a photo {giveaway}!!

Oh boy, I'm the worst. I know it. You know it. But the good news is there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm almost finished packing in the last photo sessions. And to celebrate that, plus the recent 800 fans I now have on facebook, CioCo introduces:

To enter the giveaway: GO HERE.

Not required, but you would be awesome: Like CioCo's facebook page here. 

Remember, the more entries the better your chances! I'm happy to give one or THREE sessions away. :) So share with your friends through email and Facebook or twitter, directing them to this giveaway. I'll love you forever! Most likely. Have a great day! I hope you win!

Giveaway Ends 10/30/11. Winner will be drawn randomly. Well a computer will do it, I'm not into cutting up little pieces of paper and putting them in a hat and such.

And from my most recent session in the studio:

Yep, my own little is now 9 months old. Yikes! Where does the time go! 

So go enter and win a session for your little ones! (Mini sessions are also good for a family of 4-5)

christmas {lights}

Head on over to the Creative Crate today where you can learn about photography tips and tricks every friday, with lessons by Stacie and yours truly. Seriously, it rocks, so come play.

can't {wait}!

...to work on a project that involves this:

and this:

with my good friend Jonie from Just Between Friends.
It's gonna be so great!

decorating {with portraits}

This is a post that will be shown over at craft rookie!

Hi Craft Rookie Readers! It's awesome to be back! I hope the last post helped some in composition of your photographs, and you are enjoying the result. Today I just wanted to talk a little on decorating with photographs. Kristen Halligan, an associate at atmosphere ID, a design company, said the following,
"Designing with portraits can be a very inexpensive and creative way to add your unique style to a room. The more creative you get, the better! One of my favorite ways to add that unique style is to "create" your own frames. This can be by either making them from start to finish or going to a thrift store and buying frames to spray paint colors of your choosing. Don't be afraid to use mis-matched frames in color and style! One large portrait accentuated with sconces is also a quick and easy way to create a focal point for any room."
Kristen at www.atmosphere-id.com or e-mail kristenh@atmosphere-id.com.

She is right! I love seeing portraits displayed in my home, because not only are they a quick attention grabber, but they bring personality to my home and make my decorations that much more personal. Here are a few hanging around my house:
This is above my desk. The combination of black and brown frames brings a lot of interest to the space.
I couldn't find frames that I liked to hang here with portraits I had just printed. I searched EVERYWHERE for something in my budget. Then I remembered that I had these frame sizes, just in colors I didn't like so I spray painted them white to match the rest of the decor. A grouping of a 16x20 and 2 11x14 will fill a wall nicely.
Lol, I realize I haven't filled one frame yet. This dresser from IKEA is a little low, so I attempted to add height by filling the space with portraits. The two top frames were clearance at Walmart, the big one clearance at Ross. I felt like I won the lottery. I typically am a fan of collage frames as well, but find they can be busy. Find frames that only allow larger sizes with 2-6 openings, and it won't look like you're portraits exploded.
This is in my family room. Again, trying to adjust for height I filled the space with a grouping of 2 11x14's (one mounted) and 2 8x10's.

This is the focal point of the room, as Kristen suggested. A 20x30 that I printed at Sam's and a frame I bought at Walmart- total cost of the presentation was around $20 at the time I believe. Which sure beats printing them custom, even if you do sacrifice a little quality. The sconces added the right amount of width and the lettering added a fun element. Sconces and Lettering were found at Ross and Hobby Lobby.

I love pictures! I love taking them of others, and I love having them for myself. There is nothing greater than to see a wonderful family memory from a session preserved in wall hanging.

Do:

Have fun! Experiment with colors and arrangements

Fill the space.

Be creative. Prints can be framed, mod podged onto a wood backing or canvas, or mounted professionally.

Don't:

Over crowd. Using too many frames, especially if they are small will overwhelm the viewer.

Only use an 8x10 inch frame on a 10 ft wall. I have seen this done, and it makes me smile. Fill the space.

Stress. :)

Thanks for reading. Head on over to http://ciocophotography.com to see my latest fun sessions and the awesome people I get to associate with! Have questions? Send them over: ciocophotography@gmail.com. Have a great week!

I'll leave you with some more arrangment ideas: