Piper Dellan Photography-the BLOG

The new look is complete and a final post.....

2008-10-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, I’m so excited! A lot of work and long hours have finally come together to launch the new look for Piper Dellan Photography. I may find myself stalking my own site, just because I’m so jolly that its complete! (Okay, that may be a little bit geeky, but, well, I just don’t care! I told you I was excited.)

Along with the great new look have come a few much needed changes. First, if you are a subscriber to the old Piper Dellan Photography Blog (what you are now looking at), I recommend you go to www.piperdellanphotography.com/blog, scroll to the bottom of the page and update your subscription so you won’t be missing out on any new updates as I will no longer be adding posts to this blog. I did take the time to cart over all the posts located here and moved them over to the new blog. So, you will still be able to access all of that information on the new blog.

Another change is that all client forms and guides will now be able to be viewed online at www.piperdellanphotography.com. I believe this new set up will prove to be convenient for you (the client) and for me. All of these forms can be found by clicking the Welcome tab in the website. I have chosen to password protect these guides and each new client will be given the password to access all of this helpful information.

The biggest change you may notice is in the Investment section of the website. I have spent many hours developing a pricing plan that I feel confident in. Providing my clients with exceptional portraits, products and service has always been my top priority. I have found that in order to continue providing you these things I needed to make some adjustments. Sacrificing quality was never an option, so instead prices needed to be adjusted. I hope you will understand and appreciate the changes that were made. I look forward to continuing relationships with past clients and am equally excited to work with new ones!

When I say I have the greatest clients, it isn’t just for the sake of flattery. I REALLY do have the greatest clients. I count working with each of you and your children, a blessing.

October 16, 2008

2008-10-17T06:14:00.001-07:00

A senior session at the park yesterday with a lovely young lady. Wow are the leaves changing, and falling fast. In certain areas the leaves were now completely coating the ground in a blanket of gold, yet you could move a little further on into open field and the grass was as lush as the day after a spring rain. It's really a marvelous time of year to get out and enjoy nature, at least before the cold sets in.

Enjoy!

This young lady was also in need of some images taken with a piano. What I love most about taking portraits of seniors at the piano is being able to enjoy hearing them play. I've gotten to witness some amazing talent and she is no exception.

A new look...

2008-10-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Piper Dellan Photography is kicking things up a notch.......with a makeover!

Check back soon for the new look to be complete!

October 12, 2008

2008-10-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

the signs of the season.....

We went up to a local park for this seniors session and were not disappointed. The colors were gorgeous and the weather was beautiful. We weren't the only ones taking advantage of the awesome colors and comfortable warmth. The park was totally hopping with families out for a last picnic or stroll before the temperature drops and photographers, both hobbyist and professional, were everywhere. At one location we had to wait in line for our turn (It was worth the wait!).
Crazy!

Here ya go......

October 5, 2008

2008-10-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to get enough of these fab 2009 seniors. They're gorgeous and better yet, they do just what I ask!
Today brought another such session and along with it, the rain. We weren't to be deterred though. He rushed to get ready and came about 4 hours early in hopes of beating the rain. All was well and the drops started falling as we got our last shots!

Enjoy....

.

Happy Birthday, Baby! the sequel

2008-10-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Another day, and another birthday. Hardly do we absorb that our William is a year older and here we are yet again......
Our first princess is 8 today. All of our children are so special to us and we treasure each of them for many reasons, some that vary.
There was a time 8 years ago, when life and the future for Kiera was uncertain. Those of you who are close to our family may remember that time. For those of you that are reading this without knowledge of that time, I won't rehash all of the events, but to say that Kiera was born with an undiagnosed digestional birth defect that nearly took her life shortly after it had just begun. Three years later we relived some of the same events, only then she had the misfortune to be aged enough to realize her predicament. God is always good though, and at times that could have been our lowest points, He lifted us up, held us close and protected our family. Which brings us to today, celebrating our sweet little girl (healthy in every way), thankful for every day we share with her and the endless joy she brings to our lives.

