Stacy VanDyck Photography

Joelle and Jonah!

2012-02-15T13:23:00.000-06:00

Here are a few more from the twins studio session! I totally knew a newborn twin session would be a lot of work...but it was even harder than I thought. Coming up with poses for two different sized babies was a little challenging (and two different skin colors- Joelle was fighting off a little bit of jaundice, and Jonah was a nice bright pink color). Getting them to both be asleep at the same time was probably the hardest part...but just like every other newborn (except their big brother, who to this day, is the ONLY newborn I haven't gotten to sleep during a session) they stayed asleep for a good solid hour and I was able to do a majority of these shots during that time. Even with all the hard work, squats, and sweating, it was worth every minute. Interesting fact: pretty much every newborn session I end up with a huge pile of laundry from spitup, pee, and poop, so I totally expected at least double since this session was so much longer and their are two of them. But no, we only had ONE pee accident the entire time...and I wasn't PEED or POOPED on..crazy huh?

Layla and Logan-the birthday boy!

2012-02-13T21:21:00.000-06:00

Check out these adorable kiddos!!!!

Just for fun!

2012-02-06T08:42:00.001-06:00

We did a quick little mini session for my good friend last night. She is 38.5 (yes you read that right 38.5) weeks pregnant with TWINS who are going to be born TODAY....on MY birthday! Happy Birthday Fishes!!!

Keep an eye out over the next few days for lots of photos of these babies!

Chad and Ella

2012-02-04T22:56:00.002-06:00

Hadley!

2012-02-04T22:54:00.000-06:00

Hadley was not happy about her 3 month pictures from the moment she got to my studio, and her session took almost as long as her newborn photos. Lots of bell jingling and silly voices finally got us a semi happy baby for a few minutes at a time, at for a split second, even a smile. Then she fell asleep and was much more cooperative for me, and even let me do a couple of basic "newborn" poses with her. Oh, and she totally rocked my new Valentine pettiromper. :)

Grayson

2012-02-04T22:53:00.000-06:00

This little guy gave me quite the work out. He was my first newborn of the year, and wanted to be sure he made it memorable for me I guess. It took us about 2 hours to get him to sleep, but once he was asleep, he was like putty in my hands :)

Life Style Sessions Introductory Pricing

2012-01-08T20:32:00.000-06:00

Life Style Sessions Introductory Pricing

Valid January-March 2012

I will only be accepting 4 life style sessions at this special pricing.

Life style sessions take place in your own home. They are meant to capture the real part of your family. Your everyday interactions: Playing, laughing, snuggling, tickling, chasing, etc. Please refer to my website for an example of this type of session.

Sessions can be Family sessions, newborn, cake smash…pretty much any type!

$300

Includes:

upto 4 hours of session time

(1 hour of home staging, and 3 hours of shooting)

Private Online gallery for 14 days

8x11 Spiral bound proofing book with all images

(1) 16x20 & (2) 11x14s Wall Prints

(2) 8x10 & (4) 5x7 Gift Prints

4x6 flipbook of all images

Requirements:

Must have a home with a large amount of natural lighting (or at least one room where session will take place)

Lots of large windows

A house that is free of clutter

Modern, simple, or vintage style home/décor and furniture

50% deposit required, balance due at time of session (will be booking no more than 2 per month)

Home must be within 20 miles of Minot or Minot AFB or will be subject to travel fees.

Book your session by emailing:

stacy@stacyvandyckphotography.com

Hurry and take advantage of this special pricing. These sessions will be going up in price, and include less prints in a few months! This is an excellent deal-If you take off the cost of prints and flipbook, your session is almost FREE!

Declan!

2012-01-08T19:41:00.001-06:00

Declan is one of the tinest, my snuggly babies I have ever held. I am sure eventually it will drive his sleepy mama crazy, but I love how much he loves being snuggled up tight. I can't wait to see this little guy grow up....but not too fast!

2012 Changes!

2011-12-31T21:15:00.006-06:00

First off, Happy New Year!!! It has been an amazing year. I shot more sessions than ever before, and had so many new AND repeat clients this year!

Many of you know I try really hard to only change things once per year. I rarely increase my prices, and when I do it's because my overhead has gone up for whatever reason and I have to. I appreciate and value every one of my clients so much, and I hope you all can understand that I am only one person...so I am doing the job of at least 3 people on my own (emails, phone calls, shooting sessions, editing, proofing, ordering, packaging, etc) as well as running a household. And that is why I have certain ways I have to do things, so I can be as efficient as possible because I do strive to give you the best quality experience possible. I know that every time I have to change things or increase my prices, I do lose a few clients. It makes me super sad, but it makes me truly appreciate those who value my time and talent and decide to continue to come to me to capture their memories.

New:

Low resolution images available for purchase with a $300 minimum purchase or FREE with $500 or more print purchase. Low resolution images are NOT for printing, but for the sole purpose of social networking...such as email, facebook, blogs, etc. Cost-$100

I will no longer be offering full resolution discs for sale. I hate to do this people, I really do...but it kills me when I find out my images were printed cheaply like at Walmart. I tested this out for 1 year, and I tried to give my best reccomendations of places to print that do a professional quality job that is available to the public, yet people were still going cheap. Most pro-sumer (professional quality labs available to the public) are not as expensive as people think, and do not cost all that much more than crappy labs that completely ruin your photos that I worked very hard to make perfect for you. With that, you will now only be able to get prints exclusively from Stacy VanDyck Photography's professional lab through me. Your photos are an investment and are worth more than discolored, grainy, blurry photos printed at a lab that doesn't really care how your photos look once printed.
(I will still offer individual digital images for purchase, for those of you who need them for making your own cards and such)

I understand many of you were confused and frustrated with the fact that in order to print small format prints, you had to spend a minimum purchase first,and then you could add on the smaller ones to your order. I did this for many reasons, but mostly because I have requirements from my lab in order to submit photos, and if you just order a bunch of small ones, the order total is not large enough for me to submit to my lab. Also it was to encourage my clients to purchase a few large prints, rather than just a ton of small ones. Many of you were very hesitant about buying anything larger than a 16x20, but all of you who did, fell in love with prints and saw how much they added to your walls. I have decided to add back in small format prints to your gallery shopping carts. But to do this, I am going to be increasing my order minimum to $100. This means you will now be able to purchase 4x6s and 5x7s again, but all orders must be at least $100 in order for you to submit them to me. So, if Aunt Betty only wants 2 5x7s, she will have to add them on to your order and they will come with your order. She will not be able to place an order herself, unless it is at least $100.

Also, from now on, I will only be going to the post office to ship out of state orders no more than once per week. I just do not have the time to go multiple times per week, and it takes away from time I could be working on other orders, editing, returning phone calls, or family time. This means it might take a little longer to receive your orders. I do want to remind you all that if you are in the local area, you do NOT need to pay for shipping at check out. There is an option of "local pick up". This means you simple stop by my studio and pick up your order when I have notified you it has come in. If you are not able to come to the studio for whatever reason, I am more than happy to deliver to you, or meet you to drop it off. I appreciate you all understanding.

Now I am saving the best for last here....All of my regulars should love this :)

New Client Reward: I understand that there are literally dozens of options for you when it comes to photographers here in Minot. I understand that MANY of them are much cheaper than myself, and you might think you are getting a much better value by going to a new photographer that charges a lot less. That is totally your choice. But those who continue to choose me for their photographer will be given a FREE 4x6 flipbook of all of your images ($80 value). This means if you have EVER had a session with me you will automatically be awarded a free flipbook. You will not have to order it, it will come free with your paid session and print order! This comes strait out of my profit and is a thank you for being a loyal client of mine. This offer is good on any 2012 session!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season this year. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings!

