Sisters.

A Sneak Peek from this morning...

(Color Synched AdobeRGB...if you're on a mac on mac-color, these will be super bright!)

Free photographs this August-September!!!

For all print orders placed by all Ticklebugs Photography facebook fans in August-September, one free 8x10 or 8x12 (or, if you're more akin to the smaller guys, a 5x7 or 8 wallets is fine with me).

Here's the deal:

-Be a facebook fan

-Place a minimum print purchase order of $50 in August or September

-Get a free photograph.

Easy, huh?

That's my easy-breezey summer photography in milwaukee-wauwatosa-brookfield-etc summer special.

Because it's summer.

Summer is fun.

And so are free things.

Like, photographs.

Oh, and your photographs may be from past sessions or current sessions (no archiving fee!). And yes, if we shoot at the very end of September and you want to make sure you grab this deal, you get to be included, too. Just note that due to a busy October shooting schedule, your order might not be placed until November. But I'll still honor the deal.

Maternity: Proof that you can still rock and S-Curve, baby in-tow.

(How cute is she?!!?!?)

It's been a busy June and early July. I'm finishing a month's worth of proofing this week and hope to toss some up here. But I thought I'd break quickly to share a fave from Friday (and maybe, in a minute, break so I can um, eat dinner at 10:05pm- kinda forgot about that, oops!).

All this pressure- I read an article today about how important it is to blog your work all the time. I had to laugh. Well, I thank those of you who are willing to employ me even though I am a terrible blogger.

My gratitude: extended.

Now, dinner. And I do hope to be back soon to post pics from the last 40 days... in no particular order =)

"Christmas in July"

Hi, I'm considering a mini-session in Frame Park in Waukesha (I don't usually go out there without travel fees) on Sunday, July 18th.

Family Special: $125, includes proofing on CD. 30 minute sessions.

I'll do this if there is enough demand. Please contact me if you're interested.

Call 414-581-0700

or email is available via the web site or facebook page (under info- see tab at right for link).

Thank you,

Robyn Vining

Wanna see a cute baby?

I know I've been terrible at updating this blog.

I apologize.

(I won't pretend to catch up. We all know that one. I'll just apologize. I do try to toss a thing or two onto facebook every once in a while...gold star for trying? :) Now, let me distract you with this cute baby...)

So, there ya go.

Cute Baby.

10 days-old.

Taken today.

Sneak Peak for the family. More to come (maybe not here, sorry, I'm trying to be realistic). Big brother was adorable, and the family was lots of fun, too! So, more to come (again, maybe here, maybe not).

Okay, I really do want to promise to try to do better here.

Try.

K?

K.

Believe in me.

It helps =)

Booking for October! (REALLY? Yes.)

Pardon me for even mentioning this as we beg for Spring's return and summer's arrival, but I have begun booking for October.

I currently have one mini-session scheduled for Sunday, October 31, in the afternoon. I have filled one of the three slots. If you would like to book this day, please notify me.

This year I will be taking booking fees of $50, which will be applied at %100 to your final purchase. This fee is, however, not refundable.

Mini-session pricing this year will be as follows:

$125 Family of any size (immediate family) that can fit into 30 minutes slots. If you have a larger family, or extended family, then we'll adjust fees for size/ time needs. Portrait of each person in family, family as a whole, and portrait of children, and a few storytelling shots that make my work, my work. CD of proofs and release to immediate family for printing.

$100 3 family portrait options for a Holiday Greeting card, in color as well as black and white. CD of proofs and release to immediate family for printing. I usually toss in a few more shots, but that's my formal offer =) This package focuses on primarily a Holiday card shot.

October 31st location to be determined. I'm open to suggestions.

*October was my busiest month last year, so if you have your heart set on October beauty, please book early. I have already booked 2 others sessions in October.

** And yes, I apologize for not keeping up with this blog. Terrible, I know.

My web site is Up!!!

I don't think I need to make a case here for how terrible I have been at posting on this blog, so the good news is I now have a rolling gallery and contact center on my new web site.

=)

So, check it out.

