Monthly Archives: March 2009

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Keep that album in mind

God forbid it ever happen, but in the event Nick and I’s house should catch on fire, next to getting the two of us and our dog out of there, I’d brave a burnt eyebrow or two to grab my wedding album before hitting the door.

We live in a digital era and I respect my clients’ desires to get their images from me on a CD. But we also need to acknowledge that today’s technology is dated before it comes out of the box, overshadowed by the next greatest improvement in all things gadgety. In this era of digital disposal, few items carry with them any permanence. And that’s why I believe albums (be they of your wedding or your family memories) are SOOO worth the investment. In my mind, they are possibly the last remaining heirloom.

I remember getting Nick and I’s wedding album. I was giddy over its pages for days and couldn’t wait to show it to my family and friends. Now I look forward to the day I can pass it down to my children and hear what they have to say about the way we looked on that magical day. Sure I could do the same thing with our wedding photographs, but there’s no sure bet I’ll have all those photos in one place and if I had them on a CD, who KNOWS what kind of technology we’d be using 30 years from now (we’ll probably all have chips in our arms! ha!).

These feelings are all what have me SO excited to introduce my album line for 2009. Each album is custom designed by me, with images that best tell the story of your special day. I used my friend Tracy’s wedding for my sample album displayed below. For a full peek at the album’s contents, CHECK OUT THE SLIDESHOW.

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Each album comes with its own protective fabric sleeve. Isn’t that beautiful? :)

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The album is crafted from fine Italian leather, with each page 2mm thick to ensure sturdy protection of your prints.

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Beautifully bound with quality craftsmanship!

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The photos are designed into the page with each spread laying flat for easier viewing.

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I can order album sizes in 8×8, 10×10 (like the one above) and 12×12, with the album’s cover coming in a range of colors (if you’re feeling bold, they even have a hot pink!) If you think you might be interested in an album order now or in the future, contact me at gailwernerphotography@gmail.com and I can give you more details — including the option of a payment plan.

My husband’s twin(s) — who’s it gonna be? VOTE ON IT!

So here’s the funny thing — my husband is a twin. But of the fraternal type, which means he looks nothing like his brother.

Now, when it comes to the Hollywood variety, my husband has twins a plenty. Nick likes to joke that because he’s six foot tall, with dark hair and dark eyes, he looks like a lot of people. And maybe that’s true of a lot of guys with his build … but it seems he’s always being told he looks like someone. The other day, my friend, Tracy, sent me an e-mail to tell me she’d caught an episode of Jimmy Fallon’s new late-night show. “He really looks like him .. you should do a blog post about how many people Nick looks like and let people vote.”

I had a laugh over that one and told her it was a good idea. But it was going to see “He’s Just Not That Into You” over the weekend that cemented the decision to make a blog post out of this. The actor Justin Long (aka, the “Mac Guy”) is in the movie, and I leaned over to my sister and whispered, “Nick gets told by a lot of people that he looks like that guy.” Karin’s response was, “Really? I don’t know…” and right as she said that, my sister-in-law, Lynne, leaned over to say, “Hey! That guy really looks like Nick!”

So, faithful blog readers, I’ll let YOU be the judge and pick from the men that — in the seven years we’ve been together — I’ve been told look like my husband. I posted my thoughts on each below … and oh yeah, there’s a picture below that of Nick and his REAL twin :)

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1) When we were in college, Nick got comparisons to Colin Farrell a lot. Now, let’s remember, these were the pre-drugged out (bloated) days of Colin Farrell, so yeah, I didn’t mind the comparisons :)

2) The Listerine guy. Remember this commercial? A high school friend, Ashley, (I’m shooting her wedding in June, actually :) ) always used to tell me this is who Nick reminded her of. I can see the resemblance!

3) Justin Long — again, back to the Mac guy. Sometimes I see the comparison, most often I don’t. Nick says better “that guy” than the PC guy :) (and I DO love my Mac, soooo…..)

4) Jimmy Fallon — As I mentioned above, my friend Tracy gives me this comparison a lot. She says Nick’s funny in a “Jimmy Fallon” kind of way, so maybe that’s it, but I don’t see it as much.

