Hi Friends!
This week I am in Oregon participating in a digital seminar.  With
this business, keeping up to date on all aspects are a ritual. 
Sometimes fun, sometimes not! 
I am in a small town called Redmond.  They call it "high
dessert"  Some green, mostly brown and lots of evergreens. 
The mountains have snow on the caps.  Morning temperature is COLD,
COLD COLD!  I would venture to say about 25 degrees warming up to
50 during the day.
Here is a photograph I took on day one.  It was a balmy 69 degrees
when I arrived.  I hope to post more, but we are in class all day
and into the evening.  Check back later in the week!
Enjoy!

View from conference room at Rock Springs Ranch, Redmond , OR
Stay well!
Donna

I always hate to say goodbye to summer.  There is always a hidden excitement in the air around September when everyone's kids are getting back in the swing of things for school.  My son heads back to college and my daughter begins another exciting year of teaching Kindergarten.  For those of you who have been asking about our Fall specials, we are sending out the newsletter tomorrow.  However, for those of you on getting a jump on a special date, we are listing them below!  Don't forget to call early to book your holiday session.  We have early cut off dates!

October 21st through October 28th, 2006:  Family Portrait Week.  Have your family portrait or children photographed this week and receive 20% off any wall portait and receive 8 gift wallets as well. 

November 4th through November 10th, 2006:  Gift Certificate Sale.  Purchase any gift certificate over $200 and receive a complimentary custom color 8 x 10 portrait as an ad on!  A $46 value!

November 11th through November 17th, 2006:  Procastinator Special.  Have your session done this week and we will upload them to the web the very next day with a promised delivery date of  December 10th!

Spiteri Family!

As always, call the studio if you have any questions!  215.321.3600  Don't forget to book early!

Take care and take time....     Donna

 Hey Friends!
SorryI have not been prompt with updates this past week, but we have beensoooo very busy with getting our fall newsletter printed and ready tobe out the door. We will be announcing our new fall specials next weekso stay tuned for a thumbs up on some great opportunities to get inbefore we announce them to the "general" public!

 
While archiving some photographs, I came upon this truly great photograph. Iwill put it up on my web because I think it just makes me feel good.Hopefully, it makes you feel good as well. It is not the bestphotograph that I have taken, or even the best exposure for thatmatter. It was taken at the end of a beach session when we werewrapping up. As you can see for yourself, it is almost dark out, butthe weather was absolutely great. Kids...... being kids of course, liketo play in the water. So, I suggested they do what most little kids doand that is "jump" the waves. After looking at all the images from thissession, I think that I truly love this one the most. Don't you justwish for one brief moment that you could be that little boy or girl andjump the waves with your brother or sister again? So for that reason, Idecided to end all of my beach sessions with a "jump" shot if the kidsare small. Yes, I end up getting totally wet, but it is well worth itto see kids being just that.... kids.  Is it perfect... no.  Is it a perfect world..... what do you think?
Enjoy and remember what is most important in this world.
Donna

Doing baby sessions are always fun for our studio.  More often than not, the babies cry.  We kinda expect that.  This little girl not only cried but would not sit still for a second.  We were definitely challenged to say the least!  However, with that said, looking at images of your child at ANY time in their life is precious.  You can never go backward.  This is one of the images that I captured that in my opinion is just beautiful. Is it the tradtional "smiley" photograph?  No.  But then again, that is not my style.  Remember, it is these type of images that remain in our minds forever.  Step out of the box

 .

dl

 Its not often that I post images onto my website or blog relating to weddings or corporate events. Why?  Well because if I forget to post one bride because we are busy, I don't want the bride to feel slighted.  So, breaking all of our rules, we just had to post two photographs from last weekend of Joyce Cesari.  The day was absolutely gorgeous and Joyce and her new husband Byron were lots of fun to work with.  There are days when you love your job..... this was one of those days!  

Take care,

donna

More often than not, we have been taught to choose the best portrait with the cheesiest smile.  However, take a good hard look at this portrait taken of the Farley family.  Is it perfect?  Absolutely not.  But, does it make you smile?  Without a doubt, every time these parents walk by this photograph a smile will creep out of the edges of their mouths!  Remember, its not about being perfect, but capturing a feeling.  I think we nailed it with this portrait!

Take care!

donna

Hey Friends!

Every once in a while you come across a photograph that warms your heart.  While preparing my new website, we came across this little gal that we photographed about 6 months ago.  Her eyes tell it all.  Aaaaah, to be young again.  Snap your fingers and they are grown.  Snap again and they are in college.  Bottle it!  Or in this case, remember it with a great photograph.

This portrait was changed in what we call a "blue tone"  Not your traditional black and white.  Kinda neat!

Take care!

dl

There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.  GRAHAM GREENE, The Power and the Glory

Portraits down the beach are my most favorite time of the year.  Is it a ton of work on the studio's end?  Absolutely!   But, it gets me away from the riggers of everyday studio work and out the door to catch a sunset!

Last week was an extremely busy week so I have to apologize for not getting to this blog.  But I am going to try to make up to you by adding things more frequently!

Here is a portrait session from Long Beach Island last weekend.  The Mayhew family set some time aside for what they feel was important.  Congrats to them for doing the right thing!

I constantly remind my friends and clients that it is up to the adults to set the precedence for recording family history.  There will never be a better opportunity to record your family then right this very minute.

 Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.
Author: Charles R. Swindoll

Stay well,

dl

Beach sessions are rolling in!  We are having some great fun this year with our families.  The extreme hot weather has lifted and we are finally getting some bearable portrait weather!  Below is a sample of just one of the fun portraits taken this weekend at Long Beach Island of the Doran children.  Extremely well behaved which makes my job sooooo much easier.  A big thank you to mom and dad for doing a great job with these children.

Its not too late to sign up for a beach session!  Actually, the best time is in September when the weather is just perfect!

Take care,

dl

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults.” - Frederick Douglass

 Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses!  My friend (and might I say very good photographer as well) Michele Corbman and I stepped out Thursday night for a spot of tea (naaaaa, just kidding) in Philadelphia.  Other than weddings, I don't get into the city to relax often so it was fun just to have a "girls" night out!  We made a pit stop at the Kimmel Center to try to wet our whistle before dinner.  What a great view of the city from the terrace cafe.  I decided to take a camera and have fun with some great views high atop Broad Street.  Of course we snagged a family to take a photo of Michele and I!  We look a little stewed already and we haven't even started enjoying fruit juice!

Sorry this entry is a day later than it should be.  I had a wedding last night that went way into the wee hours and with only 3 hours sleep had a sunrise portrait session at the studio.  So, am I a little behind?  Yepper! 

Michele and I atop the Kimmel Center.  What a great view! What a great time we had! Laugh, laugh, laugh, the medicine of life.

Take care and stay well,

donna

"The purpose of fun is to have it."