At only 8 weeks old, a little adoptable puppy appeared on television one day, on a promotional show by a Pensacola animal shelter. Lewanda, a wonderful woman who lived nearby, received a phone call from a friend to “turn on the TV right now – you’ve got to see this dog!” Lewanda tuned in, and fell in love. She immediately called her son, asking him to go to the shelter and grab that dog – but it happened to be so early in the day that the shelter’s adoption hours hadn’t started yet. So, while at the shelter, Lewanda’s son called her back – but instead of saying he was waiting to adopt the puppy, he told her that someone else had already come and gotten her! Lewanda was sad, but says she figured it wasn’t meant to be. But of course, unbeknownst to her, that puppy was on its way to her house! Her son showed up, knocked on her door and surprised her with the puppy from the TV show! Lewanda was thrilled, of course! She named the dog Elle (pronounced “elly”) and they live a peaceful, happy life in Pensacola! And let me tell you: this relationship was definitely meant to be.

We spent the session in their backyard, because it’s huge and beautiful! The weather was perfect for our session and we tuckered out poor Elle pretty thoroughly! :)  This is just a Sneak Peek, so there aren’t TOO many photos… but take a look!

Thanks so much for a fabulous afternoon, Lewanda and Elle! I can’t wait to share the rest of your photos with you!

Back by popular demand – another Beginning Photography class for anyone who wants to learn how to take better pictures!

DETAILS

~  Saturday, May 12 at 3:00 pm  ~  4/26 UPDATE: OVERFLOW CLASS SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, MAY 13 AT 3:00 PM

~  at my house in Pace

~  wine (and chocolate chip cookies made from my secret recipe) will be present

~  lots and lots of FUN!

Bring your camera, your manual, ALL your questions, and something with which to take notes. We’ll be experimenting indoors and outdoors with the different settings on your camera. I can promise you a fun, relaxed and small class where you’ll feel totally comfortable to ask questions. If you’ve hardly ever poked around your new DSLR, then great! I’ll start from the beginning to teach you good habits and the best ways to get the photos you really want! If you’ve ventured out of auto mode a few times, even better! We’ll refine your technique and go over tricky lighting situations. This is the seventh class that I’ll have taught since January, so I already know many of the common questions/issues that DSLR novices have. My main goal will be to answer all your questions and make sure you feel confident in your camera’s manual modes!

You’ll learn how to…

Give portraits that creamy, out-of-focus background

Freeze action instead of getting just a blur

Frame portraits for effective indoor and outdoor shooting… and more!

Note: this will not be a pet-oriented event. Although you know dogs are my favorite subject to photograph, the principles you’ll learn will be for general photography and applicable to any subject – kids, sports, family photos, etc.

We’ll also go over the best national labs for printing your photos, the best editing softwares (both free and not free), and other related topics.

The nitty-gritty:
~  Cost for attending: $69 per person
~  Length of class: 2 hours, give or take. Really, just as long as everyone wants to keep learning!
~  The class will be capped at 6 people, because smaller classes are better!
~  If you don’t feel like you learned your money’s worth of information and handy tips, I’ll give you a refund. Seriously.

How to reserve your spot: 
~ call 850.696.7518
~ or email allison@allisonshamrell.com
~ Do either one of the above, but do it by Saturday, May 5th! (I have a feeling the class will fill up before then – so please don’t wait till the last minute!)

I really hope you consider making time in your life for this class. Learning a new skill doesn’t have to be difficult, and this particular skill is incredibly useful. You can take pictures that do more than document events – you’ll be proud of the photos you take. I hope to hear from you soon!

(PS: would you like come to class and bring several of your friends? Contact me about private classes just for your amigos – at your house or mine!)