Photojen's blog

Graduation Portrait Slideshows

2009-08-16T15:49:00.002-07:00

Here are 2 slideshows that showcase the best of the class of 2009. Use them to help you plan your senior portrait session with Generations.

Graduation Portrait Slideshow

2009-08-16T15:49:00.001-07:00

/Users/Jennifer/Desktop/Class of 2010 #1.mp4

AND ANOTHER!

/Users/Jennifer/Desktop/Class of 2010 #2.mp4

Here is Part 2 of the Tummies to Tots display

2009-07-15T16:51:00.001-07:00

Online Surveys & Market Research

Some quick news...

2009-07-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

If you have or know any class of 2010 seniors tell them to head on over to Tavos Pizzeria for some great food. While they're there, they can check out my graduation display and pick up an invitation to my Graduation Open House that I am hosting on August 6 from 6:30-9. You'll be able to enter a drawing to win a free graduation portrait package while you're here.

Here's a sneak peek at what the display looks like.

Tummies To Tots Display Poll Part 1

2009-07-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Online Surveys & Market Research

SENIORS - SENIORS - SENIORS!

2009-04-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorites from the marathon month of photographing the class of 2009! Enjoy. Pass on my contact info to the class of 2010!

Spring Fling Portrait Fundraising Event

2009-03-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

I've teamed up with kids Helping Kids to help raise money for their great cause. I've created a special event just for them! Your $25 session fee will go directly to Kids Helping Kids. You will receive an additional 25% off our already discounted package prices.

What more could you want? Beautiful portraits, save money, raise money for a good cause. It feels as nice as a warm spring day.

Call now, sessions will be filling up fast! Click on the flier to see it full sized!

Mike B. FHS 2009!

2009-03-10T16:48:00.001-07:00

Crazy Cody turns 3!

2009-03-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

It took a few minutes, but once mom got Cody laughing, it was almost too easy to get awesome expressions. I love the variety of faces he made. These are 3 of my favorites.

The Gensburger Family

2009-03-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

We weren't sure if the rain would hold off long enough to create their portrait but it did. This background is much better than a studio backdrop even if I have 7 or 8 of them to chose from. This is a multi-generational family portrait which is fantastic to create. We all know how special grandparents are!

Oliver by Heritage High School Productions

2009-02-25T15:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick video of some scenes from the musical Oliver. From what I saw on Monday night at dress rehearsal, it's going to be a great performance, so don't miss out. You'll get an evening of entertainment and help the drama department.

I'll be there with my fundraiser. It's my goal to raise $900 during the run of this play. That will bring my total up to $3765 that I've raised for the drama boosters.

SPECIAL OFFER ON GRADUATION PORTRAITS!

2009-02-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

Class of 2009 Seniors!

As of today there are 106 days, including today, until your graduation. That may seem like a long time, but it's not. It's just a little over three months! Spring break is also coming up quickly and if you haven't had your senior portraits created yet, now is the time.

As a thank you for attending our open house last August we are offering you the chance to save money and still get awesome senior portraits! How can you beat that? Have your portraits created in March and your order placed by April 15th and you'll save an additional 10% off our already discounted portrait packages. That's more than a 20% savings! (I can't seem to do the actual math!)

Go to my Facebook page Become a fan while you're there.

This offer will be going out to our email list of nearly 600 in a week, so call today! You don't want to miss out!

Caitlin - Freedom HS 2009

2009-02-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

I love when I get to be fun and creative. It's one of the reasons I really like photographing high school seniors. It's probably the last time they'll get a portrait that's all about them and for many, it's the only time they've had this experience. Just say no to school photography you really don't like and have portraits created that truly show off your personality at least a few times when the kids are growing up.

Here are my 3 favorites of Caitlin. I love the moodiness of the clouds in the first one so I lit her to emphasize her and the drama, If you know Caitlin, you'll know that this suits her. The sepia (brown tone) treatment adds to the mood.

I love this stairwell behind the Delta theater. The No Loitering sign makes it a fun place to create some fun teenage portraits. It's great for skateboarders or others who are guilty of "just hanging out" and isn't that what most teens do?

Lastly, Caitlin kept telling me about this old truck they recently purchased so i suggested we head to her house and photograph her in her prom dress with the truck as a background. She loved that idea, so here is one of my favorites. I like how the pale green of the truck offsets the black and white of her dress.

Here is the video of Caitlins session. Enjoy!

Seniors...by Generations Photography

2009-02-10T17:49:00.001-08:00

This is a compilation video of our favorite graduation portraits created in the last year! Use it to get ideas for your session or just sit back and enjoy!

Which major to choose?

2009-02-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

I love high school seniors, they're part kid, part adult and it's fun working with them. With that said, being the mom of a senior is a totally different story some days.

For the past 3 years, my daughter has participated in the Academy of Art's pre-college program. She started this to help her narrow down a career path/major. She's gone through 3 and in October, she thought she had decided on photography.

Then along came the XBox Live and her passion for video game design came back. In her photography class today, she was thinking of how different photography terms would make good video game character names and an entire story line went through her head!

So, it's off to call the Animation/Visual Effects department head (something I strongly encouraged last summer) to discuss her passion, her talent and see if this is a good fit for her.

If not, I guess she can "settle" on photography.

That's all for now. Just wanted to vent a little. I think I am looking forward to the class of 2010!

Zach - Heritage 2009

2009-02-06T12:44:00.001-08:00

It took months to get him here and still he asked his mom "why are we doing this?" but once we got started Zach discovered that senior portraits can be a lot of fun. I think the only reason we stopped was because the sun went down! We still have a few more portraits to create, we just need to have the pool cover off to achieve the look we want.

As many of you know, Zach is an accomplished swimmer, is part of class leadership and would not look like Zach without a hat. This is one of my favorites because it looks like Zach to me, this is who he is. I can't wait to get the cap and gown shot with the pool as a background - I know we're all going to love it!

Here is Zacha s slideshow. We still have to photograph him in his cap and gown with the pool as a background, but we got rained out yesterday and today, maybe tomorrow!

