It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Well, not really, as I sit here writing this with the beautiful fall weather outside, but it will be here before we know it! I’ve bumped into several of you around town who have asked when you should schedule your holiday session, and I really wasn’t kidding when I said “Now”. ALREADY only a very limited number of evening and weekend sessions remain for November and December. As I only accept a limited number of sessions per month, these spots will go quickly. You may reserve weekday morning and early afternoon appointments online or you may contact me at 443-655-3529. Please contact me directly to reserve evening and weekend appointments. There is a $50 session fee which covers D’Nan’s time and talent to process your online gallery. Portrait print pricing starts at $12 for all images 5×7 and smaller and $20 for 8×10 gift portraits. Your session fee is waived with the advance purchase of a portrait collection, starting at $250. With only a couple remaining Saturday openings, newly scheduled weekend appointments will require the advance purchase of a portrait collection of $250 or greater to confirm your November weekend appointment. Please contact D’Nan for additional investment information.

Contact D'Nan to schedule your session TODAY!

Forward this e-mail to your friends... and when they schedule a session, you BOTH receive a credit for a complimentary Gift Portrait. Earn referral credits now and you may use them or save them for 2009!

Looking for a priceless Holiday gift? How about additional portraits from your session from earlier this year?

From November 5 - December 1, all galleries from sessions held earlier this year will be reactivated. You can order additional portraits to give as gifts! As an added bonus, orders from sessions held before September 30 will find a 20% discount on prices! Also available for holiday gift giving, D'Nan will be offering great savings on DVD slideshows which make great gifts. For the holiday season, DVD slideshows featuring images from your gallery set to music will be offered for only $49.99 for the first copy (save $100!), and $14.99 for each additional copy.
You will find the discounted prices reflected in your online gallery.
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This is the perfect time to surprise the grandparents with the portrait that you bought for yourself that Grandma told you she'd just LOVE for her living room!
Looking for something EXTRA SPECIAL? Gallery Wraps and Wall Portraits make great gifts for the person who has everything.



Thank you to all of my WONDERFUL clients who have been so helpful in offering honest opinions about the services you would like to see offered. Thanks to you, I'm working hard to bring them to you. Many changes have already become a fixture, others are still coming! Improvements include sneak peeks offered within days of your session on my blog. Check back often for specials and promotions, too! D'Nan Godfrey has also improved the referral promotion and our product offerings, expanding to offer more deluxe portrait products to compliment your home decor.

Beginning in 2009, you will have the option to purchase a session which includes the option of a proofing and selection session in your home in addition to your online gallery.

2009 will bring a series of Limited Edition Mini-Sessions, each with a special theme.

Also, I'll encourage you to consider the Baby Plan or the Family plan in 2009, which includes your session fees for 3 sessions over 12 months, as well as a limited edition portrait at the conclusion of the year for clients who complete all 3 sessions during the 12 month period. It's a great way to save on your session fees!

I have a new online guide for those interested in learning more about my services. This is a great link to share with your friends.

I have also developed an online guide to help inspire you to select portraits to create a wall display with confidence. If you're like me, you'll be excited by how simple this tool makes it to visualize your portraits as collections.
Also on the horizon... custom professional framing from one of the best companies in the US, and designer bags from Gina Alexander with the most beautiful children ever on them... YOURS!

ALL HOLIDAY ORDERS must be placed by December 1, 2008 to avoid rush delivery surcharges, unless purchased as part of a December session. There is a 50% rush surcharge for orders placed between December 1 and December 7. There is a 100% rush surcharge for orders placed between December 8 and December 15. Orders placed after December 15 will not be delivered until around January 10, 2009.

D'Nan Godfrey will be accepting an extremely limited number of December appointments for holiday delivery. December portraits with delivery before Christmas will require the purchase of a $500 portrait collection or greater at the time of booking. This will allow me to fully enjoy the holiday season with my own family.

For your convenience, D'Nan Godfrey now offers online scheduling. You may schedule your weekday morning and early afternoon appointments from the convenience of your computer. For other times, please feel free to contact D'Nan at 443-655-3529.

If you are interested in booking an appointment please call or email me as soon as possible to secure your spot. I will then begin taking names on a waiting list if there are any cancellations for evening and weekend sessions. I will begin scheduling appointments for 2009 on December 1, 2008.
BEAUTIFUL NEW OPTIONS!
New for 2008, D'Nan is offering several options for your holiday cards.

