Interview!

Peggy was recently interviewed for a popular website called "Digital-Photo-Web". Thrandur Arnthorsson is an entrepreneur who has started up several successful websites. Digital-Photo-Web is full of information about all types of photography!

Peggy talks about her style of wedding photography, some tips for starting up a wedding photography business and her school, Photography Naples.

Here is Peggy's interview:
http://www.digital-photo-web.com/peggi-farren-wedding-photographer-florida.html

Gift Certificates for Classes or Portraits

Need a last minute gift idea? Our gift certificates are beautifully packaged, perfect gifts!
Ideas: A gift certificate for a portrait - Family, Child, Baby, etc. from Avant-Garde Images.
Or how about for photography classes through our school, Photography Naples?
Call us! We can get them done very quickly!
239-263-7001

Fake Problems ‘Soulless’

Fake Problems video for "Soulless" premieres on MTVu today!! It's funny and a great song!

Fake Problems ‘Soulless’

Ritz-Carlton Wedding

Mike and Robyn had a wonderful wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort. It was a beautiful setting with a beautiful couple!

It was raining out in the gulf but we were lucky that it didn't come to shore!

Valarie Hoffman assisted and took this awesome picture!

Photography Naples Model Shoot

I promise to blog about some of my "real" work with Avant-Garde Images soon! I photographed a wonderful wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort this week - pictures coming soon!!

In the meantime - we had another model shoot with Photography Naples. Through our Naples photography school, we hold model shoots at least twice a month. We have so much excitement and growth in our photography group, that the top hair and makeup professionals are now helping us with our model shoots! Enjoy these few pictures from Wednesday:
Salon International: Hair by Elissa Karter, Makeup by Gabriella Verderamo
Model: Nicole Erickson


Join our club for free! www.PhotographyNaples.com "Photography Comes First".

Photography Naples Halloween Shoot

We are always trying to grow our photography club so we offered a FREE Halloween shoot for photographers tonight. The more members, the more photography classes and photography workshops we can offer!
I had fun putting together the set, and then members Christine, Holly, Caroline and Helen all tweaked it. And then the kids destroyed it! It was so much fun!!!

The volunteers!

Caroline is always such a fun model!

Melinda and crew checking out the pictures they took!

Cute as a bug!

Helen came in her Halloween garb!

Join our Photography Club for free!
www.PhotographyNaples.com
Photography Comes First!

oct23sixtysecondcommercial.wmv

Photographers - Model Shootout Oct 23!

If you heard anything about our last model shootout, you'll sign right up for this one! We are keeping the price low so that photographers can have a fun day AND build up their portfolios!

Our theme is Senior High School Portraits. We have the COOLEST location! You'll have the opportunity to photograph a minimum of six teen models, all with different looks and different backgrounds. You can build an entire Senior Portrait portfolio in just three hours! You'll stand out from all the other photographers with the standard beach photos.

We even commissioned a graffiti artist! We'll have trains, brick walls, bars, cars and an urban grunge look!

For more info and to register: www.photographynaples.com

Check out the slideshow from our last model shootout with a "Trash the Dress" theme:

Pin Up Calendar Special October 9

We are so excited to team up for glamorous hair and makeup with the fabulous David Frohmberg and Daniel Glemser from Salon International for a Pin-Up day!

Your man will LOVE a pinup calendar or a more private, hard cover book of YOU as a gorgeous pin up model! If you are trying to think of a great holiday present, this is it!!

We are having a super special on Saturday, October 9 that includes hair, makeup and 12 retouched images in a calendar. You'll have the opportunity for four clothing changes with three different looks per calendar (closeup/angle/full shot each outfit).
We are only taking on a very limited number of women so reserve your spot as soon as possible.
Special rate of only $500 includes:
Hair AND makeup by the incredible duo David Frohmberg and Daniel Glemser at Salon International.
A two minute drive takes you to Avant-Garde Images studio.

We'll include mimosas and snacks to make the entire event a fun and memorable experience!
Included in the price is a beautiful calendar with 12 retouched images of you!
* Or upgrade to a leather hard cover book with 20 images for an extra $100.00.

Plan a girls' day of it! Each session will take about three hours from the beginning of hair and makeup to the finish of the photography session.

Please call or email Peggy to sign up!
naplesportraits@gmail.com
(239) 263-7001 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (239) 263-7001

Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

Trash the Dress Model Shootout = Success!

We had the best time at the Trash the Dress model shootout!

