:: fall mini preview | {g family} ::

I had soooo much fun with this squeeza-licious little lady! She is everything and more. There was no doubt who was in charge of the photo session :-) It also helped that her lovely parents are the nicest, happiest people in the world.

:: fall mini preview | {k+b+k+m} ::

Can you believe all the cuteness??? Here is a preview of this adorable family's Fall Mini...

:: fall mini preview | {I family} ::

The awesome I Family and their faithful terrier. Thanks, J and R for keeping me on my toes!!!

:: fall mini preview | {G+A+L} ::

The best part of offering mini sessions every year is the perk of seeing my littlest clients grow up. Here is a preview of the beautiful G and her not-so-littles from our Fall Mini Session :-)

:: fall mini sessions | {saturday, oct 4th} ::

OFFERED ONLY ONCE A YEAR! Come join me for a 15-minute mini photo session. Perfect for busy families on the go. Five digital images to print at your leisure or to use on holiday cards. Please email me (leslie@binkiesandnoseprints.com) for more info and to reserve a spot!

UPDATE: Only 2 spots left as of this morning. Please email soon to reserve your spot! Many thanks!

:: Holiday 2013 Mini Photo Sessions ::

Yes! Believe it or not, it is time for the B+N {PHOTOGRAPHY} HOLIDAY MINI PHOTO SESSIONS again! I get very excited this time every year not only because everything is the color of orange, but also because I get to catch up with repeat clients (and see how much their little ones have grown over the year) and meet new families.

This year, there will be TWO MINI OPTIONS to choose from!

1) POSH MINI    | $ 500.00 (offered year-round by appointment)
30-min shoot | private online gallery | 10 digital favorites

2) HOLIDAY MINI | $ 250.00 (offered only once in the Fall)
15-min shoot | private online gallery | 5 digital favorites

The Mini Photo Session is a great option for families with young children and busy families on the go. Believe it or not, we could capture some beautiful, stress-free images in just 15-30 minutes. The fully-retouched hi-res digital favorites would be perfect to use in your 2013 holiday cards, or in holiday photo books as gifts to family & friends.

WHEN: Saturday, October 26th | 9:00AM - 4:00PM. The rain alternate date will be Sunday, October 27th.

WHERE: Outdoor location kept private for those who register.

HOW: Please email me or call 202.436.2825 for more details and to reserve a time slot.

Reserve your spot soon! Hope to see you there!

:: BINKIES+NOSEPRINTS in the Huffington Post ::

Happy Wednesday! Hope you are all enjoying a preview of wonderful Fall weather where ever you are!

Big thanks to generous blogger Jamie Davis Smith, for the mention of B+N{PHOTOGRAPHY} in her latest post on the Huffington Post. It is such an honor to be in the company of successful and creative people in the industry.

If you'd like to learn how to take better family photos for this year's holiday cards, but prefer a more personalized lesson plan and individual attention, please contact me for bespoke photography lessons tailored just for you. I'd love to spend some one-on-one time with you!

Also, I am now booking Fall sessions and Fall Minis. Please contact me for more information. Thanks!

Here's a shot from one of my favorite mini clients :-) :

:: iPHONOGRAPHY 101 | in the news...again! ::

Thank you, Jamie Davis Smith, for featuring the iPhonography 101 class in the Huffington Post! Read the article here.

Don't forget to call 202.436.2825 or email me now for priority registration!

:: iPHONOGRAPHY 101: compose | edit | share ::

I am so pleased to announce the details of my iPhonography class, “iPHONOGRAPHY 101: Compose, Edit, Share”!

WHAT: Join me for a 2-hour photo walk around town, and I’ll show you tips and tricks on composing, editing and sharing images with your iPhone (or Android) camera. Post your new and improved iPhone images on a private Facebook group & get feedback from your peers and me.

WHO: Me and 5-10 other iPhone addicts! (Android addicts are welcome too, of course!)

WHEN: Saturdays (sans little ones); Weekdays (mommy/daddy + little one).

COST: $95.00 per person. Paid in full at the time of registration.

The inaugural class will meet Saturday, June 1^st, 10:00 AM, at the National Gallery of Art. Rain or shine. Participants of this class will receive priority registration pricing of $75.00 per person. To register, please email (leslie@binkiesandnoseprints.com) or call (202.436.2825).

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE. Great gifts for Mother’s Day & Father’s Day! Perfect Parents’ Day Out for you and your friends!

I look forward to sharing my iPhonographic journey with you!

