Images By Courtnie Photography
828.835.2088 - Denas Lightroom

Murphy, NC Family Photographer - Spring Sessions "What to Wear"

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:53:23 -0500

I've been booking spring sessions all day today and have finally had time to sit down and write a post about "What to Wear"! Obviously, light and airy works great for spring portraits. Think about what you would wear to a "dinner on the ground" type outing. A little bit dressy, a little bit casual -- Here are some beautiful ideas for outfits for your family. If you have any questions about what to wear for YOUR spring family session, give me a call! I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

Murphy NC Commercial Photographer ~ Introducing the Digital Collection

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:03:57 -0500

So ... we have decided to "keep up with the times" and enter the world of digital imaging.

What this means for YOU ... Any digital images you order will come on a Lab Quality Printed DVD in a completely CUSTOM DVD CASE! Included will be high-resolution, low-resolution, color and black and white images along with a print release for printing at the lab of your choice. Pricing for discs range from $60-$125 per image dependant upon the number of images ordered.

What this means for US ... with the sale of digital imaging comes the loss of revenue from print products. To help offset the lost revenue, we are offering digital images for much less than an average wall portrait would cost. While I would still rather print your images professionally, thus guaranteeing the color and quality of your portrait (yes, I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to my work), I do realize the desire for my clients to own their own copies of the images for archival purposes in case of fire, storm damage, etc.

BUT! Did you know that we already offer digital images free of charge?? With any image you purchase, you will receive a disc that includes a low-resolution file of all images you have purchased (gift print size or larger) to use on your facebook page, website, mobile devices & computers!

Murphy NC Photographer, About the new { Simplicity Collection }

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:52:01 -0500

Everyone who knows me knows that I love shooting newborns, kids and seniors ... Over the past couple of years though, I have discovered I love shooting women. There are so many life stages for a woman, and there is an inherent beauty in each one. I think we just get so wrapped up in our day-to-day living that we sometimes forget to take time for ourselves.

I've watched as high school seniors come through my door and I see in them a vibrance for life and just a bit of uncertainty as they get ready to step out into the great big world of adulthood ...

I've watched as newly married women come in to choose their wedding images and they carry with them a contentment and sense of settlement that wasn't there before ...

I watch soon-to-be mommies bask in the glow of the amazement of carrying their first child. ...

I also see them later on as they adjust to the life of a mom and yet they still carry the heart of their husband as a gift to cherish and anchor to...

I see the moms of high school seniors cry with amazement that their child is now an adult. The love shining through their eyes is like nothing I've ever seen on any other person...

I see grandma gazing at her grandchildren. You can almost see the wisdom of a lifetime of parenthood on her face as she watches her child parent another...

I also see (and am experiencing for myself) the peace and contentment of a woman who is secure in who she is and is loving every minute of it... secure in the knowledge that she is loved by many. What a great blessing to be a part of this!

We are women. We are beautiful. Come experience for yourself the relaxation of a hair and makeup session in our studio and then let us show you how beautiful you truly are. Simply Beautiful!

Murphy NC Newborn Photographer - Studio Setup

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:40:18 -0500

Here are some pullbacks of my camera room before a newborn session.

I <3 this window, by the way!

2013 Senior Magazine by Images By Courtnie Photography

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:39:42 -0500

Check out the newest edition of the IBCP Senior Mag - 2013!

Open publication - Free publishing

2012 CHARITY MODEL SEARCH ~ Benefits "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:38:25 -0500

Images By Courtnie Photography is participating in the Charity Model Search to select America’s Cutest Kid and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org)

Is your child America’s Cutest Kid? We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it! The prizewinners will receive a generous savings bond and gift cards!

Model Search Special:

$35 entrance fee includes a 30-minute model session and one image submitted to the international gallery.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org). The top 25 vote receivers will move on to the final judging round to determine the winners.

Grand prize winner and runners up will be determined from the 25 finalists. The winner and runners up are selected by photography experts.

Call 828-361-3877 now to enter your “Cutest Kid” in this exciting contest.

*Contest open to residents of the US. For more information, visit http://www.charitymodelsearch.org.

