Tuesday, May 31, 2016
By Impressions Studio
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Today's "Social Media" world is a lot different than the way things were even just 10 years ago. As a small business owner there are so many ways to connect with your current and prospective clients and sometimes it's hard to keep up with what is the best approach. One tactic that has never failed me through the years though, is "word of mouth" and testimonials from past clients. Knowing your friends (or your child's friends/their parents!) had a positive experience with something helps to reassure you that you're making a good choice. 

This year was the first that we chose to actually print some of the testimonials in our Senior Catalog. We had trouble choosing which ones to print but wanted to make sure we shared even the ones we didn't print with you.

Let's not forget about Mom's thoughts! Thank you for your thoughts Barbara and Arlene!

We hope these testimonials help when thinking about who to choose for your Senior Portrait Photographer! Thank you for reading this week's blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Thursday, May 26, 2016
By Impressions Studio
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Here at Impressions Studio we are proud to offer a variety of sessions and our most popular continue to be the Art, Fashion and Top Model sessions. The thing these three have in common is the option to go on location. In studio sessions are great, don't get me wrong, but going on location adds a whole layer of uniqueness and comfortability to it all. Often people feel out of place or awkward in front of a camera but when you remove the four walls of a building they're not very familiar with and add in a natural background or location that is special to them, their whole demeanor changes. 

 

As we said, the three sessions that allow choosing a location are the Art, Fashion and Top Model. The Art Session offers the option to go out on the studio's property. We have an "outdoor studio" area, a front porch and plenty of photogenic nooks and crannies. This is a great choice for anyone who has a slightly restrictive schedule but wants to add some variety to their overall session. 

Both the Fashion (one location) and Top Model (two locations) offer the opportunity to choose an offsite location. Seniors will often ask where to go of this portion of their session. The most popular locations are definitely Gouveia Vineyards and the beach. Gouveia is absolutely gorgeous any time of the year. Between the pond, the never-ending views on the property or the grape vines themselves, there is always a new angle to photograph from. 

You can never go wrong when it comes to choosing the beach. Choosing outfits is a lot simpler because you have the option to go with neutrals or something a little brighter and more fun that will still look great. We've photographed at a ton of beach locations over the years because here at Impressions, we have the luxury of being close by! The two beach locations we photograph at most are Light House Point Park and Hammonasset Beach. Sometimes we've even been invited to family beach houses to capture these seniors in an environment they really grew up with.

When it comes to picking a location we are never discriminatory! We've been to horse farms, apple orchards, theaters and many other places. Downtown Wallingford has some real "gem spots" that you may have never noticed that we love to shoot in. Over the years, we've had some students choose a location we've never been to before but was important to them. One that stood out last year was when we photographed at The Barns at Wesleyan Hills. The story behind why they chose the location was so sweet but also the venue property was more beautiful than we had even realized. Not only is it nice to see these locations and learn why they are special but it's also fun to explore and photograph in new areas. 

Now we know this is a lot of information to take in but we hope it was helpful! We're always (especially Tuesday-Friday 9:30-5:30) here to help talk you through choosing the best location for you or coordinating how you and your best friend can go to the same location and still have completely personalized sessions. The possibilities of ways we can help or list of locations we can offer to choose from is endless! We can't wait for your Senior Session!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Friday, May 13, 2016
By Impressions Studio
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It's our favorite time of year - Senior Catalog mail out time! Prepping for this every year is so much fun. Looking back at our seniors from the year before and reminsing on the great sessions we had is the best motivation for the season that lies ahead.

Last Senior Season we photographed students from over ten high schools all around Connecticut and we wanted to ensure we represented as many as possible in the catalog. With so many to choose from, narrowing the list down to 30 final images, was no easy task. We featured students from Cheshire, Lyman Hall, Sheehan, North Branford, Vinal Tech and Hamden High!

 

Seeing yourself or recognizing your friend's while thumbing through the catalog is always fun! Plus, knowing you can talk to your peers about their experience with us here at Impressions Studio can really put your mind at ease if you're at all worried about your session.

There are some new things happening this Senior Season with package types and limited time promotions! Call before May 29th to receive discounts ranging fro 25% off to 100% off! There are a few other promos that we will feature on this Blog and on our Instagram throughout the summer. Mostly the perks and sales will be listed in our catalog so if you haven't received your copy yet, call today and request one today! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Thursday, April 28, 2016
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Today’s Focus on Wallingford is featuring Wallingford's own, Ultra Coin Laundromat! With a convienent location on North Main Street Extention and welcoming customer service, Ultra Coin is the best laundromat service our town has to offer! Not only is it immaculate, but also up to date and comfortable. Recently I got together with Chris and talked shop. Read what he had to say, below!

 

 

"Ultra coin Laundromat is a family owned business that opened in 2000. Initially, it was started by my mother and her best friend. I took over the business about five years ago and have done my best to maintain the high quality service they started but have added my own touches to the place. I grew up in Wallingford, graduated from Lyman Hall High School, and I'm happy to be raising my kids here as well.  We are very involved in the community.  Ultra Coin sponsors a team in the Wallingford Girls' Softball League and that team even made it to the championship game last year! We are also a proud sponsor of an adult softball team. Ultra Coin's biggest focus is on cleanliness and the happiness of our customers. We offer a friendly, family-oriented environment, complete with an iPad center with games to entertain the children and two big screen televisions with plenty of seating.  Our laundromat has 24 washers, 26 dryers and plenty of folding tables. We are located near multiple shopping destinations and have over 12 cameras for added safety.  We are proud to say that Ultra Coin was voted "2015 Best Laundromat in New Haven County". We hope to continue this tradition throughout the years to come!"

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s Focus on Wallingford! Keep your eyes peeled to see our next post and if you’re interested in having your business featured feel free to contact us HERE!

 

 
Thursday, April 14, 2016
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Happy spring! Or at least I think it’s spring? New England’s lack of consistent weather patterns never ceases to amaze me. In any case, Impressions Studio is ready to bloom after a fun-filled and busy winter!


Considering there’s really no “off season” for photographer’s, it’s always hard to know if and when taking a vacation is possible. Luckily, I found some time and booked the trip of a lifetime to Thailand. I’m behind the camera so much on a day to day basis, I often don’t bring one on weekend getaways or to friend/family gatherings but I’ve decided that needs to change. Thailand was the perfect place to start my creative photographic journey and to take photos “just for me." I heard Thailand was pretty, but I never could have guessed it would be such a perfect combination of city, oasis and beauty.  The vibrant colors are what I will remember most. Sun hitting temples, buddha statues, hot pink tropical fruits and flowers, turquoise water with lush green islands. It honestly still feels like a dream.


In addition to wanting a trip where I could relax and unwind after a extremely busy 2015 season, I wanted to use it as a trip to inspire some photographic creativity. About a week after I returned home to a suddenly cold Connecticut, I hopped on a plane to Florida for some work related fun. I was there attending a photographic conference, SYNC, which focuses on studios who mainly photograph High School Seniors. While there, I learned so much and look forward to implementing a lot of the tips this coming season. One of the things we’re most excited about incorporating, is video into some of our sessions. Also, we have some new non-senior focused promotions that we’ll be releasing in the coming weeks!


Keep your eyes peeled on the Impressions Studio Facebook and Instagram page as we get back into the swing of things. We’ll be picking up our Focus on Wallingford Blog series and updating you bi-weekly with senior session and other session tips and promos. We look forward to staying connected with you in this 2016 season!