Happy September

I can’t believe it is already September.  2017 has FLOWN by!  I am so excited for the fall family portrait season and it is already looking like I will fill up faster than ever before!  Thank you to all that have already booked your sessions!  I can’t wait to see your families!  

As a reminder...PRINT YOUR PICTURES!  I can’t tell you how important it is to get those beautiful photos of your families in print!  I sell affordable prints (click on the shopping cart in your gallery) and also work directly with a local canvas maker for those canvas orders!  They are AFFORDABLE and the quality is 10000% better than any printer I have worked with!  Give me a call and I can help you order one!  


FALL MINI SESSION:

I will be having TWO fall mini session dates this year!  Those dates are:

October 22nd  (almost completely full)
November 4th

Each session is $175 (a $50 non-refundable/non-transferable deposit and signed online contract is due at the time of booking to hold your spot) and includes 5 digital images.   The sessions are 20 minute sessions and will be at Glen Arbor Park.  These are PERFECT Christmas card sessions!!!!  And will also look amazing hanging on your wall!   Please email me TODAY to book your spot.  whimsicalmomentsbyjenniferhess@gmail.com

HALLOWEEN MINI’s

I will be doing studio Halloween Mini’s again this season.  The date for those is October 20th.  These are for children only (in their costume).  I will have a cute Halloween (not to scary) set-up!  The price will be $20 per child and include 3 digital images per child.  (group shots up to 3 children max).  Email me for booking!  


This year, I am excited to announce that I have an amazing assistant that will be handling much of the behind the scenes work!  Keri has been working with me for the last year, helping with scheduling, invoicing, and baby snuggling!  This fall season, she will be handling all my scheduling, so if you would like to book a session, give me a text or email and she will send you all my available times!  

Jennifer Hess
Whimsical Moments by Jennifer Hess
Owner/Photographer
Scheduling:  whimsicalmomentsbyjenniferhess@gmail.com

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It is that time again, ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL SESSIONS!  Give me a call/text/email to book your session!  I anticipate them to go very fast this year!  I can't wait to see how much all the kids have grown!

Let's celebrate mom!!!!!  What better way to celebrate bing a mom than a photo session that you can cherish forever!!!!  I know, I know, it is HARD to get in front of the camera, but believe me, not only will you cherish those images forever, so will your children!!!!  AND it makes a great gift to give to YOUR MOM!!!  Give me a call today, these sessions will go fast!!!!

Honesty

Being a business owner is hard.  I take pictures….and I am really good at that, but all the other stuff, well, I am learning.

I started my business the end of 2011. I started much like everyone else starts a hobby, I found something I liked to do, and I did it and LOVED it.  Then, people started giving me gifts for taking their pictures, and telling me I needed to charge, so I did.  

In 2012, I had a little thriving business.  It felt incredible.  I would do something I loved, then get a little pocket cash!!!  It was pretty amazing!   

2013, things really started to grow.  I began to get more referrals from my friends and family and began photographing families that were my friends and family’s friends.  I also learned that I REALLY needed to start figuring out the business side of things……and that is NOT what I am good at.  

2014 was a great year of growth artistically for me.  I learned more about my craft, got better at what I was doing, took a LOT of pictures, and got some business systems in place that made my ‘business life’ a lot easier.  

This year, things are CRAZY!  My hobby, my passion has exploded into the most amazing small business ever!  I am busier than I have ever been, shooting 7 days a week, editing in the off time, and learning more about myself than I have in the 40 years I have been alive.  I feel alive……but I am also scared.  And that is the reality of an artist turned business owner.  I don’t want to blow this!  I LOVE what I do, and am learning as I go!  

Thank you to each and everyone of you that has been a part of this journey.  It is because of you, I get to do what I love!!!

So, to the artist that is thinking about becoming a business owner…….DO IT!  Just go for it….find a group of people to surround yourself with that will lift you up, encourage you, and help you grow!  Find someone that gives you sound and solid advice.  PAY YOUR TAXES, get all the necessary business licenses and permits, follow all the rules….be legit!  You will feel more alive than you ever have, you will be more tired than you ever have been, and you will work harder than you ever have, BUT it is all worth it!!!!!  


In the words of my friend, business mentor, and sounding board…’suck it up and go conquer’.  I am lucky to have found a friend like her…….and most of our business talks happen over the most amazing sandwich you have ever tried!  but that is for another blog post!

This past weekend marked the 18th birthday of my oldest daughter!  We threw her a birthday party complete with our family and a couple of close friends.  Because I love photography so much, no party is complete without a few 'photo booth' type pictures.  It was super fun!  I even got in the mix and did some 'jumping' pictures with her.  They are memories I will treasure forever.  And that is what this post is about.  I am super awkward in front of the camera....well, let's be honest, in my regular life.  I am, lets say, animated.  I really love to laugh, and tend to get really excited about little things.  It doesn't always look pretty in camera!  haha!  But you know what, THAT'S OK!  I love these pictures.  I REALLY wanted to create the PERFECT jump, hence my 'super concentration face' and I REALLY forgot to smile!  These images made me laugh harder than if I had actually smiled.  SO, the moral of the story, GET IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA!  even if you think you shouldn't be.  These are memory making moments that you can't ever get back and if you are in the shot, you are preserved for all time, even if you have your 'super concentration face' on!  And just think, in 200 years from now, my ancestors are going to have a good laugh over this <3

Happy 2015!  I am so excited for this upcoming year!  2014 was amazing for me, so I am so excited to see what 2015 has in store!

TAX BREAK!  

It's TAX TIME, and yeah, that's lame....so to make it better, I am offering to COVER YOUR TAX on all print orders from now until January 31st!  Yep, that's right, NO TAX on any print orders from now until January 31st!  So now is the time to get those amazing pictures I took of your family hung on your walls!!!!!!

CAMERAS and COFFEE

I love love love my camera, and I love love love coffee, so why not combine the two!  Last year I offered a free 'teaching' session on how to use your camera.  It was so much fun that I thought I would offer it again.  The date will be February 21st at 11:00am.  I will be hosting this class at my home studio, so space is limited!  Please call, email, text to secure your spot!  Also, bring your camera and manual!  All cameras are a little different, so I will be going over the 'fundamentals' of cameras...not so much the specifics of each model!  

I just want to thank you again for all your support in 2014!  I have ADORED getting to know you and your family and look forward to photographing all those special 2015 moments in your lives!!!!

Jen

What do you get when you mix ground up chalk and powder....you get the best photo session ever!  Especially for a family with boys!  It is the perfect way to get the most natural smiles, make an amazing memory with your kids, and have a TON OF FUN doing it! 

It all starts with a little fist full of powder and some white t-shirts...fairly harmless...I try to give boundaries and rules, but most of those fly out the window in the first throw!!!

That's when the color starts FLYING, the wars of brotherhood begin, and the fun really starts!  It is so much fun watching all the color go flying and seeing how fast those families wage war on each other!!  It is the most fun EVER!!!

And in the end....everyone is tired, HAPPY, and willing to get a shot!  This shot is always my favorite because everyone is relaxed and had a great time.  It always shows through!!! 

PS...it is non-toxic, non-staining, and does not destroy the grass....just in case you were wondering ;)

I decided it was time to get a fresh look to my website!  Nothing to fancy...I am no web tech, but something new.  There are so many different website builders out there, and probably they are all the same, but I decided to go with Weebly.  It is my intention to actually blog more regularly...not because I am known for my amazing way with words, but because I like to tell the stories behind my images.  I love the families, people, kids, and events I shoot and at every single session, there is ALWAYS a story to tell.  So here we go!  Thank you for coming along with me!  Enjoy!!!