Category Archives: Newsletters

Newsletter: Winter 2021:Studio Reopening?

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Studio Opening? 

Photography studios will in all likelihood be allowed to open after this weekend. It will be wonderful to be able to welcome clients into my home studio again.   I am however, very concerned about safety, both for my clients and for myself and my husband. It is easier for some businesses to open than it is for others. Most businesses can ask customers to wear a mask the whole time, while in their place of business. Photographers aren’t able to do that; unless people want their pictures taken with a mask on. Something that I am sure most people would not want! Therefore it is very important that safety protocols are followed.

I made up a list of safety measures that I will have in place as seen in the following document:

I have had some inquiries re: newborn photography. I don’t know if the new restrictions will allow newborn photography but if they do, I will do mini one hour newborn sessions only. I will do a regular full newborn sessions once I am vaccinated. 

Let me know if you have any questions about these safety measures. 

New Family Member!

Sadly, we lost our dog, Fergus in December. Fergus was 13 and had been a wonderful dog but it was his time to cross the rainbow bridge. 
As we wanted to stay with 3 dogs, we adopted a new puppy from Spirit of Hope Rescue named Kassidy. 

 We all fell in love with Kassidy right away. Well, that isn’t quite true. Zara has taken some time getting used to her new sister, but she is growling less and even playing with her sometimes!

This is Kassidy:

I love photographing all dogs, but especially puppies and look forward to photographing more dogs very soon! 

I plan to do another dog photo promotion soon so watch for that!

And Finally

A cute illustration. 

Yours in Photography,

Christina

End of Summer….. (Winnipeg Photography Newsletters)

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The End of Summer Edition

Dog Sessions: Round 2

I loved meeting all the dogs that came for my first round of dog portraits.

Here are some of the wonderful dogs that I photographed  in the spring.


My goal in doing these model calls is to put together a book similar to  one that I received for Christmas last year. I love the book shown below and the adorable dogs in it.

In order to be consistent with the next round of pictures I will use a black or a brown backdrop. The sessions will likely need to be done in the studio. The other option is to hang a backdrop in the yard and do them outside. This may be easier for some dogs that are more timid. Doing sessions outdoors is always weather and shade dependent, so times would be more limited but I think it could work well.

The details of this model call are listed below and are the same as the first round of pictures. I will need a $50 retainer from you in order to book your session. As well, you will need to fill in a form with details about your dog.

I will take reservations immediately, so don’t delay in calling: 204.962.3424.

And the winner was………

A while ago, before the pandemic, I offered a little girls dress up special that included a draw for a $600 prize. I am happy to report that this little girl’s mom won the prize.  The lucky winner decided that she would like an album. I had done a few previous sessions for this long time client, so I included images from  previous sessions and created this lovely album. I know this album will be enjoyed for years to come by this family.

HeadShots

Do you need a new headshot for your business profile or for an online dating site? I can help you and make the process as painless as possible!

You can see what I am offering in the poster below. This price is only for sessions in the studio. I will do sessions in other locations for an additional cost. As well, the digital images for these headshots will be low resolution and sized for online sites. They are not sized for printing.

I will be available during the week for headshots, as well as a few spots on the weekends. This is a limited time offer so don’t delay. You can email me at christina@chrismcwilliamsphotography.com
or call at 204.962.3424 to reserve your spot.

And Finally

I love this poster which we have up in our cabin. I hope you are all “digging life” right now at this difficult time. I think many of us have given more thought to the things that are most important in life and I think this poster sums it up really well.

Yours in Photography,

Christina

Studio Reopening! (Winnipeg Family Photographers)

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Studio Reopening: ChrisMcWilliamsPhotography

I hope that everyone has stayed healthy in this unprecedented and scary time. It is unnerving to have an invisible enemy out there that can infect and kill people. It is especially unnerving to not know what the future holds, but things are looking very positive in Manitoba.

My husband and I are healthy and doing well. We have been busy painting inside the house and working on the yard, but I do miss taking pictures of children and families, so I am pleased to announce that I am opening my studio and will start to do sessions again. Safety measures will be in place, including hand sanitizing when clients come in and keeping physical distances as much as possible. More information will be sent to clients before coming for a session.