*Update*

I realized just now I left a really exciting thing off my 2012 list!
I received a lot of inquires after I shot my first real life style session in late 2011 so....
I am going to be adding Life Style Sessions into my specialty sessions.
Life Style Sessions consist of me coming to your home for your session. I use the natural beauty of your home and your family to create photos that capture your REAL family.
An example of a Life Style session I did can be seen here:
Life Style Family Session
These can be Newborn or Family Sessions!
These types of sessions can last upto 3 or 4 hours, as they are meant to capture your daily life.
I will also have a few pre-qualifications that must be met in order for me to shoot your session as a life style session. I will be dedicating another blog post to the details on this type of session soon, as well as updating my website to include the info and pricing for it too!
Price is to be determined still.

Agreed!

2011-12-21T16:34:00.000-06:00

Rachel is probably in my top 3 for cake smashes. She was very happy about eating cake. She could have gotten messier, but she wasn't afraid of her cake like my last few cake smashers have been. She was cracking me up the whole session with her nodding yes or no to everything. The whole time she was eating her cake she was nodding yes in agreement.

This last one is sissy "helping" to clean up :)

Sleepy Diva

2011-12-12T23:04:00.000-06:00

Oh little miss Violet. She is just too sweet. She lets us change her into a ton of different outfits, pose her, and puts herself to sleep. She really couldn't be any more perfect. I can't believe she is already almost 3 months old.

Glowing Belly

2011-12-12T23:03:00.000-06:00

Is this mama not one of the most beautiful glowing mamas ever? She has the most perfect little bump! I can't wait to meet this little princess in a few weeks!

Miss Serious

2011-12-10T19:58:00.001-06:00

Two out of two sessions now, Miss Ava has barely cracked a smile for me. She doesn't get upset, like at all....but she just will not smile. Mom, Dad, and myself were all acting like complete idiots trying to get her to smile...but no. But that is okay, because she is still totally adorable, smiling or not. :)

more girls!

2011-12-10T19:57:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting to get my hands on my friend Katie's girls for a while now. They both have these BEAUTIFUL big blue eyes and long eye lashes. I have been having so much with fun with all the baby girls in my studio lately. A good majority of my outfits and props are baby girl things because, well, it's just way easy and fun to find girl stuff. :)

Dress Up

2011-12-10T19:55:00.000-06:00

That is what we did with sweet Noelle...that is until she was just not having it anymore. Luckily we got lots of great family shots, and at least a couple of her before she let us know she was flat out D.O.N.E. We had way too much fun putting all of my girly outfits on her :)

Too long!

2011-12-06T21:07:00.000-06:00

It has been waaaay too long since I have seen these guys. I can't get over how much they have grown. The last time I photographed them, it didn't go so well. Little brother here wanted nothing to do with me, being in my studio, or taking photos. This time he did soooo great and made it so easy! This is just the tip of the iceberg for all the great photos I got of them!

Sweet Smiles

2011-12-06T21:05:00.000-06:00

This family most likely won't see these photos on here because they are facebook free (I have to admit, it would be nice to be facebook free sometimes!). This sweet little girl is one of the smiliest toddlers I have ever seen. Anything I said or did made her laugh or smile and that makes her even more adorable then she already is. Such a sweet and beautiful family!

Boy's best friend....

2011-12-06T21:04:00.001-06:00

I got to spend some time with this awesome family last weekend. Their little guy keeps them super busy as he is full of energy! We had fun playing and being silly.

2011-11-25T16:16:00.002-06:00

We ended up totally lucking out for this session. Chelsea is one of my best friends and she said she REALLY wanted a few snowy photos now that the little bit was old enough to be outside and actually play in the snow. Well, we got that awesome mini blizzard just a few days before this session...after having practically NO SNOW at all before. And then, of course it started melting about a day afterwards. It was COLD...but, we made it work with lots of family snuggles to stay warm :)

So Many Girls!!!!

2011-11-25T16:15:00.002-06:00

This is one adorable blessed family, that is probably never bored. Even though there are a family of 6 (with only girls!) they were probably one of my easiest sessions. Even baby Katelyn cooperated and basically did some "newborn" poses at almost 2 months old! So awesome.

Change of Heart

2011-11-25T16:14:00.001-06:00

When this little guy showed up at my studio, he WAS NOT happy about it. I could tell that he wasn't going to make my job easy so we decided to just sit and play with cars for a bit first. I guess he decided I was cool enough after that, because then he was lots and lots of smiles.

Black Friday Deals @ Stacy VanDyck Photography!

2011-11-24T20:29:00.000-06:00

I have never done this before but I thought it might be fun to do a few black friday deals for my amazing clients.

These deals are only good on 2nd time orders, so if you have not placed your original session order you can not take advantage of these deals. (trying to make it fair for EVERYONE).

Please read entire post for directions on how to order...it will cut down on questions and get your order complete much faster.

Flipbooks-Buy One get One FREE ($80-$100 savings)

(4x6- $80, 5x7-$100)

Small print stock up! ($50 savings)

$100 gets you 10 5x7 gift prints and 10 4x6s

Purchase your image disc for $300 and get a FREE $50 SVP Gift Certificate

(good towards any session or print purchase January 1st-May1st 2012)

Any sessions that took place in 2011 may take advantage of these deals, but only after original session order has been placed.

These can not be added on to a package or regular order. These orders are not done through a regular photo gallery.

Orders must be sent via EMAIL Friday from 12:01 am-11:59 pm. Please refer to your proofbook for your order. If you lost your proofbook or you would prefer to have your gallery reposted, there will be a $25 reposting fee.

Please email orders to : stacy@stacyvandyckphotography.com

Please include all prints ordered and total including 5% sales tax.

Orders MUST be placed on FRIDAY and paid no later than Saturday...via check, cash, or paypal.
No rain checks. Only for new orders. Can not back date any old orders. Sorry, there are no exceptions.

(send paypal payment to this email: stacy@stacyvandyckphotography.com, or include your paypal email and I can send you an invoice)

Orders not paid by Saturday at 11:59pm, will be cancelled.

Peanut

2011-11-18T18:27:00.002-06:00

This sweet little girl is probably one of the smallest babies I have ever photographed. Big babies stay asleep better, but small babies are easier to pose :). She did great though once we finally got her asleep she was out cold. The best part...she lives just a couple doors down from me so I have pretty easy snuggle access :)

Life Style Family Session

2011-11-16T23:19:00.000-06:00

This amazing family invited me out to there beautiful home to capture their life with twin 3 year old boys and a sweet little baby girl. This session totally made me fall in LOVE with life style family photography.

LilyBug!

2011-11-16T23:16:00.000-06:00

Here is Lily from her newborn photo session! Look how much she has grown!!!

Hadley!

2011-11-16T23:14:00.002-06:00

Life Style Session

2011-11-15T11:34:00.000-06:00

I did my first out of town life style session last weekend for an awesome family of twin boys and a baby girl. I am still working on editing the session, but I had to get one photo posted for them on facebook, so I thought I would add it on here too! It came out exactly like I planned :D

Santa Belly!

2011-11-15T11:32:00.000-06:00

A few of my girls....

2011-11-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

I am sure most of you have seen the DIY holiday lights backdrop...

It is all over Pinterest right now!

I had thought about trying this a long time ago but I didn't think it could be done with my natural light set up here at my studio, but then I found a tutorial from another natural light photographer who did it.

I was very pleased with how the backdrop came out...it looks WAY better than a fake lights backdrop!

Christmas Sessions!

2011-11-13T17:23:00.001-06:00

We are full swing into the Holiday season...especially here at the studio! I am so excited so many of my clients are feeling the Christmas awesomeness this year, and wanting fun Christmas themed sessions! We have done tons of the "Glimpse of Santa" photos so far, and most of my sessions on the books want to do them as well! I do still have very limited availibility left for Holiday sessions, being mostly weekdays at this point. Studio hours right now are as follows (it changes through out the year due to light): M-F 9:30am-12pm & 1pm-4pm; Saturday 9:30am-4pm. Most weeks I am only be able to shoot a total of 5-7 sessions MAX.

With all that being said, here are a few photos from my most recent Christmas sessions!

Santa is here!!!

2011-10-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

You heard right folks....Santa is at Stacy VanDyck Photography!

