WOOHOO! I have teamed up with Helping hearts! With permission from Pinkle Toes Photography I have copied & tweaked her original post.

Much like when Katrina happened, watching the news on the horrible situation in Haiti saddens and frustrates me. There are many incredibly brave men and women who are out there volunteering their time and risking their lives to help. I wish I was in a position and of strong enough constitution to do the same.

But I’m not.

So instead, I’m teaming up with several other Photographers and together, we’re going to try to do something to help. But, we need you, too! Here’s the deal:

You and your sweetheart could win a romantic photo session at dusk in Redlands, California!

* Session is for up to 2 adults and will last between 1-2 hours.
* Winner will also receive 20 fully processed, high resolution images on CD. Print to your heart’s content!

How to win:

* Make a MINIMUM donation of $10 to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.
* Forward a copy of your receipt to turtledovephotography@gmail.com.
* All entries must be RECEIVED by midnight (Pacific Standard time) on January 28th.
* Winner will be drawn at random and announced on January 29th.
* That gives you a week to shop and find a babysitter, if need be.
* You can enter as many times as you’d like, but each entry must be the minimum $10 donation.

Other details:

* Session participants must sign a model release.
* Session must be held in Redlands on February 7, 2009.
* If the winner does not claim his/her prize by Feb. 1st or cannot claim the prize, then another winner will be drawn.

But wait! There’s more!

If you are a photographer and would like to hold your own Helping Hearts event to help Haiti, please contact us ASAP so we can send you everything you need to get started!

And PLEASE blog, Tweet or share this link on Facebook!

The holidays are fast approaching and I am wrapping up my last couple Holiday sessions. So what better time to book for the new year & to celebrate the New Year I am running a special! A session along with a disc of High Resolution Proofs (approximately 20). You can book directly on my blog. Just include 4 dates that would work to do your session. If none of those days are available we can either pick a different date or your money will be refunded.

Email me
jenilee@turtledovephotography.net

Call me
(909) 534-7825

I only have ONE weekend morning spot left! Sunday, November 22, 2009! This last spot will go to the first one who purchases it! Contact me for more details!

~Jenilee

turtledovephotography@hotmail.com

If you are looking for Holiday Pictures, I only have 4 remaining weekend dates remaining.

October 24 (Saturday)
November 7 (Saturday)
November 15 (Sunday)***BOOKED***
November 22 (Saturday)

Some in-studio weekday sessions available upon request.

*CONTEST* Show Me Your Studio Pics!

Have you recently gone to a Studio and been really disappointed with the experience/end result? Well after my recent ‘chain studio vs professional’ post, I’ve decided I want to do something about it! So email me (turtledovephotography@hotmail.com) your crappy Studio Pics* along with the information of the studio you went to!

The person with the worst photos/experience will win a FREE Session** along with 1-8×10, 2-5×7’s, & 8 wallets!

*Please note that I take no responsibility of any pictures you send. By sending a picture you are agreeing that you have the right to copy/redistribute it and that I have permission to post your pics on my blog!

**Session to take place within 20 miles of Highland, California

Contest starts today and will end on October 24, 2009 So get those submissions in!

HI! Call me Jessica. That was my ‘under-cover’ name today when I called every chain portrait studio I could think of.

Wal-mart
Olan Mills
Sears
Jc Penney
Kiddie Kandids
Picture People

Now why did I call all of these studios you may wonder. Well I wanted to find out a few bits of information from them, and seeing as I couldn’t find out everything to my hearts content via the internet I resorted to calling them. Wal-mart was the ONLY place I could not get a hold of.

The information I was looking for was:
Length of session
Amount of pictures taken
Sitting fees
Cost of a Disc WITH copyright release

The information I gave them was that I had 3 children I wanted photographed

ALL of these studios offer UP TO 15 minutes per session. That’s right ONLY 15 minutes.

*Olan Mills*
-No sitting fee however, they do charge a $5.95 shipping fee for prints/discs
-They give up to 15 images/pictures/poses (whatever you want to call it)
-Disc of images is $150

*Sears*
- up to 9 poses
- $119.00 for a CD

*JC Penney*
- 9.99 per person sitting fee
- up to 30 pictures
- $100.00 CD

*Kiddie Kandids (babies-r-us)*
-No Sitting
- up to 9 poses
- $199 for a CD

*Picture People*
- No Sitting
-up to 40 pictures total
- $250 for a CD, however, they will only give you 12 full size images on the disc. After 12 images, they start resizing the images and if you try to print from them they will be grainier. (NICE)

So what is my Beef with ‘chain portrait studios’?

1- They hire people regardless of knowledge of cameras/taking pictures & they instruct their employees to shoot in ‘program/auto’ which is the same thing as using a point and shoot aka (anyone can take the pics)

2- They only give you 15 minutes! (anyone with a shy child knows it can take a lot longer than that for the kid to warm up to a stranger)

3- They don’t care about the end result. You get between 6-40 clicks of the camera and regardless of the pics that’s what you get. They don’t meticulously go through the pics and find the best ones and edit them to make your pictures a work of art & perhaps remove that unwanted scratch or pimple

4- Overall poor quality.

So what do I recommend for people who want REAL professional pictures? Simple, Hire a professional. I understand that in these times of economic crisis that it isn’t easy to hire a ‘professional’ photographer, as usually they charge quite a bit more than any of these ‘chain’ stores. Well, I hate to see anyone have to get crappy pics, so that is why I am offering my Economic Stimulus Sessions once again.

Turtle Dove Photography’s Economic Stimulus Session

For ONLY $150 you will get a session (approximately 1 hour – yep 4 times the amount of time as a ‘chain’ studio) for up to 4 people (additional people are $10 per person). You will also receive an online proof gallery for 14 days for your family and friends to be able to view, as well as a High Resolution Disc of 15-20 images with Print Rights (I’ll even recommend an awesome printing company).

If you want to get photographs taken, can you really afford to pass up a deal this great?

~Jenilee

I will be running various specials on Friday’s now. TGIF baby!!! Tonight’s session is for the first 3 people who contact me! A session & a high resolution disc, within 20 miles of Highland, California. This session can be any type of session you want: Family (immediate family only -mom/dad/kids), Engagement, Boudoir, Maternity, etc. It, can take place anytime & anywhere within 20 miles of Highland, CA. This special is only for the first 3 people to contact me or until 10-2-09 (which ever comes first).