ALWAYS be Batman, or mermaid, or princess, or pirate…….
Kids love to dress up all year long. If your kiddo has a favorite super hero or princess costume bring it to your family portrait session. It’s the little details that capture the essence of your kid. Can’t you just imagine Batman as a 20×24 canvas in your family room??…I can!!!
Let’s make it happen and create some fabulous portrait art!
The last few weeks have been pretty cool. There’s been a lot of great stuff going on at the studio which I attribute to my new found love of meditation and waking up at 5:00 in the morning. Last week, Courtney Studios was named one of the “Best Family Photographers in Miami” by Expertise.com. How awesome is that??!! It’s been almost a week and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing. It blows me away. Really?!? BEST Family Photographer in Miami?!? It’s humbling, exciting, and scary all at the same time, but I’ll take it.
The content team at Expertise.com put together the most amazing list of 11 Best Family Photographers in Miami. Each studio is highlighted with a beautifully written summary and all of the contact information. I couldn’t have paid for a more amazing online marketing piece for the studio and for that I’m so grateful. It’s such an honor. I can’t thank Expertise.com and my hundreds of clients over the past 10 years ENOUGH.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU with all my heart, for your continued love and support.
To say I’m obsessed with the new studio space is an understatement. I’ve expanded into the space next door, and this “new” space is super fun to work in. The second studio is small with a built in cyc wall. It’s perfect for portraits, products, and small groups, and I want to share it with YOU. If you are a photographer or creative professional and looking for a location to complete a project and or work with a client, Courtney Studios is available for use by the hour. The studio is also a great place to hold a client meeting. Interested? Email or call.
courtney@courtneystudios.com 954-367-6821
Expanding the studio happens to coincide with the 10th Anniversary of Courtney Studios (aka Courtney Ortiz Photography, aka Candids by Courtney) and that’s pretty cool. I have so much to be grateful for. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and read this blog over the past 10 years. It’s truly a privilege to work and be involved with our community.
Brought my girls over to the studio on Friday to play/experiment in the new space. It was a lot of fun using studio lights as opposed to the natural light studio space next door. Stay tuned for a special exclusive mini session date to be announced at the end of this week. No better way to break in the new space, than with some mini sessions!
Fall is upon us. Time to schedule your family portrait session.
Today is Labor Day. Trying to get a little work done before calling it a night. Had a super fun weekend with family and friends, and now I’m trying to set myself up for a productive and successful week. What makes tonight a little more interesting is that were just 10 days post Hurricane Harvey and now we’re anxiously watching Hurricane Irma out in the Carribbean as it seems to be barreling toward South Florida. So as I’m looking at “my week” do I plan to go forward with my schedule “as is” or do I plan to get the heck out of Dodge? With Harvey images fresh in my mind and the fact that Irma is a fat category 4, chances are we should probably hit the road. And sooner than later is always for the best. So tonight, before we get into Hurricane frenzy mode, I’m blogging as if my week is going to go forward without a hitch.
Meet gorgeous Charlotte. She’s 16. To celebrate, she spent a fabulous weekend at the Boca Resort with her even more fabulous mama and her best friends. It was definitely a weekend to remember. Thank you for allowing to me to photograph and capture this special day for both of you. I love how her mom was able to jump in for a few special portraits.
I hope you had a great relaxing weekend with family and friends. I’ll be in the studio this week along with doing my due diligence hurricane preparations.
What a day! First Day of School and an amazing solar eclipse. Obligatory “First Day of School” portraits can be seen on my facebook page. If we’re not personal friends, let’s be friends and you can check out my not so cooperative kids here!
The Eclipse was the perfect transition into school. Picked the kids up early and headed to my parents’ house to swim in the pool and share our one pair of eclipse glasses. It was pretty darn perfect.
I don’t share as many pictures of my kiddos on the Courtney Studios blog as I once did, probably because I don’t take as many pictures of my kids as they’ve gotten older. When I take my camera out they usually tend to run in the opposite direction. As you notice, all the photos below, my kids are wearing the eclipse glasses, which means they couldn’t see me. Therefore, I was able to get some great candid shots.
Custom portrait sessions, in time for the holidays, are now available by appointment.
These adorable sisters came by the studio for their custom portrait session, and although it was raining outside, they brought the sunshine with them. Here are a couple favorite portraits.
