April Giveaway: Whitebox Kids Photography Free Photo Session + $100 print credit

By Guest Blogger Maureen Aikins, and Rachel H

Have you ever looked at your children? I mean really looked at them ... and realized how much they've changed since they first came into your life? It's amazing how quickly they grow and how those silly toothless smiles and goofy expressions are here one day and gone the next. They might be replaced by something even better, but nonetheless, they're gone. Sure, the memories are in your heart, but nothing preservers your memory like a photograph. I have been having Whitebox Photography photograph my children for the past five years, and the only regret I have is that I didn't start sooner. My children are now 12, 10, and 7 and the photos they've taken still stop my heart every time I look at them.

My house is positively filled with images from our Whitebox photo shoots! It makes me happy to see them every day and can think of nothing better to display on my walls. A generic print cannot compare with the photo of my daughter when she got her first puppy. Or the shot of my son with his two front teeth missing. My photos are without a doubt the most important material things that I own.

Whitebox does a fabulous job of what I call "capturing my children having fun." This is what brings their images to life. Gone are the forced smiles and the shrieks of "look at the camera!" My children look forward to their Whitebox shoots because they know they're just going to be playing and doing the things they love to do and the photography just sort of happens. The focus is on them being happy.

I used to get so stressed out bringing my kids to the photographer at the mall. Will I pick out the right outfit? What if they're in a bad mood? What if we get a bad photographer? What if the props and backgrounds don't match the clothes I picked out? All of those worries are gone since I've been using Whitebox. They help me every step of the way. Before the shoot, we talk about what we want to do- from location to props to wardrobe. I arrive with bunches of clothes and "1-2-3" the Whitebox gals pick out the things that look great together and photograph well. We head outside and my kids start doing their thing - riding bikes, blowing bubbles, running through the sprinkler, playing football, playing the guitar, skipping stones-whatever they're into at that time. They barely notice they're being photographed.

And afterwards, when I see those images ... unbelievable! A work of art, only better, because it's someone you love!

Maureen has captured the spirit of Whitebox Photography so well. The photos throughout this post are from the ones in Maureen's home, and as you can tell, they are breathtaking. Imagine having photos just like these in your own home! And with this month's giveaway, our winner will be able to do so with a free photo session (valued at $250) and $100 print credit.

Whitebox will meet with you for a pre-shoot consultation, and then they usually spend about two hours on your photo shoot. Cross your fingers that you may be our lucky winner of this prize! There are no strings attached, but we do ask that you are a Triad Smarty Pants newsletter subscriber in order to qualify for this prize. If you are not yet a subscriber, simply enter your email in the pink box on the right hand side of our website. Then click here to enter your name in the giveaway! We will choose a winner through random.org on April 9, 2010 and will contact you that day!

I couldn't resist including the photos below to show you more beautiful photography from Whitebox Kids. You can also visit their website here to view even more! RH

Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM