Amy Tripple Photography Blog » The Inside Scoop!

April 19, 2013

Mother’s Day Sessions, 2013 | Chicago Children’s Photographer

Do you have pictures of yourself with your kids? Well, do you?

To be clear, I am not talking about the quick pictures your sister snapped of you when you threw the camera at her two summers ago at the zoo.

I’m talking about real, honest, beautiful images that show the relationship between you and each of your babies.

Mother’s day is coming up, which means you are due at least one great gift. : ) Why not ask for something that will last for the rest of your and your children’s lives? Something that you will cherish each day? Something that will speak a thousand words to your children long after you’re gone?

We’ve decided to do something a little different this year for Mother’s Day. We’re offering up ten beautiful gift certificates for our Mother’s Day sessions, but the sessions won’t all take place on one specific day. Instead, each purchased session can be scheduled at the studio anytime within three months of this year’s Mother’s Day. All of the details for the sessions are below. If this looks like something you’d love, well… forward this along to the one responsible for your Mother’s Day present this year. Hehe. ; )

One last little note…

If there is one thing that holds moms back from getting in pictures with their kids, it’s their image issues. There, I said it. Most of you have them, which I know because 1) I see you shy away from getting in front of the camera ALL THE TIME, and 2) I totally have image issues myself, so I know exactly what you’re up to. ; )

Let me give you four reasons to get in pictures anyway:

First… You are beautiful to your kids. Just as you are. They don’t give a rip about what size you think you should be. They only want to see your smile, hear your laugh, feel your hugs. From their perspective, those are the things that make you their mother.
Second… Someday you will look back and wonder why you were so darn hard on yourself. It’s true.
Third… You will be captured by a woman who understands your insecurities and knows how to make you feel comfortable anyway (that’s me!).
Fourth… Photoshop is awesome, and (if you would like) your pictures can be subtly adjusted. Hehe. : )

Here’s what I mean. Look closely!

Get it? Subtle. But helpful, just the same.

That’s us in Hawaii, by the way. Ooooh, do I have pictures to show you!!!!! : )

Send this along to whoever needs to see it if you want one of the sessions. They can e-mail us to purchase a gift certificate. These are first-come, first-served sessions, so don’t delay!

by Amy Tripple Photography

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Denise Schullo - Hi Amy,
I would love to purchase a Mother’s Day Gift Certificate – I loved how special you made the image of mothers and how special we are to our children!

Bonnie Norberg - Hi Amy, I would love a session for my daughter. She is amazing! She has 3 young boys and works full time but always puts her boys first. She is a better mom than I was and I’d love to see her have a session with her boys. Better yet I know she would love it. She is a big fan of yours.

Yvonne - Hi Amy! Are your Mother’s Day Gift Certificates all taken?

Stephanie - So true that as mum’s we need to be in the photographs.

April 4, 2013

The Thing With Feathers… Giveaway!

Do you find that seasons of your life seem to have themes? I often notice as I look back on certain times in my life that there are obvious threads of ideas woven throughout my experiences. I’ve noticed seasons of love, patience, creativity, persistence… it’s always amazing to be able to look back on periods of my life that have brought certain ideas or virtues to life.

The past year or so has seemed to be a season of hope for us.

The ironic thing about difficult times is that they allow some of life’s most beautiful themes to shine through. Hope has been a gentle friend that’s walked alongside me through many of the tough things we’ve been through this year, and I’ve been so incredibly grateful for it’s company. We always hope for the big stuff, of course, and that is how I began this past year.

Little-by-little, however, I’ve been learning that hope is in the smaller, more everyday things. Of course we hope for good health and happiness… world peace and love. But I also find myself hoping for glimpses of sunshine, a chat with a sweet friend, tomorrow’s new morning. Hoping for little things is what gets us through as we wait for our bigger wishes to come true. Hoping in the little things never disappoints, because there will always be another glimpse of sunshine and another bright tomorrow. It’s ok to hope for things that are certain to come true. In fact, it’s completely necessary. : )

I put this together a few days ago in a moment of inspiration… I saw my 100th robin on Easter (I always count the first 100 robins of spring!) and it made me so happy! I wanted to find an idea that brought together my love of robins and this season of hope. Emily Dickinson is always a go-to for me when I want my feelings put into words…

Hope - Blog

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.”

