Kelly Ross Photography

2014-01-24T14:37:00.003-08:00

{LITTLE LOVES WORKSHOP}

I could not have been MORE excited to kick off my very first Newborn workshop at my studio with 7 very eager to learn wonderful ladies.... and 20 of my most favorite vendors supporting me... Some sending items for the Swag Bags and others contributing Coupon Codes for the attendees to shop in their stores...

Please take a min and go check out their shops and show them some love.... Like them and shop while you are there.... you are sure to love their products as much as I do!!!!!

The amazing Pure Fabrication was my big sponsor of the workshop.... all the knits we used were from her shop..... along with some amazing headbands and Halos.... Can not say enough good things about working with this wonderful lady... She also sent a beautiful hat for each attendee!!!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/twoheartapart

https://www.facebook.com/purefabrication?fref=ts

Organic Bloom was wonderful enough to send a beautiful 5x7 frame for each attendee....

http://theorganicbloom.com

https://www.facebook.com/TheOrganicBloom?fref=ts

TAOPAN is one of the BEST resources for any Newborn and Maternity for photographers... I own a lot of her Mama Gowns and a lot of the marketing material as well as the baby posing beanbags I use at every session... she offers a student forum I encourage anyone working in this field to check out it has been so helpful through the years to me.... She offered a coupon code to any attendees to shop in her store....

https://www.facebook.com/TheTAoPaNPage?fref=ts

http://www.shoptaopan.com

Pixie Petals makes some of the most beautiful Headbands.... she was wonderful to send some headbands to be given out to the attendees....

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PixiePetalsHandmad

https://www.facebook.com/PixiePetalsHandmade

One True Wish Boutique offers beautiful headbands and all the attendees received a coupon code to shop her in store...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-True-Wish-Boutique/124610460903323?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/onetruewish

Pink Daisy Boutique makes adorable headbands and tutu's all the attendees received a coupon code to shop her in store...

https://www.facebook.com/PinkDaisyBoutique?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePinkDaisyBoutique

Savvy's Closet carries some of the most beautiful children's Boutique clothing... all the attendees received a coupon code to shop her in store...

https://www.facebook.com/SavvysCloset?fref=ts

http://www.savvyscloset.bigcartel.com

My Sweet Knittings- is one of my Favorite Knit shops.... her hats are adorable... all the attendees received a coupon code to shop her in store...

https://www.facebook.com/mysweetknittings?fref=ts

http://mysweetknittings.storenvy.com

All Baby Girls makes such creative and adorable headbands for Baby Girls.... all the attendees received a coupon code to shop her in store...

https://www.facebook.com/AllBabyGirls?fref=ts

http://www.allbabygirls.com

Lee Crochet is one of the very first vendors I started working with ..... her knits are beautiful and creative... She sent a knit and coupon code for her shop for each attendee

https://www.facebook.com/LeeCrochet?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LeeCrochet

Feather River Boutique has beautiful headbands, layering pieces, bracelets, crowns, and banners among other wonderful items.... they sent a box of goodies to be used... and a coupon code for all attendees

https://www.facebook.com/FeatherRiverBoutique?fref=ts

Inspired by Emily Grace makes gorgeous headbands and another vendor I have been working with since I started... She sent a headband for each attendee and a coupon code for her shop

https://www.facebook.com/InspiredByEmilyGrace?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/InspiredbyEmilyGrace

Flower Bucket Boutique offers some of the most original and unique Flower headbands- she offered a coupon code to attendees to her shop

https://www.facebook.com/flOwerbUcketbOUtique?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/flowerbucketboutique

Cutie Pie Goodies makes the fluffiest tutu's with adorable matching headbands and the sweetest newborn knits...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutie-Pie-Goodies/170780479646493?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/cutiepiegoodies

Birdie Baby Boutique offers the most beautiful Headbands that are each little pieces of art work.... you can also find beautiful banners... she sent a few headbands for us to use and coupon codes for the attendees to shop in her store....

https://www.facebook.com/BirdieBoutique?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/babybirdieboutique

Roses and Ruffles is my favorite online store to get all of those beautiful materials I pose my newborns on..... I had a whole pile of beautiful new ones to use for the workshop and a coupon code for attendees to shop in her store...

https://www.facebook.com/RosesAndRuffles?fref=ts

http://rosesandruffles.bigcartel.com

Hoo Loves You Baby was another one of the first vendors I ever found and love- her work as always been a lot of one of a kind pieces an her latest is some amazing upcycyled creations and knits.... she sent a coupon code for attendees to shop in her store...