Our princess.....

Happy Birthday, Baby!

2008-10-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

6 years ago today was a big day for us. It brought the arrival of our son, William John. Although he came with a surprise nearly a month before his due date, he came to us perfectly healthy, hearty and handsome.
Wow, I can hardly remember 6 years back.
Sometimes it seems as though time stands still and the future will never come soon enough-
and then there are children-and you'd hold time still if you could, just to hold them a little bit closer, a little bit tighter, and a little bit longer.
But that's not how it goes and before you have a chance to really let it sink in, they've grown wings....

Here's our birthday guy today, cute as ever and patiently awaiting his birthday celebration this evening. I asked him if he felt any different today. He said, "Nah."

Arms Wide Open

2008-09-30T09:12:00.001-07:00

I just finished editing a recent senior session. You'll remember him as the handsome musician in the theatre lobby.
I took this shot during the session not entirely sure what I had in mind for it, but inspiration found me and I love the outcome.
Once the piece was finished "Arms Wide Open" was the first title that came to mind, but I'm not sure I find it as inspiring as the image. If you have a suggestion for a title, leave me a comment and let's hear it! I'd love to know what thoughts this image evokes.

Have an awesome day, and all you locals enjoy this crisp autumn weather!

September 28, 2008

2008-09-29T09:26:00.001-07:00

Well, ready or not, fall is here. :) I was made most aware of this yesterday evening as I headed down to the lake for a family portrait session. Now I can appreciate a breezy day along with the rest of you, but I don't know that breezy would suffice to describe the wind conditions at this location yesterday evening. Since we had already gotten everyone there, this family totally stuck it out with me to get some great shots. A large family portrait did prove elusive, but I feel great about what we did get and you'll find my favorite image at the end of the post.
What beautiful families (even a *bit* wind blown)....

Enjoy!

This just cracks me up......... I love it!

And my favorite from the session. I just love the tenderness in this shot......

The Bailey Kids

2008-09-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.....the annual christmas card photo endeavor. Let me tell ya, this is no small task in the Bailey household. I know what your thinking....."This should be no sweat for you, Jenna. " It just ain't so. Seriously people. I don't know what comes over the kids and me. And honestly, I don't know whose worse.....the kids.....or ME. I just can't explain it...When I get all of my kids in front of the camera together, I turn into someone (or something) even I can hardly recognize. I get so flustered, stressed and (I'll admit it ) downright cranky. I truly must sound like a raving lunatic out there trying to demand the attention of all my kids, who are determined to look anywhere but into the camera or at their mother. Seriously, when Ginny sees the camera point her way, she cries. Okay, maybe not always....

I headed out today with a list of ideas in my mind, a plan of attack, and of course the kids too (though I think they would have rather been left behind!) We even had Grandma and Grandpa there for a bit of extra help.
But, as these things generally go.....nothing went quite as planned. But it's done now and we can all take a deep breath, relax and be grateful that it's over. :)

And here they are.....all the Bailey kids....smiling on the outside.....counting the minutes till they are free on the inside.

I also spent a few minutes with each of the kids getting some individual shots. (A much easier and more enjoyable task)

Doug, 13 1/2

Jason, 12

Kiera, 8 (in 1 week anyohw)

William, 6 (also in a week)

Maddie, 4

Ginny, 19 months (and a mouth full of smarties)

Nope, not my kids. :) But gosh aren't they adorible anyhow!
meet my parents.......

September 21, 2008

2008-09-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

A great way to end the weekend with another fabulous 2009 senior!

Enjoy. :)

September 20, 2008

2008-09-21T07:38:00.001-07:00

Today brought me down to beautiful Lake Villa to photograph a couple of equally beautiful families. The kids were all cooperative, the parents helpful, and these families were just totally fabulous and sweet to work with.
The weather was lovely but felt about 100 degrees (seriously-I wasn't a pretty sight to behold by the end!) I'm not sure of the actual temperature but surely it was HOT!
Everybody held out though and we got some great images! Here are some of my favorites.....

