Clairissa Cooper Photography :: Dallas-Fort Worth Portrait Photographer

NEW BLOG, WEBSITE & GIVEAWAY!

2010-09-26T17:04:00.001-04:00

Clairissa Cooper Photography has moved from Georgia to TEXAS and so has the blog! Be sure to check it out and subscribe to the new one HERE.

Also, there is a GIVEAWAY on the new blog now through Oct 2!

Thanks for all of your support!

Change is a brewin'

2010-08-25T07:24:00.000-04:00

Big changes coming for Clairissa Cooper Photography. As you know, I've relocated from Georgia to the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area. New website, new pricing, same great photos of YOU :)

Stay tuned...

Kevin Senior Portraits / An Embarassing Note

2010-06-29T22:15:00.001-04:00

Remember way back when I promised I would publicly embarrass myself and post my senior pictures? I thought I could quietly side-step that promise until someone was quick to point out I had yet to make good on said promise. Let me preface these by saying that 1) Jelly shoes were in style back then. Not just any jelly shoes -- but HIGH-HEELED jelly shoes. They were all the rage in 1997 (gulp). And 2) It was 1997. 'Nuff said. BUT before I do, I'm gonna go easy on you and let you see the ever-handsome Kevin (aka my cousin) who makes 2011 look good.

13 years ago. What?! If only I could get those legs back.....

Last session in Georgia / Ally Senior Portraits

2010-06-26T10:26:00.002-04:00

Senior girl portrait sessions have to be one of my absolute favorite types of photo shoots. I mean, if you think about it, it's about as ideal a situation as it gets for a photographer. Gorgeous models who let you get creative and have a great time at the same time. It's always fun joking with the mom (or dad) who comes along and I can usually put them to work helping hold a reflector or fluff the hair :) Despite being a dripping hot 90-plus degrees (at least the heat index felt like it) at only 9am, Ally kept her cool and looked absolutely beautiful walking about 3 blocks worth of location. This was a bittersweet session for me, being the last in Georgia before our big move to Texas. If you scroll down through the last many posts, you'll see I've used the same location for many of these late spring sessions. Sad to say goodbye to such a fabulous location, but I think my secret was out of the bag because lately I've been seeing a lot of other photogs there as well.

Back to the beautiful Ally.

Ally Senior Preview

2010-06-22T15:11:00.002-04:00

Cheek Family

2010-06-20T07:36:00.001-04:00

I have a special place in my heart for this family. They have always been there for us since moving to Georgia over 4 years ago. I consider them dear friends and will surely miss them when we move. I'm sure my husband will also miss his 'bromance' movie date nights -- er...I mean guys night out -- with his good friend :)

Angell Family

2010-06-16T21:33:00.003-04:00

She is a piano teacher, among other talents. I was expecting conservative and then she brought out the shoes. Four inch heals and bright bubble gum pink. (You have to scroll down to see them. I'm gonna make you work for it...)

It was then that I knew we'd have an awesome photo session and that I was in for a treat! After all, it's THESE types of clients that I adore. The ones who aren't afraid to take chances. The ones who bring their personalities with them to the shoot. The ones who love to have a good time. And it was.

Wester Family

2010-06-12T06:00:00.022-04:00

Wanna know what happens to your photos after our super fun photo session? Two words. Lightroom and Pandora. Adobe Lightroom is where 90% of the editing magic takes place and Pandora is my go-to spot for inspiration while staying up late nights and making your sure your session is picture perfect. Depending on my mood, you'll find me listening at any given point to the Keane station, Muse station, Lady Gaga station or Black Eyed Peas station. Lately it's mostly all Keane. I'm seriously having a love affair with that band. I've said this before, but every session/family/client has a soundtrack in my mind that goes right along with the pictures. Method to my madness. I'll often be blasting music while driving on the way to meet a client and BAM! - inspiration hits and I'm full of ideas. Music and pictures are symbiotic entities.

Enough jibber jabber. Time to feast your eyes on the lovely Wester family.

Preyer Family

2010-06-09T05:00:00.005-04:00

I heart repeat clients! These guys have to drive quite a ways to get up to my neck of the woods. Just wanted them to know that I really appreciate it. They have two of the most well-behaved kids ever, which made my job ridiculously easy. It's these types of families that will make it hard to say goodbye when we move to Texas. Love these guys!

Bowman Family

2010-06-06T05:00:00.002-04:00

In a previous life I was a sports writer for a couple different newspapers. I loved the job and it always seemed that my writing was best when under deadline, or under pressure. I'm finding the same thing to be true with photography. You see, I always get nervous taking pictures of good friends. What if they don't turn out as I envisioned? Worse....what if THEY don't like it? As a photographer, I think it's so much easier taking pictures of clients I don't know very well. Not to mention, sometimes it's more fun chatting than 'working' and so sessions tend to take longer. haha. In the end, I've found it a good thing to be nervous. It pushes me to be better. Some of my favorite work has been while 'under pressure'. And, of course, I'd always rather see my images on my friends walls than someone else :)

June Schedule / Gibson Part II

2010-06-03T05:00:00.007-04:00

I opened up some sessions in JUNE! Give me a holler if you'd like to book. Just a reminder that I am moving to Texas and sessions in Georgia are extremely limited before we leave.

~~Fri, June 11, 6:30p~~
~~Sat, June 12, 9a or 6:30p~~

~~Tues, June 15, 6:30p~~

Thurs, June 17, 6:30p

~~Fri, June 18, 6:30p~~

Sat, ~~June 19, 9a~~ or 6:30p

And here's some more of the fabulous Gibson fam. There were so many images I loved, I had to share more.

