That is the first of Thomas Jefferson’s “10 Rules to Live By” that confront me every day at the bottom of our steps. While I could deliberate, tweak, add, subtract, and otherwise edit this new version of my blog until the end of time, I decided to seize on the theme that has been present in my photography endeavor from the start. That is, the best time to act is NOW. There will be some minor changes in the next few days, but I’m proud to start off year two of Jennifer Mendoza Photography with my new and improved blogsite.

I hope you will find it to be more useful and easier to navigate than the previous version. This one does a better job of being a one-stop-shop, as a portfolio site, blog, and proofing/ordering site (coming soon). And the best thing about this site? Bigger pictures! Hooray for that.

When you give someone the gift of a portrait session you are

…giving them an opportunity to record, preserve, and CELEBRATE themselves and their families.

…giving a gift that they will have and cherish for years to come.

…giving them the experience of a photo session where they get to be themselves and then see how beautiful that really is.

Gift Certificates can be purchased in any denomination and can be sent either to you or directly to the recipient.

This is also something you could register for if you are expecting a baby.

Contact me to register or purchase a gift certificate today!

It’s been such a busy few weeks that I’ve not posted as much as I would have liked. These are from a mini session on the beach that I did recently near Fort Lauderdale. This shoot was late in the morning and it was HOT! We had to hide out under the pier to have any hope of finding shade. Miss E is beautiful, but wasn’t too keen on getting her picture taken by me! Thankfully, Daddy helped me bring out her smile.

So serious…

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JACKSONVILLE – Just a few slots left for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

ATLANTA – One Day Only – Saturday, October 17 – until 2010! Contact me at jenmen@gmail.com

I am booking now for Saturday, October 17. This is the only day that I have free in Atlanta prior to the holidays, so book NOW and don’t wait until the last minute!

See the investment page for options, including Mini Holiday Sessions. Another great option is to get some friends or extended family together and split the session up. This is also a fun way to get pictures of grown-up siblings, cousins, best buddies, etc, which also make wonderful presents. I’m always willing to work out custom packages. Contact me to come up with something that works for you.

I know these pictures aren’t exactly relevant to the post, but I can’t post without photos and I just happen to love these random ones from last week…

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BOOK NOW for Holiday Mini Sessions! See Investment page for details.

A few spaces still available for the Fort Lauderdale families! Contact me at jenmen@gmail.com

Not being a native to Florida, it took me a while to come to grips with the fact that the only real fall colors we see here are on the little decorative flags people hang on their houses and maybe the faux foliage that you see in classrooms and gift shops.

However, school, football, and soccer have all officially started. So, yes, it is fall!

If this time of year at your house is anywhere near as crazy as it is at mine, then this also means that the holidays will be here before you know it! To help you get a jump start, I’m offering HOLIDAY MINI AT-HOME SESSIONS! No Santa. No props. Just beautiful timeless pictures of your kids and family just in time to use for cards and presents! See the Investment page for details. These will be available through November 15 and SPACES ARE LIMITED so book now!

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Spaces still available for the Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta families! Contact me at jenmen@gmail.com

JMP is on Facebook! Become a fan to see expanded galleries from shoots and find out about special events and offers.

I’m thinking about one more working trip to the ATL this fall, possibly in mid October. This would be just in time to get pictures for the holidays! If any of you out there are interested, please leave a comment, or email/call/facebook me so I can gauge the interest level and work on setting dates.

As with the upcoming Fort Lauderdale trip, I’ll throw in some extras to my basic packages. If those don’t work for you, contact me and we’ll come up with something that does, including splitting sessions with friends if that is more convenient for you.

Speaking of facebook, I created a fan page. I’ll use that to share more albums, events and other tidbits. Check it out and “become a fan”!

Anyone who knows me knows I’ll take any excuse for a trip! Flying is wonderful, too, but since I frequently travel with my brood in tow, carseats and cupholders tend to win out over peanuts and in-flight movies. Plus, you don’t have the same excuse to eat terribly and buy lotto tickets that the road provides…

I will be in the Fort Lauderdale area in October to follow up with these cute kids and capture the whole family on their home turf.

Please contact me if you are interested in booking a session between October 2 and 5! It might be difficult to think about now, but that will be perfect timing for holiday cards and presents!

As an added incentive, I am offering these extras to my existing packages for this trip:

Social Networker – One high resolution digital file, copyright released for personal use. Great to use for holiday cards.

Family Historian - One 8×10″ print.

This recent shoot was abbreviated by a sudden burst of rain, but we will pick up with this South Florida family in a couple of months (long story, but they happened to be in ATL the same week that I was)! Stay tuned to find out exactly when I’ll be heading south (for a change) to the Fort Lauderdale area and will be available for family, kids, or couple sessions.

We met up at one of the most pristine public playgrounds I’ve ever been to, John Howell, in Atlanta. But boys will be boys, and Z managed to find the little bit of dirt and sand there was to be enjoyed. He was so much more into that than any of the fancy playground equipment!

This is exactly what I mean about wanting to capture kids being themselves and not performing for the camera! Mom, T, said something to the effect of, “if you want to get a true picture of my son, this would be it!”

He may be the big brother, but there is still a lot of baby boy in him.  I love this swipe at an itchy nose.

And baby M…what a doll! There’s a lot going on in those eyes.

7 months and already more than a handful!

She loves her mama…and the camera, too!

Sorry you got soaked…can’t wait to come see you guys!

These girls are not only beautiful, but warm, passionate and fun. Just like their great mom, whom I’ve been friends with since we were younger than they are now. I love getting to see them grow as a family. Thanks, H-ladies, for spending the afternoon with me. I hope you had a great month of birthday celebrations!

Have you heard that country song, “You’re Gonna Miss This“?  It’s a corny country radio song, but the lyrics get me every time. It doesn’t hurt that I first heard it when I was stressed out and pregnant. These reminded me of that song…

For more about my style and philosophy about portraits, visit the About Portraits page.

I’ve started a new blog. The posts older than this one represent, in part, the purely personal blog I used to share with family and friends. This time around, I am sharing some of that, but also focusing more on my photography business.  I have decided to turn my passion and talents into my job…do what you love, right? Well, for many years and especially since I have been a mom, one of the things I’ve loved to do most is take pictures. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing where this leads.