day 2009, I posted on Craigslist about wanting to get my foot in the door with wedding photography. My first bride that booked me was Jacqueline, whose wedding was in August. I knew we were going to work beautifully together. I met her in Austin and she was with her mother, sister, and her sister's children. She and her family was so absolutely sweet, and she was genuinely interested in booking me in order to not only get her wedding documented with photos, but to help me with my portfolio! She and her family was just so great!

I didn't meet her fiance (now husband), Joe, until the day before the wedding, but everything was cake! They weren't from Austin, but Jackie and her family were happy to meet me there!
They both attended UT, and Jackie's parents both work at UT, so they had their service at the University Church and their reception at the ballroom on campus!

I had to get so many photos of these flowers - they were beautiful!!


While the ladies were getting ready upstairs, the guys were downstairs playing pool and this little one was playing checkers with Grandpa!


Joe told me that they have been together for five years! So, I took Jackie's engagement ring and snapped this shot! :)


Married!!! On to the party!



The reception, like I said, was also on campus so everyone just walked right on over there!

Joe is a musician, and had a very good reason why his guitar was there at the reception! ;)

Joe, his best man, a good friend, and HIS MOTHER played as the band at Joe and Jackie's reception! I loved it, because it was so personal and great! Fun fact: my father and his band played at his and my mother's wedding!



I had such a great time at this wedding! Everyone was dancing, dining, having fun! It was just great!! The family and friends were all so wonderful and beautiful! I want to thank Jackie and Joe and your families for having me document your wedding day! Best wishes to your future!

xoxo

Back in the Saddle and Melanie + Lloyd

I'm not sure why, but I always forget to update this blog! It's pretty bad! I have so many other blogs that I somewhat keep track of, and then this one is just...I'm not sure.
Anyway, I'm going to need to make a ton of posts including things that are new and photo shoots that have been well since shot, but yet to be blogged! I'm going to try to catch up tonight or tomorrow (since I have to wake up pretty early tomorrow)!!!

So, here's a wedding from earlier this year.
Melanie and Lloyd contacted me in around April about their December wedding for 2009.
After booking the date, I started thinking about all of the fun things we could do for their engagement session. A week before the session date, I sent out my "week away" confirmation I normally send out to customers. You know, just to check and make sure we were all on the same page for the session date!
That's when I got the news that they had just found out they were expecting and would have to reschedule the engagement session and possibly the wedding! How exciting for them - I was in class and had the biggest smile on my face when I read their good news about their little peanut!! I immediately sent them an email congratulating them and just asking to be filled in as far as the wedding goes.
After a few weeks, I got an email basically saying that they actually did reschedule the wedding...for that Saturday!! I was so happy to still be shooting their wedding!

It was a really great, intimate backyard wedding held at the home of Melanie's sister! They did everything themselves and Melanie said she basically planned everything in about three weeks! I applaud her, because it was awesome!!



I loved the details at the wedding! The colours and the softness were just great - especially with the great, green astro turf at the top of the steps!!


This was Melanie's wedding dress that she bought from Ross!! How cute, right? I love that she has the chance to wear her wedding dress all of the time if she wanted to do that!

Lloyd (in the blue shirt) with his best man. The guys were just waiting in the living room until it was time!


Melanie may not have spent over $3,000 on a dress, but that doesn't mean that her mother wasn't needed when putting her wedding dress on!



Those colours! I mean, REALLY! :)


Sealing this post with a kiss...no, THE kiss! :)
Good night, all!!