3 girls essentials

you're invited to our studio's GRAND OPENING

i know what you're thinking - about time, right?!  i mean, we moved in FOUR months ago, what took us so long??

ahhhh..... well, as i found out, apparently rome wasn't built in a day (and neither is a studio).  so let's back up a bit and start at the beginning...

for those of you who don't know my story, let me give you the cliff notes version.  i began 3 girls photography (officially) in 2005 as an on-location children's portrait photographer.  my cousin, michele, had started her own business a while before and got me interested in photography when she brought her family out to visit us in washington, dc (where we were living at the time while jim was stationed at the pentagon).  i began studying the art, and fell in love.  INSTANTLY.

early in 2006 we built a small studio at home.  i also developed an extreme passion for senior portraits and fashion.  we outgrew this initial space almost immediately and moved into our previous location late that year.  it was love at first sight.  and then we outgrew that pretty quickly as well.

in the meantime i spent a lot of time visiting various studios of friends and mentors and developing my idea of a dream studio - centered entirely around natural light portraiture, EXTREME fun, decorative art, and a very unforgettable experience.  and pigtails.  :-)  okay, maybe that last one was just for me.  :-)

finally in mid-2008, while working with my friend renee reneau, i met with derek turner and his peeps and we began discussing how and where to build the coolest studio in history.  the details worked out, we broke ground earlier this spring, and thanks to our fabulous builders (miller tippens), we opened our doors in just over 3 months time.

we packed up and began the move on friday, july 3rd (YEE HAW!).  we had to be fully functional on july 5th, and were hoping to have some downtime in between in order to have our grand opening in september.  HA!  not sure what i was thinking, but as you can see that didn't happen.  brian killian, ed pierce, and the photovision peeps stopped by the first part of october, and we thought we'd have everything ready by THEN, but we were just getting our first portraits on the wall at that time and furniture was still rolling in too.

with any luck we'll be ready THIS THURSDAY!!

you see, we're FINALLY ready for our BIG GRAND OPENING and we want YOU TO COME!!!

so change you plans, grab your friends, and head over to the studio THIS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12th, ANYTIME between 6pm and 8pm and check out the new location!!

the first 100 guests will receive FREE GOODIE BAGS filled with gifts from 3 girls photography and ALL of our AMAZING business partners!!
trichology
IO metro
coffee creek wine shop
louie's bar & grill
best of books
hip & swanky
koko fit club
which wich
minska massage
pink swirls
woods floral & gourmet foods
arbonne
scentsy
kiddoes
legacy cleaners
and more!!

enjoy FREE finger food from louie's bar & grill, FREE wine from coffee creek wine shop, and FREE massages courtesy of minska massage!!

you'll also be able to purchase 3 girls photography DOUBLE DOLLAR gift certificates the night of the grand opening!  that means that you'll receive DOUBLE the amount you purchase in gift certificates - these make AMAZING Christmas gifts for family and friends!

we'll have lots to show you that night, so be sure to stop by and say hello!  we can't wait to see old friends and meet new ones.  so we'll see you THIS THURSDAY for our GRAND OPENING!!

peace and popsicles!
jen :-)

 

ummm......hi?

that's my sheepish version of a title for this post.  because as i logged in tonight i saw that my last post was exactly one month and one day ago.  good GRIEF.  my friend andy said it best when he was away from his blog for a while.  you miss a few days and then there is this huge guilt.  and then you feel you need to have the most AMAZING post ever in order to explain your absence.  and you keep putting it off.  and time gets away from you.  and then there is just this pressure to perform...

so i thought 'to heck with it'.  i'm just going to post a quickie to get everyone caught up!  with wonderful fabulous images!  oh wait.  except that i'm typing this from home.  and all the images are on the server at the studio.  slight problem with that idea...

so back to the post.  what's been happening in jen's world in the past 31 days?  well, quite a bit! first off, mike hanline (from our lab) flew over to check out the studio's progress and to see our new digs in june, and then took michele and i for a ride on their jet down to see their newest facility in dallas.  talk about WAY COOL!!  i'm such a nerd when it comes to our lab - i love every little detail of how they do things (and they are the BEST in our industry!  in every way!!).  the processes, the quality, the technology, and the crazy happy people who work there.  i'm pretty sure if i weren't doing what i'm doing, that i would be working for mike.  it's like disney world for workplaces.

