New Blog - Final Post Here

October 31, 2008 – 9:48 am

Everything Narella Studio goes live tomorrow, so this blog will no longer be updated.

The new Narella Studio blog is up and running! Check it out at narella-blog.com

By watkinsd | Posted in Misc | no comments         |

Major Announcement!!!

October 27, 2008 – 6:56 pm

Okay, so the moment of truth has arrived. Here’s the big news …

 

Dave Watkins Photography is officially changing it’s name to Narella Studio.

Narella Studio Logo

 

Effective November 1, 2008, Dave Watkins Photography is officially becoming Narella Studio. It’s no secret, of course, that Dave Watkins Photography is moving into a new studio and gallery space in downtown Lake Mills, WI, but along with that we decided that the business has evolved to the point where a few other things needed to change.

The Backstory

Some of you may know that I started Dave Watkins Photography in 2002 in the basement of my college apartment, basically as a way to earn some extra cash and at the same time pursue my love of photography. I never really intended to become a full-time wedding photographer, but both my clients’ appreciation for my work, and my love for the images I was creating, has taken me down that path and I couldn’t be happier. 

Since Valerie became a part of my life, she has grown to become an integral part of Dave Watkins Photography as well. Since moving the business from Oshkosh to the Madison area in 2005, she has helped make the business the success that it is. The change in name helps to acknowledge that, and from a practical standpoint, it makes it easier to adapt to whatever the future may bring.  Perhaps down the road we’ll bring in other photographers, offer other services - who knows!

The other reason we decided to change the name is that Narella Studio as a name has a lot more flavor than Dave Watkins Photography. “Dave Watkins Photography” is straightforward and clear, and don’t get me wrong - I like my own name, but “Narella Studio”  is just a little more interesting; it has more ambience. We think it better reflects our goals and aspirations for the future. 

Not only do I love telling wedding stories with pictures, but I’ve found that I also love creating engaging, genuine portraits of people. I have been shooting portraits for clients occasionally by special request, but Narella Studio will be offering portrait services on a more formal basis, which both Val and I are really excited about. 

And I know you’re wondering, but no, Narella isn’t the name we’ve chosen for the baby. Almost all of the very few people we’ve told about the change have said, “Oh, that would be a cute name for a baby girl! Is that why you chose it?” Sorry, but no.

So What Happens Now?

Well, if you’re a current client of Dave Watkins Photography, be assured that nothing will be changing as far as your services and contract. In fact, you will probably see some added benefits! We will be in touch regarding any changes that might affect you individually, but please don’t hesitate to contact us with any of your questions or concerns. 

We have a new website that will be live November 1 along with a new blog, new email address, and of course the gallery and studio in Lake Mills. Oh, and by the way, Val and I have been blown away by how wonderful and welcoming everyone in Lake Mills has been to us. We have such a great feeling about the community there and we can’t wait to be a part of it!

Here’s all the new info:

WEBSITE: www.narella-studio.com

BLOG: www.narella-blog.com

STUDIO EMAIL: info@narella-studio.com

STUDIO PHONE: 920-945-0552

Thank you to everyone who has supported us through this change, especially all our wonderful clients. Val and I have been working virtually day and night for months to accomplish this, and we couldn’t have made it this far without everyone’s support and encouragement. 

Cheers!

By watkinsd | Posted in Misc | no comments         |

Big News Coming Soon!

October 22, 2008 – 12:02 am

So we’re having a baby.

We’re moving into an awesome studio and gallery space in Lake Mills.

What else could we throw into the mix to make life just a little more hectic, fun, and hugely exciting? 

More details on our big news coming soon. Stay tuned.

By watkinsd | Posted in Misc | no comments         |

Holli & Greg | September 5, 2008

October 20, 2008 – 8:57 pm

Holli and Greg’s wedding took place in Watertown and the reception was at Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc. Since the ceremony was in the early evening, we decided to shoot portraits of the wedding party before the wedding. Greg proposed to Holli at the Field of Dreams in Iowa, so for the photos they wanted something that looked similar. Holli actually spent time driving around the Watertown area until she found a farm with a large grass lawn leading up to a cornfield. How cool is that!?

I have to admit that it’s the first time I’ve had a cornfield as a backdrop, but it was pretty nice, especially with the blue skies and puffy white clouds. I love the shots from above of Holli and Greg.

Check out the photos of all the centerpieces for the reception - Holli put all those together herself after scavenging thrift stores for the parts! They had a photo booth too so that their guests could take some goofy photos and put them in a scrap book along with a little message. What a cool guestbook!

Val and I had a lot of fun, and loved all the little touches that made the whole day come together. Thanks Holli and Greg!

Click here to view the online gallery.

By watkinsd | Posted in Weddings | Tagged , | no comments         |

Heckuva weekend.