In honor of my 100th robin sighting and this beautiful season of hope I’ve been experiencing, I’d love to do a little giveaway! Leave me a comment over on Facebook for a chance to win an 8×10 print of my little robin’s nest image above. In your comment, tell me what it is that YOU are hoping for right now, big or small! I’ll pick someone before I leave for my dream trip. Hehe. : )

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On another note…

This family was a delight to work with. They were one of my last sessions at my “old” studio and I really love how the images turned out. You can tell because I’ve included WAY too many in this post… ha!

Enjoy!

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Have a hopeful day!

: )

by Amy Tripple Photography

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April 1, 2013

A Puppy for You, Maui for Me… : )

Hehe.

Let’s start with point number one… a puppy for you!

Remember when I wrote about my sister’s sweet two puppies that she’s fostering? Well… they are now down to one. And, I kid you not, this is one sweet girl. She’s having the time of her life at my sister’s house, but I didn’t think a little extra publicity would hurt her chances of finding her “forever home”. They call her “Tiny”, but if you take her home you can call her whatever you want. : )

As previously mentioned, I happen to be a BIG dog lover and, therefore, would like to think that I know a thing or two about them. This darling girl is *very* smart, hugely playful, and seems to be training really well. She’s also recently spayed… that equals one less vet bill for you! Tiny is only 12 weeks old and I really think she’d make a wonderful pet… have a look:

She’s a CUTIE, no?!?

How can you resist these eyes?!?

(waiting for you…)

Shoot us an e-mail if you’re interested in this sweetie-pie and I’ll get you in touch with my sister, who is awesome. : )

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Now… our dream trip!

For over a year now, we’ve had a trip planned to celebrate my dad’s retirement. And it’s no small deal…

On Saturday morning, we (Jonathan and I, my sisters and their husbands, and my mom and dad) are hopping on a plane and heading to Maui. (Insert CRAZY excited scream here!!!!!)

Excited does not even come CLOSE to how I’m feeling about this trip. It will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for all of us to be away, as adults (a million thanks to every one of our beautiful in-laws who will be watching our kids!), to be in such a beautiful place and experience everything that it has to offer. We will be staying in the Grand Wailea, playing in the pools, walking on the beach, and eating all sorts of foods that we have no business eating. : ) It is going to be awesome!

I am already planning and dreaming of the amazing photographic opportunities I’ll have there. I am SO excited to share it all with you guys!!! While I’m on the subject… I know some of you have been to Maui before, so tell me… what would you suggest we definitely make time for?!? Will you leave me a comment if you have an insider’s opinion?

And finally… we rarely (RARELY!) do this, but Jonathan and I are planning on shutting everything down on the business front while we’re away. We don’t plan to have another vacation like this ever again, so we really want to enjoy every moment of it. On Friday afternoon, we’ll be turning on an e-mail auto-return message, so if you need something from us that can’t wait a week-and-a-half, please take a moment to get in touch asap.

I honestly can not believe this trip is only DAYS AWAY!!! This will be Jonathan and me:

YAY!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t forget to let me know if you have ideas about what we should do there!

And, of course, if you want that perfect little puppy!!!

: )

by Amy Tripple Photography

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Linda - What kind of dog is it?

Megan Gilbert - I am so excited for you guys! My husband and I went there for our honeymoon and it was the best two weeks of my life! We loved the Old Lahina Luau. It’s worth the money and its a fun night out. We also loved seeing the sun rise at Haleakala. Getting up that early seems crazy but its amazing. Just remember that it’s FREEZING up there so dress warm! Have a great time and I can’t wait to see the pictures!

Melissa - So jealous of your trip! We went 13 years ago for our honeymoon. You must take a snorkeling trip to Molokni. Absolutely beautiful! We loved it so much, we actually cancelled our luau so we could go again. We didn’t have a lot of planned things to to, just hopped in the car and explored the island. Tedeschi winery has some great wines too! Enjoy!

March 23, 2013

A New Studio!!! Chicago Children’s Photographer

Soooooo… we’ve had a little something up our sleeves for the past few months, but wanted to have some pictures to show before we made the big announcement…

We are moving to a brand new studio!!!

(and it is really, REALLY amazing!)

First… a picture:

And now… the reasons behind our big decision:

Our Downers Grove studio has been such a special spot for the past two-and-a-half years, but as our business has grown and changed, we’ve found that our studio needs have changed, too.

