Our Christmas Newsletter

Here is our Christmas Newsletter - check it out!!  Lots of fun Christmas facts and of course, some specials!!

If you have family coming in during the holiday season, and want to have portraits done while they are here, give us a call!  We have a couple of great offers - both for in-studio and on location family sessions. 

Enjoy the newsletter - and enjoy this special season.  Merry Christmas to all and God bless us everyone!

Our fall newsletter

Here is the link to our fall newsletter with great ideas for saving money around your homeand a crockpot recipe that is sooooooo good.
Also information about our fall/halloween QuickTake and some super specials!
Enjoy!!

Have a great fall - and be sure to call about our Fall/Halloween QuickTakes!!

 

Updating the family portrait

 



I photographed this family several years ago - and Heather had a great collection of portraits on display in her home from the session.  Well, sometime after that, they added a new member to the family - the little blonde sweetie in the middle of the family.  When little Isabella got old enough to realize she was "missing" from the portrait collection, she began to ask "where am I?' to her mom.
We donate a portrait annually to the St. Mary's Catholic Church Auction - and Heather and Greg purchased our donation.  Her phone call to me got the process going.  Isabella would soon be on the wall in the family portrait grouping.



 Here is one of the images of the children - don't those big brothers look proud to have a little sister?  And they are so good to her - I just loved to see how they took care of here and were so thrilled with her in the portraits.  They were more concerned with her expressions than their own!

And now a photo of Mom and Dad - such a nice couple.  They are raising such wonderful kids.  When Heather came in to pick out the portraits, she brought all 3 children with her.  They were so "in tune" and helpful - even picking out the favorites simultaneously with their mother.  Wow!

Family portraits in the fall







 

 

 



Fall is the perfect time for outdoor portraits.  It isn't too hot, and the insects aren't as plentiful!  Inland, the landscape has amazing color.
At the beach, there aren't as many people milling about.  All these advantages make for a great combination of circumstances!

One of the most importrant photographs you'll ever have taken is a family portrait - and beautifully designed outdoor family portraits make fine wall decor.  Why?

Stop and think about your family room or living room.  We invest thousands in fine furniture, window treatments, and carpet, yet most of us give little thought to what we put on the walls.  This is the weakest area of home interior design.  Most wall art options are purdhase off-the-rack at a store and are chosen mainly because they coordinate with the colors in the room.

Imagine, instead, a nicely designed outdoor family portrait created in soft evening light with expressions that reflect a pleasant moment in your lives.  The clothing and setting can be considered to coordinate with your decor colors, and the resulting wall art is much more personal in your home.

     When family portraits are taken to the level of wall art decor, your guests will spend more time raving about your portrait than they will your new sofa or leather chair (which cost a lot more than your outdoor portrait).  More importantly, in years to come, your portrait will provide more enjoyment than that old sofa!

We are extending and expanding our Summer Family Portrait Special through the fall!
Portraits can be taken on location, in our portrait gardens or in the studio till September 30th!
With the purchase of a 16x20 or larger portrait get a 5 pose digital package FREE, a $250 value!
Call today!  This special is not good with other specials, offers, or fundraising donations.

Gone fishin' QuickTake!!

Our GONE FISHIN' Quicktake is back!  SATURDAY AUGUST 25th is the day!!

Everyone loves this setting - it is so beautiful - and so FUN!

And best of all - it is a QuickTake - only a $25 session fee and packages starting at $69.95.  We'll even include an image for online sharing with your purchase. Another bonus - with your package purchase, if you would like to add on a Signature Wall portrait - the wall portrait is 1/2 price! 

As you can see from these images, great for boys and girls!!

We have all the accessories so all you need to provide is your child!  Give Terry a call at 252-633-5558 to schedule your special appointment.
The first 5 callers will receive 2 portrait magnets free with their order, so call today. 

Here is our Summer 2012 Newsletter - lots of good information for summer fun and safety - and some great specials for family and children's portraits!!  Enjoy and share with your friends!

http://mad.ly/5115f2

Great garden session

I just wanted to share some images from a recent session we had in our garden. I have enjoyed watching these girls grow up since they were babies, so it was really special to have their mother choose to come to our yard for their recent family portrait.  After the session, the girls enjoyed popping our Balloon Flowers - I think they popped them all!  Don't worry the flowers still bloom!! Thank you Tammy and Brian for letting me share your beautiful portraits.

