I know, I know--- SO obvious, right??
But there ya have it.... www.emilysoutherland.com.
Still hard to believe I have my very own DOMAIN, ya know??
Now, after all that leading-up-to-this frenzy and nonsense, there's not much else I can do but tell you to go. Get out of here.
Go check it out!
But wait. I mentioned a contest.
And I am actually really excited for this contest! Here it is:
Go explore my website. Play. Look in all the galleries. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which photos you love the most. Easy enough, right?
After the contest closes, I'll randomly choose three winners-- a first place and two second places.
GRAND PRIZE:
a "Playing Dress Up" minisession for you, your family, or your child
This session is specifically for playing dress up-- a tea party, a fairy tale, angel wings, 1930's housewife, dageuureotype 1870's photos, whatever! (I'll definitely go into more detail about this after I name a winner!)Value: $75
~or~
ALTERNATE GRAND PRIZE:
custom 7x7 hardcover photo book
For those of you who are too far away, and will likely never be able to take advantage of a minisession, this is almost as fun. You choose 20 of your favorite photos and I will custom-design a hard cover book for you with fun frames and doo-dads... A way to keep and cherish some of your favorite photos!Value: $75
SECOND PLACE WINNERS (2):
My two second-place winners get a copy of this book--
I keep forgetting to tell you guys about this book, but it is SO good-- Such a valuable resource adn inspiration guide for beginning, intermediate, and even pro photographers. I LOVE my copy. (even if I haven't remembered to pull it out for several months. I just flipped through it again yesterday, and DANG it is so good. I LOVE this book!)So I have two copies to give away!
*
So go! Look over my new fledgling website, then come back and leave me a comment telling me your favorite photo on there. You'll be entered! TEll any friends or family about this if you want...
I'll leave the contest open until Saturday night at midnight.
*
Okay... I think that is all. That's all you wanted anyway, right? An URL and a contest?
Love you guys. I truly do. Thank you for your love and support. I am so blessed.
Off I go... I have a sweet son who has been BEGGING me to play with him.... (who, incidentally, has been taking INDEPENDENT STEPS all morning here and there!!!! AAAAAA!! My heart swells!) ...so I am going to go lavish him with love and praise now.
Later!
Is it fair if I pick my own pictures? My ultimate favorite of ours is the one of Kason holding our hands (I believe it's Kason3).
ReplyDeleteI really LOVE your website. I'm uber impressed. I think it's awesome you can order prints right on the site!!
Now, one little question, can you move to AZ? PLEEEEASE?
jk. love you!
Easy choice-- Any of the beautiful shots of my Eva. Thanks for doing it, I can not wait until May.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of Kennedy in the Minnie costume. How cute is she? I also love the family shot (Efamily1). It's the first family picture in your gallery. All your pictures are amazing... little Eva, and smiley Noah.... it's too hard to pick just one!!!
ReplyDeleteYour new web site rocks. It's amazing. Nice Job Mama! I'm gettin super excited about Bella's pics in April!
Do I have to pick just one? I love them all! One of my faves though is the one of Noah wearing your glasses with the string of drool. So REAL. Great job, Em. You ROCK!
ReplyDeletewell, it's hard to say - i mean, the autumn cuppy cakes look SOOOO good, but the picture with Jillian (GFamily3) and her family was AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteso the WHOLE site is incredible! i cant wait to have my little one so that i can have such beautiful pictures too!
The website is beautiful! Really, I love it - way to go. I love your description of yourself. Makes me wish you lived by me so we can play and you can rub some of your craftiness off on me.
ReplyDeleteYou have so many great photos on the blog - yet I bet it was still hard to narrow down which ones to pick since you have so many to choose from. Some of my favorites are the baby in the knit hat and in the bowl. I also love the little pics of Kennedy walking. And the one where you are looking down on the family who is laying on their back. So many good ones. I also love the EFamily and the colors and the brick.
Congrats on getting the site off!
