Photography By Shannon

Winners!

2011-12-18T08:40:00.002-06:00

So far I have had 2 of the 6 winners of the AGAPE baby and family fair come out to claim their prize! It has been so fun to work with them.

This little winner was way more interested in exploring the park than having pictures taken, but we still got some great shots that definitely show his cute personality. Big sister was a trooper and didn't complain about the cold at all.

Our other winner was also a bundle of energy! He loved playing in the water and running around. He was so fun to chase around.

Cute as a button!

2011-11-20T08:41:00.002-06:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph this beautiful family yesterday, I absolutely adore her little freckles! Baby brother is so adorable and was such an easy going baby!

Fall in Downtown Madison

2011-11-12T17:20:00.002-06:00

Today I was back in Downtown Madison with a beautiful family of 4. The girls were very well behaved and even though big sister was dealing out the cheese smiles, we were still able to capture some beautiful natural facial expressions. I had a ton of fun photographing this great family!

WINNERS !!!! of the AGAPE Faces of the Fair Contest!

2011-10-31T13:32:00.001-05:00

Announcing the WINNERS of the AGAPE Faces of the Fair Contest!!
Tyler Moses, McKinnley Jeans, Melody Silva, Lucas Meacham, London McLean and William Stews! I will be contacting all 6 winners to let them know the details of their prize.

Fall on Green Mountain

2011-10-24T14:35:00.002-05:00

Saturday I got to go up to Green Mountain with an awesome family to see the beautiful fall colors. The boys were super well behaved and didn't mind our hike. I had a ton of fun on such a beautiful Saturday morning.

ABC's!

2011-10-24T14:22:00.002-05:00

I have been working on another ABC book over the last month and I love the way it is turning out! A was such a wonderful trooper and did a great job posing. (even if we DID have to bribe her with raisins!) I am still working on the pages, but here are some of the ones I have done.

W is 6 months old

2011-10-12T15:09:00.002-05:00

Today I got to visit with some friends and photograph their incredibly handsome Son/Grandson. W was a perfect model, no crying, lots of great eye contact and he didn't even fuss much when we changed his clothes. While W took a bottle break, I even got to photograph his cousin Z. What a fun morning!

Pictures on the Beach

2011-09-25T11:19:00.003-05:00

This summer I did a couple of Beach sessions down in Florida, Here is one of them. I love the way these turned out!

Alina is 8 months old!

2011-09-05T14:26:00.002-05:00

Saturday I got to see some of my very favorite clients! Alina did wonderful for her 8 month pictures, big brother wasn't interested in getting any pictures done so the family portraits didn't work out, but Alina looked fabulous! I love all the fantastic props and outfits that her Mom brings, it makes it that much more fun to photograph.

Dance!

2011-08-04T10:31:00.002-05:00

Today I photographed a cute little dancer. She was super spunky (especially since she decided she had to go potty 2 shots into our session!) We had a great time and I love her cute sparkly dress. She was so excited to be done so she can play with her costume instead of "keeping it nice for the pictures"

Family of 6

2011-06-07T14:18:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday I got to photograph one of my fellow MOPS moms. We had originally planned to do the shoot at the rose gardens at the splash pad in Decatur, but I discovered the night before the shoot that a $50 permit was required to photograph there so I called Stacy up and we choose a new location, "Indian Creek Greenway" It turned out to be beautiful there and we got some great shots. Stacy has 4 children, a beautiful 6 year old girl, 3 year old identical twin girls and a 1 year old little boy. They had more fun splashing in the creek than having their pictures taken, but we managed just fine.

Cuban/Saudi beauty

2011-05-24T13:16:00.004-05:00

On Friday I got to meet a beautiful senior. She is getting ready to do a study abroad for her senior year so decided to do her pictures before she left. She and her mom were great fun to talk to and work with. I think she is gorgeous! Their house/grounds were also beautiful and GREAT for pictures.

Senior at Green Mountain

2011-04-20T16:05:00.003-05:00

Monday I got a call for a last min Senior session. This Senior graduated early and is headed off today for a spring semester at BYU TODAY. So we did her session yesterday evening up at green mountain. We were both a little late and so the light faded fast but we got some fantastic shots. This girl is Gorgeous! She was a perfect model, she fell into the poses perfectly and made them look so natural and fresh. I loved shooting her! It was so hard to pick which photos to feature here!

Spring on the greenway

2011-04-19T12:26:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got to photograph some of my favorite little boys. They are growing up so fast! Their facial expressions are priceless and we had a great time playing on the green way. Their Mom is awesome and it was great to take some pictures of them interacting together so naturally.

Alina take 2

2011-04-09T16:33:00.002-05:00

Little Alina is now 4 months old and it is time for her next photoshoot. Alina's Mommy had some great props this time, and we decided to do a half outdoors, half indoors shoot. It turned out to be a great idea. Alina was ok outside, but in the studio is where she really shone. I was so impressed with how calm and easy-going she was. Big Brother Aleks wasn't as happy to be there as she was, but he did a great job smiling in the family pictures and staying out of the way for little sisters turn. I can't wait to see her again in 4 months!

Lauren's family

2011-04-09T16:05:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I got to photograph my friend Lauren and her beautiful Family. Ella and Wesley love to go over to their house to play. I love spending time with Lauren, so it was an extra special treat to get to take her picture. She is one of the loveliest, and prettiest moms I know!

Spring mini sessions-Downtown Madison

2011-04-02T20:19:00.002-05:00

This afternoon was fun too, We had a great time in Downtown madison. I got to meet the Brown Family, who were super nice, and I also got to photograph Jennifer from Rocket City Mom . She has a great Website dedicated to things for the Moms of the area to do and take their kids to. She also has a nice blog with great articles about all kinds of things. It was fun to take her picture and meet her family!

The Brown Family

and Jennifer

Spring mini sessions-Green Mountain

2011-04-02T20:12:00.002-05:00

Today was the date of our spring mini sessions. It was great fun! Green Mountain was so pretty this morning, and we had such beautiful weather. Here are a few pictures from some of the sessions

Green mountain.

ABC's!

2011-03-28T20:02:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, I got to do an ABC book for a lovely family of 4 girls. Their mom is so creative and came up with some very unique words for the letters. We havn't gotten the font picked out, or the sentences written, but so far I am so excited with how they come out. I think this will be a book they will cherish for the rest of their lives!

Airplane

Balloons

Cupid

Dump Truck

Evil Queen

Frog Princess

Giraffe

Hannah

Ice Cream

Jasmine

Kitty

Lilly

Motorcycle

Noodles

Oreo

Phoebe

Queen of Hearts

Route 66

Swimsuits

Tutu

Underdog

Vampire

Wagon

XXOOs

YMCA

Zoe Belle

Spring Mini-sessions!

2011-03-12T09:58:00.001-06:00

This year, Photography By Shannon.com is offering Mini-sessions for the first time! On April 2, 2011 we will be offering 30 min sessions with a CD of at least 20 images for $150. These sessions are perfect for families, children, engagements, and seniors! We will be offering 2 locations,
In the Morning we will be shooting at Green Mountain Nature preserve in Huntsville.

Session times available are
9:00
9:45
10:30
11:15
In the Afternoon we will be shooting in Down Town Madison. Session times available are
3:00
3:45
4:30
5:15

If there is enough interest, we will be opening new dates and locations.
If you are interested in booking a mini-session, please email or call me with your first and second choice for times.

Hope to see you there!
Shannon Carlson
Photographer
shannon@photographybyshannon.com
256.513.6210

From the isle of the Kiwi's

2011-02-12T07:36:00.003-06:00

My little sister is in town visiting and she brought her Gentleman Caller with her to meet the family. Since we havn't seen her in 2 years, we were all very excited to have her home. Since pictures is what I do, I made her and the GC go out with me in 30* weather and do a photo shoot. We were all numb by the end of it, but we had fun and got some great pics.

Alexander's Martial Arts

2011-02-05T08:26:00.003-06:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph the students of Alexander's Martial Arts center. It was so much fun! I learned a lot about Karate, and got to meet the wonderful staff of all three locations. It was a blast to do!

Hi-ho the Cheerio!

2011-02-05T08:18:00.002-06:00

This little one turned 1 in December. She has such amazing eyes. Her mom has great style and brought in some super cute outfits. She had a "Cheerio" themed birthday party. I got to photograph her with some neat and interesting props!

Snow Bunnies

2011-02-05T08:09:00.002-06:00

I was back in Utah again last month and got an opportunity to photograph a beautiful family of 6 kids! They were troopers standing out in the snow with me with no coats on, but they smiled big and followed directions so well! I am not a big fan of Snow in general, but it does make a pretty backdrop when it is all fresh and new!

1 week

2010-12-24T10:02:00.002-06:00

I have gotten to know this fabulous family well over the past year or so. Yesterday I got to meet their newest little one at just one week old. She reminds me so much of her big brother, just skinnier. She was an absolute doll during the whole shoot. Calm and happy and sweet. She started out sleepy, but the bright lights woke her up and she gave me lots of serious newborn stares.

Mama to be

2010-11-26T22:08:00.002-06:00

This lucky Mommy is getting ready to have her second child. It was freezing outside today but she was such a trooper being out there with no coat! I love the way her pictures turned out.

Aleksander turns 1

2010-11-22T14:42:00.002-06:00

This week one of my favorite little boys turns 1. He was not terribly interested in getting his picture taken, until we brought out the little cake. He was totally into that and loved making a mess of himself and my set! Happy Birthday Aleks!

Brothers

2010-11-19T22:56:00.002-06:00

Today I got to photograph some very handsome brothers. I first met this family a year ago when I did family portraits for them. The boys have grown up quite a bit since then. They did an awesome job, even though little brother was sick.

The S family

2010-10-26T08:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got to photograph the S family again. The are an awesome family with 6! kids! 5 boys and a girl. The kids were so great and full of personality during the shoot and we got some great pictures. I loved the idea of the kids posing in their climbing tree. It is one of my very favorite images! We also went down to a local greenway to get the rest of the shots. It was so pretty there, even if it was flooded from the recent rains.

Leaves

2010-10-25T08:29:00.003-05:00

We are approaching the season of leaves again and it is one of the best times to have pictures done. This family wanted some quirky pictures in the leaves and I think we accomplished that! The four girls were darling in their matching dresses and once they got the hang of things were quite the little models! It was so fun to see them get in to posing and coming up with their own stuff.

