Last Day to Vote Allure West Studios as Your Happening Photography Studio!
We are so honored that you have nominated Allure West Studios as the most Happening Photography Studio in Bucks County and (if you haven’t already) would be very grateful if you would cast your vote for us here. Polls close tomorrow!
A Valentine’s Gift Your Sweetie Will Never Expect :: Intro to Digital Photo Workshops
Allure West Studios is offering half-off Digital Photography Workshops this weekend only on LivingSocial.
Stop hiding behind Photoshop. The true art of photography starts behind the camera, not the computer.
Through tips and techniques of basic photography, you’ll learn how to become more confident using your SLR, and Photoshop won’t need to swoop in to save the day. Home photographers and aspiring amateurs seeking ways to improve their results, are ideal for this workshop. Popular makes and models will be compared and can serve as a guideline for future purchases. More advanced technologies, like using your camera in semi-automatic and manual modes, will also be covered.
Required Materials: Digital SLR Camera; Manual; Charged Battery; Formatted Memory Card; Pen and Paper.
Level 1 Workshops are held Monday evenings from 7-10pm and Level 2 Workshops are held Thursday evenings from 7-10. In order to offer you the most encompassing experience, we require students to complete the Level 1 Workshop first and practice the lessons for 3 weeks before registering for Level 2. See our calendar here.
Class sizes are limited and do fill up quickly so please call 267-247-5858 or email to reserve a seat.
New Fall Digital Photography Workshops
We are proud to announce our new partnership with Doylestown Township and our joint offerings of several Digital Photography Workshops.
Download the Doylestown Township Fall 2010 Program Guide Here.
Download the Doylestown Township Fall 2010 Registration Form Here.
View Course List on our Website.
Workshops offered include ::
INTRO TO DIGITAL POINT-AND-SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHY.
Are you tired of always missing the perfect shot because your camera is too slow? Then this is the workshop for you. We’ll discuss the technology in your camera and how to simultaneously manipulate the camera and anticipate to finally capture the perfect moment.
Requirements: Digital point-and shoot camera, charged batteries, empty memory cards, lenses, your manual and a notebook.
Activity # 1207.014 // Dates 10/4 & 10/11 // Time 1:00pm-2:15pm
Instructor: Natalie Napoleon Wi / Jung Wook Wi
Location: Activity Center
Age: 18yrs & over
Fee: $85 R / $99 NR
INTRO TO DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY.
The perfect workshop for home photographers and aspiring amateurs who are interested in learning the basics of digital photography while using a digital SLR camera. This workshop features techniques and tools to help improve your results. This workshop will also act as an overview of the different technologies that are used by different manufacturers and act as a buyer’s guide or future purposes. More advanced techniques such as the use of your camera in semi-automatic and manual modes will be covered. Requirements: Digital point-and-shoot camera, charged batteries, empty memory cards, lenses, your manual and a notebook.
Activity #1208.014 // Date 11/08 & 11/15 // Time 1:00pm-2:15pm
Instructor: Natalie Napoleon Wi / Jung Wook Wi
Location: Activity Center
Age: 18yrs & over
Fee: $85 R / $99 NR
NATURE & OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY 101.
This class is for the granola munching, REI shopping, Subaru driving, outdoorsy Californian in you. We will walk around Doylestown and shoot everything from portraits to landscapes, emphasizing the use of natural light and manual settings on your camera to capture all the grandeur of our beautiful town and its natural geographic beauty. For the bird watchers, we will discuss the use of high shutter speeds to freeze the fastest motion, effective incorporation of the background as well as techniques to shoot in ever changing light conditions.
**This course will also feature an opportunity to shoot on-assignment for the Bucks County Herald.
Activity #1209.014 // Date 9/13, 9/20, 9/27. 10/4 and 10/11 Time 3:30pm-05:30pm
Instructor: Natalie Napoleon Wi / Jung Wook Wi
Location: CP-Pavilion 2
Age: 18yrs & over
Fee: $199 R / $215 NR
NATURE & OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPH Y 101 :: TEEN.
Nurture the budding artist within you and start building your portfolio with classic Bucks County landscape photographs. As we walk around Doylestown, we will discuss the different settings on your camera and how you can manipulate them to create a perfect exposure or an abstract piece of art.
