2013 Availability Calendar (Jan-June)

My calendar is now open to book sessions from now until June.   This year I have lots of plans for new mini sessions and a few on location and travel sessions as well!  Mini session spots will be limited, as will my fall sessions, so I suggest booking those as much as 2 months in advance.

As of now, my availability is (and is subject to change at any time):

February:  
9th:  Matilda Jane Trunk Show (get a FREE Matilda Jane Mini Session! Details here)
5 full sessions available

March:
5 full sessions available

April: 
1-5: North Carolina Beach sessions (only 2 available- 1 booked)
Matilda Jane Mini sessions (free to Trunk Show buyers)
4 full sessions available

May:
Mommy and Me Mini Sessions:  $75 and only 4 available
6 full sessions available

June:
8 sessions available

In the forecast:

July: 
Michigan Beach sessions (date TBA): Only 2 available and these will likely be held in either Grand Haven or Muskegon

For specific dates, or to book a session, please email me at nicole (at) nbarczak.com

Current Availability for Spring/Summer 2011

I thought I'd update everyone on my current availability for the Spring/Summer of 2011.  Sessions have been booking quickly over the past few weeks, even for end-of-summer dates. 

March: Booked

April: Booked

Mommy and Me Mini Sessions:

{April} 1 available {May} 1 available

May: 1 Session available

June: 4 sessions available

July: 3 sessions available

August: 4 sessions available

If you have a specific date/month you want to schedule a session for, I'd recommend booking early as opposed to waiting!

(updated 4/12/2011)

Housekeeping: Changes

Well it seems I've been on a little hiatus here on the blog... and I'm not sure anyone even reads this (maybe through Facebook?) but I wanted to update all of my past, present and possibly future clients to some changes that are happing with Nicole Barczak Photography.

As many of my current clients know, photography is my second job.  I work during the day as a Language Arts Specialist (aka in my district as a Literacy Coach).  My day job, compiled with my two young children, a husband, home and the mundane daily things to keep up on... life can be pretty chaotic and stressful.  Did I also mention I'm in the process of going back to school for my Master's Degree?  Yes.  Last semester I took a class and after a busy fall with sessions (plus work, and kids, and home and husband, and everyone being sick, and the holidays....), life got a bit crazy.

With the New Year comes resolutions and changes and evaluations of life.  I've definitely done some evaluating and originally I had decided to take a step back from photography (possibly more like a giant leap back..) and cease taking on any clients for at least the first half of this year.    However, just a few weeks after deciding this I'm itching to plan things for this year for photography.  And I realized I would be a bit sad to quit altogether.

I am still going to take a step back and I will be saying no a lot more, and probably being a little pickier as to which clients I take on (mostly because space will be VERY limited).  I have come up with a tentative plan for the year and, although it is subject to change at any time I feel necessary, I think it might be just what I'm needing right now.  I don't want photography to overwhelm me and consume my life with my family.  I love photography and one of my goals this year is to find within myself the spark that inspired me to get into photography in the first place... to capture those little moment with my children and my OWN daily life.  To do this I need to step back a little from capturing everyone else's life.  :)

Are you still with me?

Here is the current availability through this summer:

January-May:  I will take on ONE client per month.  Session requires the purchase of a Collection (which start at $400).    January has been taken, there is room for February and March is pending a session deposit.

I will probably be doing Mommy and Me Sessions in April or May... again, teaming up with Jane Dawson Designs to provide you with amazing keepsake necklaces.

June-August:  I will take on no more than ONE session per week.

Once fall hits, I'm not sure where I'll go from there... I'll keep you updated!

I would like to thank all of my wonderful clients from 2010 and wish everyone a Happy New Year!  I hope this year has started off great for everyone as it has for me.

New Look... New Collections!

Changes are in the air! I'm excited to announce a few new changes around here. Thinks are still in the works, so hang in there with some of the glitches. But, for now.... you must head over to Nicole Barczak Photography website and check out the new look!






