A letter to my loyal customers and the ones to come:

As many of you already know, I had surgery on my foot back in October and it was totally unsuccessful. I will be having another surgery this fall (after senior season) in hopes we can get it right. Per my doctor’s orders I need to spend less time on my feet so that is reason #1 why I am changing to strictly location photography. Without the overhead of the studio space I can work a little less but I’m certainly not ready to quit.  Reason #2 is I’ve been working out of that space for 10 years and as much as I have loved it, I’m ready for a complete change.  By shooting location only, it will require me to be the most creative photographer I can be.  I photographed several seniors for 2011 strictly on location and I absolutely loved it.  Reason #3 is I’m not getting any younger (as much as I would like to think I’m still in my 30s, I’m not) and while I’m not ready to retire, I feel the need to take things a little easier and slip into retirement in a couple of years.  So with all that being said I also would like to give you reasons why this is going to be great for you guys, too.

• You can’t be late if I come to you!  ( Haha )
• You can’t forget anything! ( Again haha )
• You don’t need to pack anything or drive anywhere!
• You will be in your own surroundings and comfort zone.
• Your pictures will be totally different from everyone else.
• Your session will be personal and intimate with everything we need within reach.
• Your pets and vehicle (plus anything else we decide to use in a photo) will be right there!
• I will only be shooting one senior (maybe 2 occasionally) per day so we will have no pressure or wait time.
• We will also be able to travel to at least one other location or several if they are in close proximity to your home or our base location.

Now I would also like to address some concerns I’m sure some of you may have.  Many of you are going to say that your home isn’t beautiful or fancy enough to photograph in.  I will not be photographing your home…I will be photographing you!  The lenses I use are true professional quality that allow me to blur the backgrounds and keep the emphasis on your face, not what’s behind you.  If you really prefer I don’t come to your home, I have several other places we can meet as a base.  You may be worried that your pictures will not have that studio feel and yes they will be different but the quality and professionalism I have always provided will not change at all.  I can bring portable studio backgrounds if needed and we can still have those gorgeous beauty and beau headshots for your yearbook competition.  I will be using location lighting that gives beautiful results. 

Another concern is about viewing your images and placing orders.  Tarra will be running the office from her home, which includes answering the phone, scheduling appointments and meeting with you guys.  We will still be offering our cool proof books and competitive packages for all our seniors and our other customers.  At least one day each week, Tarra will be at a predetermined location (Starbucks, etc.) to meet with you to deliver books or packages and to take orders.  She will be working from a laptop to continue showing you cropping, retouching and color options.

Now that I’ve told you about all the changes we are making, I’d like to list a few things that will never change about Eclipse.

• Our customers ARE our business.  They always come first.
• We will continue to make your photography session a fun and comfortable experience.
• We pride ourselves in delivering a high quality FINISHED product.
• Our dedication to photography as an art form, not just a business, will never change!

Thank you for your continued loyalty to Eclipse!

-Debbie