Burwell's Martial arts

2010-10-25T08:22:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to photograph the students of Burwell's Martial Arts. We met the owners at the AGAPE Baby and Family fair this August. The students were awesome and the little ones were so cute! I enjoyed my time there and even learned a little bit about Tae kwon doe. (sp?)

This is the place

2010-10-22T15:29:00.003-05:00

This family took me to the "This is the place" monument in SLC Utah for their pictures. I had never been there before, but it had some great views! The kids were all over the place but totally cute and we got some great family pictures for them.

Playing catch-up

2010-10-22T15:25:00.001-05:00

I have been lazy about updating my blog here but I have some great pictures to show off! I flew out to Utah last weekend to photograph a wedding and while I was there I squeezed in 2 additional shoots as well. Here are pictures from my first shoot down there. These kids happen to be my nieces and nephew. I haven't seen them in over 4 years so it was neat to get to know them while I took their pictures.

A turns one

2010-09-11T08:10:00.003-05:00

A is one of our "My First Year" clients. Yesterday we had the last of her 4 sessions. She will be turning one this coming week. A has been one of my favorite babies ever. She is so sweet and smiley and does just about whatever we ask of her. Her parents are so creative too, they always show up with tons of outfits and props. We had a lot of fun in Downtown Madison capturing her vibrant personality.

One year old (and a few months)

2010-09-10T20:05:00.003-05:00

This little one got in for his one year photo's a little late, but he is just about the cutest little guy I know. He was very well behaved for his pictures and gave me the best smiles.

AGAPE baby and family fair

2010-08-28T19:32:00.002-05:00

Today was the annual fair. This is our third year participating in it. This year we spent a ton of time improving our booth and trying to make it something really special. We really liked the way our booth turned out and I am very proud of the impression we put forth. Jon and I talked to tons of people and feel really good about the way things went.

We launched a September special while we were at the fair, and so I wanted to announce it here too.
We are having a drawing at the end of September for a FREE 20x24” gallery wrapped canvas. (a $200 value) To enter this drawing you need to book a session with us by September 30, 2010. (Your session does not need to be completed during September, just scheduled). On September 30^th we will draw a name out of the qualifying clients and award them the canvas of their choice after their session is completed.

Here are some pictures from the fair.

Aleks take 3

2010-07-24T15:12:00.004-05:00

Today I got to visit with adorable little Aleks. This is his 3rd of 4 photo shoots during his first year. He has grown so much since his newborn days and is now sitting up on his own, crawling, and pulling up. He is also the friendliest baby I know. He crawled right over to me to be held and was happy to sit on my lap. The only downside is he was determined to crawl to me instead of sit and get his picture taken! We got to try a new shot today that I have been wanting to try. I think it turned out great, what about you?

Here are the rest of the teasers for Mom and Dad. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Growing up

2010-07-11T14:39:00.002-05:00

I love watching my clients grow up. It is amazing to see how much they change and mature in just one short year. This is my third year photographing this lovely family. I did their first family portrait when their second set of twins was born, then again at the boys 1st birthday and finally, on Saturday, near their second birthday.

I have also worked with Mom, Barbara, on the images for her wonderful Baby Bowl's website and package. Can you believe that this Mom not only takes care of two sets of twins, but also runs her own business!?! She is super mom for sure.

Here are some wonderful shots from their session Saturday.

Facebook Contest Winners!

2010-07-03T16:53:00.002-05:00

Today I did the photoshoot for my Facebook contest winner Kellye. We went up to Green Mountain Nature Trail and it was beautiful! The kids were very well behaved and did a great job. I had a lot of fun with the whole family, thank you for letting me take your pictures!

My little girl

2010-06-29T09:34:00.002-05:00

Most of the time these days my little girl doesn't want her picture taken. Today, with a bribe of watching Dora the Explorer, I managed to get her to pose for me. I love her many expressions, and sillyness!

Army baby

2010-06-16T19:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing a 1 week old baby. G and D are friends of ours and it was fun to meet baby A and spend some time with friends. D is in the Army, so we got some cute shots of the baby with parts of his uniform. Dad is also a "green lantern" fan, so we took some pictures with a custom made Green Lantern quilt too. Yea! for unique shots!

Young Marines

2010-06-11T07:53:00.003-05:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph the Young Marines of North Alabama. It was their graduation day and a whole set of new recruits were joining their group. I was super impressed with how polite and well behaved the children (and adults) were. I had a blast watching them get their uniforms on for the first time and seeing their proud faces as they received their awards. I had never heard of this program before, so it was nice to know that there is something out there for kids like this.

Would you like a free session from Photography By Shannon.com?

2010-06-01T20:42:00.001-05:00

It’s about time for another free session give away don’t you think? This month we want to give away another outdoors session to one of our Facebook friends. The winner will receive a free 1 hour session and their favorite 5 images on CD! This time we are giving you more ways to enter.
1. Post a comment on this NOTE on Facebook, and you get one entry.
2. “Like” Photography By Shannon.com on Facebook and get one entry.
3. Tell your friends to comment on this note on Facebook. When you send a friend there, have them mention your name in their comment and get another entry!
4. “Follow” our Blog www.photographybyshannondotcom.blogspot.com and get another entry.
The winner will be drawn on Friday the 4th of June.
This free session MUST be redeemed during the month of June.

