Last night was the commencement exercises for the Minisink Valley Class Of 2010! Looking back, it feels like just last week was the beginning of football season. As we listened to the speeches and watched the smiles on the graduate’s faces, we couldn’t have been more thankful to have shared their last year together! We would like to wish all the graduates the best of luck as they enter an entirely new world!

Graduation Gallery Access

If you would like to be notified by email when images from the graduation ceremony are available for online viewing, please take a moment to fill out the form below and we’ll be sure to add you to our list!

Originally, we wanted to announce the winner on June 1st, but were so backed up with work that we missed the deadline by a long shot! Needless to say, we decided to wait until the middle of the month for the announcement! After throwing all of the names into a hat and mixing them all up – we have picked our grand prize winners …

~ Roseanne And Carlos – Middletown, NY ~

Congratulations to the both of you! We cannot wait to capture beautiful memories of your romantic flight!

Now, I know that I may not be what you would consider old. Having only a year left before my 10-year high school reunion may not seem that long ago – but a quick visit to any recent prom will certainly change that thought! All kidding aside, it was so much fun to be able to attend this event. From the staff to the administrators and the students, everything was perfect and it seemed like the night ended before it should have!

Last year, I was unable to attend the S.S. Seward prom because we had a wedding booked where I was the primary photographer. Though the Tropical Paradise theme worked well, this year was done as a Masquerade. Many of the students came dressed to match and there were some awesome masks made for the prom king, queen and court.

We’re already looking forward to what next year will bring! Until then, enjoy a few shots from the night!

Prom Gallery Access

If you would like to be updated once the gallery has been activated, please provide us with your email address below and we’ll be sure to send you a notification with the access link and password!

Starting at the end of last year, we began splitting apart our portrait business (Wanamaker Photography) and our sports business (Wanamaker Sports Photography) into two separate identities. This included new logos, websites and a new marketing plan. Things worked out so well that we began receiving a lot of requests from new sports leagues, expectant mothers and newly engaged couples. Things were so successful that we have been doing nothing but catch-up lately! On top of that, we’re having our home office remodeled – so it has put us in a slightly discombobulated state!

Since the beginning of the year, we’ve photographed some incredible sessions and really want to get things posted – but just haven’t had enough downtime to get it done. However, we are making it our goal to get caught up on both blogs by the first week in April – so keep checking back for some new images!

Recently, we received a message on Facebook from Mike and Michelle, who attended Susan and Adam’s wedding back in October 2009. Michelle was one of Susan’s bridesmaids. Mike and Michelle sat with us at the table during the reception and we had a blast telling jokes and trading stories. Since they were engaged but had not yet started planning, they took one of our business cards and told us they would be in touch. Just a few short months later, we received an email from Michelle letting us know that they had started planning everything. Here is a quick excerpt from that message …

We haven’t set a particular date because I want to see what you have booked in August … You are both amazing photographers and (really) cool people so, I’m totally willing to work around your schedule.

How awesome is that? A bride wanting to book her wedding around OUR schedule! Goes to show how much fun we have when working with our clients and why our testimonials page just keeps growing!!!

Needless to say, we cannot wait for Mike and Michelle’s engagement session this spring on Long Island and their wedding at the Tides in North Haledon NJ!

For those who thought that we dropped off the face of the earth, this post is to let you know that we haven’t! Actually, we have been extremely busy. Our last major event for 2009 was the Toys For Tots Toy Drive – which worked out perfectly. We received so many incredible compliments on the event that we are looking to expand it next year to multiple locations! When that was all said and done, we took some time away from work and focused on the upcoming holiday season.

As the New Year rolled in, Loretta and I decided to hit the ground with both feet running! The first two weeks in January had us traveling from Mystic CT for the Mystic5 convention to Nashville TN for the annual Imaging USA convention. In each place, we met with some of the best of the best in the world of photography, forged new relationships and learned new techniques to improve what we do. By the time we came back home, our heads were about to explode, we were out of notebook paper and we were excited to start the new year off right!

In the midst of everything, I had also been working on designing a new website for our portrait photography. While the old design did well, we have been working hard on separating our portrait and sports photography into two unique identities. We launched the sports website in the fall of 2009 and scheduled this one for January 2010. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to get it done before we started our travels …

So, after a little bit of waiting, we are proud to announce the launch of the new Wanamaker Photography website! It’s a clean design focused around the images and our blog. Over the next few days, we’ll be updating all of the galleries with more images as well …

Going forward in 2010, we will be working on new ideas and launching new products. New promotions and specials will be posted in our blog and sent out by email to all of our newsletter subscribers – so be sure to sign up or download the RSS feed! You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@ChrisWanamaker or @LWolff)!

We began setting up for this event Friday night – getting the set put together, lights dialed in, lines roped off and the on-site printing computers and printers hooked up. It was a lot of equipment and decorations to carry around – but it was all for a good cause!

