The "C" Family's Session { Winston Salem Family Photographer }

I had a great time working with this family on their session! Everything went so SMOOTHLY! Everyone just sort-of fell into place when we were setting up each shot (which doesn't happen very often!) and everyone got along the whole time :-) They were even willing to venture out into the field for a couple shots, which turned out GREAT! Here is a sneak peek...

Baily, Deacon & Oscar { Winston-Salem Pet Photographer }

I'm sorry I've been so lax on blogging lately! We have had so much going on at the studio, Easter, Farm Buddies Limited Editions and tons of regular sessions (not complaining!), so I've been doing LOTS of editing and playing catch-up! I wanted to share some shots of the three sweetest (and cutest!) malteses ever, who just happened to stop by the studio for their very own session...







and my favorite....

{ THANK YOU }

I wanted to share a slideshow with you all to say THANKS for being a part of our Warm Hearts for Wagging Tails event! We got A LOT of donations of dog AND cat food and treats (we are going to add it up shortly & take some photos to share) and got some AMAZING images! I also feel very blessed to have met the wonderful people that I met during our event who share my love for animals. Thank you guys for all that you do to help our fuzzy friends who can't speak for themselves. Truly.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

{ 3 THINGS I LEARNED FROM 30 DOG SESSIONS IN 2 DAYS }

1. You can make a REALLY funky high-pitched squeak in the back of your throat that results in direct eye-contact and a head-turn.

2. The rubber squawking chicken works on dogs, too!

3. I absolutely love closing my studio at night, covered in hair and missing most of my make-up because of all the doggie sugars the day brought!

Little Miss "E" { Winston Salem Baby Photographer }

I had so much fun with Little Miss "E" and her mom this morning during their session! We laughed a lot, got some adorable shots, and I really enjoyed getting to know them! We had sooooo much in common, and our personalities just "clicked"! Mom is SO creative and talented, I'm going to have her create some new custom tutus, bows and newborn props for me :-) Plus, she will be available for hair & make-up for our boudior sessions! How cool is that? Here is a sneak peek of this little red-haired beauty...

The Nutcracker Performance { On-Stage Dance Academy }

This was a wonderful performance put on by On-Stage Dance Academy at Mt. Olive Elementary in King! The dancers were so graceful - even the little ones! I had never seen The Nutcracker before, so I was amazed! Here are a few of the highlights from the ballet...

PROJECTION PROOFING IS HERE!

I am sooooo excited to announce that our studio is now offering Projection Proofing to our clients! We are the ONLY studio in our area who offers this cool technology :-)

What is Projection Proofing? An amazing experience! You visit our studio for your ordering session and will be seated in our client gallery/waiting area and will be offered refreshments. Once you are comfy, the fun begins! We will project your images on the wall in the exact sizes you are considering, and we can even super-impose frames over your images so you will know exactly how the finished pieces will look on your wall! We can also show you wall groupings of several images and sizes so you can decorate your home with a personal touch :-)

KingFest was a blast! { King Portrait & Wedding Photographer }

We had an amazing time at KingFest in King on Saturday! The weather was just beautiful, and I met some wonderful people (and had several visitors from the Stokes Stomp Festival stop by, too!) and I hope I get an opportunity to work with all of you! I also got to meet and network with lots of local vendors in our area (I am ALL FOR supporting local businesses!) so you guys will be hearing from me soon!

The Drawing ~ We have two winners from our drawing for a portrait session and 11 x 14 wall art print. I have already mailed out your gift certificates this morning :-) I can't wait to work with you ladies!

Well, I am off to work on editing - I had two amazing sessions yesterday afternoon and got some BEAUTIFUL shots! Check the blog again tomorrow for some sneak peeks and eye candy!

Until then,

~ Giulia

Stokes Stomp Festival & Winners!

I had a blast at the Stokes Stomp Festival in Danbury, NC this weekend! I truly enjoyed meeting all of the wonderful people who stopped by our booth to get information or just to comment on our work! I got to meet lots of beautiful mommies, soon-to-be mommies, and brides-to-be (even a few grooms!)! I can't wait to work with you all and your little ones :-)

There were so many vendors there with awesomely amazing art - I especially loved Fannie's Folk Art. I am a sucker for bright colors and whimsy designs! She had such cute, whimsical stuff at her booth that she had created - I ran right over and snatched up a pink chair for a new prop at the studio.

