It's hard to believe that Harper is one year old. Since her first portrait session, it's been so fun to get to know her. If her pictures are anything, they are really colorful. Love the striped rug in her room, her striped legs and her striped jacket. The combination of colors make the pictures so lively and fun.
Although I have terrible allergies to dogs and cats, my love for them is stronger, and I can't help but photograph the four-legged family members as well. Love the images of Harper's dog sitting patiently outside on the deck while we finish up her session.
Let me preface this post by saying a big "Thank You!" to Cobb County Fire Station #3 on Terrell Mill Road. The firemen were so gracious to give us a tour of the trucks and the station, and most of all, put Patrick in the driver's seat for this very exciting portrait session. I don't think there is anything more exciting for a 3 year old boy than seeing a firetruck up close and being able to "drive" the truck and turn on the flashing lights.
I love this idea for a portrait session! Patrick loves trucks of all kinds so this seemed like a perfect choice for this 4th portrait session. Now that he's all grown up and completed the Growing Baby Package, we started the new Annual Portrait Session Package with this fun adventure. Although Patrick was a bit shy at first, he eventually got down from his dad's arms to explore the firehouse. The hoses, the tools, the huge steering wheel, the helmets, everything was so neat! And can't you see the excitement in Patrick's eyes? We started and finished at his house with biking, snacks and playing with some favorite toys. We really managed to get a lot into one 2-hour session.
Enjoy the slideshow below by clicking the picture to view.
I know what you're thinking... You have so much going on that even though registering for Portrait Day is on your " to-do list," you just haven't had the time to register. Well, the good news is that we still have some spots open. The bad news is that registration is only open until 11:59pm Wednesday night (tomorrow, October 7th). So, hop to it! Click here to learn more about Portrait Day and register before the buzzer goes off and the gong is, well, gonged. And since I can't post here without something for your visual pleasure, I thought I'd spread the word about a hilarious comedian who's getting his own show on Comedy Central. I first saw Jeff Dunham in college and then took Nick to see him a year ago here in Atlanta. He is the most original and talented comedian I've ever seen. That's a pretty big complement considering Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, et al., but he does something completely different. (Warning: the material in this video may not be suitable to young ears.)
Carter is such a sweetie. This was his third portrait session and I can't believe how much he's grown. I know I say that all the time, but really, when I start photographing little ones when they're....so little, it's amazing and emotional to watch them turn into little boys. Carter just celebrated his 2nd birthday, and he loves to read and climb and slide and throw and look at bugs. So needless to say, this session was jam-packed with activity. We even made it down to the neighborhood park like last time. And if you remember from the first session, Hiro, Carter's doggie, got some photo love, and this time, he got some love again. Who can say no to those precious eyes? Not me.
Carter's family was especially wonderful this session because I am working on a top-secret project in which they are playing a huge role. (Hey, that was great grammar!) I hope to announce the project in the next month or so. So, thank you Amy, Jonathan and Carter!
What a crazy time of year! For those of you who celebrate Rosh Hashanah and honor Yom Kippur, I hope your holidays were wonderful, meaningful and filled with family. It always feels like the High Holidays have come out of nowhere because I am so busy doing, working and living; the summer ends and all I can focus on are all the things I have planned for the fall and then, all of a sudden, the holidays are here. It's a good thing though. As much as I like to stay focused on the finish line, it's so necessary to take a break, a full break without the phone, tv, email, or Facebook, and really take some time to meditate on the past year. It's a time to realize the mistakes we've made, the accomplishments we've had, correct our wrongs and make a promise to have more accomplishments and fewer mistakes next year. Isn't that a great way for everyone to celebrate the new year? On Saturday, I was about to start cooking eggs for brunch when I looked out the window and saw a little turtle walking up our driveway. Now, we have a lot of wildlife in our neighborhood including a stray cat and her kitten who decided to take up residence outside our house for a few weeks. The list also includes, owls, opossum, geese, ducks, squirrels, chipmunks... But a turtle?! That was new. There is a stream right across from our house and with all the rain, the stream overflowed and the streets were covered in water. Thank goodness we are on a hill and didn't experience any damage from all the flooding, but this little guy must have been looking for something, maybe food, maybe a dry place to rest, but he had no idea he was walking onto the driveway of a photographer with a love for turtles. As soon as I saw him, I ran out to see him. I didn't touch him or try to pick him up because I feel that he's a wild animal (I mean, reptile) and just because I'm higher on the food chain doesn't mean that I should do whatever I want with him. Nick suggested we make him our pet, but I don't think that putting him into a 10-gallon fish tank or even creating an outdoor home for him is really a nice way to live. Don't get me wrong, I've had pets, including turtles, and pets are wonderful but for some reason, I felt that since he's lived his whole life in the wild, I have no right to take him out of that just for my own satisfaction. But what I did do is grab my camera, and Nick grabbed our new Flip HD video camera and captured the little guy.
