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Category Archives: fun stuff!

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exciting third ward studio news!

a few weeks ago, i announced our plans for a new studio and gallery in milwaukee’s historic third ward!  in july, we’re moving to 244 n broadway, which is on the corner of broadway & buffalo, kitty corner from anthropologie and across the street from shoo.   i’m so excited that i can hardly stand it. construction is coming along nicely - the floors are almost done and our work area is being installed next week. i can’t wait for the furniture and all of the amazing prints and canvases that i get to hang on the walls!

since a lot of you have had the same questions, i thought i’d address the most frequently asked questions on the blog. here goes!

  • will you still come to our house for photos??

absolutely! my goal is to conduct at least 60% of my sessions on location as i always have. there’s nothing better than photographing a family where they’re most comfortable whether that be at home or at their favorite park or beach around milwaukee! what’s so great about the studio is that it has amazing natural light and fabulous textures (brick walls, wood floors, fun furniture) so the studio will be a location option as well, beginning in mid-july!

  • if you’re still shooting mostly on-location, then what is the studio for?

we chose to open the studio and gallery for several reasons. one of which is that we live in the cutest, tiniest house ever and the business has become so big in recent years that we wanted to move the business out of the house. i know you all understand how excited i am to have a better separation between work and homelife!

another goal was to refine the portrait sales experience to better help clients choose images and products that work best for their homes and lifestyles. beginning in mid-july, all proofing appointments will be held at the studio using state-of-the-art projection equipment. you’ll be able to come in, get comfortable with a glass of wine or cup of tea, and view your session images like you’ve never imagined. you’re going to love it!

in addition to shooting, working and proofing at the studio, we’ll also be offering pre-session consultations to show you all of our amazing products (some new!) and to give you a better feel for the style and experience that christine plamann photography offers to kids and families in milwaukee.

  • will you still be doing portrait days at freckle face?

i had to laugh because the sheer number of people who asked me this really surprised me! you guys sure do love portrait day! the answer is YES, portrait day will continue! you know what the best part of this new studio space is? it’s right upstairs from milwaukee’s hottest childrens boutique, freckle face. as many of you have already heard, freckle face is moving from their buffalo location to broadway! how exciting is that? i’m beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to be just upstairs from what is by far the coolest place to shop for kids clothes, toys, strollers, gear and more.

  • why do you keep saying “we”?

some more exciting news which really deserves (and will eventually get) a post to itself, if that i’ve hired two amazing employees to help create the best portrait experience you can ask for. maryssa is our super friendly, hard-working, energetic new studio assistant. if you haven’t already spoken with her, you will soon! melinda will be there to guide clients through the portrait selection process. she has impeccable taste and is the sweetest woman you’ll ever meet. you’re going to love both of them and i can’t wait for you to meet them!

  • when’s the party?!?

ha! yes, there’s going to be a party. mark your calendars for july 25 and 26. we’ll be throwing one heck of a grand opening party. details coming soon!!

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okay. one last thing.  thank you. thank you SO MUCH for allowing me into your lives to capture the essence of who your family is. thank you for letting me capture your child’s milestones, for letting me document what’s so important to you. without you, i wouldn’t be living my dream right now. and this IS my dream. so thank you. from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

long time, no post

i really don’t think i’ve ever gone this long without posting to my blog.  i’ve been meaning to for weeks, but i’ve been so busy photographing all of YOU that i haven’t had a chance!   and oh my gosh, do i have some beautiful images to show you.  so many that i don’t even know where to start:  beautifully squishy newborns, goofy toddlers, hot mamas-to-be, a beautiful extended family.   but first, how about some updates?

where i’ve been:

okay, so maybe the question should be, where haven’t i been?  soon after my sunny florida mini-vacation, i spent ten days in europe for work and for fun.  my oldest daughter rachel came with me and we had such a wonderful visit with my sister and her family, who live in luxembourg.  (to answer the next logical question:  she was great on the plane!)  while there, i travelled within luxembourg and to france to photograph some seriously gorgeous children.  i really do think i have the coolest and most fun job in the world!

we were back for only two weeks before we left for door county.  my husband and daughters and i rent a house up there every year at the beginning of summer.  the house is amazing and it’s such a wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating trip for us.

in between trips, the chicken pox hit our house!  first rachel got it, then two weeks later, little ellie did.   we’re just getting over it now.  whew.

how about some photos?  while i work on getting some amazing client photos ready for the blog, here are some of our door county trip photos:

two sweet little girls

goodness, i’m on a blogging spree this week! i don’t usually post two sessions so close together but i’m leaving for europe tomorrow and probably won’t be able to post again until i get back. i’ll be back in the office on may 20 and will return all phone calls and emails at that time! once i get back, i’ll be sure to post lots of photos from the sessions that i’ll be doing while i’m there!