https://www.facebook.com/hoolovesyoubaby?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/hoolovesyoubaby

Custom Photo Props offers a huge variety of adorable newborn props one of my goto shops when I am looking for something new.... she sent a coupon code for attendees to shop in her store...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/CustomPhotoProps?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Custom-Photo-Props/117666551648026?fref=ts

Knots is one of the most adorable custom shop.... she offers the sweetest up cycled hats that can be customized with names.... she sent a coupon code for attendees to use to shop in her store

https://www.facebook.com/KNOTS?fref=ts

https://www.etsy.com/shop/knotsllc

Sleepy Shimmer offers the best selection of Baby Bling for boys and girls.... absolutely LOVE her stuff... She sent a coupon code for attendees to shop in her store....

http://www.sleepyshimmer.com

https://www.facebook.com/sleepyshimmerllc?fref=ts

2014-01-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

My 365 Project

Day 10 | He's Crazy

I swear that one of these days he will NOT be so silly and let me take a good pic... although this is so him at this age.....

2014-01-14T18:46:00.004-08:00

My 365 Project

Day 9 | Waiting for Big Sisters

2014-01-14T18:46:00.001-08:00

My 365 Project

Day 8 | Kinsley 6 mos

2014-01-14T18:45:00.002-08:00

My 365 Project

Day 7 | Paige

Paige doing what she does best.... text..... she will love me for this....

My 365 Project Day 6

2014-01-06T20:47:00.002-08:00

Day 6 | Bath Time

Thats right.... I was at bath time... maybe just for a few min..... but it's steps.... :) they do LOVE bath time.... the floor was SOAKED....

My 365 Project Day 5

2014-01-06T20:46:00.002-08:00

Day 5 | MORE CHEESE...

Happy Mommy and Daddy are home from Boston AND we brought him a Chocolate Bar from where we stayed... (still the cheesy smile)

CHEESE BALL SUPREME.... she posed with the hand up and the head tilted... LOL

My 365 Project Day 4

2014-01-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

Day 4 | Emilie

My oldest of the clan.... getting in on the photo action... wearing my new winter hat I got for my trip to Boston tonight.... isn't she a beauty...

My 365 Project Day 3

2014-01-06T20:42:00.001-08:00

Day 3 | Another snow day and some cousin time

Kellen and her cousin Cait... Best Friends....

Finally getting out of the house this afternoon and this little man got himself dressed... he was quite stylin in his sweater.... if only you could see the pants and neon yellow socks... LOL

My 365 Project Day 2

2014-01-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Day 2.... snow... snow and more snow
... and a Jammie day...... so much for back to school.....

Looking out wishing they could go out and play.... but it was WAY too cold....

Hoping these will get more natural as we go and not so posed.... this crazy CHEESE face..

Waiting for Daddy to get home from work.....

My 365 Project Day 1

2014-01-06T20:31:00.001-08:00

So much time has gone by in what feels like a blink... my Baby... my very first baby is a Sr is HS... I know, I know you are saying there is no way I have a SR in HS... LOL Well I have said it before but this year it's really hitting me with Em being a SR and Declan just turning 3 and becoming quite the little man.... I am blinking and my life is passing me by... I am this year stopping to smell the roses... I am taking a longer deeper breath and looking around at what is going on... I will NOT be tied to work 24/7 and miss out on dinner with the family because I am sitting at my desk eating while I work... or missing bath time... is it terrible to say I don't know when the last time I gave my littles a bath... ha ha don't worry they are clean.... daddy has bath and bedtime duty while I am working.... But I don't want to miss these moments anymore.... So I decided to aim high and to help me STOP, LOOK & LISTEN more often and be present and accountable... and more than anything MEMORABLE to my kids... "remember when Mommy... (fill in the blank) so I am doing a at least a picture a day... even of the most simple things... because every picture has a story... and I want to look back and remember every one of these moments...... so I am posting a few days later BUT I have been taking them...

DAY 1 | The Littles....

This is Kellen my little miss.... vibrant full of love and smiles... as she poses and says "Aren't I cute mommy" as she is wearing her headphones from Santa and no they aren't plugged in...

Declan... my crazy, lovable 3 yr old man of steel... yes he is wearing a St. Paddys day Leprechaun shirt on New Years Day... and this is him saying.... "I am CUTER than Kellen mommy"

My Time... & New Changes....

