Mine on Monday ~ Idaho Children's Photographer

It's hard to believe it's the last day of January! Seems the month has already been a whirlwind and February looks like it will be just as busy. I was going to wait to post these closer to Valentine's Day, but I realized I hadn't done a Mine on Monday for awhile. While I usually capture my children in their element just doing things they love, my oldest really loves the camera and doesn't mind me breaking out a little studio set-up every now and then. She can really work the lens too. I just can't believe how this little lady keeps growing up before our eyes. She is so insightful, full of questions, a little opinionated (I think that's from me), responsible, compassionate, funny and has a sweet spirit. I love her so much! She (and her siblings) inspire me to be a better mom and person every day! Love you sweet girl!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My schedule is full for February, so I am not booking any sessions until after March 1. There will still be plenty of time for the "Cutest Kid Contest," but please don't wait until the last minute to call for your session.

If you want the latest news and updates from Maggie Malson Photography sent right to your Inbox, sign up for my newsletter here. You can click here to see the January issue online.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Join Clickin Moms Today!

One of the things I've found that is vital to my photography business and my journey as an artist is to take advantage of photography forums and educational opportunities. I have been a member of Clickin Moms for about a year now. It has been a great place to connect with other moms who are at all levels of photography experience from beginner to pro. I encourage anyone, even if you aren't a mom yet, but have a passion for photography, to check it out. There is a weeklong free trial, but I definitely think it's worth the small subscription rate. And right now if you join through my site using the link below and coupon code friend, you receive 20 percent off.

Is your child North America's Cutest Kid? ~ Idaho Children's Photographer

 Is your child North America’s Cutest Kid?

Now you have the opportunity to prove it. And help a great cause at the same time!

For the second year, Maggie Malson Photography is participating in the International Charity Model Search. This year's model search is to select North America’s Cutest Kid and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation.

The grand prizewinner will win a $2,500 savings bond, a $2,500 travel package, and a $100 Target gift card.  The second and third place runners up each will win a $500 savings bond and a $100 Target gift card.

Model Search Special:
$50 entrance fee per child includes a 15-minute mini session and one image submitted to the International gallery. You will receive 6-10 images to preview in an online gallery and one gift print (up to 8X10, value $40). Siblings will incur an additional session fee and their own time slot. Special pricing on limited edition portrait products will also be available. The contest runs from now until March 31, so sessions will be scheduled beginning Feb. 1 through March 22, 2011.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Every family member who registers their information on the Charity Model Search Website will also receive 1 complimentary vote.  The top 5 paid votes, and the top 5 complimentary votes in each region will move on to the final judging round for a total of 50 finalists.

Grand prize international winner and runners up will be determined from the 50 regional finalists. The winner and runners up are selected by photography experts.

Contest open to residents of the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.charitymodelsearch.org.

But that's not all...

In addition, every child (ages 0-18) entered in the model search will also be entered in a blog contest for a chance to win a complimentary creative children or family portrait session (value $150) with Maggie Malson Photography as well as a $25 Target gift card!

Whether they are fresh from the womb, trying to learn their ABC's or getting ready to head off to college, there is always time to capture memories of the beautiful child/children in your life.

Call (208) 674-1283 or email info@maggiemalsonphotography.com now to enter your “Cutest Kid” in these exciting contests!

The More the Merrier ~ Midvale Family Photographer

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing an extended family session near Midvale. All the kids and grandkids were home for the holidays and they wanted a beautiful portrait of everyone together. The referral for the session came from Slice of Life Photography, who is the family photographer for one of the families back in Michigan. SILP found me through the "Find a Photographer" link on the PPA website. My membership in Professional Photographers of America is my commitment to my clients that I will run a professional, profitable business and am devoted to continuing education and learning all I can about my craft.

With seven adults and eight little ones ranging from toddler to tween, it was a busy morning. But, I'm used to lots of little ones around as my husband and I both have large families. It's also neat to see all the different personalities when you get everyone together. We had some shy ones, some silly ones and some happy ones. And even a little comedian. He kept us laughing with his knock knock jokes. Thanks Mr. J! You helped keep things light and fun!

Due to the weather being so bitter cold, we decided to keep things inside, but the lighting was beautiful thanks to two huge windows. I love being able to photograph families in their own homes or a place they love as they tend to be more comfortable and relaxed during their session.

I have to give a special shout out to my friend and assistant Jodie! She was the extra two hands I needed to get all the kids around and everyone together. Thanks so much!

And for the C and A families: I hope you made wonderful holiday memories, enjoyed your portrait experience and cherish these special memories we captured of all of you.