DRAWING WINNERS!
We also had a drawing for a custom one hour portrait session and 11 x 14 wall art print. I know, I know, I am such a push-over guys! We had such a huge response that I couldn't draw only one winner, so we chose three! Ladies, I will be mailing out your gift certificates this week. I wish I could have chosen all of you who entered the contest, but we WILL be at KingFest in King, NC on October 3rd, so make sure you stop by and enter for another chance to win :-)

Stolen from the Archives!

Searching through my archived nature and landscape prints, I stumbled upon this shot of two hummingbirds I got last summer. It was a funny story actually - first you have to understand that I absolutely LOVE birds.

Okay, with that being said, I tried everything at the beginning of the season last year to attract hummingbirds. My husband and I even put on red shirts and sat outside under the feeders. I had ONE hummer. That's when the fun began. One turned to two, two to four, etc...and hummingbirds are VERY territorial. They stand guard at a perch near the feeder and dive-bomb any other hummingbirds that come to steal a drink. At the end of the summer, all of the hummers that had made a home close to my feeders had nested and multiplied - we counted over twenty hummers at our feeders at one time!

This shot is actually TWO juvenile male hummingbirds (you can see one red feather on the neck of the bird facing the camera), spreading their tail feathers and defending the feeder. I have to admit, it took me ALL summer long to get this shot - but it was so worth it :-)

Visit Us at the Stokes Stomp Festival!

Come by and visit our booth at the 35th annual Stokes Stomp Festival in Danbury, NC at Moratock Park next weekend, September 12th and 13th! The Stokes Stomp Festival is a huge 2 day community event sponsored by the Stokes County Arts Council, held on the banks of the Dan River in Danbury, NC, with a parade on Saturday morning, live music and lots of awesome food (I heart funnel cakes!) and most importantly, ART.

Current clients of ours will see some "familiar faces" at our booth this year :-) And we have something in store for our new clients, too!

Be sure to stop by and check out our amazing photo display, new boutique products and register for a chance to win a FREE one hour Portrait Session AND a 11 x 14 Wall Art Print of your favorite photo taken during your session!

I look forward to seeing you there :-)

Emily and Daniel's Wedding {Tanglewood Park}

This had to be one of the most fun weddings I have been to in a while! The bride and groom were amazingly easy to work with and their families were so much fun! I truly enjoyed meeting them all! Of course, shooting weddings here at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, NC has a special place in my heart and I always get a bit emotional when we photograph there. That was the venue the hubby and I chose when we were married two years ago :-)

Here are some of my favorite shots from Daniel & Emily's wedding...and if you visit our studio, you will see a huge 20 x 30 matted print hanging in our gallery of the first photo in black and white. I just LOVE the emotion that I captured in that shot! Congrats guys!

I love this last shot, too! While I was photographing Emily getting her hair and make-up done, my husband noticed Daniel getting his tie straightened - he actually caught this shot as he was running! Amazing!

Chocolate & White Portraits - a touch of contemporary sweetness!

All of my clients know how much I absolutely LOVE black and white portraiture (and wedding photography)! There's just so much more drama, emotions and intensity that you find in black and white that sometimes can be lost in color. I am excited to offer a new twist to our portrait art! This style was created especially for my clients who share my love of black and whites, but want to add a contemporary touch to their photography.

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Introducing Chocolate & White :-)

***Call or email the studio today to book your Chocolate & White portrait session and receive your choice of either a complimentary chocolate leather album to showcase your small portraits or a complimentary chocolate mat and frame for an 8x10 or smaller desk print!***

Chris & Jessica's Wedding - Magnolia Manor

I know, I know, I am running soooooo far behind on my blogging! I am trying to get so much done, the studio completed, marketing materials ordered, it's almost overwhelming! This was a beautiful wedding at Magnolia Manor in Colfax, everything went so smoothly, the weather was perfect and the bride was gorgeous! I had so much fun with this couple, doing their engagements and wedding, and meeting their families! A photographer couldn't have asked for better clients :) Anyway, here are some favorite shots of mine from their wedding...

Much Needed Vacation!

Hi guys! Busy does not even begin to describe our week at the studio as we try to wrap things up to go on vacation! If you've already gotten your orders to me, they are in the works and will be ready the week of the 10th. Storybooks have already been sent to printing and binding and all canvas orders have been sent out. We will be taking a much needed vacation and will be closing the studio beginning Friday, July 31st and will re-open on Monday, August 10th.

WHY CHOOSE A CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER?

