MODELS NEEDED!!

I have so many posts to catch up on! Amanda, Megan, Laurie and everyone else...I promise that they will be posted soon!

I am teaching a May-mester photography class this month at Tech and I am so excited to meet all of my students! This is the most fun I have all year! It is a basic photography class and the students really learn from the ground up.

I take them out one say to teach them how to shoot portraits, the only catch is that I need models! This is a great opportunity to get a free portrait sitting for you. I will be shooting too, so all of my pictures will be on my website.

E-mail me before May 7th if you want to be a model!

Will Hellman's Senior Session

I am so glad that Jennifer Simek told these wonderful people about me! They were such a pleasure to meet. Will is an Eagle Scout and boy, does it show. He volunteers at the Wildlife Refuge here in Lubbock. Don't worry, I didn't know about it either, but everyone needs to go! It is absolutely amazing!

Will gets to handle the birds and he has guts! Their claws are so big, I was glad that he held them and not me!

Good luck, Will, I know that you will love Washington and college!

Congratulations on everything! Mr. and Mrs. Hellman, congratulations on such a great son!

Here are a few of my favorites...

Pre-Nuptial Bliss Contest

I hate essay questions so I will apologize in advance. This contest is especially for those looking for a wedding photographer. Weddings get expensive, so why not get quality for free?

Yes, you read right. I said free. Just tell me why. I hate when I hear about someone who didn't have a photographer simply because money was tight. E-mail or mail me a letter why you or someone you know is deserving of free wedding photography.

Of course, there are strings attached. The most important is that I have to have your date open. If I do not, I will e-mail you and let you know. If your date is not set in stone, please let me know that as well. The other string is that this does not include transportation, so if you live in New York, write a great letter and check out airfare. I bet it will be less than a NYC photographer.

The contest is open until May 30th. The winner will be announced on the blog in June right after I call the writer and the winner.

Feel free to write in for yourself, your family member or your friend! Talk about a wonderful start to a wonderful wedding!

Happy I do's!

Post Nuptial Bliss Contest

I have photographed some absolutely beautiful weddings. I tell all of my clients that you can't beat a job where everyone that you deal with while working is happy. The brides are breathtaking, the grooms are excited and the mothers, well, they are usually full of tears.

This is another one of my big contests! For all of the brides and their families, I have designed this just for you. It is simple; tell all of your friends to book with me. I don't care how far off their wedding is or if they want their family pictures done a year from now.

Here is how it works. You will get points for everyone that books and pays a deposit. Families, get ready to play together because you can pool your points as long as you tell me a single name advance! For every wedding that I book, you will recieve 3 points and for every sitting that I book you will receive one point. The game starts now and will end May 25th.

The person who books will have to tell me the name that the credit goes towards. After they state that name, the credit cannot be given to anyone else. This would be a great way for the families to get together and get the newlyweds a great gift!

So, what will you win and is it really worth all of the effort? Of course it is! You will receive a digital album custom designed from your wedding photographs! Start calling your friends and give them the web address because these weeks will fly by in a hurry!

Happy Nuptials!

Sit Ubu, Sit Contest

Poor Sasha! She won't know what to do when I get married and she is not number one in my life. My dog is everything to me. I went to the pound when I bought my house and we have been inseparable ever since.

I know that I am not the only one who feels this way! E-mail me a picture of your dog to leslieannsimon@yahoo.com. The person with the dog that most closely resembles mine will win a free sitting with their dog. Judging will take place May 2, 2006. Yes, I will post a picture of both Sasha and the winning dog on the blog.

Entries will be taken from now until May 1, 2006. So find that great picture of your dog and send it in!

Happy Hunting (or sitting, or staying, or speaking...)!

On another note, here are the contests that are still open, so start entering!
Hide and Go Seek
La, a Note to follow So
Congratulations Graduate (always open because there can be more than one winner!)
Word of Mouth

Ralls Prom 2006

What a great night I had Saturday! I guess this is the closest I will get to being able to go back to prom! Everyone looked so great; the girls dresses were absolutely stunning and all of the men looked so handsome.

After dinner they all released balloons with their "one wish" on it. What a great idea! So, if a black or gold balloon lands in your yard, you will know exactly where it came from.

Good luck everyone! And when you need senior pictures, let me know that you were at the Ralls Prom 2006 and I will make sure that you get a very special price and gift.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Ralls Prom This Saturday!

Ralls will be holding their annual Junior/Senior Prom this Saturday, April 8. This year it will be hosted at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion on the Texas Tech Campus. I am so excited because I get to be there to photograph the entire event! Don't worry, I will post pictures on the blog.

