Tag Archives: Orchard Mall

Sometimes photo restoration can be just as rewarding as creating a new photo. Mike is a client who brought in an incredible photo that was damaged, creased and tattered to see if we could fix it. You can see the results below and after learning that this was what Mike called home while serving our country in Vietnam we can only imagine what this photo means to him. Actually I’m sure that most of us cannot imagine it, but you can feel that you are looking at an important piece of history – personal and national – when you see it. To be able to restore this image to such a pristine state is a very rewarding thing and Mike was gracious enough to allow us to share it on our blog. The next time you get annoyed about your living conditions – you wish your kitchen was a little bigger or you can’t stand the draft along the floor in your bedroom, think about what the soldier deals with while he/she is out there defending our country.

Vietnam photo - before photo restoration

Before restoration

After restoration

We asked Mike a couple of questions about the photo and here is what he had to say:

Frameable Faces: So Mike, tell us what is in this photo?

Mike: This is a picture of what I called home for some time when I was serving in Vietnam. I prefer not to talk too much about my time over there, but the photo definitely means a lot to me.

Frameable Faces: Can you tell us more about the photo? Did you take the photo yourself and did you have it developed once you returned home?

Mike: I took the photo myself with a throwaway camera. I wasn’t going to take an expensive camera over there and my mom actually sent over a disposable camera for me to use. I had to just keep the camera on me since there was obviously nowhere to get it developed where I was. I brought it back to the U.S. when I returned in 1967 and that’s when I got it developed.

Frameable Faces: Well we are glad we were able to restore it for you and we hope you are happy with the way it turned out. Thank you so much for sharing and for your service!

Mike: You are welcome and I couldn’t be happier – this photo deserved to be restored and I’m putting it in a frame so I can display it properly. You guys did a perfect job on this!

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Frameable Faces Photography
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Frameable Faces Photography is a small biz retail mom & pop shop of Doug&Ally Cohen located in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, Michigan, United States Of America!
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Ally & Doug can be reached at the studio at tel:248-790-7317 or emailed at mailto:info@frameablefaces.com
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Being “Frameable” is an attitude, a community, a way of life – a life you would want to celebrate and display on your walls for all to see! Tell us… ARE YOU FRAMEABLE?
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“Frameables In The Hood”

December 25, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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Yo – this family is soooo GANGSTA. Be intimidated. Be very intimidated…..

West Bloomfield Photographer, Frameable Faces Photography

We have a lot of fun with them because every year they come in with a new fun theme and this year was no different! We were cracking up during this session!

West Bloomfield Photographer, Frameable Faces Photography

Frameables In The Hood!

Ain’t No Family Like A Detroit Family…

December 15, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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As you know we are big fans of the “D” especially if you happened to read our love letter to Detroit. What we have here is a family who feels the same way… which makes us fans of them too! This was a great session! We love a family who together coordinates a theme for their session and what better theme than the Motor City, Detroit Rock City, Motown, the 313, Hockeytown…. you get the picture.

It was fun having them here – here’s the evidence….

Family Photo Frameable Faces Photography

Dear Detroit, You Are Awesome. Love, Frameable Faces

December 9, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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Image courtesy of www.DetroitApparelFactory.com

We have traveled all around the country and there are a lot of cities we love. My family is originally from New York and I love it there. I love the big city and it really is an incredible place – endless things to do, see and eat. We love Chicago – we have close friends there and it’s a short drive – a ton to do there too. We love D.C. with its monuments and history. Atlanta and Philly are great cities. San Fran and L.A. are amazing. Dallas is very cool and so is Cleveland. Cincinnati is great – awesome chili, ice cream and ribs. We love Virginia Beach and we have family there. We also love South Florida and we have family and friends there all over – all the way down to the Keys – stone crab and key lime pie! We like Nashville, Houston, Tampa, Oklahoma City, Santa Fe, Jacksonville, Columbus, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Vegas, San Antonio and Atlantic City. We appreciate the smaller cities and college campuses we’ve visited like Madison, Dayton, State College, Hattiesburg, Cedar Rapids, Pensacola, Oxford, Syracuse, Vail, Taos, Morgantown, Annapolis, Richmond, the list goes on…

We love our National Parks. We love visiting battlefields, President’s homes, mountains and sand dunes. We love Skyline Drive, the Rockies, and the Natchez Trace. We want to explore the Northeast, the West and the Northwest. We have not yet been to Mount Rushmore, The Badlands, Big Sur, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon or Hawaii. We have much more we want to see.

