Isabel Sam Photography - Lexington KY Photographer

“Born This Way” Model Search is ON!!!!!!

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:14:25 +0000

The “Lights, Camera, Senior Fashion” Show is officially changing this year! It was such a huge success that I decided to open this up to two more age groups and we’re changing some of the model aspects of the show!

Here’s what’s the same:

This is still a major fundraiser for MADD!

We’re still going to rock fashions from local boutiques! Buy local and be happy!

Models still get free model sessions and portrait sessions!

Minimum purchases are still greatly reduced for all models!

Models can still earn their pictures for free through the spokesmodel program.

High school seniors are still the main attraction! If you are a member of the class of 2013 – email isabel at isabelsam dot com to get all the info.!

Here’s what’s different:

The name, obviously!

Moms with babies 18 months and younger will be modeling baby carriers from Mother Nurture!

We’re including children ages 8-12 in the show this year too! WAHOOO!!!

This year child models and Senior models will have my model program extend into a national model program. Children could win a photo shoot and scholarships, high schoolers could win a model contract with AIG!

There are now multiple tiers in the model program: Print models up to Fashion Show models. You can choose what’s best for you!

Spokesmodels who do a great job can earn a $1,000.00 scholarship for college!

The informational meeting is coming up on 2/11/12! Please email isabel at isabelsam dot com to get an invite to model! I’m so so so excited for this year and all the crazy fun we’re going to have!

And lastly, let’s end with this video from last year’s show.

Milk Depot Opening at Mother Nurture!

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

This post comes from Cerise, owner of Mother Nurture, here in Lexington! It’s a fabulous breastfeeding boutique that also carries wonderful baby and toddler toys, some baby clothes, and back saving wraps and carriers! I’m going to be at the Milk Depot grand opening! Will you?

Next week, Mother Nurture will have the Grand Opening celebration for their Milk Depot! What on earth is a Milk Depot, you ask? The Mother Nurture Milk Depot will be a local drop off site for mother’s donating their breast milk to the Indiana Mother’s Milk Bank. Mother Nurture will receive and check in the milk and then ship it to the milk bank for you! Donors will need to contact IMMB to become registered and approved donors before bringing milk to the Milk Depot. Donation is very simple and IMMB ensures that there is no cost to you – they cover the cost of your blood test and milk storage bags. And, you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped some of the sickest and tiniest premature babies have a winning chance at their fight for life. You see, Indiana Mother’s Milk Bank takes the donor milk, screens it and pasteurizes it to ensure safety and then they ship it to hospital NICUs throughout the Midwest. Right here in Lexington, UK hospital has been using the pasteurized donor in their NICU from Indiana Mother’s Milk Bank for the past 12 years! NICUs encourage and support mom in providing her own milk for her baby, but that can be difficult when they baby is a very early preemie. So, until mom’s supply is up to where it needs to be or in situations where the mom is unable to provider her own milk, the donor milk is used. The health benefits of the donor human milk are endless. Most notably, it greatly reduces the incidence of Necrotizing entercolitis which is the leading cause of illness and death for premature infants. For more information about the Milk Depot visit the following posts at the Mother Nurture blog:

Milk Depot Press Release

Invitation to the Milk Depot Grand Opening

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Breast Milk Donation, but Were Afraid to Ask

A Milk Depot? How Does That Work?

And these are a few pictures of some preemies who get great nutrition from all the mamas who are so sweet to pump extra milk for them! (These images come from the Milk Bank’s website and are not my own. All credit is given to their photographer.)

SOPA/PIPA

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:59:17 +0000

If you haven’t already noticed this, today, the interwebs are on strike.

There are two bills out there called SOPA and PIPA which are supposed to protect copyrighted content on the internet, but actually will do much much more harm than good.

I’ve also been on the receiving end of having my pictures ripped off, put on other “I’m a really good professional photographer, please hire me” websites and have had to deal with that insanity. I’ve also had very expensive reception venues steal my images to use in their promotional materials, when I would have and had offered to give them files for free. Then I find some crappy pixelated image with my logo halfway cropped out is in their materials for new brides. Yay.

Would I like the process to be easier to deal with those “wackos”? ABSO-FREAKIN’-TOOTELY!!!!

The thing is, though, that there already are processes and laws in place to protect US! Yes, that’s right! They might be a little difficult to navigate, again, I’d LOVE for them to be easier, but SOPA/PIPA are not the way to do it!

If you’d like to get involved and tell our government, who is supposed to WORK FOR US, here’s a link to one of the most hilarious blackouts I’ve seen today. The Oatmeal. Go make our government work for us!

