Celebrate Spring!

Celebrate the Dogwood Arts Festival with ALM Photo! This is a busy  month for our sister business, Sassy Glass Studio, involved in the Market Square Art Fair this weekend and the Dogwood Art DeTour on the 28th and 29th, but there aren't any special events for ALM Photo to take part in...until now.

This is such a beautiful time of year and Allan and I have been thinking of a way to make it even more special to us and to you, so we put on our thinking caps and decided to do something completely different. Read on to find out the details!

Celebrate Spring Special - only $200
This special includes a two location session- in studio and on location in the Old City/Downtown Knoxville, a video slideshow, and one image of your choice for use on social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. This is a great opportunity to have family portraits done, senior photos taken or get fresh professional images for your on-line presence.
A viewing and ordering session will be scheduled at the time of booking to take place within two weeks of session date. In order to receive the printed product specials, a 50% deposit {or minimum of $250} is due with the session fee at the time of booking.
Printed products are a la carte; however, by booking the Celebrate Spring Special you can receive one-time only incentives at several purchase levels.
A purchase of $500 in printed products entitles you to receive an additional 8x10 at no charge and a $1000 printed products purchase gives you the opportunity to choose between an 11x14 table top print {suitable for an easel} or a mini-album with up to 15 images. Print purchases over $1500 will receive a 25% off the a la carter pricing, an 11x14 table top print and a mini-album.

Fine print:
Limited to first ten sessions booked and paid - booked on a first come, first served basis.
Sessions must be booked by April 15th, 2012 and take place before May 13th.
Session may be booked for individual, couple, family or small business up to five people.
Session length is limited to two hours.
No print purchase is necessary.
Session fee of $200 must be paid at time of booking.
Printed product specials are available only if 50% deposit {or minimum of $250} is paid at the time booking is paid. Print product level will be determined at the ordering session, but the minimum guarantees the prices.

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Photo Booth at Knoxville Creative Hands Street Team Show & Sale - November 5-7

ALM Photo will be setting up a studio at the Knoxville Creative Hands Street Team Fall | Holiday Show & Sale this weekend and doing mini-sessions at no charge. The only cost to you is if you choose to order prints, Christmas cards, other printed products or download digital files. This is a great opportunity to get the family, your friends, or even your furry or feathered friends in front of the camera and get some great images to give as gifts or put on greeting cards. All images will be placed on-line for viewing and purchase shortly after the event.

{click image to view larger}

Knoxville Creative Hands Street Team is comprised of over 150 local Etsy sellers and this Show & Sale is features over 30 Etsy shops. Click here for a listing of all the Etsy sellers participating in the Show & Sale. There will be lots of wonderful handmade items, vintage goods and craft supplies available so come prepared to do some holiday shopping. Aside from being the 'L' in ALM Photo and the 'Sassy'  in Sassy Glass Studio, I am the President of KCHST, Inc. and have spent a lot of time organizing this event, so I would really love to see you come out and support the local creative people of Knoxville and the surrounding area.

See you this weekend!
Lisa and Allan

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Super Surprising Wednesday {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Today was full of wonderful surprises. The first surprise was the gorgeous weather. Even though the forecast called for sunshine and warm temperatures we were surprised it was such a perfect day. The second surprise was lunch. Allan and I ventured into the Mechanicsville section of downtown Knoxville to meet several photography friends for lunch. We have never visited this part of town and weren't sure what to expect but the minute we pulled up to 501 Arthur we knew it would be a fabulous experience. The building immediately reminded me of New Orleans with it's black scroll ironwork and upstairs covered balcony and I would learn shortly after arriving that a previous owner, who operated a store and small restaurant, was from NOLA. We were invited to lunch by Tinah Utsman, who was accompanied by Lindsay, a budding photographer, and later joined by fellow photographer Bryan Allen (BA).

The inside of 501 Arthur was even more interesting than the outside. Everywhere I looked there was art.

We commandeered the largest table in the restaurant and ordered cold drinks- lemonade and iced tea. There is an old-fashioned cooler full of every kind of soda imaginable. It took Allan and I a few minutes to read the menu and make a choice since everything sounded delicious.

