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So I think my new favorite location is Buffalo Rock near Utica.  With gorgeous trees, leaves, great shade, no crowds and of course, the buffalo, what more could you ask for?  Okay, well the buffalos have yet to make a photo, but they are a great bribe to get kids through the shoot.  Spending another afternoon out there this past weekend with the lovely Micheli family, I really enjoyed taking advantage of this often under appreciated locale.  I plan to host this year’s mini-mania event on November 14th at Buffalo Rock as well so check out the previous blog post for more details on that!

Anyways, Buffalo Rock it was and what a sweet and fun family I had the pleasure of photographing.  Little Gavin, with his gorgeous lashes and literally, sparkly eyes was so sweet and patient and his older brother Carter was such a lady killer with his own dashing looks.  Look out mom and dad, you’re going to be chasing the girls away in just a few years!

Coming back from my long leave and maternity leave, I was a little nervous about getting back into the swing of things, reconnecting with my customers, and booking sessions.  Fortunately, that has not been a problem.  The number of requests for sessions this fall season is higher than ever and with my new limited schedule, I’ve been unable to accommodate many of the requests.  I know many of you are looking to get a few pics for Christmas gifts or just one great family shot for your annual Christmas card.  To help accommodate this, I’ve decided to dedicate 1 day to providing a quick, cost effective option for my clients who were unable to schedule a full session this season.

On Saturday, November 14th, I will be scheduling 10, 30 minute mini-sessions throughout the day at Buffalo Rock State Park near Utica. The sessions will cost $100 (for up to 4 people) and include a free digital image of your choice (a $100 value!) that can be used in holiday greeting cards or to make gift prints from.  We will take as many pictures as we can get in the 30 minutes.  The reduced fee will still include custom photo editing, touch-ups, & enhancements, and a private, password protected online ordering gallery where you can view your proofs and choose your free digital image, as well as order additional prints if interested.

I’m scheduling the sessions on a first come, first serve basis in 30 minute increments from 9 am to 11:30 and from 2:00 to 3:30.

If you are interested in scheduling a mini-session or have additional questions, please email me at emilie@emiliekarun.com.  I hope to hear from you soon!

What a fun time I had with the Goetz family a few weeks ago!  Despite getting totally rained on at Starved Rock, we managed to dodge the drops enough to get some shots of the whole clan.  Everyone was together, even some in from out of state, and I was so happy to be able to take some “non-traditional” photos of the big happy family.  Everyone, including the little guys, were such great sports despite the gloomy and COLD weather our day brought.  But, things could always be worse; like the poor bridal party who shared our shelter during a downpour at Starved Rock!

Thanks again Goetz Family for letting me spend the afternoon with you!

Orange leaves, green grass, and red noses…that pretty much sums up the fall colors from this surprisingly chilly autumn we’re having.  Little Ben and Anthony didn’t let that stop them from having a great time during our photos at Centennial Park a few weeks ago.  Mom and Dad did great too and we got some wonderful family shots of everyone just having a great time enjoying the season.  Thank you Gina for being so amazingly patient in scheduling your session!  Gina received a session gift certificate for mother’s day over a year ago and waited patiently during my bedrest and maternity leave to schedule their family session.  I hope you love the photos and it was worth the wait.  Thanks again!

So last week I had the pleasure of doing my 3rd senior session and it was more fun than ever.  Approaching my 10 year class reunion this weekend, I was more than excited to help create new photos and memories for my dear friend Liz’s younger sister Maggie.  Maggie was so sweet, cooperative, and certainly made my life easy!  We had fun snapping shots downtown LaSalle, hiking through weeds and walking on railroad tracks.  It’s amazing how fast time flies and how she too will soon be looking back, 10 years from now, wondering where the time has gone.

Blue eyes & big curls pretty much sums up the most adorable little kids since I don’t know when.  Miss Ella was such a model, taking direction well and up for anything, including shaking a rattle to help keep her little baby brother’s attention.  Brody Mac was a doll, so sweet and so into the grass!  Mom and dad, my dear friends Abbie and Bob, were a blast too.  I had a wonderful time taking this family session.

We wanted to get some more silhouette shots on my favorite hill at Baker’s Lake.  I wasn’t sure if the partly cloudy sky was going to cooperate, but boy did it ever!  We had a beautiful sunset and I am so happy with how the photos turned out.  Abs, I hope you love them too girl!

They say to “do something everyday that scares you” and taking dance portraits was something that frankly I was very nervous about doing.  But always up for a new challenge, I couldn’t resist getting out with an amazingly talented (and flexible might I add) dancer.  Missy is a true LPer, but has been living & dancing these past 10 years in New York city.  I was flattered, excited, and slightly terrified, when she asked me to take some “unconventional” dance photos for her portfolio.  A few days ago we hit the streets in downtown LaSalle and out and Baker’s Lake and let me say, it was AWESOME!  Not only was it so fun working with her, trying new things and getting creative, but to be around such talent was inspiring.  Missy is unbelievable and was such a good sport, up for anything, including walking barefoot on some pretty questionable surfaces, climbing scaffolding & fire escapes, and enduring some rowdy cat calls & comments from bystanders, and even a few questions from a News Tribune reporter.  I’m still working on editing but had to post a few sneak peeks for Missy.  I hope you love them and they are what you were hoping for!

Even though I am officially on family leave for the remainder of 2009, I continued to honor those clients who had pre-purchased a package of photo sessions.  I had my first session last week since I was put on maternity leave in September.  And as much as I really needed and appreciated these last 9 months off, I was glad to find I really missed taking photos!  I had so much seeing how much little Payton has grown since her newborn days (well, her prebirth days as well!).  I really really really miss this so much!  I’m considering starting back taking photos…even if it’s just a few a month.  If you are interested let me know.  I may just be up for scheduling some!

Here are some photos of adorable Payton.  We have 2 more sessions left so stay tuned for more photos of Payton as she grows so big!

As you may know, my husband and I welcomed our second son, Sam, in January of this year.  Things have been going great but two boys under two is keeping me beyond busy.  After much deliberation, my husband and I have decided to extend my leave throughout the remainder of 2009.  While this was a difficult decision because I love taking photos, I need to spend time with my family right now during these early years.  The little ones just grow so fast and I want to have more time and energy to focus on creating and capturing my family’s memories.

I hope all of my wonderful customers and blog followers will understand that I have to do what’s best for my family at this point.  During my leave, I am referring clients to Gloria Faith Photography based out of El Paso Illinois.  You can view her portfolio, get rates, information, and inquire about a session at http://www.gloriafaith.com/.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I do hope to continue to share photos, tidbits, advice, etc. on this blog as time permits so please check back often.  I’m not going away forever, just for a little while.  I’ll be back!

I’d like to announce the arrival of our family’s new addition.

Samuel Xavier Karun arrived only 1 week ahead of schedule on January 12th, 2009 weighing 7lbs 13 oz and 20 inches.

I want to thank you all for your patience and understanding during my difficult pregnancy.  I apologize again for having to cancel sessions during the last half of last year.  While right now I am just trying to adjust to two babies under two, I plan on returning from leave in May.  If I had to cancel your session last year, I will be contacting you in the next few months to discuss rescheduling.  I will also be scheduling people who requested sessions.  Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you again!

I’ve included some photos of my new little boy.

And my two little guys…