Happy New Year!

Wow. I am blown away. What an amazing year 2008 was. We really grew! I am so thankful that we were able to photograph well over 250,000 images including almost 70 weddings, hundreds of children and dozens of family portraits.

We connected with so many people and made so many new friends. This month, at a beautiful wedding in Atlanta, I saw six people who I photographed at past weddings I shot. One of them even told me she was going to have me shoot her wedding - as soon as she found the right man! Lol!

I can’t imagine having a better team than I do now. Everyone is truly and totally dedicated and loyal to our clients and our company. Together we work hard to make sure every single one of our clients feels like they are the only client we have.

Even Santa was so impressed with our staff that he slid down our studio chimney and left little blue boxes from Tiffany’s on everyone’s desk.

I am amazed at how efficient and productive our back office is. We have improved our workflow and found new efficiencies and with hard work and dedication have completed every single wedding we had and have it out to our brides. It feels so good to know that this Christmas all our brides, even the ones married in December, were able to share their memories with their family and friends.

We’ve implemented exciting new computer software systems that keep us on track and help us communicate with our clients better than ever. We have better camera equipment than we’ve ever had before. We’ve recently moved to Apple computers here at the studio and use the top of the line Apple computers and monitors to do our editing and color balancing work as well as the latest in Adobe imaging products. I’m writing this entry on one of them now.

2009 is going to bring with it a stronger, better studio that we’ve ever had before. I am so thankful for the blessing of this company! 2009 is going to be a pivotal year for us as we grow into new areas.

We are working closely with some new business partners to create unique products and services to offer our clients. We have even created a new approach to weddings that we’ll be launching in 2009.

We are even going to expand our staff next year. If you know someone who is amazing with a camera and has a heart to serve – send them our way!

We’re going to help more brides than ever before and document memories that will last for generations in a superior way.

I can’t wait.

I am so thankful for this year and how it turned out. Looking back on it, I wouldn’t have changed anything. And I am so thankful to you for being with us here on our journey together.

I hope you and your loved ones have the best year of your lives in 2009!

Your friend,

Delaney

Merry Christmas from Delaney Holliman Photography

Merry Christmas!

This is my little girl Faith sitting on my lap at a candlelight service at our church, Ingleside, on Christmas Eve. They had a live nativity with camels, sheep, goats and a donkey. We all sang carols and the entire church was lit by only candlelight as the congregation sang Silent Night. Afterwards we fellowshipped with old friends for a little while before we went home and got our kids in bed.

Today was a beautiful Christmas day and it’s a wonderful night at our house as our kids play with their new toys, we eat Christmas dinner and are all truly thankful for all the blessings in our lives.

From all of us at Delaney Holliman Photography, we want to wish you and your family and loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a wondrous new year!

Ingleside Makeup Day

If you didn't get a chance to have your child's photo done at Ingleside's Preschool we're having a special make up day at the studio next Tuesday the 16th of december from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. Please call ahead to schedule your appointment. Thanks!

Such a big boy now...

I have had the pleasure of documenting this little fellow's whole first year. I have photographed him five times, from when he was a couple of weeks old to now at a year old.

Watching a little teeny tiny baby grow into a little boy walking around and exploring the world is one of the reasons that I do what I do. I love being able to document that for parents. I know that my four children have absolutely grown up before my eyes. It seems like just yesterday that I had a sweet little boy digging in my pots and pans in the kitchen to what is now an 18 year old man who is a senior in high school, a volunteer firefighter and eligible to vote! I still can't figure out how that happened!

This is a kind of long post because I was reflecting on B's first year and wanted to share a few pics from each of his sessions so that you can see how much he has grown!

Here he is at just a few weeks old...

And then at three months... those blue eyes... Wow!

And then at six months where I captured one of my favorite images...

Then at nine months... 

And now at one year old... such a big boy! Those stunning blue eyes have not changed - if anything they are even more beautiful now and his eyelashes are to die for! I always seem to get some of my most favorite images with this little guy and this session was no exception! He is so full of personality and we had so much fun exploring and playing in the leaves. 

Ashley, thanks so much for allowing me to document this important time for your family. It has been such a pleasure to get to know your little man and an honor to be a part of that! 

I can't wait for you to see the rest of the images! 

Stephanie ~

Happy Thanksgiving!

I thought you'd get a kick out of that one. lol!