Lunch was filled with lively conversation and before we knew it everyone was getting up to leave. Allan and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals- I had the chef salad accompanied by delicious bread and a cup of  tomato bisque and Allan managed a Firehouse sandwich, aptly named for the neighboring fire station. Unique and filling! After paying our tabs and chatting with Mike, the owner, for a few moments we headed outside to enjoy the sunshine.

Mike is now the proud owner of a Sassy Glass Studio business card!

Mike and another guy named Mike both rode their motorcycles to 501 Arthur and I couldn't resist capturing a few photos including one of Tinah vamping for the camera.

Lindsay loves color!

Emmanuel waited on us when we first arrived and before we left he hopped up on Mike's motorcycle and posed for me.

This was a perfect lunch on a perfect day. We can't wait to go back to 501 Arthur again soon!

Visit the 501 Arthur website for directions and to view the menu.

Images in this blog post were captured with the point and shoot. Visit our website to view our professional photography, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

Unique Handmade Photography Props {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Lisa (that's me!) has two shops on Etsy one that sells our Sassy Glass Studio one-of-a-kind fused glass art and one featuring fine art photographs by ALM Photo. I took a few moments after searching for camera gear and camera-themed items on Sunday and sought out some really unique photography props. As professional photographers Allan and I are always looking for that little something that will set us apart from the other photographers in our area and these are some awesome props that will do just that. I haven't purchased any of these items (yet!) but if you see something here that strikes your fancy and you purchase it be sure to let the seller know I sent you.

mom2twoglas :: Raspberry Limeade Tutu :: $25
The hot summer months will are upon us and we're celebrating with this refreshing and bright combination. Our Raspberry Limeade tutu showcases our hot pink tulle and is topped off with a hot pink bow. The finishing touch to this yummy tutu is our Lime Flower accent. This tutu is sure to stand out in photographs and make every little girl the envy of the neighborhood this summer.

1kybele :: Custom Made Lilac Hanging Nest (Stork Pouch) - Pro Photography Prop :: $48
Hanging Nest (Stork Pouch ). It is an excellent photo prop for those first sweet Newborn pictures. There is a sturdy handle on which can be adjustable by tying into a knot. The lilac color is also available for this beautiful hanging nest. Soft and lovely fabric is also strong enough to hang the newborns in it.

paisleyandposies :: Knit Crocheted Beanie with Detachable Flower :: $15.50
Boutique beanies are the new rage!! Dress her in style in this fabulously fashionable beanie adorned with a matching flower of your choice. Perfect for cooler months to keep her warm or as a great colorful accessory to any outfit. Remove the flower and clip on a bow for a brand new look! The oh-so-cute flower is attached to an alligator clip, giving it multiple uses. Use it as a hair clip, attach it to a tank top, belt loop, or purse strap to dress her up any day!!

nellybeanco :: Dusty Green Cable Hooded Beanpod/Cocoon - Photography Prop :: $65
Your new little "sweet bean" will be cute and comfy in this beautiful Cable beanpod/cocoon. Hand-crocheted in a soft and stretchy acrylic yarn, with a beautiful cable pattern. At approximately 20" long, there is plenty of stretching room. Slip your precious newborn into his or her beanpod for the trip home from the hospital, or for those first photographs; or give a truly unique baby shower gift. This Cable Beanpod is also available in taupe, pink, beige, or silver blue.

DreamSpunKids :: Candy Pink Sweetheart Pettiskirt :: $65
Miles of ruffled chiffon create a fun, tutu-inspired pettiskirt. A silky waistband and a satin bow at the hip finishes the sweet fashion. MATERIALS: Skirt is 100% nylon chiffon. Easy pull-on style with adjustable wasitband.

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Cool Handmade Photography Gear {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Lisa (that's me!) has two shops on Etsy one that sells our Sassy Glass Studio one-of-a-kind fused glass art and one featuring fine art photographs by ALM Photo and often takes a few moments to browse through the shops of other sellers (and really, it there anyone out there that hasn't heard of Etsy and browsed around?). Sunday I decided to search for camera gear and camera-themed items and here are some of the really neat items I found. I haven't purchased any of these items (yet!) but if you see something here that strikes your fancy and you purchase it be sure to let the seller know I sent you.

