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Bailey Session: Part Two

2012-01-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Back in late August when the weather was still warm (ahhh...I miss August), I was approached by Angi who was looking for someone to take some portraits of her family. I was thrilled, seriously...but then she told me that she had a prop in mind...a rather large prop—a 1957 Chevy! Are you kidding me??? How much fun are we gonna have with that!!! My brain started formulating all kinds of fun ideas before we were even off the phone. I got online to do some visual research and couldn't find much at all...until I came to a picture of a family enjoying a picnic in front of their car...it was so sweet and what you imagine a typical Sunday may have been like in the 1950's.

Before each session even takes place, I offer my clients a pre-session phone consultation or an inspiration board to help style the shoot. I love creating these boards. They are just as much fun for me as they are for the clients who they are (hopefully) going to inspire. However, since this session was shot, I have discovered Pinterest and let me tell you, it's beyond just inspiring, it's highly addicting!!!

But I digress...After a few weeks of gathering wardrobe options, Angi calls to tell me she is ready to finalize an appointment date and oh, by the way, a friend is lending her a vintage 50's dress that just so happens to fit the color scheme we are working with...I'm secretly doing the happy dance while we are on the phone! She also found her dad's old glasses, vintage pearl jewelry, a fedora and some cute things for her girls to wear...oh and did I mention accordions? Her parents used to play them...they are sentimental and perfect for our shoot! Look out Mad Men, you ain't got nothing on the Baily family!

Without further adieu...here is their fabulous 50's flashback...For part one of this shoot, please click here.

Bailey Session: Part One

2012-01-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

Let me just start off by saying, I have been waiting FOREVER to share this session with all of you, but wanted to present them to my clients first. Well, yesterday was the viewing session so the wait is finally over!

When we were discussing the details of their session and styling the shoot, I suggested going for a look that reflected the retro style of the 50's era. As a result, we ended up with some really fun images which I will share with you tomorrow. Below are some of my favorite images from the session before we flashed back to the past.

As you may recall, the Bailey's requested a family shoot prior to selling their family's vintage 1950's Chevy. This beautiful car has been in their family for a couple generations and is now restored to it's original sassy condition. As I understand it, the car was previously owned by my client's mother who lovingly restored it and left it in her daughter's care after she passed away. According to my client, the day of her mother's memorial, the passenger side window mysteriously cracked and left a starburst pattern in the glass as you can see in a couple of the images below.

The beauty of this series is that it tells the story of a family's relationship with a truly remarkable car. It has hints of time gone by and is fun in it's own right, however, these images have special meaning to the family, especially to Mrs. Bailey who grew up riding in this classic Chevy. It was truly an honor to be a part of such a special session...Enjoy!

Sunrise...Sunset!!!

2012-01-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

Sunrise Christmas Eve

Happy New Year! This year, one of my goals is to blog more...not very original, I know, but it's sincere for sure! It's not that I haven't had plenty to share, or that I don't enjoy writing, but I was hoping to have a newer updated blog by now. What can I say, my hubby (aka web designer extraordinaire) has been swamped with clients too, but I'm hoping to have a beautiful new blog to call home early this year. So to ease back into blog land, I've decided to post little pieces of my life here as well as tidbits about my studio until my new blogsite is completed!

Sunset, this evening!

At any rate...How about tonight's sunset!! Wasn't it gorgeous?? These images were taken in the field behind our home...just five minutes apart! It's amazing to me how much more dramatic the colors in the sky are in the second image!

What to Wear: 50's theme

2011-08-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, I was asked if I would shoot some family pictures for the Bailey family who would soon be selling their vintage 1950's Chevy! I have always loved this era and all the kitchy, brightly colored kitchen appliances makes me wish I had 2 kitchens so I could decorate the other one in PINK!!!

I started to do a little visual research and came across the above photo taken of a family picnic. I loved how it combines a casual summer picnic while featuring the car in the background. This got me thinking about how fun it would be to stage a little picnic for the upcoming shoot. I was super excited to receive a photo of the car in my email box not long after we discussed the idea! Just looking at the cool details on this car gave me so much inspiration. Ideas started flooding in and so I began searching for the perfect images to style this shoot. Take a look:

Christmas in July

2011-07-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, Christmas is just 5 months away! Can you believe I'm already thinking about Christmas portrait sessions?

