Holy cow - 4 years in a row with The Knot!

I am bursting right now...for the 4th year in a row, I received the email that stated: "Brides voted, YOU WON!!". I'll admit, I was a little nervous about not getting it...but I'm still shocked to get it!!

I posted this on Facebook and one of my favorite brides posted "Why does this surprise you Diane? You and the staff do a great job with capturing important moments in time!!!! We ♥ you!" (thank you again, Melissa!! We love you too!!!) - it does, it surprises me every time! It's humbling to see how many lives we have touched, it truly is.

As I stated in another post, photography is one of my true passions. And along with photography comes my knowledge of weddings - I am obsessed with weddings. I love every little detail and I love that my clients love every little detail!!

I thank my clients who voted for me; but most of all, I thank my amazing staff. And most importantly, Jess...without her...well, I probably wouldn't have any more cameras left (since I always manage to lose one at a wedding)!! THANK YOU to everyone!

Jess & I have decided to step up and make 2011 a KICK A$$ year! 2011 couples - you have been warned! ;)

Thanks again everyone for bringing this award to us - we are truly blessed by everyone who has touched our lives! Thank you!

Boudoir Fashion Show

Last night we co-hosted a Boudoir Fashion Show with Salon Alexander and Beauty Entourage (located in Newington). This idea was the brain child of the salon's owner, Ashley Stone. Ashley and I worked together to come up with this really fun and innovative way to show women what a boudoir session is and how with the fun clothes, cute hair and makeup, and some sexy poses - anyone can do a boudoir session!

Here, Ashley and I are welcoming everyone and explaining about sessions and what to expect. Thank you everyone for coming out and supporting us! Jess & I booked 8 new sessions on the spot!! We are so excited about the upcoming shoots! (It's not too late to make your reservations for Valentine's Day!!)



One of my favorite shots from the day!

I love the roll playing costumes! So much fun! great idea if you man's a cop!!


Congratulations to Theresa! She was the winner of the free session and free hair and makeup for the session!!

we had a bunch of games for the ladies to participate in. The first one was a scavenger hunt - we had everyone search the salon for the answers...I loved watching the stealthy tiptoeing around!

The next game was a blindfold runway game! I'm not going to give too much away, because I think this one is going to be a tradition!


Back to the show! LOL!

Here's another one of my favs!


Here's an homage to our flier photo - the candy lips! I loved the whole ensemble with the hair clip and the knee highs! Too flipping cute!!
Rocking the baseball jersey!
Thanks Ashley!!
Thank you to Salon Alexander, Beauty Entourage for co-hosting with us! and thank you for the amazing job on hair and makeup!! We are looking forward to working more sessions and weddings with you ladies!!

And thank you to all of the ladies who came out to support us!! we will be planning more fashion shows and we're getting ready to unveil a new surprise! Want to book your own fashion shoot? Let us know!

#4 A Community I Love

In light of yesterday's post, I have to continue on with the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market. Years ago, I saw a sign about 1/2 mile from my home, in an empty field advertising the Coventry Farmers' Market. Dave & I thought, what the heck, let's check it out - the girls (who were still in the stroller then) might get a kick out of it. We wandered around and thought it was so cool - who would have thought that one day a week, we can get fresh (and I mean FRESH) produce, meats, and other yummies LITERALLY down the street from us!Then I read in the Coventry newsletter that the market was looking for professionals to swap skills for cool discounts (who am I to pass up a good deal?). At that same time, I discovered an old (well, we're not old...our friendship goes back to the stone ages...I mean, grammar school!) friend, Jean Nelson (thanks to Facebook and the ability to post your maiden name to!) who is one of the market masters. She introduced me to Winter Caplanson, my marketing partner in crime! ;)

Ever since that first opening day on June 7, 2009 (oddly enough, it was my birthday too) - I was hooked on going to the market. I felt like the old Greek men who have to go to the coffee shops to play poker or backgammon. I was drawn there. I photographed, I bought, I talked, I reunited with old friends, and made some new ones!

Ever since then, I have become a part of the market. I currently invest in the market financially as a business partner because I believe that you need to give back to something that has given to you. I still photograph the market, but we have taken it a step further - we brought brides to the market to show how brides can shop locally for their wedding; we held a toy drive at holiday time - photographing children and families and accepted payment only with a toy or monetary donation to Rockville Hospital; we did portraits of people with their pets; portraits of grandparents with their grandkids.And what did I get in return? Amazing friendships from a fantastic little community called the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market! I reunited with grammar school friends, met new photographer friends, got addicted to unique pizzas...and saw vendors who worked just like I do - with a smile on their faces, LOVING their "jobs", and welcoming customers to their tiny 10x10 corner of the world!Thank you Coventry Regional Farmers' Market for THE community I love! :)

#49 Your Ideas And My Ideas- How We Play Together

One of my favorite things to do of late - co-marketing! Meet a friend in a similar industry and find a great product to promote together. Win-win situation!