It has lots of the shots from the last 6 months that I have not been able to post here. I think I posted at least one shot from each shoot since October, when I first started handing out model release forms.

And, as always, thanks for your support. I count it a privilege to work with you and your children.

"Photography without story is a missed opportunity."

Robyn

Click here.

A Bright Spot in January: 2 Sweet Kids

Every once in a while I like to drop a focus on something "just off." Sounds like a cop-out, doesn't it? But it's not. I promise. Sometimes, in my mind, it is fun to think you're about to stare into eyes, but the focus is stolen by beautiful, lively curls.

(The eyes are beautiful and lively, too, but I don't have to tell you that, do I?)

Okay, seriously, let me go ahead and mention how fun this shoot was,

unless it's clear that I need not.

Yeah, I think we're good.

As I note below, the little studio set-up in his living room was distracting to him, so we eventually opted for Sister getting a snack, and this sweet little boy and I crawling around the house to catch him "at his him". I think we got him- at least that's what I hear.

Adorable, eh?

If only I could take credit for how cute the kids are,

but I just show up.

:)

Not your most, e'hem, formal of portraits, but I just had to fall in love with it.

I love boys, and their love for the Classic Round Toy.

And formal?

Who needs formal when you have this kind of fun?!

In the family's CD, I had to include a picture of this sweet little boy's hand on my lighting base. I was using a short gorilla pod, and we'd shoot a shot, then he'd chase the lighting. So, we got some shadows as the lights kept moving around. But, he was a blast, and I'd wager he'll be very adept in the mechanical sciences :) So fun!

Yes, it took me this long to post from January.

Winter used to be so boring, but not anymore!!!

=)

Couldn't pass up posting these kiddos!

Thank You!

Smashcake Shoot!

Guess who's 1?!

He is adorable.

And pretty sure that cake is pretty adorable, too.

=)

Leah & Jake & Baby: Maternity Outdoor Session

See you soon, Baby!

Leah & Jake & Baby: Maternity Studio Shoot

I learned one of the things I love about studio shooting is getting to be in charge of "set design", & "art direction".

As an artist, it's fun to get back to those design roots.

& To me, maternity photography is incomplete without a thorough philosophy behind it, so I've been working on putting mine into words. That will come soon. Not today, but look- blog posts!

Maternity Photography philosophy to come soon enough...

And storytelling.

Photographers have to be good storytellers.

I don't know if I am, but I aim to be a really good storyteller.

So, I study good writers- their writings as well as their thoughts on writing.

I think studying good writing makes me a better photographer.

Who knew?

I'm looking forward to the arrival of their baby in a few weeks.

I love my job!

Maternity of late

Hi. It's been a while. (Insert good reason here.)

We've been having fun, enjoying winter, working on finalizing the new web site, and are now switching gears to spring shooting.

But before we entirely switch gears, here's some work of late.

(I'm going to try to roll out a few posts at once here.)

She's a teacher. I created a blackboard. We're going to put Baby in front of that blackboard when he or she arrives. I mean, what's photography without good story?

(The maternity shots and newborn shots will have continuity, allowing the story to unfold.)

Okay, so you want to know a secret? We shot these in my new studio that I've been working on. Well, I learned studio lighting this winter, and for this shoot I borrowed lighting. It worked okay 48 hours before, fine 24 hours before, perfectly one hour before (I always check everything!), worked fine at the top of our shoot, then totally conked three shots in. Gone. Nothing.

Lucky for us, I have the best lighting teachers Milwaukee has to offer. And, instead of merely teaching me how to turn lights on and shoot, they taught me theory. So, when our lights conked, we set up all kinds of white foam boards, sheets, boards covered in white sheets,

And Darned if We Didn't HARNESS THAT SUN!

It worked.

Thank goodness.

And this couple were really good sports while we made it work.

And I've ordered new lighting. I had debated how "high-end" to go on the triggers.

I've decided to go very high-end.

I love the sun, but it's not always that harness-able.

Like at night.

=)

Oh, and I'll be back soon to talk about June & October bookings. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but we're going to be booking those very, very soon!