New Kid on the Block

2009-02-04T18:01:00.001-08:00

I've had dogs all my life. Those of you who've been to my studio have likely met Jinx & Ginger, my two Golden Retrievers. What you may not know is that I grew up with black, female miniature poodles. Daphne was the last one of "my" poodles, we got her when I was almost 13. She lived long enough to meet Laura, my daughter.

Then came Holly. My parents got Holly when Laura was 6 weeks old. The two "babies" slept together in a cardboard box at the studio in Concord. Holly lived to over 17 years old, a very long life for a dog. We were able to create a portrait of the two 17 year olds before Holly passed away.

This past weekend, the newest kid in the family joined my parents. Her name is Misty, and she is a distant relative of Holly. Mom and Dad brought Misty over for her first official portrait. She's in for a life time of them!

Mitch Stroski Graduates!

2009-01-23T13:36:00.001-08:00

Creating the portraits of Mitch at the baseball field was a creative challenge, but I am glad I took that challenge on! All the elements that make a dugout a dugout were the perfect background for his baseball portraits. The following image is one of my favorites:

A fun Portrait of ME!

2009-01-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

So, I have a new years resolution to have my portrait created once a month. Since my daughter is planning on majoring in Fine Art Photography at the Academy of Art, I figured this would be a good learning opportunity for her. I also need to have more portraits of me. I wouldn't want to depart this earth and have nothing visual of me to pass down.

This is a portrait of me and my dog Jinx. I gave Laura a pretty tough assignment on this first one. Working with dogs isn't easy plus there are always "body issues" to take into consideration with every client including me.

I love this portrait because Jinx is a total love. He L*O*V*E*S his momza! Every where I go, he goes. He's wrapped around the office chair now.

I will be posting more portraits and how/why they were created the way they were because many of you have asked me these questions in the past. I hope you enjoy the added blog content!

Best of 2008!

2008-12-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who has helped make Generations Photography a success. 2008 was an exciting year. Keep watching this blog and your email for some exciting announcements coming in 2009!

Jennifer

We Survived the Birthday Week! (Almost.)

2008-11-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

The week started out with a party for my niece who turned 3 on November 10th. She had a Princess Party where all her girl friends dressed up in their princess outfits and partied. Later that evening it was more friends and family this time. I'll have to get some of the photos from my brother in law, he did a good job. I was tired from shooting portraits all day so I left my camera at home.

Next up, Jinx. Jinx turned 1 on November 12. It just seems like yesterday he was a little puppy, now he's a full grown dog of almost 80 pounds. Some of you have experienced his full 80 pounds of enthusiasm when he greets you. We're still working on his manners, but he's still a love.

Not to be outdone, Ginger also had a birthday this past week. She and her "sis" Laura share November 14. I created the above portrait on 11-13, between the two dogs birthdays and the day they got groomed. Can't have a scruffy dog in a portrait. Ginger is 3 and while it's a little harder to remember her puppyhood, it doesn't seem like it was that long ago either.

Which brings me to Laura. Laura turned 17 on November 14. I can't believe how much she's changed in the last few months. She's almost done with high school, knows where she's going to college and what she's going to major in (photography!). She's working, saving for a car but still splurging on movies and cool stuff from Tilly's. I guess I better check that store out for Christmas gift ideas! I'm pretty sure she'll be getting good camera gear for graduation.

Oh, and just in case you didn't know, I also had a birthday. I used to be the "only" November baby, but I've been bumped, bumped, bumped by all these newcomers. I celebrated 42 years of living on November 17. Life's been good to me so I have few complaints other than the fact that I spent the day in bed with a nasty cold! Could be worse, I had a lot of Law & Order on the DVR! Thank Goodness since daytime TV is mostly awful.

Here's what's coming up soon...

2008-11-07T16:04:00.001-08:00

Well I finally updated the blog, finally, which might make you wonder what's been going on. Well, quite a lot. First, we've been working on the themed portrait details and will be bringing you special themes quarterly starting now. (See Magic of Christmas post below)

We've been photographing a lot of the class of 09, stay tuned for more about them. The blog is filled with the class of 08 so I am waiting to do something special with these early seniors. Speaking of seniors, you know my daughter Laura is a senior at Heritage. That gives me a very special insight into exactly what a senior and their parents want and need. I am the only senior mom who is a Certified Professional Photographer with a speciality in seniors.

I'll be posting more of the family portraits that we create in the next few weeks before the end of the year. I also have a 2009 calendar for the first 100 of you and a special "Year in Review" slideshow we hope to put together.

There's always something fun going on at Generations Photography - check back regularly, make sure you're signed up for the email newsletter so you can find out about all the deals and excitement first.

The Magic of Christmas

2008-11-07T15:30:00.001-08:00

Capture the thrills and joys of Christmas morning with our new themed portrait. This is the first in our new "Generations Collection Series".

Packages are as follows:

Just a Little Bit includes:
24 custom holiday cards & 2 5x7s ..................................$ 65

Something For Everyone includes:
24 custom holiday cards 1 8x10 & 2 5x7s.......................$ 95

Home Decor & More includes:
24 custom holiday cards, 1 12x12 4 image collage..........$125

Internet Only Special package:
24 custom holiday cards, 1 12x12 4 image collage
6 5x7 & 8 wallets.....................$195

The dates the Magic of Christmas set is available are: 12/2, 12/3, 12/5 & 12/6

We also have a Sugar Plum Fairy Set. It is available: 11/25, 11/26, 11/28 & 11/29

It's Family Portrait Time!

2008-11-07T15:26:00.000-08:00

Many of your friends and neighbors have already had their family portraits done - what are you waiting for? Here is a sampling of what we've been creating for them. We're very much into relationship style portraits. We have been for quite awhile but it just now seems to be picking up in popularity. Who knew we were trend setters!