 

                                                       

Kids are morning people!

Here is a common question...."what is the best time of day to have my children photographed?"  90 % of the children we see come in the morning. Kids begin the day with fresh excitement and a natural curiosity. In fine children's portraiture and family portraits with youngsters, we seek to entertain, excite and amuse children in our effort to get the happiest and relaxed expressions you see every day. When your kids come in fresh and have some real fun, the resulting portraits are more natural and beautiful!

It works the same with babies - most of the time, morning is the preferred time.  We set aside plenty of time for infants.  Diaper changes and feedings take time, and we want to make sure the little ones are content.  A dry, well fed baby is usually a happy one.  

Spring Newsletter - and Happy Mother's Day!

Click on this link to enjoy our latest newsletter.
Great ideas on things to do in May - and a super Beach Portrait Special!
Check it out!

http://mim.io/57bb82

Then and Now!

It is such a thrill to watch kids grow and change over the years.  Recently, I had the privilege of photographing this beautiful young lady.  The first time she came to our studio she was only three months old.  The first one is her 9 month portrait - and now, just look at her!

   
It is a wonderful experience to watch your own children grow and change over the years.  Be sure to treasure their time with you.  In the blink of an eye, they are going out into the world.  We always think we will remember everything about when they were little - but time does fade our memories.  That is why you should take lots of pictures at home - but don't neglect professional portraits - you need both. Capture life's moments.

March Newsletter

Here is our March Newsletter- info about Easter portraits with live bunny and fun facts about St. Patrick's Day and MORE!!

http://mim.io/12e752

Sweet little sisters

I just had to show this image - these little girl look soooooo perfect!  I love the tutus and all that pink! 

More Easter fun!

The Little Models did a wonderful job helping me with our Easter Scene. Wish I could post them all!! Got lots of variety with our "faux" bunnies and colorful Easter eggs.  We always have the option of a real bunny or real-looking bunnies in our Easter QuickTakes.  Some children are apprehensive of the live critter - and some children are just too active.  Though Jordan the Bunny is very patient, we must always keep his well-being in mind!  Enjoy these images - details about our session dates will be posted soon! 

   

Getting ready for Easter

I just couldn't wait - here are just a few of our Little Models in our Easter/Spring QuickTake setting for 2012!  It will be great -  we will have a real bunny (Jordan the bunny) on March 16 in New Bern and on Friday March 23 in Goldsboro.  This is Jordan with a couple of the Little Models.

However - all through the month of March you can take part in our Easter/Spring QuickTakes - but Jordan will not be attending - he will only be there on March 16th and the 23rd.  We will have some "faux" bunnies those other days, or you can opt for images without "critters"!  Still sooooooooo cute!!  And, a good idea if your little one is a bit shy around live animals.  Good to have choices!

We'll have more Little Models to see - I just need to get busy and get the images ready to go live! 

Babies change so much

We watch a lot of babies growing their first year - and realize that they change a lot in 3 months.  Some photographers just skip the 9 month session.  Yes, 9 month olds are a little more aware of strangers and may take a bit longer to warm up - but just look at how this little guy changed. 
 This is Liam at 6 months - cute, huh?
                                                                                                       Still looks like a baby.

Here he is at 9 months - WOW!  He is looking like a little boy. 

Don't think about skipping the 9 month portraits when you are watching your baby grow.  You will miss a very important milestone in their life.

Charitible donation tips

One of my favorite photographers posted this information and I thought it was a good idea to share this with my friends and clients.

Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors

1. Be Proactive In Your Giving 
   Smart givers generally don’t give reactively in a knee-jerk fashion. They don’t respond to the first organization that appeals for help. They take the time to identify which causes are most important to their families and they are specific about the change they want to affect. For example, they don’t just support generic cancer charities, but instead have targeted goals for their giving, such as providing mammograms to at-risk women in their community.
2. Hang Up The Phone / Eliminate The Middleman
   Informed donors recognize that for-profit fundraisers, those often used in charitable telemarketing campaigns, keep 25 to 95 cents of every dollar they collect. Wise donors never give out their personal information – like credit card accounts, social security numbers – over the phone. If they like what they hear in the pitch, they’ll hang up, investigate the charity on-line and send their contribution directly to the charity, thereby cutting out the middleman and ensuring 100% of their donation reaches the charity. To help you investigate charities that solicit you, we include each charity’s contact information on its ratings page.
3. Be Careful Of Sound-Alike Names
   Uninformed donors are easily confused by charities that have strikingly similar names to others. How many of us could tell the difference between an appeal from the Children’s Charity Fund and the Children’s Defense Fund? Their names sound the same, but their performances are vastly different. Would you be surprised to learn that the Children’s Charity Fund is a 0-star charity while the Children’s Defense Fund is a 3-star charity? Informed donors take the time to uncover the difference.
4. Confirm 501(c) (3) Status
   Wise donors don’t drop money into canisters at the checkout counter or hand over cash to solicitors outside the supermarket. Situations like these are irresistible to scam artists who wish to take advantage of your goodwill. Smart givers only support groups granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator meet this basic requirement.
5. 5. Check The Charity’s Commitment To Accountability & Transparency
   In 2011, Charity Navigator added an Accountability & Transparency dimension to its rating system. It tracks metrics such as whether the charity used an objective process to determine their CEO’s salary, whether it has an effective governance structure, and whether it has a whistleblower policy. This data is critical because charities that follow good governance and transparency practices are less likely to engage in unethical or irresponsible activities. So, the risk that such charities would misuse donations is lower than for charities that don’t adopt such practices.
6. Obtain Copies Of Its Financial Records
   Savvy donors know that the financial health of a charity is a strong indicator of the charity’s programmatic performance. They know that in most cause areas, the most efficient charities spend 75% or more of their budget on their programs and services and less than 25% on fundraising and administrative fees. However, they also understand that mid-to-large sized charities do require a strong infrastructure therefore a claim of zero fundraising and/or administrative fees is unlikely at best. They understand that a charity’s ability to sustain its programs over time is just as important as its short-term day-to-day spending practices. Therefore, savvy donors also seek out charities that are able to grow their revenue at least at the rate of inflation, that continue to invest in their programs and that have some money saved for a rainy day. All of this analysis is provided on Charity Navigator’s website for free, but when considering groups not found here, savvy donors ask the charity for copies of its three most recent Forms 990. Not only can the donor examine the charity’s finances, but the charity’s willingness to send the documents is a good way to assess its commitment to transparency.
7. Review Executive Compensation
   Sophisticated donors realize that charities need to pay their top leaders a competitive salary in order to attract and retain the kind of talent needed to run a multi-million dollar organization and produce results. But they also don’t just take the CEO’s compensation at face value; they benchmark it against similar-sized organizations engaged in similar work and located in the same region of the country. To help you make your own decision, Charity Navigator reveals that the average CEO’s compensation of the charities we evaluate is almost $150,000. In general, salaries tend to be higher in the northeast and at arts and education charities. Sophisticated donors also put the CEO’s salary into context by examining the overall performance of the organization. They know it is better to contribute to a charity with a well-paid CEO that is meeting its goals than to support a charity with an underpaid CEO that fails to deliver on its promises.
8. Start A Dialogue To Investigate Its Programmatic Results
   Although it takes some effort on their part to assess a charity’s programmatic impact, donors who are committed to advancing real change believe that it is worth their time. Before they make a contribution, they talk with the charity to learn about its accomplishments, goals and challenges. These donors are prepared to walk away from any charity that is unable or unwilling to participate in this type of conversation.
9. Concentrate Your Giving
   When it comes to financial investments, diversification is the key to reducing risk. The opposite is true for philanthropic investments. If you’ve really taken the time to identify a well-run charity that is engaged in a cause that you are passionate about, you should then feel confident in giving it a donation. Spreading your money among multiple organizations not only results in your mail box filling up with more appeals, it also diminishes the possibility of any of those groups bringing about substantive change as each charity is wasting a percentage of your gift on processing expenses for that gift.
10. Share Your Intentions And Make A Long-Term Commitment
    Smart donors support their favorite charities for the long haul. They see themselves as a partner in the charity’s efforts to bring about change. They know that only with long-term, committed supporters can a charity be successful. And they don’t hesitate to tell the charity of their giving plans so that the organization knows it can rely on the donor and the charity doesn’t have to waste resources and harass the donor by sending numerous solicitations.