Em, Your website is fabulous! Your hard work sure paid off! You are such an inspiration - thank you for sharing your knowledge with your ELW girls! I just love all your photos but since you asked for one - I'd pick the one of Noah sitting on the green chair noah_e. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I want to be just like you. I LOVE THE SITE!!! It is fantastic, user friendly and beautiful. I can't pick a favorite. There are too many. So I am just popping over to say that I loved it.
ReplyDeleteLove ya!
It's a toss up. . . as you know, I have a LOT of photos I love. I'm with Stef on the glasses shot of Noah. it melts my heart. I LOVE the first shot in Love & Marriage. & your third shot in Familes T_K. . . Yeah. NO WAY could I narrow it down to one.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out beautifully, Em. You done good. :)
I loved your website! Oh, how I wish you would make a trip to Las Vegas! I loved the nature/family pictures. I am so amazed that the people aren't squinting and there are no shadows on their faces. You are absolutely amazing. I loved the little baby with the crocheted hat/blanket in the bowl. Absolutely precious. Oh, I wish you could photograph my family.
ReplyDeleteEmily I love it! Does it feel so good to have it done?! I am working on revamping mine/renaming my business and I dream of the day it is finished. Have a drink or something! Ok, well I LOVE the one of the family where you see their legs and the little girl wedged between. I love the mom's red shoes.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is in the "teens" gallery. Jess2.jpg. She is a cutie anyways, and the leaves are pretty.
ReplyDeleteI sneaked a little peek during school (okay, it was more than a little peek- I should have been doing school-related stuff, though...)- delightful! I can hardly wait to get home so I can actually take some time to browse around...
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity, how are we supposed to ID the pictures we like best, especially if we don't know the people in them?
So far, one of my favorites is of Genny's bouquet- I love the colors in contrast to the white dress behind, especially with splashes of blue in the mix... However, I also find the photo with Jami, Kameron, and Kason trying to do a headstand quite adorably hilarious...
I'll give you a more definitive list when I've seen more of the photos.
It is so hard to pick just one! I love the one of Noah in his hat, I love the b&w one of Lily - it is sweet and serious at the same time, and I love the hot cocoa! I think I need to go and fix me a cup! Your site is so very great! Makes me want to schedule something b/f we move away!
ReplyDeleteEmily, Your site is wonderful! My absolute favorite of all time is the first picture of newborn Noah on the baby page. That photo has always tugged at my heart strings! Great Job!!!
ReplyDeleteHow can I pick a favorite... all the pictures are amazing!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for months; getting to know you and your family more and more with each post. If I had to pick a favorite part of your new & fan-tab-u-lous website, it would have to be the 'Emily' page. Reading about you, reading your words, and seeing the beautiful photo with the o' so cute barrette... awesome!
-Becky
Emily! Your site looks AMAZING! I love it! Congratulations! I love all the pictures in your galleries! They are fantastic! I love your "eye." I LOVE the idea of photographing a beautiful baby in a guitar case, and making it look vintage. LOVE it! Of course, that picture of Noah in the hat that covers his ears...who could not love that one! Looks great!
ReplyDeleteI made a link to your site on my blog (under "Check out my talented friends/family").
I had a thought the other day...are y'all coming to the family reunion this summer? 'Cause I would love to have you take our family photos in the beautiful Tetons! Wouldn't that just be incredible!
Anyway, CONGRATULATIONS to your "official" & "professional" start of what I know will be a very successful business (and art).
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTo all of it, ALL OF IT!
But specifically?
- what a total BOON that your domain name was available! Beyond perfect.
- the vintage edges on the pics on the home page
- the schweeet logo!
- The way the teeny tiny letters on the nav bar look like stitchery
- how the home page slideshow images go from color to black and white and back again
- the way you burn your edges on some images...stealthy, almost imperceptible, but it rocks the pic out!
- that you opened the mamas and babies section with Noah's "cutest baby of all time" pic
- Berkely. Sigh.
