{charity model search | 2012}

eunice brownlee charity model search photographer

© eunice brownlee 2011

Last year, I was extremely proud to participate in the International Charity Model Search, a fundraiser to benefit the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation.  We had so much fun with our kiddos and even had one take 18th place in our region (not bad out of over 1,000 entries)!! This year, we’re doing it again and we want to do it Eunice Brownlee style…BIG.

Our studio has a goal of photographing 100 kids and raising $1,500 for NILMDTS this year and I know we can do it!

The scoop: Eligible contestants must be 0-17 years of age. One photograph per contestant is allowed, and must be taken by a registered CMS photographer (ahem, moi). Photograph must have been taken between January 1 and March 15th, 2012.

The commitment: In addition to having your child photographed, we ask that you share the voting link with family and friends and encourage them to vote. Votes are $1 each and 100% of the proceeds go to NILMDTS and are tax deductible. Session fee is $45 per child and includes a 20 minute session and one digital brag file (additional items may be purchased).

The prizes will be announced shortly, but there is usually a grand prize of about $1000 in gifts and such. Plus, the finalists will all be published in Professional Photographer Magazine this summer.

To get started: Book your session! Available appointment times for this promotion are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, every half hour from 3-4:30 pm, and Saturdays from 10am-3pm, every half hour.

Please help us support this very worthy cause and give your child a moment in the spotlight.

 

{baby osgood | newborn}

I was so excited for the arrival of baby Osgood this month! I photographed her family this fall and we all talked about how we couldn’t wait for her arrival this spring. When I first met her, my first thought was that she looks just like her big brother – the star of my CRAVE spread – and she is just as cute as he is.

 

baby image

© eunice brownlee 2011

At only two weeks old, I was amazed at how wide awake and alert she was. In fact, she was awake for all of our session, but I managed to get a few snaps of her resting her little newborn eyes.

 

sleeping baby
© eunice brownlee 2011
snoozing baby
© eunice brownlee 2011

Her mom and I were giggling at all the funny faces that she was making while I was trying to capture her – we got a kick out of some of them:

 

baby in a pod

© eunice brownlee 2011

double chins

© eunice brownlee 2011

I also created a custom birth announcement* that coordinates with her room, which is decked out in pink and black.

 

*Specific details have been changed.

It was such a joy to photograph this little girl — I know her big brother is going to be protecting the heck out of her. Congratulations Osgood family!

I would also like to extend a very special thank you to Jennifer of Bugaboo Girl Bows, who allowed me to raid her inventory for us to use for the shoot. She does amazing work and if you have a little girl in your life, I highly recommend her!

{cutest kid contest | we need your vote!}

In the fall, I was reading one of my professional trade magazines, and learned about a fundraiser that was happening for the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation – an organization that provides professional photography services to commemorate the short lives of babies born that never make it home. While I wholly support the mission of the organization, I have never been able to bring myself to volunteer as a photographer, because selfishly, it would be too hard. Although I have been trained as a grief counselor and got plenty of opportunities to use it the year I was trained (and since), there’s just something about the phrase, “I’m sorry about the loss of your baby,” that makes me want to vomit, and then burst into tears. I just know I would be a wreck in that situation.

However, I have wanted to find a way that I could (comfortably) support this charity. So I was excited to find out about a portrait contest hosted by Sandy Puc, the organization’s founder and professional photographer extraordinaire that benefits NILMDTS.

As a photographer, I paid a nominal fee to be listed as one of the participating photographers and I hosted a special with all of my clients. We ended up with one family that chose to participate, and so now I ask you, dear blog readers, to please go vote for this handsome little man:

click on the photo to vote for ME!!

Isn’t he cute?!?! I really think this image totally fits the contest guidelines and we have a great shot at making the finalists with votes. If all things stay static with the voting (dare I say?) we could even be in real contention for the grand prize.

The top five favorited and the top five voted of each region will advance to the finals (50 total), which will then be judged by a panel of certified master photographers on staff with Professional Photographers of America. The top three will win some ridiculous prize packages (both the family AND the photographer), including a $2500 savings bond for the kiddo AND will be published in a summer edition of Professional Photographer Magazine. Who doesn’t love that? Bonus: if we placed, I could cross #12 off The List!!

I received an email this evening that NILMDTS is far behind in their projections, or even this time last year, for raising funds, at just over $19,000 total. So I urge you to please forgo a cup of Starbucks this week and vote. It costs $1 per vote, it’s tax deductible, and it is for a very worth cause. I would also be your best friend.

VOTE HERE

Oh, and tell your friends.

Newborns Wanted!

I spent the better part of the past week with an awful cold that left me bed ridden and completely lacking the ability to do anything but sleep and watch TV. After a few days, I summoned the strength to dig through my craft books and find some super cute patterns for baby props! I’ve been knitting up a storm and ended up with several items that will be going into my prop closet, in addition to some other fun items that I will be ordering in the near future.

I made a couple of hats ~

And three different baby pods – I like this one best.

Although I find it sad that the best thing I could find to model it was a care bear. See people? I need your babies!

I have been wanting to expand my family photography portfolio to include newborns, so I am offering this special for the first part of 2011:

$75 session fee includes the sitting, one 8×10 print and digital file and an entry to win a complimentary 1-year-old portrait session.

To book, click here. The session fee is due in full at the time of booking.

(Photographers interested in purchasing some of the props I’ve made, I will be adding them to my Etsy shop as they are available, or you can email me and I’d be happy to create something for you).