I'm also very excited that I've finally fulfilled another item on my to do list... offering your entire session on disc. In addition to a la carte prints, I will also be offering three Collections in which you have the ability to purchase your entire session on disc. The collections are as follows:

Collection 1: $500
Complete session on disc
12x18 enlargement

Collection 2: $800
Complete session on disc
12x18 enlargement
Keepsake Album

Collection 3: $1100
Complete session on disc
12x18 enlargement
Keepsake Album
Coffee Table Book (new FABULOUS item... more on this later!)

Another great item I now have available is canvas prints. They are absolutely yummy.

Updated Cards and Sessions

I'm slowly getting back into the groove of working again. After so many months off (not to mention a new baby and a new house), its hard to get back on track. It doesn't help that I haven't established my office at the new house yet- too many other projects going on thus far. So, I've set up camp in our guest room until we finish my office. I feel discombobulated and unorganized.

This year has flown by and I'm excited for the upcoming months with all the sessions I've been booking. I have many repeat clients (that I can't wait to see again and see how much the kiddos have changed in the past year!) and many new clients as well.

I am hoping to have quite a bit of changes around here.

• I'm tossing around the idea of offering a cd of full resolution images from the session.
  
• I also spent this evening working on some new newborn announcements and will begin creating a few new holiday cards for the 2008 season
• Speaking of holiday season... I'm thinking of running a few mini session days in October and November. The mini sessions will be shorter than a typical session and will only feature 8-10 proofs. The purpose will be basically to get a few great images for your holiday cards
• I desperately need to update my website with some new images!
• I need to update my session information packets

I'm going to be offering new cards from now on (both holiday and newborn). These cards will be double sided and will not be your typical Target style card. They will be printed on either art linen, pearl or standard cardstock. They're sure to wow anyone who is lucky enough to be on your list.

Keep an eye out for a new line of cards for the 2008 Holiday Season. I'll be posting them here in the next few weeks.

Updates Updates Updates....

I feel like I've been grossly MIA here. I owe my blog an update, as well as past and future clients. I have been extremely busy lately. Many of you may know, I do have a "day job" working as a Language Arts Specialist in 1st grade. Life has been crazy hectic trying to get back into the swing of balancing two jobs on top of being a mom and wife.

I owe a few people phone calls (sorry Barbara- I know we've been playing phone tag for weeks!!) and a couple of you emails. FYI... email is probably the best way to get in touch with me quickly. Lately most of my work is done in the evenings as long as the crazy little munchkin allows. I apologize if I take a day or two (gosh... or in some cases... quite a few days!) to get back to you.

Now, I've had quite a few inquiries about sessions this month, and while I'm thrilled to see that people are actually checking out my availability calendar I'm embarrassed to say that its very out of date. So, here's the current status:

October sessions are completely booked. Zip zilch availability. This summer I worked my tush off cramming sessions in and *breath of fresh air* I'm stepping back a little and scaling back the workload. And let me say, it is so SO nice to finally feel like I'm able to spend quality time with my family on the weekends. So, I apologize to those of you who have called thinking I had availability in October. Sorry to say, not so. I'll try to get around to updating my calendar this week.

Now, I do have a few openings in November. If you want to brave the cold. I don't mind, and we all know Michigan's weather... we could get a good 70* day in November, right? If you're up to a session in November, drop me an email (as that is probably the #1 best way to get ahold of me).

Starting around the middle to end of November I will only be accepting maternity and newborn clients until March 2008. Due to Michigan's lovely winter weather and my use of natural light only, these are the only sessions I feel 100% competent to be able to capture no matter what the lighting. We can squeeze a tiny newborn close to windows in any light. I've worked in TINY houses with newborns, so it is possible. Now, if you happen to have a home with large windows (I'm talking walls of windows) and you want a session with your kiddos, get ahold of me and we'll discuss the lighting and home situation and see what is possible.

