prizes, prizes, prizes!!! an early christmas for you...

This photo was taken 2 years ago when Ben was 10 months old! I had just gotten my Rebel XT and barely knew how to turn the thing on :)
But tonight, I thought it was the perfect visual aid to my late night announcement.

Just in time for Christmas...

Here are the WINNERS!

Keep in mind that clients received one entry each time they 1)booked a session, 2)referred a friend who booked a session, 3)spent $100 in prints and products, and 4)spent $60 in gift certificates.

Gifts may be redeemed through 2010 and all gift certificates expire 12/31/2010!


Most overall "points" with a whopping 19 points:: BECKY! You won a 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas!!! Contact me to choose your image, or save it for next year!

Two gift certificates for a set of two mini accordion albums:: Celeste and Regan

$25 gift certificate to Kauai Pasta:: Casey

A set of Eco-Nation portable folding speakers:: Karolyn and Janice (let me know if you DON'T have an ipod and I'll give you a $10 Bright Sky gift certificate instead!)

Bright Sky Photography gift certificate for a 5x7 brag book w/ 15 images:: Kelly and Becky S.

$20 Bright Sky Photography gift certificate:: Kandi, Annie

One set of mommy cards:: Chelsea

Two movie tickets to Kukui Grove Cinema:: Shayna

$10 Coffee Bean gift card:: Becky

and the grand prize: the POGO portable instant printer goes to...JASMINE!

Look for your prizes in the mail, and look for an email from me if your prize involves a product that needs to be ordered!
Prizes that are not claimed (i.e. if I don't hear back from you within 1 week) will go to a runner up that I will draw next week.

Congratulations to the winners!

GIVEAWAY UPDATE TONIGHT!

My brother in law's family...and our next door neighbors! This was the back of their Christmas card this year...


Check back later on today to find out the results of my YEAR END GIVEAWAY!!!

Some of the prizes?

Gift certificates for mini accordion albums, storyboard collages, etc.
The POGO printer...prints out business card size stickers straight from your digital camera!!
A gift certificate for a 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas with your choice of image-- use one from this past year or save it for next year's session!
Gift certificates to Kauai Pasta and other local favorites
Two Eco-Nation portable Ipod speakers-- they fold up flat and are great for taking to the beach! No batteries necessary-- they just amplify off of your headphone jack.

I'm collecting a few more checks today and then tallying up everyone's points...I will notify winners late tonight, so check your email tomorrow morning to see if you won anything!

so very busy.

November came and went and was full of lovely family sessions! I have been so busy with last minute sessions and fulfilling print orders that I have completely neglected this blog. Here's what I've been up to!

Kandi scheduled her session just with her boys because she thought her husband wouldn't want to do another session (they have an extended family session booked for later this month)...


but we were both pleasantly surprised when her husband Greg decided to join us! I love when the dads get in on the fun :) Here's one of the more posed shots-- we kept it casual but every parent wants at least one with all kids smiling!


And the best compliment for me the whole evening? When Greg said "This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I actually had fun." YESSSSS! When Papa's happy, everyone's happy!

Then I got to shoot a repeat client. I love getting to see newborns as they grow!
Meet Little D. and his mom. I love catching that look of absolute love and joy on a mother's face when she looks at her baby! It is so different from the look you get when you tell someone to smile...


Nothing cuter than a baby in a basket!



I photographed sweet little baby K. a few months back and had the pleasure of taking some 3 month photos for her! She was a hungry little princess but was perfect for the camera :)


Then I shot a small wedding for Grace and Adam out in Anini Beach. The weather was windy and cold but their love was so evident throughout the small, intimate ceremony. I don't shoot weddings often but I absolutely LOVE capturing those moments that speak more than a thousand words could ever say.



I have been tallying up all of your print orders, session fees, and referrals, and I have a huge list of entries for my big year end giveaway! Through the year I have found some cool products, both online and here on Kauai, and I have picked up a few extras along the way :) Some prizes include:

POGO Polaroid printer
an set of eco-friendly portable, foldable ipod speakers (great for at the beach or throwing on my jogging stroller)
16x20 gallery wrapped canvas with your choice of image from your session (valued over $250)
and lots more including gift certificates from other island businesses, like Kauai Pasta!

Here are the different ways to enter!

1) If you have booked a session with me this year, YOU WILL BE ENTERED ONCE.
2) For every $100 you spend in print purchases, YOU WILL BE ENTERED AGAIN.
3) For every new referral you send my way, YOU WILL BE ENTERED AGAIN.
4) For every gift certificate you purchase with a value of $60 or more, YOU WILL BE ENTERED AGAIN.

Some of you will already be entered 4-5 times and you don't even have to do anything more! I appreciate your business and especially your referrals, and I LOVE shooting sessions for repeat clients. I love seeing how your kids grow and hearing about your latest family vacations. So I am very excited about giving out some fun items just in time for the holidays!

