The Perfect Gift - St. Louis Family Photography

In the photography business it's very rare for me to aim my marketing towards men. Let's face it, when it comes to family portraits Mom is usually in charge. It's always Mom who calls to book the session. It's always Mom who chooses the location. And it's always Mom with all the questions about what to wear, what to bring, etc. 

Well guys, do you know what is just a few weeks away? 

MOTHER'S DAY! 

As a mother of 3 myself I can tell you that one the BEST gifts a husband/dad can give is relieving us of at least one task on our list. 

Now I know that can be a little daunting. All mothers have HUGE "To Do" lists! And we all have 

"our way of doing things." 

So, lets think for a minute. What would be the BEST gift for the special woman in your life? What is something she will never forget? Something that will last a lifetime?

That's right...A portrait session! 

Exposure offers gift certificates! 

All you do is purchase your portrait session now. And you will receive a beautifully packaged, ready to give gift certificate. Once she has received the certificate you (or she) can call and book your session. You get 6 months to use it, so there's no pressure! 

You do almost nothing and yet you get to give the best gift! 

The certificates are good for:

Babies

Children

Families 

Couples

and

Maternity sessions

A portrait session is a wonderful gift for Grandma too! So, in honor of Mother's Day this year I am offering a discount if you buy two or more. Then you get to check off another task on her list...buying a gift for her mom and yours! 

Be sure to like Exposure on Facebook to learn about specials and events.

You can visit www.stl-photographer.com for more information.

or

 Email me

Seniors, Seniors are the Best - St. Louis Senior Portraits

The 2013 Senior Ambassador program is officially underway! 

Here is all the info you need to know....

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS THROUGH MAY 2013

What is a senior ambassador? 

Senior ambassadors are students who will represent Exposure Photography at their high school. You will model for senior portraits and pass out rep cards with your portrait on one side and Exposure info on the other.

To be an ambassador you must:

• Attend one of the local high schools in Jefferson County or South St. Louis County
• Have great style, lots of personality and love being in front of the camera. You MUST be photogenic!
• Be in the class of 2014
• Agree to tell your friends about Exposure and pass out your rep cards.
• Have your parents sign a model release allowing me to use your photos for advertising
• Promote Exposure only.

What do Senior Ambassadors get?

• A totally awesome, totally free May or June portrait session at a variety of locations from rural to urban. Numerous outfit changes are encouraged. Each student is different, so your session will be tailored to your life whether you are a cheerleader, band member, football player or dancer. 
•  A phone skin for your iphone 4 or 5 with your image and Exposure logo on it.
• 50 rep cards with your image on one side and Exposure's info on the other. These are the cards you give to friends and classmates.
• An album on Facebook with up to 10 images with Exposure's logo. You are expected to share the images, use them as profile pics, etc.
• And you have the ability to earn print credits with each friend you refer to Exposure.

So, the big question...How do you apply?

Send me an email to esutterer@aol.com with the subject "senior ambassador".

The email should include:

• A recent photo of you in JPEG format
• The high school you attend
• Your name, age, phone #, address
• Your parents' names and phone #
• And the story of you. Tell me about you.

Then go to my Facebook page and "like".

Preparing for the busy season - St. Louis Photographer

In the photography industry it is pretty slow in January, February and this year, March. Exposure is based just outside St. Louis, MO where yesterday we got the biggest snowstorm of the winter (even though it's actually spring). 

I have to admit that the "slow" season is actually nice after the crazy, busy fall season. You know, everyone wants their photos by Christmas, so it's a lot of late nights, a lot of phone calls and emails, and just a lot of work. Then Christmas comes and it's silent. And I just breathe.

But I know that the busy season is just around the corner and boy do I have a lot of prep work this year!  It's kind of like spring cleaning. I make a to do list and a list of goals. This year the lists are extra long because we just moved into a new house and I am relieving myself from maternity leave (after 1 full year). 

One of the best parts of working for yourself is making your own schedule. So, when we started building a new house, we were trying to sell the old house and I had a new baby I simply gave myself time off. Nice, huh?

Well, it was nice while it lasted, but now I have a lot to make up for. 

One of the biggest projects is going to be building the new studio. It will be in the basement, which will be so nice. Our old house didn't have a basement, so I would literally rearrange my living room for every studio session. It's no wonder I do mostly on location sessions, right? 

The next big project/goal is to promote senior portraits in our local high schools. I am preparing to put together a senior ambassador program, so keep an eye out for that if you are interested. 

Another project is to get all the info from my website onto my blog and cancel the site. It just doesn't make sense to keep it. It's not easy to update, so it's always outdated. And it seems people like to read and look at blogs. "Give the people what they want!" That's what I tell myself.

I have lots more on my lists, but I won't bore you with those. 

What's on your agenda for spring? Any to do lists? Goals? 

By the way, do you like this BIG font? 

Shop Open! - St. Louis Photographer

The Etsy Shop is now open! 

