This session with little Miss A and her parents was fun and a little freezing! She is such a doll, her smile and adorable giggle just make you smile too! She wasn’t happy unless she was on the move and therefore we were on the move right up until the end with a fun little cake smash to celebrate her upcoming first birthday. Too cute and such beautiful blue eyes!
I wanted to share some more of my favorites from little P’s session. Oh how I love newborn sessions….soooo cute!
I’ll admit it, I am an Etsy addict. I love things that are handmade and especially so when they are made just for me…after all who doesn’t like something thats one-of-a-kind? After I found a charm necklace that had a camera on it, I wondered if maybe she would make a custom one. I just sent a request to the Etsy seller describing what I was looking for and she quickly replied that was more than happy to make it for me. I received my necklace and its exactly what I wanted – I really love it! It turned out that her name is Laura too and she was so nice to work with. I encourage you to check out her shop by clicking here.
Don’t know what Etsy is? It’s a great place to buy and sell things that are handmade. Just search for something or browse one of their categories and you will find so many wonderful things. They also have supplies for making your own crafts and even vintage items for sale. Its really easy to use and you pay securely through PayPal. I have bought all kinds of handmade things, from hand dyed & spun yarn to a beautiful lace bolero. I love supporting such amazing creativity and entrepreneurship.
Newborns in the buff photograph the best as I’ll be able to capture all the delicate details of your litte one. By being bare it highlights their innocence and newness to the world. However I do make it a point to hide certain “areas” to keep every image tasteful and appropriate. Just remember to dress your baby in something loose fitting and easy to take off so that we won’t disturb their slumber right before the shoot. Also make sure you put the diaper on loose beforehand too to avoid any diaper marks. No need to worry about your little one being cold – if you adjust the room temperature to be at least 74 degrees combined with the heating pad I use, they will stay nice and warm. (A space heater is also helpful which I can bring if needed.)
I do bring along a few props, such as throws & blankets, containers, various hats (which are really fun for a few images) and other items to add some color and texture into your images – though who can resist the simplicity of newborn baby skin? I love to include personal items such as an important blanket or a sentimental toy of your own because it can make the photograph extra special to you and your family.
Now that we have your newborn figured out…on to you! In general, a plain black or neutral t-shirt or tank paired with dark denim jeans or black yoga pants are great for mom. A plain black t-shirt or long sleeve shirt with dark denim jeans are a good option for dad. Since we’ll likely be inside your house and it’s going to be nice and warm, bare feet works best. But if you plan on wearing socks, please make sure they are a similar color to your pants. If siblings will be included in a couple of the images, just remember to keep it simple…neutral colors keep the focus to the connection between those in the photograph.
If you have any questions, please put them in the comments or send me an email and I’ll post the answer here for everyone.
This 7-day old “little man” was a little tough guy when it came to falling asleep…but once he did, he was sound asleep for awhile…and such a sweetie. Can you believe his Mom went into labor not long after undergoing surgery for breaking her ankle?? Such a trooper! Eventually his Dad took a much needed nap from his Super Dad duties during the session. (Definitely a great time to catch up on a few Zzzz’s!) Little “P” you are such a perfect little boy and your parents (and family) adore you! I’ll share my session favorites as soon as the full gallery is up – until then, I hope you enjoy the sneak peek!
Recently my Dad wrote something for me and much of it was about my photography…from what he remembered about how it started and what he hopes for it in the future. This is very personal post for me, but I think completely relevant to share here.
Looking Back
My family moved from Nebraska to Arizona when I was little, so I don’t always remember that much from then. But I do remember when my Dad bought a used Nikkormat to capture all the beauty he saw in the desert. Times got pretty tough and he gave up on this interest to work as much as possible just to make ends meet, leaving the camera to collect dust. One day, he gave it to me as a present, I think when I was about 12. I didn’t know how to use it and certainly not mature enough to understand the technical aspects of how the shutter speed related to the aperture – but I am a born self-starter and very stubborn. I practiced and failed many times, but never really gave up. I took a photography class in high school and the first time I watched a photo of mine actually develop in front of my eyes, I was amazed. I spent countless hours in the darkroom and went through much more than my allotment of film and paper. I loved processing my film, setting up the enlarger, developing my photos, and absorbing every bit of information I could. I was drawn to anything creative, jewelry class, drawing class, sewing, etc. but one day I opened a program a friend shared with me – Photoshop – and begun to teach myself how to use it…and eventually pursued a career in Graphic Design. Some of my designs have even been published in books (proud parent moment here), but occasionally I would come across those photographs I took when I was a kid (see photos at end of post) and think about how much I missed photography. The past few years of my life have been filled with challenges and changes. With that, photography found its way back into my life.
Looking Forward
Those who know me, know exactly how stubborn I am when it comes to proving I can do what I set my mind to and just how passionate I am about photography. I’ve found that the photography industry is similar to the design industry in many ways, which makes me believe that I can find success in this business. Its not only about being creative but also connecting with clients to capture who they are. Both of which I love and I hope that is what is reflected in the photos I take. Even though that old Nikon Nikkormat (shown above right) has once again found itself collecting dust, its only because its been replaced with a serious upgrade and a very serious commitment to taking this as far as I can. Many sacrifices have been made to pursue this dream but I love what I do.
