I am so excited to announce that my work has been featured on the new mormon.org website!!  I was contacted several months ago by an LDS Church representative, asking if they could have permission to use some of my photographs for the redesign of their website.    After weeks of working with them and then waiting for the necessary approvals, it has just gone live!

So instead of just sharing screen shots of where they are located, I thought we could have a little fun.  Let’s have a treasure hunt to see if you can find all of my photographs on the mormon.org website.  To sweeten the pot, I will give away 1 FREE mini photo shoot to one lucky winner.

To enter:  There are 3 of my pictures featured on the momon.org website.  All of these photos are here on my blog.  First, visit mormon.org and figure out which pictures are mine.  Then, come back to my blog and find the ORIGINAL blog posts containing the pictures.  Leave a comment on each blog post, saying where the pictures are located on mormon.org.

You can get an additional entry in two ways:

1) Leave a comment on Facebook, Twitter or a Blog Post telling your friends about this contest.  Then come back to this post and leave a comment.

2) Find a “hidden” 4th picture and leave a comment on the blog post containing that picture.

The rules: All entries must be completed by Monday, July 19th at midnight.  Any incomplete or incorrect entries will not be counted.  If more than one person identifies all the pictures correctly, there will be a drawing to choose the winner.

The details: The mini photo shoot includes a 45 minute session and the fully retouched digital negatives on a CD.  The session must take place within 15 miles of 91722 before August 31, 2010.

And because a post is always better with a photo, here is a fun sneak peak from a recent family session.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how I can make this blog more useful for my clients and friends interested in photography, so I thought I should start sharing tips and tricks.

Many people ask me how I process my images.  I edit each photo in photoshop, where I retouch color, exposure, sharpen among other things.  To do many of these routine things, I use several different “actions” which is how photoshop records a certain set of events that I want to repeat quickly over and over again.  You can purchase sets of these actions, and when I first started editing my own images this was a lifesaver.  It saves so much time and allows you to try different artistic approaches to your images.  Two places I have would definitely recommend actions from are: MCP Actions and Totally Rad Actions.

Right now, MCP Actions is having a contest where they are giving away a free version of Photoshop CS5.  If you like photography, Photoshop is essential to help finish off your images.  To enter, MCP Actions is asking for a creative use of their name/logo showing what their actions mean to you.  My creative husband Brian thought of this idea to use a directors clapboard to signify “action” and the production of your images.

I thought these images of little Levi were so cute, I just had to share my entry.   :)

For those of you who know us, you are probably aware that we have had many many changes in the last few months.  We have had a baby, bought a house and now we need to buy a car (due to an unfortunate accident).  Sooo, I decided to offer some incredible discounts as incentives to book a photo shoot in the next few months. Think of it as performing charity for our car and house fund.  ;)

The first discount is available to anyone that mentions this promotion.  It is a $100 discount on any print or album package.  This is an AMAZING deal – up to a 30% discount!!  And each package includes the full session of digital negatives – wow!  The offer is only good through the end of March.

The second offer is an AWESOME incentive to refer your friends, family or anyone you know.  If your referral books a photography session, YOU get a 50% discount on the session fee (worth $100).  That’s IN ADDITION to the first discount, so you save $200!!  I probably won’t be offering such a big promotion again, so take advantage while it lasts.  All sessions need to be booked before the end of the promotion period, and obviously this needs to be a new client (no referring each other).  :P  So feel free to right click to save this flyer and send it to everyone in your contact list (you never know who will be interested).

Lastly, the holidays are here.  Think about giving your loved ones a photography session as a gift.  This is the ultimate thoughtful and personal gift to give someone.  Contact me today for more information and pricing: amberkatrina@gmail.com

This week’s challenge over at I ♥ Faces is “Blue” and Sheye Rosemeyer is the guest judge!  I just had to enter with such an amazing photographer judging this week.  Here is my submission for “Blue”:

Here is a sneak peak from a recent wedding I shot at the LDS Temple in Los Angeles.  I love their mischeivious expression and joy at their special day, so I decided to enter it into the I ♥ Faces weekly contest: “Wedding Bells”.  Check out their site: www.iheartfaces.com