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Size Matters

I got a call this morning from a client of ours who had senior portraits and a family portrait done this year. She and her husband had repainted their living room, and were in the process of rehanging pictures. Having been liberated from having "no free wall space" by virtue of having to take everything off the walls to paint, she discovered that the when she took advantage of the wide open surface and put her family portrait on that wide expanse of wall, it suddenly seemed not big enough.

One of the things we do here at Studio Mark Emile is provide expert advice in sizing the prints and canvases that we provide to our clients. In so doing, we try to guide you to the optimal size for your situation and budget. Now you might think that we always try to sell the largest sized prints that we carry, but we don't, and for a very good reason. It's not always the best size for our clients.

When you come to us for a family portrait, one of the things to keep in mind is what you are going to do with the prints you purchase. If you have a plan for what you are looking for, it makes it MUCH easier for us to provide you with precisely the right products for you, whether they are framed wall prints, canvas clusters, wall groupings or what have you.

This morning's client wished she had gone a size or two larger on her gallery wrap. Instead she will be adding another gallery wrap or two to fill the space. We are happy to help her either way, of course. But if you wish to avoid repeating her experience, consider where you are going to be putting your finished portraits when you come in for your premiere. You will find it's time well spent.

Presidential Candidate Rick Perry

The governor of Texas visited New Hampshire last week and we were happy to be chosen to photograph the event for the Nashua Chamber, who was hosting the event as part of the Backstage Pass Breakfast series. The focus of the series this fall has been on republican presidential contenders, as President Obama is running unopposed for his party's nomination.

 Perry proved to be an engaging speaker, and avoided the overt miscues that have plagued other appearances. He did a good job of remaining on his talking points, whether during this prepared remarks or during the Q&A session that followed. It will be interesting to see where things are in 30 days.

Latest Business Portraits

This was certainly an interesting session. Two people who are seeing each other but not married, yet they have the same last name. One person from my high school graduating class, of whom I have no recollection whatsoever (and there were only 120 people in my class.) I'm still baffled by that.

At Studio Mark Emile, we do a pretty fair number of business portraits. Whether they are environmental portraits (like the Faces of Nashua images) or simple headshots, we approach them with the idea of making you look your best. We use flattering lighting and expert retouching to provide you with a look that is simply not going to be replicated with a point and shoot or cell phone camera. It's a look that says "I am professional, and I care enough about my business to look like it."

Why New Moms Should Consider a Professional

Jenny came into the studio the other day, pushing her baby carriage, with her 15 month old daughter inside. She wanted to know if I could "fix" pictures of her daughter's first year. We pulled up the pictures on Facebook. For the 100th time, I saw poorly composed, marginally exposed, and fuzzy images that had been subjected to all sorts of "artistic" filters in photoshop. What do you say? "I told you so" is not my style, but for the love of God, you can avoid this plight!

 Jenny fell into the trap that many young mothers fall into. Jenny had a friend with a camera who's "starting a business" and "gave me a gift certificate for free pictures" for her baby shower. Naturally Jenny felt obligated to use her friend, plus she'd seen some of her friend's good pictures, and after all, professional photography is expensive so she'd be saving money. Right?

It's sad. We see this again and again. There's something that happens with a new mom, in which EVERY picture of her bundle of joy is a "great picture", until she gets her eyes back. It may be that she sees pictures of a friend's baby, and sees a huge difference in the quality of the pictures between what her friend with a camera has taken of her child, and what this other woman got from a professional. Then comes "why can't my baby's pictures look like that?" And perhaps an attempt to salvage the pictures.

The real problem is that babies change a TON in their first year. By the time you realize that your gift was not such a bargain after all, it's too late. The baby has grown. The baby has changed. And no amount of money can bring you back and get you professional level images at that point. There's no going back. The opportunity has been lost. Very costly "savings," indeed.

We see the pictures on Facebook. You love them because you love your baby. But they are not good. And when you finally realize that they are not good pictures, it will be too late. I would not be so presumptuous or egotistical to say that you have to come to us to get good pictures. There are MANY solid professionals out there. But there are many more who have no concept of lighting or composition, and deliver out of focus or motion-blurred images covered up with lots of photoshop work. Ladies, PLEASE don't use such fauxtographers. Find a real pro and make the investment. You will get joy from those pictures for your whole life, and so will your children and your children's children.

The difference between a professional (and yes, there are many who take the name without deserving it) and a fauxtographer is that a fauxtographer takes a gazillion pictures to get a few good ones by luck and circumstance, whereas a pro produces professional level images on demand, regardless of circumstances. One thing to look for: see if your photographer is certified, by the Professional Photographers Certification Committee. This is the standards body that provides real credentials to photographers. This isn't pay for a designation. It is a rigorous test of technical knowledge (2 hours, closed book, 100 questions, 70 to pass) coupled with a 20 image submission from actual client work. As one of the judges for such image submissions, I can tell you there are a LOT of people who call themselves professionals but whose work does not merit the name. Find a certified professional near you, and you can be assured the photographer knows what he or she is doing. You will be happy you did.

Presidential Candidate Ron Paul

The Nashua Chamber of Commerce hosted Texas congressman and presidential hopeful Ron Paul on Friday as part of the Backstage Pass breakfast series. Dr Paul, who brings with him an impressive resume- former US Air Force flight surgeon, congressman, physician and author, spoke to the crowd the day after the first of the region's two unusual October snowstorms.

