Why I Chose Special Needs Photography.

We are going a little different on the blog today.  We are talking about special needs photography, why I did it and what that means for you.  Plus I am sharing a sneak peek of my latest shoot with my buddy Josh.  He is a big part of the reason special needs photography is so important to me so his awesomeness fit perfectly here!  He has changed so much in the last year, and all for the better.  Watching his leaps and bounds progress at his shoot brought me to tears!

He ran off to play on his own, something he has never done on one of our shoots!

As you all know, Stolen Moments Studios has an added special focus on special needs photography.  I wish I had some cute name for this special section of the studio, but I've yet to hit on something I love.  Feel free to throw out your ideas :)

I decided to do this for a number of reasons, but the biggest was really the kids I already worked with.  Their parents kept telling me they had never had appointments go that smoothly with their kids, photography or otherwise.  And when they saw the pictures many of them cried, because they never had pictures of their kids looking so much like themselves.  To be honest I didn't think I was doing anything out of the ordinary, but the parents and their friends and families kept telling me horror stories of previous shoots and how much their kids loved "playing with Miss Corrie".  They were adamant that what I was doing was special.

We asked if he thought he could get over the bar, he sure tried!

In speaking with my clients, friends, and family I saw that a successful photography experience was rare in the best of situations.  Throw in any sort of disability or special need and it was like finding a unicorn!  After some self-reflection I realized this was something I was meant to be doing.  In April 2012 I announced the addition of special needs photography as a major part of Stolen Moments Studios.  Every family deserves a successful shoot with wonderful pictures, whether you have a child with autism, a parent with a disability, a family member with cancer or just a preschooler full of attitude and "I don't want to".   No one should have to miss having great pictures of their family because it is more of a challenge to get them!

The number of times he smiled while I was with him made me so happy!  So did my hug!

What does being a special needs friendly studio mean for you and your session?

There is more flexibility.  I book extra time for those session to allow us to move slower, take a break or even take a few minutes ahead of time to talk about what we are doing and make sure everyone is ready and comfortable with the shoot.  That extra time also covers those situations that can come up as you are getting ready to leave.  Some days are harder than others getting a kid with sensory issues to put on their shoes and I understand that.  I never book another session directly behind a special needs shoot to allow us to have all the time we need!

His independence this shoot was astounding to me!  He is so much more confident and outgoing!

Special needs shoots also have an extra reschedule option.  Instead of the usual two, they have three.  It gives all of us more freedom to accommodate a rough morning or a bad week and makes sure getting pictures taken isn't a high stress experience for anyone!

Pre-session consults for my special needs clients may be multiple parts to allow everyone to get to know me and for me to learn what works best for your family and how to approach your shoot.  Many children with special needs have a hard time in new situations and especially with new people.  By meeting once or twice before your shoot date, having some play time and talking about what we are going to do we can make the shoot a more relaxed and fun experience for them.

He was across the playground and heard us laugh.  His disgust at us being amused by things that aren't him just made us laugh harder!

One last thing, I will never post a session as a "special needs session" without specifically asking permission to do so, as I prefer to not differentiate between my sessions.  Some of my families are happy to share their sessions for posts like this, awareness months or just to share all that their child has overcome but that is not something I would do without permission.  I want people to look through an album full of kids and not be able to find the child with autism, or have a wheelchair be more than something in a great picture of a smiling happy child!  I make sure the people are the focus of all my pictures.

Just a quiet moment when he didn't think we were watching.

If you have any questions or just want to know more about special needs sessions don't hesitate to ask!

The next post here will be more about being a special needs studio and why it is important for my family! It is so much more to this than the kids I work with, there is a huge personal aspect as well!  Until then don't forget about the package deal for October and November.  Shoot, cards and prints all for $200!

What does fall mean?

It's a great question.  Fall is just about upon us and what does that mean?

1) Pumpkin flavored things.  mmmm I hoard cans of pumpkin so we tend to have some year round but I love pumpkin season.  Not so much coffee but baked goods!  Pumpkin muffins are happening ASAP!

2) Back to school.  Ty started his last year of elementary school.  I'm trying not to think too hard about him being a fifth grader because that makes me old and because I was trouble at his age! Katie is in second grade and declared it "The Year of Katie".  I don't know what that means but I feel like we should be scared.

