Sawicki Studios

New Blog!

2008-08-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

We now have a new blog! This one will still be accessible since it contains so much information from pretty much the beginning. We will continue to update the blog regularly so check back (to the new one) often. Here it is!! Sawicki Studios New Blog

Congratulations Nikki & Tom!!

2008-08-24T11:35:00.001-07:00

We had the pleasure of doing their wedding yesterday. Beautiful wedding and beautiful couple!!

Allerdice Rentals in Saratoga Springs

2008-08-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

We are excited to have some of our images on display at Allerdice Rentals in Saratoga Springs. They have pretty much everything you need for an upscale formal affair. Tables, chairs, tents, centerpieces, catering items, linens, glassware, china, and much more. Visit their website for more information! www.allerdicepartyrentall.com

Here are a few images of our prints:

Here's Ainsley hanging out with our tools under another one of our images!!

We plan on adding a few more fairly soon!

And here are a few quick shots I took of a few of their table settings in the showroom:

More recent High School Senior Sessions!

2008-08-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

Chris has been SUPER busy with Seniors lately!!

Saratoga Children's Museum

2008-08-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

So today I put up a canvas in the coat room at the Saratoga Children's Museum- www.cmssny.org/. I may put some more up at some point There will be a few other images throughout the museum. I will also have some work on their new website that is in the works. If you haven't taken your kids here already, I highly recommend it! It's is so very cool with all sorts of different interactive rooms and activities such as a school room, a store, a diner, a bank, an x-ray room and tons more! Here is a few quick snapshots of the canvas:

And here are some more images taken from around the museum.

And this is my silly girl having fun in the activity/community room!

Elle Magazine

2008-08-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

Chris did a shoot today for an architect and Elle magazine (Hungarian version since this is where she is from) is doing a story about her and she needed images for the article. She wanted images that had architecture incorporated into them so he did the shoot in downtown Albany.

Chris did a couple more yesterday (8/11) in the warehouse owned by our studio buildings owner. Her hands say "Budapest/ New York" to show how she came her to NY and became successful.

More Twins!

2008-07-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

So we have twin boys, Chris just photographed twin High School Seniors a few weeks ago, and he photographed twins again tonight! They had the "Star For A Day" session with some different looks from Destiny- Chris' AMAZING hair and make-up artist.

Studio/Location bridals

2008-07-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Chris did some bridals yesterday at the studio and on a location. This type of cinematic lighting is what we are now incorporating into the weddings we do.

Recent Sessions

2008-07-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Honestly, do we not photograph the most beautiful people?!

Congratulations Niccole and JR!

2008-07-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

Awesome & laid back couple!! Poor JR had to deal with Chris calling him "Melvin"!!

Mini-Sessions

2008-07-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

Want to give custom portraiture a try without the bigger commitment? This Sunday (July 27th) and Next Sunday (August 3rd) I will be doing mini-sessions at the studio. These sessions are $50 and last 30 minutes and will produce at least 10 images to choose from. You will still get some different backgrounds and if we get more than 10 images, you can certainly choose from any available. There is no requirement for print purchases.

Since this will be done by me (Jennifer!), this will be limited to children, babies and their families. If you are interested, send an email either through the website and pick your spot! These will fill up quickly so be sure to get that time slot you need when you child(ren) are happy and well-rested!!!

So you may be thinking "what are you nuts doing this in the middle of a very busy wedding season?" Yes, probably!! With our new studio (that is going to be expanded and be even better in '09) and many changes going on, my portraits are going up to a new level. New techniques, some new styles, and just wait until you see the new painting offerings. Similar to the style offered previously, but much more beautiful and whimsical.

Are you ready??!!

Behind The Scenes of a HS Senior Shoot!

2008-07-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Chris made a video during his latest High School Senior photoshoot. It shows him workin his magic!!

Sawicki Studios: Redefining portraiture

We will be doing a more thorough professional one with the both of us after we do our studio renovations!

Ahhh the busy busy wedding season!!

2008-07-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

What is the best part of doing weddings? Meeting all the many wonderful brides and grooms! Here are a few images from each of our latest weddings:

Kristin & Brian

Kristen & Patrick

Julie & Jim

Keira & Sam

Tori & Bill

Alison & Kevin

Rachel & John

Congratulations to all of the couples and we wish you all the best!!

We will be putting up more current weddings as soon as they occur!

Recent Studio/ Portrait Work

2008-07-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

So it has been a super busy year so far, so I haven't had much time to update things. Here is some recent portraits that Chris and I have done!

