Come explore Seattle Studio Collective, a rent-by-the-hour studio serving the professional and amateur photography and videography community, and others upon request. Attend our gathering on 9/30/10 at 6 PM to learn more. NOTE NEW MEETING DATE!

Join our community studio-rental collective in this converted storefront location atop popular Phinney Ridge. Seattle Studio Collective provides access to 800 sqft of space on an hourly, daily, weekly or annual basis. Use Seattle Studio Collective for:
1. meeting prospective-clients
2. producing video or photo sessions
3. sales and design sessions
4. professional and amateur enthusiasts meetings
5. gallery display in a storefront location
6. uses as yet undiscovered.

Quarter Share Partners
Share the studio with 3 or 4 Partner photographers and/or videographers, and A-La-Carte renters on a space-available basis.
Benefit your business with full time storefront presence by using signage, sandwich boards, and 24 hour portfolio display on our 46" video monitor. Front and back door, ground-level access is great for handicap accommodation and gear load/unload.
Cost for Partners
With an annual commitment, quarter-share monthly dues are $380 for 20 hours of pre-reserved time, + 1/5 utilities (for peace of mind, utils are capped at $100).
Members earn extra, non-expiring, flex* hours by
1. Monitoring** a la carte rental by non-members. Value 1:1
2. Providing 2 or more hours of pre-determined build-out services, value 1:1.
3. Full-time sharing of software, hardware or gear with all SSC partners, upon approval.
Cost for A La Carte Member Hourly Rental
$75 registration, credit and background check
$35/hour
$275/10 hour day
With so many generous, sharing people in our profession and our cousins, the committed non-pros, I feel confident we can further build our already wonderful community!
If you are interested in 1/4 share or A La Carte rental, or know someone who may be, a tour and more details will be the objective at the meeting held:
Thursday Sept 30, 2010
6-7:30 PM (food is welcome, but bring utensils too please)
Location: Please RSVP for the meeting address.

RSVP to Noel at: SeattleStudioCollective@janetklinger.com or (206) 622-7478.

*Flex hour redemption is available up to 14 days in advance
**Monitoring includes giving non-member renters tours, access into the space, and full checkout upon rental completion.

We have a sitting area with love seat, chair, coffee table, and a larger oak table. There is storage on-site for the quarter partners, and while renting for those renting consecutive days. We also share about 25 feet of gallery space along each of the South and North walls. Evening and weekend hours are especially flexible.

The 8×8 north light window give gorgeous portrait lighting! We may get rid of this table but up until now I push the table to the West (left) wall just under the west window to open up a 12×15 shooting area. There a sheer curtains and black out curtains on all 3 8×8 windows (2 face west) to used additive or subtractive natural lighting. The white sheers allow for privacy when photographing nudes or part-nudes, shy people, nursing mothers, etc, where we want gorgeous light but no gawkers, thank you very much.”

The length easily allows for groups up to 12, and full height fashion sessions. Included is the use of background auto poles and for an additional fee of $1/foot, a choice of 3 seamless colors on a wall-mounted pulley-changer. Tall ceilings allow shooting from a variety of perspectives. The back door allows for open, airy atmosphere.

This photo give a sense of the width, best used for 3/4 lengths and tighter. I often have backgrounds set up against this North wall with the 3-seamless exchanger, and to the right is a set of auto poles for a second setup, the third being up front where the natural light (or not, using the black out brown velvet curtains) area is.

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My father-in-law is awesome. Not only does he spawn great kids, he spawns fish themselves. His wood carvings of fish in their environments have always astounded me with the minute detail and true-to-life subtle hues.
Now Bob has been recognized by the Courier Journal. Perhaps you’ll meet Bob Rohleder on an autograph tour.

