Holiday Photo Sessions + Cards

It's About That Time Again....

Let your holiday card be the one that stays on the fridge all year long!

Holiday Photo Session Special in Studio with our new Christmas backdrop or on location in the East Valley.

Mon-Thurs 30min $25

Fri-Sun 30min $55

West Valley sessions add $25

Holiday cards starting at $0.15/card with a variety of styles and options.

Sessions are booking fast, so call or email today

602-550-2574

jacquelyn.l.phillips@gmail.com

Catching up & Exciting News

Wow, the last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of last minute engagement sessions, wedding preparations, holiday photo bookings and more.

We here at Moments in Film could not be more excited for wedding season to get here. It's the equivalent of Christmas- we're checking out lists, I'm anal retentive- I check them twice. Some of our brides are making naughty gifts for their grooms, the new photo booth and video look nice. And all my little helpers are buzzing around the office making sure the coffee maker is working, the snack drawer is stocked for mass editing and the rhapsody playlist is rocking.

Here are a list of some exciting new things we have in the works for the remainder of 2010

Our $55 family photo session special

The Black Envelope parties

$5 Halloween photo day

Photo booth rental for your holiday parties

Santa baby photos

And we've been soooooo good this year Santa might even be visiting us to do photos with you- forget the crowds at the mall and over paying for a single photo!

We are so excited to be seeing all of our friends and family and couldn't be happier that you choose Moments in Film for your pictures

Shawnie & Justin

I had the good fortune to be found by Shawnie back in late August, she was in town visiting her dad and wanted to do her engagement photos in a desert location- something far different from the lush and dense wooded pavilion she will be wed at in Washington next September.

The session started in her dad's backyard and when we exercised almost every square inch of his fabulously designed backyard we took his vette out for a spin to Anthem Park (great place for family session) and these were just a few of my favorites.

We're still in the running to travel up north to photograph this fabulous couple, and fingers crossed I will be posting their wedding photos here, this time next year!

My Gift to You as the Holiday Season Approaches

For most of us, there is no better time to do a family portrait that the holiday season. It's a multitaskers dream: Updates the kids faces to distant relatives, documents the growing family, takes care of holiday cards.

I also understand that times are tough, and not looking any easier. I have always believed that you shouldn't have to spend a car payment to get a great portrait. And because I firmly believe in going to a professional instead of using the self-timer on your camera, I am committed to getting you that great portrait and a great price.

Starting October 1st and going thru December 1st- any 30 min portrait session is $55

*Want to combine your baby's 6mo photo with your holiday photo- 30min- $55

*Birthday cake photos and family photos- 30min $55

*Individual photos of the kids and a family portrait- 30min $55

This also includes the weekend of October 2nd in Sedona and October 3rd in Prescott

Make everyone the envy of your family photo this holiday season!

Demystifying Wedding Photography

I saw this on another photographers website/blog and I thought, even though one would imagine wedding photos to be self-explanatory...this might help fill in the gaps and explain why portfolios are a collection and not someone's entire wedding.

As I have found time and time again, better to over explain and sound boring, then leave room for misguided assumptions

That those 5-10 perfect moments we post on our blog the day after a wedding and the photos we share in our first meeting with a bride are our best work. I learned very quickly that my brides were expecting that level of perfection for every single photograph. Some were expecting me to do total magic and turn their fluorescent-lit, 1970’s carpeted town hall wedding into some sort of visual masterpiece. I don’t accept work if the venue is a shambles, by the way. Another perfectly good reason to turn down a wedding. Share with them the things about the album they’re looking at that made those photos some of your best. Tell them that the couple required no coaxing, pleading and begging to just ‘act natural’. Tell them that the location was carefully planned to take the photography into consideration. Tell them that the couple took your advice and didn’t place the head table smack in front of a gigantic window (also in my contract). Explain that you will also provide them with ‘regular’ pictures to record their day, their guests, their carefully planned details. But that perfect shot of the rings that took 10 minutes to style (it’s not easy hanging a diamond off a dew drop!) and then another 5 minutes to photograph will not be the norm for every one of their resulting 500 images.

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/two-things-i-tell-every-bride#ixzz10KOoZwc8

Renee & Keith part 1

A little photo heavy for a blog post, but HOLY COW, I love how these photos turned out. And as soon as we scheduled this session, I knew it was going to kick butt.

Keith, our handsome groom to be, flies independently for fun. Quite the hobby, right. So during the initial consultation I had with them, I jokingly mentioned doing a session with his plane. Well with some creative input from his lovely fiancée Renee, we spent Sunday morning at the Commemorative Air Museum in Mesa (insert bonus point for living only 10min away).

After the better part of an hour and lots of breaking normal museum patron rules, we ended up with an awesome collection of photos. Keith was like a kid in a candy store picking out his favorite planes and really being a stud for the photos. And Renee with her brand new "flight attendant" sultry dress, was just inches away from being a modern day pin-up. Such a great looking, fun and fabulous couple.