Enjoy the peek!

Blue chair

2008-09-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the good fortune to find a great new prop at a steal of a price. It really goes to show that one man's trash is another man's treasure. No, I didn't pluck it from a trash bin. Not that I wouldn't have it deemed necessary. :) On the particular day that I brought this fab blue chair home, Maddie just happened to be wearing the perfect outfit to match. (Sometimes my luck really is good!) Thus, a photo opportunity was born in our driveway one late afternoon.

September 16, 2008

2008-09-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

I had a great time tonight photographing this talented senior.
We started off at the movie theater, taking advantage of their lobby piano.

Then headed down to the beach for some outdoor shots.

We finished up with a few traditional shots in the studio.

Thank you myYearbook.com!

2008-09-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

Like many other families, the children in our household have discovered the wonders of facebook, myspace, and even something new to me, myYearbook. Now with any of these online social networks comes the ability to post a picture of oneself to be shown along side your name in posts, updates, etc. I'll get back to this in just a minute.....

Many family, friends and clients alike will say to me, "You must have so many wonderful pictures of your kids!" To this my reply would be, "Well, no, not quite." You see, I am blessed to have some amazing portraits of my children, but its the *so many* part that might be stretching it a bit. Don't get me wrong here, I LOVE to have portraits of my kids. I do find them to be some of the most perfectly beautiful humans on the planet. I mean, can you blaim me? They just don't love it quite as much as I do. I can't see why, but there is no reading the minds of children. They simply won't have it.

Okay, back to social networking via the worldwide web..... A couple days ago my 12 yr old son Jason aproached me with a request that just sang in my ears. "Mom, could you take a new picture of me for myyearbook?" I almost had him repeat it, but there was no time. I needed to act quickly before he changed his mind! So, outside we went into the gloom on a quite dreary Sunday evening to snap a few pictures.

Now to my utter joy and astonishment, he came back for more. Could this be? It was like a dream. It was the very next day that he was back. I tried to stifle my own overwhelming delight, really I did. This time we headed into the studio for something a little different.

Just call me selfless....I'm willing to be used in the name of myYearbook any day!

Who knew a bowl of raisin bran could come to this.....

2008-09-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's how I found Gin upon returning to the kitchen after having left her there with a bowl of raisin bran. Like any good mom I know, instead of heading to the linen closet I headed straight for the camera. I know the lighting isn't anything to write home about and the background could use some work, but hey, sometimes ya just gotta get the shot.

September 7, 2008

2008-09-08T04:51:00.000-07:00

I've had a few occasions to photograph this family in the past, actually portions of this family. This was our first opportunity getting the whole family together (never an easy task I imagine with grown children) They are just the sweetest people!
I really enjoy when my clients return regularly for portraits and I'm able to see the changes that time has brought to them and their children. Its always a blessing to share in theirs lives, even in this small way........And it just makes my day that they do keep coming back. :)

Enjoy!

August 31, 2008

2008-08-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

To my delight, one of my very first and very favorite clients (don't worry, I love all my clients!) came back today. We had an evening session at the lake planned and though we were a bit cramped with a beach wedding nearby, we made it work and had some lovely music in the background. :)

Here are a few of my favs, enjoy........

August 27, 2008

2008-08-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

After a perfectly wonderful vacation in the Smoky Mountains, we are back home and back to the grind......it's a good kinda grind though. :)

Tonights session was another awesome 2009 senior. H is totally beautiful and sweet and was great to work with......and she has a super hobby (note image 4)

Enjoy the peak.......

August 12, 2008

2008-08-12T20:45:00.001-07:00

i had the good fortune to photograph this absolutely beautiful young couple today. Not only are they gorgeous, they're so sweet too! They were such good sports and great fun to work with.

Enjoy........