As Saturday morning rolled around, the threat of 1-4 inches of snow was in the air. At 11am, when Santa and Mrs. Clause pulled up in their new Dodge Challenger, the snow had just started to fall but the line of children waiting for Santa was long!

By 3pm, as the line full of children began to wind down, we had collected over $1,000 worth of toys and more than $350 in monetary donations for the incredible Toys For Tots organization. We all enjoyed seeing the looks on the children’s faces when they got to meet Santa and the fact that we were able to help out so many others this holiday season who might have otherwise gone without!

We would like to thank everyone who came out to support our event!

In Memory Of Dale Wanamaker 1945-2009

Toys For Tots was an important charity to my Dad and I feel obligated to carry the torch after his passing this year. So, on December 5th, we’ll be holding a Pictures With Santa Toys For Tots drive at Franklin Sussex Automall from 11AM until 3PM.

All you have to do is bring a new unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more and we’ll take your photo with Santa in our winter wonderland. When you are done, stay and enjoy the games, crafts and food available all day long! Each donation will also provide you with a raffle ticket for a chance to win an iPod and other great prizes!

The brainchild of celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart, Help-Portrait is a movement of photographers, coming together in every major city, to use their photography skills to give back to the community. On December 12th, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need, and taking their picture. When the prints are ready, they get delivered.

This video is some of the behind-the-scenes work that Jeremy and a handful of fellow photographers have been doing in preparation for the main event. For more information, be sure to check out their website at http://www.help-portrait.com/

Friday morning, the 26th of June, was a particularly tough morning as it was the last time the family got to see my dad before the funeral home finished what they needed to do. We were all emotionally drained from everything that had gone on during the last few days and none of us really had our heads in the right spot. However, Loretta and I had one last job to do for Minisink Valley before the school year closed out.

As we headed home, we noticed that the skies we nearly black – and sitting right over where we needed to go. We got back to my parent’s house and turned on the weather channel to see what was headed our way. The screen simply said – strong thunderstorms …

Though the skies were dark and the wind was picking up, we headed over to the school to meet up with our freelance photographers to go over the final game plan – should the ceremony continue. Unfortunately, just as we arrived, the office word came out that everything had been moved to Saturday morning – and it was a good thing too!

The black clouds that we saw were upon us in no time and the “strong thunderstorm” notice from the weather channel was a complete understatement. Lightning was crashing all around us, rain was coming down in buckets and the wind was strong enough to knock almost anything over. With that, we headed home and made sure we were ready for Saturday morning!

When the time rolled around, the weather was pretty iffy. A few pockets of rain doused the field while everyone was getting setup. Luckily, it all passed with about 30 minutes to spare. Just as the ceremony began, the sun came out and made for a beautiful but muggy day. With everyone happy to just have great weather, we started capturing some great shots of the graduates … including this extremely interesting one while everyone was walking in …

… as well as this “dreamy” looking one of a veteran receiving his honorary diploma.

While walking up and down the sides of the graduates, taking shots of them and their friends together, this one girl caught my attention simply because her shoes almost screamed at me for attention …

A blog post about a high school graduation (or any graduation for that matter) wouldn’t be complete without the usual “cap throwing” shot …

All in all, it was a nice ending to a rough week. It actually made me feel like I was back at my own graduation in 2001 …

Overall, Father’s Day Sunday was a beautiful day. After raining for nearly 3 weeks straight, we finally had a day where we could head outside without getting soaked. Loretta and I headed up to Sussex NJ to cover a soccer game for one of our leagues, High Point Soccer Club. However, my Mom had made early reservations for a Sushi restaurant in Monoroe NY, called the Plum House, so that we could all take my Dad out for his favorite dinner on Father’s Day. We covered the first of two games and handed control over to Tom, one of our freelance photographers, so that we could head out and meet up with my parents.

After an incredible dinner, we took a detour past our old house, talked with an old neighbor and headed back to Westtown. At home, we enjoyed cake and coffee while my Dad opened all of the gifts we had gotten him. Everyone did surprisingly well since he never really provided us with a list of what he wanted. As the night went on, my Mom spoke up and asked us all to head out on the deck so we could take some group photos with her new camera (one that she got on Mother’s Day last month).

We took a big group shots, shots of just the boys and shots of just the girls. There were even a couple shots in there with the dog. After looking at the picture, I realize why I stay BEHIND the lens …

… but we all laughed and headed back inside to finish out the evening. Around 10PM, Loretta and I decided to head home as we had a bit of a drive and lots of work to do the next day. What happened next has forever changed the lives of each one of us …

As we were getting ready to leave, including my brother and his girlfriend, my Dad collapsed in the garage. We frantically tried CPR to try and bring him back – but we all feel that he was already gone before the first responding EMS technicians even arrived. The ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital as the technicians continued to try and bring my Dad back – but at 10:40PM, he was officially pronounced dead.

