A Little Urban Chic!

We've been photographing the Adam's family since the boys were little...and even before little Mason arrived :) This year we shook things up a little and did an urban session. Angie did an excellent job with the clothing. It's a perfect example of everyone coordinating, but not matching. The look was perfect and we picked a location based upon the clothing for a very cohesive, yet visually striking effect.

We had a great time with the boys...I won't even begin to tell you what we were doing to get them to laugh. I left in an 'outtake' of the boys trying to get mom and dad to smile for their portrait. Boys will be boys as they say :)

PS. We are super busy with fall and holiday portraits, but there are still appointments left. Be sure to call the studio today to schedule your appointment...937-748-8445.

Thank You for Family Fun Night!

Thanks to everyone who made Family Fun Night truly fun! We had great weather and had a blast watching the kids play. So many super cute costumes too! We really appreciate all of our families who trust us with their family memories and wanted to say thanks for all your support. We are truly blessed to have so many great families share their lives with us. Thank you!

PS. I couldn't resist doing the video post below from JibJab. The kids were just too cute! Look for some familiar faces.

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Family Fun Night Monday, 10.26.09!

Join us for a night of fun great for the whole family. Enjoy a Free Halloween Session and Framed 4x6 of your kids in their Halloween costumes. There will be Goodie Bags and snacks for the kids, plus let them bounce around The Monkey Bus.

We will also unveil our Holiday sets so you can start thinking about outfits for your holiday portraits. Also, don't miss out on our annual Double-Your-Dollar Gift Certificate Sale! We will match you dollar for dollar up to $250, which gives you $500!

Reserve your session time by calling 937.748.8445 or emailing us at markgarber@aol.com.

See you on Monday, October 26th from 6-8pm!

*Some minor restrictions apply. One framed 4x6 per household. Please arrive in costume. Double-Your-Dollar gift certificates don't apply towards any outstanding orders or past sessions, and will apply towards 2010 orders only.

In case you missed your mail this week!

These were sent out last week and just in case you missed yours, we posted the promotion here. These will be the best prices of the season and all you have to do is have your session scheduled by 9.30.09. We still have a few openings available!

FYI: October is nearly full so don't delay in getting your sessions scheduled!

Our Charlie at 21 Months!

I think we picked the hottest day of the year to photograph Charlie, but we needed to get some summer pictures in before it was too late. We had tried three other times, including on vacation, but were rained out every time. So knowing our bad luck with rain, we suffered through the heat anyway. Even Charlie was in a full sweat by the time we were done.

I have already bought her the cutest outfit for her fall photographs...not that I want her to grow any quicker than she already is. Time flies just way too quickly! Speaking of which, Fall will be here soon and it should be a colorful one with all the rain we've had. Prime fall is the first two weeks in October, so be sure to schedule your sessions now. Fall sessions always book the quickest. We'll have a fall special posted soon so keep a look out!

Awesome Summer Senior Specials!

Just in case you missed the mailer, we've got the best pricing of the season going for senior pictures. Take advantage of the really cool and unique "After Hours Collection." Even if you already had your senior pictures done elsewhere this would be a great addition!

"After Hours" sessions begin 1 hour before sunset so that we can get so awesome urban images and then we work about 30 minutes past sunset for those cool night effects. Think different with your clothes and accessories too! Formal wear like prom dresses, ballerina outfits, guitars, or even your cool car make for great urban looks.

Don't forget to tell parents that we do 'parent pleaser' portraits too! We'll make sure you and mom and dad are thrilled with your senior portraits! Don't delay because the "After Hours Collection" won't be available after 8.28.09! Call 937-748-8445 to schedule!

New! Birthday Club!

After many requests, we have added a Kid's Birthday Club! The Birthday Club not only covers Baby's First Birthday, but also every Birthday! Here are all the great gifts included...

Baby's First Birthday Session complete with Baby Cake from Dorthy Lane Market...yum!

10x10 framed panel (shown above)

Plus, a receive a Free Session & Gift Portrait every year for your child's birthday!

All for a one time registration fee of $299! Wow!

One of my personal favorites from Nathan's session...a kid after my own heart when cake is involved!

Extreme Portrait Makeover Contest & Fundraiser!

We are thrilled to announce our "Extreme Portrait Makeover Contest!" The idea for this exciting contest came to us after a home not too far from ours burnt to the ground. Our thoughts and prayers were with the family who suffered such a tremendous loss, but it also got us thinking. There are many families with missing or incomplete photographic histories. Your story may not be as extreme as that last story, but we would still like to help!

From now until June 30th, you can enter or nominate others for our "Extreme Portrait Makeover Contest." There are TWO Categories of entry each with their own Grand Prize and Runner Up Prizes. Complete details and entry forms can be printed in the upper right hand corner of this blog.

The FIRST CATEGORY OF ENTRY is 'open to the public.' Tell us why you or the person you nominate is in need of a portrait makeover. Maybe there was a natural disaster, medical reasons, military leave or any other reason why your family/children don't have portraits to display in your home.

The SECOND CATEGORY OF ENTRY is for 'existing' Mark Garber clients...even if it has been awhile since you've been into the studio :) We want to know what your Mark Garber portraits mean to you!

HOW TO ENTER: Download and print the Entry Form located in the upper right hand corner of this blog. Be sure to fill out the correct entry form: 'Existing Mark Garber Client' or 'Open to the Public.' Have your entry form and $5 Donation to "A Special Wish Foundation" submitted to the studio by 5:00pm on June 30, 2009.