Family Portrait Special

2008-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

FAMILY PORTRAIT SALE!! UP TO 40% OFF

We negotiated a deal with our printer for a one time price reduction. From November 11 - 26 you can have a family portrait package for $195. This is our regularly priced $375 package which includes a 30 minute studio session, 2 8x10s, 4 5x7s & 8 wallets. This won't happen again so book now. There are still some times available. Tell your friends. This isn't a secret that you should keep to yourself!

New! Themed Portraits!

2008-09-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do themed portraits for a very long time. Back in the day when my parents and I had a studio in Concord, we did do them for nearly a year. It hasn't been something I had the time to devote to, but I finally found a theme that got me excited so I am taking the plunge.

Tuesday, September 9 I will be showcasing this first theme to my networking group, Delta Networking Partners . I will be using their kids as models and my networking partners as a focus group to bring you exactly what you've been wanting!

Here is a sample of what I have in mind. My first theme revolves around "The Magic Of Childhood" and I have a lot of great ideas. It will be interesting to see which ones the group likes which will then be the themes I'll be bringing to you.

Friends, food & fireworks

2008-07-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. My family and I had dinner with some friends. Yum, chicken, ribs, fruit, salad and chocolate cake. Can't have a holiday dinner without a yummy dessert. Good thing I've been stepping up my workouts lately!

After dinner we drove to the Antioch Marina to watch the fireworks. Some young entrepreneurs were making some good money charging the crowd $5 to park in their apartment complex's parking lot. Good for them. They also sold ice cream and bottled water. We took advantage of their enterprise not only because parking was hard to come by, but it's also nice to encourage young entrepreneurs.

From there is was a decent walk to a good viewing location. We didn't mind, it worked off some of the food!

The waterfront was packed with families and kids and everyone was having a good time. A DJ was providing some dance music and during the fireworks he provided patriotic tunes. It made for a terrific evening. It wasn't until later that I found out that our friends son hadn't seen fireworks like this ever. When they go off, they are practically over year head and it's a full experience. You see them, feel the boom - it's awesome.

So, here are a couple of my favorite shots from last night. Next year I would love to try and light the faces of the people watching while still getting the fireworks. These are done with the camera on a tripod for a full 30 second exposure. (That means the camera lens was open, recording the scene for half a minute!) I've been working on some new location lighting techniques, so it's possible that by the next 4th of July, I'll be able to light the onlookers nicely and still get the dramatic colors in the fireworks.

Stay tuned for that!

Enjoy these in the meantime.

Have You Checked out all the Goodies to the Right?

2008-06-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

There's a lot going on in this blog. I try to keep you updated with what's going on here at Generations Photography, but I know everyone is busy. That's why I add what I hope are useful and fun links in my blogs sidebar, you know, the space over here ----------------------------->

You can check out what's new here, but also get a weather update. You can also see what's going on at the Center For Fine Art Photography, just to keep your photography appetite satisfied. If you don't need anymore visual stimulation, you can always get the latest free iTunes song. You can even get the ones that are available in other countries! How cool is that. Free music from all over the world, brought to you by my friends in Cupertino, CA. (That's where Apple headquarters is located.)

You can also check out some links to other websites that offer you some additional information on things like wedding planning advice from real wedding professionals. You can find out what is a Certified Professional Photographer is as detailed by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and find out what I had to do to become one.

You will also find a link to my archived email newsletters. This gives you an opportunity to see what's gone on in previous newsletters.

There is a link to get email notifications of blog updates so you don't have to waste time checking in to see if there's new stuff, you can just wait for an email. You can also check out the websites/blogs of many of my photographer friends nationwide, just for fun. It might spark and idea for your next portrait.

So, check back regularly to my blog. Let me know if there are things you want to see and I will do my best to accommodate any reasonable requests!

SAVE THE DATE!

2008-06-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 20 7-9 PM.

Got it? Good!

What's happening? We are having a Studio Open House for the class of 09.

There will be pizza and other food, gift cards for all seniors, prizes for the senior from each school who brings the most friends, bonuses for any senior who brings their parents and extra items in their portrait package for any senior who books their session during the open house!

Tell everyone you know, we want this to be a super fun event!

What Photographers Do For Fun...

2008-06-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

They annoy their family with their experimenting. Now that my daughter is a senior (Heritage HS Class of 09) I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do for her senior portraits. You know I won't be buying them from Prestige!

This is what she does with most of her free time. She's playing online games, talking to numerous friends, and generally having a great time. Since that's her, and I like to create senior portraits that are "you", I decided to play around a little with my flash off camera and create some snapshot-like portraits.

This is just the beginning. As I have said, the class of 09 is going to be my most creative senior portraits to date, because I have to out-do myself for my daughter, and the rest of you will get the benefit. She'll just be annoyed that I interrupted her Sunday afternoon game-fest with all my craziness!

That's what you get when your mom is a professional photographer!

Being a Part of History

2008-06-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Today I was a part of history. Actually, most days I help preserve memories, but today was truly about history.

I was honored when our Contra Costa County Clerk, Steve Weir, asked me to be his official photographer at his wedding to long-time partner John. I have known both men casually for many years, and they know a lot of photographers, so this was a big deal for me.

Getting to the County Clerks office in Martinez from Brentwood by 8 AM isn't a feat I want to do on a regular basis. Nor do I want to have to fight for space with dozens of media photographers, reporters, etc. to get what I am hired to do.

Here are two photos that I feel document the historical aspect of what I did today. The personal aspect is no different than what I normally do, but being a part of an historical first was quite an honor.

What was the same as my "normal" days was the love that was visible on Steve's face. That's what today was about for me, the history was just an added benefit.

First Communion & A Confirmation

2008-05-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

I have know these two lovely girls for 8 years. Victoria is only 8, so I've know her her whole life. Her sister Teresa went to middle school with my daughter so she's no stranger either. Their mom is the lady who keeps my nails looking great so I was thrilled to have the opportunity (finally) to get her girls in front of my camera.

Victoria just had her first communion and of course mom wanted a special portrait to preserve this special milestone. Teresa will be having her confirmation in a couple of weeks so it was natural to do some portraits for her as well. I'll be at the confirmation mass to photograph the actual event, but it's always nice to create portraits in the studio where I have control over everything!

