Cortney Blejwas Photography-The Blog

The D Family {Sneak Peek} 1

2012-01-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

I had a ton of fun doing yesterday's session. It was a Valentine's laid back session and I also threw in there my favorite type of sessions- Lifestyle! Lifestyle photography shows off your family in the most natural and whole way. I absolutely adore capturing those intimate moments of closeness with a family.

Today's sneak peek is of just that- Lifestyle. I will do a sneak peek of the Valentine's portion another day. I am still in the mix of packing and moving so life is chaotic at times.

I absolutely adore these! I hope you did too! I will be sure to let you all know when the Valentine's portion is posted. You may need to give me a little time with the move, but I will try to be sooner rather than later!

Holiday Leave

2011-12-08T05:22:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderul and joyous holiday season. I just want to inform you all that I will be taking a short "holiday leave" from December 15th to January 5th. This time will be spent focusing on my family, gearing up for an awesome 2012, and packing. We are planning a move in February, and have a lot to get organized prior. If you need to contact me, I will answer emails as priority sees fit. I will do my best to get back to everyone in a timely manner. I have big things planned for the new year, and am trying to get all my ducks in a row, so to speak.

Have a merry Christmas , and a very happy New Year!

Stunning Mom To Be :: Maternity Sneak Peek

2011-12-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

Today I had the pleasure of shooting a maternity session with this beautiful momma, Heather. She is 32 weeks today! Not only is she gorgeous, but she was so much fun to work with too!

Take a look at Heather's sneak peek!

..And last but not least, my favorite thus far:

The sunlight had just a bit of warmth today to not make the air so bitter cold. Don't get me wrong, it as a bit crisp out there, but this amazing warm sunlight just made a world of difference. Heather was a great sport too, as I had her get up and down from the ground! Thank you, Heather, for a wonderful day!

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all who participated in Small Business Saturday! My deal is still available until 11:59pm tonight!

In case you missed it on FB, here it is:
Book a session between midnight tonight and 11:59pm tomorrow, and get 25% off the session total making basic sessions only $112.50! A deposit of $50 is needed to book and get the discount. Pay in full (with discount applied), and get 2 free 5x7s and 10 free 4x6s! Session must be for a 2012 date no later than June 30th 2012. Date may be changed up to 4 weeks prior to original scheduling. Deposits are non refundable. Send an email to Cortneybphotography@gmail.com to book. Payments accepted via pay pal. All dates are first come first serve.

I have booked quite a few datesfor 2012 already, but there is still time to get in on this awesome sale!

Email me at cortneybphotography.com to book or for more information.

Baltimore Mommies Photo Fundraiser:: "L" Family Sneak Peek

2011-11-19T16:43:00.000-08:00

My last session of today was with the two "L" kids. 6 year old "A" and 3 year old "E" were such a delight! I think I made some new friends. These two were a lot of fun, and we wound up going a little over 15 minutes. It helped that the mom was familiar with the location and rocked it, by showing me some neat spots! Check 'em out!

Baltimore Mommies Photo Fundraiser:: "N" Family Sneak Peek

2011-11-19T16:13:00.000-08:00

My 3rd session at today's fundraiser was with the "N" family. 3 year old sister and 4 month old brother have so much resemblance! Baby brother was like a boy version "mini-me" of his big sister. Big sister was such a delight to work with. She was a little ball of sweetness! Baby brother had the cutest baby cheeks ever! Look below and you will see what I mean! Thank you "N" family, for signing up with me and letting me photography your beautiful family!!

One more family to give a sneak peek of from today. Check back in a bit!

Baltimore Mommies Photo Fundrasier:: "R" Family Sneak Peek

2011-11-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I am back with a second sneak peek. This time you get to meet the "R" family. You may remember that I have photographed this family before at a portrait party over the summer. How adorable are these two little siblings? So stinking cute! We had fun, and despite it being chilly, the kids did great!

Thanks for stopping by! I have two more families from today to show a sneak peek of, but I am going to take a break away from the computer for a bit. I will resume later this evening!

Baltimore Mommies Photo Fundraiser :: "G" Family Sneak Peek

2011-11-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

Today I took part in being one of the photographers for a local mom's group photo fundrasier. What is a photo fundraiser you might ask? Well it is basically a VERY mini session that the group and the photographer's split portions of the proceeds to help better the group.

First up I had the"G" family. I cannot get over this little guy's eyes! They are absolutely amazing!

Enjoy!!

Introducing LUXE Cards!

2011-11-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

All cards are available double sided with your choice of both sides matte, 1 side high gloss/1 side matte, or double sided high gloss. All cards come with approriate envelopes.