I prefer outdoor sessions at this time of the year and my yard is an excellent spot for pictures with many large shade trees. I am also open to using parks in the city, especially but not limited to Kilcona Park, Bird’s Hill Park and Kildonan Park.

Little Girls Dress Up

This special event was cut short when the pandemic hit and I am pleased to announce that I am resuming my “Little Girls Dress Up” sessions. I have even more dresses now and am looking forward to photographing the little girls in your life.

This model call is for girls aged 1 to 4. I will include girls who are older if parents bring an outfit for them. Since this is a dress up event, I can only provide dresses up to a size 4 (for a 4 year old, or a small 5 year old).  You are welcome to bring more than 1 girl but I am limiting it to 3 girls per hour session.

I am fine with including other family members (including sons) for this event, but I won’t be supplying outfits for them as the focus is on daughters.

I hope to do some of these sessions outside as well as in the studio. The trees in the yard are looking great right now and there are a lot of locations that we can use

All clients who come for this model call will be entered into a draw for a $600 package. The draw will be done on July 6th. The winner will be announced that day. You are still in the draw if you came for a session before the pandemic started.

A $50 retainer is required to book your session. You can either get a refund on the retainer at your ordering session or you can use the retainer towards the purchase of products such as  wall art or prints. The retainer can be sent to chrismcwilliamsphotography@gmail.com.

I love the idea of photographing your daughter in her mom’s wedding dress! Let me know if this appeals to you and if you have the dress.

I hope to hear from you! Let me know if you are interested.

And Finally

I found this on Facebook a while back and thought it was a great way to look at things.

It’s important that we look at the bright side of things at a time like this and see our glasses as half full.  I hope that you are all safe and healthy now that life is returning to some semblance of normal. Nobody knows when or if the world will ever be like it was before the pandemic and we have no control over that, but we can control how we treat others and how we go about our daily lives.

Thank God, at least toilet paper has become available!

Yours in Photography,

Christina

Model Call for Girls: Win a $600 package!

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Studio is finished!

I am very excited to announce that the studio is finished. We need to finish the bathroom and the ceilings but everything else is done
I made a video so you can have a sneak peek. Watch it here:

https://youtu.be/ejUKoCv4R6Q

Model Call for GIRLS and a chance to win a $600 package.

My dog model call was a huge success and I will be repeating it in the near future.
Here is a collage of some of the wonderful dogs that I photographed.

For my next project I am doing something different. I never had a daughter or granddaughter to dress up, so I am offering  a dress up event for little girls. The added bonus is that anyone participating in this event will be entered into a draw for a $600 package.

There is more information below.

.

This model call is for girls aged 1 to 4. I am open to including girls who are older if parents bring an outfit for them. Since this is a dress up event, I can only provide dresses up to a size 4 (for a 4 year old, or a small 5 year old).

I am fine with including other family members (including sons) for this event, but I won’t be supplying outfits for them as the focus is on daughters.

All clients who come for this model call will be entered into a draw for a $600 package. The draw will be done on March 23rd. The winner will be announced that day.

A $50 retainer is required to book your session. You can either get a refund on the retainer at your ordering session or you can use the retainer towards the purchase of products such as  wall art or prints. The retainer can be sent to chrismcwilliamsphotography@gmail.com.

I love the idea of photographing your daughter in her mom’s wedding dress! Let me know if this appeals to you and if you have the dress.

I hope to hear from you! Let me know if you are interested.

And Finally

Yours in Photography,

Christina
Copyright © 2020 ChrisMcWilliamsPhotography, All rights reserved.
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Our mailing address is:

ChrisMcWilliamsPhotography

86 Taunus Dr

Winnipeg, Mb R2B 3Y3

Canada

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Newsletter Dec. 2019: Model Calls Coming Soon! (Winnipeg Photographers)

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Model Calls: Coming Soon!

I’m very excited to be designing my new studio. The drywall is getting taped and sanded today and will be ready to be painted very soon. I can’t wait to decorate my new space and use it for taking your pictures!

To celebrate the opening , I will be offering different model calls: maternity, newborn and head shots, to name a few. Watch for some amazing opportunities!

Pictures That Tell a Story

Every picture should tell a story and I love the story this picture tells.

