The Bond Brothers

::: The Bond Brothers, who have opened for both Los Lobos and Smash Mouth, will be playing at the 541 Lounge this Saturday, March 15th, at 9pm. Go check them out! :::

Here are a few photos I did for a local band. I love their slogan: "Smooth Soul is How We Roll!" Their CD is available at Ranch Records, and they are doing gigs around town--you should check them out! I've also put up the poster I designed for them. I'd never done a band poster before--it was a lot of fun!

Dara Hatcher Auction

What would you do if the unthinkable happened…

Somewhere between remembering to sign up your child for soccer, picking up more eggs, and seeing the doctor for the headaches you've been having, you were told you have a rare brain tumor. That is just the news that Dara Hatcher received a few weeks ago. Since then, the Dara Hatcher Foundation has been created, and the funds raised will be used to help enable Dara (a single mother) and her son, Dante, to remain in their home, cover Dara's COBRA payments, and assist with the payment of her mounting medical bills. Also, a fundraising auction will be held for Dara in a few weeks:

Tuesday, March 11th, 5-7pm
Deschutes Brewery, Mountain Room
901 SW Simpson Avenue
Bend, Oregon

I'll be there, and will be auctioning off a portrait session to the highest bidder! Please join me--put it down on your calendar, pay the $20 at the door to get in, and open your wallets to a great cause!

Free Portraits Contest Winner!!

Thanks to the ever reliable Custom Random Number Generator, the winner of the free portaits is Renee!! Congratulations, Renee!! And, to honor the request of another contestant, I'm going to offer $50 off any portrait session to anyone else who entered the contest, however, this offer is only good for the next week! So if you want to take advantage of the offer, your name must be in the comment box either in the post about reaching 5,000 hits (since a few people left comments in the wrong spot hehe), or about the website going live. You must contact me by Monday, March 3rd to take advantage of the special offer!

Congraluations, Renee!

Reason to Celebrate!

Coming on the heels of launching the new Ethni website, the blog has reached over 5,000 hits since I started it six months ago! Ok... some photographers get that in a day, or a matter of weeks, but that's a lot for me!

Also, today is your last chance to enter to win free portraits! Leave a comment in the post below about the website going live for your chance to win. Some people have had problems leaving comments. I don't allow comments to be left anonymously, so you have to sign in with a google username and password in order to enter. If you don't have one, it's really easy to sign up. The winner will be announced tonight!

Free Portraits Contest extended

I've gotten a handful of emails from people experiencing problems with my website linking properly with my blog, or the website not loading at all. Because of the continued propagation issues, I'm extending the deadline even more for the contest to win free portraits. Deadline is now Monday at 3:00, with the winner to be announcement Monday night. All you have to do is leave a comment in the post below about the website going live. Right now each of the six people has a really good chance of winning!!

Also, don't hesitate to enter just because you live out of town (Caila!!) hehe. Josh and I are always looking for an excuse to travel... and if we have to go to Hawaii to do a free session, then so be it.

The Website is Live!!

If you've made it to the blog, you know that the official Ethni Photography website is live! So many years of waiting and praying and seeking the Lord have finally come to fruition. I'm so excited to share this with you that I might even be inclined to give away a free session if you leave a comment on this post! And if only one person leaves a comment, then you have a 100% chance of winning! So pass along the good news to everyone you know who wants some free portraits! The winner will be announced Saturday afternoon. If you have this site bookmarked, it has a new address: www.ethniphotography.blogspot.com.

Check out the new site at www.ethniphotography.com! Finally, a BIG thanks to BigFolio and the awesome guys over there who have been so incredibly generous and helpful. Thank you!!

***Since it took over 36 hours for the new site to propagate, (and is still having problems in some places) I'm extending the contest. Winner will be announced Monday night.***

Mother's Day Gift Certificates

Mother's Day is still 12 weeks away, but it's never too soon to plan for that special gift! Send your wife out for a few hours with a friend, and book a session to have portraits taken with your children. Every mother loves that shot of her baby sleeping on her husband's chest! Planning ahead will allow for plenty of time to turn your secret session into a custom-designed coffee table book she will treasure for years to come! Or, if you're a relative or a friend, purchase a gift certificate for a mother in your life, and receive a $50 coupon towards a portrait session of your own! With the 25% donation from every session fee to missions, the gift is two-fold!

Sessions are limited, so book early!

History Lesson

One of my favorite things is to take a photograph of something involving a story that has to be told! A friend wanted a photo taken of one of her sons, and she has an amazing old trunk in the entry of her house. I suggested we use it as a prop, and as soon as I heard the story behind the trunk, there was no question! Sharon resurrected the trunk from being stored in her parent's garage. The best part is that Zach is the latest addition to his family, sitting in a trunk that was brought here in a wagon on the Oregon Trail by his great-great-grandparents! Pair that with Zach's signature open-mouthed, toothless grin, and you have the makings for a great portrait. Also, I have to give a plug to Megan Caston. She's the creator of the amazing bandana blanket in a few of the photos. Check out her website: www.weebuckaroo.com. She makes bandana bibs too! Adorable.

