#29 Brittany Lane wins the Family Mini Session (just in time for Christmas)

#18 Kelsey Shirley wins 50% off her session fee if she books before the end of the year!

Sophie was having so much fun picking names we ended up picking 2! Enjoy that winning feeling ladies and give me a call to book your sessions!

What you will win- One person will be chosen at random to receive either a Family Mini Session or a Birthday Bash Mini Session  like the one I used to win the contest. The choice is up to the winner.  Whichever one you choose will include a 30 min. outdoor session, 1 8X10 and 5 digital files.  There is only one restriction – you must live within 50 miles of Inverness, Fl or be willing to travel to me. 

How to enter – You will have 3 chances to win.

First – Go to www.amandastarphotography.com then come back here and in the comments section tell me your favorite thing about it.

Second – Go to Amanda Star Photography on Facebook and “like” my page – come back here and tell me that you did. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Amanda-Star-Photography/142527839107352?ref=ts

Third – Suggest to your friends that they will  ”like” Amanda Star Photography on Facebook as much as you do, and copy the following to your status. 

“Amanda Star Photography is celebrating that winning feeling, enter to win a Family Mini Session!” http://amandastarphotography.net/?cat=14 . 

Then come back here (last time, I promise) and let me know that you did just that!

You will have until August 31th at midnight to enter the giveaway! Winner will be announced on the 25th, the winner will be contacted via email.  Have FUNNNNN!!!!!!!

I met some fantastic women with some fabulous talent! Each one so different and each had a story to tell.  How they started, where they are now with their photography and of course, where we want our photography to go.  How humbling to be in a room with that many talented, beautiful women. I found out a few things about myself. I am truly anti social, which I think comes from spending all day, everyday with my little bits of sunshine.  I really have to get out more.  I found out that I love alone time in the morning, just walking and talking with the Lord – fantastic!  So,  guess it won’t kill me to spend a few days once a year on me.  I came home much calmer than when I left, so actually I guess my kids benefited as well.

As for the whole reason that I went, a photography workshop taught by the one, the only Tara Staton. If you have never seen her work you should check her out at www.tarastatonphotography.com .  She rocks the off camera flash! I can not wait to try those techniques out on my work and then tweak it to fit my style.  The biggest thing that I walked away with is that I am not selling a photograph, I am not selling a package, my time or even my talent. I am selling an experience. An experience that will make a woman feel more beautiful, a child feel listened to, appreciated and loved. I want people to walk away from a session with me and say  “Wow, that was awesome”.  Then beating down my door because they are so excited to see their photographs, so that they can relive that experience with each look.  I want couples to feel closer and families feel strong, united.  It is amazing to me that all of this can be accompplished with a simple click of the camera. Maybe that click is not so simple. I invest time, energy and laughter into each session. I am constantly reading and learning and applying new techniques to my work. I want my work to reflect who I am, my style, and joys.  So know this, when you book a session with Amanda Star Photography, you are booking an experience – one you will enjoy and love!

                                                                                                                       Amanda Star

Here is a view of the thickness

Alexis - what a beauty!

Finished result with Boutique Style hanging

A sale is always a good thing, and since my fantastic printer passed this sale onto me, I thought I would do the same!  Having your family photos taken is a huge undertaking. You have to decide the photographer, the location, what you are wearing. You go through so much to capture just the right moment. Ok, so now you have these fantastic works of art – what to do, what to do?  Here is an opportunity to get that enlargement that you have always wanted at a reduced price. You can finally fill that blank spot above the fireplace or give Grandma a fantastic gift that will elevate you to the best Grandkid status!  I am offering 30% off on the 20X30 prints and 20% off mounting.  You went through a lot, so don’t just put them in a drawer somewhere – put them to good use!

Just so that you are in the know! Mounting can be done on what is called foam core or gator board.  Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what you can expect. Also, you can take a great 11X14 (or any other size) mounted piece and add Boutique Style hanging for only $10.00 during the sale!  If you have any questions, please let me know and be sure to share Amanda Star Photography with your friends – I have been known to give fantastic referral gifts!  Amanda Star

Emily and I showing off our Whippy Cakes! Happy 4th ya'll!

Do you have any idea how hard it is to write a blog post while your children are chanting, “I love momma, I love momma”. Not that it is a bad thing, I love it, but my  mind can only handle so much stimulation!  Ok, now they are asking to cook hotdogs on the grill, this may never get done. 

    Back to the 4th! I love love LOVE the 4th of July. It is one of my favorite holidays.  Our family does not have a ton of traditions and this year was very tradition free. (Iam making a sad face, by the way)  This year seems to be a bit different, but we still had a great time.  We even managed to start a new tradition, Whippy Cakes! No, it is not a fluffy dessert. It is hair toppings! Emily and I won a matching pair of Whippy Cakes 4th of July headbands, and they are fantastic! You can check out all of her fantastic “cakes” at www.whippycake.com.  I am sure that you will see alot of her fantastic hair toppings popping up in my photos.  So even though we did not do our usual fireworks display, and somethings felt different this year, atleast there is Whippy Cakes.  The kids had a fantastic time and  actually I think the rain only added to their delight.  I love our Country and think she is fantastic, I pray that she will always be Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!

The Snipe's family

This family was so much fun! It was so hot, we thought at any moment we would melt away. Lesson learned, work at 7:30p.m. not 5:30p.m. This would be a great location for family or graduate photography! I have a great deal going on so give me a call!!!

Introducing BOB!

Wow! This blank page is really intimidating. Why don’t I start with something simple. Hi! That was simple enough. I was trying to decide what I should blog about first, then it came to me. BOB! I will blog about BOB! You will find that my kids are my main source of inspiration, laughter and occassionaly my frustration! My daughter is a real character. I don’t think she does anything “normal”. Gee, wonder where she gets that from? She recently got a haircut, you guessed it, a BOB. She was a little upset at first at the thought of getting a haircut with a boys name. She is, after all “the girl” as she will ever so politely tell you.  She has adjusted well to BOB, although BOB is now an entity. He is very much a new part of our family. Like the other day I asked her to get me the comb so I could fix her up – she replies, “Oh goody your going to comb BOB”.  Her daddy came home from work and the first thing she does is run out to him, put her hand on her hip and annouce, “So, how do you like BOB”?  Course, daddy had no idea what in the world she was talking about.  This new hairdo led to a photoshoot (of course). Maybe she will always be this crazy, but she always makes us laugh and I will always have the photos to prove what a goofball she is! 

Enough about BOB, and  little about me. I am a self taught photographer. I love to study the latest techniques and keep up with trends. I love the latest trends, but tend to rely on timeless classics. I love B&W photos. They tell such a story, so simple and so fixed on detail.  I excel at child photography, which is what I do the most of. Family and teens are my next favorite and I am learning to embrace commercial photography. It is amazing the opportunities that are out there for someone who really wants them.  Photography is a picture into ones character and imagination.  The things a photographer dreams up and uses in his/her photo sessions are part of who he/she is. I hope that in mine you will see a love for life, a love for family and a love for the Creator.  ~ Amanda Star

To view the slideshow in full screen mode, flick the “FS” button at the bottom of the frame.

To view the slideshow in full screen mode, flick the “FS” button at the bottom of the frame.

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