Well, the truth is, I've been thinking about my Christmas sessions for about 9 months now and I've got some really exciting things planned...including this fun give-away!

I really love all the Organic Bloom frames I have ordered thus far. They are so unique! I love their whimsical shapes and the versatile color palate that can be customized to match any decor. This month I want to give you the opportunity to see for yourself how chic they really are! For the first time, I'm excited to announce that as part of my Christmas in July special, I will be including a complimentary mini frame ornament with your holiday order...so make sure to take advantage of this limited time offer and reserve your session date!

Here is a cute example of how the frames will look on your tree:

Photo courtesy of Add to Heart Photography

Spring Cherry Blossoms

2011-05-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last year I found this cute Asian top at a thrift store, took it home with a specific photoshoot in mind with my daughter. I spent quite a bit of time during spring break that year looking for a paper umbrella, but by the time they were available in stores, all the cherry blossoms were gone. So I tucked all my props away for another day.

Fast forward to this spring and I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off. I re-located the props, the trees had blossoms, but it kept raining...and raining...and raining. FINALLY, yesterday, the sky was clear, we didn't have soccer practice and so I decided it was time to let my daughter in on my plan. She isn't always a willing model, due I'm sure to the large number of takes and retakes I request from her, but she loved the umbrella, so I knew there was a good chance she'd be up for my scheme!

Midway through the shoot, she had had enough, but of course, I was just getting started...so I did what any mom would do—I bribed her...with money. She was a good negotiator. I started off at $1 and she got me up to $5!!! But she deserved it...a bargain if you ask me! Here are some of my favorite shots from our beautiful spring day...enjoy!

As we were shooting, Natalie's uncle stopped by and jumped into the shot. I just love how this image turned out. You can really see how much Natalie loves her uncle...probably the biggest smile of the day!

Tulip fields

2011-05-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Last week I visited the Wooden Shoe Tulip farm in Woodburn, Oregon. It was such a beautiful day, sun was out and it was warm! It felt so good to be outside after so many rainy days. This is my favorite picture of some PINK tulips...

Just having some fun using different vintage textures to age these tulips!
(click on the image to see it larger)

Happy Spring!

Nathan's 3 month session

2011-02-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

Photographing babies is sooo good for my soul. Yesterday's session with Nathan was such a joy, his smile is just infectious! I completely lost track of time, but I think he kept me busy for over 4 hours! As you know, time goes by quickly when you are having fun. Capturing Nathan's first smiles and even his sleepy spells was the highlight of my afternoon!

And the Winner of the 2010 Cutest Kid Contest is...

2011-02-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

Would you believe it's a tie? Yep...with 18 votes each, both Aaron/Tami Roush and Janet Buswell WIN a $100 gift certificate towards their next visit to Alyssa Ernst Photography!!!

With so many cute kids it was a tough choice. Thanks so much to everyone who voted for your favorite photo, this was a really fun contest...We'll do this again next year!

Here are the winning entries:

Looky what I found in my laundry basket!

2011-02-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today I got to photograph JD who has changed so much since his newborn session. He is now teething (and drooling) and has the cutest baby rolls ever! I wish all my laundry was this cute!

In the next few weeks I will be unveiling my new Baby Steps Plan, so to start things off right, for 2011, I will be giving each member a complimentary 8x10 for every 20 comments posted on my blog under their sneak peek. (Limit one comment per person.) So what are you waiting for...show some love for JD's mama!

2010 Cutest Kid Contest

2011-01-28T09:20:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday, I announced some exciting news on my Facebook page. In case you missed it...drum roll please...Alyssa Ernst Photography was selected as the best photographer by the Gresham Outlook's Readers Choice Awards!

I am so, so, so very thankful for this honor and wanted to somehow thank those who voted for me. Since I have no way of knowing who voted, I came up with a fun way to reward my clients and include all of you in selecting the 2010 Cutest Kid. Check out my Facebook page for the entries. All you have to do is comment on the picture that is your favorite. The photo with the most comments will win...it's just that simple.

