its that time ..........

its competition time baby !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you're gonna have to work for it though ...........

well , as many of know i have a stand at the Baby Show in auckland next weekend.... and what comes as standard with these sorts of things is everyones expectations of a prize ... what do i win ..... whats your comp ...... trust me .....from an artists perspective it sux ...... i want you to want me for me and for my style cos you love it ....... dont we all , as artists , no matter what genre , want that ? i know i know... cry me a river....... but seriously ...... i am so passionate about what i do ....... i do what i love and i want people to acknowledge that ..... and i am fortunate enough that yes..... my clients are amazing and love my style and come to me for that ...... so its a win win ...... stop whinging sam ........ well i arent really having a moan, im just voicing some ideas i have ...... that might go outside the box a little ....... the expo box.... the baby show box.... whats expected..... and so on ..........  last year i ran a comp....... at the show.......count the marshmallows ...... and the person closest to the exact total won a full package shoot .............
that was fun...... i ate a lot of marshmallows........ had alot of fun watching people count them .... and the strategic ways at which most ( men ) thought they could calculate the mass........hehe.... it was amusing and i ate more marshmallows........
this year i want to do something different....... i arent going to have a form to fill in to win ... i arent going to have marshmallows....... ( better for my waistline ) ..... this year i have decided i want to do an online comp starting now........ and draw/decide on the winner after the babyshow...... so yes....... if you ask me at the baby show , whats your comp ? what can i win ? well i'll tell you to head to my blog / fb page and check it out ....... a) we are saving trees by not printing loads of paper for you to reluctantly write your email on ........ and b) i dont want your emails ! bad business ? maybe .... i should collect them for a data base.... but i arent one to spam people with specials and emails....... that would require me being organised....... and heaven forbid... we all know that organised , i am not !

so .......
whats the comp ?
well ........... i want you to challenge me ...........
have you got an idea for a family session you are dying to do ?
basically i want to choose the idea that intrigues me and challenges me .......... yeah i know there have been loads of comps like this before...... its a great idea... thats for sure...... thats why i am doing it too ...... haha...... but heres the catch .............
i have NEVER shot in the same place , the same way twice....... every shoot i do is different to the previous....... and the one before that ........ i am constantly challenging myself at coming up with ideas ( or getting inspo from overseas ) and adapting them to suit a family i meet, and make that session personal to them .......... thats my personal little challenge that i dont tell people usually.........
so the fact is ... i have shot in over 300 different locations in the past 2 years........ i love finding new and unusual places to shoot and i want your ideas !!!!!!!!!!
i want to hear your ideas ...... what your family session would be like , where , how, etc..........
and it doesnt have to be wacky , messy or crazy ........ it has to be YOURS .......... and yes i will definitely adjust parts here and there to make it work but i want your concept !!! and you'll be the star !!

now the big news is ..... its not just open to aucklanders............ i am willing to have a weekend away with my family if you happen to want your shoot somewhere in the top half of the north island..... ( or pay for my flights further if you win ! so you get a free shoot ... but it only costs you an airfare...lol )
i will drive to anywhere within a 5hr drive from auckland............ so that opens it up to tauranga...... coromandel...... new plymouth ...... etc upwards........but hey ....... if its something that really catches my eye.. there is always exceptions......... so you can still enter..........  :) or you can come up here if you win ............so if its a beach or something .... you are wanting . it better be the best darn beach i have ever seen , or you want to do something pretty awesome on that beach ..........

get your creative juices flowing !!!!YOU know what i like !!!!
 i have gazillions of ideas every day as i drive down the road..... for example my next challenge to myself is doing an entire family session in a rugged old bus stop .... just to see if i can ...... so your location doesnt have to be anywhere outstanding......... i just want to feel inspired by you ........ and hear your ideas.................. and make it come to life for you !!

ive done mud fights, food fights, paint fights....... tutus, balloons, mini horses........you name it...but it doesnt mean we cant incorporate parts of something into something else......... i do alot of lifestyle shoots, and i love them alot...... this is something different..... this is a creative shoot........ unless your idea is a lifestyle shoot at your beach house somewhere rad..... with a baby elephant...... or you have cool ideas for your lifestyle shoot... then enter ...... it can be anything YOU think is rad........ and that you think will appeal to me .......