3)  It is almost hockey season!!  Hockey hockey hockey!  Hurricanes preseason training starts THIS WEEK and Squirrel and I will be trying to go to practices once a week.  He loves it, it makes a great bribe for good behavior and Mommy isn't too sad about having to go!  The season starts October 10 and we will be there! So plenty of hockey pictures will be on the blog here soon.

4) Halloween!  Another fun fall thing I love!  We trick or treat with a mob of kids from the neighborhood and we have so much fun.  This year I think the kids have decided that they will be Batman, Robin and Harley Quinn.  Katie was going to be Batgirl but she wanted to be old school purple batgirl and the costume is more blue than purple.  As this does not meet her "I must have the perfect costume" standards, she went the villain route and chose my favorite!  I don't have many years left before Ty will refuse to dress up with them so I am excited!  There are requests in for me to be Harley too, but we will see what Mommy has time for.   If you want a quick mini of your kids in their halloween costumes let me know and we can set something up. I'm always happy to put together a costume mini or two if anyone wants them!

5) Holiday shoots.  This one might be the most relevant to this actual blog.  I know most of you don't even want to think about Christmas yet but holiday deadlines are November 23 for your shoot and December 14 to place your orders.  Which means it is coming up fast!  That means I only have 8 weekends available between now and the deadline.  These will fill FAST as we get later into the fall season so if you are even thinking about a session for the holidays talk to me soon.  If you wait I may not have the availability you need.  Book your session by October 1st for a $25 session discount and a free print 8x10 or smaller!










We have a new look here on the blog and I am working on all the website updates as well.  I will not let the slideshows defeat me!   Next week I will be doing a post on why I became a special needs friendly studio and exactly what that means for you!

Don't forget to tell your friends about the session deal because we have awesome referral and loyalty discounts!

In the moment

There are two things I am just as guilty of as all of you.  1) I have TWO DSLR cameras.  TWO!  And what are most of the pictures of my kids taken with?  My cell phone.  Because it is always right there, in the diaper bag, in my back pocket, sitting on the counter.   2) Worrying more about the setting, what they are wearing, what we are doing, than I am about capturing the moment as it happens.

A personal favorite "in the moment" and cell phone picture
of my kids and the world's cutest nephew.

To fix number one, I've started leaving my camera bag on my desk, camera ready to shoot and easily accessible.  All I have to do is walk in and pick it up!  I haven't quite worked out keeping it with me, mostly because I am still carrying so much baby stuff and a baby!  But it will get there.   I have quite a few nice cell phone pictures of my kids, I've printed bunches of them.  And I would definitely rather have those than nothing at all.  But having real pictures of my kids, high quality not a snap shot pictures, is invaluable.  I am lucky enough to be able to do that myself, but don't put it off because you can't do it yourself.  Not only is it great to have a beautiful picture to show off to your family and friends, but by hiring a photographer, they will capture things that you can't.  Like you in the picture.  Yes, I have to have someone do this for me too. And a true professional will get pictures of you and your family that make you see things you may not have seen, the details in a moment that were captured when you were lost in it.

Here is an example of a cell phone picture and a picture with, as my kids call it, my real camera.  These were taken about 30 seconds apart as I was writing this paragraph.  I dragged him off the couch and away from cartoons.  I tried to have him not move, but he is 10 and can't stand still!  The difference is HUGE.  Honestly bigger than I thought it would be!  But I can do more with my camera in terms of settings, more in how I hold it without making the picture blurry and more with what works for him!  There is a big difference between a snapshot and a photograph.  

Issue number 2.   I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist.  But a few days ago, Eli was playing in the kitchen so I grabbed my phone and took a picture.  But it was really just bad.  So I went and grabbed my camera.  I ended up spending half an hour playing on the floor with him, taking pictures that are very much who he is.  At the time I didn't care about what he was wearing, that the kitchen floor still hadn't been swept or that he had just woken up so his hair was crazy.  In the moment, playing with him, none of that mattered.  And now I have pictures that show off his personality, the little things he does on a normal day.