Students at Ralls - I am so excited to meet you all! I have been talking to Mrs. Stewart and we think that this is going to be one of the best prom's ever. If you are interested in purchasing pictures, you can do that at prom and they will be delivered to the school. If you do not purchase them at prom, you can purchase them on my website, but the price will be higher and I will have to charge shipping.

I can take cash and checks made payable to Savant Photography at prom and credit cards on the internet. You can choose from five packages and custom design them.
The packages are:
A-Includes all choices - $60.00
B -Includes 4 choices - $52.00
C-Includes 3 choices - $40.00
D-Includes 2 choices - $24.00
E-Includes 1 choice - $15.00

Your choices are:
* (1) 8x10
* (2) 5x7's
* (4) 4x5's
* (8) wallets or
* (16) mini's (half the size of a wallet)

They will all be of the same picture.

Be the first person to print this off and bring it to me at prom and receive Package C, a $40.00 value for free!

And, don't forget to pick up your coupon for discounted Senior Portraits! See you Saturday!

Tucker the Great

You might not know who you are looking at, but this is Tucker. Remember that. He will soon be the quarterback for Tech. Well, in about 19 years.

Tucker is three months old and as you can see, he is the newest addition to an already beautiful family. I have never photographed a more well behaved 3 month old in my life. Oh, granted he didn't like the clothes changes, but as soon as he was snapped up, he was ready to get snapped by me.

Tucker, I cannot wait to have another date with you. I hope that I get to watch you grow into a beautiful, um, I mean handsome young man. I hope I get to photograph you and your Mom and Dad many more times.

And, when you are the quarterback of Tech, don't forget about me when you are handing out field passes.

Expect the Unexpected Contest

Congratulations to every expectant mom out there! What a wonderful time in your life. No matter if it is your first or sixth, the amazement of this miracle could never be less rewarding. For nine months of total devotion to your child, I would like to offer you a baby gift that they will never outgrow.

Be the 5th person to respond to this posting through the "say hello" page on my website and receive a "Mom to be Package." This includes a private session in my studio or at the location of your choice to photograph you in your glowing beauty. It will also include online viewing complete with a password so that only those that you would like to see will be able to view the photographs.

Please use the subject line "Expecting Package" and include all of your information in the body of the e-mail.

Happy Pregnancy!

We are back!

After about 24 hours of traveling time back home, Nick and I arrived in Lubbock late Monday night. For those of you who don't know, we went to Europe. It was the first time for both of us. From London to Paris to St. Paddy's Day in Dublin, everything was a blast and with over 1,500 images, you will be able to travel along the entire trip with us! These pictures are from Dublin with Nick, Brandon, Jack and Natalie, who taught me all of the great secrets of being English.

The images will be posted on the website soon. Be sure to go to www.SavantPhotography.com to see them. Within this week I will have posts that I didn't get up before I left, including Tucker, the cute young man that I photographed about 12 hours before I left the country.

I also have some more great ideas for contests so be sure to check back for those. If you have not seen the previous contests, scroll down as most of them are on going!

Hide and Go Seek Contest

So have you been to SavantPhotography.com yet? Have you noticed anything missing? It is like a hidden track on a record. You never know it is there, but when you stumble across it, you will be glad that you did.

Tell me what it is and receive the "Mom Package." Growing up, my mother ordered the same school pictures every year; an 8x10 for her, 2-5x7's for the grandparents and 4- 4x5's for the aunts and uncles. All prints have to be of the same pose. Have you not been shot by Savant? I will also throw in a sitting for only $30 + tax.

Now that's a good puzzle to solve.

Happy Hunting!

La, a Note to Follow So Contest

I love music. I have sang in front of Nick (yes, he does laugh at me) and in front of auditoriums full of people. I love music. I think that picking the music for my website was the hardest part.

In fact, I still need to pick one more song. E-mail me an mp3 of your favorite song to leslieannsimon@yahoo.com. If you hear your song on my website, you will win a free family sitting in the location of your choice complete with online viewing. I will give you one hint...I don't want a really short song.

The winner will be picked March 29, so get your music together! Unlike many of the other contests, you can enter as often as you would like!

Happy Singing!

In a Land Far, Far Away Contest

I click on my site meter constantly. I think that it is so much fun to see who is viewing me and where they are from and then I think, "boy, I wish I knew who they are!"

So, that is where I got the idea for this contest. I want to see who is the person farthest away from me that views my site. You will win an 11x14 print of your choice. You have never been shot by Savant? Don't worry, I also shoot wildlife and nature landscape and many other subjects that you might want to hang on your wall. Maybe I photographed your niece's wedding, your daughter's graduation, your grandkids. View all the portraits and some of the prints in my online viewing section.