Activity #0906.014 // Dates 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7 and 10/14 // Time 3:30pm-5:30pm
Instructor: Natalie Napoleon Wi / Jung Wook Wi
Location: CP-Pavilion 1
Age: 12yrs to 16yrs
Fee: $199 R / $215 NR
***IMPORTANT NOTE***
Due to current construction of the 202 Parkway, Wells Road (from
Lower State Road) is closed for an extended period of time. If
you are planning a trip to Central Park, please access Wells Road
via Turk Road. For up-to-date information regarding parkway
construction visit www.us202-700.com.
Media Opportunity : Book Participation for Working Mothers
Finding balance is the key to life and I’m on a quest to find mothers who are skillfully achieving success professionally and personally.
In collaboration with Gina Rubel of Furia Rubel Communications, I am beginning work on an editorial photo book that will depict working mothers in their working environments with their children and accompanying text detailing each mother’s plight.
If you are a working mother and would like to share your story with me, please download this entry form and submit to me along with a current family photo (4×6″ at 72dpi).
Entries due by May 31, 2010.
Spicing it up Indian Style at the Lambertville House
When Linda and David got married, they wanted anything but a traditional wedding celebration. Linda, a well-traveled business woman, felt particularly drawn to India and its rich culture and when she and David decided to get married, she immediately knew where and how she wanted to celebrate the union with their friends and family.
Linda and David invited their friends and families to join them at the Lambertville House where the women arrived adorned in intricately embroidered saris and the men in various styles of nehru shirts (which as a side note, were first called this by Parisian designer, Patric Hollinton, as a tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of modern-day India and arguably one of the best-dressed politicians of his time).
When guests first arrived, they mingled in the Livery Parlor and on the outside patio while delighting in Chick Peas Samosa (vegetable turnovers filled with chick peas), Aloo Tikki (potato patties with peas), Harabhara Kabab (spinach balls with garlic), Mirchi Pakora (jalepenos stuffed with cheese), Achare Chicken Tikka (chunks of chicken marinated with pickled spices and then cooked in a clay oven), Malai Chicken Kabab (chunks of chicken marinated in very special creamy sauce and then cooked in the tandoori oven) and Fish Pakora (salmon fritters).
Once everyone had wet their palates, they danced to Indian music and watched professional Bollywood Dancers perform the first of two pieces in the Livery Room. During the intermission, guests were served dinner, which included Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Curry, Lamb Karahi, Bhindi Achari (roasted okra with pickled spices), Mutter Panir (homemade Indian cheese and peas cooked in a curry sauce), Daal Makhani (lentils cooked on slow fire overnight with a creamy touch) and Vegetable Pulao (Basmati rice cooked with garden fresh vegetables, cashew nuts and golden raisins). And if you’re mouth isn’t watering yet, Gulab Jamun (traditional Indian donuts simmered in warm sugary syrup) and Rasmalai (cheese patties in very special sweet sauce with rose flavor) were served for desert.
The evening concluded with a 2nd Bollywood performance and everyone had wide smiles on their faces as they bid the their adieus. Especially the bride and groom.
The Team
the venue | the lambertville house | nicole loudenslager
the food | cross culture cuisine | monty
the entertainment | norma michaels entertainment | norma michaels
the flowers | cut and dry florals | keith
the linens | gala cloths | nancy bauman
the photographer | allure west studios | natalie napoleon wi
Zach Peppelman’s Homecoming in this weeks Bucks County Herald :: Page C1
On Sunday, April 11th, Zach Peppelman’s neighborhood welcomed him home from his 8-month tour of Iraq with the United States Marine Corps. Pennsylvania State Senator Chuck McIlhinney presented Zach with a Senatorial Proclamation. Neighbors, the local boy scout and girl scout troops and neighborhood war veterans paid tribute to Zach with a ceremonial march and a gift card. See the photo story in this week’s Bucks County Herald.
My First Bucks County Herald Feature!
The first publication I picked up when we moved to Bucks County was the Bucks County Herald. I was enamored by the beautiful layout, the high-quality images and the insightful writing. And then I met Bridget and Joe Wingert one night at the Michener Museum and was even more awed. The Bucks County Herald and the entire staff are a reflection of Bridget and Joe’s personalities: intelligent, knowledgeable, kind, warm and welcoming. I am proud to be a part of the Bucks County Herald team!
Nesting Newbies Winter 2010 Hot Spot :: Lekker Home
While I was in Boston photographing Jennifer Clapp’s Modern Vintage Tablescape, I stopped by her favorite store Lekker Home, our Nesting Newbies Winter 2010 Hot Spot. Lekker, located in Boston’s trendy South End and owned by Natalie van Dijk Carpenter, houses some of the world’s most beautifully designed pieces from manufacturers such as Stelton, Royal Copenhagen, LSA, and Teroforma. For a pdf of the Lekker article, click here.