Glimpse of Santa photos are available at no addional charge when you book a regular studio or split studio/on location session. Originally I was going to be hiring a professional Santa to come for a whole day and have an event, but since my turn out for events is not idea lately, I decided it would be a better investment to purchase a really good santa suit, with all the fixin's! This way everyone has a better chance of being able to take advantage (there are always people that can't make my events for various reasons). Also, this way, Santa can be Dad or Mom...less chance of your kids being scared! I have everything needed to turn anyone into an awesome looking Santa!

How to get glimpse of Santa photos:

If possible, when you book your session please let me know you are wanting to do this, or let me know as soon as possible so I can make sure everything is clean and ready. If Santa photos are the most important for your session, we will do these FIRST. If regular family photos are your most wanted, we will do Santa photos last, if there is time, and the kids are still doing well, so I will need to know this information as well. Most of the photos will not show ALL of Santa...maybe just legs, etc...to keep things a little more magical looking, which is why I am calling these glimpse of Santa Photos.

If you want Santa photos, but Dad is deployed, out in the field, couldn't get the day off, or not even in the picture...please let me know. My husband is willing to dress up as Santa for anyone needing it. We just need notice and to make sure your session is scheduled at a time when he is not at work (He works M-f 7am-approx 4:30pm).

I will be adding more sample photos of these soon!

(Gotta get the hubby to put back on the suit and take some more!)

Christmas sessions are filling up!

2011-10-07T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have very limited time slots left for the remainder of the Holiday season. I know it's hard to grasp considering it's still unsually warm outside up here! I also know quite a few of you are waiting to book sessions until we got snow, because you are wanting a Christmas snowy sessions. I believe I only have about 3 weekend sessions open still, but a lot more weekday studio ones.

As most of you have seen I have new holiday backdrops as well as a ton new props.

I also have a ton of fun outfits, hats and hair accesorries, so feel free to email and ask if I have something specific you are wanting!

Busy boy!

2011-10-07T13:03:00.000-05:00

I have been photographing big brother since he was in his mom's tummy still...and everytime he comes in, he is wanting less to do with taking photos, and more to do with exploring and everything else. This time didn't prove any different. Poor mama just wanted your classic, big brother kissing the new baby belly shot...but Mr. A just wasn't having it.

More babies!

2011-10-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

You can probably guess my favorite thing about maternity photos??? That's right...the fact that it means a brand new teeny little one will be coming to my studio very soon for me to cuddle! yay!

Ava the serious!

2011-10-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Miss Ava is another sweet little girl who is coming to visit again for her Christmas photos next month. Hopefully this next time I can get some smiles out of her!

6 weeker!

2011-10-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

This adorable family came for some late newborn photos and it couldn't be a more perfect day. Little Noelle even fell asleep during the end, at 6 weeks old! I can't wait to see her in a few days for her 3 month photos coming up, to see how much she has grown!

Catching up

2011-10-07T12:53:00.002-05:00

I did it again...I fell behind on my blog by about a month, so I am going to try and do a quick catch up of the last few sessions I have had and then a couple of announcements!

2011 Holiday Pricing and Session Info

2011-09-01T14:20:00.001-05:00

Here is a ton of the information you will need in order to book a session with Stacy VanDyck Photography from September 1st-December 31st 2011.

You will probably realize that my prices have increased a little, but there are many reasons for this. First of all, I have not changed my prices in about a year. Since then I have gone from about 10 to now about 40 different types of backdrops. My prop stash has probably multipled by at least 10 in the last year. My studio has been completely redone and a lot of time, effort and money have gone into making everything better. Better for me and you, my clients. Second of all, the holidays are my BUSIEST time of the year. The last 2 years, I have filled up and have to turn clients away or they have to wait until after the holiday rush is over. This year, I am expecting to be even busier than ever. I completely understand that some of you will chose to not have me do your Holiday photos this year because of this, but those who really truely value what I do, and the memories I create for your family, will understand that I put a lot of time, talent, education, and planning into your session. More money goes into running a photography business then most think. If you shop around for other photographers that actually have experience (and have been producing professional quality prints for more than 2 years. I am by no means putting down new photographers, we all have to start somewhere!) you will see that I am comparable in cost or most of the time, still less. Most importantly....I have to make the time I spend away from my precious family worth it for me, especially during my favorite time of the year!

Ok here is my updated pricing....

Holiday 2011 Pricing

$99 Studio-up to 2 hours

$125 On Location-up to 2 hours

$150 Studio/On location Split-up to 2.5 hours combined (including travel time)

(All session fees include time and talent of photographer, post processing, online gallery for 14 days, and an 8x11 proofing book)

You may purchase packages, and/or Al a carte prints and cards

Packages

$99

25 Luxe Boutique Holiday Cards (or 1 digital image)

1-10x13, 2-8x10 ,2-5x7

$199

50 Luxe Boutique Holiday Cards (or 2 digital images)

1-10x13, 2-8x10 ,2-5x7

4x6 flip book of all images

$299

50 Luxe Boutique Holiday Cards (or 2 digital images)

1-5x7 flipbook

1-10x13, 3-8x10s, 3-5x7s, 1-sheet of wallets

$499

(Best Value! (saves almost $200!))

50 Luxe Boutique Holiday Cards

1-10x13, 3-8x10s, 3-5x7s, 1-sheet of wallets

1-5x7 flipbook

Custom disc of all digital images, including printing rights

$50 deposit required to book a session.

No Substituions allowed on packages.

All orders are subject to a $50 minimum order. Small format prints (5x7 and below) require a minimum purchase of $100 to be submitted before you may purchase small format prints. My current packages do include some small format prints that do not require a minimum purchase first.

Multiple locations maybe added on for $25 per location. Your session time will be split between your chosen locations.

All sessions booked and deposit was paid before September 1st will still receive previous session prices, but will be subject to current Holiday Packages.

Speical offer:

Book your session during the month of September (to take place anytime in the remainder of 2011) and receive 10% off your Session fee!)

Avoid the rush and possiblity of not getting a session by booking early!

Halloween Super Mini Sessions!

2011-08-29T14:36:00.000-05:00

If you are wanting to get an adorable, professional photo of your child in their Halloween Costume, but do not want to commit to a full session and a ton of prints that you probably will not even hang up...because they are Halloween photos...This is the mini session for you! Each session includes a digital image, pefect for facebook, scrapbooking, or emailing out to family.

Halloween Super-Mini Session

October 15th

10am-4pm

Session slots will be every 15 minutes.

Mini studio session, includes choice of 1 Halloween backdrop or solid white

Child must be wearing costume or Halloween outfit

$49

5-10 minute session

Web gallery of 3-10 images to choose:

1 digital image and 1-5x7
(Digital image and 5x7 must be same pose)

Additional siblings are half price! Add on $25 includes 1 digital image and 1 5x7

(must be immediate family members, more than 3 total include additional time slots)

Ex: $74 includes 2 digital images & 2 5x7s, $99 includes 3 digital images & 3 5x7s

Additional prints may be purchased for 20% off of regular price, including small format!

Includes an online gallery for 7 days.

Full session fee due in full to book your time slot.

whew....

2011-08-23T22:03:00.000-05:00

Okay that is all of my blogging for now...well, except this one! Last week was an insane week. I had a record amount of sessions, especially for Mid-August. I normally do not take on more than 3 sessions per week, just so I can keep my turn around time for your proofing gallery around 1-2 weeks. Speaking of, what do my last few sessions think of my new gallery/cart???? It is a brand spankin new program we just got, and we are hoping it's much easier to use than the last one.

The last month:

New website-check!

New shopping cart-check!

New blog-up next!

Yup my awesome tech guy has been hard at work the last few months redoing all of the technical stuff!

The new blog should have more info, easy to navigate, and hopefully, it will make me be better at blogging!

Also, I will be posting my updated 2011 Holiday pricing within the next week or two, which will be including a special if you book early to avoid waiting until it's too late and I am booked up!

I will be gathering up all of my Christmas props for the studio, and I also have 2 Holiday backdrops on the way. I can't wait to start shooting holiday sessions!

I will also be announcing the information for my possible Halloween Mini sessions, which I really do think people will love, because it will be less expensive, so I expect they might fill up fast! Those will be in Mid- October.

