Chelsey & Josh were the winners of my 400 fan session giveaway and I had a lot of fun meeting up with them last weekend at Oliver Winery for their session! They are such a sweet couple and made my job so easy! The weather was perfect and the session just moved along smoothly. I'm so glad they won my contest and were willing to drive from Terre Haute to Bloomington for their session.. seriously, you cannot beat the scenery at Oliver Winery! Love it there!
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Last weekend I did 5 mini sessions for some amazing families! I had 4 mini sessions at Ertel's Winery in Batesville and 1 mini at Oliver Winery in Bloomington. The weather was hot and sticky and even rainy on Saturday, but thankfully the storms held off during the sessions and all my clients were troopers in the heat. First up, the Cox Family. Next up.. the Ramsey Family Meet the Jones Family Next up.. the Freytag Family And last but not least, meet the Stanford Family
I'm finally getting around to blogging my daughter's 3 month session! I really enjoyed taking her 3 month pictures as it's so fun to see so much of her personality really starting to shine. We headed out to Oliver Winery at golden hour for some outdoor picture (big thanks to my husband for taking a few picture of me and Mackenzie together) and then the next day, I set up a mini studio in our kitchen for some more pictures. It's so amazing how much she's grown in 3 months and I cannot believe she will already be 4 months old on August 2nd. Time flies by and babies change so much that I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to capture these times for babies!
This past week the weather was super hot and unbearable to be outside. We had scheduled this session at the last minute due to some of the family being in from out of state and they wanted pictures of all the cousins together. We didn't want the kids to have to be out in the heat, so we used the family's condo for some pictures and went outside very quickly for some outdoor shots. The Basford family were so sweet and welcoming and were ready to bribe the children so they cooperated, which worked great! I had a lot of fun working with this family and they were real troopers to handle the heat for a bit. I can't wait to work with them again in the future!
A lot of my friends, family and clients ask what exactly happened during my pregnancy and how my little girl is doing, so I thought I'd write up a blog post about everything. This post will be VERY image heavy (some cellphone pics and some from my pro camera), just to give you a heads up. Back in May of 2012 I experience a miscarriage at 8 weeks pregnant. It was one of the worst experiences of my life at that time and I even had to undergo surgery a few days later. I found out I had really bad endometriosis at that time and was told that if we were wanting a baby soon to start trying as soon as I was healed. I found out I was pregnant with my now daughter in August of 2012 and besides some bad morning sickness that first trimester, things seem to have been going smoothly. There was a little hiccup at the beginning when they couldn't find a heartbeat at first, but after doing an ultrasound they were able to locate one. Fast forward to November of 2012 when I was 18 weeks pregnant we had an anatomy ultrasound scheduled to see how the baby was doing and to also determine the sex. I'll never forget that day sitting in the ultrasound room looking at the screen and barely being able to see anything. We originally were told the ultrasound would last 45-60 mins, but we were only in the room for maybe 10 mins. The ultrasound technician was very quiet and acted uneasy and all she said was "The Doctor will talk to you in a bit." We didn't find out the sex nor were we told anything else and the time just seemed to drag out forever as we sat in the waiting room waiting to be called back. Once called back we were told that my amniotic fluid was extremely low (they said it was at a 2 which was basically a small pocket up by her mouth) and the baby was measuring extremely small. The low fluid and small baby basically made it almost impossible for the ultrasound technician to see anything. We were recommended to a specialist in Indianapolis and there we were told the baby was over 2 weeks behind on growth and there was almost no fluid. They seemed so sure that I had a leak and really pushed me to do amniocentisis, but I refused since there is such a risk of having that needle stuck into my belly. They told us with low fluid and a small baby that more than likely she would have some sort of genetic defect so if we didn't do the amnio then we needed to do blood tests to determine if there was anything genetically wrong. We were told that the baby had a 1% chance of survival and more than likely she would end up passing away while in the womb. I remember when the genetics counselor went over everything with me, it just seemed like too much to take in and I broke down crying in the chair. We were told that day that we would more than likely have a premature baby if she survived at all and she would more than likely have health problems. A week later we got the genetic testing results in and everything came back normal. We had to keep seeing the doctor every two weeks in Indy to monitor the fluid and growth. I was told to be on modified bed rest so that's what I did and I drank a TON of water. My fluid levels rocketed up to a level of 12, but the baby was still 2 weeks behind in growth. Every appointment we went to we were told it was a miracle that I was still pregnant and how important it was just to get me to 24 weeks. We had a lot of prayers coming in during the pregnancy and things started to turn around, our biweekly appts finally turned into monthly appts and I continued to take it easy. I had 2 steroid shots to help her lungs and brain develop in case she was premature, had to do a preeclampsia test due to slightly high blood pressure (which I passed) and had to do 3 glucose tests (I failed the 1 hour test by 1 point and I failed the 3 hour one due to the steroid shots messing up my sugar levels and finally passed the 3 hour test the third time). Monthly ultrasounds were going okay as the level remained about the same and the baby was growing, but still small. Around week 34 I had an ultrasound and the baby fell completely off the growth charts and was at 5%. Because of this I had to start going in twice a week for a weekly ultrasound and 2 non stress tests a week. Finally at 39 weeks pregnant they decided it was time to induce me as to not risk anything happening. On April 2, 