Bob Rohleder with one of his many fish carvings. Each glistens in subtle hues. Photo by Pam Spaulding of The Courier Journal

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Used to teamwork, Angie Pressey & Justin Forsett became the star players in a game more important than the national championships- their wedding ceremony and now, marriage. The ceremony, held at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, filled the sanctuary with jubilant energy which I could feel deep-down to the core — and I clearly wasn’t the only one.
In a sacred, surprising ceremony, two talented souls shared laughter, God and tears. OK, maybe no tears for JUSTIN!- Psst, Justin, if you want to admit it or deny it just leave a comment . Sneaky Justin completely surprised Angie when her favorite singer, Avant, showed up to sing during the emotional ceremony, then again when Avant performed several encores during the reception stoking the house-on-fire! With so much celebrating, it’s a good thing the Omni Park West Hotel had a huge dance floor, made all the more spectacular by enhancements from AVT Event Technologies. Yolanda Haley coordinated this high energy event, putting together a fabulous team.
Thank you, Angie and Justin, for making the inquiries that allowed me to join you in Dallas. I feel completely honored to have photographed your portrait session and your wedding celebration. On top of that, I couldn’t have had a better time. You make it easy to love my job!

Surprise, surprise. Justin arranged for Avant to grace his union with Angie. Clearly she was hugely surprised and Justin received his well-earned look of love and gratitude from Angie as she realized Avant was indeed singing, in flesh and blood.

See reception photos, including more of musician Avant
Read the rest of this entry »

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Tis the season of the wedding coordinator. Recently working with each, I LOVE IT when people choose to work with the best! I’ve worked with all (except the impressive Yolanda) for years.
In Seattle, the extremely experienced, save-the-day impressive Merry Beth Turpin of Aisle of View,
At your complete service, more than you expected, fun to be with, Janel Schlitt of Occasions LLC
The soft spoken yet makes-it-happen, adorable Melissa Parker of Amazing Events
Near Bellingham, Intuitive, spectacular details adorning, subtle, Anne Rasmussen-True Bliss Events, LLC and
Ms accommodating, last-second changes are no problem, it’s your day, Yolanda Haley from Dallas Texas- yhaley2002@yahoo.com

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Vietnamese and Filipino cultures merge beautifully at this Seattle wedding of Minh Hua and Joel Gavino. They held the ceremony at lovely St Vincent De Paul in Federal Way, WA. The light in the sanctuary made it easy to take photos, even for amateur photographers. These two really love each other and had many moments and symbols that represent their blossoming relationship. At Minh’s home, Joel asked permission to marry Minh, which her father granted. Phew! The traditional Vietnamese ao dai (attire) and tea ceremony waited until we arrived at Columbia Tower Club which was glowing gold in the Seattle’s late afternoon light. What a picture perfect setting for the rest of the evening.

An attempt at making their first glance a private moment

The playful bubble exit of the Bride and Groom

Ah the amazing kiss among blowing bubbles. Two cultures marry and celebrate at St Vincent De Paul Church in Federal Way WA

There are so many fun photos. Keep you eyes open for part two which will feature more photos from St Vincent De Paul and the Columbia Tower Club, including the fabulous views.

Some of the Stand-out vendors include:
Wedding Planner and Coordination: Janel Schlitt of Occasions LLC, one of my favorite coordinators- and Seattle has so many. Janel is goes above and beyond.
Wedding Flowers: Anna’s Flowers
Wedding Gown and Bridesmaids Dresses: I Do Bridal
Wedding Cake: Cakes of Paradise
Wedding Videography: Bogle Productions

