Positive Talk Time [Talking to Photogs]

Usually my lunch break is full of fun family photography blog reading, a cookie, possibly a number 1 from Jimmy Johns, and a little dose of positive. But today I've found myself reading some pretty negative photography posts out there on the internets. So I'm taking it on myself to boost today with a little positivity.

I know why this negativity is out there- right now we photographers are stressed! (Let's make this jump-the general populous is totally stressed out right now). People are running to and from work, Christmas shopping, making gingerbread people with perfect button noses, frosted feet and gumdrop buttons. (Confession? Mine somehow never make it on to the poor cookied dude...they end up in my tummy waaaaay beforehand). 

Then there is the professional photographer group-we're working on orders, deadlines, forgetting to eat. Glaring at a computer screen for hours on end can make you downtrodden...  It can be hard to keep things in perspective.

But here is something you need to remember as a photographer and business owner in this stressful season. You get to do what you love! You get to interact daily with your beautiful clients! You are BLESSED with this opportunity to provide for your family by doing something you love.

My little man and me! Photo c/o Blooming Images

Now what I'm about to tell you will change your business if you let it! 

I'm talking to all the photographers and business owners out there, here it is: 

Be Happy with your Business.

If you aren't happy, you either need to change something or get an attitude adjustment. Don't sit and stir in unhappiness because unhappiness breeds bitterness, which leads to anger, which leads to... the dark side.

And that's not good for anyone, especially your business, your clients, and Skywalker.

I love you! You can do this!

hilary hope bloomquist

over & out.

Black Friday Deals from Foxy Pinups: TODAY ONLY!

Model Search: Foxy Pinups Oo La La | Kansas City Pinup and Boudoir Photographer

This idea has really got a hold on me...

Foxy Pinups: Oo La La

We are starting a new devision of Foxy Pinups featuring modern and classic boudoir photography! This division will be called Oo La La Boudoir!

We are looking for 3-4 women to be in our exclusively Boudoir "Oo La La" Portfolio! 

Sessions will take place at the Courtyard Marriott in Briarcliff during a weekend in November/December or even January/February depending on what works well for all our models!

The session will include:

+Professional hair and makeup styling by our licensed cosmetologist Amanda Adams

+ Access to our boudoir closet (but you are more then welcome to bring in your own lingerie and boudoir outfits)

+Unlimited number of outfit changes per time allotted

+ Hour long boudoir session in the King Suite on the top floor of the Courtyard Marriott

+Shareable online webshow photo gallery

+1 free 5 x 7 to thank you for modeling for us

+Ability to purchase additional images from your session

Note: All prints and final work is airbrushed to perfection!

All this is Free to our Selected Models!

Who we are looking for:

We are looking for 3-4 local Kansas City women to model for us! 

We are looking for all shapes and sizes-hourglass, pear, column, goblet, and apple shaped women.

Model must be 21 or older.

Model must also be okay with boudoir photos being on display on our internet portfolios (online website, facebook, twitter, etc)-we own copyrights in all images created,

Must be outgoing, kindhearted, fun and full of energy! 

Being a mom is a plus, but not necessary! (We just love to spoil our Foxy Pinup mommas! :D)

Session Style Details:

These photos will be classic, sexy and sultry.

These photos will scream Hollywood Glamour.

These photos WILL NOT be trashy.

These photos WILL NOT have nudity (implied nudity only).

We want to keep our classic Foxy Pinup style and bring it into the modern boudoir photography world.

Interested in modeling A Free "Oo La La" Boudoir Session from us?

Email the following information to hilary@hilaryhopephoto.com:

Subject line: Oo La La

Have we photographed you before?

Are you okay with photos of you in lingerie being displayed on the internet?

Help us get to know you:

What height and body shape are you?

How old are you?

What's your day to day style?

What's something your friends always says about you (ie. "that I'm always smiling," "that I laugh super loud," "that I'm crazy outgoing," etc.)

Include a photo of you! It can be any type of photo, but we are looking for one that captures your personality.

MUST APPLY BY OCTOBER 30th, 2012!

If you'd like to view our Foxy Pinup Portfolio, feel free to click here for our website and here for our facebook page.

Also, PLEASE, if you don't know me, check out my bio to get to know me a little better before you apply! I promise these photos are going to be crazy fun and you'll walk away with something just as beautiful as you are. :)

Excitedly yours,

h i l a r y  h o p e 

Happy October! from Foxy Pinups' Calendar Girls | Kansas City Pinup + Boudoir Photographer

Meghan makes a gorgeous Miss October! 
Click to enlarge

xoxo,

h i l a r y  h o p e

The Hatfield Family & Adoption Event: Living Tree Jamboree | Kansas City Lifestyle & Pinup Photographer

Being a new mom has brought a whole new perspective to my life. Boogers are now interesting and funny. I look at poop in ways I never knew were possible. Sleep is a relative term and my day hinges on the smile of a 7 week old baby boy. Having my baby has changed everything. Loving him and caring for him has brought a depth to my life that I never knew existed! I can't imagine the world without him and I can't even fathom the idea of him being unloved by anyone. We are blessed to be able to have our little man and he is blessed to be in a family that loves him so much (extended family included!) It breaks my heart to know that there are children out there that aren't so lucky and loving families out there waiting years to hold these little ones in their arms.

Meet the Hatfield's. There is Tabatha, or as her friends call her, Tabby. A loving wife & mother, amazing crafter and fantastic friend. I met her through our small group at Restore Community Church. I remember thinking as I walked in her front door that she and her husband would have to be amazingly sweet to let 16 strangers in to talk about their lives and Jesus in her living room. Not to mention, she is beyond generous, with EVERYTHING she has. Look around our living room and you'll see at least three items that once belonged to her son Colby (including a freakin' sweet baby swing-Emmett's fave). Then there's Jeremy-a strong father and a great listener and encourager! Everywhere I see Colby, his daddy is next to him, or should I say under him, while Colby sits on top of his daddy's shoulders. And of course, there is the adorable Colby, who is sweet in every way-a reflection of his amazing parents.

Why are you meeting the Hatfields? And what does this have to do with children and parenthood? Well, the Hatfield family is growing by one more member and they're adding this child through adoption. Tabby and Jeremy have been on a waiting list since September of 2011 to bring home a child from Russia into their loving family. To quote Tabby,

"It is such a long process and it is hard to digest that when all you want is to love a child and you know there are thousands that are just waiting patiently for someone to come get them. " 

I can barely stand waiting in the grocery store checkout line. I cannot imagine being at the mercy of an adoption agency waiting to see if your little one is ready for all the love that you have to give them.

 "The biggest challenge with adoption, whether it be domestic or international is the financial barriers."

When Tabby told me she was holding an event for their adoption funds, I immediately responded with "let me do something!" Now, I don't have many skills in terms of event planning nor am I an awesome crafter. I can barely hold scissors correctly (note the scar in between my thumb and index finger). But the one thing I can absolutely do is... come on now... use a camera. ;)

I wasn't exactly sure how to utilize this skill for Tabby's Adoption Event, called The Living Tree Jamboree, which takes place THIS THURSDAY August 23rd at the Belvoir Winery in Liberty, MO. But after talking to Tabby, we figured it out. I will have both a Foxy Pinup Session and a Creative Lifestyle Session in her silent auction and I took the photos they will have displayed at their event-some of which are displayed in this blog post.

"For those of you wondering how much adoption cost, you can just look at a price tag of a brand new sedan at any local dealership.  This is a ballpark figure without travel expenses or medical coverage that is sometimes requested to be paid by the adoptive families."

The Living Tree Jamboree is an event open to everyone and anyone that has a heart for adoption. Tickets are only $25 and absolutely all proceeds go to the Hatfield's Adoption Fund. The Event schedule is as follows:

Belvoir Winery, Liberty MO
H’orderves, Doorprizes, Full cash bar, Belvoir wine tasting, fun photo booth style portraits, silent auction, and live music!Social Hour 7-8
Live Music Featuring: Run With It 8-930
Silent Auction Ends at 830.

Alan, Emmett and I will be there. You'll catch us dancing to Run With It and loving on the fact that our night of fun and ticket purchase has gone to such a great cause.

I also wanted to do something else for the Hatfield's to help raise funds. They are looking to get 75 people in to this event! Anyone that purchases a ticket after reading this blog post (you can purchase a ticket by clicking here) will receive a $50 Gift Certificate to Hilary Hope Photography. Just let me know you purchased it after reading this!

Yes, blog readers. Make a $25 donation to the Hatfield's Adoption Fund by purchasing a ticket to the Living Tree Jamboree, receive a $50 credit with me. To use on Whatever You Want. :)

"There is not a price tag in the world that should try to stop the heart of an adoptive parent."

Together we CAN make a difference in the lives of one another. We can make a difference in the life of an orphaned child that we have never met! 

Let's bring the Hatfield's home a Child 

From Russia With Love! 

