Merry Christmas To All!

We’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Chris & Mindy

come and meet us in person! (at some bridal shows)

OK, it’s not like we’re celebrities or anything, but you are invited to come and meet us (me and mindy) at The Bridal Experience at The Fez on Sunday January 10 and on Sunday and at the Times Bridal Fair, January 31 at Seven Oaks Country Club.

We’ll have candy, our newest album which is really cool, gallery wraps, prints, Save The Dates and all the good stuff! We may even have a surprise or two – we’re still working on that in the back room, all very hush-hush at this time.

We’ll have some special deals for those that come out in the January weather to make the trip worthwhile!

Here’s a recent shot Mindy took at Nicki and Skip’s wedding last month.

Christmas is a comin’!

It won’t be long now! Only 18 more days till ol’ St. Nick comes down the chimney with gifts for all, well, all that have been good anyway.

I don’t know about you but this season is just flying by! With shopping, parties, decorating and work, plus 2 birthdays in my house this month (and 3 parties…) it’s a challenge to just get 6 hours of sleep a night let alone 8!

I know I’ve been slackin on posts here, but I promise to make that up to everyone! There’s been several familes, kids, 3 or 4 seniors, lots of pets and a couple of weddings and a few sports leagues through the studio in past 2 1/2 weeks, plus we’re trying to get everything possible done for the elves to give to Santa.

Here’s a cheery, ok, cheering pic if you insist, from yesterday (see, I’m almost caught up!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’d like to apologize for not posting much of late, but it ’tis the Holiday Season and we’ve been busy with Holiday Pet Portraits, fall sports, family potraits and seniors trying to get their senior photos in before the deadline hits and they have to live with their school ID picture forever.

Mindy and I would like to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Can you drink at work?

I have to ask about this because it’s pissing me off. Perhaps I’m in the minority, I don’t know. I think it comes down to this – Can you drink (alcohol) at work? While working?

I’ve never had a boss or job that allowed that. I never tried, but I’m guess if I pulled out a beer I’d end up in the boss’s office in about 2 seconds flat. I’ve had some jobs where that conversation would be very shot – “get out, you’re fired”.

I suppose the main reason you can’t drink at work is well, you’d f-up your job. I know many of you may think that’s not going to happen, but I tend to think it would based on my experiences this year.

This has been the year of bad wedding DJs. Guys that can’t play music successfully, don’t have all the basic gear (like a microphone), leave the building to smoke and the music stops, cutting off songs in the middle or starting them in the middle, and more such incompetence. Yeah, I’m calling it that…or could be that every time there’s a bad DJ there’s alcohol in his hand. I counted what one DJ had, and I’m assuming I missed a drink or two as I’m working too, but he had 6 drinks – some wine (or champagne maybe), beer and a mixed drink. At another wedding the DJ was complaining to the bartender that they ran out of Captain Morgan.

Now don’t get me wrong – I drink. I drink at weddings – IF I’m a guest. But the couple of dozen times a year I attend weddings it’s to work there as their photographer. I don’t drink at work. I don’t know anyone else that drinks at work either.

So if your boss won’t let you drink at work, and your the boss when you hire a DJ for your wedding, why would you let him drink? I’m curious because I just don’t get it.
I work with a lot of good, no, great DJs, some don’t charge enough IMO, and they’re not drinking for 4 or 5 hours at work. And it shows in the way they sound.

OK, that’s the end of my rant. I’m going to go have a beer now.

A Halloween Wedding – Congrats to Alysia and Bobby!

This was a very fun wedding and once again, the weather was very cooperative just when we needed it to be!

Alysia and Bobby had big wedding – nearly 400 guests! That filled the Grand Ballroom at the Fez. And they had a couple of nice touches at the reception too – a photo booth, a DJ and a band! The band was great too – The Earthquakers, a kind of amish hard rock quartet – yeah, I know what that sounds like but they were fun and good too!

While the wedding was on October 31 it wasn’t a halloween themed wedding, but well, it was halloween afterall.

Are You Thinking Christmas Yet?

It’s November, HS football season is over, the leaves have fallen and the clocks have been turned back. That can only mean one thing – The Holiday Season is coming at us full speed ahead!

Are you ready for it? I’ve started Christmas shopping and have started to see Christmas commercials on TV. The Christmas movies are being advertised with yet another version of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, this time in 3D with Jim Carrey. I still like the Mr Magoo version best. My kids might not agree with me on that though.

If you’ve been trying to think of what to do for Christmas Cards this year we can help.  This is the first Christmas with our new Studio space so Mindy and I are working on a couple of set ideas for really cool, themed Holiday photos.

And of course we’ll have some special deals on cards and prints as gifts this Holiday Season.

Up first this year is our 5th Annual Holiday Pet Portraits.  In the past we’ve run this event at The Grooming Depot in Hopewell but this year we’re moving it to our Studio!  There is no session fee and a portion of the proceeds benefits the Beaver County Humane Society . Just bring your pet and your smile – and no, you don’t have to be in the picture unless you want to.

The dates are Saturday November 14 and Tuesday November 17. Call NOW (724-234-2893) to schedule your time! It takes about 20 minutes and you’ll get to see your poses right then. Fast, simple and it helps the animals too!

Here’s some shots from years past

For more info visit our website.

Rubbing elbows with the creative and famous

Mindy and I went to an international photography seminar last week and had a great, if tiring, time leaning about new products, ideas, and picking up some new techniques from many photographers from around the world.

While I don’t want to slight anyone, I do have to mention two folks I got to meet that have been my idols.  I hope one day to be as good as Bambi Cantrell.   And the other is possibly the best wedding photographer there is, Denis Reggie, or at least Oprah claims him to be.  He  was instrumental in changing wedding photography from a very formal pose oriented art form to a more photojournalistic story telling style.

It’s great to participate in events such as this, to come back with new ideas and lots of enthusiasm, it’s just fantastic!

Celebration!

What’s a birthday without a cake? And what’s more fun for a 1 year old than to play with their food?

Deven likes his cake and thinks Birthdays are just Fantastic!

Do you want some cake too?

The World Welcomes Giana

Alesha and Michael are the proud parents of Giana Isabel, born 9/9/09 at 5:55 pm weighing in at 9 pounds 1 ounce and measuring 22 inches long.