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new blog! new studio!

so how cool is this new blog?  i’m super excited about this because it means i can post bigger images for your viewing pleasure. :)  there are still a few kinks here and there, but we’ll get them ironed out over the new few weeks.

want to hear some EXCITING news? christine plamann photography is opening a studio & gallery in milwaukee’s historic third ward, on the corner of broadway and buffalo, kitty-corner from anthropolie.  the space is to-die-for gorgeous - incredible natural light, super tall ceilings, cream city brick walls - i could go on and on and on.  this has been in the works for a long time and i’m so thrilled that it’s all coming together.   we’ll be open in july and i can’t wait for you all to see it.   yay!

warm weather wishes

here’s hoping we can bring some warm weather and sunshine back to wisconsin!

silly pictures of my silly girls

in a few hours, we’ll be getting up to catch an early flight so we can hang out at the beach for a week. a last minute but much needed break from this dreary milwaukee weather! i’m so excited for warm weather. hopefully, i’ll have some sunny photos to warm you up when i get back. meanwhile, here are a few silly shots of my silly daughters from this afternoon.

pieces of our day:

ellie’s feet. i could eat them up.

sleepy girl. or maybe just hiding?

the girls, pretending to nap.

cozy rachel, through the crib slats. that blanket has been her lovey (she calls is deetdeet) since she was only a few months old. it was my husband’s lovey when he was a baby, too.

feet on the window sill, watching the airplanes.

my ellie. doesn’t she look grown up?

something about her posture reminds me of a page from “where the wild things are”

rachel’s cheese smile

she always touches her mouth when she smiles genuinely

feet

baby luke

i’ve been photographing so many newborn babies lately! all of the beautiful pregnant mothers i photographed in december and january are having their babies and keeping me busy!

remember that maternity portraits are best scheduled during your sixth or seventh month (but are beautiful regardless of timing!) and newborn portraits are best taken within the first two weeks of life.

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meet baby luke! isn’t he perfect?

a few (or several) more

here are some more images from my trip to north carolina a few weeks ago. i love urban photography and i’m so excited to do more urban sessions here in milwaukee once it warms up a bit!

a peek at what’s to come

i was lucky enough to spend last weekend in raleigh, north carolina in the company of twenty plus ridiculously talented photographers. being in the company of so many creative women was good for the soul and exactly what i needed after these months of cold, cranky weather.

i have so many images i want to share, and i will! but while i work on those, here’s a favorite of mine from the weekend!

catching up!

it’s been forever since i’ve posted here! i have so much to post - fabulous images of your gorgeous children, a recap of a wonderful and isnpiring weekend that i just spent with 20 other photographers, new products, etc, and i will hopefully get to all of those things this week!

meanwhile, as i take a break from proofing, here are a few images from a private photography fundraiser that i held last weekend in mequon. it was fun to work with kids in gradeschool after a long stretch of newborns and toddlers!

isn’t cate gorgeous?

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commissioned painting by erika jones

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i’m too excited to NOT share this, even though it’s not at all related to photography. i recently commissioned the ridiculously talented erika jones to do a canvas painting of my girls at their favorite spot. i was completely overwhelmed and overjoyed when she sent me these images of the finished piece. it’s 18×36 and will hang in their bedroom. i’m so excited!