We don’t want anyone to feel left out, so we are offering a freebee to ANYONE who books a session this June. Book a summer session, indoors or out, between June 1 and 30 and receive your choice of a FREE 11x14 or 10% off your order (offer good for both print and CD orders). Summer sessions are limited to evenings and Saturdays only, and are filling fast! We hope to hear from you soon.

Take 3!

2010-05-16T15:59:00.002-05:00

Saturday we got to see little Angelina again. This is her 3rd of 4 photo sessions scheduled for her first year of life. She has grown so much in the 3 months since I last saw her. She is crawling, pulling up on things and ALMOST walking. She was a joy as usual to work with, I think she wants to be a model when she grows up. She was all smiles for her Daddy. I can't believe that she is almost a year old already, my how time flies.

Tough Toddler, great family.

2010-05-16T15:53:00.002-05:00

Saturday I had a very tough toddler. 18months-2 years are some of the hardest ages to photograph. They know what they want, but not how to tell us very well. They are pushing the boundaries and trying to assert themselves. 2 year old X was having a bad day didn't want anything to do with pictures. He wasn't very happy to see me, but we still managed to get some great pictures of him, his brother and the whole family. I had a good time with the L family, and it was nice to get to know Heather better.

Hello World

2010-05-15T16:06:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I met Quinn. He was so sleepy, and did a great job in front of the camera. Mommy looked way too good to be only a week postpartum! Newborns are always so precious!

Daisy-Daisy

2010-05-14T13:29:00.002-05:00

For this shoot I got to go to a new location I have never been to before. Green Mountain nature trail. It has a beautiful lake, a (man-made) waterfall. A gorgeous covered bridge and lots of other great picture spots.

My client found this place during a Google search and fell in love with it. I must say I fell in love with it myself. We had to move quick during the shoot due to fading light, but we got some amazing shots. We were so lucky to have all the daisies blooming, they matched C's dress perfectly. I am excited to head back up the "mountain" soon to do some more pictures up there.

Beautiful Mother

2010-05-14T13:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I got to photograph a beautiful mother of 4. I have photographed two of her sons previously. She does not look old enough to have these strapping young men! She is such a delight to work with!

Brianna

2010-05-08T20:40:00.002-05:00

Little Brianna was quite possibly the easiest best newborn I have ever photographed. She was so deeply asleep and pliable at the beginning and so alert and happy at the end. I couldn't have asked for a better subject. The big brothers were also so cute with her, and you could really tell how much big brother A loves her!

Rock n' Roll!!

2010-05-08T13:09:00.002-05:00

Or as my 4 year old says it, Rocket-roll! This weekend I did something a little different with my niece. We did a rocker chick session to show off her cool new pixie hair. She had a blast play acting and I had a blast doing something so off the wall!.

Graduating.

2010-05-04T09:38:00.002-05:00

These two lovely young people are getting ready to graduate from Oakwood. She in nursing and he in theology. They were so fun to photograph. They listen to direction much better than little kids! I enjoyed talking with them and I wish them the best of luck with their futures!

10 months old

2010-04-30T14:31:00.001-05:00

This adorable little 10 month old was a jewel during his photoshoot. He just wouldn't stop smiling. That is my kind of baby.

Win a free session!

2010-04-12T20:52:00.001-05:00

This month we are giving away a Spring Outdoors Mini session to celebrate this beautiful weather we have been having! Session will include 30 min of session time and your favorite 5 images on CD! Leave a comment under the announcement on facebook HERE to enter the drawing. All my fans will get a second entry, so become a fan too if you haven't already! Drawing will be held this Friday the 16th.

18 months

2010-04-12T14:25:00.002-05:00

This little one is 18 months old and was wonderful to work with. His Mom has a great sense of style and I LOVED his little hat. We got some great smiles to start with, then ended up with a very solemn little man.

More Gymnastics

2010-04-08T17:57:00.003-05:00

I just got permission from this lovely ladies mom to post her pictures. She is a rhythmic gymnast and was so fun to photograph! I loved all her props and she was so happy and energetic. I really love the way the pictures turned out.

On to the next...

2010-03-29T08:57:00.001-05:00

Now that I am done with Gym photos, I am on to my next big project. I am participating in a spring Bazaar and will be offering a special deal. Here is the flyer for the event!

Team pictures

2010-03-26T08:50:00.002-05:00

Tuesday we did the team pictures for HGC. I don't have a model release for all the girls so I can't post a team picture, but I did get a release for this little cutie. She is an awesome gymnast and a dear friend as well. Thanks E for letting me post you!
It was so fun to see the high level gymnasts do their fancy leaps, jumps and flips for the pictures.

Huntsville Gymnastics day 1

2010-03-23T08:09:00.002-05:00

This week I am photographing the students at Huntsville Gymnastics Center. It has been really fun so far, the kids are so cute, and the pictures have turned out great! The staff at the Gym are so friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed watching all the kids do some amazing looking things. It is hard to believe how much the human body can do.
Here are a couple of pictures from my first day.

