Something Different

I did this photo during a recent senior session. It was a bit different than what I normally do, but I like it. I don't necessarily think it's an image that a lot of people would buy. However, half of my job, the half that doesn't revolve around trying to earn a living, is to be an artist for personal satisfaction. I would like to start posting some of the more artistic images that I have done that just make me happy that I created them. Here's the first...

Cade's Mite B game

Cade's team won their game this morning 5-2 at ESL Sports Center in Rochester.

Print Sale

On February 4, we are having a One Day Only Sale. Take 50% off print orders!
This is good for all of our beautiful luster and metallic prints 8x10 and larger. So go ahead and order that 30x40 wall portrait for over the fireplace, it's half off!
Have you been putting off getting that great portrait above your couch, or in the entryway? Now is the time. Remember, it's one day only, February 4th!

From February 5 through February 13, you can still take 40% off all prints 8x10 and larger. Did you miss the one day sale? That's alright, you have a whole week to enjoy 40% off of any print 8x10 or larger.

The Perfect Valentine

Sad Day

I received a sad phone call today that a friend and colleague, Dan Runfola, passed away yesterday from a heart attack. Dan was a photographer from Wayland, NY. He was at the Finger Lakes PPSNY meeting that I was the speaker at on Wednesday where he was sworn in as the new Chairperson of the Finger Lakes section. It seems surreal to have been hanging out with him on Wednesday, as we do at every monthly meeting, only to lose him the next day so suddenly. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Nan and the rest of the family. I know all to well the pain of losing someone so unexpectedly. He will be missed greatly.

Angelo (Dan) Runfola, Chairman

Finger Lakes / PPSNYS, Inc.

Died suddenly on Thursday, January 22 at the age of 53

Cards can be sent to Nan at:
Nan Runfola
The Crafty Bears Photography
8400 State Route 15
Wayland, NY 14572

New England

It's official. The New England page on the website is live. Check it out at Cheslerphoto.com/newengland.htm. Rich will be hitting the bridal show in Marlborough, MA on Sunday to start pounding the pavement, making connections with wedding and event coordinators in the area.

Winter Senior

Who says senior portraits are only done in the summer. I had a great session yesterday with Sarah. She was so much fun to work with. I barely had to give her any direction at all. This was a great session to do after having just come back from the Senior Portrait Artists conference. Usually I'm waiting a few months before my first senior session after the conferences, so this was great to come back and jump right in. Just a note to the Class of 2010. The earlier you come in for your senior portraits, the better the deals are. Help us spread the word in your school and get some really cool things for free, including cash. Take advantage of our senior test shoot to qualify as one of our senior reps. There is no charge for this short session and get a free Facebook photo for your efforts. Call the studio at 585-393-9242 for more details.

Senior Test Shoot

We are in search of several senior reps from each school to help us spread the word. We will be conducting tests shoots over the next few weeks at no charge to find the seniors that will best fit our plans. There is no obligation and each senior will receive a free Facebook photo. If you're interested call the studio at 585-393-9242 and mention the test shoot.

Blurring the Lines

I don't do much advertising. My website at Cheslerphoto.com has been the cornerstone of my marketing for the past 10 years thanks to Ellen from Lake Effects Web Design. Two years ago I started blogging and it has revolutionized how I get the word out about the studio and my personal life.
The two seemed to compliment each other very well with the website being like an online billboard and the blog being more like a diary.
Now Facebook joins the mix with a much more casual approach but one that seems viral in it's ability to contact massive amounts of people in a short amount of time. Last night I set up a page on Facebook for Chesler Photography. Chesler Photography Facebook Page
I also set up an account with Constant Contact to do an eNewsletter for the studio. There are so many avenues of social media at my disposal it's starting to become overwhelming. The lines are blurring between the website, the blog, Facebook and the others. Do I do a blog post or put it on Facebook? Do I do a website update or send it out in an eNewsletter? The website is still the destination that all my marketing funnels down to. I have no idea the direction things will go, but I will embrace each one and hang on for the ride.

New eNewsletter

We are launching a new eNewsletter for the studio to keep people informed of studio news, events, promotions and other exciting information. Only those who request the newsletter will receive it. You can sign up to receive it by using the link below and can cancel at any time.

