Changes Due to COVID-19

Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone is staying well and still social distancing and wearing masks.  I know it is hard, but we all need to do our part so we can continue to move forward and not take steps back.

I am excited to be back to work and see all of my clients and meet new ones as well.  I have been open for one week and have learned what changes work and won’t work for the studio.  As hard as some of these rules may be for some, it’s truly what’s best for the health of each client.  Studio Cleanliness has always been a priority, I am just taking things a bit further…

  1. I am washing my hands/using sanitizer at the beginning of each session but now I am asking that each client do so as well.
  2. If any outside props are brought in, they will need to be sanitized before use.
  3. Immediate Family (people who live in your household), are the only ones allowed in the studio during your session.
  4. If you have been sick, with a fever, cough, and shortness of breath within 9 days of your session, I ask that you please reschedule.
  5. If you have contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, I ask that you reschedule your session to 14 days after the known exposure.
  6. Fabrics, Props, basically anything standing still in the studio will be cleaned between sessions.
  7. A time slot will be held between each session to allow for cleaning time and there will only be a couple spots available per day.
  8. I ask all clients to show up at their scheduled time.  

Thank you for a successful first week back.  I appreciate each one of you and thank you for supporting my business.

There are only a couple spots remaining for May, and June is beginning to book up.  I can’t wait to capture memories for you!

Back at it with Newborns!

Monday I was able to reopen! What better way to start back to work than with my favorite type of session to shoot, Newborns!!!  Tiny, sweet, squishy newborns are my jam!  They are  the hardest but they are my passion.

Squishy little Lincoln was only 6 days new for his 1st session with me.  Nope, that’s not a typo, he had two sessions.  Occasionally there will be babies that are just not gonna have pictures that day no matter what tricks I pull to capture them, so after a while we decided to call that days session and bring him back the next day.  His momma said he is normally his sleepiest first thing in the morning so for the first time ever, I started at a newborn shoot at 6:45 AM!!!  The only other shoot I have done that early was a sunrise beach maternity shoot at 5:30am!  I will say it was nice to be there that early, get it done and have the rest of  the day with my kids, AND best of all, Lincoln slept like a dream!!  He also pee’d on the same exact fabric he pee’d on the first day! lol

I love getting to meet new clients and his momma and dad were wonderful to work with.  They purchased my “Baby to Birthday” package so I am excited to get to capture Lincoln all through his first year.

Below are some of my favorites from his session!  The best time to book your newborn session is actually when you are still pregnant so contact me today and lets get you penciled in!  agreerphotography@yahoo.com

Front Porch Sessions for Mothers Day!!

Fellas, there won’t be a flower in a dixie cup or cute little teacher written poem with hand prints coming home in your kids back pack tomorrow!!  You have less than 72 hours til Mothers Day!!

You know what would send her over the moon???  A portrait session!!  Trust me, totally not just saying this because it’s my business but because I have seen the look on wives faces when they come in for a session their significant other bought for them!  Moms  LOVE pictures and they know how badly Dad’s hate them so for you to willingly do this for her = Big Bonus Points!!!

I sell Gift Certificates in any amount so she can apply it to her purchase or also my current Front Porch Session Special would be great to gift her!  I will be in and out of the studio over the next 2 days for you to stop in and purchase or sneak and text me at 304-638-5275 or email agreerphotography@yahoo.com and I can meet you somewhere with  one.  There is also the option of invoicing & emailing you a gift certificate too.

Here are some of my favorites from The Painter Family’s front porch session!

2020 Seniors Cap & Gown Mini’s

Class of 2020, you are really going to have some stories to tell your children and grandchildren someday.  Maybe keep an online journal about everything that’s happening to pass along to them.

I wish each and everyone of you the absolute best in life!  I have loved getting to know my seniors and their families this year.  Ya’ll have been wonderful.

Just because your school year was cut short and there may not be an actual graduation ceremony, does not mean you should miss out on all the extra things we do in May to honor you.

I will be offering my Cap & Gown Mini Sessions now through June 15th.  These will be taken inside the studio and if you’d like we can do a couple outdoor ones as well.  If you bring a nonperishable food or toiletry donation to the be given to the Ripley or  Ravenswood Blessing Box, I will give you a FREE 8×10 or 24 Wallets!