Aleks again

2010-03-20T21:35:00.002-05:00

We last saw this little fellow when he was only a few days old. He has changed so much since then! He has filled out all of his wrinkles and has turned into a happy, chubby little 4 month old. Mom had lots of great clothes ready for the shoot and things went great. Aleks was a good sport though all the changes and did a wonderful job modeling. We are looking forward to seeing this lovely family again in July.

1st birthday

2010-03-20T14:14:00.002-05:00

This Week little J will be turning 1. He is only a month or so younger than my Wesley, so it was fun to see him again. The last time I saw him he was itty-bitty. His big brother was giving Mom a run for her money today, but did alright in front of the camera and gave me the BIGGEST cheezy smiles. He was so cute. In comparison, J was calm and quiet. Thanks for having me Jennie!

Squishy Newborn

2010-03-19T16:36:00.002-05:00

Here is beautiful baby L. She was a total grump at the start, but once Mom fed her she was a dream. Such big awake eyes, and he big sister sure loves her! I enjoyed spending my evening with this family.

Angelina again!

2010-02-22T07:27:00.002-06:00

Time has flown by again and the sweet little newborn is now 5 months old! She was such a doll during our photoshoot. She posed perfectly up until the end when she finally had had enough. I can't wait to see her again in a couple of months, she has such a sunny personality. Here are a few pictures to tide mom and dad over until the whole session is ready.

Hey-ya Hey-ya, The gang's all here!

2009-12-30T09:38:00.002-06:00

This week I got to shoot a huge 15 person family. Deb is from my MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers) and her whole family came visiting for the holidays. Her 3 children, their spouses and her 7 grandchildren were all there for the festivities. Since everyone was here at the same time, Deb asked me to do pictures of the whole clan. It was a challenge shooting 4 preschoolers and 3 babies along with their respective grown-ups, but the result was well worth it! I enjoyed getting to know Deb better and meeting her wonderful family. Deb, here is the sneak peek I promised you!
Happy New Year!

Everyone together
We tried one outside, but it was too cold to last for long!

Indoors was much warmer.

Grandparents and grand-kids

And the smaller family groups.

Family Maternity

2009-12-14T10:00:00.002-06:00

I drove over the mountain Saturday to photograph a lovely family. 13 month old L was a doll and her mom looked AMAZING, especially since she is 7 months pregnant! I wish I looked that good. I enjoyed my morning with them, and am so excited to show Mom her pictures.

Fresh and New... Baby Aleks

2009-11-23T11:48:00.003-06:00

Aleks was only 5 days old when I got to take his picture. We took pictures of his lovely Mommy a month or so ago I posted them HERE. Now that he has entered the world, it was time for his close-up. Aleks was well behaved for a newborn and we got lots of great shots.

My best friend's Boys.

2009-11-22T14:17:00.003-06:00

I got to photograph some of my very favorite people Friday. We were supposed to do the whole family Saturday afternoon but Dad had some change of plans so we decided to go ahead with just the kids a day early so that we could still get at least some pictures done. Amy is my best friend here in Madison and I love hanging out with her and her boys. The boys did a great job modeling for me, especially B! I have never shot B before, but I think he has a future in modeling. The little boys were as crazy as usual, but fun to be with and I really like the shots we got of all three of them together. Thanks for letting me capture your little ones Amy!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-11-18T11:12:00.003-06:00

Saturday continued the Christmas rush with another studio family shoot. This time the family was all decked out in Christmas colors with the cutest little girl in a Santa dress. We even got the dog Zoe in the action at the end. Zoe wasn't sure she wanted to participate but we convinced her in the end with some treats. I had great fun with the E family, turns out they are across the street neighbors from Amy, whose family I shot last week. Small world, no? I was especially excited to get to use my new backdrop, I think it went perfectly with the Christmas theme and added a lot of warmth to the pictures. Your disc will be coming soon W, but for now here is a peek at your session.

Sweet little S

The family

Zoe

And some specialty shots- my favorites!

A family (with TWINS!) at Big Spring Park Hunstville

2009-11-15T16:40:00.002-06:00

I don't get to shoot a lot of twins, so I was apprehensive and excited about meeting my clients yesterday. Not only would I be doing twins, they were boys, and one years old. One is a hard age, mobile, but not old enough to really listen. The boys were great though, and Mom and Dad are seriously gorgeous! Big Spring Park was looking great too, and was pretty empty, so we didn't have to dodge many people. I loved getting to know the C family, I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

I THINK this is one of each boy... but I am not positive.

and mom and dad

And the winner revealed!

2009-11-09T08:51:00.002-06:00

This weekend I finally got to meet our raffle winner from the AGAPE baby and family fair this past August. Amy won our $50 gift certificate and booked a session for her family and her little baby L. After much confusion over roads named _____court and _____drive and my dyslexic reading of 140 as 104 I finally found their house and we got started.

L was so adorable, and did so fantastic! It was a true pleasure to photograph this family. They were friendly and easy to talk to. They also had some great props! As we were shooting L's picture Dad brought out this fabulous hand made airplane desk. It was perfect and I totally wanted to take it home with me! L wasn't sure he wanted to wear his aviator hat, but was a trooper anyway.
I know Amy is anxiously awaiting her pictures so without further adieu..

