Heather Harris Photography

Pinterest: Another Tool in the Photographer's Gear Bag

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

My Prop and Backdrop Wishlist Pinboard

I'm sure most of you have heard about, or are using, Pinterest, the website that allows you to curate collections of your favorite things from across the internet. Pinterest is a visual feast for the eyes, a gorgeous collection of images, ideas, and inspiration. I love it.

It's no surprise that I use Pinterest for keeping track of a number of photography and business related topics. I have a pinboard for Marketing, several pinboards for session and pose ideas, pinboards of little tips and tricks to make my life easier...the list goes on and on.

A sampling of my (many, many) pinboards.

My Pinterest account is good for my clients, too! Browsing through my boards gives my clients an even better idea of what I'm all about. My style, my vision, the direction I'd like to take my business...it's all there for everyone to see, making it even easier for them to decide if I'm the right person to capture their memories.

Recently, I've discovered a great new use for Pinterest that brings me even closer to my clients - collaborative boards! Collaborative boards are pinboards that allow more than one user to add or subtract images and ideas. Kind of like a community bulletin board, but with as many or as few people allowed to post as you want. How does something like that enhance the Client-Photographer relationship? Like this:

I'm shooting a wedding in June. I don't do many weddings, but I'm super excited about this one because I've known the bride for a couple of years and she is as fun and funny and quirky and great as they come. Her wedding is going to be a blast! She has so many fantastic ideas for her special day, and her enthusiasm and great sense of style have inspired me so much that I just can't wait to get behind the lens and capture some of these great ideas we've cooked up together.

Because this bride knows her style and knows exactly what she wants, she's got list and lists of photos she'd love to have from her wedding day. Because her taste and style matches my artistic style, I am only too happy to work hard to give her what she wants. Enter the Collaborative Pinboard. We take turns posting ideas to her wedding photography board, giving and receiving feedback, and over time the pinboard has developed it's own theme and tone. Basically, we're setting the stage for the wedding ahead of time.

For the bride, this kind of collaboration gives her confidence that I know exactly what she wants from her wedding day photography. It's lets her know that I'm paying attention, that I'm excited about photographing her big day, and that I'm going to give her my very best. That's a lot of bonus client goodwill gleaned from surfing Pinterest! Which, lets be honest now, I'd definitely be doing anyway!

This kind of approach isn't a one-size-fits all kind of thing. It won't work for all photographers, and it definitely won't work for all clients. But for this photographer? And this client? It's working like magic, and magic is what we're looking to create when I step up with the camera on June 2nd. It's not a tool I'll try to use every single time, but I love knowing I have it up my sleeve if I want to pull it out.

What about you? As a photographer, how do you use Pinterest to maximize your business, or to interact with your clients?

Oh, yeah, and if you're on Pinterest, come follow me! I love, love, love having great new people and their mix of styles and voices show up in my pin feed.

Facebook Fan Success, and a Freebie!

2012-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been an amazing week for me over on the Facebook page. In just seven short days, my fanbase expanded from 70 to 197! More than double, which is so exciting and so humbling.

As promised, I'm here now with a freebie for all my clients and fans, as a thank you for all your business and your wonderful feedback. I'm grateful for each and every one of you!

To celebrate surpassing the 100 fan mark, I'm giving away this simple and sweet 12 x 12 story board collage! Perfect for Valentine's Day and all year long, this storyboard is a digital download that you can use to showcase some of the sweetest photos of your loved ones. It also works great as a digital scrapbook page!

Your photos are easy to add to the storyboard in Photoshop, Elements or any other imaging program, and I'm happy to help out if anyone has difficulties.

The download is a high resolution, layered, .TIF file.

You can see the storyboard below including a super cute couple from one of my engagement portrait sessions.

Want this storyboard to hang on your wall, or for your scrapbook? Download by clicking here! And again, Thank You for all of your support!

(Don't forget to drop me a note if you like the freebie and plan to use it!)

Brittany, Class of 2012 | Huntington, WV Senior Portrait Photographer

2012-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

This post could be alternatively titled: "What I've been up to since August."

When last I left the blog, I was taking a small break to concentrate on family and homeschooling my kids. Now that the Christmas holidays are over and life is a littler calmer, and my little one is a little more grown up, I definitely feel ready to jump back in!!

