Now Presenting... The Photo-Fam Album, Vol. II.

I like books. I like photos. I like family. I like multi-purposed items.

It was only a matter of time before I started connecting the dots and realizing the new most ingenious idea to hit my brain.

What a better way to showcase album covers/samples than a purposeful and beautiful photo-fam album? SHAZAM!

So twice a year, there will be a new volume with new images of weddings and events from that part of the year. (I LOVE my photo-fam who have sessions with me, but sadly, these will be geared mainly towards weddings since there are fewer of them throughout the year.)

Some of these layouts are from couples' final album designs and some are new designs I created to showcase a few different other aspects specifically for this photo-fam album. :) Best of both worlds!

When couples meet with me, they will be able to see how I design my albums, what an album feels/smells like (oh my gosh, AH-mazing), and be able to be part of what's to come in their future with Bit of Ivory Photography. When I shoot a wedding, I shoot with albums in mind. A story to be told later. :)



















[Volume II is a 10x10 lay-flat album with 10 spreads. You can find more information about the albums I use on the Albums post I wrote back in 2012.]

To see more album layout samples or past photo-fam albums, just click on over to them!

Now presenting... Know Your Own Happiness.

On Facebook, on Instagram, on Twitter... "Know your own happiness" has been popping up, and you might have seen it. It's one of my favorite Jane Austen quotes (beyond, of course, that's it's Jane Austen... lol).

Whether you're black, white, British, American, gay, straight, old, young, cat, dog, purple, plaid, we should OWN our own happiness. It's a powerful quote to me on several levels, and as I mulled over how beautiful it is when it relates to weddings, I just knew that was going to be my megaphone this year.

Know your own happiness. Embrace your wedding vision. Be you. Love on your quirks. Find freedom in your magical day. And live with the joy in knowing you are loved.


If you are coming to the Heart + Soul Wedding Event on March 27, 2013, you will see one fabulous Bit of Ivory Photography area decked out in this theme-- just look for the Big Ole Teal Wall! Tote bags, activities, and overall smiles. AND you will see about 200 others' happiness. Because oh yes, there is an interactive part to my event space... and I'm so excited to share it with you next week!

Now presenting... the Guide to the Cloud.

It's been months in the making, and that little finagle-y thing called whoa-busy wedding season happened and so the website was put on hold. ;) But I'm finally excited to present the finished product!

With the influx of brides/grooms choosing the Cloud for their digital media format this year AND the fact that quite a few photo-fam members live out-of-town/out-of-state, I wanted to make sure wedding couples fell in love with the new technology and were excited by it, not confused and overwhelmed. Particularly if I'm not able to be there in person to go through the process. I know I would be very "eek" if I were handed new techie stuff without some sort of guidance!

No being thrown to the wolves here! Visuals and Step-by-Steps are here for ya! :) If you'd like to take a peek at the Cloud Guide, hop on over to learn more about how the Cloud works for Bit of Ivory brides and grooms!

Now Presenting... Pickles Barrington LaVere.

She's the newest addition to the photo-fam. She's furry, loves to sleep in crazy positions, creates a ton of kitten shenanigans, and enjoys playing with feathers. Her name is Pickles Barrington LaVere, and she's stolen our hearts.

A little back story... my closest friends know of my strong love for cats, but seeing as I haven't been able to have a cat in 10 years (e.g., college, grad school, first teaching years, Rusty's being in school, etc), it's a side of me that hasn't really been revealed beyond what those friends know of my past (unless you're on Facebook or Pinterest and see my LOLcat posts... you have to admit, they're hilarious!).

From the very first "cat purse" (purple stuffed animal cat with a little coin purse in its back) to the photo albums I'd make of my kitties, the love of the feline was there.

Rusty pokes fun because he says my mannerisms are already cat-like (can sleep anywhere, independent, finicky, stubborn.... lol); it's probably why I've always loved these critters.


[Taking it back to when I was 8 years old. Entrepreneur and crazy cat lady in the making!]So you can imagine how excited I got when actually getting a kitten became a more realistic option AND when my friends Mary and Shannon said they had kittens and were looking for a home for one of them.

Well, it was destiny because Rusty and I both fell in love with Pickles when we saw her. She's been a pretty amazing kitten all-around; I've never had a cat who loved to flop into people's arms and let others pet them so easily. Quite a few of the photo-fam have met her already, and she was no scaredy-cat!






[Even photo-bombing my food photos now...]

You can get to know PB more on Instagram as her shenanigans are frequently documented on there. ;) And hope you get to meet her soon!

Now presenting... the Photo-Fam Album, Volume I.

I like books. I like photos. I like family. I like multi-purposed items.

It was only a matter of time before I started connecting the dots and realizing the new most ingenious idea to hit my brain.

What a better way to showcase album covers/samples than a purposeful and beautiful photo-fam album? SHAZAM!

So twice a year, there will be a new volume with new images of weddings and events from that part of the year. (I LOVE my photo-fam who have sessions with me, but sadly, these will be geared mainly towards weddings since there are fewer of them throughout the year.)

Some of these layouts are from couples' final album designs and some are new designs I created to showcase a few different other aspects specifically for this photo-fam album. :) Best of both worlds!