Thank you Keith and Renee, your session was out of this world!

Natalie & Joe's Engagement

Natalie & Joe are the quintessential dram couple for a zealous photographer like myself. Both ridiculously good looking, crazy in love and eager and willing to have fun in their photos.

With all the time I spent with Dave in the hospital I had been researching some fresh new ideas to spice up my photos and had been playing with the idea of using props in my images. Apparently, there's a whole industry dedicated to cutesty props on etsy just for this sort of thing.

So balloons, frame, parasol and bubbles in tow, Natalie, Joe and I spent just about an hour playing at Historical Heritage Square and the results were nothing short of my best engagement session EVER!

Thank you Natalie and Joe, I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about your December wedding and all the fun ideas I'm putting together for you wedding photos.

We're Nickelodeon's Best Family Photographer in Phoenix

Thanks to all of our amazing clients- whom we proudly call friends and family, we've been recognized as the Best Family Photographer in Arizona.

To thank all of our amazing fans anyone who books a family session between now and the end of the year will receive one of the following (1) 16x20 board print or (2) 8x10 board prints or (25) holiday cards + envelopes

Let's book your session today!

and a very sincere and humbled thank you for giving me the opportunity to have the best job in the world. My success is because of you!

Getting the perfect fit so you always look photo ready

http://www.weddingistas.com/weddingistas/2010/08/six-tips-for-the-perfect-fit.html

Brilliant ideas to put into place, because it's not a lot of fun spending the day lifting your under garments and looking like the funky chicken

Winners of the Cute Kid Contest

Prize Categories

1. Most overall votes Motorcycle Michael 64

2. Most votes first day of voting Motorcycle Michael 24

3. ages 0-3mo Soccer Sport Xavier

4. 3-6mo Hydrangea Baby Hannah

5. 6-9mo SassyTayler Bug

6. 9-12mo Motorcycle Michael

7. 1-2yr Cuddling Kris

8. 2-3yr Rosey Ricki

9. 3-5yr no votes

10. 5-10yr no votes

Congratulations to our winners and thank you for participating in our contest

Having fun with wedding props

Special thanks to Rev Amy Miller @ Chapel At The Farm for her inspiration and fun finds on etsy for allowing me to take these fun fabulous images with her new wedding props- just for my photos!

Being loved is lovely

Average Monthly Temperatures

As you can see; January, February and December are fantastic off season wedding months where great deals can be found not only in vendors, but in seasonal decor.

Month High/Low

January 65/38

February 69/41

March 74/45

April 84/52

May 93/60

June 101/68

July 105/77

August 102/76

September 98/69

October 88/57

November 75/45

December 66/39

Making the Garter Toss AWESOME

http://www.austinweddingblog.com/2009/04/great-wedding-tip-throwing-of-wedding.html

Don't want to leave beer in a trunk, leave it with the DJ to present to the catcher!

What a fabulous blog

I ADORE this blog, love the ideas, the ideology and the ornate details.
Pardon my while I wipe the drool
http://hotpinkbrides.com/

Voting for Cute Kid Contest

http://www.momentsinfilm.com/Album_Contest/albumimages.php

This link and voting goes live at 12 midnight on Monday night.

Select the image you'd like to vote for, enter your email address in the comment section and submit

Rules:

1. Only one vote per day per email address

2. Multiple votes will disqualify your vote for the day

3. Unknown email addresses will be verified

Voting is from 12 midnight Monday thru 12 midnight Friday

Winners will be announced the following Monday

Prize Categories

1. Most overall votes

2. Most votes first day of voting

3. ages 0-3mo

4. 3-6mo

5. 6-9mo

6. 9-12mo

7. 1-2yr

8. 2-3yr

9. 3-5yr

10. 5-10yr

Who's doing your "thank you" cards

We want to do your thank you cards- at cost

We're looking to create a fun fabulous line of thank you cards using your fun fabulous wedding images.

Cards will be 4x6 in size with envelopes- custom printing is available.

We are offering this to the first 10 brides to respond and payment will be due after design is created.

I can't wait to share your beautiful images in a lasting way with your guests.

Letting Guests Take Photos-HELP

So here's the million dollar question: how do you maintain autonomy for the job you've been hired to do, allow guests to get their photo fix at a wedding and not lose sanity in between?

I'm really struggling with this; the last two seasons one of three things happened, someone got angry because I was directing and not allowing for guests to get the photos they wanted, I had no control over the situation and was pushed around or the worst, a few couples lost the opportunity for those fabulous sunset images every Arizona couple wants because I tried to be overly kind to guest photo requests.

What is the line between being too accommodating and not caring at all for the camera phone?

I ask because my fall season is approaching and no matter how many weddings I do I have yet to find that zen spot where everyone walks away happy- which as a people pleaser, is always my ultimate goal.

