A New Look

Our home has a new look. During the holidays we did a lot of work around the house. Over Christmas we painted- I did the faux finished rag and sponge work in this room- no one else dared to try it. It took a while to get used to, but now I like it- especially since all I've heard are compliments. Pardon all the Dolphins gear, these photos were taken just before the Playoff games. My husband is a big fan of the Phins.
Then over the New Year, my mother-in-law came over to work with my husband to put this floor in. It's a laminate- but the nicest I could find.

It even had texture to it- couldn't believe this was not real wood! Lumber Liquidators.

A Painful Process

Contrary to popular belief (and I'm not quite sure what the popular beliefs on backdrop stenciling are these days anyway) it is NOT easy to STENCIL a backdrop canvas. My friend/co-worker Charity and I just spent about 3.5 hours to get a 3x4 foot section of the backdrop finished. Not to mention the fact that for a few hours last night I rolled on white paint with a mini roller because that's all I had. The canvas stretches and moves which is not good when stencilling. And it's downright painful to squat in strange positions for long periods of time. I like tedious work, but I think I've found a line, and now I've crossed it. I was considering selling these backdrops to photographer friends, now I'm not so sure.
We thought that having a stencil made of a baroque design, then hand stenciling a canvas, would save a ton of money and save time- the backgrounds online take about 4-6 weeks to arrive and cost upwards of $400 and more depending on size.
The stencil was about $80 from Stencils Online.

We totally are rocking this stencil though! It's just a little daunting after seeing the challenge that lay before us.

Happy MLK Day!

On the 17th I photographed a MLK (Martin Luther King Jr.) formal ball for a church. It was so much fun and I'm glad I had the opportunity to be there and meet some really neat people. I was also happy to see some familiar faces. A few of the ladies from our day care were there as well as a few people from Shilo, a church in the area that I have done some photography work for in the past two years. Here is their fearless leader, Troy. She was awesome.

Everyone was dancing. Young...

...and old.

My favorite part of the night was when each person got to strut their stuff and show off their duds while bystanders took photos and threw flowers.

Hello Ladies :)

Hello GENTLEMEN!!

Working the crowd.

The crowd.

Can't wait for next year. See you all then!

I took these photos a little while back and I don't think I ever posted them. There's a lot I haven't posted yet. They bring a smile to my face. Hope they do the same for you :)I love children.
Especially ones that are this adorable!

Right in the middle of January.

This used to be the slow season for me. When I found out my family is going to Disney World in April, my crazy ambitious self came out right in the middle of JANUARY. So much for reading books, scrap booking and beading necklaces. Now I have taken on so many projects that I just offered to pay for my parents' trips to Disney in April- I hope they noted my sarcastic tone.

My son's birthday is Saturday, which is usually all that happens in January for me.

Now I'm working some overtime at my full time job, doing a few family portraits, a newborn baby studio session, boudoirs, a Martin Luther King formal ball, an indoor track meet, and possibly doing a shoot with models in wedding dresses- key the drool. All this will be in January and it's already the 15th.

Speaking of families, here is another awesome one that I had the pleasure of shooting just the other day. The boys should be thrilled to see their photos online.

I love this one :) It was a great after thought on his part.

Ideas Ideas Ideas

My mind has been swirling with ideas about this new promotion- I don't know what gets me so excited about it- must be the creative possibilities. I hear people talking about using furs and fake lashes, and professional make up, and unbuttoned white oxford shirts...

Here are some of the ideas that have been making it hard for me to focus on any thing other than BOUDOIRS!

These are images from Jessica Claire's site. I absolutely love the background. I would venture to say she bought it from drop it MODERN . I also love the one with a dark grey background with black. If I get enough people to sign up, I will either be buying or MAKING one of these backgrounds.

I even have this shaggy white thingy to sit/lay on ;)

Loving this site too- The Boudoir Divas- and the women who run it are very inspirational, not just by the work that they do but through their personalities. I found their page of some albums they have put together which is exactly what the end product is for this package.

I bought fake lashes last night, just in case I decide to get photos of my own and some dramatic eye make-up- at least more dramatic than my everyday stuff. The Boudoir Divas recommend dramatic make-up with full coverage and fake lashes- NOT your everyday look.

Speaking of not your everyday look, here is another inspirational shot from Rae Leytham.

Lastly, this is the photo of the album you will be receiving from my choice of printer. There will be photos flush mounted onto each page with a small border around the edge giving it a matted look.

With a 5x7 album, you could do a 2 page horizontal 7x10 spread- especially when you have 20 side to fill!

As a side note, I'm going to do the same promotion again next year and get started shooting around Christmas in case anyone wants to take a year to "get ready" for this type of gift.

See you all soon with your garters, fish nets, and high heels!

Sweet A$$ Valentines Gift

No pun intended.
I'm super stoked to announce a promotion for Valentine's Day. I'm thinking to myself- why haven't I thought of this before?!
I'm offering a package for ladies only to have boudoir photographs done by February 1st. The final product will be a 10 page 5x7 flush mounted private album to either present to your significant other, or just keep to yourself. These do not need to be sexy lingerie photos- they can be fully clothed.

The package includes:

1 hour sitting which will allow for 2 or 3 wardrobe changes

Password protected online gallery of your images

Fully retouched final images

Beautiful 10 page (20 sided) flush mounted 5x7 inch album

The package is $300- not bad when the retail value of the album is actually $300 in itself!
Here's the kicker. I want everyone to have a good time while having their intimate portraits done, so I'm offering an incentive to bring friends.
If you bring 1 friend you both will recieve $100 off your package. Bring 2 or more friends and you will also recieve 50% off of any additional items you order or any upgrades to the original package. If you want, you can always add on extra time and pages for separate additional fees.

The deadline for getting photographed is February 1st so that I can get albums made in time for Valentine's Day presents. Call me to make an appointment for you sitting 717-215-2874 or email me at megan@meganzellerphotography.com

Tricia and Butch's Wedding

With technology today, there are several brides I never meet until the day of their wedding. We do all the planning throught the internet and phone. This has the potential to make me nervous, but it never does. That's because I end up meeting brides like Tricia and grooms like Butch. They are such a fun couple. Looks to me like Tricia is going to have her hands full with Butch's energy. It's so great to see two people who have such a love for life and on another.

Arriving at the reception at the Schykill Country Club.

This is what happens when you have more groomsmen than bridesmaids. No, they are not "together".
Best man's speech.

Don't ask. Butch is a wild man.

Breathtaking view.

Each wedding I like to try new poses. This time I tried a little back lighting at sunset. I was really excited about how it turned out.

I can't say enough about the difference a live band makes at a reception. Tricia and Butch had Chuck Cahoe and the Fun Junkies play at their reception. This band was rediculously awesome in every way. They covered every end of the musical spectrum and were spot on. The songs that stood out most to me were- "I'm Here for the Party" and "Crazy". The energy they brought to the guests was unbelievable. Here is Chuck Cahoe himself. Great personality and a killer voice- book him, seriously.What an awesome day. Tricia and Butch were so much fun and so sweet. I'm so lucky to have clients like them. This was definately one of those times that it was hard to leave. I was magnitized to the excitment and joy of the celebration.

Congratulations you two!