Emily Steele Photography

Who am I?

I’ve got 2 young boys who grow older every day, despite my pleas for them to stop.  I love to bake, scrapbook, and be generally crafty.  I hate cleaning up.  I drink diet coke like it’s going out of style, and my car radio never leaves NPR.  I love Halloween and all the fun that goes with it, and I cannot  stand snow. My favorite movies have Muppets in them.

I feel incredibly lucky that I get the opportunity, every day, to help families create images and memories that they’ll treasure for generations.

 

Special thanks to Jana of Simple Truths Photography for my fabulous profile image.

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Birth Announcements

May 14th, 2012

What better way to announce the birth of your new baby with custom printed birth announcements?

Birth announcements are double-sided, high quality, press-printed cardstock announcements complete with images from your newborn session and all your baby’s birth stats.  Available in a variety of sizes and finishes, with dozens of templates to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect way to send out the news of your little one.

Here’s just a few of the many options for birth announcements:

Now through June 30, all newborn sessions receive a complimentary set of 25 birth announcements.  Book today!

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Blues and Pinks for Spring

April 27th, 2012

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What to Wear

April 4th, 2012

Wondering what to wear for your portrait session?  Here’s some suggestions to help the whole family look great:

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Simplicity Sessions

March 30th, 2012

I’m pleased to announce a new session offering: Simplicity Sessions!

Simplicity sessions are a 20 minute mini session, for up to 3 children only, or one child and 2 parents. Simplicity Sessions are not for newborns or babies who cannot yet sit unsupported.  Simplicity Sessions occur at the location of my choosing.

The rate for Simplicity Sessions is $250 and includes 5 full-resolution digital files with printing release.  The rest of your gallery (10 images) may be purchased for an additional $200.  A la carte print purchases are also available.

Interested?  Contact me to book your session!

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Peeps!

March 28th, 2012

It’s spring, Easter is almost here, and that means one thing…

Peeps!

Personally, I can’t stand the things.  I’ve never liked them.  My kids do not share my opinion though.

Whether or not you think peeps are good eating, they can be used for a lot of fun science!  Here’s a few fun peep science experiments for you.

  • Nuke a peep!  Throw a peep in the microwave – 30 – 60 seconds will do.  Make sure you watch while they’re heating, because that’s where all the fun is!
  • Mix some peeps!  Pour some water (or any other clear liquid you like) into a bowl, add 2 different colored peeps, and watch what happens.  This is a great lesson in color mixing, so keep on repeating with different peep color combinations.
  • Fry some peeps!  If it’s a sunny day, go outside with a peep and a magnifying glass.  Remember burning ants with a magnifying glass as a kid?  This is the more humane version.

Once you’re done with those, be sure to check out these fun peep links:

Then check out the creativity from past Washington Post Peeps Shows!

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Storyboards

March 21st, 2012

What exactly is a storyboard?  A storyboard is a collage of a few images.  Storyboards are great gifts – larger sizes are perfect for grandma, smaller ones are just right for dad’s desk.  It’s a great way to show off a few of your favorite images without needing a huge amount of wall space.

Storyboards come in a variety of sizes – 5×10, 11×14, 10×20, 16×20 and 20×20.  All are printed on professional photographic paper and mounted on an acid-free substrate.

Storyboards can be made with any 2-4 images from your session, and can include any text you wish.

Larger sizes look great framed on the wall (or consider a standout mounting option); 5x10s are perfect displayed on your desk on an easel.  Consider a vertical orientation for a narrow wall – it makes a lot of impact in a little space.

Ready for your own storyboard?  Contact me to schedule your session!  Have a storyboard of your own?  I’d love to see a picture of it!

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Feed the Birds

March 14th, 2012

Recently, I posted about birdwatching.  And then I went and bought that coconut.  So here I was with 2 halves of a coconut shell, and I was wondering what to do with them.  I certainly wasn’t going to make a coconut bikini!  The coconut got me thinking though, and I decided to turn it into a birdfeeder!  A little string, a little creativity, and voila!  A coconut bird feeder!

I’m certain it’s not squirrel proof, but it’s also a lot easier to fill than my squirrel proof feeder.

Now I want to see your homemade feeders! Send me a picture, and I’ll post it in a future blog post!

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School Portraiture

March 8th, 2012

It’s almost spring! And you know what that means? Next month, Noah’s school is going to hit me up for money for school portraits.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m totally willing to spend money on portraits. But my standards are pretty high. And what comes home from school… well, let’s just say we don’t usually buy anything beyond the class picture. Forced smiles, awkward posing, it’s just a disaster.

What comes home from Daniel’s preschool isn’t much better. They’re not as bad, but it’s still awkward posing, weird smiles, and a hint of “why am I being forced to sit here for a picture?”

This is why Emily Steele Photography School Portraiture was born.

With my School Portraiture, I bring the boutique portrait experience to your child’s school. Gone is the stiff posing, and the forced smiles. When I take school portraits, you kids laugh and have fun! Their personality comes through, and you end up with images you’ll actually want to display! Plus, you’ll see at least 3 poses for each child, and you can even get poses with siblings together!

school portraiture

Would you like better portraits coming home from your kids’ schools? Contact me for information on how to become a Parent Advocate and get better school portraits! You could also receive a free family session!

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Coconut

March 7th, 2012

I was at the grocery store recently, doing my weekly shopping, and they had fresh coconuts on sale.  I’m going to do you a favor right now and tell you that if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, DO NOT buy a coconut.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have the benefit of having a warning and thought it would be fun to show my kids what the inside of a coconut looked like.

Coconuts are extremely hard to get into.  And honestly, the milk and the meat isn’t all that.  Especially not considering all the work you have to do to get the meat in a form where you can use it.  (Though I now know how to use the grater function on my food processor!)  There’s a reason you can buy coconut preshredded in bags.

Anyway, I had a coconut.  I got the meat out of it and I shredded it.  Which left me with another predicament – what the heck am I going to do with all this coconut?  My kids had already sampled it and shown that they were not all that fond of fresh coconut.  This is where the internet comes in handy.  I found a recipe!

Oatmeal Chocolate Coconut Chewy Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips. walnuts and coconut until evenly distributed. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
  3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven for a chewy cookie or 14 minutes for a firmer cookie.
  4. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then remove to wire rack. Cool completely and then store in tightly sealed container.

There’s only one problem with these cookies.  They’re fantastic!  I can’t stop eating them.  Noah declared them the best cookies he’s ever had, and we’ve all managed to sneak a few more than we should.  They’re chewy, they’ve got great texture thanks to all that fresh coconut, and the oatmeal and chocolate just give them the perfect flavor.  It may be the perfect cookie.  I just hope they’re gone soon, or I’ll have to keep eating them!

 

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Leapin’ Lizards!

February 29th, 2012

It’s leap day, so how about a science experiment that leaps?

Get a balloon, and blow it up and tie the end.

Let your child pour about a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper on the table (no need to measure!).

Have her rub the balloon on her clothes for a minute or so.

Hold the balloon above the salt and pepper and slowly lower it.  When you get within about an inch of the pile, the pepper will leap up to the balloon!  (The salt will leap up too, when you get a little closer.)

What’s happening?  It’s all about static!  The same thing that gives you a shock when you touch a doorknob in the middle of winter, or makes your hair stand on end when you take your winter hat off.  When you rub the balloon on fabric, it gets a negative charge.  The pepper (and salt) is positively charged, so it’s attracted to the balloon!  (Salt is heavier than pepper, so the balloon has to be closer.)

When you’re done picking up salt and pepper, rub the balloon on fabric a little longer, and stick it to the wall.  No tape needed!

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