Bella Vita Photography

Rebranding

2008-06-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a long time coming everyone, but the change is officially taking place. BVP is closing its doors---however not in the sense you are thinking. BVP is undergoing a lot of changes in preparation for the move to Virginia. The biggest change is going to be our business name. It has been brought to my attention that there are several other "Bella Vita Photography" businesses that have popped up around the US. This has caused a lot of confusion for clients looking to get information as well as book sessions.

Thanks to a great chica--Tiffany at On the Spot Studio www.onthespotstudio.com

we have worked up a great new logo to help get the word out about the new business name.

Along with the new business name, there will be some changes in pricing and policies. Please make sure visit the updated site and read through the changes that will be put in place within the coming weeks. Some of the changes include offering complimentary photo CDs with the purchase of the Addison Collection, and custom framing options for prints.

Please make sure to bookmark the new site web address http://www.erincolleenphotography.com

for easier access. As of Saturday, June 28th the old bvp.us web address will no longer be active. This blog will continue to remain up, however future postings will be made to the new ECP Blog which can be found at: www.erincolleen.wordpress.com

I cant wait to make a fresh start with our new site, logo, and other great products that will be unveiled in the coming months! To all of our past clients, thank you so much for your support and beautiful faces---to future clients of Erin Colleen Photography, I can't wait to meet you!

~Erin

We have a WINNER!!!!

2008-06-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our winning photograph, number 9!!!! With a commanding lead with over 500 votes, he was without a doubt chosen to represent Bella Vita Photography in the new fresh faces campaign! Thanks to all of your votes, our winner will receive a complimentary custom photography session on location at a location of his choice in Jacksonville, Florida. He will also receive a complimentary 8x10 print from his session.

Once again I want to thank all of the contestants and their parents for submitting their photos to the contest. In my mind, they are all beautiful and winners, however the general public could only choose one.

Once again thank you and congratulations!

Let the Voting Begin!!!

2008-06-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

The photos have been submitted and organized, so now all that's left to do is leave it up to the world to vote for the new Fresh Face of BVP here in Jacksonville!

Voting will begin the moment I post your child's photograph. Make sure to send out an email to family, friends, co-workers---ANYONE and get them to submit their vote for your child! Remember, the photo that receives the most number of votes will receive a complimentary custom photography session and free 8x10 print from Bella Vita Photography!

The time for voting will stay open for one week. Polls will close at midnight on June 16th. There is only one vote allowed per registered IP address as well, so no multiple votes from one computer :)

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of the parents who took the time to submit their child's photograph. You have GORGEOUS children and should be proud!

HOW TO VOTE:

The photographs will be posted here in order from 1-10. Along the sidebar of the blog page on the right you will see a box that has choices from 1-10 along with bubbles to click. Choose the number of the photo you want to win and click the bubble. Easy peasy :)

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to leave a blog comment or contact me directly via email: erin@bellavitaphotography.us

HAPPY VOTING :)

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CONTESTANT 9

CONTESTANT 10

Announcing Garrett

2008-05-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to meet Garrett when he was just a couple of days old. He made his way into the world weighing in at 5lbs 11oz but he is just beautiful! He has the wrinkliest fingers I have ever seen, the deepest blue eyes, and a head full of hair! Happy Birthday little guy!!!

Fresh Faces--Jacksonville Edition!

2008-05-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Its time once again for BVP to hold its "Fresh Faces" contest. Find your favorite picture of your little one(s) and send them to me via e-mail. I will hold the submission time open until June 8, 2008. After that date I will post all submissions here on my blog. Once all photos have been posted, you will be invited to vote for your favorite photograph. Tell your friends,neighbors, family etc about your child's picture. Voting will be open for a period of one week.

The child who receives the most votes will win a COMPLIMENTARY portrait session and a free 8x10 from their session. This contest is open to all ages! For more information please feel free to e-mail me or contact me via phone.

E-mail-- erin@bellavitaphotography.us

phone-- 904-251-5146

I have arrived.....

2008-05-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

It seems like lately all I have done is run run run from one state to another, but I can finally say I am done with traveling for awhile (except vacation!). We are settled in back "home" in Atlantic Beach, Florida---Jacksonville area.

Things are looking great! I am working to set up a "Beach Babies" event that will be giving one person a FREE photo session on the beach for their baby, so check back soon for those details!