I can't wait to get back into the swing of things, and I have lots of new products and ideas to share with all of you. Until then, I want to share one of the portrait shoots I did on my mini-haitus.

My fantastic Senior Model for the 2012 school year is a bright, smart, funny, vivacious girl who was an absolute DREAM to photograph! Brittany was up for anything, and had quite a few fantastic pose and shot ideas of her own. And really, any girl who carries a fedora as part of her wardrobe changes is A-OK in my book!

Brittany and I had a great time shooting her senior portrait at Harris Riverfront Park in Huntington. It was my first session at the park, and I'm glad to have another good location to add to my shoot list!

These are just a few of my favorite shots from Brittany's shoot. And believe me, it was hard to choose!

Haitus

2011-08-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, this year has been a busy one for my family and I!

In May, we welcomed the newest member of our family, Logan Alexander, and have spent the past few months getting to know him and how he fits in with the rest of the bunch. He's a spunky, bright personality and we all just love to squish on him!

September is almost upon us, which means my oldest will be starting Kindergarten! We homeschool, so that means Mommy is starting Kindergarten, too!

All of these happy events are wonderful for our family, but they leave very little time and energy for running a successful photography business! It's always been my goal and my mission to put my family's needs before anything else I have going on, and with that in mind, I've decided to take a step away and hang up my "entrepreneur" hat for a short while. My babies are only babies for a teeny, tiny span of time, and the best place for me to be right now is concentrating on them 100%.

I'm not stepping away from photography altogether, just taking a break from the day-to-day, time consuming aspects of being a business owner. Marketing, advertising, networking....these are all great things, but they are things that take me away from my family in a time when they need me very much. For those who might be interested, I am definitely still shooting portraits for any clients who would like to book sessions. I just won't be as "present" on the blog, the facebook page, and the website.

I'm hoping this next year or so will lead me to explore and develop my photography skills even further, to push my creativity, and to make the most of the time I've been given to teach my children. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be ready to take up the reins again. Only time will tell. But rest assured that when I do, it will be with much excitement, enthusiasm, and many, many, many fun things to share!

Announcing the 2011 Sweetheart Sessions

2011-01-05T17:56:00.000-08:00

Yep, that's right! In February only, you can save $30.00 off of the normal session fee ($75.00).

Sweetheart Sessions are perfect for lovebirds, but are great for other occasions too. Every Sweetheart Session includes all the same great perks as the Freedom Portrait Session: a 90 minute session, online gallery proofs, a selection of enlargements, and a fun, personalized portrait experience. Plus, every Sweetheart Session will include a free 12 x 12 customized collage that is perfect for framing. Clients will be able to choose from three finished collage styles.

Sweetheart Sessions MUST take place in the month of February, so if you're interested, book fast! Times and days are very limited, and once booking slots are gone, they're gone for good!

Changes are coming!

2010-12-15T03:10:00.000-08:00

Heather Harris Photography is approaching a new stage, one that I've been excited for and nervous about all at the same time.

For about two years now, I've depended on the kindness of friends and family to help spread the word about my budding photography business. And to build my portfolio, I photographed families, friends and complete strangers at prices that allowed me to cover my costs but not make any money for myself or to invest back into my business.

In 2011, quite a bit of that will change. Thanks to all of the wonderful clients who have allowed me into their lives over the past two years, my portfolio and my photography skills have grown significantly. So, hesitantly, I'm taking my first steps out into the world as a "professional" with real world prices. It's scary, making such a large change, but my goal someday to be photographing so many sessions a month that I can justify leaving my day job behind.

Starting January 1, 2011, the new portrait session package will include:

The time, talent and creativity of me, the photographer
90 minute portrait session for up to 6 subjects, in a location of the client's choosing (Within reason, extra time is allotted for sessions with small children)
Professional editing and retouching of all images, including black and white conversions
A minimum of 20 digital proofs uploaded for viewing to a password protected proofing gallery
Two 8x10s, two 5x7s, and one sheet of 8 wallets from any two poses from the session

New 2011 pricing for the Freedom Portrait Session will be $75.00.

Anyone who would like to prepay for a 2011 portrait session before December 31, may still do so at the Portfolio Builder rate, which is $30.00. Payment must be received before the 31st to qualify for portfolio builder pricing, otherwise the funds will be considered a deposit toward the full session fee of $75.00.