I think the timing of his arrival was great. The New Year is a time of reflection, meditation and renewal and what better way to symbolize that than by observing something new in nature in your environment. It's amazing what we can see if we just stop every once in a while and look around, and respect nature and all it has to offer us.
Can you say excited?! I have been working on these 12 new designs for our greeting card catalog and the samples arrived! I love the variety of designs that really can fit any event. Birth announcement, Christmas card, New Year's card, or, something that's become popular with my clients, an everyday notecard that can be used throughout the year.
We've added some paper selections as well. We've had watercolor, linen and glossy papers from some time. And now we have pearl (an iridescent paper), semi-gloss and a recycled paper. Since we as a studio are all about conserving and recycling, I'm especially excited about offering the recycled paper option.
All holiday card orders must be placed by November 1.
I am a huge fan of This American Life , the radio show on NPR that explores American life, stories, events both personal and public in a way that is refreshing, captivating and educational. It airs here in Atlanta on Sunday evenings, but I subscribe to the podcasts so I can listen whenever I have time. Usually that means, while I paint our living room, do the huge pile of dishes that have accumulated over what seems like weeks (read 48 hours), or my newest favorite non-photography hobby - cook in our new kitchen.
Anyway, I saw this and had to share. It's an animation of one of the vignettes on an episode. If you haven't had the pleasure yet, I urge you to listen to the next show. You can download old episodes on iTunes, listen to the latest episode here and become addicted, like me! Love it!
If you've been following me on Facebook, you already know that I've been making Challah (egg bread) from scratch throughout the last few months. It is such a gratifying experience to know that I'm capable of making bread, and the fact they it is so much more delicious than the store bought stuff makes me (& Nick) especially happy. These are my first round loaves made especially for Rosh Hashanah. One plain, one with raisins - yummy!
The rabbi at the Orthodox congregation, Beth Israel, in New Orleans, asked if I could send some of the pictures I took while touring their Katrina-flooded building. While editing thru some pictures from our February trip, I came upon this image. It isn't one that previously stood out to me, but it just goes to show how the meaning and impact of a photograph can change. It really appeals to me now. The room was only lit slightly by an overcast day seeping in through nearby fogged windows. The room felt like a cemetery of ruined items and furniture. This pew stood alone. Imagine all the people who must have sat in this pew throughout the years, praying for ill family members, rejoicing at marriages and bar mitzvahs, celebrating Rosh Hashanah's year after year.
Anyway, thought it was appropriate as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins Friday evening. L'Shanah Tovah! May the year bring you good health, happiness and many pauses to enjoy the little things that make our lives rich.
We know many of you have been waiting for this so thanks for being patient! Our 2009 catalog of holiday cards and birth announcements is here!
Many of the designs are customizable - colors, text, font, size of images on the cards, etc. Also, birth announcement designs can be customized for the holidays, and vice-versa, so don't be afraid to ask if we can adjust a design for you.
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing William and Margaret again. As with William's third session, we headed outside for Margaret's third session as well. This time, we went to Emory University. Mom used to work there which I know created a interesting circle-of-life kind of thing for her to have a portrait session of her children in the same place she used to work 5 days a week. They often take walks thru the campus as a family because it's just so darn beautiful and I think the lack of traffic is also a nice perk. So, the kids seem to know the place well and felt really comfortable there - probably one of the top 3 important elements of a great portrait session.
While most of the students were still sleeping on Saturday morning, we wandered around enjoying the break in rain.But before we left the house, I snagged this moment thru the front door of William and his dad having a quiet moment on the front porch.
It's hard to believe that Nick and I have been married for 11 months. This year has flown by and it's almost time for our anniversary. Nick and I made promises, more like a bet, to each other and my end of the deal was to finish designing our wedding album by our first anniversary. Well, I'm not even close to being finished. I am finally seeing what my clients have always said about how difficult it is to choose their favorite pictures. While it's always a challenge to design a wedding or portrait album, I can honestly say now that it is easier for me to eliminate, sequence and group pictures than it is for a bride, groom or parent.