Chick with brains...

2011-08-23T21:54:00.000-05:00

Stephanie is awesome. She is just the most laid back, down to earth girl I have... ever met. She is a chick with brains and beauty. She marches to the beat of her own drum (or the music she hears in her head) and doesn't feel the need to be like every other teenage girl. We did her senior session at the pool where she lifeguards every summer, 2 different farms, and swings...because, well, she loves swings.

Title of Album

2011-08-23T21:51:00.002-05:00

During this session, my friend Brandy said..."I wonder what you are going to cal...l this album!"...in response to the craziness of this session, and my awesome album titles. I thought "Title of Album" was perfect, yeah?? Actually, this session wasn't anywhere near as terrifying as I expected when Brandy told me she wanted me to do photos of her 3 boys, PLUS her 2 nieces that are staying with her for the summer. For the most part, it was fun. Lots of laughs, silly faces, and girly dress up!

It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to...

2011-08-23T21:47:00.000-05:00

Oh Rissa....she gave me the stink face through her entire session. You would think, hmm maybe she just isnt' comfortable around you? But no....I see this beautiful baby girl at least a couple of times a week and she snuggles me all the time. She just decided she would be a stinker, even while shoving her face full off the delicious cupcake, made by yours truely. It's okay though Rissa...I still love you :)

J Kiddos!

2011-08-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

I have been photographing this family since shortly after we arrived in Minot....before baby brother was even in the works :) I can't get over how much they have all grown in the last 2 years. I think that the best part of my job is getting to, in a way, be a part of my client's lives and capture so many precious stages of their kids. It's just awesome.

9+lbs of pure sleepy

2011-08-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

The title of this album says it all. Baby Easlyn was seriously the sleepiest baby I have ever seen. When they got to the studio, they said they tried to keep her awake but there was nothing that could be done to keep her up or even wake her up! Even getting her nakey and changing her....she would peek her eyes open and go back to sleep seconds later. In other words, she was my perfect little model.

blog-a-thon

2011-08-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

Okay guys...get ready for a ton of quick blog posts. This is my attempt to be better about keeping up with my blog....really though...facebook makes it way too easy to forget about my blog.

Family Session from last week...

Back to School mini session event-CANCELED

2011-08-17T10:14:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, I am canceling the Back to School Mini Session event, due to lack of interest. I would love to offer more Mini events like this, but I can not do them if I do not get enough clients to sign up. If you look around at some other photographers that do them, you will see that they are actually a great deal. But I just simply can not do them if there isn't enough clients to fill up what could be a full day of sessions for me. I have seen mini sessions as much as $300 or more. I try to keep them small, and only include a few photos, to keep the cost down as low as possible.

Because I have had a bunch of people emailing and messaging me asking if I will be doing a Halloween/Costume mini session, I am considering doing one. (I had a lot of people asking me to do back to school mini sessions though too). Sometime in the next couple of weeks, I will put some information and pricing together to see if there is enough interest to have it take place. It would take place sometime during the 2nd week of October.

New hours!

2011-08-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

Exciting news!

As of the 2nd week of September I will be able to schedule weekday sessions!

As most of you know, first and foremost, I am a stay at home mommy to my 2 sweet girls. It has been very rare that I have been able to schedule weekday sessions (I usually have usually only allowed close friends who have no problems with a 4 year old walking in and eating their child's cake in the middle of a cake smash LOL!)

But....my youngest will be starting preschool in just a few weeks, which frees up at least 3 weekday time slots a week! Weekday sessions are perfect for stay at home moms with young children, newborns, and homeschoolers! Most younger children are at their best in the mornings, after getting a full nights sleep :)

Also, this is perfect timing for the start of Holiday sessions! Weekends always fill up first, so this will help with the rush of Holiday photo sessions!

Announcements coming soon....

2011-08-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

I have had SOOOO many inquiries lately about Holiday photos....so many that I can hardly keep up. If I have not gotten back to you, please email or call me again, just in case I missed it some how!

Stay tuned for announcements on Holiday pricing and availablity. I am working on putting together packages specifically for Holiday sessions. I will also be getting some Holiday themed backdrops this year after realizing part way through the holiday season it would have been nice with how cold it was by October last year.

I am super excited to say that we will be staying in Minot for the duration of the Holidays this year, so my Holiday sessions will go much later into the holiday season than they have the last 2 years! This means I will have a lot more availbility and not have to turn away as many clients!!!

With that, I am going to leave you with a couple of quick snapshots I took of my little one, modeling my 2 new Halloween backdrops (I am not sure at this point if I will do Costume mini sessions due to lack of interest in my last few mini session events!) But you can always book a full session, or just bring along your child's Halloween costume next time you come in for family photos!

"M" family!

2011-08-09T12:45:00.002-05:00

Going to try really hard to keep up on the blog!

New webpage..coming soon!

2011-06-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

Sometime in the next couple of weeks, you will all get to see my brand new website! My awesome tech guy (the hubby) has been hard at work improving it again. Soon you will be able to access your web gallery directly through my website, so there will be no searching through your emails for the link :D

Also, we are working on trying to get it where you can view them on your mobile phones. Right now, most of my website is run through flash, and even most smart phones do not allow flash. There will either just be one site that works regular and on smart phones...or there will be two versions so when you go to my main page, you will have the option of the full page version or the mobile version.

Another change will be your time frame that your gallery will be up. Up until now, it has been 30 days, but it will be changed to 14 days. 90% of my orders are placed within the first 5 days of the gallery being posted, and the ones after that, I am told, is usually due to having too much time to decide and then forgetting until they get a reminder from me a couple of days before it expires. If you need more than 14 days, for whatever reason, please just let me know and we will make arrangements for your gallery to stay up longer :)

I am super excited...stay tuned....!

Updated Newborn Pricing

2011-06-30T22:26:00.000-05:00

Updated Newborn Pricing

In the past year I have added some new products that I wanted to start including in all newborn sessions. I have decided to offer different "levels" of pricing for newborn sessions. Yes, my pricing on newborn sessions has increased, but any of you that have experienced a newborn session with me knows how much work goes into one,,,before, during, and after your session. They are the most work, but they are my favorite type of session. And, as my studio is expanding and I am increasing the number of backdrops and props I have for newborns, the sessions are lasting even longer. All newborn sessions include an online web gallery for 14 days, full acess to a wide variety or newborn props (hats, blankets, headbands, baskets, etc) which is constantly being added to. I do everything I can to make newborns as well as moms feel comfortable and at home here in my studio. Below I have a list of my 3 levels of newborn sessions...each increase in value!

Standard $199

2-4 hour session

Unlimited number of outfits and poses

25 Custom made Luxe Boutique Birth Announcements

8x11 Proofing book

Deluxe $299

2-4 hour session

Unlimited number of outfits and poses

50 Custom made Luxe Boutique Birth Announcements

8x11 Proofing book

20% off Prints

5x7 flipbook of all images

Premium $499

2-4 hour session

Unlimited number of outfits and poses

50 Custom made Luxe Boutique Birth Announcements

5x7 Flipbook of all images

8x11 Proofing book

20% off Prints

All Digital Images all on a custom printed disc (includes a print release)

Extra Birth Announcements: $60 per set of 25 (discounts available in quantities of 3 or more)

Additional flipbooks start at $80 (discounts available for multiples)

Here are 2 samples of some of my new announements....I have 10 new designs, with more coming soon!

Sold in sets of 25, and include envelopes

Here is a sample of a custom printed image disc:

*There is a 50% deposit required for all sessions. Sessions may be upgraded up until your first order is placed*

Mini #2

2011-04-15T17:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick preview for a mama that is very anxious to see her photos! I teased her with the one of her little guy in the tux last night :)

You may notice he has a sucker in every single one....it was the only way we could get him to stand on the backdrop, so, we did what we had to do. It ended up making his photos super cute I thought too!