Some pros have told me to not be worried about guests, you were hired to do a job. One of my closest business associates told me at his kids football practice parents get 3 minutes for photos and then the rest is left to the hired photographer.

How do you make it work, who needs to be involved, will it always be a case by case scenario?

I genuinely want feedback- of all the things we do over the course of a wedding, this is our hang up. I will be the first to admit this is our Achilles heel.

1 week extension on contest

Due to Dave's issues in the hospital and the numerous sessions I had to cancel, we are taking last minute appointments for the cute kid contest and voting will start Monday September 4th 2010.

This is your last chance, so if you've been holding off getting involved, contact me now- shoots will be Wed, Thur, Fri and Sun

For the DIY Bride

Some amazing DIY things I've found

http://greenweddingshoes.com/diy-pretty-shoes/

http://www.weddingchicks.com/freebies/

and the list will continue to grow....because weddings don't have to come in a box

Fall Wedding Dates at a DISCOUNT

So due to a few canceled weddings, I have a few prime wedding dates available if you're still looking for a photographers- this special is for you!

Any of the dates listed below, I personally am available to photograph your wedding + we will give you a $200 discount (off our pricing) for taking these empty dates off our hands!

September 10th

September 11th

September 12th

September 18th

September 19th

September 20th

September 24th

October 1st

October 2nd

October 3rd

October 15th

October 17th

October 29th

October 31st

November 14th

November 19th

November 21st

November 27th

November 28th

December 3rd

December 4th

December 5th

December 10th

December 12th

December 19th

Cute Kid Contest 8.30.10

Cute Kid Contest Sitting 8.30.10

Age Group: 0-16
Set: Studio
Location: Moments in Film Studio 2762 N. Ricardo Mesa AZ 85215
What to bring: fashionable outfit
Times available 9a-11a

Why Zoom.Click.Drive

For the curious, why "Zoom.Click.Drive"?

Zoom- I am in perpetual motion- zooming off to one shoot or another. Zoom down the freeway, zoom between brides and grooms, zooming in and out of focal ranges to get amazing shots, zooming around to be the best I can at every shoot I have the opportunity to be a part of.

Click- camera shutter click, new idea click, new client click. I click between connecting points in a synapse to idea to product.

Drive- I spend A LOT of time in my truck- thank goodness for the hybrid. But there's also drive to produce the best session, the best representation of myself, the drive to conquer new concepts, markets, groups and competition. And yeah, I came up with the idea while driving and staring at the lane markers on the 202

Cute Kid Contest Sitting 10 8/24/10

Age Group: 0-16yr

Set: Motorcycle

Location: Moments in Film Studio 2762 N. Ricardo Mesa AZ 85215

What to bring: fashionable outfit

Times available 5:30p-7:30p

Cute Kid Contest

2nd Annual Cute Kid Contest

We're bringing it back bigger and better than before!

August 3rd-August 31st

$10 per child

Bigger Prizes (Cash)

Better Sets (Motorcycle)

Better Locations (West Valley)

Be sure to visit often to see what new dates and sets we've added!

FAQ: What is the Cute Kid Contest
The cute kid contest is your chance to have your child photographed in a fun setting with props different to a normal portrait session. Not only do you end up with great photos, you also are entered to win prizes.

How do I sign my child up
Select the date and location that work best for you on our posts and in the comments section write in what time during the selected time span you want. Appointments are on a first come first serve basis.

How much does it cost
It is $10 per child, a portion of this will go to the big cash prize we're offering

When do I pay
Payment is collected at time of shoot

How long is the session
Each session is 20 min and they are timed, tardiness will affect your 20 min and missed appointments can be rescheduled per the discretion of Moments in Film

Will I be able to order prints
Photos will be posted online for viewing and ordering. Prints will be available until 12/31/10

What am I supposed to bring
See the post for your date to know what to bring

What if I have multiple children
You can choose to do them all in one day, or allow each child to do a different set. Combination photos are at the discretion of the photographer and are not guaranteed

What's the cash prize
The prize for the photo with the most votes will win 1/10 of all the money collected during the contest. So if 100 kids enter, the grand prize would be $100!

What are the other prizes
Other prizes include free prints and gift cards

Who does the judging
The public- voting will be for 5 days starting at midnight 8/31/10, please stay posted for voting information

Restarting the blogging process

So I dropped the ball with blogging, newsletters, anniversary cards, etc about 2 years ago. Instead of doing it the way all the wedding marketing guru's told me to do it. I'm going to start anew, doing things my way, looking the way I want it to look and really reflecting me-not just the Moments in Film side of me.

BTW-Did you vote for me?
http://www.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks/phoenix-az-usa/best-phoenix-family-photographer

It's shameless self-promotion and simliar to American Idol, it's a big popularity contest. But before Moments in Film, I was never really popular. SO with my newfound popularity, vote for me!