First, we have a winner for the 2009 Photo of the Year! Drum roll …………
And the winner is, Baby Evelyn! Congratulations! And thank you so much for everyone who took the time to vote and for all of your sweet comments. It means so very much to me to get your feedback, because that’s really what this business is about … you!
So much has happened this year, not the least of which was the creation of this little venture. When I decided to take a stab at going into business, I really had no idea what to expect. I knew that I had the support and encouragement of those around me {blessings}, and without that, I would have never gotten over my fears and insecurities. I have been surprised and overwhelmed at the response I’ve received. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined such a successful and satisfying first 6 months in business{blessings}. I want to take the opportunity to thank some really awesome people who have gotten me this far. First of all, I have to thank my amazing husband. He has let me bounce hours and hours worth of ideas off of him, he has encouraged me when my confidence faltered, he has helped me proof my website along with countless other documents, and he is the best business partner I could have ever asked for {blessings}. My sweet Emory, my muse, she is my inspiration {blessings}. My family and friends have also offered so much help and support – babysitting Emory during shoots, looking over my work, and advertising for me like it was their job {blessings}. There were a couple of other photographers (you know who you are) who really helped me get on my feet (and stay there) - they gave me advice, answered countless questions, and helped me with supplies and suppliers {blessings}. During these few short months in business, I’ve met a great group of photographers who are always willing to share ideas, locations, tips, etc. - they have been a huge help {blessings}. Of course, I can’t forget all of my fabulous clients. I appreciate the fact that they took a risk on a relatively new photographer, and I really appreciate the testimonials and referrals that let me know they were glad they did {blessings}. I hope that I will see all of them again in 2010! I also know that I have some “fans” (a Facebook term, not mine) who may be clients-to-be or just supporters from afar, and I value their support and feedback just as much as those I’ve met in person {blessings}. Last but not least, I must give thanks and all the glory to my God who has graciously given me whatever talent that I may possess, and the resources that have enabled me to share it with all of you {blessings}. Blessings upon blessings indeed …
I’m working on some very exciting things for 2010. I don’t want to reveal them all at once, but for starters, I’m just beginning the process of completely redesigning this very blog! I hope that the end result will be much prettier to look at, more user friendly, and a better reflection of what my photography is all about. I’m so excited about this!!! I’m also working on some new products that I’ll be announcing soon as well, so stay tuned! In 2009, I learned so much and really started to shape my style – both shooting and editing. I took a couple of workshops and spent countless hours experimenting, watching tutorials, and working on honing my skills. I plan to continue this process in 2010, and hopefully my work will reflect this effort to constantly improve and bring clarity to my creative eye. I am so looking forward to what 2010 will bring, and I hope that you are too! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you’ll continue to check back in!
Want to help me decide on my best picture of 2009? Hop on over to my Facebook page and look for the album titled 2009 Photo Contest. I’ve chosen one of my favorite photos from each of my 2009 sessions, and I need you to pick your favorite (or favorites)! You can vote by becoming a fan and leaving a comment on your favorite photo. You may vote only once per photo, but you can vote for as many different photos as you want. The clients featured in the photo with the most votes will win either a $100 print gift card towards their past session or 50% off of a full session fee in 2010! Voting ends at midnight on Januray 8th so don’t delay! And for all of you clients in the running, don’t be afraid to recruit for your picture! 
I’ll leave you with a parting shot of my girl from a month or so ago. Happy New Year!
This was my last session of the year, and it sure was a spec ial one! One of my very best friends from high school, Stephanie, and her beautiful family were in town all the way from California and asked me to take their family portraits. I could not have been more thrilled! Between the two of us we have three more kids than since the last time we saw each other, so we had lots of fun goofing off and catching up. It was a little colder than we would have liked (especially right by the lake, brrrr!), so it was a little harder to keep everyone happy and smiling, but we still managed to get some really great shots. I’ve also been experimenting some more with textures and decided to show some here. Let me know what you think! Thanks for being so patient Steph and Matt, and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! I so enjoyed spending time with you guys in person, and I hope we can make it out to CA soon!
More from this session coming soon!
Yes, this was a family session, but as you can see, it was definitely all about little Ellie! I got to photograph 3 generations of this awesome family in what turned out to be a very interesting session. When our outdoor shoot plans went south along with the plunging temperatures, we decided to try shooting indoors at Northpark Mall. Since natural light is my thing, this was a fun challenge! Luckily, Northpark also has a beautiful courtyard and my subjects were willing to brave the cold for a few minutes for some outdoor shots as well. While we managed to get some good natural light inside, I think I will have to get over my horrible distaste for all things flash-related and get a good flash for backup situations like these. Thanks for being so flexible! Enjoy your sneak peek!
Drew and I met up last week on a very chilly afternoon for a really fun senior session. We actually were at the location where I had my very own senior portraits taken, so that was kind of fun too. I’m not sure I ever fully convinced Drew of this, but as you can see by the pictures, he was a natural! He was so laid back and fun to work with – we shared quite a few laughs over our mutual love for the NBC Thursday night TV line-up. It’s good to know there’s someone else out there who will be sad if Community gets cancelled! Oh well, there’s always the Office and 30 Rock, right? I had such a great time with you Drew, thanks for sticking it out in the very cold weather – I told you it would be worth it!
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, I met this lovely family out at the train depot for some special “senior” pictures. Wade is a senior in high school, and Brooks is a senior in college! While I’m not sure that this is what they had hoped to do on their day off of school, they were troopers and stuck it out for a good hour and a half at a very busy location. I almost had a heart attack when I arrived because what had only been a few Christmas decorations just a few days earlier had exploded into “Christmas Land.” Gulp. Luckily, they left most of the best spots in the back untouched, so we were all right. Boy, did it give me a scare though! Mom and Dad jumped in for a few shots to wrap up the session as well. Thanks for spending your holiday with me, and I hope you enjoy your photos!
A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of photographing my very talented photog friend Erica and her beautiful family. Luckily for me, Erica understands how crazy busy this holiday season has been and has been very patient. You can definitely tell she is a photographer because their outfits totally rocked! Their very precious son was such a trooper with his big smiles and goofy faces … the only real challenges (thanks to grandma) were keeping him from playing with mom’s hair and eating all of the delicious looking acorns on the ground. I had a blast guys, and I can’t wait to get ours done too!
Yes, you read it right! I’m having my own little Black Friday special as a very big thank you to my clients who have made this such a phenomenal first half year in business. Through Sunday only I’m offering 50% off of one gallery wrap canvas size 16×20 and bigger. Email me at lindsay@lindsayhorn.com if you are interested. It’s okay if you aren’t sure of the picture number, I can help make sure you order the right one. This special is only open to existing clients, and orders must be placed by Sunday! I hope that everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving, and of course, I won’t leave you without a picture!
Oh my goodness, could these two be any cuter? These are two of the sweetest little boys I have ever had the privilege of photographing. Not only were they very well-behaved, but they were so sweet with each other. We had so much fun wandering all over the Grapevine Train Depot. From trains to racing to tickling, we sure stayed busy! Busy enough for them both to last a whole hour and a half without getting annoyed with me! However, they both assured me at the end that I didn’t wear them out. Thanks Mom and Dad for entrusting me with your precious kiddos! Happy Thanksgiving!
