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Are you looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? Well, I have one unique idea for you...
I've always had custom gift certificates available, but Im now also offering special gift cards. These make the perfect gift to give in any increment from $25.00 to the-sky-is-the-limit amount. Recipients can use these towards anything they would like, including:
Photo sessions
Albums
Prints
Storyboard Portraits or Canvas Wall Art
Weddings
These make special gifts for expecting or new parents, brides & grooms, granparents (so they can order prints or brag books of their grandchildren from that session you just booked), friends, or anyone else who may appreciate fine art photography or photography related products. They truly are the gift that keeps on giving!
Order them here!
 Labels: NEWS
I've been putting lots of albums together recently and wanted to share Joleen and Tom's. They had such a beautiful destination wedding back in late May at The Westin Kierland resort in Scottsdale. Both Tom and Joleen are from Chicago and I hadn't met either of them before their big day as Joleen booked me right over the internet. They were absolutely wonderful and the day was perfect! Click here to view their full 10x10 album.
 Labels: ALBUMS
So I'm finally getting around to posting some wedding albums! I'll start with Lindsay and Eric's wedding at Sassi this past March. I loved everything about this wedding! It was fun, emotional, beautiful and both families were so incredibly nice. Click here to see the full slideshow of their album.
Since my fall wedding season is about to start back up next week, and these books are always big sellers, I thought I'd share a few additional pictures of the various types of custom albums and coffee table books that I offer. Albums range from extrememly high end, one-of-a-kind LaVie Albums to fun and trendy economical coffee table books, with options nearly everywhere in between. Covers can range from contemporary brushed metal, to hot red leather, to soft sage green, to silk lined, or hard bound books like you find in a book store. My most popular sellers are the leather-bound, flush mount collage albums (like Lindsay and Eric's above.)
  Parents, these books are not just for weddings! Many families want a way to preserve their memories in custom coffee table books for infant, maternity, children or family sessions throughout the year.
If you are ever interested in learning more about album options, just shoot me an email or call!
Labels: ALBUMS
I spent much of the past week at the Pictage Partner Conference in Los Angeles. This was my second year attending since they started these conferences about 3 years ago, and it is always good to meet and share with other professional photographers who are committed to growing their business. There was a good lineup of speakers again this year, many of whom shared useful business strategies. I also enjoyed seeing what the sponsors had to offer this year as there were a few new ones with products I'd like to start offering, like beautiful, large canvas prints.
Some speakers that stood out: The uber-successful David Jay is always inspiring to listen to, and he has made such a name for himself through his photography, creation of Open Source Forum and ShowIt Slideshows, and by just encouraging the photography community in general to share and learn from one another. Lauren Hillary gave some great tips for getting published, and the always entertaining Davina Fear delivered a good presentation on keeping your sanity while juggling a family/personal life. I saw her last year when she spoke for the first time and she really inspired me because she is also a mother (but she has FOUR!) who seems to balance the fine art of running a family and a successful business at the same time. I also attended my friend Melissa Jill's session on the benefits of blogging. This was her first year presenting and she did a great job! Her blog has been consistently growing over the past year or two and I think she is up to 500 visitors per day now. Go Melissa!
All in all, it was a good week...here are a few snapshots from the point-and-shoot.
 Buddy Kim Jarman and I hanging out in the lounge with the Phoenix crew. Melissa Jill showing us how she can solve the Rubix Cube. Fellow Phoenix PUG'ger Jared Platt trying to take credit for Melissa's handiwork. And a personal highlight, getting to see my younger sister Shannon (middle, with her friend Vanessa from Barcelona, Spain on the right) who was also in California during the week. We had a fun evening in Hermosa Beach and a great dinner at Union Cattle. Since she lives all the way in Florida, we never get to see each other enough. Can't wait until she and family move back to Santa Barbara!!Labels: NEWS, PERSONAL
I just checked my Google Reader to see what new blog posts were out there, and I saw my friend Megan Resch, a fellow wedding photographer whom often second shoots with me, posted a link to a beautiful article by photojournalist Matt Mendelsohn. "Getting the Picture" was published last week in The Washington Post and is a thoughtful and moving story about the power of weddings, the beauty of marriage and family, and why those of us who call ourselves wedding photojournalists get so much meaning from our jobs.
Couples getting married will appreciate the article as much photographers will. In fact, I think anyone interested in the human condition will find it moving. Take a moment to read it. It really is worth it.
And a note about Megan... She also conveyed quite beautifully the effect it had on her and why most of us are so passionate about what we do. Megan is a beautiful soul. I'm sure we are different in many ways (I drive a SUV and I think she would prefer to always drive a bike), but we get along wonderfully, have fun together, and always connect on the important things... like appreciating the beauty of life and capturing the truth of moments. In all its forms. Thanks for sharing this piece Megan!
Here is a shot I grabbed of her at San Xavier Cathedral (south of Tucson) when we were on our way back from Erika and Andy's wedding this past June.
 Labels: PERSONAL
My niece Morgan turned 5 today! It seems like yesterday that I held her as a tiny infant and now she is this beautiful, smart, funny and very sweet little girl. We love you Morgan and wish were there to celebrate with you! Happy Birthday!
Love Aunt Jenny, Uncle Chris & Jordan
 Labels: PERSONAL, PORTRAITS
I have been having some folks tell me lately they are not receiving responses from me that I am sending. Please check your JUNK MAIL folder to see if my emails are going in there... especially when it is a response to your inquiry. You may want to set my jen@jenniferphotography.com email as a "safe sender" to avoid having them go into that folder and miss them. :-)
If you still are not receiving emails back from me, there is a chance your mail server blocked the email, so please give me a call at 602-402-5600 any time.Labels: NEWS
Bridesmaids: Do you need a place to donate those bridesmaids gowns that you may never wear again? I have an idea for you....
You may remember a couple months ago I mentioned an organization called The Princess Project. I traveled up to Payson, AZ in July to their camp ground to take part in a special event, and have taken some time to post this for a couple reasons. One, I wanted to put some thought into the effect the experience had on me and two, I wanted to make sure it was okay to post this information and these pictures of the girls. (By law, I cannot show their faces for security reasons and they had to do a background check on all of the volunteers prior to entry.)
The Princess Project is part of a larger non-profit organization called Hope & A Future (http://www.azhope.com/) that provides opportunities and resources for abused and neglected children who reside in Arizona's foster care system. During the week, these girls also take part in a Teen Reach Adventure Camp (TRAC) where the counselors work with the girls through interactive activities that instill trust, support, faith, hope, friendship and positive values.
Towards week end at camp, key volunteers pull together The Princess Event, a formal dinner and dance designed to pamper the girls for an evening and give them a well-rounded experience they'll never forget. Beyond giving the girls formal dresses, shoes, purses, accessories and makeup to keep (all of which has been donated -- hint hint for bridesmaids or teens who would like to donate dresses), the evening provides an opportunity to create positive memories for the girls. Each foster teen is placed with a camp counselor (a "cousin" as they are called) who stays with her girls all day and evening and is there to provide support and encouragement.
   
