Win a FREE Shoot!

Friends! Boy, do I have a good post for you... :) I am absolutely elated right now! Why? Check out what just came in the mail....

That's new packaging, right there! Isn't it pretty?! The only thing I'm waiting on now to complete the look are silkscreened DVDs and CDs. Stay tuned. I'm thrilled with the new brand and excited for the future.

To celebrate the new brand and a new season of René Tate Photography, I want to give you an opportunity to win a FREE 30 minute portrait shoot! Here's how......

Any NBC Today Show fans out there? If you know me at all, you'll know that I have a slight crush on Matt Lauer ;) and watch that show all morning long while I sip my coffee for hours on end and respond to emails. Well, this FRIDAY... AKA HALLOWEEN... René Tate Photography will be on the Today Show!!

Well.. not really.

But you bet I'm going to be down on the plaza in New York City this Friday morning! And what kind of Today Show fan stands out on the plaza without a sign? Yup, that's right, I'll be one of those crazy people with a poster board sign. :)

So, all you have to do to win a free 30 minute portrait session is watch the Today Show on NBC this Halloween Friday, try to find me in the crowd, and tell me what my sign says! You've got a free shoot comin' your way. And trust me, I mean business in 30 minutes.. we'll get a ton of incredible shots. :)

This is only good for the first ten, yes ten (10!), people that email me.

Can't wait! Pictures to follow. ;)

Ali & Chris - The Real Post

Have I said lately how much I love what I do? Tonight's reveal with Ali and Chris couldn't have gone better. Jesie, Ali, Chris, and I sat nestled on my cozy sectional — Holy Cross Abbey wine and Fat Tire beer in hand — and watched their incredible slide show of images... about six times. :) We laughed lots and chatted about everything under the sun. Not only do I love shooting, but the whole relationship aspect is something worth noting... I just love people. We all have such unique journeys. I love chillaxing with my clients and soaking up their words of wisdom and hearing how their romance came about. Everyone has a story... how they met (of course), what their families are like, how he proposed. How, in Ali and Chris' case, Chris sat down with Ali's dad and how Ali's dad almost ruined a surprise. ;) I love building that connection with my clients and helping to put them at ease on the big day.

Love Ali's expression in the second frame and how the leaves frame their incredible smiles.

Such an honest kiss.... Love these! If only you could see the other field shots.. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. Check out that beautiful hair light! :)Ali and Chris' first date was the Manitou Incline... intentionally captured in the bottom left and corner.

Introducing, Ali and Chris :)

Just a little something to wet your whistle. Had a great time this morning with my accountant, Ali, and her fiancé, Chris. You should've seen their chemistry. For a guy who isn't "into PDA," he did outstandingly well!

More to come soon. :)

Pre-Shoot Ritual

Is it cheesy that before morning shoots I like to drink my Starbucks Anniversary Blend out of this $4.99 cup rather than my cute, 'lil, white Pottery Barn cups?

What can I say? It's the little things in life that bring me joy. :)

UCCS Chancellor's Leadership Class

Big news. René Tate is getting into the movie mak-ing! :-) Every year I have the honor of photographing the 40 some scholars of UCCS' prestigious leadership program - the Chancellor's Leadership Class. Last night I unveiled this video at a reception at the Broadmoor Hotel in front of the class as well as many other Colorado Springs community members. I think the video was a hit! It was so great watching everyone's reactions. (Especially those people who teared up!) I encourage you to listen to the lyrics as they definitely describe the "change-the-world" mindset and will of these scholars. I realize it's 40 some pictures of people you don't know but the end is fairly powerful, so take a break for 4 minutes and 41 seconds and enjoy my first YouTube video ever, not to mention the first video ever posted on this blog!

Be joyful, patient, and faithful.

So lately I've been feeling a little blue and haven't been sleeping too well. Last night, as I lay staring at the ceiling, I decided to grab the Bible off my nightstand. Reading it always seems to calm me down a little. Not that it puts me to sleep (haha) it just gives me peace so that I can sleep! Anyhow, I flipped to the concordance not knowing what to read. After skimming about every single word in the concordance, I finally made my way to the book of Romans where this verse caught my eye and greatly encouraged me:

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." — Romans 12:12

This verse is so applicable to every area of our lives. Whether it's love, business, family, school, etc. The "patient in affliction" part really stood out to me. Affliction doesn't just go away, God wants us to be patient in those hard times. I suppose a great deal of learning comes from those times. But it's a nice reminder to just be patient, as hope and good things will follow.

Facelift! Updated Web Site and Blog.

Yay!! What do you think of the new blog? Did you know BROWN is my favorite color? And olive green too? :) René Tate Photography is always growing and changing and we've decided to pick two dominant colors for all our marketing and packaging materials, and those happen to be... can you guess? Yes! Brown and olive. You're quick. ;)

In addition to new colors, René Tate Photography has a brand new logo. (Notice I say "René Tate Photography" and NOT "René Tate Graphic Design and Photography.") After careful consideration, we've decided to do away with the graphic design end of our business. We'll still accept design projects, but it's not something we are going to market. It's tough to be the best wedding and portrait photographer when you're also trying to be the best graphic artist, and vise versa. With that said, a new logo was in need. And since we were shifting our colors and logo around, why not do some changes to the website? Check it out! Share your feedback here. Click the comment link below.