Just a quick note to let you know I will be down the shore for the day. I will return all calls/emails this evening. Thanks!!

~Stacy Mae

1.  Get Colorful. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of the white shirt, khaki pants family picture. I love color and I think it looks great in photographs. If you want to wear a white shirt, layer it with a colorful jacket or vest. You can also add in some colorful accessories.

2. Don’t Match. If you’ve schedule a portrait session with your family or your siblings, don’t feel like everyone has to wear the same thing. Choose outfits that complement each other instead. You can pick a color scheme and then let each person decide what to wear.

3. Avoid Logos. Portraits are meant to be classic and timeless. You don’t want to look back at your pictures 10 years from now and see a big ‘ole Hannah Montana label staring back at you.

4. Bring Backups. It’s always a good idea to bring a few different clothing options to your photo session. After you’ve taken a few pictures in one outfit, switch it up. This will give you more variety in your images and also show a bit more of your style and personality.

5. Bring Accessories. This is one of the best ways to have fun in your portrait session. Bring your favorite hat, sunglasses, shoes, etc. Anything that will show off your silly side. Jewelry is great to spruce up an outfit too!

Check out this super cool spot for inspiration.

Crew Cuts

Storyboards – These are a series of images similar to a collage. Storyboard can have 3 , 4, or 9 images. They are sold in square sizes like 10×10, 12×12, or 20×20. The one shown is a 10×10. I found the frame at Michael’s.

Standout – This is a great new product. It is 3/4 of an inch thick and comes ready to hang. No need to frame. It’s a less expensive alternative to canvas but very modern and sturdy.  The size shown is an 8×10 but you can order any size. I have a 16×20 in my house.

Standout Side View

Float Wrap – Similar to a standout but the image is wrapped around masonite. The print is protected with a laminate and padding is added between the print and the masonite to give the front of the Float Wrap a raised look and feel. Float wraps also come ready to hang.The size shown is an 8×10 but this product can be ordered in any size.

Float Wrap Side View

Accordian Albums – These are a hot-ticket item. They were very popular during the holidays. It’s the perfect brag book because it’s small enough to fit in your wallet or you can display it in your house. They make great gifts. The size is 3×3 and they fold out to reveal 10 images ~ 6 on the front and 4 on the back. There are different colors for the cover as well.

Albums – This is a 5×5 album with a leather cover. The pages are thick like a traditional album and there are 10 pages.

Coffee Table Books – These are a modern alternative to the album. The pages are thin like a magazine and there can be as many pages as you’d like. You can also order a custom photo cover for an additional charge. The one shown is a 5×5 black fabric book. They are also available in 8×8 and 10×10.

I will also be introducing a VIP Membership program in the next week or so. I wanted to do something special for my repeat clients and I think you’re really going to enjoy it.

Stay tuned!

I am starting a birthday club and I’d love for you to join. Email me with your child(ren)’s name, birthday, and address and they will be added to my birthday calendar. Please put Birthday Club in the subject line.

Each month special coupons and/or discounts will be mailed out to anyone celebrating a birthday.

1. Twist your torso. Celebrities do it on the red carpet, why can’t you. Turn one shoulder toward the camera and the other away from it. It will make you look slimmer.

2. Stick your neck out. Slightly. Don’t overdo it but if you just push your face forward slightly it will make your face look slimmer and get rid of any sign of a double chin.

3. This is a great one for moms and dads with children. Instead of teaching your little ones to say “cheese,” tell them to say “money.” Saying cheese does just that ~ it gives you a cheesy smile. Saying money will make the corners of your mouth go up and make your smile seem more genuine.

4.  Practice in the mirror. Study your face. Is there one side that is more flattering than the other? Do you like a subtle smile or a grin that’s wider? Find some pictures of yourself that you like and see what’s similar about them all. And don’t tell me you hate every picture you see. There’s got to be one or two. Find them and figure out why you like them.

5. If it bends, bend it. You don’t want to look like a statue in a picture. Slightly bending your limbs ~ elbows, knees, wrists, etc. ~ will create a more natural image. And don’t slouch!

Got any other tips? Let me know …

–There’s seems to be a baby boom happening in NJ. I have 4 newborn sessions scheduled in the next 7 days. Crazy! And one of them will be my very first twin session. I’m so excited!

–Valentine’s Day is coming up and there are only two spots left for the Mini Sessions on January 24th. Here are the time slots available.

11:00-11:20

11:30-11:50

E-mail me if you are interested.