Modern Vintage Tablescape
I recently photographed designer (and one of our former brides–see her wedding in Brides) Jennifer Rowland Clapp of H+Associates as she set a modern vintage tablescape for our Winter 2010 issue of Nesting Newbies Magazine.
Jennifer’s mission was to design a ‘tablescape’ that would be affordable and easy for readers to replicate in their own homes. Pulling from her fascination with contrasting styles, Jennifer paired modern tableware from Teroforma and LSA with antique chintz and Depression-era glass and silver unearthed from the cabinets of family members. The concept was to repurpose these old-fashioned items as decorative centerpieces framed by crisp, contemporary pieces. Click here for a pdf of the article.
California Dreamin’
As summer on the East Coast approaches, I can’t help but to dream about California beaches, especially after this great day in Santa Cruz with Lindsey & Matt. When Jung and I told Lindsey and Matt that we wanted them to take us somewhere special for their engagement session, they knew exactly where they wanted to go. Santa Cruz. Jung and I were excited to shoot in Santa Cruz since that was our family beach and we spent many warm and not-so-warm days there with friends and family. And we certainly felt as if we were spending a fabulously lazy day on the beach with Lindsey and Matt.
We began our day with a tasting at Pelican Ranch, Lindsey & Matt’s favorite winery and then headed over to the cliffs for some barefoot climbing and high-heel climbing. Our engagement sessions are always an adventure and Lindsey and Matt were the epitomy of pro! They came prepared to bear their souls and with plenty of wardrobe changes (I love options!!)
Engagement sessions are hard work and here is some great advice from seasoned NYC & LA model, poet, writer and blogger (Dress Me Up in Hand Me Downs), Melissa Napoleon, on how to get the best results from your engagement session:
1.) Don’t Plaster A Smile On Your Face:
You should look happy and excited in your engagement shots, but give your facial muscles a break. You don’t need to smile big in every picture. Relax and be as natural as possible, or else your pictures come off boring and unbelievable. Mix it up a little bit with big and small smiles, smirks, drama, passion, contentment, and even silliness to show your personality. Variation is the key and helps to keep things interesting and exciting.
2.) Leave Your Comfort Zone At Home:
Expect to be challenged. Let go and let your personality and emotions do the performing. Even if you’ve never been on or in a shoot, don’t let it stop you from acting like a pro. Treat the camera like it’s your bedroom mirror. Forget about the photographer and feeling embarrassed or awkward. Photographers want you to let loose and experiment with different facial expressions and poses; it keeps their creative juices flowing. They love being surprised, so give them all you’ve got!
3.) Pluck, Tuck, Clip and Fit!
Photoshopping will cost you time and money so don’t go thinking it’s your bff. Pluck your eyebrows, tuck in everything that needs to be tucked, clip your nails, and make sure your clothes fit you perfectly before the day of the shoot. DIY, or spring for a mani/pedi or even head to the salon for a blow out. If you don’t want to spend extra money, just make sure you look and feel your best. Bring a few different outfits; casual, dressy, edgy, fun, or whatever you think enhances your body and personal style. Remember, you are creating art-your creative input and expression is just as important as the photographers!
Spice Up Your Reception with Food Stations
Jung and I photographed a wedding in DC in January and our bride and groom chose to offer their guests various food stations at the reception. Everyone loved it and I was thrilled to see stations when I photographed Aldie’s 2nd Annual Options and Upgrades Event, catered by Jeffrey Miller Catering.
Placed throughout the mansion, were 8 food stations, 3 dessert stations, passed desserts and 3 drink stations. As guests entered the Great Hall, lit by a romantic summer fire of candlight, they welcomed the refreshing sight of Hibiscus Iced tea, Lemonade and Minted Water and Seafood Martinis.
Guests then proceeding into the library, were they continued feasting at a pasta station, complimented by a vodka lemonade station. The ballroom held the grandest display of interactive stations including a Mexican Grazing Station, a Vietnamese Summer Roll Station, a Raw Bar, a Blini Bar and Pork Chow Fun Station.
As guests finished their meals, Cheeksecake Lollipops, Mini Frozen Sorbet Pops and Peruvian hot Chocolates were passed. Guests could also indulge in either a free flowing fountain of Chocolate or Carmel, an Espresso/Cappuccino Bar and leave with a warm mini donuts fried to order.
It was a full house and everyone left happy!
Click to see a mouth-watering slideshow of the different stations offered and for pricing information, please call Kimberly Bates at 215-348-3509.