But now I'm designing my own wedding album and it is SO HARD! I've probably spent about 3 hours on it already and only designed 8 page spreads - and that includes the invitation on the first page. Anyway, while I keep my head down and try to plow thru, I decided that we needed some eye-candy, something to remind us everyday of our beautiful and memorable wedding. And we shouldn't have to wait until the album is complete to enjoy all the amazing pictures. (A bit of a copout, maybe. So what!)
So, I had a 24x36 canvas made of one of our favorite photos. It was shot during our first dance, a swing number to "You Make Me Feel So Young" by Frank Sinatra. Love the song and performing our well-rehearsed dance, with lifts and a gajillion spins, was one of the highlights of the entire day. What I love about this image is ....so many things. First, the expressions on everyone's faces - priceless. The lighting is superb, lighting up my dress and illuminating everyone's faces. Third, the composition of Nick and me in the frame. Fourth, that I can just barely make out Ben and Chris lighting and shooting this moment. (Thanks, Chris, Katie and Ben!) And most importantly, fifth, the memories is brings back. We love placing it above our bed. Since it's in a private space of the house, we get to enjoy it all to ourselves (well, except for this post, of course!) and it makes it really special.
Love everyone's expressions, and my twirling dress!
Check out the amazing texture of the canvas. Love it. And, yes, I wore sneakers all day. I'm an all-comfort kinda girl.
I've had a really great time designing some new holiday cards. If you are interested in the holiday card package on Portrait Day, email me and I can send you the catalog as soon as it's complete.
While I was working on holiday cards, I took the opportunity to add some birth announcement cards to my collection. I absolutely love this new design. It's a tri-fold 5x5 card that is available in 5 different papers - linen, watercolor, semi-gloss, gloss, and matte recycled paper.
front
As you open the card, this picture on the left is revealed. The right side is still folded.
inside
And the back.
Contact the studio if you'd like information about scheduling a newborn portrait session, Growing Baby Portrait Packages or birth announcements.
The day has finally come after months of planning and a year since the last event. Portrait Day 2009 registration is now open!
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Join us at the park... dance among the trees, twirl in the grass, bring a picnic and enjoy a beautiful day while Sara Speert Photography photographs stunning images of your family.
This year's Portrait Day will be held on October 24th, 2009 from 9am to 6:30pm. Mini-sessions will be held all day and offer a wonderful opportunity for holiday or annual family portraits at a great discount.
Our goal is to capture the natural and real emotions of your family, and create custom art for your home with images that will make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes.
Click here or on the image below to learn about all the details and register. This event will sell out so register now. Registration deadline is October 7th.
Thanks to our amazing clients & friends - Pete, Jenny, & Jack, and Dan, Rachel & Joshua for their beautiful pictures featured on this year's Portrait Day flier.
Only 12 hours until Portrait Day 2009 registration is open! This year's event is sure to fill up quickly so if you're interested in scheduling a session, be sure to check back here tomorrow morning for all the details.
BUT if you are a Facebook fan, you can register NOW. Facebook fans get the VIP treatment, so if you're not a fan yet, click the logo, become a fan and register early.
I know it's hard to believe that fall is right around the corner. Although, the last couple days of mild temps have been so amazing. Who would have thought that Atlanta could experience low 80's in August?! Love it.
I've been busy planning the fall and have some important dates that I thought I'd post here.
September
Tuesday, September 1st - Registration opens for Portrait Day 2009 (announcement will be posted here.)
Monday, September 7th - Labor Day - Studio Closed
Friday, September 18th @2pm thru Sunday, September 20th - Rosh Hashanah - Studio Closed
Monday, September 28th - Yom Kippur - Studio Closed
October
Wednesday, October 7th - Deadline for Portrait Day 2009 Registration
Monday, October 12th - Studio Closed (My 1st Anniversary!) - Studio Closed
Saturday, October 24th - Portrait Day 2009
November
Friday, November 6th - Deadline for all Holiday Orders
Wednesday, November 25 - 29th, Thanksgiving - Studio Closed
December
Thurday, December 23rd thru Sunday, January 3rd - Christmas/New Year's/My birthday - Studio Closed
I'll be sure to post any changes or additions here.
For any moms or dads out there who are about to embark on their first, first day of school for their child, the day can be filled with stress, anxiety, nerves and excitement, and that's just for the parents! Most importantly, it's a day you'll want to remember forever.