This image was taken on July 7th, 2018; our wedding day. The brown and white dog is my girl, Zara and the black dog is John’s dog, Fergus. Zara is very possessive of me and in this picture Fergus came over to give me a kiss. As you can see, Zara was upset that Fergus was so close to her Mommy! I love this picture for the great memories it brings back and for the story that it tells.

I love to tell stories with photography and to preserve a time in our lives. Let me tell your stories with pictures and preserve your memories for all time. All you have to do it give me a call and we can set up an appointment. Leave the rest to me. That simple!!

My number is 204.962.3424.

Christmas Gift Ideas

Today is Dec. 12, 2019.
Only 13 days until Christmas.Are there people on your list that are hard to buy for? If so, here are some great gift ideas I found on Facebook. This list comes from “becoming minimilist.”

 

I would love for someone to get me a snow clearing service, or a hairdresser gift certificate. Or how about this: a gift certificate for a photography session!

It’s a great gift idea and I can get it printed and mounted for you so that it looks really pretty. The certificate can be personalized and I’ll be sure to get it to you before Christmas.

Give me a call if you would like one.

204.962.3424.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The image below shows our 3 beasts, all decked out for Christmas. I didn’t manage to get them all to pose for me at the same time, so this is a composite. I also added the hats afterwards. (I can do that for you as well!)

Aren’t they adorable! I cannot imagine my life with dogs. They give us so much pleasure and are the best companions!

I hope you all have a fun Christmas and that your new year holds good health and much happiness!

And Finally

I love this poster. I had it mounted for our bathroom at Victoria Beach. It makes some great points just in time for the new year!

Yours in Photography,

Christina

News and Offers Nov. 2019 (Winnipeg Photography Newsletters)

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Christmas Special

November is the time to get your pictures taken for your family Christmas card. And just in time, I have a November special of NO SESSION FEE. This is good for a one hour family session for up to 6 people (or dogs and people). It does not include newborn sessions.

Please note that digital images and prints are not included.

I’m really excited to use the new winter/holiday backdrop shown in the background of the above image. I used it for this image of my favorite model; my dog.


Then I added it digitally to this image of these beautiful children:

Isn’t it beautiful!

The first 2 people who contact me will also get a free 8×10 print. . I will need a $50 deposit to reserve your spot, which you can use as a credit for a print.
This does not include newborn sessions as they take more time.

Call today to reserve your spot: 204.962.3424.

Restored Images

Do you have some pictures that you would like restored? Perhaps some prints of your grandparents that are sitting in a drawer somewhere. I offer restoration services for prints and I think they would make a great Christmas gift for someone in your family.
My husband, John, has some wonderful prints of his grandparents dating back to around 1910. I love seeing how people lived then and have restored a few of them. I just worked on this one of his grandfather with his 3 brothers. This is dated 1910; over 100 years ago.


I restored this one some time ago and it is still one of my favorites.

I will accept images for restoration as prints or digitally. I can give you an estimate of the cost of restoring an image once I see the work that needs to be done.

I look forward to helping you out with your old prints.

Purchasing Older Images

Clients often ask me if they can come back to purchase images from their session at a later date.  I have every image that I’ve processed from the last  8 years and I would be happy to revisit them with you.

So if you lost your DVD of images or if you want to purchase some prints from an old gallery, just give me a call.

If you are interested, I would schedule an ordering session for you and we would go through the gallery together. I prefer viewing images with clients because we can make decisions together on what needs to be retouched or edited in a picture.

Here’s a screen shot of the oldest galleries. Do you see yours?

Let me know if you would like to schedule a session.

And Finally

The wisdom of Snoopy! Love this!

Yours in Photography,

Christina

Newsletter August 2019: (Winnipeg Photographers Newsletters)

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Lights, Camera, Editing, Portraits!

We’ve Moved!

Moving ended up being a monumental task, but it’s all done now. I never had any idea how much “stuff” I had  until I had to pack it all and bring it over here.  But we are moved now and I’m ready to use my new space for some newborn and baby pictures. At this time of the year, most people want family pictures outdoors and I will do those as well in any of the parks in the city. I prefer parks that are closer to me,  like Kildonan Park, Bird’s Hill Park and Kilcona Park but I’m open to going to other parks as well.