5) Jimmie Johnson the NASCAR driver. Probably of everyone up here, Nick gets this one the most. Matter of fact, last summer, while camping with the Turtles, Nick got stuck out on a lake in his kayak. He was drenched and trying to find the shore in a storm when a nice woman in a camper helped him up to her dock. As she was pulling him in, she told him, “So has anyone ever told you that you look like Jimmie Johnson?” :)This being NASCAR country could always warrant the numerous comparisons (ha!) but this is one Nick’s voting for (”Of everyone up here, I’d rather be a race car driver,” he told me).

6) Josh Radnor of “How I Met Your Mother.” I have Tracy to thank again for this comparison. For years she told me to watch this show, noting how much the lead actor reminded her of Nick. Well, I finally took her advice and fell hard — for both the show and Ted Mosby. I joke that he’s my TV husband because there are SO many mannerisms of his character that — combined with the looks — are definitely Nick. So Josh gets my vote!

7) John Cusack — Okay, this one’s a shot in the dark, and being a shot in the dark, Nick voted for a shot of John as Lloyd Dobbler. So, there you have it .. I have to say, I had a pretty big crush on John in “Serendipity,” so I don’t mind this comparison either!

8 ) Jon Hamm — Another stretch (Nick says John’s too good looking to be compared with him) but given that we both love the show “Mad Men” and I am LOVING Jon’s recent guest role on “30 Rock” I’ll take this comparison too!

9) And finally, Greg from “Dharma and Greg”. Do we even need to use the real actor’s name? I mean, that’s how we all know him right? Sarah Brown, if you’re reading this blog post, this entry’s for you :)

And for any of you out there wondering what my hubby looks like, that’s him on the left with his twin brother, Clay, at Clay’s wedding a few years back (and yep, if you were thinking it, Clay got a lot of comparisons to Ben Affleck growing up …. not a bad looking set of boys, eh? :) )

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I really love …

anything designed by Orla Kiely, especially these cups I got from Target!

Some of you may have seen this designer’s work before. She makes a signature handbag I covet the way most women covet Coach or Chanel. Of course, it’s TOTALLY out of my price range.

Which means stumbling across Kiely’s line of (WAY cheaper) Target goods had me doing a little happy dance in the store’s aisle. I gifted the tumblers to my dear friend Michelle for her birthday but kept the mug. It’s one of my favorites to drink coffee in. As in, some mornings, I’ll open the kitchen cupboard and grin upon spotting it amid the hodgepodge that is my coffee mug collection. Isn’t that strange how something so small and insignificant can give you a little pick-me-up like that? And can I get an “Amen” for how much we love the brilliance that is top-notch designers partnering with Target? Ahhhh…..a trip to Target. Talk about pick-me-ups …..

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I promise work will start picking up on the blog soon — I’ve got my first wedding of the season right around the corner! And I actually forgot about the image above but I’ve been making some upgrades to my Lightroom software (can technology just QUIT already with the 2.0s and then the 2.1s followed by the 2.2s?) and I stumbled across this shot I took a few weeks back and decided to blog it. Blogging of course being a giant form of procrastination for other work I need to get done yet this evening …. :)

Dining Room remodel? Check and DONE.

A few weeks ago I blogged about the beginning stages of a remodeling project to our dining room. With the last print now hung (and I only pounded ONE mis-measured hole in the wall :) ), I am happy to report this project is D-O-N-E (yes, the capital letters are necessary when blogging about a project of this magnitude).

When Nick and I moved into our house 3 years ago, the dining room never really had any kind of personality, remaining its own version of a black hole. Nothing in it caught your attention save a hand-me-down table from his grandmother (it was retro-chrome cute, but pretty beat up) and a left-over plate rack with a shelf full of dusty flea-market china.

Not anymore …. here’s a peek:

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Our dining room set is the IKEA Stockholm collection. I was like a little kid saving for that thing in 2008! Our pendant light fixtures are original to the house (well, okay not original original, but installed by the stylish couple who owned our house before us) and the oh-so-appropriate camera print hanging on the wall at right was a design by the uber-talented artist Rod Hunting and purchased at The Post Family Store (one thing people should know about me: I am OBSESSED with finding unknown artists of the graphic persuasion on the Internet. Need a cheap print? GIVE ME A REASON TO SHOP FOR SOMEONE OTHER THAN MYSELF, PEOPLE).

