Plan Ahead for the Holidays

As October begins, it still feels like school just started, but I am always amazed at how quickly the fall months go by. Soon Halloween will be here, and then the holiday season begins. Don’t forget to plan ahead and book a family portrait session for your holiday cards. In addition to the holiday cards that you can purchase through us, we can work with nearly any card vendor of your choice. We want to make the process as easy for you as possible, so choose your favorite vendor, your card and we will do the rest. For those of you who may not have a favorite vendor or may not be familiar with the many options out there, we can help you create the right card to match your photographs and your style.

Tiny Prints is one of our favorites. This site is easy to navigate, and they have an extensive collection of styles and types of cards. Here are examples of cards I really liked as I browsed their collection:

There are MANY more to choose from at Tiny Prints.

When you have selected the images you want to include on your card and the design from the Tiny*Prints website, simply place your order on their website, and contact us with the order number and the image numbers you want, and we will take care of the rest. The pricing works as follows: $50 usage fee for up to four images, $10 for each additional image, plus the cost of the cards, sales tax, and shipping and handling.

Refer back to our site, http://dodgenphotography.com/products/cards, for more details.

Portrait Party at Rossmoor Park Postponed!

Our portrait party scheduled for Wednesday, October 14th has been RESCHEDULED for Wednesday, October 28th from 9:00am to 11:30am at Rossmoor Park!

Enjoy a relaxing morning in the park while Jeremy photographs your children playing, in his ususal, non-instrusive way.

There is no cost, but make sure to RSVP at the event's website at:

http://dodgenphotography.pingg.com/party1009

Meet Erin

Hi! My name is Erin. I am excited to be the newest addition to Dodgen Photography! I will be helping Jeremy and Judy with the administrative tasks of the business. I would like to introduce myself as I will be contributing posts to this blog as well.

I am a senior at Biola University, majoring in Psychology. I hope to work with families in a clinical setting after I graduate. I am from Portland, Oregon. I come with a few years of administrative experience, as well as experience with kids. I enjoy reading, writing, swimming, spending time with my three younger sisters, and being outdoors.

I look forward to bringing you the latest news and events of Dodgen Photography through this blog. You may also see me at portrait parties this fall!

Oregon Photo Ops

Jeremy is making one last trip to Oregon in 2009. If you live in the Portland area and are interested in portraits, here are a few opportunities:

Thursday, September 24 at 3:15 pm
Gymboree Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Call 503-384-0542 to reserve a space

Monday, September 28 at 9:00 am - 11:30 am
Portrait Party in the Park
E-mail or call for details

Monday, September 28 at 3:45 pm
Gymboree Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Call 503-670-1683 to reserve a space

Gymboree is a great location for portraits of the five and under set. Take a look at some Gymboree portraits from earlier this year.

More Fun and Photography at Gymboree

I will be photographing a Gymboree Play + Music again next week. It is always a fun time and a great opportunity to get portraits of your young ones (five and under). They are so busy playing on all of the slides and climbers, tubes and tunnels that barely even notice me. These photographs are from my previous session at Gymboree in the spring. If you are interested in attending, or getting more information, contact one of the Gymboree locations below:

Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Monday, August 17 at 3:45 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-670-1683

Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Thursday, August 20 at 3:15 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-384-0542

We choose the moon

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has launched a new website to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing and President Kennedy’s grand vision that made that achievement possible. The goal of the site is to allow visitors to experience the Apollo 11 mission in real time, utilizing archival photographs, video, audio and "real time" transmissions.

The site is really well done and a wonderful way for children (and adults) to experience this moment in history.

The site is live now, with the launch of Apollo 11 scheduled for July 16 at 9:32 am (EST), exactly forty years after the first launch. There will real time updates throughout the mission, which you can even receive on the website or via Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

Judy Dodgen, Mom of the Year

Motherhood is often a thankless job. If you are looking for a way to honor your mom, or a mom you know this weekend, get her on the national news, thanked by President Obama, and envied by Angelina Jolie. Check out the video of Mother of the Year, Judy Dodgen, or go to momsrising.org and "nominate" your favorite mom.

Thanks to Jana for passing this on!

I (Heart) NY

Photograph by Todd Heisler

The New York Times has a beautiful series of photo essays about some of the characters that make New York great. Each profile is accompanied by audio from interviews with the featured New Yorker. It is a wonderful example of the storytelling power of black and white photography.

Facebook Fan Photographs

As I mentioned recently, I have been too busy to blog much lately. That is partially due to the fact that I have been posting so many photographs on our Facebook page. We have 37 albums so far. Check them out and don't forget to become a fan while you are there!

Fun and Photography at Gymboree

I love photographing children involved in a favorite activity, in their environment. It is the best way to capture their personality, and much more fun than sitting in a studio (for everyone involved). That is why I enjoy photographing at Gymboree Play + Music. It is a perfect location, with its rich blend of activities, equipment and music, specifically designed to challenge and engage children five and under. The children, if they notice me at all, are generally having so much fun that they are not concerned with forcing their fake "cheese" smiles.

I will be photographing at two Gymboree locations in a few weeks. If you are interested in attending, or getting more detials, contact one of the Gymboree locations below:

Cedar Hills Shopping Center
Tuesday, April 28 at 3:30 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-384-0542

Lake Oswego/Bridgeport
Friday, May 1 at 3:30 pm
Call today to reserve your space, 503-670-1683