Engagement Portrait Session Ryan & Sarah

We had so much fun with Sarah and Ryan! They had such a creative idea! We took pictures of their table numbers. They'll put them in frames on each table. How cute!

And of course, we did "normal" portraits as well. It was an awesome session with an awesome couple!

Congratulations Ryan and Sarah!

Constant Contact All Star two years in a row!

We’ve been named a small business All Star by Constant Contact! What an honor to be chosen among their 400,000 clients!

A BIG thank you to all our customers for reading and participating in our newsletters!

To see our newsletter archive, click here:
http://www.naplesportraits.com/content.html?page=9

How do All Stars get picked?

All Stars come in all shapes and sizes — small businesses and organizations from different industries and areas. When we choose All Stars, we look at the following criteria for success:

• Communicate with customers and members for all four quarters of the year
• Update mailing lists often and obtain permission from all their subscribers to contact them
• Have high open and click-through rates, and low bounce rates
• Use mailing list sign-up tools like "Join My Mailing List" on their website or Facebook page
• Use reports to gain insights about their contact list and online marketing activities
• Use our social media tools

We are thankful for happy clients!

What a great way to start the day! I woke up to both of these emails in my inbox this morning! We love our wonderful clients!!!

Peggy & Helen,
Our canvas arrived today. It is just beautiful!! It couldn't be more perfect. We hung it on the wall within minutes of its arrival.
Connie received her album on Friday. She was so excited that she could hardly wait to get in touch with me. Thanks for all you did. You achieved perfection. I will show off the canvas to all my friends and pass your name along to everyone. Linda N.

Peggy:

Love the photos!

You did your usual great job!!

Thanks a million -- you’re the BEST!!!!!!!!

Elaine Hamilton United Arts Council

Tastebuds Custom Catering -- WOW!!

I've had the opportunity to work with Chef Greg Shapiro with Tastebuds Custom Catering on numerous occasions so I hung out in the kitchen to watch the team in action on Saturday night. It was a black tie event with all the society people in Naples attending. Hope for Haiti is an incredibly helpful and wonderful charity founded by Naples resident JoAnne Kuehner.

Janine with the Tastebuds team goes over every detail with the wait staff. She runs through the entire night and how it will flow. The service is fabulous!

Prep, prep, prep!

The team working on an hor d' oeuvres station OUTSIDE! The kitchen was so small but that didn't slow this team down! I also had the opportunity to work with Chef Shapiro when we had that big gas shortage. Tastebuds has a wood burning stove!

Creative and delicious hor d'oeuvres were passed by the wait staff.
Country ham & Brie atop a green apple chip

Stilton endive cups with spicy pecans and Bartlet pear

Can you believe how cute the cans for the salad dressing are?
Flower Pot salad with White Truffle vinaigrette, Surryano Ham & Florida Strawberries

Chef Shapiro makes sure everything is "just so".

The Flower Pot Salad is like a work of art on the table!

These veggies look SOOOO good!

And even better on beef tenderloin.
Beef tenderloin, veg bundle, Rosemary tricolor pomme & Lardon Pearl Onions

Speed, speed, speed! Over two hundred dinners, looking and tasting fabulous went out in a matter of minutes!

And oh what a great feeling that was!!

Preparation for dessert began right away.

Raspberry biscotti cheesecake with fresh mint

http://www.tastebudscustomcatering.com

Quick Photo Tip for Harsh Lighting and More...

Photography Naples and Avant-Garde Images, Inc.
Our March newsletter is out!!

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs022/1101885065385/archive/1104669764114.html

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Half Day Excursions in March - We have THREE scheduled!
Weddings, Family Portraits, Corporate and Social Events
Quick Bird Photo Tip
Studio Fashion Lighting Workshop
Poll: Are you interesting in Exhibiting your Photographic Art?
Poll: Are you interested in a Photo Contest?
Quick Portrait Tip for Harsh Lighting
Free Photography Advice
Tuesday Headshot Special
Schedule for Photography Naples classes and events
Quick Links

Poll: Sharing Art Fair Space

Poll: Photo Contest

Nature Excursions, Lighting and MORE!

We've been working on the Photography Naples schedule for March! Remember, most classes/workshops have an early registration price. Register as soon as you can!

• Two studio model shoots
• Two free Photowalks
• Photoshop Elements for beginners
• Basic Studio Lighting - how fun to learn about the studio lights!
  
• DSLR Operation and Exposure Basics (our most popular class)
• Speedlight Workshop - back by SUPER popular demand - the first one sold out very quickly!
  
• Sunset Portrait Workshop (our 2nd most popular class)
• Fashion Lighting and Posing with Fashion Photographer Gary Trantafil
• Nature Boat Cruise to Keewaydin Island at a very great price!
• and we are working on more!!!
  For detailed info go to our school page: www.PhotographyNaples.com
  

Featured Wedding Photographer Hilton Naples

Please click here:
http://www.hiltonnaples.com/weddings.php


We are thrilled to be the featured wedding photographer for the Hilton Naples!!! We love the Hilton!

Paige Simpson at the Hilton planned a perfect wedding for Toni and Jim. We started at the hotel for getting ready pictures.

Then we were shuttled to the beach. It was a perfect Naples day - warm but not hot, with a nice sunset!! Toni and Jim's friends and family were so much fun! We got crazy with the formal photo session!
And back to the Hilton Naples for a fun, fun, fun reception with DJ John Caltabiano of A Sound
Sensation.

Our February Newsletter is out!

Our February newsletter is out! A little late but full of info! Please let me know if you'd like us to schedule another Everglades Excursion. Feb 19 sold out immediately.

Please note at the top you can JOIN OUR MAILING LIST!

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs022/1101885065385/archive/1104370983108.html

The Everglades Excursion on February 19 sold out immediately. Please email Peggy if you would like to see another one scheduled.

Enjoy!

Real "fake" wedding pictures!

Wedding Photography 101 Workshop

by Helen

Saturday, January 9th, Photography Naples was pleased to present our first "Weddings 101" Class here in Naples. It was another sold-out event, but, after the very successful day, it won't be the last time we offer this workshop!
After some important practical advice from Peggy Farren on the challenging aspects of shooting weddings and the essentials of marketing this type of photography, the group headed down to Old Naples to meet the models.



We had four Bride and Groom pairs, and were blessed with perfect weather and a pretty sunset.
There were some great results! Take a look at what some of our students came up with...

See more of the images from this class at our website, www.photographynaples.com
Well done everyone - so much fun!
Many thanks to our gorgeous models and loyal volunteers who assisted... you're each an awesome part of the Naples and Fort Myers area fastest growing photography club and school.

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".