Want to know what the Grand Prize is? A trip for two to Disn....wait, that's not in the budget this year. The winner of the 2010 Cutest kid contest will be given a $100 gift certificate to spend on their 2011 session with Alyssa Ernst Photography. So what are you waiting for...tell all your friends and family to stop by and vote. This contest ends February 10, 2011.

I Heart Faces Contest: Winter Wonderland

2011-01-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I have entered a photo contest at I Heart Faces! When I saw the category title "Winter Wonderland," I knew exactly which picture I could enter. This is baby Nathan and he did remarkably well considering his lack of clothing and the cold weather outside...Ha! Just kidding, that would just be cruel! This is actually a composite shot, taken indoors against a white backdrop. Using my mad photoshop skillz, I was able to make him look as if he were taking a peaceful nap in the middle of a snowy forest!

Megan's Perfect Little Baby Bump

2011-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Okay first of all, Megan is just the cutest little pregnant woman you ever did see. She is one of the lucky ones who managed to stay trim, so her adorable little baby bump just pops out perfectly! As you may have guessed by the Air Jordan baby booties, she is expecting a boy...at the end of the month! Congratulations Megan!!!

Guess the Ducks Point totals to WIN a free Portrait Collection!

2011-01-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

This year one of my new year's resolutions is to blog more. Last fall was so busy that I just let it fade away, but I'm back and for my first post I'd like to announce a new contest in honor of tonight's BCS game with the OREGON DUCKS!!!

I am giving away one desk portrait collection featuring 4 of your favorite poses printed as 5x7s. This can be used towards 2010 sessions* or any session you book in 2011. All you have to do is post on my Facebook Fanpage...Mention this contest and how many points you think the Ducks will score in tonight's game! Sound easy? You have until 6pm to enter. One entry per person. If more than one person guesses correctly, the person who posted first wins!!! Good luck and GO Ducks!

*2010 sessions will be archived on January 20th

Beautiful Country Wedding

2010-08-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sneak Peak

Yesterday I was honored to be a part of Samantha and Austin's wedding day. What started out as a cloudy gray day, quickly turned around when the sun came out just in time for the festivities! Samantha and Austin are a such beautiful couple who's love for each other was evident as I interacted with them throughout the day. Their wedding was located at Cedar Springs Country Estate in Sandy. It was a photographer's dream venue. I only wish I had more time to shoot pictures, I could have gone on for hours!

Summertime in the Daisy Field

2010-07-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

From about the first week in July until the end of the month our back field just erupts with wild daisies. It's the perfect setting for family portraits...or a little girl's tea party! Last night we did both!!! Becca and Alexis were looking so cute in their pretty party dresses. I even snapped quick shot of their mom who is expecting a baby boy this fall! We had so much fun that we didn't stop even after the sun went down. In fact, that's when the lighting was just right. To reward them for being so well behaved and smiling so nicely, we celebrated with cupcakes!! Yum!

Baby Hudson

2010-07-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

I took these photos of sweet little Hudson just before our trip to Mexico and I'm just now putting them up. I think he is just adorable! Before he was born, his Star Wars crazy brothers wanted to name him "baby Chewie" so the very last picture is a cute tribute to what may very well become a fun nickname for little Hudson.

Brandon and Christian

2010-06-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

You're looking at the busiest boys in the west...yep, my nephews are non-stop action, so getting them to sit long enough to be photographed requires serious speed!!!

Precious in Purple

2010-06-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

This little angel was just the sweetest little baby you could ever imagine. Isn't she just beautiful!

A family of Fairies!

2010-06-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

What a fun session I just had with baby Hayden and his cousins. Hayden is one of the happiest, most expressive babies I've ever seen. That boy can smile!

Such wonderful little girls!

Grace was a fairy from last summer's fairy sessions.

Group shots:

Beautiful Belly

2010-06-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Katie is about ready to have her baby, but she graciously agreed to some belly shots. What a beautiful...soon to be mama to 4 kiddos!

Hailey was being so patient that I gave her a mini session all by herself!

TWINS!!

2010-06-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

This morning Ethan and Emily came to see me for their 3rd birthday pictures. It was fun to watch them interact with each other. Even at such a young age, you can see that they are good buddies...I bet they will have fun getting into all kinds of mischief when they are in school!