First time I tried it this past year - I met an amazing woman, Winter Caplanson, Market Goddess of the Coventry Regional Farmers' Market (really, that's her official title! She has a shirt and everything!), who in her spare time makes soaps, Sleepy Moon Soaps to be exact. These cute, amazingly smelly, awesome soaps. I asked her what she thought about working together - together we developed Soap Poppers. Winter wraps up her end cuts (the not so perfect ends of the soaps) and packages them with the Parsons Photo label, we named them Soap Poppers (anyone out there know where the name came from? Bonus points for that!), and now I give them as thank you gifts! In return, I am at Winter's beck and call for photos! ;)

Another play together idea is happening RIGHT NOW! Well, tomorrow actually! I am working with Ashley Stone, owner of Salon Alexander and Beauty Entourage (a mobile hair and makeup crew for weddings - how cool is that?) to host a Ladies' Night of Boudoir Fashion Show. Together we're going to show how sexy every woman can feel AND look with these photo shoots!! Ashley is going to talk about hair and makeup and how they can give ladies that perfect bedroom look and Jess and I are going to show how we can photograph ANY woman and make her feel sexy and therefore LOOK sexy!I love the whole idea of "your ideas and my ideas and how we play together" - I welcome anyone who has ideas of how we can work our businesses together to benefit us both! What would you like to see??

#40 Ten Guilty Pleasures

My Top Ten Guilty Pleasures - not necessarily in order!

1. Soap Operas - most specifically Young & the Restless...I don't know what it is, but I can't stop watching!
2. Pedicures
3. Italian & Greek pastries...can't you tell? ;)4. Facebook - sometimes I just like to gather all the gossip
5. Shoe shopping (that's a given with all women, right?)
6. Grocery shopping alone - I just walk a little bit slower and I love it!
7. Getting my hair done - wish I had more time to do it more often, or my hair dresser came to me!
8. Watching silly kid shows/movies with my kids.
9. Perfume (buying and putting it on)
10. Coach pocketbooks, apparel, etc - I just love Coach!

#1 How I Use Facebook

I can hear the smiles on this topic...those of you who know me, know that if there isn't a post from me...well, then the world has ended! :) Bert Fonseca of After Hours DJ Entertainment calls me when I claim to take a day off - he laughs because he thinks Facebook will crash without me! ;)

I was against Facebook - I figured who has time to send updates and read what the world was up to. I reluctantly joined in 2008...then I found some classmates from high school...then I found some brides of mine...then I found some vendors...then it just exploded and became a part of my daily routine. (as a matter of a fact, I'm uploading photos as I type! LOL!)

I love Facebook - I admit it! I love reading everyone's updates, seeing other photographers' photos, reading other people's inspirations, woes, etc. I love uploading my photos, tagging my couples, then anxiously waiting for the "likes" and comments to see who liked my favorites and to read the responses. It warms my heart when I get the comments and feedback when my clients like the photos!

I love it because I have become closer with my clients as well - I am reluctant to call them clients because I think of most of my peeps as family. My Facebook "friends" have become such an amazing support network on a personal level. Recently, we have met a lot of health challenges with our 5 year old daughter and the overflowing support and concern of everyone on Facebook has been amazing. I am eternally grateful to that as that support really helped me get through that rough time.

Now, I use Facebook instead of Google...when I get a request for a wedding or portrait session, I check Facebook first to see who I'm emailing. I look up business information on FB - a lot of research can be done!

Look us up! I'm on personally (if you want the personal scoop, send me a friend request) and Parsons Photo has a business page. Maybe we'll see you online!

#63 You Are Here

How many of you remember that giant red dot on the maps at the malls? With the big words "you are HERE" next to it. I remember my brother and I thought it was the funniest thing in the world - how did they know where we were? And, more importantly, if it showed where I was...how can my brother be at the same exact spot? Our mom didn't find the same amusement in it.

Now, as an adult, I find a slight comfort in the "you are HERE" red dot when I look at the mall maps...or as our culture has matured to - GPS. On our GPS, the "you are here" had become that silly triangle that points you in the right direction. I find comfort in that dot and that arrow because, I figure...they always are pointing me in the right direction!

I like the little red dot or the blue triangle because it seems to ground me...I am HERE. How profound...because I am a planner and I am usually 5 steps ahead of myself, causing myself to be...well, honestly - there. Sometimes that little dot or triangle reminds me that I am here.