2013 at 39 weeks pregnant I checked into the hospital at 5am and they started the induction process and later on broke my water. At a little after 5pm it was time to push and Mackenzie Evelyn was born at 5:59pm at 5lbs 9ozs and 19 inches long. I remember before I had to start pushing I told my husband that I wouldn't survive if after everything we've gone through to have her that she wouldn't make it on that last day. Once she was delivered she was only placed on my chest for a couple seconds before I heard the doctor tell the nurse to call special care bc she wasn't breathing. She was whisked away and given oxygen and I kept hearing the nurses ask why the baby wasn't that lively. I remember looking over at her laying there all purple with oxygen on her face and the nurses rubbing her little limbs to get her moving. I felt so helpless and all I could do was sit there and hold my husbands hand and cry until I heard her finally cry. Those first moments that she was placed in my arms was like my entire world stopped and she was the only thing in it, I was absolutely in love with her. The first couple weeks that we had her home were filled with sleepless nights and doctors appointments. I had to visit my OB office due to scoring high on a postpartum survey they gave at the hospital and I'm currently on medication and seeing a therapist of Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety and PTSD from the pregnancy. Mackenzie was slightly jaundiced and we had to keep her on a biliblanket for about 5 days after getting her home with lots of appts to check her levels. We also ended up switching pediatricians at the beginning due to our original doctor basically telling us that there HAD to be something wrong with Mackenzie due to the pregnancy even though she was healthy. That pediatrician even shamed me for not breast feeding, even though I tried numerous time and Mackenzie would not latch. I started using a breast pump at the hospital and still am continuing to pump (which is like a full time job) so I can give the best to my little girl, but that didn't stop her from making me feel like the worst mother for not actually breast feeding. Before we knew it, she was a month old and growing so fast! She was already holding her head up and holding her bottle on her own when she wanted to. She still mainly slept most of the day and almost through the entire night, but those moments she was awake we made sure to shower her with love. We celebrated my birthday and my first Mother's Day with my beautiful girl. By the time she was 2 months old we were finally settled into a routine and things started to calm down. She was still growing like a week, but small for her age. She was in the 25th percentile for weight and head and 10% for length. She was holding up her head more and more each day, smiling, laughing in her sleep and enjoying watching Cincinnati Reds games with her father. On July 2nd, she turned 3 months old and was weighing in at 10 1/2lbs (be on the lookout for her 3 month session on the blog later this week)! She's smiling, cooing, baby talking, holding eye contact, dancing and discovering the world around her every day now. She enjoys naps in her swing, watching tv, getting read to and sitting up (with assistance) and standing! It's amazing how much she's grown already and how quickly these 3 months have gone. I'm so lucky to be her mother and I can't thank people enough for all their love, support and prayers during my pregnancy and during Mackenzie's first few months of life. She has a lot of guardian angels and people in her life that love her more than words can say. Again, thank you to everyone for all their love, support and prayers this past year, it means more to us than you all will ever know. Thanks for the understanding while I had to place my business on hold and for sticking with me as I just reopened my business a month ago. I plan on doing little updates here and there on Mackenzie to keep you all updated! =) If you made it this far in the post, thank you for taking the time to read my story and to enjoy my photographs of my little miracle.
Meet Madelynn, my first official posed newborn session, she was a little over 10lbs at birth and super cute! Her parents, Leah and Korey, were super sweet during their session and you can see how much they love and care about their new little bundle of joy already. Although Miss Madelynn didn't want to sleep for most of her session, we were still able to get a few sleepy baby poses done and some cute awake photographs as well. Congratulations to Leah & Korey.. you two are already two wonderful parents!
I met up with Garrett and Laurie at Oliver Winery this past weekend. While it was gloomy and rainy most of the day, thankfully the weather cleared up in time for their shoot. They were celebrating their first wedding anniversary by doing a photo shoot with me and they were absolutely wonderful to work with. To say that I could see the love they have for each other in the way they interact would be an understatement. They were a sweet and fun couple to work with and I wish them many more happy anniversary's together! =)
Join Danielle Renee Photography in the 2014 Senior Rep Program! Want to get your Senior Photo session for almost free? Want to have some fabulous photos for your Facebook profile? Want to earn some some easy money and amazing discounts? If you answered "yes" to all of the above, then my Senior Rep Program may just be the thing for you! I'm looking for some fabulous, stylish and outgoing Seniors from the Class of 2014 to represent Danielle Renee Photography. If you, or anyone else you may know, are currently a junior in high school and would like to be a rep, here's what you need to know: If accepted, you will be a spokesmodel for Danielle Renee Photography. As a Senior Rep, it is your job to pass out rep cards to your friends and family and rave over how much you loved your session in hopes that your friends and family will want to have the same fabulous experience and book with me. I will be accepting applications for the Senior Rep Program until March 31st. I am looking for a group of 3 girls (preferably friends) from schools in each of the following areas: Bloomington, Indianapolis, Batesville & Milan and will choose the reps by early-mid April. If accepted you will be representing Danielle Renee Photography and throughout your senior year, tell your friends about our Senior Sessions. (Please feel free to let your Junior friends know as well, so they have a chance to enter the 2015 rep program!) For every friend you refer, you will receive special discounts and incentives.