Little Micah Man

2010-06-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

Boy oh Boy did we have fun with Micah! He is such an adorable little guy (who just happens to be my nephew!!!) He didn't seem to mind all the crazy things we put him though. It was pretty funny watching him peel off the cabbage leaves and quickly put it in his mouth! He sure seemed to like that part!

Matthew's Portraits

2010-05-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Matthew wasn't in the mood to smile today, but that's just fine because he looks so cute anyway!
Just look at those dark brown eyes!!!

Head Shots

2010-05-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

Had fun this morning taking head shots of my dear friend Anne who is
currently working as an extra for a movie being shot here in P-town!

Ahoy Matey!

2010-05-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Alyssa Ernst Photography is proud to introduce...

2010-05-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Custom Photo Announcements!

Whatever the occasion, I would love to create memorable designs to highlight your family's milestones. Whether it's a birth announcement, wedding invitation, birthday party invitation or Christmas card, my 15+ years of design experience is at your service!

Baby Gabby

2010-05-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of taking sweet Gabby's newborn pictures. She was so patient with us as we changed her out of one outfit and into another! Gabby's big brother got to hold her and give her lots of kisses. What a fun day to be a photographer! These are my top 10 favorite pictures from the session:

Fairy Fun

2010-05-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

This morning I had fun with Reece who was just the easiest little girl to photograph — she did just what I asked her to! Her mommy won last year's Fairy Portrait Package at the CTV Preschool silent auction. This first photo shows the Fairy Effects that came with her package.

Beautiful Belly

2010-03-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

There's not much I can think of that is more amazing than the transformation a woman's body goes through when she is pregnant. Yesterday I was honored to be able to capture some special memories for Kam and Chris literally just days before she's going to deliver her baby boy! Congratulations in advance on your new little bundle of joy!

A Christmas Wedding

2009-12-27T19:58:00.001-08:00

Introducing Crystal and Chad— This lovely couple exchanged vows the evening after Christmas in an intimate gathering among family and friends. The house was adorned with Christmas greenery and lights which made for beautiful portrait backdrops. In lieu of a wedding cake, Crystal had cute little cupcakes for each guest. It was a pleasure capturing their special day and I wish the happy couple many blessings in the coming new year! Here's a sneak peek of my top favorite photos from their wedding:

Puppy Party

2009-12-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

The Goodlin's dog just had 1o puppies and boy are they cute...and very well behaved! At just 3 weeks old, they just wanted to sleep which made my job a whole lot easier! They loved being all cuddled up together and didn't mind one bit when we stuffed them in stockings!
I thought it was pretty cool when I heard that these puppies have a famous grandma...she stared in the movie "Homeward Bound!"

Titus and Monica

2009-12-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Titus and Monica for their Christmas portraits. Both Monica and Titus had their pictures taken last summer, so it was really fun to see them again. They are both well behaved kiddos and are really cute too!

Andy and Talitha

2009-12-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

This was a special photo shoot for Andy and Talitha...just over a year ago I took their wedding pictures at this same location. Now they have a new addition to their family and wanted to include him in some family pictures. Here are my picks from last week's session. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day even if it was rather windy.

The Boyer Family

2009-11-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

Boyer Beauties

2009-11-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

Baby Micah

2009-11-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

I was lucky to get to babysit this little bundle of cuteness last night, so we had a little fun while mom and dad were out on a date!

Fun with Photoshop Actions

2009-11-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight I've been having lots of fun with some new PS actions. Here are just a few variations from the picture of Natalie I posted the other day. A huge thanks to Shanna at 2Peas and Rita at Coffee Shop for sharing these actions with me. As you can see, the first photo shows how the picture looks before I processed it in PS. What a difference a little tweeking can make!

Here is my favorite edit:

Beautiful Angel

2009-11-06T09:59:00.000-08:00

Just before trick or treating I took a bunch of pictures of Natalie in her angel costume. This one is my favorite.

