Mr & Mrs Pitts. The Perfect Day Planned

2022-01-19T11:15:22-05:00July 14th, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|

Spring Mini + A Little Update

Just before Covid-19 reared its ugly head, Jessie Decker, the wedding coordinator at Gentleman’s Ridge Farmstead and I were able to do a pormo photo shoot for Spring Minis. I was thrilled to be able to photograph her with her two young sons in front of the triangle arch adorned with eucalyptus and home grown flowers. She has such a talent for all things flowers.

Unfortunately, with everyone’s health in mind I have postponed Spring Minis until the month of May. I am choosing to see the glass half full! I’m envisioning all the family photo sessions I’ll be doing in Danville this spring when our restrictions are lifted! Families across Virginia are going to be rejoicing upon the return to normalcy! Families will be reuniting, having backyard bbqs and pool parties! Having family photos taken is the perfect way to immortalize the successful completion of family boot camp so to speak!

Danville will no doubt be feeling the economic effect of Covid-19. In an effort to be sensitive to the changes that families will be experiencing, I am offering 10% off all Spring and Summer family sessions (does not include minis). Simply mention this post when you schedule your session! I am also planning to offer late Spring family minis in an effort to offer you photography services at a discounted cost.

I would be remiss if I did not offer a few words of advice to my Southern Virginia families. If the stress is piling up, stay away from your phone, computer and tv. Take more walks, drink more water, and breathe deeply. Put on music that is most special to you. Go through old boxes of photographs. Meditate on truths, not fears. Know you are cared for. The God of the Universe never sleeps nor slumbers. No darkness is too dark for Him. He will meet you where you are.

Until we meet in a field of flowers!

Laura Mae

2020-04-19T08:31:55-04:00April 2nd, 2020|Categories: Recent News|

The Challenge.

I have titled this blog post The Challenge because that’s exactly what I am going to do. I’m going to challenge you to incorporate your photos into your home and the homes of your loved ones! Whether you have just had a professional photography session or its been years, this blog is for you.

When is the last time you printed photos, made a wall collage or sent a loved one photos in the mail? I confess know people far more successful at these things than myself but I do make a genuine effort. Why? Because I have found that creating wall art with family photos transforms a house into a home. Treasured photos evoke the memory of the time and place they were taken. They bring to mind pleasant times. They add to the quality of our lives. When we give the gift of printed photography to others, it does the same for them. That’s a huge win!

Let’s break it down. What are my favorite ways to make use of photographs? I’m glad you asked! First off, I am a huge fan of printing the entire gallery of photos from a professional photo shoot. Go old school and put them in a photo book (Marshalls sells them). Or, spend a little more time and make them into a photo album from shutterfly or mpix. Stop! Why not order two books, keep one and give one as a Christmas gift! Or, at the very least, send a few 4×6 prints to Granny in the mail, it will make her week!

After the bulk of your photos are printed in some fashion, decide what photos are your favorites and where you have room to display them. Maybe it’s time to switch out those photos from 1990 on your wall with some fresh ones. The old ones can go on a wall in the basement perhaps. Next, and VERY IMPORTANTLY, decide what size you want to enlarge your photos to (or how large you want your canvas). Do me a favor, think BIG! Don’t order an 8×10 canvas that is going to stand alone on a large wall. If you like that size, make a gallery of 4 or 6, 8×10’s. I am available to help you with sizing your wall art if you are unsure. So where do I get my frames? I love Target’s frames the most for large frames. Marshalls has fantastic and cheap smaller frames! I was just there and had a hard time saying no to some. Go get them now! Mpix.com is a stellar place to purchase canvases and prints on wood (I have both and love them).

Last but not least, let’s talk Christmas cards. Yikes, those things are expensive! I However, don’t you love getting them in the mail from others?! Send those smiling faces to your loved ones this year. If you are interested in Christmas Minis, give me a shout! I’d love to help you out and bless your family in the process.

Thanks for reading! Go print those photos! Until next time,

LMP

2019-10-17T12:02:56-04:00October 17th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|

My Why! The Heart Behind LMP

M

eet Amanda and Amie, best friends. Amanda won my giveaway session in celebration of my brand spankin’ new, totally awesome website! In gearing up to post their lively photographs taken downtown Danville, I realized that some of you might not know the immense heart that goes into my family photography business. So, here it is. My why.

