With the utmost concern for your future peace of mind, I am offering the full-resolution images (without the watermark) at a substantial discount below. My intention is to ensure that no family encounters any difficulties down the road. Please take advantage of this opportunity to secure your memories for generations to come.
Monday, June 5, 2023
Purchase Full Resolution Images without Watermark
With the utmost concern for your future peace of mind, I am offering the full-resolution images (without the watermark) at a substantial discount below. My intention is to ensure that no family encounters any difficulties down the road. Please take advantage of this opportunity to secure your memories for generations to come.
Monday, March 28, 2022
April and May 2022 Spring Sessions
April and May are the best months for morning sessions at the ABQ BioPark Botanic Gardens. I have different favorite spots depending on what time of month we are going and what flowers and trees are blooming. In late March, there are tulips and daffodils, in April the trees come alive with blossoms and the lilacs are in bloom. In May the summer flowers start with their first full flush of color. There are also some cute rustic barns, bridges, floral archways, coyote fences, and a waterfall!
The Albuquerque Gardens are great for engagements, children and family photography, quinceaneras, and even newborns! Here are some favorites from last year.
Weekday mornings at 9am are the best so we can start right when they open and without the crowds of the weekends.
To book, email Kira@elltography.com for packages or call 505-933-5585.
Botanic Garden Newborn Sessions
Botanic Gardens Children and Family Sessions
Botanic Gardens Senior Sessions and Quinceaneras
Botanical Gardens Engagement Sessions
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Fall Family Sessions 2021
2021 Bosque Fall Color Sessions Now Open - Book Here
Book Your Session and Reserve Your Date
https://cv.nmhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/081721-PHO-Masks.pdf
Do We have to wear masks?
Upon arrival, Yes, even for outdoor sessions. Due to the close proximity of the meet and greet and check-in, all children over the age of two must arrive and check-in wearing a multi-layered, non-vented mask until your call time. Please use hand sanitizer upon arrival, sign in, and stay masked until your session begins. At that point, after check-in, participants actively in the session can take masks off and we should be able to maintain social distancing for the remainder of the session.
How many people can be in the sessions? Can Grandparents come?
Up to 5 people may participate in full outdoor sessions (Extended family outside your household are not allowed for mini-sessions, but are allowed for full sessions where we have more space to move around). The only exception to the 5 people rule is when more than 5 people live in your household.
Can I bring my dog?
If you want to book an outdoor family session at a location that allows dogs, then absolutely! But they must remain on a leash at all times and an extra handler, not participating in photos to help. The dog and handler count toward the 5 "person" limit.
What happens if one of my kids gets sick?
We recommend limiting all exposure points in the 2 weeks prior to your session to make sure no one gets sick. Temperatures will be checked upon arrival as well as a health screening. Your household will not be allowed to participate if anyone else in the household has symptoms of sickness within 2 days of your session, or was potentially exposed to a positive case of COVID within 2 weeks of your session. Please refer to Terms below. There is no penalty or fee to reschedule for sickness or potential covid exposure. You will need a doctor's clearance or negative test to reschedule.
TERMS: Due to COVID, we have strict restrictions for participation, following the Center for Disease Control's and WHO's recommendations. Please note that if anyone in your household has a fever of 100 or more, croup, cough, sore throat, nasal discharge, had any COVID symptoms defined by the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance-management-patients.html), has thrown up, or has had diarrhea in the two days prior to the event, or been in contact with anyone testing positive for covid or had a positive case at their school, child care, work, gym, or home within 2 weeks prior to your session, your entire household will not be allowed to participate. Please keep your kids away from contagion in the weeks before the event. Masks and social distancing are required for all persons 2+ years old as local health mandates require. If you are not able to participate due to sickness or any other emergency or situation, you can use your Session Creation Fee and any package selected and paid to reschedule for another available date up to 1 year in the future.
Please note that we are shooting outdoors on uneven ground such as gravel, river rocks, and a steep hill. You certify that you are over 18 years of age entering into this agreement. You acknowledge that the Session Creation Fee is non-refundable; give permission for images from this session to be posted to Facebook and other media, and used for future advertising; acknowledge that the studio is available as a backup location to vaccinated individuals in the event of bad weather; agree to dress your family in proper clothing and footwear for the weather and outdoor activities; acknowledge that bathrooms will not be available; accept all risks, release from liability, indemnify, and hold harmless Ell Photography LLC, Kira King Design LLC, photographer and any of its employees, agents, or property representing or related to event, including any and all liability for personal injuries (including disease or death) and property losses or damage occasioned by, or in connection with any activity or accommodations for this event; agree to abide by all the rules and regulations promulgated where event will occur, by hosts, city ordinances, and health mandates.
