Too Much Hustle & Bustle!

Oh my gosh, in all my holiday hustle and bustle yesterday, I totally, completely, forgot to draw the winner of the $150 Gift Certificate!  So, without further ado, I'm going to hustle MY bustle this morning and get the drawing going! I assigned each entry a number, and entered the numbers into the True Random Number Generator at random.org.

And Mr. Random has selected...

…drum roll…

entry #33, Gil Salazar!!

Congratulations, Gil! You may use your gift certificate toward a 2012 session fee, digital image purchase, or 2 hr Camera Basics mentoring session. You can also give it to someone as a gift, if you’d like to!

Thanks so much, everyone, for playing!

One, Big, Happy Family! ~ Outdoor Family Photos in Tucson, AZ | Vail Family Photos | Tucson Family Photographer

I think this is one of my top 5 favorite family photo sessions this year! And with these adorable kiddos, how could it not be? This family is so special to me - they came to me last year for family photos, and I've been in love ever since. I was so excited when Michelle contacted me again this year to do her family photos -- and, not gonna lie, was a bit over the moon when she said she wanted to book TWO sessions: one for her side of the family, and one for her husband's side of the family. I LOVE that Michelle's family -- all of them--wanted family photos, and I love that Michelle loved me enough to pick me to do them!

This year, I got to meet Michelle's whole family! Her parents, and her brother and his wife, too. It was so much fun for me to be able to work with the extended family, and to see how much lovin' and likin' there was going on!

As you can tell from the gorgeous colors, Michelle put a lot of thought into coordinating wardrobe ideas for the whole family, and I think she did a fantastic job. All of the little details (necklaces, hair pretties, belts, layers, accessories) make such a big impact in the finished photo -- they just add that extra little bit of "oh, wow".  A super "What to Wear example",  and you'll defnitely be seeing some of their photos in the new, printed, What to Wear Style Guide we have in the works for 2012. 

Nicholas and Annya have grown so much from last year, and they were so much fun. I especially loved how “motherly” Annya was to her baby brother.  She would take him by the hand and help him get to where he needed to be, help him "pose" and coax him to smile. So precious.   

These two kiddos tromped through the tall grass, played together and were so sweet with their grandparents. There is just whole lotta love in this family!!

One of my favorite aspects of this family photo session is that we were able to capture all of the family here, together, and also in smaller groups. There's never any limit to the number of poses you can have in your session, and I always encourage my clients to mix it up, and make sure that all that family love is captured so it can be treasured for years to come! There is something just so special about getting a portrait of your whole family together.  In fact, we have a 3 generation photo to remember the day by! How sweet is this photo of Michelle, Annya and Michelle's mom?

We picked a new location for their photos this year, and brought out the fabulous green chaise -- it was perfect for this family session!!  Annya REALLY liked the chaise!  At one point, she even sat down on the couch and posed for a picture all by herself!  Seriously - could Annya be any cuter?? She's the perfect diva here.

Sweet Nicholas was soooo funny. He wasn't quiter sure what to make of that big ol' camera lens, and it's time like these that I really think we should have taken some behind the scenes pictures of the whole family and my assistant, Callie, lined up behind me trying to get Nicholas to smile and look at the camera.  I’m sure anyone driving by must have thought we had all completely lost it!  I didn’t see what they were doing exactly behind me, but there was a lot of jumping up and down, clapping hands, singing, peek-a-boo and fake sneezing for sure!   

He was a good little sport…well, until he decided he was done!  Look at that little pout? LOVE IT.

Wow, I truly cannot thank Michelle and her precious family enough for choosing me again to capture their family memories!   

I mean it when I say that I truly have left a part of my heart in these photographs.  I’ve fallen in love with this family all over again and it was so special for me to be able to see Michelle’s “roots” and where she gets her beautiful, sweet, generous, and loving spirit! 

Much, much love to you, Michelle & Edward!
xoxox,
steph

P.S.  Yes, I know. I always get the last word ;) But really folks, last chance…please take time to leave a comment on this blog post, or any other post on the blog.  A comment on any blog post will result in one food item being donated to our local food bank!  It only takes a minute and that non-perishable food item could really make a difference in a family's life! 

