One off Sale - Wedding Photography Package. Normally $4,500. Now $3,000.

You may be asking..... that's a bit odd, I've slashed the price of one of my weddings like a department store slashes prices in the stocktake sales.

There is a reason to it though.  On the 16th April, my cousin's house was severly damaged in a fire, leaving them with nothing, and with them escaping just in time before the roof collapsed.  There is a massive fundraiser happening at the moment with the Gosford Rugby Club, and although they don't want any help, we are all giving it regardless.  If the tables were turned, they would be the first people to help.  I am not going to mention any names here (names below on the advert), but this is a genuine one off sale on a wedding package.

This sale actually started as an Auction, but we all soon realised it needed too much advertising for it be successful, and with this family feeling the way they are, we didn't want to put them through anymore stress.

Basically what will happen is once this package is sold, 100% of the proceeds will go directly to my cousin to help rebuild his life with his wife and 2 gorgeous girls.  My album supplier is donating a gorgeous album for the cause and I've slashed the price of this amazing package to ensure it sells.

What do I get out of it?  Other than being able to help capture precious memories for you and give you first class photography and first class service, nothing.  I just get to hopefully see a smile on their faces when I hand over a $3k cheque to them.  It can go along way, a new lounge or matresses maybe?

So for the next month this wedding package is on sale, their fundraiser night is on the 28th May, and I would dearly love to hand them a cheque on that night.  If you are getting married during the months it's available for, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

Additional CONDITIONS:


1. Couples must be getting married in 2012 and have not already booked Natalie Howe Photography for their wedding in 2012.

2. Wedding is to be held between 15 July 2012 and 30 September 2012. Additional dates outside this time may be considered if they are not highly sort after dates.

3. All meetings before and after the wedding are to be held at the Studio. Times and days available for certain meetings are outlined in standard NHP Wedding Contract Pack.

4. Wedding must be within a 1.5 hour drive of the Studio however weddings outside of this area will be considered if you are willing to pay travel costs including weddings in other states and overseas.

9. Once the package has been purchased, you have 7 days to pay your holding deposit & sign your contract and 60 days from contract signing to pay for the wedding in full. This is to ensure they receive the money now, when they need it most.

*Subject to Natalie Howe Photography’s availability. In addition to weddings, renewal of vows and special anniversary celebrations are included.

Happy Easter and October to December 2011 - Portrait Studio

Ok, so I've just stuffed myself with two bacon and egg rolls and an Easter egg, I feel like I won't ever be able to eat again.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful relaxing Easter Sunday.  I'm about to put a roast on for the family and in a few hours, we'll eat all over again (how will I cope), I hope by the end of it, I can still fit through the front door.

Happy Easter from myself, Chris (my husband), Tom (my son) and Frankie (our very cute but naughty Labradoodle).

While I had a spare 5 minutes, I just wanted to give you all a heads up that the portrait studio will be closed temporarily during October to December.  Basically this is due to over demand and not wanting to burn myself out.  I have 14 weddings to shoot in October & November (totalling approximately 672 hours of work) and I am going to be spending a lot of my time concentrating on these weddings to ensure that these couples all get what they deserve.  First class photography and first class service. 

The Studio will re open in the new year.  Although please note, if you have a newborn, I will squeeze you in, as we all know, newborns grow so fast, they can't wait a few months to have their photos taken like a 3 year old can, so if you have a newborn and want those gorgeous newborn photos, please still contact me.  I will be able to fit you in - I'll make sure of it.

Thanks everyone for your understanding, it's about trying to balance my work/home life and to ensure I don't get anymore grey hairs than I already do!  I am so excited for October and November, all those amazing weddings, but I also know how much work is involved with each and every one.  It's not just the wedding day, there are pre and post meetings, engagement sessions, post production, blogging, album creation and editing, culling and sorting, backing up and album planning meetings.  So to ensure I can offer my high quality of service during a hectic and busy time, I've decided that during those few months, I will concentrate on the weddings and the portraits will have to be done around that time.

