St. James School Auction

St. James School in Biddeford will be hosting a Live & Silent Auction on Friday, May 2, 2008 at Dunegrass Country Club. The event will be hosted by comedian Jimmy Dunn (from NESN). Look for some great items, like a Fire Engine ride during the LaKermese parade, DJ for a day, a scrapbooking basket and a $125 Denise Dupuis Photography Gift Certificate!

Mommy and Me

In honor of Mother's Day (Coming up on May 11) I thought I'd post a few portraits of Moms and their kiddos. It's not too late to surprise mom with a session of the kids together, or give her a gift certificate so she can be in the photos too!

A Really Good Sign

If you're a regular customer, or your travels take you down route 35 once in a while, you may have noticed the lack of proper signage in front of Denise Dupuis Photography this winter.

My sign woes started a few years ago when I "made my own". Not being a sign-maker, I told myself that I'd be happy if it lasted a couple years. Well it did, and I wasn't. So, a kind customer made me a new one. Through no fault of his, the new sign just couldn't hold up to the salt that flies near the road in a Maine winter and the poor thing was faded beyond recognition in just a few months.

This winter, one of my "slow-time projects" was to get this sign situation straightened out. I searched the internet and was lucky to find Rising Revolution Studio in Shapleigh. Josh was just great. He came up with great ideas using my already-existing logo and he worked quickly and was reasonably priced too!

Tonight, it's hanging, I can see it from the road and it looks great... And that's a really good sign... Literally and figuratively!

Spring Break - in MAINE

When I think of Spring Break, I think of tropical locations, a beach chair and a nice cool drink (with an umbrella in it) to cool off. Well, Spring Break in Maine is a little different. Sure, there's still the fun in the sun, after all, it's 80 degrees today, but we don't cool off with a beverage made in a blender, we cool off with snow!

Here at the Dupuis' it's bathing suit weather, but there's still snow on the ground! Katie and her friend Casey had the best of both worlds today when they made snow angels...in their beachwear!

That's Spring Break...in Maine!

Too Far North

"Too Far North" is a great local band that I had the chance to photograph last week. The guys in the band have such crazy schedules that they don't often get a chance to get together for photo shoots and the like. Because of that, I headed down to Stefanos in Kennebunk to catch a few quick photos of them before a gig. I'm looking forward to geting these guys together again this summer for some fun outdoor shots.

"Too Far North" will be back at Stafanos on June 21 and 22. Check them out...and tell them I said "Hi!".

High School Senior Special

Attention High School Juniors! It won't be long now, one more report card and a short summer from now, you'll be Seniors. That means it's time for Senior portraits!

Just like last year, I'll donate $20 to the graduating class of every Senior that books their session before August 1st. With class night and prom and a really fun year ahead, $20 per person adds up fast. It's like a fundraiser that you don't have to do any work for!

So call to schedule your session today, spread the word and let's have fun! It's gonna be your year!

Hush Little Baby

I've been very anxious to use my new purple background. So anxious in fact, that when Michelle came over to pick up her portraits from a recent session, I invited her and baby Samantha in (again) to play!

I had a "vision" for this background... A thought in my head of the shots I'd like to try... The only problem was communicating those ideas to 2-month old Samantha. Seems as though Samantha had some ideas of her own, namely, sleeping.

We actually got some cute shots of Sam awake and smiling, but I thought these photos in various stages of sleep were unique. Michelle already knows how quickly babies grow and change from stage to stage... Now she has this part of little Samantha's life captured, to remember forever!

Sweet dreams!

One Plus One = CUTE

There's just no way around it, twin brothers Ben and Drew are so cute!

I'm a sucker for a toddler in overalls anyway, but when Drew (wearing blue) and Ben (wearing red) came to the studio, my heart melted. I've been fortunate to have photographed the boys this past summer, but it was nice to see them just days after their first birthday to see how much they've grown.

Ben's mom and dad were great too. They packed the car up with all sorts of props and gadgets...just in case. They were very laid-back and didn't really expect us to get through all the props before the boys had had enough of us, but they were ready for anything! Oddly enough, MY favorite pictures are these close-ups where there are no props showing at all, or the one with the buckets which I've had in my studio for years...go figure!

Happy First Birthday to Cuties Ben and Drew!

Will You?

When you see today's portraits of Carmen and David, you may not be shocked to hear that they are engaged. But that does not mean that this FUN couple isn't full of surprises!

The surprises started for Carmen when David popped the question, high above the Grand Canyon recently, and they haven't stopped since.