I’m sitting on my couch with my little girl Faith watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Kerry is in the kitchen cooking and we have a fire going in the fireplace. On the table are things for dinner, including a couple of packages of yeast rolls waiting to be baked. I LOVE yeast rolls.

Faith is watching the show the same way as I did when I was a kid. The paper today is HUGE and FULL of after Thanksgiving Day specials.

As I reflect on everything that I’m thankful for I can’t help but smile. I have so many blessings in my life that I am so grateful for. I have awesome friends, a great family and a company that I’ve always dreamed of.

I am so thankful for the awesome brides I have! Just last night I got this email last night from Teresa, one of my amazing brides:

“Hi Delaney!! :)

You are the absolute BEST!!! And your timing is PERFECT! We just got to Warner Robins and we got to see them for the first time with my family around so it made it really special!!!!! :) Everyone LOVES them but mom says to tell you the biggest problem is going to pick which one is her favorite!! ;) Marcus said to make sure I told you hello and "thanks for hooking him up!" ;)

We had such a good time with you as well and truly could not be happier! Thanks so much for letting me know they were up! It was great hearing from you and again we are SO happy with our pictures!!! Can't wait to see you again soon!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!”

Another bride wrote me earlier this week:

“I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! Today is actually my mom's birthday and she was so happy to see how they turned out. I had to wait until I got home from school to see them (silly high school restricted Internet) but you can bet I smiled all the way home knowing I'd get to check them out! Nick was actually looking at them online while I was driving and talking to him on the phone (cheater!), so I got his happy thoughts first. Thank you so much---I know we will treasure these! :) –Austin”

I have so many more emails like that. I wish I could just list them all.

How awesome is my job? I get the BEST and kindest brides ever. I am so thankful for every single kind comment and sweet bride I have. I love it when I become more of a friend than simply the photographer for the wedding.

But, I couldn’t do it without my staff. They are what keeps things going and allows me to create the images I do. I can’t think of anyone else who I would rather work with than the people I do now. I can’t believe how awesome of a team I have and when I go to work in the mornings, it’s always with a smile because I know that the day is going to be awesome. I love getting to do what I love every single day. Yesterday we sent several packages out that I know people will get over the weekend and be so excited to open!

I’ll be seeing some friends over the weekend I haven’t seen in a while and then we have Church on Sunday. It’s going to be a great weekend.

I hope you and your family has a great Thanksgiving Day and you enjoy all the blessings in your life too!

Delaney

Lunch with Friends

Stephanie and I had to go to Atlanta to run an errand for the studio, so I called my friends up from LaCour, an awesome photography studio based in Atlanta, and we all got together for lunch while we were there.

LaCour is made up of some of the finest photographers I know. In fact, they were voted one of the top ten wedding photography studios in the world this year. I've known Andrew Neisen and his wife Rachel for years and I've even shot a wedding with them. Mark Adams is one of the finest photojournalists I know, and Rachel's brother Jonathan is the "Code Poet" behind some awesome software they wrote called ShootQ. We all met at the Flying Biscuit Cafe and hung out together.

We passed photos around, talked about weddings and challenges in photography, but the best part for me was when we weren't talking shop. Mark has been getting up at 5:00am and working out like crazy lately. He showed me his sweet custom motorcycle built after his grandfather's WWII bomber. In fact, Mark still has his grandfather's leather flight jacket. How awesome is that? Rachel was cracking me up constantly as Andrew and Stephanie bantered about how many television sets each had, or didn't have. I joked with Jonathan about how coders always call software bugs features. "It's not a bug - it's a feature!"

We talked about all kinds of crazy stuff. It was really good to just hang out with some good friends.

We've been getting a lot of things done at the studio lately, but it was good to have the chance to have lunch with friends. There's an old Nigerian Proverb that says, "Hold a true friend with both your hands." I couldn't agree more.

Young love...

I had the pleasure of meeting this adorable couple recently. We had a great time hanging out downtown and we managed to capture some awesome images of them too! 

Nikki & Eric... thanks for allowing me to document this special time for you. I can't wait for you to see the rest of the images! 

Stephanie~

Get out and Vote!

In a few minutes I’ll be taking a small break from working at the studio to go and vote. In recent elections, it’s been made so clear that every single vote from every single American counts.

I absolutely love my country. I love the freedom we share, the ability to pursue happiness and a better life. I feel a huge debt for those that came before me who sacrificed, sometimes with their lives, so that I and my children could one day peacefully say who we wanted to lead our nation. I feel a debt to those who are currently serving our country and defending our way of life.