- Dawn is right, Eva's pictures are so colorific and fabulous
- You know I love all of your work, but I think you just ROCK it with the teens. I honestly LOVE every one. But my fave is emily1 - how I wish I had an image that captured my spirit so when I was that age. Lucky clients, yours are.
- I love that your prices are a fantastic value, but not cheap. I LOVE that you give the 7x7 album with each package. No one does that anymore and while I adore the digital age, this is an old school benefit I miss.
- really love the YOU page. The pic of you peeking out from behind the camera is a hoot! And I love the prose there, it really beckons. Without beckoning. If that makes sense.
- Love that you kept the blog intact. I didn't vote, but I wished for it anyway.
Whew! What a tour! I must repeat
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
And what a shame that you won't be putting our COMMENTS in a hat, because this stinker is so long you would be sure to pick it! Instead, I'll just cross my longwinded fingers. ;)
I love in the families section 2/34 Gfamily? Where the little girl is up close and her parents are in the background kissing...I LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteWe are talking about driving to St. Louis this summer/fall just to get pictures taken! HAHA...should I wait till November? Which is better for you?
Valerie
Em:
ReplyDeleteIt's fantastic! I'll be glad to say, "I knew you when"! Again, congratulations. You inspire me! And I can't just pick one favorite, so I'll just say the mug of hot cocoa on your home page.
- Judie
:-)
How have I never seen Noah-in-the-red-chair! Oh lordy! New favorite (for the moment)!
ReplyDeleteI'm not entering because that would be fantastically selfish of me to take even a percentage of a chance at this SCHWEEEEET prize away from someone who hasn't had either a session or a book from you...but I love, love the ideas for 'grand prizes.' My green brocade-y book sits on our coffee table at all times, ready to perk me up whenever I need it. And I just ordered like 350 prints of everything else! :)
Oh. My. Gosh. Emily, it's fabulous! Totally worth all the hard work. And I loved looking back at some of the photos of little ELW babies :) We're supposed to pick a favorite? *one* favorite? Impossible. But, since you insist, I think that first picture in the babies of Noah, I've always loved that picture. But my mind is scrolling through them all saying but I love the light, or the angle or the arrangement of that one and that one. But, I'll stick with my pick.
ReplyDeleteum. Can I change my comment to "what smiley beth said?" :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I totally LOVE the site. The Em page is wonderful, my wedding pics are fab-tab-ulous, Genny's wedding one are gorgeous, too....and Noah is just perfect in there as well. I adore the site, and it is so YOU...congrats on finishing it!
ReplyDeleteok... you are so talented! I was surprised to see some that I hadn't seen before since I frequently check out your photography blog. My favorites were:
ReplyDeleteCfamily1
Efamily1
AJ1
JT4
Gfamily3
It's hard not to love them all! Especially when you love the people in them! (I didn't know that you did April's wedding!!! Didn't even know that you knew her... cool)
wow...all i have to say is WOW. the website looks UH-MA-ZING!!!!!! great job, mama! and to pick just ONE favorite?!?! eek. not possible so i'll pick two, lol...the one with the baby in the bowl (wearing the beanie) is my #1 and my #2 is the B/W of a swaddled baby...TDF.
ReplyDeleteWHEN are you coming to socal to photograph MY kiddos and family? ;) i bet we could rally enough socal ladies to pay for your trip out here!!!!!!!!!!!!
first off, CONGRATS ON YOUR WEBSITE! I love it!! I was crossing my fingers hoping some of our pictures were on there and I got chills down my spine when I saw them! Each time! I would have to say my all time favorite is our wedding party jumping at the same time! It shows our personality and all the fun that day held. You are my favorite photographer EVER! I wish you all the best! :)You're so talented..I wish I had just an ounce of your creativity!
ReplyDeleteComing out of lurkdom to say that now that I've looked through your photos I am yearning for another baby and I really want a cupcake!
ReplyDeleteSo many wonderful photos but the one of baby Eva against the turquoise wall and her pick bow is gorgeous.