Sign up for our eNewsletter

Email:

For Email Marketing you can trust

Help the Puppies!!!

Let's face it, next to baby chimpanzees, puppies are about the cutest thing on the planet. If you had the opportunity to help a cute, helpless little puppy without the commitment of bringing it home you would right? Well here is your chance. From January 27-31 we will be doing really cool, artistic pet portraits. If you bring in a bag of dog or cat food, you will receive a free 1/2 hour session of your beloved furry friend, or a free 5x7 print. Call the studio for details or to book your appointment at 585-393-9242. Help the puppies!!!!

The Journey's End

It's all over except for the flight home. The past 11 days have been an incredible journey of inspiration, self realization and friendship. I am coming home with a mind boggling amount of ideas to bring to the studio and to my life. I first need to sit down and organize my thoughts, but once they are set in to action, there are going to be some amazing things happening. Some of them will be very apparent at the studio, so stay tuned to the blog for some exciting new things in the works. Other things will not be so apparent to the eye, but will foster themselves in building life long relationships, both new and old.
As exciting as the journey has been, I am very excited to come home and squeeze my family. I miss my kids terribly and my wife needs a big smooch.

Phoenix

Daryn and I drove from Sedona to Phoenix yesterday morning for the Professional Photographers of America conference. We met Daryn's wife Gail who is also here for her company, Jill-E Designs, which has a line of fashion camera bags aimed at women photographers. In addition to going to the conference classes today, I had the opportunity to help out the Jill-E booth at the tradeshow. It was a very different experience as a vendor compared to walking the tradeshow floor as a photographer/consumer. I had a lot of fun and actually sold quite a few bags.

The exciting part is that Jill-E Designs also has a new line of camera bags coming out aimed at men who want a camera bag that is more sophisticated than the current crop of black nylon. The new line is called "Jack" and will be available toward the end of March.

Click on the link below for more information.

Scenic Sedona

Here are some of the images from today's adventures in Sedona. If you click on the image you will see a larger one that still won't do it justice, but it will be a little closer. I need to make 30x40s of these images to hang around the studio.

Red Rock Crossing

After Tlaquepaque, we headed over to Cathedral Rock which is a chapel built in to the side of one of the Mesas. The views were incredible. Natalie put her wedding dress on and we did photos around the chapel with the massive red rock walls towering above us. The photos just don't do their magnificence justice. Our next stop was up to Sedona Airport which sits on top of a mesa itself. The guys from Sky Safari Charter and Air Tours were gracious enough to let us photograph with one of their biplanes. Next time I'm here, I am definitely going up for a ride. After the airport, we headed south to Red Rock Crossing. The location is believed to be a spiritual vortex. I don't know if I believe that, but I can tell you that it was a magical experience being there, one of those surreal moments in life when things are so spectacular that it's mind bending. Oak Creek meandered over the smooth red rocks with Red Rock Crossing mesa standing in the distance. Words can not describe how majestic the setting was. I'm still in awe.

Tlaquepaque

Daryn and I set today aside to photograph the area around Sedona. Natalie and Quinn, wedding clients of mine from this past summer, drove down from Flagstaff to join us. They initially were going to come down for a Trash the Dress session, but instead we combined that session with a maternity shoot. We traveled around to some of Sedona's architectural and geological wonders including Tlaquepaque, a Mexican style shopping village that reminded me very much of my trip to Mexico City last summer. We shot so many photos today that I am going to break them up in to several different blog posts. Here are the images from Tlaquepaque.

Sedona Rocks!

Sedona rocks, both literally and figuratively. We drove in to Sedona from Flagstaff dropping several thousand feet in to Oak Creek Canyon. At 7000 feet above sea level, Flagstaff was a winter wonderland of mountains. When we arrived in Sedona which is at 4,800 feet, the snow was gone except for on the surrounding mountain tops. Sedona is surrounded by tall peaks and huge red rock mesas jutting up from the canyon. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. Here are a few images taken with a point and shoot camera. The real photo expedition begins tomorrow. Today Daryn and I did a full day fly fishing excursion in to Oak Creek Canyon. We caught quite a few Rainbow Trout in the snow covered creek. It was like something out of a fly fishing magazine. I will definitely be making a return trip here with the family.