Smithfield VA | Brand new blog | Portrait Photographer

So after a few months, I am moving my blog to a different site.  I am so excited because the new platform will have cleaner lines, be easier to post and navigate on, and have lots of great features!!  The link for the new blog is http://blog.cristinemrickphotography.com/ and you can get there by clicking here.

With this move also comes the launch of CEP Seniors, the brand new boutique experience for high school senior portraits! I am totally siked about all the changes!  Be sure to check out my new site for high schoolers and their parents here and the new Facebook page just for seniors too!

Thanks for following and I hope you enjoy all the cool new stuff upcoming for Cristin Emrick Photography!

Smithfield Senior Photographer | Class of 2011 High School Senior | Kim's Senior Portraits

With prom tonight and graduation less than one week away, Kim is well on her way past the high school chapter of her life!  I had so much fun when she and her mom came out to have her senior portraits done.  She is so fun and easy going, and oh, did I mention she also drives a royal blue Mustang?!  Here are a few shots we got that night:

Have fun at prom, have fun this summer, good luck at school in the fall, and I'm sure I'll see you again soon!!

As always, thanks for reading!

~ Cristin ~

What to Wear Class of 2012 | Portrait Wardrobe Guide | Smithfield, VA

Well the class of 2011 is graduated (or almost!), which means the time for the Class of 2012 has arrived!  Come August, you will be leaders in your school, sports, and activities, and starting the college application process.  So the time for your senior portraits is NOW, while you are carefree!!

This is the second in a line of What to Wear Senior editions, the first of which can be viewed here.  Most importantly, wear what you feel comfortable in!!  Don't forget the accessories: shoes, jewelry, and of course your personal school keepsakes (jackets, uniforms, sporting equipment, instruments, etc).  Check out the post, then read below for shopping info : )

Find it at Hollister:

Brown leather flip flops

Green Marina Park tank

Navy Fountain Valley henley

Find it at Forever 21:

Pink cami

Braided cuff bracelet

Floral cardigan in coral

Floral ring

Ditzy floral wedges

Twist and Chain bangle set in brown and gold

Regal armor ring in brown and gold

Carved flowers necklace

Find it at Old Navy:

Dark wash jeans

Green grommet belt

Straw hat with plaid accent band

Find it at American Eagle:

Pink Plaid shirt

Navy floral embroidered tunic

Navy embroidered boho top

Medallion necklace

Pink painted bangle

Green linen pants

Green braided cuff bracelet

Silver cuff bracelet

Distressed light wash jeans

White eyelet dress, Maura, can be found at Abercrombie & Fitch.

Chameleon multi color beaded necklace can be found at Charming Charlie.

When you call to book your senior session, we will do a custom wardrobe consult.  I hope you enjoy these posts; if you do leave some love for me in the comments!  Happy shopping and I can't wait for YOUR photo shoot!!

Thanks as always for reading!  ~ Cristin ~

Custom Wardrobe Consult | Children's Photographer | Smithfield, VA

A little while back, I posted a client requested custom "What to Wear" post.  What a fun group of girls to photograph!  Two birthday girls in one session will of course be tons of fun!  Even with the long walk down to the beach and prickers in our feet, we got some great shots!  You can take a look below at how mom incorporated my ideas from the wardrobe consult with her own style.  Fabulous results, if I do say so myself!!!

To give my clients a creative and unique way to remember their birthday portraits, I offer custom storyboards, which can be seen below!

Thanks, as always for reading!  I love to see your comments, so feel free to leave me some love : )

~ Cristin ~

While Daddy is Away | Family Portrait Photographer | Smithfield, VA

I have a huge soft spot for military families.  Maybe because I run one myself, but the sacrifices the families and the servicemember make are immeasureable.  Regardless of the politics of the situation, it boils down to "the service" being a job, and one of the hardest ones ever, at that!  I had the pleasure of meeting Nicole and her family (most of it) this month, and again I marvel at how strong a military family needs to be!  I cannot wait to shoot the homecoming later this year and see this family united once again!  Enjoy a few shots from our time together....

 As always, thanks for reading!

~Cristin~

Rock the Dress | High School Senior | Smithfield Photographer

I am finally able to sit down and share with you the Rock the Dress model session I had with Jordan and Kiersten.  You'll see for yourself, I could not have asked for lovelier models!
I started offering Rock the Dress sessions, because as many of you adults know, in 20 years, you are going to want some prom shots without your date in them!!  Just $35 per girl (when you booked with one or more friends) will get you some wallets and Facebook images to share!  So without further ado.....

We had so much fun and I would love to do it again!!! SO hurry before graduation - you will never have this chance again, so why not go for it! You looked amazing in your dress, let's make sure you never forget it!!!

Thanks for reading, as always!

~Cristin~

What to Wear "Client Request" | Portrait Wardrobe Guide | Smithfield, VA Photographer

Lucky you!  This is the second What to Wear post this week - A special edition!  This was a special wardrobe consult with a client, so I figured I would share with everyone!  Her daughter will be photographed in a black and white striped sundress.  So how do you coordinate her older siblings to match?!  There are so many different style options.  Read on, my friends...

Shopping guide:

Black and white sundress: Target

The following can be found at Old Navy:

Turquoise dress

Turquoise and pink tops

Yellow and black tops

Black jersey shorts and white capris

Navy and white striped dress

Navy henley

White skirt

Cream tunic

The gray top and black skimmers can be found at JC Penney

All jewelry and leggings are found at Justice

Red headband: Nordstrom

And how cute is that red "Sisters" bracelet?!  You can find that at Target also!

I hope you find some inspiration here!  As always, I'd love your comments and thank you for reading!

~Cristin~

Rock the Dress | 2011 Senior Prom | Smithfield, VA

High school seniors are the super best!!  My best friend's daughter went to prom this last weekend, so of course I was at their pre-prom gathering to get some shots!  There was so much excitement in the air - I bet they all had a fantastic time!

There was not a whole lot of time to showcase the girls in all their finery though!  Between family shots, limo pickup, and dinner reservations, these girls and their dates were in quite the whirlwind I'm sure!

Which is why I am offering "Rock the Dress" sessions.  Now that prom is over, and you can relax a bit (yeah right, not with graduation around the corner!!!) take a little time for yourself and work that dress girl!!  You know you looked amazing, and I want to showcase that!  Get a group of friends together and make an afternoon of it!

Book soon - before the hustle and bustle of graduation starts!  

Thanks for reading!

~Cristin~

Kiersten | Class of 2011 | Smithfield High

Stunning.  That's the best one word decription I could come up with for Kiersten!  Her personality, looks, easy going nature, all of it!  We had so much fun during her senior shoot this past week.  I can tell she is so very excited about graduation in a few weeks and moving on to college in the fall!  I find myself repeatedly blown away by all the amazing students in the class of 2011!  A big thanks to Kiersten and her parents for asking me to be a part of this time in her life!
Here are a few more shots from her session.  More can be found on my Facebook fan page.

Thanks as always for reading!  I love comments, so feel free to leave some : )

~Cristin~

What to Wear High School Seniors | Portrait Wardrobe Guide | Smithfield VA photographer

The class of 2011 is almost outta here and it's near time for the class of 2012 to rule the school!  The time for senior portraits in now - spring of your junior year and the summer before your senior year.  You know you'll be super busy once school starts!

So, what to wear for this once in a lifetime photo shoot?!  Easy!   Whatever you feel most comfortable in!  My favorite people to photograph are high school seniors because you all have such unique style and personality! Your senior photo shoot should encapsulate your personality and style totally!  If you need some help to start out, take a look ---

As you may know, Old Navy and JC Penney are two of my go to stores, which is where the above outfits come from.  Depending on personal style, I LOVE American Eagle, Hollister, and Abercrombie too!
Next time you're on Facebook, check out Wardrobe Wednesdays.  They're a network of eight photographers across the country with some fantastic wardrobe suggestions and ideas!

As always, thanks for reading and remember, don't wait until fall for your senior session!