Other updated news is that my MOO cards are on their way. What is a MOO card you ask? They are special cards that I will be leaving with businesses I frequent that are all over the beaches. Why are they so special? Well, if you get MOO'd, you will receive 25% off your session fee! If you book your session before the end of June I'll even give you a free 8x10 from your session as well! How's that for getting Moo'd?

All in all, things are great for BVP. Although I will only be in Florida for about 4 months, I am hoping to stay busy create some beautiful art!

Whew what a wirlwind!!!!

2008-03-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Whew! Things have been SO crazy lately. We finally received our orders to move halfway accross the world from Hawaii to Newport News, VA. We will be getting there sometime soon, although Im not exactly sure when. We had a little under a week to set up for a move and travel from the date we received the orders. It was in INSANE! The packers were great and really handled our belongings well. The house has been cleaned for the most part and Greg is tying up loose ends with work, housing, and everything else before he heads this way. All I can say is that having a week to pack and move is not something I would wish on my worst enemy!!!

Anyway, we are finally in Texas and things are great. The weather is gorgeous and its been good to see family again. We are staying in Houston for about 2-3 weeks and then will be heading to either Georgia or Florida.

I would love to do some work while here, but don't know if I'll have the opportunity. If anyone in the Houston/Katy area are interested in swapping or having a photo session done, please let me know!

I'll update again soon!

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.......

2008-03-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

This morning The Today Show aired an interview with a very special family and photographer. The photographer, Jessica Persons is one of over 3,000 affiliated volunteers with the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep organization. Please take a moment to view the video of this mornings interview.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23481435#23481435

What is NILMDTS?

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation gently provides a helping hand and a healing heart. For families overcome by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may not immediately occur to them. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives.

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS) administers a network of nearly 3,000 volunteer professional photographers in the United States and eight International countries.

This is a wonderful organization and I am proud to be a part of it. Giving parents something as simple as a photograph to help them remember their last moments with their child is an amazing gift. Please take a moment to visit their site, or even help spread the word about this group.

http://www.nilmdts.org

Stacy and James

2008-03-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Stacy and James invited me to be a guest at their vow renewal cermony out at Foster's Point. It was beautiful!!! As always, the "bride" was glowing, the people were having a great time, and the food and decorations were gorgeous.

Well, Stacy and I got to talking and we decided to trash her dress! If you frequent my blog and website, you'll know that I LOVE doing these type sessions. They are almost as fun as the wedding itself! She even talked James into coming out as well to trash his renewal outfit.

We had a fabulous afternoon! We were able to take some more traditional type poses along with the trashing!! We were even able to get a bit more romantic---but I'll wait and let them show you those Here's a bit of a sneak peak to hold you all over until I can finish proofing and editing the rest of the shots. Enjoy!!

Not quite a newborn anymore.....

2008-02-17T15:08:00.001-08:00

Remember those wonderful photos from the birth I did about a month ago? Well, Miss Paige has grown significantly since then. She is thriving and growing more beautiful everyday! She came over to the garage studio ready for her debut modeling session ;)

She had a bit of a rough start and christened my black backdrop as well as my cream one if you know what I mean!! Poor little girl was SOOOOOOOOOOO tired and not feeling well but she still managed to smile for the camera a couple of times. Enjoy the sneak peak everyone~~

Looking for a band..........

2008-02-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

Ive decided its time for another change for BVP! Despite all of the big changes going on, this one will be considerably smaller.

I am looking for a band or solo artist that is up and coming that wants to get their name out! What do I want them for you might be wondering? Well, I want to showcase different music on my official website in exchange for commercial released music!

Im looking for acoustic, jazz, folk, whatever type of music grooves with my site. Go take a peak and if your style matches what you see, shoot me an email (the contact me button on the site)!

Hopefully I'll find a great match or two, or three and I can help get your name out in return for some great tunes!

Looking toward a new day.....

2008-02-12T01:51:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, my family is preparing for change of location coming up very soon. We are still unclear of definite dates, however we do have a very good idea of where we will be heading.

To help say goodbye to our Ohana in Hawaii, BVP is extending an invitation to family and friends to book their reservation for quite possibly the last weekend I'll shoot on this island!

