Ashley Brawner Photography

The other night my family and I decided to venture out to our town square and look at the Christmas decorations before they were taken down. We hadn’t been to see them yet and it was the 2nd of January, so we knew they were coming down soon. We went up and sat in the sleigh and hung out with the kids and during our visit up there met two different groups of people, which we really enjoyed talking with.

And of course I snagged a few pics for them… I always feel for people when I see moms and dads or one person always stepping out of the photos to hop behind the camera, thus making them end up with no photos of them all together. The first group, one of the gals is an aspiring professional photographer and we talked shop (and about Vampire Diaries, which I have recently fallen addicted to) and of course I loved that! And the family we met afterwards had several mutual friends with us and needed family photos soon and they run an athletic business that has rec teams for kids, something I had just been talking to my hubby about for our kids (& of course their kids and our kids hit it off and wore themselves out… I’m pretty sure they all slept really well that night). How crazy is all that? Just in a small trip to look at Christmas lights… You never know who you might meet or what opportunities you may come into just being open and friendly to anyone you meet, even in a small last minute decision to do something simple –  Anywho, since I’m pledging to maintain my blog with you guys, I thought I’d share a couple photos from that night and the awesome people that we met.

Hey guys!

Sooo… I know I said that I was going to be WAY better about blogging this year, and soo far.. I have not been!

BUT!! ((and yes, thats a big but)) It is because I have been busy with shooting you guys

and… launching a new line of photography, as well as putting in more time on my commercial work

my website is now live, www.ashleybrawner.com

its not 100% completed (and yes, its really a lot more work to do a website than you would think) but its there.

all that being said, I am going to be catching up my shoots from Jan 1 and maybe even a few of my favorites from 2010 (we shall see)

thank you & goodnight… stay classy my internet friends and blog stalkers

Happy New Year!!!

And… Just a little update for you all…

2011 has some BIG things coming up!! I already have almost 20 weddings on the books from this month up until November and several months that I am not taking anymore weddings (dont want to get soo busy that you dont get all the attention you deserve for one of the biggest days of your life!) Soo… without further delay, here are some updates for you guys broken out by category

Personal: I will be maintaining what you call a 365 photo project… I will be taking a picture a day, sometimes it may be whats going on in my life, a highlight from that day, something that speaks to me or has personal meaning… or maybe just something that I think is kinda cool. I will post these images on my personal blog, that you are more than welcome to check out… Havent decided yet if I wanted to post them here as well though… Thoughts?

Professional: New website. New blog updates. New pricing. New exciting opportunities for me AND you to get in on the action and some fun give aways and events! You guys have probably seen where I have asked for models for shoots… And there will be more of that in the new year for ABP. I cant wait to share with you all the exciting things coming up! I am also going to attempt to maintain regular postings on my blog of all my recent shoots and favorites. Also! Many of you have asked for mentoring sessions, tagging along, etc… So I will be working in opportunities for you guys to do so as often as possible. Many of you have already tagged along with me on a shoot or a wedding and I have really enjoyed it, a lot! So stay tuned for that!

Personal & Professional: One of the biggest reasons that I work from home, is so that I can be there for my kids and my family. I am soo very privileged and blessed that God has allowed me to have a passion for something that I can do because I enjoy it and to be able to make it my profession. I will be taking my time home more seriously this year though. It is great to be busy and to have work, but everyone needs some R&R … Especially with 3 kids . Because of my need to be completely confident in the work that I give to you as my friends, customers, family and clients, I will be revamping my schedule to allow for specific off days. The off days may change, some times as often as weekly, but for the most part will stay the same and be consistant. I want to be sure that I am well rested and have enjoyed time with my family so that I can give my family my best and give you guys my best. After all, you dont want a half awake person with coffee stained shirts working on your pictures .

With all that being said… My new site and new pricing (see note below on pricing) will be live effective January 15th…Anything booked before January 15th will be grandfathered in at the 2010 rates.

I hope everyone has had a safe and happy holiday season! And heres to making 2011 better and bigger than 2010! (and a sneak peek from the first shoot of 2011)

*Pricing: You may ask yourselves why photographers charge what we do… And I saw an EXCELLENT explanation for this on a fellow photographers blog, so in a nutshell, here it is: When I charge you for your sitting, your prints, your dvd of your images… You may say/ask yourselves why you should pay me for a disc or a print when you could do that yourself for so much less… Or why I charge what I do for the sitting when Im only with you for maybe an hour or so. It is soo much more than that though. On average, for every hour that I spend shooting with you, I will spend 2 to 3 hours culling and editing those images(sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the specific needs of your shoot, event, wedding). The editing time doesnt include all the time that goes in to planning for your photography needs… It may include setting up the location, scouting the location, loading and reloading equipment and/or props, among many other things. You are also paying for quality, artistic interpretation/design and my experience… I pride myself in the amount of time that goes in to each image because I want to make sure that you are not showing people images that do not capture who you are and are not of high quality. Yes, you can go pay $15 for a sitting fee, and you will probably get 1 or 2 pretty good images, but I can assure you that you wont have to worry about only getting 1 or 2 good images with me. I produce quality work from an experienced artist/photographer and I take utmost pride in it… And you should too! You shouldnt look back at your photos years from now and wonder what you were thinking .

I’ve had the privilege of doing photos for Beth & Reagan’s sweet little family for a while now, and it’s always a pleasure. Beth is the epitome of a Southern Belle, she’s gorgeous but it’s not only skin deep, she’s easily one of the sweetest people you will ever meet – it’s just a sweet sweet family. This time Beth called me to do some last minute pictures of their family and her sister’s family. I’m 110% sure that there are no bad genes in this family… They are all beautiful and sweet sweet sweet!! Anywho… I’ll just let you see for yourself . Thanks Beth & Reagan for having me in your home again to do photos for you guys!! It’s always a pleasure!!