Read about us in the Naples Daily News: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/aug/30/bride-wore-white-and-mud-trash-dress-photo-shoot-g/

And Florida Weekly: http://naples.floridaweekly.com//news/2010-09-02/Top_News/Here_come_the_brides_there_go_the_gowns.html

Photo Credit: Valarie Hoffman

Photo Credit: Mary Lina Ives

Photo Credit: Valarie Hoffman

We had to change locations and Unity of Naples came through for us with their beautiful grounds. We had 36 photographers and 15 models.

Here are my snapshots; I had no time for any "real" images:





We are already working on our next model shootout. It will be a Senior High School portrait theme in an urban environment. It's going to be even better than Trash the Dress!! What a fun way to build up your portfolio!
Sign up on our Photography Naples site -www.meetup.com/photography-naples to stay updated on photography classes in Naples, free walkabouts, model shootouts and photography excursions.
Or Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/photographynaples

Another Trash the Dress station

http://www.meetup.com/Photography-Naples/calendar/14257360/

Portfolio Building - Trash the Dress - Aug 28

Photographers, aspiring photographers and photography students -

Here is an incredible opportunity to expand your portfolio! Take pictures that look like they belong in a magazine.

Trash the Dress is a fun trend in the wedding industry. After the wedding, brides pay $100 to $500 on average to have a crazy photo session with their wedding gown. The bride feels like a model and gets stunning pictures - the photographer gets awesome portfolio images!

Saturday, August 28, we'll give you the opportunity for only $30. This is our first model shootout so we are keeping the price very low for our photographers.

www.meetup.com/photography-naples

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We'll have six or more "stations" plus some of the models can be led around the property.
We'll schedule photographers every two hours so everyone has plenty of time to get a variety of pictures and with different models.

Most of the area is shaded for controlled lighting.

$30 early registration until August 18
$45 August 19-28

Sign up ASAP. First come/first serve.
I'M SO EXCITED!

Parking at Naples Horse Stalls and then it's a short walk. There is a pond, a mud area, a river rock path, a line of palm trees - it's just GORGEOUS!
More info as we get it.

Please note these images were taken with my little point and shoot. Here are a couple pics from the location:

And the winners are.....

Drum roll..... 1st Place: Angie DeNease Seaman with 247 referrals
2nd Place: Melinda Nagy Otero with 50 and
3rd Place: Jennifer Gill with 30.
Congratulations to the winners and thank you everybody that participated!!

You can still "Like" our Photography Naples group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/photographynaples
or join our club for free:
www.meetup.com/photography-naples

Thanks to everyone for helping us grow our club and school!!
Peggy

It's YOUR turn to win big!

Help Us Find Facebook Fans and Win Big!

All you have to do is ask your Facebook friends to become a fan of Photography Naples Club and School.
When they fan us, ask them to post your name as their referral. The fan who has the most referrals from now through June 8, 2010 at midnight wins!

You'll receive a prize package that includes: a $130 gift certificate to Sophia's Restaurant and a photo session either in the studio or on location in Naples, including one finished 8x10 portrait. This package has a value of $455! Wow!!!

Second and third place will receive $45 gift certificates - good toward any class or workshop through Photography Naples or toward a Photo Session with Avant-Garde Images.

Fine Print: Gift Certificates are good through September 30, 2010

Cut and paste this message on your Facebook page to get you started:

Help me win a $455 prize package from Photography Naples Club and School.
Just fan Photography Naples by clicking http://www.facebook.com/photographynaples. Be sure to post my name on the wall so I get credit.
Thanks for your help!

Peggy wins the Cadillac of Test Drives - Thanks to YOU!

Devoe Cadillac donates $500 to Hope for Haiti!
Devoe Cadillac sponsored a social media contest called "The Cadillac of Test Drives". Influential women drove a brand new Cadillac SRX Crossover for 48 hours and blogged about their experiences. The blogger with the most votes won $500 to the charity of their choice!

Thanks to all of you who voted every day, Peggy Farren with Avant-Garde Images, Inc. Photography Studio garnered almost 1500 votes! Peggy's charity of choice was Hope for Haiti, due to the dire situation in Haiti from the catastrophic earthquake in January of this year. Peggy Farren, Avant-Garde Images, Inc., Elizabeth Davison, Hope for Haiti, Mark Klahm and Emily Lopez with Devoe Cadillac

Elizabeth Davison, Executive Director Hope for Haiti

Yay! $500 to Hope for Haiti! Every bit helps.

