Sunnydaze Photography

It's been a LONG time...

2011-05-31T12:07:00.000-05:00

Yes I know it's been WAY to long since I've shared, almost a year. This past year has been full of smiles :)

I'm a firm believer that people come in and out of our lives for a reason, sometimes we don't know why and others we know they are there just to bring a smile to our face. I'm so thankful to have been given the opportunity to meet so many new people this past year. Many of you new faces and some returning customers. This year has LOTS of new and exciting things in store for Sunnydaze Photography. I have a calendar in the works with events, shows, and lots of sessions !!! Be sure to book early as slots are already filling up fast. I'll try...key word...TRY and do better to update the BLOG more often. Be sure to check out Sunnydaze Photography Facebook Page for the most recent updates. I look forward to a GREAT year !!!

HAPPY SUMMER...

2010-06-01T10:13:00.000-05:00

Summer is here !!! YAY...as many of you know I LOVE warm & sunny days...LOL, hince the name Sunnydaze Photography !!! WOW what a crazy busy Spring this has been. I am so blessed to have met so many new people. I just want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all of my new customers & fans !!! Without you I wouldn't be here...I am so lucky to have a job that I so love !!!

So what's going on this month you ask? Well, there are several exciting things coming up. DenimDaze Special...details coming soon !!! You WON'T want to miss this one...

In the meantime since Summer has arrived...a HOT deal for YOU !!! From June 1st - June 15th session fee is only $ 40......that's a $25 savings !!! Call today to set up your session...

And just because I can't post without some images here are a few from some recent sessions...

Falling behind again...

2010-05-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

Somehow the blog always gets left behind...The website & facebook always get updated...but here, well...I always end up here, LOL...Spring has been GREAT !!! Lots of fun & funky sessions so far and I look forward to many more. I have already booked 2 weddings so far this year, with the first one coming up next weekend. WOW ............ is all I can say !!! I LOVE photography...no matter how bad my day or week has gone, everytime I sit down to edit a session my whole mood changes...it's magical for me !!! I never know where God will lead me but one thing is for sure...I will NEVER stop being a photographer !!!

OK, now on to some fun sessions I've done recently ...

Baby Ayden...

2010-04-15T15:09:00.000-05:00

I am so glad I got to meet little Ayden for our session...He is just about the happiest 6 month old I have seen...He smiled the entire time and you just can't help but be happy around a sweet baby !!! Shawn & Mark hope you enjoy your sneak peak...

Recent Session...

2010-04-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

Here are a few images of some sessions I have done in the past week or so...Spring is here so call today to set up a session !!!! 270-293-3430

Murray's Cutest Kid Contest...

2010-04-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

Here are the details:

*To enter, you will need to be a fan on Facebook Fan Page so if your not a fan..become one.

*Send me ONE picture (per child) of your cute little one (birth - 17) and to make it fair, no professional pictures are allowed to michelle@sunnydaze-photography.com

*Next click the "Suggest to Friends" link under the logo on my main Facebook Fan Page and send to all your friends, family, etc. Let everyone know to be able to vote they MUST be a fan!!!

*I'll be excepting pictures from March 25- April 1 2010 then I will place all photos in an album on my Facebook fan page. Voting will begin on April 5th and will end April 19th . The winner will be announced on April 20th.

*Only ONE vote per person is allowed!! Parents who enter more than one child will be allowed one vote per child. "Likes" do NOT count as votes! A comment must be made under the photo you are voting for. Multiple votes will be deleted!

*Must live in the Murray, Kentucky Area! (Sorry out of town fans, but you can still vote & suggest to friends) :) Unless out of town fans can make it here to Murray, Kentucky

What does the WINNER get you ask???

A FREE session, a package of prints ~ 16-wallets, 2-8x10, 3-5x7 and 10-4x6 (same pose).

This is a $174 value !!!! Additional prints will be available for purchase at regular prices.

So who has the cutest kid in Murray??? Get those pictures in and let's find out !!!!!!

Marcum Family...

2010-03-04T23:31:00.000-06:00

I had so much fun with this family...Tyler was full of energy and kept me on the go...and little Ryleigh was just sweet as could be. I hope you enjoy the sneak peak...

Fear & Hope...a personal note

2010-02-27T10:58:00.000-06:00

In the past 2 weeks my family has been hit with some pretty hard times. I can't go into all of it right now..but as many of you know I don't keep things to myself for very long !!!

All I can say is I have had so much fear and stress in the past 2 weeks that I honestly don't know how much more I can take. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that God will provide for us all. I have put in lots of prayer and I know that HE will show us the way !!!

