I picked up my first digital camera when my oldest daughter was born, and instantly, I was hooked. I am mostly self-taught with a few courses, seminars, and workshops thrown in for good measure. My home is filled with photographs of my three kids, and I feel so fortunate to be able to help other families do the same.
Click HERE to go to the website.
It’s time for my Valentine’s Mini Sessions! This year I am offering Wallet size prints in the package, handy for passing out with Valentines. I can do PhotoCard Valentines too!
Here are some examples of the Valentine’s Photocards. They are 4×6 and will be $2 each (no additional discount):
Or here’s a cute idea I did a couple years ago for my girls:
I really hate to see 2011 go. It was an amazing year for us. If I could sum up 2011 in one word, it would be: Surreal.
-Saw the amazing Sir Ken Robinson speak in February.
-Disneyland Surprise for my kids in March (& tons of shopping in Palm Springs).
-Hubby chosen as a guest and then taping the Oprah show in April.
-Oprah Media Blitz in May (sorry a lot of links have expired).
-I was Published in July & August
-Saw the iHeartRadio and Garth Brooks concerts in Vegas in September.
I’ve met a lot of awesome new people, who have turned into friends, whether they be parents of my kid’s friends, or Tweeps. One of my Twitter BFF’s, Buzz Bishop has invited me to co-host the XL103 Morning show with him for a couple days next week, and I couldn’t be more excited. What a cool way to start 2012.
I’ve learned a lot about people in 2011. I’ve also learned a lot about myself. I have some talents that I didn’t know I had (like PR and self promotion – ha!). I discovered my ‘Love Language‘, and how that fits with all that has happened this year. My love language is ‘Words of Affirmation’. Hence why I love egocentric Social Media sites.
I struggle daily with being egotistical vs. being proud of myself, my life and my opportunities. If I can’t be proud of myself, who will be? I’ve learned this year that a lot of people won’t be. And that’s okay. I choose the people I want in my life, and the ones I want to spent time with. Those are the people that cheer me on, and push me forward. They don’t hold me back or make me second guess my accomplishments & opportunities.
Looking back on my marriage in 2011, I am reminded that I am so spoiled. My husband is the best. Works so hard and does so much to help me out too. I think I only grocery shopped three times all year. He also loves to cook and pretends not to mind that I’m the worst housekeeper ever. (In my defense, I’m also running 2 businesses of my own, helping out with his company and raising 3 kids. I promise I’m not sitting on the couch eating bonbons while he does all the work! I also got him on Oprah and bought him a 60″ TV for Christmas, so we’re even.)
And now I am looking forward; what will 2012 bring? I know of two trips we are planning this year, maybe three. We want to take the kids to Mexico, and we want to go somewhere fabulous for our 10 year anniversary in September. We are also considering a mini vacay to Seattle in the spring.
My personal goal this year is to be comfortable with my weight by my 35th birthday in April. Either I lose some weight and get in shape, or I come to terms with my post-three-baby body. Maybe it will be a little of both.
I will continue to do the Project365 this year – a photo every day. I did this in 2011 and loved it. It not only helped me document our lives, but made me take notice. I realized that even the boring day to day things that happen in our lives, are pretty cool. Especially when you look back at them. I would like to be IN more of the pictures though. I would like to not worry so much about the extra pounds or the blemish on my face. In 25 years, my kids aren’t going to care (they don’t now, either). And even if they do, I’d rather have myself documented fat and pimply, then not at all. Here’s April – it’s pretty cool to look back and be reminded:
(The 15th was the day Mike was upgraded to an actual guest on the Oprah show, that's how I was feeling!)
I will continue to teach Photography classes. I am both terrified and in love with teaching. It’s one of those ‘face your fears and do it anyway’ things with me. And, like I said after the Oprah taping, if I can do THAT, I can never be nervous about anything again.
I hope the awesome opportunities keep coming. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I am open to anything and welcome new challenges.
I am teaching my third ‘Get Off Auto’ DSLR Course on January 21, 2012. If you got a new SLR camera for Christmas, this is exactly what you need.
All the basics of photography – you will learn Aperture, Shutter Speed & ISO, and how to take better pics of your kids. You will leave with all the literature, and I will even teach you my biggest ‘Ah ha moment’ with photography…the one, simple trick that helps put it all together. The course is designed to be quick, I only teach you what you need to know to take your camera off the auto setting and get amazing results.
Now that Christmas is over, and I’ve had 3 nights without Henry the elf, I can look back with fond memories.
If you don’t know the deal; the Elf was sent to us from Santa, to keep an eye on the kids. Every night he flies home to the North Pole to report back to Santa, and when he comes back, he’s in a different spot. Ours was very mischievous; toilet papering our front room one night, taking a hmmer to the gingerbread house, even putting plastic wrap on the toilet. You can see more on the Elf on the Shelf site.
The kids LOVED it. It definitely added a fun new tradition to our Christmas. The only problem is that we started on November 8th. WAY too early. Next year we will start on December 1st like normal people.
Here are the pics!
