Holy moly – we’ve severely neglected the blog over the last few months! Don’t worry, we’re still here . In fact, we have a lot of wonderful things in store for 2012. This past year was great, and now that we’re ending the first quarter of 2012 (time flies!) its time to get back on the blog – and we’re excited to being doing so!

We’ve done some fun things since our last blog post – fabulous shoots, workshops, charitable work, and fine art work. We were featured in the RAW: Natural Born Artists Showcase last month (check out the video interview here), and of course there was the holidays and all of that good stuff.

Some very exciting news – we’ve brought a few awesome people on board in the past few months, and you’ll be seeing them around on the blog, Facebook, and at events and meetings. Please welcome these two lovely ladies -

Kristyn – our new studio manager! She will be working behind the scenes on all kinds of things from marketing to scheduling sessions and meetings, consulting with clients, fulfilling orders, etc. She’s super sweet, super organized, and in addition to photography she LOVES to cook. Feel free to drop her a line at kristyn@shellylovecreative.com

Sandy – album design and blogger extraordinaire! She just relocated from Alaska (and is gonna LOVE her first summer here). She’s a talented album designer, loves all things weddings, and has a not-so-secret passion for the environment, particularly the marine environment. You can reach her at sandy@shellylovecreative.com.

In case you haven’t seen me since October or so, I’ve been sporting one of my favorite hair colors for the last several months – the first time since moving here from Seattle about 3 1/2 years ago -

Life is good, and we’re so excited for everything we have planned for the rest of 2012. Here are just a few of the things you’ll see roll out over the following days, weeks, and months-

*regular blog posts on wedding trends, things we love, photography tips and tricks, vendor spotlights, and more!

*contests where you can win super-cool stuff here on the blog and using other social media including Facebook and Twitter – friend/fan/follow us to be part of this!

*a BRAND NEW page for Shelly Love Creative – our brand encompassing workshops, photography education, and other fabulousness

Stick around for more to come very soon – we promise!

We’ve added a few more workshop dates to our calendar! For a complete description of each workshop, please go here.

Sunday, 4/1/2012 1pm-5pm – Intermediate/Advanced Digital Photography Basics

Saturday, 4/14/2012 1pm-5pm – Digital Photography Basics

Saturday, 4/28/2012 1pm-5pm – Digital Photography Basics

The workshop registration fee is $199 +tax. To register, please send an email to kristyn@shellylovecreative.com with your preferred workshop date.

*Note: We will honor the Livingsocial.com vouchers purchased in November 2011 for these additional workshop dates, although the voucher expiration date reads 3/31/2012. Space is limited in each section, so please RSVP today to secure your spot!

If there are other topics you’d like to see covered in a future workshop, drop us a line to let us know!

Digital Photography Basics

Who should attend:

• New Digital SLR (DSLR) users
• People who love taking pictures and want to take better pictures!
• Anyone just starting out in photography who wants to know the basics of photography and camera operation

What you will learn:

• Basic principles of photography
• ISO, aperture, and shutter speed
• Manual versus automatic modes
• Depth of field
• Composition
• Photoshop basics
• And more!

When:

• Wednesday 11/30/11, 5-9pm
• Saturday 12/17/11, 1pm-5pm
• Thursday 1/12/12, 4pm-8pm
• Saturday 2/11/12, 1pm-5pm
• Sunday 2/19/12, 1pm-5pm
• Wednesday 3/7/12, 4pm-8pm

Where:

• Studio 8 – 1301 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Cost: $199 + tax

Intermediate/Advanced Digital Photography Basics

Who should attend:

• Digital SLR (DSLR) users who are familiar with their cameras but want to take their images to the next level
• People who want to learn how to control their exposure in difficult situations

What you will learn:

• Advanced exposure control
• Basics of using flash and artificial light
• Working with motion
• Connecting with your subjects
• Editing techniques
• And more!