What started out as a beautiful day, ended in horrible tragedy for our entire family. My Dad was only 64. In the days that followed, a range of emotions hit us all – but Sean and I held together what we could and worked on putting a tribute together to be played during his viewing services. As we combed through boxes and boxes of photographs, it was then that I realized how important being a photographer really is and how much value it provides families – whether they realize it or not.

Nearly each day, we photograph high school seniors, families, weddings, events and sports – never fully realizing that the images we are capturing could be the last images of that person. When we speak with some of our clients, they tell us that is has been 10 or more years since they last had a family photo taken. 10 years is a long time, especially when your entire life can change in the blink of an eye.

While many may not see the value of a photograph or what goes into producing that image, all I can say is that I am happy that our family has photographers because we may have never captured the final image above. To me, the image above has more value than anything in this world because it is the last image we took together as a family!

Similar to a bridal “Trash The Dress” session, Loretta took her sister and her friend to all kinds of places in order to come as close to destroying the dress as possible. Some of these areas included hiking trails, caves and even the Delaware River!

While we cannot show you everything that we took, here are two shots from inside a cave near our Dingmans Ferry office …

Wanting to speak directly with the person in charge (who is also the announcer), we walked past a long line of tents with nothing but rockets and rocket parts underneath. Though this may be a hobby to some, it is a sport to others!

We were granted permission to sit on the inside of the launch field so that I could setup and capture some shots of the rockets on the pads. There were small rockets, medium sized rockets, big rockets and “freakin’ huge” rockets! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the latter take off as we arrived at the end of their FAA window. However, what we did see was absolutely amazing! Here are some of the shots, including one for reference to show you how big some of the large rockets were …

Both Loretta and myself had a great time with the girls! Here are just a handful of the shots we captured yesterday …

Recently, we had the opportunity to update the business portraits of numerous executives and business owners from around the area. Each session was slightly different – one took place during a client appreciation dinner while the other was captured in the living room of the executives home – but the results were just the same. Each of our clients walked away with portraits of themselves that portrayed who they were – as a person and business owner/executive.

Here are just a few of the portraits we captured from each of the sessions …

To update your professional image, contact us about all of our business portrait options for you and your company!

After reading this message, I could do nothing else but smile. And I smiled because out of all the different types of clients that we work with, this is the first person to actually ask why … and I couldn’t be more happy!

As I began to reply to the email, I realized that this could be a great blog post … and so I switched screens and began to write. However, because of our extremely busy schedule, I quickly ran out of time. That’s when the light from above brought me to ProfessionalChildPhotographer.Com and their article on the exact same topic. So I would like to take the oppotunity to answer our client’s inquiry with a well written article on custom photography …

Digital technology is brilliant. The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and amazing amounts of control for the photographer, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur. With flexibility comes a price though. Camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into all of this.

Even though you pay $1.99 for a print at your local drugstore and paying for film is pretty much a thing of the past (although you still pay for memory) you may be wondering why you may pay upwards of $40, 50, 70, 90 for a custom photography print. Some photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:

“How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at the local drug store?”

The answer is multifaceted and has a lot to do with the time, aforementioned equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer, expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business.

TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:

Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is travelling an hour to your on location session. TIme break down:

• session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
• one hour travel time TO session
• 15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
• 90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
• one hour travel time FROM session
• 30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
• 30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
• 2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
• 1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
• 2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
• 1 hour sorting through and checking order
• 30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
• 30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
• any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues

As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

COSTS of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:

Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer. Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography. A good lens for portrait photography can run up $900 to $2500. A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer.

Then come lab costs for specialty products. A good photographer knows the lab is integral to their success. Photography labs dedicated to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for you, the discerning client.

Discussion other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip the intricate details. There is of course much more: including costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.

APPLES to ORANGES:

Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $25 for an 8×10 or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains. The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service. According to several articles at the time, did you know that in February 2007 a rather well known discount department store that started in Arkansas closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation? The reason is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ “professional” prints if you do not sell enough of them. Interestingly enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10). The whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait studios in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments. Your “PORTRAITS” are considered the true “loss leader”.

Going to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for or the lovely captures of natural expressions. You simply get a bare bones, “SAY CHEESE” experience. Keep this in mind when selecting a photographer.

REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER:

Being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer’s part. Their expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism. A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography. Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream? They often neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc..

Being of sound reputation, a better professional photographer knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch. To create good work good equipment, reliable equipment, back up equipment is a necessity. The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability. This is how reputations get built. Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds (brides and grooms) through surveys and reviews. Our winning vendors have set the bar high for this competition, demonstrating excellent service and expertise in their industry.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

Wanamaker Photography would like to thank all of our past clients for the glowing reviews and comments we’ve received and for helping us with the 2009 Brides Choice Award!