I’ve recently traveled to several other countries and in all my travels I’ve never seen a nation that I’d rather live in or be more proud to say that was my own.

God bless America!

So I’ll be voting soon. I hope you get out today and vote too and enjoy our freedom to do so!

-Delaney

A walk in the woods...

I spent the morning with this cute little fellow recently. I saw him six months ago for his one year pictures and he wasn't walking yet. He is still a little unsure of his walking ability but his little red Converse high tops sure were cute! 

The woods next to his house lead to his grandparent's house and he loves to take walks there! 

He is a very busy boy and could only spare a few minutes of his time for me, but I think I managed to capture some really cute images of him! 

Thank you Lindsay for allowing me to spend time with you and your baby boy again. I can't wait for you to see the rest of the images! 

Two Teeny Tiny Babies...

As a photographer, one of the things I have always wanted to do is to have a session with newborn twins. I recently had that opportunity with a sweet little boy and little girl... 

This first image is my favorite from the session. I just love the way the little girl is looking at her brother. There is no denying the bond that twins have. 

The babies were so sweet and didn't fuss or cry at all. The little guy was full of smiles and the cute little girl has the beginnings of a headful of curly hair... just like her mommy... 

Jessica - thanks so much for allowing me the opportunity to capture this important time for your family. Your babies are beautiful and such a joy! 

I can't wait for you to see the rest of the images from our session!

Stephanie ~

Sweetness times three...

I had so much fun during my session with this cute family! The kids were so sweet and adorable.

I always love a challenge... and this little guy was a tough cookie! He tried to hide from me and he would look the other way every time he saw me put my camera up to my face, but I managed to sneak a few shots of him! 

I was just wanted to share a quick sneak peek for their mom and dad... 

Chuck and Neysa, I hope you like them and I can't wait for you to see the rest! 

Stephanie~

A baby supermodel...

I have seen this little sweetie since she was a little tiny baby. In fact, this is the fourth time I have taken her pictures during her first year! 

She has always been an absolute joy to photograph. I call her the baby supermodel. She will pose and smile for me all day!

She is not quite walking yet but I did get a few pictures of her standing up and she got to have some fun with a birthday cake in the studio as well. She wasn't quite sure if she liked it at first and it was funny to watch her cute little face after she took a big handful of icing and put it in her mouth. She seemed to not like it at all but then she would smile and put it back in her mouth again!

I can't believe she is a year old already - time has just flown by...

Ashley, thank you so much for allowing me to capture the important milestones in your baby girl's first year. It has been a joy!

Stephanie~

Stephanie~

A serious little guy?... Not so much!

This little guy reminded me so much of my own first born son, who is now an 18 year old senior in high school. It seems like just yesterday that he was celebrating his first birthday. Time has flown by at such a fast pace... 

Carrie told me that her son is a serious little guy who is sometimes called "The Judge" by their friends. I was so excited to capture a bit of his more fun loving side!

His mom even brought the antique fire engine that he received for his first birthday to the session and it was a great addition for his portraits! 

Carrie, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek and I can't wait for you to see the rest of them! 

Stephanie

I can't believe it has been a whole year...

It seems like just yesterday that I was taking maternity portraits for Amy. Not long after that I was called to take pictures of a sweet newborn baby boy. 

Since then I have seen this little guy several more times and he is now one year old! It is amazing how much he has changed in his first year. He is walking all over the place now and we had so much fun together during our session. 

I just wanted to share a few images from his session. 

Amy, it was an honor and pleasure to document your baby boy's first year of life. Thank you so much! 

Stephanie

Patty Cake

I'm in my office working on my computer and Stephanie is in the shooting room right now with a beautiful mother of a sweet little one year old boy. They are having a ball doing a portrait session for his first birthday. I just heard the mother exclaim, "He's never done patty cake before! Oh my gosh! That's SO cute!" and gails of laughter.

I couldn't help but smile. Years from now, that little boy is going to graduate high school and move away to college. I can imagine him driving away to college all excited about the next step in his life and this same mother walking into his much too empty beadroom with a photo album, sitting down on the bed and looking through the memories.

One of the memories she will find there is the moment he first played patty cake.

Thinking

Looking at the whiteboard we just finished, I could see we had our work laid out for us. I looked around the room at the people on my team and felt that yes, even though the vision we had put together was very ambitious, it was something we could achieve.