The "Aloha Hawaii Event" will take place February 23rd-24th. This will be set up different than most shoots I've done before. Here are the specifics:

--the location will be an "urban" setting
--this will be a walking shoot i.e. walking, talking, shooting
--shoot will consist of small groups (about 3-5 children and parents)
--shoot will last apprx. 1.5-2 hours
--parents are assured a minimum of 15 proofs to view from session

Now on to the pricing--I know many of you have been looking to book a session, so here's your chance. The session fee for this event will be 60% off the normal session pricing! Also, print collections during this event will be 50% off! There are many other incentives as well, so please contact me to find out more!

This is a wonderful opportunity to have quality professional photographs taken of your children at a wonderful price! This event will last both Saturday and Sunday. Make sure to book your session since I will only be accepting a maximum of 5 children each day!

Pro Bowl Weekend......

2008-02-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

Well its that time again out here in Hawaii......Super Bowl is over (GO Giants!) and people are gearing up for the Pro Bowl. What was I doing to help ring in the festivities??? Meeting up with the Chalker family of course! Who needs football when you have a gorgeous family that wants to spend a few hours on the beach? Just a few sneak peaks from their session for you and thats all. You'll have to wait to see the rest! Enjoy ;)

Constantly changing.....

2008-02-07T01:04:00.000-08:00

Well I just put the finishing touches on the official site splash page. For those of you that aren't familiar with what a splash page is, it serves as kind of a directory for your website. Basically you'll type in my website address and come to the splash page. You'll have the option to enter my full website, visit my blog, or visit my specials page. It also gives a bit of information about the type of photography I do along with the areas I currently serve.

Im really excited for it to be up and running. I'm also hoping that activating this page will help my standings with Google and other search engines. Keep checking back everyone. I'm making it a priority to blog at least once a week with new information and sneak peaks from recent sessions! I may even make a little game out of it.

Thanks everyone!

~Erin

My little Urbanite!

2008-02-03T01:34:00.000-08:00

I grabbed the camera and family this morning in between the raindrops to do some location scouting. Even though we're going to be leaving soon, its always try out a few new places to shoot. I found some of the most amazing doorways and alleys but I'm not telling you where unless you book a session!!! I am nowhere near finished with the session from this morning but here are a few to wet your appetite. Who says Hawaii is all about the gorgeous beaches??

Welcome to the world Paige Elizabeth!!!

2008-01-16T01:24:00.001-08:00

So Im a few days late welcoming baby Paige on my blog, but she needs to be recognized. My friend Holly gave birth to this GORGEOUS little girl on January 10th at 5:50am. Paige weighed in a 7lbs 12oz and was 19.75 inches long! She's absolutly stunning and mom and baby are doing fabulous!!!!

Slipping into something more comfortable.....

2008-01-16T00:06:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to photograph two of the most beautiful girls today! They came out to take advantage of the boudoir mini session I was offering and let me tell you, they turned on the heat! These two girls knew what they wanted from their session, and their photos turned out gorgeous! To the lucky men are that are going to be receiving these pics---I hope you realize how lucky you are!!!

As Valentine's Day approaches....

2008-01-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

many women are wondering what to do for their husbands, boyfriends, or lovers this year. One of the most romantic and sensual things you could do would be a boudoir session! Reveal some or all of you during a session and create a lasting keepsake for him while he's deployed, away on business, or simply to keep in the bedroom to help spice things up! Reveal everything, without showing anything! Make sure to click on the "Specials" link to find out more information about BVP's Valentine's Day boudoir sessions both private and for couples!

And the Winner Is....................

2008-01-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

And the winner is....... Elenita H.! What a gorgeous portrait of Elenita before she gave birth to her son, Stryker! Thanks to all of your votes, she will receive a free mounted 11x14 print of this photograph for her home! I am sure she is thrilled right now. Thanks again to everyone who voted to make this contest a success!

Best Photo of 2007 Contest!!!

2007-12-29T00:56:00.001-08:00

Please take a moment and help me reflect on 2007! This was a wonderful year that helped BVP really jump out and improve on a lot of skills during portfolio building and beginning business! Please take a moment to view my favorite 10 photographs from this past year and vote on your favorite. Share this link with family and friends and encourage them to vote as well. The winner from this will receive a free mounted 11x14 copy of their print for them to enjoy! Mahalo for your kokua to make this happen! Polls will close on January 5th, 2008. Winners will be notified shortly there after! There is no limit to the number of times you can vote! Please help make this event a success and cast your vote today :)
~Erin

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Aloha and Farewell!!

