Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas! I've emailed the winner of the "Giving is Awesome" Christmas giveaway, due to the sensitive nature of the entry story, I've chosen to keep it private, but I want to thank Denise Martinez for submitting the story of this deserving family!

Nominate a family in need...

Today is your last chance, if you know someone who could use some cheering up this holiday season, I'll be taking nominations through the end of the day today, and the winning family will be notified tomorrow (Christmas Eve). So see the full details, read the full blog post here.

Giving is Awesome!

Help me give away 1K worth of photography and products to a deserving family this holiday season! I'm joining photographers across the country who are trying to spread a little joy (check it out here http://www.givingisawesome.com).

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography -- $1000 worth, to be exact. One deserving family will receive a full portrait session, a full set of 4x6 images from the session, a DVD slideshow they can watch again and again, and a $250 print credit- altogether a $1000 value. It's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a free session and a $80 print credit (total value $200). What better reason to show some love could there possibly be, people?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in California. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story : info@beccahamilton.com

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve -- get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Becca

A little baby love...

Madison just turned 6 months old, and she is soooo cute. I seriously think this kid belongs in magazines! I mean look at that smile, and amazing eyes!

It's been a while...

Okay, so I know I've been a bad blogger. Nearly a month with no blog post is just plain lazy! So to make up for it, I'm going to share some pics of 5 really good lookin' kids ages from 5 to 16 that I took recently at a family session I shot for a friend of mine. Seriously, these kids are easy on the eyes, take a look...

Time is running out...

There's only 5 weeks til Christmas! Time is running out for those of you wishing to recieve your family portraits by Christmas! I know you may be thinking, "It's not even Thanksgiving yet, I have plenty of time!" But in my world, 5 weeks isn't a lot of time! Yes, I can do rush orders, but do you really want the extra expense?
So to encourage those of you who've been procrastinating to get on the ball, I'm offering (for two weeks only, expires Dec 3), 2 free 3"x3" accordian wallets books with every paid Full Session. Seriously, these things are so stinkin' cute, and just think how much cuter they'd be with your kids in them! Take a look:

Some more cuties...

I had a chance last week to take these cuties out for a quick session and thought I'd share a few...

The Holiday Season is upon us... Holiday Sale

It's that time of year again! I reminded you in September to be on the ball and get those family sessions taken care of early, and some of you were right on top of that (thanks)! For those of you who have yet to get those yearly family portraits done, the good news is that there's still time! But not much, so hurry up and make those appointments! If you have your portrait session by November 15, I can guarantee you'll have your Holiday cards in hand by Dec 1. After Nov 15, there will be a late charge for any holiday card orders.
To encourage you all to get those family sessions booked, I'm offering a limited time sale- book a family session to be held by November 15 and get a free set of 24 Holiday cards ($50 value). Why order your holiday cards from me and not someplace like Costco or Wal-Mart you might ask? The holiday cards I offer are high quality folded, press printed products, not just cards printed on photo paper like you get at a chain store. Your cards can also be fully customized to your specifications.
Here's a quick look at some of the cards I'm offering this holiday season:

Alex & Casey's Wedding

Alex and Casey were married a few weeks ago at the fantastic Calmigos Ranch in Malibu. It was a beautiful evening and the venue was absolutely gorgeous.
The wedding was unlike any wedding I've ever been to (and I've been to my fair share). It was pure entertainment from start to finish- from the bride rapping her vows (yes, I said rapping), to the Dirty Dancing lift during the first dance, to the bride dancing to NKOTB with her bridesmaids, I was afraid to look away at any point throughout the night, afraid of what I might miss next. If Alex and Casey's wedding was a movie, I'd watch it again! I laughed so much that my side hurt by the end of the evening. At the same time, it was also incredibly touching- Alex and Casey are so obviously made for each other that it was a beautiful thing to watch these two be joined. And did I mention what a stunning bride Alex was? Alex has this smile and laugh that is absolutely contagious- I love photographing her- how could I not? Everytime she smiles, I feel happy too. There's so much more I could say about their wedding, but instead I'll leave you with a few images:

Dennis Cardoza's Blue Dog Bash

This was my second year working for Congressman Dennis Cardoza at his annual bash, so I shouldn't have been surprised at how many people turned out to support him, but I was. So many people came out to show their support of the Congressman, that I was just amazed. The place was just packed with people eager to show their support for the congressman and to get up close and personal with him. The air was charged with enthusiasm and everyone was upbeat and optimistic. This year, there was also a fantstic comedian, Stephen B (check him out- www.comicB.com), and it was just an all around fun night!
If you had your picture made with the Cangressmand, you can get your free download here (the password is "Blue Dog"): http://beccahamilton.instaproofs.com/

Some shots from the night:

Christine's Bridal Session

For those of you who aren't familiar with a bridal session, it's a full portrait session either before or after the wedding of the bride in her dress. On the wedding day there's rarely time for a full photo session of the bride, and having the session on another day also allows for a more laid back, fun session, which usually results in fun, sexy images of the bride.

Christine chose to have her bridal session after returning from her honeymoon (check out her awesome tan). It was perfect, because she was able to let her hair down, not worry too much about getting a spot on the dress (because the wedding was already behind her), and just have a great time. And the results were fantastic! Christine was stunning and sexy and playful and beautiful all rolled into one- I couldn't have asked for more from a bride! Besides being so nice and easy to work with, she is just naturally beautiful. She has these amazing light blue eyes that are just mezmorizing! I had a hard time narrowing down my favorites, so here's a handful of images of Christine:

Cece's Maternity

Cece is a friend of mine, and quite frankly one of my favorite people. She's sweet, she's funny, she loves all the same tv shows I do- so I was thrilled when she asked me to do her maternity portraits. It's always great to see Cece, but especially great when I can trap her in front of my camera! I just know that Cece is going to be a great mom- I can't wait for her to welcome baby Jocelyn into the world!

Christine & Cameron's Wedding

Christine and Cameron were married last month at the beautiful Pheasant Run Golf Course in Chowchilla. It was a beautiful day- lots of sunshine and blue sky- the perfect day for a wedding! Everything was just gorgeous, from the fresh color scheme picked by the stunning bride Christine, to the gorgeous flowers and cake! It was a picture perfect summer wedding and Christine absolutely glowed every time she looked at her groom! It was a perfectly romantic summer wedding, and I felt priveleged to share the day with them! Check back soon to take a sneak peek at the fabulous bridal session I shot with Christine, in the meantime, here's a few from the wedding day: