holiday photos are coming to san diego

it's that time of year...
...when we pray that the kids will smile just once and at the same time
... when we hope that the weather will cooperate and not give us crazy hair
...when we hope that there won't be 500 other people with the same idea in the same place at the same time
...when we go shopping for the perfect outfit, coordinated, but not matchy, and what color is in style this year? 
...when we wonder when holiday photos got so competitive
...when we become those parents we never thought we would be just to get our kids to smile -- I'll buy you a candy, toy, puppy, _____! if you would just smile once

Yes, it is that time of year we all love, HOLIDAY PHOTO TIME!!!!

We are coming to San Diego a few times over the next couple months for holiday photos, so sign up now and pass along the info.

Oct 24-26
Nov 7-9
Thanksgiving Weekend

Cost is $125 for the mini session (15 minutes) and $200 for the 30 minute session.  Locations TBD.

Email us at daniphaneufphoto@gmail.com or find us on facebook and let us know what date / time works for you.

And to get you in the mood, here is one of my favorite photos from our shoot in october, at tamarack beach in carlsbad. imagine the envy all your east coast and midwest friends will have when you send them your holiday cards...

dec 16: a month of charitable giving -- jonathan collins org | sf bay area photographer

for the past few years, james and i have basically skipped christmas, only buying gifts for the kids in our life. we take the money we would have spent on gifts and donate to charities instead.  and this year, we took a percentage of each holiday photo shoot and donated to a charity that we like.  many of the charities we have been donating to for years, but we also find new ideas from friends, colleagues and from magazine articles like glamour's 31 days of giving.  this list has ideas that are easy to support, for just a few dollars. 

today we are featuring a charity (we found on glamour's list) that is so heartwarming and thoughtful, helping the children of deployed military parents.  the jonathan collins organization will send a cute teddy bear with a recorded message from the parent to the child when a parent deploys.  the program is called a message from the heart, and i can only imagine the surprise and delight when the child gets that cute little bear and hears mommy or daddy's voice.  for just $25 you can send a child a comfort bear and you can find out more on facebook. 

for today's holiday session, we're sharing one of our LA families, who we have known for many years. we first photographed them when there were only 4, and now they are an awesome family of 5, with amazing personalities and fabulousness to boot (check out those outfits).  the pictures were taken at a gorgeous park in beverly hills, will rogers memorial park. 

 happy holidays!

dani + james

dec 14: a month of charitable giving -- american cancer society | sf bay area photographer

i'm not sure about you, but whenever i see one of those commercials about celebrating another birthday, i can't help but feel grateful for the american cancer society.  cancer is such a vicious disease,  it seems like it is everywhere i turn these days -- from family to friends to my favorite tv characters and fictional book heroines, i just can't escape it.  so i help in the little way i can, by donating to the american cancer society throughout the year. 

james and i met sandy and john at a cooking class years ago, and we love seeing them every year.   enjoy today's family holiday photo, taken at hotel del coronado. 

happy holidays!

dani + james

dec 5: a month of charitable giving -- ASPCA | sf bay area photographer

 

so many of you who know us also know our little dog, foxy.  yes, we have become those people who take our dog everywhere, and it is because of the ASPCA that we even have our cute little sidekick.  about 2 years ago, we went to the peninsula humane society instead of going to the puppy store, even though there was the cutest and fluffiest puppy in the store.  after reading more about the cruelty that many of these puppies endure, we went back to the humane society and found foxy. 

 

every month we donate to the humane society, to help dogs get their vaccinations, microchipped and just generally ready for adoption.  you can donate by clicking here and there are plenty of opportunities for you to adopt a cute little foxy of your own at your local shelter. 

here is a little collage of foxy after a long day at play, she is absolutely soaked...

happy holidays!

dani + james + foxy

dec 4: a month of charitable giving -- toys for tots | sf bay area photographer

 

in honor of james, whose birthday is today, we are featuring toys for tots, a fantastic organization that you surely have come across in years past.  the toys for tots program was started by the marines and is another organization that is super responsibly run.  we love that most of the money donated goes directly to the children to buy toys and gifts.  

you can donate by clicking here, and make a child's christmas super happy this year. 

and today's photo is another one of our san diego family, at another one of our favorite places, old poway park.  love, love, love, especially the cute little puppy...

happy holidays,

dani + james

dec 3: a month of charitable giving -- USO | sf bay area photographer

as many of you know, james is a former marine, so military-focused charities have a special place in our hearts.  for years, we have been donating to the USO, which provides care packages, entertainment and support to our troops overseas. 

it is amazing how little you can donate and still make a tremendous difference in the lives of the soliders who are away from their families for months at a time.  from phone cards to magazines to basic toiletries to snack foods, the USO provides it all.  and if you want to get more involved, you can volunteer with the USO and provide much needed help welcoming our soldiers back home or assisting in putting together care packages.  you can also check out their facebook page here.