Stay tuned for some highlights from recent weddings!!!

The Purging Sale

2008-07-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

It's time to clean house! I need to make some room for all of my new files, so I will be purging all files from past sessions that are a year or more old. If you have had a session on or before July 2007 and would like to have your files on a disc, each disc is $150 (this is per session) with printing rights up to 8x10.

To purchase, just go here:
http://www.jennifersawickiphotography.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=1066

And be sure to note the name and approximate session date so that I can find your archives!

In memory of Dylan

2008-07-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

It is with deep regret to announce that Dylan passed on July 5th. He is now forever 8 years old, free of pain and spending an eternity doing the things he loves. Please keep the Mayo family in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.

I am so thankful to have met this amazing little boy and his family. And I am so happy that I had the chance to give them the precious gift of portraits to keep for years to come.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylanmayo

Hannah's Hope

2008-05-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Each and everyday we worry about our children. Since the moment we conceive, we hope and pray that each of our children are happy- and healthy. Getting devastating news that your child is sick is something I can’t even imagine. Hannah is only a little older than my daughter, so it really hits home, especially after fearing the worst when pregnant with her and having a few issues with her during my pregnancy. The thought of any child suffering just kills me. I learned of Hannah just yesterday on the news. She was diagnosed with Giant Axonal Neuropathy just 2 months ago. Though I try my best to give to any good cause that I can, and I have been planning on doing many fundraisers including one on the fall, I felt that this cause needs particular attention right now. Because it is such a rare disorder, there isn’t much funding at all for it, and may be something that can be cured easier than many diseases out there that are heavily funded. I had mentioned not taking on any new portrait clients during my extremely busy wedding season, but after learning of Hannah, I will be changing that. On select days, I will be doing sessions at my normal fee of $100, but each session fee is going directly to Hannah’s Hope. Below is a very touching and informative video by Hannah’s mom and dad- Lori and Matt Sames. Please do what you can for this family. Come for a session, or donate directly at their website: www.hannahshopefund.org

Hannah's Hope from Matt Sames on Vimeo.

Also, let’s keep “pushing the frog” for Dylan Mayo. I posted about him around the holidays here:
http://jennifersawicki.blogspot.com/2007/12/dylan-and-his-brothers.html#links

Buy a t-shirt in his honor- http://www.cafepress.com/dylanmayo
or just donate to his fund on his Caring Bridge website- http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylanmayo

You are awesome, Dylan!!

Made the Move!

2008-04-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

OK so it is now official- my teeny studio next to my home will no longer be used as a studio! I will be using our new studio at the Clocktower. So what is to become of my former studio? Well, wedding consultations and viewing sessions! Have you ever wondered how your images from your session would look large and on the wall before you purchase them? Well that is what the viewing sessions can do for you! Your proofs will be projected on the wall on a large screen. One important thing for clients to realize is that the images from your sessions at Jennifer Sawicki Photography/ Sawicki Studios is not what is traditionally looked at as the purpose of a session. I am not creating images to just show what your children look like at that moment so that you can keep it somewhere, (and give a bunch away) and then update the images every time new images come along. Each session gives you a new investment to add to your collection of art of who your child(ren) are. What you are doing is adding to your art every time you have another session. Some people collect, say, Home Interior pictures. I personally think art of ones child(ren) is a better investment and I strongly believe that everyone should be able to really see their images before they make their investment. The online proofing is convenient, and will still be available so that friends and family may purchase prints, but viewing them online is not showing you what needs to be seen. Especially since many people have monitors that may show the images much differently than what they really look like, and they are only viewed as very small images.

The viewing sessions will also allow you to see other products available where you can see and touch them. Frame samples are available to show you the different color and embellish choices and how they look together. Here is a sneak peak of the new office!

Congratulations Dionna!

2008-04-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Chris recently did a portfolio and composite for her and his stylist, Destiny (Nvious Hair) did her hair and make-up. She won a place and is now on her way to Internationals in Georgia this summer. She took first place in Photogenic, Portfolio and Composite. Way to go and good luck, Dionna!!

Entwined

2008-04-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

What I wouldn't do to be able to attend this exhibit. The message, the images, everything about it is AMAZING! The photographer behind it all is Laura Siebert. Though this isn't going to be anywhere local, I wanted to at least share the website.

The website states the message of this exhibit:
"Per scientific fact: Any two random humans on earth will vary in their genetic material by 1/1000th of 1 percent.So much hatred spewing forth out of our differences when we could be focusing on our 99.99 percent of similarities.
We all have the same basic human needs and desires; the greatest of which is the need to feel significant. We have a responsibility as parents to teach our children to respect each others' differences but more importantly, to cherish what makes us the same.