For awhile now, we’ve been on the lookout for a studio space with a little more, well… space. Ideally, we’ve wanted a spot that can comfortably accommodate large families as well as the Sweet Shots classes that I teach each month. A few other non-negotiables in our search have been:

1) The space is a good fit for my photographic style

2) The building is well-maintained and (ideally) has historic character

3) There are multiple shooting opportunities on the interior and exterior of the building

4) It is easily accessible for all of our city clients

and

5) I am completely in love with it

(that’s not too much to ask, right?!?)

: )

Now, keep on reading for some pictures and more exciting details:

The building was built in the 1850′s, and ALL of the stonework walls and beautiful windows are original. The history intertwined with this space is just incredible!

The building is located at 106 Stevens Street, right in the heart of downtown Lemont. I have loved shooting in downtown Lemont for years… it’s best characterized as having a “Small-Town America” feel with it’s many interesting textures, stonework, colors, canal, and bridges. When I photograph there, I always feel as though my images reflect the unique depth and history of the community. When we heard that there was a space for rent there, we jumped at the opportunity to go see it. I immediately fell in love!!!

There’s a beautiful waiting area outside of the main studio area, which is located in the upstairs of the building (upstairs = amazing light!)…

The details of the space are all incredibly classy. There’s a kitchen (fresh-baked cookies and treats at all of our classes!), a full fridge, a brand new, great big microwave, and a washer and dryer (HA-LELUJAH!!! No more hauling newborn blankets and towels back and forth from the studio to our house!!!). Even the bathroom is spacious and classy!

The space is also very easy to get to from either I55 or 355, so that was a great fit as well.

More important than anything else, though, is just how amazing the photos are that come of out this space. My seven-year-old and I went over there yesterday to play around a bit, and I was literally *squealing* with delight the entire time. The texture, the light… OH MY WORD!!! I am just dying to get you guys to this space to show you how beautiful your photographs will be there!

Here are just a few of the shots we got:

(she’s so pretty, isn’t she?!?)

A few other fun and random details:

It’s large enough to host our Sweet Shots classes, and it even has a full parking lot in the back. Yay!

For those of you who love the bedroom look that we have at our current studio… we will be bringing the bed along, of course!

There’s a full changing room separate from the main shooting room.

I am in love with this place (or did I already mention that?)

: )

Our first sessions there will take place on April 2nd and April 16th… we have a some sweetie sessions available on those days if you’d like to be one of the first to experience this beautiful new spot! We’ve also switched back to automatic scheduling, so you can simply click the link below to book a session:

I am SO EXCITED!!!

by Amy Tripple Photography

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Andrea - So excited about your new studio space, it looks gorgeous!! Plus it’s even closer to me :) I’ll be seeing you soon for the Level I review class :)

Colette - I LOVE you new space!!! I am green with envy:) I look forward to seeing the beautiful work you do in this wonderful space. I think I need to have you mentor me again just to play in your wonderful space!!!

March 7, 2013

A Newbie and an Update : ) | Chicago Newborn Photographer

Another beautiful newborn graced the studio this week… he was just a sweet as babies come, and reminded me a lot of my kiddos when they were babies for some reason. He was just about the same size as my three were, and something about his little self just “hit home”. I love it when that happens. : )

I honestly had no words when I saw the hat that this mama packed. Ok, I actually had LOTS of words! Waaaaayyy to cute!!! I now know what my next knitting project will be!!! : )

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Now for a little update on Jonathan, since so many of you are asking (thank you!)…

First, can I just say that the treatment for Lyme Disease is not. fun. The initial, intense treatment is long-term (probably about 9-10 months in Jonathan’s case) and causes one to feel much worse before feeling better, much like chemo. I am so proud of him, three months into the fight, for the way he’s handled the sickness, pain, and discomfort… I’m pretty sure I would be a huge wreck at this point if it were me! For the first time a few weeks ago, I really think he “turned the corner” and began feeling a little better, which is something that we haven’t seen for at least six months. It’s been a huge relief to see him smile from time to time these past few weeks. Trying to keep all the plates spinning has been tricky, but we’ve had SO much help from family and friends… it’s been humbling and amazing and I honestly don’t know what kind of a mess we’d be in right now without all the love people have shown.

I was browsing through old blog posts earlier and came upon this one. At the time, I really thought I was writing it to encourage those who were going through tough times, but as I sat and read it today, tears came to my eyes as I realized just how much I needed to hear the words written there. Seasons of difficulty do not last forever, and they often lead to the loveliest of things. It was the ray of hope that I needed today; may we continue to keep our chins up and look for beauty in these ashes. : )