Succeeding in the New Economy :: CBCC 2010 Business Growth Series
One of the first things I did when I moved to Doylestown was to join the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce and if you’re in the area, I highly encourage you to do the same. The Chamber offers amazing opportunities and tools to help businesses succeed.
Within the Chamber, I work on the Entrepreneurial Assistance Committee, whose mission is to help businesses grow. In addition to offering hundreds of free business consultations (which are also available to non-members!), including marketing, business management and succession planning, the EAC, produces a yearly educational workshop series.
Sponsored by National Penn Bank, the 2010 series centers on Business Growth and tomorrow’s session is titled “Succeeding in the New Economy”.
I will be presenting along with David Werrett, President of the CBCC and Mario O. Vicario, Jr., CPA Kreicher Miller. David will present a global view of the economy, Mario will discuss the trends he sees when working with small businesses and what makes them successful and what holds them back, while I am the case study and will be discussing my philosophy and methods for success in this new economy. Donald V. Cericola, CPA DVC Financial Services, will be facilitating.
3 SIMPLE STEPS TO SUCCEEDING IN THE NEW ECONOMY
DIVERSIFY
In today’s market, consumers and business are cutting back severely and in some cases, all together. Avenues of revenue that were free-flowing in 2005/2006 have dried up today. My answer to this problem is diversification. As a small business owner, I’ve been told to find my niche and perfect my game within that niche. For example, one of my specialties is wedding photography. If I focused soley on marketing to brides, I would be sitting in the corner crying right now. On average, brides are spending 1/3 of what they were spending on their wedding 5 years ago and I am now competing with pro-sumers who have purchased pro-sumer cameras and are billing themselves as professional photographers, driving down prices. Then there’s the bride who is choosing to cut out photography all together and depending on family and friends to cover her event. If I stayed pidgeon-holed in my niche, I’d be in serious trouble today. You would never invest all of your money into one stock, so why would you want to depend on all of your income flowing from a single source? In addition to being a wedding photographer, I am a food photographer, a fashion photographer, a meeting and special events photographer. I photograph interiors, families and advertising campaigns. I have teamed with an event planner and am the Photography Director at his company. I am also the Senior Editor of Nesting Newbies Magazine and develop content as well as contribute my photography services. I teach Digital Photography workshops. I sell B2B and B2c. When weddings are slow during the winter, corporations are throwing holiday parties, planning educational seminars and working on their annual reports. Since it’s difficult to predict who will be spending what and when, I try to keep as many avenue of income open as possible. I’m sure you get my point. Diversify.
BUDGET & FORECAST
Since the market is so volatile and unpredictable, I have cut my spending back to the very bare minimum. I created a spreadsheet listing all of my monthly expenses, canceled any service that wasn’t crucial to running my business and shopped around for the lowest prices on those expenses that just couldn’t be cut. I then created a spreadsheet for the entire year and created a forecast showing me what I would be spending and when to expect to pay annual bills. I added a page to the spreadsheet showing my projected income for contracted jobs. I used this information to forecast trends in my income and determine the appropriate months to market certain services. This is a time consuming activity, but well worth the time spent to get a better understanding of the trends within your business. This is also an effective exercise if you need to open a line of credit during lean times. When you have a forecast, you prove to the bank that you are a responsible borrower and show them exactly when they can expect to be paid back.
SOCIAL NETWORKING & WARM LEADS
Advertising was one of the big ticket items in my budget and the first expense to be cut. Since I was cutting my exposure dramatically, I had to find creative ways to market myself. I started a blog, created a Linked-in profile, a Facebook profile and began Tweeting. I also joined several different organizations, including the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce and ISES (International Special Events Society) and got involved. When I had the opportunity to personally connect with someone at a networking event, I looked them up online and connected with them there as a follow-up. Having the online connection strengthened our live connection. Social networking also works in the reverse. There are several people with whom I am connected because we have a mutual colleague in common and when we were at a networking event, it was easy to recognize these people and talk with them, since we already started our relationship online.
Getting involved with an organization is a great way to show colleagues your work ethic first-hand, which makes them more inclined to hire you or recommend you to a friend or another colleague. This is called a warm lead and if strategized correctly, can be a valuable source of business. I find that when I am referred thru my network, I am more likely to be hired and my client values and respects my services more because of the personal connections involved.