HappySnapz :: Camera strap cover :: $18.50

Show your style and personalize your camera with this cute slipcover. Designed to slip over your original DSLR camera strap, this cover will help with comfort as well as hide those ugly straps. Made from 100% cotton designer fabric, it is lined with fusible fleece so no more sore neck and it has a handy pocket to store your lens cap while on a shoot. The cover can be machined washed and line dried. Approx 24" in length and 2.75" wide to fit most standard straps. The pocket will hold a lens cap up to 2.5" in diameter. Please measure your strap before purchase and if you require a different size you can contact the seller for a custom strap.

janinekingdesigns :: DSLR Camera Bag :: $59.99
This great looking Janine King Camera Bag is a stylish way to carry your Digital SLR camera, lenses and more. The Janine King Camera Case gives you 360 padded protection! The entire bag is padded including the flap and lens pockets to provide superior protection for your expensive equipment. Practical and protective yet with a fun, stylish look. Perfect for the fashionista who refuses to carry that boring black bag :)
* Dimensions approx 9” x 9” x 5”
* Industrial twill exterior and lining is non-scratching and water repellant.

NYLightMetal :: Vintage Camera Pendant :: $39
Highly refined, and beautifully detailed vintage antique camera body outfitted in the most rugged, black leather casing......Romance and Adventure in miniature form :)
The pendant is deliciously weighty, measuring 3.5 mm across with a luminous, clear glass prism nestled in the lens. Strung on an copper tone link chain measuring 26" in length with an easy to open lobster clasp!
Will arrive in a beautiful gift box, ready to give as a gift to that photo lover in your life!

GypsyRoseHandbags :: Snugglens Padded Camera Lens Carrier Bag- Large :: $79.99
New Snugglens Large/Wide size/ Camera and Lens carrier bag/ metal feet and adjustable strap/ 4 lens sleeve. 15" wide side to side, 9" tall top to bottom, 5" deep front to back
*Adjustable durable webbing strap 2" wide extends to 52-54" end to end
*Interior has 4 padded sleeves measuring approximately 8x8 on each one. There are 2 on each end for lens and flash
*Metal feet on bottom of bag secured with 1.25" steel washers on the interior for stability.
*Top has adjustable side release buckle to securely hold cargo upright and safe and adjust for cargo load
*Padded Messenger flap closes securely with an adjustable side release buckle that adjust for cargo load

Next up :: Handmade photography props

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Fresh Fine Art Photography :: The Etsy Shop is Open {ALM Photo | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

:: Lotus ::

ALM Photo has opened a shop on Etsy featuring an ever-changing collection of fine art photography. Etsy is an on-line artist's marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. Our other artistic venture, Sassy Glass Studio, also has a shop on Etsy which does quite well considering the short amount of time it has been open. We opened the fine art photography shop as a retail outlet for our personal work. Please take a moment and click here to check it out. The shop is admittedly a little empty at the moment but more images will be added over the next few weeks. We wanted to get the word out as soon as it was open.

Be sure to bookmark the shop so you can check back often.



:: MORE NEWS ::

ALM Photo is putting the finishing touches on the reimaging and will be making a big announcement in a day or two. Stay tuned for more information!

Combination of Talents :: Photography + Fused Glass Art

ALM Photo + Sassy Glass Studio = Great Photography for Great Art

The holiday shopping season may be over, but the "shop" we set up for the Sassy Glass Studio Open House has been left open so Allan and I have access to the inventory and can shoot photographs of all the pieces. There are a couple of reasons why we need the photographs- one is so the pieces can be listed in the Sassy Glass Studio Etsy shop and another is to create a portfolio showcasing my one-of-a-kind fused glass art so I will have an actual book to take to shops and boutiques to see if any would be interested in carrying my art. Allan and I set up the light table and lights in the still unfinished photography studio, but at least it is a huge space to work in and I can work on the photographs in stages. Some of the photographs we took the other day are shown below. This project will keep us busy for a while as there are over 100 pieces to shoot, but it will be so worth it to have great photographs that really show off the uniqueness and beauty of each work of art. Be sure to check out the Sassy Glass Studio blog for updates on this project in addition to the Etsy shop.

ALM Photo will be announcing two absolutely fantastic new photography packages in the next week...stay tuned!! Also, if you know an artist who needs professional photography for their on-line shop, website or blog, pass our information on to them...they will thank you!