When visitors come to the office, they will be able to see how I design my albums, what an album feels/smells like (oh my gosh, AH-mazing), and be able to be part of what's to come in their future with Bit of Ivory Photography.

























[Volume I is a 10x10 flush-mount album with 10 spreads. You can find more information about the albums I use on the Albums post I wrote back in June.]

Now presenting... Photo-Fam Masterpieces, Vol. I

From someone who took forever to get her own wedding photos off of her disc and into the real, tangible world, I wanted to prevent that happening for my photo-fam. I was a bad example! So I put a call-out in our photo-fam Facebook group to see how brides and portrait peeps are using their high-resolution images and getting them off their computers... and to take their own snapshots of them to share! :)

And I gotta say I'm bragging on them a little bit on how crafty/creative they get! I love how they personalize things and really make it theirs. Basically I have the best photo-fam EVER. :)

So whether it's Pinterest, magazines, websites, or even this post, get those photos off of the computers and up somewhere! Make something tangible for your future kiddos or generations. :)

VERONICA
[Wall Art]


[Veronica's love of interior design and making a home lovely has always been evident. I know she had been planning a wall of awesome for awhile now. She took images from their couples' session and her sister's quinceañera and created a lovely wall design with IKEA frames. :) ]

DREAMA
[Canvas Art]


[Dreama looooooves black and white... and canvases. So it was bound to happen that she was going to make something classic for her home decor with her wedding images. Win win!]

KELLI AND MOMMA BROOKS (aka Shelley)
[Wall Art]


[Kelli's Mom created this wall collage from their "day-before-the-wedding" family session... speckled with a few engagement and wedding day images! Kinda love it a lot. All of the Brooks ladies just have the creative touch... and of course, you know I love that Shelley incorporated wordage into her wall design. ;)]

JENN
[Graphic Art]


[Jenn is a graphic designer and so she took the event cards I gave out and created a whole thank you card design from them! She said she used scrapbook glue dots to adhere and so guests can take off the mini card to get website access. She also loves her iPhone and her hubby Jamie... holding her bouquet from the big day. :D She found Zazzle has some good quality cases! She did note that Zazzle prints on a cloth-like cover for their iPhone cases... so if you like hard plastic, it might not be the best choice for you.]

Now presenting... the new Layflat and Flush Mount Albums!

I'm always scouring for the best products to be able to offer my photo-fam, and while I've had quality albums in the past, it just never felt like "the one." Nice and pretty, yes. Album soulmate, no.

At the end of last year, another photographer friend showed me some of her albums, and it's hard to explain and as cheesy as it sounds, they felt like home to me. And so when I went to WPPI in February, I made it a point to beeline for their booth to get a ton more information and tell them exactly what I was looking for... and they had it beyond my expectations.

So now Renaissance Albums are part of the Bit of Ivory lineup... both for Layflat AND Flush Mount.

They have the best customer service, and Stacy, my personal album rep, makes sure everything goes smoothly and quickly for everyone. It's always a learning curve when using a new company, and I'm just super grateful that they have been so patient and informative with me. :)

And heck, with a name like Renaissance, you knew that I had to fall in love with them.



LAYFLAT ALBUMS

Layflat Albums are an affordable alternative with high quality cover and lightweight photo-printed pages. These are great albums for parents or copies of a flush mount album.

The layflat album shown above is 8x8 in size with 10 spreads with a Chelsea Chocolate leather cover. (Seriously, the leather series is called Chelsea!! I know. Sheer perfection. lol)

FLUSH MOUNT ALBUMS



Flush Mount Albums are heirloom albums with the highest leather cover and page quality. They have archival photographic prints that are mounted to an inner core. (Think waaay-super-classy-must-hold-with-white-gloves board book!)

The flush mount shown above is 10x10 in size with 12 spreads with a Gramercy Black leather cover.

Always presenting... Lifestyle Engagement and Couples Sessions.

I had an epiphany this morning. I stared at the ceiling and realized, "I love it when my clients are themselves." I don't know why that particular phrasing rolled across my brain... but it did.

To have my photo-fam come alive in photos has always been my dream. To see a woman light up all because her husband-to-be kissed her forehead. To see a mutual love for an activity sparkle because the two involved are comfortable and in love.

It's already been shown and people have seen it, but I knew I needed to be vocal about it.

My engagement sessions are lifestyle. All couples are "required" to select an activity that they love and mutually enjoy. Together, we choose the best location for the activity and make it happen with a wardrobe and accessories chat. Because there is nothing ordinary about a special time in your life; it should be a "sparkly" version of your everyday life. I want to tell the story of your relationship. A few months ago, I even created a Pinterest board to showcase unique ideas to help inspire couples.

You know I have a B.A. in English Literature and am thoroughly obsessed with the characters in the stories I read... but those characters are flat if the story doesn't come alive.

It's the same way with photography. No more static posing. No contrived "prom poses." During the sessions, I do guide positions through lots of actions (because let's be real; it's not easy being in front of a camera!), and I always talk about the proverbial "in-between shots." Because I WANT LIFE!

Again, this is nothing new. But I wanted to verbalize what's going on behind the scenes. :) I love my photo-fam, and they bring me into their lives. That trust isn't going to be taken lightly. The story will be told. The magic of comfy love will thrum and thrive.

I promise. :)














- Chelsea :)