Be colorful! Be happy! We’ll do all sorts of fun things to create a fun and spunky video to send to your sweetie, friends, and family. Bring the kids, mom can do it too (or dad can come for mom!) Dedicate your video to one special person or list everyone you’ve ever met — it’s up to you!

Take a look!

The special includes:

–30-minute session
–tons of cute props including petals to throw, hats to wear, balloons to toss around, and much more
–create a supersized painted Valentine during your shoot that you can take home
–a DVD with your video plus five to ten still images from the shoot perfect for posting online or emailing (but not suitable for printing)
–a YouTube video will be loaded for you to share with as many or as few people as you like – visible or unlisted

$50

There will be print deals and full-resolution digital file upgrades so good I’m not even posting them, but you can ask about them!

Since this is a digital delivery, we can shoot right up until Feb. 12. (If you know you’re going to want prints, though, schedule before Feb. 6.)

Schedule:
Email me with your day and time of day, and we’ll set a time.

Saturday, Jan. 21 — morning, afternoon, evening
Sunday, Jan. 22 — morning, afternoon, evening

Monday, Jan. 23  – morning, afternoon, evening
Tuesday, Jan. 24 – morning, afternoon, evening
Wednesday, Jan. 25 – morning, afternoon, evening
Thursday, Jan. 26 – morning, afternoon, evening
Friday, Jan. 27 – morning, afternoon, evening
Saturday, Jan. 28 – morning, afternoon, evening
Sunday, Jan. 29 – morning, afternoon, evening

Monday, Jan. 30 — morning, afternoon, evening
Tuesday, Jan. 31 — morning, afternoon, evening
Wednesday, Feb. 1 – morning, afternoon, evening
Thursday, Feb. 2 – morning, afternoon, evening
Friday, Feb. 3 – morning, afternoon, evening
Saturday, Feb. 4 – morning, afternoon, evening
Sunday, Feb. 5 – morning, afternoon, evening

–AFTER THIS POINT, PRINTS MAY NOT COME IN TIME, BUT VIDEOS/DIGITAL FILES ARE FINE–

Monday, Feb. 6 – morning, afternoon, evening
Tuesday, Feb. 7 – morning, afternoon, evening
Wednesday, Feb. 8 — morning, afternoon, evening
Thursday, Feb. 9 — morning, afternoon, evening
Friday, Feb. 10 — morning, afternoon, evening
Saturday, Feb. 11 — morning, afternoon, evening
Sunday, Feb. 12 — morning, afternoon, evening

This year the outdoor portraits will be taken at lovely Rainey Park. I discovered this little area tucked close to I-35 downtown near 1st Street when scouting for locations on the lake. It had amazing features:

• Beautiful bridge
• Lake views
• Amazing trees for climbing
• Easy, close parking
• A playscape as a treat for kids when they are done

So, perfect! I took Elizabeth down there last weekend and we did some sample shots. I was just floored at how lovely it is.

The holiday 2011 sessions look like this:

• Rainey Park Outdoor Sessions with still photos only — $95
• Rainey Park outdoor Sessions with stills AND video — $145
• Studio shoots (tree goes up Nov. 1) — $75
• Sessions at your home or other locations are usually $145 – We will arrange those on a case-by-case basis.

Here is the schedule! I’ll keep it up to date as well as I can. “Anywhere” means you can book this slot for studio or Rainey Park.

One of the things that came out of my sudden noteriety is helping a couple of East Texas photographers establish their new organization that provides family portraits to those who may have lost everything due to the wildfires. It is their hope to begin the process of building new memories and new treasured photographs for their family.

If you know a family who was affected by the wildfires, have them apply when they are ready at

www.recapturingmemoriesproject.org

I am only one of over 100 photographers in Texas and Oklahoma who are part of this effort. Our first act was to pool equipment, cameras, and props to give to a professional photographer who lost her entire studio to the fires.

Even if you weren’t affected, know that the Red Cross seriously depletes their money stores during disasters. You can donate to the Central Texas Red Cross by texting as instructed in the video, or by going to http://t.co/LoDBLXC.

The well was built last fall by a master stone mason. It features stairs on both sides, as well as a 3/4 circumference flower bed. The landscapers filled the space with Yaupon Hollies, Boxwood, Geraniums, Snapdragons,  and lilies. Antsy children get to run loose in the Sparkle Garden between posed shots (see baby shot below).

Tell your friends about this one, as it’s a great time to update a child or family portrait for very little! AND, if you have the coupon on Facebook, you can get $25 in prints after your shoot. Just print out the coupon and bring it to your session.

