Cora & Jake

I met Cora Kay when she was 3 months old while working at a corporate studio. Not only did I immediately fall in love with her tiny little arms & rosy cheeks, but her mom as well. Working in those studios, you often get the parents who sit back & don't do much in the way of throwing out ideas to get them to smile, especially when they are so young. That was not this mama! She was singing & dancing & laughing & I am pretty sure, for as long as I live I will never forget Cora's favorite song "Go! Go, Cora Kay! Go, go, go Cora Kay!" She came to me for photos until she was a year old which is when I left the studio to work on my own. Her little brother Jake was born when I was pregnant with my son & I finally had the pleasure of seeing Cora again & meeting Jake and it was so fun being able to run around with them outside & snap away. Such smiley, photogenic kids they are! I look forward to future sessions with these guys & hopefully with mom & dad as well. It's families like this that make my job so much fun!

 It took Jake a minute to warm up to the camera, but once he did, he unleashed the full power of his cuteness!

 I started with a studio set up inside due to a little rain & was able to get a few cute shots, but these guys needed room to run!

 Once they had that room, I had a hard time putting the camera down!!

 Cora loves her little brother <3

 I LOVE capturing moments with mommy, they're so sweet & heartfelt & only last a second before they're off & running again!!

Thanksgiving 2011

I had Max in an adorable outfit on Thanksgiving & about 20 minutes before sunset I decided to run outside & snap some photos of it. He's a silly little man & laughed the whole time so, I had to share!

 And here are just a few of the festivities going on inside....

 

 My dad playing with the pups :-) The black one is mine, Cap'n Jack Sparrow. His are Gus (blue merle) and Newt (red merle) all Aussies!

Reviews

Let me point out that glowing reviews NEVER get old! I have friends that have been in this business twice as long as me & still get giddy when they receive a good review. It's the same in any business, I believe! It feels good to be told you're doing a great job (I guess we're all still children at heart, huh?) So keep that in mind any where you go- if you had excellent service, receive an amazing product, let them know! If a waiter went above & beyond, ask to speak to his manager. If a salesman at a fitness equipment store helped you in every way he could, send an email to his boss. If you love your photographer, leave a review! Here are a few I've received recently that left me with a smile... if I've done a session for you, please feel free to make me smile again :-)

Looking at these pictures you would never guess the weather was so bad! What truly amazing talent- not to mention never batting any eyelid in the face of high winds and umbrella shortage. You are awesome! You calmed us down and kept things moving. THANK YOU. You truly went above and beyond photographer duties. I would HIGHLY recommend this photographer to anyone.- Dani Elle

I LOVE THE PICTURES! Most amazing photographer. She was so professional and worked with everyone and was awesome with the kids. I will 1000% be booking sessions with her for all of our daughters milestones and any special events that we have !- Chloe Pondexter

 UPDATE: There is a new winner for KNP Actions & Templates! See below & contact the vendor!


And The Winners Are......

PunkADoos Cards & Apron- M'lissa

Lauren Lehmuth Photography- Shannon Wooten

 

Creations by Lore- Anne Nack

Love That! Crochet- Sara Mays

The Little Things- Carmen Goodwin

Nataschas Silky Creations- Amy Lynn

Simplistic Inspirations- Lana Rowe

KNP Actions & Templates- Kate Kendricks

The Embellished Baby- Angie Adams Booher

Splash of Color by Moonlight- Melissa Sanchez

Shawna Photography- Cynthia Dawson

Little Whimsy Wear- Rebecca Lozano

Little Pumpkin Love- T Martinez

Heather Ashley Photography- Crimson Miller

Congrats to all who won & a huuuuge thank you to everyone who participated including all of my amazing sponsors!! Everyone please contact your vendors with in 48 hours or someone else will be chosen! The winner of Little Whimsy Wears, please email me- hfjernigan@gmail.com to claim your prize.

900 Fan Appreciation Giveaway!

Alright so, I know I'm getting this up a little late, but I wanted to wait for a few amazing vendors to join. The giveaway is running from September 30 until I reach1,100 fans so spread the word! There will be a winner for each item picked via random.org. The winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize then it will go to the next winner. You must email me to collect the prize (hfjernigan@gmail.com) & I will send your info onto the vendor. Good Luck!! Here are the rules:

1. Post on your facebook page "@HeatherAshleyPhotography is having a giveaway on the blog, come enter to win great prizes!" Make sure you use the @ symbol to tag the page & leave a link to the blog. Come back & leave a comment saying you did it
2. Like all of the facebook pages, tell them thanks for the giveaway at @HeatherAshleyPhotography, then come back here & leave another comment saying you did it
3. Follow this blog (click the button on the top left corner). Leave a third comment saying you've done it

EXTRA ENTRIES

4. Follow me on twitter @HeatherAPhotog, leave a 4th comment

5. Leave a comment letting me know which item you'd most like to win & add in something else they do that you love

Lauren Lehmuth Photography

Free session only good for Northern VA (email me if you're unsure if you qualify). If you are in this area & want to win, leave an additional comment stating so!