I will also add that I probably only have about 2-3 sessions available in November and December so if you're pregnant or due in those months, get ahold of me soon!

Here are a few more pictures to share...

Bad weekend and trying to catch back up

I know a few of you are waiting for your galleries and I'm *SO* sorry its taking this long. I had hoped to finish them over the weekend, however... I ended up sick in bed with a horrible migraine. It was so bad I could barely stand without pain shooting to my head and I had to cancel my sessions.

Anyhow, I slept about 85% of the weekend (it was the only thing tolerable!) and today was major catch up day with phone calls and emails and ordering prints and packaging prints. Tomorrow will be all about proofing. I hope to have your galleries up before the end of this week at the latest.

Thank you for being patient and understanding!

On my way home

In a delirious attempt to post this early this morning... I accidentally posted on my old blog.

Oops.

Anyhow... my post for this morning (Friday)

I'm in a hotel in Indianapolis, getting ready to make the second leg of my trip back from St. Louis. Let me tell you, traveling with an 18 month old- alone- is not fun. We had quite a few "want to break down and cry" moments last night (for me... Porter was already breaking down and crying!). I left at P's bedtime, hoping he'd fall asleep quickly (which he did, after 20 minutes of fussing and 15 minutes of me singing every nursery rhyme I could remember, back to back). I thought everything would be fine, other than the fact that I had 180 miles still to go, it was dark and lonely on the highway, however, when I stopped for gas half an hour later it woke Porter up which ensued 40 more minutes of crying an screaming from him to get out of his seat. Fun stuff, I tell ya!

Anyhow, my vacation was wonderful. For those of you who didn't get the scoop, my husband and I came for a surprise birthday party for friends of ours who just moved to St. Louis area from Jackson. My husband flew home Monday for work, and Porter and I stayed out the week so I could have more time to spend with my friend. Visiting good friends who live far away is always bitter sweet... its great to spend time with them but its so sad to leave as you realize how much you miss them!

However, it was also a working vacation (I managed to squeeze in a few sessions), so once I get home I promise to have some adorable sneak peeks for you!

Just a few things for those of you waiting for prints, emails or phone calls:

• If you emailed me or left me a voice mail over the past week, I will return those before Tuesday, I promise!
• If you ordered and paid for prints before I left (The 16th), those orders will be shipped out Monday morning so keep an eye out for a package next week!
• If you ordered before I left and mailed a check (so, it was received while I was away), OR if you ordered and paid while I was away, those images will sent to the lab for processing once I return home and you can expect delivery around the middle of September
• Jane- I'll see you and Grace on Saturday and as far as I know your announcements should be in and I'll bring them along.
• Nicole- I will be mailing out your images as soon as I return home, so look for those next week!
• Robin and Carly- I promise to finish processing your session as soon as I return home
• Erin, Marisa and Jennifer- I'll have your galleries up next week also!

I'm trying my best to make sure my absence has as little impact on you guys as possible. I apologize for any delays, and I'm doing my best to keep things running smooth.

Thanks everyone!

Santa... bring me one of these, please?

Stumped on what to get grandma for Christmas? Well, do I have the perfect solution. What grandma doesn't want to show off her gorgeous grand children's faces? What better way to do it than with a custom photo bag!
And, whats better than that? From now until October 27th, if you order a photo bag you can get the second bag for 20% off. Order one for grandma, and one for yourself!

To check out the styles of bags available as well as pricing information, CLICK HERE.

Bags must be ordered BEFORE OCTOBER 27th to ensure delivery by Christmas.
*Shipping and handling is $9 per bag

Updated website

Wander on over to Nicole Barczak Photography, because we have some new images in the galleries! Go on, check it out...you know you want to see!!

Subscribe and win!

I posted the subscription link over in the sidebar, so now is the time to go subscribe!

