Hey all! I have really enjoyed my extended holiday break this year, but now it’s time to get fully back into the swing of things, including keeping up with the blog. Next week I have a momentous birthday coming up. That’s right, I’m turning 30! Yikes! I’m really looking forward to seeing what surprises are in store for me this year. This may just be the year I learn to walk in heels properly and venture into shooting weddings – um, but not at the same time! Time for the birthday special. (drumroll, please)

The Big 3-0 Offer:
Book a portrait session by 28 February 2010 and pay just £30 session fee! (That’s less than half-price)
Plus, take £30 off the price of any framed print or canvas gallery wrap 12×16 or larger!
Restrictions: Session includes up to 4 people. (You may add additional subjects for £10 each.)
Session must take place by 2 May, 2010.

Now is a great time to celebrate your Valentine’s engagement with a couple’s shoot or get those family portraits done for Mother’s Day! Just call or email me today to discuss your requirements and book your session.

Cheers,
Jenny

Happy holidays! See you in 2010

– Jenny

I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I have to share a couple images from this session. Part of my job is setting others at ease, so that I can better capture their personalities on film. Being rather shy by nature I sometimes find this intimidating, but Trisha and her family were great sports and laughed at my silly (ok, lame!) jokes and goofing around. Thanks so much for making my job fun! I hope you’re as pleased with your portraits as I am.

I love the way mum just radiates contentment while all the kids are interacting around her in this one:

And this next shot is one of my favourite “outtake” family portraits. It shows the personalities and relationships so much better than a standard ‘everyone face the camera and smile’ shot (although we got some of those as well!)

Okay, here it is… one final special offer of the year, just in time for Christmas!

For a limited time (4-18 December, 2009) when you purchase a gift voucher for £50 – £150, I will double its value, giving the recipient £100 – £300 to spend with Over the Rainbow Photography! Vouchers for custom photography make an excellent gift for just about anyone, even yourself!

Additionally, £10 from each voucher sold during this time will be donated to Drumahoe Community Playgroup.

Payment can be made in a variety of ways. Just call or email me today to arrange payment and delivery of your voucher. After 18 December Over the Rainbow Photography will be closed until the new year, so take advantage of this offer while it lasts!

Jenny

Brrr, it is getting cold! And dark! I’m starting to wind down for the year. You may have noticed that the blog is now on the homepage. I really like the way it looks and feels. Apologies for the broken blog links! The search feature should make it easy to find what you’re looking for. Next on the list is completing shiny new galleries.

I have notified the Help-Portrait 2009 Winner, Trisha K, and scheduled her family portrait session. I’m looking forward to it! I’m also excited that it will be my final session of the year. Hooray for christmas break!

Watch this space for one final end of the year offer…

Sunday’s family session was lots of fun. They were all great sports, and I was able to capture a nice variety of candid shots as well as a few posed images to balance things out. S, it was lovely meeting you and your family. I had a great time chasing the children around your beautiful home and garden. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

p.s. Family and friends, 10+ comments will earn them a free 5×7 on the house, so post a little note below.

I had a great time this morning shooting family portraits for another Half-American family. Little Miss C wasn’t too thrilled she had to put up with my camera and me before getting out the dress-up clothes, but I think we ended up friends! L & T, thanks for having me round to do your family photos. I hope you enjoy this little preview. Can’t wait to show you the rest!

p.s. Hey there, family, friends, and fans… 10+ comments will earn the family a 5×7 on me, so leave a little note below!

Dear Neglected Blog,

I’m sorry I haven’t updated recently. Things have been a little crazy around here. (When aren’t they?) My baby girl started preschool. She’s really not a baby anymore. My baby boy was promoted from his highchair to the kid table. He’s not even a baby anymore! It goes by so quickly, and I’m trying to enjoy every moment. Despite having tried numerous times, I can’t think of a non-cheesey way to say how much I love that I get to help other families capture the everyday moments that mean so much. I guess I’ll just embrace the cheese… er, you know what I mean!

Here are a couple snapshots from my life:

My little juicebox on Hallowe’en. (He looks thrilled. ha. Oh well, he did enjoy playing with the box once he climbed out of it!)

My big girl ready for her first day of school. (She has taken to it like a duck to water!)

Please continue to send in your nominations for the Help-Portrait Project. Don’t think your story (or your neighbor’s or friend’s or coworker’s…) is too small to share.

There are still a few spaces available to take advantage of our fantastic (even if I do say so myself) holiday special!

I promise to keep up better this week.

Over the Rainbow Photography will be participating in the Help-Portrait Project 12 December, 2009. I’ll be donating a portrait session plus a print package valued at £100. This is where you come in: I need you to tell me who deserves this gift! I’m looking for a person or family who will really benefit from this experience, someone who doesn’t have money in their budget for custom portraits but would really appreciate them… This might be a struggling single parent, a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary, parents raising foster children, a family touched by illness or loss… I don’t want to limit the parameters too much. If you know someone who really deserves some special treatment and lasting memories in print this year, nominate them!

Please email your nominations to jenny@overtherainbowphotography.com by 25 November. This will give me time to sort through the entries, select the winner(s), and notify them by 1 December. The portrait session will take place on 12 December at a time and place convenient to the winner. Over the Rainbow Photography is based in Derry but I’m willing to travel a reasonable distance (within about 1 hour driving) or meet the recipient in the middle if they’re further afield. In your email, please include the following information about the person or family you’re nominating:

Name
phone or email
town/city
a brief description of why they deserve this prize

Please share this post with friends, family and co-workers. If I get a lot of interest I may add a second prize!

All the best,
Jenny

My little guy is two years old today. Happy birthday!

Two year olds have a bad reputation for being the most difficult age to photograph. Add to that one case of Photographer’s Child Syndrome. (Yeah, Mom, I’ve seen all your stupid tricks and I’m really not interested in that dopey camera of yours. Go away!) Sound challenging? Well sure, but it also sounds like a fun afternoon! I had a great time chasing him around in the sunshine and wet grass, capturing what he’s really like right now. Here are a few* of my favourites:

*Ok, that was maybe more than a few! I just love that little monkey.