PPA contacted us recently and asked if Julia and I would put on a Marriage Webinar. There has been a great deal of talk about our ONE Confrence 08. The industry's first confrence for the married business partners. We are in the planning stages of announcing next years date so stay tuned. We hope you can take an hour from your day on October 20th and sit down with us. We look forward to it. To Register go to PPA website. Julia and I feel honored that we were asked by PPA to be a part of this special webinar.
October 14, 2008
October 08, 2008
Fall Event
Julia and I have teamed up with the Peoria Art Guild for another fun event. Be a part of a live auction at the Peoria Art Guild on November 15th completely centered around the "Furry One of the Family". There are some unbelievable items being auction off. One of which is a trip to NYC for the Westminster Dog Show. Their will also be some great give aways. Come and see the dog houses that will be painted by national acclaimed artist and other fun stuff. Mark your Calendars for November 15th.
October 06, 2008
Its almost here....
It's that time of year when you begin to think of Jolly ole' St. Nick. Which, means family portait season is in full swing. This always comes back to one thing... The amount of time we spend with family. I have seen our kids grow up so fast right before my eyes that I am taken back with so much emotion. I sometimes wish I could of done things differently for our children but none the less I have learned so much over the last year about our family that I look forward to seeing where life takes us this year. Here is a recent article that Julia wrote in our newsletter. I think it is one of the best articles she has written. I read this frequently just to set my eyes on what is right in this world we live in. Thanks to so many of you that drop us an email or a phone call and tell us how important it is to you, to get our newsletter. We could make the newsletter a bunch of fluff, however we love providing you with a bit more substance that you can use in your own life. Hopefully, you can learn from the mistakes that we have made.
This weekend we are doing our family tradition of going camping and then to Tanners Orchard. It's a tradition that we have done with the kids since Jaelyn our oldest (15) was a baby. I will truly cherish those time of picking apples and eating a good brat with them. I should thank my wife (the sentimental one) for always encouraging this traditon. I am sure there were times we could of said, "there to much to do, or there is not enough time to do this." However, we stuck with it and I look forward to many more years of this tradition.
A insert written by Julia in our fall newsletter called LifeStyle
What would you do if you were given a three month family vacation? We are not typically programmed to think like this. Due to the pressure of life, like work, school, and financial obligations, Americans are wired to take one week out of the year and invest it into our family for a one week break from life's craziness. During this one week, it typically takes the first few days of the trip to wind down and get used to being together as a family 24/7, and then the last few days of the trip are typically spent thinking about all the stress that awaits us at home and work after having been gone for a week. In the end, we wind up with only one or two relaxing days in the middle.
I do not know if you have ever thought about vacation quite like this, but about three years ago I began to ponder this reality. While photographing a wedding in Italy, Jeff and I were quite amazed at how the Europeans look at vacation. We happen to be there during the month of August, which we quickly learned is the month that most Italians stop normal life for a month of "holiday". Even big chain stores like GAP, Banana Republic, and so on, had signs on their doors that read, "Closed for holiday August 1st - 30th. "Wow,” we thought, "How did America miss this concept?”
About the same time, I was very moved by an article I read about a father and his desperate desire to know his children. He and his wife had a daughter and a son. When the daughter turned sixteen, he was deeply grieved that his time with her was quickly coming to an end, and he realized that he didn't really know her as a person. So, he and his wife decided to take a year away from work and life’s formal obligations and bicycle across America as a family. He said that what he learned about his children in just the first month of the trip was more than he had learned about them during all the past years.
As much as I would love our nation to encourage all businesses to close down for one month every year or love to be able to bicycle across America with my family, Jeff and I have not yet found either of those options to exist. However, Jeff has had a long time desire to experience the beauty of the coastline of California with our children. We have made many excuses over the years as to why this wasn't possible. However, after hearing the above inspirations, we decided that all the excuses were over rated. So, after saving a lot, having a huge garage sale, using every frequent flier mile we owned, and searching for hotels that would fit within our budget, we took a little over two weeks this summer to experience the coast of California as a family. Earlier this year, we were blessed with a trip to San Diego which allowed us to experience the southern part of the state. So, our trip this summer started off at Disney; then we went to Rancho Cucamonga, Santa Barbara, San Francisco,Yosemite National Park, and ended up in Los Angeles. It was really unbelievable to have two weeks together as a family. We spent a lot of time swimming, eating, and laughing. However, the best time was when we decided to list each family member’s top gifts in a log, wrote a pledge to family qualities, and made goals for annual family times. The time that we invested in this activity will never be forgotten, due to the fact that it was cool and that we happen to be doing it when the earthquake occurred in California. It was a little freaky, but everything was fine. All in all, we made memories we will never forget and experienced the love we have for each other in a very real way. I wish that two weeks of vacation could be an annual thing, but we will have to see what life brings.
This weekend, we will be taking a trip to photograph a family during their family vacation. The children are grown and are experiencing families of their own, but each year the parents take the whole family on a vacation. They will be spending time on Table Rock Lake, playing games and preparing a lot of meals. With four young babies, I'm sure it will be a lot of busyness. Jeff and I will be photographing a few of the activities and creating a photography journal of their vacation which will have the images combined with some of their thoughts about what family and this vacation mean to them. We are so honored to be able to capture this vacation for them in a way that they will never forget!