Family time!

Baby L

Beautiful Brown-eyed Boy

2009-11-07T22:33:00.002-06:00

I got to photograph a wonderfully rambunctious almost 4 year old yesterday. K was awesome to work with and was full of goofy faces. Luckily for Mom he made some nice faces as well. I had a great time getting to know this little one, he made me smile and reminded me a lot of my Ella who is only slightly younger than him. I promised Mom I would get a few up quickly so she could take a peak before getting her disc, I am always happy to oblige! Here is a sample from our session at the new Creekwood park in Madison Al.

Just look at those gorgeous chocolate brown eyes!

Fall Family in downtown Madison, Al

2009-11-06T20:41:00.006-06:00

Today I had the pleasure of photographing the B family. We headed to Downtown Madison early this morning to take advantage of the fall foliage and the beautiful morning light. We had the whole town to ourselves, not even any cars driving through. We finished just in time. As we were taking our last pictures, the lawn care crew came and started mulching all the leaves!
I took pictures of the B's last year when there was only little H. She has grown so much in the last year. H was shy at first but she warmed up after I starting bribing her with pennies! She was mostly sweet and we got some cute pictures of her. Baby R was awesome and had lots of smiles for me and other than a diaper malfunction, behaved beautifully.
Thank you B family for letting me photograph you, you are wonderful!

The whole family

Mom and Kids

Dad with Kids

Beautiful H

Little R

My own family

2009-11-02T09:19:00.001-06:00

Once a year I steel my nerves and attempt to take family portraits of my own family. In most of our pictures I set up the tripod and self timer and looked ridiculous running back and forth before giving up in a heap of exhaustion. This year my lovely mother helped me out by being a "living tripod" I set up the camera and the shot, told her what I wanted and then let her click away as I tried to get my family to pose like I wanted them to. This year It worked pretty well. We got several great shots, lots of personality shots and tons of pictures that I just love. I want to share, but be warned, there are almost 30 pictures contained in this post!

Family shots
This is my very favorite

others I like

I love this one too

The two kids together

Just Ella

Just Wesley

Just the Grownups

And just so you can see what I have to deal with on picture day...

I look forward to all my November family sessions and can't wait to meet you all. If you are looking for a photographer for Christmas portraits, we have a few dates left so give us a call!

A Halloween Story- a photo essay

2009-10-31T11:01:00.002-05:00

This rainy Halloween morning finds a baby tiger all alone on the woods.

But oh! What's that!?

The tiger spies danger in the woods.

A little dragon is hunting in the area.

The dragon sniffs out the tiger and stalks carefully closer

With a POUNCE! the dragon catches the Tiger. Surprisingly, the tiger does not seem concerned. Perhaps he knows that salvation in on the way.

A Valiant knight appears to vanquish the little dragon and save the baby tiger!

A great battle commences...

The little dragon, seeing that she has little chance of winning this battle prepares to escape into the wilderness.

The knight gives chase, but the little dragon manages to outrun him.

In the End, the baby tiger is captured by a lady knight

and taken to her home to be a pampered pet.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

Build-a-baby

2009-10-07T18:46:00.003-05:00

Maternity photos are a relatively new trend. I don't think my parents' generation did them at all. Now they are a very popular way to document the process of growing a child. I enjoy capturing this fleeting moment in a mothers life and had the wonderful opportunity to do so for B last weekend. This is her first child and she is nearing the finish line. B was a wonderful subject and it was great to get to know her and her handsome husband C. We will get to see a lot of baby Aleks over the next year as we will be doing 4 photo shoots with him from birth to 1 year.
Our lovely mother-to-be.

I can't wait to meet little Aleks next month!

Bridge Street Town Center all to myself

2009-10-03T18:36:00.005-05:00

Today I had a family photoshoot at Bridge Street Town Center here in Huntsville. I haven't shot there in a while and never when it was so quiet! We arrived at 9am on a Saturday morning and the only people we had to share the place with was the maintenance crew. I have never seen the place so deserted. The family was wonderful and I have never met a more obliging little 5 year old boy in my life! I swear little L has a future in modeling. His parents need to watch out in about 10 years. Beautiful I was not quite as interested in takeing pictures, but she did pretty good especially when she got to see her pictures on the camera. Mom and Dad were great to work with, I had a wonderful time!
It will take me a while to get through all the pictures, but I took a peak at them this afternoon and I wanted Mom to get to see some of the great pictures I have edited so far.

The whole family.

The Fabulous L

Cute little I

Mom and Dad

Beautiful Baby

2009-09-21T08:34:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted pictures of a beautiful mom-to-be. Two weeks early little "A" decided to join the world. So today I have her newborn pictures. "A" was such a sweetie! She did very well for her shoot and I was very impressed. I was even more impressed at how well first time Mom J was doing. Up and about much faster then I ever was! Here is precious 4 1/2 day old "A".

Daddy is a chef at Ruth's Chris steakhouse here in town and wanted to get a shot of baby with the logo.

We will be seeing little "A" again in January so watch out for some more cute Chef themed pictures coming soon!