And thank you for listening to my first political rant on my website. I’ve got more in me, but I’ll probably save it for personal encounters – if you want to go there.

Love to you all,

Isa

Meggie & Cory’s fabulous vineyard wedding! ~ Lexington KY Wedding Photographer

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:40:55 +0000

Last year completely kicked my butt. The transition to two children and constant nursing felt like it was taking me down! Most of the year was a blur, but we made it through! I know a lot of people I photographed did not get blogged. It’s not that I don’t love you, I was just trying to survive 2011! BUT now that baby is thirteen months old, he’s weaned, and my brain is slowly coming back! YAHOOOOOOO!!!!

So, let’s see this wedding of two beautiful people!

Meggie works with animals and is so caring towards others and Cory loves computers, but his heart melts for his Meggie. You can just see it in his eyes.

They got married at Pax Christi Catholic Church here in Lexington. It is one of the brightest Catholic churches I’ve ever photographed at (if you don’t frequent Catholic churches, most of them are very dark…) and brightness comes from the sun, which makes me happy!!!! They also were married by a Catholic priest and the same Baptist minister who married Cory’s parents. It was a beautiful ceremony with lots of patience as both sides figured out how to work the others rituals.

Anyway, on to the pictures!

Then we took off to Equus Run Vineyard for their beautiful reception!

I normally don’t post pictures of details, but Meggie and her family made a lot of these details in the weeks leading up to the wedding! I had to include one!

One of their favorite moments from the day was their first dance.

And if you’d like to see more, check out this video of images below!

Let’s start 2012 with a model search/fundraiser! ~ Lexington KY Portrait Photographer

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:57:37 +0000

Happy New Year! I hope 2011 was a fantastic year for you and that 2012 will be filled with even more blessings and peace!

Before having children I was able to give some time and images to grieving parents who sadly had to endure a still birth. It’s awful to have to give birth to a dead child. Awful. An organization started up a few years ago that gets volunteer photographers together so there is an “on call phone tree” of sorts to get a photographer to a hospital when a baby has passed. Many times the images this photographer takes will be the only ones ever taken of that baby during his or her time here on earth.

This organization is called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS). They hold a fundraiser every winter looking for “North America’s cutest kid”! You basically get pictures taken by a participating photographer and then one image is uploaded to the contest. Anyone can vote to get their child more votes towards winning the contest and each vote costs $1 which is donated to NILMDTS. Winners get thousands of dollars in fabulous prizes. Official contest rules are located HERE.

I’m going to tie this model contest into mini sessions at Mother Nurture AND my spring fashion show. This year I’m going to include moms wearing babies and 8-12 year old children in the fashion show. So, here’s how you can get your child into this model search:

1) Call me (513-550-1329) to schedule a mini session at Mother Nurture on January 28th. The session fee including the entrance to the model search is $50. There is a minimum product order of $150 and anyone who spends more than $200 gets a $25 gift card to Mother Nurture!

2) RSVP by emailing me isabel [at] isabelsam.com that you are coming to the informational model show meeting on Feb. 11th. Anyone who models in the show will automatically be entered into the model contest

OR you can do the BEST of both worlds!!!!

3) Already know that your child WANTS to model in the fashion show? Email me (isabel at isabelsam.com) and I’ll send you the information for modeling! I’ll fit you into the mini-sessions at Mother Nurture on Jan. 28th for your model session and you’ll get a $35 gift card to Mother Nurture! (The advantage to this one is that your model session will be photographed earlier, thus more time for voting, and a bigger gift card to Mother Nurture since there is a bigger minimum purchase for the fashion show.)

And last, but not least, the official blog poster for the model search.

P.S. If you are a current high school junior who is interested in modeling in the fashion show, don’t worry, I am going to tie you guys into a model search that is specifically aimed at high school seniors.

Meggie & Cory are engaged! ~ Lexington KY Engagement Photographer

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:08:21 +0000

Hello! I know, I know, I ignored this blog for how long and now two posts in a row! Crazy.

The truth is, I’ve been just overwhelmed with so much work, crazy kiddos, and everything else life has been piling on me over the past year. I sat down last month and started reevaluating EVERYTHING! I think I’ve got some good ideas for creating more balance in my life and I’m off working on them!

Anywho, it’s now time for me to attempt to get back on this! If you are one of my Super Wonderful clients and I haven’t put your session up here, yet, please don’t take it personally. It’s just becoming more difficult for me to get around to blogging. I do love you, I really really do!

Yeah, so, anyway, back on task! Meggie and Cory make up an incredibly wonderful couple. I have really really enjoyed getting to meet them this year. They are actually already married, but I couldn’t put up a wedding post about them before getting at least a couple of engagement pictures on here. So, here’s a couple from their great engagement session out at Talon Winery. Love you guys!

