Just in time for the holidays | Carlsbad newborn photographer

You met Leah and Mike, and big sister Addison, a couple of months ago for their maternity session. Now they're a new family of four, having just welcomed handsome little Preston into the world last week. Such a sweet little guy; Preston just went with the flow of things and never fussed no matter how many times we repositioned him or changed his clothes. Once again I found myself wanting to put down the camera and just melt in and enjoy his delightful newborn-ness. Thankfully I didn't because [1] that would probably have freaked his parents out (lol) and [2] you all wouldn't get to see just how beautiful he is...

...from his fingers...

...to his toes!

Talk about perfection...

Look at those eyes!

In the adorable hat that Leah's mom made for him...

And in the spirit of the upcoming holiday we captured what are probably my favorite images of the season......

By gosh, by golly, it's time for mistletoe and holly...

Song of the day: Mistletoe and Holly by Frank Sinatra

I know what you’re thinking – Christmas songs? In August? Well…there’s a rhyme to my reason my friends. It looks like it’s about that time again. You know – where I start getting on you to remind you that the holiday season is just around the corner and that it’s time for you to start thinking about booking your family’s holiday session! I know, you think I’m kidding, but lest we forget I warned you all last year that the season would be here before you knew it and I was right. Not that I’m one to say I told you so, buuuuut…. ;)

So that said people, whether you want to surprise mom and dad with some photos of the grandkids (or you and your siblings), you want to include some family photos with this year’s holiday cards, or you just feel like getting your picture taken because you’re feeling fabulous, it’s time to get to it! If you’re hoping to get some photos done for the holidays, now is the time to book. There are still a couple of spots in September and October available, but I literally have one…ONE slot left for the month of November!


I'm also happy to announce that I will be offering holiday cards for the 2009 holiday season! There are a total of 17 designs to choose from! Here's a quick sneak peek at some of the designs that will be available to you all:

















I'm also toying with the idea of offering gift certificates. I mean, what better gift for that friend or family member who keeps meaning to get family portraits done, but just never gets around to it? So keep an eye out on the blog for the announcement of gift certificate availability.


Well my friends, that's all I have for now. I'll be spending this weekend entertaining, having fun with, and of course photographing my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and her two gorgeous kiddos who are coming in from Colorado for a visit. Just another excuse for me to be a tourist in this beautiful city I call home. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week and your weekend!

Congratulazioni!

And the winner is...

The M Family!

Congratulations to the three (well...five counting the buns in the oven) of you! I'll be sending you an email with all the details concerning your free session. Be sure you thank all of your friends and family for all their helping votes (and there were A LOT! lol)!

I also want to thank the S family for participating in the competition. It's Christmas morning and I'm feeling particularly giving, so be sure you check your email because I've got a little something for you, too. :)

To the M family, the S family, and all of you readers...Merry Christmas!

Now I'm off to watch my little one rip through wrapping paper.

xoxo

Have yourself...

...a merry little Christmas. From my family to yours.

Finalists...

...but first an apology. Things got a little crazy this weekend between Christmas shopping and throwing my hubby a birthday bash (pics to follow). So forgive me for being late updating the second half of the photo contest.

As for the contest, I received lots of inquiries about it, but alas, not many eligible entries. I was debating canceling it altogether since we didn't receive enough entries for five finalists, but I still feel like giving so you know what? Let's just go for it! :)
I did receive two from two gorgeous families, making me very glad the decision for the winner isn't mine! lol

So without further ado my friends, I give you our two finalists!

#1 - The M Family



#2 - The S Family

Remember, you're voting for which picture you like the most. All you have to do is hit the comment button below and indicate the number of the picture you're voting for.
Voting starts immediately. Only one vote per household, per day.
Winner (will definitely) be posted on Christmas morning!!!

So don't just sit there - go enter your vote. Then email your friends and family and have them vote, too!

Good luck to both the M family and the S family! :)

You asked...

I've received a couple of emails about this contest, so I thought I'd post the questions and their respective answers in case anyone else was thinking along the same lines.

Q. Are you only accepting entries from people with children?
A. Absolutely not. Family is what YOU make it. So whether it's just you and your spouse, a couple and their dog, you and your siblings, or even just you, submit your entry!

Q. I'm a mom and usually the one with the camera, so I don't have any recent pictures of all of us together. Will you accept an old photo or one of just my kids?
A. Of course! Trust me, I know how you're feeling. Pictures of all three of us (me, husband, and daughter) are few and far between. But hey - there's a reason I'm behind the camera ;)

Q. Can I submit an entry for someone else?
A. Hmm. This one is tricky. I would hate to tread on someone's privacy. If for some reason your nominee doesn't have an email address or something, I suppose you could enter them. I would just need their phone number so I could contact them and verify everything, prior to posting the finalists. I will also need your contact information so I can let them know who referred me.

So let me repost the contest and its rules for you. Get those entries in as soon as you can! There's only one more day left!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * THE CONTEST * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Entering is very simple. Just send me an email with your favorite picture of your family (or even just your beautiful self!).
That's it - it's that easy! I will be accepting entries from now until December 12. The top 5 finalists will be featured on my blog on December 13. After the finalists are posted, readers can vote by commenting with the number of the photo they love the most. Voting will end on December 24. Please invite family and friends to vote for you (one vote per person per day). The winner will be announced on Christmas Day!