Sponsored by Citizens Bank, the Backstage Pass series provides access to experts on various issues relevant to local businesses. To that end, the series will include top republican presidential hopefuls over the next few months. Paul is the first such candidate.

Attendees had an opportunity to meet the congressman, to listen to his prepared remarks, and to engage the candidate during a Q&A session. Studio Mark Emile is happy to be asked to provide event coverage for the Chamber.

Ladies Night on the Town Makeovers

Two lucky ladies won makeovers as part of the Nashua Telegraph's event "Ladies Night on the Town." Studio Mark Emile was happy to be a sponsor of this event and to provide "before and after" portraits of the winners.

The ladies came to the studio for their "before" images last week. We did very basic snapshots of them as they were, and printed them large, so everyone could see how they were before the makeovers. Here they are:

Emily Myott

 Julie Doyle

After the "before" pictures, they went to LunaChics in Exeter for a fashion consult and to get a new outfit. And yesterday, they were each treated to a new hairtstyle, complete with color and cut, at Salon Belle Vie. After that, they arrived at the studio for a celebrity-style makeup session with renowned makeup artist Kriss Soterion, and to have their "after" portraits made.

It was difficult to get the images captured, retouched, printed, mounted and framed, but we managed to do so in plenty of time for the big reveal. We were quite pleased with how the portraits came out, and the ladies were too! Even they didn't see them until the reveal, so it was a lot of fun for us to get their reactions.

For you ladies who are reading this: THIS COULD BE YOU! If you are identifying a little too much with the before pictures, we can help transform you, too.

Nashua Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner

Studio Mark Emile is happy to have been a sponsor of the Nashua Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner. This year we were thrilled that our good friend Sy Mahfuz was selected as the Citizen of the Year. Sy is a great guy, and especially deserving of this honor. Just to tell you what kind of guy he is, we approached Sy for some financial support for our Faces of Nashua exhibit, and also to see if he was interested in being a subject for the exhibit. He immediately agreed to help fund the exhibit, but was a little less sanguine about being part of it at first. After we described the concept, he readily agreed, and totally got into it, as anyone who has seen the photograph can attest. It is just this sort of support that Sy provides that attests to his character.

 This year's theme at the Annual Dinner was Monopoly, and the Chamber staff did a fine job of pulling off this event. In addition to our photo booth at the Jail, there was a Nashuaopoly game going on, as well as the Free Parking lounge, featuring a jazz quartet.

Alderman at Large Lori Wilshire was the big winner of the Nashuaopoly game, bringing home first prize.

Lots of people had fun being photographed in Jail.

If you want to purchase prints, or simply see all of the photos, the link is: http://studiomarkemile.eventstorefront.com/

Select the Chamber Annual Dinner event, and the event code is monopoly.

Renee and Anthony

Renee and Anthony are such Bruins fans that one nearly expected the ceremony to take place at center ice. Instead, they exchanged vows at Holy Infant Jesus church in Nashua, followed by a lovely reception at Sky Meadow. A great looking couple and fun, too. We totally enjoyed covering their wedding for them. Hope they are having a terrific time in Aruba!


Renee's dress was absolutely stunning. Exhibit A:

Her bridesmaids were a fun bunch!

A view of the Church

Exchanging vows

 The happy couple ready to enjoy the rest of their reception!

Denim to Diamonds III

The 3rd annual from Denim to Diamonds benefit for the fight against ovarian cancer was held this past Sunday at Saffron Bistro. Studio Mark Emile is proud to be contributing to the cause by providing event coverage as well as by donating a portion of the profits from print sales.

This fashion show features fashions by Fresh and jewelry by Scontsas Fine Jewelry. The ladies looked smashing, and the event was well attended. Studio Mark Emile again set up a "meet and greet" wall for attendees to get their picture taken. This time it was set up outside, and proved to be very interesting for passersby, both in cars and on foot alike.

This year we've made it a lot easier to get prints from the event. Simply go to our event host at http://studiomarkemile.eventstorefront.com/, select Denim to Diamonds III, and put in the event code "cure". You can then view all the images, and optionally order prints. The prints are very affordable, are shipped right to your door, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ovations for the Cure. Enjoy the photos!

Rockin' Senior Session with Cam

At Studio Mark Emile, we really encourage you to get into your senior session. Such was the case with Cam, who comes to us from Nashua South. Cam, like his dad, is quite the musician. And he brought one of his favorite axes to the session. He's really got the rocker look down pat, and he's got the musical ability. Who knows? National acts come from somewhere.

Whether you want to bring out your inner rock star, want to show you belong on So You Think You Can Dance, are a track star, or just want to experience the best senior session in Southern New Hampshire or Northern Massachusetts, Studio Mark Emile is the place for you. Exhibit A:

Faces of Nashua

Faces of Nashua is a photographic exhibit taking place at the Nelson Building in downtown Nashua until the end of September. Studio Mark Emile is pleased to have been asked to put this photographic essay together. Faces of Nashua is a cross-section of Nashua, environmental portraits of people as diverse as meter-maids, artists, politicians, and merchants.
The current exhibit is the first installment of a continuing series. Come on downtown and check out the installation. While you're at it, consider patronizing the businesses whose financial support made this show possible: The Nashua Bank, Search Pro Systems, Alec's Shoe Store, Nashua Paint and Wallpaper/Universal Decor, Persian Rug Gallery, and Scontsas Fine Jewelry and Home Decor. Thanks, all of you, for supporting the Arts in Nashua!