I took some quick cell phone pictures of the studio space.

There are also some beautiful trees in the yard that I’m itching to use as backdrops. We have a lot of work to do in the yard: pruning, weeding and mowing, but we both love gardening, so it’s a labour of love.

Free Newborn Session

I’m excited to do my first newborn session in the studio shown above, so I’m offering a free session. I realize that babies don’t come on command and I can be flexible on the dates, but the newborn does need to be under 2 weeks old. Please pass this on to anyone you know who might be having a baby soon.

How Family Portraits Boost your

Child’s Self Esteem!

I recently read an article from a site called Design Aglow (https://designaglow.com/blogs/design-aglow/17493452-how-family-portraits-boost-your-child-s-self-esteemand) and I  wanted to pass along some of the insights that the author offered.

 This image is borrowed from the website listed above.

The author, Chris Cummins, writes about how displaying your family photos on the wall for all to see can help children be more confidence in their own worth and abilities.

He cites the words of some psychologists and social workers as follows:

David Krauss, a licensed psychologist from Cleveland, Ohio says, “I think it is really important to show a family as a family unit. It is so helpful for children to see themselves as a valued and important part of that family unit.”

“It lets children learn who they are and where they fit,” says Judy Weiser. a psychologist, art therapist and author based in Vancouver. “They learn their genealogy and the uniqueness of their own family and its story. When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph they say to themselves: ‘These people have me as part of what they are, that’s why I belong here. This is where I come from.” 

“Displaying photos prominently in the home sends the message that our family and those in it are important to one another, and we honor the memories we have experienced,“ says Cathy Lander-Goldberg, a licensed clinical social worker and a professional photographer in St. Louis, Missouri.

Additionally, Krauss recommends having photographs of that child with their family placed in the child’s bedroom so it can be among the last things they see before sleep and the first thing they may see before beginning their day.

I love the idea of having a child seeing their family picture as the last thing before they go to sleep and the first thing in the morning. What a powerful message of belonging that would send to a child!

Do you have family portraits up on your walls? Or does your child need to turn on a computer to see them? Maybe it’s time to do some wall art! Give me a call if you would like to book a session for family pictures. There is no better time than the fall, when the leaves have changed colours and the heat of the summer is gone.

And Finally

I have challenged myself to do 100 Days of Gratitude on Instagram. You can follow me here @chris_mcwill_photog. I’m on Day 13 today and I think it has made a difference in my perspective. I am feeling more positive and I am more focused on the positive things in my life, instead of dwelling on the difficult “stuff.”  We all have difficulties in life but the difference is not on how many difficulties we have, but on how we handle them.  It’s like whether you see your glass as half full or half empty. Mine is definitely more than half full and I feel truly blessed. This challenge is making me realize that. Just 87 days to go!

Have you ever tried a gratitude journal? Let me know if it made a difference to you.

Yours in Photography,

Christina

We are Moving! (Winnipeg Photographers)

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We are Moving

86 Taunus Dr has been sold and we will be moving to 181 McKay Rd in St. Clements. My husband and I are super excited about the move as we will have more space and a beautiful yard for our dogs to chase rabbits and squirrels in!

Our moving date is July 26th. We will be developing the lower level of McKay to be a photography studio. In the meantime, I will be using the living room of our house for my studio. There is a lot of window light in the living room, so it will work very well. My goal is to have a studio ready for use before Christmas. Most family sessions are done outside in the summer and fall, so the only sessions done in the house will be newborns and small children. Our yard also has a lot of trees that will make lovely backdrops for family sessions!

McKay is only 10 minutes past the perimeter off of Henderson Hwy and it’s a lovely drive. I hope to see you in my home and studio!


I want to give kudos to Jeff Michie, our real estate agent, for his efforts in helping us find our future home. Jeff was easy to contact and gave us a lot of useful information and advice throughout this process. Have a look at http://www.gregmichie.com! You won’t go wrong with this team!

Restoring Photos

Below you can see some examples of photographs that I’ve restored. They were all taken in the early 1900s. I love bringing the details out of these old photos and seeing what hidden treasures are in them.

