Destination: Michigan

Living in Michigan, I often underestimate our tourist trade. I forget the appeal of our incredible Great Lakes shoreline, our hundreds of lighthouses, and our beautiful parks. I took most of our benefits for granted. I have had the advantage lately of being reminded, however. Last summer I shot a "destination" wedding on Lake Michigan's shore. The bride and groom traveled more than 3 hours from the south east side of the state to get married on the beach in Grand Haven. Before that, I took family portraits on a beach in Muskegon for a family who was in town for the weekend. Destinations don't have to be grand and over the top. Are you taking a family vacation in Michigan this year? Whether you're a Michigan native traveling to a different area of the state or from elsewhere visiting Michigan with fresh eyes, why not schedule a destination photo shoot? I can document you at your favorite Michigan location in beautiful photographs you'll be proud to show off in your home for years to come.

Planning a destination trip or event somewhere other than Michigan? I'll travel anywhere you will! Remember to book a photographer based on their work and professionalism, not necessarily convenience. Just drop me a line with your proposed location, date, and shoot type, and I will send you a custom quote!

Uncommon Wedding Goods

Having worked weddings for going on 5 years, I know how much work it is to both plan a wedding and make the event uniquely yours. Uncommon goods has some products that might make it easier. Looking for a great guest book alternative? Take a look at their wishing wall board. Meaninful favors or shower activities giving you a headache? Check out their plantable wish cards.

Browse around their website for a little while and you're sure to find something unique and great to make your next event even better.

www.uncommongoods.com

Grand Rapids Camera Club

Yesterday Nathan and I attended the January meeting of the Grand Rapids Camera Club. It was a pretty interesting evening! The speaker was Mark Cassino (www.markcassino.com), who did a presentation on his snow crystal photography. It's pretty amazing how with a little ingenuity and some basic camera equipment you can get some awesome shots of one of nature's tiniest miracles. He recently wrote a book in conjunction with a physicist about snow directed towards children. You can find it here: www.storyofsnow.com.

The presentation was right up Nathan's alley. If he took pictures more often, I might go outside and find that we had a snow crystal photography set up in our garage!

One of the members also made an announcement about our local Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org). They have been struggling to schedule enough photographers here in Grand Rapids, and are looking to have a meeting for potential volunteers February 2nd. I plan to attend and do what I can to support this worthy cause.

Digital Packages

If I've photographed you, then somewhere in your posession is a CD or DVD containing every high resolution digital image that I edited for you. Do you know where it is? Did you ever get around to having any of the images printed? I've found that in most cases, the answer to both questions is no. For me as a photographer, this is disappointing. I want to create beautiful images of people that they can display proudly in their home, not sit on a disc. There are other problems with this as well. We think of digital images as forever, but the truth is that the quality of a consumer written disc can deteriorate greatly in as little as a year if not stored correctly! The reality is that if you don't order archival prints of your images, they may not still be around in a decade.

As an extension of my fully cutomizable packages, I've decided not to automatically include these discs in my future contracts. All currently active contracts will be honored, but all future contracts will be for the shooting service only. This enables you, the customer, to make the choice of how you want your images preserved. I offer affordable archival quality prints in a multitude of sizes, custom designed albums, and many other photo products. You also have the option of purchasing my "digital package", which includes that same troublesome disc of all your high resolution digital images, as well as a custom designed DVD slideshow, both discs packaged in a custom designed and printed case. Our new digital package is available as an add-on to any photography package for $65.00 plus tax (6% for Michigan residents). I want to give you the power over your images that you deserve, without telling you which options are best for you.

I'm also happy to announce that my webmaster is putting together a print ordering system so that you can order your digital package, albums, prints, or other products directly from your digital proofing page on my website! I'm very excited!

You don't need Kiddie Kandids!

Kiddie Kandids, a photography studio chain with 184 locations nationwide specializing in infant and children photography announced this week that they are filing for bankruptcy and closing their studios. Most Kiddie Kandids locations were in Babies 'R' Us stores and local malls. Here in Michigan we had a few locations, all in the Detroit area.

Kiddie Kandids was what can only be called a "photo factory". You came in, posed in front of the same backgrounds as every other customer using the same poses as every canned photo in history, and a worker bee with only on the job photography training presses the shutter and then over charges you for a handful of prints with no print release or digital rights.

I'm sorry that thousands of employees have lost their jobs in this economy due to a hard 18 months for mall portrait photography, but this is an opportunity for all of us. Don't spend a fortune on a few over posed snapshots of your children and family that are just a cold representation of their faces before they grow up. Make the portraits of your children about them.

Capture the face you'll see in your mind every time you think of them at that particular age, in a setting that gives it the best possible background. An individual photographer with an artistic vision and understanding of your expectations can do that for you! Let it be me this Valentine's Day!

In honor of Kiddie Kandids, I'm offering a Valentine's Day Kid promotion! Send me a message telling me what kind of portrait you'd like of your child, and I'll give you a custom quote for the sitting, starting at just $50! You get an 8x10 print of your favorite photo, and a set of mini albums of the shoot. Digital packages are available for purchase separately.

Mr. & Mrs. Angel and Terry Jackson

I had the great privilege of spending my New Year's Eve 2009 photographing the wedding of Angel & Terry Jackson. The wedding was beautiful and unique, giving me the opportunity to shoot things I'd never seen before. Their kids are absolutely darling and kept many of us entertained all day. These two are surrounded by their loving friends and family (so many that this is the largest wedding party I have ever worked with!) and their unwavering faith in God. I had a great time ringing in the New Year with them, and wish all of them the very best.

Mr. & Mrs. Emily and Michael Warari

The day after Christmas I had the awesome privilege of photographing the wedding of Emily Hop and Michael Warari. They were married at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Wyoming, and their reception was held at English Hills Terrace on West River Drive. It was a beautiful occasion, and they are one of the sweetest and most in love couples I have ever met. Emily was a beautiful bride, and everyone could tell that Michael thought so most of all!