Remember these?

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The matching IKEA buffet table (I wish I was one of those people whose furniture was a collection of awesome mid-century and vintage steals, but when you’re not living on a coast, yeah, it’s hard to make that happen).

The shelf underneath the table is a perfect place to store my favorite photography books and the lamp is a Crate & Barrel purchase — would you believe I coveted it for so long, I was able to use a gift card from our wedding to buy it (and we got married in 2006!) I adore Eames furniture and since an actual rocker isn’t in my price range at the moment, the lovely print from this etsy artist was a necessary impulse buy :) . The poster is a design by graphic artist Jason Munn and is a promo for a band I adore, The National. Oh man, this guy makes the coolest posters for some of my favorite musicians. I’m tempted to paint a room turquoise just to have a place to hang his design for the awesomeness that is his She & Him print.

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And finally, my favorite wall in the whole room (and sorry this photo is crappy — I had to crank up the ISO because the room is pretty dark)

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To know me is to know that I have an obsession with books. To the point where I actually laid out the entire concept for how I wanted this remodel to go on based around this very bookshelf. It was such a great collaboration with my dad. I mocked up a design last fall (with space built in for my favorite Matte Stephens print) and a couple months later, he had it built. When he showed up with it in his truck (all shrink-wrapped and perfectly transported, which is SO my father), I seriously had tears in my eyes. It’s probably one of my most prized posessions in the house now and I love that I’ll be able to take it with me someday when we ever move.

Growing up, I used to love to visit my friend Ellen at her house — it was just so cozy and full of books and fun oddities. I’ve been in a lot of people’s places over the years — with furnishings I remember little to nothing about — but I still remember everything about her childhood home and I always thought, someday, when I had my own place, I wanted it to have its own well-loved collection of art and books and other mementos. With this room, I feel like I’m well on my way.

Bonding with Betsy and Bobbi

I’m fairly certain mine is the generation that will tell its kids about how many friendships were made thanks to the power of the ‘ol World Wide Web. Take, for instance, my recent Saturday spent with the wonderful Betsy and Bobbi.

Let me backtrack for a minute: Way back in September 2006, Bobbi photographed the wedding of one of Nick’s best friends. I didn’t meet Bobbi back then because I was in a wedding the same day, BUT I became a big fan of her work and watched as her career with her husband EXPLODED over the past 3 years.  I’ve also laughed numerous times at how many people she’s photographed that I know — it’s become a game of “Six Degrees of Bobbi Sheridan” (which, as a random side note, let me say I’m a little TOO good at playing the Kevin Bacon version of that game).

Anyway, 2 years ago, Bobbi blogged a photo shoot with Betsy, her husband, John, and adorable son, Miles, and there was just something about Betsy that made me want to shoot her this “Okay, you don’t know me, and this is probably really weird, but let’s be friends” kind of e-mail. I NEVER do that, but I went out on a limb and am so glad I did — Bets has become SUCH a dear friend of mine (the kind you can send 30 e-mails a day…in some 24-hour cycles, I may not be exaggerating), not to mention we’ve found out how much we have in common, including being raised right down the road from one another AND having the same piano teacher :) .

Point of those two paragraphs is to explain that Bets (in a way) was the glue that brought me to meeting up and hanging out with Bobbi — and, this past Saturday, that down time also included time spent with Bobbi’s awesome husband, Mike. We geeked out over their photography equipment, Mike gave us a tutorial on how to clean our cameras (and helped me tackle off-camera flash), and had a blast sharing dinner together.

And just to share a few images from the day — these are some artsy shots I snapped of Betsy with Bobbi’s 50mm 1.2 lens while on the fire escape of Bobbi and Mike’s loft. I have this paranoia about tall places with open spaces, so I was FREAKING out while we messed around. And Bobbi snapped a shot of yours truly that I really love, so you’ll have to check out her blog!

I told Betsy she’s ONE HOT MAMA!!

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I really love …

My IKEA grocery bags.

I know I’m not winning any races when it comes to jumping on the eco-band wagon of using recyclable bags at the grocery store. But I DO have to gush about how much I love these particular bags that I’ve been touting to Meijer and Marsh the past few weeks (and did you know Marsh gives you a 5 cent discount per bag? Making money (it’s change, I know, but still…) AND helping the environment - I LOVE IT :) )

I think the reason I’d held off on the cloth bags the chains carry is because I always thought they seemed just as small as the plastic bags. But these? Well, if there was a luxury line of the reusable bag, I’d nominate them for the highest rating.

