Granny Nichols for Christmas!

Somehow it was just fitting to have Granny Nichols and her family in for portraits right before Christmas. I don't know if there is any direct connection to Ol' St Nick, but you gotta wonder. Granny it was my pleasure, your DVD is ready and I tucked a little extra bonus in there for you. Merry Christmas.

Back to basics

Recently I have had more opportunities to get back to basics, photographically speaking anyway. I teach middle school students in a photography club and this allows me to force myself to work with one camera, one lens, no lights, and lots of creativity. It's refreshing to get away from the gear and get my head back in the artistry.

Sometimes nature doesn't even need me to be very creative, it has that down pat. I was out walking the dogs when this sunrise started to get interesting. I made a dash for the studio and my camera and made it just in time. This shot was taken right out in front of the studio, and yes having this for a view is something I exploit regularly!

What do these things have to do with each other? This shot was simply good photographic technique. No bells and whistles, no photoshop tricks. Just a glorious morning, a camera, and one happy photographer to be there to take a photo. Basics are good.

Maintaining the blog.

It's been a very busy time here at MSP. Lots of new clients, new work, and great creative projects. In addition we welcomed a new member to our team. My wife (also my studio manager) and I were blessed with another child. Our first girl, and you can be sure that she has daddy wrapped firmly around her finger. Expect blog posts starring this little cutie.

As life begins to regain some semblence of order, I am going to make a concerned effort to maintain the blog as a place for people to learn a little more about us and keep track of what the studio is up to. As part of this effort I have added a twitter feed to the top of the page. If you twitter please feel free to follow us. I try to update the twitter page daily.

Thanks!

Matt

School Photos = Cute Kids!

I recently had the opportunity to provide group and individual portraits for My Favorite Preschool in Wasilla, as well as My Favorite Preschool Too in Eagle River. Both shoots were great fun, with enthusiastic children ready to ham it up for the camera. For both of these schools we brought the studio to them, as we wanted both children and parents alike to be as comfortable as possible. Choosing a location everyone was comfortable with really helps. I worked with Miss Cheri and Miss Kiri of My Favorite Preschool to develop a shooting schedule and my hat is off to both of them for a very smooth shoot at each location. We were able to capture some fantastic smiles, grins, and silly faces from the children. Parents have expressed that they are very happy with the result and I must say that we are too.

If you have a preschool age child in Wasilla or Eagle River I would encourage you to consider My Favorite Preschool. This is not just a plug, my wife and I trust them with our own children, and have been more than pleased.

If you have an organization that could benefit from similar photographic services please don't hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to talk with you about your project.

Local Links #3 Batteries Plus

As a photographer working in a small town I often come up empty when I need parts or equipment that are specific to my profession or are just hard to find in general. When you need something "yesterday", Anchorage might as well be New York. Well it happened again on Saturday. In the middle of a shoot a rather odd battery in my flash transmitter gave up the ghost. Fortunately I always have a back up plan, but I still wanted to get that battery. During the lunch break I ventured out into the snow storm (Yeah it was coming down!) in what I thought would be a vain search for the battery. Enter Batteries Plus. Newly opened in Wasilla they have all the batteries one could ever need. I walked in and literally in two seconds found the battery for my transmitter. Now that is cool. I have stopped in the store on several occasions now and found the guys behind the counter helpful and knowledgeable. When it comes to batteries I will no longer scour the valley in the desperate hope that someone carries what I need. I will simply go straight to these guys and be sure they have what I need. 

New Professional Lab For Online Orders!

We are pleased to announce that our provider for online print orders has been upgraded. The old lab was good, but the new one is GREAT! The new lab is more expensive but I truly think the added quality is worth it. As a result our print prices have had to be slightly adjusted, however I was able to maintain the price on prints of 4x6 and 5x7. We retain the ability to print right here in our studio with quality that meets or surpasses anything else available. Now that same quality is available to you online.  Another bonus is the Giclee printing now available directly from the site. If you have never seen a photograph printed on canvas or watercolor paper you are missing out. Yes they are a bit pricey, but the oohs and ahhhs from everyone that sees your print will make it worth every penny. 

For that personal touch I still encourage customers to contact us directly prior to ordering any fine art or large dimension prints. 

Keep an eye on the blog as we have located another vendor for our "Coffee Table" books.  A test book is on the way and if it's as nice as I think it will be, you are going to be very happy customers!

