Under Construction!

Please, excuse the "mess" on my page, while I am in the middle of a redesign!

I am now located in Winter Haven, FL and am available for limited sessions in the area. Please contact me on the Facebook page to book your session!

-Brooke

Happy Halloween!

I just had to share some photos of my own little SuperGirl in her Halloween costume! We were headed to downtown Winter Haven for their Ghouls' Night Out, and I convinced her to let me do a quick little photo shoot in the backyard before we left. I might have to offer some Halloween minis next year, because this was just too much fun!

Goodbye, Virginia - Hello, Sunny Florida!

Before I left Virginia and headed south to Florida, I was able to squeeze in a few quick sessions, but I never got a chance to blog any of them! So, instead of overloading my blog with a bunch of sessions, I will just post a few of my favorite images.



I photographed these adorable twins earlier this year for their newborn session, and I was SO excited when their sweet mama contacted me about doing another session with them before I moved.

 This was my first session with these cuties, and they were so much fun! I just loved their sweet personalities and how well they got along with each other :)

My third session with this wonderful family was one of my favorites, because I love being able to watch these beautiful children grow up!

I met the McBrides 5 years ago, when Abigail was just born, so this last session with them was bittersweet. It was also my very last session in Virginia, and I was so glad that they chose Downtown Fredericksburg as their session location, as that was where my photography journey really began. This first photo with Cooper makes me giggle, because he always started our sessions this way - not wanting anything to do with having his photo taken! But as you can see in the other photos, he always warmed up to it throughout the sessions, and we would manage to get some really cute images :)

Oh, Virginia, how I miss you! I made some wonderful memories, met some amazing clients, and really grew as a photographer there, I look forward to doing the same here in Florida!

Northern Virginia Photographers

As I'm preparing for my big move to Florida, many of my clients have been asking for recommendations for other photographers in the area! The first few I have listed here are photographers that I know personally - they are wonderful to work with! Some of them have photographed alongside me, and one of them even did my own head shots! Below them, I've listed others that I don't know personally, but after doing some research online, I feel that they may be comparable to my style and price range. These are just suggestions! I cannot guarantee that they will be exactly what you are looking for.

Jake Cundiff Images
https://www.facebook.com/jake.cundiff.images

Just Picture It by Jenn Burch
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Picture-It-by-Jenn-Burch/178245795536908

Heather Meade Photography
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Meade-Photography/124903814227052





http://www.seanpurcellphotography.com/

http://www.doriehowell.com/

http://www.annewestonphotography.com/

http://www.sarahkanephotography.com/investment-lifestyleportraits/

http://photographybyjm.com/

http://www.brighteyeboutique.com/

http://shannongrahamphotography.com/blog/

http://www.debbieringle.com/

http://brookedanielle.org/

I'm moving!!!

Well, folks, it looks like the time has finally arrived - we've sold the house and will be moving at the end of August! While I am excited about new adventures and moving closer to my BFF, I'm really going to miss my friends, family, and clients (yes, YOU!) in the area. I've made so many memories and have grown so much in my time here in Fredericksburg, and all of you have played a part in it. As a way to say "thank you" before I go, I am offering discounted sessions through August 16th! Sessions are very limited, as I will be busy packing and preparing for the move, so book your session ASAP :)

MINI SESSIONS:

$50 - 20 minute session - 5 edited digital images - printing rights

available for:
Lemonade Stand (Fredericksburg only! August 8th)
Back to School (downtown Fredericksburg dates - August 15 + 16)
Family (up to 5 family members)
Children (up to 3 children)

FULL SESSIONS:

$100 - hour long outdoor session - 15 edited digital images - printing rights

available for:
Family (up to 8 family members)
Maternity
Children (up to 5 children)
Seniors

NEWBORN:

$200 - 2 hours (outdoor or in your home) - 25 edited digital images - printing rights

SENIORS:

$100 - hour long session - 15 edited digital images - printing rights
$125 - hour long session - 15 edited digital images - printing rights - set of 50 Senior Lifestyle Cards
$200 - 2 hour session - 25 edited digital images - printing rights - set of 50 Senior Lifestyle Cards

These prices are good for Fredericksburg area sessions, only. Manassas/Bristow and King George area sessions require a $25 fee. All other locations (up to an hour travel in Virginia) will require a $40 travel fee.

HALF PRICE PRINTS WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE, but they must be ordered by August 12!

Make a Difference - Blood:Water Lemonade Stand

Summer is here! The kids are out of school, and they're ready to have FUN! But maybe you want them to do something useful with their free time... How about raising money to help others?

This summer, I have a goal of raising $250 through my Lemon:Aid Stand Mini Sessions for Blood:Water mission, to help provide clean water in Africa! You can help by booking a mini session and capturing great memories with your kids, while helping others in need. For just $75, you get a 30 minute session, 10 edited digital images, photo print release, and an online gallery that you can share with friends and family.