after that whirlwind trip we successfully moved into the new studio (thanks SO much to everyone who helped - we couldn't have done it without you!!) just after the first of july.  HALLELUJAH!!  we were SO happy!!  it was a LOT of work, a LOT of sweat, and a LOT of lifting, but sooooo totally worth it!!  however, we've not had time to really enjoy it yet as we literally went to fully functional 2 days later and have been 150% nonstop ever since.  nonstop meaning - they are still working on parts of the building!  we did get occupancy, but there is still much to be done.  including all of the displays and about a third of the furniture and decor!

so while we hoped for a september grand opening, our schedule might be dictating a february gala instead.  we'll keep ya posted on that part...

in the meantime we've been photographing nonstop in our incredible new camera rooms!!!  our main room is a 1000 square foot haven of natural light - you've got to see it to believe it!  the look and feel of the room is something that words just cannot describe.  our outdoor courtyard is also as unique as they come.  we worked with our architect to custom design each section to our individual style, and the guys have even brought in some killer 'backdrops' from old barns and buildings that they're tearing down.  it's just the most beautiful place in the whole world (can you tell we're in LOVE?!?).

in the midst of all this the girls and i took a whirlwind trip to hilton head island to see my cousin brandon marry the girl of his dreams.  cousin brandon is 'uncle brandon' to my girls (i'm an only child, so my cousins are all aunts and uncles - i'm pretty sure my kids will all fail geneology one day, but for now we're tight) so amy joined our family as 'aunt amy'.  we couldn't be more thrilled!!  this was my first trip to hilton head, and i must admit for all those who don't know - i really really dislike the beach.  i mean REALLY.  i know that i'm in the .01% of the population that feels that way, but it's true.  i think it's step 3 in my 12 step program (admitting my distaste), so i'm doing better.  don't get me wrong - it's BEAUTIFUL - and if i were inside in an air conditioned spa with windows all around overlooking the beach i'd be in pure bliss.  but the actual outdoor beach part (with sand, heat, humidity, dirty water...did i mention SAND?!?) is like nails on a chalkboard to me.  and yes, the got married ON the beach.  but it was PERFECT.  never in the history of the earth has there been a more beautiful bride than amy henderson riley.  i feel like we gained this whole ginormous family with amy and i'm in love with them all.  the girls were the three cutest flower girls you've ever seen in your life, and (much to my bewilderment) loved every part of the beach.  it was awesome.

so now we're back to reality - playing with the best clients in the whole world and creating the most amazing art for them.  i LOVE my life.  and i LOVE all the peeps that come in to play with us.  they truly are our lifelong friends and it makes me smile every day going in to 'work'.  we're still getting adjusted to our new studio life, and michele, angie, julie and i are debating investing in an intercom system so we can find each other during the day (we get lost on a daily basis, yes), but we're in love with the new place. 

this is our busiest season of the year for seniors, however we've photographed several children and families (and cheer and pom groups!) as well in the new digs.  and they're all soooo beautiful!!  i can't wait to share!!

so until next time (which WILL be soon - i have so many images to post!!), you can follow me on twitter (jenbasford), or hang with us on facebook.  we're in the midst of moving our facebook group over to a fan page there, so keep your eyes open this next week.  

happy weekend!

peace and popsicles -

jen :-)

1024 west covell - our NEW studio!!

 

ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh i'm SO crazy EXCITED!!!!!!!

so if you're wondering about my sudden hiatus, this should explain it.  we've been trying to finish up june's sessions, while at the same time planning the move to the new studio.  it's been a wild and crazy ride, and we've had the BEST builders ever to play with.  if you're in need of builders for anything under the sun, you need to check out miller-tippens.  i can't imagine working with a better builder!!

so we've been picking out paint, shopping for furniture, picking out wood, shopping for furniture, picking out weird and eclectic items for various areas, shopping for furniture, and doing everything under the sun to get ready for the new studio.  WHEW!

and WHEN is move-in day you ask?  well...it's THIS FRIDAY!!!!  we've got a jam-packed 24-hour-a-day move schedule starting on friday to get ready for our jam-packed 100%-full july schedule that starts immediately following the move.  we've be fully FUNCTIONAL once we're in, but the studio itself won't be completely 'ready' for a while.  we've still got furniture coming, decor coming, and displays on the way.  we'll be having the world's most fabulous grand opening in (hopefully) september. 