Those pictures are some of my favorite recent pictures of him.  I got lucky, he happened to be wearing his favorite shirt and his cloth diaper happened to coordinate with it.  But this morning he looked just as cute in his pirate monkey pajama top and the shorts Tyler pulled out of the laundry basket because he is pajama pants were wet.  I've had a lot of people freak out when I suggest shooting at their house, especially with babies and toddlers.  But that is their element, the place where the best of them comes out.  A familiar environment full of the things they love.  "But the cleaning!  My house is a mess!"  Mine too.   But we can make it work with just a little picking up as we go and different angles!  Don't ever be afraid to capture your life as it is, these moments only last so long!  Don't misunderstand me, on location makes for some stunning pictures.  But sometimes, especially for little kids, home will get you the pictures of the kids you know and love.  It will let everyone else see your kids how you see them!

Playing with the buttons on his high chair

Climbing.  Because he refuses to walk but will climb anything left unsupervised.

Being lured away from the stairs.  Note the floor that needs to be swept and the basket full of laundry.
It is ok to let it go!  (please don't start singing.)

Watching his brother put dishes away

Eli travels by bounce.  He gets on his knees puts his hands up like this and bounces around the house.  I would never get this picture unless we were at home.  Also note the t-shirt.  As soon as it is clean, that is the one he wants.  No idea where he gets that  particular love from. ;)

Serious and mildly disgruntled.  He is just wandering and doing his thing, another example of a picture I only get at home.

How he and Piglet told me they were done.  

So I have two points here.  One sometimes the moment really is more important than everything being perfect. Don't be afraid to capture the imperfections.  And two, don't think ok is good enough.  Have real portraits taken of your family as your life happens.  It doesn't have to be a special occasion or at a special place.  Take a moment to capture right now and have really great pictures of this moment, because it's not coming back

I also promised on the facebook page yesterday some summer discounted session information.  And here it is!

April is Autism Awareness Month

It is I the great and powerful blog slacker, LOL.   But I have a few coming for you over the next couple of weeks!  And today's is extra important, so pay attention!

As you all know, last April I announced my intentions to incorporate a special needs aspect to the studio.  And I have loved every second of it.  I have gotten to know some awesome kids and their families and seen what an impact having a photographer who understands their challenges can have, not just on the pictures themselves but on their parents as well.

So this year I decided to spotlight one of my families for Autism Awareness Month.  Now you all know I usually don't make a point of saying "look a special needs shoot!"  because they are just normal kids, they don't need a label.  But some of the parents are happy to share their kids unique awesomeness with the world and allow me to highlight their kids!  Cate is one of those awesome moms.  I've been shooting Josh and his big sister Allie since 2009 (which is just crazy to me!) and I've seen first hand how challenging and rewarding Josh's struggles have been.  

Not only does Josh have autism but he also has seizures, but he certainly doesn't let any of that slow him down.  He has had more than his fair share of struggles but he is still the same silly kid I've had fun with for years now!   He has a sweet service dog named Nelson and a personality that just doesn't stop!  I never know who will show up to one of Josh's shoots, this time I got Batman!   He had his Batman hoodie and his sunglasses on when he walked up to me.

Me: "Excuse me Batman, Have you seen my friend Josh?"

Batman takes off his hood and his sunglasses "Corrie it's me."  

Me:  "Oh you had me fooled"

Sunglasses go back on and he takes off with a grin "I know."  

LOVE HIM!

And one of my favorite things about Josh, from a purely photographer stand point, I never get the same facial expression twice, I'm always surprised when I go through his shoots and see all the awesome faces he makes!  And when he ran up to me this shoot and grabbed my hand and said "Corrie come with me, I need to play and they are going to take forever." it made my day!

Josh also has a big sister, Allie, who is an all around awesome kid who I love spending time with.  Not only is she great with her brother and helping her mom, but she is smart, well spoken and happens to have an interest in photography, which is just fine with me!!

She is always up for doing whatever random things I ask her to do, including trying 50 different trees until we find the perfect one and standing on walls in front of random bushes because I decide they look pretty.  And never questions it!