~Cristin~

Josh, 2012 Senior Rep | Senior Photographer | Smithfield, VA

This past week, I had the pleasure of working with one of my Senior Reps for 2012, Josh.  He made my job so easy!  Josh is a fun, athletic, laid back guy and I can't wait to shoot his full senior session in the fall!  I am so very excited to be working with Senior Reps this year - the class of 2012 is going to be awesome!!

A big thanks to Josh for being so easy to work with!!

Thanks for reading!
 ~Cristin~

Nicole, 2012 Senior Rep | Senior Photographer | Smithfield, VA

Nicole is one of my 2012 Senior Reps and I have to tell ya, she was a blast to hang out with!  She has such a bubbly personality, I couldn't help but smile!!  Casual, laid back, and quirky, she helped me created some beautiful images!
I was able to meet up with Nicole and her momma at the beach.  Living in this area, of course the beach is a must have for senior portraits!  It was so windy, her hair kept blowing over those big blue eyes, and every time I sat her down somewhere, it seemed like there was a sticker in the sand!  She pulled through and persevered and I was able to get some amazing shots of her!

And of course, who doesn't love a chair on the beach?

Can you tell she's excited to be a rising senior?!

If Nicole is any indication, the class of 2012 is gonna totally ROCK!  

Thanks for reading.

~Cristin~

{For the Boys} | Portrait Wardrobe Guide | Smithfield VA Photographer

For a while there, I was drawing my inspiration from the budding trees and warmer temperatures.  Then it snowed. And now it's 40 degrees.  So, feeling a little short in the inspiration department, I put it in the hands of my Facebook readers.

One suggestion was to talk about how to dress the boys!  Personally, I have 3 girls and 1 boy and trying to find some cool duds (I know I sound old saying that, but I'm good with it if you are) that he would actually wear proved to be a fight. Every time!

I put together a post focusing on boys this week.  Some of the looks are a bit preppy, some a little more modern, but you can mix and match, use layers, and throw in some old favorites to make the boys actually want to get dressed for photos!

And by the way, it is totally okay  to wear a pair of Chuck Taylors and a tie in the same outfit!

Love what you see?  Here's where to find it:

Older boys:
Fedora and sweater vest: Sears
Plaid shirt and khakis: Gap
Argyle outfit: Old Navy
Chuck Taylors: JC Penney
Topsiders: Sperry Topsider

Toddler boys:
Plaid shirt and jeans: Gymboree and Children's Place
Argyle outfit: Gymboree
Blue outfit: Children's Place

Thanks for reading - leave me a love note right there ⇓

~ Cristin ~

{Anchors Aweigh} | Portrait Wardrobe Guide | Smithfield, VA

When you think of warmer weather coming, you think sun, beaches, and water, right?  This week's post is about all things nautical!  The traditional nautical style combines red, white, and blue with stripes and anchors to afford a classic look that will never go out of style.  More recently, we've seen some newer colors added in as accent, like pink and yellow.

Looking at this, I'm thinking beach, boat, and barefeet and the wind blowing through my hair! I can't wait for spring and summer to get here!!!  Using this as you guide, you can pull together a great grouping with nautical flare for your next family photo.  And of course, for all my Navy folks, who doesn't love a man in their dress white uniform?!

The above outfits are found at Old Navy, JC Penney, Gymboree, H&M, and Sperry.  My Thirty-One also has a super cute navy blue umbrella with an anchor chain and rope pattern.

Thanks for reading! ~Cristin~

{Operation: Love ReUnited} - Another great homecoming!

This latest homecoming was a bunch of firsts for me. My first EOD unit, my first airport, and my first shoot at 2am!!!  I was asked to be there for 6 families who were awaiting the return of their sailors.

Every homecoming I do make me step back in awe of these Navy women and what they can accomplish together!  The Family Readiness Group and the Ombudsman got together to make sure these 6 guys were welcomed back just as heartily as 600!  They had baloons, food, drinks, signs, you name it!  All to show their appreciation to these guys and be there to support their families!

All the kids were so great  even though it was the middle of the night!  They look really tired don't they?

The moment they've all been waiting for...

We all love the first kiss moment..

Thank you for letting me be part of this homecoming!  It is for moments like these, and people like these, I am an Operation: Love ReUnited photographer.  Welcome home Kegbusters.

