Summer Mini Sessions Announced!

I will be holding Summer Mini Session's on June 29th and 30th only!
A $75 deposit will be required to hold your spot and will go towards your package fee. 


Please click the link for more information and to schedule your session! 


I can't wait to see you :)

Summer Mini's

Free Senior Session WINNERS Announced!

Awhile back, I hosted a contest for a FREE high school senior session. Instead of one winner, there are two! They are.....

Lucia O.

and 

Sami D.

Congratulations!! 

The winners will each get their session fee waived, a set of senior rep cards to pass out to their classmates, and a free 8x10 with their order (which they will also get a discount on!).  All other entrants will receive a free 8x10 and a discount on their order.  


Ladies, please contact me asap to schedule your appointment! 

Little Man Lukas | Clinton Township Toddler Session

Lukas is on the blog! Isn't he just the cutest?! He's got the personality to match too. 

And those eyes! I didn't have to do any touch-ups or sharpening on them...they are really that blue and gorgeous! 

What a little heart-breaker he's going to be! 

Lukas with mommy & daddy

http://www.nikicollisphotography.com

https://www.facebook.com/NikiCollisPhotography

Maternity Monday | Shelby Township, MI Photographer

Gosh, the weekends go by so quickly and I am never ready for Monday morning to come. At least the sunrise is pretty and makes it a little more bearable. I had a busy weekend and it's definitely true that time flies when you're having fun. Saturday I went boating all day long. Literally, all day..from noon until 12:30am! It was a great time and I only got sunburned on my shoulder blades which feel like they are on fire. Ouch! Of course I had to burn the most inconvenient place where I can barely reach to put aloe on myself, ha ha!

Sunday I met a couple for a maternity session. This was my 5th maternity session in about a month or so. I really enjoy photographing maternity sessions and this one was just amazing. They had a lot of ideas of different poses, listened to my ideas, and they were so easy to talk to. And I loved the fact that they weren't afraid of getting dirty and were up for just about anything. We spent nearly two hours shooting in a gorgeous location and I couldn't wait to get home to go through the photos and share a sneak peak. So here you go! 

I told you they were amazing! :)  

Almost every shot turned out perfect, no joke! So now you can see why I can't wait to start editing this session!

Make your Monday a great one! 

Oh! And if you have a couple minutes to spare, I would greatly appreciate your vote for me for best portrait photographer in the Detroit A-List Contest. I came in 6th last year and I would love to beat that this year :) Right now I'm in 8th and every single vote counts! Thank you!! 

Vote Here!

The "D" Family | Mount Clemens Family Session

What a fun session this was! The "D" Family is amazing, funny, and just all around awesome. We had a great time in downtown Mt. Clemens during the photo session, even though it was somewhat chilly that morning :)

Free Session?!

Are you a fun, outgoing soon-to-be senior*? Niki Collis Photography is giving away a free high-school senior portrait session! The winner will have their session fee waived and receive a free set of senior rep cards along with a free 8x10 print (a $125 value!). You will also receive a discount on all collection purchases. If you are interested, please fill out the following form. All entries must be completed by Friday, May 4th. *Class of 2013 only


CLICK HERE FOR FORM!

One-Hour Photo? I Think Not.

So often I have heard from clients, "Oh I am just going to print the photos from the local one-hour location." And I cringe. I know what these one-hour store produce. They are decent, if you want to stick 4x6's in a photo album and call it a day. But to actually use them for displaying in your home? Ehhh...I don't recommend it. At all. Their printing machines are just not up to par with those from a professional printing lab. Check out this example from fellow photographer, Nadia Hurtt. 

As you can see, Nadia took the same photo and had it developed at a professional lab as well as three big-box one-hour photo locations. The difference astounds me as they are not even close to the original version and the pro lab version. The quality is just not there. Going the cheaper, less-expensive route is not always the best idea. This is the main reason I have stopped, for the most part, giving discs with my photo sessions. The one-hour photo labs do not reflect the quality of my photography of you correctly.  I want you to have beautiful custom artwork hanging in your home for all to enjoy for many years to come. I'm not being gimmicky, or trying to sell you tons of prints, I just honestly want the best for my customers :)

I do plan on doing like Nadia has done, have the same photo printed from a variety of places. I will post my outcome on an upcoming blog post. I will also have these examples with me during our session so that you can see for yourself the difference, not only in the quality of the photograph itself, but also the quality of photo paper that  is used. 

