Holiday Cards 2010! {Novi, MI Children's and Family Portrait Photographer}

The holidays may seem like an eternity away, but trust me, they'll be here before we know it.  To help you start planning for your custom photo holiday cards, I've posted six new templates for the 2010 season.  These can be customized with your favorite images from your portrait session, and color schemes will be adjusted accordingly.  All of the cards shown are flat, but folded versions are also available.  Cards come in packs of 25 and include envelopes.  Please contact me at christine@christinelongphotography.com or 248.345.6992 for more details, pricing, or any other questions.

For those of you who had portrait sessions in July and August, don't forget -- you will receive your first set of 25 holiday cards and envelopes at 30% off!

Not crazy about the templates shown here?  Check out my holiday cards from the 2008 and 2009 seasons for more options.

Growing Family! {Northville, MI and Ann Arbor, MI family photographer}

One of my favorite things about being a children's and family portrait photographer is being able to watch as families grow and expand.   Take the D family -- I first photographed them in November of 2008, when I was just starting to build my portfolio.   Here's one of my favorites from that session!  

And from October 2010, as their family expanded to 4!

Last week I had the pleasure of photographing them again.  Their baby turns one this month and is almost walking!  For this session, we ventured to a new location -- the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor.  The lush foliage and bright flowers were perfect for this summer session.  I hope you enjoy the preview, mom and dad.  Thank you for entrusting me to photograph your family over the last two and a half years!

Loving the warmth and haze of the summer sun during this session!

Time for tickles!

I couldn't resist including this picture -- the face is just too cute!

"K" turns one on the 18th -- aren't those little curls and bright blue eyes adorable!

What a difference a year makes.  "M" was so much fun during this session - talkative, playful, and very sweet.  I think the 2 and 3-year old crowd may be my new favorite to photograph.

Saturday Sneak Peek! {Ann Arbor, Northville, MI Family Photographer}

Here are just a couple from my session this morning at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor.  More to come soon!

Twins! {Northville, MI, Farmington Hills, MI Children's and Family Photographer}

I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful family last week.  The twin girls, S and A, are adorable and a lot of fun.  Although in identical dresses, mom smartly dressed one in pink shoes with a light pink ribbon in her hair and the other in brown shoes with a darker pink ribbon.  Now, I just hope that I didn't mix up who was who!  (And, if I did, I sincerely apologize, mom! I really should start taking notes during the session....)  I hope you enjoy the preview!

Introducing "S",  I think :)

And her sister "A"!

I adore the next two photographs -- the creamy light and the sweet shy faces... I love it!

What a beautiful family!

Some of my favorites from the evening came at the end of our session when we played with bubbles.  The girls really came out of their shells then, and I love the results.  Plus, the light that evening was amazing!

Sneak Peek Teaser! {Northville, Farmington Hills, Children and Family Portrait Photographer}

Here's a sneak peek from my evening session yesterday!  I'll be blogging more photos of this adorable family in a few days, but for now the teaser will have to do.  Beautiful twin girls + adoring parents + wonderful summer evening light = a gorgeous session! 

4 years old! {Northville, Canton Children's Portrait Photography}

Last weekend I photographed "N," and he really made me work for photographs!  Below is a perfect example -- he was definitely on the move for pretty much the whole session.  But, as challenging as it was to keep up, I also had so much fun!!  How could I not -- his energy was pretty contagious.

Even an active 4 year old needs a break every once in a while, and believe me, I took advantage of those breathers....

Check out these eyelashes -- gorgeous!  

I absolutely love the completely natural interactions between parents and children.  At this point, we were pretty much done with the session. "N" was exhausted, but I love this photo because of how honest and truthful it is.  

We did pull out the bubbles in an attempt to get some natural smiles and have some fun.  This image really makes me smile -- I love his expression!!  

2 years old!

I photographed this cutie just over a week ago.  He just celebrated his 2nd birthday, and we spent the morning playing in his backyard (and front driveway, as you'll see).  He was such a perfect little boy - showing me around, chasing bubbles, throwing rocks into the creek, and playing with sidewalk chalk.  Thank you V for a great morning!  Mom, I hope that you enjoy the photos and that I was able to capture V's personality and spirit.

There is something about this photo that I just love.  Children don't always have to look at the camera for a beautiful and memorable image.