Fun Senior shoot

I love so many images from this shoot it will be hard to share just one!

I always try to get to know my clients prior to their shoot in case something really fun comes to mind.  Samantha was the winner of my End of Spring contest for a free session!  We were all very excited to meet for her shoot.  She is a girly girl who is very interested in reading, science and anthropology.  We definitely wanted to convey her personality in her shoot.  This image below definitely brings two of those qualities to life.

Right now is the perfect time to schedule your senior shoot with Lifelong Impressions.  Call {919-585-6433} or email {shannon@lifelongimpressions.com} to get your shoot scheduled.  I am currently booking seniors, kids and families for the end of summer and fall.  

Tayler's sneak peak - 2011 West Johnston High Senior

This is my 2011 senior representative, Tayler!  Unfortunately she was sick with strep the day we had the big senior reps shoot.  We found some great locations for her & had a lot of fun.  I love her enthusiasm & how she has already talked up her senior shoot on Facebook.  Way to go Tayler!

Isn't she gorgeous?!?!

Introducing my Senior Representatives 2011! - Senior Session Specials

Make sure to check below for the current Senior Session special!

One of my senior reps came down with Strep Throat!  Poor girl!  We're going to do her shoot, and take a few more of Tori since she didn't have enough outfits & forgot her flute, this Wednesday.  I can't wait.

I have some sneak peaks to show you from the four shoots we did do on Saturday.

Here is Josh from West Johnston High School.

Here is Tori from Clayton High School.

Dominique from Sanderson High School.

McCall from West Johnston High School.

It's going to be exciting working with each of them.  They all have fabulous personalities and were a lot of fun during the shoot.  

Now onto the specials for 2011 Senior sessions in May & June 

Weekday sessions will receive a complimentary 5x30 storyboard print {up to 6 images} mounted on styrene with your first order.   You are also welcome to bring your best buddies {up to 3 friends} along for a few shots together!   

Saturday sessions will receive a complimentary 4x10 storyboard print {up to 3 images}  mounted on styrene with your first order.  You are also welcome to bring your best buddies {up to 3 friends} along for a few shots together!

The Elizabeth album

I've decided to name each completed album design after the first person or family who orders that design. It's a fun way for me to remember the first family who loved the design & it gives a little personality to the design name. My mom even has an album named after her! She loves it. I made here one with some recent photos of the kids and gave it to her when we went to visit in October.

Albums are a fabulous way to get all of your favorite shots from your shoot. Most of the family albums have a large shot on each page. They have a ton of impact and are oh so cool!

I've been thinking of offering true lifestyle sessions that are almost completely un-posed shoots lasting a minimum of 4 hours with a large magazine style hard cover album of at least 100 shots from the day & a large gallery wrapped canvas included in the session investment. Lifestyle photography is so much fun and has great meaning. We plan a family activity or activities where I tag along and photograph the happenings. It can be anything from cooking a meal, visiting a museum, going to the park, coloring, building a fort in the house or any other fun & meaningful family activity. I also love nighttime routines like storytime, cuddles, tickle sessions, singingtime, bathtime, sipping hot coccoa in front of the fire & tucking into bed. Some of these activities can be included in a regular session. Please let me know if you are interested in one of these sessions.

Enjoy the Elizabeth album.

I love Photography

There are so many reasons I love photography. Probably the one I love the most is making memories. How many times have you seen a photograph & been able to remember a moment of your life with great clarity? Our own brains are fantastic, but a picture can help us to recall so many details that would probably otherwise remain buried. Ah, photography is cool.

I have been impressed with this particular senior since meeting her at church a few years ago. She is always upbeat & obviously adores her family. She had a lot of fun picking out her senior shoot outfits & did not forget the shoes!


She even brought along two traditional outfits. Loved it!


What girl doesn't love shopping? The background on the right really looks like she could be in the Peruvian mountains.


We have a huge beach umbrella I almost brought along to the session. It turns out great minds think alike since she used the session as an excuse to buy this cool umbrella.





The birthday girls arrived for their session again this year. Last year it was a newborn and 2nd birthday session.


