Buttons and Bows Photography
I’m a maternity and newborn / baby photographer for the greater Orlando, Florida metro area. I’ve been in business since 2006. Prior to that, I was a part-time web and blog designer and ran a wedding-related website called “Wholly Matrimony!”
I’ve been married to my husband Todd for over 13 years and we have two sons, ages 6 and 4. We moved to Florida in 1997. We’re both Sooner born and Sooner bred and met at the University of Oklahoma.
I was recently voted the 2009 “Best Family Photographer” winner for Orlando, Florida, by Nickelodeon’s Parents Connect and goCityKids.com. I am a featured photographer at The Knot / The Bump’s “The Nest Baby” and my photographs appear in “A Scrapbooker’s Guide to Walt Disney World”.
I also maintain a product, packaging, and marketing website for photographers called Paperie Boutique.
What got you into wedding/portrait photography?
My husband and I were told we could not have children and after trying for several years, had all but given up when our oldest son was born. Surprise! I had blocked off all things maternity and baby during those years, but once they were actually a part of my own life and I saw how fleeting the moments really were, I never wanted to let them go… Now I don’t have to.
What are your favorite types of subjects to shoot and why?
I love shooting newborn sessions. Each one is different and challenging in its own way. No two babies are ever the same. It’s one of the happiest times the parents will ever experience together and it really is a privilege to witness the love and awe in the glances they exchange. Helping a family preserve a smile, a sigh, a yawn, a kiss, or the way their baby looked at a moment in time is honestly the reason I love being a photographer.
What is your favorite piece of photographic equipment?
I could not live without my SB-800 and SB-600 speedlights. Although I love natural light photography, it’s just not what I feel that I do best. I learned to photograph my two boys in our first home located in the middle of a nature preserve. We had tall trees all around and sunlight never entered the windows. I quickly had to learn how to use artificial light effectively and I’ve never regretted it.
What ProDPI products do you use?
I use ProDPI for prints and press-printed products. However, if it all possible, I won’t use anyone else for birth announcements, birthday invitations, and holiday cards. There is simply no comparison. I am totally addicted to their Smooth Matte paper and so are my clients. I provide a paper sample kit when a baby plan books, and 90% of the time they will pick ProDPI’s Smooth Matte.
Are there any ProDPI products that have enabled your success?
ProDPI’s folded and flat press-printed cards are known all over Orlando as the standard for birth announcements and holiday cards. My button logo on the back is somewhat of a status symbol for my clients, which is very flattering (and humbling). And that would not be possible without the right lab to print it on.
Why do you love ProDPI?
I love ProDPI because they aren’t just a lab or a vendor. They make you feel like family. If you call for assistance or with an issue, you get a real person who is genuinely interested in your call. If you send an e-mail, the reply is almost instantaneous. So many labs have a “take a number” policy, and when my clients need an answer “now”, so do I. I can’t imagine placing something as important as a birth announcement in anyone else’s hands.
I also loved it when I sent out our own personal holiday cards on ProDPI Smooth Matte and it caused other photographers to finally make the switch. Seeing really is is believing!
Website URL - http://www.buttonsandbowsphotography.com
Blog URL – http://paperieboutique.com