So many times we get into a hard spot...feel backed into a corner, like there is no hope. No matter what our problems are, if they are work, family, money, whatever the issue.....Be strong and know that there is always hope...there is always an answer. Just be looking for it...it will come.

Little Sneak Peak !!!

2010-02-24T12:25:00.000-06:00

It was so nice to get out in the great weather...sunny & warm.....while it lasted !!! Now it's cold and spitting snow AGAIN...so I thought I would post a few images from this fun session I did a few days ago. Thanks so much you guys for being such a blast. Hope you enjoy !!!

Bloom Workshop Giveaway...

2010-02-24T12:01:00.000-06:00

To all my fellow photographer friends...go and check out this GREAT prize...Bloom Workshop is giving away some really cool stuff. Be sure to enter to win...I did !!!

http://www.bloomworkshops.com/

Murray Home, Lawn & Farm Show...

2010-02-13T11:00:00.000-06:00

I am here at the home show loving meeting everyone. I just took a few images of the booth and wanted to share them with you. If you are out and about, be sure to stop by the show and see me. I'm in booth #144, I look forward to seeing ya.

Marketing...

2010-02-09T18:37:00.000-06:00

It's been some crazy weather here in Murray, Kentucky this past month. LOTS of snow !!! We got about 6 more inches last night, yuck !!! Thankfully I have been busy getting ready for the home show this weekend and haven't had time to get sad over the snow. I did see a little bit of sunshine today, so I'm happy. I wanted to share one of the items I'll have displaying at the booth this weekend. They are 10x10 Canvas Thinwraps. All I can say is I LOVE these. I had 3 printed up of my kids so I can use them in my home as well as in marketing...pretty smart I thought. So here ya go...hope you like them as well as I do. Be sure to stop by the booth and sign up to win some GREAT prizes. I'll be doing a drawing each day of the home show. Become a FAN of Sunnydaze Photography on facebook and you'll have a chance to win a HUGE prize on Tuesday. Be sure if you come by the booth to say HI, I'll be there all weekend.

Winter & Sun...

2010-01-28T00:14:00.000-06:00

For those of you that do not know me personally...I HATE winter time !!!

My fav time of year is fall. I love the colors, the weather, and the smells. It's funny to think about because I adore the beach, could stay on the beach all day everyday...but I hate the heat. Go figure !! Pretty much anytime between April - November I'm happy. I got to thinking about that today and wondered why??? My answer is the sun... I have a good friend that on really sunny days I call her just to say "the sun is out take a deep breath and enjoy it"...that says a lot.

Like most people I have bad days...days that nothing seems to go right. Like I can't get my groove going or something. It never fails...those days are days that it's cloudy or rainy or snowy blah days...give me a bright sunny day and I'M ON !!! Sunshine makes me happy. It brings peace to my crazy world.

Photography, like the sun, makes me calm......I can leave my house with clothes ready to be folded or put away, kids... well, being kids and a dog barking at nothing but the air so it seems and go do a session and be at peace with everything around me. So many times I have parents that are stressed to the max because thier kids are running around and playing and not sitting still...I don't want them to just sit still...I want them to play and run and be a kid...be themselves !!! Being able to capture that child being themself is so rewarding to me. I want them to feel comfy enough with me around to just be...as adults we sometimes lose that ability to just be..to be silly, or laugh out loud, or roll in the dirt and get dirty...it's OK !!!

So the next time the sun is out...get outside and enjoy it...Go outside and take a deep breath and just BE !!!

Push, Pull or Drag him in Valentine's Day Special...

2010-01-18T00:40:00.000-06:00

Push, Pull, or Drag him in !!!

Murray and surrounding areas – Sunnydaze Photography announces the first ever Push, Pull, or Drag him in, Valentine's Day Portrait Special.

How many times do we just get images of our kids and none of the two of us??? I’m guilty as well…I’m offering you and your special one a chance to get images of just the two of you.

We all know how hard it is to get that man in your life in to do pictures…

So ladies... I’ve made it super easy for you to bring your guy in for a portrait this year.

~ Most important… The session will only be about “30” minutes!

~The session is only $35!

~ You get a FREE Facebook image from the session!

~If you want to order anything else, you will get a $35 print credit…

~It’s right before Valentine’s Day, so if all else fails…tell him to do it for you…

The Nitty Gritty …

The session dates are January 18th - February 10th. Session times for this special are limited. So if you want to get in on this, you’ve got to call me ASAP before I’m all booked.

The sessions will be outdoor sessions. Which if it’s cold is a good thing, you will have to snuggle up and get close, which means GREAT images of the two of you !!!