Family in the park

2009-09-16T07:41:00.002-05:00

Saturday I got to photograph a beautiful family of four at Big Spring Park in Huntsville. The kids were awesome, I couldn't believe how great L's smile was and T was a trooper even if he did do a super cheesy smile most of the time. I had so much fun Megan, thanks for coming out!
The whole family got in on the action

Big brother T

little L

The boys did great together

"A" is for Astronaut!

2009-09-11T14:18:00.002-05:00

This month I am working on an "ABC" book for a client. Little Xandi was an awesome subject and we got most of the alphabet done in one night! I have had a chance to go through most of the pictures I took and she is positively adorable in all of them! I am so excited to be doing another book and it has been so fun to work with this wonderful family.
Here is a little sneak peak for mom and dad of my favorite letters we have done so far.

A is for Astronaut

B is for Ball

E is for Elephant

F is for Fan

S is for Sister

T is for Tea Party

U is for Umbrella

Fabulous Maternity

2009-09-05T19:09:00.004-05:00

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a maternity session. J is due at the end of the month and does NOT look 9 months pregnant! She and her husband were so nice and willing to try lots of different things. I got to visit J's Ballroom Dance studio and do the pictures there. It was awesome to have so much space to spread out. Also neat to watch one of J's instructors teach a lesson while we were there.

Baby Dipper

2009-09-01T08:23:00.003-05:00

Saturday after the baby fair I headed over to Hampton Cove to do a photoshoot for the Baby Dipper Bowl. I have photographed the bowl and it's inventor before but it was time for some new pictures. We needed to get a new shot of the product to show that they are now including a fork with the set in addition to the spoon. Barbara, the inventor and mom of 2 sets of twins also needed a new family picture to include on the packaging and her website. It is always tons of fun to work with Barbara and family, the girls are so sweet and the boys have grown up so much since I last saw them. The Baby Dipper bowl is an awesome product and I am so happy to be a part of it, however small!

Here are some shots of this great product and the wonderful woman behind it.

AGAPE of North Alabama Baby and Family Fair!

2009-08-29T20:33:00.002-05:00

Today we participated in the AGAPE of North Alabama Baby and Family Fair! We rented a booth and had a blast talking to people and sharing our photography. Here are some pictures from the fair.

Ta-dah!

Me and my husband Jon at the booth

A close up of our display.

We held a drawing at the fair and when we got home Jon drew the lucky winner. So Amy Walton, you are the recipient on a $50 gift card, expect an e-mail shortly.
It was nice to see so many out at the fair, see you next year!

A session on the beach

2009-08-24T08:09:00.002-05:00

This week while vacationing in Florida I had the wonderful opportunity to do a beach photo session. I haven't done a session on the beach in 6 years! I had a blast, the weather was perfect, cloudy with no rain and the subjects were awesome! I wish I lived closer to the beach so I could do this type of session all the time.

I am still looking for some contact information for "Amy" who won the blog portion of our sweepstakes, if any of you know her, please let her know we are looking for her!
Shannon Carlson

And the Winners Are...

2009-08-14T08:17:00.002-05:00

The results are in, I did things the old fashioned way, mostly because I couldn't figure out how to do it any other way. I wrote all the names down on a piece of paper and then cut it up and had my 3 year old daughter draw a name. Very scientific, yes? Now I know you really just want to see who won so lets get on with it!

The Blogger winner is...drumroll please!... "Amy" who posted the 9th comment. I don't have anything else to go by so Amy, please e-mail me at Shannon@photographybyshannon.com so that we can set up your session!

The FaceBook winner is... Audrey Everson! Audrey, please also email me so that we can set up your session!

Congratulations to the winners, I look forward to shooting you ;).
As for the rest of you, don't forget that you still get 50% off your session fees for the rest of the year, so I hope to hear from you soon!

End of Summer Sweepstakes!

2009-08-06T09:02:00.003-05:00

Photography By Shannon.com End of Summer Sweepstakes!
We have had such a wonderful year so far with the birth of our son in February and the growth of our business to include local High School Seniors. To celebrate the end of summer we are giving away a 1 hour outdoors session in Madison/Huntsville Al, with the added bonus of your 5 favorite images on CD! All you have to do to be eligible for the prize is to leave a comment on this post. A winner will be randomly chosen on Friday the 14th of August so you have until then to enter.
Get a second chance to win by becoming a “Fan” of Photography by Shannon.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Madison-AL/Photography-By-Shannoncom/55634395833?ref=ts Each “fan” will also get an entry in the sweepstakes, so don’t forget to do both!
Tell all your friends and get those comments going!

Don’t forget you can still comment even if you are not a member of blogger, just make sure you include your name and check back on the 14th to see if you have won.

Even if you don't win, you are a winner! Even if you don't win the prize, everyone who leaves a comment or becomes a "fan" is eligible to receive 50% off our session fee for the rest of the year!

Have a wonderful day!
Shannon Carlson

Entry for May 7, 2009

2009-05-07T03:35:00.000-05:00

Newborns! I got to shoot a lovely 2 week old baby girl this week. She was so sweet. Not at all interested in curling up though! She was amazingly active and fun to shoot.