Off to bed. Sweet dreams everyone!

Isa

Fall mini sessions! ~ Lexington KY Christmas Pictures

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:06:54 +0000

Get excited people! It’s that time of year again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This fall we’re teaming up with Mother Nurture here in Lexington! It’s a wonderful store that helps green mothers and their babies make it through pregnancy and those difficult first years of life. I’ve had to buy so much of the products they sell in their store online! I wish I had a store like them when I had Solomon. Sigh.

BUT, now I have them here in Lexington and they are fabulous! So, our businesses got together and decided to throw a mini session party at Mother Nurture!

As usual, here are the rules of the game:

When: Saturday, November 12th from 10am to 3pm. You’ll sign up for a 15 minute session in a 30 minute time slot!

Where: at the green areas around Mother Nurture (2891 Richmond Rd # 102 Lexington, KY 40509). If the weather doesn’t cooperate we have a back up plan in the store!

How much: $50 session fee and $150 minimum product order. We, of course, have special mini session packages for you too!

How to schedule: Call me 513.550.1329 or email me isabel (at) isabelsam (dot) com to set up your session.

I’m so excited for this partnership and sooooo excited to see your lovely family soon!!!!

xoxo,

Isa

Just for fun ~ Lexington KY Fun Photographer

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:57:34 +0000

We had fun yesterday at the Bridal Bliss Classic! It was great meeting so many fun brides who laughed with us at fun Happy Booth photos and told me I have a “creative eye”. People are great, but geez, I’m still tired from yesterday!

Anywho, so, a few weeks ago I had to submit some photos for this advertising thing I’m doing. The funny thing about this, though, was that this group emailed me asking me for photos like it was nothing. They had no idea that we just moved here to Lexington and I actually don’t have wedding images from the Headley-Whitney museum. Nothing. At. All. I’ve just shot a couple of family portrait sessions there. Sweet Beth must talk me up too much! Soooooooo, what do I do? I call up my flexible and adorable and happy models and say “be ready at this time and this date!” AND, guess what? They were TOTALLY READY!!!!!!!!!! Soooo, off we went to break in to the museum grounds!

Now, while I was getting this shot, we discovered that there were TONS OF MOSQUITOES attacking one of my fabulous models. So, we ran this photo session into quick time. Anyone who has seen me photograph family photos at weddings – yeah- that’s where I went.

Oh and a quick tip: if you eat lots of citrus, mosquitoes don’t think you’re so sweet. Yep. Trust me. I’ve lived in mosquito land and haven’t been bitten and I LOVE citrus! (Google it, it really is true!)

The end. And thank you, my models, for having fun with me! I love you guys!!!

I’m going to be at a Bridal Show! ~ Lexington KY Wedding Photographer

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 04:20:10 +0000

This Sunday I’m going to be at the Bridal Bliss Summer Classic! Wahoo! For anyone who has seen me at these bridal shows, you know that my booth is full of color, fun, beautiful pictures, and tons of fun prizes! So, come down and see me and Barb and Pat (pictured below!) who will tell you about all the fun they had with me on their wedding day!!! We’re excited to hang out together again!

See you on Sunday!

Chris & Mandy ~ Lexington KY Wedding Photographer

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:05:18 +0000

Chris and Mandy are cool. Mandy some how makes a living as a teacher! As a daughter of a teacher, OH MY LORD I COULD NOT DO THAT JOB! And Chris is working on becoming an Episcopalian priest. So, they naturally got married at Christ Church Cathedral.

We started out with the boys.

And then moved on to Mandy and her girls.

And then they did a first site! These are seriously some of the best things to photograph in the whole world. I’m not kidding. I LOVE it! AND a lot of my couples say they loved doing a first site because then they were more relaxed through their wedding day. Win Win BABY!

Eh, I like to get a little wacko with my portraits.

And having fun is mandatory. How could this photo not make you smile?!

Mandy and Chris went to Transylvania University! They have this tree they call the “kissing tree”, how stinkin’ cute is that? So, we walked on over and had them make out!

We then walked back to the church and let them get married.

You know how much I love photographing a freshly married couple!

Then it was time to go party! Eric, the tallest DJ in Lexington, was fabulous with the music.

Their first dance was to that song, “Anything you can do I can do better”, yes that one. It was over the top, dramatic, a little bit silly, and fake violent. It was perfection.

See what I mean about the violence?

Then everyone danced the night away and lived happily ever after.

You guys were such fun to work with! Thanks for having us out and I can’t wait to show you your images!!!

P.S. A big shout out to the Naperville peeps! You guys are fantastic!