Gift Certificates now available

So how many of you are ready for Mother’s day coming up on May 10th? If you need a great gift idea, give the gift of a portrait session and prints from cb Yates Photography! Know a new mom-to-be having a baby shower? Be the hit of the party when you surprise her with a newborn photography session.

What about the weddings you’ve got on your social calendar this summer? Give them something they’ll be really grateful for . . . a gift certificate to use towards their wedding photos! Be unique, be fresh, be creative… be a part of the bride’s first family heirloom. Gift certificates may be used toward the purchase of prints, wedding albums, and gallery wrapped canvases. Help them decorate their new home with beautiful images from their day.

I’ve had requests for these so I’m very proud to be offering them. There are two types of certificates available so you can customize your gift for the recipient. One geared towards engagements/weddings and another aimed at family/children/newborn photography.  Each one comes in a nice petal envelope with ribbon enclosure. All you have to do is hand it to the recipient, no wrapping involved!

We all know the second most important thing to rescue from a fire (after our loved ones & pets) is the pictures. Pictures are the way to capture moments now to create memories for later.

If you are interested in giving the gift of memories please go to the proofing section of our website. You’ll need to login (if you’re a previous customer) or create an account (if you’re a new customer). From there you’ll be able to place your order online and your gift certificate will be shipped to you complimentary!

Working on my skills at JVS 2-day Lighting Workshop

One of my goals for 2009 is to improve my off camera lighting techniques. When I saw the images coming out of the JVS Workshop I figured it’d be a great chance to work on that goal. Back at the end of February I went to Dallas to attend the JVS 2-day Lighting Workshop. It was fun to get away, learn some new skills and meet some wonderful photographers. Joseph and Anne were such nice hosts as they taught us their knowledge. We worked in a variety of locations but my favorite was the night shoot under the interstate. We had to get out of the street ever now and then for some cars but it added another element of adventure.

Below are some images I took of Jason & Kori Hudson, a totally cool husband/wife photographer team out of Arkansas. I’d say they’re really good at being opposite the side of the lens they’re usually on! Joseph from JVS set up the lighting and we all got a chance to shoot. This is a pretty simple lighting technique that I’m excited to work with. I want to incorporate this look into some engagement shoots I have planned this spring.

Here’s another image just showcasing some of the behind the scenes shots. If any photographer is interested in this workshop I’d tell them not to miss it. I learned tons about off camera lighting in a way that was fun and exciting. They had so many different lighting modifiers and it was cool to try them all out while photographing fellow photographers. It’s always a blast to work with others that share your passion. They have no problem trying a funky angle or holding that pose just a tad longer while you adjust your settings, etc.

2008 Holiday Cards are in production

The weather today is a good indication of where we’re headed . . . winter! Which means that the Holidays are right around the corner. I’m somewhat glad for the rainy weather which means I can get caught up on my proofing. No photoshoots scheduled for today. Just me and my assistant Kona together working on the computer. I figured this was a great day to showcase the 2008 Holiday Card designs. Holiday cards are the main reason I’ve got so many shoots on the schedule book these days!

Below is this year’s examples:

Another way to view these is by going to the proofing section of my website. This is also where you can place your holiday card order. As soon as your session is proofed and loaded to your private gallery I’ll send you an email with the link and password. From there you can choose which card you’d like and which photos you want to include. We can also customize the greeting and family names, etc.

Most of my clients have gotten a sneak peak at the card examples but in case you didn’t here are the specifics:

• Press Printed Cards are not photographs, but are produced on state of the art digital printing presses. The printing facility uses real liquid ink, not toner like a color copier as some other printers use, to give the cards the look and feel of a very high quality printed piece.
• Cards are double sided (more room to show off your gorgeous photos!)
• Size is 5″x7″
• Ordered in increments of 25
• Pricing includes envelopes
• There are multiple paper finishes available (matte, glossy, watercolor paper, and pearlescent)

I am always excited to place orders for the Holiday cards. I love designing/customizing the cards and waiting to see the end product once it’s shipped out. Everyone loves them since they’re such a personalized item. And the other good thing about these cards is all you have to do is address and stamp the envelopes and you’re ready to mail. No need to sign the card since we’ve already customized them with you family’s name.

And since I can’t post without a picture I snapped a quick one of a couple of last year’s cards. Remember when I said it was a rainy, dreary day? Well please forgive the lighting in this photo since I had less than desirable natural lighting conditions!

Hands down . . .

my favorite gift I gave this year was this 16 x 24″ canvas I had made for my brother and his girlfriend. I couldn’t wait for them to open this package.
This photo is so *them*. It was taken after an afternoon of raking leaves down at the cabin. Nothing fancy about it . . . just a true and genuine moment I was happy to capture.

Edited: I don’t have to keep it under wraps anymore . . . THEY’RE ENGAGED!!
I was honored when Matt asked me to help him pick out *the ring* at the end of November. We had fun looking at all the bling and Matt made a beautiful choice. My favorite part of the night was him thanking me as we walked out to our cars. Squeezed tight in a big bear hug, he told me he couldn’t have done it without me. I was sure glad to help.

I can’t even tell you how excited I am that Ashlie is joining our family. She’s so good for my brother!

Excuse the goofy smile from Matt in the second photo, I think he was done with picture taking at that point. Just like a young kid he was probably ready to open another package!

Sorry for such a lapse in between blog posts. I plan to have a “catch-up” post very soon. Can’t wait to show you what I was working on in Nov. & Dec.!

Another engagement in the Omaha O!

I got to scout out another giant “O” for this engagement shoot! I was happy to hear that the couple was as excited as I was to get their picture taken with this funky art monument. I think the Omaha O! Public Art Project is such a cool idea. Here’s the one we found at the 60th & Dodge location.

Like this shot taken on the pedestrian walkway above Dodge Street? We had to park a couple blocks away and walk to get to this cool looking “O”.

This last photo is one of my favorites I’ve taken lately. So much expression and closeness between these two. I had a great time with Elise and Doug. We were pretty much laughing the entire afternoon! They were a little late getting getting to our location because they had some trouble finding it. (so they said!) I kept teasing Doug that it was because he wanted to drive around awhile longer and listen to the Nebraska game on the radio!

Take care you guys. Your online gallery is up and ready to be viewed. I just emailed your invitation. And be sure to let me now when you close on your new house ’cause I’d love to take your first “official homeowners” photo!