I’m running sessions all day long for two weeks. Each session is designated how many people can be in the shot (due to the amount of shade.)

If you want the sitting on top of the well shots, choose a BOLD time slot. Otherwise the sun may be too strong to sit that high. 

To book a session, call Deanna at 512-347-0081 or email deanna@deannaroy.com

Whew boy, those poor bluebonnets are having a hard time of it this year. No rain, late freezes. I don’t blame them for barely peeking their heads out.

I’d say this year is for the hard core who do bluebonnets every year and can’t skip. If that’s you, check the schedule below. I do have one very lovely place at 45th and Mopac that not only has bluebonnets, but also a meadow of those delicate pink flowers, plus lovely shade trees. It will make a lovely session where bluebonnets are just a part of the experience.

I’m not sending this out as an email to my entire client list as I can’t fit very many people into the abbreviated schedule this year. If someone you know specifically wanted bluebonnet pictures, let them know.

You can choose your fee on this one:

$65 session only
or
$125 includes $95 in prints (3 units of prints or 10 4x6s)
 
We can do the 45th St. location for both morning or evening sessions (about 8:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.)
We can do the Lost Creek/360 location in the evening only as the morning side is burned out and dry this year. (6 p.m. or 6:30 or 7-p.m. start times)
 
(Update: We are done!)

The grass had other ideas.

The well went up last winter, but it’s still bare and flower-less, and bluebonnets are going to be upon me soon. The landscape designer has been out to assess what I need, but we’re way behind schedule. So the well special will probably happen in May now. If you aren’t getting my emails, you can sign up for them using the box in the upper left corner.

It will be beautiful when it happens, I promise!

Email me NOW if you want first crack a bluebonnet spots when they start. I’m hoping to use these two spots this year:

South Austin park (above) and West Austin seeded area (below):

Story #1

The first winner of a portrait package is Vicki and Doug. They were nominated by Vicki’s ten-year-old daughter Shelbi. She says about her mom, “I never thought I would see her so happy and in love again.”

Doug has raised two daughters on his own after losing his wife to cancer. “I think that is why he is such a great soon-to-be dad to me and my brothers,” Shelbi wrote.

Shelbi says everyone can see how much in love they are as they are always laughing. “And yes, they kiss right in front of us.”

She is very happy her mom found such a great person and wanted their first Valentine’s Day together to be extra special by winning this package.

I am very impressed with Shelbi taking the time to nominate her mom and future step-father. What a sweet and loving thing to do!

Story #2

The second winner of a couples portrait package are April and Daniel, nominated by friend and coworker Jeannie.

April and Daniel have been married for five years. After years of infertility, they learned they were expecting their first baby last year. Sweet Aven, however, was born far too early, and April and Daniel had to say goodbye last October.

 As they weigh their options for their future attempts at having children, Jeannie wanted them to have these images as they put together their adoption portfolio.

Jeannie would love to see them win,”in honor of their love for each other which has sustained them through difficult times, their love for their baby Aven, who will always be with them, and their love for another baby who will hopefully soon bring great joy to their lives.”

The loss of a child is one of the toughest thing a couple ever has to weather. I have a soft spot certainly for moms and dad who make it through. Congratulations, April and Daniel. We’ll definitely find a way to work sweet Aven into your portrait love story.

Between now and Saturday, Feb. 12, tell me about a special couple in your life. Maybe they are wonderful for the things they do. Maybe it’s just who they are. Perhaps they are having a hard time and this is a way to show them how much you love THEM. And yes, you can nominate yourself by way of telling me about your terrific honey.

I don’t mind any sort of couple. Engaged, newly married, married 50 years, traditional or nontraditional. I just want their love for each other to shine through in some beautiful photography as we run around Austin to locations that are meaningful to them.

On Valentine’s Day, I will announce the winner of a couple’s portrait package. They will get a $400 full-service session with a photo shoot, a fusion video documenting everything we take and the special moments it entailed, and $245 worth of prints or digital files.

The only catch? Don’t pick anyone too shy, as they will be featured on my web site as the honorary couple in my year of love!

All nomination stories will end up on the Facebook page, but you can leave it here in the comments or you can email me privately at first. I will transfer all the stories to one location so we can get out our hankies and feel the love with your heartwarming stories.

The fun thing about this photo? Taken with a Kodak PlaySport camera. Point and shoot, automatic only, no flash. The camera is made for taking HD video (even underwater) but also takes 5 megapixel stills. And the best part? $119. Go see!

Elizabeth Feeds the Geese
Kodak Playsport — Settings (chosen by camera) —  1/250  — f2.8 — ISO 50
Minor contrast and saturation adjustments in Photoshop