DID I MENTION WE'RE UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED?!?!?

these are some quick shots i took recently.  the colors are a bit off, but you get an idea of the interior.  it's absolutely GINORMOUS!!

 

this is a shot of our main camera room.

 

the paint in these images isn't quite finished - there are glazes and faux finishes still to be applied.  the exposed ceilings are throughout for the most part.

 

i wanted to have a funky room somewhere, so we opted for the 2nd bathroom to be this flamboyant red color.  it's a vibrant fire-engine-red meets cherry-red color.  i LOVE it.  the main bathroom is much larger with a dressing area - they were hanging the chandelier in there today so the image isn't quite as fun.  :-)

 

i had forgotten all about the landscaping in my glee of the building progress.  the landscapers ROCKED it today and put in some incredibly cool greenery.  this was just after they got started.

 

we call the front arch windows the 'taco bell windows'.  (no worries - they'll have glass!!  they're absolutely ENORMOUS).  apparently everyone who's seen the building at any point in time has thought it was a mexican restaurant, with the lowe's workers hoping it was a taco bell when the framing went up.  so we've lovingly incorporated everyone's desires into the new digs.  angie and i like to nickname everything in the studio (yes, we brought the door-doors with us), so this name will stick for sure.

so if you're free on friday come on over!! we could use an extra hand (or 3 or 4) moving!!

WOO HOO!!!
peace and popsicles -
jen :-)

senior portraits - ready when YOU are!

the most frequent comment we get from our beautiful clients this time of year is that they 'realize it's late in the game, but we need to schedule our senior portraits!'

and we want to make sure and ease everyone's concerns by letting you know that we photograph senior portraits YEAR ROUND!!  YAY!!!

there is no deadline for having your senior portraits done!  the only deadlines surrounding photography and your senior year are those set by your school and the yearbook staff.  for example, if you are an edmond school senior your yearbook deadline could be anywhere from august 29th to late september/early october.  but keep in mind that the yearbook image is completely separate from your senior portraits - this is the standard image on a set background that goes into the yearbook only.  your senior portraits are an experience you'll never forget. :-)

so make sure and schedule your senior portraits when YOU are ready!  once we have you on the calendar for your senior portrait session, we will schedule a separate mini-session (about 10 minutes) for your yearbook image IF your session date is later than (or too close to) your yearbook deadline.  how easy is that?

we're almost completely full for july, and august is not far behind!  but september and october are FABULOUSLY fun times of the year for senior portraits!  so relax and enjoy - this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for seniors and we want to make sure they can savor every moment and enjoy the exclusive 3 girls experience!  we'll get the yearbook image done for you on time - no worries. :-)

happy summer everyone!!  and be sure to check out our brand new SENIOR site!!  www.3girlsphotography.com

peace and popsicles (and senior portraits!) -
jen :-)

P.S  OUR BRAND NEW STUDIO IS NEARLY COMPLETE!!!  in just a few short weeks we will be moving to our brand new custom-designed studio at 1024 west covell!!!!!!!!!!!!  we'll be at the southwest corner of kelly and covell (behind walgreens and next to lowe's).  it will be like nothing you've ever seen before - we can't wait to play with everyone there!!!  we have about 8 gatrillion new things to photograph with this year - so stay tuned!!!

spa family circle

a few weeks back i went up to kansas city to spend some time with my friends the antisdels.  the antisdels are the owners of senior portrait artists (spa), which is by far the most amazing group of senior portrait photographers in the world.  these are the people who set the standards for senior portrait photography - the trends, the fashions, the photography, the desire, the latest and greatest, and the most important of all - the experience.  they are pretty amazing.  :-)  and i happen to love them tremendously too!!

i spend several weeks over the course of a year at educational venues keeping up on the latest and greatest, getting inspired, learning new techniques, and even speaking.  my 2 favorite events are always hanging out with the jed & vicki, and spending time with the antisdels.  nothing inspires me more.

this trip was for an intimate gathering of photographers for a 'family circle' of sharing.  we did a lot of talking about marketing (i spoke to the group about our fashion show, which we had just finished before we left), photography, lighting, inspiration, and passion (my favorite).  we also spent a lot of time talking about fun stuff too (looking for a career change matthew singer?? tee hee hee!).  and eating.  my favorite event of all (LOL!).