Easter Mini

2011-04-13T22:33:00.000-05:00

These 3 kiddos were a little bit of a challenge. Mom was hoping to be able to get a photo of all 3 together...no such luck. Toddlers are THE hardest age to photograph...add a baby brother on top of that...yeeeeeaaah. I did however get some great shots of each of the kids on their own...apparently they feed of eachother's craziness. Am I right, Erica??? :D

Blue eyes and red hair. Yes please.

2011-04-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

So, I am having some serious FB issues with uploading photo albums, so until that is resolved...it is strictly blogging and wall photos!

Check out these three! Little sister turned 2 and came in for some birthday photos...and her two awesome big brothers came along. Not only do all 3 have amazing blue eyes, but they were all three just so sweet together. You can tell both big brothers just adore their little sister :) And yes, kids with blue eyes and red hair, are pretty much every photographer's favorite...even if no matter what I did, barely got a smile!

Raylen's Cake Smash

2011-04-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

Facebook is being dumb and not allowing me to upload photos for right now, so I guess until I get that figured out, all previews will be on the blog, and then linked to FB.

I am so blessed that I was able to capture Raylen's cake smash. Yes, it was a little before her birthday when her and her mommy (one of my bestest friends) came to visit, but we decided Auntie HAD to do her photos, and nobody else. She is my best cake smash destruction do date (not counting my own, Jordy's). She tore that sucka up. She made Auntie so proud.

BFF

2011-04-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

This was the first "best friend" session I have shot. Crystal emailed me and told me her BFF would be in town for 2 days and she really wanted to do photos. (The last few times she tried, I was either completely booked or out of town, so I really wanted to make this happen for her!) Well, MY BFF was here in town, so I wasn't taking regular sessions, but I made an exception and did a quick session. I am glad I was able to capture some sillyness for them :)

This session also gave me some ideas for some possible Mini sessions or events to hold later during the summer maybe...Best Friend Sessions: Kids and Adults! :) Will post more on that when the time gets closer!

Cakey Cutie

2011-04-07T21:24:00.000-05:00

It seems like more often then not, lately all my Cake Smash babies, have not wanted much to do with the cake. I just dont get it. Some of them actually get mad about the cake! Miss Emmalyn was all about the cake at first...and then out of nowhere, just snapped and was DONE. DONE. We still got some great shots of her tearin' it up before that though :)

Sleepyness

2011-04-07T21:20:00.000-05:00

I got 2 baby boys with in about a week of eachother...which makes me super happy :) This guy...he was perfect. He was a good sleeper, a good eater, and good at letting me pose him how I wanted him. Gotta love that!!!

Teeny Tiny

2011-04-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

This little guy was by far the tinest baby I have photographed so far. He was only about 6 lbs when he came to see me...it seems like most of the babies that I get are the awesome little chubbers that are 9+lbs by the time they come in at a week old. It was a fun change though having such a tiny little guy to play with. He did great once we finally got him to sleep :)

Pictures of Hope

2011-02-28T21:04:00.000-06:00

I found out a few days ago, that I was accepted to be a member of the Pictures of Hope Foundation. It is a non profit organization that partners up with professional photographers everywhere to give families with a baby in the NICU free NICU photo sessions. You can check out my previous post about when I first decided to apply here.

My motivation for joining this foundation is and always will be my girls. They were both our little miracle babies, and both NICU babies themselves. I have quite a few photos of both of them from there stay in the NICU, but looking back, I wish I had real newborn photos of them, even if it was in the NICU. I was able to capture a few of Jordy (I didn't get my first DSLR camera until shortly after Abby was born, so I only have P&S photos of her). Here are a few of my sweet princess Jordyn. The first one, was from one of the first times I got to see her. (Keep in mind these were taken on my old semi-pro DSLR Nikon D70, almost 4 years ago, in horrible NICU lighting, and she was not given a "bed with a window view" LOL).

This photo is so hard for me to look at.

Sadly, it is not even one of the worst ones of her...

Jordyn, the day she was taken of the ventilator...which was also the first time we got to hold her...one of the best days of my life

This was just a few days before we got to go home. Tube free, bruising and wounds almost all healed.

Totally slacking! Photo update....

2011-02-28T20:45:00.000-06:00

So, wow I just realized how behind I am on blogging. I do not think I have posted ANY sessions from this year so far at all! Facebook makes it waaaay to easy to forget about blogging. If you haven't already head over to my facebook page, that is where the very first previews are posted...and where all the fun happens: Facebook Fan Page

In the meantime...here are just a few of the sessions I have recently done (in no particular order):

Winners of the I Love You Contest!

2011-02-14T20:53:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all who submitted photos for the contest! Thank you also to all those who participated by voting! I will be hosting the next contest sometime in the spring! Here are the winners!

Most votes:

First place- Photo #3 FREE SESSION

Second Place- Photo #2 $50 GIFT CERTIFICATE

Third Place-Photo #6 $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE

Winner of the photo that shows the most Love:

#5 FREE SESSION

All prizes (including free 8x10 vouchers) must be picked up within 7 days, or it will be forfeited (unless a previous arrangement has been made). Please make arrangements with me on when you are able to stop by to pick up.

Reminders:

*Free sessions are only good toward future sessions and must be redeemed by May 1st 2011.

*Free 8x10 voucher can be used on any session that took or takes place between Jan 1 2011 and May 1 2011. You must present your voucher at time of session in order to redeem your free 8x10.

*Gift Certificates expire 6 months from issue date, and are good towards session fees, prints, or products.

*Gift certificates may not be used for any mini session event (but may be used in addition after minimum requirement has been made for additional purchases).

Contest Update!

2011-02-13T14:28:00.001-06:00

Okay...thanks to Crystal, we now have a MUCH easier way to vote for your favorite photo! I added a Poll to the right side of my blog. Please simply vote for your favorite photo by selecting the corresponding number. I will still count the few voters that were able to get a vote in via commenting at the bottom of the blog, I will just add those in to the total at the end, but I will be deleting them from the post to help with less confusion. Voting ends tomorrow night at 8pm CT, and at that time I will announce the winners! Again, sorry for all the confusion!

P.s. If you were one of the 9 votes that were not anonymous, please do not re-vote, as I have already recorded your votes to add to the tally at the end. Thanks!

I Love You Photo Contest!

2011-02-12T22:10:00.002-06:00

***No longer accepting comments as votes...please vote on the poll that is on the right hand side of my blog. This is much more simple and there is no login required.

Photos have been added in order in which they were recieved. I only got 8 entries, but there are some really good ones! Happy Voting!

Mandelyn is currently deployed and we are keeping Reagan here in Texas until she gets back sometimes in May. Attaching a photo for your "I love you" contest that I think is truly appropriate. While Mandy is away Reagan likes to look at her picture. I took the pic I am attaching as he was kissing his fingers to plant them on the glass. He loves her bunches and can't wait for Mommy to come home.

that Adam (Dad) and Lora were laying on the couch like that watching TV. Luke decided he wanted to be a part of it, but first he had to find all his Sesame Street toys and put them up there the way he wanted them, then he crawled up and layed down on the other side. I was in the kitchen and walked in to find all three laying just like that watching TV together. I quickly ran to grab the camera desperately hoping none of them would move before I got back. Thankfully, they were still the same and I told them all to smile for the camera! This is my favorite picture of the three of them!

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets holds a Ring Dance for the junior class each year when they receive their rings. It is tradition that the cadets do not see their rings before the saber arch/unveiling, so you tie your ring to your date. Since Derek and I were both cadets, I decided to be a “civilian” for the night but missed out on the “04” arch formation with my classmates in my company…and was so surprised to see them arranged so they were right behind us…well Derek had been planning this for over 9 months and when it was time to untie your rings I reached for his hand as he dropped to one knee to propose. The ENTIRE room seemed to know about it and came rushing towards us and I couldn’t stop crying for what seemed like forever—one of the happiest moments of my life!

I Love You! Photo Contest

2011-02-09T13:33:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my first official contest on my blog! I am a little sad we can no longer do contests on Facebook (here is the official FB guidelines for those wondering Facebook Contest Rules)...it did seem a lot easier...it just involved clicking like on a photo! So we will see how it goes on here.

