A year in Review

In the past year Oni Studio has grown so much! We learned a lot and accomplished many of our goals. But it’s because of you, our clients, that the year has been so successful for us!

As we move into 2012 we like to reflect on some of the highlights of the previous year. A large portion of our success comes from our fans on facebook page and we would love to send a special shout out to them! We hope that our photos have made your days better, inspired you, and if you have shot with us, we hope it was an experience to remember.

This year we accomplished a number of things that we are quite proud of. Launching of our website and blog is one of them. Before we got the website and blog most of our client interaction had been done through sites like MySpace and later Facebook. The website and blog, designed by J.R. Customization, and hosted on Smugmug, allowed us a new and uncensored platform to interact with our clients. We have enjoyed it and according to Google analytics you all have too!

It was very difficult to pick out our favorite photos of 2011, but one thing we wanted to do was post photographs we hadn’t have on our blog before, or at least not for awhile. Hope you enjoy!

Winning third place in the “Best of Whidbey” competition was a HUGE honor for us in 2011! Especially since we are a relatively new studio. We definitely want to thank everyone who voted for us and this year we wanna take home the gold!!

 

 

My husband, often an under credited and unnoticed part of Oni Studio, sometimes gets from behind the editing desk and assist in the shoots. Thank you honey! I could not do it without you.

Charity, owner of WatchDawgs Grooming and Boarding was instrumental in getting us more new fans than any campaign we ran. She did an amazing amount of work to help gain noteriety for Oni Studio and we wish her the best in 2012!

This is one of the greatest things about living here in Whidbey Island! My husband and I drove here across country from Virginia and first saw Deception Pass early in the morning covered in fog. We were driving separate vehicles and communicated via walkie talkie. When we saw Deception Pass we started yelling to each other, “do you see this?! what the hell?!” Needless to say it made an impression!

One of the advantages of working for the government is the travel. This was taken by my husband at the hotel in Crete, Greece.  You can see more photos he took in Crete here.

One of the greatest things about working as a photographer is getting to bring to life all the crazy ideas that pop into my head. I would like to thank all the wonderful models that agree to be used and abused by me in the name of art! Special thanks go out to Briellen K., Sharon O., Meggie, Sandra O., Lola, Crystal B., Heidi M., Jenn B., Veronica F., and Kortney S.

In 2012 I plan on doing many special projects. If you have a great idea and a complete, detailed write up on it, get in touch with me!

We love this lake, in fact its hard not to run off the road as we drive by. We never knew the name of it and always called it Mirror Lake. When we finally got our tripod we raced out and got these shots. We are far from being nature photographers, but it was a fun shoot! For those that live in Whidbey Island, is this called Cranberry Lake?

That’s all for now dear constant reader! For the first three weeks of January I will be unable to do any shoots due to an operation. For 2012 we will have a slight price increase but to offset this I want to implement a referral program that will save you money and I plan on doing a few projects in hopes of being published in Bella Morte magazine. To keep abreast of all updates make sure you become a fan on our Facebook page, we are also on Twitter and Google Plus! We hope you and yours have a great New Year and wish you the best in 2012!

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Twas the night before Catmas
When all through the house
Not an animal was stirring,
Not even the mouse.

The kitties were snuggled
And tucked in their beds,
While visions of cat goodies
Danced in their heads.

Their stockings were hung
By the cat bowls with care,
In hope that Father Catmas
Soon would be there.

Out on the rooftop
Arose such a hissing,
I knew Father Catmas
Was having trouble parking.

I jumped to the window
And clawed through the curtain.
“Here he is!”, I purred
“It is him, I’m certain.”

What to my deep eyes
Should appear,
But Father Catmas himself
In his Cat-sled gear.

He purred and he purred,
But through the kitty door he went,
Then stopped and smelled the air
As he picked up a scent.

He went about his work
With never a sigh,
Filling the stockings
With catnip piled high.

He waved at me
With his mighty paw.
Although I was hiding,
‘Twas my little nose he saw.

Out the kitty door he went
In oh such a rush,
Jumped on his cat-sled
And yelled out, “MUSH!”

The Pixie Bob cat team
Were raring to go.
They hated ‘stand stay’,
Especially in the snow.

I could hear him hissing
As he disappeared that night,

“Merry Catmas to all!

and to all a good night!”

 

From our Oni Family to Yours!

Hope you have the best Catmas ever filled with love and happiness!

 

To keep abreast of all updates make sure you become a fan on our Facebook page, we are also on Twitter and Google Plus!

* although much effort was made to find the original author of “a night before Catmas” we were unable to locate them. Oni Studio did not author the story.