Watch Him Grow

2010-05-31T05:00:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you are enjoying your long weekend and are able to spend it with family and loved ones. As for me, I'm currently hangin on the beach in lovely Hilton Head, South Carolina.

I've had the pleasure of photographing Charlie every three months since he turned six months old. Check out how this adorable little man has grown!

His parents were the first clients to take advantage of my MINI SESSIONS, which are great way to get professional milestone pictures of your ever-growing children at an awesome rate!

Six Months

Nine Months

One Year (with older siblings, too...)

Gibson Family

2010-05-28T21:32:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite sessions ever.

Cat's Outta the Bag

2010-05-22T21:19:00.005-04:00

Drum roll.......

Clairissa Cooper Photography is moving to Dallas, Texas!

I don't know exactly when this will happen, as there are a LOT of details to work out. Possibly sometime this summer, but as late as fall. This is why I have not added any extra dates until I have a better grasp on our schedule here in Georgia. We've literally been living in limbo land since March, when we first found out this was a possibility. But after about two months of figuring things out, it looks like it is happening. So sadly, I will have to bid adieu to my wonderful Georgia clients. As I said before, if you are interested in a shoot, I will likely still be working through parts of June. I will post dates as they become available, so please keep checking the blog.

And if you live in the Dallas area and are interested in a shoot, I will let you know when I'm available as soon as we get settled - definitely sometime this year.

Thanks for your support and understanding. This is a big change for our family and a lot of emotions involved. All in all, it's a positive move for us - closer to family and a promotion. Definitely bittersweet as we've grown to love the Atlanta area in our four years here and made so many dear friends.

OH! And I wanted to let you know I have a last second opening for this TUESDAY, the 25th @ 6pm. Anyone? BOOKED.

Don't be sad. Here is little one-year-old Charlie to help cheer you up.

Schedule / All Booked

2010-05-21T17:12:00.008-04:00

Well, that's it, folks! I am all booked up through the end of the month. I may add some dates in June, but need to work a few things out with the schedule before I release those. The good news is that I have been able to postpone closing shop for a bit longer, extending perhaps two weeks in June. The reason I am temporarily closing for business (which I haven't said the reason why on this blog, so don't scroll down looking for the answer. haha), isn't affecting anything yet and so I can be flexible with a bit more work this summer. If you are interested in a photo shoot, go ahead and send me an email or give me a call. There is a chance I may be able to squeeze you in :) But as of right now, I don't have anything available. Check back in a week -- or two.

xoxo.

Let the summer begin!!

Gibson Sneak Peak

2010-05-19T10:18:00.002-04:00

There's a first for everything and this happened to be my first photo shoot with a horse! And what a great horse/client he was. Phantom is his name and he happens to reside on one of the most amazing properties I've ever been privy to photograph on. Many more images to come with this black beauty, and also with the gorgeous family that claims him.

One Month Old Adelaide

2010-05-17T22:49:00.001-04:00

Why is this baby so beautiful? Maybe it's because she's related to ME. haha. jk. She's definitely got her looks from her gorgeous mother and my handsome cousin, her father.

Baby Talhon + Mom

2010-05-16T21:23:00.000-04:00

New Schedule

2010-05-14T18:22:00.005-04:00

~~Sat, May 15, 9;30a~~
~~Tues, May 18, 5:30p~~

~~Fri, May 21, 5:30p~~

Sat, May 22, 4pm, ~~5:30p~~
~~Thursday, May 27, 5:30p~~

~~Fri, May 28, 5:30p~~

This is all that is left before I close for business (for the summer). Just a few sessions left. Call or email to book.

Cheri Senior Session

2010-05-07T22:49:00.005-04:00

This post should really be titled MODEL shoot. This girl has it all - looks, talent, personality. She knew how to work the camera and it really was a lot of fun hanging out with her and trying to capture what she was going for in her senior portrait -- something unique and sassy. There were times when I felt that I was shooting for a fashion magazine. She was so natural behind the camera, despite her dads snarky remarks behind the scenes (just kidding, dad... you were great to have around, too. We needed someone to carry all that heavy furniture!) This girl is the real deal.

Pure eye candy.

Thanks again, Cheri! Any opportunity to work with you again would be a dream :)

Revised Schedule

2010-04-28T09:55:00.008-04:00

Here is the updated schedule of open dates through the end of May. As a reminder, Clairissa Cooper Photography will be temporarily closing for business May 30.

Sat, May 8, 4:00p, ~~5:30p~~
~~Tues, May 11, 5:30p~~

Fri, May 14, 5:30p

~~Sat, May 15, 9;30a~~
Tues, May 18, 5:30p
Fri, May 21, ~~5:30p~~
Sat, May 22, 4pm, ~~5:30p~~

~~Fri, May 28, 5:30p~~ (dates on hold til further notice)

~~Sat, May 29, 9:30a, 4:00p, 5:30p~~

Cheri Preview

2010-04-27T13:11:00.000-04:00

There is no debating the fact that this girl is GORGEOUS. I don't believe it's possible to take a bad picture of her. Lucky me! This is a small taste of her senior pictures. More to come!

Leave of absence

2010-04-22T14:40:00.016-04:00

Clairissa Cooper Photography will be *temporarily* closing its doors, starting May 30 until further notice. Don't worry....I will be back! But due to some unforeseen life issues that are happening, I am only accepting a limited amount of sessions between now and May 29. Sorry to be all vague and elusive. All is well. Just need to take care of some personal items first and foremost. If you are interested in booking with me, NOW NOW NOW is the time to do it.

