Brothers~ Annmarie Young Photography~Children's Portraits

Some photos from a recent session. Photo trends come and go, but classic black and whites are forever. :)

Now Booking Spring!

Want to book a session? Send me an email! Annmarieyoung@msn.com

www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

South Jersey Children's Portraits

Infant portraits

Black and White

South Jersey Wedding

South Jersey Family Photographer 

PAWS 4 THE CAUSE PET PORTRAIT FUNDRAISER!! February 4, 2012

 

PRESS RELEASE

Annmarie Young Photography Hosts “PAWS 4 the CAUSE” Pet Portrait Fundraiser

Berlin, NJ February 4, 2012: – Local portrait photographer, Annmarie Young of Annmarie Young Photography, invites local pet owners to sign up for the “PAWS 4 the CAUSE” charity pet portrait event on Saturday February 4, 2012 at the WonderDogs Dog Training Facility in Berlin, NJ.  Participants can register online at by calling WonderDogs for an appointment (856) 767-6464.

The “PAWS 4 the CAUSE” event, sponsored by WonderDogs Training, will benefit Lilo’s Promise Animal Rescue. Lilo's Promise is a group of dedicated volunteers who provide love, veterinary care, obedience training, socialization and safe housing for homeless animals. Their focus is high-risk pit bull type dogs in local shelters. The sitting fee for each session is $25 for one dog, and $10 for each additional dog/person up to 3 subjects. All participants will receive a $25 online print credit good towards the purchase of prints from the event. 100% of the paid sitting fee will be donated to Lilo’s Promise.

The fundraiser starts at 4:00 PM, with sessions scheduled every 20 minutes until 9:00 PM.  Sign up is via phone or email through WonderDogs by calling (856) 767-6464 or emailing Wonderdogs@wonderdogs.com.

“This is our second event with WonderDogs as our host, and I’m really exited for the opportunity to raise funds for Lilo’s Promise. Lilo’s Promise is a rescue that not only saves the lives of dogs but also conducts community educational programs emphasizing the importance of spay/neuter, obedience training, bite prevention for children, BSL, and the joy of adopting homeless dogs or cats.” said Annmarie Young, Owner/Photographer of Annmarie Young Photography.  “They do a lot of great work, and WonderDogs and I are excited to raise funds for them.”

For more information or to register for this event, please call: (856) 767-6464

About Annmarie Young Photography: Annmarie Young Photography is a modern portrait photographer specializing in artistic black and white portraits. She specializes in kids, pets, and weddings. Annmarie Young Photography is a proud supporter of many local & national animal and children’s based charities. www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

Lilo's Promise Website: www.lilospromise.com

WonderDogs Website: www.wonderdogs.com

Media Contact:

Annmarie Young Hess

Phone: (609) 458-1025

Email: Annmarieyoung@msn.com                   

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Some FAQ's for the upcoming PAWS 4 the CAUSE Pet Portrait Fundraiser on February 4, 2012:

Q: When will the photos be ready?
A: Approx. 3-4 days after the event.

Q: How will I know when the proofs are ready?
A: I will email you the link to the proofing site, the password to view the photos, and your coupon code for your $25 print credit (in a separate email).

Q: What if my dog is nutty?
A: If by nutty you mean aggressive towards other dogs, simply mention this when you book. This way we will take extra precautions to keep all of our furry subjects away from each other. If by nutty you mean just plain crazy, well...let's just say that a dog that knows basic commands like "sit" and "stay" will be easier to shoot. As long as your expectations are realistic if you own a nutty pup, I'm sure we'll get some nice shots for you!

Q: What types of payment do you take?
A: Cash is preferred, but checks are fine too. Please make checks out directly to Lilo's Promise-- the rescue we'll be donating to.

Any other questions? Feel free to email me at annmarieyoung@msn.com. Please see the attached poster if you'd like to make an appointment! Thanks!

How to Look Good in Photos~ Annmarie Young Photography

 It's that time of year again. The office holiday parties, the family gatherings, New Year's Eve parties, etc. All prime opportunities for highly unflattering photos that will, let's face it, end up on Facebook and haunt you forever. 


But there is hope! Armed with my photo tips below, I promise you that this holiday season can be one where you say, "Damn, I look good in those photos!"

Tips for Better Photos 

•  Relax. Have you ever noticed that some of the most photogenic people are not necessarily the most gorgeous? It's because they enjoy getting their photos taken and they know how to project a relaxed presence in front of the camera. Even if you have to fake it, a relaxed face will photograph much better than a tense one.   

• Pay attention to lighting. Avoid overhead lighting like the plague. This means office lighting, high noon lighting, or bad nightclub lighting. Taking a photo in any of these lighting situations without flash is a sure fire recipe to look ghoulish because your eyes will become hollowed out and your skin will take on whatever cast the lights are giving out (yellow, blue, etc.) The remedy is easy. Make sure the photographer turns on her flash. The flash will fill in the shadows and will correct any hideous blue or yellow tint of bad lighting. 

• Want to look thinner? Always stand at an angle to the camera. Never, ever, ever stand straight towards the camera unless you are really thin and want to look bigger. Ideally, you want to stand slightly sideways and put your weight on your back foot. This will kick your hip out in front and you will look thinner and curvier. As a final touch, put you hand on your hip to make your arms look thinner and more toned. Don't believe me? Pick up any gossip mag and look at every celebrity on the red carpet. They all do it. In fact, they actually pay people to teach them this. Crazy.

• Afraid of a double chin? Never let a photographer shoot you below eye level. In fact, if you can swing it, have the photographer stand while you sit. Shooting from above is a universally flattering angle for just about everyone. If your photographer tries to get fancy and crouches down on the ground to shoot you, you have my permission to take his camera and sell it on Ebay. 

• Want to look like you like the people you are being photographed with when you really don't? Simply tilt your head slightly towards them. The bonus of this technique? If you really do like the people you are being photographed with, it will show in the photos.

• Clothing Tips: For women, long sleeves are always the way to go in photos unless you are a gym rat or an Olympic athlete. If you do wear short sleeves, just be sure that your arms are not squished next to your body for a photo. Try to putting your hand in your pocket or on your hip.  Turtlenecks will shorten a torso, V-necks will lengthen you. For men and women: Dark colors make you look thinner. Light colors make you look bigger in photos. 

• Avoid big smiles. This sounds counter intuitive, I know. But smiling really big can make your eyes disappear and can exaggerate a double chin. Even if you are having a blast, take a sec to just dial down the smile when someone snaps your photo.

• Special Tip for Men: Okay ladies, we all know the type. The adorable men in our life who refuse to smile in photos. This drives me crazy. I'm no expert on men, but I think they think that they look manly if they don't smile. I tell my husband, and yes, even my clients this: If you want to look like a serial killer in photos, then don't smile. If you want to look attractive, warm and open and that you like the people you are standing next to, then try to smile. Please. The women in your life will love you for it, I promise.   :)

Thanks for checking out my tips! If you are in the market for a professional photographer, check out my website at www.annmarieyoungphoto.com , or contact me for a free consultation.


Best Regards,
Annmarie Young

Interview with a Personal Chef~Photos by Annmarie Young Photography

 The Flavorful Fork

An Interview with Fran Davis, Owner & Chef of The Flavorful Fork Personal Chef Service

Photos: Annmarie Young Photography 

Have you ever dreamed of having a personal chef? Of course you have, don't be silly. It's right up there with wishing you had a personal assistant, housekeeper, private jet, hair and makeup team and driver. Thanks to a recent photo shoot with Fran Davis of The Flavorful Fork Personal Chef Service, I learned that hiring a private chef, unlike the rest of those daydreams, can actually be an affordable service to consider.

The Flavorful Fork is a personal chef service based in South jersey.  While working with Fran I just fell in love with her "healthy gourmet" approach to cooking.  It hit me while editing her shots that I get to meet all of these interesting people through my work as a photographer. Why not start interviewing them for my humble blog? 

