27 May 2011

In gratitude.

As Monday marks the observance of Memorial Day, we respectfully remember those who gave their lives in service to our nation.


The Korean War Veterans Memorial (above) was created ". . . to honor members of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Korean War, particularly those who were killed in action, are still missing in action, or were held prisoners of war." Jeff photographed the Memorial during his first business trip to D.C. at the end of a long, rainy day . . . he says he couldn't help but be moved by how life-like the Memorial appeared that foggy evening.

We cannot adequately express our appreciation of the sacrifices made by so many this very hour and during the course of our country's history.

24 May 2011

And the winner is . . .

Portrait #100- Shannon!


The portrait with the most votes of all of our People's Choice Nominees is Shannon, who had over 100 comments! Shannon came to the studio just last summer for her Senior Portraits . . . obviously you agree with us that her portraits are pretty fantastic. Great job, campaigning, Shannon!

Shannon will receive a fantastic gift from our studio, including some lovely treats compliments of some of our commercial clients (and a few other goodies):
A gift certificate to Dachowski Photography
A cookbook and gift certificate to Cotton
Four (4) tickets to a professional Palace Theater production
A Not So Plain Jane's service certificate
A gift card to Pochito's
An Alapage gift card
An iTunes gift card

And here are the 2nd and 3rd place winners!

(The gift from LaBelle Winery and a gift card to Dunkin Donuts will go to our 2nd place winner, #78 Lori and the Cigar Sampler from Twins Smoke Shop & a sweet gift from Lindt Chocolate go to our 3rd place winners, #68 Chuck and Melissa!)

Congrats, Shannon, Lori, Chuck and Melissa- and thanks to all of our amazing nominees who participated and campaigned hard! And who knows . . . visit us in 2011 and the next People's Choice may be you!

19 May 2011

Do's & Don't of Senior Portraits!





Are you about to embark on you final year of high school? Senior portraits are certainly on your list of "senior" things to do . . . but have you thought about the mark you want to leave when you're gone? What do you want your senior portraits to say about YOU?


Senior portraits are just the first of many landmark experiences for you in the coming months. They're supposed to be both memorable and fun. We want to guarantee you'll have great images that reflect the person you are right now- keep reading for our take on what will make your senior portrait session the best it can be . . . it may take a few minutes to read through, so stick with it to the end!



DO get your hair trimmed and touch up your color a week or so before your portraits.
DON'T experiment with a crazy new style the night before you visit us!

DO shave or trim your facial hair the morning of your portraits.
DON'T come with unkempt facial hair or a 5 o'clock shadow.


DO wear make-up like you do every day.
DON'T cake it on so that you don't look like yourself. The studio lights won't wash you out!

DO enjoy your summer, but wear sunscreen to maintain a healthy glow.
DON'T visit a tanning bed 10 times before your portrait session.


DO bring your favorite clothes, sports uniforms and formal wear.
DON'T bring just one plain white t-shirt . . . zzzzzzzzzzz.

DO avoid short-sleeved/sleeveless tops (unless you want your arms to appear bigger).
DON'T wear mini-skirts or plunging necklines.


DO remember to bring 2-3 complete outfits (more on that below).
DON'T bring clothes with busy patterns.

DO consider lots of accessories (ties, hats, jewelry, shoes).
DON'T limit yourself. If you're not sure, call us and ask!


1. Hair- We recommend making sure your hair is neat, trimmed and styled for portraits. If you color your hair, check your roots before you come in. Keep in mind that hair needs time to adjust after a cut, so give it a bit between your visit to the stylist and your session at our studio. This isn't the time to test out a crazy cut or color- you don't want to look back on your portraits and say, "what was I thinking?!" Stick with the style you're comfortable with and that is familiar to your family and friends.

2. Face- Guys, remember to keep the facial hair neat. Teen Wolf should not make an appearance at your portrait session. If you have facial hair, make sure it's trimmed. Shave that morning if you like your face bare.

Ladies, wear your make-up as you normally do. Avoid excess tanning, if you can. A healthy glow looks great, but extra visits to a tanning bed can lead to break-outs and your portraits won't look natural after you've paled a few months later.


3. Clothing- What are your favorites in your closet? Bring them! Still stumped? Here is a 'bare bones' list to help you get started:

GUYS- 2-3 tops/1-2 bottoms (slacks & jeans)
1 or more blazers, vests, sweaters and other layering pieces
GIRLS- 2-3 tops/1-2 bottoms (slacks, jeans, skirts)
1 or more blazers, vests, sweaters, dresses, etc.

Don't be afraid to think outside the box- sports uniforms, prom dresses and dance recital costumes (just to name a few) are great additions to the basics you bring.

