New Updates, Additions, Specials, & Promos...
First off, today May 1st, is the beginning of the official Military Appreciation Month. This coming Friday, May 4th, is also Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Be sure to thank these heroes (and their spouses who stand by them) for their service and sacrifices! It can be something simple like paying for their coffee at the local coffee shop or something more like paying for their family's dinner at the local restaurant. A tank of gas, a soda, or just a heartfelt handshake to say "Thank You". Our men and women in uniform, as well as their spouses, deserve the recognition!!!

And with that said, ANY member of the military - active, reserves, or retired from - is getting my own version of appreciation. Any portrait session booked for a military member in the month of May will be done 100% free of charge (LOL, that was a lot of "m"s). You don't have to be deploying or coming home from a deployment, as per the OpLove guidelines. This is my own biz offering you a gift to show my appreciation. In addition, you will receive a free sheet of wallet prints (8-poses) and 25% off anything you want to order. No purchase obligations or restrictions.  :)

Next up, my Senior Rep Recruiting. I am starting to recruit my Senior Reps for 2013. If you are an upcoming senior or know anyone who is, please pass along this info! Approved Senior Reps get a free session, free prints, discounts, and credits for each referral. I'm looking for outgoing and active students. For more info and the application, please visit my Senior Rep page linked from the top or click here: http://awilkesphoto.blogspot.com/p/seniors.html

One last thing...I have TONS of sessions to get caught up on posting. Please know that I am working as fast as I can on getting them onto my blog and other social media sites. As of right now, I am running about 2 weeks behind on just processing session pics. I promise to get you updated ASAP, but if I happen to miss you, please let me know!  :)

Thanks, hugs, and much love to my loyal clients and fans!!

Winter Market

I just finished the "Fancy! and Friends Winter Market" at the Edmond Museum. It was the first year for the show, but I thought that it seemed to go smoothly! I met several great vendors, potential clients, and got to reunite with some old neighbors that I grew up with. :) I also got to brag about OpLove and all our recent publicity! I made several new contacts in that regards. And a big CONGRATULATIONS to Joy Murphy for winning my free family photo session during the event drawing! I look forward to hearing from you about our 2012 session!!!

Note to Miss Shandee: I received TONS of compliments on your photo! Numerous people said that it was such a great photo. Then they said, "She is just beautiful." Of course, I was very proud at that point because 1) it is a great photo, even if I do say so myself,  and 2) you are beautiful (which I already knew, but am so happy that I got to show others too). Then a few people commented on what I took as the Pièce de résistance...they asked, "Is that your daughter?" Really, OMG & LOL! I was very proud that it was my photo and very proud that I displayed your beauty in its truest form, but then to be complimented enough that they also thought I was your mom...WOW, that must mean that they think I'm pretty "easy on the eyes" too! I was on cloud nine for a few mins.  :)  Your parents must be sooo proud to have raised such a beautiful daughter - on the outside, but more importantly on the inside!

Luckily, my dad came to see me today, the 2nd day of the show, and helped me put my banner up. (It was too tall for the table and there was nothing to rope it to around the sides.) So, lots of scotch tape to the rescue!!!! My booth looked 100 times better with it up, but alas it fell about 10 minutes after daddy left. I tried everything to put it back in place but no luck!   :(

I do want to thank Kristin and Angel for inviting me to the market. It's been a few years since I agreed to do a show, but I was happy to be a part of this one! And to anyone that is in the market for an Event & Party Planner...check out their website here: Fancy Like That!. I also met a local lady that does some fabulous crochet (I got an awesome headband/ear cover thing), so I can hook you up if you are in the market!!!

Wanted: Senior Reps

I still need a few Senior Reps in some of the local high schools (Edmond, Deer Creek, Guthrie, & NW OKC). Free Senior Session for you, good compensation for your hard work, and a perk or two throughout the year!!! For more info and a list of schools, visit my site (currently being updated) here: http://www.angela-wilkes.com/site/#/seniors/sessions/  and here: http://www.angela-wilkes.com/site/#/seniors/senior-reps/

I do not discriminate on race, religion, sexual orientation, or anything else. If you are personable and outgoing based on your app, then you will make it to the interview stage at least. Any applicants of interest will be contacted for an in-person interview, which will be very relaxed. (I hate formal, stressful situations myself.) If you are selected as a Rep, parental consent is required via an in-person meeting or a phone call just to ensure that everyone knows all the specific expectations and compensations.

This is basically the "last call" for Reps before the final "Last Call" of sessions for the 2012 Seniors. Good luck, and I look forward to meeting & working with you all!

I have decided...

No More Weddings! Yes, after much consideration and deliberation, I have decided not to book any weddings for at least a year. It's not because I am tired of all the happy newlyweds or even the stress of shooting a wedding. It is mostly because of the physical demands of properly photographing a wedding as well as the time investment to prep, shoot, and process everything. As most of you know, I started off my business many years ago shooting weddings and quickly booked every weekend from April to September with at least one wedding, and more often two or three. And during the week, I was doing corporate sessions for a magazine contract. This left little time to really truly develop and promote my own portrait photography. So, I am shifting my attention to portraits - families, kiddos, seniors, boudoir, and military. I am also working on a new idea for a new kind of portrait session. Hopefully, I will have the details hammered out in the next week or two.

I am excited about this decision and what will come of it. I look forward to what the upcoming year will bring and the many new people I will meet. Over the next couple months, I will be offering numerous exciting specials, discounts, and even a few freebies to attract new clients. Be sure to stay updated to take advantage of the opportunities!

Products and Prices

As I posted yesterday, I've been working on my products and price list. Guess what...I am finally done! Here are a few pics of some new products: calendars, gallery wraps, flatcards/announcements, gallery mats with prints, lay-flat albums, and spiral-bound memory books.

Click here for a full brochure of my products and prices! (in PDF)

Website Updates

I've been working on getting my website up and running. I think I am just about done, finally. I still have to add a portrait and seniors price list, but other than that, I think its ready!

Just for the sake of having some photos on this blog, I'll add a few from a senior photo session I recently did with Haley. Haley is a beautiful young lady who was full of energy and spirit.