For everything there is a season: Asheville Family Photographer

...and a time for every purpose under Heaven. I love that this family has a sense of purpose and creativity with their Christmas card message. They vacationed in our lovely mountains and we caught the leaves at just the right time. And lucky for me, this adorable little baby's christening was in just a few weeks...

don't miss out on holiday sessions: Asheville Family Photographer Sonya Stone

Last year at this time, I had so many inquiries I had to turn people away. And I took clients who booked late and still needed photographs delivered in time for holilday gifts. The result? I was pressed for time and felt stressed squeezing in clients because...let's face it...I'm a people pleaser. I took pity on the poor souls who waited until Thanksgiving to have their Christmas card photos and gift prints done. And if I'm being totally honest, it's because I am one of those people who gets busy and forgets to look at a calendar to plan ahead so I have scrambled too. But after the dust settled on last year's holiday season, I vowed to not do that this year.

SO, if you have not yet booked your holiday session with me...your time is up! Well, almost! I am almost booked out for the remainder of the year but I have come up with a solution for my fellow procrastinators. I will host a limited number of mini sessions with guaranteed delivery by Christmas, and when those sessions are booked, that's it...I will clock out, turn off my phone, & stop answering emails. Ok, probably not all that, but that will officially be the close to our holiday sessions.

Let me tell you how this will work. The sessions will be scheduled during the first two weeks of November. For only a $95 session fee (a $55 savings), I will photograph your family in a "mini" session. We will spend roughly an hour getting the images you want for cards, gifts for your family members and keepsakes for yourself. I will provide 10-15 edited images for your review and you will order from a special "mini" holiday session pricelist, which is available exclusively for my holiday mini session clients. Customized packages with options for digital files and prints of all sizes at incredible prices.

Hurry, there are only a few sessions available and they will be booked on a first come, first serve basis! Contact me via my website, www.sonyastone.com, to book yours today.

some of my own: Asheville Children's Photographer Sonya Stone

it occurred to me recently that I haven't posted photographs of my own children in like a year and a half! so to get you up to speed on the "babies" and my big girls...I thought I would share a few recent shots.

feel the love

I love this family...so sweet and so much FUN! I have had the pleasure of knowing them before this session but this was the first time I really got to see them cut loose. And the affection...it was contagious! hope it makes you smile!

school's back

Fall is here...school is back in session and the weather is changing. There is a beauty unfolding in our earth and in our children. I'm lucky enough to be a part of the Grow With Me Co-op and I get to befriend many sweet wonderful children (and the parents tend to be pretty cool too!). This was a fast but fun shoot...a round about of photographing and playing...climbing, racing, swinging, laughing...all the things children should be doing! And I am blessed to witness it!

and the winner is...

Sonya Stone Photography!! Hurray and thank you, thank you to everyone who cast a vote for me in the WNC Parent Family Choice Awards. I can't tell you how fun it was to see that fans voted me the best Child/Family Photographer in the same issue where my photo was on the cover. You can see it online at http://www.wncmom.com/ at least for the month of June. And then you'll see another one of my photos on the July cover and the August cover so check it out!

Here are the May and June photographs the editors for WNC Parent choose in case you missed the issues...

And I do have more photos to share so I'll be back in just a few days....really, I promise! I know you have heard this from me before. I just don't know where the time goes. Hours turn into days, days into weeks, and then here I am creeping back months later. I do have 4 children now and no longer do I have free time in the day light. But I will sneak back here to share so stay tuned.

Vote for ME!!

Very exciting things are happening in my world. I know I said I would post photos of my twins, who just turned 1...can you believe it???? I CAN NOT! Well, I will, but first I have to fill you in and get on the campaign trail.

The exciting news is that WNC Parent (a monthly publication under the management of our local newspaper, The Asheville Citizen-Times) asked me to photograph the finalists in their Cover Kids Contest for the next four issues!! So a couple of weeks ago, I met some of the cutest and definitely most photogenic kids in Western NC to shoot the May, June, July and August covers. Be sure to pick up the next copy and let me know what you think!

The June issue is where they will announce the winners of the WNC Parent Family Choice Awards. These recognize family friendly people, places and events in all kinds of categories and...you guess it, there is a Favorite Child/Family Photographer category. Well, wouldn't that just be the cat's pajamas if I won that category for the issue where my photograph is on the cover?!???!!!

YES, the answer is YES! So please, go cast your vote for me in the favorite photographer category. You only need to enter your name and email and vote in 20 categories. Let your voice be heard! I believe they are accepting votes until April 30 so don't delay!

Just follow this link and look in the menu on the left hand side for "take the survey"
http://www.wncmom.com/

And if you are looking for some recommendations, I'll mention a few of my favs...
Family Friendly Breakfast, Sunny Point
Family Friendly Lunch, Asheville Pizza & Brewing (but I don't let my kids drink until afternoon...lol!)
Family Friendly Dinner, Blue Sky Cafe
Best Bakery, Short Street Cakes
Best Ice Cream, Ultimate Ice Cream
Best Pizza, Asheville Pizza & Brewing
Best Kids Menu, Blue Sky
Family Friendly Grocery Store, Earth Fare
Best Parent-Child Program, Grow With Me
Best Music Program, Music Together
Best Museum, Health Adventure
Best Hiking Trail, Warren Wilson River Trail
Best Rainy Day Activity, Health Adventure
Best TV Station, UNC TV,PBS
Family Friendly Movie Theater, Asheville Pizza & Brewing
Best Consignment Store, LuLus
Best Children's Clothing Store, Just Ducky
Best Toy Store, Dancing Bear
Best Pediatric Practice, True Health Family Wellness (Dr. Todd Stone, the best Dr. Dad in the world, not just WNC, come on now!)
Best Family Dentist, Dr. Scott Peele
Best Family/Child Specialty Photographer, Seriously, I should not have to spell it out, but SONYA STONE!!!
Best Preschool, Grow With Me
Best Homeschool Program, Grow With Me

thanks!! xoxo

Somebody noticed

Just when I thought no one was reading my blog...well, why would they? I have been so slack in posting entries that I can hardly expect people to sit around, waiting for me to post something brilliant. I get this news today...my blog was selected as one of the "Top 47 Photo Blogs on the Web." Now, the real question is why 47? Why not 50? hmmmm, curious.

Anyway, I second guessed this honor all day until I have finally allowed myself to believe that it's not a late April fool's joke...it's just a compliment. And it's an honor to be nominated, truly!

Hopefully, this pressure will not cause me to shut down in a panic! I'm trying to search my mental files for the perfect image to post. Maybe I'll come up with something great...tomorrow I can guarantee that there will be a photograph of my babies. Why? Because it's their first birthday. And it has been the most blissful year of my life!

Go check out some of these other fabulous blogs. I love photography. I love that so many people can take the same world, the same people, the same places...and can see it all so differently.

Coming of age: Asheville Senior Photographer Sonya Stone

I feel like I am sneaking a peek through a window. A window that on one side is the childhood and on the other, womanhood. This time, this once in a lifetime time, is so fleeeting and so exciting. All the opportunities ahead. All the lessons learned and yet to be learned. This is my amazingly beautiful sister and I am so proud of the woman she is becoming.