Lets Talk Newborn Portraits

The window of opportunity for a successful newborn portrait is very small. I prefer to photograph newborns when they are about a week to two weeks old while they are still bendy and super sleepy. It is best to book this session while you are still pregnant, preferably a few months in advance as I take a limited amount of newborn sessions each month. A newborn takes about 2 hours to photograph, sometimes less if the baby is a good sleeper. I provide hats, flowers/headbands and other accessories for newborns, please feel free to bring whatever you’ve got also. I keep the babies naked for the whole shoot, so bringing outfits is not necessary. It’s also good when dressing your newborn to come to my studio, that you dress them lightly, like in a onesie, so that we don’t have to disturb them too much when taking them out of the carseat. And please don’t stress about them peeing (or worse) on my stuff. It will happen. And I will wash it. It’s not a big deal, I’m very used to it. I will happily do laundry for the sake of cute pictures. Please add $50 for each additional sibling in a newborn session, which includes pictures of them together and some individuals picture in one outfit.  Checklist

• lots of diapers and wipes
• extra blankets
• a binky (this is very helpful if they take one)
• a bottle with breastmilk or formula (this saves a ton of time if we can just feed them the bottle instead of nursing)
• a black long sleeve shirt for mom or dad

One Day Sale-June 28th

It again is time for our annual "One Day Sale" for senior portrait session fees Thursday June 28th . although we call this a one day sale, you can actually call between now and June 28th. This is your chance to save over $100.00 on your senior portrait session.

Now of course there are a couple of rules. You knew there had to be.

Your appointment must be scheduled before August 31, 2012. The session must paid for at the time it is made. And you must schedule your appointment between now and June 28, 2011. That is it!!

Many of our past client are aware of this sale, and have set their appointments up for the summer. Don't be left out, call today, 231-929-2619. The best times fill up fast. We are not a cookie cutter studio, so there is a limit to the sessions we can do per day.

Senior Models Wanted

Class of 2013 Senior Model Application

The Senior Model Program at Lancaster Photography is a way for high school seniors to earn discounts on their senior portraits (and some cash in their pockets!), while helping us show off the latest styles and update our senior images!

What are we looking for?
Members of the Class of 2013 that want amazing creative senior portraits and will help promote Lancaster Photography in return. You don’t have to be a perfect model size or look like a model to get in - we look at personality, activities and eagerness to be in the program. We want models that truly appreciate the our image quality, and can see the difference in our work.

Here's what you get:
• A complimentary one hour Senior Model Session photographed before April 28, 2011.
• Designer Senior Model Cards and 2 Facebook Images to help promote the studio.
• $15 gift card of your choice for each Senior Model Card turned in by fellow students booking a full senior session with Lancaster Photography .
• The Location Senior Session at 50% off the session fee price!
• Be featured as a Senior Model on the studio’s website, Facebook page and advertisement pieces.

Application Form

Guest Viewpoint

Thanks to Jeff of Dachowski Photography for finding this tidbit. This article was written by stationery designer/venue owner Southall Eden and I thought, "That's worth sharing!" It's not every day you discover a piece from a potential competitor written in support of what YOU do . . . neat huh? We think these are some wise words to consider; enjoy! ~Bill

Why you should NEVER skimp on wedding photography

February 8, 2011

Let’s face it. Weddings are crazy expensive. I’m all about finding ways to save money, and there are lots of ways you can do so. But if you only splurge on one thing for your wedding, LET IT BE PHOTOGRAPHY. That’s right, I’m a venue owner and a stationery designer and I’m not telling you that your splurge item should not be one of those things, but photography. Why? Because its true! If you live in middle Tennessee, chances are you know someone who is a “photographer” and its tempting to hire them for cheap or even have them shoot your wedding as a wedding gift to you to save money, but hear me now and believe me later, DON’T DO IT!!!

Here’s why:

1. You will not get this chance again.

This is your wedding. Hopefully you will only be having one. Isn’t it worth the investment? The #1 regret I hear from Southall Eden brides about their wedding day is that they are not happy with their photos. Don’t be one of them. Besides, when else will all your family and friends be gathered in one place? Probably never, except for at your funeral, and by then you won’t care. My own sister had a very mediocre photographer at her wedding. Within a year, both my grandma and my mom passed away. Those are the last family pictures we will ever have, and they are not good. The value of that now far exceeds the $1,000 or whatever money was saved on the photographer.

