Children and Family Specials Just in Time for Christmas.

Trying to decide what to give all the people on your list? How about something they will treasure instead of something that will be "re-gifted" or in the trash later. We are offering two great specials to make your Christmas shopping easy.

How sweet is your angel?

Sweet curls, creamy cheeks, soft flaxen hair and deep blue eyes that could melt the hardest of hearts, this little angel is a treasure. However, all these attributes often take a back seat when it comes to the levels of stress this little princess causes her parents. Deciding the best day and time to take your photographs and what clothing would look best to wear on that special day, are, in themselves, stressful decisions. Then comes picture day and all your best ideas and hopes for great photographs are struck down by a mere two year old with ideas of her own. You leave feeling dejected but somewhat hopefull for at least ONE good photograph to commemorate the milestone of another year. But here is where your choice in photographer pays off in a big way. The gift of seeing the split second where a true smile shines through, or that click just before a soft expression becomes the look of defiance, is why you can trust James to get more than just "one good picture". Being able to capture the light that makes the eyes sparkle with mischief is one of his many natural abilities that even years of training can never teach. Thus your hopes for great photographs are exceded when you view the images captured in the photo session you thought had gone as rotten as finding last weeks sippy cup filled with milk under the seat of your car. (Although, I admit that hasn't happened to me in a while, but the memory still lingers.)

Moving from behind the computer to in front of the camera.

Here is my first attempt at using my vision for baby photography. James has told me many times he would rather just stand behind the camera and let me do the baby posing but I've always let something hold me back. Capturing the tenderness and emotion of the bond between mom and baby has prompted me to study and find out as much as I can about baby posing, lighting and photographs from the best baby photographers around. Seeing their vision and realizing "yes, this is what I want to do!" has encouraged me to step into James' world. I was quick to find out that what I see in my head is not always easily transferred to what comes out through the camera. With practice and much patience from moms, I hope my posing ideas will become second nature and what I want to capture is transferred into great images. I know this will take time to learn and of course lots of babies to practice on.

Challenging Others by Stepping Up.

Whoever said youth lack motivation and ambition need to take a look at Kory Fayle and Tanner Bryant, two seniors from Arnett. Their story is told in the Thursday edition of the Woodward News. When a teammates sister is fighting for survival and faced with chemotherapy and the loss of her hair, these "youth" have taken the path of the wise and shown their support by shaving their heads. In an attempt to boost community support and prayer they have vowed to continue to shave their heads until she is finished with her treatments. When I read this story I was touched by their ambition and encouragement. It is so nice to hear of Teens actually breaking through the bonds of low expectations and doing great things for others.

This little guy just warmed my heart. Came with his mom and dad to order and just kept smiling and talking to me. It was so cute how he would peek around his dads arm to look at me. His little gurgles just warmed by heart and made me long for the days of first laughs and slobbery kisses. Thanks for sharing him with us Cayla and Bryan.

Our GRAND Adventure.

What could be better than spending time at the lake with your church family. We spent our summer vacation at Grand Lake with four other families. We were quite a site pulling out of town with our train of 5 campers, 4 boats and two jetskis. We couldn't have picked a better time to go, the lake was beautiful and the weather was great. During the day we would cruise the lake, picking out our dream house or going through the marina's and deciding which party boat had the coolest name. My favorite was I.T.A.L.Y. (It Tis A Little Yacht). When they weren't skiing or tubing in the boat, the kids enjoyed catching perch off the shore behind the campers and swimming off the dock. All in all, it was great to get away and relax on the lake. Now back to the real world where sessions call, orders are placed, bills are paid, laundry is piled and cleaning needs to be done. And thank God that we have a phone that rings, people that order, bills that are paid, clothes to clean and a house that needs dusted. -Raynell

Do it yourself project turns into quality family time.

Have you ever had one of those projects that you just dread. Well you're looking at one. Our new natural light camera room, which was supposed to be finished 6 weeks ago, is now completed. Our whole family passed up a weekend at the lake to finish this project. Isaac was the official "saw man", cutting and measuring all the pieces that were up against the wall, Ivy was the "strip layer", laying the pieces to be fitted together, I was the "glue girl" and Jim was the "tapper", fitting the pieces together to perfection. It took us two days to finish but the transformation is amazing. The kids both worked so hard and didn't complain once that they gave up lake time for work. We were down to our last section and Ivy says, "Mom, my fingers are red." Gotta love her, mine were too.

Won't you be our friend.

The last couple of days have been a blur learning about facebook and myspace. I still don't understand it all but I get so excited when someone wants to be our friend. Aren't we special! Here is the first of many senior videos we hope to post to our facebook. Enjoy.

