i heart faces | “hey girl”
in honor of mother’s day, the i heart faces monthly photo challenge for may is “hey girl”, and must include a woman or girl.
my little guy has shown a bit of an interest in photography lately. i think it has something to do with letting him use my camera. i mean seriously, who could resist, right? ;) it’s certainly more interesting to a guy than a little point and shoot! so this photo was not taken by me, because he wanted to take a shot of me. can i just tell you how much that melts my heart? anyway, i adjusted all of the settings for him. no, i don’t change out of manual mode for one of my guys to use my camera. i set it and hand it over. :) but i do need to instruct how to focus: place the little box over an eye.
so no, it’s not perfect, but neither are any of my shots! i am, however, incredibly proud that he followed directions. and this is one of my most favorite and treasured images of myself! this is me through my little guy’s eyes. so yes, my hair is a mess and i have a cheesy smile. that smile is because we were having fun making faces at each other. we were having a fantastic time, sharing something that brings me joy. he has a genuine interest in something that i love, and i love sharing it with him! and i’m also happy to say that i didn’t crop this image. this is his composition!
i feel this is a very fitting image to submit to i heart faces this month. it’s been a very long time since i’ve played! and hey, zach and jody gray are judging. love them! be sure to check out the other entries!
new pricing
i’ve been working hard, trying to decide how to go about my new pricing. this is something that i’ve known for quite sometime that i needed to do, but i just couldn’t force myself to do it. i know some of you are going to be upset, and that is why i’ve taken so long to do this. i value each and every one of you! you’ve helped me to grow, and i wouldn’t be where i am without you! but all of my growth comes at a cost. the equipment i’ve invested in is so much more than what i started with! i now have license fees, insurance and taxes to pay. yikes! and there’s also the cost of the educational opportunities i’ve been fortunate to participate in. while the business side of things is not as much fun as photography, i’ve decided to make this my BUSINESS. :) my portfolio-building phase has ended, and it’s time to implement my official, long-term pricing. i’ve copied my session information below, which you can also find on the new “details” tab of the “about” menu. i hope you’ll contact me soon regarding your photography needs!
Session Details
Your $150 session fee and signed contract is due within 5 days of booking in order to secure your selected date on my calendar.
Your session fee is non refundable and includes the following:
- Photographer’s time and talent, including before, during and after your session.
- Consultation by phone and email as needed.
- 1 to 3 hours at a location of your choice for up to 4 people ($25 for each additional person). I am able to assist with location choices.
- Client is responsible for all related fees such as admission, parking, etc.
- Private online gallery for 1 week.
Your custom gallery is available within 3 weeks of the session and is password protected. There is a $75 fee to replenish your gallery. Orders must be placed within 2 weeks of the private gallery being created.
Michelle Kirnan Photography offers 8 x 12 custom gift prints starting at $40 and portrait collections beginning at $500. Digital collections are also available for purchase. There is a minimum order requirement of $500 for all sessions.
macrolicious monday | moyock nc nature photographer
d700 | 105mm | f3.2
iso 1000 | ss 1/200
macrolicious monday | moyock nc macro photographer
d700 | 105mm | f4.8
iso 200 | ss 1/125
xxoo
michelle
macrolicious monday | moyock nc photographer
d700 | 105mm | f4.2
iso 400 | ss 1/200
xxoo
michelle
mamarazzi class | moyock nc family photographer
i’ve been talking about having a beginning photography class for a long time. so many seem interested in learning more about photography and their cameras in order to take better pictures of loved ones. and i love that!
so here is your chance! each class will last two hours and be limited to 4 participants each. one hour will be class time. i will then spend 15 minutes with each participant individually answering your specific questions and discussing your camera. while i’m with the others in the class, you get to spend some time hanging out with several people who share a common interest in photography. :)
the cost for the class is $25. i ask that you bring your camera and manual. in order to prepare for the class, i suggest reading your camera manual. boring, i know. but guess what…it’s the best thing you can do to learn to take better pictures. i read the manual for my first dslr, my nikon d90, over and over. my current camera, a nikon d700, isn’t much different, so i didn’t read the manual cover to cover, over and over, but i refer to it often! i have it with me for every single session. you just never know!
