Devon Shanor | Blog

Tag: professional portraits

  • My New Office | Hampton Roads Photographer

    What a year this has been.  Last year was a pretty terrible year for me personally and I was so ready for 2016.  I was expecting a much better year, but I didn’t expect this!!!  

    Less than two weeks ago, I signed a lease on my new office space.  It has been dream of mine, to get out of my home office, for such a long time but I have been so afraid to take the leap.  With a HUGE nudge from my husband, I finally took jumped off the ledge and did it!

    My space is located at 1642 Pleasure House Rd.  Suite 108, Virginia Beach.  The downstairs space is Synergy Space, an amazing multi-use space that can be rented for multiple different uses (parties, classes, networking, meetings, etc) and the upstairs space is ALL MINE!

    It’s not a huge space, I’ll shoot newborns and professional portraits/headshots here, but I’ll still rent my other studio space for larger studio work. It is an AMAZING space though to work, edit, meet with clients and have my viewing sessions!

    It’s been a long two weeks getting it ready and I am SO THANKFUL to everyone who helped me.  Jeris at Smartgiraffe (www.smartgiraffecs.com) was amazing at helping me get my computer up and running and a new screen projector installed and working.  My friends were amazing and stepped up helping me paint, decorate, rewrite and organize.  My husband Brett did a majority of the work while I was out of town and did all the heavy lifting!  I may run this business alone, but I am SO VERY thankful to those who lift me up and surround me with support.

    Here is a progression of our before and after images!!

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    My Olivia helping put up my curtains and touch up all the paint! 

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    My handsome bandyman.  I wouldn’t be here without his support and encouragement!

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    ALL DONE!!!  A few little tweaks here and there BUT I’m officially open for business!!! 

     

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     Soon, I’ll be announcing my open house date and I can’t wait to celebrate with you as I embark on this new adventure… but don’t feel you need to wait.  I’d love it if you’d stop by and say hello.  I love visitors!

     

  • “Quirky” Author Headshots | Virginia Beach Photographer

    I LOVE when I get calls asking for something a bit different than what I normally do!  Erin called and asked me for professional portraits to use as she promotes the new teen novel she wrote.  Not so different, right?  She mentioned “quirky” and “fun” and then she mentioned “Dinosaur park” and I got excited!!!  

    We headed out to Pungo and braved the cold to capture these fun portraits!  She mothered the baby dinos and climbed through fields (okay, bushes) trying to stay out of the way of the T-Rex.  He found her though and she had no choice but to take him out with her bow and arrows!  She  blew kisses to a Brontosaurus and ran with Veloso Raptures! 

    If Erin’s book as as fun as she is, I can’t wait to buy it for myself and my daughter!  As soon as I find out where you can buy it, I’ll let you know.  As for now, enjoy these portraits and remember, your professional portraits need to reflect YOU!  If you are quirky, fun and a little silly… your portraits should be too!

     

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  • Beca: Class of 2016 | Senior Portrait Photographer Hampton Roads

    Stunning.  Energetic.  Happy.  Athletic.  Fun.  Beautiful.  All words to describe the lovely Beca.
    We had such a great time on both of our sessions!  Why more than one session?  Well sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t check with me and she does her own thing!  Halfway though our beach session, the wind went CRAZY and Beca’s beautiful hair was everywhere, sand was flying into my camera and we were being blown over!! We just weren’t going to get the beautiful sunset pictures we wanted, so we scheduled a second shoot that thankfully provided a beautiful, windless, sunset.

    Beca, I can’t wait to see how your last year in high school goes and what next year holds for you.  I haven’t know you long but I do know you are a dedicated, beautiful, hard working soul and I know you will achieve whatever goals you set your mind too!  Work hard this year, but enjoy every last minute of high school while you can, you deserve it!

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  • Happy 80th Birthday Sandy | Virginia Beach Family Portrait Photographer

    Sandy is 80 years young and still showing everyone around her how to love life!  Her smile and her family wanted to surprise her with a birthday celebration!   Her granddaughter Liz serenaded her with some amazing Jazz music and family from all over came to surprise her! 

