I’m continuing my trip down Memory Lane today, finishing up a glimpse of the many client photo sessions from 2011. It is so rewarding to look at these wonderful clients and think about the photos on their walls, the books, albums, cards, and photo jewelry that added a little something special to their year. It is an honor I don’t take lightly, to be trusted in this way. I know how precious these moments are for you. I know custom photography is so important to these clients that they save and budget to have milestones and everyday life captured. We can’t stop the swiftly moving hands of time, but we can still the whirlwind of life for 1/200th of a second and have something tangible and beautiful that we will enjoy for years.

As you can see from the lovely friends I make, I am so very lucky to be doing what I do. Thank you to all of you who let me take a peek at you through my lens last year, and I’m looking forward to all the birthdays, new babies, family gatherings, and all those “just because” times coming up in 2012. Don’t put it off…everything changes so quickly. Let’s save a little piece of right now.

January is going by in the blink of an eye, as usual. Really, Christmas? Were you a month ago already????

This first month of the year is named for the ancient Roman god, Janus, the god of transitions. Janus is often depicted as having two faces, because he is looking at both the past and the future. Perfect for the rolling of the year. So, while I”m looking forward with anticipation to what 2012 may bring, I also like to remember 2011 fondly.

I had so many wonderful clients in 2011. I feel honored and blessed to have my little photography business growing and blooming!  I can”t say enough nice things about the families I work with. They are kind, patient, excited…all the things that make beautiful pictures happen. Windy, cool day? Hot and muggy day? Indoors or outdoors? We don”t care! We have fun, relax, and get lots of special moments to hang on our walls!

So before I get any farther behind, and casino internet before I miss the chance to share some of my favorite faces from last year, here is Art From The Heart Photography”s 2011 Year in Review…drum roll, please

So many beautiful faces and lovely spirits! Tomorrow, I”ll share more from Art From The Heart”s 2011 year In Review. We”ve still got Fall and Winter to peek at! Please join me here again tomorrow, and check back often…I love to share with you. I love comments and questions, and am always ready to talk photography and take more pictures

With the beautiful weather we’ve been having here in Southwest Missouri, many thoughts are turning to new portraits of the kids, of you and your spouse, of your whole family…it’s truly a delightful time of year to do just that! The next step is thinking about gifts of those new pictures. You know Gram loves new photos of everyone at the holidays. Another popular way of sharing photos is with a custom Christmas card. Every holiday season, I have many clients who love to send out photo cards. And they come back each year with stories about how those cards are kept out all year –  put in frames, displayed on the family bulletin board, or up on the refrigerator. I work with a few other photographers to design cards for their clients, and it’s something I really love to do. Photo sessions which involve Christmas cards should be done by November 15.

This year, I am excited to be offering something I’ve had my eye on for a long time…photo jewelry. Kotori handmade jewelry is a really special gift for moms, grandmothers, brides, couples – and men will love the key chains. The quality is the best I’ve found for photo jewelry, and I’ve been looking at lots of options. Jewelry, of course, is a great gift anytime, but if you are thinking about a gift for someone for Christmas, you need to have your photo session by November 15.

Another special gift is a photo book. Again, I love designing these special remembrances! I do quite a few books for baby’s first year and special events throughout the year, but also these books make lovely gifts. One year I took pictures of my mother’s flower gardens and trees from the spring all through fall, and made those photos into a book for her. She loves her plants, and I knew it would be a fun surprise for her. Last year, I had a client who wanted photos at a Christmas tree farm. We took pictures of their family playing around the trees, and then along with the regular photos she ordered from the session, she secretly had me make a book for her husband for Christmas featuring all the pictures from that session. What fun! If you would like a book in time for the holidays which includes a fall session, please schedule soon so we can have those photos done by November 15.

For those of you wanting portraits as gifts, you have a bit longer…we need to get your photos done by December 1. I know there are many of you who give pictures to relatives at the holidays. It has always been my favorite gift through the years!

It is so rewarding to hear that Art From The Heart Photography can make so many people smile! Not just the subjects in the photos, but all the people who love those faces! Please visit my gallery website to see more details. My new website is a work in progress, and it’s not quite finished yet, but if you keep checking, you’ll find even more there all the time. The Boutique items (jewelry, cards, books, frames, etc) are making their way into their gallery. In the meantime, here are a few images to help you picture (haha) what is available:

There are endless options for photo cards and gifts, and they are as unique and special as the giver and the recipient! Give me a call or email me and we can discuss designing your own beautiful little works of art from the heart!