You can get more information on booking your session HERE.

But that's not the only way you can help! You and your family could also...

Host a Portrait Party

This could be done one of two ways:

1. Host an actual party at your home or neighborhood location.
    I can provide a digital file (similar to the image above) for you to use as invitations.
   This can be held during a cookout, a birthday party, etc. OR you can simply host a portrait party.
    I will provide the set as pictured above (or with a red, white, and blue theme, if you prefer), including    lemonade mix, straws, and mason jars to use as drinking glasses.
 (You must come pick up the lemonade stand, as I do not have a way to transport it.)
 Invite friends and family (minimum of 5 paid sessions required; 8 sessions max) and set up a schedule for their portrait sessions. For each paid session, you will receive a FREE 8x10 print OR a $10 credit towards a full session (up to $50).

OR

2. Host a portrait party at my home.
  Non-party sessions will be held at my home, and you can "host" a portrait party without the hassle of an actual party by treating them as individual sessions. All you have to do is send out the invitations, refer your friends and family to me, and you can still earn the free 8x10 prints! (OR a $10 credit towards a full session, up to $50). All of these sessions must be booked on the same date, within a certain time block. 
(NOTE - this will not be an actual party. Clients will arrive for their scheduled session time, only.)

Build Your Own Lemonade Stand

Check out the Walter Project website to learn how to make your own lemonade stand to raise money!
http://www.walterproject.org/lemonaid/

Follow this link to make your own lemonade banner like the one I've used in my set.

Feeling adventurous? Check out Pinterest for some tasty lemonade recipes (or just take the easy way, like I did, and buy the mix from the store!)

Whatever you choose, HAVE FUN WITH IT, and enjoy your summer!!

-Brooke

Twin Newborn Session - Fredericksburg/Springfield, VA

Earlier this year, I had a client message me asking about my newborn sessions... for twins! I told her upfront that I had never done a twin newborn session, but that I would LOVE the opportunity. I am so grateful to my clients for trusting me to capture these important moments for them, especially when it will be a new learning experience for me.

I know I tend to ramble on, and nobody is really interested in reading that, so I'll just post a few of my favorite images from the day ;) Mom and dad (and myself!) were so surprised that the babies slept so well during the session, and that we were able to pose them together in such sweet positions. I'm so thankful that I got this opportunity to shoot my first newborn session with twins!

Lemon:Aid Stand Mini Sessions

PHOTOS FOR YOU = CLEAN WATER FOR THEM

I am so excited to offer these special lemonade stand mini sessions this summer! Not only have I had a blast putting this set together (with the help of my awesome dad, who built the actual stand), but these sessions will be helping me meet my goal to raise money for Blood:Water Mission to help provide clean water in Africa! You can also raise money by having your own (real) lemonade stand - you can get more info here.


Here's how it works:

YOU book a Lemon:Aid Stand Mini Session.
For just $75, you get a 30 minute session, 10 edited digital images, photo print release, and an online gallery that you can share with friends and family.

$25 from each mini session will be donated to Blood:Water.
(You can follow my progress of reaching my goal of $250 on my fundraising page!)
$1 = 1 year of clean water for 1 African.
Your session alone will provide a year of clean water for 25 people!!

As an added bonus, these sessions will include a referral program! For each paid mini session you refer to me (just have them mention your full name when they message me to book their session), you can earn a $10 credit towards a full session! (Up to 5 referrals per client. Credits must be used by August 30, 2014)

These sessions will ALSO include half-price prints up to 8x10!! ($15 print order minimum required)

4x6 - $5 $2.50

5x7 - $10 $5

8x10 - $15 $7.50

These sessions will be available on the following dates - evenings only.

Friday, June 20th

Wednesday, June 25th

Wednesday, July 9th

Friday, July 18th

JUST ADDED - Saturday, August 2!!

You may choose from the classic lemonade set, as shown above, or a red, white, and blue session, like these!

Please, message me on Facebook or email brooke.m.ramsey@gmail.com to book your session or if you have questions!

It's Time to Update Your Child's School Photos!

It's amazing how quickly your kids grow up and how much they change over the course of one school year. Look back at their school portraits from the beginning of the year, and you can see - it's time to update your child's end-of-school-year photos! 

I am offering these quick and easy mini sessions in the Fredericksburg area on the evenings of 
June 3 - 6 and June 10 - 13.
Special evening sessions will be held in Bristow on June 7th for an additional $5 travel fee.

Super Special Savings
School's Out for Summer
mini sessions

20 minute outdoor session
5 edited digital images (per child)
print release

$50 for the first child
only $15 for each additional child!