I recently found this great article by Children's Photographer, Marianne Drenthe/Marmalade Photography. She discusses why custom photography costs so much, compared to the chain mall studios (which I will not name since we all know who they are). Marianne discusses why it costs more to hire a professional photographer to come to you versus going to one of the chain studios. Here is some of her wonderful article, which I couldn't agree to more:

"Even though you pay $1.99 for a print at your local drugstore and paying for film is pretty much a thing of the past (although you still pay for memory) you may be wondering why you may pay upwards of $40, 50, 70, 90 for a custom photography print. Some photographers hear this statement every once in awhile: "How in the world does a photographer charge $60 for an 8×10 when they cost just under $2 at the drug store?"

The answer is multifaceted and has a lot to do with the time, equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer, expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business.

TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is traveling an hour to your on location session. Time breakdown:
session prep time (30 mins - 1 hour, includes equipment and back-up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
one hour travel time FROM session
30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
1 hour sorting through and checking order
30 minutes-1 hour prepping order for shipping and getting order shipped
any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues

As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

COSTS of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100, there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run up $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000, dependent on the photographer.
Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows the lab is integral to their success. Photography labs dedicated to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for you, the discerning client.

Discussing other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip the intricate details. There is of course much more: including costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.

APPLES to ORANGES:
Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $25 for an 8×10 or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. Did you know that in February 2007 a rather well known discount department store that started in Arkansas closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation? The reason is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ "professional" prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10). The reason the big department stores began offering portrait studios in the first place is to get you in their door so that you could spend more money with them in their other departments, the true "loss leader".

Going to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for or the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, "SAY CHEESE" experience. Keep this in mind when selecting a photographer.

I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family’s memories. The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family’s most precious "investment." Chain mall studios may be cheaper in these hard economic times, but in the long run... you ultimately get what you pay for.

Spring & Easter Portraits - RAIN :-(

Hello to all!

Sorry I haven't been able to post in a while! I have been busy filling Scout orders and planning for this weekend. We are also getting ready to close on our new home, which will have lots of space for our studio! I am so excited about this!

Apparently, it looks as if it's going to rain ALL weekend, so if the rain doesn't let up, we will be delaying the Spring and Easter sessions to NEXT SATURDAY at Central Park in King. *If by some chance the rain stops, meet us in the park - we'll be there!

Feel free to call ahead and reserve your slot for the mini-sessions so you won't have to wait in line.

If we're not in the park this weekend, look for our ad in next week's paper.

Preview for Jessica & Chris

I had the pleasure of shooting this amazing couple's engagement portraits in Tanglewood Park. The gardens were just beginning to bloom and the weather was perfect! I enjoyed getting to know this couple and look forward to documenting their wedding this summer. They were so easy to work with and fun!

I hope you guys enjoy the sneak peek - I will email you in the next couple of days with the link to your online gallery.

Scout Portrait Sneak Peek...

Scouting portraits were a lot of fun! All of the boys remembered to wear their uniforms and were very excited to have their pictures taken. Parents, please make sure you check out our website where more custom creations are available - such as custom holiday and greeting cards, custom collages and trading cards for the boys. The trading cards are very popular with boys this age, and are the same size as business cards. They can pass them out to their friends at school and new Cub Scouts that they meet at Resident Camp or other district level activities. You can include their name and pack number or any other information you want!

Below are only a few of the fun portraits we got that night.

A Class Assignment

Hello blog followers!

Most of you know I have a ten year old son. I have noticed not only with my son, but with my clients' children also, for some reason, once they reach the age of eight, they become extremely camera shy and do everything they can to hide from the lens. Sometimes if a photographer is quick enough, they can catch them in between hiding and giggling - it almost becomes a sort of hide-and-seek game to the children AND the photographer, so we have to play along in order to get that perfect shot. If you are really lucky you can bribe them with candy or cookies (make sure its okay with their parents!) or in my case, a trip to Pizza Hut sealed the deal. It also helps to talk to them about their favorite animal, if they have a pet at home, or hobbies that they have. Video games are ALWAYS an instant ice breaker!

In a photography class that I just finished up, our assignment was to pick a subject and photograph it at fifteen different angles. My husband chose a rusty padlock that he found buried outside in the mud. Of course I chose my son as my subject, and he actually sat in the grass in our backyard and let me take dozens of pictures of him. This is my favorite picture, purely for his expression (so serious!) and the ocean of blue in his eyes.