Inspiration Wednesday: Sunnyside Strings

This week I'd like to spotlight a great local business. Sunnyside Strings teaches children string instruments before some of them can even read. Check out her MySpace page to see videos & photos of the little maestros and learn more about lessons.

Last weekend I photographed their recital at Claret (another awesome local business, started this year by a husband and wife team) and loved the enthusiasm and concentration the children showed. It was remarkable how poised they were in the face of the 50 or so family & friends who crowded the wine bar to watch their performance.

If you have a child who you think would enjoy learning violin or cello (aren't the little cellos super-cute?), definitely consider Choi. Or if you have a baby- or child-friendly class or performance that you would like me to photograph, I'd love to talk with you too.

Upcoming events & deals

Yes, Julian, I'm as shocked as you are that it's almost October. I am getting pretty busy. Which is the plan after all. But sometimes I think it's good to look ahead and see what's coming up. Here's how October is shaping up.

September 30, last day to book brothers discount

Know any adorable families with brothers? Give me a call during the waning days of September and you can get a discount off the session. See my post here for details. Fear not, families of all shapes and sizes will be featured in upcoming months.

Starting October 1, Print Bonus Deal

During the month of October, all sessions booked (they won't need to take place before 10/31, fear not!) will get a 10% print bonus. That means a regular in-home photo session will be $150 and you will also get $15 off your print order. A mini-session at $50 will get $5 to spend on prints.

October 10th (rain date 10/11), Sunnyside Gardens Park Oktoberfest & Craft Fair

48-21 39th Avenue Sunnyside, NY 11104

From their site:
"The park will be open to all from noon until 5pm for great food, music from The Strung Out String Band, and handcrafted items including jewelry, eco-friendly products, and clothing for kids and adults. Many of the craft fair offerings are made right here in Sunnyside!
Plus, is there anything cuter than kids in a pumpkin patch?"

I will be sharing a table with some very talented child's crafters (hair accessories, green products, hand knit caps) selling prints of my photography to decorate your nursery or home.

October 17 (rain date 10/18), April Glass Photo Sessions 11AM - 4PM

44-09 Queens Blvd. Sunnyside, NY 11104
Weather-permitting we will be out back in their adorable garden. Give Patrice a call at April Glass at
(718) 937-7578 to schedule a 30-minute mini-session with me. $50 for the session and either a cd or online album of the best photos. Here's all the info from last month.

October 24 (rain date 10/25), Boston-area Photo Sessions 9AM - 4PM

Stratton School park, Arlington MA
Please contact me or let any Boston-area friends know I still have a few sessions open. I will book 30-minute slots for photo shoots with your baby, child or whole family. $50 for the session and either a cd or online album of the best photos. I blogged about this last month, so check it out for all the details.

I'll add more events and deals as the month progresses so be sure to check back if you would like photos soon. You can follow me on Twitter, get the RSS feed of this blog, check out my website and become a fan on Facebook. Of course going lo-fi and calling me at 718-791-0536 is good too!

Children & high heels?

Yesterday I saw a photo of Suri Cruise wearing high heels walking down the street with Katie Holmes. Madness. For review (sadly, yes, I do think we need to do this), when are heels cute on kids?

Cute on imaginary water-color children

Not cute. (via Jezebel) But probably the only age she can wear them without towering over Daddy.

Not sure how I feel about these baby heels.

So far I don't think any of the families I've photographed have dressed their babies in high heels. Why not check out my portfolio to test me on that?

Inspiration Wednesday

This week's inspiration comes from my love of all things local. From the farmer's market, wine bar, spa, grocery store - our neighborhood makes it easy to spend money in locally owned or run businesses every day. Why spend locally? When you do, more money is funneled right back into your neighborhood or town through tax revenue, employing your neighbors and more local spending.

Which is why I also love the 3/50 Project which encourages you to get out there in your community and spend $50 3 times a month. Will this totally replace your weekend trips to Target or Trader Joe's? Probably not, but it's a great start.

In my case, it's also good business. I have been able to work with local shops to promote my photography and build relationships with our small businesspeople. All while getting to know and (I have to admit, sometimes surprisingly) like my neighbors.

I just joined up as a supporter so soon my name will be listed on their supporter page.

Why not spend on of those $50 goals on a mini-session with me at April Glass (another local business, of course!) on October 17th?

Of Mad Men and Barbies

photo credit: courtesy AMC

Hooray to Mad Men & 30 Rock winning the top Emmy awards Sunday! Love both shows.

Watching this week's Mad Men episode today (damn you iTunes season pass delay!), the scenes with Sally & the Barbie brought me back to my childhood 20 years after hers.

Ah Barbie - is there a more bizarre interpreter of what's going on in whatever year the various editions arrive? I remember my 1984 Day-to-Night Barbie. I'm still waiting for the fashion world to give me my reversible work-to-date skirt!