The theme is "I Love You". I love this theme because pretty much anyone can enter this category. I just want to see a photo that shows "I love you". It can be a photo of you and your spouse, your children, your pet, anyone you love.

What to do:
Email a photo to: Stacy@stacyvandyckphotography.com
by Feb. 12th, 2011. 10pm CT. Only one photo per family please.
That evening I will upload all of the photos at once, to my blog.
Please include your Name and contact information in the email so I can be sure to notify winners!

Voting will be based off of blog comments. I will number all of the photos. Post or email the link to my blog, and tell people which photo number is yours. Each person can only vote for one photo to avoid confusion. Just simply say "I vote for photo #.....".

Prizes:
Everyone who enters will recieve a free 8x10 print good on any session that took or will take place from Jan.1.2011-May.1.2011. (In order to redeem these, you must stop by my studio and pick up your voucher within 1 week after the end of the contest)

3 prizes will be given away based on number of votes recieved:

1st place- Will recieve a free studio session, which includes your personal proof website, an 8x11 proofing book, and a $25 print credit!

2nd place- $50 gift cerficiate good towards Session fees, prints, digital imags, or products.

3rd place- $25 gift cerficiate good towards Session fees, prints, digital imags, or products.

1 prize will be given away based on content of photo, the one which I believe shows the most LOVE!
*Another FREE session!

**Free Sessions are only good towards FUTURE free sessions, and must be redeemed by May 1st 2011. Gift certificates may be used on a previous or future session, but must be redeemed by May 1st 2011.

Okay so here is the boring part where I talk about the rules:
*One Photo per family
*Please keep all photos PG. A kissing photo is fine, but please make sure they are appropriate for kids to see, just in case.
*Voting will take place once all photos have been submitted, and I will end voting on Valentine's Day at 8pm CT (I know, short contest, but it seemed appropriate to announce the winners on Valentine's Day!)
*Professional photos will be accepted only if the photo contains the photographer's watermark/logo, or you can prove copyright release to use the photo)
*Please be honest and only vote once. Any double votes by the same person will be thrown out and will not count.
*Photos will not be accepted through my facebook page, nor will any voting take place on there, please be sure to email your photos. You can however, tell people about my fan page and tell them how cool they would be if they "liked" it :D

Remember, the more you share my blog link, the more votes you will get!

And because no post is complete without photo awesomeness......

Haha...I bet his mom wanted to use this photo for the contest too :)

Giving back

2011-01-25T15:10:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, both of our girls are miracle babies. Abby, now 6, was a premie, and was in the NICU for almost 2 months. She could have been alot worse off...a lot worse off, but we were young, and on our own with no family or very many friends with us in Hawaii, and had no idea what was to be expected. She had bradycardia which is a condition that caused her to just randomly stop breathing and her heart to basically stop for a period of time. Yeah, it was scary. The unknown is so scary. Jordyn was 2 weeks late, and I ended up having an emergency c-section from her getting stuck in my pelvis part way through delivery. When they pulled her out, she was basically considered dead with an apgar score of "2". They used full life saving measures to bring her back. She was intubated for 4 days. We could barely even touch her. We did not get to hold her until she was almost 5 days old. The worst 4 days of my life. She had seizures and all sorts of different types oforgan failure during her 2 week stay in the NICU. The most important thing though: They DID get to come home, which I can not tell you how BLESSED we felt for that alone.

Because of these experiences, I sort of have a love-hate relationship with NICUs'. I love them because I know my girls needed to be there. They saved them. They kept them alive. I hate them because I didn't get to bring my babies home with me when I left the hospital. I didn't get to hold them whenever I wanted. I had to scrub in, and be let in, anytime I wanted to see my own babies. I had to be told how to take care of my babies. I had to be told every day, why they couldn't come home yet. So yeah, like I said...love-hate. It is such a stressful time to have a baby in the NICU. Nobody plans for it, but it happens. And I know many parents, such as myself, felt very ripped off. One thing in particular that was taken away from me, was being able to get brand-new-baby Newborn photos. Looking back, if we were in the right mind, we would have hired a photographer to come in and capture at least a few moments of our NICU journey with both of our girls. It would have be so special to have that first time we got to go in and see them, or the first time holding them, captured to have forever. Sure we took some photos ourselves, and we got a few family shots by nurses; but it is just not the same as getting real photos that show emotion and love.

Enter my idea. Why not give that to NICU parents? Why not combine two things that are so personal to me and use that as a gift, and a way of giving back for all the blessings in my life? I had been tossing around the idea for a long time and finally... I decided that was what I wanted to start doing. Should I just randomly start doing this, or should I get involved with some sort of organization? My husband said, "hmm, I wonder if there is an organization that does that?" Sure enough, there is a wonderful organization call "Pictures of Hope". After reading all about what they do and what they offer, I decided that I wanted to join "Pictures of Hope". Basically as a member, I would be giving free NICU photo sessions, along with professional prints, to families with babies in the NICU. I really believe this is the PERFECT project for me. I am hoping that since I have lived what these other families are currently living through, it will help me better capture the emotion that comes along with having a baby in the NICU.

In the past, I worked with OpLove which provides military families with deployment photos, and since we have never been through a REAL deployment, it just didn't inspire me as much as I had hoped it would.

Pictures of Hope hits so much more close to home.

I will be getting in touch with our local NICU here in Minot, as well as hoping that word of mouth will get around that I am offering this.

SENIOR REPS NEEDED!

2011-01-18T23:22:00.000-06:00

I am looking for 4-6 Senior Reps from Minot, ND.

Class of 2011 and 2012

What is a Senior Rep you ask?

A Senior Rep is a high school senior (or soon to be) that is involved at their school, well known, and out going. You need to be willing to show off your awesome senior photos! These can be guys or girls!

What do I get out of it as a Senior Rep?

You get a FREE senior rep session which includes an in studio session and upto 3 on location shoots, unlimited wardrobe changes, an 8x11 proof book, low resolution digital images for facebook, and rep cards to hand out to your friends which will earn you free prints, products, and maybe even CASH!

Your rep cards will have your choice of photo, with your information, and my studio information on it. You pass these out to everyone you know. For every person that books a session with me, you get a $25 credit, and your friend does too!

You can earn free prints, albums, cards, and more! Once I have gotten 10 referrals from you, you will also earn $100 in cash, on top of your free prints!

In order to be a Senior Rep you must:

Have great style, lots of personality and enjoy being in front of the camera.
Be in the class of 2011 or 2012
Live in or attend school in Minot, ND
Be available to have one session completed before March 1st, 2011
Agree to tell your friends and classmates about Stacy VanDyck Photography and share your senior portraits with them.
Have your parents or legal guardians sign a model release form.
Agree to represent ONLY Stacy VanDyck Photography and use these images as your senior pictures.

Contact Stacy VanDyck Photography for an application, if you or someone you know would make a great Senior Rep!

Mr. Stubborn

2011-01-12T20:50:00.000-06:00

Mr. B flat out did not want to cooperate. When he needed to be awake, he was asleep, when I wanted him asleep, he thought it would be fun times to stay awake as long as possible for a newborn. Everytime I would almost have him asleep, he would peek one eye open...almost like he thought he was missing out on something awesome. In the end, we ended up getting at least a few good sleepy shots of him.

Little Bitty turns 1!

2011-01-12T20:47:00.000-06:00

It is always bittersweet when I celebrate 1st birthday's of babies I started photographing as newborns! Not only does it mean they are getting big, but it also means they wont be coming in for sessions as often anymore :( Luckily, this little guy's mama is one of my good friends, so I get to still see him all the time! Oh, and I also love that his Gammie came along for photos! I absolutely love to see grandparents with their grand-babies...it's a bond like nothing else, and it shows in these....

Mini Snow Sessions: Canceled.

