Eight Reasons to Have Your Snoball Photographs Done In Our Studio

After six years as the "official" Snoball photographer, we've decided to return to the studio and let someone else have that opportunity. We enjoyed doing it, and vastly improved the process over what it was when we took it over.

But given the volume, it was very difficult to provide the quality that we like to put into the hands of our clients.

So this year, we've decided to stay in the studio, and provide a really wonderful experience for our clients and their friends.

Read all about the details below, then call the studio for your appointment - 503-588-0902

Snoball Portraits in the Studio

When you get the Snoball, you want to have fun, right? Not stand in line for photographs. Why not have us photograph you in the comfort of our studio before you even get there, and avoid the noise, the crowds, the lines.

Make an appointment at the studio, and plan it as a part of your evening, not an interruption to it.

1. At the dance, you're not the only one with your appointment. You'll share it with a bunch of other couples, and stand in line for up to 15 minutes or more.

Not at the studio. You'll have your own appointment. Just you, not 20 couples standing around waiting at the same time.

2. At the dance, when it's your turn, you'll be rushed in and out. Each couple is photographed for less than a minute.

Not at the studio. We'll spend enough time with you to make sure you get something you love. We'll work with all the details to make sure you look your very best.

3. At the dance, You'll get one pose, and maybe two shots.

Not at the studio. We'll do several poses and however many shots it takes, to make sure everything about you looks it's best - pose, hair, clothing, expression.

4. At the dance, the photographer picks your pose. You have no say.

Not at the studio. You'll pick the pose you like best to have printed.

5. At the dance, the lights are set not for the best photograph, but to be able to photograph the most couples without having to move them.

Not at the studio. We'll make sure the lighting is perfect for each couple or group we photograph. We can take the time to individually adjust it to make you look your best.

6. At the dance, you'll get unretouched photographs - right off the camera. The volume of photographs just doesn't allow retouching.

Not at the studio. Every package will be lightly retouched, maybe more if needed, and we'll make sure you look WONDERFUL. Since we're only photographing a select number of couples or groups, we can take the time to pay individual attention to each photograph, rather than rely on a mass production process.

7. At the dance, the photographer has to pay $1000 for the privilege of being there, which makes your dance photo packages more expensive than they would otherwise be.

Not at the studio. Because we don't have to pay ANYONE just to photograph you, and we don't have to pay a large staff, we pass the savings along to you. Our studio packages will be less expensive than they were at the Snoball.

8. At the dance, you have to choose one of the existing packages.

Not at the studio. We'll give you the flexibility to put together your own packages. The smaller number of clients allows us to customize each order to your individual needs.

Individual appointments
attention to detail
retouched prints
customized packages
and a better price.

How can you beat it?

Call for your appointment today -503-588-0902

Friday in the Park - A Journey through a Family Portrait Session

Well, not actually a park, but the Rasmussen's back yard which sure looks like one.

Peter takes great pride in his yard, and the family spends a lot of time there, so this was the perfect place to create their family portrait.


We started with a more formal look, putting them on what I referred to as the "blue tees", (the place looks like a par 3 hole on a beautiful golf course, but this was actually just a raised area behind the house and overlooking the yard.

Then, we ventured down into the yard itself, eventually adding the two family dogs, Penny and Pugsley (whose full name is Pugsley Sir Underfoot).



When I arrived earlier in the afternoon to make my final selections, Peter had his tractor out, and wearing his overalls, was concientiously blowing all the leaves to regain his park-like look. And that gave me an idea.

He changed back into his overalls, brought the tractor back out and we stages this. The family said it's pretty true as to how things really happen. Peter working in the yard, everyone else enjoying the fruits of his labor.









Then, we gathered them all around the tractor for an "informal formal" family grouping, and finally photographed Peter on his throne - his John Deer. The family said this caught him perfectly.















And how could we end such a great fall day but with a leaf fight between Gretchen and Keith. They really got into it - so much so that the camera couldn't keep up with how fast they were moving - it's amazing how much the body can move in 1/30th of a second.

Thanks to the Rasmussens for a great afternoon.