Your prize: The winner will receive a FREE session and a FREE 11x14 print. That's a $110 value!!!

So what are you waiting for?! Go tell everyone you know to enter this contest. All entries should be emailed to info [at] sweetface-photography.com

Official rules:
1. You must be a San Diego county resident or willing to travel here for your session.
2. Only one entry per person.
3. Professional portraits will not be accepted. Any professional pictures emailed to me will be discarded and not available for voting.
4. This contest is only open to new clients. If you are a previous client, please pass this information along to your friends and family so they can enter a chance to win.
5. Please include your name, address, and phone number, along with your entry photo.

Good luck!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas! Can you believe Christmas is in 40 days? I told you it would creep up on us and smack us on the toukas!

Anyhow, I'm just doing a quick update to the blog tonight. Just wanted to let everyone know that there is only one mini session date left, but there are still a couple of slots left. November 22 we'll be shooting downtown in the Gaslamp District, which will make for some awesome urban shots. So if you're not into the typical San Diego shots (think beaches and Balboa Park), this may be the shoot for you. Here are the available time slots:

10:30am ~ 11:00am ~ 11:30am

If you're interested in taking one of these spots, just shoot me an email at info@sweetface-photography.com and indicate which time slot you'd like.


Also, I've got a couple of things up my sleeve for Sweetface Photography as we approach our first anniversary in January 2009. Big things are coming down the pipeline (including FREE sessions) and if you'd like to stay up on the latest, I suggest adding yourself to my mailing list. Just send me an email entitled "mailing list" and you'll be added right away.

Well...it's late and I have to get up early in the morning. Thankfully, tomorrow's Friday and then relaxing weekend here I come. Hope you all get to bum around in your jammies like I plan to this weekend!

Sneak Peek for S and family...

Today I had the great pleasure of photographing my niece for her family's holiday cards. She just turned two months old and is just as sweet and adorable as can be. Didn't want much to do with me and my camera at first, but she warmed up pretty quickly. Well...as much as a two-month old can :) Since a few of my viewers are probably also going to be receiving their holiday cards, I'm only going to post a few teasers (so I don't spoil the surprise too much).

Hope you guys enjoy...

Holiday Portrait Special

Well...Halloween is just about here and those two aisles of Christmas stuff they already have on display at Target will soon multiply into six or seven! So what does that mean for you and me?

Why, it’s time to start thinking about your family's holiday portraits, of course! And I just wanted to remind you guys that this holiday season, Sweetface Photography is partnering with Photo Flair Designs to offer you a sweet deal on your holiday photo cards. Just book your photo session with Sweetface Photography between now and Thanksgiving and you're entitled to:


35 or more standard photo cards for only $0.90 each! {Regularly $1.25/ea}
or
15% off 50 or more press print cards {Regularly $1.80/ea}
and
Complimentary set of matching return address labels

And remember - this special also applies to the remaining Mini-sessions (click for available slots), but is only good for sessions booked up to Thanksgiving day (November 27).

So don't wait a moment longer!

Email me today to book your holiday session!

Mini sessions...

That's right! Holiday Mini-sessions are here!

Mini photo sessions last approximately 30 minutes and cost only $50 (up to 4 people). Each session includes three digital negatives of your choice, on CD.

These sessions are booked on a first come, first served basis.

Also, if you have a playgroup or a large circle of friends, and are interested in setting up a mini session day specifically for your group (you must have a minimum amount of people to do this), please shoot me an email. All private mini sessions will receive discounted print prices!

Remaining dates and times are...

Saturday, November 1
Solana Beach
4:00pm ~ 4:30pm ~ 5:00pm ~ 5:30pm

Monday, November 10
Presidio Park
10:00am ~ 10:30am ~ 11:00am ~ 11:30am

Saturday, November 22
Downtown San Diego – Gaslamp Quarter Trolley Station
10:00am ~ 10:30am ~ 11:00am ~ 11:30am


More good news! These sessions qualify for discount pricing on holiday photo cards ordered through Photo Flair Designs!

If you would like to book a time slot, please email ALL of the following information to me at info@sweetface-photography.com.

Your first and last name.
Your date choice and first two time slot choices in order of preference.
Number and names of people in your group.
If applicable, ages of any children in the shoot.
Contact phone number.

Sweet Flair...

...aka the Holiday Portrait Special!

With the summer soon coming to its close, it’s time to start thinking about your family's holiday portraits! And for the holiday season, Sweetface Photography is partnering with Photo Flair Designs to offer you a sweet deal on your holiday photo cards. Just book your photo session with Sweetface Photography between now and Thanksgiving and you're entitled to:

35 or more standard photo cards for only $0.90 each! {Regularly $1.25/ea}
or
15% off 50 or more press print cards {Regularly $1.80/ea}
and
Complimentary set of matching return address labels

This is a great deal and I can say from personal experience, that Photo Flair Designs offers both great product and customer service. I've used them for my daughter's birthday invitations two years in a row, and our family plans on using them for our holiday cards this year! You can view samples of their work here.

So don't wait a moment longer! Email me today to book your holiday session!