2013-04-07T16:16:00.001-07:00

I am a wife, a mom and a business owner... I hear daily when people hear that I have 5 kids and own my own business "How do you do it all?" I laugh because many days I am not sure how I make it all work..... And... Some days I don't make it work... and it's usually that I am home but I am not really there because I am working...... And, lately I have been struggling with trying to be everything to everyone and keep everyone happy... My husband, my kids, my extended family, my friends, and my clients... It hasn't been easy- and I think that I have excepted that I can not make everyone happy all the time... although it still consumes me when someone isn't happy.... But, I can only be in one place at a time.... If only I could clone myself... LOL This is where my AMAZING assistant Colleen comes into play- with her I have gotten a tiny bit of sanity back.... I honestly don't know how I survived before her.... She is on top of things and the fact that she puts up with me... well that alone makes her a saint... ha ha... she knows she's a great value to me... A mom herself she has thrown herself into being there for my clients often taking away time from her own family on a Sunday afternoon to answer a email- even when I tell her she doesn't have to... she's pretty dedicated... I am not sure did I mention how amazing she is???

What I am struggling with most lately is the sad reality is that I feel like I am missing so much at home... I am at the studio 4-5 days a week.... and then when I am home I am doing all the behind the scenes work that goes into making the final product my clients see...I have blinked and my baby boy is 2.5 already... I was photographing right up until days before he was born, and back shooting when he was 2 weeks old... I never even took a real maternity leave- because my clients are so important to me... But, where have the last 2.5 years gone??? And I just took my oldest to get a dress for the SR Prom with her boyfriend this year.... YIKES... when did my Baby girl grow up....

So, I am working to try and figure out the best way to juggle it all and not miss out so much... I had said that starting in the new year I was only going to take new clients that were newborns... but the inquires that I get daily for sessions it was so hard to say No .... But now I need to stick to that.... I am sad to not be able to take new clients but I need to be home and more present for my kids and family.... I want to be able to just take a day off and be a mom... that feels so lost to me right now.... I understand peoples time is valuable and I shoot M-F right now and daily get requests for weekends... With five kids... sports, dance, along with many other commitments we have... I just can not do weekends and I often get so much grief... with the common comment of "I find it hard to believe she does not have 30 min on a weekend" I can't tell you how many times Colleen and I hear that in a week...
I love all my clients new and returning... But.... now.... it's time for me to value MY time....
I want to be there each and every day for my kids and sit and eat dinner and tuck them into bed... I honestly am beyond grateful that my husband has become Super Dad taking over those duties daily after working a 10 hr day.... but I miss them... I want my kids to have those memories and not just me home, working each and every night... and even on weekends most Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings that's where you will find me.

What most people don't realize is how much work goes into me being able to do what I do... I could sit here and talk about what I pay alone in taxes per session because I am a small business, or rent for my studio, insurance for owning my own business, all the cute props and things I have to make each session successful..... or what I pay my sitter to watch my kids so I can work.... But that is besides the point.... I have prided myself in keeping my prices reasonable and competitive with other photographers in the area. I do believe you get what you pay for and those of us that are a little more expensive are priced that way because of experience.

So all of my ramble is leading to the announcement that in order to be more present at home... to be able to be a mom and wife that also works and can juggle it all... and to have the time to work on some other projects I have had on the back burner I will be cutting back my work schedule. I will be focusing on newborns as my specialty. I will continue to offer smaller sessions to existing clients because I do cherish watching all the kids grow. But I will only be taking new clients that start at newborn. I will however offer a few times a year Special Occasion sessions where new clients are able to schedule.
I have also worked hard to develop new Collections that will be offered starting this month. I am excited that these new collections will offer some great products and prints for an affordable price. In the digital age it seems so many people buy the images and never do anything but look at them on their computer - so this is a great opportunity for the to have heirloom prints and products to share.

So here is to some new great changes and more family time!!

~Kelly

My Life...My Story.... yesterday, today, and tomorrow

2012-10-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

I was just saying & thinking that I really need to keep on top of my blog... I love reading Bogs but for some reason can't keep mine updated.... I figured I would start off fresh and new with a little introduction to Who is Kelly Ross... For those of you that don't know me.....

So I am happily married to husband Shane..... it will be 5 years this October that we were married .... he drives me crazy at times... I won't pretend we have the perfect relationship but at the same time it is perfect for us... at the end of the day he is my rock, my inspiration and my world.... he is always there for me loving and supporting what I do and I think what we have is as close to perfect as I want to find because he loves me flaws and all...

I have 5 kids... YES I said 5 kids.... it's a yours, mine and ours situation... I have two beautiful daughters Emilie (16) and Paige (14) , Shane has Seamus (7) and together we have Kellen (4) and Declan (2)... People ask me daily- WOW how do you do it all??? and I often reply... I have NO idea....