As I was photographing David and Carmen today, we chatted about their November wedding and some of the little details that are starting to unfold. What they told me sounds like so much fun... I can hardly wait to photograph them on their special day! Some of the details however, David and Carmen are keeping to themselves, as a surprise for their guests (and their photographer). I'll have to post their photos and surprises later this year.

What a Girl Wants

If you were to ask the special mom in your life what she'd like for Mother's Day, she'd no doubt say something like, "I want everyone to be happy." or, "A nice, quiet day with my family." Well, that's probably not the whole truth!

With Mother's Day fast approaching, I thought it would be a good time to blog about a service that I've been offering for a while with great success...photo jewelry! I've been using Photograve^TM for about two years and I've been thrilled with every piece I've ordered for my clients.

Photograve^TM engraves pictures right onto 14K gold and silver charms primarily for the jewelry industry, but we're fortunate enough to offer them too! Their color laser process allows you to have your picture pendant in full COLOR. This technology gives the most detail ever seen.

Loved ones, family portraits, pets, babies and wedding pictures are just a few samples of what Photograve^TM has done, and can do for you! We can order your piece from one of your photos, or one we've taken for you.

Order by April 12th to insure your beautiful, personalized, Mother's day gift arrives in time... it's what a girl wants, honest!

Rotary TV Auction is SUNDAY!

The Rotary clubs of Biddeford-Saco and Saco Bay have once again teamed up to coordinate the 19th annual Rotary Auction, which will be held on Sunday, noon-9 p.m., and be broadcast on local access channels in the Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach viewing areas.

Headquarters for the auction will be the Richard Martin Community Center, located at 189 Alfred St. in Biddeford. Both clubs hope to match or exceed last year's total of $45,000.

More than 400 items donated by local businesses and professionals will be up for bid during the nine hour auction. Look for four, $125 Denise Dupuis Photography Gift Certificates to be auctioned off throughout the day! Gift certificates can be used towards any product or service we offer!

Between the competitive bidding, the two Rotary clubs will also have an opportunity to share who they are as Rotarians and touch on some of the charitable giving opportunities each club provides to the tri-town area.

For more information about the wonderful work that Rotarians are doing, visit Saco Bay Rotary's website or the website of Rotary International. You can also check out my website, select "galleries", then "perspectives" for some photos of my 2007 Rotary trip to Quito, Ecuador. Rotarians are changing the WORLD! Watch the auction, get a great deal on some cool stuff and help out the best service organization in the world at the same time!

Poka Dots

Poka dots are a sure sign of Spring. That's why I was thrilled to see Alexis, 9 and Samantha, 1 month old, yesterday!

You may remember Samantha from a February blog. I was lucky enough to photograph her when she was just one-day-old. Well, here we are about 40 days later, and Sammy's mom, Michelle is right on the ball, bringing the girls in for their first session together!

It was so cute to watch Alexis and Samantha interact. Alexis was so helpful...from carrying the diaper bag downstairs to holding the baby for her mom, etc. Alexis was quick to act as big sister to all her little sister's needs (except diaper changing)!

It will be fun to watch these cutie pies grow up together!

Three's Company

I had so much fun playing with the Smith triplets recently. The three-year-old sisters were too cute in their red, white and blue!

To get them in a giggly mood, mom Angela, would just say, "Doughnut!" and the girls would laugh and laugh! The funniest part was when the girls tried to make us laugh and they started screaming, "Nonuts! Nonuts! Nonuts!". It worked! We had each other laughing the whole time...what fun!

It was so great to see this beautiful gang again. I know that it's not always easy for families to take time out and get everyone clean and dressed and off to the studio on a Saturday afternoon, but I hope to make it worth it! They're only little for such a short time, (unless they keep eating those "Nonuts")!

Thank Heaven!

I'm so thankful that our friends, Ken and Isabelle took time out from a very hectic day to bring Mitchell and Madelyn to the studio today. The truth is, Isabelle snuck them over and left Ken at home to cook for 50 people, but that's besides the point!

Mitchell and Madelyn are making their First Communion tonight. What a special evening for a couple of kiddos who worked so hard!

I think it will be nice for them to look back at the portraits we made. Some of them really capture their personalities...Mitchell, the goofball, and Madelyn the big 'ol ham!

Congratulations!

A Word About Words

You've no doubt heard that, "A picture is worth a thousand words" right? Well, what does that say for a picture PLUS a few words? I think you'll find it makes quite a statement!

When you're in for your next session, let's have a word about words we can add to your favorite images!

Old Bagzz

Pam, owner of Old Bagzz visited the studio today to have some of her newest, Old Bagzz photographed. It's so fun to work with Pam because I get to see what she's been up to all winter. Usually, it's lots, and this time was no exception!