A SPECIAL WISH FOUNDATION: 100% of all donations go directly to A Special Wish Foundation. Your donation will specifically help send Bobbi and his family to the San Diego Zoo!

PRIZES!!! Each of the two Categories of Entry will have a Grand Prize and a Runner-up Prize. Here's what you can win!

Grand Prize: An Entire Room Portrait Makeover worth $2,500, plus hair and makeup for your portrait by Alec's Day Spa and Salon!

Runner Up Prize: $500 of Portraiture

Everyone Wins: All who enter will receive a Free Portrait Session valued at $100 and $25 in Spa Services from Alec's Salon and Day Spa! You're getting $125 in services for your donation of $5! What a deal!

We have a panel of guest judges gathered from around the country who will be selecting the winning entries. Winners will be announced on July 10th! Good Luck!

*If anyone is having troubles downloading the entry forms you can also pick up copies at Mark Garber Photography in Springboro or at Alec's Salon and Day Spa (located inside NeoLimits Fitness in Centerville) !

Our Charlie at 18 Months!

I honestly don't know where the time goes! Charlie is in fact closer to nineteen months...I'm still using months because I can't bear to say almost two years!

Everyday with her is a blessing and we just love watching her grow and explore. She is talking more and more each day and nothing makes me happier than to hear her babble. This session was tough because she was climbing everywhere, but it turned out adorable.

Charlie also had the added task of modeling the tutu's and hats that we now have available for purchase at the 'Portrait Boutique' inside the studio. Each tutu is hand made and can be custom ordered in any size or color.

Baby Jacob

We did a Precious Parts session for Jacob and there are just to many to choose from. We love those long lashes and wavy dark hair! The girls are going to chase him for sure when he's older. I just love the first image with those full cheeks, long lashes and button nose. Too cute!

Jacob's Six Months!

We photographed Megan and Dan's wedding a few years ago and our honored to do baby photographs for them now. I posted one of his newborn photographs so you could see how much he has grown... and what that cute ornery smile has evolved into. We did the wall of teddy bears to work in one of Dan's bears that he had as a kid.

We can't believe how much he has already grown! Babies change and grow so much that first year. That's why documenting baby's first year is so important...not to mention they're just so darn cute!

Jack turns One!

We did a one year session at Jack's house to commemorate his birthday and nursery...now that he's one, he'll move onto a big boy room. We are designing a baby's first year album from his earlier sessions too, and will post the album when its complete.

We can't believe you are one already! Happy Birthday Jack!

Maverick at Nine Months!

We had done a maternity session for Maverick's mom, Gennifer, so it was nice to finally meet Maverick. He's absolutely adorable with the longest eyelashes we've ever seen. They literally start to curl up there so long. Gennifer did our Father's Day Storyboard as a surprise for Dad. We're not going to post it just yet...just in case Dad might see the surprise.

It Could Happen to You...

A few months ago there was a story on Sunday Morning about how an entire generation's history (both in terms of a national photographic archives as well as people's personal photos) is going to be lost because people don't print their photos. Photos will disappear on hardrives, cds, or simply be deleted to make room for 'new' photos. Lets not forget that technology changes too...records, 8-tracks, cassettes, cds, dvds, blueray....

I have a 'happy snap' camera that I keep in Charlie's diaper bag for impromptu moments. I admit that I was bad and had almost a year's worth of (unprinted or backed up) moments stored on that camera. Needless to say, when the flashcard went bad I was sick to my stomach thinking that the first time Charlie ate spaghetti, got a balloon or went down a slide were lost forever!

Our friends at Fairborn Camera were able to run special data recovery diagnostics on that flashcard and salvaged those images for me. Thank God! I have tears in my eyes just thinking about what I could have lost.

Moral of the Story: PRINT YOUR PHOTOS & BACK THEM UP! Good intentions won't preserve your family's history.

PS. Did you know that a data CD only has a proven shelf life of five years? If you want true archival CDs, buy the gold CDs. You won't find them at local stores. Look for them online.

PPS. Did you know that photographs printed off your home ink jet printer only have a proven shelf life of three years or less? Have your 4x6's printed at a lab on photographic paper. They'll last longer and be cheaper in the long run from buying lots in printer ink.

PPPS. Have a quality professional photograph done and printed with the best archival materials available. I guarantee you won't ever regret it. Ever...

New & Improved!

Lots of new things are in the works around the studio and some of the first to be completed is the camera room. Inspired by the villas we saw in Tuscany, we've had walls done in a beautiful warm Cinnamon glaze. Offset with the pine floors, it looks and photographs beautiful!

Adding some soft layers, we finished the bay window area with richly textured swagged curtains complete the look. Jennifer loves copper patina finishes, which we had added to extra large vintage ceiling tiles for a fun shabby-chic feel.

We have another camera room in the process of being remodeled and will post pictures of the new finishes as soon as they're complete. One of the biggest additions to the studio will be complete within the next month. We are very excited to be adding our own boutique line of gifts and children's clothing and accessories! We can't wait and will be sure to keep you informed. Stay tuned for more great things!

Cate & Natalie!

Big sister Cate was happy to showoff her new baby sister Natalie. We've been blessed to watch Cate grow up (she'll be three soon) and now we get to see cute and smiley Natalie. The girls did great together and I'm sure they many years of fun and mischief ahead of them. Congrats on the new addition to the family!