Holiday Photo Sessions Offered

On Saturday, November 28, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Shores Floral & Gift will be hosting photographer Adrianna Standiford Reid from Images by Adrianna, who will be set up to photograph children and families, just in time for the holidays.

After a successful Mother's Day photography shoot in May featuring Reid, Bonnie Weber, owner of Shores Floral & Gift who has a history of supporting artists, decided to again collaborate with Reid and create an event for the community. Each portrait session will be fifteen minutes and will produce five digital photographs.

"I'm so excited to be collaborating with Shores Floral again to bring the community of Chinook and surrounding areas an opportunity to celebrate the season and support small businesses!" Reid exclaimed. "We will, of course, be respecting CDC guidelines and maintaining social distancing to ensure everyone can enjoy this experience safely," she added.

Anyone interested in these mini sessions is invited to contact Reid at adriannastandiford@gmail.com or by calling 406-945-5097 to reserve a time slot.

As far as people receiving their photos, Reid prefers to provide digital copies, but she is willing to print them as 5x7 prints for an additional cost if patrons desire.

"These quick and easy mini sessions will be indoors and feature a backdrop creatively curated by the ladies at Shores Floral just in time for a holiday card or to gift a family photo," Reid said. "The store is already stunning and decorated with Christmas displays, so this is a fabulous opportunity for families, friends, couples, or individuals to get seasonal pictures done, as they often do. I love collaborating with small businesses and other creatives, so of course, I jumped at the opportunity when Bonnie suggested the idea. I will only be able to do the event over a single day instead of two because my time in Chinook will be limited, and I hope to have all of the photos edited and returned in a timely manner."

Reid currently works at Russell Elementary School in Missoula as an elementary and middle school art teacher, and, as one can imagine, teaching under the influence of COVID-19 is pretty challenging, especially for a first-year teacher. Reid's focus has been on developing a COVID-conscious art curriculum.

With most of her time dedicated to her teaching position, Reid's photography, which she describes as "a wonderful creative outlet," has been less of a priority as of late, so she is "aching to dive into her favorite hobby again." Time hasn't allowed her to enroll at Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, either, which was her initial hope and plan.

However, the learning never stops, according to Reid, who pursues many opportunities to maintain and expand her literacy with photography: "I learn with every session or excursion I take. There is also an abundance of photography-related resources I often take advantage of, such as books, articles, podcasts, instructional videos, and-of course-the work of developing and established photographers."

Reid has also participated in a few community art shows while teaching in Missoula, one of which is approaching on December 4, called First Friday's in Missoula. Every first Friday of the month in Missoula, various businesses and galleries feature the work of local artists.

"The vibrancy of Missoula's art scene is on full display after regular working hours, from 5:00 to 8 p.m. downtown. This is something I would love to instill and participate in, whether in Chinook or in whichever communities I live," Reid stated.

At the December 4 First Friday art event, Reid will exhibit a signature piece entitled "Purpose." Originally made for the 2019 spring student art show at the University of Montana-Western, "Purpose" is a 2' x 4' mixed media piece on a wood panel, featuring six hands grasping at the ability to create.

As a sole proprietorship, Images by Adrianna is a business that always requires attention. Reid is currently taking a few steps to improve her photography business by developing a website and expanding her portfolio.

Reid also hopes to collaborate more in the future with small businesses and brands to fill a portion of their advertising needs with some branding photography, and she expressed enthusiasm about continuing to work with clients.

"I suppose my main focus is to survive my first year of teaching, but being an art educator, I am fortunate to say that photography and other means of creating may subside, but certainly do not take a back seat. Creating and living are a balancing act, for sure, but whatever side I lean toward, I am absolutely pleased with that decision," Reid expressed.