Dear Detroit You Are Awesome…

BUT,

Here’s the thing. As wonderful and awesome as all those places are, we still love Detroit and the surrounding Metro area the most. Why is that? It’s not easy to explain to those who don’t live here. There are plenty of specific things we love of course. The food is fantastic – Lafayette Coney Island, Mexican Town and Greektown, the best Middle Eastern food, plenty of good Indian and deli, some great chop houses, amazing breakfast options all over the suburbs in West Bloomfield, Birmingham, Royal Oak, and Ferndale, Polish food in Hamtramck – and on and on. Lots of cool places to hang out as well in the aforementioned towns. Lots of diversity. There are world class museums in Detroit and there is a music history here like few other places on Earth. Of course there is also an awesome sports tradition here. Ann Arbor is pretty close as well, an incredible college town. Detroit skyline

On paper does Detroit stack up to the other cities? That really isn’t the point. The point is Detroit is where we’re from. Detroit is where we have our studio Frameable Faces Photography (West Bloomfield to be exact). Detroit is an underdog. Detroit has been kicked and punched and Detroit has punched back. Detroit rocks. Detroit is home. So Detroit, WE LOVE YOU AND WE ARE NOT LEAVING YOU.

Love,

Doug and Ally Cohen

Frameable Faces Photography

Frameable Flashbacks! – Hannah

November 21, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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Have we mentioned we love our high school seniors? It lights up our day when they come back to visit and as I’m writing this it’s the day before Thanksgiving which means many of our past seniors are home from college! Current Michigan State student and former spokesmodel (not to mention North Farmington Raider alum) Hannah Iwrey spent the morning here with us yesterday and I snapped a droid photo of her and Ally before she left.

Ally and Hannah during yesterday's visit! (Photo taken with a Droid)

Affectionately known here as “HBM” (for Hannah Banana Montana), she has become like a member of the family. Normally I would Instagram a pic like this, but alas Hannah has a BlackBerry and there is no Instagram BlackBerry app so she isn’t on Instagram. I thought about posting it to Twitter, but it seemed an even better idea might be to write a blog post about the visit and so the idea for “Frameable Flashbacks” was born. Kind of a “where are they now” feature as we remember the great photo sessions and great times we had and check in with our seniors to see what exciting things they are up to.

We gave her three questions to answer for us after she left and here they are! Enjoy, and when you’re done enjoy the 2 “iconic” images from her senior session back in 2010 at the bottom of the page!

Frameable Faces: So what are you up to?

Hannah: As much as I know you’re cringing about this topic, I go to Michigan State and am currently studying to be a Professional Writer. I’m in my second year and much to any other Spartan’s dismay, I’m still 100% a Wolverine fan! I spend a lot of my time working on a short story that’s already 15 pages long, and another collection of stories based on my experiences in the summer camping world. When I’m not up at school, I’m more than likely sitting in the FF Studio with my BFF Reflecto and hating on Doug for his hats, or being made fun of for the way I pronounce certain words. Sarry aboot that, eh.

Frameable Faces: What are your future plans with your studies (what do you want to be when you grow up)?

Hannah: Like I said, I’ve been eagerly working on those two writing projects, and plan to further develop some other unfinished pieces for my writing portfolio. My dream plan for the future would be writing children’s books or young adult novels. If that fails, I think I may have a promising future as a Sassmaster. I mean, I already have so many pairs of Sassy pants…

Frameable Faces: What do you remember most about your Frameable Faces experience?