Here is all that is left, folks. Once the dates/times are gone, they are GONE. As there are limited dates available, I am requiring a $100 deposit to secure your slot. I will not hold any dates until a deposit is made. Thanks!

~~Fri, April 23, 5:30p~~

Sat, April 24, ~~4:15p~~, 5:30p
Fri, April 30, 5:30p

Sat, May 1, 9:30a, 4:00p, 5:30p

~~Fri, May 7, 5:30p~~

Sat, May 8, 4:00p, ~~5:30p~~

Fri, May 14, 5:30p

Sat, May 15, 9;30a

New Direction and COOKIES!

2010-04-16T22:07:00.004-04:00

So here's the thing. I've been a lazy blogger and just not posting photos on my PHOTO BLOG like I should. Photography is a passion of mine, but at this point in my life, it's a part-time passion. To be honest, I do so much MORE than just take pictures. Duh, right? I wanted to start sharing with all of you some other dimensions of my life. Shake up the blog a bit. Still post photos from sessions, but also show you some other things about me. So here it goes...

One thing you may or may not know about me is my obsession with all things healthy. I love trying new recipes to healthify my family. And be careful asking me about it because I could go on and on and on about FOOD and its affect on our bodies.

My latest find is a hybrid recipe -- one I adapted with my own ideas from The Feel Good Cookbook by Jonnell West Francis.

Fruit Sweetened Peanut Butter Cookies

(please excuse the point and shoot photo, taken in bad lighting and without any thought to creativity. GASP!!!)

1 cup white grape juice concentrate (make sure it's 100% juice)
2 egg flax seed substitute**
1/2 cup all-natural unsweetened applesauce
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients. Form into balls and then press flat with a fork and bake 15 minutes at 250 degrees. Optional: I sprinkled raw sugar on top of half of the batch of cookies before sticking them into the oven to keep my husband from whining that these were not sweet enough.

Egg Substitute
**Mix 3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon ground flax seed until thick and creamy = one egg. This recipe calls for two eggs, so 6 tablespoons water mixed with 2 tablespoons ground flax seed.

Are you kidding me? No sugar, no butter, no oil, no eggs and I'm calling this a cookie!! Yes, you will have to let go of your preconceived notions of what a peanut butter cookie is -- crunchy, super sweet. These are subtly sweet and soft, but definitely tasty. It will satisfy your sweet tooth and you won't have to feel guilty about it.

Grad Announcement

2010-03-31T20:04:00.002-04:00

Remember him? Well, he's graduating. And in style, I must say. I'm really loving how his grad announcement turned out. I don't really "advertise" that I do announcements. But I do. Custom ones, too. Contact me and I can give you the lo-down on all your fabulous options.

Other Blog

2010-03-29T14:42:00.002-04:00

Check out the collaborative craft project I'm privileged to be apart of, along with five other lovely ATL gals -- Craftalicious!

You can even learn how to make stuff like this!

Now Through May

2010-03-16T14:43:00.004-04:00

Now booking through May 15!
(p.s. sold my camera ... thanks for your interest!)

Camera for Sale!

2010-03-14T20:12:00.002-04:00

Selling my beloved Konica Minolta 5D with all of my lenses, flash, etc. Let me know if you're interested. Check out the link below for a bunch of pictures and all the juicy details. Also willing to sell pieces of the set separately (this will go fast!).

http://konicaminolta5d.blogspot.com/

Q&A ... finally!

2010-03-04T13:29:00.019-05:00

Sorry for the long blog hiatus. Here is my first question and answer session on photography! This was a lot of fun so f you have a question that wasn't answered here, feel free to ask in the comments section and I'll answer it in the next round of Q&As :)

Sara said: How the heck do you get good photos of a newborn? I can't seem to figure out the right angles or lighting, etc. Obviously I don't have quality camera equipment, but I thought maybe you'd have some little tips?

While good equipment definitely makes a difference on many levels, there are still some great ways to get good looking photos of newborns on a point and shoot camera. First, LIGHT. Natural daylight is always the most flattering. When indoors, position the baby where you have lots of windows. Turn off your flash. On point and shoots, they are usually on automatic flash and will often fire when they don't need to. Turn it off to get a more natural looking photo. Next, play with the settings on your camera. Auto can only do so much. Switch it to the 'kids and pets' setting, where your shutter speed will be increased so you don't get any blur. If you have ample natural light, the faster shutter speed should work wonders.

For those that want to get brave with their P&S camera, switch to aperture priority mode (usually A mode) or even full manual mode and lower your aperture as low as it will go. That will help to give you a nice background blur on close ups. For good ideas on angles, posing, etc, just check out your fav photographer blogs and see what they are doing. Other blogs can be a great source of inspiration! When all else fails, play with the editing software your camera or computer came with. They will usually have an auto adjust setting that can brighten your colors. Also, adding a vignette is a nice effect to highlight your subject.

D said: I like the effect where the edges of the photo are darkened to help the subject of the photo pop out a little more (like the two shots of the Hill Family in front of that garage door). I assume that you do that in photoshop after the photo is taken, and you possible enhance the colours as well.

I wonder, how much of that effect comes from the original camera settings, and how much you are getting from retouching? Can you post up a "before and after" of a retouch job and an overview of the steps you took?

I have come up with my own methods, but I am no expert and I really like the results you get.

