Category Archives: Uncategorized

Spring in Texas | Bluebonnets

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bluebonnet1I love that Spring is showing up here in N. Texas. The bluebonnets are popping up everywhere!!

I was out driving down just a few roads near my house hopeful to find a large spread of bluebonnets to use for photos, but I only found these few. They were actually in front of where my great-grandparent’s house used to be. I like to drive slowly by and sometimes stop to look at the flat earth where the house and barns stood. These beauties were a nice reminder of all the great family times we had there.

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Giveaway Time!!

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I’m nearing 700 likes on Facebook (699 to be exact). I thought this would be a great time to get the page closer to 1000 and spread some love to all my wonderful followers! I mean I couldn’t do what I do without your support and I truly appreciate each and every one of you! You’re there through the busy times and the low times.

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Up for grabs are two Etsy gift cards. One lucky winner will get $50 to spend in any Etsy site and the second place winner will get $25!!! Who doesn’t love Etsy?! I’m sure there are some things sitting in your favorites list just waiting for you to buy!

It’s super easy to enter!!! Just use the link below and share away!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!!!

Lots Going On

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Feeding off my last post I wanted to let you know there’s been lots going on behind-the-scenes at LinnyJo Designs.

I’m gearing up for what will hopefully be my best year yet!!

Here’s a little peek of what I’ve been doing (excuse the cell phone pics)

Photo Jan 18, 7 50 52 PM Photo Jan 19, 6 01 40 PM Photo Jan 19, 8 21 43 PM Photo Jan 21, 5 32 58 PMTop to bottom: PVC pipes for backdrop stand assembly, 4 yards of vinyl for newborn posing nest assembly, me sewing the vinyl together, and the final backdrop stand completed.

I’d show you the newborn nest completed but I don’t have the bean bag filler in yet so it just looks like a shapeless lump of vinyl. Hopefully it will arrive by the end of the week. I’m so excited to see it done!! And for my first use out of it!

I’ve ordered some cute Valentine’s Day props and of course I’m making a few of my own. Hoping it all comes together in the next week or two so I can offer some Valentine’s sessions for the babies.

If you’re local (Parker Co TX) and you’d like to keep up with my photography session news and announcements please subscribe to my newsletter. There are two locations to do this. One is on my Facebook page, click the “Email Signup” tab, or on my website, hover over “About” and then click “Pre shoot Info”. At the bottom there will be a box to enter your email address.

That’s it for now!!

 

This Year | 2013

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Inevitably with each new year comes a need or desire for change. There’s a charge of motivation to make the new year better than the last. With my photography I’ve always strived to be better than I was yesterday. Once I’m done editing and delivering a shoot (and criticizing myself) I’m ready to conquer the next.

There isn’t a shoot that I’m ever 100% happy with. EVER. It’s not the client’s fault and they never know. They love the images and move on. I am my worst critic. Hands down. Thank the Lord I have people around me to motivate me and tell me how great my images are.

It’s a long road to reach the point in my career where I can say… “Okay I’m really good.”

My area is saturated with photographers and it seems a new one pops up every week or so. Someone got a new camera and here they come with their portfolio building prices and mediocre work. I can dog em because at one point I was one! Okay! I do believe my work is better than theirs. I think it’s okay to admit that. Is it so much better though that a mom wants to book me for 3x’s the price….<insert inner struggle>. If you ask my loving man he’ll say it absolutely is, plus more.

Here’s where I’m at with it all.

2013 will be MY year!! I feel it’s going to be a lot of stepping out of my comfort zone to find what I really LOVE to photograph. I will set myself apart from the crowd and be a photographer that people can’t wait to book a session with. I love making people happy! I feel like it’s all been just okay so far. Being just okay isn’t going to cut it this year. My sessions will start to become more of an experience than just a photo shoot. I’m not sure if my little area is ready for this but I’m going to give it my absolute all.

I love taking pictures too much just to have a mediocre business. I do. I flippin love taking pictures!!! haha You know what else I love to do…being creative. So look for more stylized shoots. Not meaning more props. I’ve always been a minimalist on props. What I mean is more planning. More discussing wardrobe and locations. I’ll include make-up and hair. I’m teaming up with an amazing make-up artist and I can’t wait for it to really get going!!

As we speak my senior package is changing. Any one can take a girl out on location and snap some great photos of her and then take her money. I want to give her an experience she can’t wait to tell all her friends about. I want her to feel like the super model she is.