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Heidi is one of our many repeat customers. She has been to our studio so many times it started to feel like hanging out with a friend instead of working with a client.  Surely you guys remember some of the memorable shots of Heidi that were posted before.

Working with Heidi is always such a pleasure. Her outfits are colorful and fun, her body art, most of which is done by Tiny Tim’s Tattoo, is tasteful and unique.  In addition to Heidi being a hair stylist she is also a big fan of wigs, so I can always expect her hair to look amazing and match the look we are going for.

When Heidi was here few weeks ago for another fun shoot I found out that her sister Amy is a horse trainer with Fire Mountain Friesians and they have two horses that they are working on at home.  For a while now I’ve been thinking of doing a location shoot with a horse and since I knew that Heidi can deliver the look I had in mind I asked if she would be interested in modeling for me.

Gladly she said yes!

An involved shoot like this needs a lot more people to pull it off than normal. I needed Heidi to model, Amy to attend to the horse, and Dawn to help out with lighting and equipment as well as take some behind the scene shots. I, of course, am busy with Holiday shoots at the studio, so it took about three weeks to find the right day for everyone to get together.

It was a cold rainy morning in Sedro-Wooley when we arrived to Heidi’s house. That was the first time I met King, a beautiful and energetic, but gentle horse. I felt a little bit bad for asking Heidi to wear almost nothing in such a cold weather, but once she got on King’s back, his body heat was keeping her nice and toasty.

 

Doing a shoot with any animal is a whole lot different than just photographing people. The obvious communication problem is not the only thing. Animals are unpredictable and fast moving. While directing the poses, lighting and shooting I still had to keep one eye open for King walking right into the camera and another to watch out for horse poop.

Few days before the shoot Heidi got a cute, but super short haircut. Not the look we were going for here. Thankfully she has plenty of wigs to choose from. This one was great. It looks natural and compliments the shots. It kind of matches the horse mane, and I loved that!

As you can see we got some great shots that day. It was definitely an educational experience for me as a photographer, but also a fun day doing something I love!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Boudoir photos are intimate images of a woman that are revealing and sexual. This kind of photo shoot is exciting and liberating. It can increase self-esteem, rekindle romance and all around be a life-changing experience.

But being a woman myself, I can understand how that excitement can quickly turn into apprehension. Thinking about being so vulnerable and exposed can be scary and I often hear women say:

If only I was thinner… taller… prettier… Had bigger this and smaller that…

There are so many excuses, but it all gets down to making that first step. Once she makes that step, she never regrets doing it.

Proper lighting, flattering poses and professional makeup can transform an every-day girl into a princess she really is.

 

So what can you expect once your decision has been made?

5 Easy Steps to a Sexier You

#1 Book a Session

Fill out the contact form on our website or call me directly at 757-582-2334 to book your shoot. We’ll set up a phone, Skype, or an in-studio consultation to go over your ideas and wardrobe choices. Also, I will send you information about your shoot, what to expect and how to prepare.

#2 Day of the Shoot

It’s like visiting a good friend! Arrive at my home studio and get situated in the dressing room. We’ll go over your outfits one more time and talk about the process. Finger food and refreshments are served to keep your mood and energy level up. If our makeup artist is here to work on your hair and makeup, she will pamper you and help you get ready. After that you are ready to step onto the set!

#3 During the Shoot

All lights are on you! We’ll move from set to set and try different posing and lighting to highlight your sexy side. I will guide you through this process, so you don’t have to have any modeling experience, but at the end you will definitely feel like a super model!

#4 Viewing Session

After your photo shoot we’ll sit down and go over your images together. At this time you can select your favorite images to be edited. We’ll talk about your print order, specialty items, and answer any questions you might have.

#5 Order Pick-Up

Once your order has arrived from our printing lab I will give you a call and set up a time for you to come by. After reviewing your order you can take it home and show it off with a new sexy confidence!

There are no secret about Boudoir Session and if you have any questions all you have to do is ask. So this Holiday season do something special for yourself. Make a memory to cherish for a lifetime, and if the man in your life happen to get a present that is for his eyes only…. I am sure he will not complain.

One of the most popular gift ideas for the Holidays is the Wall Calendar. This calendar includes thirteen of your favorite images, one for the cover and twelve for each of the months. There are several styles of the calendars to choose from and it can start on whichever month you wish. These publisher-quality calendars are printed on high-quality card stock and are easy to customize to make it uniquely you. This gift keeps on giving throughout the year!

Take advantage of 15% off Holiday Calendars offer from now until December 20^th. Book our appointment today!