Yes, the effect where the edges of a photo are darkened is called applying a vignette. I do that in post processing once I'm sitting on my computer and editing photos. Sometimes I do this in Adobe Lightroom with a preset or it can also be done in photoshop. If you have a mac, iphoto has a good vignette setting. Most basic editing software has that option. I often apply the vignette more than once to make a photo extra moody or to really highlight the subject. If you do have photoshop CS or elements, I did a quick google search and found a bunch of free vignette actions you can download for free here.

Ok, so before I show you a before and after, let me explain that I am a huge (photoshop) action junkie. I have purchased more than I'd like to admit and they save me enormous amounts of time as compared to how long it would take me to manually do all of those steps in photoshop. I have a good 'feel' for the actions in my collection so I can go to them, depending on the look I'm trying to achieve with my finished image.

Here are some before and afters of a recent 9 month old mini session I did to show you exactly how I edited the image. This is traight out of my camera with no editing.

And here is the after:

This is what I did to this photo, step by step.

1) Berry pop (from LilyBlue actions). Skin tone brushed back at 30% opacity

2) Honey (from LilyBlue actions). Brightness layer turned off
3) Twinkle Eyes (from Leah Profancik's workflow actions). Applied to the eyes at 100% opacity. Adjusted twinkle layer at 30% opacity

4) Edge of a star (from Jesh de Rox Colorshift actions) Applied to the eyes only

5) Web size (from Leah Profancik's urban rock actions) resized to 750X500 and sharpened for web

Time from start to finish, 3 minutes.

Another before. Straight out of camera.

Here's the after:

Step by Step:

1) Crop to 5X7 ratio (too much foreground threw off the balance of the photo)

2) Good Morning (from Jesh de Rox Colorshift actions). Sharpens and gives it that nice 'white light'. Turned off lighten layer

3) Sage (from LilyBlue actions). All layers turned OFF except the 'pop' layer, turned down to 33% opacity.

4) Edge of a star (from Jesh de Rox Colorshift actions). Applied to eyes only.

5) Web size (from Leah Profancik's urban rock actions) resized to 750X500 and sharpened for web

Time from start to finish, 2 minutes.

Brittany said: I like D's question. Before and afters are always fun to see and a learning exprience. I don't have photoshop right now and I'm intrigued by the whole thing with the "actions" and I would love to be able to use them. I've seen before and afters with them, but I kind of don't get it. Do you just push a button and the whole picture changes? Also you do a great job with making the eyes stand out, do you have tips for that? I love your mad skills. You know you have them. When I thought you were coming out here I was going to hire you to do family photos for me. wah. xox B

So actions are one of my favorite things about post processing and editing an image. (Lightroom presets are my No. 1, but that's for another discussion). They make my job SO much easier, because instead of doing tedious layer masks and repetitious tasks on photoshop over and over, it does it all for me, in the blink of an eye. As you can see from my before and afters, I don't just use one action per photo, I often use multiple actions, so if I were to do all of those tasks on photoshop by hand, one photo could easily take 20 minutes to edit, as opposed to the 2 minutes this one above took. To utilize actions, you do have to have Photoshop Elements or a version of CS. But if you do, there are a bunch of FREE actions to use so you can get a feel for them before picking and choosing any others you might want to purchase. Here are some of my fav free action sites.
ATN Central
The Pioneer Woman

So to answer your question, YES. You do just push a button and voila! It is rare, however, that I don't tweak the layers or adjust opacity after using an action.

EYES! Ok, I use actions to make the eyes pop out as well. My favorite actions for those are Leah Profancik's Twinkle Eyes action and Totally Rad Action's Pro Retouch. If you have a portait closeup of someone, after adjusting the color of the eyes, I love to finish up with Jesh de Rox's Edge of a Star, which is a 'pinpoint' sharpen. I just run that and use a brush to go over the eyes and BAM! They stand out even more than before and become the focal point of your portrait. I've never tried to adjust the eyes without actions, so I can't run you through a way without photoshop. Sorry! You'd be amazed, tho, at the photoshop-esque effects you can achieve through just your basic editing software that your camera or computer came with. One of my favorites, pre photoshop era, was called ACDSee.

The Artistic Community We Live In

2010-02-12T16:59:00.004-05:00

One thing I love about the photography community is the share and share alike attitude among the profession. There is great camaraderie. Every photographer I've met has always been so gracious to share ideas and philosophies with me through the years and I, too, do my best to reciprocate. I think that philosophy spreads across many artistic mediums.

I have a strong belief that as artists, we should share our creative energies. Whether that is through your work, through helping another, or just through having an open and willing heart, the more you share of your talents with others, the more it comes back to help you. We are all inately unique, and certainly there are times when creativity melds into one another's work. But sharing those creative juices make us better artists, better people. If we could just open ourselves up and not imprison our artistic visions in a neat little box that we keep only to ourselves, but share with the world the things that make us great, I believe it will make us greater. We become better photographers, artists, creative thinkers. We build upon one another's thinking and learn from one another and grow from one another.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Don't let others tell you what you cannot do. Be inspired and open yourself up to allow others to be inspired by you. Don't feel threatened when someone else imitates your work. Instead, be flattered as those that imitate continue to grow their own style. Let us embrace and celebrate all of the creativity out there.

Most importantly, have enough confidence in what YOU do to not worry about what everyone else is doing.

Stepping off soapbox.

With that said, the next post will be the Q&A! I hope the little bit of knowledge I have to share will be helpful to some of you. Here is another creative slice of my life: CRAFTALICIOUS.

Some more images from the Arizona sessions. Enjoy.