Up to now, I've given away a disc of all images with each session. Discs will no longer be included with each session, but will be available for purchase separately after a minimum product purchase. I'll be posting more details about new print and product pricing as we get closer to January.

As a thank you to all of the fantastic clients I've had throughout the past two years, all clients who have given me the honor of photographing their families will receive a 50% discount on session pricing in 2011. I'm happy to offer that discount in return for all the help and encouragement I've been given as I embark on my journey as a professional photographer.

I'd also like to thank everyone who has commented on my blog, my fan page, or any images I've posted. All of your kind words, and even constructive criticism, has helped lead me and my business to where we are today.

It's been a wonderful two years so far. Here's hoping for many, many more!

Zane, Ritter Park, Huntington, WV

2010-12-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

After rescheduling several times, I was finally able to meet this cute little guy for a nice fall session in Ritter Park. I've photographed Zane several times, and each time is more fun than the last.

While photographing toddlers is definitely challenging, it is also some of my favorite work. They might never cooperate, or look at the camera, or even smile sometimes, but it makes me work that much harder to capture their little personalities.

Here are a couple of my favorite images from Zane's session:

Shanna and Eric, Wayne National Forest

2010-11-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

I always count myself lucky when I'm given the honor of photographing good friends. What's better than doing what I love to do and getting to spend time with the people I love most at the same time?

I met Shanna (one of my oldest and best friends!) and her husband Eric at Lake Vesuvius and Wayne National Forest in Ironton, Ohio for two hours of fun portraits in some beautiful fall color. With the exception of running afoul of a nest of yellow jackets (yikes!) it was a perfect evening session!

Damien - Krodel Park, Point Pleasant

2010-11-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

I love everything about little kids. They're just so darn FUN, and little Damien was no exception. We met up at Krodel park for some fun, autumn themed portraits and the result was great! Even though the little guy wasn't feeling his best, he still managed to ham it up quite a bit for the camera!

Now Offering Christmas and Holiday Cards!

2010-10-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

That's right! Heather Harris Photography now offers a wide range of Christmas and Holiday Greeting cards that are perfect for any sentiment you'd like to share this holiday season!

Cards are available in several styles and sizes, and come in quantities of ten. These press printed cards are printed front and back on high quality paper using only the best inks and serve as a great holiday keepsake for family members and friends.

Packs of ten cards start at just $17.50 and include envelopes!

It's easy to turn any of your photos from a session with Heather Harris Photography into the perfect greeting for your Holiday Season! There are no design charges or fees for existing templates. Design fees will apply for custom designs, however.

Don't have photos or proofs from a session with Heather Harris Photography? That's okay, too. We can accept e-mail files of existing photographs as well! There is a $15 charge to process these images in order to ensure they are the correct size and quality for printing with your holiday cards.

Check out a few Greeting Card samples below, and watch out for new samples arriving weekly on HeatherHarrisPhoto.com!

NOTE: It is recommended that all greeting card orders be placed and paid in full before November 20th to ensure that cards arrive during the first week of December - just in time to send off to friends and family!

Sarah's Birthday Pictures in Ritter Park - Huntington, WV

2010-09-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

How great is it to get to photograph a sweet, funny, playful little girl? And how much better when it's that special little girl's fourth birthday?

I met Sarah and her mom in Ritter Park for a super fun birthday portrait session that was full of laughter, shadow chasing, princess twirls and smiles. And I loved every minute of it. I mean, really. Look at this beautiful girl! Who wouldn't?

The Gilkey and Hall Families, Krodel Park

2010-08-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Gilkey and Hall families met up with me on one (very!) hot evening in July at Krodel Park in Point Pleasant for a rustic and fun family session. There were so many good thing about this session: rambunctious little boys, an adorable baby belly, lots of family laughs, and endless warm, late evening sunlight! The log cabin by Krodel Lake proved to be just the perfect spot for these family portraits.

The Pierce Family, Tu-Endie-Wei Park

2010-07-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

I photographed the Pierce family at the end of May, on a hot, humid, ninety-five degree day in Point Pleasant. Despite the heat (and the bright sun!) we got some really great portraits. And, we finished up in time to beat the parade traffic out of the park!

One year? Already?!

2010-07-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Almost exactly 365 days ago, I set out on a mission. Armed with a little bit of practical knowledge, my passion for photography, and hours upon hours of research, planning, hoping and dreaming, I filled out a few forms, clicked some buttons on the computer and voila: Heather Harris Photography was born!