When:

• Saturday 12/10/11, 8am-12pm
• Sunday 1/15/12, 1pm-5pm
• Saturday 1/28/12, 1pm-5pm
• Tuesday 2/28/12, 4pm-8pm

Where:

• Studio 8 – 1301 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Cost: $199 + tax

Business Basics

Who should attend:

• People who want to turn their hobby into a business  
• Photographers who are new to the industry and are looking to establish a strong brand and stand out!  

What you will learn:

• Identifying your target audience
• Defining your brand
• Pricing strategies
• Marketing techniques
• Portfolio building
• Customer relationship management
• And more!

When:

• Tuesday 1/24/12, 4pm-8pm
• Sunday 3/11/12, 1pm-5pm

Where:

• Studio 8 – 1301 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Cost: $199 + tax

Payment is due in full at the time of registration. Email us today to save your spot

This is just a preview of Saturday’s shoot. Many more images to come.

Hair: Amber Tillinghast, The Grateful Head

Makeup: Lindsey Benay

Models: Bronwyn Laurence, Tiffany Laurence, Maggie Stanfield, and Jessie Rose

Photographed by me and Nick Tillinghast

We’re excited to announce our 2011 holiday mini portrait sessions! If you have not yet had your holiday portraits taken, it is not too late! Details are below.

Who:

You, and your lovely family too!

What:

30 minute mini portrait sessions either on location or in studio on 2 different dates in December. Bring your family and we’ll take as many images as we can during your time slot. 30-40 final images will be posted online for you to view and order within 5 days of your session, giving you time to get your images out with your holiday cards before Christmas.

When/Where:

Saturday, December 3rd – 10am-1pm in Central Phoenix (in studio or urban setting)

Sunday, December 4th – 12pm-5pm in Verrado (park setting)

Why:

Because you need family portraits .

Sessions will be scheduled in 30 minute increments and are available on a first come, first served basis. The session fee is $149 plus tax and includes 1 high resolution image emailed to you, 1 print (8×10 or smaller), and online proofing of all of the final images. Additional prints and products are available as well, so just ask.

Please email us at info@shellylovephotography.com to reserve your slot. The session fee is due in full upon booking and is non-refundable.

Venue: Desert Botanical Gardens

Floral Design: Jan Dekker Designs

Table Markers & Invitations: Celebrations in Paper

Caterer: Fabulous Foods

Band: The Walkens

Officiant: Reverend Lew Crawford

Ceremony Musician: Sweetwater Strings

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Cake: Elegant Creations

Image by Nick.

By Nick.

By Nick.

By Nick.

By Nick.

I wanted to post some updated information on my Digital Photography Basics workshops. I’ve added more dates during the fall – details are below. I’ve had the pleasure of working with several wonderful people in my workshops so far. I’ll post some images from past workshops in another post.

Here is the updated workshop schedule:

Below are the details, including registration information.

Digital Photography Basics

Who should attend:

• New Digital SLR (DSLR) users
• People who love taking pictures and want to take better pictures!
• Anyone just starting out in photography who wants to know the basics of photography and camera operation

What you will learn:

• Basic principles of photography
• ISO, aperture, and shutter speed
• Manual versus automatic modes
• Depth of field
• Composition
• Photoshop basics
• And more!

Where:

• Studio 8 – 1301 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Cost: $199 + tax

Intermediate/Advanced Digital Photography Basics

Who should attend:

• Digital SLR (DSLR) users who are familiar with their cameras but want to take their images to the next level
• People who want to learn how to control their exposure in difficult situations

What you will learn:

• Advanced exposure control
• Basics of using flash and artificial light
• Working with motion
• Connecting with your subjects
• Editing techniques
• And more!

Where:

• Studio 8 – 1301 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Cost: $199 + tax

Business Basics

Who should attend:

• People who want to turn their hobby into a business  
• Photographers who are new to the industry and are looking to establish a strong brand and stand out!  

What you will learn:

• Identifying your target audience
• Defining your brand
• Pricing strategies
• Marketing techniques
• Portfolio building
• Customer relationship management
• And more!

Where:

• Studio 8 – 1301 Grand Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Cost: $199 + tax