Brother

2010-02-05T10:35:00.009-05:00

May I introduce you to Kevin. He's my brother. He's funny and witty, smart and makes the ladies swoon over his 6-foot-2 hot bod as a lifeguard in the summer. (Pssst. He's available!) Sure, I might have three kids, but doesn't it make me sound young to still have a brother in high school? I'll take it. More of his rockin senior pics to come.

Blast From The Past

2010-02-03T08:50:00.004-05:00

Not only did I go to high school with this beautiful gal, but I played BADMINTON with her! And if you know anything about badminton, you know that you and your teammates quickly become kindred spirits. Girls for life. There is some magical badminton bond that happens. Don't laugh. Ok, so you're laughing. But it's true. And the best part is that we used to be called the BIRDIE EATERS! I don't admit this to many people, but I actually varsity lettered in badminton and even went to state -- if I remember correctly, we lost in the first round, tho. We didn't have the money in our sport to get new uniforms other than cheap ol t-shirts(somehow we didn't generate the revenue that football did. Go figure), so one season we had to borrow old cheerleading skirts that were no longer being used. People may have scoffed at our sport, but we were legit. Anyway, good times. Good times. Even though it had been years since I had seen my old friend, it somehow felt like we picked up right where we left off, except this time she got to show off her beautiful family!

Did I mention that I miss Arizona? Cause I do.

p.s. Don't forget to submit your photography question for the Q&A here!! I will post these next week.

New Design!

2010-02-01T12:08:00.019-05:00

So what do you think of my new blog design?? I'm going for simple, easy on the eyes and a cinch to navigate. Being that I am my own design team, I don't know how to make it look good on multiple browsers/platforms. It looks fabulous on my 27-inch iMac, but then again, doesn't it make everything look good?! :) So if you could please leave some feedback, I'd be ever thankful.

On my husband's 13 inch PC laptop, the side border doesn't show and the pictures look stretched out. Hmmmmm.....not sure what is going on there. If you don't see a black, floral-type border on the side of my posts, then let me know. There are still some bugs to work out, I'm sure. Until I win the lottery (which I never play) or find a forgotten $1,000 in my pants pocket while doing laundry (so not likely) or join the paparazzi and sell an exclusive, never-before-seen photo of a celebrity being shady to a tabloid (ya, that probably won't happen either), then the self-designed, free blog it is.

If there is something you'd like to see on here, or something I could do better, or you would just to gush over my mad skillz (jk), I'd love to hear it! And don't forget to mention what browser (firefox, safari, google chrome, internet explorer, mobile) and platform (mac or PC) you are using.

Oh, and don't forget to submit a question for the the photography Q&A, too!

Hill Family

2010-01-30T07:00:00.007-05:00

Ok, so I realize I don't have many readers on this blog, HOWEVER, I thought it would be fun to throw out an impromptu Q&A. If anyone has any photography 'how to' questions, I'd gladly answer them and let you know how I do things. Then again, maybe just the crickets will be chirping.... but that's ok. Even if there is just one question, you'll get my full attention! :) You can either leave a comment below or email me at claircooper(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Anyone? Anyone??

In the meantime, check out this lovely family. Or love-e-ly, as my four year old pronounces it. She likes to stick in extra syllables to spice things up :)

Smith Family

2010-01-27T19:00:00.007-05:00

More of my favorites from the Arizona sessions!

By the way.....LOVE this family. Not "I love this family" in the "I'm-a-photographer-and-love-ALL-my-clients" type of love. But love as in literally. One, because my brother is a part of this wonderful family. And two, because my new sister in law is part of this family and she's a super cool chick! :) And three, they are all so great to visit with. We had fun romping around the desert and being silly. It really is a shame they have to live thousands of miles away from me.

Someone Turned One

2010-01-25T21:14:00.001-05:00

SNOW DAY!

2010-01-10T10:46:00.003-05:00

Let it be stated that it snowed in Georgia. And yes, we made the most of all .125 inches of it :)

From Paradise to the Arctic

2010-01-07T11:59:00.002-05:00

Yes, that's where I'm living right now. The arctic, otherwise known as HOTlanta. What?! It's true. On the way to taking my boy to school this morning, the wind chill said that it was 5 (FIVE!) degrees outside. This, after spending two glorious weeks in paradise, otherwise known as Mesa, Arizona in the wintertime. And it wasn't just the weather that was glorious, but it was citrus-picking season to boot. Perfectly ripe oranges and grapefruit, right in my parents backyard, fresh off the tree. I've never seen my children eat so many oranges. Hopefully all that excess vitamin C will help us ward off any nasty illnesses through this frigid winter.

From memories of warmer times...a pic from one of the Arizona shoots.

Bowen Sneak Peak

2009-12-26T09:41:00.006-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-24T06:44:00.008-05:00

May your Christmas find you surrounded by those you love.

Baby's first Christmas :)

Foggy beauty

2009-12-20T12:13:00.001-05:00

I have to admit, I was a *tad* worried before this session. What had promised to be a beautiful day in the 60s turned out to be a severely overcast, majorly foggy, dreary, misty day in the 50s. Diffused light, a couple umbrellas and a good attitude made it all work out wonderfully. And I love that the ambiance of the day gave the pictures their own personality.

ARIZONA

2009-12-18T08:44:00.007-05:00

Still have a couple times available for Arizona sessions. Contact me ASAP if you are interested.

Wed, Dec 23, 2pm and ~~3:30pm~~(MB)
~~Sat, Dec 26, 2pm~~(JC) and ~~3:30pm~~(KS)
~~Thurs, Dec 31, 3pm~~(TK/AH)
Sat, Jan 2, 2pm and ~~3:30pm~~(SB)

Sessions are $200 for one hour and include up to four people (each additional person is $25) and a disk of 25-35 high-resolution images along with a copyright release to make prints at your leisure. Your session fee is due when we meet, at the time of the shoot. I'm not sure the next time I will be in Arizona, so book NOW! :)

Locations are TBD, but will definitely be in the East Valley (Mesa/Gilbert). I will contact you at least 24 hours in advance to let you know the location.