To wrap up this post, I wanted to pay tribute to that Nikkormat by sharing a few of those photographs that I had taken when I was a kid. (Please pardon the dust & scratches, the original prints have seen better days.)
Left: My parents hands + Right: My sister posing for me
Left: Experimenting with light, marbles on top and a dollhouse on bottom + Right: Playing with contrast, a flower on top and cat on bottom
Both images were in Tombstone, AZ during a reenactment at the OK Corral
I am so glad I was able to attend the photographer meet-up that Katie & Emma put together this weekend at Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle. (Huge thanks to you two & the hotel!!) The meet-up was for local photographers to get together to talk, exchange ideas, and network. First let me say, the hotel is stunning…as you walk through the revolving door, you enter the lobby and the interior is a work of art. I had to catch the ferry back home so I missed the tour of their rooms, but judging only from the images on their website – they have serious WOW factor. For those of you on the Kitsap Peninsula, the hotel is only a very short walk from the ferry terminal on the Seattle side.
There were a few familiar faces from Katie’s workshop that I attended earlier this month, and other local photographers I hadn’t yet met. It was really great to be amongst such experience and talent – I am really looking forward to going to more of these meet-ups. We talked a lot about the industry, our lives, and array of other topics. However, two of those really stood out to me and so I wanted to blog about them a little bit.
Day Jobs
It seems no matter where you are, or what you photograph, being a photographer can often be feast or famine. Some photographers have another job out of necessity, usually for a more consistent income, which enables them to pursue another profession that they are very passionate about (photography). One thing is for certain, photography is not a hobby for most “Photographers”. Its taken very seriously, with a lot of time and money invested in equipment, learning (workshops, classes, books, forums), marketing materials, etc. After all – the time, talent, and skill involved in photography goes well beyond just taking a photograph…there is post-production, client communication, marketing, learning, researching, and on and on. Sometimes it amazes me how some not only have another part-time or full-time job and/or are raising a family, but also run a very successful photography business. So if the photographer you hire has another job, its fairly common and no worries, because you will only see true dedication to you (their client) and their art (photography).
Referrals
If you have ever had professional portraits done (except at chain stores), chances are you were given a few extra business cards with your prints or album. This is so that if you had a great experience with your photographer, you might be so inclined to hand out those cards to your friends and family which could be potential clients for that photographer. It seems the consensus is that this is the main way for a photographer to get business. We rely on referrals as our main source of marketing…granted there are a lot of other ways to go about marketing also, but referrals seem to be the most successful. If you had a great experience with your photographer, please let them know, and let your friends know too!
With any Add to Heart Print Collection purchased before June 1st, I will also include watermarked web-resolution copies of the images that you order so you can share them via email or online with those friends who may not have the opportunity to see the images in person or on your walls at home.
(This special bonus offer expires June 1, 2010. To book your session please email me for available dates and mention this offer. Not valid with any other offer.)
Written by Andrew Zander (a fellow photographer and my wonderful husband)
Unless I’m going for a creative effect, I want my pictures to be as sharp as possible. Here are a few tips I’ve learned to help me achieve that goal:
1. Most people know that you want a low ISO setting, but you don’t want to go too low – outside the native ISO range of your camera. For example, the “LO” settings on my Nikon D300 not only decrease dynamic range, but add some noise to the image.
2. Many photographers save up and get very nice (and expensive) lenses with low f-stops (ie f/2.8). These lenses are typically very high quality and, of course, ideal for low light solutions. However, most lenses are not sharpest at these wide apertures due to lens aberrations. Also, lenses aren’t as sharp at very small apertures either, due to diffraction by the edges of the aperture. Typically, lenses are sharpest at intermediate apertures – about one to three stops down from the maximum aperture in any given lens.
3. While we’re on the subject of lenses. Some people like the idea of using old lenses from the days of film. While these can be lenses of very high quality, they won’t necessarily make for a great lens on a digital camera. These days, lenses are equipped with anti-reflective coatings that weren’t used on older lenses. Such coatings reduce the likelihood of reflections within a lens that film wouldn’t pick up, but a digital sensor can. Also, if you’re using a full-frame format digital camera, older lenses can produce vignetting or distortions at the edges of the image. Since standard dSLR’s (ie DX Nikons) use a smaller sensor, the sharpest part of the image passing through an old film lens will reach the sensor, reducing the chance of any distortions.
4. Then there’s the software/post-production route. While I haven’t sampled every program that’s out there, I’ve used Nik Software’s Sharpener Pro 3.0 with success. You can batch process images in little time and the results are fantastic whether you go manual or use the automatic setting. Plug-ins are available for the most common photo editors/managers.
I realize these tips are hardly all-inclusive. I just wanted to share some suggestions/information that I found useful in crafting quality images. Please feel free to post your own experiences/suggestions.
I just went to catch up on TAoPaN’s Image of the Day posts and saw that my images were selected yesterday and today too – how very cool! In case you were wondering, TAoPaN is a website, workshop, and magazine dedicated to the art of pregnancy and newborn. I especially love to photograph pregnancy and newborns because it is such a special time in a family’s life to welcome their little one into the world.
To celebrate this exciting accomplishment, I would like to offer $50.00 OFF any Maternity or Newborn Session booked before April 1st, 2010.
To book your session please email me for available dates and mention this special offer. (Discount applies toward standard session fee. Not valid with any other offer.)