HALF-PRICE PRINTS
4x6 - $2.50
5x7 - $5
8x10 - $7.50
(minimum $20 print purchase)

These sessions are for individual children's portraits.
Different groupings, props, and outfit changes require a regular full session.

Photo Tips: Flowers

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas out there! Tomorrow is the day when children, grandchildren, husbands, etc. will honor you and all that you do. Many of you will probably receive some flowers of some sort, so I thought it would be the perfect time to post some tips on how to capture some lovely images of your special bouquets! I'll try to keep it sweet and simple.

I didn't actually have a bouquet of my own, but I did have this lovely bit of lilac, which smelled heavenly!

Turn off your flash!

That harsh, too-bright light that your camera (or phone) gives off is so unflattering! It causes harsh shadows and flat light, which usually washes out the nice colors of your flowers, and takes away from the general loveliness of it all. Try positioning them in a space with soft, natural light coming in through your windows!

Don't be afraid to get close!

Try moving in closer to your flowers. You can capture more detail and block out any distracting clutter that may be in the background. When you look back on these pictures, you'll want to remember the lovely gift you received, not the dirty dishes piling up in the sink behind it ;)

Move your bouquet!

Don't be afraid to move your flowers to get a good shot! You might have the perfect spot to showcase them for the week, but try moving them around while you're taking your pictures. The photos above are okay, but the background is a little bit distracting, so I moved the vase to the floor for a few photos. This gave it a nice, neutral background, light coming at a slightly different angle, and I was able to get a different perspective.

Get on the floor!

Sometimes, in order to get a unique image, you need to try shooting from different angles. It is not unusual to see me laying flat on my belly on the ground to get a good shot! I may not look too cute, but I'm not the one in the picture, so it doesn't matter ;) Try getting low, so you can shoot up! When you shoot through the leaves, you can get a nice blurred look, while still getting a sharp focus on the flowers.

If you're shooting in manual, keep your aperture wide open (at a low f stop - these were shot at 1.4), and don't be afraid to bump up that ISO if you need to!

Mommy + Me Mini Sessions: Fredericksburg, VA Family Photographer

I am so excited to offer these special Mommy + Me mini sessions, just in time for Mother's Day!

As a mother, I am usually the one taking the photos of my family, and I find that I am rarely in the pictures, myself! These mini sessions provide a wonderful and affordable opportunity to get quality updated portraits of you and your children that you and your family will cherish for a lifetime.

To make sure that I can squeeze in plenty of sessions for my clients, I have these special minis available on multiple days!! The scheduled dates fall on the week before and the week after Mother's Day - wouldn't this make a wonderful gift?

If you are interested in booking a session with me, please message me on the Facebook Page!

Best Friend Double Maternity Session: Fredericksburg/Stafford VA

My sister Megan and her friend, Suzanne, have been friends for over 20 years, and growing up, they always said they would get married at the same time and be pregnant together. They have both been married for 10 years and have already had children, but this is the first time that they are expecting at the same time! They are both due in May, and we got a chance in March to do a quick maternity session with both of them!

Miranda: College Graduation Photos: Fredericksburg, VA

As soon as I met up with Miranda, I knew this was going to be a super fun session! She was so easy-going and easy to chat with, and she told me up front that she was girly and loved having her photo taken. This girl was not lying! She just sparkles in front of the camera, and her smile is so natural and genuine! Her sweet personality shines in her portraits, and she was up for some exploring as we adventured through downtown and along the river.

Reese is Turning One!

A year ago, I received a message on Facebook from a new client interested in booking a newborn session. I was a little nervous, because this was my first time going into a client's home whom I didn't know personally, and my first client that was not a referral from friends or family. It was a lot of pressure! I felt like they were my first "real" clients!

Well, let me tell you, it turned out to be a wonderful experience! I have been so blessed to have this sweet little family as repeat clients over the past year, and I absolutely love being able to watch sweet little Reese grow. Reese turns one year old in a few weeks, and I had SO MUCH FUN with her first birthday session! I brought one of my props that I had used at her newborn session to show how much she has grown. Isn't she so stinkin' cute?

Her mom and I discussed a few ideas for her birthday shoot and decided to keep it simple, with some balloons and a little "cake smash" session, as well as incorporating the letters O-N-E to make a cute little series to frame together. Here are a few of the images we got before the cake came out.

She's just the sweetest little thing, and she's full of smiles! She is such a fast crawler, and was curious to check out all of the goodies laying around, so it was a challenge to get her to sit still long enough for a picture! Once we brought out the mini cake, she dug right in. First to go was the candle. It seemed like pink icing was immediately all over her belly and in her hair, before it even got to her mouth! Mom was a good sport and didn't mind (too much) all of the icing that Reese smeared all over the dining room floor!

Reese wasn't thrilled when her mommy took away her cake, but it didn't take long for the tears to dry! Check out those beautiful blue eyes!