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For those of us blogging or with websites, it’s both exciting and informative to view our web stats. One magnificent marketing expert, Think Splendid shares her expert thoughts on the subject.
With permission, I quote:
How to Read Web Stats
Analyzing traffic statistics is an important part of maintaining a
business website or blog, but they can be confusing, especially
when you aren’t sure what it is exactly the numbers mean. Here is
an abridged explanation on how to measure stats effectively:
Hits
Hits are incredibly misleading because they do not equal
people. A hit is tracked for every file loaded each time your
page is loaded. This means that each photo is tracked as a hit,
so if you have a blog heavy with pictures, each time a reader
loads that page, you are getting a substantial amount of hits.
For example, if you blogged about a recent wedding and have
10 photos up from it, then that post counts as 11 or more hits
each time it is viewed by one person. So if you had 100 visitors in
one day and 10 pictures on your first page, that would be over
1,000 hits just because of the photos alone. A lot of people like to
measure hits because the numbers are inflated and it makes
them feel as though they are receiving a lot of traffic and are popular.
While the ego boost may feel nice for a while, it is based on numbers
that don’t actually mean too much and that do not measure how
effective your blog or site actually is.
Page Views
Page views vary per visitor because they are tracked each time
a new page is loaded. Knowing page views is useful because it
can help you determine how long people are staying on your
site once they arrive. Did they find your blog and leave
immediately or did they stick around and dig through your
archives? If you are tracking your website, it is important to know
if the information you are presenting hooked them in to learn
more about you and your company, or if they got bored and
went on to the next planner’s site on their list.
When analyzing page view numbers, it is important not to give
them more weight than they’re worth. If your aunt is reading
through everything you ever wrote, then those numbers don’t
really count for much because she is probably not a potential client.
Same goes for a competitor searching through all of your archives
or site pages to see what you’ve been up to.
Unique Visitors
Well, if you want to read Splendid Communications’ further insights on stats here’s the rest of the free e-book. Or simply explore her informative marketing web blog.

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Part 1. Wedding Hair and Makeup Artist
For any bride, her wedding day look is obviously a high priority, and it has an enormous effect on her overall mood, not to mention the heirloom photography collection.
What’s a bride to do?
Hire an experienced, talented makeup artist who is specifically experienced with wedding hair and makeup and be sure to mention the photography start time, aiming for the bride to be completely styled an hour before show-time. Getting dressed takes longer than you think (and so do makeup artists, who rightfully so want you to look your stunning best). Your part is to allow them the time needed for this enjoyable service.
An experienced artist knows to respect the schedule you have already created for your special day, including to begin with the Bride, then her maid of honor, then mom so everyone is ready for photos before being needed. Your experienced artist already knows how to create looks that last all day, so a couple of hours difference shouldn’t matter one bit, except to your calm peace of mind.
Caution
Hiring an artist with little WEDDING experience.

Hair and Make-up by Tiara's on Location. Dress by Luly Yang Couture.

If reception touch ups are needed, ask how long this typically takes. If a second outfit and style-change is pre-planned, it works beautifully. I have never seen a reception freshen-up take more than a few minutes. I have, however, witnesses a very experienced “fashion-shoot” artist take a bride away from her wedding for a full 30 minutes, leaving guests murmuring, a confused coordinator, and a special guest artist perform only for the groom. How bad could her makeup have been?! Some artists have shined year after beautiful year. Tiara Whitney of Tiara’s on location is a favorite hair and makeup artist who works intuitively, efficiently, with humor and has a way with “getting the look” a variety of clients dream of. Tiara knows her stuff! I’ve worked with Tiara for years, both on wedding and fashion sessions and am always, every single time, impressed with her professionalism and artistry.

Result
Experienced artists understand that a wedding day schedule has an enormous effect on how a bride and groom experience the day, however good they might look. And stress looks good on no one! Not only does running over-time have a direct impact on the number of opportunities a wedding party and photographer can enjoy together, but it causes undo stress on the party and anxiety for the coordinator who is urging other vendors to make up for lost time. Ever heard of the domino effect? And personally, I would prefer not to take responsibility in the public-eye for an artist running over time nor for being solely burdened to “getting to the church on time”. Hey, we all have our pride! I want to look good too. Running behind making ME look inconsiderate, urging timeliness rather than creatively instigating the pre-ceremony, fabulous photography experience you and your party deserve.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Wishing everyone, worldwide, a happy 4th of July, and a special encouragement to those who today continue to seek independence, whether for country, gender, or state-of-mind.

American Flag face painting. Ellie wishes everyone a Happy 4th of July

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I still have a few available things for sale. The big items include:
Wacom Tablet, Intuos 3, 6×8, usb, Never used. $249
iMAC, original blue $25 Works great, but older operating system.