YOUR ACTION ITEMS:
1. Diversify
2. Create a budget and a forecast
3. Get involved online & with your trade organizations
IN SUM
The most important trait you can have as a business owner is this economy is flexibility. Be willing to constantly re-evaluate your plan and be flexible with your decisions. Try new things. My motto is that it’s better to try something and do it badly than not to do it at all. The more you do something, the more practiced you’ll become. There’s a learning curve associated with pretty much everything we do, but if you never try, you’ll never know where it can take you.
Women’s Business Forum :: Better Blogging
Thank you, Women’s Business Forum, for inviting me to speak this week about Better Blogging.
I’m a huge proponent of blogging (I must pause here and put in a plug in for my good friend, Stacie Tamaki of The Flirty Guide, who showed me the light and encouraged me to start my blog. Thank you, Stacie!!) What a great era to be in business and to have the opportunity to blog. I have studios in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Doylestown, PA and with clients all over the world, it’s integral that they feel connected to me.
In conjunction with the product of my photography, I am selling an experience and my blog affords me the opportunity to build relationships with each of my clients. Oftentimes, I’ll meet someone and I’m flattered at how much they already know about me.
I understand how overwhelming starting a blog and maintaining a blog can seem, in addition to maintaining a Facebook account, a Twitter account and a Linked-in profile. Fortunately, there are a myriad of tools available now that link all of these accounts together and make posting more streamline.
My #1 piece of advice is that it’s better to do something badly than not to do it at all. You need to start somewhere and the more you do it, the easier it’ll become. Think of it as yoga for your brain.
I suggest that before you start, you find a notebook in which you keep all of your notes for your blog. Write things down as you do them. Chances are you’ll have to do them again and you may forget how to do them. If you have the steps written down, you won’t have to spend time researching the issue again.
The two main platforms for a blog are Blogger and WordPress. Take some time to look at each and decide which works best for you. I use WordPress.
Here are my action items for a blog :
- Set your blogging goals. What do you want to accomplish with your blog? Will your blog be your primary website or a supplement to an existing website?
- Know your audience. Take the time to research your demographic and understand the type of information they need then fill that need. Post useful information on your blog to drive traffic.
- Ask for Permission. Use your manners and ask for permission before posting images, music or text that belong to someone else. Chances are that the author of the content will be happy to share it with you if you ask first. If you don’t ask first, you open yourself up to the possibility of a legal mess.
- Permalink to Other Sites. Be sure to include links to other sites in your content. When creating a permalink, choose “open in another window” (or the equivalent) so that the link opens in a new page and leaves your blog open. Having permalinks in the content of your blog helps increase your chances of being found in a Google search.
- Reply to Comments. Take the time to thank people who have commented on your blog. And, take the time to comment on other blogs. The more you eNetwork, the more you build your readership.
- Add a Subscription Widget to your Blog. Readers can subscribe to receive new posts via email when you have a subscription widget on your blog. I use FeedBurner.
- Add an RSS Feed from your Blog. (RSS=Really Simple Syndication) This allows your reader to receive feeds from all their favorite blogs on one page in their browsers. Read the support documentation for your preferred platform to determine the best way to add an RSS button to your blog, however FeedBurner also has the capability of creating an RSS feed for your blog.
- Use Keywords. Add keywords in the keyword section of your post to increase your chances of top placement in Google.
- Don’t Forget to Brag About Yourself. This is the appropriate forum to brag about yourself. People want to know what you’re doing!
- Budget Your Time. Yes, technically you should be posting on a somewhat consistent basis, but if you can’t, don’t beat yourself up over it. Remember, it’s better to something badly than not to do it all. Just make sure to schedule an appropriate amount of time to post on your blog. Blogging does take time. You could post in 5 minutes if you really wanted to, but it’s important that you take the time to proofread your copy and make your images look pretty. Your blog is a reflection on you professionally and you always want to put your best eFoot forward. Also keep in mind that when your readers receive your blog either thru their email subscription or their RSS feed, they’ll begin commenting. Remember to budget time to reply to them.
So many of us are using the internet today before making our purchasing decisions and having a blog helps put you in the running. Take the time to research your options and invest time in building your blogging empire. Blogging can open doors that you never knew existed.
WHO’S THE NEW SENIOR EDITOR OF NESTING NEWBIES MAGAZINE?
(Chorus of Angels)
ME!!!
But seriously, I’m very proud to announce that I have just been named Senior Editor of Nesting Newbies Magazine, in addition to being a contributing photographer.
Nesting Newbies Magazine is the brain-child of Lea McIntosh and Jodi Murphy and is aimed towards newlyweds who are just learning how to design their homes and entertain. But don’t under-estimate the content of this magazine. I’ve been told by several design pros and well-established foodies that they devoured our premier issue in one sitting and were left begging for more.
