signature sessions

If you are interested in booking a signature session at a destination (anywhere beyond 45 miles of Albany, including Lake George/Bolton Landing), anytime between now and the beginning of September, it is very important that you book now. We are very limited on dates remaining. For local signature sessions, we have a very small number of weekend dates, as well as weekday dates, available. Be sure to get in touch as soon as possible to reserve your date, as I shoot a limited number of signature sessions per month.

short&sweet sessions

There are short&sweet sessions available starting in late June. Contact us for location details and to reserve your date.

I also wanted to touch on something I hear a lot from clients… that their yard/home isn’t picture perfect, or that their session must take place at one of the big local parks. Now don’t get me wrong, many of the local sites are wonderful, and I use them frequently. But, they can get crowded, and some clients want something a bit more unique. It’s amazing how little nooks you’d never think of can lend themselves to the most beautiful portraits. Here’s an example of a spot I drive by almost every day. It is breathtaking… stone walls, crawling ivy, lush, deep greens… literally a photographer’s dream. (Disclaimer: these are cell phone shots!)

Pretty awesome, right? It looks like it could be on a historic farm or at the edge of a forest. Wrong!

It is actually on the side of the road at a busy intersection. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily bring clients here (same goes to the gorgeous field of purple flowers in the middle of the Northway ), but it goes to show that some of the most photogenic locations can be right under your nose. When your book your session, we’ll chat and I’ll share some of my favorite spots, both well known and my “hidden treasures”.

P.S. First person to comment and tell me exactly where these images were taken (and what property it borders) gets a $50 gift card. Shouldn’t be too hard to figure out! Hooray, Katie! She was correct in that it is at the corner of Union & Balltown in Niskayuna, and the wall borders Mohawk Golf Club. Katie, I’ll shoot you an email!

We’ve got an amazing lineup this year, so if you’d like to feast your eyes, click here, select “view the portfolio” and then “2010 product guide”.

I do want to feature one of our new products, the modern signature album. In addition to our classic signature album (linen cover, bookbound) that are so popular with clients, we are now offering a contemporary, flushmount album as well. UPS literally dropped this at my doorstep just minutes ago, and I can’t stop marveling over how beautiful and substantial it is. The pages are thick and available in a variety of finishes. Shown here is the gorgeous watercolor finish. These albums are great for single sessions, or for combination sessions, like maternity/newborn or at the end of baby’s first year.

Our second and final date of silhouette sessions (at least for now) is Saturday, March 6 from 10-12. I believe we still have a few spots left, so if you are interested, give me a call at 396-9387. Or, you can email my assistant, Jillian at jillian@ashleybrownphotography.com and she’ll get you on the schedule.

Check out some of the eye candy we are offering! Included with each session is a 5×7 print in your choice of colors. In addition, PaperDolls and myself are offering several cool products such a wall hangings, stationary and more. Hope to see you next weekend!

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In this day and age, many clients look for the ability to purchase digital images (the digital version of a film negative) from their photographer. I believe that owning the digital images from your session is a wonderful thing; first and foremost, for archiving your images for the future, and secondly, for printing small gifts for family and friends. This is why I offer them to my clients.

However, I firmly believe that a professional photographer is just that… an artist, not just a finger that clicks the shutter. The work any artist is meant to be displayed to its fullest capacity. With that being said, I feel it is infinitely important that my clients enjoy their images in the form of fine art, archival portraits and albums. When you purchase a print through a professional photographer, it will be color corrected and processed to perfection. It will also be finished, with a protective coating and backing substrate. Albums are created from top quality papers and bindings, and will provide a wonderful format for viewing your images for a lifetime (albums are also a great alternative to large wall portraits, for those with limited space or who don’t desire to go that route). These products are pieces of art to be enjoyed for years, and are truly the best way to enjoy the products of your session.

Digital images have their place, and are a great addition to any portrait session… however, is important to keep in mind that when purchasing digital images, you are assuming the responsibility for the outcome of the finished product. Please be sure that if you go this route, you are willing to take the steps to ensure that your images are printed correctly (i.e. using a high quality lab instead of a drugstore). Also, do keep in mind that like the hundreds of snapshots you have taken yourself, professional digital images often end up sitting dormant on a hard drive or disk. Will you take the time to print and enjoy your images, or do you prefer to take a more full service approach? Every client is different, so it is important to think about whether or not digital images are the right option for you.

Digital images are not inexpensive (and any photographer who sells them for next to nothing is doing a disservice not only to themselves, but to the photographic community as a whole… not to mention, this is rarely a sustainable business model). When a photographer sells them, they are selling their art and vision. They are also selling the ability for the client to reproduce the images countless times and retain all of the images from their session, which is invaluable.

When purchasing digital images, the copyright (ownership) of the images that you purchase stays with Ashley Brown. This means that while you can freely use them for personal use, you cannot use/sell them for any commercial purposes or contests. Since each image is a unique piece of art that has been digitally mastered by Ashley, it is important that the files are not altered. Your digital images will be sent to you electronically via a very simple process. An account will also be created for you at Ashley’s consumer lab of choice. While not required, it ishighly recommended that you go this route for creating your prints. Please note that while we are happy to give recommendations (an in-depth printing guide will be provided to you), we cannot guarantee the quality of prints that are not created by our lab, nor can we provide ongoing technical support.

Keeping all of this in mind, most clients choose to go with a hybrid of both professional prints, products and digital images from their session. Both formats allow you to enjoy the beautiful images from your session in the format that is right for your family.

http://www.formspring.me/ashleybrownkids

I’ll leave one with one piece of recent adorableness to tide you over.

And P.S. You are fans of us on Facebook, right? Right?!

the shop is an all inclusive online ordering system that will make it easy as pie for clients to place orders from the session. The system is extremely user friendly and simple, yet offers all of the options in a convenient layout. Clients will be able to view all of their images and products, select custom framing and colors, select favorites, add notes and more. One of the nicest features is that anyone can be invited to view a gallery and place their own order… perfect for grandparents and relatives! All payment is completed in the shop, so it really is one stop!

We’ll still be offering customized service (including phone or in-person ordering consultation), but think the shop will provide a great option in 2010! Here’s a screenshot:

More to come!