Monday, April 14, 2014

under the willow tree.........




bright and early on a sunday morning , there once was a gorgeous family , hanging out under the biggest willow tree you ever did see...........
such a pleasure to shoot this session , this lovely mummy is a great photographer , and now i can call her a friend , and her wee girl a regular model of mine .  . . 
this was the start of something .......
and so happy to be able to give them these lovely memories........
x
sam 



 


 






country cuddles....


cuddles ....... 
daddy cuddles....
mummy cuddles...
get me everytime ....
and this time in the paddock was no exception ... how cute are these kids !!!!! 
wandering around and lazing in the long grass.... pretty much sums up this session .... 
kids will always " bring the awesome " ....












xxxx
sam

west coast wildness.....


my poor little blog had been neglected..... sorry little blog.......
so its time to share with you over the next few days  a bunch of stuff i have done the last few months that you may or may not have seen .........
this will be fun......
a walk down memory lane for me....hehe ....
and you get to see some pretty ace kids and their folks ......
lucky for us all  :)

first up.......
this sweet family decided to go west coast on it all ......................
the wind was wild ..... but it made it perfect for lots of cuddles.......
my favourite thing.......








xxx happy tuesday xxx
sam

Sunday, April 13, 2014

to be or not to be ............


To be …. Or not to be ………
That is the question ,

That’s been my big question lately…. And I’ve finally come up with the answer….
I have been having conversations with myself about this for quite some time ….
To be …a high priced photographer … or not to be ….
Why am I blogging this? 
i thought about not blogging it...  just adjust the changes and carry on ... but , well I wanted to let you know…. and you know i tell you guys all sorts of things... and wear my heart on my sleeve, so here are my reasons why …. Why I am changing …. And choose … not to be …. Priced high anymore…..it mightn't seem like a big deal to alot of you ...why is she posting this you might say ?

well , This is about me getting my passion back …. 
And me wanting to do more of what I love , so much  more and for so many more families… children… couples with dogs… you name it … whatever your family is … so I am writing this little spiel to let you know … that as from today ...I am officially lowering …. Yes , Lowering my prices…. 
Instead of starting at $1000 and going up from there...
we will now be no higher than $1000 ! …. is it Bad business to go down ? I don’t know …. Doing what’s right in my heart…. That I do know …. Making people happy …. That makes me happy ……i always teach people to follow your heart and your gut feelings... so i am doing that too ...
I have so many loyal and lovely clients whom I am so grateful for and so flattered that you have chosen me over the years …. 
so I am starting this new financial year with a bang…. A celebration bang … that I can give you a lower price… and with that comes a much happier sam ……
There might be a lot of cliché sentences in this post, but I really don’t know where to start in explaining… and I know I don’t have to explain …but I want to …. Cos I want you to know why …. Its not a sale … and its not a deal for a short time to get some cash …. Its what my heart is telling me … and what I have always struggled with ….. but I did what I thought I should do … raise my prices as I got busier…. And so up they went …. Each year…so after 8 years of doing this business… I am now doing what I feel …. I have the confidence to do that ….
Now I want to do probably what I shouldn’t do …… 
But here sits one super happy little old me …..
And I hope reading this i've made someone else happy too …….
Who may not have been able to afford me before …  

that's what its all about right .... doing what you love .... and the way you want it ..... 
so here goes.... 



fly free.......


( email mandy at sammothersole@gmail.com if you would like a detailed NEW pricelist )

Monday, August 12, 2013

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