Christmas Cut-Offs!

I can't believe it's the first of December today....Where has the year gone?  This time last year I was in Bali enjoying 12 glorious days of hiding out with my Husband - I wish I could turn back the clock!

Anyway I have decided to take a bit of a break this Christmas and so I have had to make some deadlines for printing if you need them in time for presents.

So details are as follows:

Closing for Xmas Break: Wednesday, 22 December 2010, 6:00 pm
Reopen for business: Monday, 10 January 2011, 8:30 am

I will still be receiving emails for bookings and enquiries during this period but they will not be responded to until the 10th Jan.

Canvas Printing Cutoff: Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Last Print Orders: Tuesday, 21 December 2010 (close of business)

Obviously the earlier you can put your orders in then the earlier you will receive them to frame or wrap and also that creates less pressure for me too!

Good luck to everyone with their Christmas shopping (I haven't finished yet myself) and don't forget you can always get a Gift Voucher from Sharon Manning Photography!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always find the lead up to Christmas very stressful but this year I seemed to be better organised than others, that or I'm just not worried about all the finer details and I'm trying to concentrate on the bigger picture. Our girls are much older now and the traditions seem to have gone out the window, hang on, I'm not sure we ever had any traditions to tell you the truth, it just feels like things are much calmer this year.....maybe it was the holiday I just had!

I know I haven't been around much lately and there are several reasons for that. One is that I have stripped out my Scroffice and I'm totally re-decorating my space to suit me. Renae and Gemma have been helping me alot and tomorrow Steve picks up my new timber flooring, so hopefully that will be laid sooner rather than later. I've been taking photos along the way and I hope to share the transformation early in the New Year - finger's crossed!

The other reason is something that I can't quite share yet - but rest assured it is an exciting project I have taken on for 2010 and whilst it will be ALOT of hard work, I hope that it will be enormously successful and something that you can be part of too!

Photography sessions are starting to fill up for Jan and Feb and even April is turning out to be extremely busy time for me. My new website and blog are in development too - so it's action stations around here. I've been printing photos, canvases (even got one of my own I will share in a future post) and organising framing for my clients for Christmas presents this last week too.

Kelly and Sam were married on 4th Dec and I'm still editing away in between everything else - usually early in the morning when the house is quiet and cool. This was the first official shoot with my new Canon 5D and all I can say is I'm in love. So are Kelly and Sam, they made my job very easy indeed. Here's a sneak peek of/for the happy couple.

Kelly in a reflective moment at the altar - She was truly a stunning bride.

Love this photo of the two of them - Don't worry Kel, there's more of these ones too in colour but I really liked the velvetyness (if that's a word?) of the sepia.



These guys were soooooo much fun - and very willing particpants to try anything - It was an extremely hot day and they were very thankful when I said they could take off their jackets, but I had an ulterior motive as I wanted them to do the Toyota ad jump thing - and they did it willingly - so willingly I can't show the R rated version of this shot on my G rated blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Whilst not a perfect photo this one gives me goosebumps.....got them now.






I think that's enough of a teaser so I'll finish by saying.....................

This is a very special preview for me - Photographing friends can fall either way - I think this one fell the right way! We started in Hyden and then went out to the farm near Varley. I'd never been out that way before and the drive out was beautiful - very different countryside again to West of Hyden. What was it you said Lis "It's not nowhere but you can see nowhere from it"? Well I loved it out there - must be the country girl coming out in me.

Enjoy the sneak peek!

Oh what a feeling! I had M doing this on his own too - I think he was buggered afterwards.



What a cutey hey!



These big brown eyes are just stunning!

And my favourite!

You know the drill by now - Proofs are on their way!

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I have had such a great response from families in Hyden and I have decided to return in April School holidays 2010 - I already have 7 names on the list so if you are interested in having a family photo session done then please email me and I will add you on. Package details and costs should be available by middle January and then I will work out a schedule and allocate times.

If you live in another area and would like to discuss the possibility of a family photo session then please contact me - If numbers are interested then I am only to happy to travel to your area.

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Also if you are interested in my Christmas special - session times are limited so you had better be quick!

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Enjoy the warm weather if you are in Perth!

Christmas Gift Idea

I know Christmas is just around the corner and if you are anything like me then you leave everything until the last minute (I call it Yuletide denial!) or worse, rack your brains for that perfect gift for that special someone who has everything already!

Well I think I have the solution.

A Christmas Special Photographic Session $395.00

Your package includes:

1.5 hour Photo session in the Perth Metropolitan Area (within 50kms of CBD) – Location of your choice
35 proofs on CD from which to make your selections
4 Free prints – Two 6”x4” prints and Two 5”x7” prints (unframed)

These packages are available for sessions prior to 13 December if you require prints for Christmas or why not purchase a package anytime up to 24 December as a gift for someone special – A printed voucher will be sent to you for giving.

A special Christmas gift that will last a lot longer than a pair of socks!

Email me if you are interested - first in best dressed for dates.

Sharon xxx

Is it Christmas?

I have such good intentions every year of cooking, making pressies and generally getting into the Christmas spirit….and every year it doesn’t quite happen. There are so many pressies under the Christmas tree that I think we need a bigger tree. It’s a great feeling actually, I’m organised and all we have to get tomorrow is the Gourmet Turkey Roll and Ham from the butchers. But the Christmas Spirit is just not happening for me, it doesn’t feel like Christmas.

Steve finished work on Friday at about 2.00pm and it has been great to spend some time with him over the last few days without the stresses of working. We went shopping in Joondalup yesterday and Steve finished off his presents and then we did the food shopping….mayhem would be a good word to describe the atmosphere….pushing a trolley full of food through the malls was not fun – it always amazes me that people with no bags of shopping in their hands still expect you with a fully laden trolley of Christmas fare to get out of their way! Add to that a trolley that has a mind of its own and………well you get the picture.

I have managed to do some of these….. Classic Cocoa! Yum!

Very easy to do but the jars were extremely hard to find.

I would like to wish you and your families a very

Merry Christmas

and if you have to be on the roads, then please stay safe!

Thank you to everyone that has dropped in on my blog and left messages, I really appreciate it and love reading all my comments.

OK I'm off for a swim and some yummy prawns for dinner!