But what does this all have to do with Autism Awareness?  Well 1 in 88 kids is diagnosed with Autism.  Which means odds are you know a family that struggles with some form of an Autism spectrum disorder, even if you don't realize it.  And we've all seen the kids having meltdowns in Target or a restaurant and you judge.  But it just isn't as easy as "well he looks normal they should be able to control him"  not only is that not true at all, but just because a child has a disability or disorder doesn't mean that they can't hear and understand the things you say.  It hurts their feelings, they don't like not being in control of their situation any more than their parents or the people around them like it.  Autism Awareness isn't about knowing it exists, but knowing that it effects every child differently and taking just a minute to realize the toll it takes on them and their families before saying something hurtful.  Because it isn't just the way it changes their family, having a child that needs "more", but it is the nights up worrying, the financial aspects of various therapies and tools to help them learn and progress, the constant struggle for answers and trying to find a way to keep things as "normal" as possible.   All while educating everyone they come in contact with from family, to friends and teachers about their child's particular challenges.

I'm blessed to know a number of amazing children who defy the odds of their Autism and prove their doctors wrong every day.  It's not to say every day isn't a struggle, but those little moments when you know what you are doing makes a difference, make everything else easier.  

Reach out to their parents, if they share something on facebook that seems minor to you, it may be a huge accomplishment to them, get excited!  If they are having a rough day, ask if you can do anything to help or if you can bring them a coffee and let them vent in a judgement free environment.  It doesn't take much to let these parents know that you see how hard they are working and that you know how awesome their kids are!!

2013 is here!!!

Hey Everyone!!  

I hope you all had a great holiday and spent some time enjoying your families!!  Lots of stuff to cover today, so let's get on it!!

Studio resolution #1 is to be better with blogging, so lets stay positive!!  Over the next few weeks I will be updating the website and the facebook page.  Nothing big this year just updating pictures and slideshows to show off the best of 2012 with everything else!!

As many of you saw just before the holidays we are expecting our third little one!

Well we found out this week that we are having a little boy!!!

Obviously both kids are very excited as are we!  They are also excited about the return of the NHL season and all the Carolina Hurricanes games we will be going to this year!!  GO CANES!!

But this has other implications as well, the studio will be shut down for a while and I will be taking limited sessions until that point.  

Because I will be honest, this cute little boy is kicking my butt!!

From now throughApril 13 I will be taking only two sessions a month, so availability will be very limited!! 

After that I will closing down the studio until August 10.  I hate to take out all that pretty summer shooting time but a new baby is so worth it!!   It will probably impact the amount of shoots I take through the end of the year as well, but we will see how that goes and deal with that when we come to it!

I'm excited about the things Stolen Moments Studios is doing to give back so far this year.  I have my Olivia Act selection decisions to make this weekend, to give a session to a family who might not otherwise have one in honor of all the people killed in Newtown, CT.   I will also be donating a session and full session print release disc to the Mercy for America's Children Black Tie Gala.  This is a great organization a friend feels strongly about and I love to support organization that helps children in need!!

Just a note to remember for all of you, all sessions now include a presession consult and a viewing session.  Both usually involve coffee and snacks, so its a good thing I promise!!  This gives me a chance to get an idea of exactly what you want from the session we are planning and lets me give you ideas for clothes and props and lets you actually see a few locations I have used to make your decisions easier!!  The viewing session is great because I know all of those pictures get overwhelming, and all the options in sizes and products is enough to make your head spin.  This lets me walk you through your pictures and all the choices to make it a bit easier to choose!  You still get your online gallery and now if you place a print order at your viewing session there is a little present involved!!  And everyone likes presents!!

That is it for now!!  I will be back next week (I hope, LOL) with a favorites of 2012 post for you!!  

Tiny Stars Finalists!!

EDIT!! 

 HEY ALL!!

 For some reason the poll shut down at noon instead of nine tonight like it was set to! But no worries, you can still get votes in! ANY vote made in the comments (one per person please, I will only count each persons vote once) with the name of the kids you are choosing between now and 9:00 tonight will count and be added with the poll numbers. 

 Comments need to be approved before they are posted so please don't worry if you don't see your comment before 9 I have all of them but we have some stuff to do today and I will not be at the computer consistently today! 

 I know this is a little more work on your part but I am doing my best to give everyone those few extra hours I promised because I can't defeat the technical difficulties! 

 Thanks!!

We managed to narrow down the list to six finalists for the Tiny Stars Contest!  There was a huge response to the contest and this was a HARD job!  Voting will be open until December 14 at 9 pm, which means you have 2 weeks to get everyone you know to vote for your kids here on this post!!