If you’d like to get in on one of the Push, Pull, or Drag him in Valentine’s Day sessions, please call 270-293-3430. This special is good for married couples, engaged couples, dating couples, friends, even high school students.

Looking forward...

2010-01-13T16:49:00.000-06:00

Looking back over 2009 I have to ask myself, what could I have done differently to improve?

Ask anyone who knows me I am a FIRM believer that everything happens for a reason. 10 year ago I would have never imagined that I would have a photography business. Granted it was a huge dream, but never really saw it happening. After lots of thought and prayer I took that leap of faith and opened Sunnydaze Photography. I'm not Tabitha from "Bewitched" so I can't twinkle my nose and everything just happen. Trust me I wish I could !!!

2009 was a hard year for me personally. As many of you know (not for sure if anyone really reads this, lol) I moved to a new town in Oct of 08'. This move was very hard as I moved from all my friends and family AND had to basically start over with the business. In January I was starting to second guess my ability to really be successful in the photography business. Was I really good enough, did I really know what I was doing...maybe I should just go back and get a job in the social work field. After the ice storm hit in late January, I had to sit back and decide what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Photography has been such a huge part of my life for a long time. I can honestly say that there are still times I tear up editing sessions. The emotion that photography brings out in people is like no other. So after lots of prayer and putting lots of thought into it, I once again took that leap of faith. I spent Spring doing lots of planning so come Summer I was ready to take off...take off I did !!! June - December was pretty busy for me. Not as busy as I would like...I have my goals set and hope to increase both sessions and profits this year.

With that said, by the end of the week I will have my new structure set in place. I have had clients ask for packages, so yes they will be added. I have had clients ask for product, so yes that will be added. My prices will be going up just a little (not a lot, so breath...) I will also be increasing my session fee. Nothing can grow if it stays still....so I embrace change.

I want to say a huge thanks to all of you that have believed in me and who continue to encourage me in this journey. I will never give up on my dreams and I can only hope that you don't either.

Snow Day

2010-01-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

I can remember as a child looking forward, and praying, for a snow day. Where I grew up there were always snow days, sometimes up to a week. The first couple of days were lots of fun then I just got bored and was ready to go back to school...don't get me wrong, I didn't want to go to school for the school work, but to see my friends !!! Today was the first snow day of the year. My kids were pretty excited to say the least. School has already been called off for the morning as well. I'm pretty sure by Monday they will be more than ready to go back to school. Today Taylor & I went out in the bitter cold to get a few snow pictures. She is usually a more than willing model...as most 13 year old girls are. We were only able to stay out about 10 min. It was just WAY to cold. Here are a few shots from our "mini session" I got to use some cool textures that I recently came across...hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Stay warm........

A New Year ...

2010-01-05T18:07:00.000-06:00

I have to admit, I am a stalker…not in a bad way but a good way. I watch MANY blogs, sometimes going several times in a day just to see what is going on. I am a very outgoing, intelligent, and talkative woman who just happens to be a professional photographer. So why do I have such a hard time blogging??? I can talk all day to pretty much anyone, never met a stranger…but here, I struggle. NO MORE !!!! This is a new year, a new me…I have decided this year (my 39th year…ssshhh!!) will be my year, my year to improve myself in many ways. I want to get healthier (aka..drop some pounds), I want to give back to my community through my business, and I want to grow by business by 50%. I do better with deadlines so I thought to hold myself accountable I will post it to the blog. So next year this time I WILL have accomplished these goals. Wish me luck and drop in if nothing else just to say Hi.

Cutest Family Contest !!!

2009-12-31T17:11:00.000-06:00

Sunnydaze Photography is participating in the International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Family and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org)

Are your loved ones North America’s Cutest Family? We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it! Many exciting prizes will be awarded, and the grand prize winner receives a new car!

Model Search Special:

$50 entrance fee includes a 60-minute model session and one image submitted to the national gallery.

Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org).

Grand prize international winner will be determined from the 52 city finalists. The winners will be selected from the finalist gallery by photography and modeling industry experts. The winning family also receives a session with the renowned portrait artist Sandy Puc’ and international recognition.

Call 270-293-3430 now to enter your family in this exciting contest.

*Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. For more information, visit http://sandypucmodels.com/.

the 3/50 project...

2009-09-14T22:55:00.000-05:00

I'm still here...

2009-08-26T17:21:00.004-05:00

All I can say is MY POOR BLOG...I have been very bad at updating here and I will try to do better. I have a Fan Page on Facebook that I have been updating but not doing so well here and for that I am sorry.