August 11, 2008

2008-08-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Today brought in this adorible little angel. She's extra special, as her Mama is my cousin.
Isn't she lovely???

August 7, 2008

2008-08-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

14 month old walkers have fast little legs and 5 year old little boys have fast little attention spans, but they are all......oh so sweet!

Today's session was this lovely family at the lakeside.
Enjoy your peek, Mom and Dad!

July 15, 2008

2008-07-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the opportunity to photograph this gorgeous high school senior!
It was the perfect evening for it out by the lake......clear, beautiful, and bit of a breeze. Even the bugs stayed away for the most part.

Enjoy the peek....theres LOTS more!

July 14, 2008

2008-07-14T12:41:00.001-07:00

Had a photo session with J this morning in honor of his upcoming third birthday. Are those eyes beautiful or what?!
Enjoy your peek, Dad and Mom.....

July 10, 2008

2008-07-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

This morning started bright and early with this perfect little angel. M is almost 3 months old and was sweet as pie for her session.
What a great way to start the day!

Enjoy your preview, Mom and Dad.....

June 26, 2008

2008-06-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure and honor of shooting a wedding this day. Not my typical venue by any means, but what an awesome experience. Just as much as I enjoy seeing the awe and adoration between parents and their new babes, I totally enjoyed being witness to the love and passion between this newly wed couple.

I have also found that as with photographing children, photographing adults is really no different in at least one way. There is always at least one "glitch" so to speak. Here in Southeastern Wisconsin, last week gave breed to a massive outpouring of mosquito's. So, though the rain stayed away, there were a swarm of uninvited guests at this occasion. I think a wedding is one of those times though, that not anything can put a damper on the celebratory atmosphere....It sure did make taking portraits interesting though!

Here are just a handful from the evening......Enjoy!

June 25, 2008

2008-06-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing a lovely family this morning. The little guy was not really into having his picture taken today and his sweet new sister was really just into eating. Not much of a surprise for a 2 yr old and a newborn, but it always keeps things interesting.
You cant go to wrong photographing a beautiful family like this one way or the other.

Hope you enjoy your sneak Mom and Dad....theres lots more to come!

A trip to the garden, and something's missing...

2008-06-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening my husband and I took our 4 youngest up to the botanical gardens to check out the rose garden. I'll be honest, the kids weren't looking forward to our trip at all. They were thinking "flowers = BORING!" Once we got there though, things did turn around. These kids loved checking out all the flowers and exploring the paths. I think it helped that there were very few other visitors in the park at the time. My husband and I still did feel a bit like the flower police. We had some serious concern that that our kids might pick a bouquet to take home. these weren't dandelions though, and they weren't intended to be picked.
We had a good time, and I think we will definitely return. I spent sometime taking pictures of the flowers, something I've never done before.

I also got a few pictures of the kids, mainly Kiera as something pretty exciting happened between this picture and the next......

(note- yup, you guessed it, they are picking the flowers...these were just clover from the mowed part of the garden. The girls were quite happy to be able to get their hands on something....)

Notice that adorable little space between her bottom teeth? Kiera's tooth has been loose for a little bit now and she was quite patient with letting it come out in its own good time. after taking a look at her knewly created gap, I can see that her adult tooth has already broken the surface and is on its way!

Checking it out....

There was kind of a bummer to the end of this story..... As soon as we walked away from this spot, Kiera dropped the tooth by accident and more unfortunately the ground was completely covered with little tooth shaped rocks. Made it a bit difficult to retrieve the tooth. It's all okay though, because she's got the gap to prove it! It's so exciting to watch them grow up! I'm feeling pretty stoked that she lost her first tooth while we were with her and not while she was at school.

And on to the flowers....

I think this is my favorite....

and here's a fountain from the rose garden.....

my Gin Bean

2008-06-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

I figured since I recently introduced you to Kiera, I will spend sometime introducing all of my children. (And hey, it gives me a good reason to keep snapping pictures of them!)
Here is Genevieve, more commonly referred to as Ginny and most affectionately referred to as Gin Bean by her mama.