Love This Family! ~ Family Photographs in Downtown Tucson, Tucson Photographer for Family Photos

Referrals are the best compliment this family photographer could ever receive!  Tiffany and Brian were referred to me from beautiful Avery's momma. I did Miss Avery's newborn photos, and Tiffany is Avery's auntie. I can't tell you how much it means to me when my clients refer their family and friends! My business is blessed (and so is my heart!). 

Meet the Callahan family!

The Callahan family and I ventured downtown near the Old Town Artisans area for their photo session.  I love it when families choose downtown locations for their photos - there's so much variety, and no two sessions are ever the same, even when the locations are similar. And this area - well, it's always been one of my favorite locations. I love the old pueblo feel, and how bright and fun it is.

Tiffany and her handsome guys were such fun - the boys had me laughing plenty, and there were no shortage of smiles from these guys. Max and Carter were complete naturals! Carter started off a teeny bit shy, but he sure warmed up to the camera real quick. Max, well - check out that little guy's smile. Total cuteness right there. What isn’t to love about these two adorable boys? 

Just look at Carter, rockin' the camera! Aren't those blue eyes gorgeous?!?

Thank you Callahan family for choosing me to capture your special family moments.  And a special thank you to the Altman Family for sending these wonderful people my way!

 

Do you know someone who's ready for family photos? Or a high school senior ready for their close up?   Send someone my way and when they book their session, you'll receive a $25 Target gift card as a special thank you for referring them to me, and they'll get an extra print credit!  Share the love!

xoxox,
steph.

Fun Family Photos, and Some Furry Friends! ~ Family Photos with Pets | Family Photographer in Tucson | Outdoor Family Photos in Tucson, AZ

This year has been so much fun, for so many reasons! One of my favorite things about all my family photo sessions here in Tucson has been all of the furry friends included in family photos. It seems like there are an extra abundance this year, and I’m in heaven!  I absolutely LOVE seeing furry friends through my camera lens.  These special “kids” are just cute, cute, CUTE! 

Meet the Holt family!  Sarah and Dustyn brought their three babies for their family photo this year, and I loved getting to know them all.

There's Dustyn and Sarah, of course (Dusytn works with my friend Traci, who also had their family photo with their pets this year -- hi, Traci!!). And then there's Dustyn's buddy Haggard (a German Shepherd/Basset Hound mix with a Mohawk!!), sweet Zoe (a Corgi) and awesomeJake (a mixed bread beauty). How gorgeous are they!  I think the pups had a good time, too.  We had our session at Reid Park, and there were lots of interesting things for them to sniff out.  Of course, getting three dogs and their humans all looking at the camera takes a bit of work (hats off to you, pet photographers!!!) but it’s so much fun making it all happen.  Sarah called me the Dog Whisperer, haha. I'm not really, sometimes I just get lucky. But I DO love them, and I think they sense that.

Like with all sessions, my absolute favorite pictures, though, are the candid moments in between the “formal” portraits.  They are absolutely priceless, and I love to capture all of the wet, slobbery puppy kisses and cuddles happening behind the scenes, too. 

I love how much Sarah and Dustyn love their dogs - you can totally tell that Haggard, Zoe and Jake dig Sarah and Dustyn too.

I think it is just as important to capture memories with our pets as it is with our two legged family members. With that being said, thank you, Sarah and Dustyn, for allowing me to capture those special moments with your pooches.  I hope that you’ll be able to look at these pictures years to come and remember our wonderful afternoon!

xoxox,
steph.

Hey friends!  Are you thinking of booking a session with your best pet pal?  Now is the time to do it!   Book a session including your furry friends today (before 12/31/11 ) and you'll receive a $25 donation to the animal charity of your choice (Humane Society, Animal Rescue Foundation, etc). Your session can take place anytime in 2012. How awesome is that?!?

 E-mail me HERE !

The Red Converse Rocked It ~ Family Photographer in Tucson, AZ | Oro Valley Photographer | Tucson Photographer for Family Photos

Oh my goodness - I am positively giddy over this family!

