David Gray, Ohio Theatre, Columbus

Had a great day yesterday - we headed down to Columbus for a David Gray concert. The Ohio Theatre is an incredible venue & the show was amazing! If you're a David Gray fan, I strongly encourage attending his shows - well worth it. A great "girl day out". Now enjoying a lazy, rainy Sunday in!

Mini sessions (Easter)

A few more images from the Easter sessions.
Thanks to my loyal clients for coming in to see me for this mini session. These clients have all been in for several of my mini sessions & Holiday specials. This is exactly what they are for! Get some great shots of your kids, don't break the bank & donate to a great cause! My holiday sessions always call for donations to the food pantries, etc. in lieu of a session fee. Thanks for all the canned goods, etc - it will go to great use, I am sure~

Easter Portraits

Here's some images from the recent Easter sessions. I will be starting up mini sessions soon - watch for details. Don't forget about the pet mini session on Sat., April 17th! Call or email for info!
Aren't these little ones so cute in their Easter finery?!

Weekly DIps

OK, catching up & trying to get on track with Weekly Dips.
I wanted to touch a bit on what to do with all your digital images...
It seems as if everyone is constantly snapping pictures, whether with a digital SLR, point & shoot or camera phone. It has become so easy to record images and capture memories everywhere. However, how many of you back these up or even print them out? Leaving them on the flash card is risky; those cards are so tiny & can be damaged easily. Creating folders on your computer is an easy measure for temporary sorting & storing. Your images should be stored in a more permanent fashion since we all know that computers crash all too often!
Consider backing your images up on CD's, DVD's or portable hard drives. All of these are inexpensive, easy to use & offer storage off of your computer. Not only do you avoid the risk of a computer crash, but you will free up needed space on your computer.
Carbonite & other online back up storage services are available for a low nominal fee. This assures that your images and data are protected in case of disaster in your home & accessible by you at any time.
The last & I feel most important way to preserve your images - have them printed! So many people are now uploading their images to online galleries, Facebook, etc. That is fine for friends & family to view, but please print these for yourselves to have in the future. I cherish my countless albums full of family events and memories. We can lose hours looking through these books & reminiscing. I just don't think it will be the same to sit around the computer with our grandchildren clicking on photos online. Can you depend on these online galleries to still be around in 40 years or more?
Obviously, backing up images is a huge priority to me as it is my business to retain these for others as well as myself. I back up with Carbonite, portable hardrive and on DVD. I back up all our personal images the same way & once a year, during the slower winter months, I have all the images from the past year printed. It takes some effort & money to go through & print them all at once, however, I lose track during the year. I buy slip in (acid free) albums & get them all filed away. It is my traditional annual winter project & I get peace of mind that I have saved all those memories of special events through the year.
Thanks & please send me your comments & thoughts for future topics. Happy Spring!

Spring Portraits mini sessions

Spring (Easter) Portraits mini sessions are this week, Thurs. & Fri., Mar. 25 & 26th. No session fee - please bring items for the food pantries. Call or email for appts. www.serendipitybygerri.com

Meet Xavier

Xavier is a sweet 9 week old little guy. He is also the first baby of one of my wedding couples - I love getting to see the new families grow! I, also, have known Xavier's mama since she was about 7 years old, so it was extra special to take their first family portraits. Allie & Ben have adapted to being parents with such ease - I seriously got teary eyed listening to Ben talk to Xavier during the session. And if you all only knew the story behind the Ohio State sweater...so absolutely sweet. Allie & Ben - congrats on your new babe - he is gorgeous!

More from Julia

Had to post a few images of Julia in her adorable outfits - such a stylish little thing. We even got to play with the sock monkey!

Julia's One Year Session

Have I said how 1st birthday sessions are one of my favorite things in the world? I love seeing the little ones in their cute little outfits, then strippin' them down and letting them dig into their cakes! The expressions are priceless & you never know how they're going to react when let loose with a whole cake to themselves! Julia had so many cute outfits & was very patient with us - as long as we kept a steady stream of Cheerios going! Fortunately, she had a little room left for some cake!
FYI: Thrush's Bakery has adorable mini cakes for birthdays for $2.50~

Tyin' The Knot

Megan & Kevin will be tyin' the knot with a destination wedding in Oct., 2011. Hence, their creative props for their engagement session. Have fun with the wedding planning - hope to get together with you soon - I'm always up for the beach!

Upcoming Events at Serendipity!

Here are the dates for some upcoming special events at Serendipity Photography. More info to follow - mark your calendars!

Easter Portraits - Thurs., Mar 25th & Fri., March 26th. These are mini sessions that will run similar to the Christmas specials. No session fee (please bring a donation for the food pantry), 4-6 poses to choose from, packages available. And, no, I do Not use live bunnies or chicks! Call or email for your appt.

Furry Friends Special - Sat., April 17th. Bring your pets for a session just for them! No session fee - please bring dog or cat food for the Humane Society. Packages available. Call or email for your appt.