Getting two kiddos this age to be in a picture together is generally a fleeting moment. It's so rewarding when we get both the cuteness and the real essence of who each of them is.


The tongue indicates pure joy! The classic look down smile is so adorable.




What I wouldn't give to have a photo like this of me and my mother. The girls were totally digging their balloons.


My cousin, Steve, and his amazing family. We definitely copy some of the cool parenting styling of these two amazing people.


I think an idea similar to this came to me about 15 years ago. lol It's the first time I've tried it. I think it would be cool with a family of teens & parents linking arms completely trusting each other as they fan out.


Guy teases me a lot, because I often make my most favorite shots B&W. He says it's a dead giveaway which are my favorite.


I'd used this spot in Scottsdale, AZ many years ago. It surprised me how many photographers I saw there for the two photo sessions we did there on our trip. It's a cool spot, but really there were soooo many there. Back in the day I never saw another photographer there.


All three girls are really athletic. The little one just broke a limb this last week falling off their trampoline {with a sewed on net!}. Hopefully she heals quickly.


Their blue eyes are amazing!


Did I mention athletic? It only took two attempts to get all three with synchronized hand stands.


For the middle girl I asked her to tell me she loved dad while he was standing next to me. We got the most amazing soft smile, and I guarantee he will think of that moment every time he sees the photo. Love is an amazing thing. The love for ones children especially as we have moments with them is especially humbling & gratifying.

A little bit of everything! - Christmas Card sessions!!!

First off, I am happy to announce three days of mini sessions with Christmas cards And an 11x14! The Saturday will be November 7th from 10:30 am until 4:00 pm with fabulous downtown Raleigh as your backdrop! Monday November 9th & Wednesday November 18th will both be from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm with the pretty Lake Benson park as your backdrop!

Each session will last about 25 minutes and we'll take a few poses in the same area to give some variety and texture to your Christmas cards. Please feel free to spread the word on this great deal! Referral credits will be $5 for any booked Christmas card session you refer. All regular sessions booked will still be a $20 credit. Of course, our regular full custom sessions will have the opportunity to get their own custom Christmas cards!




The rest of these shots are all from recent sessions I just haven't had time to blog about!

This silhouette is soooo stinking cool. We were on our way to the shoot location when this great run down industrial site. On our way back we stopped her for a few shots. Love them all. Ladies who are preggo, it isn't all about the naked belly anymore. We can really showcase this special time in your life with so many cool shots. You'll see more of these later for sure!


By the way, my girl here is about 5' 1"! Doesn't she look waaay taller?


These guys were a lot of fun.


Most of my session pictures are the typical shot you see on my blog with the great contrast & saturated rich colors. A few families lately have really fit having a more vintage look to some of their shots. They have all loved those vintage edits too. I love this family, and we've really become friends over the last year of sessions every three months. It will be sad to 'only' get to spend the fun session time every 6 months now. We do get to have play dates though, which has been loads of fun.


The next two storyboards are of a brother and sister. I think they will look great hanging on the wall side by side or in their seperate rooms! They shared some cupcakes at the end of our session for some fun and messy shots.




The last two storyboards are of one of my pretty seniors. Her and I are both total chatterboxes so we hit it off immediately. There was this great bridge it would have been cool to get her up on the concrete cross piece. Unfortunately we didn't have a big strong man with us or a ladder! The small attempt we made at trying to get her up there ended up with my foot 1/2 inch away from a fire ant hill! Yeah, we aborted.

Reagan's senior album

Check out Reagan's awesome album! I'm so excited to be offering custom albums now. They are definitely worth every penny. When the album comes in I'll make sure to take and post some pictures for you. How do you like the page designs?

There is a small slider bar at the bottom of the slide show which will give you the best view of the album.

Sneak Peak Senior

Today I have an incredibly busy day with SIX shoots! I'm about to leave for the first one. Today also has the benefit of the coolest location EVER!!! I'll try to share a sneak peak of the place later this evening.

In the mean time here is a peak at my recent senior session. I just saved the photo up in Photoshop.

Marci senior 2010 - Raleigh Portrait photographer - Location Shoot

I had the pleasure to find not only an awesome spot while on vacation, but to photograph my niece, Marci. She is a super cute girl with personality as you will see in these pictures. Enjoy!

