Dog Days at KOBO

One of the perks working here at KOBO, is that we bring our dogs to work. Chester and Cooper had a great time playing in the yard. Cooper is Jeanne's new puppy, he is a cavalier and cocker spaniel mix. All the employees dogs get along great and we can often be found taking several dogs for walks at lunchtime.

Cheryl Ungar Weddings

We recently had a chance to catch up with Cheryl Ungar, owner of Cheryl Ungar Weddings, a small boutique wedding photography business based in Colorado.

Tell us about your photography style

My unique perspective for wedding photography came from my early days as a photojournalist at a daily newspaper.  It is all about creating a story: wide shots, tight shots, medium shots, look at the subject from all angles and study the light. Most often, these are intuitive, split second decisions as I capture the moments and create permanent memories of your wedding day. I have been told that I have an uncanny ability to see the world differently than most: I see in compositions, I notice light. I recognize poses, I capture the unseen. 

Over the last 25 years, I have perfected my craft by shooting for some of the world's most renowned publications and clients, such as The New York Times, This Old House magazine, Allure magazine, Harper Collins Publishers, Anheuser-Busch, Mision La Serena in Cabo San Lucas and Monteverdi in Tuscany, just to name a few. 

PS - Cheryl wanted us to mention she is interested in partnering with other KOBO clients. Having had the privilege of working on many albums for Cheryl we highly recommend her. You can contact her through her website at http://www.cherylungarweddings.com

Love KOBO's music? Meet Nancy Falkow!

We are frequently asked about the KOBO theme song and music on our website, slideshows and phone system. All of our music is provided by Nancy Falkow. Nancy spent many years in Philadelphia as a Singer Songwriter, a session vocalist, an entertainment publicist and recording studio manager.  After the release of her 3rd solo effort, the acclaimed "Clear View," Nancy fell in love and hightailed it to Dublin, Ireland.  She currently lives there with her husband and daughter and is celebrating the release of "Under the Stars" with her latest project Sunflow, a duo with writing partner Fran King and producer Duncan Maitland. We recently caught up with Nancy, on Easter Sunday, and interviewed her for the blog. Click here for Nancy's new video!

How has living in Ireland affected your music?

Dublin is a lot harder of a nut to crack than Philly was, or maybe I was just in Philly long enough that I became a big fish in a small pond. There are A LOT of singer songwriters here and the opportunities in my opinion are fewer and further between, or maybe I just haven't been at the right places at the right times.  Since I've had my little girl, I've been performing a lot less.  I am just grateful that I met Fran & Duncan and had the opportunity to make a record that I am ridiculously proud of, so I don't feel like DOING LESS, means less.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I just released "Under the Stars" a collection of lullaby-esque songs with the band Sunflow. After I had a baby, I was inspired to write songs for other parents to listen to that didn't want to make them put ice picks in their ears!  My friend, also a Dad to 2 kids, Fran King, wrote a bunch of songs too, we enlisted his good friend Duncan Maitland....and Sunflow was born.  The album came out in November and is doing great, we love the feedback from real parents who put their kids to bed with it and tell us how much they enjoy it (and how it actually works!)

What do you miss most about the US?

TARGET, is that so wrong?  Well, I must be honest, I'm here 5 years and I'm used to NOT having some things, but still import others.  It's all about the products.  I have a lot of American friends here and we're always bargaining to get each other to bring light weight items back with them since they've stopped the slow boat postal option.  There is no kind of discount-ish store like Target here. And let me tell you Ireland is EXPENSIVE.  I miss the certain conveniences America offers. And screens on the windows. I miss having screens on my windows.

Do you have any advice for aspiring singers?

I'm all about following your dreams, but if you don't have a large pile of money to fall back on, it's not crazy to be a singer AND get an education. Practice a lot and be as creative as you can with as many people that you can meet. Don't be afraid to do Open Mic's, you may meet some life long musical friends and get a lot of experience.

LINKITY GOODNESS:

www.nancyfalkow.com

You can buy all Nancy's solo albums at:

http://cdbaby.com/all/popmoosic

You can buy and listen to Sunflow:

http://www.itsaboutmusic.com/sunflow.htm

Indie

Indie was born on Independence Day 2004 and was named "Miss Independent" after the Kelly Clarkson song. Boy, did we get her name right! She is one strong minded dog. She is an accomplished counter surfer and carb addict. She has eaten such things as a 1# bag of Hershey Kisses, many loaves of bread and a birthday cake. She is a Bernese Mountain Dog and lives with Lori, her husband and two children.

Chester

With all the talk of Bo, the Obama's new puppy, we thought it was a good time to introduce some of the pets of KOBO. First, our official mascot, Chester! You may recognize him from our holiday emailings and other promotions. Chester is a great model and he lives with Sherry, her husband and their cat Molly.

Jack Randall Photography

"Sand and Surf" is a compilation album that we recently designed for California client, Jack Randall Photography.  A showcase of recent weddings, this will make an awesome sample album to take to Bridal Expos!  A larger version can be viewed HERE.

Margarita Wars

Ok it's time we come clean....margaritas are the official drink of KOBO Services. On a recent trip to Mexico I emailed Sherry the image above of a pitcher of margaritas on our patio. She promptly emailed me back her New Jersey deck margarita shot. Sherry gets bonus points for her homemade calamari!