Teresa is a competitive skater and will be a senior at Antioch High School this fall.

How to Celebrate a Birthday!

2008-05-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

Miranda is my niece. In the last 2 weeks, both her mom and dad had a birthday. Personally, I think this shot "takes the cake" where birthday celebrations are concerned. I take the snapshots my sister takes and Photoshop them. I am going to hang this one in my kitchen!

More Jinx & Ginger!

2008-05-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular blog reader then you know it's been awhile since I posted any photos of Jinx "the puppy". I bet you don't recognize him. Go to the blog archives and look at his first official portrait then come back here.

Yeah, he's a big dog now. He still acts like a puppy since he's only 6 months old, but he's almost as big as Ginger, except for his feet. They are much bigger than hers, huge actually. Keep checking back, I'll add more when he looks even more grown up!

Graduation Announcements!

2008-05-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

In addition to all the senior portraits I've been creating, I've also been creating a lot of graduation announcements and invitations. Here is a slide show with my favorites. I can create custom holiday cards, wedding thank you cards, save the date cards, book mark favors - just about anything you might want!

To Protect & Serve _Miniature Style!

2008-05-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is Christen, his Dad is a police officer with the Concord PD. When he was just a tiny baby his mom was given a authentic miniature police uniform shirt which she knew she was going to use in a portrait for his Dad when it fit.

Well, 3 years later, the shirt fit and Christen and his mom came to me to create this really special portrait. Christen is great in front of the camera and I managed to create too many good ones. One of my favorites is his bad guy face. I asked him to pretend he was after some bad guys who had stolen his candy. His mom told him to "turn his face to mad" to get the expression I was after. Apparently, this is what Christen says when he's not happy with you! Too cute.

Dad is getting 2 wall collages and a portrait book. I think those gifts are going to be hard to top next birthday/Father's Day.

Since we did the portraits on the "QT" we didn't have access to a police car. Since Christen is 3 I figured the tricycle was a good substitute and he agreed. I told him it was his "police tricycle".

Do you have a Dad that you would like to honor with a special portrait? I have created quite a few portraits that use Dads profession as the central theme. Firefighter, bank manager, photographer - the only limit is our creativity!

Julie & Greg May 17th!

2008-05-27T12:14:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing Greg & Julie's wedding this month. It was a beautiful affair with lots of family and friends in attendance. Greg & Julie waited a long time before they found each other, but the wait was worth it. You can see how in love they are with each other.

The ceremony was held at their home church, Golden Hills and the reception was at the (new) Shadow Lakes Event Center. Both locations were very nice especially considering it was the hottest weekend of the year!

Here are some of my favorite photos from their day:

What Have We Been Up To?

2008-05-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

I was so good at blogging regularly and now, as you can see, I haven't blogged much lately. There's a good reason for that, we've been crazy busy with the Class of 2008! I even hired an assistant to help me out.

Kaitlyn is a senior at Deer Valley and will be going to Sonoma State this fall. (Yeah, I'll have to find someone as good as her :( ). Anyway, I thought you might enjoy some shots of what it's like behind the scenes.

The first is Kaitlyn packaging up the latest batch of orders. Every bag is an order for a soon-to-be graduate. Well, all except one. For the most part, all we've done for the last two months is graduation portraits.

(Thankfully, the phone has started ringing with families and babies needing sessions!)

The second shot is Kaitlyn retouching yet another class of 2008 senior. As you can see, behind her is Jinx, rolled over on his back, sound asleep. What you don't get from the photo is the snoring.

Yeah, it's really fun to work when the dog is snoring behind you and quite loudly too.

Stay tuned for the non graduation portrait blogging. I did a really cute session today, but I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet!

What are You Really Getting with LifeTouch?

2008-05-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Every school year there is a lot of discussion about why our schools require us to use the photography studio of their choice. As most of you have experienced, the "school photographer" isn't usually that good, they aren't always easy to deal with if you want additional copies or if there is a problem, the whole experience can be quite frustrating.

As an independent photography studio, I hear lots of these stories every year. I hear mostly the bad stuff, but occasionally I hear some good stories, but not many.

One thing I hear a lot of is just sheer frustration so I decided to share with you a story that was emailed to me regarding one of our local "school photography" companies. Also, in addition to the poor quality portraits, mediocre customer service, this company charged Heritage High School seniors (class of 2008) more than they did for the Liberty or Freedom seniors based simply on the fact that there were less graduates at Heritage than the other two schools.

Had our district been paying attention to the contracts that they sign with Lifetouch, they would have noticed the price discrepancy and the fact that they booked all the Heritage senior sessions during school hours! Lifetouch claimed that they didn't know school was in session despite the fact that both Liberty & Freedom were scheduled during summer break.

So, if all this isn't bad enough, and I'll spare you all the other stories I have been told, now it appears that they are going to have to reprint an entire order of yearbooks because of employee misconduct in regards to digital manipulation.

Here is the story from Yahoo News:

Company to reprint yearbooks after head switching

School officials say they are appalled by altered photos - including heads on different bodies - in hundreds of McKinney High School yearbooks delivered this week. (May 19th, 2008)

Besides the head and body switching, some necks were stretched, one girls arm was missing, and another girls head was placed on what appeared to be a nude body, with the chest blurred.

A spokeswoman for Minnesota-based Liftouch National Schools Inc., said the alterations were "an unfortunate lapse in judgement" by an employee but didn't believe it was malicious.

The high school required Lifetouch to make heads the same size and eyes at the same level in all student photos, company spokeswoman Sara Thurin Rollin said Saturday. The request was "unusual and definitely very particular but that's not to suggest what happened here is acceptable" she said.

Rollin declined to say if the company fired or reprimanded the employee who altered the images. She said Lifetouch is taking full responsibility for the altered pictures, about 30 in all, and will pay to have the publication reprinted before the seniors graduate.

