Me and my 3 loves at The Polar Express a few weekends ago (image taken by a friend):

Studio Coordinator Kelly Gill and her beautiful family (we’ll share their c-u-t-e family session on the blog soon after holidays):

Associate Photographer Jenny Bishop below and her adorable family (image taken by their family on Thanksgiving Day):

Intern/Newly Hired Assistant Nicolle Rein Moshiri and her equally adorable family (image by family friend):

And last but not least, announcing our newest associate to join the JBP team Suzanne Searle and her beautiful boys :-)

I consider myself very blessed to have such an amazing team and appreciate all that they do!

We just wanted to take a moment to let you know that we will resume the normal blog publishing schedule soon (with some ah-ma-zing weddings & adorable family photos) and provide you with some deadlines for when all orders need to be in:

Print Enlargement Orders: December 14th

Disc of Images: Dec 14

Holiday Cards: Dec 9 (these will be drop shipped directly to you)

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New Portrait Bookings: We are booked for all shoots through the end of the year now and will be accepting new session bookings starting in January 2012. Jennifer Bowen has a few limited openings still in January (all 4 weekends are already booked), but is more open in February. Associate Jenny Bishop will have some session slots available that can be reserved in January and February. Plus we will be announcing a new associate who is joining the team as well soon! {For planning purposes, please keep in mind that we typically book sessions 1-3 weeks out in the early part of the year.}

New Wedding Bookings: Yeah for all the Christmas proposals coming! If you are considering us for your wedding photography, we would love to hear from you. Please know that we are mainly accepting fall 2012 weddings. Jennifer Bowen is fairly booked up March-May, however Jenny & Suzanne (stay tuned!) will have available spring dates. Be sure to check with us for your specific date to see who is available. When contacting us, we need to know your city & state, date and venue if you know it, as well as any other pertinent details about your wedding. We share most of information and pricing via consultations, either in person or over the phone, so we do encourage setting up a time to meet so we can hear more about your wedding. For more FAQ about our wedding photography, please click here.

Studio Holiday Hours: Please know the studio will be closed December 18-January 1 for a much needed break with our families. I try to take off 2 weeks every year after our crazy fall season to recharge, rest and spend quality time with my husband and kids so that I am fresh and ready to go for the new year ahead. I will have some access to email during this time, but we do appreciate your patience with our slower response times.

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Happy Holidays!

Jennifer Bowen Photography

Mini Sessions 2011
All sessions are booked first come, first serve. Please select your desired date and time below and email us that you would like to book it. We will send you a contract within 24 hours and take a $100 deposit to hold your spot. Deposits are non-refundable, unless you or we are able to rebook your spot. Please scroll down for frequently asked questions about our annual mini sessions.

Session Slots with Jennifer Bowen {Owner/Lead Photographer}

Saturday, Oct 22, 2011
DC Ranch, Scottsdale

3:30-4:00 PM – Booked (ev)
4:00-4:30 PM -Booked (kb)
4:30-5:00 PM – Booked (fs)
5:00-5:30 PM- Booked (fs)

Saturday, Nov 26, 2011 (Thanksgiving weekend)
Scottsdale Civic Center Park

3:30-4:00 PM  - Booked (lm)
4:00-4:30 PM – Booked (sp)
4:30-5:00 PM – Booked (ks)
5:00-5:30 PM – Booked (tk)

Sunday, Nov 27, 2011 (Thanksgiving weekend)
Heritage Square, downtown Phoenix

3:30-4:00 PM – Booked (kg or avh)
4:00-4:30 PM – Booked (cc)
4:30-5:00 PM- Booked (jl)
5:00-5:30 PM - Booked (jl)

Session Slots with Jenny Bishop {Associate Photographer 1}

Sunday, Nov 20, 2011
DC Ranch Market Street area, Scottsdale

3:30-4:00 PM- Booked
4:00-4:30 PM – Booked (wd)
4:30-5:00 PM - Booked (wd)
5:00-5:30 PM Booked (ah)

2011 Holiday Mini Session Packages:
Please let us know which package you would like to book.

Mini Collection 1 – $285.00
▪ 30-Minute private session for up to 5 people
▪ 25-30 edited images to choose from
▪ Online proofing & ordering
▪ 2 High Resolution images of choice emailed to you after your session