Lake Lanier Lights!

2009-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Family night at the Magical Night of Lights at Lake Lanier. Miles of beautiful, huge Christmas light displays and a fun, albeit overpriced carnival. A shout out to my son's bus driver. On the way home from school, he told her we were going there that evening and she handed him a $10 off coupon. Later, we realized it was only good for "county employees" and an ID was required. Let's just say a flash of the ol MBA school ID sufficed. And another shout out to the awesome family who handed us their roasting sticks and shared a huge bag of marshmallows with us so we could roast over the fire pits. And the craziest part was when we were all loaded on the Ferris wheel and I looked back and saw that all of the electrical cables were submerged underwater below us. I have to admit, I did think for one second about what it would be like getting electrocuted while riding a Ferris wheel and that maybe we would since karma knew we tried to pass off the school ID for a county ID. Thankfully, we survived. But someone really should make sure those cables get out of the water! Gotta love those shady rides with the equally shady workers. Good times!

Preview: The Couch

2009-12-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Had a lovely session with a beautiful young family yesterday, complete with fog and my favorite couch :) More to come...

Burnette Family

2009-12-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

It was coooold. Like 40s cold and we survived. By the end of the session, I think my finger froze to the shutter release button and I learned that I need to invest in some of those convertible mittens. You know the ones I'm talking about? Where the fingers tips can come out while the rest of the hand stays snuggly and warm. Yes, some of those, please, Santa? Hmmm....think I could use it as a business write off?

Oh, and looking for a great Christian preschool to send your 2 to 4 year old? This fine lady in the pictures below, her name is Connie and she is the fabulous director at the Sonflower Preschool over at the Buford Church of Christ. We've loved our four years there :)

Burnette Family Sneak Peak

2009-12-06T23:52:00.001-05:00

One of the great things about Georgia is that even in December, you can find places dripping with beautiful greenery. Love the South :)

The Happy Couple

2009-12-06T19:14:00.000-05:00

The funny thing about these pics is that the last one in this series was taken a minute after their 4 year old daughter got hit in the head by a rock (thrown by brother) and ended up with a gashed, bloody head. We had the cut the session short and I said, "Wait! Just one more of the two of you." They got it together beautifully. You'd never know from the photos that they were in the midst of a possible ER visit-type injury... Phew.

Polaroid Love

2009-12-01T19:08:00.000-05:00

Highlights from our recent family vacation to Orlando -- polaroid style.

Not like you guys really wanted to see 80 pictures from my family vacation, but I rarely post anything "non-DSLR" or personal on here, so I thought I'd fill the quota in one fell swoop :)

As you can probably guess from the photos, we visited Sea World - twice. You just can't beat the ticket deals (compared to some *other* parks there. uh hem.) The kiddos loved it and my four year old daughter said from the moment we got there, that we just had to find the seahorses. It took until half way through day 2 to find them. And once we did, she quickly ran to the tank and insisted we take a picture. When she saw the picture, she let out a high-pitched squeal that sounded something like "CUTE!" I can hardly blame her. After all, seahorses are awesome.

Meet Charlie

2009-11-21T08:04:00.000-05:00

This blue-eyed handsome little man turned six months and we did a mini session to document that milestone. Mini sessions rock! Let me explain. Mini sessions are a 30 minute quick session of your child either on location or in your home. You will receive 10 fully edited images with a copyright release. $75 for one child or $100 for two*. You don't even have to wait for a photo disk to arrive in the mail because I will email you a link to instantly download your finished images.

(*more than two children or families are not eligible for mini sessions and must book a full one-hour session at the current rate)

My brain is fried

2009-11-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

So I woke up this morning, packing my son's backpack for the day, realizing that I had accidentally dropped off his school library book off at the county library. Duh. I called the library thinking it would be an easy fix, right? Surely the book would be waiting there for me to pick up and return to its rightful owner. Not so. About four weeks for them to deliver it to the school they informed me. So that followed with a call to the school library, who informed me I would need to temporarily "pay" for the book until the county's library headquarters returned it to them. Blah, blah, blah..... Who knew so much red tape existed in the library system? Alas, the appropriate phone calls made, checks written out, personnel informed, and all is right in the world again. Whew. Being a mom is a lot work. All I can say it that my kindergartener better enjoy his book on "Tanks".

Can't just post a random story without a photo, so here ya go. A sneak peak at the Hoopes family.

p.s. The jelly shoes/senior photo is coming soon.....

Jelly Shoes

2009-11-17T23:43:00.000-05:00

Ok, so when I was a senior, I took my pictures in a studio with big plastic numbers '97' (don't do the math, please...), a floral tye-dyeish shirt and jelly shoes. I did mention it was 97, didn't I? Yes, high-heeded jelly shoes were in style. Indeed. How I would've loved to have senior pictures like these. Then again, I didn't have as much style as this girl. She knew how to work it. Me? I knew how to lean against the big plastic numbers gracefully in my jelly shoes and too-thick glamour makeup. Yucka. Maybe if everyone plays the good blogger and actually comments, I will post the aforementioned picture with jelly shoes. Til then, feast your eyes upon the gorgeous Michelle. I posted a bazillion photos from her session because I could just NOT choose which ones were blog worthy. These types of shoots are what makes being a photographer the best job ever. Pure fun.