Love

Today marks the first day of our fifth year of being married. And I couldn't ask for more. I love you!

***So I guess I worded this in a way only I understand. In case you're wondering, we just celebrated our 4th anniversary (with an awesome weekend away!) and have now begun our 5th year of being married.***

Photographers who Inspire: Michael Costa

The latest addition to my list of photographers who inspire: Michael Costa! Michael and his wife are actually a team, and I discovered their work while perusing through the list of platform speakers at this year's WPPI convention in Vegas. I took one look at their site, and was in love with every photograph I saw. I think the thing that is most intriguing to me is their different approach to wedding photography. Make sure to visit their blog, hosted by the awesome guys at Big Folio, who will also be hosting my own website once it launches. Michael and his wife are award winning WPPI photographers, and you better believe I'll be listening to them speak when I'm in Vegas next month!

Maternity Shoot

I had a maternity session this afternoon. This photo is, by far, my favorite of the whole shoot!

A Little Bit of Pop

Here's another photo of adorable Ila. I originally saved this particular image as black and white and wasn't really all that happy with it. I removed the blanket in the editing, and the overall final composition just lacked luster. So I decided to go back tonight and re-work the photo with a texture file my friend, Bethany, was kind enough to send my way! I love the color version so much more than the black and white! It's amazing what some color punch and a little bit of texture can add! And wow the difference when you put the two side by side! By the way, check out Bethany's blog--she just did a fantastic newborn shoot. Let's just say the little guy is in a guitar case that belongs to his dad, and is used to hold a guitar played by his great-grandfather. I love the creativity!

Photographers who Inspire: Brianna Graham

I was thinking this morning about what photographer I was going to feature who inspires me. As I sat there studying Ephesians, I felt compelled to emphasize first and foremost that I am ultimately inspired by the Spirit of God in my life. My entire vision for my photography, and the donation to missions with every single session I do, came out of spending time on my face before Him, and He has been so incredibly faithful to build both my style and my creativity. As I prepare for the launch of my website, I am continually amazed at the shape it's taken and style it's become. So much has changed drastically in my approach to shots and post-processing in the last six months alone... Anyway, I love the amplified translation of the second part of Ephesians 5:18:

"...ever be filled and stimulated with the Holy Spirit."

Since I read that particular verse last week, my prayer has been daily for the Spirit of God to fill me, and stimulate me in my creativity continually!

Now... this week's photographer who inspires: Brianna Graham!

Her blog is among my bookmarks of blogs I check daily. I love her rich, earthy colors, and funky design. Her style is a lot like my own, and her workshop is on my radar of things to do in the next year! Isn't this shot of the boy the cutest thing you've ever seen?? Love it! Go check her out: www.briannagraham.com

10x20 Gallery Wrapped Canvas Storyboards

If you're anything like I was when I first heard all these words, you're probably confused. Gallery wrapped canvas? Storyboards? What the heck? Honestly, if you don't look into photographers very often, the lingo can get confusing. Since I'm so visual, I'm making it my goal to provide an image of every goodie I offer in my portrait packages. And I'm making a point to provide a photograph of the product I've taken myself. That way, I've ordered the product, I've seen the quality for myself, and my clients can be confident in the quality they can expect to receive.

Here is an example of a 10x20 gallery wrapped canvas storyboard. Literally, it's a photograph printed on canvas, and wrapped around a wooden frame. It adds dimension to your wall display, and is ready to be hung upon arrival! They're wonderful for grouping a series of photos onto a storyboard because you can essentially order any size you want. And there's no need to mess with ordering the right (expensive) custom-sized frame! I was really pleased with how these turned out. Ila's mom ordered five of them to give as gifts to her family. And they couldn't have come at a more perfect time, since she's flying across the country with them on Thursday! Having actually ordered 10x20s, I would personally prefer to stick with the larger sizes--possibly even 20x40s. But that's my style: large and dramatic to make a statement! We have a 30x40 print on canvas of us from our wedding over our mantel. And while that sounds large, it really isn't that big once it's on the wall. I think I am going to offer that size as a standard in my wedding packages. It makes such a dramatic statement in your home!

Winter Wonderland

We've had about 2 ft of snow fall in our area in the last seven days... much more if you just drive across town! After church today, Josh and I grabbed the tripod and went out driving in search of some cool backdrops for fun snow pics.

Here are my two favorites--doesn't he look like a GQ model? I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

True North Magazine

The photo I took of Ila a few weeks ago is featured on the Ages & Stages landing page of True North Magazine website this month! True North is a brand new parenting magazine specific to Central Oregon. They just debuted their first issue online last month, and will be moving to a print magazine starting in April, as well as a separate print directory of Central Oregon businesses geared towards families in June.

Which brings me to my next piece of news... both the print magazine and directory will be designed by yours truly. I'm freelancing with True North as they work to get their first issues off the ground, and I couldn't be happier! A print magazine is the perfect, complimentary combination of my love for photography and design. My relationship with True North began in early December when I received an email from them asking me to submit some photography to their publication. From there, it's grown into a graphic design partnership, with photography contributions where they might need it.

Anyway, go check out their website. And if you're in Central Oregon, look for the magazine on stands in April!