Spring Mini Sessions in the Chattanooga Area!

I Heart Faces: Family Fun

I've found myself catering mostly to families recently and I. Love. It.  I have a huge family and I just eat up the crazy that sometimes comes along with a family... it just makes me smile so much.

As such, I had the hardest time figuring out which photo to share this week... Until I remembered that I've already had  help with this!  Here is the photo that received the most votes in the contest I held to find the fan favorite from 2011!

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Joy.

Love it.

Lee Family | Chattanooga Family Photographer

This was one of the sessions from November's mini-sessions.  I just LOVE how they turned out - I am crazy about the family, but besides that, the location is so much fun!  The family's outfits are just so perfectly styled, I'm excited for you to see these images to give you all some inspiration for some of your upcoming sessions - with me or not! - because it can be as simple as a sweater for a baby and a cute pair of shoes from T@rget!

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See how well everyone coordinates? Love it!  And red/grey/black is so great for any season! I know that the majority of the key pieces in this case are from T@rget! (Who doesn't love Targ?)

Also, sometimes posing a family with small kiddos can be a challenge, but they all worked really well together and, like I said, this location is fabulous because there are stairs and a bench which help to anchor a shot and keeps those active toddler feet off the ground for long enough to get some beautiful portraits!

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I also have to confess, I loved J's red sweater so much, I went out and snagged one for my own baby girl...

Too cute, huh?  (And an aside: I'm pretty sure my 9 month old is wearing the same size as the 2-year-old J!)

Anyway, I also want to mention that I love how mini-sessions produce the same quality of portraits with the same attention to detail and professionalism as a full session.  The mini's are a GREAT way to get some awesome images on a budget and I'm planning to offer them a few times a year.  Keep an eye out for some possible spring dates!

Fall with the Blakes | Chattanooga Family Photographer

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of enjoying the gorgeous fall weather and getting outdoors at one of my favorite locations to photograph this gorgeous family of 3.

I don't know if you can tell from the images, but the little guy - just over a year old - is an adorable little maniac!  I think I got more exercise chasing him for an hour than I did the whole week before!  It was a blast and my husband has caught me grinning ear to ear often while I'm working on their images - such infectious smiles!

The colors are just gorgeous right now.  And the weather is perfect!  I. Love. Fall.

Also, I love how Mom styled her family.  Their colors all coordinate with the season as well as one another, but they don't necessarily match.  They're all comfortable in what they're wearing and it shows.  Comfortable clients are easier to pose and enjoy the session more than those worried about how their clothes are fitting.  I'll be posting more soon on ideas for photo shoot outfits soon, but this is a great example of well thought-out style!  Go, Mom!

And the location?  Greenway Farm - it's the spot I've selected for Saturday's mini sessions.  Have you booked yours yet?  You should - there are still a few slots left!

Mini-Session Time Slots

Here are the possible time slots for October 22nd's mini-sessions!  If you'd like to book one, please let me know which one you prefer, as well as one alternate possibility in case your preference is taken!  Thanks!

1) 9:00-9:20 am

2) 9:30-9:50 am

3) 10:00-10:20 am

4) 10:30-10:50 am

5) 11:00-11:20 am

6) 11:30-11:50 am

7) 12:30-12:50pm

8) 1:00-1:20 pm

9) 1:30-1:50 pm

10) 2:00-2:20 pm

11) 2:30-2:50 pm

12) 3:00-3:20 pm

13) 3:30-3:50 pm

14) 4:00-4:20 pm

15) 4:30-4:50 pm

16) 5:30-5:50 pm

17) 6:00-6:20 pm

18) 6:30-6:50 pm

19) 7:00-7:20 pm

I am so excited to see you all soon!  Remember, booking a mini-session makes you eligible for 50 free cards for the Holidays! 

Fall Mini-Session Drawing!

Alright, friends, it's time to determine the winner of the free mini-session on October 22nd!

There were 14 entries in chronological order:
1. Kara
2. Mandy
3. Mandy
4. Melissa B.
5. Mandy
6. Marti
7. Donna
8. Marti
9. Amanda
10. J.J.
11. Shalena
12. Shalena
13. Marti
14. Marti

So, using the values from 1 to 14 on random.org, I got 5.

