Remember THIS GORGEOUS LADY?
When her daughter needed a yearbook headshot, she decided to crank it up a notch and turn it into a celebration. This way, she gets to submit something extra special and customized, AND start building a gallery home of her family at home.
Shira sparkles, just like her mom.
Let me introduce you to Corrie. And then, let me tell you why Corrie is a big deal for us.
I’ve only just begun to get to know her, but here’s what’s clear: she has passion and drive, but seeks balance and tempers her decisions by really checking in with herself. She’s energized by change and opportunity. She’s very talented, transitioning from Marketing at Turner Broadcasting into Real Estate. She’s got a couple spunky kiddos who tell her exactly what they think. She really understands people. She asked my husband to take a personality assessment- and told him spot on what he was before he revealed his results.
And here’s why all of this is so important to my family…
My husband and I are both small business owners. You already know what I do. My husband got into real estate, grew his business, took on Pam, an amazing partner, and then was hired by his brokerage to coach other Realtors. He now coaches 79 Realtors, and helps them explore their goals, desires, and actualize the steps necessary to grow and better serve their clients. He was recently able to hire Candace to assist with coaching!
The twist? While helping others launch and scale their businesses, Billy determined that his clients deserved more attention and a higher level of service. SO NOW THE FAMILY HOME GROUP HAS CORRIE AT THE HELM!! She is here to help the business explode: to provide top-notch service, and to execute the vision Billy has always had for his real estate team.
If you have ever started your own business, you understand the excitement, the nerves, the amazement, of seeing your baby to a place where you bring in leadership.
Corrie is the match we’ve been seeking. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, CORRIE!
I remember jumping, sweating, learning… Liora and I used to take a dance workout class together. It was a hip hop class- choreography oriented. What’s strange, is I can’t even recall how we became friends before that. I know we were, it feels like we always were, but I can’t flag the start.
But I remember the pause. Already a brilliant pastry and paint artist, she returned to school to pursue a degree in the medical field. She wanted to put all her love into her education and her family. I’ve also seen her bloom in her art.
Liora ultimately is pursuing a career as an ultrasound technician. Currently, she’s applying to phlebotomy and medical assistant positions. Besides proficient, this woman is so kind, empathetic, and warm, she’s guaranteed to bond with and soothe anyone she assists.
Meeting Laura made my head spin.
She found me from recommendations on Facebook. We clicked on our consultation call, but knew so little about one another.
Then BOOM— here come the crazy ways our paths complimented each other.
She works in Real Estate Law (my husband coaches realtors and has a sales team.)
She’s been on the board of a local theatre, Synchronicity Performance Group (I worked as a professional actor in Atlanta for a decade.)
She’s explored her Jewish practice through the years, and has been particularly impacted by relationships (uh, ditto.)
Her daughter was in BBYO (my husband and I met via the youth group.)
The people and experiences we shared in common were incredible. I did not see that coming!
But isn’t every moment we have in this world an opportunity to find unexpected connections?
Get on Instagram! everyone said. I dragged my feet, but finally acquiesced.
It finally paid off, and I enjoyed my first session from someone who found me on IG!
Elliot is a law student at Georgia State University. Always thinking through every move, and several moves ahead, not only did he want to review our contract thoroughly (everyone should!), but he wanted to get ahead of the game getting his headshots, knowing that they would be crucial in his next career steps. This is a man both thoughtful and focused- he knows where he’s going and is proactive getting there.
I guess this just proves that, whether we are 24 or 39, it’s always time move forward, push yourself, and take those extra steps.
Oh, man, was it a throw back to be able to do headshots for Miriam, aspiring actor/singer. To talk industry, to remember getting my own first headshots with the same agenda. Miriam was delightful- so sweet and personable. Just the kind of young lady you would want on a set or in a cast…
Can we talk crazy convergence here?
How did I meet Miriam?
Over 15 years ago, I met her Mom as I was performing in a couple of shows at The Center For Puppetry Arts here in Atlanta. Sara works as their Digital Learning Director: a fantastic and busy job, made much moreso during this pandemic. Then- HAHA TWIST- I moved into photography, and I moved onto her street!! Chatting after the session, while I walked them back home, it was incredible how many different ways our lives touch.