Hannah: I really don’t know how you can ask someone to pin-point just ONE great thing about being a part of the Frameable Faces Family! Wow look at me and my alliteration, maybe this whole writing thing will work out. I love the energy that both Ally and Doug bring to sessions. I was super nervous to shoot my spokesmodel session during my junior year, but once the awesome music started from Doug’s endless library and Ally snapped the camera, it all fell into place. I also really loved going on location to some awesome places in the area, truly unforgettable. But I’d have to say my ultimate favorite aspect of FF is how welcoming the studio always feels when I drop by for a visit, I’m proud to have earned a nickname!

West Bloomfield Photographer, Frameable Faces Photography, Fine Art Photography

Fashion and Style With Eleganza Boutique and The Beauty Lounge!

November 17, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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It was definitely “Haute” in the studio yesterday as we collaborated with the girls from Eleganza Boutique for images that will appear in their new catalogue! Eleganza is a neighbor of ours down the hall here in the Orchard Mall. They’ve been in business since 1986 and it is a fabulous LOCAL independent boutique. Eleganza provided the fashions and the models while hair and makeup was provided by The Beauty Lounge – a fantastic salon also here in the mall!

West Bloomfield Photographer, Frameable Faces Photography, Metro Detroit Photographer We were very excited to work with them yesterday and the results speak for themselves – so sexy and glamorous! Everyone should tap into their inner supermodel at least once, and while J and M have modeled before, J for example wowed herself with how great she looked in front of Ally’s camera! These images represent our typical “haute” session style which we have posted before. We’ve even included a little video of J working it! Enjoy! But you might need a fan to cool yourself down….. these pics are “haute Haute HAUTE!!!”

West Bloomfield Photographer, Frameable Faces Photography, Glamour Photography

Class of 2013 Frameables! Part 2

October 25, 2012

by Doug Cohen

2 Comments

Back in September we posted some Class of 2013 Frameables and promised that there would be more to come, so as promised here is Part 2!!! What a great year this has been and the fall colors of Michigan have been beautiful! We have enjoyed each senior who has come through our doors – more great sessions, great stories, great friendships being built. Our sometimes-rogue reflector “Reflecto” has even been moved to start tweeting largely because of the fun he’s had on the senior sessions (although he probably won’t admit it).

Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this new round of photos of these inspiring young Frameables!

Senior Pictures, Frameable Faces Photography Frameable Faces Photography, West Bloomfield Photographer, Senior Pictures Frameable Faces Photography, Senior Pictures, Metro Detroit Photographer Frameable Faces, West Bloomfield Photographer, Photography Senior Pictures, West Bloomfield Photographer, Frameable Faces Photography

Frameable Faces For Seniors! “Behind the Scenes” – Picking Up Proofs

October 15, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – we LOVE our seniors! Photographing seniors is one of the most enjoyable things we do. Ally and I both enjoyed high school and we attended North Farmington High School together. While we knew each other and I was only one class ahead of her, we did not date until after college (it’s actually a fun story). Because we went to high school together and only live a few minutes away from where we grew up we’ve always been able to relate to each other’s high school experience and it’s never really that far away. Maybe that’s why we enjoy high school photos so much!

We thought it would be helpful to give some details here about our process for taking senior pictures for those considering our studio, and we’ve included a fun behind-the-scenes video of a senior picking up her proofs. This can also give you some ideas for what you may want to look for in a studio for senior pictures if you don’t live in the Metro Detroit area. There are 5 main steps in our process of a senior photo session:

Consultation. We always meet ahead of time with our seniors and usually a parent so that we can get to know each other. We talk about the upcoming session and plan it out based on the senior’s vision for the pictures. We discuss style, location, clothing, colors, hair, makeup (for the girls), life, school, plans for after high school and whatever else is on their mind.
Photo session. 3 hours of anything goes – often starting with a yearbook headshot and then moving along to fire, water, trees, meadows, alleyways, buildings, pets, friends…. and almost every session has a story. From a small twister hitting the mall during a shoot to a cat hunting down a chipmunk right in front of us in a park, lots of crazy stuff can happen and often does! We have a ton of fun during our sessions – lots of laughs.
Sneak peeks. We usually post a couple images from the session on facebook (with a model release OF COURSE – be wary of photographers who will post your image for their commercial purposes without permission), sometimes a behind-the-scenes shot from the session on Instagram as well as the occasional tweet. We really enjoy seeing all the love that our seniors get from their friends with likes, favorites, comments and tweets online about the pictures from their session.
Proof pick up. This is always really exciting – lots of anticipation to see the images which depending on the season can be anywhere from 2 – 4 weeks after the session. Our seniors get a physical proof book which they get to keep and we present these to them with an in-person slide show set to music on the big screen in the studio. It’s a very special two minutes for everyone. This is the part of the process we have highlighted here in this video clip of a proof pick up!

The 5th and final step is simply to place the order – wallets for friends, wall portraits for the family room, prints for the grandparents, pictures for the office, coffee table books for the living room… Plenty of options!

All in all it’s one of the best parts of our “job” – and it certainly doesn’t feel like a job at all.

“G” Was This Family Photo Session Fun!

June 7, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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We met the G family relatively recently when their oldest son became friends with our little guy. The boys became friends and then we followed suit pretty quickly afterwards!

It’s been kind of a whirlwind, really. You know how there are people who once you connect with them, it’s like you’ve always known them and been friends with them? Yeah, that’s us and these guys! R had mentioned that she’d really like a nice new updated family photo and some nice ones of the boys together. She was a little bit worried that since we’ve become so close, the boys wouldn’t take it seriously and do it the way that she’d like. BUT, truth be told, the boys totally rocked it and I’m pretty sure they had fun doing it, too! We were able to capture some amazing real, natural smiles, some sweet tender moments and had a little bit of fun mixed up in there, too.

This is one of the reasons we love our job. The look on R’s face when we showed her some of these images was priceless. These guys really do have a heart of gold! <3

The Frameable Faces Blog “Quest for Guests”!

May 31, 2012

by Doug Cohen

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One of the themes we’ve tried to instill in our studio is that of community. We see Frameable Faces not just as the studio you can visit at the Orchard Mall, but as all of us – especially our clients who really are the Frameable Faces (or #Frameables as we like to tweet them). As our blog evolves and grows we thought it would be a splendid idea to get more of you involved and so the “Quest for Guests” idea was born! We would like to open this up just to Frameables (our clients) for starters and see where it goes, but the idea is to have someone write a guest post for our blog. There are a couple of basic parameters involved:

1. The article does not have to be about Frameable Faces nor does it need to be photography related – it can be but it doesn’t have to be.

2. The article should provide some value whether it’s informative, or simply entertaining. We prefer not to go overly heavy or serious. If you have your own blog or business we definitely want to highlight that! But here’s the key – don’t make the post a commercial or sales pitch for your business. Write an article that will help people – demonstrate your expertise with some helpful tips. If you have a blog of your own which is simply your outlet for your thoughts then give us a couple of your thoughts or even a good story. If you are a fan of our blog, don’t have a business of your own or a blog but feel you have something to add to the conversation feel free to do that too!

3. The article should ideally be 500-800 words and include at least one related image (if you are struggling with the image part let us know and we can help you). Also include a short 2-3 sentence bio, a bio image (125×125 pixels is a good guide but we can help you with that too), a good title for your post, and links you want us to include (website, fb, twitter etc.).

4. Send your article in an email to doug@frameablefaces.com. We’ll scan it for typos etc. and let you know if there are any minor changes before we post it. Keep in mind that dependent on the number of posts we receive and/or the subject matter we can’t guarantee that your post will be published. We hope you understand.

We are excited to see where this goes and we hope the Frameables will get to know each other a little better! We hope you will enjoy reading a guest post and that you will comment and join in!