All of these presentations are examples of custom storyboards I can do for your photo shoot! We can make them any frame size with different numbers of pictures and layouts. The possibilities are limitless.

Senior photos & two announcements

Here are a few more of my senior rep, Alyssa's, senior photos. She is a talented and genuine girl who was a ton of fun. You may recognize her from the family photo shots a few posts ago. She also did an amazing job of getting the word out about S & G Photography the last two weeks of school. Maybe I'll see if she will teach me guitar when we both have some time. Sure. Right.

Courtney is my other fabulous senior rep. This was the second time I've spent any time with her. She is so sweet. She volunteered the first time I met her family to watch my kids while her mom and I went to an activity at church.

Announcement 1

Guy and I are happy to announce that, for a limited time, current customers, friends and our church members still have an opportunity to enjoy the pricing we have had for the last 6 years. We are so pleased you are our friends and customers. Thank you for your business and interest in our photography. We look forward to building an even better relationship in the future.

You have until July 7^th to book your appointment using the old rates; the new pricing will go into affect for any appointments booked after July 7^th. A deposit of $30 is due by check, cash or PayPal when you book your appointment. These appointments need to take place on or before 10/31/09. Please note that appointments from October 19^th to the 31^st are available in Arizona only. September and October are the best months to take your Christmas card photos, though summer photos are just as great to use for your cards and/or newsletter.

Our wedding price list is also in the process of being restructured. Wedding customers must book with deposit by July 11^th to keep your quoted rate.

Please call for the available appointments in North Carolina. There will be one day a month we are offering mini sessions (more then 4 people do not qualify for mini sessions).

The available Arizona appointments are:

Wednesday October 21^st

Thursday October 22^nd

Friday October 23^rd

Monday October 26^th

Tuesday October 27^th

Wednesday October 28^th

Thursday October 29^th

Friday October 30^th

Saturday October 31^st (only one full appointment (1 ½ to 2 hours) or 3 mini sessions (30 minutes ½ the shots) are available this day) location is The Pointe South Mountain

We are also very excited to be able to tell you about the wonderful products we are now offering! I can custom design coffee table books, bound memory books, storyboard prints, greeting cards, holiday cards, announcements, business cards, blog headers and we now host your photos online for easy sharing and ordering.

The new rates will be posted on the here in the next two weeks. I can email you the rates for appointments after 10/31/09.

Please give us a call for more information or to book your session today!

Announcement 2
Our Fine Art photography is available online for viewing and purchase. Check it out! All of the photos are available for purchase directly from the site. If you would like any designed with a custom mat or several designed into a storyboard let me know.

Shannon & Guy
S & G Photography {now Lifelong Impressions}
Phone 919-585-6433
Email shannon@lifelongimpressions.com
Garner, NC

Some Tori pics!

First, here is a teaser of Marci's senior photos. I'm looking forward to editing these today or tomorrow! She is so adorable. This will also be the last post with this photo format. I'm working on these really cool storyboards for posting photos on the blog.




My friend came to visit me the other day and brought her lovely daughter, Tori. We had a great time taking some fun photos of her. She wasn't super fond of the tub full of bubbles, but she did just fine. Tori also had the hiccups the entire time we were shooting her. Aleesha took all of the photos home to edit herself, but I couldn't resist editing a few and sharing! It's a good thing Aleesha doesn't mind.



I love her big eyes and poofy lips.


LOL. This one cracks me up!




I may have made this newborn cocoon way to big, but it sure fit a three month old well. Who knew you could get a three month old to sleep for some shots! LOVE THEM.


And is any baby session complete without a foot shot?


Aleesha says she is just as sweet as this photos makes her look.


This gorgeous ring was way to tempting not to take a few shots with it.


Another ring shot. Not sure which one I like better.


Super sweet sleeper!



Here are some of our recent family photos and a sneak peak at how the new photos will be displayed on the blog. The wonderful Aleesha took these for us! THANKS!!!!! We love them. I especially love all the candid moments where we aren't looking at the camera and the natural looks on the babies faces throughout. There are about 70 more awesome shots!