Future Photographer? Who knows!

By qualifying in the state finals, Isaac was able to go to the National TSA Convention in Denver, CO and compete in the Digital Photography competition. He made it to the top 10 out of the 100 plus albums submitted, which qualified him to compete in the on site project. He had to take new photographs, crop and prepare them, put them on page format with a description of the process he used to make the final print and then go in for a personal interview with three judges. He did not place in the top 3 but, once all the scores were posted, we found out he placed 4th in the competition. How awesome is that for his first year in TSA. -From a proud mom, Raynell

Loads of sand brought lots of smiles.

Kids just loved the sand in their toes and the shells to play with in our annual beach special. James finally got to use the new camera room for these settings. It is amazing the difference natural lighting can make in a portrait. But it also helps when your subject is as cute as this little guy.

Get Ready for the Rodeo.

RODEO UP!

Rodeo Days are coming July 15th. Get your cowgirl/cowboy decked out in their rodeo finest and swing on by for photographs in our unique country set. Booking appointments now. Take advantage of these low prices. Packages starting at just $24.95

A New Light.

Some of you have probably seen the construction chaos in our front office. We are finally putting the finishing touches our new natural light camera room. We are trying to complete the project before senior season hits and we still have a few things left to do. These are some shots I took to test the paint color. Not bad for a monkey with a camera. However, I may be a little partial because of the subject. -Raynell

Time Out!

Have you ever felt the need to give yourself a time-out? I had reached that point where it didn't feel like I had an extra minute to spare for anything except the overwhelming stack of jobs that had to be finished. My kids had both left for a week at camp, we had a list of things that needed to be done yesterday and I was really feeling bogged down with all the things on my plate. Then my husband comes to the rescue. Our kids had to be picked up from camp in Branson, MO on Sunday, so he booked us at the Chateau on the Lake a few days early so we could have our own private Time-Out. It was wonderful. We had no schedule, no computers, no phones, just a beautiful pool, a balcony overlooking the lake and solitude. It was so nice just to be alone together. I have never felt so pampered on a vacation. But I must admit, it was wonderful to finally have the kids back on Sunday.

Summer Fun!

Children's Summer Beach Special is here.

This event has always been one of my favorite. I just love the bright colors of sun dresses, the cute swimsuits and the sunglasses on all the little beach bunnies. There are still some times open for this special, so call today!

Meet the Bunny!

Our spring Easter special booked fast. This year we were so lucky to get our bunnies from S. Pond. They are house pets that she has loved on and played with to make them the tamest bunnies I think we have ever had. She has dress up clothes for them and also takes Mr. Nibbles for a walk on his leash. There is one bunny that will lay on its back so you can scratch its belly. They are all so cute (especially when they belong to someone else). Thanks S. for the bunnies.

-Raynell

Spring Break Project.

Our projects over spring break have already been put to good use. Above are a couple of the new backgrounds I painted during the week. That's the best workout my arms have had in a long time. I'm just glad I don't have to paint like that all the time. There are some others that I have painted but I haven't seen them in prints yet. -Raynell

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Our plans of spending Spring Break at Lake Eufala did not happen as planned. Instead of a lazy week of sitting by the campfire, fishing and spending time with family, we dove in to several projects here at the office. I tapped in to my creative side and painted three new backgrounds for James to use in the camera room (pictures coming soon). I can't wait to see how they will look in photographs. Jim and the kids used the time to lay new flooring in the camera room and to hang a lighting system from the ceiling. We have one more big project to do before our break is over; a new natural light camera room. So even though we did not get to enjoy time away at the lake, it gave us the opportunity we needed for projects that we have been putting off for lack of time. Can't wait for you to see all of our improvements.

-Raynell

Got Bunnies!

Yes, it's almost here. Time for bunnies. You probably just received your flyer in the mail promoting our annual Easter photos. We have already had lots of calls so don't wait until last minute. After school appointments always go first. Also there is no school scheduled for April 10th, so keep that in mind for picture day.

-Raynell

Another busy weekend

What better way to spend the weekend than supporting your kids. Isaac went to his second TSA (Technology Student Association) conference in Rushsprings where he won 1st place in Digital Photography. He says in runs in his blood. He was so excited with his win since his album in the first conference was disqualified because of missing release forms. Then we were off to Edmond for a gymnastics meet for Ivy. She did so good, 3 blues and a red. (Blues=great job, red=ok). Her balance on the beam was great for every move except on one turn she lost her footing and fell. My heart broke for her since I know that is the event she loves the most. She is so focused on finishing every pose she makes it look so easy. Although it was a long day, I wouldn't have it any other way. Being able to support and encourage your children...priceless.