Local Links #2 Designing Divas

Part 2 in my quest to provide some useful links for our customers and blog readers. Today's post is about a couple of very resourceful ladies who combined their talents and have launched Designing Divas Event and Party Planners. This is an ideal solution for those people who would like a helping hand in planning large events. 

I had a chance to meet with Connie Tracy and Andrea Engbretsen of Designing Divas this week. I was impressed with their ideas and get it done attitude. They were also kind enough to allow me to present my portfolio to one of their clients. At the meeting they had several vendors scheduled to present information to their clients and I was lucky enough to be on hand for some of the sample food. YUM! I liked the idea of bringing the vendors to the client instead of the client spending all that time meeting with each separately. While this was my first association with Designing Divas I look forward to working them in the future.

To be fair, I must say that I know Andrea from a past adventure involving a 10 hour bus ride, 40 middle school students, and a ton of sugar. That sort of trial tends to bond people. 

 If you would like some help with your event I encourage you to check them out. You can find their site via this link. 

Local Links #1 Lotus Flowers~Coffee~Gifts

Today I begin a new series of posts about local businesses that I have had the good fortune of working with. I have decided to call the series "Local Links". I have not been asked to do this, nor am I affiliated with any of these businesses. I am doing this because I strongly support buying local to support our community. I try to make a point of calling on local small businesses for goods and services. I intend to provide our readers with helpful links and information about these vendors so when they need that certain something they know just who to call. 

Today's post features Lotus Flowers~Coffee~Gifts. Lotus provides a wide array of florist services and from what I hear brews a mean cup of joe. I need to check that one out myself. I can say that their floral arrangements are beautiful and the experience was clean cut, professional, and timely. All important in my book. 

I called upon Lotus for an arrangement of flowers for a Bridal Shoot in our studio (The shoot is a little bonus we provide our wedding customers). I provided some basic information about budget, colors, and style and let Lotus take care of the rest. When in doubt let the artist work. I picked up the arrangement and it was just what I had in mind, perhaps better. 

If you need flowers for an event or even just because your significant other deserves them, I would give them a call. They are located in Wasilla next to Three Rivers Fly and Tackle. In case you missed it above you can visit their website via this link.

-10 F No Problem!

I was lucky enough on Friday to shoot engagement photos for Greg and Whitney. We set it up a week prior with full knowledge that this cold snap was likely still going to be hanging on. The upside was it was likely to be clear skies and nice evening light. 

Not to be discouraged by a little drop in the mercury Greg and Whitney insisted on getting outdoor photos, hey we are Alaskans after all.  We battled the cold and were able to get some great shots as the sun went down over cook inlet. I will admit to a brief break in warm vehicles while we waited for the sun to get a little lower in the sky. Greg even managed to pop the cork on some champagne bottles for a few shots. I think it froze before hitting the ground! Well you two here's hoping that your wedding in June is just as much fun and a whole lot warmer. 

Old Friends Found

A while back I received an email inquiry about family portraits from a lady in Portland, Oregon. It seems she was coming to Anchorage for the holidays and would like to get portraits done while the entire family was in town. "Hey, perfect I would love to help out" I thought . She then ended the email with "Are you the same Matt Swalling I knew in Anchorage growing up and went to high school with?"  Well I am pretty certain I am the only Matt by that name around here, but who was asking? Old girl friend? Enemy? Good buddy? The name was not ringing a bell. Well it turns out it was an old buddy, several in fact. Kristin and her family were good friends of ours growing up, it was her new married name throwing me off. It was great to see them all again. I am still laughing about how much her brother Matt hated having his picture taken, and how her other brother Grant insisted that he was very "coachable".  Matt you did great, even if you wouldn't pose for me! And Grant, "coachable" you are, but perhaps this coach had better work on his coaching skills. Thank you all so much for coming out to the studio, it made my day. 

Not Your Average Solstice Wedding!

If I told you I was photographing a solstice wedding in Alaska one would naturally assume I meant June 21st the summer solstice. Chad and Mandy had a different idea. Winter solstice on December 21st, the shortest day of the year. What a day it was, clear and beautiful and I don't just mean the bride! Friends and family put on this event with a spectacular food spread and plenty of good times for everyone involved. Chad and Mandy were great sports and braved the cold to make use of the stunning Eagle River view and equally stunning solstice sunset. I even talked them into doing snow angels in the front yard! Hey you only get to do this once. Hope that tux wasn't a rental. Congrats you two, I had a blast.