The bags above are new this year. They're a bit smaller than a lot of her others, but so darn cute! As we were chatting, we discussed how they could really be dressed up or dressed down. The strap is removable, so you can hold the bag like a clutch, use the strap as a key chain, or throw the whole thing in a bigger bag if you wanted to.

Every time Pam pulled out another bag to photograph, I was amazed. Some, she creates from vintage material she finds here and there - those are usually one-of-a kind. Other bags she produces in larger quantities, but they're all made with love right from her home in Kennebunkport.

Really fun bags from a really fun gal!

Meet the Parents

It's not my usual practice to BEG people to come into the studio. But after making the promises that "This won't hurt", and "I'll make you a lasagne", my parents came in for a session yesterday.

My parents will be celebrating their 39th anniversary in April, so I was sure to get a few shots of them together. They swear that they have not have their portrait taken since 1969, but I can remember a couple family portraits kicking around when I was younger. Things were different back then though. I think every photographer had the same background and took three photos of each subject. My parents couldn't believe I did so many portraits of them together, then individually, then with different lighting, etc.

I heard them talking (in French) about how they could not possibly use all these photos, (my dad could not understand the concept of photos of his hands...he JUST wanted to do individual photos), but at dinner that night, they were all excited to think of who their going to give portraits to.

A 39th anniversary is a pretty big deal, but I think that turning one is a big deal, getting married, getting engaged, or hanging out at the beach with your family is a big deal too. All worth photographing and all worth TONS OF PHOTOS.

You can never have to many portraits. It's taken my dad many years to figure that out! Give me a call and I'll try to convince you too!

Picture Perfect?

Why on earth would I post this image on my blog? Well, one, because it makes me laugh, and with about a half-inch of ice coating my driveway, I could use a good laugh. Two, it's a summer photo and I could really use that today too due to the afore mentioned driveway situation!

The truth is, this photo demonstrates a couple good points that I like to make to clients when they schedule their sessions...

"Go with the flow."
This means, your child may not sit for an hour looking happily into the camera while the wind blows through their freshly washed hair and the sun hits their freshly pressed shirt. The fact is, the kids will run around the beach, or the studio, pick things up, look around, maybe get dirty too. That's great! I'll be right there to capture every moment!

"Don't over-discuss the session."
At some point, your child will probably wonder why mom's been ironing all afternoon or for goodness sake, why you're all headed off somewhere in the car dressed alike, but try not to over discuss the session. If you spend all day (or week) talking about how he HAS to nap on Saturday and how he CAN'T get that new white shirt dirty, the child will become anxious too and be less likely to "be himself".

"Come prepared."
"Jenny has been potty trained for two whole days!" or "Jimmy will be fine if we eat dinner later." can get us into trouble. Be prepared, don't over-discuss the session and go with the flow and you'll have a portrait session to remember!

Now, just a quick note about the above photo. They sure got a session to remember, right? Actually, lots of the images came out great, but I heard from Erin, the mom of one of these cousins that the whole family is using THIS image as a screen saver on their computers! Now THAT is "going with the flow"!

Graphic Design, Anytime!

As small business owner, I know how important it is to "get-the-word-out". I love what I do, but I can't do it if no one knows about me! Carrie, at Care's Clipper's knows that too.

Care's Clippers is a home-based dog grooming salon here in Lyman. Carrie and I have recently been updating her "look", or business identity, before all this snow melts and she's crazy busy washing and grooming muddy dogs.

We knew it would be important to tie in her already established logo with the colors she's painted her shop and the messages she wanted to get out. With those factors in mind, we designed letterhead, invoices, a huge price poster (for lack of a better word) as well as note cards so she could easily communicate with her customers.

Custom design is more affordable than you think! We can design almost anything, from business cards to brochures, menus to ads. If you'd like to see what I can do for your small business, give me a call! If you'd like your dog washed though, check out Care's Clippers!

Sister Act

These beautiful sisters were recently in to have some special portraits made. Mom, Letitia wanted Alex and Sydney to come in now that their big-sister, Samantha is off at college.

The girls were a bit shy at first, but by the end of the session, were nearly fighting to be "next", jumping up and down and tossing their hair around (Ok, the jumping and tossing were my ideas). They were so kind to each other and supportive of one another. It was heartwarming to see. Their mom e-mailed me a few days later to tell me that the girls had fun and would love to come back next year, so I guess I didn't embarrass them too much!

Working with them that day, I remembered photographing Samantha's high school senior portraits... It seems like only yesterday! It won't be long before Alex and Sydney will be in for THEIR senior portraits too!