Lori Oglesbee, the schools yearbook advisor at Mckinney High School said the yearbook staff would spend the weekend rebuilding the yearbook.

McKinney is about 20 miles north of Dallas.

Now, yours truly was on her yearbook staff, editor when I was a senior and some of what is stated in this article is misleading. In any publication, head size and eye placement are fairly critical to making the piece look professional.

One of the standard excuses I hear for not going with whichever photographer a family chooses is because it would make creating the yearbook harder and more expensive. While this seems logical on the surface, it simply isn't true. There are more than 2 dozen states including Oregon that prohibit the practice commonly known as Lock Out Contracts. The contracts our school district signs with Lifetouch locks out any local photographer not just from the "school portraits" but also team photos, dances, and other special events. Think about this in terms of our local economy. Why do we allow our school district to 100% support an out of state company versus using a local photographer from our area?

As the parent of a class of 2009 senior, I will get to experience first hand the "Lifetouch Process". I am sure I will have my own stories to tell when the school year begins.

So, if you want to support your local families, keep your dollars in your local community, make this known with your spending. There are lots of photographers in town that do a wonderful job, a far superior job to any national chain. Don't believe that you have to buy from the photographer the school chooses. Requiring a purchase is illegal (it creates an unfair monopoly). Instead, interview and select a local photographer (who is also likely a local parent), and find someone that is going to do what you want, when you want it and not make dreadful choices such as what was described above.

Like I said, let your dollars do the talking. You can also contact your school district office and let them know how you feel about Lock Out Contracts. If enough parents make a fuss, maybe they will take a look around and see that there is plenty of alternatives to their old school ways!

Another Drama Dept. Fundraiser!

2008-05-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

This time it was for Liberty High School. It turns out, that when I was at Heritage doing my fundraiser for their drama dept. the department head from Liberty saw me and "ratted me out" to their drama teacher.

Since it was only a one night performance I figured I could take the time and help them out and I am glad I did. i raised $300 for them, and had a great time while I was there. Here are a few of my favorite photos from "An Evening of 1 Acts" which were student directed scenes.

Real Prom Photos

2008-04-24T09:50:00.001-07:00

This is my daughters friend Jackie. Her mom wanted "real" portraits of her daughter in her prom dress, lucky me! All of us thought Jackie looked like Cinderella in her beautiful blue gown and I am thrilled that her mom thought enough of this milestone, and me, to have Jackie photographed professionally.

Do your prom photos look like these? They can. You always have an alternative to the school photographer. Yes they're convenient and relatively cheap, but why chance these once-in-a-lifetime memories to convenient and cheap?

Senior Ball is right around the corner, it's not too late to schedule something right before you take off for the enchanting evening!

Graduation Portraits Abound!

2008-04-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

Last week was a crazy week for graduation portraits. All the local schools were off last week and many seniors made good use of their time and had their portraits created.

This is Kaitlyn, she's friends with another client. Kaitlyn is special because she wants to be a photographer and she's currently interning with me. I am teaching her the behind the scenes stuff and trying to make time to teach her all the creative ways you can use your camera settings.

Kaitlyn will be going to Sonoma State in the fall (my loss) where she plans to major in business while also taking photography courses. That sounds familiar! The only difference is I went to San Francisco State!

I hope you enjoy Kaitlyns slide show!

WEBSITE HAS BEEN UPGRADED & UPDATED!

2008-04-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out my website lately, definitely take a look. The upgrade and overhaul are finally complete. My web person and I split the site into 4 segments, weddings, portraits, seniors and the blog. This gives you more to see when you are looking for a specific type of portrait, more specific information and is generally nicer to look at.

It was a lot of work, it took me the better part of every day for nearly three weeks to select all the images, edit all the content, add new content and make sure I kept the blog up to date. Then it took another month for my web person to make all the changes.

It was worth the wait - I hope you think so too! Check it out.

Generations By Jennifer

Isabelle is almost a year.

2008-03-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

I photographed Isabelle in September when she was still a small little baby. These days, she's turning into a little girl with a mind of her own. She loved the pouf skirt, but didn't like the hat her mom wanted her to wear. I think the portrait of her taking off the hat is pretty cute, but it wasn't one of moms favorites.

It's really gratifying when I get to see and photograph babies two or three times in their first year. They change so much it makes me feel old when I see them again, but it's fun to help document their first year!

Liz K. - The Coolest Senior Session in Ages!

2008-03-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Liz was referred to me by her best friend Arryn. Arryn had a great session with lots of creativity, portraits with her horse, all kinds of great portraits, and Liz had to come to me when she saw Arryns' book.

Well, Liz is into snow boarding and I just happened to see a Wisconsin photographer creating "action" shots in his studio of a fierce down hill skiing racer and I just had to try some out with Liz.

I think they turned out great! Then there's her "beach" shots, her spring shots and her formal shots. All in all it was a great session and I hope she and Arryn send some more of their friends because they are fun to photograph!

Check out Liz's slide show and see for yourself!

I got am email from Liz's family, here's what it says:

Hi Jennifer,

OMG!!! Thank you so much! We love the pictures...it is going to be so hard to pick. We can't wait to see the book. Talk to you soon.

Don, Leslie & Liz

Meet Mateo!

2008-03-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

Mateo was due to arrive on 3/9/08 but decided that he would come Wednesday February 27th. His mom didn't mind that he made her miss her pregnancy portrait, she was ready to hold him.

A lot of my baby portraits are either BW or sepia (brown tone) so I decided to show you some of my color work. I hope you enjoy Mateo's portraits as much as his family! Of course the first and last ones are two of my favorites!

Another 08 Senior!

2008-03-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, spring brings out a lot of seniors. As of today (3/21/08) Deer Valley has 84 days till graduation. Heritage has 78! That means I'll have a senior in less than 3 months. Yikes.

This is Tara. She's another Deer Valley senior. Her session was fun. Enjoy her slideshow!