Senior Open House - Sat., April 24th, 1-5 p.m. Come see what we have to offer for your senior portraits. Look at products, see samples, discuss your ideas...Snacks & fun! Bring your friends. Call for additional info.

Preschoolers!

I had the opportunity to photograph a preschool last week. Not something I generally do, but I had a blast! I expected shyness & maybe some tears from the kiddos, but instead they were outgoing, happy & so much fun! Thanks to Chelsea for going along to help keep things organized & dole out the stickers. Had to post a few images of the funniest little guys in the school!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wishing you all a wonderful & safe St. Patty's Day! This is always a big holiday for us (second to 4th of July) - we absolutely love everything about Ireland & wish we were there to celebrate with our little lephrechaun, Taylor! We miss her so much, but are very proud of her for following her dreams & soaking up life!

Weekly Dips (a bit late)

OK, so not doing so well on keeping up with getting the Weekly Dips in on time. I'll post 2 this week!
I'm just going to briefly finish up a little of what I was talking about last week. The topic was "choosing a photographer". Not to be redundant, I want to elaborate some on why to consider a "custom" photographer for your family/children/senior photography needs.
First, a "custom" photographer generally has their own studio or works strictly on location. I am not speaking of chain stores, discount stores, and other quick photo venues. Your session with a custom photographer should be just that - custom. The session should give you what you are looking for; backgrounds, design, props, etc that suit your home decor & what you want the finished product to look like. You should have some say in the planning of the session.
The second benefit of custom photography is in the post processing. Your images should be considered works of art. You certainly don't want to worry about that bruise on your 2 year olds' forehead. Retouching and finishing should be expected & not an "add on".
Having beautiful, creative images of your family is such an important tool in preserving your memories. Be sure to get what you truly desire.

Pet Portraits!

Working on some fun, new projects! We will be holding a mini session for your favorite furry friends this spring. Proceeds will go towards the Humane Society. Watch for details coming soon. Full sessions available also.

Not so terrible two's

I can't believe Piper is actually two! It seems like just yesterday that I was photographing her birth, then her 1st year, now she's two - and talking up a storm. She is such a little girl, very independent & free spirited. Not too interested in sitting for pictures, she was too concerned with going to find the kitty. Next time, we include Mac in her session! Happy Birthday, Piper!

"Weekly Dips"

I've decided to start a weekly blog entry - "Weekly Dips"..serendipity - get it?... I'll try to put a little something out there to help novice photographers, photography clients, shutter bugs, etc. Please leave me a comment if there is something you'd like to hear about - I'd be glad to help you out any way I can.

CHOOSING A PHOTOGRAPHER:
Whether looking for a wedding photographer or someone to shoot your senior or family session, the decision shouldn't be decided upon lightly. There are so many photographers out there now; some experienced & highly qualified: some newer, but very eager & fresh. First decide what style you are looking for; traditional, candid, casual, formal, photojournalistic. Next, look at what your budget for this event will be. These two factors will help veer you to photographers that you will want to consider.
Check online and in local papers & ads. However, the best source of names usually comes from word of mouth. Let your friends & family know what you're looking for. They will certainly be glad to share with you their good & bad experiences.
Once you gather some references, check out the photographers' websites, blogs & Facebook sites. Watch for a variety of images - they should offer a diverse portfolio for you to view. Do the images catch your eye & make you want to see more? Are they unique & creative or do they begin to all look the same... Are they well lit & clear?
Once you find someone you are interested in, schedule a time to meet or have a good phone conversation with them. You need to be comfortable with this person -you will be spending some time with them. Do they offer a studio, travel to locations that you are interested in, or come to your home?
Find out all the details of the session fees, package costs & inclusives. Although cost is always a factor, please keep in mind that this should not be the only reason you choose someone. These are your memories being preserved & should be entrusted to someone who will treat this event as if it were their own.
Lastly, please be sure that the photographer you choose is a professional!. I can not stress this enough. As I stated, there are so many "photographers" out there now. Anyone can purchase an entry level digital camera & become a photographer...however, is their equipment capable of handling church lighting, are they experienced in dealing with large groups of people or newborn babies, will they be reliable when it comes time for ordering & delivering your prints? How long have they been in business - will they still be around if you need to order more prints in 2, 5 or 10 years? Are they a licensed business & do they belong to any professional associations; PPA or WPPI, etc. Please be confident in your decision!

As I wrote this, I realized how much more there is to say on this subject. I will add entries more specific to wedding photography, senior photography, baby & family, etc. in the future.
Keep watching for "Weekly Dips"! And don't forget to leave me a comment - I'd love to hear from you!

Hockey Champs

We took a midweek trip up to Detroit yesterday to watch my cousins' hockey championship. Brody's team had the honor of playing at Joe Louis Arena. They won the game & Brody scored one goal & had two assists. Way to go, Brody - we're so proud of you! It's still amazing to me that he is so dedicated to hockey - he's Seven! My girls played sports when they were seven, but were more interested in the after game snack than the actual game !