Studio Update #11

Things were getting kind of crazy around our property and we finally got a new walkway and stairs installed thanks to Adam. It was a little embarrassing for our visitors to have to walk up stairs, through the unfinished studio and down the connecting walkway in order to get into our house. Much better...

Stairs just before completion

The studio's interior is ready for insulation and once that is installed we can have the drywall put up and the floor laid. This studio is truly a labor of love...if Allan and I didn't love each other so much we would not have survived this project this far into it.

We haven't forgotten that we have a business to run, so we have been busy shooting and are looking to log some studio shooting as soon as the new space is ready. Look for us every Thursday at Wild Wing Cafe shooting the rail jam. Photos are also on Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/almphoto/sets/.

Lisa's bunny garden - viewed from the porch of the photography studio

Bubba waits patiently for a chance to see his friend, Baby Bunny

Studio Update #10

Allan and Adam moving the dog pen

The porch complete with ceiling fans

It's been one month since the last general posting and even longer since an update on the studio progress; however, there has been some progress, though not as much as we would like. Lisa is still waiting for the plumbing to be completed so she can move into her new glass studio and the siding upstairs needs to be finished before the insulation and drywall can be finished. Allan, Lisa and Adam have been working on other aspects of the construction in the meantime since it would be foolish to just sit back and wait. Lisa and Allan are getting antsy because they want to get into the studio and set up the new background system and become one with it. Here are some recent photographs of how things are looking and if you are in the neighborhood feel free to stop by and say "Hello", not only to see what we've gotten ourselves into but to feel better about the chaos in your own home environment. Seriously. In order to even get into the house you have to practically circle it completely which is not ideal when carrying glass out to the kilns. All the frustration, messiness and treacherousness will be well worth it in the long run...or so we keep telling ourselves.

(L to R) The art show tent drying out, the back deck and evidence that plumbers are here

(L to R) The front porch and back deck, the dog pen, and a side view

Brief Update...

Allan and I are getting ready for another art show for Sassy Glass Studio, this time in Blowing Rock, NC. Work has been progressing on the studio with much it being of the virtually unnoticed kind, such as landscaping and cleaning and organizing. Long, hard hours have been logged over the past couple of weeks and Adam, Lisa's brother has been a wonderful help. He not only has kept Allan and Lisa slightly more sane but has done a ton of work, willfully and skillfully. Check out the Sassy Glass Studio blog (see link over on the lower right side) for the show recap early next week.

Color, color everywhere!!

This time of year everything is blooming and every color in the rainbow is becoming evident everywhere we turn. Flowers just make the world a more beautiful place. Before we headed out of town for The Art Market at Historic Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island I snapped a few quick shots of the last of the dogwood and bleeding heart blooms as well as the first columbines and irises of the year.
The perfect subjects for photographs are often right in front of our eyes but, because they are in such familiar locations, we have a tendency to overlook them. We have to remind ourselves to take the time, especially in the spring, to really look around our familiar surroundings. Grab your camera and you will be amazed at what you will see through your lens. Now stop sitting at your computer and go outside and capture some beautiful photographs! You can thank me later.

(Photographers note: These were shot with the point-and-shoot.)

The driveway dogwoods

First Columbine blooms

Inaugural Iris

Bleeding Hearts

ALM Photo: Studio Update #9

It's been a while since the last studio progress report...but most importantly Spring has arrived. Beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures make my heart happy!

The studio is shaping up and there are now stairs to get up there so I can wander up and see how the light shines in the windows and on the porch. The weather has been so wonderful I wish I could sit on the porch all day, but the glass business has been keeping me very busy and as soon as the studio is done I know I will have plenty to do in there as well. Here are some photographs of the studio from a week or more ago. The concrete has been poured and the yard between the house and the studio is a total wreck- trenches for electric and water have been dug- but the inconvenience will be well worth it when I can work in a space bigger than a thimble. The glass studio is progressing also- lights have been installed, so I don't have to be scared going out there after dark. I will post some more photos soon...There has been quite a bit of progress since these photos were taken.




Stairway to studio

Extra garage...for the motorcycles

Glass studio...it's getting there