Contact me today to get started on your custom one-of-a-kind holiday card, invitation, announcement, or anything you want to create!

Email me at Cortneybphotography.com !

Remember November :: M Family {Sneak Peek}

2011-11-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

I had the awesome pleasure of photographing a super fun family today, and a few of the extended family members as well! I have photographed the extended family before and it is always so nice to see them!Sorry no sneak peek of the big family shot tonight. Maybe I can get that up tomorrow.

The "M" family was so much fun, and so beautiful. The kids had me laughing quite a bit. They are the true meaning of brother and sister. They went after each other jokingly one minute, then put on their smiles and hugged each other the next. It was a bit chilly (and windy) yet the family stuck through. We did have a heavy overcast, which normally would be perfect, but that along with it hitting dusk, had us loose light a little quicker than we had thought. We still managed to get some beautiful shots!

Thanks for looking! I hope to have some more sneak peeks from the past few sessions up soon! This is my busiest time of year, and as hectic as it can be, I LOVE IT!

Holiday Session with the "H" Family :: Sneak Peek

2011-11-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

Today, I had a session with 4 year old miss "M", and 1 3/4 year old miss "D". I had a ton of fun running after these two! How adorable are their outfits ?!? Mom says they are from The Children's Place.

We did grab a few with Grandma too! I love this one.

Feel It In the Air :: Fall/Holiday Mini Sessions {Sneak Peek}

2011-11-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my fall/holiday mini session day. It was a day full of fun, laughter, love, and togetherness. You could just feel the love coming from each family that participated!

Meet the "T" family. These two little girls are just the sweetest! The oldest (4) is full of spunk and spontaneity. She is a beautiful and energetic little girl! The youngest (15 months) is so precious, and has one of the brightest smiles ever.

This shot below, was taken in full sun. It was about 2pm and hardly a cloud in the sky. With smiles like that, you can see that the sun wasn't the only thing shining. Their beautiful faces shone just as bright!

My second session was with the "E" family. I absolutely love mom's haircut! It's rockin' for sure! Their little girl is 4, and their son is 2. Little man wasn't feeling the smiles for me , but he pulled off the model look like no other. Oh, and take a look at the stunning red hair on miss "R" ! It is so vibrant and beautiful!

My next session was with the "W" family. Big brother "J" and little sister "S" have so much resemblance, there is no mistaking they are siblings! Just look at their baby blues and bright blonde hair!

My last session of the day was with the "D" family. I have photographed all of these families you see in this blog post before, but this little guy, I haven't photographed since he was a teeny newborn! Meet 2 1/2 year old "S". This handsome little dude has the longest eyelashes and the most amazing dimples! He was ~~all~~ mostly smiles for me ;) . Doesn't mom look fantastic? She is expecting a new bundle in April! She is radiant!

Well, that's it for now folks! I hope you enjoyed looking at these stunning sneak peeks of my pretty amazing day yesterday!

Welcome to the World! Newborn {sneak peek}

2011-10-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today was a day full of adorable new babies. I soaked all that could in with the two sweet peas I got to work with today. First, was baby "L". She is a teeny 2.5 week old that melted my heart with every grin and grunt. Baby "L" got the model a few headbands ! Below, you will be my favorite so far. She modeled the sparkly newborn headband from Spoiled Sweet Bowtique. Afterwards, I headed on over to the "L" family, to photograph their brand new, 4 day old son, baby "E". Boy, what strength he had! He lifted his head higher than I have ever seen an under 1 week old. He has the most scrumptious cheeks ever, too!

Without further ado, meet baby "L"

Next, meet baby "E"

Thank you both to the "B" and "L" families for inviting me into your home, and allowing me to breathe in all of the newborn goodness I could get. Congratulations to the both of you!

Tea for Two! Halloween {sneak peek}

2011-10-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Photographing your own children sometimes requires not only patience, but coffee and at the end almost always will require some ibuprofen for a headache as well. My girls normally love to be in front of the camera, after all they are used to it, but sometimes they just don't feel like it. We try anyway. Today we attempted some indoor princess tea party photos. My 4 year old will be Rapunzel for Halloween and my 16 month old will be Cinderella. I sewed their costumes a little under a month ago. With a session cancellation today, I decided to just go ahead and get it done.

For the most part, they were into it. The baby hasn't been feeling well so she was emotional at times. We still got a few good shots. They are enough for just Halloween memories. I will grab some on Halloween night of course. We also have a mom's group "Trunk or Treat" event on the 29th. I will of course bring my camera along to that as well. Oh, and that wasn't a typo. It really is called "Trunk or Treat" . The kids will trick or treat out of decorated trunks. It is a lot of fun. I think this is our 4th year hosting as well!