So I ask you again, what would you do if you were given a three month family vacation? Life is so short, and there is no time like the present to invest in family.
Thought I would leave you with some of our favorite Christmas card designs from this year. Every year we personally design cards just for the holidays.
October 04, 2008
Local Weddings getting some Press.
Julia and I were so honored this week to learn that one of our weddings will be published in a magazine later this year (more details to come). In other news Southern Weddings Magazine published the wedding of Andrew and Ashley on their blog. We are very excited to be working with the girls from SW Magazine on some more wedding submissions. Here is a recent email we received from the the editor assistant.
Hello Jeffery and Julia
"We have quickly become huge fans of your work here at Southern Weddings.The SW Daily Blog is read by thousands of people each day. We know our readers would appreciate your exceptional quality of work and all the extra details from this event. You have done an amazing job of telling the couples' story through your images!"
Rachel
Editorial Assistant
Southern Weddings Magazine
Ashley and Andrew put so much work into this wedding. It is nice to see it getting some exposure. If you want to see more go to the link below. Also want to thank all the local vedors who also poured their heart and soul into this wedding event as well.
http://www.swsmag.net/blog/2008/10/1/details-ashley-andrew.html
September 24, 2008
Katie + Dirk
"We knew from the beginning of our engagement that we wanted to work
with you both. The quality of your work and
reputation are known in this area as outstanding. The images are
unlike anything else available in the Peoria area because of your
unique ability to capture the emotional alongside the visual. Our
entire experience working with everyone at your studio was
wonderful. Everyone was so incredibly professional
as well as welcoming. We really appreciated the time you invested in
getting to know us and learning about our relationship so that when
our wedding day came, you could capture us as we saw ourselves. The
reaction to our images has been phenomenal. Our friends and relatives
have just been awed by the quality of the photographs. We are so
grateful to have you guys preserve such incredible memories
from our wedding day."
Thanks,
Dirk and Katie Madison
Well thank you for such the kind words Katie and Dirk we all (Emily, Brit, Sarah, Heather and ourselves) wish you guys all the best! Here are some of our favorites from the day. A few more if your bored!
September 18, 2008
No words can express how we feel!
The first ever confrence devoted to couples in the photographic industry has come and gone. It was so so so much fun. I really can't describe it so I am going to let others tell you more about it.
This was "ONE" of the best experiences we've had in a conference... ever! Thank you for all your hard work putting this together. It was an incredible eye opening experience to find that we are not the only couple who struggles to find a balance that works for our marriage, our family & our business. The conversations and information that was shared were so insirational and completely priceless. This is a "must do" conference and we will definetly be back! Thank you so much for everything!
Much love,
Dawn & Bob Davis
I feel like I left my family when we left you all yesterday...what an experience!
Steven and Jenn Bebb
Simply amazing. The absolute best investment we could have made for our marriage, for our family and for our business. And it couldn't have come at a busier and more appropriate time. Thanks J&J for giving of yourselves even when there's nothing more to give.
Garret and Joy Nudd
Thanks so much for sharing so much of yourselves this last week. It was wonderful, warm, emotional, educational & what we learned will stay with us forever. We came away with many ideas of how to improve ourselves, our family time, & our business. Thank-you for being real.
Matt Ling & Trish Boyko
WOW! Making the decision to attend this was not hard and after experiencing what we did at One we realized that the decision was imperative to our relationship. We learned so much about not only us as a couple but each other as individuals. We are so grateful to you, J&J, for making all of this happen. It is a true testament to how much you cherish your marriage. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Sticky and BrandyJ Rammel
It was for sure life changing. Thank you to all the couples that took time out of thier busy schedule to be a part. And a big thanks goes out to Burrell Color Imaging, Shoot Q, SPA, Blu-Domain, and Bella Grafica. Also huge thanks to Ron Dawson and Kenny Kim for volunteering their talents to help us document this special event. Dates for next years event will be coming soon, but if you know me that means dont hold your breath!
September 05, 2008
A New Venuture!
Well I am very excited to tell you about something that I feel is causing a big buzz on the square and in the area. We have had many people call us and tell how excited they are to see something like this happening in the Tri-County area.
September 19th from 6:30- 10 p.m., YOUR INVITED to an open house to enjoy the art and book signing of Internationally aclaimed local artist Bob Emser, Wine, and Live Music in our newly remodeled upstairs space called "Venue".
Here is an excert from our latest newsletter about VENUE.
In Jeff & I's desire to help bring art and culture to Washington and surrounding areas, we decided to enhance the location above our studio and create a space that could be used as an art gallery and hold various other events such as small wedding receptions, birthday celebrations, and business conferences. In it's progression through the spring and summer, our upstairs space, has turned into an artistic, modern, loft type area and has been so appropriately labeled "Venue" art and wine social.
