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I remember, as a kid, running around in a party dress, wearing my mom's high heels and a pillow case for a veil, pretending I was "going to the chapel and gonna get married." I would turn the living room upside down, draping sheets from the couch to the chair to the coffee table, creating my own personal castle. I would play pretend for hours!
Now that I have children of my own I watch them and smile as they run around in their dress up clothes pretending to be firemen or cowboys or scary monsters. They run around our house whooping and hollering, laughing all the while. The sweet innocence of children playing is such a wonderful thing. Sometimes I get in on the act and pretend with them, but usually they make me the bad guy...go figure!
Is it your child's dream to be a cowboy or a mermaid or a fairy princess? We would love to help your child realize that dream. Our Imagination portraits were made to capture those moments of pretend play where the possibilities your child sees are endless. After all, the Portrait Shoppe is the place "Where a Child's Imagination Becomes Reality."
~Amanda
Children can be quirky. I remember taking my oldest son to have his one year portraits done and using a baseball mit and ball as props. He was so excited about that ball that he would raise and lower his hand repeatedly, pretending to throw the ball, and bouncing in place. All the pictures with that baseball are in motion (or of him trying to eat the ball)! Similarly, with my youngest, we had "naked baby" pictures done when he was about four months old. He would not leave the sheet covering his lower half in place for anything. It took five minutes to get him to leave it in place. I will forever remember those portrait sessions because my children's silliness was captured in photographs.
Last week we had a cute baby girl come into our studio who was photographed by Ryan. Teagun is a 9 month old little sweetie. In almost all of her shots she would roll her tongue and stick it out of her mouth, just slightly. It was her "signature" look and was absolutely adorable! Check out a few of her images...
Does your child have a quirk or a signature move they do regularly? So many times we want for our kids to have that "perfect" look for portraits, but also capturing those fun moments when they are being silly is a great memory maker. You will be sure to look back on those pictures and smile, remembering those special moments.
~Amanda
Every year we have dozens and dozens of beautiful and handsome entrants to the Star Kids Modeling Contest. Thankfully for us, Images Model and Talent Agency takes on themselves the hard job of selecting the winners. The overall winner of the Star Kids contest is then offered a full scholarship to Images children's classes to get some professional modeling and acting experience. Some of the winners from years past have gone on to pursue further performance venues. We caught up Alena, mom to 2009 winner Gianna, and she gave us a wonderful update on how her little winner was doing. So, here's what Gianna has been up to and how winner the Star Kids Contest affected some of those decisions!
The Star Kids Modeling Competition was a wonderful experience for Gianna. Of course, her favorite part of the entire experience was the photo shoot in the Portrait Shoppe Studio. From the dressing room, the costumes, and the personal attention provided by the staff, Gianna felt like a star even before being selected as the winner. The pictures turned out so beautifully, we had a hard time choosing a favorite to enter in the contest! When we entered the Star Kids contest, our main priority was to great some great photographs capturing this magical youthful time in our child's life. However, winning the contest greatly improved Gianna's confidence. She went on to win Little Miss Madison County and represent the county at the state fair pageant. She also really enjoyed the classes at Images, especially memorizing scripts and practicing on the runway. Since completing the course at Images, Gianna has participated in several local fashion shows including pageant store Jack N Jill, and is also featured in the current ad campaign for Posh Tots Boutique in Richmond. Whatever Gianna does, she likes to do it with an abundance of style and fanfare. Gianna is currently training with the Level 3 team at Excel gymnastics in Richmond, where her coach often refers to her as Little Miss America. She also just completed her 4th recital with Bluegrass Dance Center, where she studies tap, ballet, creative dance, and hip-hop. Next week, Gianna will graduate from Kindergarten and looks forward to a summer vacation filled with swimming, reading, play and (probably) mischief. While acting and modeling were never our original plan, Gianna will also attend theater camp to decide if she would like to further pursue acting. Thanks so much Alena for providing us this awesome "snapshot" of Gianna's life and success! We wish her well. Interested in getting your own child in to become a Star Kids winner? Make sure you check out the details of Star Kids in 2010 (below), then call the Portrait Shoppe at 859.277.6671 to make an appointment or even just ask questions, or go to the web and contact us that way. We'll see you and your own Star Kid soon!
