Sam's Maternity Session

Sam has reached nine months and should be giving her husband the news any time that her water broke. I remember the panic that those words sent me into as a young soon to be father. Getting everything together, making calls, driving as careful as I could, trying to be patient while being so excited. What a great time in our lives is the birth of a child, especially that first one! I tell people it's like winning the grand prize. I can't wait to see the baby and create it's first portrait! What a tremendous blessing it is for all of us.

Zach & my 56 Bel Air

There is just something special to a boy about cars. We name them give them a gender, buff and polish them, treat them like one of the family and hold them in a special place in our heart for the rest of our lives. Kinda weird huh? Well that's the way that we are created for some reason. Well that brings me to Zach. I'm sure if you ask him he didn't really care about whether he had his portrait made with the car or not but as he grows older he will find that connection with some type of car that he will cherish for the rest of his life.

Angelic Face

This is exactly why you should hire a professional portrait artist for your children's portraits. When the crying starts the challenge begins! At chain picture studios the "photographer" can have as much of a melt down as the child when things go down hill. At Shutterly Perfect Portraiture you receive an hour of our attention per session. This coupled with the years of
experience that Scott has with children (including three of his own) blends together to ease through the frightened or fearful moments of your child. Scott's professional demeanor enables
your session to get back to the smiles which are a part of your child's normal day and at the end of the day that's what it is all about isn't it?

Yes She's Five now....We get it !?!

Can you guess how old she is? ..... given the clue, she's five, of course this opens up a whole new world, especially being a big sister and all. We just need to be clear on the fact that shes five, you know she can do things herself now, she doesn't need your help any more, after all that's for her little sister right? Don't you wish they never grew up? One day she Will be holding up both hands telling you shes TEN ( The glory in that of course is that it's double digits, then comes Thirteen which is way cool because now she's a teen and knows everything. Afterwards it's fifteen with the drivers permit and sweet sixteen comes way to soon and she's getting her drivers licence. That's about the time they can't figure out that you were a teen once and actually know something about it. Well it all happens way to fast for any of us parents. All we can do is have portraits created of them at each stage of their lives before the moment leaves us and is gone forever. One day your are holding them in your arms and they are helpless and the next your are letting them go and you are helpless. The bible says "children are a blessing from the Lord". This is one of the great truths that God shares with us in his word. What a blessing to know that we can personally be changed by his grace and at the same time trust him with the outcome of the lives of the souls he has entrusted to us, our children. And yes as I write this I think of my own children and what a blessing they are to me. Typing and holding back tears all at the same time. I guess it's all part of the job.

Dispelling the common myths surrounding High School Senior Portraits

Myth#1 – Your senior portraits must be purchased from the yearbook photographer studio.

Truth #1 - Attention Seniors and Parents! You can select the studio of your choice for your senior portraits! If you live in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Middleburg, Callahan, Fernandina Beach, or Yulee you do not have to go to the contract photographer for your senior portraits! The school would have you to believe that they have chosen the photographer for you and you can only go to that studio. This is simply not true. The catch is that if you want to be in the yearbook (which everyone does) then you have to complete the yearbook session through the school photographer. BUT THAT'S ALL! You can then choose to have formal, casual or personality portraits made at the studio of your choice.

Myth#2 – "Fashionable Photographers" Some of the studios that the local schools have chosen from advertise that their photographers are "Fashionable"

Truth #2 - Did you know that the yearbook photography studio hires high school students to take pictures of your son or daughter? At a portrait studio such as Shutterly Perfect you don’t get a "photographer". You get a Portrait Artist, someone that is not only creative but trained in all disciplines of photography including posing, lighting, exposure, lens choice, camera angels, style, subject evaluation, formatting and processing to name a few. Not just a little training and then pointing and pushing a button.

Myth #3 - Your session won't take that long.

Truth #3 - At other studios this does have a partial truth – you won’t be in their studio very long for them to take 6-8 pictures of your son or daughter. It's the three hour wait to get in that will take a long time. By the time you get in to see the senior high senior photographer your irritated, tired, somewhat putt-off, no longer fresh. Don’t you think that will affect how you feel about your final prints? At Shutterly Perfect you will have a scheduled time just for you to have your portraits created. No wait in line, no hassle. It’s your time to be spoiled. Change your clothes, change your hairstyle, get photographed with your best friend, sibling, pet, instrument, car, truck, sports attire or favorite things! You may choose between four studio rooms including outdoor and maybe even a second location. So, it will take some time to create your portraits, but your time is spent with you in front of the camera, and not waiting in line for the person in front of you to finish their session.