Murphy NC Newborn Photographer Interview with Murphy Gold

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:45:42 -0500

I love people! I love MEETING new people. I love CULTIVATING the friendships I have with people. I love WATCHING people! I love PHOTOGRAPHING people - but most of all I love READING about people. You can learn so much about someone through what they say.

I guess you could say I am an open book. If you have a question, just ask - I'm not shy and I try to never be too busy to talk! I have other photographers call quite often just to chit-chat or discuss business ideas, etc. Recently, I was honored to be asked for an interview with Murphy Gold owner, John Dilbeck. It was quite a lengthy interview but it seemed more like a conversation with an old friend. If I hadn't had to worry about him possibly pointing the video camera at me it would have been stress free! :) (even though i made him promise NOT to point it at me)

Ok - enough talk - now for the interview. If you want to know a bit about how I think or how I feel about photography AND my business AND people, in general, take a look, if not, don't!

Afterwards, take a look around the Murphy Gold site and the local businesses that are featured there. I think they all may have special offers featured there and you can get to know some of the proprietors in Murphy.

AND ... it just goes against everything in me to write a blog post with no pictures, so here's a quick peek at what I've been up to for the past week or so.

Maternity Session with Miss Sarah & Michael :)

And yet another sweet mommy-to-be ... Melissa

This means before too very long, I will have 2 brand new baby girls to photograph!

<3 LOVE <3

The Enchanted Forest, Murphy NC Photographer

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:48 -0500

Announcing "The Enchanted Forest" Now booking sessions!

Murphy, NC Newborn Photographer, Newborn Composite

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:46:15 -0500

Newborn safety is always my primary concern. As you know, there are many new photographers who like to get ideas from other photographers. There's nothing wrong with this ... I call it creative inspiration! While looking for a newborn photographer, always make sure the photographer is comfortable with newborns and it's helpful if they've had children of their own.

One of our most popular shots is the "Stork's Pouch". Although this image turns out beautiful and peaceful, a lot of patience, time and photoshopping goes into creating it. Your baby is placed in the pouch on top of a beanbag and gently lifted about an inch from the beanbag and photographed. Sometimes, mom is even holding the baby as shown in the image below. We never, ever actually hang the baby from anything. We will shot the pouch (empty) hanging from a tree branch or deer antlers and composite (or puzzle-piece) everything together. At times, we take as many as 6 or 7 shots and piece these together to get that one "perfect" image.

Here's an example of how we composite an image.

Camera Suggestions

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:48:29 -0500

I get asked often what camera do I recommend. I recommend for someone starting out a good slr-"like" point and shoot. I started out with a Fujifilm S8100fd.

This was an absolutely amazing camera and helped me to learn more about shooting in manual mode. I shot with this for about a year before deciding to upgrade to a SLR.

My first SLR was a Fujifilm S3Pro. Absolutely loved this camera. I liked the fact that I could use my Nikon SB-600 flash on or off camera. I also (for the first time ever) got to experiment with different lenses and what type of photography looked best with different lenses.

Now I'm using a Nikon D300s. I'm in love! :) My favorite lens is probably my 50mm/1.4. I have 2 other lenses, a 70-300mm/4.5 and a 28-70mm/2.8, both good lenses, but rarely used.

Now for what I would recommend:

For someone starting out and wanting amazing zoom capability, I recommend the Coolpix-P500.

For portrait photography: I recommend the Coolpix-P7000. This camera has a hotshoe which will allow you to use a speedlight. You can also shoot in RAW, which makes exposure adjustments a breeze.

If you think you absolutely want to start out with an SLR, start here: Nikon 5100. It's a good price price and with good glass, you can get amazing shots. The most important part is to read the manual! Learn what shutter speed, aperture & ISO are and how they correlate to each other.

Now for the big daddy of them all ... My dream camera :)

The Nikon D3X . :) Why? Because it is a 24mp camera with a full-frame sensor. I would have the ability to print a 40x60 image and it would be tack-sharp. Now, am I ever going to do that? Possibly. Do I want the ability to

Images By Courtnie Photography828.835.2088 - Denas Lightroom