Contact me asap to get scheduled as appointment times are very limited!  agreerphotography@yahoo.com or text 304-638-5275

Here are some highlights from Wyatt’s studio session the other evening.

Turning 17 During Quarantine…

When you haven’t worked in 6 weeks because of COVID19 restrictions and your fur baby turns 17 what else is there to do but have a birthday photo session for your cat!

I have had this cat longer than I have been with my husband.  He & I have been through so much together.  He holds onto my secrets, puts his paw on my hand when I cry, sleeps touching me with a paw all night, lets me hold him like an infant in my arms while he sleeps, runs to me when I come home, loves sharing whip cream and loves trying to escape outside to explore the yard.  He loves my kids like they are his own, tolerated all their shenanigans when they were tiny, would be the first to their nursery room door when they would cry as infants.  He truly is THE Best Cat Ever!!

We thought we were losing him 6 years ago when a vet misdiagnosed him telling us his rapid weight loss, 26 down to 5, was due to cancer and we should just keep him comfortable.  Then one day we ended up on Dr Wellings schedule and she said “Why hasn’t anyone ever checked this cats thyroid?”  Come to find out, he did not have cancer  at all.  His thyroid was  working about 4 times too fast.  So after trying and failing on some thyroid meds she referred us to MedVet in Columbus for radiation treatments.  After that he has been healthy other than the arthritis in his hips from the muscle lost during the misdiagnosis.  I am SO Thankful for that day we ended up on Dr Wellings schedule, she truly saved his life!!

Happy 17th Birthday Cheeto!!!  I hope you get to nap all day in the sun while tricking each of us into feeding you even though another of us already has!

Olivia ~ 9 Days New

On Monday I talked about incorporating things important to seniors in their sessions,  that also applies to newborn sessions.  I have had parents bring in special blankets made for baby, a memento of someone passed away, sports memorabilia or items highlighting their careers.

For Miss Olivias session we got to incorporate both Saras & Jonathans careers.  This was a super fun session and they were wonderful to work with, both were very at ease as first time parents.

Olivia was a dream baby for her photos and slept almost the entire time, rarely making a peep!

Here are some of my favorites from her session!

Did you know the best time to schedule your newborn session is when you are still pregnant?  That way you have a better availability of time slots for scheduling.  I  pencil you in around your due date then we adjust the session day according to when you deliver.  Contact me today to get penciled in for your newborn session.  agreerphotography@yahoo.com

Please subscribe to my blog to stay up to date on the life and happenings around AGP!  Stay Safe & Healthy!

Studio Easter/Spring Sessions

I had about 2 weeks of Easter studio sessions before non essential businesses in WV were forced to close our doors.  Do not worry, I will still be offering these for at least one month when I am allowed to reopen so you will not miss out on getting your little ones portrait captured in their Easter outfit they wore into your living room that day lol.

If you would like to be added to my scheduling list please send me an email at agreerphotography@yahoo.com.  I can’t wait to get back into the studio and see all my sweet littles!

Stay Home and Practice Social Distancing so I (& many others) can get back to work ASAP!!!

Can I go back to early March?

Well Hello!  Yes I am still around and I am shocked when I logged in here and saw that it really had only been a year since I last blogged!  Seriously thought it was longer than that.  If you can say something about my blog style, I am consistent with being inconsistent in blogging.  I mean I have always been told “blog for business” “if you don’t blog you won’t reach your customers” well obviously I have not been blogging and still thankfully have a steady business.  Or should say HAD a steady business until March 24th when the governor shut us down for being “non-essential.”

While truly I am loving this time at home.  I have cleaned out closets, the garage,  and sold things we no longer needed, I think we all need our busy lifestyles back.  My daughter misses her friends, school and gymnastics.  My son is missing his last 1/2 of 8th grade, he is most sad about his last season of track.  I miss watching my kids compete, I absolutely love watching them challenge themselves and seeing the pride in their smiles when they do better than they anticipate.  I miss my husband having a “normal” work week.  I miss photography.  I miss my all my AGP babies and little ones!  More on what we all miss later on another blog.  Yes I plan to do more blogging since I am caught up on editing for the first time in what seems like forever.