MYTH #4 - It only cost $_____ this is a famous ploy of large senior school studios. The initial cost may not seem like much, but you will be charged for EVERY little thing. including glass glare removal, tan lines mole/scare on 1 image $80, add an outside location $50, add a friend $75, add a pose to a package $25, highlight special effect per pose (colorize) $45, name per pose $45, softening per pose $45, and on and on.

Truth #4 - At Shutterly Perfect Portraiture, you will know what to expect without any hidden add-on charges! You receive Color, B&W, Sepia, Pt Effects, Graphic FX, Text and more as part of your original images.

Myth #5 – The contract photographer must have a parent-friendly proofing system since the school hired them.

Truth #5 – With one contract studio in particular, the proofing process is explained as you are booking your session, but not everyone reads the fine print which says:
You will receive a proofing folio in the mail after your senior session from which to choose your senior portraits.
You have 15 days to review the portfolio and choose your images
If you keep the folio past the 15 days, the credit card that you used to book your session will be charged $179 for the folio
If you do not want the folio, it will STILL cost you money, because YOU are responsible for making the trip to return the folio, or paying for a traceable delivery like FEDEX to make sure that you are not charged the $179 for the folio that you never wanted in the first place!
Your student is authorized to place orders on your credit card without your consent. What!?
If you do not agree to these terms, YOU CANNOT SCHEDULE YOUR SESSION
If you stop by to schedule your session, you will be seated at a computer with internet access, so that they capture your credit card number AND your authorization that allows them to force the folio sale on you and your student.
At Shutterly Perfect, you will naturally want to purchase the amazing images of your son or daughter. You will NEVER be disrespected with a forced purchase.


Myth #6 – The contract photographer must produce quality work since the school contracted with them, and they give my son or daughter’s senior portraits the individual attention they deserve.

Truth #6 – One contract photographer in the Northeast Florida/Southeast Georgia area has a contract with 112 schools. YES that is one hundred and twelve schools. The only way one studio can handle that kind of volume is to “batch process” the images. Skin softening is applied to everyone, causing the skin to have an un-natural ‘plastic’ look. The images on their website, in their marketing materials, and hanging in their studio are impressive, but remember they are showing work used for marketing, not what they produce for you!


By the time you leave the contract photographer’s studio…
You will wonder why you spent your hard earned money to have another student photograph your son or daughter.
You will wonder why you paid $300-$700 for JUST YOUR SESSION and NO PRINTS.
You will be dismayed at your experience, and you will wonder why you had to spend just as much as you would with an independent portrait artist, and in the end you will have an inferior ‘cookie cutter’ product.
When it is all over with, you will realize that they only wanted your money and not to build a lasting relationship with you. Shutterly Perfect would like the opportunity to create a beautiful family portrait for you before your senior leaves for college, record the event of their life at their wedding, and be with them in their journey as they start a family by bringing their first baby into the world.
Last but defiantly not least. You will wonder why there was a "tip jar" on their counter. Are you kidding me?!? a tip jar?

All of this should help you make a wise decision and choose an independent studio!

What's the solution? Hire a true professional that will give you the personal attention that you deserve. Your experience at Shutterly Perfect will gain you a lifelong family photographer. Due to the relationship we establish with our clients we find that our high school seniors return to us for the biggest event of their lives, their wedding.
It’s because of the relationship they have with us. We get to know you and look forward with you to the future life you’re creating. We will be there for you. You can trust us and trust your most precious moments to the care of someone who desires to create portraits for you that you will cherish for a lifetime and pass to future generations.

New Baby!

Will and Susan are happy to announce the birth of their second daughter Riley Marie. She came into the world on May 15, 2009 at 10 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches. Here she is just one month later in her first portrait session. Isn't she beautiful!? Do you have someone new in your life that you would like to have a beautiful portrait of? Give us a call, we would love to meet you and your special someone and create an intimate portrait just for you.

Baby Clara 3 Mo Old

She was a little fussy but we managed to create some beautiful portraits of Clara at her 3 mo session. Here she cooperating.