Before Shane and I were together I think I have worked every job I could have possibly worked... you name it and it's probably on my resume... not proud of that but I just never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.... Photography was always a love and passion of mine and I was always the one with the camera... funny how now that it is my job you hardly see one in my hands unless I am working - that kind of makes me sad..... the older two girls have every min of their lives recorded either through photo or video... and I just don't do it nearly enough for the littles.... need to add that my "to work on" list

I always had friends telling me Wow your pictures are so nice will you take my kids pictures.... So I did this for a couple years here and there.... I think it was February of 2008 that a old friend from HS asked me if I would come take pictures of her daughters and she wanted to pay me.... My first official paying job.... I then decided to make a real go at starting my business and getting my name out there.... Shane was so supportive of trying to help me along - encouraging me to take some classes I wanted to take and to get new things to help me on my way... Steps to making my goal of maybe some day turning professional... but not ever sure that would happen......

So within a few months I was shooting tons and tons of friends kids... then there were people I didn't know calling me...

Fast forward through a few camera and lens upgrades.... I was actually calling myself a Photographer finally... took me a long time to get there but worth every min... Shane found me a small studio space to rent winter of 2010.... I was overwhelmed at the 12x12 room and can I make this work? But after a month I was thrilled to not be packing up and lugging all my stuff to peoples houses.... and Just over a year later I was looking for a bigger space because I had so outgrown that one.....

March of this year I found a space that had the potential to be the studio space of my dreams and with the help of my handy husband and a couple awesome painters it is now the studio of my dreams!!!! OF course I feel like I could have a bigger space already but I have put so much time, money and energy making this one amazing I think I'll stick around for awhile longer...

So thanks to so many wonderful clients who have followed me for the last 4 years and kept my business moving forward with their amazing referrals and to all the new clients that keep coming on....... without all of you I wouldn't be here today...

My goals for the new year.... I am starting a venture with another local photographer and 2 other photographers within the US to run some Photography "Retreats" we have BIG plans in the works for these so keep an eye out in the coming months!!! I am also starting up a mentoring workshop this year as well.... these are both going to be a HUGE success thanks to my good friend and fellow photographer Jammie who has visions and goals even bigger than mine!!!!

And to keep this Blog up!!!!

The new studio.....

2012-05-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

OK so I have been HORRIBLE at posting on my beautiful new Blog.... I could use a million excuses... not enough time.... blah blah blah....
Well I am making a effort to change that.... :)

So those of you that don't know me... Hello.... I am Kelly... the face behind Kelly Ross Photography.... I have been in business going on 4 yrs..... I just made a huge move to a new 1200 sq ft studio space in Cabotville Industrial Park in Chicopee..... I have been there about 2 months now and every day I still look around and say WOW how did this happen? Is this really all mine???
YUP... and my wonderful husband is working like crazy with the HUGE honey to do list to make it perfect..... he has added walls, painted, trim.... and there is still a ton to be done....

So....I thought I would share the old studio and the progression to the new studio....

The old studio was a 12x12 room on the 2nd floor of a building

And this was the small office/sitting area

So now the 1200 sq ft space the day I decided to take it......

My new home......

BIG Plans for it.....

WOW I have A LOT of stuff

And it's going to fit in here???

The start of the dressing room....

Sitting area/ office is starting to look a little better

Prop area

Wall up in prop area now

Painted.... grey for now until I can decide color on the new wall....

MUST organize the prop room......

The display wall in the office....

The littles hanging out while mom works in the office....

sooooooo that is it for now..... the HORRIBLE posts just got painted tonight but I don't have a picture to share yet..... and next is all the walls painted.... bye bye rainbow windows......

Easter Minis

2012-03-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Lack of posting

2012-03-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well... I officially moved into my new studio space... and WOW do I have a lot of space... I am so excited about continuing to add to it and make it my "new home" but with all that and a couple sick kids this week I am a bit behind in my blogging....

Had a busy day of Easter Minis this weekend and here is a pic of our cute bunnies... Carmello & Basile

Miss Sofie

2012-02-28T17:38:00.000-08:00

Avery is ONE

2012-02-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

Cousins-

2012-02-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Amelia & William Twins- 6 mos old

2012-02-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

Miss Sophia 9 mos old

2012-02-28T17:28:00.000-08:00

Miss Piper- 9 mos old

2012-02-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

Miss Olivia

2012-02-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

Miss Madelyn

2012-02-28T17:24:00.001-08:00

Sweet Baby James

2012-02-28T17:20:00.001-08:00