I hope you find our little Q&A interesting. Fran was a fabulous interview subject and I think her photos turned out great.

How did you get started as a personal chef?

I have always had a love for good food and really enjoy entertaining. Having worked in the Information Technology field for over 15 years, I was looking for a change. After experiencing my third layoff in under 7 years due to downsizing, outsourcing and restructuring, I had enough and decided it was time to make my move. So the very next week I began the process of getting my personal chef certification from the United States Personal Chef Association. I started up my business in September of 2010 and have been so thankful that I have been able to turn a passion of mine into a viable business.

Do you have a signature dish?

All of the dishes I enjoy making and eating I like to call "healthy gourmet". I like to flavor foods with citrus, fresh herbs, capers, garlic. Things that are rich in flavor but not necessarily in calories. One of the dishes that people always rave about is my Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail. I love to serve it in a martini glass with some crunchy plantain chips and the combination of cucumbers, jicama, avocado, cilantro, and citrus are just delicious.

Who can hire a personal chef?

People have a misconception that personal chefs are for the rich and famous, but honestly, if you are a person that is just too busy to cook, eating out too often, or need help with creating healthier meals, a personal chef can be a lifesaver. You can have a personal chef provide all your meals for the week or have them supplement your own meals with a some of theirs to help ease the burden during the month. Personal chefs also make great gifts! A week of meals for a new mom or someone recovering from surgery or a romantic dinner for two for a birthday or anniversary make unique and welcome gifts.

As a vegetarian, one of my favorite posts on your blog is the one about grass fed beef. I am a vegetarian because I love animals, but I know that not everyone is cut out to be vegetarian. For this reason, I love articles like the one you posted. If you are not interested in vegetarianism I think it's cool to at least be conscious of where your meat comes from. What are your thoughts on the subject?
 
I agree. The blog post you are referring to is part of a series of posts about making small, manageable changes in your diet. I firmly believe that to move towards a healthier lifestyle you need to do it incrementally. If you are currently a real meat eater, moving to grass-fed beef for one month and incorporating that into your budget can be a first step. Grass-fed beef is leaner and better for you, the animal and the environment. You might decide the following month to try out Meatless Mondays to reduce the amount of meat in your diet. By slowly reducing the amount of meat you are eating each month, you may find that you enjoy the way it makes you look and feel and that you don't really miss meat that much at all.  While I am not vegetarian today (I used to be before getting pregnant which made me lust after spicy taco salads), I do try to limit my red meat consumption to once per week and to have one or two vegetarian meals per week. It is a goal of mine this year to try out more vegan recipes and get my carnivorous daughter to replace much of her hamburgers and hot dogs for vegetables. Wish me luck!


I love photography and I love food. Naturally then, I'm totally into food photography. Do you ever geek-out to food photos in magazines like I do?
 
First of all, I love YOUR photography. You can come photograph my food any day! Yup, I love looking through food magazines. In fact, you may often find me sitting in Barnes and Noble sipping some coffee and pouring over a pile of them. I also really have an obsession with organizing magazines. Pictures of perfectly organized kitchen cupboards and pantries make me happy happy!
 

How are you different from other personal chefs out there?

I like to focus on fresh seasonal ingredients, organic if possible, and create meals that are flavorful yet healthy. I want to show people that food that tastes great can be great for you. I also am very concerned about the rate of obesity and diabetes amongst our children and want to do what I can through my blog, community involvement and cooking classes to provide parents and kids the skills and incentive to get back around the dinner table again eating good quality meals.
 
Since I've been known to dump many a failed recipe in the garbage, I have to ask; have you ever messed up a meal at home?
 
Hasn't everybody?


I'm vegetarian. My husband is not. What kind of romantic meal would you whip up for us if I hired you?
 
Hmmm, vegetarian, not vegan, yes? Then I would suggest for the first course we start with a a mixed green salad with dried cranberries and toasted hazelnuts with a cranberry orange dressing. For the second course, a creamy butternut squash risotto. And for the main course a satisfying dish of stuffed portabello mushrooms with sun-dried tomatoes, fennel and mushrooms topped with shaved Parmesan. Then we would end the meal with a some tiramisu parfaits. Sound good? (Yes!!)