Antique Armoire $599 obo

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Proud spouses frequently share their partners successes, and I simply can’t help myself. Tim’s architectural firm, Rohleder Borges, was included alongside the “big boys” in NW architecture.
Amanda Reed on WorldChanging wrote “…the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle Committee on the Environment hosted a public presentation of the top eleven projects in the running for the 2010 What Makes it GREEN? Top Ten Regional Green Awards,

Highline Heratage Museum by Rohleder Borges Architecture

Rohleder Borges Architecture, along with the citizens of Burien, were honored when the Highline Heritage Museum stood tall among other creative winning projects; 9 designed by (seemingly) giant firms.
Amanda shared, “The Highline project also provided the most feel-good moment of the afternoon. “
(Bold is mine, the proud spouse.)

Vote for which project you think is the most “green” in the People’s Choice Award category here.

Read the entire article.

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All good things must come to an end. Dad is selling my childhood home and HIS home of the past 50 years. Located in the historic Hyde Park/ Kenwood neighborhood, it’s a mere mile from the University of Chicago. Daily as a young teen my friends and I made the five minute walk to Lake Michigan, and during teen years and beyond, rode the 15 minute express bus downtown. Dad is excited to begin a new chapter in life. I however welcome your condolences. If you have memories of this home, PLEASE email them to me!
Our agent is LindaTuggle at Urban Search Realty. The lot is a “triple” which is huge for urban Chicago, and has a two car garage. There are 7 bedrooms, 3 full and 3 partial baths.
Here are a few exterior shots from this past week. Granted, the garden will look much more beautiful in just a few weeks.

Dad's Kenwood home, Winter 2010

A driveway wraps around to a 2 car brick garage behind the house

Quite Kenwood Ave, where I grew up playing with the neighbors.

Currently a slate patio, this side yard was once our kiddy playground

This yard was often filled with our friends and neighbors.

How these trees have grown since my childhood.

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When it’s nice there is no place more beautiful than Seattle. My profession often allows me to be outside, and this evening I could take advantage of the awesome light Seattle often reflects following a storm. So lucky am I to have an engagement session with a couple flexible enough to cancel and reschedule the session all within one hour. We did get rained on, but it was worth it to spend time with Kimberly and Kevin. What a special night we had!

These two are so at-ease. What a joy to be a part of this experience

Proof is on the finger!

Who knew it was about to rain again!

Kissing in the rain

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The intenship was awarded to Jonah Rondon who is an artist in her own right. Check out her 3 webites http://www.jonahrondon.com

http://www.maluhia.biz

http://www.aworldaway.etsy.com

I’m so happy to have Jonah with us for at least the next two months.

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Here are two examples of how clients have worked with me to put their personal spin on the cards featured in the last blog entry.

Side A
This inside spread is hidden from view when the card is folded.

Side B
The left panel is the first image seen when folded.
Read the rest of this entry »

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So many cards, so many reasons to send them. Here are just a few samples of the possibilities.

Personalized Accordion Art Cards starting at $1.75 each

Personalized Accordion Art Cards -the inside.

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We are so pleased to be awarded Asuka Album of the Week for the gorgeous event hosted by Monica Khurana and Vik Duggal. Check it out, and this is only the mini album! If you want your event to look this good, choose Janel Schlitt of Occasions LLC as Monica and Vik did.
For more images, keep your eyes out for the winter Bridal magazines. (No I can’t tell which one! Not yet anyway.)

Vic and Monica bring India to Bellevue Washington

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Woe is me. I MISSED it. Tucked in with too many emails was an invitation to Robin Layton’s one-night-only art show. She superbly blends modern photography with hand chosen relics. Empowered with inspiring energy, wit and an appeal all her own, Robin pushes the display envelope blending photographic moments-in-time into, on top of, or around period based decor. Keep an eye out for more from Robin Layton Works,(I know I will) or simply purchase her creations!
See you at the next opening.