-Raynell

Wear Your LOVE.

I'm so excited about the new line of sterling silver jewelry we are now offering. I just received our sample products last week and they are already creating a buz. This picture does nothing to portray how well they are made. You will truly be amazed. Hope you see some of our pieces around town.

What a great idea for Mother's Day!

-Raynell

Imaging USA in Phoenix

Raynell and I recently attended Imaging USA, one of the largest conventions and tradeshows designed exclusively for photographers and imaging professionals. Over 7500 photographers and vendors attended this event January 10th-14th in Phoenix, Arizona.

In today's aggressive business enviorment, I feel that we need every advantage to keep our business as a leader in our market. The education and networking that occurs at Imaging USA has become our edge. This event has become the one "can't miss" education experience we have the opportunity to attend.

I attended classes on Senior Photography, Child & Family Photography, Web Design, Customer Service and Business & Marketing. Raynell attended classes on Marketing, Customer Service, New Product Developement and Image Editing & Design. We had the opportunity to study with some of the best photographers and business minds in our industry including, Ann Monteith, Ron Nichols, Vickie Tauffer, J.B. Sallee, Tim and Beverly Walden, Julieanne Kost, Larry Peters, Sarah Petty, Lori Nordstrom and others.

We brought back so many new ideas and are working hard to get them implimented into our business. We have designed and launched a new website and this blog, we have added many new product lines including Photo Jewelry, Photo Blankets & Throws, LumaView Displays, and leather Photo Handbags. We also trained on new software that will improve the quality of our images. I have been working on a new "High Key" photo technique and using some of the new toys I picked up at the show, including the new Canon 5D MarkII camera (the baddest boy on the block!).

Ray and I came back excited about our business and the photography industry. We are looking forward to getting all of our ideas put into action in our studio.
-James

James Portrait Design Recieves 2008 Best of Woodward Award

by U.S. Local Business Association
Washington, D.C., January 10, 2009

James Photographics & Portrait Design has been selected for the 2008 "Best of Woodward Award" in the Photographers catagory by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each catagory. the 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to reconize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association, Washington D.C.

How To Look Slimmer

We are always asked "How do I look slimmer for my photographs?". Well here are a few ideas that help you look better for your photos.

1. Color

• Darker, solid colors tend to be the most slimming. Our eyes are attracted to bright color first, so you will look larger.


• Try not to let your top and pants contrast to much. This creates a horizontal line at the waist, making you appear shorter and wider.

2. Pattern

• Large, bold patterns, such as flowers, checks and stripes will give the illusion that you are larger.


• Horizontal stripes are an absolute NO if you are worried about your weight.


• Medium to dark solid earthtones, black or gray, or even white or beige will be more flattering in a photograph.

3. Texture

• Shiny and sparkly materials will make you appear larger. Instead, opt for a matte fabric and add jewelry.

4. Sleeves

• Sleeveless tops will make you look 10 pounds heavier. Cover your shoulders!


• ¾ Length or long sleeves tend to make you look slimmest.

5. Fit

• Oversize clothes will not camouflage, they will only make you look bigger.


• On the other hand, clothing that is to tight will make you look larger too. Don't buy a smaller size just because it makes you feel better, you are the only one who can see the size label!

6. Jewelry and Hair

• Long necklaces create a longer line, and make you appear slimmer.


• Pulling your hair back off of your shoulders can make your face appear slimmer.

7. Magic

• Remember, all of our portraits are retouched and enhanced. We have some cool tricks to make you look slimmer, make you look younger, make your spouse look more attractive and make your kids look better behaved!

What is a Certified Professional Photographer?

When you hire a photographer, you want the best. Unfortunately, anyone with a camera can claim to be a professional. We use the slogan "PPA Certified" or "Certified Professional Photographer" all the time in our print ads, our web site and everything we publish, but what does it really mean? "Certified Professional Photographer" is a designation granted by the Photographic Certification Commission, the world's leading certification agency for imaging professionals. Being a Certified Professional Photographer is a great honor. Only about 3% of all professional photographers can claim this title. James Abram, our photographer, is Northwest Oklahoma's only PPA Certified Professional Photographer.

Three words categorize the select group of people who have earned the title of Certified Professional Photographer, Competence, Integrity and Stability.

Competence is established through successful completion of a rigorous series of tests, a continuing education program, and periodic critical evaluation to establish the consistent quality of their work. As a responsible member of their community, they are bound by the highest standards of integrity and a strict code of business ethics established by the Professional Photographers of America, Inc. Stability is evidenced by a minimum of five years of full-time, active involvement in a successful photography business.

You expect fine photography from a professional. You can expect more than just a picture when you work with a Certified Professional Photographer.