 

The news is filled with tragedies in Danville recently. My heart truly goes out to all involved in the many losses in the area. Because Danville is such a small town, any accident or crime feels more personal. My daughter and I pray when an ambulance goes by us in the car. Life can be so hard and is not at all fair. We are all reminded when we read the headlines, to cherish our families. This hits at the very core of why I cherish photography so much. Along with videography (which I hope to incorporate into my business someday), photography is a unique means of capturing the image and essence of those that mean the most to us.

 

 

Do you have any photographs of your grandparents or even great grandparents? I have a photograph in my bedroom, my Grandpa Peter and Grandma Bessie’s 50th wedding anniversary portrait. It means the absolute world to me to have a professional photograph of them in their Sunday best, celebrating this monumental occasion. They had the photograph taken for themselves and their children no doubt. Yet, countless generations to come will have the honor of knowing them, if only in that moment in time. The photo will spur on discussions of their personalities, passions and purposes in life. Their legacy will live on in a beautiful way, in part, because they made a phone call to a professional. That professional no doubt was paid for his/her work but I guarantee that there was a similar passion running through his/her veins.

 

Amanda and Amie had a blast at our session. They used coffee cups as props because when they have the chance to slip away from their families and work, they like to meet at Starbucks in Danville. Its halfway between their houses. Perfect! Although their photographs together isn’t for their 50th wedding anniversary, it was equally special to me. We enjoyed our evening together strolling the streets of downtown Danville. They are “sisters.” Family. What better way to celebrate and permanently commemorate than photos?

LMP has a few spots left for Fall Minis. Send me a message!

Cheers,

2019-09-13T13:24:16-04:00September 13th, 2019|Categories: Family Session|Tags: |

Behind the Scenes on an LMP Photo Shoot!

S

o you want to have your family photos taken but you don’t know what on earth you would wear, not to mention your fears about how your children will behave. Come along with me as I share with you the in’s and out’s of Laura W’s family photo shoot from beginning to end.

Laura contacted me (she has a great name by the way) and wanted to have family photos taken. Lets stop right there really quickly. How PRICELESS are family photos? You can’t get back time so freeze it NOW and adorn those walls with your most treasured people. Ok, moving on to Laura’s shoot. Her first questions were about what to wear. The dreaded WHAT TO WEAR dilema!! EVERYONE sweats this part. You are not alone! Don’t sweat it too much tho! Visit my Instagram Highlights for an at length guide. The long and the short of it is, you don’t have to be matchy, matchy. Choose a color scheme of three or so colors and coordinate with each other. Pops of color, pattern and texture are a good thing. Just keep in mind you want the focus to be YOU and your FAMILY not your clothes, so stay away from colors that are too bright

 

As you can see, Laura did a fantastic job and didn’t have to break the bank to do so. Now comes the fun part, the evening of your family photo shoot! Laura and her family met me just outside Danville, at Cloverdale Quarters. Can you say GORGEOUS location? Laura’s youngest was VERY clingy right from the start. It was clear that she wasn’t going to strike a pose for me on command! NO PROBLEM. This is COMMON for photo shoots! I reviewed my plans (and asked them what their vision was) for the photo session and we started with casual walking family pictures. This gets everyone used to the camera and the kiddos aren’t being asked to smile for the camera. They were looking at mom and dad and getting relaxed in their environment. I’ve had a photo session where I started with letting the kids wander and I’ve simply followed then with the camera to catch candid shots and a few “smile for the camera” shots here and there.

 

Parents, don’t stress out. Unless I say, please try to have your child try this, I am not worried about them acting like a kid! If you are still nervous about your kiddos, here are a few ideas for you. What is a favorite (not too messy) treat that they don’t get too often? Consider bringing a baggie of said treat along such as sweet tarts, skittles or starbursts. Think of a song or cartoon character that your toddler loves to sing to. Let me know what this is and we can incorporate it into the shoot! Lastly, be ready to do some tickling and snuggling. These candid shots are some of my favorites!

Laura was overjoyed with her family photos and she’s got her favorites hanging in her living room! I know for a fact she has NO regrets about investing in family photos and she has told me that the whole family ENJOYED their session. They not only have priceless photos to cherish, but also the memories of their time together that evening.

We still have slots open for FALL MINI sessions. Reach out and grab your time slot now!

Cheers,

2019-09-13T13:20:28-04:00September 6th, 2019|Categories: Family Session|Tags: , , |
Go to Top