Contest Winners!

please forgive me for being a few days late in announcing the contest winners! i haven’t been feeling very well (pneumonia!) so i’ve been focusing on getting well. also, i was completely overwhelmed with the entries this year - so many of you sent me your stories and it was so hard to choose. so hard, in fact, that this year, i have two winners.

the first winner is Amy Zavorka of Cedarburg, who nominated the Neville family of Saukville. what struck me was Amy’s generosity towards a family she’s never even met. here’s her entry:

Please consider a very special family for your New Year’s Contest. Brandon, Leah and Baby Mason Neville live in Saukville, WI. Brandon is a Corporal in the Marine Reserves Fox Company 24 in Milwaukee. Brandon was called away to Iraq shortly after his son was born. He got a short visit home and was shocked to see how much Mason had grown. He now has to go back to Iraq and knows he will miss many milestones once again. I thought it would be a priceless gift for you to photograph Leah and Mason, so that Brandon can have amazing glimpses of his child while protecting our freedoms. Leah is now in her first home and is a first time mother, raising her son alone waiting for Brandon’s return. This young family is sacrificing so much. I’ve never actually met this family, but read an article about them. My brother in law is also a part of Fox Company 24 and so their story moved me. Please read their story and consider giving them not only one $400 gift certificate, but mine as well.

the second winner is Amy Witte, who nominated her sister, Angie. here’s Amy’s entry:

I am entering in hopes of winning the portrait gift certificate for my sister, Angie. She is married and a mother to a 21 month-old boy named Ben (see attached picture). Last summer, Ben was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which affects the voluntary muscles used for daily activities, such as crawling, walking, head/neck movement, and even swallowing. 1 in 6000 babies is affected. 1 in 40 people are genetic carriers, and in order for a child to be affected, both parents must be carriers of this recessive gene. The chances of Ben crawling or walking are slim; however he is doing well with the help of physical therapy. He uses a walker and was just fitted for a wheelchair. He is smart, joyful, and a happy little boy. Although he will have physical limitations, his life will be full because of his will and determination.

Angie stays at home with Ben, and keeps a very busy schedule. She devotes many hours to his rehabilitation therapy, endless doctor visits, swimming lessons, and participates in a couple of local mom’s groups. I am convinced that Angie’s strength, persistence, optimism, and love have greatly contributed to Ben’s development and happiness. Currently, she and her husband are undergoing fertility treatment to increase the odds of having a “normal” brother or sister for Ben. They consider this to be a very exciting time, as they look forward to expanding their family.

Please consider my sister and I for your New Year’s Give-Away Contest.
Being a mother myself to two small children, I understand the demands and challenges that go along with motherhood. I also know how special it is to be a mom. I think Angie is a very special mom, and would find this meaningful and uplifting.

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thank you to everyone who entered - i’m in awe of all of you.

itsy bitsy teeny tiny newborn

baby ian is the newest member of one of my most favorite families! look how sweet he is! big sister, too :)

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Gift Certificate Give-Away Contest Ends Soon!

I’ve had so many great entries for my gift certificate give-away contest! In case you’ve been meaning to enter, but haven’t sent me anything yet, this is just a reminder that the contest’s deadline is only one week away - Friday, February 1.

In case you missed the original announcement, here are all the details:

Since my give-away contest was so popular last year I’m holding another contest to celebrate the new year! Winners of this contest will win two portrait gift certificates in the amount of $400 each. One is to keep and one is to give to a friend who has never been photographed by me before. The contest is simple: tell me who you’d like to give the second gift certificate to and why. Be creative, be funny, be sincere.

Boring but necessary details:

  • Enter by sending an email with the subject New Year’s Contest!” with your reason for giving inside the body of the email.
  • Deadline for entry is midnight, Friday, February 1, 2008.
  • Anyone can enter (current clients or new clients), so tell your friends!
  • Gift certificates must be redeemed by June 30, 2008.
  • By entering the contest, you agree that your entry can be published on the blog and/or website.
  • Winner will be notified via email and announced on my blog on Monday, February 4, 2008.

I held a similar contest last year and you can read about the winning entry from last year’s contest on my blog.

Call Christine Plamann Photography at 414.744.0995 or email info@christineplamann.com with any questions.

baby corbin

itty bitty baby corbin –

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happy

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look at this happy little guy! only four days old.

george

whew - session #5! i’ll have bunches more to post next week! it’s been a busy few weeks - lots of new babies being born!

i’ve been meaning to post this session for two months but i could never decide which images to post because i love them all! this was one of the last nice days of fall. makes me excited for warm weather again!

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caroline

i’ve been lucky enough to photograph this beautiful girl since she was just six months old! now she’s three!

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maternity

i love love love maternity sessions ~ they make the subsequent newborn sessions so much more fun! this gorgeous mama gave birth just a couple of days ago — to a surprise baby boy! i can’t wait to meet him on tuesday!

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noah

this was a fun session from december which i never got a chance to post online –

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