Mini Collection 2 – $395.00
▪ 30-Minute private session for up to 5 people
▪ 25-30 edited images to choose from
▪ Online proofing & ordering
▪ (3) 5×7 metallic prints of your choice
▪ 50 Holiday Cards of your choice (we can use up to 4 images on the cards – please add $30.00 for folded cards)

Mini Collection 3 – $595.00
▪ 30-Minute private session for up to 5 people
▪ 25-30 edited images to choose from
▪ Online proofing & ordering
▪ DVD Disc of all high-res negatives (jpeg files)

FAQ ABOUT MINI SESSIONS

What is a Mini Session?

A mini session is a shortened version of our regular family portrait photography session, without all the bells and whistles. Basically it allows us to get a few great family shots of your entire clan and then spend a little time getting breakout shots of just the kids, a few individual shots and perhaps a few candids. It is ideal for families who simply want some updated family shots for their holiday cards, Facebook, or frames. It is not ideal for those seeking lots of great candids or the in-between-the-moment shots Jennifer is known for, those who want outfit changes or a wide range of background looks.  With mini sessions, there simply is not enough time to capture a great deal of emotional images inside of 30 minutes – you really need a full hour plus for that. Mini sessions move quickly so it’s imperative you arrive a few minutes early (5-10) so that you and your family are ready to go.

What is the max number of people we can have for a Mini Session?

You can have up to 5 people max. {Sorry, no pets during the mini sessions, but four legged family fur balls are welcome during regular sessions.} If you have 6 or more people, we would love to book you for our regular holiday portrait sessions, which are 1 hour+.

How much is a mini session?

This year, you have THREE options for your mini session package. Please choose one from the list above.

How do I book our spot?

All sessions are booked first come, first serve. Please select your desired date and time below and email us that you would like to book it. We will send you a contract within 24 hours and take a $100 deposit to hold your spot. Deposits are non-refundable, unless you or we are able to rebook your spot.

Does your Associate Photographer have discounted rates?

Yes, we will reduce the package cost by 10% for Jenny Bishops session slots. The bigger the package you book, the more you will save. To see more of her work, please click here.

Do we get all of the images on a disc from our session included?

Only with Mini Collection 3. If you choose Collection 1 or 2, you can always add the negatives at our ala carte rates, which are $500 for regular sessions and $375 for mini sessions.

What do you mean when you say “edited images to choose from”?

That means we cull all of your photos for the best of the best, then we color correct them, punch and pop them, crop if need be and prepare them for presentation. It does not mean that we do tummy tucks, chin reductions, wrinkle removing or other major edits. We are happy to do this type of editing for you; the rate for extensive editing is $60/hour. Most images take approx 10-15 minutes each for basic wrinkle removing/skin softening/eye enhancing and a little longer for digital plastic surgeries, but we will prorate the editing amount for you. (ie., if you have us edit 1 image and its takes 15 minutes, the cost is $15 for that image.)

Will you provide props for our shoot, or can we bring them?

For mini sessions we wont be able to provide any props (chairs, lollipops, balloons, etc.) however you are more then welcome to bring any of these items if you want to incorporate them.

We want to do a full hour family session instead of the Mini Session. Are you offering special packages for those?

Yes, we are! Please email me the dates above that will work best for you and your preferred back to back time slots, and we will send you more info.  If none of the dates above will work for you, please let us know what dates you are looking for and we can see if we are available. {Please note that our availability is rather limited this fall, which is why we offer the mini sessions on select dates, so that we can provide sessions to as many people as possible.}

I have more questions. How should I reach you?

Just email me here and I’ll be happy to answer your questions as quickly as possible.

I love it when my former brides & grooms call me to photograph their newborns. It honestly gives me SO much joy to see them grow their families and be witness to their beautiful babies. This little man is no exception – he is the gorgeous, adorable, smushy-mushy son of Carlos & Ally (who incidentally has the most requested bridesmaids dresses in this history of this blog) :-)Carlos is a HUGE ASU fan (Sparky the Mascot even surprised him at their wedding) so little man T is going to have to love Arizona State too!