I have all 3 kids home today. Of course I do, it's Sunday. But, I have a feeling they are all going to be here until after Easter. All day, every day. It's snowing...a lot! And I'm pretty sure they will have snow days until spring break is supposed to start, making for a really long spring break. Don't get me wrong, I love having them all here, it's just hard to work. I don't know how I found the time today, but it sure feels good to get some work done!

Not only did I get the shop open, I also created the kids' corner in the basement. I am feeling inspired today. It must be the snow. I am not a lover of cold weather. I am feeling trapped today! Maybe that's why I'm getting so much done inside.

So, back to the shop . I haven't listed all the images. And I haven't listed many canvases yet, but I have listed regular prints that are ready to frame. And I have listed metal prints that are ready to hang. I decided to include some inspirational canvases and prints as well. 

I only have this one listed as of now....

I want one of these for myself to hang it in the girls bathroom. I want them to be able to read it everyday. I think it will help them to remember what is important. 

There is an author, Amy Marxkors, whose words inspire me. She writes about running. If I could read some of her words each morning I think I would start my day with motivation.  I would like to quote her on some canvases. I'm not sure about copyright laws when it comes to quoting people. I will need to learn about that. 

What inspires you? What is something you could read each morning to improve your daily life?

Etsy Shop Coming Soon... - St. Louis Photographer

After days of researching different "shop" sites, deciding how and what I would like to put in the shop, and preparing photographs, I have now decided to open an Etsy Shop. 

I know Etsy is kind of trendy, but to start out it seems to be simple and easy to do. And lets face it, I do NOT have a lot of time to spend setting up a shop and doing inventory. 

So, it will not be long before you can purchase prints and canvases by Exposure! 

I have a whole array of photographs I plan to put in the shop from landscapes, to farm photos, to children photos, to industrial photographs. 

The prints and canvases will be made to order, so there will be endless inventory on those.

I also plan on putting up some of my work that has been in galleries around St. Louis. It will take me a little while to get those photographed for the shop. The gallery work will be one of a kind, so if there is something you like you will have to jump on it. 

Here is a sneak peek at a few photos that will be available as prints or canvases...

Now I have to get to work setting up the shop. Stay updated on when the shop is open by becoming a follower of Exposure.

Cake Smashing Fun - St. Louis Child Photographer

I am SOOO late posting these! But I am SOOO excited to FINALLY have internet service again!

 If you can tell it took Seray a little while to warm up to her cake, but she finally dug in.

So, I'm thinking about offering Cake Smashing Mini-Sessions. Do you think that would be something you would do? What about your friends? I need feedback! Leave comments! 

I Have Internet Again! - St. Louis Photographer

Wow! It felt like we were never going to have internet again! Long story short, we haven't had real internet service since we moved out of our old house in November and the only way we were able to connect was through Chad's iphone, so when Chad was out of town I was pretty much just out of luck. Sure, I could have gone somewhere to use Wi-Fi, but have any of you ever taken 3 kids to a coffee shop and tried to work? Yeah, it's not fun, trust me. 

Now that I am able to connect with everyone I am stumped. I'm sure I have a million things to say, I just can't think of them. 

I have some pics to post, but I am still working on them. Hopefully I will have them up tonight. 

Totally random post, I know. I am just excited and wanted to announce that I am connected to the world again! 

GIVEAWAY! - St. Louis Photographer

Well, if you ask me, this is the easiest giveaway possible! 

All you have to do is "like" Exposure's Facebook page for your chance to win this

Vera Bradley photo album! 

You have just 1 week to win, so hurry! 

The random winner will be announced on Feb. 19th! 

Oh so many perks!- St. Louis Family Photography

I know I've said time and time again that I LOVE what I do, but I just need to say it again. 

There are so many perks with my job! 

First of all I love being able to get crafty. I'm not sure if "crafty" is a word, but I'm using it.  I actually got out of the house last night by myself (which is very rare) and set out to find things to bring on the creativity. 

I first visited the antique store. It's been way too long! There is never enough time there! I didn't find any props, but I did find a vintage set of tupperware for $9. Score! 

Then I had to of course go to Michael's. I always spend too much time there! And I did find lots of pretty pink for tomorrow's session. 

Another perk is using my own kids as models. I use them to test the lighting, placement, setting, etc. 

The result? New photos of my kids! Willow was my model today and quite a beautiful one! 

So, I totally just gave a sneak peek of tomorrow's backdrop. Oh well.

Anyone want to book a last minute portrait session with this backdrop? Its super girlie! 

Be sure to "like" me on Facebook to keep up on current events and specials.

I'm baaaack! - St. Louis Family Photography

I am back in the swing of things! Yay! 

The house is done, we have moved in, maternity leave is over and I am ready to get back to work! 

Spring is right around the corner and is an amazing time for portraits! 

Here is a reminder of some of the deals I offer...

* The Loyal Customer Club...receive 10% off all portrait sessions (returning customers)

* Receive 15% off a portrait session for referring a friend

I am looking for families, kids, babies, and seniors so spread the word! 

We need to fill my calendar! 

Who's going to book the first session? You never know you may get a special freebie! 

PS- As you all know I have stepped away from photographing weddings, but I am definitely up for the occasional event, so go ahead and tell your friends you "know a photographer" :)