Eagles View Prom

Here are the couples that had their portraits made at Eagles View Prom on Thursday May 7th at the Garden Club of Jacksonville. For professional portraits it pays to hire a professional photographer. We have the skill and knowledge to handle any situation and make your portraits look beautiful.... even outside in the dark! Enjoy, the prints you ordered will be to you soon. The Second and third from the last are the King and Queen And the Prince & Princess. The last shot is a result of the students asking me to take a shot with the lights in the background. After taking about eight shots with eight of their cameras I created a portrait with mine. What do you think guys? Will you call me when it time for your wedding? How about checking out our senior portraits. Do you know a Jacksonville 2010 Senior that would like quality portraits? Check out the rest of the blog or the website for samples. We can do it right. God Bless!<>

Senior DVD Slideshow- Leah 2009

This is a sample of our DVD slide show we make for high school seniors. Strap on your seat belt and we will take you on a journey from cinematic to Indie rock with Leah photographed in the studio with her dog Daisey to downtown Jacksonville for an Urban shoot . It will take commitment the videos are usually about 10 minutes long but you Will get an experience you will not find at other Jacksonville or Orange Park photography studios. Our slide shows are custom made just for you!

Samples

Here is a smal video sample of our work.

Congratulations! Josh earns Honors

Congratulations to Joshua Green one of our 2009 seniors for receiving honors. We are proud of you and are thankful to be your families photographer. Here are a couple of Josh's senior cap & gown shots to commemorate the occasion.

Heather & Todd Engagemant

St. Augustine is the place to be for Jacksonville's engaged couples who desire to have an engagement session. The various textures, archways, columns, windows, doorways, picturesque scenes and overall feel of the city only complements the love that a couple has for one another and it shows in their portraits. Take a look at a few of Heather & Todd's portraits and tell me if you get the same sense as I do when I view them together with the backdrop of St. Augustine. Now that's a warm fuzzy!

"Autumn" Senior portrait in Jacksonville

Autumn from Trinity Christian Academy stopped by for a visit to the camera on Friday for a traditional wrap picture and then some cap & gown images. As you can see she got talked into posing in front of my newly painted section created for the upcoming senior season. There is definitely a difference between Shutterly Perfect and Cady & Cady for senior portraits in Jacksonville, just ask Autumn! Are you a 2010 senior in need of portraits that capture your personality and don't look like everyone else's? Did you know that even though you have to go to the photographer that your school chose for you to be in the yearbook that you have the freedom to choose a professional studio for your individual portraits? Choose Shutterly Perfect!

"Brothers" Both at 2yrs Old

Jared and Judson are brothers but have very different personalities, that's part of the glorious work of the Lord to take two people and create through them children who are also individuals with their own temperaments and personalities. The first portrait is Jared at 2 years old which we created in July of 2006 and the second portrait is Judson wearing the same outfit who we photographed today for his two year old portrait, just 3 years later! Can you see any resemblance in them? They are both precious little boys and it's my great pleasure to be their personal portrait artist. Well what is keeping you on the couch? It's time for you to have a beautiful portrait of your child or grandchildren created. Give Shutterly Perfect a call and we will be glad to help you. You can be assured that you have found a great Jacksonville photographer who cares about preserving your children's personalities through professional images.

New Senior Background Model - "Leanna"

LeAnna is my oldest and since she and her younger sister helped me paint the section of wall for 2010 Seniors she thought it would be cool to have some portraits on it. This is where we flew into action, borrowed a flat iron and went to work on the hair. She has everything she needs to make a great portrait, a great smile, beautiful eyes, natural tan and all natural beauty! The new set is really cool! Do you know any 2010 seniors? Now is the time to let them know about Shutterly Perfect and improve their senior portrait experience.

Teen Portrait - With New Senior Prop

Feel free to double click the image to see a larger version.

One of our new senior props is a 1956 Chevy Bel Air pictured below. This is my son Joshua posing with it so I could blog it before senior season gets here.
As you can see it makes for some really cool images. Josh is only 13 but he is tall enough to be a senior high student. You wont get this at Cady & Cady. Custom portraiture is our specialty at Shutterly Perfect. If you know anyone graduating in 2010 send them our way. They don't have to go to their school photographer for all their portraits, only the one for the yearbook.