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I don’t know about you but I’m a sucker for a inexpensive frames and Ikea offers some great ones for putting together pretty wall displays. I was just browsing the Ikea site today and came upon a fun page they’ve put together with how to visualize and create groupings of pictures on the wall.

In the images below, you’ll see a line drawn around the groupings, helping you see how all of the frames work together as a whole — I like it!

I just threw this one in because I love all of the white, keeping everything bright and airy.

Two of my favorite frames from Ikea are the Virserum for a more classic look:

And the Ribba for a more modern look:

Also, this frame (the Ung Drill) could be really amazing if you painted it yourself to match whatever color worked in your room. Oooh, antiqued gold would be pretty…

Happy framing!

[images via ikea.com and thekidsroomdecor.com]

When I was approached to be featured in Comstock’s on niche marketing, I was so excited! I’m very passionate about this little business o’mine, and marketing it in a way that I really believe in has been a big part of it. I enjoy the subject so much, in fact, that I probably talked the ear off of the reporter who interviewed me, lol!  You can find the online version of this article here.

It was a fun and new (and somewhat strange, lol!) experience to be photographed by another photographer while I was working. My sweet, sweet clients were willing to include the magazine’s photographer in the mix during their newborn session – thank you, Monica and Dan!

Here’s a little peek at the image I was capturing while the shot above was taken. It looks like little miss Natalia was having a pretty good time.

When I was a kid, I LOVED collections. I had sets of sea glass, stickers, stamps, playing cards, rocks…and even dirt (well, it was dirt from different parts of the world, which makes it a little cooler, no? haha). When I discovered Pinterest, it was perfect because I could collect all of the fun and inspiring things I found on the internet all in one place (minus the heavy box of rocks that I have to lug around every time I move, lol!).

What is Pinterest? It is a virtual “pinboard” that lets you organize and share all of the inspiring and fun things you find on the web. You can use it to plan an upcoming photo shoot, collect ideas for decorating your home, or even organize your favorite recipes.

Want to be on Pinterest? It’s easy — the first thing to do is request an invite. Pinterest is invite-only right now, so email me if you’d like to start an account at info@jillcarmel.com.

I love to use Pinterest to create inspiration boards for each different kind photography session that I might have: maternity, newborn, baby, family, and teens. You can also create your own inspiration board and share it with me so that we can be on the same page for your session.

Trying to think of what to wear for your maternity session? Check out the pregnancy inspiration board on my Pinterest page:

Wondering how to display the portraits you purchased? Come on over to my wall display ideas board:

Not sure where to start when it comes to clothing? It works best to start with one outfit and base the others on it. Here some ideas on my What to Wear – Women board:

You can follow me on Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/jillcarmel

And once you get totally obsessed good at using it, you can have Pinterest on your iPhone like me…

If you’re already on Pinterest, leave me a comment letting me know how you like to use it.

Wow, I haven’t been around the blog much recently…things have been unexpectedly busy around here! January is usually a cold and rainy month, making it a little more difficult to get outside for a shoot, but the weather has been so beautiful, that I’ve been out there shooting my little you-know-what off. (It’s 60 degrees and sunny outside as I write this…on January 31st…crazy!)

The new year started off with a bang with being published in two different magazines (the second one to follow soon). The first was the January issue of Sacramento Parent Magazine. I was fortunate enough to be a participant in an article on tips for taking better pictures of your kids. You can find the online version of the article on the magazine website here.

More to come soon!

- J

I love color – bold, muted, dark, bright – and red is no exception. I mostly just love it when we can capture so MUCH color in one spot. And how could I resist when we had a red sweater, red VW Beetle, and red tree all in one place! I love mom’s choices for their clothing — they have a great combination of patterns, colors and textures.

Little man was JUST learning to walk over the last couple of weeks, and we got to capture him taking some of his very own unassisted steps. Love that look of accomplishment on his sweet face.

What a stunning couple. I love it when mom and dad want a picture of their own.

Goodness, that little hand on mom’s chin makes my knees weak.

Christmas is getting closer! Rushing to the finish line over here!

- Jill