Friday, October 16, 2020
Fall Family Portraits in the Bosque 2020
Fall Family Portraits in the Bosque 2020
Originally I thought we'd lose our leaves early this year because of the record heat this year, so I planned ahead booked most of my regular clients earlier in October to make sure we didn't lose out. While many other types of trees have already thinned or dropped early, the cottonwoods in the Bosque are still fairly on schedule with the leaves only about half turned right now and will hit their peak in the next two weeks as usual. We should still be able to get great photos there through the end of October, and there are lots of openings that normally aren't available during this busy time. If you want to book a last-minute session in the last 10 days of October, we actually still have slots available!! Sessions start at $500 with no on-location fee. 505-933-5585
In November, there's a great spot with red ivy and golden grasses if you missed out on Bosque color.
November openings for Red Ivy location:
Nov 2, 3, 5, 6 at 4:10pm
Nov 17, 18, 19, 20 at 4pm
OUTDOOR STUDIO SET - BRICKS AND VINES
For COVID, we are only taking outdoor appointments. There is no fee to shoot on location ($500 minimum). However, we also have an outdoor set at the studio that is great from 9am to 10am if you have an infant or toddler that you'd want to capture in a milestone session (to showcase tummy time holding their head up, sitting, or standing/cruising). It's also great for cake smashes and thanks to the record heat this year, so far it isn't too cold in the morning. You can photograph directly on the greenery backdrop or we have a few banners you can choose from if you prefer.
Wednesday, September 9, 2020
COVID UPDATES...
While trying to keep up with the covid safety mandates, we are open for outdoor shoots only. September and October are the best months in New Mexico to do outdoor shoots anyway! We are asking families to only photograph with their immediate family and to wear masks at all times we are not actively shooting while always maintaining 6 feet of distance between anyone outside their family. We are no longer providing "touch" props because it just isn't feasible to wash some of these things between families, but have lots of suggestions for things for you to bring to keep little hands busy. We have also moved all viewings to Zoom or Skype.
**More info on Halloween, Christmas/Santa mini-sessions and modifications for boudoir, headshots, cake smash and other types of sessions below**
FALL FAMILY SESSIONS
I just opened up the schedule for "Prime Leaf Week" for the best fall color in the last two weeks of October. Regular clients get first choice of those dates, so call soon! 505-933-5585 Or email me at Kira@elltography.com if you'd like to get the most recent package list.
I'm also shooting the last week of October through the first two weeks of November at the "red ivy location" where leaves go from green to red depending on the weather (it's all gorgeous, no matter the color - I had my last family photos taken there!). There is also some tall grass there as well.
HALLOWEEN MINI SESSIONS - TBD:
I am still debating if and how we would be able to do something like this safely as I wouldn't be able to disinfect all props in between each client on a mini session day, so I'm looking into potentially doing a backdrop set that wouldn't be "touched" and have you bring your own Halloween props to keep little hands busy, or just the costumes for older ones for some in-character action shots. If I do this mini session, I'll be spacing things out over a few days or the two weeks before Halloween... everything is still TBD, text me if you have a preference or ideas!
CHRISTMAS MINI SESSIONS - TBD:
Santa unfortunately is canceled this year - Santa is a Senior Citizen and it's just not safe :(
However, our outdoor Christmas tree "set" has finally grown in that I think we can use it this year!! Our Santa mini sessions are usually the first weekend after Thanksgiving weekend (Dec 5-6 this year). Everything is still TBD, but I think we are leaning towards putting lights or basic wrapping decorations on the tree and having families bring their own decorations and have them hang ornaments as a candid-photo activity and then do portraits in front. We also have Log stump stools to sit on where you can bring your own Christmas story to read as a family. For babies or children, you can have them bring their own stockings with a small gift inside to open. We will not be providing props this year because it is not feasible to wash in between each family. We will still have short mini or extended mini-sessions like before but have more time in between so families so don't overlap or expose each other as well as let slots spill into Sunday if and when Saturday is totally booked. If you have ideas on how to make this better, please text me! I'm open to ideas.
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For other types of sessions, we've been having to do some outdoor modifications as well. Everything we are doing is outdoors until things clear up.
We almost always photograph Seniors on location anyway, so not much of a change here. It's already time to start thinking about yearbook photos that have deadlines anywhere from the end of October to the end of the year!
While some professions allow for nature headshots, many need a more "studio-like backdrop" and we have found some textures around town with brick or stucco that still have a professional feel and work for outdoor sessions. This mottled grey textured wall has also been a favorite for outdoor studio-like headshots.