You can see some previous winners from this competition here, here and here.

After a number of super fun kid and family shoots over the last few months, I decided it was time for these sessions to have their own dedicated site – meaning, of course, that I can keep the focus of this blog firmly on weddings and engagements.  It all finally came together this afternoon, and I can’t keep it a secret any longer!  So, without further ado, here’s Boston’s freshest kids and pets photography site, Wee Beasties Photography!

Head on over, take a peek, and let me know what you think!  And if you’re a subscriber to this blog, you might like to check out the integrated blog over there, too.  Click here for the direct link.  And because no post is complete without a picture, here are a couple of screen shots to whet your appetite.

Porter, as a young puppy, features in the opening page slideshow:

Another screen shot from the home page:

The site is packed full of handy hints on what to wear, how to prepare for your session, and so on:

I enjoyed finding new names for my portrait packages to fit with the new branding.  How about the Wee Beastie Weekender or the Big Beastie?  Click here for a link to the pricing page.

Let me know what you think – and if you have any friends who are looking for a non-traditional portrait photographer, please send along the link. 

Below are three of the winning images; I also placed second (!) in the Pure Art category … awesome!

The albums have an identical design inside (photos from Miss K’s boudoir session) but they are physically quite different.

The red album shown here is the 10×10 luxury leather bound book that I offer as an upgrade to the coffee table wedding albums in the smaller wedding packages, and it is the standard album included in the new Extravagant wedding package.  This is such a beautiful album …  the leather is rich, soft and thick.  I love the deep red cherry color, but I also offer a selection of earthy tones, including brown, tan and black.  The photos are printed on the highest grade photo paper available, Fuji Archival Crystal, and the print quality is superb.  The pages have no gutter (meaning I can design across full spreads without losing any of the image) and the corners are very slightly rounded so that they survive a little wear and tear – these albums are meant to be enjoyed on a regular basis!  This sample features a super cool metal photo cameo, which I offer as an optional upgrade.  There are other cameo options available too, including photo cameos and framed cameos – or you can keep it simple with just the leather cover.

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My second album, an 8×8 brushed champagne hard cover book, is designed to fill the gap between the high end leather bound albums and the digitally printed coffee table books that I offer as standard.  I was looking for something beautiful and durable, with lots of great cover options, but also something a little easier on the wallet.  The Forbeyon Linear line is perfect.  The Linear features digital printing (just like the coffee table books) but is otherwise much closer in style to the flush mount leather album.  The pages are thick and sturdy, and allow for panoramic full-spread design.  There are tons of cover materials available including this funky brushed champagne, various fabrics, and a number of leather upgrade choices.  For this sample, I chose the linen paper – it’s a gorgeous texture, and something a little different to the norm.  These make great parent albums, and I think they’ll also become popular with my boudoir clients looking for something a little more special.

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These albums need to be seen in the flesh to really appreciate just how gorgeous they are – so send me an email if you’d like to schedule a visit to the studio to take a peek!

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© 2009 Kate McElwee Photography

It is so exciting to get this kind of recognition for my work so early in my career (one and a half years – not that I’m counting!) and I feel truly honored to be joining some of my very favorite Washington photographers in the ranks – Yvonne Wong, Jenny Jimenez and Sean Flanigan to name just a few.

Here’s some info on what it means to be a member of the AGWPJA:

The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association is a distinct division within the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA). The [AG]WPJA focuses strictly on the artistic and “fine art” aspects of wedding photojournalism.

[AG]WPJA members are international wedding photojournalists, who excel both in creating outstanding images through a documentary approach, and in the art of post-production processing of wedding photographs. In a nutshell, [AG]WPJA photographers take great candid pictures, enhance them using the technology available, and deliver museum-quality images from your wedding day.

Huge thanks to my amazing couples who have made my job so much fun – your continued support and enthusiasm means a lot to me.  And special thanks to my family for helping me through an insanely busy and utterly exhausting year.  2009 will be calmer, I promise!

I’m off for a few days to celebrate …