First of all, these beautiful people were referred to me from another beautiful person I know (hi, Susie!!!), which always makes my heart happy. Second of all, well, just look at Laci!!  She's not only gorgeous on the outside, but she's amazingly beautiful on the inside too, and that's what you notice about her, the first thing.  She just sparkles :) 

Before I say much more, I have to first say that I love this family's wardrobe! Laci asked for a few "what to wear" pointers, and then put these great outfits together all by herself. Don't they look amazing?? I love all the textures and layers, and how everything just works together without being all matchy matchy. And the red shoes?? Shut the front door!! I am in looooove with those red Converse. Please, Santa...if you're listening and I'm not on the Naughty List (again) this year...I really want a pair!  And if I AM on the Naughty List, then by all means, go ahead and bring me the RED HEELS (wink wink)!!

Laci wanted something fun and upbeat for her family photos and she picked the perfect location! The vibrant colors and style were perfect for this fun family, and kept the boys from being too bored with the torture of family photos :)   Wyatt and Tyler are cute as can be and I'm pretty sure they keep this busy momma on her toes.

Little Wyatt wasn't so sure he liked the whole supermodel gig, but let me tell you, the camera was lovin' him! He was so funny and so cute, and he definitely had his own style in mind when it came to posing. We eventually compromised: we'd do a few of his poses, and then I'd sneak in a couple of my own.

 

 Tyler, on the other hand, was totally comfortable in front of the camera from the get-go. And those big brown eyes had me from moment #1.

We had such a good time, strolling through the Barrio - I don't think Laci and I ever stopped talking for more than, ohhhh, 5 seconds, or maybe just long enough to smile and click. Best part of this session, besides making new friends? Finding a Ben's Bell!!!  This was such a treat!! We weren't quite sure if it was left for someone to find, or if it had actually been found and belonged to someone already, so we left it where it was, just in case. But that was pretty exciting for all of us! The Ben's Bell is hanging from the mailbox -- see it??

Oh, and  get a load of Wyatt's feet -- a perfect example of his creative posing :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Laci, for sharing your beautiful family with me.   I absolutely adore you and your precious family! 

xoxox,

steph

PS - I loooooove how Laci's Christmas card turned out -- so I had to post a peek of the proof file, now that she's mailed them out :)  We printed Laci's cards on a 5x7  boutique card with scalloped edges and a pearl finish. They are positively gorgeous!!! 

One last thing: please leave this amazing family some blog love!  And remember, for every comment posted here, or anywhere on the blog through 12/20,  Stephanie Newbold Photography will donate one food item to the local food bank. One comment = one item.

Giving is awesome, isn't it??

Her Silly Sweet Tooth ~ Christmas Cookie Deliciousness | Chistmas Cookie Recipes, Delicious Cookie Recipes, Tucson Family Photographer

Every year around the holidays, I get this overwhelming urge to bake: breads, cakes, desserts, fudge, pies, cookies…you name it. I have a staggering collection of those little cook booklets that are ingeniously placed at the checkout in the grocery stores. You know the ones, from Pillsbury Bake-Off, Betty Crocker, 1001 Christmas Cookies. Mmhhmmm. Those.

So, I pick my favorites: the most elaborate, beautiful, complicated recipes, make my ingredient lists, come home…and never make a darned thing. My problem? I suck a baking. There. I said it. It’s out in the open and now y’all know it. 

But I know someone who totally does not suck at baking. In fact, she’s pretty danged (word??) awesome at it. AND, not only does her stuff taste good, it looks pretty!    This would be my cousin, Melissa.  And, lucky for us, she’s started blogging lots of her recipes!

Melissa is completely self taught through, as she says, trial and much error. I can attest to that…as kids, I do believe there were some fried oatmeal cookies (hey, what do you do when the oven is broken??) and some tuna fish mixed with peanut butter.  DON’T JUDGE! We were 8 years old. There was no mayo.  We all recovered quite nicely, thank you. Fast forward many years, and her Christmas Cookies look like masterpieces, and mine, well...they look more like Halloween cookies.

Oh, and photo credit goes to Melissa...I boosted these from her Facebook page :)

Anyway, I am super happy to share Melissa’s blog with you. I think you’ll love it. She shares her failures as well as successes, and she totally has it in for Martha Stewart’s recipes (and she tells you why they don’t work!).