In order to keep our focus on our business and our family, we have joined forces with Stephanie Scott and Tiffany Wyse-Fisher who have a lot of energy, passion and similar desires to help bring art to Washington. They are excited to invest their hearts into making "Venue" a success. We are officially opening the doors to "Venue" with the open house on September 19th. We hope you can join us for this exciting evening with Bob Emser, as we see this dream become a reality.
Here is a list of the events being held over the next couple of months art exhibits, wine socials and other events planned at the "venue". If you would like more information, please go to www.venueartandwine.com
September 12th - Artist: art of Washington Fine Arts Society, Wine Social, and LIve Music provided by 6v6 - $5 cover charge
September 15-17th - One - Marriage Conference hosted by Jeffrey & Julia for married couples that work together
September 19th - Venue Grand Opening - Artist - Bob Emser book signing and art exhibit, Live Music provided by Beckon Q - $5 cover charge for public and special invite to clients of portraitlife (free admision with presentation of this newsletter)
September 26th - Artist: art of Bob Emser, Wine Social, and Live Music provided by Ambient - $5 cover charge
If you are not recieving our newsletter please let us know. It is full of motivational and inspirational stories about life and the things that mean the most.
If you would like to see some more of images of VENUE click here.
For more information about what is happening at VENUE check out the blog
August 15, 2008
Andrew and Ashley
We throughly enjoyed photographing this local wedding for Ashley Dalton and Andrew Crawford. It was truly an honor to experience their relationship with each other and their families. Love is magical!
The wedding ceremony took place at historic St. Mary's Cathedral and Peoria Country Club was the venue for an elegant wedding reception. The Girls (Sara and Alison) from Cloud Nine Events did an outstanding job with the event planning. They do so much more than just coordinate a wedding. They pay attention to every detail and make weddings very special. (Just check out the cigar bar.) Please enjoy the slide show!
I think the greatest compliment that we can receive is when the Mother of the Bride calls and tell us, "When I look at the images, I can feel the emotion!" Julia and my desire is to express through our lense, what our clients hearts feel. We want to caputre those moments that sometime can be overlooked. For us, it's all about being Love Inspired.
In the next few weeks, I plan to post some more fun recent weddings, but if you want to leave a comment and let me know what else you would like to see, I would love to hear from you. We have had such a crazy summer. Full of cameras, smiles and a whole lot of love!
August 13, 2008
One Update
We are in the final lap with ONE (marriage + business) conference. We have a lot of excitement to share and so much going to make this a one of a kind conference. Venue Art Gallery and Wine Social is shaping up nicely we have our first event this weekend ( a soft opening of sorts with the Washington Fine Art Festivial)I thought I would give all a bit of insight on what ONE is all about with a podcast from Ron Dawson of Fstop Beyond.
July 19, 2008
Lovin' the So Cal Sun
Just to keep you up to date on the latest Woods activities. Julia, I and the rest of the JW crew are spending a few days in the California sun. We have never taken a vacation in the "busy season" before. However, a few years ago we were inspired by a story we read about a family. The father was so moved by the fact that his daughter had turned 16 and he realised that his time with his kids was coming to a close. He didn't want their childhood to pass without having had the time to really get to know them and invest in their lives. So, they worked their careers and finacial picutre around to allow them to have one year to bicycle across America as a family. He said the difference in their lives and relationships at the end of that year was priceless.
Julia & I relate to this father's heart. We know that we are only given about 1/5 of our children's life here on earth to really invest in them. We don't want to loose out on this incredible phase in their lives. As much as we would love to take one year away from the craziness of life, we don't think that is reality. We never want to put business before family so, when the chance arose to take time in the middle of summer to experience the coast of California, we decided it would be the perfect alternative. Our goal is to go beyond the busyness of a normal vacation and work on the deeper levels of relationships with our kids.
Our staff is still available Tuesday through Friday if you want to book a session or have any questions. We wish all of you unforgettable family memories this summer! Periodically I will post some pictures of our latest adventures. We just finished up 4 wonderful days at The Grand Californian Hotel on the property of DisneyLand. What a great time if you ever in this area this is the place to stay. Why? because you wont have to wait in long lines to get into the park. The entrance to both California Adventure and DisneyLand are connected to the hotel. Today we are poolside at the new Aloft hotel in Rancho Cucamonga. A new hotel from the makers of Whotel. Its cool, hip and a great price. We are taking a day of chill before we head up the PC1 (pacific coast highway) to Santa Barbara. One of our things to do on this trip is to see how many times we can hit In and Out Burger. I know most of you in the midwest have never heard of In and Out Burger. WE NEED IN AND OUT IN THE MIDWEST! It is the best hamburger with out a doubt. Here in Cali it has a cult following. We roll in at midnight and it is packed! Since we have two girls that can not have wheat we tell them to make it protein style. What is that? Its when they wrap the burger in two big pieces of lettuce. There is all sorts of lingo that goes with the burger that you eventually learn with time. Thanks to one of our friends in Cali he let us in on the lingo that all of Californians know.
I will keep you posted with some pics and some inspiring stories to help keep your family focus number one.