She is the last of 6 children and I really do feel we ended on the perfect note.
She's an absolute doll..... full of wonder, excitement and overflowing with love.

No matter how many children one has, nothing quite prepares you for the unique journey you will experience with each of them. Coming out of the same family, the same beginning.... they will each offer something different to the world and in turn the world will have something different in store for each of them.

The blessing that family provides though remains unchanging. It is so precious.....priceless really.....

Cleaning out the attic.....

2008-06-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, not really... Actually I was cleaning up the hard drive today which I imagine is just as daunting as cleaning out the attic.

Having a photographer mom, my kids have been used as "guinea pigs" alot in my efforts to sharpen my skills.
Often, I will find myself doing a mini-session with one of them for practice and then I get busy and forget about the images captured once I download them, which is really quite unfortunate, because sometimes I miss a gem like this.....

I found this during my cleaning and am so glad I revisited this folder! Kiera is my eldest of 3 daughters and one of my least willing subjects. Sometimes though she will gladly treat me and I am ever grateful! She is growing into a young lady so quickly and I don't ever want to forget these years.

May 30, 2008

2008-06-01T21:36:00.001-07:00

I photograph people for two reasons.....

1. I love the art of photography. You could even say I'm deeply passionate about it. So often I may see a stunning photographic image and it takes my breath away.

2. And more importantly, I do it because I love people. It is a gift to be able to share in a small intimate time in ones family and capture that intimacy for them, that they might always be able to hold on to that time, and cherish it.

I had a session this day that brought me back to these two things. I was blessed to photograph these lovely new parents with their 1 month old son. It was a long and difficult session but I believe our efforts have a pay off.....for everyone.

This newly expanded family will have something concrete and substantial to look back at and remember this time that was so short lived but yet so profound in their lives. And I was able to be witness to this and to their love and commitment, even for a short time.

As I proof this session....I smile.

Enjoy....

May 27, 2008

2008-05-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

I photographed this little beauty earlier today. I don't think she was so sure about having her pictures taken, but she hung in there and even gave us a few smiles!

May 6, 2008

2008-05-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Got out to the beach for the first time this year and nearly got rained out. The weather held out for us though and here are a few pictures of these handsome brothers! Hope you enjoy, Mom!

April 23, 3008

2008-04-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Had a great session this evening with these siblings! They made my job easy....

Here's your peek Mom....

fun with Petti's!

2008-04-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased some adorable pettiskirts for my studio, and had a mini session with my 7 yr old featuring the pink rainbow! I have several other colors too that I can't wait to put to use as well!

Isn't this skirt sweet???

April 11, 2008

2008-04-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Had the delight to photograph these handsome guys and their adorable little sister! They all did an awesome job and I have an almost overwhelming amount of images of them for Mom and Dad!

You can never be too young to have a nice little chat on the phone!

2008-04-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

My own Maddie indulged me in a mini session today. The goal was to get an image for the contact page of www.piperdellanphotography.com. Well, I got that and so much more! I know these expressions are going to bring us smiles for many years to come!

These are some of the images I didn't choose for the site.....though the decision was TOUGH! Check out the contact page for the one we did use!

March 19,2008

2008-03-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek from Josh's senior session.

First we hit the church for some "piano man" portraits. As a bonus, I was able to hear Josh play. He was awesome!

Next, we hit the alley's downtown for a bit of urban flair.

And onto some studio shots.
I think this particular shot is my session favorite.

March 12, 2008

2008-03-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph a couple of beautiful little girls in the studio last week, N and J. They were all full of energy and smiles!

Here are just a few of the many portraits Mom will have to choose from!

They didn't last long on the chair together, but they are definitely best friends in the making!

N is perfectly sweet!

J is not much older than a year and already walking like a pro! Almost too well- it was hard to keep her on the set, but she did come through with some beautiful smiles for us!

These big smiles were for Mom in the background!