Let Pantone's fall color inspire your wardrobe for portraits this year!

What do you think?  Favorites?  We see some fun combos in this mix!

You’re a senior in high school! You’ve come a long way…and you have a story to tell. You may or may not be a writer, but one of the ways you will share your story for generations to come is through your senior portrait.

I was a senior in high school back in 1995. My hair had finally recovered from the horrible, chopped-way-too-short haircut that I started 8^th grade with, and was now long, very long, and still very curly. I had gotten rid of the glasses that graced my nose a few years earlier in yearbook pictures, and now wore contacts. Braces were gone too. In one picture I’m wearing my cap and gown. In another, I’m holding my fluffy white cat, “Kitt” who I literally grew up with. And in another, I’m posing in my riding outfit, reminding me of the day when my grandfather sent me a horse and the ensuing years of equine love that eventually dwindled as I got busier and busier with high school activities. Location was on the same university campus where I had attended high school and where I would go on to attend and graduate from college. All pieces of my story.

So what is your story? For many seniors, this year in your life will be one of the most memorable and eventful; the end of many familiar things, and the beginning of new adventures. Your senior portrait is meant to reflect who you are at this time in your life, and give glimpses into the person you are becoming. Think about the images from your portrait session as telling a story.

Thinking about your senior portrait, but not sure where to start? Here are some ideas…

~Location:  Your senior portrait can be in the studio, at a location of your choice, or both. Do you have a special place that really speaks of who you are? Choosing the right location can help you feel at ease, convey a meaningful part of your story and spark conversation for generations to come.

~“But I like to go barefoot!” No problem. Your clothing choices are a huge part of the person you are. Choose clothing that’s comfortable and shows your personality. Choose colors that will complement both your skin-tone and your environment.

~Don’t be afraid to speak up! Have an idea for the best, epic photo of all time, but wonder if Allison will think you’re crazy? Remember, some of the best images have come from “thinking outside the box.”

~Bring a friend! Close friends can be a major part of your high school memories. They’re the ones who have shared in your story. So, feel free to bring along a friend and include them in some of your pictures.

You have a story to tell – the story of who you are, and of who you are becoming. So, let’s make some amazing memories of your story through images! Congratulations on being a senior in high school! May this year be a wonderful journey for you.

~Jessica Clater

We are very excited to be featured, over at our wedding partners, WellWed!  We just love their style and are very happy to know they love ours too!  Let us know what you think.

http://www.maineandnewhampshireweddings.com/blog/spotlight/maine-new-hampshire-wedding-spotlight-azalea-events-allison-hope-photography

Dance Mini Sessions!

Make sure you capture the sweetness and hold onto your tiny dancer!  This time of year we see all the time and work and driving come together in the smiles and sheer delight of being on stage and in costume.  Don't let it pass before you capture the memory!

20 minute sessions are available for $50 thru June, Monday - Thursday, call to book your time... 603-867-4970.

Prom Mini Sessions!

The Dress, the Date, the Prom!

Make sure you store up the memories before they fade.  Book a 20 minute mini session to preserve the night of your dreams!

$50 mini sessions are available Monday - Thursday, call 603-867-4970 to book.

Join us on Saturday, April 19, 2014 10am-11:30am at our studio for our Easter Egg Hunt!

The hunt begins at 10:30.  Each family will receive a social media file to share with family and friends!  

Bring an item to donate to the New Boston Food Pantry

Coffee, tea, and treats for the kids!  Come and enjoy spring with us!

243 Mont Vernon Rd., New Boston, NH  603-867-4970

We would like to introduce you to Jessica Clater!  Jessica has been working at AHP as our 2nd event photographer for almost 10 years.  She now is excited to be a contributing writer for the blog, when she isn't soaking up all the joys of life as a wife to Phil and mother to daughter, Eliana!  We hope you enjoy her perspective as much as we do!

Yep, I’m one of those people. I don’t have a wedding album, just a proof album.

 My wedding day was one of the most amazing days of my life! I love my husband like crazy to this day and yet, I never ordered a wedding album. In fact, it was probably three years before I even had a portrait on my wall from that day. And even though, through a set of circumstances, I ended up with all the negatives from my wedding, I still haven’t designed and printed my own album…and I’m in the business. You know, the plumber has leaky faucets in his house, the accountant is late with his taxes, and I, a photographer, don’t have a wedding album.

I really don’t have an excuse. I’ve been married for twelve years to the love of my life and I’ve been a photographer for the majority of that time. But, life got busy and there were other priorities with my time and money that always seemed to pop up.

Which brings me to the topic of this post – the “Images on CD only” packages that many brides are requesting. In today’s digital photography world, many brides are opting to pay only for the photographer’s time and travel and then a CD of images. This type of pricing is a huge leap from the days of package pricing that included a designed wedding album and other tangible values like framed and matted wall prints. This cost-cutting mindset may sound great at the outset to a bride who is trying to keep to a budget. However, the problem comes when the happy couple steps out of the car or off the plane or boat from their honeymoon and into…life (which may include an adorable baby, or two, much sooner than anticipated).

With the entire process of not only narrowing down and choosing images, but also designing pages and choosing covers, styles and a place to print their album, there’s a possibility that a bride may not get around to having a finished album in hand for years, if ever.

The wedding album, wall portraits, parent albums, thank you cards…all of these are the final, finished, beautiful product of beautifully produced images. These precious memories, captured on one of the most special days of a couple’s life are meant to be touched and seen often, daily. They should be there over the mantle or on the table, beautifully displayed for friends, family and guests to see. They should be there when that first child is born – a daily reminder of the love that brought them into the world.

As photographers, our images are a form of art. The final piece is not just the image itself sitting somewhere on a CD or on a flash drive or on a facebook page. The finished piece of art includes the presentation: the carefully chosen mat and frame that perfectly complement and display the portrait of the bride, glowing as she waits to walk down the aisle. The full page spread in the album depicting each precious moment captured during the first dance, each image carefully placed and enhanced by design details on the page.

When a client pays a photographer for their services, they’re not just paying for pictures. Because, you see, photographers aren’t just, well, photographers! They’re artists, designers, dreamers. The final, finished product should be a true work of art and design. When a client who isn’t a photographer chooses to quickly print a few images from their CD at the local drugstore, so much of the purity and beauty of an image can be lost.

So, trust us. The extra expense of having a finished album and wall portrait from your wedding will be well worth it.

Yep, I’m one of those people. Someday I’ll have a wedding album, maybe after my daughter goes to college. That’s not that far away…I mean, she just turned 18 months old.

~Jessica Clater

Share the Love!

Buy 1 gift certificate,  receive another of equal or lesser value for 50% off!

Maximum value is $200.

Offer valid thru February 13, 2014.

(603) 867-4970

[email protected]