 

a little bit of zoolander mixed in with austin powers.  can't beat that for great photography.  todd van fleet (left) and lee larson are definitely workin' on bringing sexy back.  or maybe (as i recommended to my friend christian sangree) they should just keep it locked up where it is.  seems to be safer there.

on the last day kia and sana brought in a couple of models to photograph.  this is always my favorite part - getting to see different ways of lighting, playing with the feel of the image, and working with playful personalities.  amazing!!

 

this guy looked awesome in everything we put him in, including this michael jackson jacket straight from 1981.  we couldn't find a white glove to go with it (trust me, i looked), but as it seems members only is making a comeback, you might get used to seeing the look when you're out and about.  but if shoulder pads come back into style i'm going to have to take a stand...

  

in GENERAL, i'm not a big fan of black and white - color is what inspires me.  however, every now and then an image speaks to you that absolutely MUST be black and white - whether high contrast, soft, or even hand colored.  this image that kia setup was stronger WITHOUT color.  the high contrast of the light on their faces gave this image the mood that it begged for.

 

they had the boy scooting around on the buddy, and picking up the girl - it was a HOOT!!!  but as we were watching from afar we noticed his turning radius confidence was smaller than the available turning AREA, so micala sent sari (above) out for the rescue.  hee hee.  i'm sure he would have been fine, but the image of him tossing the girl onto her bum might not have been as humorous to her, so sari jumped in to save the day.  YAY SARI!!!

 

kia looking fab as always.  :-)  love love love love kia.  :-)

 

after the 'pickup' (which consisted of a honk and a finger wiggle), they were off to ride into the sunset (or the ditch if we hadn't intervened (see paragraph above)).  ahhhhh, young love (or young models whom you script for love).  :-)  i really like the feel of this image.

 

and last but not least - OUR NEWEST ADDITION TO THE FAMILY!!!!!  meet my cousin michele (mcintosh), who will be joining us at 3 girls as our newest member of the team - YAY MICHELE!!!!  she and her husband dustin (and their 3 GIRLS!!!!  WOOT!!!) are moving down to oklahoma from ohio.  i am sooooooooo crazy excited to have them here!!  michele is also a professional photographer, and has an extreme passion for babies and children.  she will be joining us in studio this week (some of you have already talked with her by phone!), and will be up to speed by, oh, wednesday at the latest!  truly, she is amazing in all aspects and brings SO much to our world.  I LOVE YOU 'CHELE!!!

til next time my fabulous peeps!
peace and popsicles -
jen :-)

ohmigosh!! we were interviewed on the FOX morning show today!!

 

WOO HOO!!!!

we were interviewed this morning for the FOX news channel's morning show - WOWEE!!!  that was fabulous!!!  angie mock, one of the anchors for the morning show, interviewed michele and i about the fashion show (tuesday at 7:30pm!!!), our 8-hour sale on wednesday (our BEST deal of the year!!), and our involvement with MADD.  it was fabulous!!

we'll post some more images and (hopefully!) a link to the video soon.  but for now, it's off to get ready for the biggest fashion event of the year!

be SURE to get your tickets to tomorrow night's show in advance and avoid the rush - woo hoo!!!

til next time...

peace and popsicles -
jen        

POSTPONED: Battle of the Brick is NOW on April 5th!

hi all!  just a quick post in between to let you all know that sunday's 'battle of the brick' between the edmond baseball teams and the moore baseball teams has been POSTPONED until sunday, april 5th. 

everything remains the same, just shift the times and lineups to APRIL 5th.

did i mention it was now APRIL 5th?  just checking... :-)

this was due to the weather (has anyone noticed how COLD and WET it is out there???) - so we'll see everyone on the 5th for the BEST in baseball. 