I’m going to continue to learn. Online workshops, tutorials, blogs, magazines, trial and error, it’s getting in my brain.

My biggest and most ambitious goal will be to have a studio space. I feel like I’m missing out on meeting new clients by not having a professional place where they can stop by and see my work. Also, my newborn sessions really really need this. I adore taking newborn photos and it’s really been slow for now. I can shoot in people’s homes and it works. It’d just be better to have a studio set up.

Anyway I felt like I needed to get this out there for it to be real. Also, for you all – my potential and current clients – to know what’s in store. I hope you are as excited as I am. Hey and if you have any thing that you’d love to see me do or add to my sessions feel free to let me know!!

Happy 2013 to you all!!!

Happy New Year!!

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Happy New Year readers!!!

I am coming off of the holidays and jumping right into Valentine’s Day. I wanted to do something special for several women. So I’ve partnered with a wonderful make up artist who is bringing a hair dresser and we are going to pamper and primp 5 special ladies while giving them sexy photos for the men in their lives.

valentines boudoir ad smallThis is my first time organizing such an event and I can’t wait!!! Hopefully all will go well and I can offer more! Sessions to be held in Weatherford, TX on Jan 26th. Only 5 time slots available so get yours quick!!

We’re going all out for you!

DIY Newborn Platform Project Pt 1

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I have studio envy. Well, at least when it comes to my newborn sessions. I don’t have the ability at the moment to stock up on those wonderful backdrops. I just can’t justify spending well over $100 on a set up like that. Right now my stance is: if I can make something cheaper and better to suite me then that’s what I need to do. Plus it needs to be mobile.

With that said I stumbled across a photo on Oh Love Photography’s Facebook page. See the photo here. I was inspired.

We made a trip to Lowes to check out lumber. I popped a squat right in the middle of the aisle and laid everything out. I wanted to go with the cheaper shorter boards but my dear bf wouldn’t let me settle for the smaller ones.

Here’s our supply list:

  • (12) 3/8″ x 6 x 36″ Select Pine boards – 6 across makes two platforms
  • (6) 1/2″ x 2 x 36″ Select Pine support boards – 3 for each platform
  • Minwax Polyshade Bombay Mahogany Stain
  • Bristle brush for both paint and stain (some say paint only so read the label)
  • Foam brush
  • Very fine sandpaper 150 & 220 grit
  • Old t-shirt
  • Various objects for distressing
  • Rit dye in black
  • 1″ finishing nails

This will be a multi-post project so items may be added or discarded throughout the process.

I started by lightly sanding the boards. I hate sanding so believe me when I say I didn’t go crazy.

Then we took the wood outside and distressed them. You can use any objects that will make an indention or mark. Here’s what we used.You can actually see directly to the left of the nail leaning on the wire brush there’s the indention he made by hammering the side of the nail into the board. I’m so glad he thought to distress it because it looks amazing!!!

Next use the foam brush and paint the Rit dye over the entire board then wipe with the old shirt. You’ll find the Rit dye in the detergent aisle. I guess I should tell you that my ultimate goal was to have a dark rich floor look for my setup. The dye soaks into the indentions from all the hammering and whatnot and gives it a more aged look.

The board on the left has already had one coat of stain. The board on the right has been treated with the dye then lightly sanded with the 150 grit.

The far left board wasn’t sanded as much after the dye so it was darker after the first coat of stain. This is how I liked it. Depending on your preference either sand a lot or not so much.

Left to right – store bought wood, after 1 coat stain, after Rit dye.

Here’s another example of the difference sanding makes.

So far we’ve applied one coat of stain to about 8 of the boards. The other 4 will have to wait until this weekend. Here’s a tip while staining…wear latex gloves and ladies put your hair in a ponytail!! I just had to cut a little piece of my hair because somehow I got a clump of stain in it. Don’t ask!!!

Okay that’s all I have for now. Stay tuned for the next update!!

 

 

Newborn Kolsten | 8.8.12

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Meet 11 day old baby Kolsten.

He decided he wanted to come into this world a few weeks early while I was still in Washington. He was born on a Saturday morning and I was due to fly home that following Wednesday and we did the photo shoot the next Wednesday. I was so excited, as was mom and dad, to take photos of this little boy!! I came to their house and did the entire shoot in their living room. They also have a almost 3 year old so it was easiest for me to come to them. 

