Christmas in July with Santa at the Beach!

Sand. Sky. Beach. Bubbles. Fun. Santa.

If you’re a beachy, summer-lovin’ family, who happens to be die-hard Santa fans, then this is the event for you!

No elves on shelves will be attending, by the way. We hear they are not fond of sand.
Your children will be delighted to visit with Santa at the beach!

Imagine how they’ll feel: visiting Santa in the middle of summer, with the sand between their toes, laughing over a special sandy snowman, and blowing bubbles to their hearts’ content with the big guy himself.

You’ll have photographs, cards, and gifts that are quite different from anything you’ve ever had for the holidays. Nobody else you know will have such clever and unique holiday photos!

Now, for only $99, you’ll see that this is a fantastic value. First, we’ll hop on the phone and have a great chat about what you love about summer and how fun it is to visit with Santa in July. Then, we’ll schedule your experience for July 13, and your children (up to 4 kids) will have 10 minutes to spend with Santa. During this time, they’ll do a couple of quick, fun activities, and go home with a special, autographed bottle of bubbles from Santa.

Your experience continues later on with a design consultation with your photographs; either at our studio location in Bowie, or in your home. The $99 also gives you 2 more wonderful things: a 5x10” dry erase board (valued at $60!) for your refrigerator at home so they can talk about seeing Santa at the beach every day, and $40 towards your purchase of one of our special holiday packages that start at $65.00.

Location is TBA very soon, and we’ll also be offering a rain date in August. We know that you’ll love this opportunity to have fun photographs that we know you’ll cherish all year long!

Why It's Important to Coordinate Your Photographic Artwork with Your Home's Decor

One of our FAQs is "What should we wear?" and "Do you have a place you like to photograph at?".

OK.  There's matchy-matchy, like back in the 90s when it was very popular to wear white button down shirts and blue jeans, and either barefoot or birkenstocks, and be photographed at the beach, or on the white background at the mall photo studio.










Then there's complementary, like when your daughters love the color purple and you get them dresses for their session that are really pretty, and go really well together, in a purply sort of way, in a field of lavender.






Now there's coordinated, which means we take into consideration, many things, such as your lifestyle, your decor style, and the colors in which you decorate your home, and your favorite places in which you feel most connected.

For instance, if a family had a light and airy farmhouse style of home, then I would suggest wearing fabrics that are natural colors, like creams, tans, greens and blues, in cottons and other natural fibers, and then photograph them in a beautiful field with which they are well-acquainted, at 7 am when the light is pure and clean.  I wouldn't suggest them dressing in vibrant, jewel tones and photographing them in front of modern architecture at 5 in the afternoon.

If a couple had really quirky tastes, with colorful splashes everywhere, then I'd suggest photographing them at their favorite county fair, wearing fun colors and photograph them about an hour before sunset, when the lights start blazing on, the sky looks great, and it's very festive.

If I worked with teens who played string instruments and their parents had a very traditional home that is quiet and peaceful, I would get permission to photograph them at their favorite art museum or local conservatory, and have them dress in dresses and suits in soft colors to enhance that tranquility.

If a mom approached me with very energetic children who were being "unschooled", then I'd ask her what some of their favorite activities and places to visit are, and choose colors in their home that work with that theme.

As you can see, no two families are the same, so neither should their photographs be. 

We believe, so strongly, that everything that goes into a photography experience and artwork should represent that family, exactly.  We believe that artwork that shows a family who they are, where they are coming from, and where they're going, can create such an impact on that family, every day.

Let's face it, we're humans who are visual beings.  We are affected by our environments.  When our homes are tidy and clean, it affects everyone in such a way that they behave a little bit more carefully with keeping it tidy and clean.  When our homes are cluttered, this environment tends to make everyone pretty cranky.

Purposeful photographic artwork of your family does the same thing.  The impact of symbolic artwork of a family reminds each member that they have a place in the family, they are loved, and they are (fill in the blank).  What does it mean to siblings in middle school, whose mom and dad just divorced, and they come home every day to an empty home, because mom is now working full time... and they see photographs, every day, on the wall greeting them as soon as they walk in the door, to remind them of how very much their mom loves them.  To remind them to never give up.  To help them on the hard days when they miss the former chapter of their lives before the divorce.  To actually feel their mom's love as she sacrifices precious time with her kids so that they have a home and a good life.  To know their mom has their backs all of the time.  That despite their new normal, they can depend on their mom.