I can’t wait to watch Miriam’s trajectory!
I started doing group headshot sessions for Keller Williams Roswell in 2018. We capture their leadership team, and print 8x8 mounted prints for them to display proudly on their walls. There are always open slots for other agents who want a headshot, as well. With 3+ people in a row, everyone gets a discount!
Did you miss this round? I’ll be back on January 26th. Contact Melody for a slot. Or if you prefer a more customized or studio one-on-one session, be in contact directly and we’ll get you on the calendar!
Surprise of the day: I had someone sign up whose headshot I did fairly recently- she had signed up for her lovely daughter! Images all ready for applications.
I have another teen coming to me for headshots on Sunday! I see a trend…
We’re 2/3s of our way through documenting the Kofinas year of growth. Remember this session??
Alexandra and I are building a gallery wall that chronicals the growth of her family over the course of this year: from family of three, to maternity, to family of four.
That leaves us with one session to go for the year… and my heart is pounding just thinking about it.
Stein Law has been assisting their clients in Corporate Services, Tax Planning and Controversy, and Estate Planning for two decades. They now add the vibrant energy of Harrison and Karine to their team. They offer both experience and vitality.
Shayna Image is thrilled to have an ongoing relationship with Stein Law and the Stein family, having created their headshots in 2017, a personal home gallery in 2020, and the growth of their firm now in 2021. I am grateful for enduring relationships!!
Hannah’s approach to real estate is much like finding a dating setup: start with a wonderful client, and know that their perfect match is out there… it’s her job to bring the two together. She has a broad understanding of Atlanta (just ask her about free activities to do with your family!) and what makes it special.
We crafted her session for here at the Shayna Image studio, with the goal of showcasing her glowing personality, professionalism, and the backdrop of her specialty.
Reach out to Hannah via her website: www.hannahsells.com
And check out the fantastic video created by FilmTribe she made that showcases all that Jewish Atlanta has to offer!
Melissa is an artist. Not by trade or practice, but creatively, in her mind. By trade and practice she’s a Maharat, a leader, and a guide. But she gets these incredible creative bursts, and I get to execute them! She saw my headshot, and wanted a twist for herself. My favorite messages are from her, saying “I just had this crazy idea for a photoshoot…” See one here.
Darker, more dramatic background? Or brighter? What do you think?
We wanted something rich, dramatic, but still as colorful and vibrant as Melissa! The only purple in the original image was in her headband, but I infused the color into our backdrop and her necklace to build cohesion.
Here’s the setup behind the scenes!
Alexandra is an artist. When she reached out to me, there was a perfect understanding of what we are trying to accomplish when you work with me. She wanted us to build art together. She did, however, throw me for a loop when she asked about the process of booking three sessions in a year.
I told her I have a two-session discount that could easily be adapted…but why three sessions? Clearly there was a goal…
She mumbled a bit, talked about capturing different environments… then came out with it: she was expecting!! She imagined a gallery in their home that tells the story of their evolving family through this time: a family of three, a family maternity session, and as a family of four.
I definitely squealed through the rest of our consultation.
Our session was delightful, learning all about Adam’s work as Executive director of local synagogue Or VeShalom, which I had the pleasure of attending for a few years, and getting Stella’s full spunk. They are such a dynamic family! But what was truly fun was capturing this image, with Stella completely unaware of why we were taking it:
We’ve been waiting all these months until Chanukah to finally make the announcement. May this family have nothing but joy going forward.
Speaking of going forward… it’s almost time for their second session!!
Location location location!
Mary Turner is all about location. Passionate about travel, she mulled over the possibility of becoming a Landscape Photographer. But at the moment, she’s turned her attention towards other locations: helping commercial real estate clients.
I can’t wait to watch Mary’s adventures!
MAZAL TOV to the Wenger family, on Gila’s Bat Mitzvah!! Everyone was so excited to celebrate her, even if the plans had to be carefully rethought. I’ve had the opportunity to capture this family through the years, and seeing Gila evolve into such a poised young woman was stunning. Leading up to the event, we strategized the best methods to memorialize the occasion with family as lasting art in the safest way possible.