GOOD LUCK EDMOND!!!

peace and popsicles -
jen

edmond baseball: battle of the brick for the mayor's cup

 

last week we had the honor of photographing 3 of our best edmond baseball players for the cover of edmond life & leisure.  WHY, you ask?  well, let me tell you...

on march 29th our very own edmond baseball teams are competing in the first annual

BATTLE OF THE BRICK FOR THE MAYORS CUP

what is the event?  our 3 edmond teams will be battling the 3 moore teams for the inaugural mayor's cup title!  it's going to be AMAZING!

where and when does this take place?  sunday, march 29th at the bricktown ballpark in downtown oklahoma city

when do the teams play?  glad you asked!  here is the schedule:
memorial vs. moore at 2:00pm
santa fe vs. southmoore at 4:30pm
north vs. westmoore at 7:00pm

HOW CAN I GET TICKETS??  what a great question!  there are many ways!  tickets are $10 in advance and get this - they are good for all 3 games!  this is a funtastic opportunity to spend a day at the bricktown ballpark with family and/or friends eating hot dogs and cheering on your favorite team!

for husky fans:
you can pickup tickets at the family dentistry office of dr. tim rudd.  he is located at 775 w. covell, suite 160, and the number there is 844.6333.  their hours are monday-thursday from 9-5 (out for lunch from 1-2) and friday 9-1. 

for wolves fans:
contact lynda andrews at 715.7242 and she will take care of you!

for memorial fans:
call 590.8435 for ticket information!

so mark your calendars, get your tickets, and get ready for an incredible battle for big-time bragging rights! 

peace and popsicles!
jen

   

jackson white, edmond memorial

 

tyler sturges, edmond santa fe

 

brian harris, edmond north

 

coach kyle roberts - edmond memorial, coach lonny cobble - edmond santa fe, coach rick nordyke - edmond north, jackson white, tyler sturges, and brian harris

and then there are detours...

we've had quite a busy week this past week!  and i've been meaning to post each night, however life's little detours always seem to get in the way (mostly that nagging thing called 'sleep' and my annoying need for it).

first off - our matilda jane trunk show was absolutely FABULOUS!!!  we were truly amazed at the turnout - so many old friends and new friends and people in general.  we were busy before we even 'opened' right up to shortly after 'closing'.  i must say - the new spring line is TO DIE FOR!  i was also thrilled they had more items for adults - i love fun and whimsical clothing (it makes a nice addition to my personality!) and these clothes delivered on that part!  and the kids items were a dream come true - all of the colors, patterns, and endless mix-and-match possibilities have me very excited to photograph this spring!

angie and i also went to a boden trunk show that morning at a new friends' house in OKC.  what fun that was!  i have been getting boden/mini boden catalogs in the mail for a few years now and it was cool to see all of the fashions in person!  i have a huge crush on 3 of their spring jackets, and several of the shoes (which is odd, of course, since i never actually WEAR shoes unless socially required).  i ordered this really fun dress and i'm really excited to see it in person (they didn't have this one at the show).  thanks lesia for the invitation!

on friday we setup a display at the creek classic (www.deercreekclassic.com), which is an annual event to raise money for deer creek schools (yay!!).  they host a creek 'market' that afternoon for runners to pickup their race packets - there are lots of local businesses on hand, plus games, food, and fun for the entire family.  we had a BALL meeting soooooo many new and wonderful friends!!  angie ran in the event on saturday morning (go angie go!) and did fabulous - we're so proud of her!  i, on the other hand, enjoyed sleeping in.  :-)  thanks to marcy and karla for making us feel so welcome!  we'll be back next year for sure!

on sunday is when our little 'detour' hit.  during the night before, reagan had woken up with a slight fever (i think - i was too sleepwalky to notice exactly HOW hot she was).  i gave her a hefty dose of motrin (like a good mommy :-) and sent her back to bed.  she woke up (seemingly) fine and her fever had (also seemingly) broken.  later that afternoon, jim headed back to austin for a final week of training and the girls and i set off for a hike around the neighborhood.  part of the way through reagan started whining a bit and complaining that her tummy hurt - i felt her and she was burning up.  i popped her on my back and we headed home.  took her temp - 104.8!!!!!  oh my.  i'm not a worrier when it comes to my kids and illnesses/injuries (they ARE kids, and they are quite active daredevils to say the least), but this was concerning.  i spent the rest of the day and night keeping her medicated at the proper intervals and taking her temp about every 30 minutes.  i never got it below 102.7, and it spent a LOT of time above 104.  ahhhhh.....