Why should you subscribe? Well, everyone who subscribes to the blog by 6pm Friday will be entered into a drawing to win a $75 print credit that can be used toward your print order in a future session with me or, for past clients: for reprints.

Why else should you subscribe? Well, it keeps you up to date on all the new happenings with Nicole Barczak Photography. Pretty soon I will be having some new contest going on, and we all know how fun those can be :) These contests will involve both past and future clients, and should be fun for all!

So, hurry up! Subscribe today!

Christmas in July....

Or, well, *thinking* about Christmas in July.

This is just a heads up to clients who plan on ordering Holiday/Christmas cards from their sessions... your order will have to be in BY NOVEMBER 10th for you to receive them by December 1st. (so, if you want them earlier than December 1st, make sure you get your order in earlier).

And, by saying "have your order in" that means you and I will have already corresponded and worked out a card design, so its best if you contact me at the end of October to start designing your card.

The last date for sessions that will include an order for Holiday Cards will be November 1st.

All cards are 5x7 and priced as follows:
(minimum order of 25)
25 cards: $2.50 each

Price is discounted for bulk orders:
100 cards: $200 ($2 each)
200 cards: $350 ($1.75 each)

Here are a few samples from last year.... (all cards are 5x7, and $2.50 each)

St. Louis Sessions

I will be in the St. Louis/O'Fallon, Missouri area August 20th-24th and I will be booking sessions in the area that week. I have two sessions available, so if you're in the St. Louis/O'Fallon area and would like to book a session, please contact me asap.

Reminder: Office Closing

Just a reminder... the office will be closed from June 22 through July 4th for an extended holiday. During this time I will have limited access to phone and internet.

All orders put in and paid in full ON OR BEFORE June 21 will be shipped out immediately upon reopening. Any orders put in and paid for AFTER June 21 will be placed with the lab upon reopening (July 5th) and delivery will be approximately the third week in July.

So, if you want your prints sooner rather than later, please have your order and payment in to me BY TOMORROW. If you don't have time to get a check in, you can always pay via credit card/debit card through Paypal... its instantaneous and easy!

By the way, I tried to explain the changes a little better back here on this post.

Changes coming July 4th

Please note that my pricing structure will be changing on July 4th, 2007. Yes, I know, the dreaded increase of prices. Whether it be gasoline, postage stamps, heating bills, etc....we all dread it.

Any sessions that are booked before July 4th will be honored the pricing in their Portrait Agreement for up to 30 days past their session date (your session fee and portrait agreement MUST be received before July 4th). Anything booked after July 4, 2007 will be subject to the new pricing structure. **ETA.... what I mean is, if you have contacted me prior to July 4th to schedule a session, and I have received your session deposit and Portrait Agreement BEFORE July 4th, then you are locked in at the "old" prices for 30 days after your session date. Your session does NOT have to take place before July 4th, it just has to be BOOKED and finalized (Portrait Agreement and deposit sent in) before July 4th.

This also applies to past orders... any sessions with outstanding orders that are 30 days past their session date will be subject to the new pricing structure if orders are not in and paid for before July 4th, 2007.

I know, change *sucks* (are you offended if I say that?). HOWEVER, this change will also bring some new things also! I will be changing the structure for purchasing Keepsake Albums, adding some Portrait Collections, possibly some new products (these may come around later in July, depends on how much I get get my butt organized and in gear), and a NEW CONTEST!

Ok, well, that should be it for now. I'll leave you with one more image from my maternity session. I have other images I desperately want to share, however, my monitor has gone wonky on me and I am not editing anything until I get it calibrated. So, I will just be sharing some previous sessions.

Busy Busy Busy!

I've been busy this week with sessions and orders and scheduling. I'm trying to make sure things are all squared away for when I'll be out of town for 2 weeks at the end of June.

Currently, June is completely booked.

July has three weekday sessions available. I will be in Royal Oak on Saturday the 28th, so if you're in that area and interested in a session, I'll open up Saturday afternoon for one session.