We do a lot of thinking around here. We constantly work together to grow as a company and to find ways to treat our clients better than ever. This meeting was to find out ways that we could serve our clients better than ever and to begin to put together a vision of what kind of studio we could become.

The question was simple, if we had unlimited resources, if the sky was really the limit, what could we do to serve the people who come for us to document their lives in the absolute best way we possibly could.

The answers were amazing. Ideas floated around the room and as we wrote them down, challenged each other and began to put together a vision for our company, we began to get more and more excited.

Look back in the weeks ahead as we put together new ideas, new products and services and do some amazing things here.

I can’t wait for you to see what’s in store!

Old Friends...

I was so excited to hear from this little guy's mom recently! I took his five year old pictures last year and it was an honor to be asked to capture this moment in time as he turns six. 

He was so much fun to play with and even though we had to have a plan B for our session location, I got some awesome shots for his mom. 

He is a lucky little guy... his mom, aunt and grandmother all came to his session and I can tell by the way they all interact that he is a very loved little boy.

I know his mom is anxiously awaiting her sneak peek! I hope you enjoy these! I can't wait for you to see the rest... 

I hope ya'll have fun at the Georgia Aquarium!  

Stephanie

Alyson McGoldrick & Jon Cozart

Alyson was beautiful. As she looked out the window of the King and Prince, she looked absolutely stunning. They handed her the bouquet and we began taking photos of her and her bridesmaids, all of us laughing and having the time of our lives on the happiest day of Alyson’s.

Jon didn’t seem nervous, but very excited as he was about to marry the woman of his dreams. The wedding was beautiful and seagulls called overhead as they made promises to each other to last a lifetime.

Alyson and Jon, thanks so much for inviting us to your wedding and making us feel like old friends.

Venue: King and Prince on Saint Simons Island
Wedding Consultant: Caroline Carter with Events By Caroline

WDEN Gets Involved!

One of the awesome things about being a photographer is that you make all kinds of friends at weddings. One of my good friends is Laura Starling. She works at WDEN, a local radio startion as a DJ and also DJ's weddings.

When we started doing the Dog Days promotion, I called her up and the radio station was good enough to mention it on the air. I talked to Laura and she said that they would love to have the Shelter come on the radio and bring an animal that needed adoption, so when they came out Saturday, I told them about it.

Laura called me this morning to find out about how the Dog Days of Summer went. I told her how awesome everyone had been. She just emailed me and told me that they will be having some of the dogs and cats on their radio program next Wednesday at 7:45am! I'll be tuned in, and I hope you will too at WDEN FM 99!

The awesome part of doing something like this is to see not only the one time gifts you guys all gave, but also the ongoing help the shelter is getting because of the promotion.

None of this would have been possible without people like you who care.

When I walked in the studio this morning I smiled. The faint scent of dog food drifted into the lobby from our viewing room. In our viewing room almost 1,000 pounds of dog and cat food was spread out all over the place, the aftermath of this past weekend’s event, waiting to be picked up and fed to dogs and cats without homes.

It never ceases to amaze me how generous people can be. This weekend we did our first benefit called "The Dog Days of Summer" for a local no-kill shelter All About Animals. We simply offered to photograph people’s pets in exchange for a bag of dog or cat food. The response was overwhelming. We even had people drop food by who didn’t want photos of their pets, they simply wanted to help.

We filled every slot we had for shooting pets. There was a never ending stream of pets flowing in and out our front door. We had two news stations and the local paper come out to photograph and film the chaos! The puppies slid around on our hard wood floors and the cats batted at our kitty toys as we bribed them with treats, hugged and petted them until we got the image for their owner.

One puppy came in that was the spitting image of my first dog Pepper I had when I was a little boy. I miss that dog. Pepper was my best friend and we used to have so many adventures in my back yard together.

Pets can be like children to people. This one sweet lady came in with her cat and said that the kitty was like a son to her. She explained that she didn’t have any really good photographs of her cat and that her cat was getting on in age. We tenderly photographed her cat and when we showed her the image on the back of the camera, she pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped her eyes.

And at the All About Animals shelter, there are dogs and cats who are waiting there to be loved and who will be enjoying the generosity of all of you until they find homes with people who love them like you love your own pet.

We're working on the images and they should be posted soon. Check below for a fun slide show!

Thanks guys. Your generosity and your heart this weekend was truly amazing.