Well, design enthusiasts and foodies–buy your coffee beans this weekend and get ready for the next issue of Nesting Newbies Magazine, which is due out any day now!
LAMBERTVILLE HOUSE :: A CLASSIC HISTORIC VENUE IN MY HOMETOWN
I so enjoyed photographing the Lambertville House in my hometown of Lambertville, NJ. Being at the Lambertville House made me feel so warm and comfortable on this brisk winter day and I know your guests will feel the same when you invite them to join you in the 1812 Room.
The Lambertville House is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and among its guests, has been host to celebrities and dignitaries since 1812 (hence the 1812 Room). This classic boutique hotel is an exceptional place where ambiance, service and attention to detail come together to create an unforgettable event, be it social or corporate. The Lambertville House offers Corporate Day Meeting Packages (DMP) including several ammenities such as an on-site event planner, full-time meeting/banquet specialists, state of the art A/V equipment and gourmet catering services. The 1812 Room holds up to 90 people in rounds, 70 people in rounds with a dance floor, 45 people classroom-style and 25 in a U-shaped setup.
Which ever configuration you select, I can guarantee that your guests will have a top of the line experience from the moment they walk thru the door at the Lambertville House.
For Corporate and Event Sales, contact Alison Stickle, 609-397-0200 Ext 101.
For Meeting and Event Planning, contact Nicole Loudenslager, 609-397-0200 Ext 121.
ALLURE WEST STUDIOS CERTIFIED AS A PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
Allure West Studios has been awarded certification as a Woman Business Enterprise by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities. Allure West Studios qualified for certification as a privately held Pennsylvania company with at least 51% ownership represented by a woman.
Natalie Napoleon Wi, Principal Photographer, founded Allure Photography (DBA Allure West Studios) in Washington, D.C. in 2001 and has gone on to open and operate studios in San Francisco, CA and Doylestown, PA since the company’s inception.
“I’m proud that Allure West Studios has achieved this certification and am looking forward to embarking on this new journey,” said Natalie Napoleon Wi, Principal Photographer, Allure West Studios.
The Minority and Woman Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) state certification program is designed to assist the growth and development of businesses owned and controlled by women and minorities. Its mission is to encourage and assist state agencies in their efforts to increase participation by minority and woman business enterprises on state contracts so as to facilitate the award of a fair share of such contracts to MBEs and WBEs. Certified companies are listed in the Directory of Certified Minority and Woman Business Enterprises which is used by state agencies, the federal government and major corporations. To view the Pennsylvania Minority and the Woman Business Enterprise Directory, visit http://www.dgsweb.state.pa.us/mbewbe/VendorSearch.aspx.
Allure Photography Certified Codes
82131501 :: Still film processing or reproduction
82131604 :: Studio photography services or still photographs
For more information, visit www.allurewest.com or call 267-247-5858.
MY FIRST ANNUAL CAIRNWOOD TRIM THE TREE EVENT
I had the pleasure of photographing Cairnwood’s Annual Trim the Tree Event yesterday and I couldn’t think of a better start to December! As much as I love California, I so enjoyed waking up to the crisp winter morning in Pennsylvania yesterday. The door on my frost covered car crackled when I opened it and I had to wait for the ice to melt off the windshield before I headed to Cairnwood. At Cairnwood, I was ensconced with warmness and cheer at this richly historic home. Joyous holiday music and the mouth-watering smells of freshly baked pastries, quiche and coffee catered by Peachtree & Ward intermingled throughout the house. As the guests arrived, some began their morning by decorating the tree while others participated in a holiday flower workshop led by Donna of Beautiful Blooms, where they could design their own creation using bright red oasis, white birch branches and red gerber daisies. Once the tree was decorated and the holiday arrangements were complete, guests sipped sipped coffee, chatted with friends and made labels for their Christmas presents. It was so lovely to see all of the generations in the community, including a family who once lived at Cairnwood, come together to decorate the tree and keep the history of Cairnwood alive. I left with a warm heart and a huge smile on my face, as I’m sure everyone else did as well. Thank you to the Cairnwood staff for all of the hard work they put into making the Trim the Tree Event so successful!
the venue | cairnwood estate
the caterer | peachtree & ward catering
the flowers | beautiful blooms
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE $20 :: INTRO TO DIGITAL POINT-AND-SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP :: DECEMBER 8, 2009
Are you tired of missing the must-have moments during the holidays?
