Kayli and her Mom Lauren and sister Grace were all so great to work with. We started out at the JW Marriott, which was so beautiful and perfect and pristine, just like Kayli, and because I'm an idiot and left my camera battery on it's charger in my kitchen, we moved to a super boho area of Carefree, which actually seemed to work in our favor. Kayli was a total professional and just shines no matter what, and I have since purchased three more camera batteries, all of which are permanently affixed around my waist to avoid further mishaps. Where is my head? I just don't know. Thank goodness the Lovely Kayli was so cool about it!! If you'd like to see more shots of Kayli, and others just go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=64216&id=45325794506&saved#/album.php?aid=64216&id=45325794506

The Happily Ever After League Calendar!

It's here!! It's here!

Announcing the 2010 Happily Ever After Calendar

Calling all Princes and Princesses to be in the First Ever 2010 Happily Ever After Calendar.You will not want to miss this very special opportunity to have your child in this Calendar for a Cause! Award winning professional photographer Barbara Stitzer (that's me!! Woo hoo, I'm famous!!) will photograph your child, dressed in full prince or princess regalia, or they can choose from our beautiful outfits and props.Your $100 tax deductible donation per child will benefit moms recovering from cancer. Please note, donation needs to be made at the time the appointment is set.
After you make your appointment with Lauren you can make your donation online:

Your child will have the opportunity to be selected as one of 12 for the 2010 Happily Ever After Calendar. With your permission, we will put your child’s photo on the HEAL website to be voted on by family, friends and supporters. You can vote as many times as you like for $1 donation per vote to HEAL. The child with the most votes will also be the cover model of this 2010 calendar which will be available in September.
Photo session locations, dates and Times. For your convenience, we are happy to come to your play group or organization's location. Please call 480.275.0613 for more information. Packages are available at special rates to be purchased after the session by appointment.

Saturday, March 28
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Monday, March 31
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
All About Dance
10810 E. Via Linda, #106
Scottsdale, AZ 85259

Wednesday, April 1
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Friday, April 3
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

The Village Healthclub
18501 N. Thompson Peak Parkway
Scottsdale, AZ 85255



Saturday, April 4
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Creative Castle Preschool
4220 W. Opportunity Way
Anthem, AZ 85086

Monday, April 6
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Saturday, April 11
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Bunna Coffee Tea & Market
7520 S. Rural Road, Suite #12
Tempe, AZ 85283

Why I'm in this Business

my business is all hearts and flowers and baked goods. It really is. That's why I'm a photographer. People cry. They hug me. They send me cupcakes. It's like good people just find me. Case in point: My kids love going to our season seats at Childsplay, a local children's theatre group in Tempe, so when I got a fundraising call from them, I was happy to help. I also offered to shoot the ladies' families who called me, so that they could see what I do. They didn't take me up on it, but instead, asked me to shoot their boss and his partner, which I was happy to do, but Steve's partner was sick, so they wanted me to paint their dogs, from Steve's pictures, which I did and when I called to ask how he liked it, this is the answer I received: "Well it's kind of a long story.We intended to give the photo to my boss Steve for his 50th birthday.Steve has been in and out of the office tending to his partner who is hospitalized due to complications stemming from chemotherapy.On the big day Steve was called to the hospital because his partner's condition was rapidly becoming worse.We didn't hear from him for 24 hours. So... the birthday celebration was canceled because it didn't feel right to celebrate. But lo and behold, Bob (Steve's partner) is out of the woods again. He hasn't been taking visitors but one actor from Childsplay. So we ended up giving it to Bob in the hospital since he can't see the animals. His sister is in town from Ohio helping take care of him and she said that when he saw the photo his eyes lit up and he started crying (tears of joy). Steve sent the office a message saying he hasn't seen Bob's eyes like that in weeks!Thank you so much for helping us make that happen. --Michelle Hargrave"
That's why I'm in this business. Pictures ARE relevant. They DO make a difference in people's lives. And those people that I touch with my art make a difference in my life right back. I think I'm going to go make some baked goods.

Graduation Pictures Models/Ambassadors

Fabulous things are happening here at Barbara Stitzer Photography. I am looking for my senior ambassadors for 2009-2010. Senior pictures are so important. It's the last gigantic pampering and fussing and all about you day that you'll be in before your wedding, and we like to make a really big deal of the whole day. I have sooooooo many new and different things I'm doing with my seniors, and I like to take one or two juniors from each high school and shoot them for free in the spring of their Junior year, highlighting all of my newest looks. All of my ambassadors get to come back and shoot again when they're full blown seniors. Then I give them a brag book that they can show to all of their friends, and the seniors get fame, free pictures and cold hard cash for sending their friends over here, instead of those "big box" guys that everyone has the same senior pictures. If you're interested, take a look at some of my seniors at http://www.barbstitzer.com/, and then drop me a line. I'll be shooting in April and May, and I want YOU to be a part of it!