Mandy, you're the winner!  Congratulations! 

To everyone who entered, thank you from the bottom of my heart!  Stay tuned for other contests in the future and please know how much I appreciate your support!

Fall Mini-Sessions - with CONTESTS!

Who doesn't love Fall?  Autumn is such a gorgeous season for so many reasons - the weather is cooler but still nice, the colors are vibrant and rich, there's an excitement about the upcoming holiday season that runs beneath the surface... Amazing!  There isn't really a a better time all year to take photos outdoors than the fall, but scheduling those prime days can be tight, and sometimes it's just not convenient for a budget to have a full session for you, your family, or children.  That's why I've set aside a day in October - Saturday the 22nd, specifically - to devote to mini-sessions!






What is a mini-session?

A mini-session is a 20-minute photo-shoot for you as a family, individual, couple, or for your children.  It is at the location of my choice (in this case, Greenway Farm in Hixson) and time-slots are secured on a first-come, first-served basis.  You get the caliber of photos and professional service of a full hour-long session, just fewer minutes.



What does it cost?

It is $50.00, with a $25.00 non-refundable deposit due at the time of booking to secure your time-slot.  For an additional $5.00, I will create a custom Christmas card from one of my unique templates.






What do I get?

Your investment includes a disc of 5-8 (depending on the number of people in your group) retouched images as full-resolution files with copyright release.  If you add a holiday card to your order, that will be included on your disc as a JPEG file for you to print with your service of choice.   As always, fine-art quality prints are available for purchase directly from me, and I would be happy to work with you to print your cards for an additional fee to streamline your card-creation process.












Can you really do a good job in 20 minutes?

Although some children are initially camera-shy and some amount of time is spent "warming up" to a photographer, I've found that most kiddos not only warm up quickly enough, but that 20 minutes keeps the session short enough that we don't have the eventual "burn-out" that comes about halfway through longer sessions.  Because I am already set up at one location, shooting can begin immediately and will focus on the client entirely.  For example, in an hour-long session, a family photo-shoot normally yields about 75 amazing images that focus on the family as a whole, as well as on individuals and groups of individuals.  As a client of Melissa Gallagher Photography, you receive the same quality and professionalism regardless of whether you select a $600 package that covers your child's newborn through first birthday photos or a $50 mini-session. 






Contest?  Free Stuff?  What's not to love?!

Contest #1 - Win a FREE mini-session on October 22nd!
To enter:
Copy and paste the following status on Facebook (must be your status for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight) -or- blog about the mini-sessions, then come back and either leave a comment on this post or on Melissa Gallagher Photography's Facebook page.  Each status and each blog post counts as one entry and anyone can have multiple entries for multiple Facebook status posts.  Additional entries can be earned by "liking" Melissa Gallagher Photography on Facebook and by following this blog.  Please leave one comment per entry! Each comment will be assigned a number and I will hold a drawing using random.org on October 10th to determine the winner. 

The winner will be notified at that time and be asked to select an available time-slot on the 22nd to have a free session.  If the winner has already booked a time-slot, he or she will be refunded the deposit and the session will be free.

Copy THIS as your Facebook status to enter:  
"Melissa Gallagher Photography has selected October 22nd for Fall mini-sessions - $50 for 20 minutes.  Consider contacting her to book your photo-shoot for cards, gifts or keepsakes - perfect for children, families, couples and individuals.  Visit her blog at http://melissagallagherphoto.blogspot.com for more details and contact information!"  

Contest #2 - Win 50 free holiday cards!
To enter:
Book a mini-session on October 22nd!  Yes, that's it!

Everyone who has a photo-shoot on October 22nd will be assigned a number (the first time-slot of the day will be #1, the second, #2, etc.) and I will select a winner that evening using random.org and I will contact the winner so that we may work together on a custom card design and I will print the cards and deliver them the disc of images.


So, let's get booking!

Saturday, October 22nd

Greenway Farm in Hixson, TN

Fall Mini-Session Day!

$50 for 20 minutes and 5-8 images

$5 card design JPEG

And as always, please feel free to visit

Melissa Gallagher Photography

or contact me:

melissa@melissagallagherphoto.com

423-451-7297

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