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Showing posts with label families. Show all posts
Showing posts with label families. Show all posts

Thursday, March 8, 2012

9 Reasons Why Como Park is a Great Place for Summer Family Portraits | Maris Ehlers Photography

Casual family portraits are some of my favorites, especially in the summer.  Repeat clients Greg and Kimberly wanted a different look this past summer for their family portrait session versus our last, which had been full of fall color.  We decided to meet at Como Park in St. Paul.  Since we met early on a Saturday, around the time the zoo and conservatory first opens, we avoided the crowds of people that would be milling around later in the day.  Just as it was getting busy, we were wrapping up.

So here are 9 of our favorites from that summer morning session.





This is probably my favorite from the day. 





To find out more about booking your summer family portrait session anywhere in the metro, please visit us our  website or contact us via our facebook page.  We look forward to documenting your summer smiles!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The Family Stories Series by MEP | Maris Ehlers Photography


‎“Photographs are places we return to only in memory.”
~ Monica Ouziel

It hits me at odd times how quickly time is passing, how fast my children are growing up. Like you, I sometimes panic, thinking that I’m not documenting the highs, lows, and everyday moments of their lives as I should. While I’m pretty good at capturing them at events and activities, it’s their simple smiles and the motions of every day living that I can get too busy to remember to document. And I think I’m probably not alone. 

But far worse than that I’m afraid, is I am completely and utterly terrible about getting pictures of our entire family of four taken, snapshots at gatherings or professional portraits. I think it has something to do with the cobbler (and not her children) having new shoes, or something like that. 

As we were putting our exciting new “Family Stories” series together late last year, I was running some ideas by one of our favorite mom clients via email, and her response was shocking in a way, and yet I know from personal experience it’s all too common.

“The only pictures that exist of me in 2010 are the ones that you took. No one took my picture in 2011. If I’m not in a professional portrait session, pictures do not get taken of me – EVER. I would love to set aside time a few times a year, where I have pictures taken of me with the boys, separately & together and as a family. But I need to book all appointments at once, otherwise it becomes too easy to push it all off. I’m betting there are tons of other moms that think like that, too.”

We believe she’s right, and that is why we are excited to announce the Family Stories series of packages.  Of course you can still book one session at a time as in the past, but it is our hope that with packages that incorporate multiple sessions (any can be either indoors or out with flexible ways to use them) that you will rest assured knowing that you are trusting us to stop time and capture everyone in your family (including you) as you all are and will be in the next year.

The usage of them is meant to be flexible, which is a wonderful thing!  One great way to use the sessions in a package is to use one session for each child, one for the entire family, and if you have one left over?  Use a session for grandparents and grandchildren, or perhaps even give it as a gift.  It’s up to you!


The Family Stories Pewter Package*

2 Sessions
1 8 x 10 professional print
1 11 x 14 professional print
16 wallets (2 poses)
Free holiday card design
10% off our new StoryBlocks!

$293 value
Price:  $200 (plus sales tax)
Affordable payment plan:  $17.88 per month


The Family Stories Silver Package*

3 Sessions
2 8 x 10 professional prints
1 11 x 14 professional print
3 sheets wallets
Free holiday card design
FREE Admission to 1 MEP Photo Class
15% off our new StoryBlocks!

$438 value
Price:  $300 (plus sales tax)
Affordable payment plan:  $26.81 / month


The Family Stories Platinum Package*

4 Sessions
4 8 x 10 professional prints 
1 10 x 20 matted collage (upgrades available)
4 sheets of wallets
20% of albums, books and gifts
FREE admission to 1 MEP Photo Class OR 1 FREE Mini Session
20% off our new StoryBlocks!

Retail Value: $600
Price:  $400 (plus sales tax)
Affordable payment plan:  $35.75 / month


The Family Stories Heirloom Package*

5 Sessions
2 11 x 14 Professional Prints
1 11 x 30 StoryBlock with 4 8 x 6 Completer Blocks OR
1 12 x 12 Photographic Cover Brilliant Album (20 spreads / 10 pages)
ONE FREE admission to ALL MEP Photo Classes
Free disc of images with an additional $300 print order (disc price not included in monthly payment listed below).

Retail Value: $1,060
Price: $ 700 (plus sales tax)
Affordable payment plan:  $62.56 / month


*  All prints listed are per package, not per session


The new StoryBlocks line, included in the launch of the Family Stories Portrait Packages for MEP in 2012!

StoryBlocks are a wonderful new product that we are thrilled to offer!  The images are stretched and mounted over blocks of wood, and are meant to be used interchangeably to tell your stories.  We can't wait to see what we can dream up together!

Family Stories Package Rules:

Sessions must all be completed within one year of booking date.
Sessions may be used as a basic senior session (weddings, engagements, {wow} newborns and specialty sessions not included).
1 session may be given as a gift to someone else (4 or fewer people in group)
Initial payment required at time of booking (other payment options are quarterly, 1/2 year in full (in full comes with a 10% discount).  


Please contact us at info@marisehlersphotography.com if you would like more information on any of the Family Stories packages listed below. 

Everyone has a story.  We look FORWARD to telling yours! 




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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Summer Family Portraits and Gallery Wrap Displays | Maris Ehlers Photography


Most have you have seen a picture or two from this summer family session, but here is a complete preview.   

For those of you who might be interested for next year, all of these images (except for the last three) were taken at a private location near our NEW studio in Hanover, Minnesota.   The owner has been gracious enough to allow us to make arrangements to use the grandly landscaped greens for Maris Ehlers Photography this next season. Since you only see a smidgen of it here, we couldn't be any more excited!  




These first three images create a stunning gallery wrap display in the client's piano room (she's a music director, among other things).  The wraps of each of the girls flank the larger piece of the two of them together in the middle.
16 x 20 gallery wrap
Client chose a lovely 30 x 20 gallery wrap here for the center of this display
The second 16 x 20 to complete the gallery wrap display




In the living room, the client has a very large paneled area above their fireplace, so a 30 x 30 gallery wrap of this image creates the right scale of size
















8 x 10 gallery wrap










This set for the girls will be placed in square frames side by side.





I am hoping all of these will be up in the client's home this next week (hint hint).  Hopefully she'll send us pictures so we can "see" her photography as art on their walls.





Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Family Photography in Marshall, Minnesota | Maris Ehlers Photography

Our road trip to Marshall, MN, was a great success.  Eight sessions in two days!  That was 37 new faces, names and countless images. 

First of all, a huge thank you to my wonderful sister-in-law Kari.  Kari, you are a great host and you have awesome friends!  Also, thanks to Angel - something like this wouldn't be possible without you, and to Katie for coming with and corralling the kids as needed!  

Here is a favorite from each session we did.  Enjoy! 








Monday, July 25, 2011

The Girl Cousins - Family Photography | Maris Ehlers Photography

These three girls are the female cousins on my husband's side of the family, and any chance to get together is always a lot of fun.  


It's amazing to see how close they are, and yet so different from one another.  Their personalities come through even in these quick images we took at a family weekend at the lake.  There's the diva, the athlete and the rocker.  You can guess who's who.  




Friday, July 15, 2011

Love Deserves a Second Chance Engagement Pictures | Maris Ehlers Photography

This summer evening engagement session was unique in that not only is this upcoming marriage celebrating bringing two people together, but two families.  Here's a peek: 

I love the romantic lighting here. 
Something that makes the train work on the tracks.  Yep.  That's what it does. 










































My assistant for the evening, Katie.

We are now booking weddings for 2012.  You can reach us on the "contact us" tab on facebook or our website.  We've love to hear from you!