It was a pleasure to meet all of you!

 Isn't she darling? And here are her big brothers and sisters.

Two sweet little girls.

 This little guy was shy at first, but he sure warmed up when his momma started being silly.

We had some great little giggles.

If this post receives 10 or more comments, the family will receive

a complimentary 5X7 gift print from me!

Gallery Wrapped Canvas Product Highlight ~ Idaho Portrait Photographer

Since I strive to create timeless, storytelling images to display as wall art or in fine art albums, I wanted to start highlighting some of the products I offer to clients. During the next few posts, we'll look at different portrait products, as well as ways to display them in the home. With all the Christmas orders being put in, I had several for gallery wrapped canvases. 

I absolutely love these gallery-wrapped canvases. They are simply stunning. My lab uses the highest quality canvas printing and does a great job of finishing them, including backing paper, sawtooth hangers and bumpers so these portraits require no additional work or framing. Just unwrap and hang! They are available in 1.5 or 2" depths and come in any size from 5X5 up to 40X60. They make such a statement in any home. In fact, I've ordered a couple for my own home already and couldn't be happier. Also available are canvas clusters, which are wall galleries of three or more canvases. I'm excited to show samples of those soon too!

Mine on Monday ~ Idaho Children's Photographer

It's been awhile since I've done Mine on Monday, but with my new year's goal of blogging more, I thought this would be a great place to start. 

In October, my sister-in-law and niece came out so we could take some cousin pics for the grandparents' Christmas presents. I also took the time to capture my little ones as well. They had a great time running through the pasture, and we caught some really sweet moments. And of course, we had some funny outtakes as well. It's hard not to when you're trying to photograph four little ones, ages 1 to 7. In fact, I admit, my kids are the hardest for me to photograph. I don't know if it's because they've grown up with a camera in their faces or if I just expect so much from them. But children are one of my favorite subjects. With clients, all I have to focus on is having fun and letting them be themselves. And over time, I've also learned that's best with my own kiddos too. They each have such different personalities and I just want to get it all because I know they are growing too fast! In the end, all our jumping around and silliness was worth it as we got some cute images of our kiddos. And as we were looking through all the proofs, we remembered how fun the whole evening was, evening with all the outtakes. Sometimes it's really the journey that you remember and not just the destination.

Little J, where'd you go buddy?

Oh there you are, throwing dirt.

Little Miss thinks you guys are crazy?!

Uh oh, he sees more dirt.

This is the one we picked for the grandparents. They were thrilled.

And here's one of my very favs from the day. I just love this one. The girls were off playing in the field and little brother was investigating the grass.

Happy New Year! ~ Idaho portrait photographer

As 2011 is upon us, it's time to reflect on the past year and make some goals for the future. Thank you to my friends, family, clients and fans. Your support of me and my business is so dearly appreciated. I've come up with a little motto for the new year. In all things, professional and personal, I hope to give JOY, give LOVE, give PEACE and make MEMORIES! God bless you all. Have a wonderful new year!!

As a photographer, I have a goal to blog more often. Along with showcasing my recent portrait sessions, my goal is to blog more about myself too. I want you to really get to know me. I feel photography is about relationships and there is also an element of trust. You have to trust that when you hire a professional photographer, they are going to deliver what they say they will. I want you to get to know me as a friend, as much as a professional. You should know I like to have fun, but I can be serious too. During a session, I'm completely focused on my clients, getting lost in capturing the special moments being shared among them. But, I also have a young family of my own and in order to do the best for my clients, I have to make sure I'm taking care of those at home too. My little ones are the inspiration for my work and they must remain a priority for me in the new year. In addition to sharing more about me, I also want to post more how to's, session tips and ideas for displaying portraits in your home.

In addition, I would like to photograph at least 12 new clients in 2011. I don't have to be busy all the time. I realized my limitations after being extremely busy in 2010. I want to know I'm giving my undivided attention to my clients when it's work time and undivided attention to my family when they need me. Finding balance is what the new year is all about. I will be looking for some new faces in the next couple months as I want to try some ideas for sessions I've been playing around with though. If you've always wanted a session with Maggie Malson Photography, you'll want to stay tuned.

Giving back to my community is also important to me. I've worked with Help Portrait and Love, INC., in the past and will continue to do so, but also want to expand my charitable contributions in 2011. I'll be looking for ways to give the gift of memories to those who've never had access to professional portrait photography. I'll also be calling on you guys too; together we can really make a difference!

As we start off on this new year, my goals will be to give JOY, LOVE & PEACE to the people I meet and share life with, and to make MEMORIES with my own family, as well as yours. God bless you all in 2011!