The search is on!

© eunice brownlee 2010

Eunice Brownlee Photography is proud to participate in the International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Kid and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation.

Is your child North America’s Cutest Kid? We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it! The grand prize winner will win a $2500 savings bond, a $2500 travel package, and a $100 Target gift card.  The second and third place runners up each will win a $500 savings bond and a $100 Target gift card.

The Charity Model Search (CMS) is open to children from birth to 18 years of age. All entrants must reside in the United States or Canada. Each child must be submitted individually, i.e. siblings may not be submitted in pictures together.

Model Search Special:

$45 entrance fee includes a 30-minute model session and one image submitted to the international gallery. A print special will also be offered.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.  Every family member who registers their information on the Charity Model Search Website will also receive 1 complimentary vote.  The top 5 paid votes, and the top 5 complimentary votes in each region will move on to the final judging round for a total of 50 finalists.

Grand prize international winner and runners up will be determined from the 50 regional finalists. The winner and runners up are selected by photography experts.

Call 720.227.5505 or email me now for more information on how to enter your “Cutest Kid” in this exciting contest. Or book your session now! The first 20 to register and pay for their session receive $15 off with code FIRST20. Shoots begin January 1st.

{osgood | family}

I first met John & Jenn when their son was about 6 months old. Our kids are about 4 months apart, mine being the older of the two, but they became fast friends. It was nice to catch up with them again, and learn that they have a 2nd child (a girl!) on the way.

I haven’t seen them since moving to Arizona, but it was amazing to me how much their son has grown in such a short period of time. We did, however joke about the size of both our kids, since they both tend to fall in the 20-30th percentile for height & weight. Perhaps that’s why they get along!

© eunice brownlee 2010

We met up early on a crisp November morning at Eisenhower Park in DTC. Snow had just fallen, so little Avery was having a blast running all over, laughing maniacally about the snow. I wish I’d a recorder with me — that kid’s laugh is so hysterical and does nothing but make you smile and want to hug him.

© eunice brownlee 2010

© eunice brownlee 2010

Avery may be a spitting image of his dad, but don’t let that fool you. His heart belongs 100% to mommy.

© eunice brownlee 2010

I was so grateful to have the opportunity to photograph this family! I can’t wait for their little one to arrive so I can do some new portraits of the four of them!

{delgadillo | family}

I had the pleasure of getting to photograph the lovely Delgadillo family again this year. It amazes me how quickly kids seem to grow when you don’t see them every day. Heck, I’m still surprised at how quickly my little one has grown and I see her every day.

We ventured out to a nice spot off the San Francisco Peaks in beautiful Northern Arizona, Kendrick Park. We found a lovely spot among the turning aspens, which made for a great spot to take some photos.

What I love about this area is that it’s mostly pine trees, but there is one lonely aspen grove among them. The white bark stands out against the dark pines.

Can’t wait to see them again next year!

Holiday Card Templates

This year, I am offering custom press printed holiday cards for sale, either as a set or as part of my Holiday Package. These are the five designs to choose from. On most of them, the colors can be modified (i.e. green instead of red). On all of them, the images and messages can be customized. Click the photo to view a larger image.

Template #1:

Template #2:

Template #3:

Template #4:

Template #5:

Things you need to know:

  • Sold in boxes of 24 cards.
  • Images should be 300 dpi for best quality in print.
  • If you are submitting photographs taken by another photographer, you must provide proof that you have rights to use their images in this manner.
  • Cards take approximately 10 business days for delivery from the time the proof layout is approved.
  • Payment is due in full at the time of order.

Order Folded Cards

Order Flat Cards

http://eunicebrownlee.net/RedCart/index.php?sid=23

{boone | family}

I’m not sure if I love these photos so much because of how much I love this family or because they are so much a true representation of who the Boones are. Drew and Whitney are some of the most awesome people I have ever met, and their three kids are a kick in the pants.

I had so much fun spending an afternoon with them at Southglenn Mall, doing anything we could to get all three kiddos to give me a straight face simultaneously. There is a reason why Whitney sometimes refers to the kids as “the yahoos,” I’m pretty sure it’s because these kids are made of silly putty.

Alice, the oldest, is a character. Whether it’s her impromptu fashion shows, or her all-out cuteness, when she’s around, you’re guaranteed a few laughs.

Liam is in the middle, and the only boy. He’s a character all on his own. When I asked him to show me his muscles, this is what I got:

Mimi is the happy-go-lucky one of the bunch. This girl is all smiles, all the time. Even when she’s feeling miserable, you almost don’t notice a difference.

Drew and Whitney, as I said, are one amazing couple. I met them when I started attending Denver Community Church, where Drew is currently serving as an elder and Whitney steers the MOPS group. They’ve been married for 13 glorious years, and are still as in love as ever.

Whitney also works with her dad to run Living Legacy Today, a ministry that is about leaving your mark for future generations. Learn more about the status of the project here.

I let Alice man the camera for a minute, and the lighting and wind were just perfect enough that she captured this “model shot” of Whitney. Serendipity.

At the end of the session, they all had fun in the fountains at the mall. I think Liam had the most fun.

It was truly an honor to get to capture this family! I had so much fun and I love you guys!

{special | family portraits + holiday cards}

I must have been feeling super generous when I put this deal together because when I added up the numbers, it is a 50% savings of the retail price of all of this. Consider it an early Christmas gift.

Book now by clicking here, sessions are filling fast! I also have dates available in Denver – November 10-14th.