Photography + Design + Blog

Here are our entries for the Cutest Kid contest…. using the poll below you are able to vote once a day for your favorite. You can also head over to the facebook page and vote there by leaving a comment on your favorite photo.

Entry 1

Entry 2

Entry 3

Entry 4

Entry 5

Entry 6

Entry 7

Entry 8

Popularity: 78% [?]

Today is the last day to enter the cutest kid contest! If you haven’t already done so head over to the original post and submit your photo.

Voting begins tomorrow here on the blog and on the Capture Life Facebook page. Each person is allowed one vote per day for the blog and one vote on Facebook so be sure to tell your friends and relatives to come and vote for your cute kid! Remeber the winner will recieve a free session and an 8×10 print in addition to 25% off all product prices.

Popularity: 100% [?]

It’s so exciting there’s finally a photography event near my house! Well when I say near I should clarify – within 2 hours drive.

On March 30th a fellow photographer and myself will be heading to the cities to check out the PPA Tour! Of course this means we’ll probably be getting back around midnight and both of us have things to do at 6am but who cares this is a great opportunity at a very low cost. Well not quite as low if you factor in the lost sleep but still the price is right.

From the PPA Website:

Tuesday March 30 – Minneapolis Cost: $29 in advance, $49 at the door Register Now Doors open at 5:30 pm for networking & demos. All Programs run 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm, local time. Course Location Embassy Suites Minneapolis Room: Palm Ballroom 7901 34th Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55425 Tel: 952-854-1000 Fax: 952-854-6557 Directions & Parking		Featuring Allison and Jeff Rodgers Sponsored by White House Custom Color with special guest: Hanson Fong (bio) Sponsored by: Canon Fong Shui: Harmony with the Art of Posing and Lighting Learn to create perfect harmony, and you’ll be able to handle any subject’s body size and type! With over 30 years practicing the art of photography, Hanson will show you how to do this with successful techniques (for posing and lighting) that apply to both portrait and wedding photography. Proper lighting and posing helps you to create highly desirable, beautiful, and timeless portraits. Start by learning the “Classic 10 Poses” to help you analyze all those different bodies. You’ll soon recognize the poses that will result in a proportional balance of the various body sizes to each other…enabling you to pose any family grouping, couple, or bride and groom. You’ll also learn the secret to the elegant dance of posing that is Hanson’s “flow posing.” In addition, he will share lighting and metering techniques to photograph under any lighting condition, indoors and outdoors, any place, anytime. The key element to being a successful photographer is to make people look great, and Hanson shows you how he does it every time. Program highlights include: Classic 10 Poses (mastered and pioneered by Hanson) Lighting Control Flow Posing (Hanson’s elegant posing, inspired by the late, legendary Rocky Gunn and acknowledged and recognized internationally) Window Lighting Group & Family Posing Metering Techniques Facial Analysis

Popularity: 80% [?]

Currently we have 7 entries for the Cutest Kid Contest and you have until March 12 to enter so get your entries in! Head on over to this post and use the form or just send an e-mail to jessica {at} capturelifellc.com

Voting starts on March 13 – here and on the Facebook Page!

Get those photos in!

Popularity: 60% [?]

Well I’ve been sitting on this post for a little while because I don’t want my future mother in law to see it before I give it to her. We’ll be seeing her next weekend so hopefully she doesn’t check my blog because I just can’t wait any longer.

This post is showcasing two products – mosaic prints and the new float wraps. The mosaic print is not quite like any other mosaic I’ve ever seen. It’s more of an overlay of multiple images over one image. This allows you to be able to see details of the large image up close and far away unlike traditional mosaics where the large image is lost up close.

I had this mosaic printed on a float wrap and I have to say I am SO happy with the quality of it. I did a little test and held it up on the one section of wall we have that doesn’t have something on it and love the way it looks like it’s floating on the wall. Hmm wonder if that’s how they came up with the name

So both these products are now added to the line up and in honor of this post I’m offering 10% off both the Mosaics and the Float Wraps until the end of April!

Popularity: 57% [?]

I do believe it’s about time for a Cutest Kid Contest!

The way this contest works is that you, yes you, submit a photo of your cutest kid (or a photo for each of your kids) and I’ll be posting it on this blog and the Capture Life Facebook page for people to vote on.

You have until March 12 to enter photos to be part of the contest and then the voting will begin on March 13th and run for a week until March 20th.

There will be one winner chosen, based on the votes, and they will receive a free session and a free 8×10 print in addition to 25% off all product prices. All participants will receive 25% off session and print fees as well and there will be a drawing of all participants for a special prize that will be announced when the voting begins!

