I hope everyone had a great holiday season. The blog has been a little slow lately as I’ve been in and out of town a lot. And the blog will probably be a little quiet over the next few weeks as well. I’m revamping my products and pricing for the upcoming year. For some silly reason, I decided mid-December to redesign the website as well. It’s been down ever since and I need to dedicate some time to getting it finished and back up! And I’m also working on the details for the 2012 Cutest Dog in Columbus contest! Entries will be accepted starting in late January, more details to come in the following weeks.

It’s time for my favorite images from the year. I’ve picked my 10 favorite images from all the portrait sessions I photographed in 2011. In previous years, I’ve picked my top three images from each type of session, this year I’m mixing it up to my top 10. It was hard to pick my favorites and to not make them all images of dogs. Because we all know how dog-obsessed I am. Sit back, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy some of my favorites form 2011!

Congrats to Jason & Stephanie who were just married a few weeks ago. Their wedding was so much fun! This image is from their engagement session in Youngstown at the Covered Bridge at Lanterman's Mill at Mill Creek Park.

The 2011 winner of the Cutest Dog in Columbus. Desh is so adorable and happy!

I've been photographing Emma since I started as a photographer and it never gets old, especially when I capture an genuine moments like this one.

Jenny (who is also a photographer) wanted photos with her boyfriend Eric. I'm excited to say that they became engaged over the holidays! We weren't sure what the weather was going to do for us on at their session - but it turned out fantastic. And Jenny did a great job with clothing choices and colors for fall portraits.

This was a great session with for Rebecca who is not only a model but also a fitness instructor. I was luck in 2011 to not only meet other amazing small business owners, but also work with them.

Lilly always makes me laugh, she is five, going on twenty-five. I get amazing expressions from her when we're out for her session.

One of the toughest sessions for me in 2011 was getting all three Havanese dogs to cooperate for a group photo. The end result was even better than I expected!

Hannah was so much fun to work with for her senior portrait session. Her great personality shined through in all of her images. And those eyes of hers are beauitful!

Who doesn't smile when looking at this photograph! The fact the dogs have ties on is just icing on the cake!

I am not a morning person, but good thing we got to the park first thing in the morning for Kim and Jeff's family photos. It was well worth me getting up earlier than normal for beautiful light and a beautiful family!

 Contact Danielle to Schedule Your Portrait Session

A beautiful fall day in Gahanna made for a gorgeous session for Hannah’s senior portraits. Creekside is one of my favorite locations in Columbus for photos. There is a great mix of variety from the park to more urban looks in the plaza. And by urban, I’m not talking graffiti, but lines, colors and textures that compliment the senior’s look and style.

Hannah is a very busy girl during her last year of high school and a little late in getting her senior portraits done. Her yearbook deadline is right around the corner, but we were both able to work her session into our schedules, in order to meet the deadline. Hannah is a senior at Hilliard Darby and is involved in a ton of activities. She plays the bassoon and is active in marching band, Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, improv club and a volunteer at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Needless to say, she doesn’t have a lot of free time on her hands to just chill out with that busy life. Plus she even has a part time job as a waitress at a cafe!

Hannah was a blast during her session and we chatted about life, boys, school, clothes and her list of colleges that she is applying to. She has a wonderful and outgoing personality which shined through in her portraits. She was an absolute delight to work with and made my job so easy to photograph her.

Hannah, thank you for choosing Danielle Neil Photography to capture your senior portraits. You have such a positive spirit and great personality that I know you will go far in life with such a great attitude! There were so many great photos from her session and here are a few of my favorites from then.

Visit the Senior Portrait Gallery | Contact Danielle to Schedule Your Session

I’m offering a back-to-school special for the 2012 seniors that is a fantastic deal!! If you book your August or September session by August 20, 2011 you’ll receive $50 off your session fee! And an added bonus for those of you getting a head start on your senior pics, I’m offering a complimentary 8×8 image panel with your print purchase! Image panels makes a great gift for parents and grandparents. The panels are mounted on a substrate, so they can be placed on an easel for desktop display or framed for display on a wall. The image panel is only available with the back-to-school promotion and is not for purchase separately. When you combine the $150 value of the image panel plus the $50 off your session fee, you’ll be saving $200 with this promotion!!

Ready to book your session or find out more information on beautiful senior portraits? Contact me, using the online form or email me at info@danielleneil.com soon! Sessions are held on-location throughout Columbus, including Downtown Columbus, Uptown Westerville, Creekside Gahanna and many other park and urban areas in the city. And don’t forget, there are no extra charges for each pose or limit on clothing changes!!

This is the 8x8 image panel — get four different looks in one display!

Visit the Senior Portrait Gallery | Contact Danielle to Schedule Your Session

I can’t believe it’s that time of year already, the class of 2012 is starting to book their senior portrait sessions! Meet Kaitlyn, the first of my 2012 Senior Models. Kaitlyn goes to Centennial High School in Columbus and is involved in Young Life, swimming and track. She’s a busy girl and a lucky one at that, being able to spend a lot of her summer by the pool AS a lifeguard. We met up at Creekside in Gahanna for her senior pictures on one of the few non-rain days lately. Kaitlyn’s mom, sister and dog all came along for the session as well. I had a lot of fun with them during our time at the park and the shopping area. If she was nervous about being in the spotlight for her photos, she didn’t show it at all!

I have seniors fill out a brief questionnaire before their photo session, so I find out more about them along with their interests. I love learning more about my clients before their photos, it really helps me to get an idea of their personalities to incorporate in their photos. Here’s a few snippets from Kaitlyn’s questionnaire:

Hobbies, Interests, What You Do For Fun
I love Sports pretty much all sports! I love shopping and spending time with my friends, swimming is another thing that I LOVE! I don’t know were I would be without swimming!!!

Favorite Websites
Facebook and YouTube

Favorite Bands/Singers
Ke$ha, Lady gaga, I love pretty much any country singer mainly Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Allison Krauss, and Sarah Evans.

What are 3 things you can’t live without?
My Dogs, Friends, and Hope!

If you know Kaitlyn, she will soon have model cards to pass out to her friends that will earn discounts on your session and prints. Be sure to get one from her, before scheduling your session!

Visit the Senior Portrait Gallery | Contact Danielle to Schedule Your Session

It’s that time of year again and the 2012 senior model search has started! Every year, Danielle Neil Photography looks for current high school juniors to participate in the program. If you want a unique and fun senior portrait session, then this program is for you! Applications are currently being taken through April 15, 2011 and the selected models will be contacted in late April to schedule their session.

Models receive discounts, goodies and gifts during their time representing Danielle Neil Photography. Models have the chance to earn over $300 in print credits for their senior portraits, as well as $300 in gift cards for local stores, restaurants and spas!

If you are currently a Columbus area high school junior interested in applying, email info@danielleneil.com to receive the 2012 Senior Model Guidebook with all the details of the program and a link to the online application. I will be selecting two models per school, so let your friends know and they can apply as well.

Some of the schools I’m looking for models include:
• Licking Heights High School
• Gahanna Lincoln High School
• Westerville North, South and Central High Schools
• Pickerington Central and North High Schools
• Reynoldsburg High School
• New Albany High School
• Bexley High School
• Bishop Hartley High School

If your school is not listed above, contact Danielle to see if there are 2012 model opportunities for your school as well!

Stop over to the website to see the gallery of high school seniors who have worked with Danielle Neil Photography.

And don’t forget to Like the Danielle Neil Photography Facebook page, you’ll get all the news on senior portraits right in your news feed!