All the wonderful men who are on hand to treat the girls with respect and honor. They even act as the servers for the evening, brining out the amazing meal that was prepared! 
This day had a strong effect on me. First, it was wonderful to see all the amazing volunteers and camp counselors working with the girls during the day and then witness a large bus full of hair and makeup stylists arrive from Dolce Salon to help beautify the girls. But what I found most remarkable was watching the girls transform as the evening went on. Kelli had shared with me that most of these girls come from very serious and harmful situations, and have experienced things that most people wouldn't even want to imagine, so many of the girls are quiet, shy and/or very skeptical of this whole event. Some dont even want to get dressed up (and they dont have to) ... but as the night wore on, and all the amazing counselors and volunteers continue to pamper the girls and work to make them beautiful (and feel beautiful, most importantly), I began to see smiles and hear more talking and laughing.
     
 
 
By the end of dinner, many of the girls were coming up to me and directly asking me to take candid pictures of them. They were hugging their new friends, learning new dances, laughing and generally having fun. It was amazing to watch them come out of their shells and transform into these more confident girls and young women for an evening. Hopefully this night gave them an experience unlike one they've had before, and will leave them with a memory -- a very positive memory – to affect them in their core on some level.
As the children become young adults, Hope and a Future would like to be able to provide scholarship money to help the children attend college and receive job training and I have no doubt continue to be a guiding force in many of these children's lives.
It was truly an honor to go up and be a part of this experience and meet so many amazing new people. If you would like more information information on how to donate dresses, accessories, shoes or take part in future events, please contact Kelli Freeman at princess.project@hotmail.com
As a side note, here are some sobering Foster Care Statistics (Source: http://www.azhope.com/)
Did You Know.........?
*There are 3,000,000 reports of child abuse or neglect are made every year in the United States
*35,000 reports of child abuse or neglect were made in Arizona last year
*10,000 children are currently in Arizona foster care
*500 teenage foster children turn 18 & "age-out" of foster care with limited support
*A former foster child is 30 times more likely to become incarcerated as an adult
*50% of foster children drop out of high school
*50% of young women previously in foster care will become pregnant by 19 years old
*25% of young men previously in foster care will father a child by 19
*33% of former foster children become homeless
*1% of former foster children earn a college degree
*A young child is more likely to die of child abuse or neglect in the Phoenix Metro area than any other area in the Nation
These statistics are so shocking. The simple fact is that the children represented in these statistics did not choose to be abused. However, the statistics indicate that the abuse will have a life-long impact on these children. (read more) Labels: NEWS, PERSONAL
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The beautiful new family. I loved this chair in their living room and really wanted to incorporate it into the shoot.
I loved her pink and brown room, and this fun wall art.