I was impressed by this sign.

This is a Cadillac SRX Crossover. It was SOOOOOO much fun to drive!

Please vote daily until April 4

http://www.cadillacoftestdrives.com/dealers/influencer.php?cn=naplesportraits

If I win the most blog votes in this area, Hope for Haiti will get $500. THANK YOU!! Please pass this link on to your friends.

Hope for Haiti needs help!

After the tragic earthquake, donations came on strong for about a month and then slowed down dramatically. Please donate to Hope for Haiti whatever you can. It's rainy season down there and a MILLION people are homeless. Can you imagine living in mud all the time and never getting the chance to dry off?

Help me win $500 for Hope for Haiti. Just vote for my blog on the Cadillac of Test Drives once every day from now until April 4.
Here is the link: http://www.cadillacoftestdrives.com/dealers/influencer.php?cn=naplesportraits

I'm having fun driving a brand new Cadillac SRX, courtesy of Devoe Cadillac here in Naples. I drive for two days, and blog for 14 days. The blogger with the most votes wins $500 to the charity of their choice.
Here's the link again: http://www.cadillacoftestdrives.com/dealers/influencer.php?cn=naplesportraits

Our new ad for Florida Weekly

I posted this ad on my Facebook page and asked for feedback. Most of it is negative! Too busy!

How can I convey all the different workshops we are offering? Our target clients are so diverse! We are offering beginner classes for non-photographers such as : Food photography for the restaurateur, Interiors and Exteriors for the Real Estate Professional. We are offering photography classes and classes on all the photography software. People photography, still life, nature, macro! For beginners to professionals. SO MUCH we have going on!Become a fan on Facebook and give me your feedback. Our new school ROCKS and input from all of you will only make it better!
www.facebook.com/photographynaples

A few hours off work!

My mother and son gave me a gift certificate for a massage for my birthday. Today I cashed it in!

Eisa Lindner has the most pleasant personality and the greatest massage hands! Sorry fellas - she only works on women! (239) 595-4073 mothernurt@yahoo.com
This Naples Photographer needed to relax! I feel so much better and now I'm back to work!

Ooh la la!

I'm working on the pictures from today's pin up party! We had so much fun!

Tonight's event

Tonight's job was out of this world!

I've never seen anything like this. I had to get my fisheye lens out to capture the entire ring.
I found this explanation at www.farmersalmanac.com:

Ring Around the Moon

While stargazing, have you ever noticed a large circular band of light surrounding the moon? If so, you have seen a lunar halo.

A lunar halo is caused by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light through ice particles suspended within thin, wispy, high altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. As light passes through these hexagon-shaped ice crystals, it is bent at a 22 degree angle, creating a halo 22 degrees in radius (or 44 degrees in diameter). A double halo, sometimes with spokes, may be seen on rare occasions when light reflects off water or ice.

The prism effect of light passing through these six-sided ice crystals separates the light into its various colors, resulting in a halo tinged with very pale rainbow colors with red on the inside and blue on the outside. The phenomenon of a lunar halo is similar to a rainbow produced by sunlight and rain falling between your eye and the sun.

Weather lore says a lunar halo is the precursor of impending unsettled weather, especially during the winter months. This is often proved true, as cirrus and cirrostratus clouds generally precede rain and storm systems.

Lunar halos are, in fact, actually fairly common. So watch the night sky – and keep the umbrella handy.

Ashlynn's Maternity Session

We had a lovely model for one of our photography studio sessions. We host practice sessions for professional and amateur photographers in our studio on the first and third Wednesdays every month. Ashlynn is one of our photographers! She should have that baby any day now!

Here are a few of my portraits from that night:

If you are interested in taking your photography skills to the next level, join our Meetup group:

www.meetup.com/photography-naples

Repeat clients and referrals!

Four years ago, I was referred a wedding by Weddings by Phyllis. Chris and Cindy came from the north to have a beautiful beach wedding on Marco Island. Instead they had a monsoon on their wedding day in November of 2005! We made it fun by borrowing the yellow slickers from the valet guys at the Marco Hilton and captured the crazy, windy, rainy day in a fun way!

Four years later, it was family reunion time on Captiva Island.

Chris and Cindy

Extended Family

Now it's time for niece Lauren to get married! Stay tuned for pictures from Lauren and Jon's April 3 wedding at the fabulous White Orchid in Fort Myers!

We work hard to make our clients happy and to keep them coming back!
Every client should turn into a client for life!!