In order to be a Senior Rep, you must: - Currently be a 2013 Junior, graduating in 2014 - Have a great style, lots of personality and enjoy being in front of the camera - Live in and go to school in: Bloomington, Indianapolis, Batesville or Milan - Be available to complete your mini session (along with the 2 other girls chosen from your area) by June 15th and to have your full session booked by August 1st, 2013. - Have your parents or legal guardians sign a model release form so your images can be used for advertising and marketing. - Agree to tell your friends and family about Danielle Renee Photography and share your images with them. - Agree to ONLY represent Danielle Renee Photography and use the images as your senior pictures. What do you get?: - 1 FREE stylized mini shoot with the other girls chosen from your area sometime before school starts. This will be a group photo shoot and include a mini shoot for each girl. From this session you will be given 50 rep referral cards to pass out to friends and family throughout the year to advertise. - 1 FREE full senior session to be done sometime in the fall. (Some qualifications apply.) -50% off all prints and digital packages from your full session. - A blog post featuring both your full and mini session. Referral Incentives: For every person you refer who books and completes their session, you will receive the following: 1-3 Referrals ---- $10 print credit per referral or gift card of your choice. 4-6 Referrals ---- $15 print credit per referral or gift card of your choice. 7-9 Referrals ---- $25 print credit per referral or gift card of your choice. 10-12 Referrals ---- $35 print credit per referral or gift card of your choice. 13+ Referrals ---- $45 print credit per referral or gift card of your choice. All your referred friends will receive 24 FREE wallet prints and 20% off their session. Any Rep that refers 7+ classmates from either your own school or other schools will receive 40% off all prints. Your classmates MUST present your rep card at booking for you to receive referral credit. When your referrals book a paid session AND brings in your rep card, you'll receive the above mentioned discounts. You will only receive credit for referrals earned before your full senior session is completed. Make sure to get your referrals in quick as your full senior session will take place between November 2013 and January 2014. Terms & Conditions: Your stylized mini session with the other girls from your area must be completed by June 15th, 2013 and your full senior session needs to be booked by the beginning of the school year. A valid Senior Rep Referral Card must be presented at booking by a referred student in order to receive credit. Parents and/or legal guardians must sign a model release form allowing your images to be used for marketing and advertising. Credits will only be distributed when a referred senior session is complete and all fees have been paid in a timely manner. Please contact me at [email protected] if interested in applying! 2012 was my first full year doing wedding photography and I loved every last bit of it! I had some of the best clients that a photographer could ask for and I cannot express how much gratitude I have for these couples for allowing a budding photographer to photograph such an important day for them. They have been some of the most fun, unique, caring, kind and understanding couples that I have ever met. I absolutely loved photographing such an important day for them and seeing the love between not only them, but the love between their friends and family as well. Seeing two people start a new chapter in their lives together and to get to be there to photograph and document such a time has been such an honor and I can never thank my couples enough. 2012 is leaving some big shoes for 2013 to fill, that is for sure! =) Again, to my wedding couples, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on me and helping me to grow as a photographer. It truly has been an honor getting to know you all and working with you and I wish nothing but the best for each and every one of you!
I've really enjoyed getting to know Meagan & Greg over the past few months, from numerous e-mails, our first meeting and their engagement shoot, I knew that their wedding would be a wonderful day. They had their ceremony and reception at the beautiful Deer Park Manor in Bloomington and even though it was a rainy and gloomy day, the bride and groom were in great spirits! The day was full of laughter, tears, excitement, nerves and even hail.. yes, hail and I had so much fun getting to know them better as well as their friends and family. Thank you, Meagan and Greg, for allowing me to photograph your special day and for being so kind and caring to everyone that you come into contact with. It was an honor getting to be your photographer and I wish nothing but the best for you two as you embark on this new chapter in your lives together! Vendor Love:
Ceremony & Reception: Deer Park Manor Linens: Perfect Parties Cake: Cyndi Leith (friend of bride & groom) DJ: Ashley Whittington (friend of bride & groom) |
Danielle WeilerI love to capture life's fleeting moments and capture images that are alive, fun and true. My style of photography is mainly a photo journalistic modern style and I strive to give a one of a kind experience. Archives
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