–I sent out a newsletter on Monday that included information on my new Birthday Club. Here’s how it works. Send me an e-mail with your child’s name, address, and birthday and when their birthday rolls around they will receive a special gift. It’s that simple!

I also put together a list of goals that I have for 2010. Here are the top 10 things I hope to accomplish this year.

1. Exercise. This is at the top because I think it’s about time I try to get in shape. Not just because I feel overweight but because I feel unhealthy. I don’t exercise … at all. Aside from chasing around the kids I photograph that is. So that will hopefully start soon. I am waiting for my husband to bring a treadmill in to the basement.

2. Spend more time with my family. It’s so hard because we’re all going in different directions. I tend to work on the weekends a lot so it really can put a wrench in family time but I am really going to make an effort to not overschedule myself. I also want to spend more quality time with my oldest daughter. I miss her.

3. Attend a workshop. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Most of you know that I am completely self-taught. There’s still so much I don’t know about photography and so much I’d like to learn. I shoot using natural light so I’d love to know more about studio lighting. I’d also love to learn more about photographing newborns.

4. Take a vacation. Alone. Well, not alone, but without the kids. I’d love to go away somewhere with my husband. An island, maybe.

5. Get a new logo. I would like to try and brand myself this year. The logo I have is cute but I’d like something a little more sophisticated. This holiday season I really concentrated more on packaging and I think having a great logo will help me to really pull everything together.

6. Learn to cook. I stink. Seriously. I feel bad for my family.

7. Take more pictures. I know, sounds weird coming from a photographer, but sometimes I get so consumed with taking pictures for other people, I forget to take out my camera for my own family. It feels like more work. If I take 100 pictures at a family party, that’s 100 more pictures I have to go through and edit and organize and it’s time consuming. I am going to let my guard down though and just shoot for me.

8. Refine my style. I’ve been experimenting with some vintage processing and I really love it.

9. Burn my wardrobe. Hate it!

10. Find interesting locations to photograph. This is something you can help me with. In my newsletter this month, I asked everyone to keep an eye out for anything that catches their eye. An old, abandoned barn, a junkyard, a cool downtown area, a field of wildflowers, anything that has a lot of color and texture. E-mail me the location and I’ll check it out. If I like it, then you’ll be the first one to have a session there … for free!!

So that’s it. I hope you’ll help me stick to my goals. I also wanted to let you know about a few changes to sessions this year. There will be a travel fee in 2010. If you are more than 25 miles outside of my zip code please add $25 to your session fee. I’ve also separated newborn sessions from portrait sessions. Newborn sessions take a lot longer than a traditional portrait session so I wanted to treat it differently. I have a new order form this year as well. There were a few times that orders were missing an image and I think it’s because I just didn’t have a good system in place. And last but not least, prices will be going up at some point this year. I did a lot of research and I am confident that the new pricing will be more in line with other portrait photographers in the area. I will continue to offer specials and contests and mini sessions though.

Oh and one last thing, I’ve gotten a few inquiries about weddings in the last couple weeks and I’ve decided that I will not offer this service. I love wedding photography but I just don’t have the time or the resources to devote to it.

I think that’s about it. I hope 2010 is bigger and better than last year!

Red
5 images on a CD ~ $200

Silver
10 images on a CD ~ $300

Gold
10 images on a CD, and a set of 25 cards.

Mini sessions are great for up to 3 kids, but because of the limited amount of time they are not ideal for families. I will have some holiday props if you choose to include them. The sessions will be outdoors at my house and they will begin at 12:30. Each session will be scheduled 15 minutes apart. Here’s how it will be.

12:30-1:00
1:15-1:45
2:00-2:30
2:45-3:15 (reserved)
3:30-4:00

As you can see there are only 3 spots left. In order to reserve your spot I will need a $50 deposit via Paypal. Your spot cannot be reserved without a deposit and the deposit is non-refundable. The sessions will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis. If the weather is not good then I will have a rain date but that is only if it is pouring.

Once the spots are full, that’s it. I’m officially done!

I have an early morning spot on December 5th and 12th. After those are taken, I’m officially closed for the holidays. The only sessions I will be scheduling will be newborn and maternity until after the new year.

If you are available during the week, I have a few spots left in November so again, please e-mail me ASAP!! I will be doing sessions Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 9:00 and 1:00.

I just wanted to let you know that my family is moving into a new house this weekend. We probably won’t have internet access until Monday so if you e-mail me and I don’t reply right away, please understand. Also, to those of you who are waiting for your galleries, please be patient. It’s been a busy few weeks and this move is REALLY slowing me down. I apologize.

Thanks and have a wonderful weekend!