October 20, 2008 – 10:02 am

Wow, what a busy weekend it was. Val and I traveled to Neenah Thursday evening for Megan and Jason’s wedding on Friday. We don’t normally stay in hotels unless we have to travel really far away, but this time we stayed the night before and the night of their wedding at Bridgewood Resort. They had a fantastic wedding day, despite the bit of rain in the evening. Val and I met so many great friends and family of Megan and Jason - they made us feel very welcome the whole day.

Then on Saturday we drove to Chicago for engagement portraits with Katie and Andrew. Even though it was only a couple hours, it was so great to shoot in downtown Chicago. Katie and Andrew are about the sweetest couple you could ever meet!

From there we drove back up to Gurnee where we had dinner with Val’s friend Melissa, who we hadn’t seen since she got back from teaching in South Korea. It was great to catch up with her.

Then we drove back to Lake Mills, where our new studio is, and caught the tail end of the Painted Ladies event, which was so cool! It’s hard to describe the event in just a few words, but it was basically a fundraiser event, and a chance to show off some of the renovated businesses downtown. Live music, good beer, cool people.

I spent Sunday catching my breath … and trying to get some work done at the studio. There isn’t too much left to do there - we’re in the home stretch!! Here’s a few quick favorites from this weekend’s shoots. Happy Monday!







By watkinsd | Posted in Misc | Tagged , , , | no comments         |

Megan & Leif | August 23, 2008

October 14, 2008 – 6:03 pm

We love going to new places, and Megan and Leif’s wedding was full of new places for us - the church, Little Norway, Deer Creek Lodge. Megan used to be a tour guide at Little Norway, so we were able to go in there with the whole wedding party to shoot photos. I haven’t been there since a grade school field trip, so it was basically all new to me. It was gorgeous though, and we found some really sweet spots for photos. Deer Creek Lodge was a great spot too because the “backyard” of the place looks out over the Iowa county prairie, which is beautiful, and it was perfect for the amazing sunset we had that night.

The locations were great, but really it was Megan and Leif that made so many our day so nice. They’re so easy going and fun. It was a real pleasure and honor for Val and I to be a part of their day.

Thanks for the great photos guys!

Click here to view the online gallery.
 

 

By watkinsd | Posted in Weddings | no comments         |

Heidi & Tommy | Portraits

October 13, 2008 – 8:58 pm

Heidi and Tommy are getting married on Valentines Day in LaCrosse. It definitely won’t be as sunny and warm that day as it was when we shot their engagement portraits, but Heidi has already said she want to do some wedding day photos outside in the snow!

Since Heidi and Tommy already have kids, we decided to do some family photos along with their engagement portraits. They chose one of my favorite locations, especially for kids portraits - the back yard! Kids (and anyone really) photograph best when they are comfortable, and they’re usually most comfortable on their home turf. So I love being able to play around in the back yard with kids and photograph them totally being themselves! Payton is a wild little guy, as most three-year-olds are, but I caught a few very brief thoughtful moments. Hailey is only three months old, so she wasn’t as active as her brother, but she’s totally cutie!

Here are a few of my favorite shots.









Click here to view the online gallery.

By watkinsd | Posted in Engagements, Family Portraits | no comments         |

Laura & Kevin | November 29, 2008

October 8, 2008 – 9:38 am

Val and I had such a fun time shooting with Laura and Kevin. We weren’t exactly sure what we were going to do, but we knew we were going to start at the Memorial Union and then shoot as the sun set. So we wandered down the trail a bit, shooting as we went. We went and found some of the cool, old dorm buildings on campus and then walked back up towards the Union. The sun was setting just as we reached the piers, so we hustled out and caught a spectacular sunset!

Laura and Kevin’s wedding is coming up soon - the Saturday after Thanksgiving! I can’t believe it’s right around the corner!









Click here to view the online gallery.

By watkinsd | Posted in Engagements | no comments         |

Michael & Laura | May 24, 2009

October 7, 2008 – 4:40 pm

I had the pleasure of spending some time at the Arboretum with Michael and Laura, who are getting married next May. I don’t know if I’ve ever photographed a couple that laugh so much together! It made for some great photos and a fun time. Thanks for the great photos guys!

Here’s a few of my favorites.








Click here to view the online gallery.

By watkinsd | Posted in Engagements | no comments         |

Xia & Brett | August 10, 2008

October 6, 2008 – 12:58 pm

Xia (pronounced “seeya”) and Brett were married in August at the Heidel House Resort in Green Lake. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting at the Heidel House several times, but it’s such a huge and beautiful place that I always seem to find some new and interesting places for photos every time I go there. For Xia and Brett it was the stone steps and the little beach area - very cool spots!

In some ways, Xia and Brett are very different. They have very different family backgrounds, Brett is tall and Xia is … less tall. But the love they have for one another shines through any and all of those differences, and it was so cool to see them and their families and friends all come together that day. That’s what weddings are all about, and Val and I were really honored to be a part of it. Thanks so much for all the great photos guys!

Click here to view the online gallery.

By watkinsd | Posted in Weddings | no comments         |