'Tis the season!

It's been busy around here lately. Families are always so much fun - and it's definitely family season. Here are a couple pictures from a recent shoot - aren't these kids just the cutest? And look at this little girl - she's a Jackie O in the making, don't you think?

It rained and it rained and it rained...

...and then there was a 45 minute break and we took full advantage of it. I'm so glad we did - just look at this cute family!

What's a little rain to little boys? Just a lot of fun!

I [heart] sun flare

This week over at i [heart] faces, the theme is sun flare. I thought that I would throw my hat in the ring with this one! It was a beautiful sunny day and this little guy was on the move and wasn't incredibly interested in having his picture taken. I was taking a few shots as he was walking towards me and when he got too close, I laid down. That's when I got this shot. One of my favorites from the day. His eyes show that he's on his way to somewhere and the sun flare adds and extra layer of fun to the picture. =)

Head on over to i [heart] faces for more great sun flare entries!

Fall fun

J and his parents came to visit a couple weeks ago. He had just turned two. What a cute little man he's become. =)

Holiday mini sessions at Orange Blossom Society

We’re thrilled to announce holiday mini-sessions at Redmond’s newest kiddo hot spot Orange Blossom Society! Located in a cool old craftsman house in Redmond, Orange Blossom Society has not only a great play space (and wonderful classes too!) and a fun boutique – but their grounds are absolutely beautiful. Do you want comfy and homey pictures for the holidays? You’ll get them here! Rain or shine, we’ll take advantage of the covered porch and shoot away! Best of all, you can come for the pictures and then stay and play awhile or browse the cute offerings in their boutique.

Sessions will take place Saturday, November 21st between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Package details below:

Package 1: 20-25 minute sitting, 1-5X7, 1-8x10 (choose your favorite pose) - $75 + tax
Package 2: 20-25 minute sitting, 8 wallets, 2-5x7s, 2-8x10s (choose your favorite two poses) - $150 + tax
Package 3: 20-25 minute sitting and 5-10 edited digital proofs (with non-commercial reproduction rights) $225 + tax

Call (425.761.4760) or email (melanie@just-because.com) now to schedule! All packages require a $50 non-refundable deposit which will be credited towards the package.

Holiday cards are here!

We're pleased to announce that our holiday cards are here and ready!! Cards have been designed by Just Because Studios and are truly unique! All cards are 5x7, printed on heavyweight paper and come with envelopes. Designs come in flat and fold over (your choice). Text shown above is customizable, as is the text inside the folded cards. (And of course, the Just Because watermark wouldn't be visible on the finished product.)

Schedule your session today and have your choice of photos put on one of these fun cards! Or, if you've had a session with us in the last year and want to use your favorite picture from that session, we can do that too! Call (425.761.4760) or email (melanie@just-because.com) today!

Cutest costume winner!

Congratulations to N for being the winner of our Cutest Kiddo in Costume Contest!!

Happy Halloween!

Costumed kiddo contest!

Our contest this month is a fun one! Send a snapshot of your little one in costume to melanie@just-because.com. We’ll have an online costume contest and the winning kid gets a free sitting and a 15% discount on their order! Send photos by Wednesday, October 28th and voting will take place October 29th and October 30th here. The kid with the most votes wins – it’s super simple!

Newborn N

Another newborn! How cool is it that I get to play with these little miracles? =)

Family time

Sarah won the Little Birdie Secrets give-away at the beginning of the summer. She asked if we could postpone her photo shoot until mid-September so that pictures could be taken of her nephew and her sister-in-law who would be visiting from Denmark then. Her brother and sis-in-law moved two months before their son was born and Sarah wanted to use the photo shoot as a way to celebrate their family - including her nephew, her sister-in-law, her sister, her sister's young daughter, her mom and herself.

I thought that this sounded like a ton of fun and anxiously awaited the shoot. Just before the shoot, Sarah told me that her brother had surprised them all and come to visit with his new family. What a great addition to the family shoot!