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Karlee and Paul wanted wedding photography clearly depicting that “our wedding location is Seattle, Washington”. We considered the modern downtown library by Rem Koolhaas, and a fabulous rooftop view from Sodo, Pioneer Square. Ultimately “the classics” represented these two best. We began our pre-wedding urban excursion at Seattle’s Pike Place Market, then rode in a classic British Bentley to the Olympic Sculpture Park, and finally arriving at the adorable, lodge-like Edgewater Hotel. (No they didn’t fish from their room!)

We had so much fun (and accomplished so much for the families and wedding party) during this pre-wedding playful session that during the rest of the day we were able to capture the natural flow of events. I much prefer working this way. No one enjoys hurrying through photographs during the reception. Besides, the candid moments during the cocktail hour are often when the light is most beautiful. Karlee and Paul wanted images that illustrated their love for each other and family. Sometimes other flows work better, so plans are customized from couple to couple, event to event. Planning is Teamwork. Teamwork. Teamwork. Thanks to Karlee and Paul for the great experience, and for your creative exploration of the possibilities.

Venue: The Edgewater Hotel
Florist: Sue Staple, Amaryllis (425) 339-6008
Dress & Veil: La Belle Elaines Bridal
Hair & Make-up: Salon Mason, (253) 984-0667
Men’s Attire: The Tux Shop

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Come have a holiday session with Janet Klinger Photography! To receive holiday cards by December 15th, sessions must take place no later than November 6th.

*All images used in cards were not taken by Janet Klinger Photography.

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Seattle is full of excellent grade schools.That makes choosing one very difficult. Once we started exploring private school possibilities we narrowed it down to Meridian School, UCDS, and Bertschi. All of these are fabulous choices. Meridian stood out in several ways for our family. We mattered to them. Both admissions director, Ted Holmes, and Head of School, Ron Waldman, treated us like they wanted us there. Ted recognized us each time we visited . He listened with clear interest to our thoughts, concerns and enthusiasm. For a family who is involved in the community this was one sign glowing brightly in favor of Meridian. We were excited too by the curriculum, teachers and physical environments inside and out. To see other parents input on grade schools or to contribute your own, see my former post on the subject.

Gently this worm was moved during a weeding fest

In addition, the families blew us away with their openness. I could see the involved parents and students were an intelligent, warm, welcoming community. Thank goodness we were accepted! The fact Meridian is located within 11 acre Meridian Park doesn’t hurt. (fabulous playground, apple grove, open grassy fields, gardens, large covered shelter, Seattle Tilth is here so the entire park is Pesticide free-something I WISH we could take for granted everywhere.)

Have community, grab a rake

Once accepted we were introduced to our Buddy Family, who turned out to be yet another excellent match, thanks to Ted Holmes’ intuition. So much fun has been had with their intriguing foursome.

There's our Buddy Family's 1st grader, 3rd from right. We're so lucky!

Meridian’s social integration also provides play dates all summer, ice cream socials, new family coffee, a skating excursion, movie night, and any activity the classroom Social Coordinator creates. My favorite event occurs each Friday; an all-school gathering to which families are invited to join in song (where Head of School Ron Waldman occasionally plays the guitar), presentations, dance and all Spanish games. Community building and involvement is a family value we build daily, hence Meridian School is It for us.

Yes this is Ron Waldman, Meridian's Head of School. He gets his hands dirty!

Like any proud parent, we want the best for Ellie. Academically I can already see the zeal with which the many specialist and teachers share their talents. I almost didn’t mention academics, thinking it’s a given priority. Socialization is equally important and harder to come by in a schools mission. Meridian has what we want and need. We’re proud to be part of this extraordinary community.

These photos are from Meridian School’s Community Service Day where parents, teachers, staff and students work together to take care of our neighborhood, including those creatures and plant life we live among daily.

That pesky photographer ASKED us to pose. We WERE working hard before she came along.

Oh so carefully

Modeling preparedness!

Taking a close look at nature and neighbor

Playing in order to understand roots in the garden, math, history...

Should we really go back inside?

Scalpel please

Developing the right tools at Meridian School!

And I thought brushing my teeth was tiring

Take good care. It will grow

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