Can I go back to early March?  Pretty Please?  Can I go back to that facial room at His & Hers with Stephanie discussing all this Corona Virus stuff and telling her “Hey I am not going to worry until Reg worries because he literally never worries about anything unless its a stopped skyliner at Disney or an airplane ride.”  So we go on, she’s doing all her magic stuff to my face to hopefully make me look younger and well rested and we are talking about her upcoming Disney girls trip.  She shares a love for Disney just like I do, perhaps hers is possibly bigger.  She is an “Epcot Mom” and I am a “Magic Kingdom Mom.”  Don’t know what those are, look them up lol.  We were saying “Oh Disney NEVER closes, ever for hurricanes, you’ll be fine to go, just wash your hands.”  She finishes her magic, my face feels soft like a baby butt and I go back to the studio.

Disclaimer:  Her facial room is a lot more relaxing looking than this, this was just the only photo of it on hand right now since she is closed down also.  Book one with her, try it for yourself!  #beautybybatton (Stephanie Batton @ His & Hers Day Spa) 

Welp 3 hours after saying “I won’t worry til he worries” all hell broke loose!!   He calls, saying call your Dad tell him to stay home, the kids need out of school and it needs closed, you can’t take the girls out of the hotel this weekend for Alee’s birthday trip, it’s going to get bad quickly and no one is prepared.  Talk about panicking, again my husband again never worries,  so I was like “oh Crap here we go!”   For petes sake, I was at lunch a week prior with my bff and we were laughing at Corona memes and now we are buckling down and feeling the need to buy a toilet paper!

Text Stephanie like “ummm ya remember what I said this morning,  now it’s time to worry.” Call parents and tell them to stay home.  Go to the school ask about how absences will work if there is an impending pandemic coming and they don’t close.  Figure out how to pull off a great birthday weekend for your 10 year old since you shouldn’t be in public.  Stay calm on the outside because you can’t pass your fears onto your kids, but on the inside you are crumbling because of all of these unknowns.

Do you remember the time when you realized all of this was a lot more serious than you initially were thinking?

Cover photo is of my view each morning.  Don’t diss “ohhh she has a Christmas tree up!” Listen, my  big momma 12 foot is gone and packed away, this is a little pencil tree that only has my antique ornaments on it and it makes me smile.

Throwing a pic of Disney from February in here because I love it and miss is so much!  See ya real soon!

Blog 4

 

Sparkle & Shine!!!

It’s time to experience the joy and fun of childhood with a glitter mini session!!  These sessions are so much fun!!  Kids love them because they are unscripted, not really a posed session, just dancing and tossing glitter around!!!

These are only offered for a limited time!!!  Book your session now for March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd!!   Packages range from $40 to $110.  There is a $40 retainer due at the time of booking with your contract to secure your spot and that is then deducted off of the package you choose that day.

Due to the nature of glitter, these are recommended for ages 3 and up unless you think your under 3 year old can follow directions to not get it in their eye or eat it lol

To schedule please email agreerphotography@yahoo.com!

 

Fresh 48 Special Pricing!!

I mentioned in last weeks Fresh 48 blog there would be a special coming your way on Monday!

Are you ready for it?!?!?!?  (anyone singing Taylor Swift in their head after that? no, just me lol, I was in my car with my almost 9 year old for 6 hours this weekend, so there was lots of Taylor)

Through March 31st, based on availability, I will be offering Fresh 48 sessions in Charleston and Parkersburg for $150!!!  And in Huntington for $185!!!!  These sessions are normally $310!!   This includes the digital downloads with a print release.

I am gifting you these savings because I absolutely adore these sessions so much and would love to add many many more to my portfolio!!!  If I were to have another baby I would totally do this, along with a birth and newborn session!  I wish so much that this was the “thing to do” when my babies were born.

Email me at agreerphotography@yahoo.com to get scheduled so you do not miss out on these memories with your precious little one!  Share this with all the expecting mommas you know!

Make sure you sign up to follow my blog to stay up to date on the life and happenings at AGP!!!  Lots of exciting things coming for my clients in 2019!!