Click here to read some of the incredible reviews we’ve recieved on WeddingWire.Com!

This year, they held the convention in the warm and beautiful city of Phoenix, AZ. With temperatures in the mid-70′s and clear skies everyday, we couldn’t have had nicer weather for our trip. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to see much of the city as both Loretta and I were busy learning in class and roving around the convention floor everyday from 7AM until 7PM. However, it wasn’t all work and no play … we did get to have a little fun at some of the parties that Canon and some of the other major vendors hosted.

But … the best part of the entire trip was seeing a shot that we took, blown up and displayed at the entrance for the SEPCON (Sports Photography) attendees! As you might remember, we were a cover contest runner-up for an industry magazine a few months ago. Well, they liked our images so much that they posted some in their online photo gallery and blew one up to use on one of their SEPCON pillars during the show …

Here is the original image, taken during an i9 Sports Flag Football game in Newburgh NY this past summer …

Overall, we had a great time, learned a lot and are looking forward to putting things into effect this year, including all kinds of new products that we had a chance to check out!

Here are a couple more shots we took while visiting …

Wanamaker Photography is participating in the National Charity Model Search to select “America’s Cutest Kid” and to raise funds for charity. We’re looking for cute children ages 18 months to 14 years old to model for a portrait to be entered into the contest.

Finalists are determined by online votes and anyone may vote. Each vote is only $1 and all proceeds from each vote benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Industry experts will determine the contest’s national winner, who will receive many prizes, including a $5,000 US Savings Bond and a Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera!

Model Search Special!
From now until March 15, 2009, receive a fun and friendly 30-minute, in-home session and one image submitted to the national gallery for only $75! Extend that to a 1-hour, in-home session for only $125 and receive 10% off of your entire portrait order!

Be sure to book your Model Search Portrait Session soon!
Call 1-866-832-4001 to schedule your appointment!

While many of us will spend the holidays counting our blessings and sharing dinner with loved ones, millions of people around the country won’t be so fortunate. Donating to your local food bank will help provide a holiday meal to people in your community who can’t afford one.

Giving to Operation USO Care Package is another great way to send members of our military stationed around the world a reminder that someone back home is thinking of them.

Take some time to enjoy and celebrate with your family, but also give back to those who may be without!

Happy Holidays from everyone here at Wanamaker Photography!

So with all of this buzz going around, we decided to jump on the bandwagon and ordered a set of 50 Regular Moo Business Cards with some of our wedding images on them. When they arrived yesterday, I couldn’t have been more happy with them. The card stock was nice and thick, the colors were nearly spot on and the overall design was fresh and clean looking. Here are the cards we ordered …

Next up … our Seniors and Babies!

The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.

A Happy and Safe Thanksgiving to you and your family – cheers!

(Originally posted by Esquire Photography)

Stay tuned for our mini series – Two Weddings And A Football Game …

Friday night was filled with footballs games. The first was between the Junior Varsity teams for Minisink Valley and Middletown at the Minisink Valley High School. With the sun beaming brightly and very low in the sky, we had to contend with harsh shadows on all of the players. We were constantly adjusting our settings for the optimal shot. Later that night was the game between the Varsity teams for the same schools on the brand new Middletown High School field. While the lighting was perfect, the night was cold and keeping our fingers warm was enough of a challenge!

Saturday morning brought the same cold air as we set out for an entire day photographing the Minisink Valley Youth Soccer teams – all 900+ kids! As the clouds peeled back and let the sun shine down, things began to warm up … but gave us those harsh shadows that we love to hate.

Sunday morning followed with much warmer weather and a family session in New Jersey. With an energetic kid, a 7-month old baby and two extremely nice parents … there was nothing challenging about the day … until we packed up and got ready for something we knew would be tough for the both of us.

Our final shoot for the weekend was a portrait session. Not of a family or a child in the traditional sense – but of one family’s dog, Zeus, who was very much a child to them in his own right. Unfortunately, Zeus was dying of cancer. We had been asked to take some portraits of him (since he had never had them done) before his time came.

Knowing that you are taking some of the last shots of someone is an honor and a heartache at the same time. Having experienced this same feeling personally a little over a year ago, I know how hard it can be. So as we arrived, this incredibly massive Great Dane greeted us by the car and as we got our gear ready, settled down in the backyard under the shade of trees. As we maneuvered around each other, Zeus seemed to pose every so often and allow me those few short moments to capture him as if he were a perfectly crafted statue.

The hardest part of the session came when I needed to put down the camera – wondering if I could just get one more shot. We eventually packed everything up and headed home to try and take care of any last minute things before the weekend ended.

However, I was informed today that, sadly, Zeus was put to sleep yesterday to avoid any further suffering and pain. Our hearts and wishes go out to his parents.

Here were some of the shots from the best session all weekend …