For more of the Hatfield's Story, please check out their Living Tree Jamboree event page.

all the love in the world,

h i l a r y  h o p e

Foxy Pinup Girls of 2012: Jessica & Ben in June! | Kansas City Pinup & Boudoir Photographer

(click to enlarge!)

What are you plans for over the summer? :D Jessica is clearly packing for vacation-and Ben, the Bosty, wants to go!

Well, tell me what YOU are up to! I want to know! :)

Happy June, everyone!

Lots and lots of love,

h i l a r y h o p e 

Your Foxy Pinup Photographer's Baby is Almost Here! | Kansas City Pinup & Boudoir Photographer

For those of you that don't know, I am having a baby at the end of June/beginning of July! 

I am so excited and I cannot wait to be a mom! I wanted to post this information to let you know and keep you posted on Foxy Pinup Sessions and photo orders. At this point in my pregnancy, I can have baby at anytime. My official Maternity leave begins June 24th and continues through August 5th (unless I have the baby earlier than June 24th). We will begin scheduling sessions again the week of August 13th.

What does this mean for people who haven't had their session appointments yet? 

If you are a scheduled Groupon appointment (you booked your Groupon before the expiration date) and I go into labor early or if I'm having any complications during these next few weeks, we will reschedule your session into August so you don't miss out on your Groupon. If this is the case and we do reschedule you, I apologize ahead of time for any inconveniences.  

What does this mean for Photo and Product Orders?

Photos are placed in our cue according to the date they are ordered and when payment on that order is made.  We are currently running on this turnaround time chart for those of you that have already placed your orders. It is my goal to get out all current orders before taking my maternity leave on the 24th. I will not be editing any photos or placing orders to my photo company during that time. If you currently don't have an order placed and you would like your photos before August, we recommend getting your order in as soon as possible as June 2nd is our cutoff date for orders to be ready pre-maternity leave. Otherwise, I will be able to get them to you after I come back from maternity leave in the order that I received them. You are more than welcome to place your orders during my maternity leave-I just wont be starting on them until after the 5th of August. 

I hope this helped to clarify your questions!

If you do have any questions on your photo order, on your session, on your Groupon, or even just about baby Bloomquist, please contact me! I love talking to my Foxy Pinup Girls! 

Your Foxy Pinup Photographer,

Hilary Hope Bloomquist

708.498.HOPE

hilary@hilaryhopephoto.com

www.hilaryhopephoto.com

The Davis/Shepard Family, Leawood, KS | Kansas City Area Lifestyle & Pinup Photographer

Mom Kylie, Dad LC and baby DaKhari (Khari) arrived at Ironwoods Park for their Creative Lifestyle Family Session with me on Saturday of last week (and it was HOT on Saturday). Khari did so great through the whole session, and so did his mommy and daddy despite the heat. Khari is really one of the most adorable kiddos I've ever photographed. He is all smiles, almost all of the time. Even when he didn't smile, he was still melting my heart with his sad face, which he made when we put his feet in the grass. He didn't like that very much, but he loved being on our picnic blanket and that was enough for me! 

Kylie, LC, Khari and I started off by the lovely red lodge inside of Ironwoods. We tried to stay in the shade, which helped with the heat of that afternoon. The photos by the red lodge were darling-especially when Khari would smile at his daddy! He just loved looking up at him with those big brown eyes when he would say, "hey sonny boy!" in a sweet soft voice. Mom was another great eye catcher for Khari because he just giggled all day long for her while we were shooting photos of daddy and Khari together, and then he would reach out to her and laugh some more. You can tell how much Khari loves his mommy and daddy and how much mommy and daddy love him just by the way they look at each other. :) It is pretty amazing-and it makes me excited to be a mommy soon!

We moved over to the church building on the hill and took some family photos in front of it and behind it in the shade of the trees. I have to say, the ones that we took behind the church are some of my favorite family photos I've taken! This family is so photogenic and sweet, it just shine through their photographs.

Feel free to listen to the song below as you browse through the Davis/Shepard Family Photos!

Click on a photo to activate the photo slideshow!

with love,

h i l a r y h o p e

Sweet Darlin' May, It's Time for Our Giveaway! | Kansas City Lifestyle & Pinup Photographer

Feel Free to listen to She & Him while reading our May Giveaway Blog! :)

I'm so excited for this month's giveaway! :) I LOVE to wear hair bows, flowers, clips, barrets, anything that could help add some style to my super curly hair. Hair accessories have always held a special place on my "feelin' pretty" scale. I could be having the worst day, feeling super cranky and tired, but when I slip that bow into my hair, I immediately feel better and my mood changes. (Yes, that means occasionally you'll spot me wearing jogging pants and a t-shirt with a big old bow on my head ;).