~ Cristin ~

What to Wear 2nd Edition | Portrait Wardrobe Guide | Smithfield, VA

For those who know me personally, you know I am super thrifty! I try to save money where I can and spend money where it matters.  Instead of rushing out to buy new clothes for all, take a shopping trip to your closet first.

A lot of folks find family portraits to be a stressful experience.  From choosing outfits all the way through trying to choose prints. So I am here to help!  By taking a few basic pieces and adding in some great accessories, you will have a great outfit in no time!  Here you'll see I'm focusing on mom's wardrobe.  Once you have your pieces selected,  you can build the rest of the family around you!

Use this as inspiration for your next session! You may already own clothing very similar to some of these suggestions.  The idea is to relax and go with what you have and what makes you feel good!  

If you do choose to go out and purchase some additional accessories, shoes, or clothes,  I found all the above items at either JC Penney or Old Navy.  Here's another thrifty tip: all Old Navy stores in our area offer a military discount on the first 4 days of each month!

{Fan Appreciation Giveaway} | Family Photographer | Smithfield, VA

Thank you! My Facebook page now has 300 fans! To show my appreciation, I have partnered with Sew Unique by Kristen to reward one lucky fan with this beautiful, handmade wallet.
To enter the giveaway:

1. If you can, please go to Facebook and like Cristin Emrick Photography here and Sew Unique by Kristen here.

2. Tell your friends!!

3. Comment here letting me know what you are most looking forward to about spring (believe it or not, it is coming soon!).

4. I will announce a random winner on March 12th.

This wallet just shouts spring to me!  Who wouldn't love a daily reminder of fresh spring colors to come?(Can you tell I'm really excited about the change of season?!)

Thank you and good luck!

P.S. If you want an extra entry, publish a wall post on Facebook tagging us both and linking to the contest - something like this:

"Check out this cute giveaway from @Cristin Emrick Photography and @SewUnique by Kristen." http://cristinemrickphotography.blogspot.com/2011/03/fan-appreciation-giveaway.html

March Mini Sessions | Portrait Specials | Smithfield, VA

Unlike my mini sessions in the past, these are not limited to one date.  You have the whole month to take advantage of these amazing deals!  Availability is very limited so hurry and reserve your spot today!  My favorite location is downtown Smithfield, but I am open to suggestions!

What to wear 1st edition | Portrait Wardrobe Guide | Smithfield, VA

For most of my clients, the hardest part of family portraits is how to decide what to wear.  The clothing choices you make will have a huge impact on the final product.  I will be putting together these guides every week or so to make your life easier!

That said, there are a few things about wardrobe you should NEVER worry about:

1. Buying new outfits for everyone in your family.  Children especially will be more comfortable in clothing which is familiar to them.
2. Matching - your family doesn't go out to the movies in matching outfits, or church, or school, so why worry about wearing matching outfits for a photograph?
3. Frilly and fancy - Your family portraits should be a reflection of who you are! If you feel your best in a pair of distressed jeans and a t-shirt, wear it!

That said, keep in mind your session will be out of doors, on the ground, in the trees, and in general kicking back.   Be comfortable! If you feel comfy in your clothes, you'll look relaxed in your photos.

You will want outfits which are complimentary to one another, but absolutely express yourself!
I want you to love your family portraits and in order for that to happen, you need to love what you're wearing and how it makes you feel!

When planning your family wardrobe, pick one or two pieces you absolutely love, and move from there. If you have a beautiful turquoise cardigan you love, select dark blues, grays, greens, and blacks to compliment it.  Keep it simple and don't stress!  Remember I am here to help you - we'll have a pre-session consultation to cover wardrobe, location, and style.

Mom's outfit: Old Navy
Dad's outfit: Old Navy; shoes-Journey's
Sissy's outfit: Old Navy; shoes-Journey's
Bubba's outfit: jeans-Old Navy; jacket-Land's End; shoes-Journey's; tshirt-Target

P.S. if you do decide to use this as your guide for wardrobe, don't pay retail - check the websites for discount codes or coupons : )