In case that was too much retro for one day, here's Sally's cocktail cheat sheet (care of Nobody's Sweetheart - check out her other illustrations on Flickr)  quench your thirst. Baby, fix me a cocktail.

Locally grown - Sunday's baby photo shoot

Like lots of people, I like to shop locally when I can. So when I went into April Glass a few blocks away from me to see if they'd display one of my photo cards in the window, I was excited when the shop owner wanted to team up. Actually, after asking what I did, she very mysteriously said "Hmm, come with me" and marched me through the store into the back office and out into an adorable garden hidden behind the storefront. After that, her suggestion of hosting a day of baby photos there sounded amazing.

Yesterday was my first time and so far so good. We decided to do this only a few days ago so I wasn't expecting many families. But we ended up with more than I hoped and a gorgeous day to boot.

I'll only show few of the babies getting ready for the camera with their parents. Speaking of parents, more photos of this shoot to come once they get first viewing. 

Enough talk, on to a sneak peek at the babies.

These are all local Sunnyside babies - there must be something in the water to have this much gorgeousness within 3/4 of a square mile!

I will post details about our next photo day at April Glass as soon as we finalize the date. Hope to see you next time!

Friday fun - hilarious baby Halloween costumes

credit: Endless Simmer

I know it's over a month off, but I know last year around this time my mind was reeling trying to figure out a cute costume for my newborn. Luckily my mom was Super-Nana and bought her not one but 2 adorable costumes, a banana and a peapod.

Babies dressed as food - any Geddes-esque sincerity + befuddled expressions = comic gold.

credit: Smarter 

But this - while funny - actually makes me feel bad for the little sweetie.

credit: Baby Blog Blog

Of course, that's not as scary as "The 7 Most Inappropriate Products for Children", but that's for another post. Any funny Halloween costumes to share? Come check out my site for more cute - and unpainted - kids.

The Little Dozen - what a year!

I can barely believe Henry was once so little

Building my online portfolio this month, I kept looking back at my first completed Little Dozen series. Henry is way past 1 now, but looking back on these makes it very obvious how quickly a year goes by in a baby's life.

Why not book a series for your newborn or give the Little Dozen for an unforgettable gift?

Last minute local photo shoot Sunday!

Hey there local families! I'm teaming up with a great shop right here in Sunnyside to host a day of mini-sessions this Sunday, September 20th from 11-6 in their garden. It is similar to the ones I've done at my place and the park before, but here are the basics if you are interested in joining in:

Sign up for a 30 minute mini-session for $50. Please bring your favorite toys & join your little one for a family shot too if you like. Let me know if you'd prefer a CD or online gallery (password-protected) of the photos, printable up to 4"x6". For larger photos (or if you prefer not to print yourself), just send me the image number and I will have my lab print them at a discounted rate - 4x6 $1, 5x7 $5, 8x10 $10 - for you. Since I'm trying to build a business through word of mouth, feel free to email or post the photos online, but I would appreciate a credit and a link to my site. Check out my website with a new portfolio of photos if you'd like to get an idea of my style.

If you are interested in booking one of the sessions this Sunday, just give Patrice a call at April Glass since she is handing the schedule:

(718) 937-7578

Or comment here if you have any questions. If this works out, we may team up again soon and I'll try to give longer notice. Very excited to photograph your gorgeous children!

Inspiration Wednesday

The girls I take photos of will probably never have to be forced to marry at 12. Or leave school to work before they can read. Let's hope these girls will escape that life too.

When my friends Jenny and Dave moved to India a couple of years ago, we were sad to see them leave NYC. But they like to live big adventures and this was no different. Jenny & I had volunteered together before she left and she quickly found a new cause to champion in India. 

Pardada Pardadi helps rural Indian girls go to school by paying them directly for their attendance. Upon graduation, they have an excellent "dowry" to start their lives along with a full education and trade training. They are trying to break the cycle of poverty and uplift young women in a place that needs both. 

Here's Jenny with 2 of the girls when they came to California - first flights, first time outside India, first supermarket!
 

I've supported this group through purchasing their gorgeous pillows (excellent gifts!) and hope you will consider adding them to your charity list. Or shopping list.

For more on Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, visit Education 4 Change

To purchase gifts made by the students, visit From Village to World

To read about life as New Yorkers in India by Jenny and Dave, visit Our Delhi Struggle

Photo credits: all courtesy of Pardada Pardadi except the supermarket courtesy of Our Delhi Struggle.

New photo portfolio launched!!!

Whew! I just launched my online baby photo portfolio on Kristin Burns Baby Photo.

I feel a real sense of completion - rare in web work - getting this up. I love looking back on the photos of so many amazing babies, children and families. It took a lot of late nights picking some of my favorite photos then editing that group of 8749679 down to a manageable size. I actually liked doing the web-designing and coding as a little switch from my photography work. I feel like it uses a different part of my brain.

Please check it out and give me any advice/praise/criticism in the comments. I know a lot of you are out there reading this - chime in!

