Never be caught empty handed at the playground again!

Have you ever met someone that you really got along with at your local park or playgroup and you start to fumble around in your diaper bag to find something to give them contact info with? You might find wipes, dirty tissues and Cheerio crumbs, but nothing else.

[Sound familiar?]

With Leslie’s new Mommy and Me Cards, having no pen and no paper is no problem!

These stylish 2 x 3.5 inch cards will help you secure the best play dates for your little tike. With 8 card styles and 20 fonts to chose from, your Mommy and Me cards can either be as traditional or funky as you are! Ask how you can use your custom photos from your Leslie du Mont Photography session to be the hippest Mom around the sandbox!

Way cool, right? Well, I told you that this year was going to be incredible! ;-)

Tah tah for now,

Leslie

I’ll be out of the office April 25th, 2008. I will return on Monday, April 28th.

Leslie du Mont Photography office hours are 9 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday. On-Location photography shoots are usually scheduled on Tuesdays and Fridays in the late afternoon. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are typically spent in the studio.

I am currently booking sessions in late May and early June. Session fees are due in advance to reserve session dates. To inquire about possible session dates, please use my contact page found at www.lesliedumontphotography.com.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Leslie

I’m all about supporting local artists! Especially when they are some of the Tidewater’s finest young musicians as well. Check out WAVA! [Pronounced wave-ah] On any given weekend you can find these guys playing around town or even selling out the Norva in downtown Norfolk. Yes, in fact, I’ll probably line up for tickets next time, too, despite my way un-cool advanced age!

My daughter has them playing in heavy rotation on her Ipod and will even be lucky enough to have them playing at her school’s Formal this year. [School choice has its privileges as the some of the talented Wava hipsters go there, too.] Go, dawgs!

Hmmm…maybe I should offer to shoot the band’s next promotional photos. Boys, call me!

Well, it certainly was a joy to photograph Miss J at a park in Virginia Beach last weekend.  This girl has a great all-American look, tons of charm and what I would call “old soul” wit.  Love, love, LOVE her.  J also has the voice of a songbird.  Just ask her about her singing competitions! 

I think we both agreed that she is now an honorary member of the du Mont family.  We even have our own homie handshake…which FYI makes me a pretty cool pretend-Mom.

Here is your sneak peak, Miss Thang!

I’ve got a busy work week ahead of me including proofing two sessions and a local photographers’ get-together this am.  At least I can check blogging off my list today!

Bye for now.

Leslie

This weekend was very eventful here in Virginia Beach.  Not only did I have a killer photo session with an Old Norfolk beauty (of which I’ll get a sneak peak on the site asap tomorrow,) but my family went to see the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Required by Ben Stein.

  [For the record, I would pay money to see my buddy Ben read the phone book, but I digress.]

 The movie Expelled explored the current theme of censorship and supression when it comes to the academic community’s unabashed support of Darwinism.  This movie was incredibly thought provoking regardless of whether you are a Christian, a Jewish person or an atheist.  At various times my fellow theatre-goers cheered and jeered out loud.  I haven’t been in a 12 screen Multi-plex where people did that in… heck, since the last time I saw Rocky Horror Picture Show in the early 90’s.  

I highly recommend that you go see this movie regardless of how you “think” you might feel about Creationism and Darwinism.  To see this discussion brought up and dissected by Ben Stein with his usual humor and brevity was a great thing to show to and discuss with our 15 year old daughter.  …Esp. with her confirmation soon upon us. We discussed the similarities striking differences between the images of Al Gore preaching his schtick about global warming from a limosine and private jet and Ben Stein riding in taxis and driving himself to interviews with some of the world’s leading physicists and scientists.  Sadly enough, I doubt Mr. Stein will be in the running for a Nobel Peace Prize. 

This movie was def. an E ticket ride!

Leslie

PS- J, I’ll have that sneak peak up tomorrow.  I know. I know.  I’m such a tease!    