Then this is the perfect class for you. My husband, Jung, teaches this two-hour session that will cover the basics of digital photography using a standard point-and-shoot camera. The class features techniques and tools to help improve your results. The class will also act as an overview of the different technologies that are used by different manufacturers and act as a buyer’s guide for future purposes. More advanced techniques such as the use of your camera in semi-automatic and manual modes will be covered.
Have a digital SLR? Register here for the December 10th class.
Follow me on Twitter for discount codes and the first person to respond to my “special” tweet wins a free class!
Where & When
Saxby’s Coffee Shop | Downstairs Conference Room
22 N. Main Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Required Materials: digital camera, formatted memory card, plenty of charged batteries, owners manual, pen and paper
PREMIER ISSUE OF NESTING NEWBIES ONLINE MAGAZINE RELEASED
Take a minute to flip thru this sleekly designed digital magazine of which I am proud to say I am Photography Editor. See the articles I photographed above.
Nesting Newbies Magazine aims to inspire readers, making them feel comfortable about home-keeping their way. “Our goal is to celebrate home and show readers ways to cook, entertain, and decorate in affordable, fun and stylish ways,” says Jodi Murphy, Editor. In every issue, Chef Lea McIntosh shares her expertise and original recipes. Designers stage table settings and show readers how easy they are to recreate. Iconic nesters give their sage decorating advice and real home makeovers are covered in the Design Chronicles. Profiles of favorite foodie peeps, new products, resources and favorite bloggers round out the content. In the Fall 2009 premier issue, Barclay Butera is the Iconic Nester, Kathy Goodman, the foodie peep, and Shelly Amoroso’s transformation of a San Francisco basement garage into five separate living spaces is featured in the design chronicles.
the editor | jodi murphy
the creative director | lea mcintosh
the photo editor | natalie wi
the copy editor | betsy rose
CONTRIBUTORS
Kathy Goodman, Lea McIntosh, Jodi Murphy, Barclay Butera
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS
Dean Birinyi (djbphoto.com), Steph Dewey (refleximaging.com), Michael Soo (soophotography.com), Natalie Wi (allurewest.com), Fu Wong (fcwongweddings.com), Jed Wormhoudt Photography
FRONT AND BACK COVERS
Michael Soo (soophotography.com)
SPECIAL THANKS
Special thanks to Christopher Peacock for the use of their San Francisco Showrom for the Thanksgiving to Go photo shoot.
Nesting Newbies Magazine is another creative endeavor by McIntosh & Murphy. For additional cooking, entertaining, and decorating ideas, go to
nestingnewbies.com
VENTRESCA LTD., BUCKS COUNTY’S FINEST CLOTHING STORE FOR MEN
Ventresca Ltd., Bucks County's Finest Clothing Store for Men
Amanda Soler, Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce Deputy Executive Director of Operations and Editor of Who, What, Where, When (W4) asked me to photograph Ventresca Ltd., Bucks County’s finest clothing store for men, for an upcoming issue of W4.
As I photographed the store, I could see that Ventresca Ltd. deserved its national reputation built on the old fashion tenants of superior quality, service and value. As I watched co-owner, Frank Ventresca work with his customers, it was also evident that Ventresca Ltd.’s primary goal is to create the greatest shopping experience for each person that walks thru their doors.
Ventresca Ltd.’s top of the line selection in clothing and footwear ranges from classic to contemporary. All clothing is expertly fitted and Ventresca Ltd. offers complimentary tailoring by European trained tailors. Only the finest furnishings and accessories are available to complete your personal look.
Visit Ventresca Ltd., the Men’s Clothing store in Doylestown, for the ultimate dressing experience.
A WEDDING, BUCKS COUNTY FARMHOUSE STYLE
A Wedding, Bucks County Farmhouse Style
When I arrived at Nostalgia on a refreshingly crisp fall Saturday afternoon, the light shone through the trees and grandly illuminated the pristine house and meticulously kept grounds.
From the moment I stepped onto the property, I was greeted with warmth and kindness and felt as if I found a haven from the bumps and grinds of every day life. I first explored the outside accommodations Nostalgia offers and reveled in the rose-filled gardens surrounding the soothing sounds of the gentle running water of the pond, sheltered by towering established trees. I explored the gazebo which contains an intricate stained glass pattern housed in the roof and echoing the roses planted in the garden. I was delighted at the sight of the historical salt house embellished with simple window box overflowing with impatients. I walked up the path past the salt house and walked up the deck into the Grande Celebration Room, added to the original structure built in 1720 by Welsh immigrant, Simon Mathews, and was amazed by the wealth of space which can hold 100-250 guests without incident.
