I loved going through these sessions and seeing all of the fun families I got to work with last year. There were newborns, grandparents, pets, siblings, and best friends.  We had sessions at home, sessions at the beach, downtown sessions, and sessions in my very own neighborhood park.  We suffered through biting cold and stifling heat. Along the way we made great memories, created family heirlooms, and decorated a lot of blank walls!

Click to see the entire 2011 Year in Review Slideshow.  I’d love to know which photos struck a chord with you!

If you’d like information about scheduling a session for your own family this year, please email me!  I’d love to create memories with meaning for you and your family in 2012!  I’m now booking for Spring sessions, and will have limited weekend availability.

According to my little pal there are 19 days left.

The good news is that our tree is up and the stocking have been hung by the {sealed gas fireplace} with care.

The bad news is that I sat down and started making a list of all of the things I need to do in those next 19 days… Unfortunately not one of the things on that list is “relax”.  So I think I’ll be taking a little bit of a blogging hiatus here.  While I may not go totally silent, I won’t be posting on the usual Tuesday – Thursday schedule I’d been trying to maintain.

Never fear though.  If you’re still looking for a holiday gift certificate, I’m not going anywhere – email me if you want to make a last minute purchase.

It’ll just be a little quiet on here for the next few weeks while I make merry with my boys.  XOXO – K

I love these cuties from Happy Acres Farm.  I’m not sure who smiles more – the children or the parents – when I pop my little blue owl onto my camera, but I know it’s always a fun surprise!

I know not everyone can have a photographer standing by at all times to take pictures of the children at their cutest moments.  That’s why I love Your Baby In Pictures from MeRa Koh!  It makes a great stocking stuffer or shower gift for an expecting parent and is chock full of tips for capturing all of the major milestones in your baby’s first year.  I still refer to it for inspiration before newborn shoots!

People often ask me for camera referrals.  While I LOVE my Nikon D700, I don’t love schlepping it to family outings.  I worry about damaging it, and carrying the heavy thing around is a pain in the neck.  That’s why I’m so excited about my new iPhone 4S camera. It’s new large format size and all of the great apps available make it my new go-to point and shoot camera.  I’m so happy to be freed from the guilt of not bringing my “good camera” everywhere we go.  Check out my friend Beryl’s guide to awesome camera apps for the iPhone.  It’s a free download for fans of her Facebook page!

Ok, I don’t actually have these from NaptimeKnittery.  But I think I need them.  Does anyone know how to knit?  Hint hint!  I used a pair this Fall that were completely fingerless, but there was no point in 8 fingers suffering and going numb when only two were needed to do the job.  Now that I see these I’m definitely thinking I need a pair.

Finally, how can I resist telling you about Kelly Nelson Photography Gift Certificates.  They really are a can’t miss gift!  :)  Check out the details and contact me if you’d like to get one for the photography fan in your life!

Happy shopping!

I’m super excited to announce that Kelly Nelson Photography now has gift certificates available!  Your 5×7 certificate will come in a beautiful gift box perfect for wrapping and hiding under the tree.  Guys – I promise that the gift of a session plus the promise that you’ll smile and cooperate surely beats a Snuggie.  To make this deal even sweeter for everyone involved, if you contact me to purchase a gift certificate valued at $150 or more, by Wednesday 11/30 at midnight, I’ll throw in a $25 Amazon gift card so you can do a little shopping for yourselves!  It’s a win-win for everyone! (Updated 12/1 – this offer has expired.)

Certificates are available in any denomination.  Contact me today to purchase your certificate – either via email at  kelly{at}kellynphotography{dot}com or by phone at 703.638.9570.  If you’re reading this and thinking “Yes, this would be the perfect thing for me!  I just wish I could tell my husband, grandma, office mate….” go ahead and use the email a friend link at the end of the post.

Happy shopping and enjoy the rest of this gorgeous weekend!

In October, we had the pleasure of having our own family photographs taken by one of my favorite photographers - Me Ra Koh.  I am so thrilled to have these photographs of my little family, and I wouldn’t trade all of the stresses involved with it – from picking outfits to driving to Georgetown in the middle of a Friday afternoon – for anything in the world.

You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words?  This picture right here sums up our entire family dynamic!  This picture is the screen saver on my phone and it makes me smile every time I look at it.

All images © Me Ra Koh

I’m thrilled to announce that Holiday Mini Sessions are back!  On Sunday, October 23 I will be holding 10 mini family portrait sessions at Legacy Park in Brambleton, VA.

Each session will last ~20 minutes.  The goal of these sessions is to get a perfect holiday card photo, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to finish all of your holiday gifting in one painless session!   Included in your $120 session fee are three high resolution digital negatives.  You’ll have full printing privileges for ordering cards, giving framed prints to Grandma and creating a mug for Dad!  If you’d prefer, you may purchase 5 gift prints for just $75!  Any additional prints or canvases may be purchased at 20% off of list price.

Upon completion of your session, you will receive a link to a private gallery of 8-10 images to choose from.

Sessions will be scheduled back-to-back, so please be on time.  Morning and afternoon sessions will be available.

UPDATE- As of October 3, 2011, all mini sessions spots are full.  Please contact me if you’d like to book a full session before the holidays.

In the meantime, here are the things on my (in and out? yay and nay? good and bad? love it or leave it?) list for this week…  In lieu of a name, I’m going with smiley and frowney faces.

:)

Amazon Prime – two day delivery for no extra charge.  I ordered something yesterday for my first grader’s book report diorama at 4pm, it just arrived now.  One day delivery for no charge?!  Even better!

Silent Auctions – I have a package up for bid at Hillside Elementary School’s silent auction in Broadlands tonight.  If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by, place a bid, and check out my cool display!

Marketing Materials – I had these new brochures printed this week for the auction.  So excited about how they turned out!

:(

Jackhammers -  A crew started working on the street outside my house exactly 5 minutes into my little guy’s naptime (aka, my working time).

Weather - A week of beautiful weather followed by rain starting at noon on Friday and promising to last through the weekend. What a bummer.

Dioramas – Need I say more?

I can tell that people are starting to get excited for Spring as I’ve had several inquiries for sessions over the past few days!   If you are thinking of booking a spring session please contact me soon.  We just got the baseball schedule and I can already feel my Spring and Summer passing by in the blink of an eye!

This year, I’m excited to support their mission through their online auction: Bid for a Cure.  If you’ve been thinking about booking a spring or summer session with me, this is a great opportunity to not only get a potentially great deal, but also to support a very worthy cause.  They have a number of fabulous packages to bid on, among them, a family photo session with me which includes a free 11×14 wall print.  100% of the winning bid goes to support the Step Sisters’ and the fight against breast cancer.  The auction is live now through Sunday March 13th at 5pm, so check it out and bid before it’s going, going, Gone!

PS – to all you loyal blog readers: if you do bid please leave me a comment here on the blog.  If the winner is someone who also commented I’ll include an added surprise!