Do you want an experience like this, to help you and your loved ones remember who you each are, where you are all coming from, and where you're headed?  Erin and I will help you through the experience, every step of the way, with the location for photography, choosing colors and styles of clothing, and finally the emotions that you want to relive again and again for years to come. 

It's definitely a different experience, but one that we know will impact your family for years to come.  Call us today at 240-766-8966 for your first, complementary discovery call, to see how photographs of your family can impact your life.


 *Please note that the photographs used in this blog post are stock photos.  Thanks.

An Unusual, but Most Useful Gift

This time of year is the time for gift giving to so many people.

Graduates from high school and college (and their parents).  Special teachers.  Dads for Father's Day.  And so much more!

Sometimes, gift giving is easy.  However, you don't want to give something that someone else might give also.  Here's the perfect idea!

An experience and photography from Honey Bee Photography.  We offer a couple of different kinds.

College graduates need a good headshot.  Their college or university will probably do a headshot deal before graduation, but it's generic and it looks like all of the other students' headshots.  I offer an experience for these graduates with headshots that make a difference.  We believe that a great headshot on a business card can help your grad when he or she is networking and out there hustling to pay off those student loans and start their life.  Our Business Bee Personal Branding Kits for graduates start at $150, and what a STEAL, too!



Teachers really do spend a lot of time with their students, and helping them to succeed for the future.  This also means hours spent away from their families as they grade tests, read through papers, and stay after school to tutor.  Weekends are so busy for them, too!  Why not give them a gift certificate for an experience and artwork as a constant reminder of the love and emotional connections family members have, even when they are busy.

Dads who work all the crazy hours and travel for business appreciate these experiences and artwork, too.  We offer products that are perfect for hotel room bed-side tables, as well as desks and bookshelves in offices.  Snapshots on the phone are nice, but to have a piece of his family in his favorite photograph that is physically there to greet him can make a huge difference in his day.

And finally, for parents of those graduates.  Before their children fly the proverbial coop after college graduation and finding their partners and getting married, this is probably the last time families with kids ages 9-24 will get family photographs done, until the weddings start.  Wedding photos are fun, but it doesn't really represent who the family is.  Let's give them an experience that they will enjoy, and help them to reconnect and rediscover what they love about each other.  After all, getting kids through high school and college isn't easy, and beautiful artwork on the wall can help those frazzled days get better.

You can purchase a $400 family photography experience gift certificate for ONLY $99.  What you are really giving them is more than just a pretty photo on a bridge;  you're giving them an opportunity to reconnect and rediscover what they truly love about each other, and be able to see that every single day, even on the hard days.

Call today to find out more about our gift certificates!  240-766-8966

Summer is almost here! 5 fun things to do when you hear "I'm bored!"

Ahhhh summer break.

It's the end of the school year.

It's pool time.

It's the beginning of summer vacations and trips to see extended family.

It's the awesome summer holidays, celebrated with fireworks.

It's the time of year that drives parents to wonder if they are really ready to deal with this time of year.

Wait... what?

The first couple of weeks are exciting.  If you and your partner work, then it's a routine of day camp and day care and everything in between.  Trips to the library and the pool are necessary for everyone's sanity.  If you get to stay home with your children, then you know very well the words:  "I'm bored!".

Here are my top 5 things to do in the summertime that are cheap, easy, and fun (in addition to the library and the pool).

1.  Go to the park!  Here in AA county, we have so many different parks to enjoy.  They have swimming and fishing and boating areas, trails, concerts,   Take a picnic lunch and have fun exploring.

2.  Watch baseball!  Bowie has their very own minor league team, the Bowie Baysox.  Their ticket prices are family friendly and on weekend games, they show fireworks at night.

3.  Ride bikes at dawn!  The air is cool and the smell is green and refreshing, because of the dew on the grass and plants.  It might be a little bit hard to get everyone moving, but how awesome will it be to start the morning watching the sun rise.  There are plenty of places to go visit on your bikes for breakfast.

4.  Stargaze and catch fireflies!  Here's a printable constellation map to help you locate all of the constellations.  Get some empty jelly jars, punch holes in the lid, and put some grass in the bottom of the jar.  Catch fireflies and watch their lighting patterns.  Please be sure to release them before you go back in the house. A bonus is to build a fire in the fire pit and toast marshmallows.  Remember the bug spray so the mosquitoes don't get at you.

5.  Camp out in the living room on a Friday night, pop some corn, and watch movies.  Build a fort with sheets and dining room chairs and use flashlights to tell scary stories (age appropriate, of course!).

There you have it!  I hope that your summer is full of adventure and fun.