I will be taking the full weekend off to enjoy some much needed R&R and family time. I have lots of beautiful things coming to the blog and can’t wait to share!

I will have limited email access until Monday – thank you so much for your patience!

XOXO,

Mariah

Took it to the repair place (we have no Apple store on Maui – whaaaa!) and they said they’d take a look inside the drive. I got a call later that it was indeed blocked and that coins and a button were the culprit. Not only were they shoved in there, but they ruined the drive. Major bummers. All my files for the website were waiting safely on the Mac and the store needed it for at least a week. Bummer.

I can’t say that I’m too terribly mad at Cruz. He is, after all, two years old and we’ve been working on putting spare coins in the piggy bank. He must have thought that the computer disc drive was a super special spot to hide his coins. Plus, it’s just really hard to be mad at this face….

Here are the culprits, which are now safely tucked away in the piggy bank!

I’m headed out to a wedding this afternoon and then will get down to business on finishing this website. I have lots of things coming up for it – new portfolio galleries are coming and a very special new page called Camera Chat is coming as well. So many things planned and never enough time!

I am re-structuring my editing and office workflow and adding some software that will allow me to have a bit more freedom with my personal time – well MORE personal time – to spend with my husband and kids. Right now I’m the crazy, coffee drinking, caffeine addict, stuck the computer mom that I don’t want to be. And I want ALL of my clients to have the best images possible. So I just ask that for all you beautiful people waiting for your sneak peeks and full galleries, I just need a little extra time to make this transition to give you gorgeous images while maintaining my sanity I promise it’s worth the wait!

And since a post just isn’t a post without an image, I thought I’d share this image that I absolutely ADORE from a recent session. Aren’t this father/son totally adorable?

And… if you’re coming to Maui during January, check out my Facebook page for a very special photography package!

The past few weeks have been especially busy. I’ve been up to 3am daily trying to get out galleries and get “caught up”. I still have sessions in the queue… I am taking today and tomorrow off to be with my family and I have vowed not to sit at the computer and work. These two days it’s all about enjoying family, the beach, and starting 2012 off right. If you’re waiting for your gallery and sneak peek, I promise they’ll be up in the next few days.

Hau’oli Maka Hiki Hou – Happy New Year!

Mariah, Peter, Ryenne, Kai Boy, and Cruz

Red Dirt, Sugarcane, and Haleakala on Maui's North Shore

The family and I are heading to Lanai this weekend for some quiet family time. My husband has promised me a bit of computer time as well – so stay tuned for all the beautiful images of this past week!

Mahalo for your patience!

If you’re a subscriber to my newsletter, I have changed the name to “Maui Mondays”. If you’ve never subscribed, this is a great time to start! Every Monday morning a beautiful image of Maui will come to your email in-box to inspire your day and get your work week off to a beautiful start. You don’t even have to be a client to enjoy the images – just a little something for anyone who loves beautiful imagery.

Want to sign up? Click to sign up for my newsletter.

Because I am soooooo excited, I figured a little Springtime Austin Sale was in order. If you haven’t reserved your Austin photo session yet, now is the time!

My normal rates are posted on the Session Investment Page, so you can see how much of a sale this actually is! This sale applies to Seniors, Families (up to five people), Children, and Couples in outdoor sessions only (fine print is below the sales).

The MINI – $350 + tax

Up to 45 minutes of photography time

20 of your favorite images in beautiful HIGH RESOLUTION ready for printing along with a print release

The STANDARD – $500 + tax

Up to an hour of photography time

40 of your favorite images in beautiful HIGH RESOLUTION ready for printing along with a print release

The DELUXE – $700 + tax

Up to an hour and a half of photography time

ALL images in your gallery in beautiful HIGH RESOLUTION ready for printing along with a print release

THE FINE PRINT

These sessions are available outdoors only in Downtown Austin, South Austin, Buda, and Kyle (basically within 15 minutes of 78748). Family sessions are maximum of 5 people – this is not available for family reunions or event coverage. Sale does not apply to studio maternity sessions or on location newborn sessions. If you have reserved a pregnancy or newborn session for May, you will automatically receive 20% off the standard print collections available on my details page if you purchase your collection within 5 days of gallery release. All pricing is subject to Texas 8.25% tax.

Since preschool photography isn’t something I *normally* do, I thought I’d share the setup – especially for other photographers out there that might want to get into it, but not how how to set up.

This setup is in a storage space of the preschool. The school has blue walls and carpet, so I didn’t have anything that I could use that was already there. I had ordered a faux barnwood floor, but UPS lost it. So I went to Lowe’s and got this vinyl plank and bought a non-slip rug pad to hold it in place. A curtain is on my background stand, and I’m using my Alien Bees for light (it’s a pretty dark space). In this image you can also see my toy stash, which I use to help the kids smile.

This shoot is taking my entire week, so please bare with me with emails and phone messages.

Well hello there! It’s been a little quiet over here on the Mariah Milan blog, hasn’t it? I’ve been enjoying some relaxing time with my family – feeling extra proud of my Kai Boy, who has been excelling in his speech therapy. I gave him a haircut and I think he looks so handsome and grown. I’ve also been busy planning out things for my business to make it grow. It’s exciting – and I’ll admit a little scary too.

I’ll finish up March with three days of photography at a beautiful pre-school in South Austin. Really looking forward to it (does that sound crazy? 300+ toddlers!). April will have me traveling for weddings – three weddings in April. I’ll be heading to San Francisco, Horseshoe Bay, Texas, and Wimberley, Texas. All three are such amazing places. Add to that the wildflowers are (hopefully) sprouting any moment now. It’s about to get busy! But I’m so looking forward to it.

On a personal note, I’ve started p90x with my husband and my dad. We’re on week two and I am feeling strong! Feeling fantastic actually. Please feel free to drop me a line and be my cheerleader!

Stay tuned… lots of great photography coming your way on the blog. Thanks for sticking with me! XOXO