As promised, here is Nathan, our poster boy. He was one of the very first children we photographed. He is from Pontotoc, Mississippi. He thoroughly enjoyed the photo session and couldn't wait to show his photos to his father. If there is a photo that I regret not getting, it was the one of Nathan and his dad looking at the photos as Christina spread them on a table for their approval - they loved by the way. Below are his other three poses |
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| Christina and I show the photographs so we do not meet the kids, parents, or staff, until we arrive with the photos - usually a week to ten days after Jack and Adrienne or Niki took them. Last spring we drove to The General's Kids, a center in Burnside, Kentucky. As usually happens, we went through all the portfolios with the director (in this case the assistant director) and as many of the staff as can get away from their classes for a few minutes. Everyone loved all the pictures - they always do - but the one that got the most attention was the one on the right. No one could believe that Jack and Adrienne had got him to smile - well, as you can see, more than smile, he out right laughed for us. We told Jack and Adrienne about the reaction and they weren't surprised - Adrienne said, "He was tough, but once we got him started we couldn't stop him, and it was worth the effort. There is nothing like seeing a happy child and it's our goal to make sure that always happens if there is any possible way. It takes work, but it's worth it. |
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This is Jakala, from Clarksville, Tennessee. Two months after we started United Portrait Studios, (November 2006) we took photos at Jakala's grandmother told the director that she already had more pictures than she knew what to do with so she'd pass on this opportunity. The day we showed the photos at the center we saw her leaving with Jakala and asked if we had photographed her. She smiled and explained that she decided not to have them made. Christina invited her to take a look at the photos of some of the other children. She did and immediately said, "Oh my, I've made a mistake. When will you be back in this area? Christina checked the calendar and told her we would be in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in three weeks. Though it was a seventy mile drive, Jakala was there. We asked if we could use her as our poster girl and Jakala's grandmother quickly agreed. We also have a poster boy - Nathan, from Pontotoc, Mississippi. Watch for more about him. |
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We conducted our first photo shoot and sale of 2008 at Bracken's CDC in Hartselle, Alabama (about 30 miles from our home in Huntsville, Alabama). Lenita Bracken could not have been more gracious and the children, like the children everywhere we go, were outstanding. Lenita began keeping children at her home. When her waiting list hit 40 she realized that it was time for new building so she built one just down the street from her house. Lenita is what child care is all about. In addition to Lenita, and her facility, I've included photos of a few of her "clients," along with her daughter Ashley - there is also a candid of Lenita and Adrienne getting the twins ready for their portrait time.
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Lori Chambliss, Director |
Last July we were at the Wetumpka Preschool, in Wetumpka, Alabama. Terri and Lori Chambliss pride themselves on preparing their children for school and they do it well. Every day Terri shares a new scientific experiment with the kids. That's a lot of work. She told us that the secret of coming up with a new experiment every day is Steve Spangler and she shared his web site address with us. Steve is a fantastic resource - Check him out: Here are a few photos of the marvelous students we met at Wetumpka Preschool |
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Dress up day at ABC Learning Center |
Last November we were at the ABC Learning Center in Oxford, Mississippi. The children were wonderful as children always are and the director, Annie Burkhead, was most gracious. Like many of the centers that we visit, fundraisers are used to fund specific needs, like playground equipment, special equipment, books, etc. Annie had just conducted a successful fundraiser and we watched her arrange the orders that the children had sold for pick up and delivery by the parents. We immediately noticed that each order had individually packaged and was clearly tagged which made things very easy for Annie and her staff. We asked her about the fundraising company and she said | |
that she had used them for years and found them totally reliable. When we asked if she would recommend them to other centers, she said, “Unconditionally.” She gave me the name of the company, Southeastern Fundraisers, located in Soso, Mississippi (near Laurel). Today I talked with Ralph Cahill, the owner of Southeastern. I got his permission to mention his company in this posting and I asked him what I should say. He noted this: · Southeastern’s promotions offer great profit potential. · They give free prizes to the children who participate. · Each order is prepackaged for ease of distribution. · They have over 2,500 day care centers on their customer list. Southeastern Fundraisers has a toll free number – 800-748-9871 – Ralph Cahill is the owner – their address is 63 Craven Drive – Soso, MS 39480 |
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Unfortunately we don’t have a photo of Annie – This is her grandson. | ||