You probably have some old prints like these at your house. Why not surprise someone by getting a couple of them restored as a birthday or Christmas present?  I can give you a free estimate for what the cost of restoration would be.


You can see 1906 in this picture of some people having a picnic in a St. Norbert Park.

My grandmother is the baby being held by her grandmother on the left side. I’m not sure of the date of this one.


I’m amazed at the details that came out of this print once I worked on it. I think this one is 1904.
Copyright © 2019 ChrisMcWilliamsPhotography, All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2019 ChrisMcWilliamsPhotography, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are my friend.
Our mailing address is:

ChrisMcWilliamsPhotography

86 taunus dr

Winnipeg, Mb R3B 2E3

Canada

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Lights, Camera, Editing, Prints: March, 2019 edition (Winnipeg Photography Newsletters)

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Free Prints!

There are 2 ways that you can get free prints. The first way is as part of a package. It looks like this:

  • Buy 5 prints of any size and get the 5th one free.
  • Buy 10 prints of any size and get 2 free!

The second way is by referring someone to me. For every person that you refer that comes for a session, you will receive a $50 credit towards prints.

Don’t delay in grabbing these limited time specials! They will be available until April 15th only!


  Please note that prices are subject to change at any time. 

The Paper is Almost Free!

There is a common misconception among the public about purchasing digital images from professional photographers. Their idea is  that because the image is digital, it does not have a cost. Nothing could be further from the truth. I created this graphic to illustrate some of the costs of running a photography business and producing an image.

There is a cost to printing an image on paper, but it is a small percentage of the costs of creating that image. I am not in the business of selling paper. I am in the business of selling my art.

I will sell a digital image to you. It will be the same price as an 8×10 print; with or without the print.

And we do need to print our images.  The following article is an interesting read on the subject:

The Lesson from Costco’s Photo Lab

Dog Posters

I love dogs and I know a lot of my clients do too.

I created these 2 dog posters this past year. The first one  is hanging at my front door of our 3 beasts!

I can customize this poster for you if you have dogs that shed. Contact me if you are interested and we can talk about sizes, prices and the picture of your dog that we will use.

I have this poster below hanging in our bathroom at Victoria Beach. I love the dog (people) wisdom in it.

Let me know if this is something you would be interested in purchasing.

And Finally

Yours in Photography,

Christina

Christmas Wishes and Free Newborn Sessions! (Winnipeg Newborn Photographers)

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 Mini Newborn Sessions!

I am introducing a new type of session; a mini newborn session. I love photographing newborns but I realize that doing a 3 or 4 hour session is tiring for a sleep deprived mom and that some people only want pictures of their baby. A mini newborn session is a great alternative to a longer session. A mini session includes  photographing the baby; not the siblings or the parents or the grandparents. Just the baby. If that is something that you or someone you know might be interested in, give me a call.

As an introductory offer, I am offering 2 of these sessions free to the first 2 people who send me a deposit. You can book a mini newborn  session by sending me a text, an email or giving me a call. You will need to send a $50 deposit by interac e-Transfer to secure your free session. The deposit will be applied towards the purchase of prints or products.

Please note, that this offer does not include any digital images or products.

The free sessions are only for babies under 2 weeks old.

Christmas Wishes!

I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas (Holiday) week and hope that you have time to visit with family and friends. I hope you take lots of pictures of your times together so that you can look back at this time in 10 years or 20 years.  Please print some of those pictures so that they are available for you to view in the future.

I hope that you get some professional portraits done in 2019 and that you order products to decorate your house and albums for future generations to look at. I hope that you include people’s names in those pictures so that your great great grand kids will know who the strangers in the pictures are.

And I wish you good health in 2019, as without our health we really have nothing. And I hope you find happiness in the small things in your day; the smile on your child’s face, the sun and the warm wind on your face and that great piece of chocolate.

Gift Certificates

Are you still looking the perfect gift for someone on your Christmas list? How about getting them a gift certificate for a photography session? It’s the perfect gift for a busy family or a family that is expecting a baby. It might be something that they couldn’t afford themselves but would love to have.

Call, email or text me if you would like a personalized gift certificate. I can email the certificate to you and you can pay for it with a credit card, interac eTransfer or with Paypal. It’s simple and it a great gift!

Yours in Photography,

Christina