Best of all, Melissa’s blog benefits her Relay for Life team when you click an advertisement link. I’ve done it.  And I don’t get hacked or spammed, just so ya know. 

Here’s a little bit of background from Melissa, about her blog, Silly Sweet Tooth, that she says is a silly little blog that satisfies her sweet tooth and need to brag.

In Melissa’s words:
"Very simply, for no real reason, I have challenged myself to make a batch of homemade cookies every day from now (November 12^th), until Christmas. A different type of cookie each day and the dough is being frozen to bake later, less a few to sample, of course. Every year I see all of these cookies I want to make but after making 4 or 5 different types, I get lazy and quit. So I thought if I gave myself this challenge I would be forced to make all these cookies I want to make. I know, makes no sense!

 Cookies don't last forever unfortunately and I love showing them off.  I started posting these on Facebook orginally but then I thought, people are going to get pretty tired of seeing these cookies every day, and the blog was born. This satisfies my need to post these cookies without forcing my friends and family to see it every single day for the next 45+ days. This is the first blog I have ever done, so bear with me here...

When I realized Google would pay me for allowing ads on my blog I thought, why not, I'm doing it anyway. It's not much money, none yet in fact, but whatever I do make will go to my Relay for Life team in honor of my brother in law Bret.”

So go ahead...go look at her blog. Even if you just go to look at the yummy photos.

And oh yeah...look at this pie she baked! Seriously?? Perfection!

Happy cookie baking! And eating :) I hope you enjoy Melissa's recipes as much as I do!

xoxox,
steph

Jedi & His Family ~ Tucson Family Photographer, Fun Family Photos, Oro Valley Family Photographer

Oh, boy. Take three gorgeous, amazing, wonderful people, a 150+ lb English Mastiff, and a fabulous green chaise, mix it with a beautiful fall day in Tucson, AZ, and what do you get? A super fun family photo session, and a lot of attention!

Meet the Daniels family – Tupper, Joanna and Tristan. And Jedi, the family dog. I have to confess, these are probably 3 of my most favorite people. Joanna and Tupper are fellow swim parents, and Tristan is an awesome swimmer (seriously, this kid has some skills). They are such a fun, active, happy family, and being around them always makes me smile! Especially when we do Swim Mom happy hour :)

 

And Jedi? Well, he’s pretty much a rockstar. This sofa looks like it was made just for him, but honestly, we had to coax him up onto it (he's not usually allowed on the furniture). But once he figured out it was ok, he settled right in :)

Joanna and Tupper picked Agua Caliente Park for their family photo session and it was a great choice! It’s close to their home and a perfect place for Jedi –this big boy needs some room to roam! I’m no stranger to stares (Uuhhh, yeah. Many of you have seen this spectacle before: me shakin' my groove thing to get my littlest clients' attention. Sometimes it takes a lot of work and some goofy faces and sounds to get a little one to even face the camera!) but I have to tell you – we got a lot of looks during our session. I mean, for starters, how many people do you see hauling a 5 ft chaise sofa out to the park? And then adding Jedi to the mix, well, let’s just say we got a lot of people’s attention.

It was so much fun to photograph this family – just about my favorite session ever. Joanna, Tupper and Tristan have such a great family dynamic, and it’s wonderful to see the closeness between them. Jedi loves them too – can you tell? 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Joanna, Tupper, and Tristan for trusting me with your precious family portraits.  And a special thank you to Jedi too.  You totally rocked that chaise!

xoxox,
steph

Hi, Mr or Mrs Blog Reader!!  Don’t forget to leave some blog love down below  - it only takes abour 30 seconds to do so! We love to read your comments, AND, from 12/1 - 12/20, your comment will earn a can of food/non-perishable item donated to our local food bank!

Season of Giving ~ Tucson Photographer, Giving to Your Community, Helping Others in Tucson, AZ

This Tucson family photographer has some beautiful faces coming your way!  I am wrapping up my holiday photography season and it has been sooo much fun getting to see all of your smiling faces through my camera these past few months.  I’m blown away at how busy I have been been and am sooo blessed.  Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

Over the course of the next few weeks, you’ll be able to see some of the gorgeousness I have been photographing lately!  As we enter the holiday season, I find myself thinking more and more about my blessings and how I can give back to my community. My photography business has grown leaps and bounds this year and I’m so grateful, especially with the current economy the way it is.