So, last week we all met and spent a fun hour at Pine Lake Park. The light was great, the temperature beautiful, the ducks were friendly and the beach was almost empty. The family is absoultely gorgeous, as you can see. It was perfect. Here's a sample of their pictures.

Thanks so much for making my job so easy Sarah and family. And an extra-special thanks for allowing me to be part of such a special time. =)

Specials galore!

We've got lots of great deals going on right now! Check them out below!

Halloween is just around the corner – and you’ve got the cutest kids in the most wonderful costumes. Why not take pictures before the big trick-or-treat? Come by October 3rd for a costumed mini-session in the studio. For $80 (+ tax), you’ll get a 20 minute sitting, one 5x7 and three digital images with non-commercial reproduction rights (print and images your choice!) – all in time for Halloween!

Fall is our favorite time of the year – and also allows for some of the most wonderful family pictures too. We’re doing extended mini-shoots at a local pumpkin farm on October 4th. Each sitting will be 30-45 minutes and you’ll receive your choice of 2-5x7s and your favorite five digital images with non-commercial reproduction rights all for $150 (+ tax). This is a great way to get pictures for those holiday cards!

Speaking of holiday cards, we’re officially rolling out our holiday specials. Schedule a special holiday sitting to take place between September 20th and December 10th and receive an indoor/outdoor sitting and a $40 print credit all for $100 (a $165 value)! Remember, we can design (and even address and send) your cards too!

Name that photo!

One of the greatest things about photographing kids is that they truly have minds of their own! I have yet to see this more than I see it in my own daughters.

Take the photo above for instance... they were both supposed to be looking at me. Though I did finally get a couple of them looking at the camera and a couple cute interaction shots (and though this one didn't make the cut for many reasons), I still think this is a cute photo - and I think that the caption for it could positively make the picture. So, what do you think? Email me (melanie@just-because.com) the cleverest (most clever?) caption for this photo and receive 50% off your next sitting fee (to be scheduled and taken by 10/31/09) and we'll even give one of your friends the same deal. I'll post the winning entry in the comments.

New family of four!

Remember this family? Baby girl H is here - and in such good hands! This little one slept through most of the sitting - comfortable wherever we put her. And big sister moved around enough for both - which, at this age, is just as it should be! =)

Just a reminder...

...we can design birth announcements and holiday cards! Of course, we work with you and with your budget to get exactly what you're looking for. For example, the black and white announcement above would be great as it is OR with a velum overlay (which would include all of the wording) attached with ribbon to the pristine picture below.

(Psstt - not only can we design, print, assemble etc., we can even address and send them out for you too!).

Baby love

How cool is it that I get to play with newborn babies as part of my job? Baby C showed up for pictures at 8 days old - though someone forgot to tell her that she's a newborn! She was a bundle full of energy and hardly slept at all. I have a feeling that shes going to give her big brother trouble (of course, isn't that exactly what little sisters are supposed to do?) =)

She's a beauty and fits in perfectly with her super cute and wonderful family. What an incredible blessing!

Sisters

...and hopefully best friends. =)

More time outdoors!

When it's sunny, you just have to take advantage of it. Doesn't A have such a cute smile?

Cutie patootie

More fun in the sun! And those eyes - they can just look right into your soul!

Celebrating love!

When is the last time that you and your spouse had pictures taken - just the two of you? We're guessing that it's been too long. Come and have your picture taken - and see the magic that happens in front of the camera when two people know and love each other - and have known and loved each other for years and years.

Or, maybe your love is white-hot and brand new. We love that too - what fun! We'll capture your 'butterflies-in-your-stomach-everytime-I'm-with-her', 'can't-wait-another-moment-to-be-with-him' excitement. There's magic there too of course!

Schedule an early evening couples sitting to take place between now and the end of September and we'll discount your sitting 15% and throw in a $25 print credit too.

Make a date of it - we'll take some pictures for an hour or two. Then you can go out and dance the night away or simply go out to dinner and linger a little more than normal. Celebrate your relationship. Celebrate each other. Celebrate love!