What is your greatest achievement as a personal chef?
 
If I am making the lives of my clients less stressful and more healthful, I am very satisfied. It is always rewarding to hear how much they have enjoyed the meals I have prepared. And if I can get my own 6 year old to give me a thumbs up on dinner, I am thrilled! :)

If you could have just one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

All the Thanksgiving fixings- stuffing with sausage, cranberries and apples, roasted butternut squash, glazed or roasted Brussels sprouts, pumpkin pie. Eating this meal day after day would most likely make the rest of my life considerably shorter and my waistband considerably larger but very happy indeed! Oh, and yes, I still love spicy taco salads with mango and avocado slices.

A very special thanks to Fran Davis for a great interview!

 For More Information:

Phone:         609.304.5295

Email:          cheffran@flavorfulfork.com
Blog:      www.flavorfulfork.com/blog
Facebook:    www.facebook.com/flavorfulfork

Thinking of updating your business image? Sick of that old stodgy headshot you've been using? Annmarie Young Photography specializes in classic modern head shots.  Contact us today for a free consultation!

www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

Annmarieyoung@msn.com

Rangefinder Magazine's "Seeing the Light" Contest 2011

Hey Ya'll! It's contest time again! My husband and I just got back from Italy, and much to my surprise while editing some of the photos I took, I found this nice shot. It was taken at St. Peter's Cathedral, Vatican City Italy. You know, the Pope's stomping grounds.  I had no idea if it turned out or not until I got it on the computer. The basilica was so crowded with tourists when I shot this image that I'm surprised I got it. I entered it into Rangefinder Magazine's "Seeing the Light" contest. Wish me luck!

St. Peter's Cathedral
Vatican City, Italy
November 12, 2011

 

Help me win the People's Choice part of the contest! Please vote for my photo!

 http://www.seeingthelightcontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=2004300046

Thanks,

Annmarie Young

Annmarie Young is a professional photographer specializing in Children's portraits, family portraits, executive headshots, weddings and events.  Website: www.annmarieyoungphoto.com

Brotherly Love~Twin Photography (South Jersey Children's Portrait Photographer)

There is nothing more fun (or terrifying for a photographer) than photographing twins! These two beautiful little boys were so good for their first photo session! They just snoozed and smiled and looked adorable for our whole session. If their gorgeous big brother is any indication, I think these two little guys won't be hurting in the hair department! Such beautiful boys. 

Annmarie Young is a portrait photographer based in South Jersey. She specializes in kids, pets, weddings, portraits and events. For more information, please visit www.annmarieyoungphoto.com . 

Northern Liberties PA-- Photography Portrait Session~

I'm a Jersey Girl, born and bred-- but I fancy myself a Philly hipster once in a while too. Well, not so much these days, but when I was younger I loved going to the city to see all of the latest art, music and indie movies at The Bourse. When I was in college at Rutgers-Camden as an art student my friends and I used to love to grab our cameras go on city photo safaris!

One section of Philly I'd always heard about but never visited was the Northern Liberties area. I'd heard lately that it was the go-to spot for photographers looking for some artsy urban backdrops. So I grabbed my husband one night and promised him beer if he'd help me do some photo location scouting. Instead of the proverbial carrot on a stick, I motivate with beer. Of course the scouting of locations lasted about ten minutes and the rest of the night we spent eating & drinking at some area hot spots until we'd spent a small fortune. We left broke, but full of wine, beer and tapas! Bar Ferdinand, we think we love you!

My first shoot in Norther Liberties was  a few days later with a totally cool & lovely young lady who wanted some professional portraits for an acting portfolio. We wandered around and had a lot of fun finding great spots to shoot. We found cool murals & tons of grungy and colorful backdrops.  She did a fantastic job as a model! Here are some of my faves from the shoot:

For more info, please drop by my website www.annmarieyoungphoto.com
or visit me on Facebook to say hello!  http://www.facebook.com/AnnmarieYoungPhotography