Portrait Shoppe is proud to produce STAR KIDS: Lexington's Annual Children's Modeling Competition.For 7 years the Portrait Shoppe has been running the Star Kids Modeling Competition, an informal portrait competition that benefits UK Children's Hospital. It is judged by the wonderfully talented people at Images Model Agency. It has always been a success, and this year is going to be no different! And for the first time in7 years, we've made some positive changes to the contest! Here's what you need to know about getting your child into Star Kids.
 When is Star Kids? Star Kids begins May 1st and run through most of the summer. Your portrait session needs to be done within this time period. *Suggestion: get it done early, because the end of July is crazy busy with people trying to cram it in!*
 What are the age restriction? Anybody ages 0-12 is eligible to enter (that's your age as of May 1st, the beginning of the contest).
How is Star Kids judged? Star Kids is broken down into Age, Gender, and Style Categories, so there are lots of opportunities for your child to win! The age categories are: 0-11 months, 12-23 months, 2-3 years, 4-5 years, 6-7 years, 8-10 years, 11-12 years. Within each age category there are 2 boy winners and 2 girl winners: one Reality winner, and one Imagination winner. There are also two overall winners: one from 0-3 years, one from 4-12 years. All the judging is done by Images Model and Talent Agency - we (the photographers) get too attached to your children to make fair, objective judgments!)
 How do I enter? All entries will be chosen from photographs taken at the Portrait Shoppe during the eligible months. All you have to do is make an appointment at the Portrait Shoppe. You may call the studio (859.277.6671) or you can make an appointment online (click here). But don't wait too long to make your appointment, or you might not be able to get a spot!
 Does it cost anything to enter? The entrance fee to the Star Kids Modeling Competition is $99. This covers your session fee, your registration for Star Kids, the donation for UK Children's Hospital, and $50 towards whatever order you place.
What about scenes and outfits? For Star Kids, there are NO RESTRICTIONS! You can wear anything and use any of our scenes – but we have to have individual images, group shots won’t work. You may submit multiple children per family and/or a child into more than one category, but there will be an individual entrance fee for each.
 How do you choose which image to use? We don’t – YOU do. We’ll help you of course, and give you suggestions, but the final decision is yours as to which image you want to submit. (See our post about How To Win A Modeling Competition for some suggestions on this.)
 What does my child get if he/she wins? Every participant, winner or not, will get a 4×6 of the image they choose and a goodie bag full of prizes, coupons, and discounts at all participating businesses in Lexington. Typically those gift bags are worth somewhere in the vicinity of $100. The category winners will get more substantial prizes: gift certificates, dinners, etc. And the overall winners? Free registration and classes at Images Modeling Agency!
Why do Star Kids at all? Before it is anything else, Star Kids is a benefit for the UK Children's Hospital. The Star Kids Modeling Contest has been donating to them for 7 years, and has raised thousands of dollars! This year we're making an extra effort: we are doubling our donation from all previous years! In addition to that we are also donating a percent of the total sales from the contest to the UK Children's Hospital. So the 2010 donation is expected to be significantly larger than any we've made yet. But also (and not unimportantly), Star Kids is FUN! It's fun for you, for your child, for us...it's just a good time all around. So come and be part of the fun! We look forward to seeing your Star Kid and helping them to shine!
Does your child have what it takes to win Lexington's Star Kids Modeling Contest?
I'll bet he or she does! There isn't a single child we've ever photographed that has not been beautiful and worthy of being called so. Winning a modeling contest isn't so much about perfect looks and flawless skin as it is about showing off and capitalizing on your child's particular beauty. Here are a few tips on preparing for, picking out, and producing a photography session that will send your child's image right to the top of the list!
