All images shared in this blog are the artistic works of Melissa Surprise and are protected under federal COPYRIGHT laws. It is unlawful to copy and/or reproduce any images contained here without written permission from Melissa Surprise. Please respect the artist and her work by NOT DOWNLOADING, SAVING TO YOUR HARD DRIVE, PRINTING or POSTING any image from this blog onto other sources.
In other words, stealing is bad.
Momtrepreneurs:
Here are some links to my favorite and featured Momtrepreneurs:
Waddle N Swaddle
Jeune Girl
Three Sister Herbals
Proud Member- New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce
I know I have been on the blog slacker side the past month, but I was preparing for some changes and here is my BIG ONE! My new blog! I am no longer a "Blogspot" I am just a "Blog" ;) http://surprisephotography.com/blog/
So why happy? It is fantastic! I just love it!
Why sad? This was my first blog, and it treated me well. Thank you to all of you who followed me on this blog and shared it with others. I look forward to seeing you on my new site! Now, go up date your bookmarks and check out my blog contest.
Ok, I really have been bad with my blogging. With 2 kids rotating their coughs and sneezes, I am having a hard time keeping up. I want to make an announcement that a BIG change is coming to Surprise Photography on February 1st!! I am very excited and can't wait to share with you!
If you want to be the first in the know, be sure to join my Facebook Group!
Jeune Girl Crafts is doing another fabulous give away. All you have to do is leave a comment on her blog, easy enough. Link her site from your blog, you get bonus points. Her letters are awesome, I have them in my home and have given them as gifts. Good Luck! Tell her Melissa sent you :)
Receiving First Communion is one of the most important milestones in a young Catholics life. It is also a day of family and tradition. First Communion Portraits are treasured keepsakes for parents and their family to cherish the innocence and hope for the future of their children.
On March 21st and 28th, I will be hosting mini First Communion mini-sessions. I never offer mini-sessions, so this is truly a treat. Each session will be 30 minutes and there are several special collections for you to choose from. If you or patrons from your church wish to plan a session at your church, please email me for more detailed information.
Here are some of my favorite from last year...
For more info, please contact me at melissa@surprisephotography.com
Monday, January 19, 2009
You all know I love a referral, and I love to reward you with thank you bonuses for referring your friends and family to me. For the next month, should you refer a friend and they book a session dated Feb 1-28th, I will double your bonus. Yes, I said DOUBLE! Not only will I double your bonus, but I will double your friends too. You get $100 print credit to use on a future session, and your friend gets $50.
Pass the word along to your friends, expecting mommas, seniors for the class of 2010, newly engaged couples, etc!
Dates are very limited, and are on a first come first serve basis. Please email me at melissa@surprisephotography.com for more details.
Finally, some more photos of Hawaii. I think I gook around 20Gs of photos. After leaving Kauai, we flew to Hilo, on the big island. We stayed at a very sweet B&B, where we had an incredible view of the ocean. We were treated to beautiful sunsets, when it wasn't raining :)
The moon reflecting off the ocean
Most of our time on the here was spent exploring the volcano as well as waiting for the night show. Due to the fact that the lava was pouring into the ocean via a lava tube, we were not able to get too close to the lava itself. In fact, we had to view the Volcano fumes from several miles away. Parking for the volcano viewing was actually on top of what use to be town. It was covered by lava many years ago.
What you are actually seeing here is the VOG caused by the lava pouring into the ocean.
Prior to viewing the volcano fumes, we toured the National Park. It wasn't in our original plans, but we ended up doing an amazing hike right through the middle of a crater. Below are a couple pictures of the steam coming through the grounds. With the combination of steam and VOG from the Volcano Fumes, it made the visibility very limited.
The start of our hike to the crater.
A view from the top
Inside the crater
Lava rocks
Everyone has their "Bucket List" in the back of their head. I was able to check one thing off my list while in Kona. Hubby and I rented a Kayak from some locals and headed out to Kealakekua Bay. Along the way, we ran into a school of about 30 spinner dolphins. I threw on my snorkeling gear and jumped in. I could hear them all talking to one another and saw the babies swimming with their mommas. They so close to our kayak, we could almost touch them. The dolphins were jumping out the water right in front of us. Truly an amazing experience.
We all love to gush over our children, but I have to say, I love Brayden's eyes. His mile long lashes are what Hollywood starlets pay top $$ for. He amused me yesterday by letting me do a 5 minute photoshoot with him.