My girls really do love each other!

Pettiskirts, Stripes, and FUN! {sneak peek}

2011-10-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today, I traveled to the Carroll County area to have a fun Halloween session with the "F" family. Thank you guys for inviting me into your home, and have the chance to spend another session with you all! We went with the new black and white damask background to give a sort of chic gothic look. I adore how it looked with the weathered wood flooring I placed down.

How adorable is Miss "A" in her ghost tutu costume?!? BOOTIFUL! {couldn't resist, sorry!}

Meet "M". He was such a natural in front of the camera!

Last, but certainly not least, meet little "M". What a personality on this boy! He really had me laughing a bit today :)

Thanks for looking!

These are quick little edits for {sneak peek} purposes.

Autumn Evening :: Central Maryland Family Photographer

2011-10-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

I bought this chair about a month and a half ago intended to use for sessions such as the one I did tonight with my girls. I have been using it, in the meantime, as a computer chair. It's pretty comfy ;) ! The light tonight was fading quickly, but I said "What the hell, let's head on out!". My husband and I took the girls out back to the beautiful cascading tree, to soak up some evening sun. It's a bit of a walk, and wouldn't you know it, I forgot my reflector. My girls, my camera, and that chair were the only things I was thinking of at the time. Oh well. It didn't seem to matter much, as I still loved how these turned out. I went more natural with the photos for Brynn (the baby), and a bit more vintage with my oldest, Kylie's images.

Oh and look, I managed to capture one silhouette of Daddy and Brynn. Brynn was pretty much done before this point, so capturing even just that, was a stroke of pure luck ;)

So had I remembered my reflector, these would be a tad bit less "shadowy". Regardless, they are beautiful and my girls shine bright!

Holiday 5x7 Photo Card Designs {Sneak Peek} :: Central Maryland Lifestyle Photographer

2011-10-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am working on some brand new 2011 holiday photo card designs. I am so excited and it isn't even Halloween! Here are just 4 out of the many I will have available. For blog purposes only, I have watermarked these. To view the designs sans watermark, please visit my website and see them under the digital designs tab.

I have quite a few more already designed, but they are all under wraps until closer to the holiday season! The designs above are 5x7 in size, but I will have a few 4x6 designs as well. Designs will be available for purchase, as well as the prints. If you would like to purchase the design AND the prints through myself you will recieve a discount on the design itself. I will give more information on that later on.

Just as an FYI, you do not need to have a session with me to purchase a digital design. Also, if you would like a custom OOAK {one of a kind} design, feel free to email me for more info on how to go about ordering!

Impromptu Saturday Night Giveaway!

2011-10-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

I am having a pretty great weekend so far, so I have decided to have an impromptu Saturday Night giveaway!

Head on over to my Facebook and comment on THIS image when it is posted at 8pm EST. Comments on this blog post will not be counted.

Facebook is in no way associated with this giveaway. Cortney Blejwas Photography is the host and owner of the items in this giveaway.

UPDATE:

Congratulations to Shannon L. for winning the holiday card!

Also, congrats to Melanie B. for winning the super cute headband!

Be sure to email me at cortneybphotography@gmail.com to claim your prizes!

Congrats again!

Referral Program

2011-09-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

The autumn season is my busiest time of year. It is the majority of people's favorite season, brings perfect temperatures, and therefore people want photos done of their children, or even family photos to use on holiday cards. I am going to launch a referral program in the next few weeks or so to be used toward the holiday season and the next couple freezing months to follow. This time of year is tough on many families, with the holidays and such, and my referral program is going to get you a free product while helping your friends get acquainted with a me, and receive a discounted session!

Here is how it will work:

I will be mailing out 3 referral cards each to my mailing list clients. These cards will have your name on them. Hand them out to your friends and family. If someone with your card books a session with me they receive a special discount (which will be indicated on the card itself), and you will receive a special treat yourself to be used on any session you book thereafter. Sorry guys, discounts and promotions cannot be used on previous sessions or orders. The sessions for the promotion are to be booked from December 3rd to February 5th. Yes, baby it's cold outside, but don't let that discourage you from making and preserving memories! All dates available are first come first serve and will be booked accordingly, keeping in mind that non referral participants can also book during this time frame. Also, please note that whoever you hand the referral cards to must be a new client. Someone who hasn't used Cortney Blejwas Photography before.