1. Style Matters
 
There are two distinct styles for Star Kids Modeling Contest: Reality and Imagination. It matters not only because they are judged separately, but because you want to choose the style that best suits your child's look and personality. Is your son a real dreamer who likes to play pretend and perform for you at home? Then the Imagination style will allow us to capture him in his best moments. Is your daughter down to earth with a quiet smile and a tendency to talk rather than play? Then the Reality style will present her in a much more suitable way. When deciding think less about what you want to see, and more about what's going to best showcase your child.
2. Planning Ahead Makes A BIG Difference
This might be common sense, but don't go into your portrait session completely unprepared. You'll want to make sure that your child's outfit fits the background/set you doing. Talk with the photographer (call the studio and ask who your photographer is going to be) and discuss the session with them - that helps a LOT! Get your son or daughter plenty of rest the night before his/her session (trust me, this one is huge!). For all these details, check out our video learning center (choose the "preparing for the shoot" video). 
3. Act the Part...
Regardless of which style you choose, it's important that your child is really fitting that style to make it really work. This is beyond the personality and outfit we've already mentioned, this is about having your child pose and act appropriate to the scene. For Reality images, this means more traditional poses, less big goofy smiles and more soft natural faces, and strong eye contact with the camera. For Imagination images acting the part is extra important - let your child's imagination really run wild! If she's a mermaid, do your best to encourage her to imagine herself as one and discover the ocean world; if he's a cowboy, we're looking for rugged poses and snarls. The very best thing you can do is to really let the photographer set the pace of the session and to encourage your child in the same way.
4. ...but Be Natural
As important as it is to "act the part," what you must be wary of is the tendency to be fake. One of the most destructive thing a parent can do for a child's portrait session is to tell them, "now make sure you smile really big!" Kids stick out there chins and give us a great big "CHEEEEEEESE!" ... which is cute, but it's not going to win a modeling contest. Likewise, if your child is being forced to behave a certain way he or she is more likely to freeze up and not look right at all. You have to let kids be themselves; if they are goofy let them be so, if they are shy that's okay - the important thing is to let them be them. All kids are beautiful, but not all in the same way - you want to let your child's individuality really come through in the portraits.
5. Show Off Your Child's Best Features
Like we just said, it's very important to showcase your child for who he/she naturally is. To bring out their natural beauty, we want to highlight their best features. Not every 18 month old is doe-eyed; if yours is, then we'll make sure we spotlight some close ups, but if not then pick whatever distinguishing features your child does have and highlight those instead. This is where picking the right pose comes in to play: the photographer will photograph your child in a number of different poses, from a number of different angles; it's ultimately your job to pick the pose that gets submitted to the contest. You'll want to pick the one that really spotlights your child's best features.
6. Uniqueness vs. Perfection
As far as picking a pose goes, your photographer will help you and give you suggestions as to which he/she thinks is the best pose, and often that's enough. But you'll have to make a judgment between a more candid, personality filled image and a more posed, traditional looking image. I hate to tell you this, but there is no "right" answer, it's a judgment call - and the winning portraits will often have both. Typically, however, you need to have the perfection in place before you have the uniqueness. What I mean is, you may see a shot that "is just so your child!" but it may not be a great pose, or may show his/her face in a less than ideally flattering way. Well, as much as you love that shot, don't submit it to the contest - buy it for yourself at home. Look for the poses that are primarily good poses/looks, and secondarily have a unique flair about them.
Another word about uniqueness: many times the modeling contest will result in a number of people in the same few poses...because they work. A pose that isn't often seen, though, will stand out in a judges mind. Anything you can do to have the judges remember your child or look at his/her image for a few extra seconds is an advantage. So, if there is a pose that you haven't seen much before and it's got the markings of perfection (mentioned above), then it might be a good one to choose.
7. For Goodness Sake--Have Fun!
This may seem trivial (after all, it's a competition, right? We want to WIN!), but you have got to have a good time! There's nothing good that comes from a portrait session with a miserable child. So if they're not having fun it's essentially a bust. Did you watch that video on our learning center yet? No? Okay, watch it now by clicking here. One of the most important points is to relax and tell your child that this is a fun thing, NOT a big serious deal...because it's not. Star Kids is a casual, relaxed event that is intended to raise money for UK Children's Hospital - it's not pageantry. Though there are some substantial prizes, it's more about fun. So, relax and have fun, and let your child have the time of their life doing it!