I have just tentatively opened up my August calendar (you can check my availability through the link in the sidebar). The dates available are subject to change... I may rearrange them as needed, but for now thats whats available. I foresee August will book quickly, so if you're wanting a session, think ahead so that you can select a date that works best for you!

September (ahhh, September) and October (ahh, October!)... the leaves... the gorgeous leaves... Sessions in September and October will be VERY limited, and we all know the leaves are limited too! :) I will be opening those calendars up in July, and right now I'll start a waiting list for "Autumn Sessions". If you're interested in an Autumn Session with all the beautiful fall colors, please contact me asap and I'll put you on the waiting list. Once my September and October calendars are available, I'll start at the top of the list and contact you to select your date!

We're booking up!

I now have only one session no sessions available in June and only 4 sessions available in July. I think its time to start setting up my August calendar!

If you're thinking of a session for July or August, its probably best if you get it scheduled soon!

Here's the photo for the day. My son being snuggly with my cousin. Such a sweet moment!

Vacation Vacation....

Wow... utterly exhausting. I'm still "officially" on vacation until Thursday (I'll begin returning any phone calls/emails at that point), but I wanted to do a little update and share a few pictures. We had a GREAT time in Florida, and it was so nice to finally relax a little. We met up with my friend (and a fellow photographer), Jessica Porter (from Georgia) and her family and hit up Disney World and Sea World. Great times in that 98* heat, I tell ya.

So, here are a few pictures to share with you. Get your hand ready because your jaw is going to drop when I told you we took over 3,000 (YES, 3 THOUSAND) pictures on vacation. I haven't even completed going through the first three days of them. So, here are some that I've made it through...

Jessica and little Hailey...

Porter, totally wild over the thunderstorm...

Playing in the rain afterwards..

Magic Kingdom at night...

Sea World...

Porter hamming it up in the pool...

Aaaaand... that'll be it for now. I hope you enjoyed!

Email Delivery Problems?

I suspect I may be having some issues with my email. If you have emailed me and I do not reply within 3 days (I normally respond within 24 hours), then please try to email me again. Or, you can always reach me at 517-990-2929 or my alternate email nic073@sbcglobal.net.

A few weeks ago I received an email that a clients mother sent IN JANUARY. Yes, I'm not kidding. I thought I was losing my mind when I read that she wanted to place an order (that had already closed out 5 months ago!), well, it turns out I wasn't crazy.. MY EMAIL WAS! So, I have no idea where that email was for 5 months, but anyway, I just hope that doesn't happen to anyone recently.

So please, if I don't respond to your email within 3 days, try again or try my phone. It is possible that my email has failed us both and I didn't receive it.

If you're having trouble with the poll...

Try voting from this link:

http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=35744

I apologize for any kinks and quirks this contest may have. This is my first time running any sort of contest like this, as well as my first time using either of the polling sites (polldaddy.com and vizu.com). Please bear with me!

The first round I used polldaddy.com, and it was fine for that round as each group would only have one winner. This round, I switched to vizu.com as there would be three winners, so I wanted people to be able to vote for three of the children.

With vizu, as you've probably already noticed, it does not show a total number of votes for each child, only a percentage. That goes for me too... even though I created the poll, I can only see the percentage and a total number of votes for the ENTIRE poll (not for each child).

So, when the poll closes tomorrow at 9pm, I will be taking the top three winners based on their percentages.

Right now, as of 8:47pm here are the stats I have: (these stats change each time there is a new vote, so the stats may be different 3 minutes from now, ok?)

Total voters: 296

Madison: 40.9%
Eagan: 38.5%
Kamryn: 38.2%
Cade: 35.1%
Jalyn: 31.1%
Cadence: 30.4%

Keep on putting those votes in... the voting is on until 9pm tomorrow evening (Wednesday)

Good luck, kids!