FYI, I’ll be out of the office May 5th and 6th.  I’m travelling to Richmond, VA for the “Captivated by the Light” Workshop with Ed Pierce.  Continued education is so important for photographers as the industry is constantly changing.  I’m really looking forward to learning a lot there.  I will have internet access in the evenings and will be back in the office on May 7th.  BTW, I’m still trying to pressure my best friend/business advisor/client L. to tag along with me for the boondoggle business trip!

This week I met with a wonderful bunch of photographers for coffee at a Virginia Beach Starbucks.  All of these girls are so creative and busy!  We laughed and shared stories for several hours.  There really is so much to learn from all of our experiences.  We’ve even decided to meet twice a month- once in Norfolk and once in VA Beach to try and make it so that everyone can at least make it to one of the meetings.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Norfolk Academy’s “Field Day” on May 2nd!  Not only is this a fun and activity-full day for the children, but thanks to the heirloom plant sales, book exchange, and the antique silver and painted furniture sales, it is also fun for adults!  Well, it is fun if you like an exciting day of finding unexpected treasures!

Have a nice weekend.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful for my Saturday session with J.  I can’t wait!

Leslie

   

A big congratulations out to Mary Liz who won my Surface Officers’ Spouses auction prize!  She called me the morning after the event and was so excited that she’d won.  I can’t wait to meet you, your new baby and your husband.  Thanks for supporting the SOS scholarships, Mary Liz!

 Of course, that auction wasn’t the only way to win a free photo session and a wall portrait.  The Saint Paul’s Youth still has their raffle going until May 11th.  All raffle contributions go to their 2008 mission trip!  You can purchase tickets from any SPY kid on Sundays after the service.  Who will be the lucky winner this time?

The next three weeks are going to be crazy busy wonderfully busy for me.  Oh yes, I’ve got babies!!  Check back for sneak peaks!   

Leslie du Mont Photography has had some web troubles this week and my site, shopping cart and blog were down for three days.  Everything seems to be fixed now.  I’m sorry if this inconvenienced you in any way.

That’s all for now.

Leslie

Despite still being sick, things have been hectic around here for me getting everything ready for the two charity donations I’m participating in here in the Norfolk - Virginia Beach area. 

One is for the Surface Officers Spouses “Rags to Riches” Auction for their scholarship fund.  Many thanks to the many SOS volunteers that are helping to put this wonderful auction together.  Sorry I can’t make it to the big night this Friday, but I won’t miss it next year.  A few of my other “old” Navy friends have donated big ticket items that I’d love to be bidding on!

The other donation of mine is to another organization that is near and dear to my heart.  I’ve donated an on-location family session plus a 16 x 20 mounted portrait for raffle to benefit the Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church Youth Group (SPY) 2008 Mission Trip.  How can I not help support these wonderful, energetic kids?  My daughter and I were both baptised at that historic church.  And, yes, it is the church with the Revolutionary War cannonball in the wall.  What is the old Norfolk rhyme?  Something like “St. Paul’s at the mall with the Cannonball in the wall?”  Any-who, that is my church and the people there are like family to me!  So, if you see the SPY kids hawking raffle tickets on Sundays, please help support them. 

Plus, how can you beat getting a custom photography session AND a free 16 x 20 wall portrait [a $300 value] for only $10?  Buy those tickets!  Good luck!

On a personal note, we got some good news this week.  Several of you have written to me for updates about my father Byron Yoder and his being diagnosed with Chordoma recently.  The update is that he and my mother are in Houston at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center as I type this.  His new specialists think that in his case they can operate on his tumor and increase his quality of life more than with proton beam therapy!  That is great news!  While another surgery is never a walk in the park, the possibility of providing my father with a few more regattas and fishing trips than previously thought gives us tremendous hope!  Here is a picture of my parents.  {{{Love you guys}}}

 Man, this blog post sure has an awful lot of links in it!  That is all for now.

Ciao.

Leslie 

PS: Happy Birthday to my good friends and most favorite repeat clients!  [ Liz, Jelly, and Zack]  We miss you.