  • Welcome Noah | Newborn Portrait Photographer

    Look at this adorable little guy!!!  He was such a rock star during his session and I LOVE how his portraits turned out.  We don’t know if he’ll be a little bookworm or a Harley Riding tough guy, so we tried to capture both in his portraits!  

    Layake and Matt, you make adorable babies… I think you should have about half a dozen more!  🙂  happy_505 happy_506 happy_507 happy_508 happy_509 happy_510 happy_511 happy_512 happy_513happy_518 happy_514 happy_515 happy_516 happy_517

  • Raschdorf Family | Family Photographer Virginia Beach

    I LOVE seeing my families grow!  It has been a few years since I photographed Jake and Brittany’s family… and since then they have added Kenzie!  So it was such a joy to photograph them again and I have to say, these girls LOVE to model!  Usually I have to fight to keep little ones just looking at the camera… with Kenzie and Kira it was hard to get them to STOP posing!  Future little models I think for sure!   They loved the camera and were SO MUCH FUN to photograph.  The next kids I photograph have large shoes to fill! 

    We had such a blast climbing trees and sand dunes, playing with umbrellas and seashells and enjoying a beautiful sunset.  Thanks Jake and Brittany for trusting me again with capturing your beautiful family!  

     

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  • Minkewicz Family Portraits | Virginia Beach Portrait photographer

    I love this family!   We have so much in common with our kids being about the same ages and Christina and I are heading on a mission trip to Ethiopia in just a few weeks!   They are such a wonderful loving family and I was overjoyed when Christina called me to capture their family portraits.   But then she told me their last family portraits we taken THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!  That mean big time pressure for me… this would be their first professional pictures since both Max and Clara had been added to the family! 

    The day came and God provided us with a beautiful day and an incredible sunset.  The kids were excited to take pictures prepared to have some fun!  I loved when I was trying to get the kids to smile and told a joke… everyone laughed and Max encouraged me by saying “Good job Devon, just keep the jokes coming and this shoot will be easy!”  Lol, what a riot! 

    One really interesting thing about this shoot was that, they knew they wanted the beach, but were open to whichever beach I choose.  I choose First Landing State park as it has great sunsets.  Later as we were viewing their images, Christiana told me that the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel seen in the background  of their images, has a very special place in the start of their family.  When they were first married they traveled that bridge weekly as family and work were on opposite sides.  To have the bridge in the background of their portraits, 15 years later is pretty memorable… the fact that it happened on accident is just awesome.  

    Thanks Christina and Frank for creating such an awesome family and allowing ME to create some beautiful images for you to cherish for years to come.  Let’s just not wait ANOTHER 13 years til we do the next session! 🙂 

     

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  • Saying Goodbye Virginia Beach | Family Portrait Photographer Virginia Beach

    I have been blessed to know and photograph the Redden family while they lived here in Virginia Beach.  As they prepared to move and Juliette to head off to her first year in college, they decided the best way to say “Au Revoir” would be to capture the family on the beach near their house! Some last portraits in the place they have called home for the past few years.  And when I say this was one of the last things they did in Virginia BEach, I mean it!  At the end of our session, the movers showed up to start packing the house! 

    Three stunning daughters, a mom and dad not afraid to have some fun, a beautiful beach… yep- it was a dream session for me!  To the whole Redden family, I hope your trips have been wonderful and without too much drama!  I hope you make lots of new friends and find lots of joy in your new home.  Thanks for trusting me with you last moments in Virginia Beach.   I had such a wonderful time and dolphins even showed up at the end to say goodbye!  We will all miss you here! 

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  • Eli Acting Headshots | Virgina Beach Professional Headshot Photographer

    Eli is a very talented young lady!  For many years she has been acting and dancing all over Hampton Roads and I have been blessed to photograph her many times over!  As kids do, she has done some growing and we needed to update her headshots so all the talent agents can see how much more beautiful and mature she has become!

    I adore working with such talented clients and I see a very big future for Eli.  She’s kindhearted, full of energy and love and I know she is going to shine… whether it be in local productions, the big screen or the bright lights of broadway!

    I can’t wait to continue our photography relationship and to see Eli continue to grow, blossom and accomplish all her dreams! 

     

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