H&M Photography & Design: The Blog

2010 Christmas Cards!

I'm so excited about this year's Christmas cards! (And very excited to finally be posting about them, too! Picking the images to go with the cards is always fun, but takes forever!)

So anyway, here's what you need to know:

• Flat cards are $35 for a set of 25 cards with envelopes. Additional cards are $1 each.
• Folded cards are $50 for a set of 25 cards with envelopes. Additional cards are $1.75 each.
• Additional cards can be ordered in any quantity (and ask about discounts if you need more than 100 cards!).
• Cards are printed on high quality cardstock with a pearl finish - if you've ordered cards from me you know these cards are beautiful!! 
• Some designs are available as flat or folded cards; some are only available as flat (see the designs below). 
• Cards are designed exclusively with photos taken by H&M Photography. That means photos from any of your H&M Photography sessions or weddings can be incorporated. Or there's still time to schedule a session or a Christmas card mini session. 
• Text is fully customizable. 
• The last date to order Christmas cards is December 4 (but I'd suggest ordering earlier...addressing all those envelopes takes a lot of time!)
• Cards can be ordered by calling or emailing me, or they'll be available for purchase through The Store if you have an active gallery.  

Here they are...the 2010 Christmas cards!

Card 1 (flat card only)

 

Card 2 (folded option)

Card 2 (flat option)

Card 3 (flat card only)

Card 4 (folded option)

Card 4 (flat option)

 

Card 5 (folded option)

Card 5 (flat option)

  
- Heather Maynard, Athens, Georgia photographer

Christmas Card Mini Sessions & Holiday Schedules

  
 

I've had LOTS of requests for mini sessions, so I thought now, with Christmas coming up, would be a great time for some.

I know, I know. Christmas?! Is summer even over yet? But we all know how it goes - school starts, then suddenly it's Halloween, then Thanksgiving and then, oh, wait...is there still time for Christmas cards? So, actually, now is a perfect time to start thinking about them!

So here's the deal. Instead of setting just one or two dates for mini sessions, I'm opening several weekdays up for them over the course of a month.

Mini sessions will be held in the morning (around 10 a.m.) or evening (around 5 p.m.) on select weekdays from October 11 until November 18. Please call for available dates (there's a limited number - and they're likely to fill up fast!).

There will be three location options in the Statham area (including a studio option, urban option and a natural setting).

The session fee is $85 (due at booking) and includes:

• A 20-minute session for up to five people; please ask if you have a larger family
• 20 images to choose from in an online gallery
• 50 flat Christmas cards OR 35 folded Christmas cards OR 25 flat Christmas cards and two gift prints (8x10 or smaller)
• High resolution digital negatives can be purchased for half price ($200).

Keep in mind that this session is not a typical session and is meant mainly to capture a limited number of photos for your Christmas cards (but, of course, you'll have the option to purchase prints and products from your session). Since we're limited to 20 minutes, it may not be the best fit for very young children, and we'll stick to either family photos or photos of just children. If you're looking for outfit changes, individual photos of your children and several different types of shots, a regular session is probably a better fit for you. If you're unsure if this type of session would work for you, feel free to call and we'll chat about it! 

You are going to LOVE the Christmas card designs this year! I'll be showing those on the blog early next week! UPDATE: View the 2010 cards here.

And on another note...holiday scheduling!

If you'd like to schedule a regular session and you want either Christmas cards or photos to use as holiday gifts (they DO make awesome gifts!), the last date we can hold your session and still have your prints/products in time is November 30.

The last date for ordering Christmas cards, prints, or products (excluding books) will be December 4. The cutoff date for ordering coffee table books is October 31.

To book your mini session (or a regular session) just email or call us at 678.316.7906 as soon as possible! Hope to see you soon!

- Heather Maynard, Athens, Georgia photographer

Coffee Table Books

I'm so, so excited to share these books with you! We've offered coffee table books for a long time, but we've switched vendors a couple of times - we're always looking for ways to improve upon the products we offer (in quality as well as the number of options) without making it too confusing. 

While attending WPPI earlier this year, we were on the hunt for a new album/book vendor. I've always been a little more of a coffee table book kind of girl myself, but I'd considered adding an album option for weddings.

Looking at the albums (and there were so many beautiful ones) reaffirmed why I prefer a coffee table book - they're not so bulky and heavy, and they really live up to their names. They can actually sit on your coffee table (or a shelf) and look like part of your decor. And that's something we love to give our clients - a piece of art that fits in their homes. And what do most people do with a big album? Put it in a box in a drawer. That's not what we have in mind when it comes to showcasing your photos!

So we were walking the aisles of the trade show at WPPI, overwhelmed by the options (there are two giant tradeshow floors with literally hundreds of vendors). And then we saw them - "the ones." These were the books we would offer our clients. 

We've actually ordered a few for clients already, but we finally got around to ordering our samples. We are in love with them and we know you will be, too. I normally wouldn't say this, but photos don't even do these books justice - they're so perfect in person!

The hard cover books are available in 12x12, 10x10 and 8x8 (we're still waiting to order a 12x12 sample). Each book is custom-designed to include several photos (that you choose!) and tell the story of your wedding or session on beautiful, glossy pages. The pages "lay flat," meaning the book doesn't have that huge bump in the middle, and we can create beautiful, two-page layouts.

We also have little 5x5 books in hard or soft cover. (These don't lay flat like the others, but make great gifts or flip books!)

 

 

 

This is the 10x10 book. This one's actually a wedding guest book, which is one of our very favorite items. We love that you can ditch the boring old guest book or the giant framed print with the signature mat for a fun guest book that highlights your engagement photos.

Each book is custom-designed to include several photos from your engagement session on matte pages. We leave plenty of room for your wedding guests to write messages to you (instead of just a plain ole signature). Or we can change it up and make it playful by writing questions for your guests to answer, like "What should the couple's first pet be?" Fun, right?

 

 

 

And the 8x8...

 

 

Perfect example of the "lay-flat" pages - 

 

And the cute little 5x5...

 

 

 

As a side note to brides, if you're dead set on a traditional album, we can do that, too. But most of our brides love these!
 
- Heather Maynard, Athens, Georgia photographer