Monday, October 27, 2008

New Host - New Look

In a continuing effort to improve our website's functionality and usability we have switched hosts. During the process of switching hosts I have learned a lot about web design and discovered some great ways to improve our site. Some of the functionality of the new site has been a challenge. You don't realize how different different internet browsers really are until you start trying to get a website to display the same on each of them.

<sales pitch>For everyone out there who is trying to decide which browser is the best I suggest going with Firefox. In the past I have been a die hard IE fan but I am now sold completely on Firefox. As of now there are still certain aspects of our site that still only display correctly with Firefox, however I am working on fixing those little issues. </sales pitch>

Let us know how you like the website and as always please use the webmaster link at the bottom to send me any suggestions you have to improve it.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

New Website

Over the last week or so I've been completely overhauling the website. As you've noticed, the new site is quite a bit different than the old one. It's not done yet though...

With the new design comes new pictures for our portfolio; which is currently down as we rebuild it as well. In addition to our new portfolio, I'm currently working on creating a print order form which will allow you to order your pictures straight from the website. There is a beta version of the form in use right now but keep tuned as more functionality is coming very soon. Along with the order form will also come new proofing galleries reflecting the new look and functionality of the site. Current proofing galleries are still available using the link on the home page.

We've also introduced some exciting new features to our site. If you haven't noticed yet, we've created pages on our site to recomend vendors and venues with which we have had great experiences with. Our intent is to provide you with unbiased recomendations about other business with which we have encountered and possibly help you in your search for the perfect venue/vendors for your wedding, party or other event. We also want to do our part in promoting great customer service by rewarding these venues/vendors with our recomendations.

With all of this said, I would also like to add that I appologize for anyone who has accessed our site and recived a 404 error or come across pages that didn't quite seem to function. These errors are typically quickly resolved, however if you come across an error, I would greatly appreciate being notified so I can address the issue. You can notify me using the contact us page. In the near future I will build a special contact page to specifically contact me, the webmaster.

Have a great day!

Ben Jenkins
mylife yourlife ourlife
Vida Mia Photography
http://www.vidamiaphoto.com/
http://www.myspace.vidamiaphotography/

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Marathon Wedding week, New Equipment

Well... It's been a CRAZY April, and we're not quite done with it yet!!

Last night marked our 8-day, 3-wedding marathon, and while it's nice to have it done, it was SO fun!!

Every one of the weddings were beautiful, all in very different ways.
We are SO blessed to have the opportunity to work with each of these couples, and are excited to share the pictures with you VERY soon!

In other news, after our Sunday the 13th wedding, our laptop decided it was time to go to the giant laptop bag in the sky. I was quite sad. Even more sad once I realized there were still pictures on it that we hadn't had an opportunity to transfer. Luckily, the hard drive wasn't affected, only the power supply, so no pictures were harmed in the dying of the machine.

Ben and I decided it was necessary to get a new one, as we use ours CONSTANTLY, so as soon as we realized the old Dell was no longer with us, we hopped online and had a new one ordered in less than 45 minutes.

I'm quite excited about it... and even more excited about the deal we got from newegg.com

I'm not computer illiterate by any stretch of the imagination(I mean, we have 4 different computers in our house that are actually used), but I was REALLY surprised at everything this computer brings to the table. It has a 17' screen (perfect for slideshows) a TV receiver with a huge remote and dvd burner and 320 G hard drive, 4 Gigs of ram and a 64bit core 2 duo chip... the list goes on. I'm highly excited about it to say the very least.

anyway... that's all I have to say about that.

Have a great week!!!

Lauren

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Goin' to the Chapel...

Well, not quite yet.

BUT, we're gearing up for wedding season! The sun is shining, birds are singing, and love is definitely in the air.

Here's a little taste of recent engagement shoots. More to come as the spring flutters on...









Are you getting married? Give us a call at 916-607-1494 to set up your free engagement shoot!!

<3 Lauren

Monday, March 17, 2008

Hair Stylists!!! Portfolio Time!

You cut, color, weave, perm, straighten, curl, style and dream hair... yes?

You're new in the industry... OR, you're veteran. Either way, hair is your thing.

Two Great ways to help a client decide, or define their next style is to create a style portfolio from magazines, web galleries, or other outside sources, OR from your own, handcrafted work.


PERSONAL GALLERY:

This shoot is AWESOME for full studios and stylist teams, although, you can get an amazing book and a leg up on your competition as in individual as well!

You set up between 6 and 10 Hair Models (or more, if you/your team can have the hair done quickly enough) to come in, have their hair and make-up done.
We set up studio, bring refreshments and marathon shoot all models in one day.
We will produce a proof gallery for you to select any and all images you'd like included in your book.
We'll provide all airbrushing, touch ups or other editing free of charge on all photos included in the book.
Salon and stylist information will be included in the book.
Individual stylists will get 1 Book free of charge with shoot. Additional are available at an insanely discounted rate.
Stylist Teams will receive 3 books free of charge and the rest at a discount.




A home-made Style Portfolio will require the following materials:


1. Three ring binder, scrapbook, or journal book
2. Clear plastic sheet protector (if you're using the binder.
3. Some type of material to affix the pictures to the paper (glue, tape, paste, staples)
4. Maybe some colored pens or markers to brighten up the text
5. Post-its in smaller sizes to add notes to individual styles & add contact information for yourself or your Salon.
6. Print outs of your favorite hairstyles from online hairstyle galleries. **Be sure the pictures aren't copyrighted!! If they are, please ask permission before using the pictures for business use**
7. Fashion, beauty, hair and related magazines (Glamour, 101 Celebrity Hairstyles, Life & Style Weekly, Allure, etc.,) to help you find hairstyles you love.
8. Friends and/or loved ones who can provide feedback on the styles you select. Even though, this isn't a mandatory step,it's always good to have people give you honest feedback, so you know you're doing it right!




Shoot for individual stylist: $225
Shoot for teams/salons: $550



Give us a call if you need more information, or want to set up a shoot!

Lauren 916-607-1494

Friday, March 7, 2008

Just for fun

Just another reason to appreciate Zach Braff

Try not to cry... ok?

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Destination weddings!

If you're reading this, you're probably looking for a destination photographer, right?

Well... thanks for checking us out!

For 2008 bookings, we're offering a nearly unheard of practice in our services section.

Until December 31, 2008, you will be able to book your entire destination wedding INCLUDING a print package for LESS THAN $2000 for most destinations.

Call me today for a consultation, and a price quote.

<3 Lauren 916-607-1404