Sweet, beautiful Piper is the daughter of Amy and Jeremy. Amy was still pregnant with her at her sister Christy’s very recent wedding, but she made arrival soon after and I got to meet her and hold her!

She was just perfect during our session – slept a little and then was awake but mostly content. She is pretty darn adorable, isn’t she?

I photographed this gorgeous high school senior recently. I loved that she wanted to incorporate the American flag into her shoot. Christy loves America and wanted to find a way to represent that with the flag. Hopefully we honored it well. Watch out for this one – my money is on her changing the world somehow.

One morning we went to breakfast and Morgan was a little restless and Shannon was trying to console her, in all the ways a new mom does. She sort of calmed down and Shannon was holding her on her lap while eating at the same time, when all of a sudden, Morgan reached around and wrapped her arms around my sisters neck, buried her head into her shoulder, and closed her eyes. Clearly she was tired and just needed to snuggle deep into her mother’s chest and be held. But what I most remember about that moment is the look on my sisters face when Morgan did that. Shannon slowly set down her fork, her face softened in a way I’d never seen, and she just hugged Morgan back for a long time, without moving, without eating. It touched me so much at the time, the way two people could need each other that much, and respond to each other in that way. It one of those memories that burned itself in my heart. Soon after I had my first child, I thought back on that, and came to appreciate it more fully, because I finally understood the depth of that love. I knew then exactly what my sister was feeling, not just what her face showed to me at the time. The intensity of a love that manages to put everything else in life in perspective.

From my own experience with motherhood, it has transformed me on the deepest levels. It challenges me, humbles me, humors me, hurts me, drains me, and fulfills me. Sometimes all of those emotions happen in one day. It taught me patience, showed me the depths in which my heart could feel for another human being, and broadsided me with the realization that I will forever wear my heart on my sleeve. It’s also proved that The Magic Eraser is the best invention ever created. :-) Chris and I often recall the drive home from the hospital with our first born Jordan. We felt fear (can we do this on our own?), surrealism, excitement, and an overwhelming sense of protection towards her. With Alex, our second born almost 4 years later, the fear was replaced with mostly just excitement and pure joy – and the knowledge that my heart did not have to split in half to love two of them as I imagined, but that it multipled and expanded with even more love.

Being a mother has also made me appreciate some of the sacrifices my own Mom made along the way, and mostly, appreciative that the overriding feeling she has always given me is the knowledge that I am truly loved and accepted by her. Mainly she showed that with unspoken gestures, daily hugs and I love you’s, and giving me encouragement that I could do anything I set out to do if I tried. But also by choosing to be a mother first, and not a friend, through all my formative years; someone who firmly said no when I needed it, disciplined me when I deserved it, and was always there to listen to me and help me make decisions when I needed her to be. She is my first memory; and to this day, that memory of napping with her when I was two still conjures up feelings of security, warmth, love and affection. I guess because of that, I feel that providing those nurturing traits to my own children is “the root of the root”. (as EE Cummings might say). So thank you Mom.

This year, I wanted to share some of my favorite images I have taken over the years of mothers with their children. I know there may be others I have inadvertently left out, but I wanted to get this post up in time. :-) I wish all the mothers of the world a very Happy Mother’s Day.

Above: One of the strongest, most amazing mother’s I have ever known – Christine. Featured with her twin sons and daughter Olivia Ann Hoffmann (Aug 11 2004-Dec 10, 2010)

And lastly, a picture of me and my mom, back in 2004 when I was pregnant with Jordan, and one of my very favorites of my sister, niece and daughter in NYC 2009

Ava Rose Designs is launching their Spring/Summer line at an open house on April 14th and 15th at 8114 E. Del Joya Dr in Scottsdale. Besides shopping the new Ava Rose line, you can also browse children’s clothing and hair accessories from Bellabambina and jewelry from Stella and Dot’s new spring line.

In addition to clothing, Ava Rose Designs offers baby gifts, blankets, bibs, burps, tote bags and more in coordinating fabrics and color palettes.

Two bonuses to attending the Ava Rose Designs Open House that you should know about:

-Just for attending, you will have a chance to win a $25 Ava Rose Designs gift certificate

- Friday’s Open House will also include Fabulous Faces (Botox, Juvederm, Latisse, etc) from 12-3