for today's holiday photo, we are sharing a session from balboa park in san diego, one of our favorite locations EVER.  this little guy is so personable, and loves to rock it out with the camera.  thanks holden for being such a little rockstar!

happy holidays,

dani & james

dec 2: a month of charitable giving -- Second Harvest | sf bay area photographer

 

when we look for charities to support, we love finding ones that have a big role in the local community.  so when we moved to the bay area, we found second harvest food bank, which provides food and meals to people who are down on their luck.  we also like that they have a high score for fiscal responsibility, meaning that the majority of our donation goes right to buying food and goods. this month, you can donate a turkey to help a needy family or you can volunteer at a local food bank. 

and for today's holiday photo, one of our favorite families in san diego, taken at crystal pier in pacific beach. 

happy holidays,

dani & james

dec 1: a month of charitable giving -- GLIDE SF | sf bay area photographer

every year james and i skip the christmas presents for everyone except the kids and instead donate to our favorite charities.  this year, we are stepping it up and donating to a different charity every day in december.  and we are excited to donate part of our holiday photo proceeds, so thank you to all our fabulous clients for helping us make someone's christmas a little brighter.

 

to start off december, we are donating to GLIDE, a fantastic organization in SF that helps break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.  one of the things we liked most about GLIDE is how involved they are in the local community, you can really see the effects of your donations firsthand, and you can volunteer in so many different ways.

this first post is part of our bay area family and are so much fun.  we did photos at the pulgas water temple, which is super amazing but really hard to get into on the weekends.  make sure you check park times for all the details.

happy holidays!

dani and james

family fun at old poway park | san diego family photographer

the last couple months have been pretty hectic around the bay area, so we have been on a bit of a hiatus from sharing pictures. but we're back and ready to share some more family fun.  first off, an absolutely gorgeous family from our holiday sessions in san diego.  these were taken at one of our favorite places, old poway park, which has a rustic vibe and some very cool old trains.

its holiday photo time...and we are partnering with a new card company!

many of you have already signed up for holiday photos, but if you haven't there is still time left.  we'll be in san diego the weekends of nov 2-4 and nov 9-11, then again over thanksgiving weekend, so let us know if you are interested.  this year we are doing mini-sessions which are 15 minutes each, perfect for your holiday card.

and this year, we have partnered with minted.com for photo cards.  they are super cute, very stylish and very customizable.  you can check out our storefront here.  it is a fairly easy process, you go online, request photos from us and then we upload, send you a key and you can design your card.

holiday photos in san diego | san diego family photographer

if you haven't already booked your session, contact us because we are filling up fast. we'll be in the san diego area the following weekends

Oct 21-23
Nov 4-6
Nov 26-27
Dec 2-4

sessions are the same as last year -- 50 minutes for $150, 25 minutes for $100.

holiday photos in chicago | chicago family photographer

we are on the road again, heading to chicago for holiday photos at the end of the month. we'll be doing the photo sessions in logan square, right near *play toy store. so it is the perfect opportunity to get your holiday photos done and pick up a few gifts while you are at it. contact us or the store to book your session.

holiday photos

We are scheduling holiday photo sessions over the next few weeks, throughout October and November, and into the beginning of December. You can check our availability and where we will be by clicking on our calendar here.

And just because, we are keeping our prices the same as last year, a little holiday spirit coming early. Cost is $100 for a 30 minute session or $150 for a 60 minute session at a location of your choice (beach, park, etc) and a DVD of the photos for you to use in your holiday cards or print where you like. And as a special thank you to our military clients, we are offering the hour session at $125. Sessions outside of San Diego will incur a travel fee, contact me for exact pricing.

Also, we are offering some special promotions for the holidays--

1. Buy one session at regular price and get the second 1/2 off -- you can purchase up to 3 sessions at regular price (for a total of 6 sessions). These sessions can be transferred or given as gifts--they make great gifts for a housewarming, new baby, promotion, engagement, or just about any other occasion

2. Canvas enlargements are on sale, with prices starting at $90 for an 11x14 when ordered with your session. If you are wondering what to get your parents for the holidays, think about a canvas print of one of your favorite photos. Individual prices vary, contact me for more information.

3. Prints on bamboo wood -- So if you are stuck with what to get someone who has everything, how about a photo of you / the kids / the dog / their favorite golf club on a bamboo panel? These prints are incredibly cool and come in a variety of sizes and finishes. They start at $40 for a 5x5 print when ordered with your session.

These offers are good through the holidays, contact us for more details and to schedule your session.

And as a reminder, when you refer others to Dani Phaneuf Photography, we give you referral credits, which can be used toward sessions, enlargements, albums, etc. For each portrait referral, we give you $25, and for each wedding referral, we give you $75--so pass this along to as many friends as you can think of and tell them to let us know you referred them, and watch your free credits add up. You'll have a free portrait session in no time.

Happy Holidays!!