Changes are coming!

In mid-December I announced to my current clients & friends that a few changes were coming to Sarah Shah Portraits. Today, I'm excited to be able to announce those changes to you!

Friday my new blogsite will be launched and it will showcase my new logo!!

The website will be staying at www.sarahshahportraits.com but the look and feel will be different. It will have more of a blog feel, but you will still be able to place your orders and view galleries through the site.

My hosting company said that the downtime should be minimal, not more than a few minutes. If you try to hop over to my site during the switch it will come up unavailable, please try again in 10 minutes.

Since we are expecting ice and/or snow anytime now, I thought this image was appropriate.

Greetings!

Hopping on here today to announce the winner of the Fall sessions popular vote contest. With 15 out of the 23 votes the Q family (image #3) won!! Congratulations!!

This family won a 5x7 proof book containing all the images from the proofing gallery of their session. I'm really excited to see this product, too. :)

**Note: blog wins are not at the top of my to do list so they may take longer than normal.



I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a very nice Christmas, my favorite moment was watching Seema go through her stocking and saying "Oh my goodness gracious". I have no idea where this kid picks up all these phrases but they are adorable.

I hope to see everyone again in 2010. The best part of this business is families returning yearly and seeing how much the kids have changed. Wishing you a very healthy, happy, and prosperous new year!

It's a CONTEST!

I only have TWO scheduled sessions left to shoot in 2009 and then I'll be off for a couple of weeks, enjoying my family at taking it easy! I am currently booking for the 2010 year, if you are interested in a session please contact me to book your session.

*Reminder* I leave room in my schedule to fit in newborns through 1 year old through out the year. If you have recently had a baby or will be soon please let me know. Newborns are best shot at 2 weeks or younger.
-----------------------------------------------

Now the contest...

One image from each of my Fall sessions was chosen, and posted below. Leave a comment on this post with the image number you would like to win. Feel free to ask anyone to vote for the image you want to win.

Anonymous votes don't count and only one vote per person, please!

The contest will end DECEMBER 19th at MIDNIGHT.

Scroll through the images and at the bottom is what the winner will receive. :)

To leave a comment, click here.

#1 - "E" Family

#2 - "K"

#3 - "Q" Family

#4 - "S" Kids

#5 - "R+A"

#6 - "D" Family

#7 - "G" Family

The winner of this contest will receive a 5x7 proof book containing all the images from the proofing gallery of their session. These are not sold and would make a perfect parent/grandparent gift or a nice brag book for yourself.

To leave a comment, click here.

***Only comments on the blog will be counted. If you are on Facebook, please click here to go to the blog***

Holiday Deadline | Wichita Kansas Photographer

Just a reminder that all orders need to be in and fully paid for by December 4th. What this means is... I cannot ensure that you will receive your items before Christmas if your order is placed after December 4th. As we approach the end of November, I am working my best to keep on top off editing your sessions so that you will have ample time to order AND meet the Christmas deadline.

Keep in mind, if you have a custom item you would like designed I will need a few additional days to work on it.

If you have any questions regarding your gallery please feel free to email me at info@sarahshahportraits.com.

Posts are always better with images. Here's a random of Seema in October.

Fully Booked for 2009 | Wichita Kansas Photographer

Thank you for helping Sarah Shah Portraits to have the best year yet! I feel that I have grown so much as a photographer this year and know it's because of the continued support from my clients and friends. I am fully booked for the 2009 year and will only be accepting newborn (under 14 days old) and 1 month portrait sessions during the rest of the year, as I know how fast little ones like to change! I look forward to seeing you in the coming year. Thank you!

_________________

I feel like I'm in the middle of running a marathon and I'm counting my steps to keep me going.

I have two portrait sessions this weekend, which I am so excited about! First, is a family that was one of my first clients last year. Her kids are ADORABLE and I can't wait to see how much they've grown. Second, is a family that I know through a grade school friend. They have a 5 year old boy that has the brightest personality and I can't wait to spend some time with him again, and a 7 week old girl.

We were invited to two parties this weekend to celebrate Fall and Halloween. Seema will be debuting her costume at both! We have to prepare her for the big night next week, since she's really not to keen on wearing her animal ears.

Pumpkin patch portraits will be hitting the blog and galleries this weekend. Those that came out this year be sure to check your email Sunday for your password.

More Holiday Cards Added!

Several more holiday cards have been added to the Gallery on the website.

Go to my website (here), click on Enter Site, then click on Galleries, and then go to the Holiday Cards gallery.

Cards are available in matte or linen paper, and come in packs of 24 with envelopes. They are only offered as an add-on to these portrait packages: Christmas Magic, the Ruby, the Pearl, or the Diamond.

I have samples of the card papers if you would like to see and feel them.

Go check them out!

Holiday Cards!

The holiday cards for 2009 are becoming available for you to check out! Go to my website (here), click on Enter Site, then click on Galleries, and then go to the Holiday Cards gallery. I will be adding a few more options over the next few weeks.