Click each image to enlarge.
Each of the girls radiate. Strong individuality, but all emanate kindness.
The Wengers were able to celebrate, albeit in a non-traditional way, with those they love most.
From the beginning, they knew they what they wanted for their home. We planned out the galleries that they will enjoy daily and for a lifetime to come.
The girls in the hallway (image unedited for mockup)
The images to the side are for individual bedrooms.
They wanted images from our previous sessions in 2012 and 2017 to be incorporated. I can’t stress enough, as a photographer, the importance in investing in backup data systems and being organized about it. I was able to pull up the original images from both years, and spruce up both so that their gallery would look more cohesive.
In my own home, I have a gallery with prints from multiple years, and I confess I often spend time reveling in the growth of my own littles. I’m thrilled that the Wengers will be able to admire the story of their family in their living room.
May they have many more celebrations to come!!
Update 1/12/2021!
We were pushed off a couple of weeks due to HSL, but were thrilled to complete the installation today!!
Tinisha is delightful. Effervescent. Ready to listen and share. Dedicated to her family, her teenage children, and ready to be dedicated to yours as she helps you find your home.
And a shout-out to LUCY for making the connection!!
Adrienne and I continue to evolve together, both in friendship and artistically, through the years. We first bonded in middle school choir. Decades later, she’s making a living as in interior designer and muralist. And we keep hiring each other! Beginning with murals in my children’s old rooms, most recently she’s the artistic brain behind my photography studio (hire her!) And I’ve had the chance to create her maternity, newborn, and last year’s family picture. Which brings us to this year!
Mike, who tours with the band, Hinder, playing bass, endures Adrienne’s and my endless reminiscence year after year. He has such a softness with his girls.
I’m on to you Lucy. Every time someone new to the office needs a headshot, you send them my way. Are you the best? You are the best.
This time, Lucy told John to give me a call. He’s in my husband’s Realtor coaching program. Long time New Yorker’s, four years ago he and his wife called do-over. They loved Atlanta: the pace, the people. He craved a new chapter. So here he is, learning how to guide his clients, explain the market, and loving every moment of settling into Life Chapter Two.
I actually answered an unknown number. It wasn’t a car warranty, for once, but it was Michael Smith, who heard from Falynn that I was the person to call for headshots. A fellow Architect at OTJ Architects, he specializes in biomedical science facilities. But we clicked immediately over cowboy boots and wall art.
His home galleries are spectacular, but he’s one of the few who doesn’t need my process to arrange a spectacular array on his walls! There are definitely some perks to the field.
“No pressure, but do you guys think we can finish the remodel on this studio in time for this sweet baby’s first birthday session?”
The construction team put the pedal to the metal, and we pulled it off in time for two firsts:
My first session in the new studio!
Solomon’s first birthday!
It felt like a true celebration of firsts when this amazing baby beamed his mega-watt smile at me. I was floored. “THIS is the kid I get in the studio today?? Can I be this lucky??” I told him he needed to save the grins for the session, nervous he’d wear himself out— it never happened. The smiles persisted: his, and so, of course, mine. He was a rockstar and an angel.
Speaking of new things worth celebrating, this family just moved into a new home! And this art will get to decorate the new walls! We’ve selected a 20x30 canvas to adorn their staircase.
But what’s probably most incredible about this story isn’t what’s new: it’s what’s old. When his mom reached out to me, she told me about the sentimental and expansive family galleries that bedecked their old home. Pictures of her brother and grandfather as babies that she wished to mirror (and we literally got three of the exact same poses!), and lots of images they had brought over from the “old country” that they had restored. This is EXACTLY why I do what I do!! The cheap print labs aren’t archival, and thus the art can’t be passed down. But I create heirloom pieces. So not only will baby Solomon join the family wall amongst generations of pictures, but he, too, can be passed down with them for generations to come.
**Update!
We had designed his piece for their old home, but when they unexpectedly moved sooner than expected, we delayed installation until they were settled. What’s great about the size they selected, is that it looks perfect in the new stairway, too!
