The Gift of Memories...

It's time again for the Holiday Season, which I can't believe... and I want to help you celebrate!

Almost daily now I'm receiving calls concerning purchasing portraits for family members as Christmas gifts. This got my wheels turning. Every family needs portraits to capture their moments, and as this is the season of giving, I want to help make those portraits reasonable, even with a tight Holiday budget! So, I've put togehter a couple of things for this Holiday season, just for you.

MINI SESSIONS: Shutters will be offering mini sessions, approximately 30 minutes each, from today until December 15th for only $80. The mini-sessions will come with a disk of all photos, and copyright release, as well as an 11x14 print and two 8x10 prints. Additional prints will be available at Shutters' everyday low rates.

SHUTTERS GIFT CERTIFICATES: As more people continue to contact me regarding purchasing sessions for family members or friends, especially now with Christmas pending, I've put together Shutters Gift Certificates! The certificates can be purchased at your desired amount ($20, $50, $200, you name it), from today until December 20th. For all of you looking for Christmas presents without time to get everyone together before the Holidays hit full force, here is your perfect solution. For those of you who maybe hadn't thought of 'giving photography' as a present, don't overlook that these certificates make great stocking stuffers, and are something EVERY family would enjoy.



*Note - Certificates can be used for any service from Shutters Photography. You are not limited to use your certificates as they can be used toward family photos, children sessions, senior portraits, sports photos, and more!

Shutters Photography Featured on "Her City Guide"

The new, and I have to say GENIOUS, work of KC’s new Her City Guide website (www.hercityguide.com) is officially off the ground and running at full speed all over Kansas City. The brainchild of Aimee Jacobson, Her City Guide was created to serve as a full service ‘one stop information stop’ for women in the Kansas City area. I mean it, ladies, if you haven’t yet checked out this new site, do it. Whether you are looking for services, shops, photographers… ahh hemmm J… or more to cater to you and/or your family, this site is the mother-load of all resources. Hop online and check it out. As we all know, with the Holidays around the corner ever little bit of help in saving time is always appreciated! Need I even mention the great discounts and offers available to registered users?

All of you Shutters clients, while you are online, take an extra minute to make a pit stop and write a review about Shutters. You’ll find us featured under “for her baby”, “for her wedding” and “for her kids”!

Happy surfing!

Totally 'Jaded'...

Ok, so.... I'll admit, I AM totally jaded right now, but it has less to do with my schedule the last few days and more to do with my obsession with the Twilight book series. I can't put the stinking books down, and am on the third book in three days. I'm telling you, obsessed, leading to me not sleeping quite as good as I should me, leading to my sleepiness.

Now, how exactly does that tie into my post? Well, it was from the suggestions of a couple of good friends that I started reading the series. One of those friends just happened to be Jade, the real subject of this posting. Jade is preparing to marry a longtime friend of mine this upcoming summer, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. Jeremy and her are an adorable couple, and I liked her as soon as I met her... probably because she is one of the only girls I know that will go midnight sledding with me (the first night we met I might add).

Stay tuned to see more of this couple in '09. Jade is sure to be a dashing bride, and I can't wait!

Congrats guys!

Curious George(s)

Alright, I have to admit I might be a bit biased on two of the children in my recent Family Shoot with the members of the George family and their aunts and cousins. Two of them happen to be the children of my boyfriend's boss, and we are pretty close to their family. However, it is pretty hard to get get 'cuter' than these guys.

Without further ado, here are a few of my favorite shots... I'm guessing you can tell who rules the roost from this first photo!

A busy, busy schedule...

I apologize for the time away from blogging. For those of you who might not know much about me I want to take time this post to explain a bit more about me - the lady behind the camera - and what keeps me so busy. So, let's just start right at the beginning!

While attending Harrisonville Middle School, I became involved in photography for our yearbook, which, at that time was an after school project (oh the extra time we all had then). I fell in love..... with photography that is. I was sold on capturing memories, and continued that throughout my time at HHS. I, being the sucker I am, not only was a photographer for the high school's yearbook, but also volunteered to be the ad manager. In conjunction with a terribly terrific marketing teacher my Senior year, photography - and marketing - became my two passions.

Fast forward to college. I enrolled in UMKC on an education scholarship (no, not nearly even a half ride as I didn't turn in my scholarship papers early enough - kids... GET ON IT!) After my freshman year, I decided to move to LA for the summer and work at a production studio. I was 19, living in West Hollywood on Sunset and Alta Vista. Wow, talk about an experience! Being from a town of 8,000 people and moving to Hollywood was a huge leap, but I loved it. I was lucky enough at my job and in my personal experiences to meet some of the most artistic and talented people, who became very good friends. The travels and art spurred me to keep shooting, more so than I had before.

Fast forward another two years. Sophomore and Junior years down while making the Dean's list, I decided to take another leap and move to Europe for the summer to travel and study. I had been so entrentched in school that I wasn't doing much photography. However, that was soon to change. I was booked for 5 weeks of schooling and living in Marseilles, France. Was that enough - NO WAY! So, I took off a month early and traveled all over the UK, Northern France, Netherlands and then down to Southern France. I was once again in love again. This time however, people weren't on the top of my list of beautiful things to shoot, it was the landscape. I would walk the streets day and night and shoot everything, from churches and monuments to parks and cemeteries. Once school started I settled in Marseilles and made fast friends with my roommates. We traveled on weekends to Spain and Corsica, talked our professors into taking us on day trips all over where we would fought with bulls and visit Van Gogh's asylum and Starry Night Cafe. None of us wanted to leave, but were spurred on when we made plans to take another month after classes ended and travel all of Italy and back (once again) to Paris. It was life changing. With so much to see and take in, I started paying even more attention to detail, and off beat backgrounds (that didn't have hundreds of people crowded around).

I came home and immediately switched jobs to begin working with my father at his company, Advantage PressurePro. PressurePro is the leading manufacturer and marketer of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, worldwide. I was sold on international relations and wanted to continue working with people in other countries. Within a year I had graduated with honors from UMKC in business administration and was given the opportunity to head up PressurePro's marketing. I didn't hesitate. As soon as I was out of the office however, I had a camera to my eye. I couldn't shake photography. When my brother, sister and a few of their friends asked me to do their senior photos, I made up my mind, I needed to get back into photography at a more regular basis and Shutters Photography was born.

What many people don't know however, is that I also maintain my position with PressurePro. Both marketing and photography are so deeply engrained in me, I simply can't give one or the other up. As I've always been a busy body, I've decided to just plan appropriately for both. How has it worked out? I LOVE IT!

In fact, recently, I've been on a run of Senior and Engagement shots, while also helping PressurePro reach all new levels by landing the cover of Fortune Small Business Magazine. Check out the cover shot below and find the full cover story at http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/08/smallbusiness/when_less_means_more.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2008101608 and stay tuned for many more photos soon to come!

Vanessa