Last April (2007), we visited The Learning Center in Scottsville, Kentucky. The director, Tiffany Escue, has implemented a number of original innovative ideas, one of which we'd like to share with you here. Before we do that, please note, these are Tiffany's children, Kylie and Kayden.  THE IDEA - In every classroom at The Learning Center, just inside the door, mounted on a hook out of the reach of children, is a set of laminated cards with the parent/guardian contact information, pertinent medical information, and a list of adults authorized to pick up each child. Each child has a card and the cards are punched with a single hole in the corner and attached to a large metal ring (like a shower curtain ring). The beauty of the idea isn't that the information is new - every center has all of that info on each child and even more - the uniqueness of the idea is that laminating individual cards and mounting them on a ring located in the same position in every room insures that the information is readily available when it is needed. To make the implementation of Tiffany's idea easy, we went to www.staples.com and and two other sources to put together this list of required material: Staples Office Supplies Using those figures we determined that it would cost approximately $6.25 per room to create the information cards for a room with 20 children. That's a small investment in time and money to create an information source that could well prove to be priceless some day. Our thanks go out to Tiffany Escue for sharing this great idea - Do you have an idea that makes life at your center easier - let us know - we'd love to share it in the blog. |
It came to me last night that I should post at least one blog from every day care that we visit and that's what I've decided to do, beginning with Covenant House in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
I'm beginning with Covenant house because of Freddie Lenard. 
Jacqueline, Freddie's mom, had just recently moved to Clarksdale from Seattle when we photographed Freddie (May 2007). She loved the photos and purchased the entire package.
A few days after we were in Clarksdale, Christina was talking to Augusta Strong, Covenant House's director and she mentioned that Jacqueline's home had been destroyed by fire. When Jacqueline told Augusta the details of the loss she ended with the comment, "And the worst is I lost the photos of Freddie."
We told Augusta that it would be our pleasure to replace the entire set of photos and add a framed pastel. We placed the order that day and asked the lab to rush the processing. In less than a week we had the new photos and sent them to Augusta for "special delivery" to Jacqueline and Freddie.
The timing was perfect - a week after she received the replacement photos, Jacqueline and Freddie flew back Seattle for a visit with Freddie's grandmother and you can be sure all the photos went with them.
Children, their parents, the day care centers that we visit and all the personnel who work at the centers are what our business is all about and we love it.
The Last week of January Jack and Adrienne spent three days photographing the children at Trinity CDC in Huntsville. Here you can see Adrienne explaining to their first "customer" how the photography session is going to work. All together there were 91 sittings - all children with the exception of a few brave parents. One father, Matt Miller, joined his daughter Mya, to surprise his wife. He reported that "it worked and she loved the surprise" - one comment we heard regarding Matt's surprise gift for his wife was: "That is one lucky woman." The weather kept the children inside most of the week. The toddlers didn't seem to mind as long as they got their "buggy ride" every afternoon. I watched them every afternoon and frankly thought about trying to stow away but it was pretty clear there just wasn't a way to pull it off. We had a great crew of volunteers to help with changing the children into our vintage costumes and then back into their regular clothes. The children are always our first concern - we know that if we're going to get good shots it's important that their session is fun for them. As you can see, that was certainly the case for Braden Wright and his mom. Every center and every shoot is different but Christina and I have come to know that some things will be the same at every place we visit - parents will love the pictures and thanks to the quality and our economical package pricing, they will take them home but before they leave the center they will stop by the Director's office and show off the photos - the parents at Trinity CDC were no exception which is why Lori Lai, the director, said, "You'll be our only photographers from now on." The kids were great - the parent's were outstanding - and the center is marvelous - These smiles say it far more eloquently than I ever could. |
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Loretta Ainsworth, a founding partner of United Portrait Studios, passed away Sunday, January 27, 2008. Loretta will live forever in the hearts of her husband, Terry, her mother, Ethel, her sister, Lois, her brothers Larry and David, and her countless friends. There isn't space to tell all there is to tell about this most amazing woman - she left us way too soon, and though she is sorely missed, all who knew her count themselves blessed to have had that honor. Notes from Loretta Ainsworth's Memorial Service - Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - Goodbye my friend. |
a day care center in Clarksville. 