I’ve come to the realization that if I was to post a blog post from all my sessions this fall, I would still be blogging them in April. So, they are all here, in one MEGA POST!
There’s a couple Portrait Parties in here, a lot of studio sessions, and even one outdoor one.
Thank you to all my 2011 clients. It was a very successful year for me, and I am very grateful that each and every one of you chose me to capture your families.
PS – Watch my Facebook Page for a huge special coming up later today!
So, obviously everyone has looked at their calendars today and realized that November turns into December this Thursday. And with that, the thought of Christmas, and family portraits! I’ve had more inquiries today than the entire fall combined. So, here’s the deal…
The deadline to order prints is December 14th.
The deadline to order digital files is December 20th.
So…the deadline for sessions is December 11th.
I’ve had a couple requests to do outdoor/snow pics. If we actually get some snow in the next couple weeks, and it’s not too cold, I might set up some mini-sessions somewhere for this. Watch my Facebook Page for details on that. (www.facebook.com/ShannonHiltonPhoto)
Today through Monday at midnight…
Buy any Gift Certificate for $200 or over, and I will add $125 to it, for FREE.
These Gift Certificates are good after January 1, 2012, for Calgary or Sylvan Lake.
OR
Book & Pay for a 2012 Session and receive 2 Digital Files FREE from that session (plus you only pay 2011′s session fee).
OR
Purchase any digital files from past shoots between January 1 & October 1, 2011 for $20 – that’s 50% off!
Email me right away!
All deals must be paid for today, before midnight, to qualify.
Deals cannot be combined or used with Friends & Family discount, or paid for with Gift Certificates.
Colleen and I met more than 10 years ago. She was my boss. We hit it off quickly and turned into great friends. Over the years, we have done many lunches, that turned into couple’s dinners when she met Matt. We’ve since been honored guests at their wedding (shot by the amazing Alan Maudie), which no other will compare…Banff Springs…um, hello! We’ve had many, MANY late nights laughing and playing games, and have even shared some tears together as well. They have seen us at our worst – beat down from baby #3, fragile and on the edge marital destruction (not to be dramatic or anything, LOL!), and helped us get through that period of our lives with honest and sincere advice.
We have the type of friendship that is built on total and complete admiration. I thought, and still think, that she is the most put together, self-made, successful woman I know. She is brilliant, funny and gorgeous, and for a lot of years I felt like she was completely out of my friend ‘league’. Every time we get together I am reminded of how honored that I am her friend. Oh and Matt’s too!
And now, she has a belly. And will soon have the most gorgeous baby, who will grow up with amazing parents. Parents who understand so much about how the world works.
I’m so excited to meet the little miss or mister, who will be here within a couple weeks!
So, excuse me for a minute while I do a blog post about something that has very little to do with photography.
This, is me and my BFF, Jen. Not current pics, but back when we were really cute. The top left is our grade nine grad, next was my wedding day, and the bottom one I just really like, mostly because my arms are half the size of what they are currently.
Jenny and I met in Kindergarten, and have been best buds pretty much ever since.
Jenny and I grew up together. Sharing lunches in Jr. High (she always gave me her pudding), going to my cabin in the summers (we’d go alone sometimes but I kept us safe with the BB gun beside the bed), driving up to West Edmonton Mall in Decembers to do our Christmas shopping (got stranded in bad weather once and had to stay with my relatives), and lets not forget the endless nights of Super Mario Brothers 2, Ichiban soup and making up dance routines (500 Miles was our best EVER). There were many sleepovers (her dad had a National Geographic collection in the basement and I’ll never forget not sleeping a wink because of the scary skeleton cover on one), a lot of Saturday Night Live watching (it’s Pat!) and many, MANY conversations about boys, not to mention the NOTES! (I still have a huge box full of the notes we passed in Jr. High). She was the first person I called when I got engaged, my Maid of Honor in my wedding, the first friend to visit when I had each of my babies, and she means the absolute world to me. Sniff.
Jenny is now pregnant. With her first baby! Now keep in mind, that my oldest is almost 8. So it goes without saying that we’ve been in different ‘stages’ of our life for awhile now. But I am over the moon excited for her, and I (with the help of another Friend, Mary, and Jenny’s sister Kristina) hosted a baby shower for her last weekend.
Enter, cake pops.
I have followed the Bakerella.com website for awhile now, and always wanted to try cake pops, and thought this would be the perfect occasion. Let’s just say that 7.5 hours later, they looked great, but I will NEVER be doing them again. I’m more of a pre-made cookie dough kind of baker. Not a 1700 step, takes all day kind of baker.
Anyway, here’s some pics of the desserts & crafty stuff I did – with a little help from my friend Marsha, who did the awesome sugar cookies for me.
Thanks to Pinterest for the marshmallow flower inspiration & tissue paper pom-pom idea, and to my Children & some neighbours for letting me have their pink Halloween candy!
Not only is this one of the MOST gorgeous families EVER, I’m also related to them! Such sweet girls with such amazing eyes, just like their parents. You’ve seen them on the blog before, and hopefully will again!