Brothers are built-in buddies (with special offer!)

I'm lucky enough to have 2 brothers and they are just so great together, but different than they are with me. More rough and tumble. But still fiercely protective.

I notice it a lot in the families I photograph too. So today lets take a look at some of my favorites.





Love that bond!

So if you book a photo shoot by 9/30/09 for brothers, I'll throw in a bonus 10% on your print order. Cannot be combined with other offers.

9/11 babies

Five Years Later: Diane Sawyer with many of the children who lost their dads on 9/11. Some children never got the opportunity to get to know their fathers.
(Donna Svennvik/ABC) 2005

8 years later, here in New York City, we still remember. One of the most lasting legacies of the terrorist attacks was the number of babies born to mothers who lost their partner in the attacks. I read this excellent piece in the Guardian profiling one family where the mom was 7 months pregnant on 9/11/01 and now raising a 7 year old son. There are many cases where the mothers didn't even know they were pregnant on 9/11.

Even though a baby boom 9 months later was debunked by the fantastic Snopes.com, there sure were a lot of babies born that summer. The first memorial service was crowded with grieving families with gorgeous infants. Now there are some great charities set up to help those children. Jay-Z is even doing a benefit concert tonight.

Even now, a 9/11 birthday is not the most desirable. I remember last year my doctor carefully placing my due date on 9/10 (or sometimes 9/12) but never 9/11. Which of course is funny since a babies birth is just about the most perfect opposite of the pointless death and destruction the date conjures.

One of my daughter's friends turns one today (Happy birthday Hiro!!!) and I hope as he grows older the day may take on a less tragic, more hopeful, meaning.

Speaking of one-year-olds

This used to be my due date (as sung to Madonna's This Used to Be my Playground) but as we all know, my baby was an early bird.

Hmm, birds. Birds lay eggs. We buy them by the dozen. That reminds me of something...

The Little Dozen!

I love doing these year-long monthly photo shoots. Start with a newborn and I will come out to your home every month for an in-home mini session. Plus you get a cd or online album of the best photos, 12 5x7 prints - one every month - and a sweet multi-matted frame containing one selection from each month upon completion.



At $800, The Little Dozen is a steep discount over my regular in-home session fee with the added bonus of prints included. It is truly amazing how quickly they change every month, never mind over the course of that first year!

If you are expecting or adopting, it's a wonderful project to set up before the baby comes. We can even schedule the monthly appointments ahead of time if you are organized like that. Plus it's a new way to nest.

The Little Dozen makes a perfect gift for baby showers or holidays. I would have loved to find something like this to split with friends for all those showers that cropped up last year. At least as fun as a diaper cake, right? Grandparents can guarantee regular new photos of their grandchildren by giving it to their children. I can ship the empty frame with the gift certificate so you can have something for them to unwrap.

Book during September for a 10% print bonus ($80 worth of extra prints!). Cannot be combined with other discounts.

Inspiration Wednesday

I've noticed some of my favorite bloggers posting their weekly inspiration list. Let's give it a try.

This week I have been working on some birth announcements for my brother's brand new baby Connor and did web research to see how other people are handling the wording. Along the way, I found Bluntcards.com. Warning: hilarious cursing ahead.

I am a longtime fan of SomeEcards.com and think this is pretty similar but a little more, shall we say, blunt.



Their babyhood section is of course close to my heart. Any other child photographers out there (or new parents obsessed with their baby's every move - also me!) should prepare to get these from their friends.



OK - back to work.

Boston weekend mini-sessions

So it's a little chilly here in NYC today and I started thinking about Fall and how much better it is in Boston than here. Brighter leaves, crisper air. Not a big difference, but something. What better way to enjoy it than coming up soon for a day of photo shoots?

I know a lot of my high school friends and extended family in the Boston-area have wanted me to come up soon to photograph their children. Here's a way to make the trip up worthwhile and also keep the costs affordable.

What I've done in the past is schedule families in 30-minute blocks throughout the day and provide everyone with a cd or online gallery of photos printable to 4"x6" at $50. If anyone wants larger prints, I give a discounted print price of $1 4x6, $5 5x7, $10 8x10. Everyone can bring their favorite toys & we can squeeze in a family shot if you're up for it.

If you are interested, let me know. I have a craft fair in NYC 10/10 but most other weekends are open. If enough people want it, I can add more dates. I'd also be up for doing some in home photo shoots (at my normal rate of $250) while I'm in town.

Mid-week photo availability!

Thanks to a fabulous new childcare arrangement, I'm now also available mid-week for photo shoots. Perfect for stay at home parents, vacations or just people like me whose evening & weekends are their primary work hours.

Tuesdays 9-2
Wednesdays 9-2

So pass the word to any friends & family who might be interested in my new hours. Of course I can schedule sessions for lots of other times too, just shoot me an email at info@kristinburnsbabyphoto.com or call 718-791-0536 for and we can figure out a time that works for all of us.

thanks,
Kristin