Sweet Little Eliza

2009-10-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Over the summer, the school's music teacher had a baby. I was thrilled to be able to photograph her sweet little girl who is about 3 months old now. She was very patient with me as I snapped and adjusted and moved her around then snapped some more. Here are my very favorites from the photo session. The vintage baby scale is a family treasure that until last week was used to measure the chemicals for our pool. Ha! It's a gem of a prop and I think I'll keep in in the studio from now on!

Cassidy's Cake Smash session

2009-10-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Cassidy came to see me for her some cake smash photos. It was so funny to watch her try to wipe the orange frosting off her hands...on to her arm and belly and just about everywhere else!

Charis and Terry's Wooded Wedding

2009-09-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

Today I had the privilege of photographing a lovely fall wedding in Sandy, OR. The bride and groom were so wonderful to work with—such an easy going couple! Their beautiful cake was made by the bride's grandmother and I was told the cake topper was about 100 years old, used on the wedding cakes of several generations in her family.

Sweet Sophia

2009-09-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Sweet little baby

2009-09-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

These were taken a few weeks ago using a knitted baby cocoon my sister made for me!

Website User Agreement

2009-09-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

All of the contents featured or displayed on this site, including, but not limited to photographs, images, graphics are owned by Alyssa Ernst Photography. All elements of this site, including, but not limited to, the general design and the content, are protected by copyright, moral rights, trademark and all other laws protecting intellectual property rights including contract law pursuant to this agreement.

No content or portion thereof may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, scanned, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way, without Alyssa's prior written permission, except that you may view the content on any singles computer monitor for review purposes only. Modification of the content or use of the content for any other purpose is a violation of Alyssa's copyright, trademark, and/or other proprietary rights. The photographic images on this site are not royalty-free.

Joel

2009-09-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Delaney

2009-09-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

Christian turns 1

2009-08-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

This morning's photo session was really fun because I got to try out my new bathtub prop then later I watched Christian plow through a birthday cake for some cake smash pictures.

Bella

2009-08-06T22:27:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I had so much fun taking pictures of Bella who is a Shelty/Dacshund mix. She was such a good dog and let me really take some fun shots.

Natalie

2009-08-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I thought it would be fun to take pictures of my daughter Natalie in the green fairy costume. She was very patient with me as I snapped away all morning long! Near the end of the shoot, I posed her in front of a new backdrop I plan to use for upcoming Christmas photos.

Grace

2009-07-26T14:29:00.001-07:00

Grace was a very busy fairy, she was full of life and loved to explore. After she was done with all there was to do in the studio, we let her run around outside...and she had a ball!

Tori and Olivia

2009-07-23T12:28:00.001-07:00

I have the best job! I get to photograph some of the cutest little faces and today was no exception. Tori and Olivia were great and so photogenic...just look at all of Olivia's cute curls!

Ryane

2009-07-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sydney and Reagan

2009-07-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

This morning's photo session was so much fun. We used a new petal dress on one-year old Reagan who was such a cutie. Her sister Sydney took some fairy pictures and then some special photos with her American Girl doll.

Savanna and Allison

2009-07-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

This morning's photo session was with sisters Savanna and Allison. They had on matching dresses which was really fun.

Monica, Khloe and Titus

2009-07-14T21:23:00.001-07:00

This morning started off with a fairy portrait session for Monica. She was joined by her cousin and her brother. You can tell she just adores her cousin because her face just lights up whenever Khloe is sitting next to her in the pictures. How cute is that!

Titus was hanging out at the water hole, getting in some fishing.

He was a fun little guy who wasn't camera shy at all!

Kendal

2009-07-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Kendal was such a sweet little fairy. As it turns out her mom

went to school with my sister-in-law—small world!

Tim and Kaila's Ranch Wedding

2009-07-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun shooting Tim and Kaila's wedding...everything was just beautiful. Hard to believe that just 14 years ago, Tim was the ring bearer in my wedding!

Kaitha and Erika

2009-07-09T15:48:00.001-07:00

Today I had lots of fun with Kaitha and Erika. They are the first fairies to get their portaits taken in my new studio. Then just for fun we went outside and shot a few more pictures.

Outdoor Fairies!

I thought it would be fun for a change to take some fairy portraits outside and I am really pleased with how they turned out.

The Gish Family

2009-07-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Russ and Mel

2009-07-05T22:22:00.000-07:00