So you ask what has been going on with Sunnydaze Photography??? Well, I've been pretty busy these last couple of months doing lots of marketing and sessions !!! Being new in a town sometimes means being creative in how you go about things. It takes awhile to get use to the people and how things work. I want to thank everyone for being patient with me while I have been learning and exploring Murray. Let me share with you just a few of the pictures from some recent sessions...

LIttle Skylar...

2009-03-09T14:49:00.003-05:00

Last week I had a call from my best friend, Rebecca. She wanted some pictures of little Skylar who is 6 months old...we had such a good time during this session. Here she is...hope you enjoy her as much as I did!!!

2008-12-19T23:02:00.007-06:00

This past week I had the chance to meet Amanda and her two girls ages 10 and 6 months. I wanted to share a few pics from that session. I had SO much fun with these sweet little girls...thanks so much Amanda for allowing me to spend sometime with your family...hope you enjoy!!

Good Friends...

2008-11-14T14:24:00.006-06:00

Here are my old next door neighbors...I did these pictures the day we were packing to move...we sure do miss you guys!!! Hope you enjoy the pics...

Sweet Girls

2008-11-12T12:03:00.005-06:00

Before moving I did some pictures of the sweetest girls...thought I would share with you...here they are!!

2008-11-09T18:13:00.004-06:00

Well...it's been a LONG time since I have posted...there has been many changes in my life in the past several months. The biggest thing is I have moved to Murray, Ky. I have only been here for about 2 weeks but have settled in and the kids seem to like the new place and new schools...I thought I would share a few pics ...and I promise to share more often...so here ya go!! The first picture is at Ky. Lake this past week..The next pic is of Taylor and her new pass time!! Then Colby posing after his hard work of blowing all the leaves into a huge pile...hope you enjoy!!

Sweet Baby Girl

2008-09-05T18:27:00.005-05:00

Skylar Kennedy

My friend, Rebecca had her baby almost 2 weeks ago...Welcome little Skylar..it's been a really busy couple of weeks.

We also welcomed a sweet little boy into our family...my nephew, Tate...he is a week old now!!!

I'll try and get some pictures up of him soon.

Well, that's all I have for now...I'll share more when I get a chance...

My bestest friend...Rebecca

2008-08-09T17:12:00.003-05:00

My friend, Rebecca, is due the end of August. I had the privilege of taking some pic's of her family...as well as her belly...Here are a few from that session.

Ashley & Adam...

2008-07-29T18:46:00.004-05:00

Meet Ashley & Adam...they came to Glendale a couple of weeks ago and here are a few from their session...I had a really hard time picking just a few because they all turned out SOOO good!!! Let me know what you think...

Session from a couple of weeks ago...

2008-07-26T21:22:00.005-05:00

I had so much fun with this session. Each of these kids are so full of personality and spirit!! They are beautiful inside and out...hope you enjoy.

Little Man...

2008-07-26T21:10:00.005-05:00

Tonight I took a few shots of Colby...it seems lately that I don't get the chance to take very many pictures of my kids...so I took a few minutes and snapped some quick ones. These are some that I really liked...Colby liked them to!!

My kids...

2008-07-25T13:25:00.004-05:00

I thought I would share a few pictures of my kids...it's sad how fast they grow up...Oldest 2 youngest: Taylor-12, Colby-8, Josh-7, and Abby-5

2008-07-25T13:22:00.001-05:00

I love this version....it for sure calms you down doesn't it?

Just one more post...

2008-07-24T15:15:00.002-05:00

Here are a few shots from a recent session I did here in Glendale. These girls were SO cute and really easy to work with...This is Madison and Macey...don't you just love the names, I do!!

Sweet Girl...

2008-07-24T15:06:00.003-05:00

This is my sweet little niece Marley. These were taken at her 2nd Birthday Party in June. She was so tired at the end of it...but it sure did make for some cute pictures. Love you Marley

First Post...

2008-07-23T16:05:00.000-05:00

This is my first official post. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am here finally!!! I will try my best to post something everyday to keep everyone informed as to what is going on with Sunnydaze Photography. For those of you who don’t know, Sunnydaze Photography opened up in April of this year. My name is Michelle Ryan and I am the owner. I am located in Glendale, Kentucky which is just outside of Louisville. I specialize in children, families and seniors. You can check out my website at Sunnydaze-photography.com.
As I am new to this..be patient with me as I learn the in’s and out’s. I’ll be changing things up as soon as I figure it out, lol!! So check back with me you never know what you might find. Thanks to everyone who has helped me thus far to fulfill my dream of being a photographer.