These boys are 100% boys!! The wet willy below, is proof! This was a Christmas shoot as a gift to Grandma - the baby is the cousin... and I heard there were tears over these images, guess Grandma liked 'em...

Da Boys!

This is Vanessa with Sashay's family - these boys are so funny!! They were crackin jokes the entire shoot, and kidding each other, and laughing - and those are the things I love to capture.. exactly like it is at home!

Even Bigger Holiday Giveaway!! We have 3 winners!

Wow!! What an unbelievable project this has turned into... to have the opportunity to read stories from you about the families that you know and love and care for.... that could use a little lift in their spirits this season has been such a blessing to me. Words cannot express what this has done for my spirit this season, and I am so very greatful! As I read each story, I truly wanted to have each of these families win the big Giveaway, hearing how neat it would be for them... so in the end I decided to have 3 families each receive the free $100 photo session. It was the most heartwarming experience to hear from their sponsors, and from them of how excited they were to receive this, and my heart is truly so full as the spirit of giving works this way - doesn't it? I am the one who is greatful to have these experiences, and I cannot wait to have the photo sessions with each of them! Thanks to Veronica Reeve for sharing this project that actually included over 490 photographers giving away over $500 million in portrait-ry goodness! It is an honor to be a part of something so great! www.givingisawesome.com

Holiday Give Away!! We have a winner!!

Speaking as Mrs. Claus,

I am so excited to announce that the amazing Susan Keuter has won the Holiday Giveaway contest and will receive a free photo session to be used any time with in the next year and has the option to gift it to any of her family or friends!! Congratulations Susan - and thank you for spreading the word to your friends and family about my work with your blog link, and also your enthusiasm! Susan's fun family is pictured with the antique love seat in the crunchy fields, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her... I will also be linking her blog to mine here soon, as she is the best of the best scrapbookers and knows all the tricks!!

Thanks to everyone who linked me to their blog and sung my praises, your support is such an honor to have! I have enjoyed getting to know you and your families, and I look forward to doing more with you all in the future!!

Captured! Life as it is...

My goal for this family (actually for every family) was to capture them in their lives as they are right now... Mom is expecting her first girl in a few weeks, and with the 18 mos. old twins... well, you can imagine.... but the beautiful "K" is always so together, looking great, and raising this darling family so well! This is my first photo shoot where I took 1200 photos (WOW!)... but when your 1 - using creativity, and 2 - chasing boys, it seems you just always have the button pressed, in hopes of capturing something timeless... I had do much fun! Check out the last pic... that was inserted to give you a glimpse of what the other 1100 pictures looked like...haha... don't forget to glimpse at the flickr too!

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend."- Albert Camus

"In two by two's they came..."

Even Bigger Holiday Giveaway!!

You know someone.

You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.You know someone. I guarantee it. I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography – $300 worth, to be exact. Personalized photo session and custom prints of their choice and...it's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season. Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $50 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be? The rules: You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-home does not qualify as sincere financial need.)The nominee must reside/be willing to travel to the East Valley area. Even if I have never met you and you just happened to be blog-surfing today, tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.Comment on this blog entry to let me know you've entered, and e-mail me the full story: fraughtons@cox.net. The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve...get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!Open your heart to someone this holiday season – and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.Many thanks to the other photographers joining me in this spirit. If you are not local to me check out http://www.essentialimagery.com/blog/ to see if there's someone closer to home for winning portrait-y goodness!
at 12:03 PM

Spread the Love - Holiday Giveaway!!

Drum roll please......Introducing....a Holiday Giveaway!!! Just in time for Christmas!!

Here's how it works. You can show your love (for me, Amy, and my photography) by linking my photography website or blog to your personal blog, to tell the world "Hey! I like Amy, and her photography is alright too!" With one click of the mouse your friends, family, and blog stalkers can be magically whisked away (virtually) to my blog site. Yes, it IS that simple!!

"What's in it for me?" You ask yourself. Well, first, I'll love you dearly, really I will. Did you know that the blog-o-sphere is the best form of advertising for my wee little business? Love it!! Secondly, refer a friend, and receive your choice of a free professionally printed 8x10, or $15 off your personal photo session, need I say more?

Well, I will. Listen up, this is where it gets good. Link my blog to yours and leave a comment telling me you've "linked" me into your blog in this very blog posting. On Wednesday, December 23rd, I'll randomly pick 1 lucky comment. (Brace yourself) This lucky person will win a free sitting with Amy Fraughton Photography valued at 100.00 to be used antime within the next year!! Wowza!! See? I told you this would be good. The lucky winner will be announced the morning of December 24th. The winners have the option of keeping it for themselves, or giving it away as the perfect holiday gift.
I know what you are saying, I don't live by you, I could never use that gift certificate. Well, maybe not. But don't forget my first point, "I'll love you dearly" Isn't that enough? Or, win the gift certificate and give it to a friend or family member in the Phoenix area for Christmas. They'll love you, and so will I. Either that, or fly me to you and I'll take your pictures!! Happy linking!!

PS - you may participate even if you don't know me, but just want to be a part of the love!

I love backlight! love it! love it! LOVE IT!

And I am sooo lovin' this photo shoot!! Check out these darling girls in the absolutely so fun pettiskirts!!! They are so beautiful it was like I was in a candy store taking all kinds of fun photos! See for yourself!! Their moms are wonderful business ladies - check them out at..... http://www.oneposhkid.blogspot.com/ and http://www.sashayvanessa.blogspot.com/

Is this Arizona? crunchy fields? fall leaves?

I loved, loved, loved working with this family!! They were all about creative, fun photography, showing their personalitites, which of course, is my passion! This chaise lounge was a wedding gift to their grandparents in 1930 (?), so has been a cherished heirloom and we used it alot! Check my flickr link for more..

Can you see the falling leaves?

OK - here was a great shoot with one of my dearest friends and her cute kids! They all look so great!

Please don't have a heart attack about the scary new look of my blog... I am on a waiting list to get a custom logo from a very talented gal, and in the meantime needed a format that would allow for bigger pictures here... so, I just spent an hour I didn't have to find this template which allows for bigger entries, and decided to go with the Christmas theme, in hopes that my new logo will be here in time for Christmas! If anyone has more time and knowledge and wants to make the header cuter, I would love it - but until then, we've got the good old red and green and what's most important, is that I can now put bigger images online for their families preview!

New color washes - great family!!

Here's another beautiful family from the weekend - I adore their little toddler, check out her cheeks!! I love the new color washes in some of the photos -

what do you think?

The eyes

Check out the eyes on these darling girls!! It's not easy to get kids to cooperate on an early, cold morning, but when the kids are this cute, it always makes my job so easy! Fun family!