Friday, is the final day to drop off lunchboxes and lunchbox snacks to benefit Mobile School Pantry. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of generosity already. The pile of lunchboxes and snacks is huge. To see a few of the “Faces of Kindness” click here. I’ll be in the studio on Friday from 10-2 to accept donations.
Sometimes you just have to get the girls together. And that’s what this grandmother did. She got her three daughters and three granddaughters together for a very special custom family portrait session. (girls only!) Her daughters live in different areas of the country so to have everyone together under one roof was definitely a reason to celebrate.
Lots going on in the studio. I am expanding! The natural light studio now has an additional studio space with cyc wall complete with studio lights. This new studio is perfect for portraits, product photography, and commercial work and will be available to photographers to rent by the hour. There is still lots of work to be done. So stay tuned for pictures and an official announcement in the upcoming weeks.
Super excited to partner with Mobile School Pantry for our 3rd Annual Fill a Lunchbox Food Drive. I am collecting lunchboxes and non-perishable lunchbox snacks (think granola bars, fruit snacks, graham crackers, cookies, individual applesauce, pretzels, fruit cups, juice boxes…) Bring your donations to the studio on Saturday, August 12 from 10-2 and again on Friday, August 18 from 10-2. Can’t make either of those dates? You can drop off during business hours at The Law Office of Leonardo Ortiz PA (my amazing husband 1909 Harrison St. #208) and Hair Industry Salon (2000 Harrison St. Hollywood, Fl 33020).
Mobile School Pantry is a mobile food bank that brings the food directly to low-income schools in Hollywood and Broward County. This enables families, who may not have transportation to a traditional food bank, to get fresh fruits and veggies when picking up their kids from school.
August 12 is also Summer Mini Sessions. See flyer below for more information. Mini Sessions are a perfect opportunity to get a head start on holiday cards and gifts.
Feel free to get in touch with me. 954-367-6821 courtney@courtneystudios.com
It’s time for Summer Mini Sessions! This time I’m taking it out of the studio and to my favorite little playground in Hollywood. This is a perfect opportunity to get a head start on holiday cards and gifts. Your session is 30 minutes long and includes 1 5×7 print ($45 dollar value). Appointments are limited. Contact the studio today. 954-367-6821 or courtney@courtneystudios.com.
But of course, I can’t blog without sharing this amazing portrait session. I’ve been photographing these twins since they came home from the hospital, and I’ve been lucky enough to capture them for custom portraits over the past 8 years. The family has since moved to Colorado and fortunately they made time for a visit while they were in Hollywood.
The studio is open and I am taking appointments for fall. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
It’s very humbling to receive a 2017 South Florida Parenting Magazine’s Kids Crown Award for Best Family Photographer. Thank you so much for the love and support of clients, family, and friends over the years. This September is Courtney Studio’s 10th Anniversary. I’m pretty excited about that. As I reflect on the last 10 years and look toward the next 10, and mix that with this amazing award I’ve just won, it’s kind of surreal. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with being the “best” of anything. I definitely don’t take that lightly. More than anything, I want to do the best for my community. Our community, you, that has supported me over the last 10 years, allowing me to create this dream life for myself and my family. I’ve learned over the past 10 years that owning a small business is less about creating beautiful portrait art for clients, but rather instead, more about creating a beautiful and lasting impact in my community. Using photography as a way to help and support causes close to my heart is truly the best part of my job.
Meet Miss Clara Mae, 10 day old baby girl. I’ve known her amazing mom and dad since spring of 2011 when I photographed their engagement session and then their wedding in June of 2011. I love how things come full circle and I’m now able to capture their beautiful little Clara. You can see highlights from that wedding here.
I shot the image below from the balcony of their hotel room on the morning of their wedding. It was a gorgeous day. I love that they had it made into a 16×20 gallery canvas and have it hanging in their bedroom.
More memories from their engagement session and wedding day.
“Her work is distinct and holds a special place in our home.”- Marcy Hirsch -
“Courtney's photographs had a huge impact on NCLR and helped us raise over $1 million in December 2014. Her work is beautiful and engaging and shows the central goal of the fight for marriage equality -love."”- Ace Portis, Major Gifts Officer, NCLR -
“Courtney truly captured the uniqueness of our family and created beautiful, original works of art that we will treasure always.”- Darlene Giol -