Unfortunately, not everyone has had a good year.  In fact, so many families across the country are turning to their local food banks to put food on their tables.  Our community is no different.  In fact, the Community Food Bank of SouthernArizona is reporting record high numbers and dwindling supplies.  

I'd like to help, and I know you would, too.  I am very excited to start our 21 day Season of Giving.
Starting today and running through December 20^th, for every comment posted to one of our blog posts (old ones, new ones, any ones!), Stephanie Newbold Photography will donate a canned good / nonperishable food item to the Tucson Community Food Bank.   

The Community Food bank provides enough food for over 61,000 meals EVERY day!  Every month, over 225, 000 people receive assistance through their programs.  In fact, over 29 million pounds of food were distributed through the food bank’s programs last year!  They are currently down a million pounds of food and desperately need our help.

All it takes is a comment on a blog post, and you can help support our food bank. Just a minute or two of your time -- that's it.  And if helping our local community isn’t enough, I’m going to sweeten the deal! 

The person who leaves comments on the most blog posts will win their choice between a 2012 Petite Session with 3 high resolution digital images (with print release) OR $100 donated (in their name) to the charity of their choice.  So even if you don't live in Tucson or the surrounding area to use your free photo session, you can still win big and help the charity of your choice! And one more little bonus: the family (or individual) RECEIVING the most comments on their blog post will win a $150 SNP gift certificate.

Pretty sweet, huh?  So what are you waiting for?  Start commenting!!! Callie and I will be adding new blog posts every day or every other day, so there will always be something fun for you to see!

***Comments can be posted on any blog post and must not be anonymous.  One comment per person per blog post. Comment count starts 12/1/11 & goes through midnight 12/20/11. Comments prior to 12/1/11 will not be counted. In the event of a tie, winner will be chosen by random.org.

Thank you again, beautiful, beautiful friends, for blessing my business this year,  and thank you in advance for your support of our local food bank!  Happy commenting!

xoxox,
steph

Miss Mattie ~ Oro Valley Family Photos, Family Photographer for Oro Valley, Tucson Family Photographer

Oh my gosh, this face. This beautiful, sweet, face. I love it so much! Mattie is the daughter of our friends, Lisa and Leon, and I have been blessed to photograph her and her family for the past three years. Watching my little clients grow is one of the best parts of being a family photographer. I love to see my families year after year, and to be able to capture all of those magical moments and new and fun things that are happening with them. 

It’s been so much fun watching Miss Mattie grow. When we got together for their family photo session this year, I was just amazed at how much she had changed since our last session! Isn’t it just like magic, when they go from that babyish stage to big kid stage? Amazing to me. My husband always says “the days are long, but the years are short”, and he’s so right! 

One of the best things about being a family photographer in Tucson, AZ, is our weather! We are blessed with beautiful, warm weather for most of our Fall season, which makes it perfect for outdoor family photo sessions! Over the past couple of years, Lisa and Leon have picked some really fun spots for our sessions: Tohono Chul Park, Pima Canyon, and this year, their own home and backyard. I love to capture families in their own home – it just makes their photos so much more personal and special! This year, we also had two new additions to our session! The puppies joined us for a few shots, and oh, aren’t they CUTE??? It’s always fun to have a new addition to the family! 

 

We finished up our session at a neighborhood park – just as the sprinklers came on! Seriously, I seem to attract the onset of sprinklers (we won’t mention the Brandi Fenton Park debacle again). We had lots of fun there, watching Mattie show off her new found cartwheel skills, and enjoying the green, green grass (always a novelty here in Tucson!). Mattie and I went barefoot, and I can’t think of a better way to wrap up session! 

Thank you sooo much Lisa and Leon.  It truly has been my honor to be your family photographer these past three year!  I look forward to our sessions so much!

Enjoy your photos, Lisa, Leon, & Mattie! I know I sure am :)
xoxox,
steph

Psssst. I know we're just wrapping up 2011, but it’s never too early to start thinking about booking your 2012 family, birthday or senior photo session.  I’m booking  February 2012 now, and filling up fast!  Send me an e-mail HERE today to get your session the books!