Entwined, a conceptual photo essay by St. Louis Photographer Laura Siebert, examines the seemingly innate desire to connect with others, as demonstrated by children. She invites you to bring the whole family to this exhibit. Her hope is that viewing the images will open a family dialogue about what makes us the same and how we can embrace this.

The exhibit will premier at the opening reception on April 18, 2008 from 6:30-9pm at the Belas Artes Gallery, located at 1854 Russell Blvd,St. Louis, MO. It will run from April 19- May 24."

http://www.entwinedexhibit.com/

Lost messages

2008-04-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

If anyone has called our studio in the past week or two and has not received a response or call back, please either give us another ring or send a message via email or using the contact form on any of our websites. Some recent messages may have been deleted and if you have not heard back from us from a recent message left, that is the reason. I apologize for any inconvenience!!

Bryland Inc.

2008-03-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

It is every persons dream to own a home that is specifically created for them and their families. Bryland Inc. Homes can give you that and more. They provide custom home built specifically for each clients desires and very importantly- they are energy efficient. If you are looking into building, check them out (and see Chris' work on their website!) www.bryland.com

My Boys Are 10!

2008-03-26T07:43:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Jeremy and James! I can't believe they are a whole decade old! Double Digits!!!

Earth Hour

2008-03-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

On March 29th, 2008, many people will be joining the "Earth Hour". From 8:00pm-9:00pm, those participating will turn off all unnecessary energy. Let's give it a try and see what kind of impact it may have! For more information, go to the Earth Hour website at www.earthhour.org

Come see us at Crossgates Mall!

2008-03-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

We have a kiosk up at Crossgates Mall. Right now we are planning on being there March and April with the possibility of staying longer. We'll have to wait and see. It is on the first floor located between GNC, The Gourmet Chef, Wilson's Leather and Hollister. Come check us out!!!

New Changes!

2008-01-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

With Chris starting up his High School Seniors business, we decided we needed another studio. The one I currently use is much too small for the both of us, and too small for adults. So during our search for a studio, one came up and kind of fell into our lap. We will now be located in the Clock Tower in Amsterdam. Chris has a stylist he works with during shoots. She is amazing and you can view some of her work on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/envioushair

We will both still offer on-location as well. We also merged names as "Sawicki Studios", though my website for children will still be Jennifer Sawicki Photography. I look forward to seeing everyone in 2008!!!

Dylan and his Brothers...

2007-12-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

I had the chance of working with this wonderful family. These boys are so awesome! Dylan was diagnosed with Leukemia in January of 07. His little brother (one of twins) gave his bone marrow for him. On Halloween of this year Dylan was cancer-free, but unfortunately it came back. He is now doing treatment in New York City. You can read his story here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylanmayo

Please keep him in your prayers. He deserves his miracle!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I wish everyone nothing but the best for 2008 and look for some big news and big changes for us!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving! Mmmm turkey!!

We just got an addition to our family on Friday, November 16th. Her name is Molly. She was a Christmas present to my children, but we had to get her early so the boys were surprised when they got home from school that day. We LOVE her- even though taking care of her is like having a baby. That's OK, we can handle it!!

My favorite commercial of all time.

2007-11-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

I don't use Kodak cameras, but the message is wonderful and shows the importance of a photograph, and the emotion they bring.

Chris is ROCKIN it!!

2007-11-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

As many people know, my husband, Chris, assists me with weddings. He has a natural gift for photography and editing. He really started to LOVE photography after beginning to do weddings with me. He has also done some commercial photography for Adirondack Fireplace and Bryland Inc. Chris is now working on starting up with High School Seniors and Modeling Photography. The website is in the works and will be available soon. The site will be www.ChrisSawicki.com

In the meantime, check out some of his awesome recent work:

Holiday Mini-Sessions

2007-10-04T07:27:00.001-07:00

Holiday mini-sessions are now available! These types of sessions are for 30 minutes and must be for the purpose of a holiday portrait- in studio only. Halloween is also accepted so bring your little one in their costume! The session fee is 50% of the regular session fee. Poses will be limited as there will not be a long enough time frame to get many different images for a mini-session. Availability is limited.