Thank you so much to Nadia Hurtt for allowing me to use her example for this blog posting! :)

Spring is in the Air

Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming and baseball is back! That can only mean one thing....Spring is here! I am very excited about the upcoming months and working with my amazing clients. I've got a lot of new ideas for my photo sessions (and some new gadgets too!) and I can't wait to shoot your sessions! 


Often times before a session, I am asked, "What should I/we wear?" or "Can you give me some ideas of what I/we should wear to our session?" To give you a visual of some amazing clothing combinations and color choices, I look to the great Corina Nielsen who always posts some great clothing combos on her blog.

By no means do you have to go run out and purchase these exact combos! But hopefully it does aide you in deciding what color combos and styles work together. I do want you to be comfortable so please don't get dressed up in something that is not "you" or puts you completely out of your own element. I of course am always interested where YOU shop as well so please do share :)

Operation: Love ReUnited | Royal Oak Military Session

Friday, April 6th, I met with an amazing couple in downtown Royal Oak, MI. He is deploying very soon and they contacted me, through another photographer, through the wonderful organization, Operation: Love Reunited. This organization, which I am proudly a part of, provides photo sessions at NO cost to those in the military, either predeployment, deployment, or homecoming. 

It was a tad chilly out but other than that, it was a beautiful day. We got some amazing photos throughout the city. Here is just a sneak peak of a few of those photos. As soon as I go through the rest, I plan on showcasing another few. There are some great ones that I can't wait to share! 

As per guidelines, the name-tag has been blurred out and the following statement posted: 

“The photos and other content of this publication do not imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.”

Half-Off Friday!

Since Friday is "Good Friday", I am slashing all of my sessions fees in half for one day only! If you have been wanting to get photographs done, then make Friday your day! I only have TWO spots left so contact me asap to schedule your session!

My Review of Canon Pixma iP3600, 5 Color Photo Inkjet Printer with USB Interface, 8.5x11", for Mac & Windows

Originally submitted at Adorama

Canon Pixma iP3600, 5 Color Photo Inkjet Printer with USB Interface, 8.5" x 11", for Mac & Windows

Canon Pixma iP3600, 5 Color Photo Inkjet Printer with USB Interface, 8.5x11", for Mac & Windows

Canon Pixma iP3600

By nikicollisphotography from Roseville, MI on 3/26/2012

 

4out of 5

Pros: Accurate Colors, Easy Setup, Reliable, Easy To Use, Great Contrast, Great Overall Quality, Sharp Tones & Colors

Cons: Slow Print Time

Best Uses: Color Photos, Everyday images

Describe Yourself: Professional

Primary use: Business

I purchased this printer for an event I was photographing and printing on-site. The initial setup of the printer took longer than traditional printers but it was very easy to do if you followed the included directions. I did a couple test prints at home which all came out really great. The colors and contrast were pretty spot-on. During the event, I printed more than one hundred photos and there was never any issue with color, etc. It seemed a tad bit slow printing wise for my liking but I wouldn't call it a flaw or anything. I purchased additional ink cartridges but didn't have to use them, the ink that came with the printer took care of the job and I haven't gotten any low-level warnings yet. Overall, I would definitely recommend this printer to others. I am very happy with my purchase and I can see myself using this a great deal in the future.

(legalese)

Freebie Friday!

It's Friday and time for a freebie offer!!

Book a session with me and receive a FREE accordion mini album with any print collection purchase! That is a $35 value!  Accordion mini's are great little keepsakes and are perfect gifts as well! This offer ends Sunday and deposit is required.

My days are filling up quickly! Contact me today :)

Attention! High School Juniors

Time for me to face the facts. I have a son who is a junior in high school and will soon enough, become a senior. Yikes! Where ever did the time go? I still can't wrap my head around the thought! lol For high school juniors, there is so much planning and whatnot that needs to be done. Time to start thinking about the future and future college plans. My son is thinking of joining the National Guard, which I think is really great! Even if he changes his mind, I will fully support whatever he decides for his future. It's also a time to start thinking about senior portraits!  It's never too early to schedule your senior portrait session. Or, for those seniors who haven't gotten their senior pictures taken yet, you still have time! 