Gift Certificates + A Beautiful Family

2009-11-15T22:39:00.000-05:00

These guys were my first clients to receive and use a Clairissa Cooper Photography gift certificate! Yay! This is a fantastic way to think outside the box for your Christmas shopping this year and give someone you love the gift of a beautiful photography session. Something they can enjoy all year and beyond -- a gift of timeless art for their home. It's truly a gift that works for anyone and everyone. If you purchase a gift certificate by Dec. 15, I will ship for free!

Michelle Sneak Peak

2009-11-15T15:51:00.000-05:00

I canNOT wait to post more from this session. Oh the loveliness, the style, the hotness exuding from this girl is almost too much to handle. More eye candy to follow.

Spoken like a true mother ...

2009-11-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

Do they come any cuter than this? I think not.

Homan Family

2009-11-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

Once again, trudging in the back alley of Buford. Geez, I love this place for pictures. I believe at one point of the shoot I was lying on the ground and ended up coming home with greasy stains and who knows what on my jeans. Oxy clean is heaven sent. Also works great for boogers on the wall. Yes, I have a five year old who has reached that fabulous boy stage of wiping his boogers on the wall. I so remember my brother doing that...

Sneak Peak

2009-10-29T22:14:00.000-04:00

I have lots I could say... such as what a fabulous time I had hanging out with these folks. Oh! And that Payless Shoes is offering 50% off all their shoes tomorrow (Friday) via the coupon found on this link. But mostly that I'm very tired and sleep is calling my name. So everything crammed in my head will have to wait until later. Til then...sleep well, friends. xoxo

Arizona Sessions

2009-10-23T16:14:00.000-04:00

Clairissa Cooper Photography is coming to ARIZONA!

Below are the dates/times available. Sessions are $200 for 60 minutes and include up to four people (each additional person is $25) and a disk of 25-35 high-resolution images along with a copyright release to make prints at your leisure. If you do decide to book with me, please let me know ASAP so I can reserve your date/time. Your session fee is due when we meet, at the time of the shoot.

Locations are TBD, but will definitely be in the East Valley (Mesa/Gilbert). I'm open for suggestions, depending on the type of shoot you are looking for, but I also have some spots I know of that I like there -- an abandoned warehouse, various parks, Mesa Arts Center, desert/waterfall setting. Here are the dates/times I have open:

Wed, Dec 23, 9am and ~~3:30pm~~
Thurs, Dec 31, 9am
Sat, Dec 26, ~~3:30pm~~
Fri, Jan 1, 9am and 3:30pm
Sat, Jan 2, 9am and ~~3:30pm~~

Dancing Queen aka Alex

2009-10-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

So while I was proofing this session, I was listening to some ABBA. My husband and I finally got around to renting the movie version of Mamma Mia and ever since I can't get the songs out of my head. And was it just me or was Pierce Brosnan's singing REALLY bad?! It sounded like he was singing with laryngitis or something. This morning my husband tried to imitate his low, gruff singing voice and I couldn't stop laughing. Anyway, here is the dancing queen. Young and sweet. Only 17. Is she feeling the beat of the tambourine in these pics? Most definitely. Oooooooo ya. You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life. See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen.

(Sorry....couldn't help myself cause I'm a dork like that)

And lastly, some pics of taking the pics. Sometimes it's fun to see the process from a different perspective. Courtesy of Alex's beautiful mother, Cindy. And in case anyone is curious, the entire session was taken with a 50mm 1.4 lens on a Nikon D200 body. And it was my first time using my brand spankin new 32" photoflex reflector.

17

2009-10-21T15:53:00.000-04:00

This lovely lady turned 17 yesterday. And I happened to be the lucky one to take her senior portraits on the very day of her birth. One of the first things I asked her when we started our session was, "Are you ready to get sassy?" And that's exactly what we did. Posing, laughing, experimenting with the light. I won't mention the part where I couldn't figure out why my car was acting strange when she politely reminded me that I needed to put it in park. She's a smart one, that girl is. Beautiful, too. Lots more of her to come. For now, a preview that I immediately fell in love with. Doesn't it epitomize what 17 is all about? Letting your hair loose. Basking in carefree happiness. Enjoying your last days of childhood while embracing all that life is ready to offer you. Truly a beautiful time.

Nogales Family

2009-10-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

Can I just post all the pics from their entire session? I love them so. I guess that would be presumptuous, not to mention take up a lot of time scrolling and scrolling and frankly the end of my index finger can only take so much mouse scrolling before it starts getting carpal tunnel (can fingers get carpal tunnel?!)

I also wanted to note that I only have a few sessions left open through the end of the year. Not sure if the little birdie got around to everyone to spread the news, but since having a third little munchkin (now crawling EVERYwhere), my husband is also back in school getting his MBA. Then there's the typical suburban mom-of-three activities I've taken on like soccer practices and games, volunteering in church, and the all-important ROOM mom. Time is not something we take lightly in these parts. So long story short, I'm not accepting as many clients this year as I have in the past. Busy, busy. Moral of the story: Don't procrastinate booking your session if you're wanting pictures before Christmas. Once those last slots are gone, then it's see ya in 2010.

Some of my favorites from this lovely family.

4-Peat

2009-10-13T22:40:00.000-04:00

Here they are....the official recipients of the prestigious '2009 Client of the Year' Award. How did they win such a coveted award, you might ask? These guys are repeat clients times FOUR. Talk about loyalty! And I love LOVE that they are always open to new ideas. Like sassy poses where they have to stretch their bodies across filthy, chalk and dirt-dusted stairs. And we have lots of fun during our shoots ... well, it's actually mostly me just making a fool of myself. But it's all good. Here's to {hopefully} many more shoots to come. For now...a sneak peak.