2. It’s not just for you, its for everyone who loves you.

Of course your wedding day should be all about your and your fiance, but don’t forget how much time, effort, and money your family and wedding party have put into it as well. They deserve some nice photos to remember the occasion by. But even more than that, think about future generations. Won’t your kids and grandchildren want to see these? What girl doesn’t love seeing old wedding photos of the generations before her? This is the one aspect of your wedding (aside from your marriage itself) that will last forever.

3. A wedding photographer can anticipate what will happen next.

This is why you should not only get a great photographer, you should get a great wedding photographer. The word “photographer” encompasses a variety of people- family photographers, fashion photographers, commercial photographers, etc. Being good at one area doesn’t necessarily mean you are good at another. If you hire someone whose livelihood is shooting weddings, there is a pretty good chance they have done this enough times to not only know where they need to be in order to capture certain moments, but also random things like what kind of light will come through a stained glass window at 5:00 in May, etc.

4. A great photographer can turn an ordinary wedding into an extraordinary wedding.

I have seen this first hand on multiple occasions. A couple is on a tight budget and doesn’t have a lot of money for decor or fancy extras at their wedding. But they hire a great photographer, and lo and behold when you see the photos you would think the wedding cost twice what it really did. The photographer captures everything at its best, and everything that is wonderful about the day, and when you look at your photos you remember your wedding day fondly.

5. If it doesn’t turn out well, you don’t want to have hard feelings with a friend.

This is a big one. If you hire (or ask a favor from) a friend and the photos don’t turn out well, it can seriously damage your relationship. Every time you see that person for the rest of your life you will think of how s/he “ruined” your wedding photos. It may not be intentional, but you will. Its kind of like if they ran over your cat with their car tire. You know its not intentional, but you can’t help but associating them with this one unfortunate act.

So how much does a great wedding photographer cost in Middle Tennessee? This depends on what all is included. Some photographers quote their rates for shooting only, while others quote packages that include both shooting and prints, albums, digital images, etc. When you are researching photographers you should keep this in mind and make sure you are comparing apples to apples with regard to pricing. That being said, I know a couple of great photographers whose coverage starts around $2,000, but you should not be startled at a base price of $3,500 either. Sure that’s a lot of money, but what you get in return is priceless. How can you argue with that???

Business Portrait Special

I always like to try something new. This spring I am trying to modernize the look of "head shots" used by many business people and artists. Our business climate has become so much more visual then ever before with the popularity of social media. One might consider this "personal branding" Most of us would never have a logo created that looked just like our competitor, so why then should your business image look like everyone else. And why do some people hold on to the same image longer than they do to their automobile?

It is time to freshen up.

No longer should your corporate headshots resemble a yearbook photo. In the commercial climate of extreme competition, having a unique and creative headshot is essential. The client is looking for a trustworthy, approachable and professional individual. Your photograph will give an immediate impression of you.

So for the month of April I will be offering my Expanded Business Portrait Sessions at 50% off. For more information call Lancaster Photography at 231-929-2619.

Wedding Photography

The calls for 2010 weddings have been coming for months, but recently the inquiries have increased dramatically. This of course is typical, tied to the holiday engagements, which makes for an exciting time of year for me.

I have been listening carefully to the commonly asked questions posed to me from prospective clients, and have recently revamped our wedding coverages. That doesn't mean that the prices have increased. I have simply restructured things to accommodate what many couples are looking for today in wedding photography. I still strive to give my clients the highest quality in wedding photography, my years of experience and new techniques that I learn (Yes, I continue to study my craft at seminars and classes), as well as a fun experience.

Engagement session are included in all our wedding coverages, and a discount for off season weddings.

Brie and Michael's Wedding

I had the pleasure of traveling to Dearborn to capture the photographs of Brie and Michael's wedding. What a great couple to work with!! The wedding party was also a great deal of fun. The reception was held at Lovett Hall in historic Greenfield Village in Dearborn.