Your senior portrait session with me will last up to two hours and during that time, you will have unlimited clothing changes. I also accommodate up to two locations in your fee, as long as they are in relative close proximity to one another. I do have my seniors (or soon-to-be-seniors) fill out a short survey prior to our session that gives me a better idea of their personality, likes and dislikes, etc. This helps me personalize your session to you!

I will be looking for two senior reps from each high school. My reps receive a discount on their session as well as a free set of rep cards to pass out to their friends. The rep cards will feature the senior as well as have my information on them. Each time one of their classmates turns in a rep card and books me for their session, the senior rep can earn free prints, albums and more! It's a win-win situation! If you are interested in becoming a senior rep for your school, contact me before your friends do! 

My high school junior...soon to be senior! 

Happy Valentine's Day

Sam and Brandon's Engagement session. Downtown Royal Oak, Michigan 

It's that special day of the year...Valentine's Day! I loved Valentine's Day as a child. I couldn't wait for my mom to take me to the store so I could pick out a box of Valentine Day cards to pass out to my classmates. What would I pick? The decision was always so hard; Care Bears? Rainbow Bright? Cute kittens? Once I finally picked out my box, I then couldn't wait to start writing out the cards. I would sit the night before, carefully writing each friends name on the card and signing my own name. The next day in school we would have a Valentines Day party which involved passing out our cards, passing out candy and sometimes, the teacher would wheel in the tv on a cart (you know the one!) and we would watch a movie or cartoon. Super fun!

As you grow older, Valentine's Day means something different. It means picking out the perfect gift for the one you love. And for some, it's the start of something really big. Big as in engagement! I recently read (and forgive, I forgot where) that 10% of couple get engaged on Valentine's Day and more than 2.2 million couples get married each year in the United States. That's a whole lotta engagements and weddings!

So if you are one of those 10% who has proposed or has been proposed to today, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to you!

To make it "official" why not get some engagement photos taken? These are a great way to announce your engagement to your friends and family (and the world!). They are also great when used with "save the date" announcements for your upcoming wedding. Contact me and we can create the perfect setting for your session. Engagement sessions are free if a retainer fee is received for your big wedding day. Otherwise, I do offer just engagement packages.

Mary & Jim | Mount Clemens Wedding

Here we have the gorgeous bride, Mary, just before the ceremony began. Isn't she stunning?!

We had a blast taking photographs at a local fire station, both inside and out. Mary and Jim even went up in the ladder basket high above the rest of us! Incredible! 

Saturday, February 11th I was honored to be chosen to photograph Mary and Jim's wedding. What an amazing couple! Heck, the entire bridal party was amazing as well as all of the guests. I hate to be biased but this was probably my favorite wedding to date. I just had to do a couple of quick edits to share with everyone. A longer blog post, with lots more photos of course, will be coming in the future so definitely stay tuned (or just subscribe to my updates!).

If you are interested in booking me for your big day, please contact me at niki@nikicollisphotography.com. You can see all of my current pricing on my website at Niki Collis Photography under the Investment tab. I can't wait to hear from you!

Boudoir Sessions | Warren Boudoir Photographer

Anytime you do something, anything, for the first time, there definitely is a part of you that is somewhat nervous. I admit, I was a teeny bit nervous just before I photographed my first two boudoir sessions over the weekend. But I seriously couldn't be happier with the results. Each of the women I photographed are absolutely gorgeous. They both had some ideas of what they wanted to do and how they wanted to pose (thanks to Pinterest! lol). I am 100% positive that their husbands are going to have HUGE smiles on their faces when they see the photographs for the first time.

Please contact me if you are interested in a boudoir session. My Valentine's Special ends on Saturday, February 4th. You can read all about the details HERE. Gift certificates are also available. I will also be offering boudoir photo parties, more details coming very soon!

The above photo is from one of my sessions (and I did request permission before posting). 