We are offering a new package just in time for the first day of Kindergarten or 1st grade. The "1st Day of School" is a documentary session that starts at home, as your child wakes in his cozy bed and includes those all-important first-day-of-school clothes, breakfast, getting the backpack ready, handing him lunch and out the door. Coverage continues in the car, up to the school doors and hugs & kisses. The package concludes with all your favorite photos in a custom-designed 5x5 Carry-About Album that you and your child are sure to cherish forever.
Because many schools begin on the same day, availability is VERY limited. So if you are interested, contact the studio immediately. 404-nine-six-six-7-two-7-two.
This weekend is the Children's Boutique Warehouse Sale at The Works. All the adorable clothes, toys, room decor and shoes you can find at the local boutiques, like Sugar Plum Kids, Limetree, and Wiggle are on sale up to 70% off at this huge warehouse sale. Children's Boutique Warehouse Sale at The Works - Click the link or the image for more info and directions.
These are Josie's footprints. After playing in the baby pool in her backyard, she stopped here for a moment before moving inside to eat lunch. I love how she left her little mark. :) Josie is an adorable 14 months old with a beautiful, light-up-the-room smile. It was so fun documenting a day in the life for her and her parents.
I don't often get to photograph pet cats because A) if my clients have pets, they are usually dogs, and B) they normally don't want to have anything to do with me or pictures. But Josie's wonderful cat seems to love Josie just as much as she loves her parents. The cat (sorry, I've forgotten her name!) was a rescue and really the first baby in the family, so it is appropriate that she gets some picture-love too. I just the adore the series of her with mom and Josie reading a book. Enjoy the slideshow!
Sara Speert - Decatur children's photographer, family pet photographer
On Tuesday, I had the honor of being asked again to judge the ImageMaker's Competition, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America annual photo competition. Students compete in local competitions to reach the national competition where I and two other professionals judged the entries. It is such a great complement to be asked to judge. And it was wonderful to see how young children and teenagers use creativity to see their everyday world. Many students wrote about how photography has allowed them to see the world in a different way and opened their eyes to new things. I love that photography has that power and that they've had that experience!
John Sharp (professor at SCAD Atlanta) and Connie Jackson (professional photographer) looking through the portfolio entries.
I met Jen and Adam two years ago when they asked me to photograph their wedding vow renewal ceremony and dinner. They are beautiful people - inside and out - genuine and truly nice people, so when Jen contacted me recently to schedule a portrait session for their family, I jumped at the chance to see them again and meet Eli, the newest member of the family.
On a side note, Jen has an amazing blog that I love reading. I subscribe to many blogs to keep up on my friends and other big-name photographers, but Jen's blog is different. For one, take a look at the description she's given to it:
Stories of the frazzled and funny days I spend living life with two boys. Read on about how I manage motherhood, marriage, faith, friendships and all the little twists and turns along the way that keep it interesting.
Plus, I love the name of it - Tales of a Southern Yankee. For all you mom's, I think you'll be able to relate to everything she writes about. So, if you do visit her newly designed blog, be sure to leave a comment. We blog people love comments!
Last week I posted a POTD (Picture of the Day) from their session. And today's the day for the slideshow. So without further ado, to-do or ago....
(click the image to watch the slideshow)
This beautiful scene is right in their backyard! How amazing!
Sara Speert - Kennesaw portraits, family portraits, Gwinett County portraits
Happy Belated 4th of July! Hope you had a wonderful weekend with family & friends. Nick and I had a great day on Saturday. We headed up to the north Georgia mountains to a blueberry farm and picked delicious blueberries. I had to sample them while we picked to be sure they were "ok." It was a great way to take a mini-vacation and do something different. And we've been enjoying them since. Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes....
These pictures are from my iPhone. Not bad, right?
Then we headed back home. Parked the car and walked to Avondale Estates fireworks. Although we've been living in our house for 2.5 years, we never seem to be in town for the 4th so this was our first time going to see the fireworks there. Avondale Lake is just a mile away and it was so nice to be able to walk there, not deal with the car and parking, set up our chairs and join the huge crowd. And we had no idea the fireworks would be so good! The "show" lasted at least 15 minutes. And it was fantastic. The moon was just to the right of where the fireworks went off so it was a really beautiful sight. I took a few pictures with my iPhone and they looked amazing on the phone but when I downloaded them.... hmmm, not so great in real life. So you'll just have to use your imagination.
