birth announcement for sadie

photo enhancement for adoption announcement

10th anniversary invitation for tami & steve

birth announcement for samantha

the wow factor

I'm all about the wow factor. I work on every photo as if it were my own; I make sure each and every image looks as if it could have been taken by a professional, even if it wasn't. So you say "wow"!

In this photo, my customer loved the image of her baby, but didn't care for the laundry basket and humidifier in the background. So I blurred the background, giving it a professional look. I could have removed the background from this image altogether, but my customer preferred a more "natural" looking environment. I also touched up the image, removing diaper lines, redness and and shadows. Isn't this baby too cute?!

When you order a custom photo announcement from Chouette Design, you receive this same professional photo enhancement service. This is just one more thing that sets us apart. We hope to work with you soon!

Combine your photos to create perfection!

The holiday season is all wrapped up. Wow, what a season! Thank you to all my repeat and new customers for your orders. Again you exceeded our most imaginative expectations. Every year I learn something new, and every year I get better...to serve you better. In 2007 I have lots of exciting plans in store for you. Stay tuned!

Now on to the business at hand. Have you ever wished you could take your daughter from one photo, your son from another, and the baby from yet another photo...and magically combine them? I know that sometimes it just doesn't work that all your kids look great in just one photo. Someone has their eyes closed, someone stuck their tongue out...well no worries! Take individual photos with the same background and set-up (all kids sitting, standing, sitting on the couch, etc) and I can combine them into the photos you dream of! Or take several group shots. If they are the same except for facial expressions, we can usually "switch" faces! Eyes closed in one but you love the smile? Eyes open in one but no expression? I can blend the two photos for a natural result.

My photo expertise truly sets me apart. And my design skill makes it all come together. You get the best of both worlds when you order from Chouette Design! We have the skill and eye needed for successful photo transformations. And we have the design skill to create a work of art for you -- a photo announcement you can't wait to share with friends. Whether it is simple for us ---making your photo look like it was taken by a professional even if it wasn't... or something that is more of a challenge---like combining photos...we love making your photos really spectacular, and your photo announcements something people don't forget!

making photos better

Improving photographs is a great passion of mine, and it truly sets me apart from any other announcement website on the internet.

Consider this: When you hire a professional photographer, they use special lights and equipment to get the excellent results you require when you hire a photographer. Plus they touch-up the photos you purchase. When you take your own photos, however, images can look a bit flat or dull. This is no fault of your own; we just don't carry around lighting umbrellas! And your camera certainly can't enhance a photo itself; this must be done by hand by a skilled artist. That is where I come in!

Every birth announcement, adoption announcement, and other announcement order I complete includes professional enhancement. Even on the most beautiful photo, there are things I do to take it to the next level. Maybe it's simply color-correction, and lightening under-eye shadows and removing a little blemish. But it can also be toning down red or yellow skin, making bumpy skin smooth, or adding more hair. This example shown here shows cute Nate. The original photo is adorable of course. But it can still be improved! Now you can see Nate's gorgeous blue eyes. And his skin is brighter, more luminous. And this is my passion! A frequent customer comment is "you made my baby look like an angel!". Which to me, is success. To make gorgeous babies even more gorgeous.

Improving a photograph

I feel like the luckiest girl being allowed to work with sweet baby photos all day! It is so rewarding to create a unique design for each baby. And I love making the photographs look even more amazing.

To me, it's fun to "perfect" an image, and my customers receive free professional photo enhancement with every order. What I do to a photo often goes beyond the definition of an enhancement. While of course I color-correct, balance-correct, light-correct, and make skin look smooth and perfect, I also frequently create things that aren't there in order to get the perfect crop. Every day I add more background to images so I can put the photo into the design the best way possible. I never limit myself to the edges of the photograph. I really want you to say "Wow!" when you see how I have transformed your photograph, and how I have added the details so everything still manages to be balanced, and beautiful. This part of the photo announcement service I offer stems from a photo restoration service I began offering on my website in 2001.

Although I don't advertise this service anymore, it is this skill that I apply towards every photo birth announcement order, and any other design I create. One of the most challenging restorations I did was for a local woman. She only had one photo of her grandfather when he was young. The photo had been torn in half, and taped together with scotch tape. And since the photo was glued to a thick back-board, the tear was not a clean one. There were also spots of the image that were missing. Enjoying challenges, this work was so much fun!

Here is the original photo - you can see the tear (and the missing spots in the middle due to the tear), the ink spots and stains, and how faded and dis-colored the image was. Below, the restoration I did. Dianne, the owner of the photo, was thrilled to have this memory restored.























I have restored hundreds of heirloom photographs. Many of my own family photos, as well. I have created photograph montages using my own restored photographs --- see one below! These montages are my favorite pieces of art hanging in my home!

Make sure to take care of your old (and newer, pre-digital camera) photographs. Store them in acid-free boxes and albums. This will keep them around much longer. Start scanning them into digital files. It is a big project, I know! Try to scan 10 photos a day. That makes the task seem more "do-able". Once you have your photos scanned, burn a CD/DVD, and make many copies. Keep one set in a fire-proof safe or safety deposit box. And you don't have to limit yourself to simply storing the photos on a disc; you can create slideshows, or even movies (with audio!) using your photographs. And the best part - now everyone in the family can see and enjoy them.

Here is a photo montage I created for my mom for Mother's Day several years ago. It includes my mother, grandmother, great-grandmothers, and great-great-grandmother.