Winter flowers

Winter is usually such a drab time in the garden - but if you  have Camellias - then you get a touch of color.  Some of my neighbors have huge Camellia bushes - this one of ours is small - but has really started to produce some awesome flowers.
When you cut flowers in your garden, and put them in a vase you can extend their bloom time by putting them in the refrigerator when you are not home or at night when you to go bed.  Think of florists - they keep their flowers refrigerated.  If you do this, you will have your flowers MUCH longer than if you don't.
My friend, Kathy gave me this special vase.  It is perfect for heavy flowers like these.  It has a special holder in the bottom that you can stick the stems in and it keeps them upright.  I just love this.

Valentine's Day

Isn't she the sweetest? I just love Valentine's Day - and we are enjoying our "My Little Sweetheart" set so much.  Bella decided she wanted to get in a picture and I couldn't resist.  We are still scheduling some of these QuickTakes next week.  Apparently, there is a bad tummy virus running around, so we have had to extend our dates to reschedule.  So, give us a call if you want to have your sweethearts captured with this sweet set.  Next week we can still have your portraits back for Valentine gifts!!  Bella hopes to see you soon!!  So do I!

Saint Valentine's Day newsletter

This is the link to our Valentine's newsletter. Enjoy!
http://mim.io/c1aa22?toolbar=promotions%2Ftoolbar_preview

Prepping for the SAT and ACT?

Prepping for the SAT and ACT? Ace college entrance exams the first time with these easy tips and tricks!
PREPARATION
• Use Collegeboard.org’s SAT daily question email to get one sample test question in your inbox every day. It’s a simple, less overwhelming way to get your brain warmed up for the real thing. It’s also available as an iphone app! http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day
• Take a test prep class. Kaplan offers courses that are tailored to the SAT or the ACT. Check out their website: http://www.kaptest.com/College/SAT/index.html
• Use a tutor to help you target your weakest subject.
TESTING
• Make sure you bring a watch, and don’t linger on one question longer than two or three minutes.
• Answer the easier questions first and go back to answer the hard ones last.
• Use the process of elimination to give yourself better odds on each question. If you know two answers aren’t right, that gives you a 50% chance of getting the right answer instead of only 25%.
• If you have to guess, the answer with the most information is usually correct.
• Never leave an answer blank. You should at least guess one of the options, because leaving it blank guarantees that you get it wrong.
• If you read the question and come up with the answer before reading the multiple choice options, this will help you avoid getting confused by “all of the above” or “none of the above” type of situations.
• Trust your first instinct—it’s usually correct!
Happy Testing!

Happy New Year

Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous 2012!!!  We worked "part time" between Christmas and New Year's Day - and are now back in the studios "full time"!    Just wanted to share a few images that I worked on yesterday and today. 

I just love this family - their daughter, Adalyn has been coming to see me since she was 3 months old. She is growing so fast. For those of you that may have had Easter portraits a couple of years ago - "Archie" the bunny was their pet. 

Benjamin is so adorable in his newsboy cap and tie- I just love this idea.  A "big boy" idea with a twist!  (Don't have to worry about keeping the tie straight on his shirt!!) He looks proud of himself, doesn't he??

Last but not least, little Braylen fell asleep during his session after delivering lots of smiles.  His teddy bear is as big as he is!  Just love the little newborns, especially when I get to capture "awake" AND "asleep".










So, I will sign off for now - have to get back to taking down and packing away Christmas until next year. Keep watching for upcoming specials and Special Events in 2012.  Right now - we have our January White Sale - huge discounts on frames through January 31st.