After the holidays, I will be exclusively Children's Portraiture. (with the exception of weddings) This consists of children under the age of 12- this includes newborns, and I will still do maternity (since this is how children begin!) and family relationships. Family relationships is capturing the love and interaction between parents and their children- unposed, and some posed shots as desired. If you desire family shots with smaller children, but you also have older children or you want a session with your younger children and their older siblings, I will not turn you away! ;) I will no longer do seniors, comp sessions, engagements (except for wedding clients) or headshots. I hope to see you all very soon!

I will, however, do older children and posed families for the Holiday mini-sessions.

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

2007-08-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Another One-A-Week session with be coming up soon! I have been VERY busy with weddings. I am very thankful to my husband, Chris for helping me out. He has advanced so much in photography, and has produced some pretty spectacular photographs.

Another Art-in-the-Park will be this Tuesday, August 21st from 10am-4pm. It will again be at Congress Park in Saratoga. We will be there bright and early!

As much as most of us do not want to think about the Holidays, it's not too soon to start preparing! My deadline for Holiday portraits this year will be November 25th.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, it's flying by!!

Congratulations Jill & Jeff!

2007-07-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Their wedding was in the evening- 7/6/07. The day started off really nice, but as we got into the late afternoon, it was full of rain and thunder. When I arrived to where Jill was getting ready, there was a few rolls of thunder but we all hoped it was going to pass. Then the rain came down- hard. Jill didn't seem the least bit disappointed. I could tell she was so anxious to marry Jeff, and that's all that mattered. Jill's mom was sad about the rain for her daughter's wedding day, but assured Jill that God would give her a rainbow. The rain let up long enough for all the attendants to walk down the long bridge. Jeff watched as his beautiful bride came down, and the ceremony began- and so did the rain. Throughout the ceremony, it rained. As they said their vows under the gazebo, it started to pour. They were officially pronounced Husband and Wife, walked back down the aisle together and then the sun came out. The rain stopped and I looked around. All across the open sky was a full, beautiful rainbow.

You can clearly see they are made for each other and what a pleasure it was photographing such awesome people. Congratulations Jill & Jeff!

Art in the Park

2007-07-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

On Sunday July 8, I will be at Congress Park in Saratoga for the Art in the Park. Chris and I will both be there despite that day being our wedding anniversary! I will have a booth with about 60 other artists. I will have a lot of my work on display with some samples of some of the portrait products I offer. I hope to see many of you there! Here is the link from the Saratoga County Arts Council: SCAC

Those who book a session and pay the session fee before August 1st will still be able to get into the handbag drawing that I will be having. (see post below) Many people LOVE the handbag I have for myself, so I don't want anyone to lose out on this awesome opportunity!

Going Green!

2007-05-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

I love the earth, I love wildlife and beautiful plants. I love the oceans and the beautiful ocean life. The earth is amazing, and the life in it is truly amazing. (which is why I love capturing it!) The way everything works together is fascinating to me. It is spring and this year I realized more than ever how beautiful nature is. I realized how many people (including myself in the past) don't think twice about how we treat the earth. We enjoy it, but many of us don't take care of it and really take it for granted. I think back at the things I have done to contribute to pollution. So I thought about what I could do to help. Every little bit helps. First I thought about all the paper I use daily. I use A LOT. So I decided I could at least cut down on my use and use recycled paper for the things I must use paper for. From now on, I will send my information packets via the internet using pdf files. I will also offer incentives such as print credits to those who bring back materials I sent or gave to them if they bring them back to me. Envelopes I've used for mailing, boxes from my packaging, etc.

I am going to use recycled and organic as much as possible. In my personal life, I love burning candles, so from now on, I will use soy candles- and I must say, they smell FANTASTIC!! Paper is an extremely wasted product. Even in my day to day life, I see A LOT of paper waste. My kids bring home a lot of papers from school and even though it is imperative to their education, there are still a lot of papers that aren't necessary, or many duplicates of announcements and such since I have two kids in school. Then, of course, is the amount of junk mail I get. I'm sure I'm not the only one! Little pieces of paper I write lists on, printing that was incorrect and having to be reprinted, etc. Wow, that's a lot of paper- and this is almost daily!! Even if you don't believe in Global Warming , conservation is still VERY important. Cutting down on pollution is very important. I am looking out my window and seeing birds, squirrels and chipmunks running around in my very green yard! I want my children's children to see that too!

Here are some resources for those thinking of "going green" as well!
http://www.greenplanetpaints.com/
http://www.greenerprinter.com/
http://www.greenlinepaper.com/
http://www.americanforest.org/
Apparently all you have to do is click to this next site to help! It has Rainforest Preservation, Animal Rescues, Breast Cancer Awareness and some others.
http://www.therainforestsite.com

New Site Launching

2007-04-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Holiday's Everyone! My fresh new site is set to launch on Monday. Hopefully everything will go smoothly and it will up and running then. Now all we have to do is get rid of this icky cold weather and get the warm spring air coming in!