Cards are available in matte or linen paper, and come in packs of 24 with envelopes. They are only offered as an add-on to these portrait packages: Christmas Magic, the Ruby, the Pearl, or the Diamond.

I have samples of the card papers if you would like to see and feel them.

Pumpkin Patch | Sarah Shah - Wichita Kansas Child Photographer

I'm so excited to be offering mini sessions at the pumpkin patch again this year. Be sure to click on the images below to see what dates I will be there. Contact me to schedule your session at info@sarahshahportraits.com!

This postcard announcement went out in the US Mail today. If you haven't signed up for my mailing list, you're missing out on being in the group of first people to know announcements. Email me with your mailing address and/or email address.

Meet Colleen

This is Colleen. She's going to be my assistant during the Fall season and will be accompanying me to all of the sessions, as well as the pumpkin patch. Colleen is great with kids and I think she's going to be the perfect assistant to help me. I can't wait for all of you that have booked sessions to meet her.

We had a blast during her portrait session. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time!

She loves to cook and wants to go to culinary school. To me that sounds like a lot of fun and I hope she does it. She also blogs recipes, here.

Unplugging | Sarah Shah - Wichita Kansas Photographer

UNPLUGGING for this whole week! Yep, that's right. No phone calls, no emails, no twitter, no facebook, nothing except maybe a bit of tv but not sure we'll get that much in anyways. I'm so connected that I'm expecting this to be a HUGE withdrawal. ha! Taking this week off from everything to spend some much needed time with my daughter and husband before I gear up for the busy Fall season.

I will be returning any voice mails or emails starting August 30th. Have a great week, everyone!

ProAm Photography Show

I entered two of my photography pieces into the ProAm Photography Show and they are still on display through tomorrow, August 24th. The tulips (left side) is showing at CityArts (334 N. Mead). The coffee (right side) is showing at The Red Line Gallery (at Lawrence Photo, 401 E. Douglas).

They look way better than what these quick snaps show! Both are 11x14 size and mounted on standout board.

2009's Special Holiday Package | Sarah Shah - Wichita KS Photographer

If you have any questions or would like to book your session please contact me today!
Email: info@sarahshahportraits.com
Phone: 316-209-3593
Book a session form: here

The dates you've been waiting for | Sarah Shah - Wichita Kansas Photographer

I'm totally exhausted and ready to crash but wanted to hop on here real quick and release my Fall Family Sessions dates. The super special package option and add-ons will be announced in the next couple days. My two year old has decided that she no longer likes to nap until 4 pm (when she crashes) and then doesn't want to actually go to bed until 9 pm. Her awake schedule is cutting into my work schedule!

I am only offering 12 family sessions this year, so be sure to email or call me or fill out the form here. These sessions are booked based on who chooses what date first. Check your calendars and then contact me early to ensure you will get the date of your choice.

And the dates are...
* Sept 26th
* Sept 27th - RESERVED
* Oct 3rd - RESERVED
* Oct 10th
* Oct 24th - RESERVED
* Oct 25th - RESERVED
* Nov 1st - RESERVED
* Nov 7th - RESERVED
* Nov 14th
* Nov 15th
* Nov 21st - RESERVED

More information on session types
This year I am offering mini sessions, as well as regular sessions, for family portraits. Either of these sessions are great options! I am offering a Christmas Magic package for the family portrait sessions. This package includes a variety of print sizes and comes with the option of adding on custom designed holiday cards or one digital image to use for your holiday cards. The add-on options are only available in conjunction with the purchase of the Christmas Magic package or these regular packages: the RUBY, the PEARL, or the DIAMOND. To see what each of these regular packages includes please click here. I will be posting information on the Christmas Magic package and add-ons in the next couple days right here on my blog.

You might be wondering what the difference is between a mini session and a regular session, so here's the break down.

Mini Sessions:
* Choose either a traditional session at Oak Park in Riverside or Friends University or an urban session in downtown Wichita.
* The session fee is $60 and covers the photographer's time and talent during and after the session.
* These sessions will last about 40 minutes.
* 10-12 proofs will be shown.

Regular Sessions:
*Choose any location that you would like, we can work together to find what location will be best for your portraits and your family.
* The session fee is $100 and covers the photographer's time and talent during and after the session, and a $50 print credit towards your print purchase.
* These sessions last about 1-2 hours.
* At least 25 proofs will be shown.



The Pumpkin Patch
More information on the pumpkin patch sessions will be announced around September 12th. If you'd like to be added to my email newsletter list and get a first glance about session updates, please sign up here. (Don't worry... I won't spam you. I only send out maybe a total of 5 eNewsletters a year, if even that.)

Now offering you more | Sarah Shah - Wichita Kansas Photographer

After analyzing what size prints most of your orders contain, I have decided to bring back print packages but this time they work a bit differently. If you know you will like one of the below session packages, you will need to "lock in" that package by ordering it when you schedule your session.