Grace and her parents are one of the lucky families to win a free portrait session from Gymboree at Toco Hill. So last Wednesday, we met at a Decatur park for some exploring. Grace is precious and so expressive. She had a great time exploring, collecting rocks and running around. Ok, I admit it; I was chasing her. :) I love the vivid colors of the authentic Chinese dresses she wore. And the image of her peering through the bay window is one that will be very special to dad. Everyday when dad leaves for work, Grace runs to the window to wave goodby as he drives away. How cute is she?!
Click the image below to watch the slideshow.
Sara Speert - children's photography, toddler photography, portraits at the park
Last week, I visited Cole and his mommies for a second time. The first session was a blast and it's hard to believe how much he has grown since then. He looks so much more like a little boy now than a baby. He is learning to walk on his own and is definitely proud of this new found ability.
I absolutely love the picture below of Cole. He stopped for split second to rest while playing on the couch. It is such a peaceful moment and I love that I was able to capture his tranquil expression. And those eyes! So beautiful!
Sara Speert Photography - Decatur children's portraits
After so many great responses to yesterday's Picture of the Day, I'm inspired. I have high hopes of being able to post a favorite image every day. (Those hopes may be a bit ambitious, but it's worth a try, right?)
So here's today's. Although it's not an image of a client, per se, I think it still qualifies. It's a shot of a collage in Cole's bedroom. The collage is from his first portrait session in December. I love the soft colors of the images (an effect I call "old film"), the rustic black edges and how amazing it looks on this walls of this colorful and playful room.
On Saturday, I had another great opportunity to second shoot with Matt Yung in Athens, GA. I truly love second shooting weddings with Matt. It was a lot of fun to be able to take some more creative shots and move around a lot more. As the lead photographer, I generally am concerned with getting a lot of "necessary" shots, in addition to candid moments, to be sure that I cover everything. But as the second photographer, I can be a bit more relaxed and look for the unique angles and candid moments that can often be missed. It refreshed my creative eye!
This is my favorite of the day.
Sara Speert Photography - Georgia's photographer's photographer
I visited with Harper and her parents last week for her second portrait session of the Growing Baby Collage Package. Harper is just about ready to walk which is so exciting. Whenever she can, she will walk with mom and dad's help. And just like her first session, her smile is infectious.
I started playing with some new effects during the retouching process and I love the way these have turned out. Some are a bit retro looking, like they are old photos that were taken some 30 years ago or more, and others are just different and fun. My favorite image is the one below. A tender moment of Harper and her mom reading one of her favorite books. I love that it has so much emotion and yet leaves much to the imagination.
Enjoy the slideshow below by clicking the image.
Sara Speert Photography - expressive and artistic portraits
I've been a bit neglectful of blogging recently. Sorry! I still love you all! I have however been posting to our Facebook page so be sure to become a fan.
I've been working on 4 album designs simultaneously, which is a new record for me, in addition to retouching a bunch of portraits and orders. I know that Christin & Jason are really anxious to see their wedding album and although it isn't complete, I can't wait any longer to show them (and you!) a few of my favorite pages. Their final albums, yes, I wrote "albums" because they're getting two to hold all the pictures from their 2-weekend celebration, will be beautiful Queensberry 18x12 Duo albums. The Duo means that the album is a combination of matted pages and flushmount/magazine pages - the ultimate in design.
I had the pleasure to meet Harrison and his parents last week for an afternoon portrait session at their home. He is a very happy baby and seemed to enjoy everything. We started off with a bath, then some dinner (mmm, spaghetti!), and then went in to the yard to play on the new swing set. I must mention here that Harrison's dad built the swing set - very impressive! And although it's not yet complete, Harrison is already enjoying it. Just look how happy he is on the swing!
The truck that he's playing with here was passed down to him from his Great Grandfather, for whom he's named. Imagine him playing with the same toy at Harrison's age - so amazing. I love that we incorporated this special toy into the session. It makes a beautiful memory.
Enjoy the slideshow!
Sara Speert Photography - baby, children & family portraits
My vacation was fantastic, albeit too short as most vacations are, but it was great. Got to spend some much needed time with my family, including my 9 month old niece, Elizabeth Sophie. I'll post some pictures soon.
In the meantime, it's been a bit difficult to get back into the swing of working after being off for a week, so I mosied (is that a word?) on over to YouTube to watch my favorite Muppet who always makes me laugh. Thought I'd share it with you...just for laughs. Amazing how much laughing can relax a person! Ok, I mean me...