Leaving the store the other night, I had just three of these bags full — with a load of food I know would have filled 20 of the plastic kind (no wonder we all have those sticking out our ears — and don’t get me started on when they double bag ‘em!)

The No. 1 reason I think I love these bags? They’re crinkly and snap open like the old paper kind. And I guess that reminds me of all those trips to Scott’s in Fort Wayne with my mom when I was a kid . She’d bribe me every Friday night with a trip to Pizza Hut and then “Ooh.. oh, did you forget Gail? I’ve got to go the grocery. I just need a few things …”

Part of me wishes I could travel back in time to tell my six-year-old self to suck it up while I pouted in the check-out line. Because who knew there’d come a time 20 years later I’d decide to wax nostalgic about the experience.

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A car that feels so like “us”

Over the weekend, Nick and I ventured down to Indianapolis to test drive a Subaru. What started as a “We’re just going to take it for a spin,” turned into a “I LOVE THE WAY THIS CAR HANDLES,” test drive, which became an “Okay, we’re just going to take one more week to think about it,” followed by a “Well, what do you think, they are making us a great deal…”

Next thing you know, it’s 2 hours later and we’re holding keys to a new (to us anyway) vehicle in our hands and I’m doing a happy dance in the parking lot.

Let me just say, buying this car was a surreal experience on so many levels:

It’s the first car Nick and I have ever bought together — as in, it’s “our” car. Not his. Not mine. Ours. As all you married folk who’ve shared this kind of dual purchase know, THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Buying this car also reminds us we’re another year older. And if you can’t tell from the picture, a Subaru Outback is a wagon. It’s middle name is Practicality. Which really brought home (as in smack dab in our faces) the “This is the vehicle you will have when you start a family in a few years” sentiment.

The most surreal part of it all? I’ve dreamed about owning a Subaru for years. I know, so random and weird right? I think someone in my family even joked when I told them, “Isn’t that a soccer mom car?” Sure, some people may see it that way. I see it as a great cross-over that fits our lifestyle — the dog fits in the back, the bikes fit in the back and Nick’s kayaks can find room on top. And if I had my pick between a Corvette and this Subaru, it’s the Subaru that would still be sitting in my driveway.

Yep, who am I kidding, Practicality is MY middle name.

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Bigger is better …

Ahem … now that I have all of your attention with THAT headline, I just wanted to take a minute to show off one of the fantastic products I have available to clients. They’re called stand-out prints and as you can see from the product images below, they let you take that special image of your family member and go bigger.

Because, really, folks, when it comes to showing off those images of your loved ones, isn’t bigger ALWAYS better? :)

On a serious note, I’m always wanting to encourage my clients that images bigger than 8×10s really make a dramatic statement in your home. This is a 20×24 print I ordered for my brother and sister-in-law of my niece Emily. It’s from a session I did right before her birthday last summer and it’s one of my favorite images I’ve ever taken.

I hung it up on one of my walls this week, just to see what it’d look like, and truthfully, I’m a little jealous I’m going to have to pack it up and send it on its way. But I’m really excited for my sibling — he’s got a new house with a lot of blank walls and thankfully he’s got a sister whose more than happy to keep filling them up with pictures of his family.

If you’re interested in stand-out prints from your session with me — or a future session! — e-mail me at gailwernerphotography@gmail.com for pricing details.

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I took this image solely to show what kind of edging a stand-out print has. These are VERY light (so that you don’t have to hear your husband cursing you under his breath as he drills an anchor into the wall — oh wait, does that only happen in my household? :) ) and since they come with a finished edge that’s either 3/4 or 1 1/2 inch thick, you don’t have to worry about framing.

As someone who has spent a wad of her birthday cash framing prints for her dining room as of late, I promise you that a stand-out gives you MORE FOR YOUR BUCK.

And for the fellas who may pop over to this blog on occasion, I know of no better gift for your wife this Mother’s Day (it’s a hint people — and definitely not a subtle one)

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AJAXed with AWP