I was originally planning to draw names on December 1st, but I knew a lot of print orders would come through right afterwards so wanted to give those clients a chance to get their names in a few more times. For some of you, I just put in 4 or 5 more entries today :)

So my final date is December 15! All orders need to be in by this date to have your print order qualify for additional entries. I will post the list of winners by the end of the day on 12/15! Good luck!

2 Days.

I'll be out of town until Wednesday afternoon-- going on a little "paperwork vacation" up in Princeville with my friend Renae. It will be a time for each of us to do end of the year paperwork and filing, and also to reflect on a year of business gone by and make any changes that we need to for the upcoming year.

I'd love to hear your feedback, so if you have a moment, drop me a line-- you can go to my website and click "contact", and leave me a short message, or you can also email me at kristen@brightskyphotographykauai.com. I love hearing from my clients about which products/services they are most excited about and also the ones that are not important to you...it really helps me to adjust my policies each year to better serve the families of Kauai.

I'd love to send you a $5 credit for your input, just make sure on your email that I know where to send your coupon!

One of my Favorite Families!

I had so much fun with this family again-- they are such good sports and always up for something new. We wanted to do a different type of shoot, and I had seen a photo of a family having breakfast on the beach, so we did our own little mountain translation of that idea! They were so helpful and even brought some dishes as well as doughnuts, bread and jam! Now I need to get a remote trigger so I can do this idea with my own family.


Happy Thursday everyone!

PS...TWO more days to enter the FRIENDS SESSION giveaway!
Just leave a comment about a friendship that has meant the world to you!

Sunday afternoon Fundraiser.

Some of you might have read the story in the Garden Island newspaper recently about 17 year old Christy Mayfield who is an honors student at Island School. She was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and is undergoing chemo as well as various other treatments to try and stop the tumor's growth. This story touched me as my own mother was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor back in 1993 and had the same symptoms that Christy did before the tumor was discovered. Thankfully, my mom's tumor was not cancerous and she underwent major surgery and recently, radiation to stop the tumor's growth. Christy's tumor is cancerous and is a rare form of cancer that requires the care of several types of specialists, none of which are in the state of Hawaii.

The Mayfields do have health insurance, but much of their travel expenses are not covered. There is a silent auction tomorrow afternoon to help the family with their expenses. If you are able, please try and make it out to this benefit concert to help one of our Kauai families in need!
This benefit event will feature music by the Blonde Boys, plus a no-host bar. Food will be available for purchase and 100% of the proceeds will go toward Christy's medical expenses. Tickets $10 at Tire Warehouse, Photo Spectrum, Kaua`i Fruit & Flower, Nukumoi Surf, Scotty's Music, Progressive Expression, Kaua`i Music & Sound, and Studio 203. (from the KKCR Community Events Calendar)

(Read more about Christy HERE)


"We Love Christy" Benefit Concert
Sunday October 25, 2009 from 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Kilohana Luau Pavilion
3-2087 Kaumualii Highway
Lihue, Hawaii 96766 Get Directions
Benefit Concert for Christy Mayfield
Music, Dancing, Food and silent auction.

October 25, 2009 from 1pm-5pm

$10.00 for adult and kids under 5 free
Ticket Info: 10.00

Friends. Tell me a story about a friend...

(Kris is going to kill me for posting this, but I figure it's time I stop being so anonymous...I realized that I don't have any self portraits anywhere on my website, here on my blog, or on my Facebook page...whoops. I am definitely a real person, and what better way to convince you of that than a really bad photo of my first day in college. Note the red sweater/shirt thing and the fact that I'm somehow holding a stuffed dinosaur? That my friends, is reality. You can't fake stuff like this.

I was talking with my gorgeous friend Kristen this week about how she anonymously received an amazing gift for her birthday-- a few months of a cleaning service (once a week). Kristen and her husband have 3 young children, one of which was adopted as a newborn, and as all of us with kids know quite well, it is hard to keep a house tidy with kids making messes while you are cleaning! Kris reflected that it was one of the best gifts she has ever received because it exactly what she needed at that moment.

(Just to show you we don't dress like that anymore, and so Kris will forgive me for posting that vintage photo... Kris is on the right, I am on the left, looking slightly uncomfortable because I just handed my husband my camera on Manual without rechecking the settings. Good job honey!


Good friends are hard to come by-- I am grateful for my friend Kris who I have known for almost 15 years now, who knows me well enough to know when I am full of you know what, and when I am being honest and genuine. Everyone needs a friend like that.

So this week I want to hear some stories. I want to hear about a friendship that has meant the world to you and something that a friend did for you that was JUST what you needed at the moment. In other words, tell me why your story illustrates true friendship!

So I am giving away a session to be used by 2 friends, just in time for Christmas...inspired by Sheye Rosemeyer's session here.

Leave a comment here, or leave a comment on my Facebook page. At the end of the month we will take a vote, here on the blog, as to whose story was the most touching and the winning pair of friends gets a full session together, as well as each receiving a $50 print credit and a 8x10 styrene mount!
Spread the word! Deadline is October 31st!

I'll update the standings for the Year End Giveaway next post :)