OK so it took me FOREVER to finally pick a picture. There are so many that I absolutely love. I didn't want to pick one of me. That just seemed wrong. lol So..I decided on noah_and_mama. the 5th picture under mama and babies. It is of you and Noah and it just takes my breathe away every time I see it. So touching and beautiful. I love it. I also LOVE the new website. Its super user friendly. the em page is adorable. describes you perfectly. great job!
ReplyDeleteWow...your new site is incredible! I love the black and white photos of the baby in the knitted hat/blanket on your home page.
ReplyDeleteThe books you are giving away look like a lot of fun. Can I ask where you ordered yours from?
Thanks!
Julie
I loved the band girl (oh my I can't remember her name) with the papers all around her. And I also love Kirsten too, but that's because of her awesome personality.
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhh!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAll of it. Every last thing. Seriously, you must be very proud and fairly exhausted, but in a good way.
Hmmmm.....love the red door, the red garage, the mom in the green dress, the baby with the green eyes in the softest red knit blanket and the little girl running down the cobblestone alley.
If I lived anywhere near St. Louis I would hire you to do all of my sessions! I need belly shots, baby shots, large family shots and wedding shots. You could make a small fortune off of our family :)
The site looks amazing, congratulations.
The website is stunning. There are so many wonderful pictures. My favorite section is the Miscellany section. Love those cupcakes! But I think my absolute favorite picture in the whole darn thing is mama_and_noah. It's so real, beautiful, raw...it's looks like a really real captured moment. Congrats on the amazing website.
ReplyDeleteJenna Cappel
Hi Emily! You don't know me...but I read your blog regularly! Stef (your WI gal pal) sent me to your site awhile back.
ReplyDeleteCONGRATS on your new website. It's beautiful, artsy and crisp. Good luck with everything!
I LOVE the website!
ReplyDeleteThis means you're a real full-fledged professional photographer now! I think it's awesome!!
It looks amazing!
Well since I'm madly in love with Kirsten's shots.. I didn't know if I liked the laundry mat one or the Audrey Hepburn one. BUT the left picture of KirstenSelf5 too perfect to not choose!!
Congrats, The site is PERFECT!!
Does it sound silly to say that I am SOOOOOO proud of you?! You have done an amazing job with the site, but it truly shines because of the warmth of you in every bit of it all.
ReplyDeleteOne image that keeps coming back to me is "bry3" - so soft and intimate. One of those moments as a mama that you wish someone was around to capture. SO fleeting, but so all-consuming. And yeah, loin-achingly inspiring.
Okay, so there were my imaginings of what the website would be like before I actually say it = yay!
ReplyDeleteThen I actually saw it = WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWZZZZZZZZEEERRRRRRRRSSSSS!!!!!
Em, that has to be one of the most well-done professional sites out there. It looks genuinely fantastic and all the hard work you put into it has and will pay off tons!
As for favorite pics- I know this may sound weird, but I really like the ones of people I don't know. Your skill makes them seem familiar in a way, even though I will likely never meet them. You're just that good.
Oh, and my wife still wants her CD from the stuffed elephant contest. Seriously, I'm close to calling in the goon squad. :)
Love you!
Clean, beautiful and engaging...Wow!
ReplyDeletebeautiful beautiful job!
Ooh, so professional. I went immediately to the family section to find the picture I knew I already loved. The first one! The family of four in front of the red door. I also really like the family shot in those huge, round concrete things. I was drawn to the cirle/family thing--very appropriate.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the one of Noah on the red chair--are you serious with that little vest? Adorable. The one of your brother in the bambo always makes me laugh. It looks wonderful, Emily! How exciting.
Are we still on for tomorrow?
It's so perfect! Your site is just amazing! It was hard to pick a favorite but I have to say the one of my sweet Berkley in the bowl is my all time favorite! You are just the best photographer ever!
ReplyDeleteOK, so I wasn't all that jazzed about coming to work at all today, and you're really making it hard to focus by making it so easy to get distracted... :-)
ReplyDeleteI like what Steven said about the ones of people we don't know. I also like the "Miscellany" section - I'm glad you included it.