Fit-It Friday

It's Fix-It Friday over on I Heart Faces! I haven't done one of these in quite some time. I enjoy the opportunity to edit and play around with someone else's photo for a change though. Thank you to Andrea Riley Photography for allowing us to edit your photo!

You too can participate over on the I Heart Faces website!

This is the original, unedited photo by Andrea Riley Photography.

My edit (and for whatever reason, it looks more "drab" or "washed out" on my blog than it does in cs3)

For editing, I used CS3 and a combination of Florabella Actions:

• Classic Bright 83%
• Warm Color Pop 85%
• Add Some Drama 80%
• Rich Autumn 60%

I then cropped the image and rotated it :)

Feel free to comment AND join in on the fun! A new Fix-It Friday is posted every...you guessed it! Friday!

Boudoir

Attention ladies! Stumped on what to give your significant other for Valentine's Day? Why not give him/her a gift that will keep their heart racing for years to come? Your (strictly confidential) boudoir session will most definitely give him/her something to smile about!

Sessions take place in the comfort of your own home and will last at least an hour, maximum two. With your paid session, you will receive a disk with all edited images as well as a keepsake mini accordion book, perfect for gift-giving!

Unsure of what to wear? Some suggestions are lingerie, corsets, teddies, nightgowns, fishnet stockings, high heels/boots, a button down shirt, boy shorts, and dresses. It's all up to YOU and your comfort level! You may be a little nervous at first for your session but you should never be uncomfortable.

This special Valentine's deal ends on February 4th.

Not quite ready for a boudoir session but want to hold on to the super-savings price? Gift certificates are available for purchase and must be redeemed within six months. Gift certificates are also great for the fellas to give to their significant other, as bachelorette/bridal shower gifts, and as a gift to your solider stationed overseas!

If you have any questions or to set up your session, please contact me :)

What to wear?

Often I have clients who ask me for suggestions on what they should wear for their photo sessions. The possibilities are pretty endless. My suggestion for children is to make sure they are comfortable. If a child is uncomfortable in a certain article of clothing, chances are they will get antsy and are less likely to sit still and won't be too enthused about getting photographs taken. Now that I just wrote that, I believe that it can go for any one of any age! If you don't feel comfortable, you won't look comfortable. I want your session to be comfortable for everyone from the time we start until the very end. I do stress that character clothing and huge logos on clothing can be distracting. You don't want to take away from your smiling faces :)

The amazingly talented Corina Nielsen has compiled a few clothing suggestions for January sessions and has graciously allowed photographers to use these images she came up with. Thank you Corina! I think my favorite out of the three is the second one, but they are all pretty great! I love the reds in the first set and love the darker cooler hues in the second and third sets.

So if you are having difficulty deciding what to wear for your upcoming session, check out the following ideas and go from there. Hopefully these ideas will give you some inspiration :)

I Do...

"I Do." Two simple words that have so much meaning. A lifetime of love, laughter and happiness. And of course, everything in between! Those two simple words can and will definitely change your life. 

My husband and I will be celebrating anniversary number thirteen this coming Spring. However, we didn't have a traditional wedding. At all. We were strapped for cash and didn't want any sort of extravagant event anyway. We were married by a Justice of the Peace in the home we were renting at the time. A friend made our gorgeous wedding cake. I wore a short blue sundress and our guests all wore casual attire. Definitely not traditional! We did have fun though and we were surrounded by friends and family. I really wish that more photos had been taken.  We have a few snapshots, taken at strange angles by someone who was more than likely sitting on a chair or couch, but that's about it. Nothing nice enough to blow up large and display in our living room. No book full of wedding photos.  If there is one thing I regret the most in my life is the fact that we have virtually no nice wedding photographs. 

If you have recently become engaged or plan on popping the big question soon (Valentine's Day is just over a month away!), I would be honored if you considered me to share your special day. Having memories of your wedding day will always be special. But having actual photographs, displayed in your home and in a photo book ,will be there to always remind you of what a special and wonderful day that was. 

If you'd like to book with me, please visit my website and review the information under Investment for pricing and other details. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me. 

**(You can now find me on listed on Wedding Wire!)**