On Krog and Beyond ...

2009-10-06T20:51:00.000-04:00

How have I lived in Atlanta (well, north suburb...) for over three years and NEVER done a photo shoot at Krog street (and vicinity) before? This place had it all. Crumbling brick walls, graffiti galore, walls every color of the rainbow. All the ghetto-ness one needs to take fabulous pictures. We even brought our own police officer along with us in case things got a little too ghetto. Really....if you ever get pulled over by an officer Davidson, just tell him you loooved his family pictures and maybe he'll let you off the hook :)

My fav shots of the day, tho, were taken as we were walking back to our cars and spotted a small park with a patch of grass and the sun glowing behind. It was stunning. Except for the 20 mosquito bites I came home with. I'm still itching...

Blog Bling

2009-10-01T10:59:00.009-04:00

Blog buttons are all the rage and so if you would like to jump the BBB (blog button bandwagon) with me, I'd be honored if you considered one of my buttons blog worthy.

To display this image, copy and paste the following code into your site:

My Life

2009-09-19T11:35:00.000-04:00

"My life feels like a book left out on the porch, the wind blows the pages faster and faster, turning always toward a new chapter faster than I can stop and read it."

-- "These Is My Words" by Nancy Turner, page 365

Paradise

2009-09-09T08:56:00.000-04:00

First two photos by Justin. Last two by me :)
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina aka one of my favorite places in the world...

Hilton Head Island, SC

2009-09-08T16:58:00.000-04:00

On Vacation!

Princess.

2009-09-01T22:02:00.000-04:00

M.I.A.

2009-09-01T21:49:00.000-04:00

I realize I was "missing in action" for quite some time. Here are some highlights from a couple sessions that got lost in the shuffle this summer ...

Preyer Fam

2009-08-30T20:28:00.000-04:00

Oliver

2009-08-30T20:04:00.000-04:00

Holland / Stewart Wedding

2009-08-18T10:01:00.000-04:00

No Excuses

2009-08-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

Ok, ok.....no more excuses. I will start posting more. Promise. And for the one person who probably still checks this once in a while, thanks for sticking with me. Life's been throwing me some curve balls this past year and I'm just now starting to find my way again. Slowly but surely.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You!

2009-06-04T07:16:00.000-04:00

So I know this sad, sad little photo blog has been wasting by the wayside for far too long. It's been deleted, redesigned, restarted, redone, only to die once again. HOWEVER, plans are in the works to make this better than ever. This blog will be taking a new direction that will breath life into this little corner of the web. Stay tuned.

Megan + Cony, Part 2

2009-04-19T23:21:00.000-04:00

Megan + Cony

2009-04-12T22:23:00.000-04:00

Aren't they adorable? Great looking couple, I tell ya. This is the second time I've had the privilege of working with these beautiful people and I was lucky enough to share their special day with them. More to come.

Cousin Shoot

2009-03-29T21:24:00.000-04:00

These children were a joy. I mean, it's not easy having a big ol camera pointed right at your face while three women make crazy sounds and gestures to get your attention, but these kids took it all in stride. It might have had something to do with the bubble machine, tick tacs, rattles, blankets, puppets, pez dispenser and other tricks up our sleeves that finally convinced them to smile :)

Ashby Preview

2009-03-27T10:29:00.000-04:00

Seven month old Ashby.

Sister Part 2

2009-03-27T10:13:00.000-04:00

Playing catch up on the blog....one of these days I will post regularly to this thing, I promise :) For now, here are a few more of my sis.

My Sister Is HOT!

2009-03-19T22:45:00.001-04:00

Let's face it, living across the country from my family stinks. I often get homesick for my mom's yummy cooking, my dad's odd humor, the perfumed-orange blossom air of springtime Arizona, and my siblings who all live out west. But earlier this month we had a reason to fly out and celebrate - my brother got married! And in between all the family festivities, I squeezed in a photo shoot of my gorgeous sis. How did she get all the good genes?!

Back from the dead

2009-03-18T22:18:00.001-04:00

Ok, looking to breathe some life into this blog. It's about time, eh? For those of you who stuck with me through my photography hibernation, good tidings and sparkly fairy dust be upon you! I've been such a slacker ...

Let's see....where to begin. Well, let's start with this guy. He joined our family in January and has been my main source of distraction. He's a bundle of deliciousness all the way around.

Life with three kids five and under is an adventure every single day ... a wonderful adventure.

This guy turned five. I turned 30. Yikes.

Needless to say, business has been slow as I've been trying to figure out this new life of ours with little ones scattered underfoot, but with spring fast on its way, I've gotten the itch to whip out ye ol camera and take a few pictures. Here are some favs from recent photo shoots.

So I guess that means I'm back. Cheers!

GIFT CERTIFICATES NOW AVAILABLE!

2008-12-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

Can't figure out that perfect gift for Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's or any other special event? Give the gift of professional images that capture the spirit and essence of your loved ones for years to come. Certificate printed on fine art linen paper enclosed within a parchment envelope. Certificates expire within one year of purchase.

Contact me for more info.

On Maternity Leave

2008-12-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

Clairissa Cooper Photography is officially on maternity leave until March 1, 2009. I am now booking and accepting a limited number of spring sessions so book now to secure your spot. Feel free to call me at 770.561.6137 or email at claircooper(at)yahoo(dot)com. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!