(a couple days late) Meet Nicole Giladi, author of self published book, "Little Redheads Across America." I first heard of Nicole and her fabulous idea for a book about a year ago, through the photography grapevine. I sent her an email with a link to my little redheaded clients photos and asked her what she thought. A year later, 2 of my photos were published in her book :)
"Little Redheads Across America" explores the fascination and beauty of redheads, and lets them know how special they are. Hey, I think we all have to admit, we turn our head when we see a cute little redheaded child. This book is a combination of 400 professional photos from all over America, and contains fun redheaded facts, including finding your shade of red, i.e. Strawberry Blonde, Copper, Orange, Auburn and Fiery Red.
Nicole's journey with this book started right at home. A mother of twins, a boy and a girl, her daughter was born brunette, like herself and her husband, yet her son was born with copper red hair. "Where did it come from?" After becoming curious with the "redhead phenomenon," Nicole discovered that red hair is a recessive trait, that comes from both the mother and a father. Her fascination with the redheaded facts and her desire to share them with others, is what helped her decide to write this children's book.
"Little Redheads Across America" was officially published in December of 2008 and books are only available for purchase on her site. There you will also find printable games, redhead facts, photos and more.
Nichole is a great example of having a dream and running with it. She is a great role model to moms across America. The following is a little question and answer I did with Nicole:
Please tell us a little bit about the book as well as the concept behind it:
ABOUT THE BOOK:“LittleRedheads Across America” is an 88-page Hardcover Bookfilled with gorgeous photographs of Little Redheads and facts about redheads; A kid’s coffee table book.
In addition to the over 400 professional photographs of little redheads in the book from EVERY STATE IN THE COUNTRY, I explain in a fun and whimsy way, how they became a redhead.. Why they have freckles and what they are.. Why they sunburn.. And tons of other important stuff I wanted them to know about themselves. I also included fun and amusing facts about each of our 50 states...
I wanted to create something that would show redheads how exceptionally unique and special they are.. With only 2%-4% of the US population having red hair, I wanted them to see hundreds of little redheads from across the country, that looked just like them, so they wouldn’t feel alone.
MY INSPIRATION: My husband and I are both brunette, and in 2004 we welcomed boy/girl twins into the world. Of which, my son Sammy had bright red hair. Quite a shock!
We would get so much attention from people when we were out in public about his radiant hair. I was researching red hair on the Internet when Sammy was about 1 year old. That’s when I found out that it’s recessive; My husband and I both gave our son his red hair. It has to come from both parents.Once I learned that among other interesting important traits and characteristics about redheads, I began sharing that information with other redhead Mommies I would see in public with a little redhead.Not one of them, knew the facts I shared with the. I knew then, that I wanted to put something together, that showed these children just how unique and special they really are.
Tell us what is so unique about this book and why we can't live without:
There is absolutely nothing like this to be found on the planet. I did intnsive research on books about redheads, and I found almost nothing. The few things I found were for adults only; I knew that redheaded children needed their own exclusive book.
If you have a redhead in your family or if you have a redheaded friend, co-worker or neighbor, this one-of-a-kind book is a MUST!! This will help answer many questions about their distinct characteristics.
I also have a Little Redhead GROUP on FACEBOOK!!! J
ust type in Nicole Giladi or Little Redheads. YOu can post photos of your little redhead or meet fellow redheads.
Please tell us where we can buy it: Visit the Lil'Online Shop on my website at www.littleredheadsacrossamerica.com to purchase a copy. You can also get a sneak peek as to what the book looks like inside.
What are some of your short and long term
goals with your business:
As a stay-at-home Mom, this book has been a gift for me. Albeit, an expensive one, but a journey that I would have never known at my old 9-6 job.I have a long way to go before I break even on my investment.I would love the op
portunity to continue selling my bo
ok as long as there are redheads in the world.
Is there anything exciting we can look forward too:
I’ve received many e-mail from people already requesting a Part 2 of the book..We’ll see, I’m still recovering from my
2-½ years of this journey.
What is the hardest part or some of th
e struggles you have had, getting your book going:
I’ve enjoyed every minute of reaching out across the U.S. in finding Little Redhead participants.. However, the hardest part so far, has been to get the “word out” about my book.. The 400 redheads in the bo
ok, make up a small percentage of the 6-18 million redheads out there.. and I’m struggling with my PR efforts.. Hiring a PR firm, can cost at the bare minimum $5,000 for 1-2 months work.. and that’s on the very low end.
About Nichole, Extra Tidbits:
Tell us about your family:
We live in Los Angeles, CA in a suburb, named Granada Hills.It’s just the 4 of us… Me, my hubbie, and 4-year old twins, Sammy & Hannah.
What is your ideal thing to do on a lazy weekend with the family:
GO to a outdoor mall, where the kids can run around, we can eat lunch together, and have an ice cream treat afterwards.
What are some of your favs:
Reality Show:The Bachelor & Bachelorette.