So here are the finalists (in no particular order) vote in the poll at the bottom to pick your favorite.

Tiny Stars

Who is your choice to win the Tiny Stars Contest? Logan and Patrick K. Charlie and Callie H. Caitlin and Patrick P. Hunter L. Cora, Ginger and Holly B. Victoria C, Current Results

Holiday Availability 2012

The Holidays are sneaking up on us!  Halloween is in just over a week and then my brain goes into full on Christmas mode!!

Session availability for this year's holiday season is very limited.

Presession consults and ordering sessions will be done on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays (mid-day only).  The last day to order your prints in time for Christmas this year will be December 8.   Anything ordered after this date will not be placed until after the new year.  If you will be ordering Christmas cards I recommend booking a session for before Thanksgiving and ordering by the end of November.

Here is a list of the available sessions and times for November.  The last date for sessions in 2012 is November 25.  I will not be available to shoot in December in order to get the sessions processed and ordered in time for Christmas and to allow for time with my family.   A reminder that sessions are booked for 2 hours so please allow that much time in your schedule.

AM   We can start as early as 8 or as late as 9:30
PM   We can start as early as 3:30 and as late as 4:30.  Remember it starts getting dark earlier so we have to allow for enough light!!

Saturday November 3
AM (available)
PM (available)

Saturday November 10
AM (available)
PM (booked)

Saturday November 17
AM (available)
PM (booked)

Friday November 23
PM ONLY (available)

Saturday November 24
AM (available)
PM (available)

Sunday November 25
AM ONLY.  Shoot must be at 8:15 at the latest.  (available)


And what is this?  A bonus gift!  YAY!!

If you book your session before November 5, you get $20 off your session and a free print 8x10 or smaller with your print order.  That's $35 of Christmas present money right there!!  

And don't forget to enter the Tiny Stars Contest!  The last day for entry is Halloween!!

Your Session: Getting to know SMS and your Pre-Session Consult

I am going to do a series of posts this week filling you all in on how a Stolen Moments Studios photo shoot works from start to finish!  I find it helpful when I am looking to do something to know how things run and what I am getting for my money, so that is what these posts are for!

In doing your research into hiring a professional photographer you have found us!  Awesome, I love meeting new people!  So you email me at photography@stolenmomentsstudios.com or call (919) 261-7400.  I'm sure you have a ton of questions and I know I have a few for you too!  So we talk for a bit and I ask about setting up a pre-session consultation.  I am going to spell out exactly what that is for you in a minute, but most importantly I want you all to know that you do not have to be set on having a session to have a consult!!  This is a chance for me to better get to know you and your family and for you to see if my style and my sessions are right for you!  

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, more about the actual consult!

Binder with session info, price lists and product examples, your take home folder and a slideshow!

We will meet either at your home or at a local coffee place or restaurant where I will get you a snack or a drink.  I will have my laptop and an information packet for you to bring home as well as items for you to look through and learn more about the studio and our sessions.

You will have time to look through the info binder which has a full price list, product examples and a full walk through of your session!

We will talk about you, your kids, your family’s interests and your expectations for your session.

We will talk about location, clothes, props and what your ideas for your pictures are.  We will also look through a slideshow that I’ve made for your consult based on your family, to help you see what we can do with your session.

I will walk you through a typical session as well as wait times for sneak peeks, online viewing and     explaining how our ordering session and accompanying process works as well as looking through the price list.  This will help you be aware of your options for ordering and lets you start thinking about what options you would like for your home, family and friends!

Your take home folder has a price list, my business card and the information we decided on for your session (date/time/location) as well as some tips for getting ready!

This is also when we will set a date, time and  location for your session.  Don't worry about knowing exactly where and when you would want to have a session, I can show you examples of different locations in the area and talk about what days and times are best for the kind of shoot you are looking for.   

Keep an eye out over the next few days for two more posts, one covering the photo shoot itself and one about ordering and delivery!!  

A special thanks to my kids, Tyler and Katie, for taking a few minutes to be stock photo kids today!! 

My stock photo kids!  Katie's dress was made by the amazing and fabulous LilyM Boutique