In the Grande Celebration room, guests dined on a buffet of homemade foods carefully planned by the bride, alongside Nostalgia owner and head chef, Gail Morosky.
As I looked around the room that evening, I saw smiles and heard laughter echoing throughout the old farmhouse all night long and knew it was no wonder that the Intelligencer newspaper had awarded Nostalgia with the prestigious Best of Buck 2009 seal.
Congratulations Nostalgia and Gail and Joe Morosky. And most importantly, congratulations Nostalgia brides.
FROM A MONTEREY WEDDING TO THE NESTING NEWBIES
Monterey Plaza Hotel Wedding Ceremony
Monterey Cannery Row
Monterey Plaza Wedding Reception
Jung and I photographed Wendy & Michael’s wedding at the Monterey Plaza Hotel. They are such a lovely couple and their infectious kindness and sincerity warm our hearts invariably.
As you saw in our previous post, Wendy and Michael graciously allowed us to film their engagement session to use as a promotional video for our studio, which our friend and colleague, David Ethridge of A Video Reflection artfully shot for us.
And now most recently, Wendy and Michael joined us on the set of the Nesting Newbies. Again, their personalities warmed the room and you will no doubt enjoy Newbisode #2.
Lea McIntosh, the host of Nesting Newbies, asked me to create a few layouts from Wendy and Michael’s wedding to be shown in the intro of Nesting Newbies Newbisode #2 and I remembered the complimentary disc I received from graphicauthority.com a few weeks back and decided to use it for these layouts. There are tons of graphical elements in each of the layouts and I really enjoyed taking the template and making it my own to showcase Michael & Wendy’s wedding uniquely.
See the templates and Wendy and Michael in action in our newly released Newbisode #2.
GO TO MONTEREY WITH NATALIE & JUNG TO SHOOT AN ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Join us in Monterey for Wendy & Michael’s engagement session in this fantastic documentary that our lovely friend, David Ethridge of A Video Reflection, graciously shot for us.
After the wedding, Wendy & Michael appeared on the set of our second episode of Nesting Newbies. Internet cooking show Nesting Newbies and its companion, The Lea Show, is a project of which we were honored to have been asked to participate by Chef Lea McIntosh.
SHAZAM! A SNEAK PEAK AT NESTING NEWBIES NEWBISODE 2
Sneak Peak into Nesting Newbies Newbisode #2
by Jodi Murphy
Nesting Newbies™, Newbisode 1, has launched and is already getting some buzz! Newbisode 2 isn’t far behind and the team outdid themselves as we all begin to get in the newbie groove. Chef Lea McIntosh is at her best when she’s teaching and in this Newbisode Michael and Wendy Mantilla ask her lots of questions (we like to call them Newbie Q’s). They are a lively couple and the set was full of fun and laughter as they learned how to cook Chef Lea’s Moroccan-style Seafood Stew over a Saffron Risotto. Michael kicked things up a notch when he used “SHAZAM!” – His own newbie twist on a famous exclamation while adding an ingredient to the pot. It was a hilarious and unexpected moment.
On the set in the Rutt of Los Altos kitchen, everything is laid out in preparation, including the plump Christopher Ranch Garlic cloves.
Teachable moments include how to use a professional knife, while James Burkart captured all the antics on film!
Michael and Wendy are creating something together in the kitchen and are confident they can do it on their own the next time and the seafood stew simmers for just a few more minutes before tasting.
Chef Lea uses a Calphalon stock pot and answers Wendy’s question about what kind of pots to use. Calphalon was so excited about the show’s concept and this unscripted Newbie Q, they became a sponsor! Chef Lea also taught Wendy and Michael how to use the leftover risotto in crab cakes. Everyone Allure West Studios › Edit Post — WordPresson the set enjoyed a taste when the segment was over – we were chirping about it for hours.
The Newbisode segues into a Mediterranean seaside table top designed by Jodi Murphy and David Braddy using items from Bloomingdale’s Stanford, fresh flowers, lemons and seashells proving once again that you can entertain in style without breaking the budget.
Vanessa Rockey, the show’s hair stylist brought make-up expert Julie Acosta and together they primped and prepared Chef Lea and Wendy to look their best under the harsh camera lights. Natalie Wi of Allure West Studios was on hand to document the happenings (she photographed all of these images) and take her stunning food shots. For more details, images, recipes…and soon the Newbisode…go to Nesting Newbies. Bon Appetweet ™ – JM