:: iPHONOGRAPHY | tips and tricks ::

As I promised in my previous post, here are some of my iPhonography tips and tricks that you may find helpful.

COMPOSE

As with any point-and-shoot camera, the tendency for most people is quickly whip out the camera and shoot from where you’re standing. To tell a better visual story, one really need to slow down and think about the overall composition and point of view from which you are shooting. Of course this will take more time to get a shot, but I can guarantee the results will be eons more meaningful and interesting. Try off-centering the subject (rule-of-thirds). Try shooting in perspective (foreground, middle ground, background). Try getting down to the level of the subject instead of shooting from your normal vantage point. Try shooting the same subject from different angles.

EDIT

Part of the fun of iPhonography is editing your images with the various apps now available for download. I primarily use the Camera+ app to edit my images. The app is full of options but not complex enough to make it tedious. Also, no one says you have to use just one app to edit the same image. For instance, you could use Snapseed to fix the white balance, brightness, contrast and other basic adjustments. You could then import the adjusted image into Camera+ or Hipstamatic to get the “look” that you desire. From an overexposed vintage-y look to a high-contrast urban look, the range of possibilities is endless.  Ultimately, you want a look that highlights and complements the visual story you are telling. Another way to give your image a deeper meaning is captioning your image with words. Like a piece of art, sometimes a title or captioning not only gives more meaning to the image by asking the viewer to think more about the image and look at it from your point of view. Some apps will also allow you to put different borders on your images to further customize the look and feel.

SHARE

What good is an awesome image if you don’t share it, right? No worries, there are apps that will help us do that too. Obviously, the easiest way to share is to upload an edited image directly onto Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or a blog. But if you prefer physical prints of your beautiful images, there are also apps, such as Postalpix, Printi, Postagram and Instaprints, that will print out your iPhone images (which you upload directly from your phone) and send it directly to your home. You could even create an album/book of your mobile images – great for long-term projects such as the Project Life 365 or an “a-day-in-the-life-of” project.

Want more tips and tricks? Or would like more hands-on tutorial on how to use your iPhone camera to its fullest potential? No problem! Starting in June, I WILL BE OFFERING IPHONOGRAPHY CLASSES!!! The classes will be small, so as to encourage interaction between participants and give me a chance to give participants more personalized attention. After the class, you will also have a chance to join an FB group in which you could ask questions, post your images and ask for critiques from me and your fellow participants. It will not only be a lot of fun, it will be a great way for you to meet other folks with similar interests. Whether you are a parent looking to capture some genuine moments of childhood, or someone who is interested in capturing the beautiful built and natural environments around us, this class will hopefully help you see the world through your iPhone in a completely different way.

CHECK IN HERE TOMORROW for “when-where-what” details on the upcoming iPhonography classes and early-registration perks!

:: iPHONOGRAPHY | how I love thee ::

If you've been following my Project Life 365 journey on this blog and my Facebook page, you've probably guessed my love for the iPhone camera. While I couldn't live without my DSLR, it is simply too big to tote with me everywhere. That's why the iPhone has become my everyday camera that I use to document my daily life and unusual adventures.

captured using the iPhone & Hipstamatic app

In essence, the iPhone is a point-and-shoot camera of sorts. However, the major difference is that once you've captured an image, you could edit it using an in-camera app, and share it with family and friends almost instantaneously. To boot, there are even apps out there that will allow you to upload the iPhone images and they will send prints or photo book to your home directly.

captured using the iPhone & Camera+ app

More importantly, you don't have to know anything about photography to start using the iPhone to document your life. All you need is some quick and dirty tricks on how to compose, edit and share. TUNE IN TOMORROW for some of my iPHONOGRAPHY TIPS AND TRICKS and AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

:: one-on-one ::

I've been thinking about offering One-On-One photography lessons for a while. So to test out my strategies, I met with my friend J for a mini lesson and to pick her brains on what moms (and dads) really want to learn about photographing their little ones.

J's little girl was our impromptu model, and she did a fabulous job :-) More details to come on the One-On-One lessons. Stay tuned!

For more photos from our mini lesson, please visit my Facebook page.

:: in the news ::

B+N {PHOTOGRAPHY} is featured in the Huffington Post! Many thanks to my friend and sounding board, Jamie, for this fantastic opportunity!

:: mrs. president 2008 | washington dc product photographer ::

Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign organization is asking supporters to contribute in order to offset last of the campaign debt. They've asked me to take photos of some of the memorabilia for sale.