Heather Ashley Photography

Free prints only available on future session & only good for Culpeper, VA & immediate surrounding areas (email me if you're unsure if you qualify) Leave an additional comment to win this! 

 Punk A Doo's

Handmade cards, blank on the inside

Handmade M/L apron

 Lauren Lehmuth Photography

Free session. Only available to Northern VA

 Creations By Lore

Headband

 Love That! Crochet

Chin strap beanie. Color is winner's choice!

The Little Things

 Headband

 Nataschas Silky Creations

Headband

 Simplistic Inspirations

Hair clip. Blue headband not included
Winner pays shipping

 KNP Actions & Templates

Brilliant eye candy action

 The Embellished Baby

 $25 Gift Certificate

 Splash of Color by Moonlight

$30 Gift Certificate

Shawna Photography

Prints are free, winner pays shipping

Little Whimsy Wears

Robot Bandana Bib (perfect for drooling little guys!)

Heather Ashley Photography

2 Free Prints with next photo session (any size 8x10 & smaller, must be booked in 2011, but session can occur any time there after)

Little Pumpkin LoveLittle Pumpkin Love
Can be added to a clip or head band

Professional Photography

Professional Photography: The difference between corporate studios & pro photographers

Working in corporate/ chain studios for 7+ years taught me the basics of photography. Experiencing the drawbacks and limitations during those years left me with the desire to do more. After learning I was expecting my third child, I decided to pursue photography as an individual professional. I dabbled in on-location photography while working in the studios, but now handle on-location exclusively. This endeavor has taught me exactly why professional photographers also known as on-location and individual studio photographers are clearly the better investment.

In the corporate studios, we were made to follow certain poses and not often asked to think outside of the box to try something new which is tough for those parents that like their children's photos taken often. They end up getting the same posing (and backgrounds) over and over. On location, the opportunities are limitless! If we can get to it, we can photograph it!

The corporate studios are mainly sales driven. They do what it takes to get the most money out of you and, I have to admit, the majority of the time you're getting someone who has had very little training and is definitely not worth $250+ for a CD. Part time employees are hired mainly so the one or two full time employees can have a day off. Part time employees are usually in school and using the job as something to make a few bucks until they graduate. Those part timers go through about a week of training and are then on their own. Now, of course, being a manager I would come to their rescue when needed. Being someone who loves photography, it drove me mad to see someone get terrible photos, but during the holidays? Not a chance I could step in! Managers are forced through corporate policy to book appointments every 10 minutes during the busy seasons and those corporations want the more experienced employees to remain out front doing sales and ensuring things run smoothly. So, not only are you ONLY getting 10 minutes in the camera room, but odds are you're getting it with someone not too experienced.

A photographer running their own business is in this because they love what they do. They get overjoyed when they get that “perfect shot”, then run home and immediately show it to friends and family. They are constantly learning. You don't have your lighting and camera settings set for you on your own. You have to learn how to do that and so much more to earn and keep your client's business. We're constantly looking for new ideas for posing, locations, fun props and themes. I've seen photographers that have been doing this on their own for years and still come to fellow photographers for advice, because the world of professional photographers is always changing and growing. A 10 minute session with a professional photographer is unheard of as we are not limited by corporate mandates, but rather inspired by our own desire to meet and exceed our clients and our own expectations. We then spend many hours editing your photographs to make them perfect for you. It takes a lot of heart, time, and patience and we wouldn't have it any other way. As a result, many of us often develop long-standing relationships with clients as we've watched their families grow which only enriches the experience and product of your captured memories.

So, the next time you glance at a professional photographer's prices, remember to keep in mind all you're getting with us and all you're missing in those corporate studios. Not to mention, their prices are rising so quickly they will soon charge more than most of us! I could go on about why individual photographer's are the true professionals, but all you really need to do to see for yourself is compare a friend's photo taken at one of those studios to a photo taken by someone on their own like the amazing Laura Gordon & Rachel Brenke and let the quality speak for itself. This profession is not just a paycheck. This business is our passion and the proof is in the picture.