Clogged Pipes

I’m way behind on editing

But after a weekend of another slight plumbing disaster (I’m going to have to make a trip to the laundromat today) and the beginnings of a head cold, I’m going to have some awesome pictures to share from an amazing engagement session and a very cool wedding, sometime this week.

Stay tuned!

Ch..ch..ch..changes!!

Okay, so I know I change the look of things a lot, but I’m doing it over the weekend when traffic is on the slow side. I’m playing with templates to find something that will showcase the photos a little better and allow for larger sizes. I know nothing about CSS so I’m just winging it! I’m also changing the name of the blog to better fit what things are about around here (url stays the same)…my apologies to the subscribers who may want to adjust their own ‘links’ page…all the changes are for the better, I promise

Wish me luck!!

Awesome Photo Session Offer!

Due to the overwhelming success and the incredible feedback I received (thanks everyone!!) as a result of Jan’s photoshoot, I am going to offer similar photo sessions for $150.00 for a limited time. Have your very own ‘Trash the Dress’ shoot, or any other kind 0f fashion shoot!

What you’ll get:

• 2-3 hour photo shoot
• up to 3 locations
• unlimited clothing changes (as time allows)
• online proofing gallery

*additional charges may apply for extra location(s), mileage, to add a friend, or extra time
This offer is valid only until September 30th. The date of your photo session must be between now and November 10th. Hurry, available dates are limited!

Email me today: chantal.neweyes [at] gmail.com

Meet Jan…

Okay, as I mentioned earlier, Jan wanted some special and unique photos to give to her husband as an anniversary gift. Her anniversary is still a few weeks away, but Jan assured me her hubby doesn’t read photography blogs, so it should be safe to post these pictures. It goes without saying, if you know Jan’s husband, be a dear and keep the secret

I just couldn’t wait to post these anyway… I had such a great time on Saturday with Jan and her friend Stephanie! And Jan was such an awesome subject, not only is she gorgeous, but she’s so natural in front of the camera…which only makes my job easier! The difficult part was choosing which photos to post. I know its more than usual, but believe me, there were so many amazing images, It took me hours to edit them down to a reasonable number!!

A few from our “Trash The Dress” session:

Soon….TTD Photos

I’m so excited…

This morning I had an awesome “Trash The Dress” photo shoot with my new friend Jan!  If you don’t know what TTD is, check out this website.  The concept is simple:  You spend so much money on a wedding dress, only to wear it for a single day, constantly worrying about ruining that gorgeous white, right??  Well why not do something wild and crazy!  Have a fun and unusual photo shoot doing things you wouldn’t dream of doing in a wedding gown!

Jan’s anniversary is coming up, so she wants to surprise her husband with some unique pictures of herself.  We had such a great time, she was an incredible subject!! I can’t wait to show some of the stuff we did, but first I have to edit through the TON of pictures I took.  And hopefully her husband won’t find out about my blog before their anniversary! 

Check back in a day or two!

Green Weddings

We all know by now how important is it to be environmentally responsible.  Everyone is familiar with ways to reduce one’s own carbon footprint by using less energy, recycling, reusing, etc… so I won’t list them all here.  But what a lot of people are unfamiliar with is the idea of a Green Wedding.

I’ve been looking for different way that I, as a photographer, can have a green business…or greener, at least.  Photography requires prints, after all, and printmaking is not a very green process.  But there are other things I can do, such as shooting digitally, using digital proofs instead of print proofs and only making prints for the desired photos, using all rechargeable batteries, using compact florescent lights.  I plan to donate a percentage of all profits to an environmental cause too…and I’ll post more about that another time.

Another idea I had is to offer my clients a Green alternative to traditional Wedding albums….like a Wedding album made from all recycled materials.  I’ve found a few online that I may use, but I’m still looking.  Once I find something I am happy with, I will make an announcement here.

During my search, I came across this website: Great Green Wedding,  and it’s full of tips, ideas, and suggestions for people who want to have a beautiful Wedding but with as little cost to the environment as possible.  There are ideas such as hiring caterers who use local foods, florists who use locally grown flowers, using invitations made from recycled materials, and many, many more.

I also found The World Wildlife Fund’s wedding site.  From the site:

The World Wildlife Fund Weddings and Celebrations Site and Registry provides engaged couples with the opportunity to enhance their wedding by contributing to conservation while also getting valuable information on how to plan a wedding that’s both joyous and environmentally friendly.

There’s also a list of Green Wedding  Tips, and I’ll list a few here, but go to the site to read them all….lots of great ideas here, not only for weddings, but for all special occasions.

• When choosing a caterer, consider an organic company that uses locally sourced ingredients and certifies that any fish served comes from sustainable fishing sources and is MSC certified. You will be supporting local farmers and will reduce the carbon emissions generated in transporting the food long distances and when you’re done, donate any unused food to shelters or food banks.

• Use flowers from your ceremony and from the bridal party to decorate the reception area.

• Or, instead of flowers, consider using other items as the focal point of your table centerpieces, like candles, stones, or shells. Please be sure that all items chosen, in particular, shells, are sourced from vendors that assure they were harvested responsibly.

• When choosing your dress and the attire for the groom and bridal party, consider clothes made from natural materials.

• The internet can help you communicate all aspects of your wedding experience. There will be lots of information that needs to be disseminated so reduce the number of mailings and phone calls by setting up a wedding website and using email notifications.

• When shopping for gifts for each other, the bridal party or those special friends and family members, be sure to choose products that use the minimal amount of packaging possible.

• Email your engagement and wedding announcements to your local newspaper for publication instead of mailing them. It will reduce the use of toxic chemicals used in the photo developing, save paper and reduce carbon emissions in mail delivery.

If anyone else has another tips or ideas for Green Wedding albums, or anything photo related, please let me know!