we headed to dr. maschino's office this morning (after a long night of fever) and they swabbed her for the flu.  one look at her, though, and she knew.  poor reagan looked like she had been hit by a mack truck.  and of course, of the 2 possible types of flu you can imagine which one she has.  yep, the VIRAL one (read: just-have-to-let-it-run-its-course).  we started alternating motrin and tylenol, i called my mom to come over and help out (SHE'S THE BEST!!!), and by the end of the day she was up and functioning a bit more.  but she's pretty much down for the count for at least a few days (at best).

did i mention poor reagan?!?

so now i'm trying to play catch-up from the weekend and from our little life detour.  and i'm also praying that we don't pass this around - it's MISERABLE.

again, sorry for the posting delays, but as you can see we've been a bit 'tied up' around here.  i have an incredible lineup of fun posts coming soon, so stay tuned!  

peace and popsicles -

jen :-)

dallas nationals, and of course......SHOPPING!

 

jim and i went to dallas this weekend with riley for her first-ever-gosh-i'm-so-excited-to-order-room-service-at-the-hotel!! cheerleading national cometition.  my parents (of Camp NannyPapa fame) came over on friday so roo and i could head down to dallas.  jim was already in austin for the week so he met us there from that end.

i must say, riley was in complete heaven being the only child for the weekend, and truly wouldn't stop talking about ordering room service (before your curiosity gets the best of you, we DID order up desert on saturday night and she went all out making a HUGE deal about it).  we got down there friday evening in just enough time to hit the sack, as she had an oh-my-gosh-what-kind-of-lunatic-schedules-a-competition-at-this-hour??? show time the next morning.  by some leap of faith and a small miracle combined, we managed to get the 2.5 miles from our hotel to the convention center, park, and up to the meeting room prior to the search party being deployed.

i have to tell you - i was blown away by the ginormousness of the competition.  yes, i was a cheerleader in high school.  yes, i went to the NCA and UCA camps and so forth.  but cheerleading has become a TREMENDOUS event just in itself.  and i, for one, am hooked like a little kid at a jonas brothers concert.  i love the energy, the skill, the noise levels, and the determination it takes for these girls (and guys!) to do what they do.  dedication and teamwork are a MUST, and i LOVE to watch!

so her team performed that morning and we were set free until the following morning (YAY!).  which totally made up for the fact that we had to get up at (see time explanation above) - because we now had the whole day to go SHOPPING!!  my favorite sport!  we hit the galleria and northpark, and i was in love.  my favorite store of all time is anthropologie.  it is both my personal style, and my professional inspiration (www.anthropologie.com). 

lush is another favorite that i LOVE to see when we're in dallas (www.lushusa.com).  jim and i first discovered lush in london several years ago - we love the fresh, handmade soaps, skincare, and bath fizzies.  i got this way cool new 'soap' that is actually a 'jelly'.  it's WAY fun to play with and i'm pretty sure it actually cleans you too.  i also got to pick up a bar of my favorite soap - the sultana of soap (or something like that, it's way yummy) - and some face scrub.

i also discovered a fashion and accessories line that inspired me while on this trip - i saw bits and pieces of it at many different stores, and i love the vintage, yet romantic look of the brand.  you can see it at www.orlakiely.com

betsey johnson has some fun-colored dresses out for the spring this year that would be amazing to photograph.  might have to look more closely at some as we get further into the season.  and of course, who could forget free people?  my favorite hippie-with-a-feminine-twist boutique.  can't beat it.

we had lunch at pappasitos on saturday - super yummy and hard to beat.  i'm pretty sure i could live on some form of tex-mex for the rest of my life if given the option.  mmmm..... nothing like a great cheese enchilada and some guacamole (well, almost nothing - a margarita sure could top anything i could dream up).

after a grueling day on sunday of competition, we packed up and headed home.  and for now at least, it's life as usual (which, thankfully, is wildly unpredictable and carefree).

peace and popsicles -
jen :-)