This works just like the session fee. For your regular portrait session you'd pay a $100 session fee up front to hold your spot and for my time & talent during and after your session. When your proofs are done I email you a $50 credit code to enter when checking out. For these session packages you will need to do a bit more thinking (I know, sorry) but it will work out a lot better. And even save you money in the long run with the packages that have an additional % off extra prints that aren't included in the package. When your proofs are done I will email you a code for the amount of the session package that you "locked in" prior to your session. If you purchased a session package that includes an amount off additional a la carte prints you will receive that code too.

(more announcements below...)

(click on image to view it larger)

With the introduction of session packages my a la carte options have been narrowed down to just the basics. Prints can be ordered in wallets, 5x7 and smaller, 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, and 20x24. Custom sizes are also still available, just ask! All speciality items (storyboards, holiday cards/announcements, albums, and others) can be only ordered as an add-on to one of these session packages.

As always, if you have any questions or if I didn't cover something you are wondering about please don't hestitate to contact me.

_______________________________
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

- FALL SESSION DATES and more information will be announced either this weekend or sometime next week. These are first come, first serve on the dates so you'll want to let me know that you're interested quick. I've already had a couple families inquiry and the dates haven't even been released yet.

-PUMPKIN PATCH SESSIONS will be announced around Sept 12th, but they will all take place in October!


I'm really excited about showcasing a more of the speciality items that I have available for you. I've done a lot of ordering around to see what products are out there and what the quality of them is like.

Product Showcase: the STORYBOARD

This is the latest storyboard that a client ordered. I haven't had a 9 image one printed before and I just love this! This particular one is 12x12 inches and is mounted on styrene board. Styrene is a plastic mounting board that is 2mm thick. All of my images that are ordered larger than 8x10 are mounted on styrene for added durability and preservation.

To see other examples of storyboards I have done in the past, check out the Galleries > Custom Storyboards gallery on my main website here.

Wall Display Ideas | Sarah Shah - Wichita Kansas Photographer

Have you ordered your images and not sure how to arrange them on your walls? I'll be the first to admit that I have stood in front of my builder white walls wondering the same so I want to help you out! I have just added a new gallery on the website that shows you a few different ideas on how to arrange your images on your walls. I currently have the Andrew in 8x8s (just wish I would have ordered 10x10s) over my couch in our living room. We love it. It's like a mosaic of our family.

So go to my website (www.sarahshahportraits.com), click on Enter Site, click on Galleries, and then click on Wall Display Ideas.

Flying By | Sarah Shah - Wichita KS Child Photographer

Our fairy themed mini portrait sessions were very successful. I am halfway through all the images and am planning to showcase an image from each session on here sometime next week, so stay tuned! Next year I am planning on having these mini sessions over more dates and earlier in June so it's not so hot.

Thank you to everyone who brought a special little girl to experience dressing up like a fairy and having fun with me!

Fairy Themed Portrait Sessions | Sarah Shah - Wichita Kansas Portrait Photographer

Sarah Shah Portraits is having fairy themed mini portrait sessions for girls between 1 and 5 years old on June 27, 28, and July 11. These mini sessions will last about 30 minutes.

A discounted session fee of $30 will be charged and you will receive a complimentary 5x7 print withe a signed model release. ($59 value)

A limited number of sessions will be offered, please contact us to book your session early to ensure you get a spot.

Email: info@sarahshahportraits.com
Phone: 316-209-3593
Website: www.sarahshahportraits.com

Cooking Something Up Behind The Scenes - Sarah Shah - Wichita, KS Lifestyle Photographer

I wanted to hop on here to give a quick update on what I've been up to.

I've been really busy working on changing my branding and I'm so excited. I'm still loving the chocolate and blue so that part won't be changing, but there will be a few additions.

New things are starting to be released already. If you've recently placed an order with me you will be (or have) received your print order packaged in my new packaging materials.

Stay tuned... more information and images will be coming soon.

---------------------------------------------

I'm currently booking late Spring to early Summer portrait sessions.
I love this time of year! It's not yet too hot to be comfortable outside and, the flowers are blooming beautifully.

If you're interested in booking a session with me contact me as soon as you have a date in mind. I only accept a limited number of sessions each month and do fill up 2-4 weeks in advance.

Phone: 316-209-3593
Email: info@sarahshahportraits.com

---------------------------------------------

At my house we enjoyed the past wet weekend by playing inside!

Giveaway Winner Announced & Part II of Celebration - Sarah Shah - Wichita, KS Lifestyle Photographer

I want to thank everyone that voted for my anniversary contest and giveaway. There was a whopping 22 people who sent in votes!!

And the winner is...

#21
This precious little one can also be seen here and here.






Part 2 of my anniversary celebration is a discount.
Contact me between March 18th and March 31st to schedule your 2009 portrait session(s) and receive 10% off your print order.*


*10% off excludes custom announcements, holiday cards, storyboards, and any other custom work.