To enter this contest, go to the "Say Hello" page on my website and write me. Please use the title "Far Away Contest." In the body of the e-mail, include all of your information including your e-mail and the town and state you are logging in from. It has to match the town and state in my log records. Also include your mailing address and a description of the print that you would like. This contest will be valid today until April 1st, so enter anytime in between those dates. The winner will be announced in April.

Happy Winnings!

Congratulations Graduate Contest

What do you want to be when you grow up? I would love to find out during our graduation session together.

Go to my website and send me an e-mail from my contact page with the subject line "I want to be a..." I do want you to fill in the blank. In the body of the message, please tell me all of your information, when you want to do your sitting and where.

If you book a sitting for anytime during April, you will receive a regular package for only $40, a 26 percent discount.

I would also like to offer you another gift. For each person that you refer, you will receive a set of 15 wallets. That is 15 more of your classmates that will remember your face when they go off to college. What else? I will also give you a jpeg of the same image for your facebook or myspace profile.

So, if you refer 5 friends, you will have 75 wallets and 5 jpegs. Mom won't want you to leave home. You will be ready to start your new life. Leave Mom a great face; one for the fridge and one for the wallet.

Happy Beginnings...

Word of Mouth Contest

This business started because my friend Sheena Grote (Cecil) hired me to do her wedding in Tyler, Texas. From that, word started traveling and now the business is flourishing. I really want to thank all of my great customers who spread the word about Savant. No advertising in the world is as great as all of you are!

To thank you, I would like to let you feel the rewards! Any time you refer a customer and they book, you will receive a free print. From now until April 15th, I would like to sweeten the pot. Send all of your friends to my website and tell them to fill out the contact form. Please put "Referral" in the subject line. In the body have them include your name and number or e-mail address, city and state as well as their information. Whoever has the most unique referrals will win a gift certificate to Marriott Hotels.

Remember I need all of the information for it to count! On top of this, you will still receive your free print if they book. Pass the word along so that you can sleep in style.

The First Contest is Here!

My stomach is turning waiting for my website to launch! It looks fantastic! I cannot wait for everyone to see it. One of the great features is being able to contact me straight from the website instead of having to copy down my e-mail address. So, be the first one to contact me from my website and you will win a photo session with me! This can be used for engagements, family portraits, graduation or anything else that you can imagine!

Please use the subject "First Contact Contest" as your subject and be sure to put all of your information in the body, including your e-mail address.

*This competion includes the sitting fee and online viewing. There are no prints associated with this contest. Travel fees might apply if you live beyond Lubbock and the close surrounding areas.

Month Long Contest and Website Launch

Lately I have been working very hard on my new website. I can't wait for everyone to see it! To celebrate this momentous occasion, I will be giving away a lot of free stuff. Some of the many items will be prints, photo sessions, proof albums, digital albums, free rooms at the Marriott and a wedding! Yes, you heard right! A day of photography capturing every special moment of your special day completely free to you! Check this blog often to find out what you need to do to win. Be sure to check every day from today on out because some of the contests will last the whole month and some will only last for a day.

E-mail this blog to all of your friends and have them check in daily as well. It could lead to prizes for your friends and even greater prizes for you!

Good Luck!~

Katie and Kyle

Katie was a student of mine at Tech. I was her TA when I was in graduate school. The past two summers I have taught photography and she was in that class as well. Katie and Kyle will be married on June 10, 2006. I will not be photographing their wedding because I already have one booked, but I am so sad about that! I know that with a couple this beautiful, the wedding will be spectacular! To view all of Katie and Kyle's engagement pictures, CLICK HERE!

Happy Valentine's, Susan!

It has taken me a while to publish my posts and I am way behind. Hopefully I will get caught up tonight or tomorrow.

Chris (who just might be the most thoughtful husband in the world) wanted to get his wife Susan a Valentine's gift that she would never forget. Luckily they have the most beautiful girls! I snuck up to their church one Sunday morning and he snuck over to my house to pick up the prints. Susan, I hope you enjoy the pictures, and the love that went into making them!

Oh, Blair!

The absolute most gorgeous, photogenic, full of life person is the face you see above. I have been wanting to put Blair's bridals up for so long, but of course I had to wait until after the wedding. I know that this was the longest bridal session that I have ever done and the most fun wedding that I have ever been to.

Blair, Brad and I have been friends for years now. We actually met at pre-celebrations for a common friend's wedding. Blair does my hair now, I do all of her photography. A hair cut takes forever because both of us talk a mile a minute. She is truly a personality that everyone needs to get to know.

Blair and Brad are those two people that you know were meant for each other. As corny as that sounds, I know that there is no one else in this world that should have the heart of Blair and I know that no one would measure up to Brad in the eyes of his new wife.

Here's to you! Congratulations, I love you both!