Meet Beth & Becky… Two of the ones responsible for all the cute & smiley faces that follow

I had to grab a few of the kiddos jumping on the trampoline… It’s just too fun not to!

Check out these two little handsome men…

The whole crew:

So I know it’s been a few days since my last blog post… BUT I figured that I wouldn’t keep you guys waiting and I would give you a sneak peek on the weddings and shoots I’m editing so you know what you have to look forward to . Enjoy! And make sure to check back and see the whole shoots/weddings!

Okay guys… Sooo… We all know that with the weather getting cooler we aren’t as likely to go do outdoor shoots. BUT IT IS STILL SOOO BEAUTIFUL and great for outdoor shoots. I know this may sound crazy because I always charge sitting fees… BUT in keeping in the spirit of giving for the Holidays, I am offering FIFTEEN ***FREE*** Photoshoots by Ashley Brawner Photography for the month of November.

What’s the catch you ask?
There really isn’t one. I’m just waiving my sitting fee for the first 15 people that respond and book. The photo shoot will, as always, have to be at a mutually agreed upon time and location.

But you’ve always charged the sitting fee to reserve your appointment, with no sitting fee, how can that be done you say?
Well… I’m glad you asked! Your appointment time can be reserved with a $50 deposit that WILL be applied to your print and/or disc order. All you have to do is paypal your deposit to me at: payments@ashleybrawner.com and we will book your date (I also accept cash or checks, for your convenience).

Respond on this note w/your name and number of people in your shoot and your preferred location. Locations will vary between Nash Farms, Piedmont Park, Little 5 Points, Downtown Locust Grove, and a few other places.

Dates & Locations Available:

McDonough:
Nov 6th: 7:45am, 6pm, 6:45pm

Piedmont Park:
Nov 7th: 5pm, 5:45pm, 6:30pm

Downtown Locust Grove:
Nov 8th: 5pm, 5:45pm, 6:30pm

Little 5 Points:
Nov 12th: 5pm, 5:45pm, 6:30pm

Gwinnett County:
Nov 13th: 7:45am, 8:30am, 9:15am

Oh!! And don’t forget to come see me on October 29th at the trunk or treat for Monica’s Kids, on Jonesboro Rd AND at the Health and Wellness “Fair” at Heritage Park, sponsored by Eagles Landing FBC, on Nov 6th!

It’s always an honor when another photographer asks you to do their family pictures, or any pictures for them for that matter. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Tate (of Taken by Tate), a fellow photographer, and spending some time with her over the last month and am proud to be able to call her a friend. We went out Monday night to do a few family photos for them and had a great time with it… And if any more of you are photographers, you know how rare it is to have your whole family in one photo, I’ll be lucky if my kids think I went on family vacations and outings with them, lol… Mom’s always got the camera in hand (though my hubby does a GREAT job of taking over). Okay, so I’ll quit rambling now and get straight to the good stuff… Here are a few of my MANY favorites from Tate’s family shoot! And don’t be shy… Let us know you were here, we LOVE your feedback!

and you know we had to get one of the girl behind the lens (not me, Tate) for her site – lookin’ good mama!

check out Z’s little Matilda Jane outfit!! LOOOOOOVVVE it!!

We are THRILLED to announce our Fall and Christmas Mini Sessions!!! Some of you have already gotten in on the action and booked yours (good for you!!) but for those who haven’t yet… Below we will list the dates and times that are available for you! For those of you who may not know what a mini session is, or if you are interested in one: a mini session is a 30-45minute shoot where we will give you and/or your family our undivided attention to capture some REALLY great shots! Our mini sessions will include your shoot time(30-45minutes) and a disc of 20-25 professionally edited images, on a disc w/copyright release, and an online viewing gallery to share with friends and family, for only $150! (<–you can’t beat that!) All images/discs will be completed within 2weeks of your shoot so as to be sure that photos are ready in time for Christmas. If you don’t see the time and date that you want, DON’T WORRY!! Message us your request and we will do our absolute best to accommodate your needs and requests! You can schedule your appointment by contacting us at ashley@ashleybrawner.com or via phone, at 678-577-6416.

October 16th:  8:00am – 8:45am,  5:00pm – 5:45pm,  6:00pm – 6:45pm

October 17th:  8:00am – 8:45am,  5:00pm – 5:45pm,  6:00pm – 6:45pm

October 22nd: 8:00am – 8:45am,  5:00pm – 5:45pm.  6:00pm – 6:45pm

November 6th: 8:00am – 8:45am,  5:00pm – 5:45pm, 6:00pm – 6:45pm

November 7th: 8:00am – 8:45am,  5:00pm – 5:45pm, 6:00pm – 6:45pm

**And for all of my loyal “blog stalkers” – I am soo very sorry that I have not been regularly posting! I have been soo incredibly busy (which is a GREAT thing) that my blogging has slacked off. But never fear! I will be catching up all the shoots that have not made it here along with my current shoots that I will be blogging… So you will have no shortage of yummy eye candy!

I did Leighton’s 6month pictures and I loved her!! So, naturally I was really excited when her grandmother called me to do her one year birthday party. Here’s a little sneak peek of, easily, the cutest little birthday party ever!

Back-to-School Mini Session Special!!

School photos never really seem to capture who your child is at these special times in their lives…but we can! And we love that soo many of you trust, and have trusted, us with photos of your family, children, engagements, weddings and other special events.

Email me for details because you won’t want to miss this! You can reach me at ashley@ashleybrawner.com

(here are a few photos of one of my c/o 2011 Seniors… Enjoy!)