So if you are looking for some photos for Christmas, please get in early, have your sitting before September, you'll be glad you organised your gift early and there will then be no last minute shopping or buyers remorse.  Or better still, purchase a gift voucher, they are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase!

Thanks for listening, happy Easter again!

Natalie.

Pinned Up - Spoil yourself rotten

Ok so most of you have probably seen my Facebook Launch of  Pinned Up .  Why have I decided to go left field with this one?  Well it all goes back to my friendship with a Pom, we've been friends for over 12 years, via email/internet only and I watched him progress from a retoucher to a well respected photographer in his own right.  During this progression from retoucher to photographer, I also fell back in love with photography.  I left it for quite a while to get a 'real job'.  I watched his work and studied it, asked him a zillion questions and he was always more than happy to help.  My business grew and grew and now I have a very successful Portrait and Wedding Photography Studio, I studied hard for 4 years, while I worked 3 days a week, ran my business, raised a toddler and built a house (phewww).  I have won so many awards I've stopped counting and I am now eligible to become an Associate of the AIPP this year, with my next step being my Masters.

Yes, as you can see I'm goal driven - a lot.  When I try something, I not only want to do good at it, I want to blow it out of the water and stun people.  I think this stems from my negative childhood, but that is another story.  I feel like I constantly need to prove myself.  Maybe it's a good thing, the day you sit back and think to yourself  'I'm so good, I don't need to learn, try things new etc' is the day you should hang up your camera, you have lost the right to shoot, because you've obviously forgotten what got you into the industry in the first place - passion, emotion.

Anyway, where was I - oh yeah 'Pinned Up' and the reason I went 'left field'.  I wanted to try something different.  I wanted to give women everywhere the chance to be someone else.  Everyone should love the person they are, the person within, but, as a child we all loved to play dress ups right?  So this is like an adult version, with kick ass photos so you can always look back on and see how hot you looked.  It's about going back in time when things were simple, glamours and sophisticated.  Where photography wasn't crude or rude, but cheeky, fun and flirty.  I want to give women this, the power to be whoever they want, just for the day, I think every woman needs to feel beautiful, and I know as a mum, sometimes I feel far from it.  I can sit in front of my computer all day in a tracksuit, hair up in a pony tail and no make up on - I don't get the chance to dress up much, so I know when I do, I love it.

So, back to this Pom I know.  Well to cut a long story short, he moved to Portland in the USA and started a kick ass Pin Up Studio called Portland Pinups.  I loved his work, his technique and organised for him to come to Australia to teach us Aussies how to do Pin Ups.  This was purely for selfish reasons, I wanted to know how to do it, I wanted to offer something a little different.  Don't get me wrong, I love doing weddings and portraits.  I still cry during the speeches at weddings and I still get excited when I see the bride for the very first time - looking like a princess.  Oh and don't get me started on photographing gorgeous babies and children when they give you the cutiest smiles and cheeky attitudes - moments captured in time forever for their parents and grandparents.  But this is different, this was a personal challenge of mine, to see if I could do it.

So Mike came to Australia and taught a handful of us how to do Pin Up's his style.  Since then I have been researching and buying props making sure when I started, that I did the shoot justice.  Finally in mid March, it was time for the shoot.  I called on my gorgeous friend Shereen to be my model, she is a natural in front of the camera, and made doing my first shoot a little easier.  Hair and make up was done, perfectly by Nicole of Rel-FX and it was time for my very first pin up shoot.  I now have 20 awesome images from that shoot I am very proud off, I think I nailed the shoot, although I will get better at it, we all do, the more you do something, the better you get at it, so let me at it, I can't wait!

So this was my 'left field' and so far I'm happy with it. 

How about spoiling yourself rotten - you know you want to.

Thanks for listening to my rant...