The sessions can be anything you desire. Family, maternity, newborn, baby, child, siblings.....the list goes on and on and on. Simplicity is my favorite route. I am a lifestyle photography, capturing life "as-is" . Are you gearing up for a baby soon in the winter months? Why not capture some baby belly shots in the nursery awaiting your precious newborn? Is your baby hitting a milestone month? Let's get some crawling 6 month shots in his/her own atmosphere. The possibilities are endless. Don't let the cold days drag you down and discourage you from getting those special days captured!

If you are on the mailing list, great! Look out for those cards in your mailbox's in the next few weeks or so. Not on the mailing list? Why not? Email me at cortneybphotography@gmail.com or use the contact page via my website.

Introducing...Photographer and Family

2011-09-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

I like to know about you. I like to know who my clients and fans are. I want to know your likes, your dislikes, your desires, and where your heart goes. I figured I would let you in on me and my family to reciprocate “getting to know you”.

The Photographer

My name is Cortney. I guess the first thing you should know is that I am a coffee and tea addict. I have a special place in my heart for Starbucks. Their delicious, over-priced, hot-n-steamy self will always be loved by me. Autumn is my favorite season. The scent, the crisp cool air, the amazingly tasty fall treats. That said, pumpkin with pumpkin spice has got to be my most loved flavor combo. You probably have already guess my favorite Starbucks drink is the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Sadly, that is just a seasonal drink. I normally get a Caramel Macchiato otherwise. I love faery art. I have an Amy Brown faery tattoo. I am a great cook, and a so-so baker. They say cooking is an art and baking is a science. I fully believe that, as I was not so good with science, but art… now that’s my forte! I started shooting professionally in 2008, with the inspiration being my daughter. I am a New Jersey native, born and raised, and moved to Maryland in 2006 with my now husband Danny.

The Husband

I met Danny in 2003 when we both we just mere high schoolers. We went to different high schools, and met through a mutual friend. We actually met at said mutual friend’s graduation party. I gave him my number and screen name. That was what you did in 2003. Facebook wasn’t big, AIM still was. We messaged that night, went on our first date the following weekend, and were officially “together” a few days later. We survived each other while both finishing high school, and going off to further our education in different places. He got a job offer here in Maryland and I couldn’t bare him moving so far away from me. I dropped everything I was doing and decided to make the move with him. We moved in 2006 and life began. We had our beautiful first daughter in April 2007. She was a blessing sent early. We were ready for what life would hand us, and our beautiful baby girl. We had a perfect little family. Danny and I were married June 20, 2009.

Little Miss Sassy Pants

Kylie is our oldest daughter. She is almost 4 ½ and as sassy as ever. Ky, as we call her, goes to preschool and absolutely loves it. Kylie is a sweet little girl with a big heart. She will wipe your tears, mend your heart, and warm your soul. Her favorite Disney Princess is Rapunzel. She also loves Hello Kitty, the color pink, smelling and picking flowers, playing dress up, baking with mommy, creating art, dancing and singing her heart out, and playing with her baby sister, Brynn.

Sassy Pants in Training

My husband and I were blessed with another baby girl in 2010. Brynn is our littlest. She just turned 1 in May. Brynn is so sweet and lovey dovey. Sometimes, she can be my Velcro baby. She seems to want to be held or picked up all.the.time. This just could be due to her teething. I swear those canines are going to be the death of me. Brynn loves puppies, her lovies, her sister, and fruit. This girl puts away so much fruit. She seems to like apples and bananas best. Brynn also loves Elmo, Hello Kitty (“Kitty” sure doesn’t sound like “Kitty” coming from her mouth, haha), snuggling, and climbing. Oh boy, does she love to climb!

Now, that you know some things about us, I can’t wait to get to know you!

Fresh Blog on the Block:: Central Maryland Lifestyle Photographer

2011-09-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

After trying out another blog setup, I decided to go with what I know. I didn’t like how my images were being uploaded. That was the biggest factor for me making the switch. I am not one to bad mouth, so this other blog site shall remain nameless.

With that explanation under our belts, what do you think of my blog’s look and feel? Nikki Ink took what I wanted and designed it into this beautiful place for me to write. Check out her website, or her Facebook.

What will you see here? Of course my blog will showcase my photography, but you will also see posts about my family, my life, my aspirations, giveaways (from myself and vendors etc.), and whatever I feel like posting about at that moment.

To wrap it all up, I would just like you guys to check out my website and my Facebook. Thanks a bunch and tell your friends! Once I hit 250 likes on facebook, I will host a giveaway to win a holiday design or a handmade newborn headband!

G’night!