Heritage High Drama Fundraiser

2008-03-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

It should be no surprise that the visual arts are important to me and as a way of helping out our kids, I created a fundraiser for Heritage's Drama Department. Last fall, during the run of "City of Angels" I photographed all the cast and parts of the play and sold the portraits to the parents.

We raised $1200! Since it costs between $3,000-$5,000 to put on a musical (which City of Angels was) this was a good chunk of change for the school.

The current play (plays run around $2,000 to put on) is "Rosencrantz & Gildenstern Are Dead" which is an interesting and funny play. Of course, I was there with my camera to photograph the cast and scenes. So far, as of 3-1-08, we have raised $665! It's my goal to get as close to the City of Angels total despite the smaller cast.

I highly recommend everyone go see this play. The last three performances are on 3/6, 3/7 at 7 PM and 3/8 at 2 PM. You'll enjoy it and you might get to see the rest of the shots that I created!

We Raised $1015! Tell Your Friends! Our total to date is $2215!

Here's a nice email I got from the Director:

I just wanted again to thank you and Jennifer for coming up with the idea to the pictures for the shows. The are stunning; Jennifer even outdid herself from the last time! They are a boon to our program in terms of fundraising and in terms of memories and excitement for the show.

Much Thanks,

Mr. Chris Fallows

Theater Director

Heritage High School

My Neighbor - The Eagle Scout

2008-03-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Zach Harris will have his Court of Honor on April 27, 2008. He created a recycling program at Heritage High School from which he will graduate in 2009. Zach is the first Eagle Scout who wore a hat! I hadn't seen one before, but it's him so his mom let us create the portraits with him wearing the hat.

All Eagle Scouts are photographed free and their favorite portrait is sent to the newspaper as a thank you for their service to the community. Keep your eye on the Brentwood Press and the Brentwood News for more about Zach.

And keep checking in on my blog, because it won't be long before I create his graduation portraits and family portraits according to his Mom!

Firefighter's Daughter is Getting Big!

2008-03-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

Many of you have seen her newborn portraits and if you haven't you can see her in my ad in the January/February edition of the 110 Magazine. It makes me feel old to think of her as this tiny baby wrapped in Dad's firefighter clothes when her mom calls and tells me she's now 7 months old!

Where does the time go?

Now, Sophia is sitting up and smiling like a model! She's a cutie. Dad may have to become a police officer before she becomes a teenager!

These are three of my favorite portraits. They are getting a wall portrait of the family and the Art Collection will go with the one they ordered when she was a tiny baby. I'll have to go to their home and see how their wall gallery is coming along.

Vrinda & Ben Get Engaged!

2008-03-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

Vrinda Gwin is the daughter of my friend Terry. Terry is the gentleman who has designed my backyard, redesigned the front, and who will be installing this fantastic yard as soon as we scape together the funds!

Ben asked Vrinda to marry him on February 18, 2008. They haven't set a wedding date yet, but Terry says it's great to have a daughter that's engaged. He seemed sincere about it too! Vrinda's mom, Carol, is a real estate agent who also knows my hubby! Small world.

We intended to do the portraits in Terry & Carols yard which I hear is amazing, but it was pouring so they came to my studio. I think the portraits came out great anyway. They're thrilled and you can tell they are very much in love!

The Pierce Family

2008-03-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Rick Pierce, owner of Pierce Chiropractic in Discovery Bay, was referred to me by another client, actually two, and he called to buy a gift certificate for his wife for Christmas. When he called, he learned that we were having our "Double Your Dollar Gift Certificate Sale" so he was able to get an awesome gift for his wife.

They decided to do a session when their son was 4.5 months old which was really fun. We got a lot of giggles, interaction between the baby and his daddy and some really cute family portraits to boot.

This is an Art Collection from their session. This size is a really popular size with many of my clients. Can you see one in your house?

Class of 2008 So Far!

2008-03-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

I photograph a a lot of seniors, they're one of my favorite types of sessions. This year is a little special because it's the first senior class of Heritage High School! I have been fortunate to photograph some of the nicest seniors from that class. This slide show is a look at some of my favorites from all the sessions I had over the summer and fall.

Enjoy!

Lexie Liberty HS 2008

2008-03-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's that time of year, lots of seniors are getting their portraits created in the spring.

Today it was Lexie's turn. Her mom and I are in the same networking group (The Delta Networking Partners) and we've been talking about what Lexie wanted in her portraits since September! Lexie and her mom both attended my studio open house in September where Lexie saw my Senior slide show. That's when the wheels started turning, but between school, swim team, dance and working, there wasn't a lot of time left over to get her portraits done.

Well, they finally made it in and I think I got all the poses that Lexie wanted (and a few with her sister Erica that were more for mom).

I hope you enjoy yet another graduation portrait slide show. Next week I have 5 seniors booked in 3 days, so there'll be more to view soon!

This is Jinxs' Best Friend.

2008-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's been suggested to me that I start a Jinx Fan Club blog. Since I have a hard time keeping up with client work and this blog, I am just going to keep posting cute shots of Jinx here

BUT, I also have to post photos of Jinxs' best friend - Ginger. She's a little camera shy, but we did get her to pose with Jinx the same day we did his first official portrait.

Ginger is 2 years old, she was born 4 days after my niece. She came home to us on 1-8-06. Jinx was born 2 days shy of 2 years later. Her birthday is 11-14-05 and his is 11-12-07. Ginger is a very ladylike dog, very loving and very sweet. She puts up with all of Jinxs mayhem and mischief and she loves him to pieces even though she has to sleep in the kitchen with him instead of in the bedroom, but only until he's housebroken!

Ginger and Jinx are cousins. They have the same grandmother. Their breeder is in Gilroy and she does breed some really good looking puppies.

I will try and take more photos of Ginger. She's too sweet to be left out!

Happy Leap Day!

2008-02-29T16:02:00.001-08:00

Did you use this day for getting caught up or did you play hookey and do something fun? I did a little bit of both, but mostly I worked. However, I did take some time to create a few new posts, so check them out below.

More family stuff!