My favorite piece which I photographed was the limited edition artwork by the late artist, Robert Rauschenberg:

There is also a beautifully illustrated children's book based on Hillary's childhood:

And this poster that comes in six different colorways:

If you are interested in donating to the organization or to purchase a campaign memorabilia, please visit the website: www.hillaryclinton.com

:: valentine's day cards | washington dc portrait photographer ::

What could you do with photos from the Spring Mini Portrait Session? Valentine's Day cards!!! Customize these B+N {PHOTOGRAPHY} luxe greeting cards with your colors, fonts and your child(ren)'s beautiful face(s)!

**get 5% off Valentine's Day cards & Easter cards (coming soon) when you book a Spring Mini**

Luxe cards from left to right: 5x7 Scalloped | 3x3 Leaf | 5x5 Ornate

:: spring minis | washington dc portrait photographer ::

Global warming or not, I love the spring-like weather we've had. High, puffy clouds (of the cirrocumulus variety, as my son reminded me today) on a crystal blue background, with the sparkliest sunshine...ahhh, life is good!

SOOO........let's jump start the Season of Love and Easter Bunnies with the BINKIES+NOSEPRINTS Spring Mini Portrait Sessions! Only offered TWICE a year, Mini Sessions are perfect for busy families who may not have the time to sit for a full Signature Portrait Session. Please see details below:

For more information and/or to reserve your 

SPRING MINI PORTRAIT SESSION

please click here.

**PERKS**

"LIKE" my Facebook fan page (& leave a comment if you please!), for special promotional codes

AND

"SHARE" the FB fan page link to this post with your FB friends for a chance to win a complementary mini session! (must be able to see the 'Share' on the fan page)

AND

Receive a complementary mini session if 5 of your family/friends book a mini session (total of 5 sessions)

LASTLY

Subscribe to my blog using the RSS feed and/or email by clicking on links below the posts.

:: typical washington weekend | washington dc lifestyle photographer ::

I have been a Washingtonian for nearly 30 years. It is such a culturally rich city. Sure, it's not New York or San Fran, but it certainly has its own distinct charm. Every 4 years (or 8, depending on who's in the White House), the city is completely transformed with the departure of the old and the arrival of the new. I like the energy, I like hearing different points-of-view and perspectives, and I like all the beautiful museums that are FREE to ALL. This weekend, I took full advantage of the unusually warm winter weather by happily snapping away on my iPhone. This is a collage of Hipstamatic, Camera+ and Instagram images that I took around town. Sure beats lugging around my Canon :-)

**'LIKE' my Facebook fan page for a chance to participate in the upcoming online contest!**

New 'Welcom!' image for B+N Facebook fan page

Online contests coming soon!

Stay tuned for a chance to win

a 1:1 mentorship!!!

:: new year's resolution | washington dc portrait photographer ::

As the saying goes: "If you don’t have time to write down your goals, where are you going to find the time to accomplish them?"

So here are my goals for 2012:

1. Expand my business to include clients of adult size -- engagements and weddings! For those of you who know me, you know that I swore up and down when I started that I'd NEVER do weddings -- not because I hate weddings, but because the enormous responsibility of capturing one of the most important days in someone's life is so humbling. So to start, I will be taking a limited number of engagement/wedding bookings this year. Please e-mail me for more info on engagement/wedding packages.
2. Create a line of Photoshop templates -- stationary, photo cards & forms/documents pertinent to a photography business. After working with my clients on their holiday cards this year, I am hooked! The products will include downloadable Photoshop templates that are easily customizable. Look for them in Spring 2012!
3. Start a series of workshops aimed to help moms, dads and/or aspiring photographers take beautiful photographs of their little ones. The series will include on-location photo sessions and in-studio workshops on basic digital processing techniques.
4. Start a series of editing/processing workshops for photographers. We will delve into the fabulous ins and outs of Lightroom and Photoshop -- I will show you how to streamline your workflow using these incredibly powerful tools. Many thanks to my fellow photographer and friend, JJ, for kick starting this goal for me :-).
5. And FINALLY -- I'd like to eat healthier to include more of the major food groups :-), and to spend more time playing with my growing children and taking walks with my aging hounds. And most importantly, to make sure I thank Architectdad more often for his support and love. XO

What are your goals for 2012???

Architectdad was finally able to take a pic of me (not without a big camera stuck to my face!) during our trip to Assateaque National Seashore this holiday season.