Here is information for Fall 2008 Holiday Portraits (including the ever-important holiday deadlines!)

My Fall schedule for 2008 is starting to fill up - notably for weekend appointments. Weekday sessions are still available for September, October and November. Weekend sessions are available in October and November. If you know you need a weekend sessions, I would definitely suggest booking NOW to secure the date.

A few things to note about sessions this fall:

Weekday Sessions: I shoot primarily during the day (10am or 1pm) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Later afternoon sessions may be available, so please let me know if a 4pm or 6pm session would work better for you or your family’s schedule.

Weekend Sessions: There is a $35 additional fee due for weekend appointments. I have limited appointments available on weekends, so please inquire early if you know you need a weekend date.

Holiday Cards: There is a $300 minimum order commitment (in addition to the session fee) prior to placing a holiday card order. Standard holiday cards are $50 per box of 25.

2008 Holiday Deadlines:

Friday, November 14th - Last day for sessions with guaranteed holiday delivery

Friday, November 28th - Holiday orders due for guaranteed holiday delivery

Thursday, December 11th - RUSH holiday deadline for holiday delivery (Rush fee applies. Only available for gift prints, not applicable to framed wall portrait, collages or canvas prints.)

December 13-January 13th - Studio is closed to non-maternity/newborn clients.

I am headed out of town for a couple weeks, so the studio will be closed from 7/26-8/12. All phone calls and emails will be returned after 8/12.

Thanks!

I am headed back to Iowa for my Dad’s 60th birthday so the studio will be closed from June 17th to the 24th. I will return all voicemails and emails after that time.

Thanks!

Whew - I think I need a vacation from my vacation! We arrived in town yesterday and I am diligently working my way through messages and emails - I ask that you be patient, but if you haven’t heard from me by Monday, please call or email again.

I will have stories and pictures to share soon - My plan to blog while away was thwarted by a less than reliable internet connection.

I just realized today after discussing my calendar with a client that the calendar itself was WAY off and showing dates that should have said “Available” as “Busy”.  This has been corrected now. I typically schedule sessions on Tuesday and Thursdays at either 10am or 1pm, and Wednesdays at 4 or 5pm.  I do have weekend availability, but it typically books up several weeks in advance. Please see the Calendar for the times available.

I am really excited - I signed my 4 year old up for t-ball. It’s our first organized sport and I will admit, I am a bit nervous about having to make practice times and games. Kev is going to love it though!

With this announcement, though, I have changed my schedule for April and May to have Sunday availability, rather than Saturday, to ensure that I am able to make all his games and cheer him on.  Please see the Availability Calendar for weekend dates that are available.

Thanks!

Here are a few things I wanted to mention:

1. Calendar of Availability - I am in love with Google Calendar and have integrated it with into the blog (see link above) so that clients can get an idea of my availability for shoots. In general, I am booked 2-3 weeks in advanced, if not further for weekend dates… which brings me to the next change…

2. Starting March 1st, I will be offering weekday session times 3 days a week - during the day on T/Th and later afternoon/evening times on Wednesdays. I will still be offering limited Saturday sessions, but there will be an additional session fee required to reserve these prime spots.

3. Outdoor Sessions - This isn’t so much of a change as it is a reminder that March and April are the PRIME MONTHS to have outdoor portrait sessions! Once May and the 100+ degree temperatures hit, I turn into a wimp and prefer to retreat indoors to my studio for sessions. There are a lot of great places to do family or even kids sessions, such as Anthem Park, Mesa Arts Center or even DC Ranch Market Street, so contact me ASAP to schedule your session!

4. Grandparent Sessions - I know many of my friends and clients who have parents who winter in Phoenix (or even live here all year round) so March & early April is a great time to schedule a Grandparent session with your children and your parents. Trust me, these will be CHERISHED images by your parents and decades from now your kids will love looking back on them.

The first thing most people say when they see my little girl Sarah is that “She looks JUST LIKE YOU!” So, when I was visiting my parents last weekend, I scanned in a bunch of old images (working on geneaology stuff - more on that later) and I wanted to share a key one…

Circa 1980 - Me at 18 months.  My little Sarah is not *quite* my clone, but close.

My good friend Christi is the owner of (and designer for) the Sentimental Silver™ personalized jewelry line. I am a huge fan of her creations and always LOVE the designs she comes up with. She has a bunch of new pendant designs to release and I had the pleasure of photographing some of the items for her over the weekend.

The design below is probably my favorite out of the new ones she has.. I love the tilt to the square, the simplicity of the word LOVED on it and then add in the Tiny Tag for some personalization. This would make a PERFECT Valentine’s Day gift (hint hint to the hubbies!). Visit her website: www.sentimentalsilver.com for more details.

Please note: the studio phone number has changed - it is now 602-570-0698.   All calls/messages placed to the old number will still be taken/returned, but please update your records to reflect the new number.  As always, I am reachable via email at meggan@megganjacks.com