2008-02-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

This is my niece. I have been photographing her since before she was born. I did pregnancy portraits for my sister, I photographed the birth, and I have been creating all Miranda's portraits since she was 10 days old.

This is a snapshot I took of her while my daughter gave Jinx a bath! (See below.) She's got a great smile, but at 2, you don't always get to see it especially if you want her to put on a frilly pouf skirt and pose for some portraits! (We didn't get any of those!)

Miranda loves the water so I was a little surprised that she didn't help give Jinx a bath. He tries to play with her like she's a dog, so she's a little cautious around him just yet!

Jinx takes a bath!

2008-02-29T14:07:00.001-08:00

Jinx is all boy - but I've told you all that before. A couple of weeks ago I babysat my 2 year old niece and since her mom didn't leave any toys, and Jinx needed a bath, I thought that would be great fun.

My niece loves the water but she didn't want to help bathe Jinx. I was surprised that she didn't even play in the water, it's so unlike her! It was probably because I made her take off her jeans and she didn't appreciate that at all.

2 year olds!

It's been crazy, but it's been fun!

2008-02-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy week. Lots of projects worked on, a couple finished. Many more that are still in progress. However, despite the crazy stuff going on I was blessed with photographing Owen today.

Two years ago I photographed his parents engagement portraits at Baker Beach. Their wedding was in Ohio so I wasn't the photographer for that, BUT mom Christie has stayed a loyal newsletter subscriber and when the time came, she and Dad Todd brought Owen to me for his first portrait.

Owen was born on Valentine's Day. I think he's probably a sweet treat for his parents. He's a good baby but despite a bottle and a little nursing, he refused to go to sleep and make the portraits easier to create!

I think despite that, we got a lot of good ones. So, here's to Owen. Thanks for coming today.

Leave Your Comments!

2008-02-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

At the bottom of each post is a place for you to leave you comments. This is a great way to let me know if you like what I am putting out there! You can comment on portraits, the inspirational comments and any stories I might tell!

Let me know what you think!

Jennifer

Another Inspirational Thought plus more!

2008-02-20T08:51:00.001-08:00

"If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room."

Anita Roddick

Now, most of you probably have no idea who Anita Rodick is and that's too bad. She was the founder of The Body Shop but there's more to her story than starting a business that grew to international proportions.

The Body Shop is not an ordinary business. It is far different from most cosmetic companies. Anita wrote in her autobiography that she "hates the beauty business. It is a monster industry selling unattainable dreams. It lies, it cheats, it exploits women." This was back in the early 1970s when most people didn't really feel this way. Anita's goal was to make profits with principal. The core values of The Body Shop are:

Against Animal Testing:

The Body Shop considers testing products or

ingredients on animals to be morally and

scientifically indefensible.

Community Trade:

The Body Shop supports small producer

communities around the world who supply us

with accessories and natural ingredients.

Activate Self Worth:

The Body Shop knows that everyone is unique

and they'll always treat you like an individual.

They like you just the way you are and they use

real women, not models, in their catalog.

Defend Human Rights:

The Body Shop believes it's the responsibility

of every individual to actively support those

who have human rights denied to them.

Protect Our Planet:

The Body Shop believes that a business has the

responsibility to protect the environment in

which it operates, locally and globally.

Anita did more than run a successful, ethical business, she was a pioneer of the whole concept of ethical and green consumerism. Unfortunately for the world, Anita passed away September 10, 2007.

So, why this post today? Well, I have used The Body Shops products for over 20 years. They are superior to anything else I have ever used. In 2006, after attending a Body Shop at Home party, my sister joined The Body Shop force. She has grown an excellent business while working from home and raising my niece, her in-laws and probably my brother in law at times!

If you are interested in The Body Shop products, you don't even have to leave your home! You can call Jeannette at 925.864.9685 or visit her website.

The Body Shop at Home/Jeannette

Jinx is ready for spring training!

2008-02-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

Jinx is all boy. He LOVES the remote control and if we don't put them out of reach (which gets higher every day) we find the remote controls in the dog yard. Yuck! Two of our three remotes look like victims with the teeth marks and scratches.

So while I was editing a portrait this morning, I hear Jinx getting into trouble and of course, it included the remotes. I've been saying "I have to get a photo of you with the remotes because it's so dude-like" so this morning I did just that.

Since baseball season is coming up, I decided to make Jinx a baseball fan. He's a very sophisticated fan because he drinks wine instead of beer (there was no beer in the fridge!). I chose the Fat Cat label for added humor!

Can you tell how fast he's growing. Scroll down for his first portrait and you'l see how big he is already! Enjoy!

Cool Website for Moms!

2008-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

To all my Mom clients out there! I have been turned on to a website that might be of interest to many of you! It's a resource for moms with forums for getting help or information if you need it. Go to the local business reviews and look for Generations Photography. Give me a review and I'll give you the Mama Source member benefit. Post comments on my blog and let me know what you think of this website!

Mama Source Website

Inspiration Thought for Today

2008-02-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals!"

- Henry Ford

Thought I'd pass this along to keep you inspired. It's not always easy to stay on track when the negative things get in the way.

Studio Sample Poll (Baby)

2008-02-12T17:14:00.001-08:00

Baby #2 has taken the lead, but it's a small one! Keep the votes coming!

Ariana & Her Family

2008-02-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet little baby this past Saturday. Ariana was born on January 29, 2008 and her mom booked me on 2-2-08! Christina had seen my ad in the 110 magazine and called right away. Photographing babies when they are still in their first week is the best time because they sleep through a lot of fussing with them and moving them around.

Ariana was 11 days old and slept some, but she did what babies do best, eat and leak! Still, I think we managed to create some awesome portraits that everyone will cherish even when Ariana is a teenager!

I also got to photograph her older brother Dylan. He's so good in front of the camera he's like a model! He could have stolen the whole show he was so cute! Even Dad Chris was a willing participant but I think he liked it best when I cut off his head. Then he didn't have to worry about his smile. It was tough to choose, but these three are some of my favorites!