We had a fabulous Easter this year! All of your children were beautiful and so much fun! and even though we can't show you everything we photographed this season, we did want to show you a few highlights from our Lamb Portraits this past year!      We had a great time with this baby lamb - it was only a day old when we first got it! (The poor thing kept falling asleep, it was so new!) But the kids were AMAZING! We were so proud of everybody this year - you all were wonderful!Thanks for making Easter 2010 a season to remember!
Portrait Shoppe is proud to introduce the models from the 2010 Sample Month!Last month we had Sample Month: All month we were looking for models to help us build and update our images collection. Well, here's a selection of what we got...  So you're going to be seeing these faces (and others) around the Portrait Shoppe in the upcoming months (and maybe years!) Be sure to regularly check out this blog, our Facebook page, our website, and our studio to see your favorite models!
Aren't they cute?!?! Hannah and Sam first came through our doors at Christmas time. Sam brought one of his dad's old cars to play with and Hannah brought her kitty and tea set - Shelly had a blast photographing them! (If you'd like to see some of those images, check out our Facebook page - click on the Unique Kids Photo Album.) I guess they had a good time too, because not too long ago 3-year-old Hannah asked to come back. She said to her mom, "can we go back to the place where the lady put my kitty on her head?" (Shelly will often do crazy things to get the kids to smile!) So...they came back...and it was wild! One of our most energetic, upbeat sessions! Just take a look at a small sample of the fun!     We are thrilled that these two came in to help us with Sample Month - we enjoy having them here so much! We look forward to seeing more of them in the future! Keep your eyes peeled for more images of Hannah and Sam as Sample Month draws to a close.
TTFN! (Ta Ta For Now!)
Check out this cutie!Her name is Karina, and she turned 1 not that long ago! We think this is especially cool because her mom brought her in 4 times in her first year, linking each one with a particular season - how creative!  Enjoy being 1 Karina!Thanks for giving us the chance to photograph you in your very first year! We look forward to seeing more of you in the future!
We had a great time with Santa this year - check out what he did and all the kids who came to tell him what they wanted for Christmas!
Christmas time is here again!Christmas '09 is shaping up to be AWESOME here at the Portrait Shoppe! We've got Santa coming back right after Thanksgiving, we've got a brand new background, and even some staff changes from last year! Be sure to be on the lookout for a Christmas Postcard in the mail from us with all the details on how to book your Christmas Session. Keep in mind: Call us early to get the day and time that's best for your family! The later it gets the busier it gets, so call now and get it scheduled while you can. Also, in the meantime, keep reading our blog and looking for updates on Facebook and Twitter! Thanks so much for following us there - we've really enjoyed it! See you on the web and in the studio!
We had a BLAST on Halloween! We had a few great sessions, and all in costume, baby! Check out these awesome images from one session with 3 little angels, courtesy of their mom.     The 3rd little angel isn't in these shots because she's only 2, and she wasn't quite up for playing with us. The portraits turned out great, and (as you can plainly see) we had an awesome time! Thanks to Jill for providing us with the pictures from her own camera! P.S. What do you think of Ryan's hippie outfit?
