Beach Family Portrait

On my first full day in Santa Rosa Beach/San Destin, FL for Christin and Jason's wedding weekend, I had the absolute pleasure to photograph a family portrait session on the beach for some of my favorite clients. I have been photographing Avery and her parents, Kelly & Chris, since she was just a few months old. Now she's 5 and has a sister and brother. I don't get many opportunities to photograph sessions on the beach, so it was a real treat to photograph their annual portrait in the sun and sand. The weather couldn't have been better and ....seriously, what's not to love about playing at the beach? It was also a lot of fun to come up with new ways of photographing the whole family. Walking on the beach is just so simple and beautiful, and when I saw a row of 5 blue beach chairs, I couldn't resist. I love how Jack is standing on the chair in that image. It's just so expressive of his personality and of all the fun the kids had at the beach. Next year, I hope we can return to the beach for some photos of the whole family buried in the sand!

Click the image to watch the slideshow. As always, it is available for purchase on DVD or by download. Simply click the icon at the bottom of the slideshow to purchase.

Christin & Jason - wedding sneak peek

Christin and Jason's intimate wedding (with just 20 friends and family) was on the beautiful beach of Santa Rosa, FL on Saturday. There were so many wonderful details and moments, and I am so excited to share them soon in the slideshow. But I know that Christin, Jason and their families are super anxious to see pictures, in fact, I'm pretty sure C&J are checking the blog from their honeymoon (hi!), so although I still have lots of editing and retouching to do, I wanted to share this great image. Enjoy!

More to come in the next week.

It's back to basics

The economy stinks and everyone is feeling the crunch. (As if I needed to tell you!) As we all try to make the best of this stressful situation, I'm reminded how important our families are. Remember how fun it was to ride bikes as a kid, go to the park, play a boardgame and do so many things that (hello!) cost little or nothing at all? It's those times that many of us remember most vividly because it was fun to be with our families without all the distractions. It's time to get back to basics and back to our families.

In honor of our kids, our husbands and wives, our parents and siblings, and the importance of refocusing our priorities, we have something really special for the first 5 people to contact us.

50% off our most popular ABC Storytelling Portrait session

The session includes:
A planning session at our Decatur studio
A 2-hour session at your home or local park for 3 people (additional people are $25/each)
An online slideshow of "photographer phavorites"
A Viewing/Ordering appointment at our Decatur studio
A Portrait Website for one month
And a $50 credit for the Viewing/Ordering appointment

Regular price for this package is $300 but this "back to basics" offer brings it to only $150.

So if you've been putting off scheduling a portrait session, carpe diem! This offer will only last as long as it takes 5 people to contact us.


And now for the fine print:
Portrait session must be scheduled for May 2009.
Travel beyond 20 miles from Decatur, GA will be an additional charge.
Prices for enlargements and other gift shop items are subject to current pricing.
This offer is not applicable to currently contracted work with Sara Speert Photography.



email: sara (at) saraphotography (dot) com
main: 404-966-7272

Our Cover Article in the Atlanta Jewish Times

Our article in the Atlanta Jewish Times was published today and I am ecstatic to see that it got the front cover!

The images I took, including the one on the front cover, accompany the piece that Nick and I wrote about our experience on a trip to volunteer our time to the people of New Orleans. We left with a much better understanding of the reality there, inspiration from the survivors and community organizers, and an awareness of the great need for volunteer help and donations.

Thanks to the Atlanta Jewish Times for giving this issue the priority it deserves.

Read the article here...

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 6)

Just some fun that my mom sent my way...



Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

http://playingforchange.com - From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world" being released independently. Featured is a cover of the Ben E. King classic by musicians around the world adding their part to the song as it traveled the globe. This video and "Don't Worry" are available now at iTunes. Other songs such as "One Love" will be released as digital downloads soon; followed by the film soundtrack and DVD in stores on 4.28.09.



Pre-order the CD/DVD "Playing For Change: Songs Around The World" now at amazon.com!
www.tinyurl.com/c6mhgd

Order the "Stand By Me" and "Don't Worry" now at itunes!
www.tinyurl.com/bl7fvf

Sign up at www.playingforchange.com for updates and exclusive content.

Join the Playing for Change Online Street Team at:
www.ufanz.com/teams/playingforchange

Join the Movement to help build schools, connect students, and inspire communities in need through music.

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 5)

My amazing husband, Nick Edelstein, played on Fox 5 Atlanta's Good Day Atlanta this morning! Check out the footage below. He's playing organ and guitar, and he got a lot of face time, because he's so hot. :)

The band, Connor Christian & The Southern Gothic, is playing this weekend at The Atlanta Dogwood Festival. They go on at 6:30pm on Saturday.

Portraits in Baltimore - registration open

Registration is officially open for Portraits in Baltimore. We will be in Baltimore (my hometown!) May 30 - June 3 and we have sessions available for newborn, baby, children, family and couple's portraits.

For more information, click here.

Register online now.

Because we are limited to two sessions per day (one in the morning and one in the late afternoon), slots are filling up quickly.

Contact the studio with any questions. info (at) saraphotography dot com.

STuFF - Sara's Totally Fantastic Finds (episode 4)

Christin & Jason - engagement portrait

Christin and Jason are getting married in a little over two weeks on Santa Rosa Beach, FL. I am really excited to photograph another beach wedding and especially to document their intimate ceremony with only 20 people. The celebration will continue a couple weeks later at Barnsley Gardens so that's where we decided to go for their engagement portrait session.

They are so in love and excited about the wedding, and I loved being able to capture some of that emotion. I'd never been to Barnsley Gardens before and I really think I could have spent a week with C & J photographing them all over the grounds. From the ruins and the lush gardens, to the wide open fields and hiking paths, it's a photographer's dream. Good thing we'll be back there again for the reception. :)

Click the image below to watch the slideshow. As always, this slideshow can be purchased in widescreen DVD or downloaded to your iPod by clicking the link at the bottom of the show.

Sara Speert Photography, engagement portrait photographer