2011-01-12T20:46:00.000-06:00

Due to lack of interest, the Mini Snow Session event is canceled :( I think I will attempt this one more time next month. In the meantime, those of you who were interested, contact me for a FULL session, and sport all your cute new winter clothes you got for Christmas :D

2011 Resolutions

2011-01-03T10:52:00.004-06:00

Well, I am usually not the one to jump on and start making lists of resolutions, but this year, for some reason, I feel the need to do it. So here are some of my more business related resolutions:

Get things more organized: My studio, my paperwork, my scheduling...just in general trying to get everything as organized as possible to make things easier and less time consuming.

Learn more details of editing in photoshop. For the most part, I do very basic editing to most of my photos...but there is always more to learn, even if I choose to not use it.

Get back into participating in OPLOVE. This is a non profit organization that I was a member of when we lived in San Antonio, which helps me give back to Active Duty Military members by donating my photography services for free sessions: Before deployment, during deployment, homecomings, or after deployments.

Stepping outside the box. Trying new techniques, daring to try different angles, poses, and lighting.

Participate in the 52 week photo challenge. A different photo/theme every week...posted on my blog and facebook fan page.

Start a Senior Rep program. I really have enjoyed doing the few senior sessions I have done, and I would like to expand and do them more frequently. In order to do this, I need to get my name out that I offer this. A senior rep is someone who is outgoing, involved, and knows alot of people at there high school. Senior reps get a free senior session, and incentives when they refer people to me (will post more about this soon!)

Try to go a little more "green". Last year I bought an Ipad, and a few different apps to help with going semi-paperless when it comes to my forms and such. Clients will fill out forms on my Ipad, and copies will be emailed to them. This should cut back on my paper usage by about 50%.

Baby, it’s cold outside! Mini Snow Sessions

2010-12-31T13:11:00.001-06:00

2 Dates available:

Weekday: Jan 17^th 10am-2pm

Weekend: Jan 15^th 10am-2pm

(If inclement weather is expected, dates may need to be changed, but this is a 3 day weekend for most)

Location: Oak Park (meet in main parking lot, to the right of the entrance)

Have a snowball fight, build a snowman, make snow angels, snuggle up, or just stand there and look awesome….

Recommended clothing:

Chunky, textured, bright colored sweaters (bright, not busy), scarfs, knit hats, funky fleece hats, pea coats, fun boots

Try to wear layers, without looking too bulky. Bring a fun blanket, hand warmers, etc. to keep warm!

$99

Includes:

15 minute session

Online proofing website of 5-10 photos for 14 days

and your choice of ONE of the following packages:

*$ 100 print credit (prints subject to regular pricing, no package pricing available)

*2 Digital Images (additional images may be purchased at 50% off…only $25 each!)

*25 4x6 prints of one “pose”

*add on a 4x6 flipbook with all of your photos for only $30 (can be added to any package)

Session must be paid in full to reserve your slot. No substitutions allowed. Sessions will be posted online within 3 days of session. All orders MUST be placed within 14 days. Additional packages may be purchased for $75 each after the 1^st one is purchased. Please arrive on time, as the session times are short, and other people are scheduled after you. Gift certificates are not excepted for Mini Sessions, but may be used for additional purchases on top of the $99 fee. You may redeem any free print offers you have with mini sessions.

2011 Changes!

2010-12-10T20:20:00.014-06:00

It seems like photographers are constantly changing and/or raising there prices, right? Well...I have always tried my best to not do that. My pricing has been pretty much the same since we arrived here in Minot (with the exception of my FREE sessions my first few months here!), but for the most part they have not changed. I think it looks very unprofessional to be constantly changing your pricing just because you are getting more clients, or want new equipment. With that said, not much in the way of pricing is changing here! I am adding a few new things to sessions as far as options and such, and here they are:

Proofing books

ALL sessions will now come with an actual "proofing book". I know I have offered "proof books" the last few years, but these will be different, and I will need to change the name to not confuse people. The new "proofing books" will be 8x11 spiral bound books that contain all of you images from your session. There will be anywhere from 4-20 photos per page, and under each photo will contain the image number. I have decided to add these for many reasons.

1) You will be able to see all your images in print, with out a water mark.

2) You will have a (small) copy of every picture from your session

3) When you re order, you can just refer to your fancy schmancy book!

You will be able to pick up your proofs within a couple of days of your session being posted!

All sessions beginning in 2011 will now receive this with there session! You will be able to purchase additional proofing books for $30 each, but this must be ordered, and paid in full at the time of your session, so be sure to ask your family if they would like one (or buy extra as gifts!)

Any previous sessions will have the option to purchase one of these books for $35!

The price of your session will not change, however, your print credit will be decreasing. Instead of a $50 print credit with every session, you will now only have a $25 print credit, but...you will have a proofing book to keep forever!

(I will have a sample of this in my studio for you to come check out!)

From now on, my previous "proof books" will now be called just flip books. They will still contain all images from the session as well (this seemed to be a very satisfying change for all!) and will be $80 for the 4x6 and $100 for the 5x7 size. Also, from now on, these books will always be buy 3, get the 4th free! (When ordered all at once, and all the exact same book!)

Stand out prints:

These are a cool new way to display your photos! Stand out prints are a great alternative (and way cheaper) to canvas and wraps. Standout is the perfect contemporary mounting option that doesn’t require a frame to hang on the wall. The sleek edges and sides of the Standout mount can create a modern wall display with the focus all on the image. They come in 3/4" black editing in sizes 8x10 and up. There is an additional charge to the print, based on the print size. EX: 8x10 $20 + $25 for standout= $45.

Low Resolution Images

After much consideration, and looking into how much of a digital world we live in.... I have decided to add the option of low resolution, unwatermarked images to sessions with a minimum print purchase. These will be for the sole purpose of social networking, such as facebook, email and blogs. They will NOT include a print release.

They will be available for FREE with any print purchase of $300 or more. (Does not include session fee or print credit). These will not be available for purchase. Complete sets of watermarked low resolution images may be purchased for $75, with no minimum purchase.

High Resolution Images

A few months ago I decided to make your digital images available for purchase. For the time being this will remain the same. $300 for your full session. $150 for any sort of mini session/event. $50 each for individual images. Also, with any disc purchase, you will receive 25% off of prints from that session, for life.

Specialty Sessions
What are specialty sessions you ask? Specialty sessions usually come in the form of newborn or high school senior shoots. The reason they are special is because they are even more custom then a regular family photo session.

Newborn Sessions

A newborn session lasts on average around 2-3 hours. There are tons of poses, outfit/prop changes, and lots of poop and pee clean up! Also during these sessions, you will usually need to stop and feed or the baby might needs lots of comforting to get them nice and sleepy like we want them. It is preferred that newborn sessions take place in my studio, as I have a huge selection of props and such that are used, but they can also be done in your home if you prefer. The fresher the better. I have shot babies as early as 24 hours old. Newborn sessions need to be done within the first 14 days of birth. To schedule a newborn shoot, you start out just giving me your due date, so I can have a note on my calender of the time frame we should be expecting your little miracle. As soon as the baby is born (or you have an induction or c-section date) we will schedule the session. I ALWAYS leave time for newborn shoots each week, so you can always be fitted in within a few days of birth!

Senior Sessions:

Why have your senior's photos look just like everyone else? All senior sessions are 100% custom. You chose the locations, outfits, and "props" that personalize these photos. You can include sports, hobbies, or even just something that your senior loves (shoes, purses, cars, shopping, technology...seriously, the possibilities are endless!)

Investments:

Newborn Sessions $199

For babies up to 14 days old

Unlimited Time (Newborn sessions usually take anywhere from 2-4 hours)

2 sets of Birth announcements (50 cards)

Spiral bound flipbook containing every image

8x11 proofbook 3-6 pages, contains all images

$50 Print Credit

Senior Sessions $299 (On Location and in Studio)

Upto 5 hours of shooting

Unlimited Locations including an in studio time

Unlimited Wardrobe Changes

2 sets of Graduation Announcements (50 cards) Or 2 sets of 48 wallets (2 poses, 96 total)

All Photos in a spiral bound flip book

8x11 proofbook 3-6 pages, contains all images

$50 Print Credit

1^st Birthday Cake Smash Session $125

Includes a spiral bound flipbook containing every image from session

8x11 proofbook 3-6 pages, contains all images

All specialty sessions include 20% off all prints, and a personal proof website for 30 days.