2007-12-15T21:04:00.001-08:00

What better way to say goodbye to Hawaii then to have your very own photo session? Dana and Tim wanted a way to remember all of the fun times they had while living on Oahu. Too soon their time has come to an end and they will be moving back stateside!

Our session was amazing! Gale force winds, thick fog and sporadic raindrops! Thankfully Peanut was there to save the day by holding shoes and fetching flowers. Watch out, I might offer you a job as an assistant :)

Anyway, today was fabulous, the clients daring, and the photography-spot on!

Afternoon in Lanikai

2007-11-26T02:19:00.000-08:00

Lanikai has got to be one of my favorite places to shoot on the island of Oahu. The atmosphere is so laid back. People vacationing, locals out playing frisbee, there's no telling what type of people you'll run into out there. The Moke's and the Marine Corps Base make gorgeous backdrops floating among the bluest water you've ever seen.

I met Annemarie and Lawrie for their shoot this afternoon, and have to say, they are a gorgeous couple. Even though they are already married, people gave their "congratulations" and they just smiled while I clicked away. I couldn't have asked for more perfect shooting conditions weather wise. Possibly a few less people on the beach would have to be the only thing I would have requested---but even they didn't dampen the spirit and fun time I had shooting.

Enjoy the sneak peak from their session, I know I had fun proofing them :)

Gobble Gobble says the turkey!

2007-11-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

Whew, after a LONG and day of cooking, the meal has been served, eaten, and cleaned up. This was my first ever attempt at cooking and hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house----and I wonder how some of you do it!

Things didnt start getting hectic until I realized the bird was almost finished, and I had to cook everything else AAACK!

All in all, the food was great, the company was perfect, and our day went off without too many hitches :)

Thanks to my family and friends who found the time to send well wishes and love. For those friends and family we couldnt see, we miss you and love you. For those that were at our house, thank you for coming out!

Gobble! Gobble!

Thankful.....

2007-11-21T01:06:00.000-08:00

After playing the LONGEST game of phone tag I think I've ever encountered, Sherri and I finally got things together for their family session. We settled on our location, time, and date and that was that.... UNTIL I realized that I had never shot such a large group before!

This was such a great session, I cant wait to finish proofing and get the gallery up and out! All of the family members were amazing, EVEN the kids :)
I can't think of a better way to celebrate a major holiday, like Thanksgiving, than to have your family visiting and spending time together. I am so thankful that they invited me out to be apart of one of their evenings on the island.

This beautiful family has once again made me realize why photography is the perfect profession for me!

Welcome Home Solider!!!

2007-11-06T23:59:00.000-08:00

Being away from my husband for a year would bring tears to my eyes. This poor soldier has been away in Iraq for the past 15 months. His wife is a very good friend of mine, and when she asked me to photograph his homecoming, I knew there was nothing else I would rather do! Due to varying military schedules and family vacation it was by sheer luck that things worked out and I was able to document this event for them. I know that someone was looking out for us to make it happen---so at 4:30 in the morning I set off to Schofield to sit with her and wait for the moment when she would get to see him again.......Welcome home Mark.....we've missed you!

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

2007-11-04T01:41:00.003-07:00

Okay, I was invited to shoot a birthday party---my second ever, and I had a blast! So many people, everyone happy and smiling!

The birthday boy, Ronan, was full of mischief as he played with his fire truck, snuck off to chase the dogs, and rode the REAL fire truck around the block a few times. Mom and dad were glowing all day!

They are so lucky to have such great family and friends to help them celebrate this monumentous occasion. Happy Birthday little man!!!

Recapturing the Passion

2007-11-04T01:38:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to work with a great couple, Dave and Ashley. They had expressed an interest in having photos done along the lines of an engagement session, only a bit more "familiar". Between kids, work, and school it seems like they never get time for the two of them anymore to reconnect. Hopefully this session helped them find a way to regain that bond. Here are a few sneak peaks from it. Enjoy!

Finally Made It!!!!

2007-11-04T01:37:00.000-07:00

Well I have finally arrived!

It's only taken me how long to sign up for a blog? I am hoping that this will be a great way for me to keep in touch with friends and clients of BVP.

I am also hoping to use this as a way to provide sneak peaks into client sessions, as well as incentives and pricing updates each month.

Please make sure to check back often to see the many changes and faces of BVP in the upcoming weeks!