It's been a great year for me, and for my business. I've met so many wonderful families, been a part of so many special memories, and I feel blessed by each and every person who trusts me enough to step in front of my lens. I always try to do my creative best for each and every client, all the while pushing my own skills as I grow as a photographer and a business woman.

I always knew that Heather Harris Photography would be a part-time endeavor. With two little ones and a "real" job besides, I'm not always able to sequester myself away with pictures and fun editing and paying attention to things like keeping up with a blog. But all the same, the business means as much to me as if it was my only job. Hopefully, some day it is.

But until then, I'd just like to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to each and every client I've had over the past year. You've all made my first year as business woman extremely rewarding, both professionally and creatively.

Thank you for trusting Heather Harris Photography with documenting your most precious memories!

Justin and Cassie

2010-05-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

I met up with Justin and Cassie on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia for an engagement portrait session. Marshall was a great location, and we definitely made the best of it! We started at the memorial fountain, moved around to Old Main, went across the campus to Harris Hall, and finally ended up at the new Alumni building. It was great to take advantage of so many shooting locations, and Justin and Cassie were great to work with!

A Springtime Giveaway!

2010-04-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Heather Harris Photography has a Facebook fan page?

To promote the fan page a little, I decided I'm going to hold a fan page giveaway! Right now, the fan page has 33 fans. When the fan page gets to 100 fans, I'm going to giveaway a portrait session!

The session will include:

90 minutes of photography time at a location within 30 miles of Ashton, WV
Black or White bordered 4x6 proofs of your session images
2 8x10s, 4 5x7s, and three sheets of 12 wallets
A disc of low resolution, watermarked images for sharing with family and friends

This package is worth $200.00!

So let all your friends now about Heather Harris Photography for a chance to win this great portrait session!

Looking for Warmth and Sunshine!

2010-02-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

Life has been dreary lately. It's seems like we've had a solid coat of snow on the ground for three months straight in the tri-state area, and even though I love the snow, I'm definitely looking forward to spring!

I love so many things about spring: warmer weather, yellow-green buds popping out on the trees, tiny daffodils and crocuses peeking through the soil, and that fresh, rainy, springtime smell that hangs in the air. But most of all, I love spring because that means it's time to get back outside with my camera and take some great photos without freezing my fingers off!

I'm definitely excited to say good-bye to Old Man Winter, so to celebrate the return of the spring season, I've got a great giveaway in the works for readers of the blog and the Heather Harris Photography Facebook page. More details will be coming soon, so be sure to check back often!

Meese Family Sneak Peek / Kelly and Lena

2009-12-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

A few shots from a recent family shoot in Point Pleasant. Tu Endie Wie Park is becoming a very popular location for portraits!

And a few more shots from a Mother/Daughter session at Ritter Park in Huntington. The conditions for this evening session were absolutely perfect, and we even found some lingering fall color to take advantage of!

The Callicoat Family

2009-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Callicoat family and I met up at Pullman Square in Huntington, West Virginia for a super fun family portrait session. I hope this great family loves their portraits as much as I do!

Sneak Peek - Phoebe Kate!

2009-10-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

I photographed Miss Phoebe at exactly one month old, and she was a perfect delight behind the lens! Her chubby cheeks and wide, bright eyes just love the camera, and I loved every moment of our session together. Of course, it doesn't hurt that little Phoebe's mama is great company and a great help in suggesting poses and backgrounds! I love it when clients have their own ideas for photos; the ideas may not always pan out or sometimes they end up on the editing room "floor," but it's always a challenge and a good way to keep stretching my skills.

So, without further ado, here's a little sneak peek of Phoebe's session. And don't forget to keep any eye out for more portraits of this gorgeous girl on the HeatherHarrisPhoto.com galleries in the next week or so!

Lonny and Michelle - September 2009

2009-10-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Heather Harris Photography blog!! The blog is going to be a great way to stay up to date with all the deals, specials, availability and news with regards to Heather Harris Photography. There will also be sneak peaks of photo sessions and weddings, and I might even have a giveaway or two just for blog readers!

So, to open the blog with a bang, here's a sneak peak of a small, intimate wedding followed by family portraits I shot in late September. Lonny and Michelle were great to work with, and I was definitely honored to be there for their special day.