Photos can be of any age child newborn to 18 years old and should be photos taken by you and not by a professional photographer (unless you are one ). When voting begins it will be limited to one vote per person per day and votes will be taken on this blog as well as on the Facebook page, please be aware that you will need to be a fan of the Capture Life page in order to place your vote.

So now you need to know how to enter!

You can either send an e-mail or use the form below:

Please be aware that when you submit a photo you are agreeing to allow that photo to be posted on both this blog and the Capture Life Facebook page for viewing and voting by others. Only submit photos that you have taken or have permission from the photographer to enter into this contest, any instances of copyright infringement will not be tolerated.

Popularity: 77% [?]

If you’ve never been to the Asian Cafe here in Eau Claire you are missing out on some incredibly delicious food. They have the best eggrolls I’ve ever had and I personally think the Pad Thai is awesome as well. Oh yes, back to the point of this post… They had me come in and take some product photos for an ad they’re running and here’s a peak at some of them. Makes my mouth water just looking at the photos!

Spring Roll Anyone?

Mmmm.....Delish

The Almightly Eggrolls

Is your mouth watering yet?

So if I’ve been successful in my product photography and you’re now hungering for some Asian Cafe, go get some! 2121 Eddy Lane – They even have a lunch buffet Tues-Fri from 11-3 so you can try everything!

Popularity: 57% [?]

I think I’ve mentioned clickinmoms before and even now as I write about it I feel like I’m sharing some industry secret, this forum is that great. There are tons of members there that are more than willing to share with you their tips, tricks and secrets. It’s a great place to learn more about photography, although I have to admit I spend most of my time hanging out in the photography business section. If you’ve been on the fence about joining or checking it out now’s a great time as they have a new trial membership and there’s an affiliate contest going on. So if I am able to get people to sign up through my link I get a chance to win gift certificates and more. My plan is to share the wealth so if you sign up through my link, leave a comment below and I’ll be having a contest to give away the gift certificates I receive! (I should note that I need at least 10 new people to sign up in order to get anything so if we don’t reach that number then I will be giving $5 gift certificates for Capture Life to whomever signs up)

Also, if my information is correct I believe you can use the code ‘friend‘ when you sign up and save 10% on your membership! So click on the image above or the one in the sidebar and go check out that site!!

Popularity: 61% [?]

It’s almost that time again to start thinking about your senior photos. If you play your cards right you can get your session for free and here’s how:

• Be the first guy or gal to contact me from your school, I’m only taking one female and one male rep from each school. Although those schools that are just full of kids I could probably be persuaded to take more than one.
• Get your senior photos taken while there’s still time to share the great experience you had with your friends (trust me this is to your advantage)
• Share with friends which leads to…

What you get:

• Free Senior Session
• Unlimited Senior Rep Cards
• $25 Print Credit for Every Booking Referral
• You choose your replacement rep!
• For every 5 sessions that book from your referral you’ll get a $50 Visa gift card! So that means when you hit 5 referrals you’ll not only have gotten $125 in print credits but also $50 to spend where ever you want!

Senior reps will be chosen through an application process based on academic standing, extracurricular activities and their internet presence. Rep shoots are scheduled before school ends to ensure reps have plenty of time to earn their free stuff.

If you’re interested in being a senior rep contact me NOW! We’ll need to get your session figured out as my time for shoots will be very limited in May due to the whole I’m getting married thing. If you really want to get ahead of the game feel free to use the form below to let me know you’re interested in being a rep.

Popularity: 65% [?]

Sorry for the delay in posting this, I had a few Christmas things to attend to. You may remember my post a little while back about the Giving Is Awesome Contest I was running.

The results are in and the winner is Tamara, nominated by her sister Dana. I’m intentionally not going into details about her situation and leaving out last names because I feel that’s not something that needs to be shared with all the readers of my blog. I will however share this: as told by her sister Tamara has had some health issues as well as her husband getting laid off, combine that with a house that is in dire need of repairs and most people would be stressed to say the least. According to Dana, Tamara stays happy and faithful through it all.

So I will be making a phone call, after Christmas, to let her know that she has won a photo session, prints and some other goodies!

I don’t know about you guys but it always makes me feel great knowing I can do something for others, especially this time of year when I know there are people out there that had to decide between putting presents under the tree or paying the heat bill. I plan on doing more events like this throughout the year so keep your eyes open for when they roll around (every couple months  – probably) and for who you can nominate!

Merry Christmas!

Jessica

Popularity: 57% [?]