Ladies! Check out this place!

2008-02-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

I bet most of you don't know this, but I do some of the photography for our 110 magazine. Last week I had an enjoyable time photographing a new business for their full page ad. This business is called Cabana's in the Garden. No, it's not a place to buy stuff for your yard it's a women's retreat right here in Brentwood. You can rent a cabana by the hour, or for more bang for your buck you can schedule 4, 6 and 8 hour retreats. The longer you book, the more treatments come in the package.

The place is gorgeous with lush plants, water features, soothing music - it was one of the best photography sessions I have ever had. This is my favorite photo from the session. The owner didn't chose this one for the ad, she chose one that shows off their luxury cabana. Watch for the March/April edition of the 110 magazine to see some of my work!

For more information --> Cabana's In The Garden

See the online edition of the 110 Degrees magazine

Meet The Gonzalez Family!

2008-01-31T21:42:00.000-08:00

The Gonzelez family received a gift certificate from Dream Dinners and used it to have a new family portrait created. It's been five years since their last family portrait which means their youngest was two and their oldest was 11! I think they're quite a bit more mature now. They were great guys and I think their love shows in their portrait.

We had hoped to create the portrait in my outside studio area but with all the cold wind and rain, that wasn't possible. Fortunately, the studio portraits look great too.
I think they are a really great looking family, don't you?

(*) If you are interested in no cost client appreciation gifts like the ones that Dream Dinners sent to their clients, give us a call and we'll fill you in on all the details!

Another Class of 08 Portrait!

2008-01-31T12:24:00.000-08:00

Cindy & her daughter used my services 2 or 3 years ago and this past weekend they came back for senior portraits! Did I mention that sometimes repeat clients make me feel old? These two liked the less traditional style while still documenting this major milestone.

Can't you just see her going off to college? She's got a couple in mind, but hasn't decided yet!

Go to my older posts to see a slideshow of the class of 2008 and a countdown clock! Not too many days left and it'll be time for the class of 2009 to start having their portraits created!

If You've Got 'Em, Flaunt 'Em!

2008-01-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

This is a great group of grandkids that willingly gave up a Friday evening to have their portrait created for their loving Grandma. I think it was worth it, how about you?

A little bit of client work!

2008-01-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

I get phone calls every week where someone is convinced that they are simply the most unphotogenic person on the planet. They are certain that no one can create a portrait that looks like they really do in person.

Gabriel Montoya is one such guy. He told me that the only photos he likes of himself are the ones from his wedding. He told me that I had my work cut out for me.

I am happy to report that Gabe now has a photographer that makes him look good, maybe even as good as he looks in person! I always tell people that it's not the cameras, it's bad posing and lighting that makes us look awful. So, if you are convinced that, unlike Gabe, no one can get a good portrait of you, give me a call. I like challenges!

Jinxs' Formal Portrait

2008-01-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

I was waiting for some friends who wanted to come visit the puppy and had enough time to create this portrait. I think it's a winner and now I have to figure out where in the house to hang it! Let me know what you think of Jinxs' first "official" studio portrait.

Our New Family Member!

2008-01-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

We've always been a household with two dogs Back in November, our old guy passed away and Ginger, our two year old was pretty lonely. A week after Bailey died, this little guy was born. Meet Jinx, born 11-12-07. We brought him home on January 5 and he's been terrorizing the house ever since!

He's all boy. He loves to bang on his dish and bark whenever he discovers that it's empty - even after he just finished a meal. He's going to be bigger than Ginger and he's already trying to show her he's going to be boss.

Ginger, the loving, sweet, tender hearted girl she is, loves this little guy like he's hers (and I guess he is!)

Stay tuned for more Ginger and Jinx posts. They're well photographed!

Why Am I A Photographer?

2008-01-08T16:56:00.002-08:00

Photography to me is a way to preserve our personal history in a beautiful way. It is rare today to find someone who writes their memoirs, records personal history or even does something with all the home movies and snapshots they create. What happens when we are gone, or our memory isn't so great?

Do you have old family photographs and not know who some of the people in the photo are? Does anyone?

Years ago a friend showed me a photo album created just after the Great San Francisco earthquake. (No, the one in 1906, not 1989!) There were a variety of photographs of the city after the quake and fire, the people, the damage, it was very interesting to see an amateurs photographs from that event. In this album was a photograph with the caption "Me of course!"

Well, the owner of the album, who was a relative of "Me of course" had no idea who "me" was. This person lived through a major historical event, captured and preserved his memories of it, but a significant portion of the history was lost because no one knew who "me" was.

So, the next time you are watching TV, or just hanging out, grab a photosafe pen (Sharpies are best) and jot down on the back of your photos, Who, What, Where, When and maybe even Why!

The generations that follow you will thank you for doing this simple task.

Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Jpegs!

2008-01-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I bet I can guess what some of your resolutions are; wait, let me guess. Lose weight, pay off bills, eat healthier, spend more time with the family. Am I close?

Well, while you are in the resolution mode may I suggest an even more important one?

GET YOUR PHOTOS OUT OF YOUR COMPUTER AND CAMERA!

Sorry for the shouting, but it's important. This is your personal history, there's interesting photos just waiting for you to print them and let them tell their story. It's not hard to get them printed, you don't even have to leave your computer to have someone else do the printing. You could do it yourself, but really, there are so many ways to get quality prints while you do something else.

Computers do crash. I have a system for backing up my hard drive so I don't lose portrait and wedding images. It backs up my computer every hour. All my files are burned to CDs and DVDs that are filed by name. It's tedious, but it's important.

Make 2008 the year you print your favorites, put them in an album. It's oaky to put your favorites on a digital frame to show off in your home. (I have one for all those snapshots that aren't "wall worthy".) Create scrapbooks or other art pieces that show off your family. You'll love the end result when you do this.

To help you with that end result, stay tuned for future blog posts and email newsletter that feature some of my latest decorating projects where I use heirloom photographs along with current portraits.

Your family photos, they're much better than mass produced art you get at a discount store!