You may select from the traditional 4x8 portrait cards, or the 5x7 portrait cards. 4x8 cards are $.75 each and 5x7 cards are $1.25 each. Both of these portrait cards may be ordered in any quantity (minimum order of $20.00 applies). In addition, D'Nan has purchased some beautiful professionally created new designs this year!

New this year, D'Nan is offering press printed holiday cards. Continuing our tradition of superior image quality, these cards are printed on a six color press. Your folded press printed cards include silver foil lined white envelopes. Our press printed cards are available in 4 different finishes.

Matte finish cards have a smooth matte finish of a standard classic paper that is great for any occasion. Matte finish cards are available in sets of 25 cards for $35.00 per set. Art finish cards have a watercolor texture. Linen finish cards have a woven texture similar to that of a canvas-mounted print, with a slight sheen to the paper. Art and Linen finish cards are available in sets of 25 cards for $40.00 per set. Pearl finish cards are infused with a slight shimmering finish that adds extra dimension to your beautiful portraits. Pearl finish cards are available in sets of 25 cards for $50.00 per set. These press printed holiday cards require a minimum one week delivery from the final client approval of your proof.

Click here to preview hundreds of greeting card designs.

First, let me say a heartfelt thank you to all of my clients, to all of my friends. You have truly given me a wonderful gift, you’ve helped me to finally figure out what I want to be when I grow up. If you haven't seen the slideshow of my wonderful clients from 2007, please take a few minutes to watch.

It’s been a very busy year behind the scenes. I’ve been hard at work studying the business side of photography. I’ve worked hard to implement many of the suggestions from my wonderful clients in 2007—an improved website, a new online ordering system, online guides to help with portrait selection, written policies and pricing guides. Perhaps the best part of this time to properly lay the groundwork is feeling that I’ll be able to build a business that will be viable to serve your family as you grow over the years.

However, this isn’t the heart of my low profile for the last several months. As mommies, I know you’ll all understand. I have not done much marketing of my services because I honestly wanted a very light schedule for the last several months. I didn’t know what the transition would be like for me. My baby started kindergarten in August.

I’ve been savoring the opportunity to spend large amounts of time with her and to be available for any and every opportunity to be in her classroom. I didn’t tell her how much I knew that I was going to miss reading to her preschool class, picnic lunches at the park, extended visits to the library, and taking her out for lunch or tea. Even the abundant quiet times at home I knew would be missed—snuggling together with a book, eating breakfast and lunch together and talking, even just having her sit beside me on the floor building with Geomags or coloring while I work on my computer. I wouldn’t tell her—because I didn’t want my sweet little girl to feel guilty for leaving me behind. I want her to only feel the excitement of growing up and moving forward. But I’ll tell you. I’ve come to see my clients as my friends, and I know that you understand. It is so very bittersweet when we, as mommies, know that we’re standing at that point when a precious door is about to be closed. I know you all understand.

So you haven’t seen or heard much from me, as I’ve spent lots of time with my little girl while I could, and precious time with my little boy who has grown up so much right in front of me. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with them this summer, and have enjoyed the evenings and weekends, and days off from school this fall. And now, I’m so happy to say that we’ve all made that transition so naturally away from a family of early childhood to a family with elementary aged children. It’s wonderful to see how my babies are growing into such wonderful little people.

What’s truly a blessing to me is the glimpse that so many of your children give to me into the memories of my own little ones. I thoroughly enjoy the experience of photographing your children, as they are all so delightful. But sometimes, they give me the bonus gift of unlocking a precious memory of my own little darlings at an age that is long gone, and that is truly priceless. So often I receive these gifts from so many of you and your children.

And every day you give me the gift of the greatest job in the world. I get to put my children on the bus and take them off the bus. I get to volunteer in their classrooms and teach math enrichment to them and to their peers. I get to volunteer to read in local preschools with the Sharing The Gift program. And I get to have a job that I LOVE. I get to interact with young children, to play with them, to make them smile, and to enjoy being around their wonderful little spirits. I get to capture those moments for you to hold for years to come. I get to meet so many wonderful women, who I have honestly come to see as friends. I get to utilize my computer skills and to produce work that has real value. It’s a job that gives me an identity of my own outside the role of mommy again, and yet keeps in perspective the priority that being mommy holds in my life. So few women are blessed to experience this joy.

I sincerely thank you for the opportunity you have given to me—to be of service to my own family, and to be of service to you in this way. I look forward to seeing you again in the coming weeks! I wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Take care,
D'Nan