so what kinds of things will be covered and is this class for you? this class is for anyone who wants to take better pictures of their family, using any type of camera. you will leave with a better understanding of photography and how images are captured. that means i’ll be covering some technical stuff. the number one thing i’ve heard that people want to learn is how to take better action shots of their children playing sports. we’ll definitely cover that! and if you have any other suggestions, please let me know!
want to know how you can take the class for free? yes…free! i don’t think it would be too difficult to get 3 of your friends to take the class with you, do you? if you are able to fill an entire class, i’ll gift your registration fee! 3 friends = a free, fun class for you! :) and i’m happy to work with you to schedule the class so that it’s convenient for all of you! so start telling your friends and see if they might be interested in learning how to take better pictures of their family too.
following are the classes i’m currently offering, to be held at the studio in moyock, nc (close enough for those of you in virginia beach, norfolk, and chesapeake, va as well as elizabeth city, nc):
friday, march 30th 7:00 – 9:00
sunday, april 1st 1:30 – 3:30
again, if you and 3 friends are interested in having a class, i’m happy to schedule at your convenience!
please contact me at michelle@michellekirnan.com to register.
xxoo
michelle
meet grayden | south mills nc newborn photographer
grayden will always be special to me. he’s the first baby i was able to photograph in his momma’s tummy (you can see the images here), followed by his birth day, and then his newborn session! his momma took a chance on me and i love her for it. i hope i get to see him for some milestones sessions too! :)
grayden came into this world february 21st, weighing 9 pounds 13 ounces. so if he looks a little too large in these photos to be a newborn…well, you can now understand why. ;) he was a little too busy eating at his first session just 5 days after he was born to really bother with posing for me much, so we scheduled a second session 2 weeks after he was born (following some rain delays).
i really can’t say much. he’s absolutely beautiful and such a joy!
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- grayden’s grandmother bought these angel wings for his photo session. love it!
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- we incorporated some of the family’s furnishings into the first session. i hope they decide to hang this image in their dining room where it will coordinate beautifully!
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- mr. squishy face. look at those lips!
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- he slept…
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- …and he was also wide awake. what more could we ask?
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- because he was called “peanut” by all who loved him before they even met him <3
i think he may have a future in modeling. he’s so beautiful, and he seems to love the camera!
xxoo
michelle
laurette’s bump | south mills nc photographer
laurette and i had been trying to schedule her maternity session for a few weeks and we were running out of time! we finally had a beautiful afternoon last weekend and she had the perfect location! and this location didn’t require her to travel very far…just outside her back door. how convenient for a mom-to-be. :)
laurette had her hair and makeup done for her session, and this was a first for one of my clients other than for a wedding. can i just tell you that i really want to start offering these services for clients? laurette felt different! she was more confident and ready to be in front of the camera. it was amazing to witness her transformation – internally as well as externally. so i’d love to know what your thoughts are in regard to having this as an additional service for your portraits. you can let me know on the facebook fan page or in the comments.
so here is laurette along with her hubby, brent, as they anticipate the arrival of their little peanut.
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- don’t you just love this truck? it’s perfect!
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- pretty lady!
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- yeah – that’s her reflection in the mirror. ;)
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- hot couple in a truck!
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- just beautiful!
and you’ll see more images of laurette and brent’s family soon as their little peanut is expected this week. 
i can’t wait!
when?
so i’m working on the new blog, wondering when i’ll take it live. i have a session to post and since it’s the first for 2012, i’d really like for it to be the first on the new blog. but it’s not quite ready yet. i need at the very least to complete the header slideshow. and there are a few other things to tweak. so i wonder…
and because i must provide a link back to my old blog:
http://blog.mkmphoto.kirnan.net
xxoo, michelle