your mission ......... come up with an idea that makes me say " i want you "!!!! and you'll win !!
the full shabang........ session ...... full package , prints and images on dvd ........... all worth .....$1900

so to enter .... email me on info@sammothersole.co.nz ..... competition closes on monday 26th august .

i cant wait to see what your ideas are !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xx
sam

nothing like a little family love on a sunny autumn day .......

i thought i'd better give my blogging self  a swift kick up the you know what and blog some stuff......

so here is a rather gorgeous ( i think all my families are gorgeous though.... so i know i say that alot .... but i really truly do love each and every one of the families and kids that i get to meet and usually after investing so much time with them not just for the shoot but for the correspondence after, i do genuinely like and feel very lucky to have met each and every one.... so there you go . hehe ) 

enough about me ....... oh wait its all about me ..... this blog is for me .... but i want to share this families late autumn session with you ..... cos the light was so pretty and so were they x 

 

 

beautiful light, beautiful family love. . . . my favourite kind.

first comes love , then comes marriage , then comes a baby in a paddock ........

 not quite the song... but it still works .......... 

being brave and stepping outdoors for your first family photoshoot with your newborn........

 trust me , it pays off.... 

both this lovely mum and myself had the same vision ...... and i had an absolute ball shooting this....

all the oooooohs and aaaaaaaahs could be heard for miles i am sure, and i was quite mesmerised by the light and the way it danced through the tree....... 

i was one very happy photographer on this day x

2 and a quarter kids .......

At the end of the day ,whats important to me..... ? 

capturing moments of love and laughter and everything in between .....these  really make my heart sing.......... the giggles and laughter and crying that went on during this shoot was what made it awesome ...... 

and what made it real ......... 

this is going to be the seriously longest blog post of all time ....... cos i want to share alot of them , to really tell the story......... half a dozen just wont cut it ......... so here you go .........i hope through these pictures you can feel the love that i felt while i was there.......  in this fantastic house ...... 

( and oh lordy , i mean fantastic !!! ) 2 and a quarter kids and their mummy ................... 

i hope you enjoy them laura .......... such a fantabulous way to spend a wet morning ...........i wasnt lying when i said i could stay all day ......... xx

  

and it all ends with .......

one on one mentoring....

 wowzers.......... am i on the teaching buzz ............

you all know i love doing these workshops........ and although the weather has played a part in delaying the first photographers workshop the other week ....... i am SOOOOOOOO excited about it.................... and cant wait to do more..........its quite a different kind of workshop to my mummy ones........ as i get to talk business stuff and i am sooo passionate about finding who you are... doing what you love and making sure you are paid what you are worth ! 

i have been asked ( unofficially ...... the last couple of years ....) to do one on one mentoring...........

mentoring is such a funny word.......... 

makes me sound all old and i should be about 100  to be a mentor...... ummmmmmmm maybe we should call them guidance sessions........hahaahh sounds like a guidance councellor...... well i do wear many hats....... what ever you want to talk about is up to you .......  ;)

anyway ....... here is the info for one on one sessions............

$600 for half a day  (4hrs)  ....... talking , shooting ... talking some more...... and shooting some more.....

i will arrange models for us ...... and personalise the session to what you are wanting to learn most and grow the most in ........ as i specialise in child and family ..... we can do a full blown family session at a wicked location and i can literally hold your hand the whole way through ....... and guide you through whatever you arent confident in .......helping you with your style along the way ......i dont want to create little sam replicas , i want you to find your own way and style that suits you and develop your brand through some ideas and ways that have worked for me in the past. 

we can talk about any business stuff you want to talk about ..... i love marketing and really use social media and my love of marketing to my advantage ..... i can help you with this........ and give you ideas for your own brand.....

it'll be loads of fun xxx

cant wait to meet you ! 

you can email  info@sammothersole.co.nz if you'd like to book a session with me  :)