4. Accessories- Don't forget these. It can be anything- hats, ties, jewelry, shoes . . . remember, your look should be complete from head to toe!


Last but not least: Stick with solids and keep away from busy patterns. Why? Patterns distract the eye from the most important part of the portrait- YOU! Also, you may want to avoid large brand labels on your clothing (e.g. big logos that stretch across the front of your shirt; don't worry about small ones). Your fave clothing label may be around now, but maybe not in 20 years . . . but your portraits will!

Keep in mind that photography sessions are interactive. You may be sitting on the floor, bending and even climbing on rocks outside. Consider this when picking out your clothing . . . a mini-skirt doesn't sound like such a good idea now, does it?

We highly suggest wearing 3/4 length or long sleeves for portraits. Short sleeves and sleeveless shirts can create lines that give the illusion of bigger arms. We especially recommend this to girls, who almost always want to look their slimmest. Guys, we understand if you want to enhance the results of your time at the gym, so we leave the decision to you.

Oh, and one last thing- bring your iPod!

~~~

We want you to have great memories of your session and you should be excited to show off your portraits . . . if you're a senior about to be photographed or still need to schedule a session, give us a call and ask all the questions you like. We're here to help!

603.626.7300.

18 May 2011

Have you checked out the People's Choice album yet???

Have you checked out the Dachowski Photography page yet?


If not, you need to head there, ASAP! Open up the People's
Choice album and give us a shout out to tell us your fave. You'll help our contestants get one step closer to a fabulous gift courtesy of many of our commercial clients.


Remember the steps:
2. "Like" your favorite image in the People's Choice album.
3. Leave a comment on the image you "like."
It's that simple!

If you have questions about the album (or if you visited us during 2010 and don't see yourself in it and want to be included) give us a call at the studio! 603.626.7300.

13 May 2011

Here are our nominees!


Have you checked out the Dachowski Photography page yet?
If not, you need to head there ASAP! Open up the People's Choice Nominees album and cheer for your favorite portrait. We chosen portraits from our clients who visited in 2010 and we want you to pick your favorite!


Here are the steps:
2. Go to the People's Choice Nominees album.
3. LIKE your favorite portrait and leave a comment under it.


It's super simple and lots of fun . . . we can't wait to find out who you choose!

If you have questions about the 2010 People's Choice Nominees or would like to be included in the album, please call us at the studio for more information!

603.626.7300.

11 May 2011

Be the People's Choice of 2010!!!


Oh boy, are we excited to give you the scoop on what we have planned for next week!
Dachowski Photography is launching our first Facebook People's Choice contest! We're posting the best of the best images of our clients who visited us during 2010 and inviting fans to vote for their favorites. The winner of the contest will receive
an amazing gift basket stuffed with products compliments of our many commercial vendors: Not So Plain Jane's, LaBelle Winery, The Palace Theatre, Cotton Restaurant, Twin Smoke Shop and more (plus something special from the studio) . . . doesn't that sound amazing???


The album will be open for voting between May 13th through May 23rd. If you haven't been contacted by us over phone or email and would like to be included in the contest (you must have come to us for a session during 2010), call us and we'll add you to the album!

If you want to vote:
1. Go onto Facebook and "like" the Dachowski Photography page.
2. Browse the contest album and "like" your favorite portrait.
3. Leave a comment on the image you "like." Your vote will not count without all three steps completed!


Don't forget, the contest starts May 13th . Good luck to all our contestants!

603.626.7300.

05 May 2011

You can't stop the beat!

Who's going to Hairspray at the Palace Theatre? BeacauseJeff photographs the Palace productions for their promotional media, he created these images a few weeks ago before opening night.

Hairspray is playing in Manchester through next week (Abby is taking her mom on Saturday and is pretty excited about it). Doesn't it look like fun?


We always seem to run into folks who have seen our work for the Palace . . . we love supporting the local arts and are always happy help out the theater. Check out the slideshow of other productions Jeff has photographed (below)- we bet you've seen some of these too!


04 May 2011

Rain or shine D.C. engagement session.

It's pretty dreary today in NH (is it really May?) and so today's post seems perfectly appropriate!

A few weeks back, we wrote this post about Jeff's trip to D.C. for an engagement session with a couple about to wed this summer. At the time, we held off their portrait debut until they were able to stop by our studio again . . . now that it's been a little while, we can finally show you what Jeff was up to!


This session goes to show you don't need 70 degrees and sunny to create a stylish outdoor session! D.C. weather didn't exactly have plans for a bright (or dry) day, but as you can tell, the rain didn't stop anyone from taking advantage of the historic setting at the peak of Cherry Blossom season.

In fact, we think the rain accentuates the monumental ambiance of the couple's session . . . we hope you enjoy as much as us!