It was supposed to be sunny and warm

But apparently mother nature didn't pay much attention to the forecasters opinion, and our wedding at the beach with Kylee and Sean was a windy, cold, foggy misty affair.

But that didn't stop everyone from having a great time. The wedding was held on a bluff overlooking a rather stormy ocean, and the bridesmaids sleeveless dresses made for some great goosebumps.

After every few shots, I had to stop and remove the mist and salt residue from the lenses, and occasionally wipe off the entire camera to prevent it from being wet and sticky.

The couple still wanted most of the photographs outdoors, since that's why they selected the Adobe Resort in Yachats in the first place. They were real troopers, and didn't complain about the weather at all. In fact, I think their very presence actually warmed it up some.

We even did all the family photographs outside, platooning people out just in time for needing them in a photograph, and then sending them back in to stay warm.

The weather made for some wonderful photographic opportunities. Dark and stormy and moody, and strangely romantic at the same time.

The evening finished with a rollicking reception held inside, but still with a great view out over the stormy ocean.

Thanks Kylee and Sean - next time we'll bring warmer jackets!

Baby Henry and the Horn of Plenty

Henry came into the world on Saturday, November 8th at 11:45 pm, and into the studio the following Friday.

Since he was born in November, and adds so much to the lives of his mommy and daddy, David and Melissa, we thought a cornucopia theme might be especially appropriate.

Henry wasn't quite sure he liked all the leaves and gourds, but he did a great job of letting us create this wonderful portrait, along with quite a few others.

Are You Getting Our Newsletter?

We love to keep in touch with our clients between opportunities to see you in the studio. So every month, ( or almost every month), we send out a fun little newsletter called "News Among Friends". It's full of interesting little articles, fun trivia, and news about what's happening in our family, and in staff's lives.

Periodically, we also send out the Enccore! Portrait Design Events and Happenings newsletter, with news of special events, such as this month's "Tiny Tailgaters" and "Grandma's Arms and Grandpa's Hands"

Many of our wonderful clients are receiving it in their email, but for way too many of you, we don't have a valid email address.

But you can fix that. Either email us at info@encorephotography and ask to be added to the list, or go to the main page of the website and fill in the "subscribe to our newsletter" section on the bottom left.

Today, we're mailing out our November Special Events and Happenings newsletter, and you won't want to miss the exciting news and special opportunities.

Coming November 22 - Tiny Tailgaters

Back by popular demand

Tiny Tailgaters - Ducks n' Beavers Portraits

Special Limited Edition Portraits for your little Beaver Believer or Die Hard Duck

We'll have the entire set for each school - almost everything you'd see if you were really tailgating. The only thing missing will be the smell of the hamburgers and chili cooking, and if you really want that, you can visit Casey's hotdogs around the corner for some of the best tailgate food in Salem.

Schedule your 15 minute session any time during the day, and you can choose from special limited edition packages designed just for this event. Dress them in their Orange and Black or Green and Yellow, and we'll supply the rest.

These may be quick sessions, but all the portraits will be fully retouched and finished just like any of our other portraits.

GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS for those grandparents who bleed orange or green. We'll have these back in plenty of time for Christmas.

Call the studio today at 503-588-0902 and reserve your appointment time.

I had no clue that 5 year olds played Tackle Football

But this year, our five year old grandson Owen is playing Pop Warner tackle football.

So the other day, I had the opportunity to go to a "game" , and take some candid photographs of him on the field. This one is Chelsie's favorite. Mine too.

Watching one of these games is very interesting. No score is kept. Each team has the ball for 10 consecutive plays, and they can run it into the end zone on every play if the other team will let them. At the game I attended, the other team was mostly 7 year olds, so they did just that.

It's just to give them the chance to get on the field, and start to get the flavor of playing football. But what a kick.

Then, last Friday, he came into the studio and we captured the images for his very own Varsity Edition (if you haven't seen these, check out our website). We'll post that as son as it's finished.

Kathie and I are loving being grandparents. It's easier to start with a five year old - we inherited him in a package deal with his daddy Chris, who married our daughter Chelsie in August.