Entry for May 4, 2009

2009-05-04T06:16:00.000-05:00

Seniors, babies and specials!

This spring I am offereing a new product and to launch it I am doing a special. I now offer Mommy "Calling cards".

Mommy Calling cards are a great way to share your information with moms you meet while you are out. No more scrambling for a scrap of paper to write your number on, just pull out your very own "business" card.

You can include your name, your kids names, or both. Add your phone number, cell number, e-mail address, street address or any combination of the above. Add a picture of you, your kids or your family. Each card is custom designed for you!

So here is our special!

Book a session this spring/summer and get 50 calling cards free!

This month I shot the last of my senior reps. He was an awesome model and I really enjoyed working with him.

I also got to shoot a beautiful little 6 month old. She was not very happy about having her picture taken, but we worked with her and once she calmed down we had a good time. I loved her beautiful dark hair!

Entry for April 22, 2009

2009-04-22T02:44:00.000-05:00

It is almost the end of the school year and it is time for the Juniors to start thinking about their last year of High school. It is also time to start thinking about Senior Pictures! This year we are offereing a special for the graduating class of 2010!

You get to choose 2 locations

4 clothing changes

and all your pictures on CD for only $300.

Print all the pictures you want, and share them on-line with your friends!

Entry for April 4, 2009

2009-04-04T03:19:00.000-05:00

Easter, the time of straw hats and new dresses! I took my daughter out yesterday for her Easter pictures. We had lots of fun running in the field and picking wildflowers.

If you haven't had your Easter pictures done yet, we still have one week left before the big day! We are now offering a last minute special for Easter pictures. If you book this coming week, you get 1/2 off your session fee!

Happy Easter!

Entry for March 8, 2009

2009-03-08T06:49:00.000-05:00

This past week I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful blue eyed chubster of a 4 month old. Jonas was a dream to work with, even though mommy woke him up for the session. He was a great poser! Jonas is a big baby full of squeezable rolls that were so fun to capture! It was great to get back to work with our first post baby session.

Also, Wesley had his second shot in front of the camera one day when daddy took Ella out to play and I had the house to myself. He is not one for sleeping during picture time! It was nice though as it gave me another chance to try to get a good shot of his eye color. His eyes are still undecided. I am still guessing brown, but daddy is rooting for dark blue/green.

Catching up with the times. Joining facebook

2009-02-25T02:16:00.000-06:00

During my time off I spent some time on-line setting up a business page on Facebook. You can see it HERE . If you are a member of facebook, and like my work, please feel free to add yourself as a "fan". If you are a prior client, and have the digital negatives you can add some of your favorite pictures under the fan photos area. I will be offereing discounts and promotions throughout the year for my facebook fans, so keep a look out for updates!

I'm Back!

2009-02-25T02:11:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!

Now that the baby is here and 3 weeks old things are starting to calm down a bit. I am feeling much better and healing well from my c-section. The baby is doing great and we are getting used to being a 4 person family. Ella is loving being a big sister and does very well with the baby.

Announcing our new baby boy,

Wesley Martin Carlson

8lbs 2 oz

19 1/2 inches

born Feb 3,2009

Here are some pictures from his 1 week photoshoot.

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Entry for January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T02:16:00.000-06:00

I finally got around to having Jon help me take some maternity photos! I thought I would share them here. Only 1 week left until the baby is here!

Entry for January 18, 2009

2009-01-18T05:31:00.000-06:00

Bubbles!

Ella and I are tired of winter. We want to go outside and PLAY! Since it was finally sunny one day this week we decided to bundle up and play one of our favorite outside activities, bubbles! Ella had a blast and stayed out much longer than I did. I can't wait until spring comes and we can be outside all day.

We also finished Ella's room/the nursery with the help of my dad. My dad designed and built a fabulous loft for Ella's room, so that we could maximize space in the room to fit both kids. The crib was moved into Ella's old "room" (the walk-in closet) and we are much closer to being ready for baby boy. I still have a few things to finish on the mural, but I am excited to be almost done. (CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE BIGGER)

The room:

Under the loft:

Baby's room:

Entry for January 11, 2009

2009-01-11T00:24:00.000-06:00

Well, only 3 weeks left until baby time. We have a date for the c-section, Feb 3. I am so very excited about this, and also worried about getting everything done in time. We still cannot agree on a name, and THAT is driving me crazy! Ella is very much anticipating the arrival of her very own baby and asks often when he will be â€œoutâ€.

I havenâ€™t taken on any sessions this month due to the pregnancy, but Ella insisted that we do a photo shoot of her last week. She loves being in front of the camera and I guess 2 weeks was too long of a break for her! We had fun playing outside in the beautiful Alabama weather.

We have also been busy bees getting the room ready for the baby. Previously, Ella shared her bedroom with my office, but with #2 coming we decided to move the office into the master bedroom and give the kids their own space. I am thrilled to have a kidsâ€™ space to decorate and I decided to do a nice, gender neutral Jungle theme. Ella and I have been painting a mural on the wall the past couple of weeks and I am really proud of it! It still isnâ€™t done yet, but hopefully will be soon. Here are some pictures of our work so far.

I donâ€™t know how often I will be posting until the baby is here, so I hope you all are enjoying your 2009 so far!