News

2007-03-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that I was asked to speak at the Broadalbin High School Career Day on April 5^th to do a presentation about photography. Unfortunately it was cancelled for the time being. Hopefully I will get a chance to participate when they plan another one! Chris (my husband) and I were going to discuss my photography, and his graphics design/manipulations.

On a lighter note, I have donated a gift certificate to the Niskayuna Cooperative Nusery School. It includes the session fee and $100 credit towards prints. If you would like to donate to a good cause as well as have a session with me, this is a great thing to bid on! They have a lot of other good things offered as well. The auction will be held on April 21^st, 2007 and you can see everything offered at the auction on their website here: http://co-opauction.info/

Weddings

2007-03-26T13:51:00.001-07:00

As you may know, I decided to start weddings this year! The response was overwhelming, so therefore I do not have any more availabilities for 2007. I took the wedding section of my website down for the time being. Everything will be back up when I get my new website up and running. If you would like to book for 2008 or later, feel free to contact me for more information.

Changes in 2007!

2007-03-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Will there be any for Jennifer Sawicki Photography? A few! Now is the time for change, so I decided to revamp my logo. When I began my business I drew a butterfly to incorporate into my logo. I've decided to let my little friend fly away. I guess you could use that symbolically as I say good-bye to my "starting out" days and move on to bigger and better things! There has been a lot of evolution in my website and my business in the 2006 year. I always feel like things can be "better"! There will be one more change coming soon. I am going to have a fresh new site that will remain for good- or at least for a long while!!

You may also notice changes in prices and what is offered. I assure you, that all these changes will be the last for awhile!

My Little 2 Year Old!

2006-10-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

If you've seen my work, you've seen my daughter. I used to get so many beautiful pictures of her, but last night I tried to do a portrait session (the first in a pretty long time) and she proved to be much like the other 2 and 3 year olds I have photographed! It's a fun age, but by far a very difficult one. They are SO active. You have to be extremely quick with the camera, and they get very tired of getting their pictures taken very fast. You can not get them to do what you want them to unless THEY want to. Photographing them takes time and patience, but when they're done, they are DONE!!! Ü

My New Studio

2006-10-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

I quickly became tired of taking portraits in my living room (and of having my office become a storage area!) so I decided to make my own studio- and now it's finished!!! I have been so busy with many different things the past month or so and hopefully now I can get back into the swing of things and concentrate on my photography.

Our New Home

2006-10-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

The holidays are coming up- the first holiday in our new home! We bought the house at the end of January 2006. We put ALOT of work into the house in a very short amount of time. It is completely transformed. The best part about that is it is very customized to us. There isn't a whole lot I would do different if we built it ourselves! I started my business by taking portraits in my living room. Alot has happend this year. I wouldn't believe you if you told me a year ago that I'd be where I am today. I count my blessings! Ü

Steve Irwin

2006-09-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

I was so sad to learn of his death. Chris and I used to love watching him. Normally TV star deaths don't really affect me, but his did. Not only was he a warm-hearted person, but he was so full of life and enthusiam and of course a husband and father to amazing small children. Even though he had a very risky job and mission, his death was still a huge shock. I watched his memorial service last night and although it was very sad, it was also inspiring. I had a dream last night about animals, particularly wildlife. I felt compelled this morning to donate to his memorial fund which goes to the Wildlife Warriors. If you would like to contribute, the site to go to is http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au/

A Bit About Me & Children's Photography

2006-09-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! This is a great way to get to know me a little "behind the scenes" and any news I may have to share. You may also read a bit about my little ones. For those that don't know, I have 8 year old identical twin boys and a 2 year old little girl who is the center of our universe. And by "our" I mean, me, my husband and my sons. They adore her! Photography has long been a passion of mine as well as all forms of art, but after my daughter was born in 2004, I knew that it was something I really wanted to pursue. Children's photography clicks with me most. I enjoy interacting with children so much. They have such innocence and newness to the world. They are so sweet and non-judgemental. I love capturing the times when everyone is at their most beautiful, and to me, that's while you are a child. I also love capturing the interactions between children and their parents. The love and bonds they share is so profound. I want to be able to capture those precious moments in the most beautiful way. That is why I strive and work so hard on evolving as a photographer everyday.