Our Foxy Pinup Girls also love to wear hair accessories! Check out the link to see our Foxy Pinup Girl's adorned with their hair flowers, like Brie in the photo below.

So I got to thinking, for this month's Darlin' May Giveaway, what could I give you guys that says "Happy Spring!" and would also be a pick me up for someone to feel pretty? I immediately went to my head and felt my hair bow! I talked to my friend Brittany Crotsley over at MoveOverCinderella (one of our hair accessory suppliers) and asked her if she could make something to give away to my beautiful Facebook, Twitter, and Blog followers. She got back to me with the following gorgeous items-ALL handmade by Brittany, a super momma, and crafter extrodinaire! Check them out below:

She even made a Bow Holder to keep all your gorgeous prizes on!

The Hair Bow Holder measures at 5 x 7" and the ribbon is long enough to hold all of your hair accessories! I'm so excited because Brittany is making us one to hold all of our Foxy Pinup hair stuff! I am not crafty at all, nor creative in the way of textiles, so I never would have thought of something this awesome. 

(Leopard print is my favorite! :D )

How do you enter this giveaway? It's a little bit different entry process than in the past. You can enter to win 5 different ways for a total of 8 entries into our drawing! The first two steps are required and equal 3 entries into our drawing. 


1. REQUIRED: You must like our Facebook Page. (this equals 1 entry into our drawing)
2. REQUIRED: Share this status on your Facebook page. Make sure it actually tags our page when you type it in! (this equals 2 entries into our drawing)

• @Hilary Hope Photography is giving away something sweet this spring! Check it out here for your chance to win: http://hilaryhopephoto.blogspot.com/2012/05/sweet-darlin-may-its-time-for-our.html

Optional for Extra Entries:

3. Follow this Blog by scrolling down to the very bottom of the blog page, click on "join this site" and follow the prompts. Or follow us using this link on bloglovin.com (this equals 2 entries into our drawing) 

4. Follow us on Twitter, @hilaryhope (this equals 1 entry into our drawing)

5. Share this status on your twitter page (this equals 2 entries into our drawing)

• Look here! @hilaryhope is giving away something sweet this spring! Check this out for your chance to win: http://www.hilaryhopephoto.blogspot.com

Comment on this blog post to let us know which steps you completed for your entries to count! 

There are 5 ways to enter, and you can do as many steps as you'd like after the first two. If you do all five things, that's a total of 8 times your name will be entered into our drawing for you chance to win all of these awesome handmade bows and the sweetest bow holder from MoveOverCinderella and Hilary Hope Photography! 

Fine Print:

• CONTEST ENDS ON TUESDAY MAY 8TH, 2012 12AM. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY MAY 9TH, 2012.
• You may tweet and share as many times as you like, but it will be only be counted as an initial entry once.
• You do NOT need to live in the Kansas City Area to qualify-this is open to any person living in the United States as we will be mailing you your prize!
• This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email or facebook message 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send me an email: hilary@hilaryhopephoto.com

Love you all & let me know if you have questions! I can't wait to see photos of you adorned in these beautiful hair accessories!

Happy Spring,

h i l a r y h o p e

The Masters Family, St. Joseph MO | Kansas City Area Lifestyle + Pinup Photographer

Kara is one of the sweetest gals I've ever had the pleasure of photographing! I was so excited when I saw that she was the winner our February Giveaway. That means she won this whole session, for free! (Follow us on Facebook for your chance to win free sessions!) Kara chose to have a Creative Lifestyle Session and brought the whole wonderful Masters Crew with to her session, including Addilyn, her GORGEOUS niece. I fell in love with her at first sight!

The Masters Family is just as sweet as Kara (that must be where she got it from). They include wonderful mom Mindy, dad Dick, brothers Guy & Jesse, Kara and her charming boyfriend Ray, and Guy's beautiful fiancee, Beth & gorgeous Addilyn! I was greeted with their warm smiles at the beautiful Krug Park in St. Joseph, MO. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. The family held some of my bags and even helped me walk across some rocky terrain. This was definitely reassuring as an 8-months-pregnant photographer. It was very easy to photograph this laid back group of sweethearts! I especially loved the photos we took by the castle and I can't get enough of Addilyn's beautiful smile.

Feel free to take a listen to this song as you view the Masters' Family Photos. 

Click on a photo to activate the slideshow option!

 

Love,

h i l a r y h o p e