Stacy VanDyck VS. Nature

The last few years, I have had quite a few inquiries about purchasing some of the random photos of "nature" that I have taken. I find I am getting more and more emails and messages about making them available for purchase, so, guess what? They will be! We are going to launch a new website of just strictly nature art! It will have all my nature prints in various categories, including: Sunsets, beaches, animals, plants, etc. They will be available for prints 8x10 and up, and my standard pricing will apply. However the first month I will be having a print sale and they will all be 25% off!

Also, with any of the nature prints, I can add text, such as a bible verse, or words of encouragement, anywhere on the print, at no additional charge.

Kelly Moore Bag!

2010-12-05T23:13:00.001-06:00

I am really hoping Santa brings me this:

I think I have been a good girl!!!

http://kellymoorebag.com/

End of the year sale!!!

2010-11-20T12:06:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I know its been a while since I have posted on here. I think most of my blog readers also follow me on facebook as well, so I have mostly been updating my facebook page.

If you are not on facebook, well you should be....but if you are not, I still love you, and I want to make sure you all know about my awesome sale I am having in closing of my 2010 year!

Alright folks, here it is! My 2010 Holiday season is over! As a thank you to all of my 2010 clients, today and tomorrow only, you can purchase your digital images for half price! Digital images come on a disc, and include printing rights (I will still own them, but you have permission to print as you wish!) Reg $300, sale $150!

Anyone who had a session in 2010 is eligible for this offer!

Christmas Mini Sessions!

2010-11-05T21:59:00.001-05:00

So based on the emails and messages I received, quite a few people were interested in doing a mini session.

Date: Thursday, November 11th from 12pm-4pm. I can get quite a few people in during this time!

The location for the mini sessions will be at my studio only due to the time limit on them ( I know, it is very not like me to put a time limit on sessions, but if I don't, it will not be a mini session!)

The session will be approx. 10 minutes long with no wardrobe changes.

Upto 6 people may be in your session...Pets are welcome, if you think they will cooperate.

You will get upto 3 "poses". If you would like to do more, there will be an additional charge of $10 per pose.

(In this case a pose is any change in the photo. Taking people in or out of the photo or moving around to a different position will count as a new pose)

Within approx 48 hours of your session, you will have a mini proof site that contains probably 2-5 images for you to chose from.

The cost: $50

This includes your session fee, proofing site, minor post processing, and the time and talent of the photographer

and your choice of one of the following packages:

A) 1-set of Holiday cards (25 double sided cards with envelopes) and an 8x10

B) 1-8x10, 2-5x7's, 1-set of wallets (8)

C) Digital Images (2 images) with printing rights (additional images may be purchased at this price (1/2 off) for $25 each)

*Entire fee is due at booking to hold your time slot. Will except walk-ins during the event time, on a first come, first serve basis, so I highly recommend setting up an appointment at your most desired time.

Your proof site will be up for 5 days, and all orders must be placed before it is removed. This is only to be sure I get your orders in and back to me to give to you before we leave for our family vacation.

If you are interested in a mini session like this, and your husband is not off work on Thursday, please send me a message and we can try to work something out, as these only take 10 minutes and a couple of minutes of editing, I can squeeze in a few possibly this weekend between regular sessions.

Holiday Sessions....almost full!

2010-09-26T14:23:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to do a quick post on what I have left as far as sessions for 2010.
For on location sessions:
October 23rd-2 sessions
October 30th-morning session
November 13th-2 sessions

I might be able to squeeze one or two more on location sessions in, so send me an email if these dates do you not work for you.

Studio Sessions:
I can be a lot more flexible with studio sessions. I usually can do upto 3-4 per week, and most of the weeks between now and mid November, I only have 2 on the books, so please let me know as soon as you have a date you would like to try, and I can hopefully get you on the schedule.

New Backdrop is in!

2010-09-21T20:37:00.002-05:00

I just got my brand spankin' new red backdrop for this years Holiday Sessions! That's right! Its late September now, and my first Holiday Session is this weekend!

Need Halloween Photos?

2010-09-21T20:35:00.002-05:00

I still have a few sessions before Halloween....Already got a session booked? Then just bring their costumes!!!!

Holiday Pricing/Specials

2010-09-16T13:17:00.001-05:00

Winter Sessions 2010

$75 Studio Session Fee (includes a $50 print credit)

$85 On Location Session Fee (includes a $50 print credit)

Print credits may be used towards purchase of packages, ala carte prints, or products

Packages

$75

(3)8x10 (2)5x7 (1) set of 25 double sided cards

$150

(1)16x20 (3)8x10 (3)5x7 (2) sheets of wallets (6)4x6

$250

(1)16x20 (2)8x10 (4)5x7 (4)4x6 (2) sheets of wallets (1)5x7 full proofbook (2) sets of double sided cards

Add ons:

Holiday Cards: $40 per set of (25) doublesided 5x7 cards with envelopes

4x6 bulk: 25 4x6 prints of same pose $50

48 wallet set-$45

Prices honored September 1^st 2010-December 31^st 2010. All sessions require a $25 deposit to hold your session time. Balance of session due at time of session. Photo proof site will remain up for 30 days. All orders MUST be placed by November 16^th to guarantee holiday delivery. For Ala Carte printing and more, please visit www.stacyvandyckphotography.com for more information.

Please call or email with any questions!

New Contest!!!!

2010-09-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

Silliest/Funniest Photo Contest

Okay, so this contest should be really fun! It will be similiar to the last contest I had, as far as voting goes.

Please read this entire post so you can see all of the rules, and post on here if you have any questions so I can update as needed.

What you can win:

There will be 2- first place winners and 2-2nd place winners, as there will be 2 different ways to win!

I will be giving away gift certificates to use towards any session, or print purchase

2-$50 gift certificates

2-$25 Gift certificates

How to win:

1) Collect as many votes as you can on your funny photo! Get everyone you know to come and vote!

2) I will gather up a handful of non partial judges (Will be my family memebers that do not live in North Dakota, or know any contestants) and they will vote on which photo is the funniest/silliest! (This means even if you get NO VOTES on my page, you still can win!)

What to do:

Email me your silliest photo that has you, or someone in your family (can even be pets) in the photo. (someone related to you must be in the photo...it can not be a random photo you find online) by Thursday the 17th. One Photo per family

STACY@STACYVANDYCKPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Please include the names of all people/pets in the photo :)

You may share the contest link, as well as a link to your photo on my page to try to help collect votes.

You can vote for more than one photo.

You can only vote on each photo once (facebook will not even allow you to vote more than once)

How does the Contest work?:

I will post ALL of the photos at the same time on Friday September 17th. I think this will make it a little bit more fair, so all will be posted at once.

Once all photos have been uploaded on my fan page, the voting will start. Votes will be counted as before by the most "likes" on your photo.

Voting will end the following Friday the 24th at 10pm central time, to allow a full week of voting.

Have fun!

Update

2010-09-08T20:18:00.002-05:00

All of my slots for the Pumpkin Patch Sessions are now filled (still waiting on one deposit, so a slot might open back up in 2-3 days). If you are wishing you had booked a session, but didn't, please contact me. If I get at least 3 people wanting to book a session still, I will add Sunday the 3rd on as well. I just need to know so I can start a list of those interested possibly.

I will be posting info, as well as sending out an email/mail with more details of your session and what I need from you.

Pumpkin Patch Session

2010-09-07T20:44:00.002-05:00

Alright folks! I have one slot available left for the Pumpkin Patch Photos to take place at Papa's Pumpkin Patch in Bismarck, ND on October 2nd. I have my 12pm slot still available. This is a mini session to last 30-45 minutes. Price is $99 and includes the session fee an 8x10, 2-5x7s, and a sheet of wallets (they do not have to all be the same photo!)
Email or call for more info and to reserve a spot!

*If I have enough interest after this spot is filled, I will add on Sunday as well, if I can get at least 3 sessions.

Stacy@stacyvandyckphotography.com
(210)722-3961