Ok, the big announcement is here, and you heard it right here on the Barbara Stitzer Photography blog first: Here is the press release for the Happily Every After League's inaugural calendar 2010:



Supporting moms through cancer recovery
11445 E. Via Linda #2-493 Scottsdale, AZ 85259

Happily Ever After League (HEAL) is pleased to announce the first annual

Happily Ever After Calendar
Featuring local Prince and Princesses
from the Valley of the Sun

You will not want to miss this very special opportunity to have your child our first ever calendar for a cause.

Award winning professional photographer Barbara Stitzer will photograph your child, dressed in full prince or princess regalia, or they can choose from our beautiful outfits and props, for a $100 donation per child to HEAL (a savings of $125 for the normal sitting fee). You will also receive the chance to have your child’s photo appear as one of 12 in this calendar with the proceeds from your donation going directly to moms in our community recovering from cancer.

“As a studio, we wanted to plan an event that benefitted a local charity,” says photographer Barbara Stitzer. “The Happily Ever After League was an obvious choice for us.” Barbara Stitzer has won more than 400 local, regional and national photography awards, including having been part of a Pulitzer Prize winning team. Her work has appeared in such diverse publications as Forbes, TIME for Kids, Parade, Woman's World, Honeymoon, Shutterbug, and AZ Society Magazine. She speaks about photography and shares tips on national tour for her lab, Millers Professional Imaging, as a way to encourage other photographers to grab their cameras and get going. Her photography celebrates the lives of her clients, and is cherished art for generations to come. She feels very strongly about giving back to her community and has helped raise more than $ 100,000 for charity since moving to Arizona in 2003.


The Happily Ever After League (HEAL) is a local 501c3 non profit organization. HEAL was founded as a positive outcome from the devastation of a cancer diagnosis for Lauren Daniels. Lauren was 35 when diagnosed with breast cancer and the youngest of her three children was only one year of age at the time.

Since July of 2004 HEAL has been providing support services to moms in Arizona with at least one dependent child. HEAL supports moms financially during their time of treatment. HEAL has provided financial support to 300 moms since it was founded in 2004.

The financial assistance relieves some of the stress that moms incur from their diagnosis and helps to pay for very basic necessities such as rent, utilities, groceries and medical bills.

HEAL also opened the HEALing House in October of 2007 to provide emotional support to moms and their families. Families enjoy making special memories at the monthly events and they benefit from the many outreach projects and the HEALing House Food Bank. This facility has served over 600 people since opening.

The photo shoots will take place at Creative Castle Preschool, The Village Health Spa North Scottsdale and the Village Health Spa Gainey Ranch in March.

With your permission we will put your child’s photo on our website to be voted on by those directed to the website. You can vote as many times as you like for $1 donation to HEAL for each vote. The child with the most votes will also be on the cover of the Happily Ever After Calendar.

This 2010 calendar will then be available for sale in September.

For more information or to book a time for your photo session, call: 480-275-0613 or visit our website at http://www.happilyeverafterleague.org/ and http://www.barbstitzer.com/

The above babies and children that will be promoting the calendar shoot. Aren't they just treasures? Yes, nepotism lives. TT is the little Cinderella girl. I can't help it...she's just so beautiful! But, then, so are the others, all of whom I just adored working with. Anyone who calls (480.861.4529) or emails (photobarb@aol.com) me for an appointment and mentions my blog will get a $100 gift card to Barbara Stitzer Photography AND a set of 24 "call me" playdate cards!

Baby Chloe

This beautiful baby just smiled and smiled forever! What a little lovey girl!

The Mogan Family

I adore shooting people who are happy and in love, and John and Dyann Mogan are the poster family for these qualities. Together with their dogs Ranger, Pookie, and Hershey, they are an impenetrable force that is so wonderful to see. This is my second year shooting the family, and I'm always so struck with how harmonious they are, how naturally everyone leans in toward each other, even the dogs, and how their glorious good looks and equally amazing personalities just shine through. I've said it before, but I must say it again, especially in reference to my shoot with this group...I really love my job!