So it's Saturday evening, your kid's all dressed in full Halloween garb and about to hit up all your neighbors for sweets and holiday goodness, and you want to commemorate this oh-so-adorable event with a few pictures. Here are 9 tips from the photographers at the Portrait Shoppe that may help you capture the mood and feeling of All Hallow's Eve in your portraits: 1. Know what your subject is There will be no end to the things you can shoot at Halloween: from jack-o-lanterns to scary decorations to kids in costume. Figuring out exactly what it is you want to photograph will make your photographs much more pleasing to look at and easier to understand. Halloween is a time of color, emotion, and its full of all sorts of interesting subjects - take them one at a time , pick one to be your main focus in each shot, that way each one will stand out boldly. 2. Find interesting details to focus onAll good images have something in them that holds the attention of their viewers. Rather than taking all wide shots from 5 feet up, find the details that make the moment memorable. For example, instead of having the kid hold the pillow case of candy up by his head, have him reach in a grab as much as he can and hold it up by his face. That is a much more emotional and exciting photograph! Find the little details about her costume that really make it special and use those as your focal points. Everything you'll see on Halloween will be full of detail - like the point about picking your subject, don't try and focus on too much at once. 3. Fill the frame to increase drama
Zoom in! (But please, whatever you do, DON'T use the "digital zoom" on your camera!) Get in close and fill the frame with your subject. This helps to crowd out unwanted distractions in the background and it heightens the drama of the portrait. Whether its people or objects, getting in close will usually at a good punch to your shot. 4. Experiment with fresh camera anglesIt's probably the case that the day after Halloween, photo sharing websites will be filled with images of pumpkins and ghosts with winter coats on that all look very much the same. Make your images stand out by finding fresh angles to shoot from. Try getting super low or super high and see what difference it makes. And if you really feel bold, angle your camera a little bit. The key is to experiment; some angles will be absolutely terrible, some will be a breath of fresh air - play around and see what you like.  5. Pay attention to the background and surroundings
A great picture of your child in costume can be totally ruined by the TV on in the background, or the dishes in the sink peaking out from behind her head. Remember, even though you may only be focused on how cute she may look, your camera is picking up everything in its field of view. Move your subjects in front of a simple background, or one that doesn't have a lot of distractions in it. If you can, remove everything from the scene that doesn't belong in the "period" of the costume: for example, there were no wristwatches in the medieval period, nor were there bookshelves in neverland. One other thing to consider in your surroundings and background is color - something too similar to the costume may blend in to your subjects, but something too different may clash. A little attention to these things ahead of time will result in images that really pop. 6. Turn off your flash (if you can)No holiday is more dramatic, edgy, and dark than Halloween. Photographing your little ghouls under bright lights or the flash of your camera will severely dampen the effect of this mood that characterizes the holiday. If you can, photograph them in natural light - sunset lighting is AMAZING for these pictures! Make use of interesting light, such as candles, to add a really cool mood to your pictures. Just remember to tell your subjects to keep still while you get the shot! For those who have cameras with the capability: 1) increase your ISO - the larger your number the more sensitive your image sensor is to light and the darker conditions you can shoot in without having to slow down shutter speed. 2) slow down shutter speed – choosing a longer shutter speed lets more light into your camera. On the downside you’ll see any movement in your shots blur (which might add to the spookiness of the image but could also ruin it). Consider using a tripod if you lengthen your shutter speed. 3) use a larger Aperture – this widens the hole in your lens and lets more available light in. It will also lessen the depth of field in your shots. 7. Jack-0-lanternsA special note about photographing Jack-o-lanterns: it is particularly tricky to get the full effect of the eerie glowing inside. Instead of just the one candle you keep in there normally, it's probably a good idea to use 2 or 3 for added light. Then set your camera down on a tripod or something sturdy (table, chair, etc.). Don't forget to keep your flash off! 8. All about the attitude "Hey, look here and smile!" Come on, how many superheroes want to pose like a little kid? Do you really think that a witch is going to try and look pretty for you? This may be your kid's one big chance in the year to bring out their inner actor - let them perform! Ask them to go overboard with attitude...trust me, you're kid knows how to ham it up! Encourage this by addressing them and interacting with them as though they really were Spiderman, or Peter Pan, or Aurora the princess. Kids LOVE this stuff - let them be completely enveloped by their character, and make sure your shots capture the energy they give! 9. Tell the storyFinally, don't just take random photos throughout the night - chronolog the event through your images. Take the before shots of the kids getting into costume; take the after shots of the kid asleep at the Halloween party. Try to get some candid moments of the trick-or-treating and please don't forget to catch the excitement in their faces when they get their first piece of Halloween candy! Photograph the moments, not just the stuff - your images will stand out from the crowd!
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Thanks Ladies! We had a GREAT time, and your portraits are 
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