Favorite online shopping: eBay & Zappos.Free Shipping for Shoes, why go to a Shoe store ?
Can’t live without item: Target.. It’s turned into my dream store.. From Tyleno
l to ballet shoes, to Stickers to Laundry Detergent.. they have it all !!
How do you balance your family and your business:
My kids hate when I’m on my computer.. so I try to do a lot of my work after the kids have gone to bed.. I guess that explains the dark circles under my eyes.. They are in pre-school only 9 hours a week, so I try and get at least a few things done during that time.. When they’re off to Kindergarten next year, I think I’ll have more time to get more work done during the day..
Is there anything additional you would like to share?
I loved every minute of working on my book.. and I feel it shows.. The Testimonials coming in from around the country have been amazing.. as well as greatly rewarding !!
Here area few:
SOUTH CAROLINA
WOW, I received the book yesterday, you really did a fantastic job! Brooke was so excited. The book is so interesting I could hardly put it down last night. The kids are all so beautiful and so many interesting facts. I am going to see if our local newspaper (Summerville) would be interested in putting an article in the paper about Brooke being in it from Summerville. The pictures came out so good, so clear. You should pat yourself on the back!!! Thanks, Corrie
GEORGIA
Nicole - We just received our box of books! The book is just precious! It looks great and we are so proud that Mikaela is part of such a special book! Mikaela has not put it down since we opened the box! Thanks for including my "little redhead"!
Mikaela’s Mom, Stefanie from Georgia
TEXAS We just got ours today!!! I took pictures of Shepherd opening the box. We were all so excited. The book is BEAUTIFUL. I knew it would be. I love your special touches on each and every page. You did a great job combining education and beauty. I will be posting all about it on my blog. I hope some friends place some orders. Love, Marla
CALIFORNIA
Nicole, We got our books today and sat on the couch in our jammies reading through the first half. My son got a total KICK out of seeing himself in the book and reading what he loved and what the other children loved. He adored reading their names and being able to relate to loving the things they loved, etc. The book just blew me away!!! WOW, I couldn't have pictur
ed a better book in my wildest dreams, your artistic touch speaks to me!
What a surreal moment to sit there after two years of emails back and forth and hold in my hand such art. Thank you for picking us out in GriffithPark that one day and inviting us on this journey. I hope you and your hubby are toasting your success right now!!!!xoxo, AllieHi Nicole, We received the books and we all love it! The kids, David and Debra, are thrilled to see themselves in the book and love looking at it everyday! It was beautifully done with lovely pictures, great layout and cute anecdotes and facts. We really enjoy your beautiful book and will be sure to pass on the word to everyone we know.Thank you so much, David and Debra’s Mom
NEW YORK hey Nicole- We got the book yesterday!! wow....it is SO beautifully done, my hat goes off to you! Charlotte is absolutely thrilled..she keeps opening the book to her page and saying, "how did she get my picture??" W
e HAD to bring it to school today and show all her teachers and kindergarten classmates, who were all very impressed and she in turn was so proud...so thank you for doing this, we love
this keepsake and will always treasure it!!Love, Barbara
Pennsylvania
Hi Nicole, We just got our books this afternoon… absolutely stunning! You’ve done an amazing job on this. It turned out even better than we could have ever thought. Thank you so much for including Colin in it – he is thrilled!
Thanks!! Michelle
This book will make a great gift for the redhead in your life. Be sure to check out Nicole's Site: Little Redheads Across America and join her Facebook group, check out mine while you are at it :)
For more information on how to be featured as "Momtrepreneur of the Month," please email me at melissa@surprisephotography.com
I have to thank the D family for allowing a Red Sox fan into their home ;) and for allowing me to drag them outside into the snow for some family photos. I had a great time joking with them all.
When I first laid eyes on Baby E, he was taking a nap. The first thing I saw was this little man great head of hair. And talk about happy baby! Well, he wasn't so happy when we woke him from his nap, but I wouldn't be too thrilled either ;) As long as he didn't have clothes on, he was Mr. Smiles :) How lucky am I to have such a sweet little man as my first shoot of the year.
Ok, finally. After several weeks away, the holidays and the tummy bug running through my house, I finally have SOME pictures ( you don't want to know how many I took) up from our time in Kauai. We really were not planning on coming back to this island but we got a deal we couldn't refuse. I am so glad we did come back here, we fell it love with more this time around.
Being that it is winter, the north shore has high tides and really high waves. Most beaches were closed to swimming. Ke'e beach is the most northern beach in Kauai. Literally, the road ends here. We spent our last day here in Kauai 5 years ago and swam with the sea turtles. Pretty cool :) This day, the beach was closed due to the high surf.
This was the view of our hike around theKalalau Trail.
