mila | happy bday evalyn

tomorrow we celebrate this adorable little girl's FIRST birthday.  happy birthday evalyn!!

mila | the corporate look

one of my favorite clients called recently inquiring about corporate headshots but he didn't want anything typical for his company and his team of awesomes... he wanted corporate with a twist.  after he explained the concept to me i was SOLD!  it was so up my alley.  he wanted something that reflected their brand and who they were.  professional, approachable, creative and amazing.

schiefer media whose history is rooted in the automotive industry used to have a website that had a really sporty, race car look to it.  now with all their recent changes, the brand is a reflection of who they really are ... an atypical marketing agency with a relaxed koolness factor and a team of superheroes.  i'd like to think the "michelle" touch helped get them there.  just check out their new website and you'll see what i'm talking about.

here's some of my fave interior office shots ..

mila | money woes + wedding pictures

the current economy is killing budgets across the country ... well, everywhere except for north dakota i hear.  it sucks to be an artist trying to make money right now because art is not a necessity for most.  it also sucks to be a bride planning a wedding.

curtis and i finally got married this month!  we kept it very very small and very very private.  to be quite honest, it was just a formality for us.  we've both been through this before and we really didn't want to do much OR spend much.  we would have opted for just a sibling each to invite since we needed witnesses but if you invite one you should invite all.  so four turned into sixteen but it was still beautiful, intimate, fun and memorable but very very chill and affordable.  it was a courthouse ceremony and a sumptuous dinner.  i'll have to share all the gorgeous details when the photos are ready to be shared which....as a photographer, it was the one thing i couldn't sacrifice.  and nobody should!!!  so i asked my good friend katie of katie neal photography to take our pictures.  she was the one who introduced me to the wedding photographer industry a LLLOOOOOONNNG time ago.  or so it seems anyway.

this process of planning a wedding in 2 months really made me appreciate that brides who want something simple and affordable don't have very many options unless they are willing to sacrifice quality and reassurance.  by that i mean that there aren't very many qualified photographers willing to book weddings far in advance for budgets under $2500.  i want to help this little segment of gals out so i have a proposal.  i'm going to offer 2 options to choose from at a magic price of $1500 for one 2011 budget bride a month .

WHY?

i was there and i get it and you shouldn't have to sacrifice your memories  *  you need help  *  i might be available 

WHAT'S IN IT FOR MICHELLE?

it fills my need to be generous   *   the economy sucks for all of us  *  it's limited time so i finish your wedding and i still get home to my daughter at a decent time    

WHAT'S THE CATCH?

i'm not doing this just for anyone  *  i need to know that you truly value photography  *  i will only do this for small, intimate weddings like mine or the brides that are real victims of the budget crunch  *  i need to know that the effort will be appreciated  *  i need to know that i'm choosing to help you instead of making money elsewhere or having fun with my family for a very good reason  *  you need to convince me that we are right for each other  *  i will only do one of these per month for the remainder of 2011  *  acceptance is subject to availability of course and is at my discretion   

WHAT'S THE FINE PRINT?  WHAT PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE?

email me and i'll send you all the details.

HOW TO APPLY

send an email to michelle@milaPhotography.com

 on the subject put WEDDING CRUNCH

tell me some details about your wedding and WHY i should consider you

expect a response at most after 3 days.  if i haven't responded you should follow up w a nudge of some kind.

please don't email me wanting in on this very special deal and then tell me you are expecting 300 guests or that you have a vera wang gown.  all that tells me is that you and i don't agree on the value of photography in which case i'll either send you my regular price list or refer you to a fellow professional.  please, this is a special deal for the people caught in the middle of a financial storm but still deserve to preserve memories of love.  

and now i would like to share a sneak peek of our own intimate wedding.  photos courtesy of katie neal.

Location: Outdoor Education Center at Irvine Regional Park 2 Irvine Park Road Orange, CA
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A SMUGMUG MEMBER TO ATTEND AND IT’S FREE.

IMPORTANT: don’t pay the parking fee. use the gate code. there are 2 keypads by the gate look for the small silver one and enter #0328 … follow the road till you see the SMALL signs to Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center.

Imagine a place where every step you take in your business is FORWARD. That’s Jeff Jochum’s world, and he’ll show us how we can make that our world, too. Recently, Jeff founded Startup-Strategy, a company dedicated to helping every photographer business learn to succeed using goal-based strategies. At the next SMUG, Jeff will show us some of the ways we can use these powerful concepts to gain some clarity about how to turbo-charge our businesses. Bottom line: This is a business-centric presentation, so you can leave your cameras at home. And, come prepared to have your tree shaken, because Jeff’s is a pretty straight-shooter and won’t pull any punches if it’ll help you get clear on how to better succeed. As Jeff says, “Clarity is the new black.”

We will also be fortunate that Jeff will lead a FREE 2-hour “Selling” workshop (10am-noon) the next day followed by a PAID Biz Clarity 1 workshop (1-5PM). Info on registering for the PAID workshop are on the site.

About Jeff Jochum

For over 20 years, Jeff has enjoyed continued success in the computer technology industry. Today, he is a sought-after Community Builder & Marketing Strategist and has most recently been the Chief Marketing Officer at SmugMug.com. Jeff has been fortunate to hold senior executive positions working with amazing teams at many successful technology startups, including as CMO at deviantART.com (top 100 website in the world); SVP Marketing at Pictage.com (sold to Apax for $29 million in 2006); and VP International at Homestore.com (now Move.com). He also co-founded EBZ International, Inc., creator of ‘eBIZ in a BOX’ – 1999′s best-selling e-commerce website development & hosting product.

A SMUG is a place where you can learn, teach and meet up with other photographers who share your passion. It’s also how we can tell you what’s happening in our world and discover what’s happening in yours. SMUGs are a great way to connect with other photographers and add a few weapons to your creative arsenal.