The Most Random Blog Post Ever!
I wanted to share some of my favorite moments and photographs from 2010, and also share with you what I’ll be up to in 2011. As a result, this will probably be the most random blog post ever! HA! enjoy…
2010 Recap
The launch of my boudoir line: Actually, Boudoir by Shannon “officially” launched in mid December of 2009, but didn’t really hit the market until after the holidays. It’s been so fun and exciting working with women and making them feel beautiful. I’ve had sessions with young brides who put their photos in an album to give as gift to their groom on their wedding day, and I’ve had sessions with women all the way up to 50 years of age who are just celebrating who they are! It’s been fun experimenting with new poses and ideas and also having the opportunity to work closely with some very talented makeup artists and stylists. In addition to private boudoir sessions, I also added the ever popular pin up parties to our services. They make great bachelorette parties, girls night out’s, or birthday celebrations…totally unlike-anything-you’ve-ever-done-before fun!
The launch of Mia Jade: Our new sister studio, Mia Jade Wedding Photojournalism, just launched in the fall of 2010! It’s comprised of our team of associate photographers, who’ve been carefully chosen for their strong photography background, exceptional talent, and huge potential as a wedding photojournalist. We have a lot of weddings already lined up for 2011 and are looking forward to meeting many more clients!
Our 1st International Photojournalism Award! When I found out I had placed in the international wedding photojournalism contest through the very prestigious WPJA, my jaw hit the floor and I had a smile frozen on my face for 3 days! Having one of my photographs place next to some of the best wedding photojournalists in the world has been something I’ve sought after ever since I started into wedding photography. My new goal for 2011 is to receive a “top 10″ award! Here’s the winning image, placing 13th in the humor category…
Our favorite 2010 engagement photos: We had some of the most fun engagement sessions last year! Our clients rock and we worked hard to showcase the couple’s personality and unique relationship. Engagement shoots are a “must” if you’d like to capture the very beginning of your wedding story, and they’re also the BEST way for us to get to know each other before the big day. Some of these couples still have upcoming 2011 weddings and we’re SO looking forward to photographing them! 
Our favorite 2010 wedding photos: Ok, this was tough! I’m such a detail person when it comes to wedding photographs, it was hard not to pick all the ring shots! I can only hope that all our 2011 clients are as kick a#@ as our 2010 couples were!
Our favorite Aftershoot: Aftershoots are when you get dressed back up in your wedding attire and have some play time! We get all those fun photos that you may not have had time for on your wedding day.
Our favorite 2010 kids portraits: I love photographing children! They’re so honest and so themselves in front of the camera. I love that no matter how bad mom wants her little one to cooperate and look like the most pleasant child on earth, kids are going to show you exactly how they feel…it can be so fun to photograph!
On to some personal stuff! When we aren’t working, we’re enjoying our family. We’re so blessed to have 3 wonderful kids. They have brought so much to our lives that we can’t remember what we ever did without them. Here’s some of the most memorable times we shared in 2010…
Our first Cav’s Game! one of Lebron’s last games as a Cavalier…boo hisss 
Our first family camping trip! We had such a blast that weekend that we’re already looking forward to when the weather breaks and we can start camping more regularly. No tv, no PS3, no Wii, no computer…you can see Cameron found our cell phones and was trying to get the game scores, but Joe & I made a pact that we would not even use them to look at emails. That definitely needs to happen more often! 
Our family vacation: Last June, we took a road trip down to Savannah, GA! We explored the city, went on a ghost tour, and relaxed on the beach at Tybee Island. I want to go back!
oh, the candy shop…
enjoying Cafe GelatOhhh!
work, work, work :(
My parents’ 1st attempt at a “Cake Boss” birthday cake!: My parents started watching Cake Boss pretty regularly this past year, and so when our daughter, Jadyn’s, birthday came around, they thought they’d give it a try. It was the hit of the party!
SO, what’s new for 2011? The beginning of a new year always offers up a fresh start. Here’s some more things we’re currently working on for 2011:
Feature on 10tv News! I was contacted by the editor at 10tv news, to let me know that they’d like to do a segment on one of my boudoir parties (Pin up parties) during the month of February! I’m busy making preparations for the party, which will film later this month and will air before Valentine’s Day. sooooo excited!
A fresh look for our website and blog! We’ll be putting extra hours in to give our website and blog a new look by the end of the year. We’re hoping you’ll love it. :)
Thirst Relief! We’ll be teaming up more this year with Thirst Relief International to help raise funds to provide clean drinking water to those in need. A portion of every investment made with us this year, whether it’s a wedding or portrait session, will be donated to Thirst Relief. Click here to make a monetary donation now. Additionally, we’d like to bring to your attention that Thirst Relief’s mentor auction, their largest annual fundraiser, starts today and runs through January 12th…visit www.thirstrelief.shootq.com for more info!
Facebook! We’ll continue to post updates on our fanpage. Additionally, we’ll be running Fan-Only Specials periodically throughout the year that you won’t want to miss out on. PLEASE do us a huge favor and click the “suggest to friends” link on our fanpage, so we can connect with more of Columbus and beyond!
Boudoir by Shannon also has it’s own facebook fanpage, so click to make sure you get all the latest boudoir updates, marathons, and specials.
-Shannon