I also shared with a couple of coworkers of mine...
See you soon...
even though I don't want to, I forced myself to pic JUST ONE. Noah_NB -- the first one in Mamas and babies. Amazing, bliss and breathtaking. It's all just fantastic though. You, my friend, are a true artist! :)
ReplyDeleteso everyone else is picking their kid. can it be helped:) must be instinct. i still am in love with the pic of jill and the red door. every time i see it, it makes me so happy! I also love the one of your noah with the aviator hat on as a tiny baby and the one of him sitting in that adorable antique-y chair. the sight is just GREAT in general. i love the personal yet professional, such a hard balance, feel of it and i think your "profile" is so fun.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everyone and not be able to narrow it down to just one picture. My favorite things about your photography are:
ReplyDelete1. that you totally capture personality
2. how much the colors POP! anything from red, green, yellow, to pink
3. i love the senior shots, how you pull their lives into the shoot
4. i think kc is stunning (teens)
5. the curly red-haird girl from your mom's group is beautiful
6. and of course, your bio and faq pages. those are great.
Congratulations, Em. May your work be in high demand and may you have the ability to have the balance you need with your work and family.
Love you!
I love your new website. It is truly awe inspiring. You are such a wonderful and talented photographer, and I strive to have half your talent one day!!! My favorites have to be of Dawn's Eva, I love the colors and who can resist her little cheeks?
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! I dream of the day I get 45 comments on my blog!! lol Congrats on the successful launch!!
ReplyDeletei pick the babies. or the one of noah with the floppy eared hat. everything looks so great! good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteG1Families...I just love that picture! I loved all the baby and momma ones, but I mean, that is to be expected :)
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through a friend of a friend. Congrats on the launch of your website! What an exciting time. I really love the shot of the baby in the guitar case! Very unique and I'm sure it has a lot of meaning to that mama! i'll have to try that someday! Congrats again!
ReplyDeleteOh, so hard! I love the kiddos one (14/28 CandA1) of the little girls on the fence looking out. Super cute!
ReplyDeleteWonderful site and fab pics!!
Great site! My favorites are your teens. I LOVE (we're talking pink puffy heart) urban teen shots so all of those are up there for me!
ReplyDeleteMy little guy is just starting to do independent steps, too. Isn't it exciting?!?!
Emily, I first loved the photo of the "Feet Family" in jeans~the little guy with his feet in the air is what won me over. I'm so glad you chose that photo because we all deserve to be that little guy every once in awhile. And we all deserve to be noticed for it... in a good way. Thanks for showing me that it's OKAY to do my own thing - to throw my feet up in the air when everyone else has them firmly planted on the ground.
ReplyDeletehugs-
mel(ody)
ps - I love everything about the site and as long as I keep looking I find more things to love... Nice work, Mama!
Hey there! Your website is fantastic! I have to say, I love the wedding ones on the red train. They are so different and unique! Oh and thanks for the awesome give-a-ways! Everyone on 2peas is SO generous!!
ReplyDeleteHoly Crap Emily that is really professional and nice. I'm glad I just dropped in here after falling off of the blogosphere for awhile. I couldn't tell you which one I like most, I kept picking new ones each time I saw one. I always thought that I loved black and white, but your colors are so vivid and vibrant that they look fantastic! You are really good :)
ReplyDeleteWow...the site is great! I love the shots of all the kiddos, such innocent little faces. I hope to book a session with you soon!
ReplyDeleteWow!! I just made it before your deadline!! Yeah! Your own domain! So cool, so you! So awesome! You have sure amassed a ton of great work over the years. I can think of so many photos you have taken that are website quality that are not on there. I don't know how you narrowed it down.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite... long time favorite is the one of the couple looking through the circle in the rough iron gate. It's in black and white/ sepia with a rustic finish. Man, that's an amazing shot and someday I want my family shot that way. You're so professional! I'm so proud of you. What a great website. Love ya!
Miss you!