Amazing Race, here we come! Day 2, Zipline. This was the coolest thing ever.
Getting ready to jump.10 foot waves
The Nene goose, Hawaii's state bird
Look who came to lunch..
We call him BO and #10. Those where their tag names :)
Back to the seen of the crime. This is Shipwreck beach, where hubby and I got hitched :) That is him on top of the cliff.
"Marry Me"
Mr. Turtle taking a snooze on the beach
These trees were cool but creepy at the same time. Here we are driving through green piled on top of green and here are some stark white trees in the middle of it
When we started running with this idea, it started with 9 photographers and our desire to do something good, for someone else. As of today, we had over 482 photographers from across the world, with donations totaling $516,994.
I received a ton of emails with stories that just brought me to tears. I selected four of my top families, not kn0wing how I was going to narrow it down to one. After discussing it with my husband, we found that Katlyn and her families nomination story, to be one of true strength and courage.
We want to wish the Bolander's, as well as all other families out there, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Since hubby and Kieran are feeling a little under the weather, Brayden and I decided to tackle a little project to welcome Santa to our home, a Gingerbread House. I am not sure how much of the candy actually ended up in Brayden's tummy, rather on the house, but I think we did good.
With every candy, Brayden chanted, "One for the house, one for my mouth."
Yes, I am still up. It is like I drank a gallon of Kona coffee at 10 pm. Anyway, I wanted to give you an update on the "The Big Give Away." I have been overwhelmed with the response from you all who have been sharing your stories with me. Some were so touching, they put me in tears.
Overall, the response from the photography community has spread across the WORLD with 462 photographers donating almost $500,000 in gifts!! That is truly "AWESOME!" For most, including myself, these are the last days to submit your entries.
If you are not in the Hudson Vally/Ulster County area, or have someone outside the county you would like to nomiate, please visit the following link: Giving Is Awesome.
Thanks again and for more information on my Give Away, please linkhere.
On our second to last day in Maui, we had the honor of having Marina Miller of Red Heart Photography, take our photos. This girl ROCKS! I had a lot of fun talking shop with her, although I am not sure my husband enjoyed the conversation :) If you are ever in Hawaii, fly here to where ever you are.
And not as tan as I would like to be, but I can't complain since it is snowing here in NY. I tried updating my blog while on vacation, but WiFi at Starbucks didn't want me to upload any large photos.
Anyway, the first day we were in Kauai, the it was sunny and 83 degrees. We hiked about 8 miles of the Kalalau Trail.This trail is an 11 miles trek, 22 miles round trip. What an amazing journey. It wasn't the easiest hike, but not the hardest either. But at the end of the first trail, we were greeted with an amazing waterfall.
(Sun coming up in Kauai, off the plane)
Coastline
Morning haze
The Grand Prize
For all of those who think you need a big camera to take good pictures, these were shot with my Canon Powershot aka, my human size camera I call it ;) Stay tuned for more.
Hubby and I ran away for a badly needed vacation. I will be returning on the 20th and return all your emails then. I hope to post some pictures of our travels soon.
Please keep emailing me your stories for the big Give Away. I have been checking my mail and I am just blown away by these stories. They are truly heart breaking. From my understanding, we are well over 60 photographers, with gifts totaling over $75,000!! I will update the full list and map as soon as it becomes available, or check out Essential Imagery.
This is something I have been thinking about for a long time and one of my fellow photog friends, Kristen Kalp, finally put the challenge out for our photography community to give the joy of photography to a family in need this holiday season.
We have accepted the challenge, now it is your turn to do your part. (Thanks to Kristen for letting us borrow your words :) )
This is a joyous time of year. A time to celebrate the season, our family and a time to truly reflect and appreciate what we have. For some people however, the holidays are a reminder of personal struggles.
You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.
You know someone. I guarantee it.
I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography – $1000 worth, to be exact. This includes a session, slide show DVD and $700 to be spent as you wish.
Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a complementary session as well as a $250 print credit. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?
The rules:
You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-home does not qualify as sincere financial need.)
The nominee must reside in Dutchess/Ulster county. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.
The shoot will take place in February of 2009 and will accommodate up to 5 people.
The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve…get nominating! I can’t wait to read all of your entries so please have them all in by December 22nd.
Open your heart to someone this holiday season – and thanks for giving us an opportunity to open ours.
Comment on this blog entry to let me know you've entered, and e-mail me the full story at melissa@surprisephotography.com
Here is an UPDATED list of my fellow photog friends who have also accepted the challenge:
5 ft 2, eyes of blue,
I love my boys (Jesse, Brayden and Kieran)
I also love....
Starbucks,
A good glass of Vino,
The Boston Red Sox,
Project Runway "Fierce!"
Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel.
