Jena Murray Photography

Photogirls Retreat in Outerbanks, NC

Last week I had the immense pleasure of sharing a house with nine other woman photographers from around the country. We rented a HUGE cottage right on the beach in Nag's Head, Outbanks North Carolina. We cooked together, shared photo tidbits, discussed business topics, photographed one another... overall, it was an amazing, wonderful, inspiring, fabulous experience. Every Photogirl there has been a full-time photographer for many years so there was lot's of sharing with one another and lessons to be learned by pooling our knowledge together and joining forces to create our very own workshop. I can't wait for next year's retreat!

Many thanks to Melanie and Sara of Whitebox Weddings for organizing this retreat and for all the hours they put in to create such a wonderful experience for all of us "Photogirls". This photo was their idea, it was a hoot to create (and just a little sandy in the underpants!)

Later that afternoon we lined up and did a fun jumping in the air photo (good to be on the other side of the camera since it's a shot many of us have had wedding clients do with their bridal party)... highly affective, I should think, since we were all laughing our head's off when we were trying to time the jump.

From left to right, the Photogirls are:

Arden, Khara, Brooke, ME- Jena, Melissa, Sara, Mary, Michéle, Adrienne, Rebecca, and Mel.

Studio Closed March 3-7!

The studio is closed this week from March 3 - March 7, returning to regular hours on Monday, March 10. I will have limited email and cell coverage this week, thanks in advance for your patience as we will be returning calls and emails upon our return.

Map your wedding locations with Google Maps, thru WeddingMapper.com

Recently I discovered this wonderful resource for those planning a wedding that includes "out of town" guests... which pretty much includes any wedding, right? This tool allows you to map your wedding location in Google Maps, thru a website called, "Wedding Mapper" It includes a complimentary map that you can save and edit later, or you can upgrade to a more personalized map that includes links and emails for a one-time fee of $9.95.

Wedding Mapper allows you to create your own personalized map that pin-points all the key locations (as well as provides directions) to create a special map that you can share with your guests either by emailing them the link to the map or by including it on your own wedding website.

Here's a screen shot of the starting page where you would enter in your own information to begin mapping out your wedding locations.

I've create a fake wedding using some of my favorite venues, restaurants, and hotels within Bellingham, WA so that you can see how the map works. To see all of the important locations of our wedding on one interactive map check out our Wedding Mapper map!

Happy Wedding Mapping!

3 ways to "go green" on your wedding day...

"Going green" is definitely the buzz phrase this year, but in my opinion, it's the only direction we should be going in! Many people are successful in their everyday lives with reducing, re-using, and recycling. But what about planning a wedding? Our efforts to limit our waste seems to fly out the window! And it's not necessarily because we don't want to plan a greener wedding... but because it's hard to know which vendors practice sustainable business practices and use green materials.

How does Jena Murray Photography practice with a green head on her shoulders? There's always room for more improvement, but so far our practices include the recycling and reuse of paper and shipping materials; the use of local resources for printing, collateral and business supplies; business collateral printed on chipboard and with soy-based inks; photographic printing in-house, using archival pigment based inks; and offering a "paperless" proof option. Also our signature albums are handmade by a local bookbinder, so we don't pay extra for shipping across the country and we're supporting another local business.

Here's a couple of websites to get those green juices flowing when it comes down to planning your wedding...

Encore Bridal is a high-end consignment/resale eBoutique born on the premise that quality, design, and service shouldn't be sacrificed for price. They sell new, sample, and nearly-new couture wedding dresses and bridal accessories at unexpectedly affordable prices. I love the idea of being able to purchase a nearly-new bridal gown on consignment from a recent bride. Encore Bridal also donates a portion of their profits from every sale to charities that support cervical cancer research and education - how cool is that!

Although we all like to think our bridesmaid's all wear their dresses again after the wedding, here's an alternative to present before it ends up in the back of their closet - Cinderella's Trunk is an organization that donates formal and semi-formal wear to young people who would otherwise be unable to attend such events as prom and school dances, weddings, and other formal events due to financial constraints.

The I Do Foundation links engaged couples with a host of charitable giving options at their wedding.

Did you know you can donate un-used food from your reception to a homeless shelter or food kitchen in your local area? Learn more about how to fight hunger problems in your town - Visit America's Second Harvest

Finally, my favorite book for planning a wedding with a green conscious - Eco-Chic Weddings, by Emily Anderson. Not only will you love her book, you won't be able to get enough of her blog... I have to admit, I read it at least once a week!

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This will get your winter blues-booty a shakin'

This is the time of year for making a pot of tea and curling up in front of the computer for album designing and speaking with new brides for the upcoming wedding season... not too many portrait sessions in January, as it's pretty dark and chilly up here for anything but home-based sessions this time of year. Of course, February and March are booking up fast so if you're thinking about it now... give us a call!

This month was spent mostly on working on another project totally unrelated to Wedding & Portrait photography... but I'll blog about it anyway! Check it out here > http://www.inciteproduct.com - Photography by moi!

I've decided Thursdays should be called, "YouTube Thursdays" so here's a cute and fun winter song and dance video off YouTube for today's post. I can't help but dance in my computer chair when I hear this song~

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays to everyone and THANK YOU for a wonderful year full of beautiful families and incredible support from all my clients.

FYI, the studio will be closed from Wednesday, December 19 thru Wednesday, January 2.

If you receive an order in the next few days leading up to Christmas and anything is amiss (prints damaged, shipping problems, etc.), please do not hesitate to call my cell phone and I will be able to take care of any issues for you right away. 360-224-4377

If you would like to inquire about the availability of a 2008 wedding date, please email and we will return your inquiry after January 2nd. Thanks!

The answer to Children Photography on-location...

Sometimes I get perspective clients on the phone asking if I do any of my children's work in the studio with backdrops... My answer is no, all of my work is done "on location".

I prefer to shoot on-location because bottom-line, kids tend to more comfortable in familiar surroundings. It's easier for me to get them to open up personality-wise and in front of the camera when photographed at their own home or a fun location like their favorite playground. It's also a great way to capture the story behind the portrait - you get to see your house or a favorite location as the background and many years from now when you see the photos you will not only remember that fun age that your child was at the time the photo was taken, but also remember a small slice of your life that was once called "home".

But the answer to why I really prefer small toddlers to be photographed at their own home? Well, play this video and have a small giggle to find out.

Little Blake is 1 year old!

It's been a great year for Blake's family... this little guy is now 1 yr old!

Here's some favorites picks from our session together a few weeks ago, which took place in Portland at the Park Blocks. I can't believe how much he's grown into a little man. Since I've had the pleasure of photographing him since he was a newborn, some of these photos just crack me up!

Yup! He's walking!

After the park session, we headed back to the house for some cake fun. So classic... what a mess!

It's not too late to order your Holiday cards...

Well, December is upon us but that doesn't mean it's too late to do your Holiday cards!!

Check out the website and select "Holiday Cards" from the top menu for more details. Cards can be fully customized with both colors and text options, which is great for really personalizing the present designs to your specific styles and tastes.

To give you an idea of how to customize, here's a color and text swap... same design, just changed out a few things...

If you haven't scheduled your family's holiday session yet, it's probably not too late. There are a few session times still available, so give us a call and we'll try to fit you in!