Saturday morning I met twins, Duncan & Bennett, and their big sister, Evie, at Piedmont Park. With all the newborn portrait sessions I've been doing recently at my clients' homes, it's been a long time since I was at the park and it was great to get back. I was reminded how nice it is to photograph there, except when there's an event going on. So it turns out that Saturday morning was the Peachtree Junior Road Race. I had no idea there was such a thing, but it looked like a lot of fun. With so many people in the park, it's often difficult to take pictures of my clients without someone in the background. But I was up for the challenge. I figured out one wonderful advantage to photographing a portrait session in the park on the day of an event - MUSIC! We had great music to listen to throughout our session and it made the beautiful day even more fun. Hmmm...maybe I should start bringing music with me on all my shoots. :)
Thanks to Evie, Duncan & Bennett for a fun morning! I definitely got my workout for the day trying to keep up with the twins. If you're a mom with little ones who are suddenly walking, you totally understand.
Enjoy your slideshow. Click the image below to view it.
Sara Speert Photography, Piedmont Park photographer
Reese has grown so much since I first starting photographing her a year ago. She is walking and talking now, and she has beautiful blond curls. I'm liking this look a lot better than the bald baby look. :)
I am really excited to start designing her baby album from all three portrait sessions. I'll be sure to post a few pages here when it's complete.
Click the image to watch the slideshow.
Sara Speert Photography, Decatur, GA baby photography and baby albums
Have I mentioned how many of my friends are having kids? I guess there's just something about my age, but it seems like all my friends who are married are having babies. And as you'd imagine photographing my friends' families is SO AMAZING. I pride myself on getting to know my clients and knowing what moments and images will be most meaningful to them. Add that I know my friends even better, sometimes for years, and it makes the process of documenting their little ones even more special.
I've known Dan & Rachel since college. We all attended the University of Rochester (in fact, that's where they met) and I am so grateful for their friendship. Photographing Joshua was an especially fantastic experience. I can see how he resembles mom and dad in so many ways and it's so wonderful to see how much their love reflects in his eyes.
Click the image below to see a few of my favorite images from their session last weekend.
Sara Speert, Dunwoody, Georgia children's portrait photographer
I am honored to be included in the May issue of Professional Photographer Magazine. I have been reading this magazine for years, folding down page corners and tearing out articles, getting new ideas, and being inspired and re-inspired by other photographers, technical tips and marketing ideas. So to be included is amazing! Being interviewed for this piece was one of the highlights of my professional career and I couldn't be happier to, at the same time, bring some attention back to New Orleans, a place that still needs help 3.5 years after Hurricane Katrina.
Spring is finally here and with it comes portraits! Yay portraits!
This morning I had the pleasure to visit with Clark again. I photographed a portrait session of him at Piedmont Park last year just after his second birthday. Now he has a baby brother, Luke. Luke has the most adorable smile and it was so fun talking to Clark. I am always so excited when my kids are able to communicate with me verbally and even use my name. At the end of the session as they were getting ready for lunch, he asked me if I'd like to join them for pizza. How cute is that?!
Here's Luke and his big brother, Clark.
Sara Speert, Atlanta baby and kids portrait photographer
It's been a long 5 months....ok, not really. It's just that I've been working on a lot of new projects since January. Kinda like a total business overhaul. June 1 will be my 6th anniversary so it was really time for some changes. I've learned a lot in these 6 years and while I have been making changes along the way to accommodate the requests I've received, this time it's a big change because so many things have been enhanced.
Today is the day that the new price list is being released! I know, not something you are really all that excited about, but you should be! We now have wall art collections, an inspiration guide to help you think about the creative and attractive ways you can display your favorite images, enhancements to the Coffee Table Albums with something totally custom-made (and unlike anything you've ever seen), and so many more things. Not only are there new concepts and products, but it looks beautiful too! Here's a little glimpse.
If you'd like information about any of our services, concepts or products, please contact us. Here's our main website - click on the contact page.
What an beautiful wedding and a beautiful couple! Christin and Jason's beach wedding was just perfect. An intimate wedding, beautiful weather, and a barefoot first dance on the beach...
Looking forward to the reception on Saturday at the reception at Barnsley Gardens!
Click the image to view the slideshow. As always, the show can be purchased by clicking the DVD icon at the bottom of the show.
Thanks to Candice K for second shooting with me! It was so great working with her and her images, just fantastic.
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 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!
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 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.
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
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. :)