Kolsten also happens to be my cousin’s little boy. His daddy is one of the head athletic trainers for Tarleton State University so to say he enjoys sports is a bit of an understatement :)

Right from the get go he told me he wanted a shot of Kolsten on a TSU football helmet.Cool right?! So I tried to plan as much as I could in my mind how it would go. Would I actually place him on the helmet or composite him onto it later in Photoshop? I tried that but couldn’t get the right curve that I felt would match the helmet’s so we scratched that and just went for it. Mom and dad both on either side of baby, NEVER….I repeat…NEVER was baby left alone on the helmet. Someone always had hands on him!! I can’t stress that enough.

So here’s my final image. Photoshop and I are more acquainted than ever!!! I originally placed a small piece of blanket underneath him and so this image is a combination of a clean shot of the helmet I did then I painted baby K on top without the blanket. The blanket didn’t bother me but it wasn’t the vision my cousin had so that’s why I took it out. Gotta make the clients happy! :)

I found this cute little bucket in WA at a Tuesday Morning for less than $20. His little stocking cap is a men’s sweater sleeve cut off and tied with a ribbon. I found the sweater for around $4 at my local Goodwill store. I never even made the connection that the bucket said “No. 2″ and he is their second little one!! I almost did the shot with it turned around!

I can’t wait for the day when I get an actual Macro lens. Oh the fun I’ll have getting even closer to baby lips!!!

If you’re a photographer reading this I hope you know you don’t have to invest tons of $$$ up front to start newborn photography. This faux wood is actually not one of those expensive backdrops but a roll of bulletin board paper from Mardels. Super cheap! Just lay it on a piece of wood to save from creasing. Also, when baby has accidents you can just cut off the messed part and roll up the rest. That actually has happened more than once with this roll!!

The gray fabric is more of that Goodwill sweater cut up, and the wagon is my mother’s. I wish I had taken a pullback shot of the living room set up, but I got busy and totally forgot. We were set up near their northeast facing sliding glass door. It’s all natural light, no flash.

I love seeing the moms and dads getting super excited as I capture each shot. I often show them a few in camera and it’s so gratifying to see them fall in love with each image.

If you are expecting or know someone who is please contact me for booking inquiries at linnyjodesigns@ymail.com

Newborn Session {Harper}

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Meet Harper! She weighed in at 9lbs 13oz and was 21.5″ long with a head full of thick dark hair. 10 days new.

The sun set and it was amazing light! Headband made by yours truly. Basket found at Ross or TJ Maxx (can’t remember) Purple wrap, well that was just fabric I bought at Joann’s. Look at all that hair!!!

The cute little bed was found at a garage sale for $2, headband made by yours truly, and the fabric is from Joann’s. The diaper cover is my favorite! I crocheted the cover and then sewed on ruffles I hand made. It was too little for her so I just tucked it around her. The headband is a Yo-Yo with a vintage button glued to the center.

We of course had to get the older siblings in some pics, too!!

And last but not least…

Please note that this is a composite shot. Do not EVER attempt this shot without an assistant (mom was my helper) to support baby’s head at all times. Newborn safety is crucial!! No shot is worth harming a baby.

Blaine July 4th {Parade}

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Here are a few photos from the Blaine, WA Fourth of July parade. I didn’t take a whole bunch mainly because I wanted to really enjoy the parade and being constantly behind the camera doesn’t always allow you to be fully present. Fellow photogs I’m sure you can sympathize with me here. So anyhoo here’s what I got….Last year was my first time visiting during this season and I obviously enjoyed it enough to come back again this year!This little town was packed!! They have an open car show with some really awesome cars. There are tons of things for the kids, free live music, great food, and vendors galore! Oh and did I mention the perfect weather, nothing but blue skies and a cool breeze!And it begins with the most important thing…a tribute to our military….past, present, and fallen.As they walked carrying the banners of the fallen soldiers they were surrounded by the sounds of everyone…I mean EVERYONE…standing and clapping them on. The most moving thing I’ve ever witnessed hands down.

I loved the horses!!Then came all the cool old trucks and cars. Afterwards we stopped and bought some roasted nuts. Oh my….they were fantastic!!My sister and niece.Hey look that’s me!They bought us matching shirts!!And to complete my Fourth of July outfit, my blue/white striped Toms. The edit makes them look washed out but they’re a darker blue. I got lots of compliments about them! Thanks Katie from Sobo Fashion Lounge in Fort Worth, TX. If you need Toms go see her!!

Hope you too had a wonderful holiday!!