Getting married soon? No photographer? How does FREE sound?

***edited: please note eligible dates have changed***

Well, I warned you....my wedding photography contest is here!! And no, the title isn't a joke! I am giving away free wedding photography to one lucky couple AND some other great deals!

If you are getting married between November 1st, 2008 and November 15, 2009, and haven't booked a photographer yet, this contest is for you!

What you win:
Grand Prize (one)
-A full day of shooting. From the bride (or groom!) getting ready until the party is over, I'll be there!
-In-person pre-wedding and album design consultations
-DVD of 4x6 digital proofs of your images (edited as needed)
-Online hosting and ordering capabilities for all of your images
-A YouTube slideshow set to the song of your choice
-Discounted album, prints, and canvas prints, with free editing and design
-Discounts on all add-on options (2nd shooter, engagement, post-wedding, and boudoir photo shoots, etc...)

Second Prize (two)
-The same package as above at the much discounted rate of $600
-$100 print credit toward your album and/or prints and enlargements

Third Prize(two)
-Discounted rate on the photo package of your choice (details available upon request)
-$300 print credit toward your album and/or prints and enlargements

Additional prizes will be awarded to all runners up, including print credits and/or discounts. Prizes and judging will vary based on total number of entries.

Eligibility and How To Enter

To be eligible, you must be getting married in New York or New Jersey between 11/1/2008 and 11/15/2009. Travel fees may apply for locations in excess of 40 miles from Staten Island, NY. You must not have booked a wedding photographer yet.

To enter, simply send an email to me at PiconePictures@gmail.com containing the following:
-A photo of you two together
-Some info about your wedding, including when, where, and the number of guests expected.
-Tell me why you want to win, and why you want me as your photographer.

All entries must be received by 12:00pm on 9/12/2008. All winners will be notified on or before October 1st, 2008.

Best of luck!!!

Note to all: it has come to my attention that a few brides who wanted to enter the contest would be missing the cut off by a couple of days...in light of this I have decided to extend the deadline through to the end of the popular wedding season! If you look, you'll see that I've also upped the number of second and third prize awards. Keep the entries coming!

Jagoda & Danny

It was back to Brooklyn for my second shoot of the day! (well, technically third, but I'll post about that tomorrow). For anyone who doesn't know, I am a HUGE fan of Mustangs. So, when Jagoda told me her fiance had a 1966 fastback, I was really excited to get a few shots with it. You'll notice below a bit of a vintage vibe to the pictures with the 'Stang...I love how they turned out! I was able to scout out some cool locations while I was waiting for them (I had my shoot with Liz and Dewayne earlier, therefore, time to kill in between), which worked out perfectly! I loved the carousel, so of course I had to grab some shots there! It was so much fun working with these two. Again, they were up for anything and had quite a few laughs, which really makes for great photos...see the proof below! (As always, click the pictures to enlarge)








I saw this writing on the pavement and knew it would make a great photo op!

Liz & Dewayne

When Liz told me she'd like to take her engagement photos in the Village, I was thrilled! I hadn't done a shoot there yet, but all I could think of was this cool little vintage shop called "Love Saves The Day". I figured it would be a cool backdrop, and I am definitely happy we gave it a try! These two were a lot of fun, and willing to try anything. Liz also brought around her "assistant" who helped talk us into some cool and unique photos!-Check out the one on the bus, and one very cool lady was nice enough to even let us borrow her adorable puppies!! (Thanks, again!) We had a blast and got some really unique shots. It was a great shot to a loooong day. Stay tuned for more photos! They'll all be up by Monday night :) Enjoy!!!

New logo!

A week or so ago, I decided it was time to get myself a logo...My wonderful web designer Glen was on vacation so I decided to play around a bit on my own. A good friend sent me some font ideas, and I started messing around with them. Before I knew it, I had designed my very own logo (which I declared just hours earlier I could never do!). Sooo...let me know what you think! I was aiming for simplicity, but also something a bit fun that reflects my personality. You may have noticed the new banner, and starting with Audrey and Chris' photos, you'll see that the logo has replaced the copyright at the bottom of my photos.

Along with the new logo, I'm working on more material for my main site, and a bit of a redesign. I have a few new specials lined up, and I am working really hard to promote and get new business. I'm also on my way to a new camera, which I'm REALLY excited about!

I just want to take a moment to give a HUGE thank you to those clients of mine who continue to give me awesome reviews and referrals...I appreciate it SO much! Word of mouth is really my only form of advertising at the moment, and it's those of you that keep sending people my way that are really helping me keep my calendar full. So THANK YOU again!! I've said it before and I'll say it again...I am seriously lucky to be able to work with such awesome people.

I'll be back with more updates tomorrow. Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend :)

Audrey & Chris

Audrey, Chris and I had to reschedule our shoot a few times, but on August 10th we FINALLY got the nice weather we had been waiting for! The three of us had a beautiful day in Central Park, and hit up some great places. The tunnel was the first place we took photos, and I'm really happy with the way they turned out! When I heard the saxophone player, I knew we had to find him and get some shots of Audrey and Chris dancing! It was a gorgeous and fun day, and I'm really pleased with the results. Enjoy!!

Facebook, anyone?

And finally...(yes, I have been blogging all night, why do you ask?? ) I have set up a page for Picone Pictures on Facebook!!

To add me as a friend, just search by my name (Amanda Picone) or email address (PiconePictures@gmail.com). The page is still fairly new, so there isn't much there just yet...but I thought it would be a fun new way to stay in touch with clients, and maybe even get some new ones! (And I will be making updates very soon!)

Why add me as a friend on Facebook? Well...In addition to my blog discounts, I will be offering contests and discounts exclusively to my Facebook friends starting very soon!! Contests will include free shoots, prints of art photography, and prints from your session or event! I have a page on Myspace, too...and if Facebook goes over well, I will be adding the same contests and discounts to Myspace as well.

Hope to see some new friend requests soon!!! :D

Matthew!

Got to see my buddy Matthew this weekend and decided to have a spur of the moment mini-shoot with him. I can't believe how quickly he's growing! He's such a handsome little guy (and SO good), that I can't help but take photos of him every time I see him! The good news is...he doesn't mind one bit! In fact, he was smiling for the camera, and giggling a bit after each shot! He eventually started reaching for the camera (hmm...future photographer? model?? ). I'm going to have an actual (non-mini/spur of the moment) with him one weekend soon...can't wait!

Some more engagement photos...

I knew Angela and Rudy were going to be fun within the first 10 seconds of meeting them. They had so much energy and just did not stop! Again, I had such a hard time choosing my favorites! They kept each other (and me!) smiling for the entire shoot, and it made for some seriously amazing results! I always tell my couples to let go and have fun to get the best photos possible...these two are my proof!! Also, I think Dumbo is one of my new favorite places to shoot!

Party Time!!

First of all, let me just say that Barbara and Michael certainly know how to have a good time!! These two celebrated their engagement with a fantastic party that was elegant, classy and FUN! I took close to 1000 photos at the event (this was after working a car show in the morning!), and had a hard time choosing my favorites! Barbara and Michael are both so sweet, and so great to work with. I can't wait to work with them again when we do their engagement photos!!